Wednesday 28 August 2019

Nigel's Holiday Hotel.

Nigel is staying in Rhyl, somewhere he has never been before so it's all a huge adventure for him and the The PE and Finance Ladies have sorted out, in Nigel's opinion, a pretty good hotel, right on the sea front.
The ladies have booked  a very large family style room, the ladies have a double bed each while  Nigel has a large single.  He says it's all working out really well, the PE Lady has worked out a bathroom rota  and Nigel has been put in charge of making the tea/coffee/hot chocolate for everyone, when they get in at night and first thing in the morning.
Everyone is getting on really well, but Nigel has said that, in the company of women, he has had to learn how to avert his eyes at certain times.
Their room has a sea view, after our many Greek Odysseys perhaps not the most romantic of views, but whatever the vista the sea always holds Nigel in total thrall.
The hotel's foyer, he tells us, is dominated by very interesting display, the one wall  is awash with a myriad of humourous plaques ......
...... although very originaland quite a talking point, Nigel says it's not the sort of feature wall that would be worth mentioning to Darrell as a source of interior inspiration ......
...... especially as Darrell's usual decor mantra tends to be along the lines of  "less is more" as opposed to "everything in gay abundance"! I think on this occasion I would tend to side with Darrell.

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Nigel Meets Up With Old Friends

Nigel is currently away with our very dear friends The PE and Finance Lady from our hedonistic days at the Girls High School  back in the homeland.
They'd asked him if he fancied  a couple of days of charity shop shopping, coupled with a little sea air and good food  ....... let's put it this way, he didn't need asking twice, he was packed and ready in breakneck speed.
Nigel excitedly Skyped us last night exclaiming that those said ladies certainly know how to charity shop ........
........ no rail was left unflicked through, no box undelved or any shelf dismissed until it had been thoroughly turned over, he was truly in the companyof  the grand dames of charity shop shopping, in search of the unwanted treasure of others.
The PE Lady likes to look for new/unworn footwear and she was not disappointed, finding some very lovely posh flip flops for just 50p, which Nigel told us she has worn ever since. The Finance Lady likes to look at clothes and jigsaw puzzles and again she was chuffed to secure a very fetching blouse for work and two one thousand pieces of the Queen Mother (RIP) and a scene from The Battle of Trafalgar.  Finding shoes/clothes of a Nigel sized nature is nigh on impossible so Nigel's mooching was more or less confined to books, toys and bric a brac.  He was sorely tempted by the doll above, in all her crocheted finery, Hugh would have absolutley loved it, but he could also hear Darrell's undisguised tut of disapproval as he reluctantly helped Nigel to find an appropriate place in which to display her, should he, Nigel, decide to keep it.
However, that said, he did make a considered 50p purchase, a vintage kitsch Welsh mug, with the thought that each time  he drank from it the memories of his time in Llandudno and Rhyl with his two most favourite ladies would could flooding back.  What is he like? 

Monday 26 August 2019

There Are Libraries ........ and There Are Libraries........

Who would have ever believed there was such a thing as a chocolate library .........
.......... but trust Nigel for finding it.
Let's just say that after studying all of the titles very, very carefully  ...........
.......... several considered purchases were made!
What is he like?

Wednesday 21 August 2019

The Wrestling'sBack In Town

Nigel still continues to be eerily drawn to the wrestling posters that are regularly stuck up around Evesham throughout the year ...........
....... and it has to be said that this current batch is no more disconcerting than those of the past.
What on earth Hugh would make at this gentleman's attempt of sartorial elegance goodness only knows.  His efforts to, in some way, resemble a city gent fall well short of the mark, from his ill fitting waistcoat exposing acres of crumpled shirt, which in turn is totally mismatched to his tie (even Nigel knows you never wear stripe on stripe). Then there is his ill fitting (wedding) top hat which should be a bowler, ......... and as for the brolly, well that's certainly meant for nefarious purposes and not a sudden downpour.
The young lady fairs a little better, perhaps not marriage material, but at least her hair is tidy, shiny and lustrous.
However, there is something seriously not quite right with the bearded gentleman. It appears that from his beard down his body just gets smaller and smaller, goodness only knows how tiny that makes his feet, it's probably a miracle he can stand up, let alone wrestle. It's as if someone at the poster factory has plonked the wrong head onto the wrong body ...... he is quite terrifying!
The whole event seems to be the stuff of nightmares, I am just glad that the posters are sufficiently off putting to prevent Nigel from using his hard earned cash to buy a ticket.

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Darrell's Dogged Persistance May Have Paid Off

All those advertisements about claiming back mis-sold PPI haven't gone unnoticed by Darrell, he's been on the case for about a year now, as of yet, without success, but, there again, he really didn't expect any ......... however this morning he received a letter that may have changed things slightly.
It has to be said that we are not getting too excited, we have the sort of feeling that this is not going to be a life changing claim, and as such have decided not said anything to Nigel for the moment.
It's a bit spooky as this potential claim has come right on the very cusp of  the PPI claim deadline of 29th August, perhaps if there are any reserved funds still left over, they'll share it out between the last claimants, to wit us, to save it going to waste???!!!!
There was one paragraph that Darrell thought we should give all due consideration ........ if we are contacted by our ex- bank, we shouldn't divulge anything of a controversial type nature and that mum is the word, Darrell would deal with it!
We fully understand that this company is likely to take a sizable chunk of whatever we might be awarded but as Darrell was only really guessing anyway when he filled in the forms, it's money we never knew we had/paid.  So being realistic and purely for fun we are now taking bets on what we think we might be due, we reckon it'll be well under £10.  We will keep you informed, but think its safe to say that this time next year we will definitely NOT be millionaires!

Monday 19 August 2019

A Blast From The Musical Past

Nigel noticed that The Three Degrees .........
........... the much beloved group (in their hey day), of our own Sir Lord Prince Charles, are performing in Evesham later on in the year ........
....... however, not  to cast nasturtiums ............ and undeniably glamorous as they are still .........
........ it has to be said that if Nigel hadn't known who they were (after spending many happy hours flicking through Hugh's vast collection of vinyl ) ....... he would never have recognised them.

Thursday 15 August 2019

A Budget Flight Item

Well, that's it, I am all packed and ready for my journey and as Mr D remarked, this  holiday seems to have been more of an iliad than an odessey!
But just before my coach comes to pick me up I had to quickly nip to the nearest supermarket ........I very much enjoy a Twix Xtra with my in flight coffee to and from my holiday destination, however,  if I am honest I also very much begrudge paying around £2.50 for said Twix which only costs me 85p at the very most when I am on the ground ..........


........ and as such I always make a very considered purchase before I take to the air, this ecomomy also means I  already have at least £1.65 saved to put towards next years odyssey/iliad ...... I am not as daft as I am cabbage looking!

Wednesday 14 August 2019

Farewell Georgioupolis

Tomorrow I will be back home at The Towers reunited with Darrell and Nigel after what seems to be weeks apart .........
......... but before I leave I have one holiday tradition  to complete ..........
....... a toast to another wonderful holiday on the beach with a small bottle of Asti Spumante our sparkling wine of choice ........ with the promise that I will return one day with Darrell and Nigel in tow.
Usually I have to share said spumante between the three of us but on this occassion I had it all to myself, I am afraid I had to return to my room for a little lie down to settle the world  ..........

....... before changing and returning to the hotel bar that become my "local" for the last time for a very strong iced coffee!  I am such a light weight!

Tuesday 13 August 2019

A Last Few Cartes Postales From Greece.

Tomorrow, I am afraid I will need to start packing, my first solo Greek Odyssey is nearing its end .........
I have missed Darrell and Nigel enormously ........................
........... but I have to say, I am not averse to doing it again some time in the future.
I have enjoyed mooching, unhindered, without sound of any of Nigel's pester powers .......
......... and just chilling on the beach ..........
...... or on my balcony
However, I will be taking one or two Grecian decorative/design ideas back to The Towers for Darrell's careful consideration  .........
....... because, sometimes, on reflection, I am afraid, I might give him the impression that I am not fully listening when he goes all Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen on me.
There is also one thing I was really, really hoping to take back for him, something I spotted in my hotel foyer that I thought he would absolutely love to go with his religious kitsch collection 
......... but so far its  finding has alluded me, despite all my travels and said mooching .......
........... perhaps it's searching for is a spooky omen ....... for another odyssey ...... alone or otherwise ........ for another year.

Thursday 8 August 2019

A Bit Of A Creepy Present For Darrell

It's always part of any of Darrell's holidays to find at least one "holey" stone to take back with him and, to be honest, I feel that it would be rude to encroach on such a personal tradition, however,  when one almost goes ***e over *** over one, it seemed to me like a spooky sort of an omen, so rather than leave it there on the beach, I decided in the end to take it back to Darrell just this once.
I am generally not that superstitious, but I am really hoping that said spooky omen is a good one because I am not entirely sure about this particular holey stone, on closer inspection it appears rather skull like ...... and not a little sinister
I don't want to put it in my suitcase for it to then unleash some sort of supernatural power in the  hold of the plane because it has been removed from its place of origin!
I think I will risk it, but will wrap it up in my towel so it is slightly smothered, and thus helping to  prevent any unseemly unleashing.  Darrell always says that "hag stones", as they are known, are magical and offer the finder/keeper protection from many, many things, and as he never leaves a beach without one I will trust in his better knowledge and wisdom  .............. and keep my fingers well crossed.

Wednesday 7 August 2019

Best Pre-Holiday Best Buy ........

I don't know how I have ever missed them before ............
....... but my best considered pre-holiday purchase this year has been my Primarni (as Darrell likes to call it) reader sunglasses.  They have completely revolutionised my holiday reading, squinting is firmly a thing of the past for me from now on.
So brilliant are they that I have not only read all three of my Victoria Hislops, but I have also mown my way through several choice tomes from my hotel library ........
....... as well as, according to the young lady who collects my sunbed money each day, showing a very strong  resemblance to a post Angellina Jollie Brad Pitt ..........
......... so it's a totally holiday tastic win win situation.  Happy Days!