Rain Stopped Play

Oh my goodness ………. what on earth has happened to the weather?

It’s the Whitsun holiday and the schools are off …….

……. and we had such mahooooooosive plans of going to feed the ducks, visits to the ice cream parlour, picnics with lashings of orange squash and ham sandwiches, as well as many hours of carefree frolicking at the waterpark in the park with Little Miss Iris and Young Master Bertie.

……… and then it goes and rains stair rods …….. let’s just, currently in Evesham, it’s moist and it’s back to the Lego and dressing up box …… bum!

Nigel’s Swanlings Of 2018 Have Arrived.

It’s been an anxious few weeks for Nigel, watching his beloved swans and their nest up by the lock.

And finally yesterday when he went to take a look he was greeted by a very messy empty nest with not a sign of mum, any hatchlings or dad for that matter.

Heart pounding, Nigel decided to walk down to the slipway ………

…… and there they were, mum and five (he thinks) baby swanlings.

It goes without saying that Nigel was very, very, very emotional. But these are precarious days for such tiny creatures, so like last year he needs to be prepared for the thought that one or two might not make it, it’s a lot for mum to keep her eye on.

It’s also almost certain that if I can’t find Nigel in the next coming days/weeks I have a pretty shrewd idea where I’ll find him.

Darrell Does Scrapbooking

While Nigel was at Ragdale Hall being pummelled and pampered courtesy of Hugh, Darrell was partaking in a scrapbooking workshop at the local Crafters Companion, another generous gift from Hugh. 

Originally Hugh had booked it for himself as a cathartic activity after “the wedding”, but offered his place to Darrell when he realised that the only cathartic activity he could cope with was to be under his silk duvet in a darkened room, wearing sunglasses (a la Victoria Beckham). All the personal pictures he had taken, with scrapbooking in mind, were now consigned for possible inclusion in his autobiography, when he finally gets round to writing it!

Darrell decided to work around a picture of Young Master Bertie, but to be honest, after trying scrapbooking once, he isn’t entirely convinced that scrapbooking is his forte.

Being ever the perfectionist, if something didn’t look quite right despite moving it here, there and everywhere, trimming and re-trimming, his inclination was to just stick it in the bin and start again.

However, as he was in company and it was an opportunity to learn new skills,  he persevered, holding back any artistic angst he might be suffering.

He said afterwards that doing things “small”, wasn’t really his sort of thing, and that he was best sticking to things of a more interior design and fashion type nature, but, the chocolate cake at the end of it all made staying with it VERY well worthwhile.  What is he like?

Nigel Does Ragdale Hall

As you know, Darrell very much believes in the mystical powers of a holey stone, and at Ragdale Hall Nigel was encouraged to caress age old pebbles ………….

……… before tossing them, in a wistful type fashion, into the faux stream that flows through the Thermal Spa area ……

…….. in order to rid himself of all negative energy before starting his journey (?) ………….

Well, I have to say Nigel doesn’t has a single ounce of negative energy in his little body, but to show willing he found the smallest stone in the bowl to caress and chuck, noting that the bowl appeared to be refilled several times during the day, from which he surmised that there were people, though looking very chilled in their fluffy bathrobes and Ragdale flip flops who must have been riddled with said energy on their arrival.

Nigel’s “journey” took him to the dining room, where he found he was on the 12.45 sitting. He started with the spinach and leek gratin, something he’d never tried before but which slipped down very easily, mopped up with a brown roll.

This was then followed by a trip to the buffet area.  Nigel had anticipated a plate of lettuce leaves with perhaps a cucumber slice and spring onion on the side, but he was very pleasantly surprised, he chose a bit of everything on the cold side, not wishing to besmirch all the good his body (and mind) had experienced on his day so far, but, had he wished, there was also roast pork with gravy and meatballs with butterbeans, which had been a huge temptation.

Nigel was also mindful of the pudding counter, leaving enough room to indulge his sweet tooth. In the end he whittled it down to just three, well, it would have looked rude not to try more than one, wouldn’t it?

After this Nigel decided it might be best to let his lunch settle a little in The Greenhouse ………

……. before a last gentle dip in the warm waters of the roof top infinity pool …….

……. followed by a couple of lengths with a pool noodle in the main swimming pool.

And then, sadly, it was time for home, with one last blow dry and a few final dabs with the complimentary cotton pads.

It was all tooooooooooooo wonderful. Hugh just has the most fantastic life, but without rubbing your nose in it. He was, as Darrell would say, the master of the understated, something Nigel was now going to try aspire to, Hugh was his hero!

Nigel Does Ragdale Hall

I told Nigel that if he was going to take any selfies while he was at Ragdale Hall he should be mindful that they didn’t include any unintentional nudity as far as his body was concerned.

Believe me, I know how easy it is to go into a sauna, towel safely tucked in, and then get carried away with being at one with nature, intoxicated by the perfume infused air.

And bless him ……….

……. not only did he take a mahoooooosive nappy pin with him to prevent any accidental towel slippage ……..

……. but he also kept his t-shirt on at all times, despite it becoming quite hot in the various saunas and steam rooms. There was no way he wanted to risk an international spa type incident under Hugh’s name.

He said his favourite room was the Volcanic Salt Bath ……… it was very hot, very dark and very dramatic he said, even though there wasn’t actually any real life lava or spumming smoke in there.

When he re-emerged he said he felt truly reinvigorated after a full 10 minutes maximum exposure, which he then followed by an equally invigorating rub down with several ice soaked flannels.

There were opportunities to mooch in the various shops, but candles, perfumes and potions, handbags and flip flops are more Darrell’s prerogative than his.

To be honest, he was more than happy with all the top end complimentary products in the shower rooms with which he doused himself liberally whenever the opportunity arouse.  His hair, he said, has never felt so silky, vibrant and irresistibly tossable…….. and as for the shower gel …… well, it smelt sooooooooooooooooo divine, like the breathe of a thousand angels!  What on earth is he like, if not poetic!

Nigel Does Ragdale Hall

Hugh phoned to say that he’d booked himself in for a day at Ragdale Hall Spa in order to recoup after “The Wedding”,  but, when Saturday was all over with, he  quickly realised that a day in a health spa just wouldn’t be enough and instead was now bound for a weeks Buddhist retreat in deepest, darkest Suffolk ……….

…… but would Nigel like to take his place as he knew Darrell was off scrapbooking somewhere or another.

Let’s just say Nigel didn’t need to be asked twice, he was well up for a day of pampering and fine dining ……..

……. and free beauty products so his speedos were very swiftly packed and he was away.

On arrival, and after a little form filling, Nigel was lead to the treatment area where he found that Hugh had booked himself  in for almost every treatment on the board.

Well, what’s a poor boy to do, he stripped down to his pants and was on the treatment couch, under a warm towel faster than you could say paraffin wax! 

……. And after several hours of deep cleansing (inside and out), exfoliation(only on the outside), peeling, toning, moisturising, rubbing, pummelling and massaging, accompanied either by the lilt of a pan pipe or sounds from the Ecuadorian Rain Forrest, he was helped to the Quiet Lounge,  where he was advised to drink plenty of water and not to do anything strenuous for at least the next hour. Never before has Nigel felt so soft and fragranced ……. in all his areas!!

More tomorrow ………

Heaven Help Me ……

Darrell told Nigel about the garden/yard he had spotted the other day and within minutes the two off them were off to try to get a better look.  What on earth are they like?

Well, what can I say except for the inevitable …….. Nigel was totally enchanted and at times like these I am sooooooooooooooo very grateful that the rules of The Towers are so uncompromising about our communal garden.

I am still having some trouble with “the creatures”, I find the sheep to be not a little scary and the amalgamated calf come reindeer equally so. As for what I originally thought was a diving whale’s tail, well that now seems to be a large chicken with the wings and talons of an eagle, it’s poor terrified face as it appears to come in to land, for me, is the stuff of nightmares.

Needless to say, Nigel is now totally enchanted, hence my relief at our not having a garden of our own.  This “tableau”, I fear, will now be a regular stopping off point for the little fella, who says he has “a feeling in his water” that this display could possibly change with the season or the occasion, heaven help me!  I hold Darrell firmly to account for this.