On The Last Day Of November ….

Oh my life, where has the year gone  ….. today, unbelievably,  is the last day in November, tomorrow the first day of December, and therefore the start of the “ ……..most wonderful time of the year”.  Needless to say there is a tangible and palatable palpable air of excitement pervading The Towers as we prepare to don our gay apparel for yet another season of goodwill etc. to all men.

Darrell, bless him, has been dashing around with the smoothing iron making sure that none of our festive garb is found wanting in the crease department, taking particular care with his own tres en-trend new shirt, a 40p charity shop bargain, a purchase that did not need to be considered, but bagged tout de suite!

Darrell Gets A Delivery From The North Pole.

We have to admit to giving up trying to protect Nigel from the early November onslaught of festive anticipation, but with the delivery of new sofas and oak furniture being promised in time for the big day and Christmas jumpered families already sitting down to ginormous turkeys and mountains of sprouts and talking carrots running riot, we knew we were on to a losing battle.

As November draws ever nigh, the Christmas flood gates are about to open ....... so when a mysterious, parcel arrived for Darrell marked North Pole Delivery …….

……. we just took a very deep breath and decided that whatever it was we would embrace it and go with the flow.

The excitement as Darrell carefully opened the package was both palpable and tangible, all be it heavily disguised in hushed tones!

Inside …… was an exquisite little Christmas Elf, sent, according to the attached note, to help Darrell keep Nigel in line, making sure that he is doing his best to be nice and not naughty before Santa pays his visit to The Towers!

Let’s just say ……. it was …….. emotional.

It took a little while for Darrell to splutter that said Elf shall henceforth be known as Pushkin. 

I have to say it was a most excellent and considered name choice, which suited him very well.  I am not too sure what Nigel thought, he was a bit quiet …… I think the idea of having an emissary from the Great Mr Claus himself staying with us for the next month is a little daunting!

Puskin with many thanks from Valery-Anne Designs  https://itsanalienlife.blogspot.co.uk/

Spotting A Festive Window Before Nigel and Darrell …….

As you know windows are usually Nigel’s big thing in the run up to Christmas …….

…… and with the festive season “proper” but a day or two away, there are trees of every size and hue (both tasteful and gaudy),  fairy lights, tinsel, polar bears and penguins and faux snow being arranged, to an inch of their lives in Evesham like nobody’s business.

But yesterday I spotted a window I don’t think Nigel has discovered yet, because if he had, I would certainly have heard about it as it is rather lovely …… with not a knitted stitch in sight!

I will give Nigel a heads up, but at the same time I am a little reticent  in sharing it with Darrell …… he who is firmly in charge of our festive interior décor …….

….. because I can’t be 100% sure that if he does see it  he won’t do a sudden  about turn and toss all his decorative plans aside in favour of a life sized fir and bauble festooned crinoline creation, no matter how creative and wonderful darling …… especially  as I don’t think  the bijouxness of The Towers could take it.

I think, perhaps, I should say nothing to Darrell for the time being and hope that he doesn’t toddle past himself until after he has decked, swathed and garnished our halls with whatever boughs he has lined up ……. and by which time changing anything wouldn’t be an option!

Nigel Wills His Hair Would Grow Quicker

It has to be said that Evesham has an abundant abundance of ladies and gentlemen's hairdressers, it seems that not a week goes by without another one popping up. Nigel doesn’t usually pay much attention to said “poppings up”, however there has been one, with the romantic name of Diamond Scissors, that has got Nigel desperately willing his hair to grow faster so that he can then have it cut!  What is he like?

But, I don’t really think it’s their skill in hair cutting that has got Nigel all lathered up …….

… I think it’s more to do with their space rocket shaped cutting chair …

…… circus tent and city road mat! So anxious is he, that I strongly suspect he is planning on “borrowing” Bertie on the pretext of acclimatising the young master in preparation for his first proper hair cut ……

And if that doesn’t work …… then perhaps Darrell, with his keen interest in interior design,  might be interested in their use of a black glitter and floral signature wallpaper and symmetrical cube displays. Nigel is such a treasure ……. with so much enthusiasm, where would we be without him?

No Nigel, No!

Sometimes I thank goodness for the smallest of mercies, especially when Nigel is, as he is at present, rampant with festive fervour …….

Yesterday he spotted these monstrous rather larger than average Mr and Mrs Claus garden ornaments in Asda and was on the brink of making a not very considered purchase when he suddenly came to his senses, remembering that we, as bijoux flat dwellers,  don’t really have a doorstep to call our own for any such Christmas embellishment, and it also goes without saying that said adornment, no matter how aesthetically and sympathetically displayed in the communal entrance of The Towers would certainly be viewed as strictly verboten under our leasehold agreement, and therefore result in our “getting a letter” requesting their immediate removal. 

Poor Nigel …… in this instance thwarted (phew), but never out …… for long!

A Van After Our Own Heart …..

Nigel is more of a shop window sort of guy, rather than the back of a van ………..

…….. but this van did catch his eye ……

…… so much so that he jogged after it to get a better look …….

….. a delivery service, that taking in our rigorous 5 a day (plus) regime just about summed us up!

Darrell’s Weird Imagination .......

While out and about in Worcester this shop caught Darrell’s eye ……  its name in particular …..

…… thinking it was a name evocative of a dark and sinister Sunday night period drama, (after Antiques Roadshow), introduced with great gravitas ……. “The House of ….. Dogs” ……..  but not actually having a dog(s) anywhere in the plot!  What is he like?

Darrell Does Worcester A Bit More

There are a couple of very lovely vintage clothing and accessory shops in Worcester, that Darrell likes to peruse when he’s that way…….

…… And it has to be said that Darrell, with his unique sense of style and self, has always hankered for the retro “vintage” look …….. a look the believes he could carry off with just as much aplomb as Hugh, his best friend and mentor can carry off a feather boa!

…….. but unfortunately the distinguished and dapper look that Darrell craves so much doesn’t really come in Darrell size, except for the odd scarf and handkerchief….. but, if he could, Darrell says he would choose to dress like this on an almost daily basis, even on the Nursery run …… what is he like?

Darrell Does An Historic Hostelry

Darrell very much appreciates a bit of history, especially when it also involves a little light refreshment, so it was a no brainer when he nipped into Worcester the other day  for a spot of early Christmas mooching, to avail himself of the hospitality of The King Charles House.

He thinks it may have possibly been the oldest hostelry he has ever been in …..

…….. dating back to 1577, which is really, really, really, really old ….. and where Charles II stayed before escaping his enemies after the Battle of Worcester.

Darrell said that it was absolutely steeped in ancient carved panels and beams that our beloved friend Dianne in hot and torrid Florida would have loved ……..

……. in fact Darrell said that he just couldn’t help himself stroking the said ancient carved panels in awe and wonder of their oldness and the stories and secrets they could tell ……..

Darrell said that he didn’t stroke the stair carpet, as he didn’t think it would have been there in Charles II’s time,  he would not have trod upon it to retire to the Royal bedchamber as the stairs, more likely than not, would have been covered in sawdust in those days.

Darrell also thought it was unlikely that Charles II had sat on the leather settee either ……….. however, in turn, he was certain that if Derek Acorah had been with him (Darrell, not Charles II) Derek would have undoubtedly channelled into something spooky and hysterical historical in this sort of atmosphere.

But one thing that Darrell never expected to find in such august surroundings was a copy of The Complete Eurovision Song Contest Companion, it was a little out of date yes, but to the best of his knowledge our beloved Eurovision Contest wasn’t around in the 1600’s because there were too many other battles being fought, so Charles II would definitely not have picked it up for a little light reading between his own campaigns.

All this thinking about history had exhausted poor Darrell, however, he was soon restored to his more normal buoyant self by a mug of coffee served on a heart shaped platter …….. which, he mused, would have probably made of pewter in the much mentioned Charles II’s day.

Nigel Misses Out ….. But Finds Another Reason To Muse ……

Following on from yesterday ….. Nigel got up early this morning with the purchase of an antique Christmas tree firmly fixed in his mind, my arguments against, remained ignored……….

…….. but on arrival at the shop, money in hand,  Nigel found that there had been obviously someone of the same mind and as such had beaten him to it …… all dreams of an appearance on the Antiques Roadshow disappeared. Only one of the four trees he had spotted yesterday remained.

In their place, another tree, which Darrell would have almost certainly described as “somewhat aesthetically challenged”, but perhaps I’m putting words in Darrell’s mouth!

However, it was what was in the window, next to said Christmas Tree that really caught Nigel’s eye ……. two black bin bags pulled over the two mannequins that are usually dressed in a different outfit most days.

Can I also hasten to add that the “eyes” on the bags are not of a spooky Derek Acorah type nature. They gave Nigel a bit of a start when he first saw them in the pictures, as he hadn’t noticed them at the time, but thanks to Darrell’s forensic analysis of the photos, we shan’t be sending the aforementioned Derek to investigate the shop for unexplained entities because according to Darrell they are undoubtedly the reflection of street lights. But what is under the bags, well, that’s the question ……… I am sure that all will be revealed in the fullness of time ……. any suggestions please on a postcard addressed to The Towers, Evesham ……..

Nigel Spots A Modern Antique!

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by Nigel that almost all the charity shops of Evesham have received a whole plethora of unwanted, donated Christmas trees, especially the one on the corner on the road to The Towers, which has no less than four boxed trees in the window.

And there is one in particular that has caught his eye, as it came from Woolworths, which went in to administration back in 2008, although it seems an awful lot longer than that.

As an avid watcher of the Antiques Roadshow on a Sunday night, Nigel thought that the tree, still in its original box (which is always an important factor when an item is  being valued) would probably precede the sad demise of Woolworths by several years and would therefore be almost an antique and logically …….. valuable!

He came home in a quandary as to whether to make a considered purchase of the tree  and then find out when said Antiques Roadshow. preferably the “Christmas Special” was recording, as no doubt the tree would have a great nostalgic interest as a “modern antique” and be featured.

  …… And, if it was as valuable as Nigel anticipated, he had already worked out what he would say as the valuation sank in ………. which certainly wasn’t going to be that it wasn’t going to be sold. but was going to stay in the family ……. to be enjoyed for many years to come …… oh no, Nigel was going to ask for the phone number of Bonhams or Sothebys ……… what is he like?