Happy Days At The Towers

What can I say …… after the stupendous build up of the PE and Finance Ladies visit, as I write this, with heavy heart, they have already left and returned to the bosom of their families.  Their sleepover visit was all too short and amid all the excitement the taking of pictures was all but forgotten, however, as Nigel so sagely put it, all the pictures he ever needed were safely in his head (and heart) forever and that was all that mattered.

The visit was all tooooooooooo wonderful.  Darrell did one of his glorious spag. bols, accompanied by a humongous pile of garlic bread to wipe up the sauce (and yes, I think we all probably hum, but what’s a pungent ponk between friends). There was also a chilled  prune, Armagnac and ginger nut cheesecake with espresso sauce for afters.

Then we finally all settled down on the sofa to really catch up on all the PE and Finance Ladies adventures and they ours and then we reminisced and reminisced and reminisced  with much laughter until ….. it got a little emotional. Our friendship has seen so many shared adventures ….. but all our lives have moved on and those said shared adventures were now all too few and far between.

However, to help lift the mood Darrell had noticed that The PE Lady had been eyeing up his beloved and not unsubstantial cocktail cabinet so when she asked him if she could have a little dabble with it’s contents, he was only to delighted to fling wide the cupboard doors  to her.

Let’s just say the PE Lady was extremely experimental in the making of her concoctions, some of which made us cough and splutter a little but the mood certainly lightened and turned to the future …… and adventures to come ………. to wit a trip to Llandudno together in July ………

……. well, I think it was Llandudno, but Darrell seems to think it might have been Lanzarote and Nigel was pretty sure it is Lytham St Annes ….. but anyway, I remember us all toasting our plans with great gusto at around 3 o’clock in the morning before finally finding the way our beds! So …. we have decided to wait for the ladies to get back to us with travel arrangements etc. to find out for certain where we have agreed to go  …… well, it would have looked rude and a little remiss to ask them before they left wouldn’t it …… happy days!

Nigel Considers The Whiff Of Retro

Now, while Darrell currently favours the whiff of David Beckham about him, Nigel has also often heard Darrell and Hugh discuss the finer points of other various fragrances of a masculine type nature,  in particular the legend that is Brut. It seems that in the past famous gentleman of a sporting persuasion  recommended, nay, encouraged men to “splash it all over” and Nigel had been intrigued as to it’s erm  …… potency.

So imagine Nigel’s excitement when he spotted some of said Brut on the shelves of the B&M Bargains up the road.

He admitted to having a cheeky little spray while the aisle was quiet to check it out, but found that the fusion of mint and violet leaf, melting into a lavender/tonka fougere, sweet with mace and neroli, balanced with a pinch of fusty bergamot that Hugh and Darrell had described so vividly was not quite the smell for him, there was, he said, just a shade too much tonka coming through for his taste.

However, he had come to the opinion that if he were ever to get into male fragrance as much as Hugh and Darrell, he would be definitely be  a “Red Hot Man” man based on the name alone   What on earth is he like?

Is Nigel Part Of A Global Phenomena?

OMG, poor Nigel got home today in quite state …….. breathlessly he announced that his chance finding of the lost Elvis bag was not just a chance occurrence, but in fact part of a much greater, possibly global phenomena,  with said lost bag acting as a spooky Derek Acorah type premonition of things to come.

……. Elvis had not,  as commonly believed, left the building, was  not no more, deceased or departed  …… but was alive and well AND in Evesham …… and for all the doubters he had irrefutable proof ……..

…… Elvis was performing tonight at The Regal in Evesham ……even if he was third on the bill!  What on earth is he like ….  Nigel, not Elvis!

No Pheasant Pluckers Allowed

I am not sure what it is with Nigel and birds at the moment, perhaps the party of Twitchers who befriended him in Exmouth were a tres spooky omen of a Derek Acorah type nature ………

…………. but yesterday, while he was gazing out of the window, there was a sudden flurry of feathers followed by a bewildered pheasant landing and then tentatively strutting around the garden. 

Now, we have all grown familiar to the  sight of ducks, geese and swans, as well as robins, a whole plethora of tits and the occasional heron, but, it has to be said that we are strangers to a pheasant chez Towers.

Nigel was very enamoured by the proud and haughty  looking creature  …….. however, when Darrell also spotted it he immediately started reciting a certain tongue twisting ditty involving a gentleman who was plucking pheasants because his mate was late, well it goes without saying that it wasn't long before Nigel joined in amid much not a little mirth  …….. nut believe you me I gave them both very short shrift!

I told them, in no uncertain terms, that I did not appreciate The Towers being sullied with repugnant and offensive words, uttered inadvertently or not for the purposes of amusement ……. and that they were to desist immediately! When I left the room I swear I still heard muffled giggles….. I give up!

Some Sad News To Impart

Nigel went for a bit of a toddle along the river to see how his beloved swans were doing ……

…… however, when he met up with the lovely lady with the very old dog who also keeps an eye on them she had sad news to impart ………

It seems that only one of the four “babies” has been seen recently and he/she was looking very alone as they now had to fend for themselves and the other swans weren’t being that friendly. The father was also looking equally out of sorts because swans pair for life and his “wife”, ringed as No. 54, hasn’t been seen for an awful time and was now presumed to be dead. 

There was a lady swan that had appeared to have caught his eye but he had a rival, another cob who was extremely aggressive. The lovely lady with the very old dog said it looked as if he not only had designs on said lady swan but also on the original nest up by outlet.

Poor Nigel is putting a brave face on …… he’s still going to keep checking, but this news does not bode too well.

That’s It, We’re Sorted

What can I say? Mr Glen returned this morning and worked his tile laying magic, all our shower room woes are now in the dim and distant past and The Towers returned to normality, whatever, to quote Prince Charles, normality is.

The rooms are a bit pongy from the glue at the moment but that will soon go I am sure. When Mr Glen left us and we could have a proper look, let’s just say it was emotional, all we could do was gaze at and stroke the floor lovingly, particularly Darrell.

Mr Glen dun gud, as has Darrell with his most excellent choice of Balin Stone Karndean tile.

Darrell is keen to get the frou frou done now, as, he says, both rooms are screaming for an infusement of strong colour and texture …….. is that even a word?

However, he also added that he couldn’t help but notice that against the freshness of the new flooring the paintwork looked tired and wanting. It looks OK to me, but there again what do I know?  He says there’s no hurry, it can wait until after Easter, especially as we have a busy few weeks ahead…… and as he’s had a bit of a brainwave for his and Nigel’s bedroom he might as well get all the paint, masking tape and turps he’ll need in one go.  I am not asking ……. I’m just so happy I’d agree to almost anything at the moment!

Getting Laid

There has been much tangible and palpable excitement thronging Chez Towers as we have been thoroughly and professionally screed by Mr Glen. 

When I say “we” what I really mean is the floors of the bathroom and en-suite shower room.  After all the anguish of our en-suite saga saga we are “almost” there.

With all that wet cement topping around I didn’t want to risk Nigel then desperately wanting to use the erm ….. facilities (which were both out of bounds for four hours), so as soon as Mr Glen left I whisked both him and Darrell up to town for a leisurely Chai Latte and several slices of lemon drizzle cake and tiffin and kept them hostage there until I was sure that it all had time to set.

Darrell has been like a dog with two bones, two tails or whatever dogs like to have two of, he is almost beside himself to see his tile dream finally come to fruition after all these months.  I can see him champing at the bit to now get both the rooms “frou-ed” up  and a steely determination in his eyes to be the first one to use the special cleaner Mr Glen gave us.  Tomorrow, we will finally get laid ……. of a floor type nature and the Towers will be complete again.

The Three Amigos Ride Again

Nigel is back with us after his self imposed Exmouth exile and it goes without saying that one of the first things he wanted to do was partake in the pleasures of our finally completed, renovated shower cubicle.

He said that he was a little nervous when he first got in as he knows how stressful the past few weeks have been for us, confessing that he was really frightened to press the start button just in case he found it had gone wrong again. 

However, Darrell put him at ease, telling him that we’d now registered the shower online and should be amply covered by the guarantee for the next two years at least.

We celebrated Nigel’s joyous return a special spag bol as cooked by Darrell, followed by a mahooooosive pile of pancakes to make up for us all missing out last Tuesday on Pancake Day. Pancake Day without Nigel just isn’t Pancake Day, watching to see how many he can get through before finally admitting he simply can’t manage another morsel is the stuff of dreams.

I also had a small present for the little fella to say I was sorry for being a little terse with him over the hot tub debacle and to tell him that I’d really, really missed him.

It was a charity shop find, a small, ceramic swan (possibly Sylvac) to remind him not only of his beloved Evesham swans ………. but also of The Twitchers who had taken  him under their wing so to speak while he was away …..  It’s soooooooo good to have him back!

Returning To The Bosom ……

Nigel is coming home ……. returning to the bosom of his family ………

……  and in turn bidding a fond farewell to Exmouth, Manor Hotel and the party of Twitchers.

He says he will miss gazing out to the beautiful sea view from his room …….

…….. especially at night when the myriad of multicoloured lights along the prom made it all look soooooooo very romantic …….

……. but absence has made the heart grow fonder, and though he had a yen for the sea, Nigel admitted that he had soon found himself pining for the familiarity of our view of the river, the marina and his beloved swans.

One more sleep and he’d be home, his self imposed exile in Exmouth over ……..

……. and the prospect of being able to avail himself of a functioning hot shower ……in a newly tiled, de rigueur cubicle ……. with a waste that didn’t leak everywhere  ……. well, that was just the icing on the cake. All mention of hot tubs was forgiven and forgotten and the subject banished from any of our debates, heated or otherwise  ……. forever! 

The End Of Our En-Suite Saga Saga ……

What can I say? It’s been emotional ……but it appears that our en-suite saga saga is finally over.  The leaking waste leaks no longer, the doors and bottom panel have been refitted and, in turn, I felt it would be a good time to assemble and put up the new shower caddies that have been put away, unopened, in the cupboard for far too long.

And yes, Darrell and I have both availed ourselves of all it’s en-suite delights.  I have to admit though to not being able to fully surrender and luxuriate in its pleasures,  it’s been a long rollercoaster ride and I am still a little wary that something might just bite me on the bum if I finally allow myself to chill. However, Darrell dived right on in there and announced that his David Beckham “Homme” had never felt or smelt quite so invigorating!  What is he like?

When he’d done with all his pampering Darrell started to put all the decorative frou frou back in its rightful place, although he says, in time, he wants to make one or two subtle changes …….

…… which was when I asked him if he still had the floor tile he had ordered and so loving caressed all those weeks ago  …..

……. as I had made the momentous decision ……. since the flooring had taken such a pounding in having so many people working in such a confined space it really should be replaced ….. and while we were at it ….. the main bathroom might as well be done at the same time as it owed us nothing.  It then became emotional.  Darrell’s tile was bought out from under his bed and tenderly stroked yet again, a phone call was made, swiftly followed by Darrell ripping up the original flooring with great gusto.

I am just praying that all bodes well for this next development.  I could very well be tempted to a self imposed exile in Exmouth like Nigel, but as I have made it this far, what’s an added  bit of screeing and laying ……… ??????

A More Romantic Name?

I think The Twitchers have finally got to Nigel…… he says that although we have grown used to calling The Towers “The Towers” and though it rather suits our little riverside abode, it isn’t really that  atmospheric or romantic  …….Exmouth’s Seagull House on the hand says it all ……. instantly conjuring up the caws of the gulls, the smell of the sea air, the lap of the waves and the feeling of sand between your toes.

Perhaps now we are more established and settled in Evesham we could consider a more personal and descriptive name for The Towers ……. possibly with some sort of reference to his beloved swans or Canada geese ….. I  have said I will think about it, especially as I am feeling so guilty about him being in “exile” …….. 

…… Yearning For Darrell’s Spag Bol Special

Darrell has Skyped Nigel to keep him informed as to the further trials and tribulations of our continuing en-suite saga saga.  Whilst I am overjoyed to have a functioning shower it still remains off piste until we can arrange a suitable time for Tom the Plumber to fit it, but let’s just say Mr Tom is a VERY busy person and in VERY high demand ……however, we are now soooooo close to completion Darrell says he can almost smell his much neglected David Beckham shower gel.

Nigel was philosophical, saying that while there remained the slightest chance of undertones of an en-suite trauma pervading The Towers he was more than happy to stay in Exmouth for a few more days especially as The Manor was taking care of him so well, although he was avoiding the party of Twitchers, saying that though he can look very interested to be polite, there were only so many ruddy shelducks, warblers and tits he could now feign enthusiasm for.

He also said that he’d almost managed to work his way through The Manor’s daily special board but what he really, really fancied was of one of Darrell’s spag bol specials.  I am really missing the little fella too ……I am much more calmer now thanks to Darrell’s brown paper bags and chamomile tea, hopefully one more visit from Tom and I can start to make it all up to both him and Darrell.

Nigel Makes A Wise Financial Decision.

Whilst in Exmouth Nigel has decided that perhaps he shouldn’t be too hasty in making any rash decisions of a “wealth management” type nature.

Mr Crook might be the most magnificent, if not the best Wealth Management person to consult on matters of financial import …….

…… it’s just that his name doesn’t exactly instil much confidence in Nigel as far as his £21.67p life savings are concerned, thinking that it may perhaps be wiser to leave them in the Post Office for just a little bit longer before investing heavily!