Is It OK ?

Is it OK, that on the eve of 1st December, the start of our beloved festive season, that we have already made one considered purchased of our Christmas Crackers?

Darrell and Nigel spotted them on the top shelf in the Christmas section of Home Bargains in town, they thought the price must be wrong, but, if they didn’t get them there and then, if/ when they went back to get them they’d probably all be gone  …….

So they clubbed £3.99 together and crossed their fingers that when they got to the checkout they wouldn’t be told that they’d been priced up all wrong …….. which thankfully they hadn’t.

I have to say the boys done good …… said crackers promise much fun and hilarity  as they each contain a little wind up Santa for Santa Racing at the festive dining table, how brilliant is that?

They even come with a race track.  I regaled them both with the tale that many moons ago that I once found a set of jumping sprouts in my crackers …….. and the untold fun we had then, in the olden days  ……. well!

I have such a feeling in my aqua libra that this is going to be a most excellent Christmas!

Nigel Does Bargain Hunt

It’s really Darrell who holds the long felt want to be a contestant on Bargain Hunt, but when Lucy asked Nigel if he would mind just popping into an establishment of an antique type nature on the way to somewhere else who was he to say “mais non”

While Lucy was clearly on a mission, Nigel was free to just mooch.

Again, Darrell is the one who is into a chandelier ……. to be honest they leave Nigel cold, he’d be perfectly happy with a torch if need be.

But after a while Nigel did spot something that did fire his imagination ……

…… a typewriter, now how romantic was that?

It immediately filled Nigel with dreams of sitting in front of our lovely river vista, a mug of Bovril at his side, writing his life story, tap tapping recalling the beginning when he was found by Darrell and I in a box of tea bags, his memories of Wolverhampton and life at Castle Greysquirrel, our many Sun £9.50 holidays, our Greek Odysseys and moving to Evesham …….. to name just a potted memoir .

He also found some cushions, that didn’t really appear to be that antiqueified, but thought would have Darrell oooohing and ahhhhing and urging to plump.  Being more practical Nigel just thought that when he wanted to just snuggle down the mahoooooosive faux diamonds would dig into his face and leave unseemly indentations on his forehead or cheek!

But for Nigel the jewel in the crown was …….. a 1930’s leather fireside tyrannosaurus rex, an absolute steal at £250.  Lucy took one look at it and told Nigel in no uncertain terms that said T Rex as categorically NOT going in the back of her Honda Jazz.

Slightly crestfallen Nigel thought again and then realised that as we don’t actually have a fireside at The Towers the T Rex was a non starter anyway, what is he like?

We Are On The Cusp Of Our Most Favourite Time Of The Year ..........

I know it’s early, with another four days before we can finally don our gay apparel, but, we have no wish to be found wanting when it comes to our much anticipated annual festive greeting to all our beloved followers……I think, if it’s not too big headed to say, it’s a bit like waiting for the festive John Lewis ad on tele.

So last week, Hugh suggested to the photographer from Hello magazine  who was in Worcester shooting an “exclusive” on Hugh’s own festive preparations, that he pop over to us and use  the last of the film in his camera to photograph us for our Christmas card. Well, who were we to argue and fortunately we had already decided on our 2018 theme, so it didn’t take us that long to set things up.

The pictures are now back from the chemist and have been carefully perused (by us ….. not Boots) and I think we can all safely say that they portray our Christmas message for this year perfectly.  The next stage now is to send them off to our “little lady what does” to frou frou them up and then we’ll have an evening, with Slade blaring out our favourite  carol “Merry Christmas Everyone” with a snifter of hot chocolate or perhaps something stronger to write them ….. it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas ……. even if it’s still really November!  What are we like?

Nigel Is Told NO! ……

The wrestling, a constant source of mystery and fascination for Nigel is back in Evesham …….with some new and some old faces and levels of manly (and womanly) rufty-tuftyness

Nigel, in all his naivety, suggested to the Lovely Laura that he could, erm …… take Young Master Bertie as an alternative alternative to a Christmas show or the pantomime …… perhaps ……..

The suggestion, how shall I say, did not go down as well as young Nigel had hoped …… I believe the words unsavoury, common and unseemly were much bandied about. Poor Nigel!

Noooooooooooooo, Michael Buble - Let It (Not) Snow!

It seems as if the whole world is conspiring against us in our efforts to keep Nigel nice and calm even before the festive season has started, but yesterday I just about despaired ……..

……… because in Evesham we had snow!  It was, I would say a twenty minute flurry at the very most ……..

……. but enough to have Nigel panicking as to whether we should start warming up the mince pies, collect kindling and have Cliff’s Greatest Christmas Hits playing to give The Towers the perfect ambiance ….. I’m sorry but just the image of Sir Lord Cliff  donned in his Christmas jumper, warbling Mistletoe and Wine very nearly had me diving under the duvet for cover!  NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It was as bad, Darrell told me when he arrived back in a slightly dishevelled state from Lldl, where he popped in, in all innocence, to pick up a packet of custard creams to go with our morning coffee.  One minute, he said, it was all very peaceable and civilised and then someone yelled “SNOW” and at that there was a stampede and all the shelves of bread, milk and potatoes were striped as if by locusts.

Needless to say we had crushed custard creams with our morning coffee, totally unsuitable for dunking, casualties of Darrell dodging the marauding crowds and getting out of Lldl as fast as he could!  Erm ….. happy days?

No, No, No …….

After yesterday’s plaintive post …………..

……. Nigel’s spotted that mini eggs are already on sale in town! Heaven help me, we haven’t even had Christmas yet!

It’s T’wirly!

I have been trying sooooooooo desperately hard to keep Nigel innocent of all festive influence this November, but despite all my best efforts  I have to admit to defeat …….. it’s just impossible ……

…… and initially it wasn’t even the shops that I  could blame for Nigel’s premature onset into festivity, no, it was bought on by a Santa and tinsel confection in one of the flat windows above the Pizza shop ….. after that there was no hope …..  the constant badgering for a date and exact time (to the minute) for when we can start reaching for our baubles ensued ……aghhhhh!

This was quickly followed by the opening of a Christmas shop in town which didn’t help any …….

…… with Nigel drawn to it like a moth to water.

But, I have had to stand firm, though Christmas is our most favourite time of the year, and I admit my own tummy goes a little funny when I think about it ……

……. NOTHING BUT NOTHING goes up in The Towers until 1st December, after that Darrell and Nigel can put up whatever they like ……. within reason ….. with them both already knowing, categorically, that “common” bare bottom wagging Santas are strictly off limit!

Nigel’s Most Favourite Tree

There is a tree that Nigel has proclaimed to be his most favourite tree in the world ….

…… quite possibly the universe, if there are any trees out there.

It’s on the way to nursery and according to Nigel continues to look stunning even in the most intemperate of weather, when even your camera gets all steamed up.

It’s fiery red leaves, he says  make it look like the most  mahoooosive and romantic bonfire he’s ever seen ever.

“But such beauty” he has mused on several occasions “….is sadly only fleeting ” …… it’s beautiful, delicate leaves are falling all too fast like little red shooting stars and almost certainly, when he is next on the nursery run, it will be “bald” …… but at least it will know it was loved!  What is he like? 

The Parties Over ………

The nursery Autumn Fayre was so lovely, with so many memories made  ………

……..but I don’t think Nigel was ready to have his little autumnal bubble of pumpkin happiness popped quite so soon ………

…….. because the scene that greeted him when he dropped Young Master Bertie off this morning was just a tad on the traumatic side. Let’s just say that when he returned home Nigel was very, very quite and only took one Hob Nob, instead of his usual three, with our morning coffee, what’s he like?

Nigel Does Nursery’s Autumn Fayre

Nigel was desperate to accompany Iris and Bertie to the Nursery Autumn Fayre, but sadly all the heavy rain had put an end to any hope of Nursery being  able to open up the meadow for the pumpkin trail.

However, Nigel still very much enjoyed following the pumpkins round the building and into the school …..

……. where it was just too magical for words ……..

…… with it’s fairy lights, autumnal leaves, spiders, more pumpkins and the staff dressed up as witches of a very lovely and kind type witch.

However, it was an occasion for Nigel to step back from being his usual  natural exuberant self to make sure that Iris and Bertie made lots of happy memories …..

  ……. which meant that he had to have plenty supply of 50p’s in his pocket so they could take part in all the activities …… like …… decorate a biscuit in a spooky type manner.

I am not sure that a runny, grey icing would have been my first choice when creating a  culinary delight ……

….. but by the way Nigel described how Bertie had chowed it down with much relish (and silver balls) it sounds as if he created a triumph truly worthy of a much sought after Paul Hollywood handshake.

Iris in turn was desperate to have her face painted, even if it meant a half hour wait in the queue.

Nigel said seeing his beloved Iris sit down at the table as his lovely little sweetheart, clutching her mini pumpkin full of chocolate coins for dear life, and then ten minutes later emerging as a beautiful, sparkly butterfly was emotional ……… but he tried hard not to show it.

Hot dogs and hot chocolate were quaffed with gusto, temporary spooky tattoos applied to chubby little arms and Bertie won a huge box of Family Circle biscuits in the raffle. Nigel arrived home shattered, devoid of a single 50p but very happy and full of happy memories to look back on in years to come round a roaring log fire, when Bertie will probably be a burly six foot three scrum half and Iris a renowned artist and ballerina! 

There's Nothing Like A Fully Extended Ladder

It has to be said that Nigel does love a good ladder ……. they are indeed the object of great musings for him ……..

……. wondering as to what tasks of great professional or DIY import they have been primed and carefully positioned for, especially when accompanied by what appears to be a family size tub of paracetamol and a well equipped looking tool bag.

If I’m with Nigel it’s all I can do to stop him from having a good ruttle around in order to satisfy his curiosity, but if I’m not …………….. I dread to think.

Fortunately, the little fella doesn’t have much of a head for heights especially when in an unleashed unharnessed state, so at least I don’t have any worry of him ever ascending a ladder with gay abandon and then finding himself paralysed with fear and unable to get down again.  Thank heaven, I say, for small mercies.