Nigel Found A Little Flagging

The beach at Dawlish Warren is but a short saunter away from our beautiful caravan, and though it would be lovely to just sit back, feel the sand between our toes, chill, embrace the sea air ……….

…….. and take in the views, I do so love a row of beach huts ……….

………. but Iris is a hard and demanding little taskmaster …….

…….. and castles have to be made ……..

…….. with moats that need real water to flow round them.

Nigel has been a real trooper, going up and down to the sea with two buckets at a time, despite it all being a bit of a fools errand ……..

I’ve promised him an extra large, double scoop ice-cream for all his efforts.  He asked if that also included a flake, sprinkles and juice, before adding that I may have to hold said ice-cream up to his lips for him to lick, as he thought all the strength in his arms may have disappeared from then!  Happy Days!

Our Final Seaside Visit Of The Year

Well ……. Nigel and I are in Dawlish, I bet that caught you all by surprise! 

We came down yesterday with Young Miss Iris for what we think will probably be  our last seaside visit of the year.

And we’re dead chuffed, Dawlish is really, really lovely, in a proper seasidey type way ……….

…….. and it’s got black swans, which has caused Nigel not a little swan envy …….

………. despite having a river full of the white version back home.

Nigel has been very taken by them and has already spent quite a bit of his “squandary” holiday money on several bags of food to feed them, what is he like?

Darrell decided not joined us, he says he has a fish to fry back home, whatever that means ……. but he has told us to look out for a holey stone or two and bring to back a stick of Dawlish rock!

More Than A Woman

It has to be said that Nigel very much appreciates and admires a strong woman ……

However, I feel that Domina may be too much a force to be reckoned with, even for Nigel ………..

However, on the other hand, I don’t think it would take much for said fearsome young lady to get young Nigel to sort out the drawers in his bedroom or stop procrastinating over doing the washing up ……..

……. but positioning of her hands does put the willies up me, so I would probably race to tidy up Nigel’s drawers and do the washing up before he got a chance too if she came around!!!!

Who’s A Mardy Bum?

Ever vigilant Darrell has spotted that Snickers have new packaging, which, according to him and the advertising bumpff, expresses symptoms such as irritability or moaning for when you are hungry.

Well, to be honest, it’s all way over my head, a Snickers is a Snickers, is a Snickers, ……and  I agree with Darrell, none of us would ever equate a Snickers as the saviour of hunger pangs ……. for us it’s all about being a little televisual treat while we are watching X Factor, Strictly or Bake Off etc. …….. if we are hungry, then it’s all about a sandwich!

However, Darrell thought it would be rude not to make a considered purchase, his choice; Mardy Bum, because it tickled his funny bone! 

With another twenty available:-  Moaner, Faffer, Done In, Miffed, Broken, Irritable, Grouchy, Numpty, Stroppy, Yawner, Sluggish, Grumpster, Knackered, Sleepyhead, Lazy Bones, Fuzzy Head, Wiped Out, Complainer and Drama Mama, I might be tempted to buy a few Numptys, Faffers and Fuzzy Heads for a couple of people I know!!!!

And one small observation or not so small observation ………..

… the Snickers wrapper could be described as more than generous …

……. however, I am afraid the Snickers bar within fails in that respect and falls sadly short of that said generosity!

What Is He Like?

It has to be said that Nigel is a touch diminutive in size, which often does not bode well when shopping, however his experience in the local card shop would have frustrated even the most lofty of customers, with cards displayed at an impossibly high level. 

In the end Nigel was forced to call the lady assistant over to ask if he could look at the second pack along, on the top row! Needless to say the lady had to fetch her stick to knock said pack off it’s elevated perch for his perusal …….. and then, to prove his point, after a little cogitation, Nigel handed them back to her saying sorry, but they weren’t exactly what he was looking for.  What is he like?

A New Boat Across The Way ……

A new boat has appeared across the way…….

……. it is incredibly cute and looks just like something out of Thomas the Tank Engine  ……. and naturally Nigel wanted to get a closer nose.

There is obviously some sort of work going on on the opposite bank, it looks like some trees have been felled ……..

….. Nigel wondered if perhaps the marina is creating some new moorings for a few more boats and barges, giving us an even more interesting vista.

Needless to say, Nigel will be keeping a very close eye on all further developments and we will keep you informed!

Sometimes The Old Ways Are The Best ……….

I’ve been searching for a certain something for as long as we have been living in Evesham ……. you can call me sad, ……… but when I finally found a bottle (or two or three)  of “old fashioned” Windolene my heart skipped a beat and almost sang!

I have tried all the new fangled sprays with exotic ingredients and perfumes but nothing puts a sparkle on my windows like the aforementioned Windolene …….. its finding has fair put a spring in my step …..  and needless to say, not a single glass surface at The Towers remains unbuffed to an inch of its life!!!  What am I like?

Nigel Is Learning …..

Nigel is quite receptive to Darrell’s tutoring on what is currently de rigueur, must have and trending and what is not  of a home decor type nature………

…… and as such has noted that though artificial, outdoor hanging baskets may be regarded as quiche kitsch and en vogue in certain circles …….

……. they don’t really work for him!

It’s A Final …………. Timber!!

That’s it ……….. the fence that we have all had bets on falling down since January of this year is finally no more, it stoically stood strong despite all our said wagers, but yesterday morning Nigel noticed that it had finally given up the ghost  ……..

….. not in a spooky Derek Acorah sort of way,  but, we strongly suspect, by the intervention of man, after seeing its sad state.

Now….. as you may recall, we did celebrate it’s demise a little while ago, ahead of time, the end was inevitable but we realised that it could very well be a slow and lingering departure, and we will happily hold our hands up and admit that after Darrell promised to create a “Keel Over Cocktail”  to mark it’s final hurrah …… we were a tad impatient!

http://mumsmonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/darrell-makes-his-much-promised-cocktail.html

Now, the pressing question on Nigel’s mind is ……. with the fence really really gone, could Darrell be persuaded to get his jigger, strainer and shaker out, so that we can, perhaps, give it a proper send off …… again?

Somewhere ……

This morning as I left The Towers I saw the most beautiful rainbow arched over Robins Corner ………

I did consider giving Nigel a quick call, as it looked as if the one end could possibly have been in our back garden ……..

……. but then I reckoned that by the time Nigel had roused himself and got outside, the pot of gold would have probably disappeared …….

……. but  it was a nice dream while it lasted !  What am I like?

Not Quite A Forage But …….

After my quandary about picking mushrooms/toadstools the other day and deciding that it might be best to leave well alone, yesterday I had a much more fruitful find, where someone else had kindly done any necessary foraging for me …….

…… as one of the houses on the way to (and from) Nursery was offering free eating apples, I have to say they looked exceedingly tempting …….

…….and in turn it would have looked most rude not to avail myself of a one or two as I was passing.

Let’s just say they went down a treat with Iris and Bertie …… their verdict? Well, Iris thought they looked like just Snow White apples, but without being poisonous ……. they were very nom nom, nom ….. and lived up to every bit of their appearance ….. I think we shall be availing ourselves again, if they are still there tomorrow.

Nigel’s Bit Of A Fixer Up-per

Nigel’s been mooching again in the “Antique Shop” up the road …..

…… heaven help me!

He says ……… it’s a bit of a fixer up-per!

Now, what Nigel knows about any car, let alone a Reliant Robin can be written on the back of a postage stamp …… and to be honest I don’t know that much more, except that, with my limited knowledge, his fixer up-per looks like a heap of old scrap ………

…… and I have warned him, very robustly, that any such project should only ever be undertaken by an experienced “classic car restorer” and under no circumstance is he to form any sort of idyllic romantic attachment to it or start counting the pennies in his jar so that he can put in an offer!!!!!!

Recognition At Last …..?

It seems that word has spread around town ………..

………. about our penchant for the occasional mooch! What are they like?

Perhaps Not ………

Darrell, Nigel and I very much enjoy a forage, The Vale of Evesham being known as the Garden of Eden England as our burgeoning freezer testifies with its ample sufficiency of blackberries, damsons and plums ready for one of our much nommed Sunday crumbles and custard (…..and occasionally with cream on special occasions).

But yesterday I sadly missed out on a possible forage as I found myself seriously wanting in the identification of fungi department after spotting that the lawn in front of the church by Lldl had sprouted an abundant profusion of “mushrooms”

Now, to the uneducated, to wit me, they looked exactly like the ones we have with our weekend egg and bacon, but I know that picking and then consuming the wrong species of fungi can lead to consequences of an extremely dire and deadly type nature ……

……. so tempting as a complimentary comestible may be, I thought it best to leave them exactly where they were, I could never forgive myself if I inadvertently risked the lives of Darrell and Nigel for the sake of an opportune free meal through ignorance!

An Inspirational Nudge For Darrell?

When I nipped into the Amber Café Bar for a constitutional mid-morning latte and Malteser Ice Cream Sundae, I picked up a couple of flyers for Darrell, one was a list of cocktails, which I thought might inspire Darrell, as he is always on the look out for new ideas to add to his repertoire of cocktails.

And, it goes without saying that should Darrell wish to experiment and perhaps then add a Maple Margarita, Pina De Plata or even a Paradise Punch to said repertoire I would be a most willing guinea pig  to offer my considered critique after a taster or two.

The other flyer was for “snacklettes” to compliment any beverage, some of which I thought we could adapt  for one of our Saturday Nights In, when we settle down to a televisual feast of Strictly and X Factor, a Cod and West Country Crab Bite or a Cheese and Beer Croquette would all be welcome accompaniments for any of Darrell’s exotic concoctions, with the odd Beer Battered Onion Ring or BBQ Chicken Wing thrown in ……… 

………….. nom, nom nom!

http://amberevesham.co.uk/

Nigel’s Home

Nigel arrived home yesterday just in time for tea (spag-bol) full of tales of his London Adventure.

It goes without saying that by 10.30 ( ….. though we really wish it could be on a bit earlier), we were all sat sitting in front of the TV ready for “Nigel’s Episode” of An Extra Slice with a Stroopwafel. We made sure we also had it on record so that we can re-watch and pause it whenever there is a gratuitous audience shot just in case we can spot our little hero!

I know it was really, really hard for Nigel not to tell us what was going to happen next or spoil a punch line, but he managed to reign in his effervescent enthusiasm pretty well.  We all agreed it was indeed a most glorious episode, and although Nigel was certain that he could pick up his own rapturous applause and cheering, I have to admit that Darrell and I were not too sure!

So, that’s The X-Factor and Bake Off ticked off on our bucket list ……. there is just one real BIGGIE left ………..

The Apprentice, which started on Wednesday, so we are in TV heaven right now. Needless to say Darrell has applied, copiously, for a ticket(s) …………now that really would just be the icing on our televisual cake!