Darrell Finds A Dinner Party Treasure

Darrell came home from town yesterday like a bottle of pop on the verge of eruption .......... he was soooooooooooo excited.

He'd been mooching in the 10p box outside one of his favourite charity shops when he said he found something that  was .....................

...... the Holy Grail of, according to Hugh his best friend and mentor, every en-trend, de rigueur dinner party host in London .......

...... to wit a genuine vintage, kitsch After Eight Mint holder! Darrell was almost beside himself, not even Hugh had been able to find one "as honest" (as they say in trade) and here he was sat sitting at our dining table with one found for just 10p!  He said that this had never been a considered purchase, his was in the shop and his money on the counter in less than ten seconds flat!

And, as it happened, would you believe, I had a box of said mints in the cupboard, just waiting to be opened?

They were duly decanted by my good self, because poor Darrell said he was shaking too much to do them justice ......

....... and very splendid and a la mode they looked too!  Let's just say, the occassion was emotional, very emotional.

However, despite his unbridled joy, Darrell says he still has a couple of other little thing of a retro kitsch type nature on his list for when we entertain ........ like some little cocktail forks .................what he he like?

Gathering Halloween Ideas

As you know Nigel is very partial to a good shop window display ........

.......... and with the Halloween season upon us the little fella has been drinking it all the inspiration that is out there, especially as the planning for our own Halloween sleepover for Iris and Bertie is very much on all our minds .........

........ as I have said before, this year we want it to be extra special and we certainly don't want to be found wanting in any spooky shape or form.

The florist up the road really pulls out all the stops when it comes to their seasonal displays........

....... so if Nigel is a little late home from the nursery/school run Darrell and I have a fair inkling where he has been lingering.

We have put him in charge of our first ever Halloween tree and bless him, Nigel is taking the responsibility very seriously indeed ....... 

........ and given his £10 absolute maximum budget he is well aware that any purchase he makes must therefore be of the most carefully considered and mulled over type nature ...... relevant, but not the stuff of young ones nightmares, festive, colourful and above all else absolutley wonderful ....... so no pressure then Nigel!!!!!

Nigel Starts To Get Us Into The Halloween Spirit .......

As we have said we are now knee deep in planning for an exciting post Halloween sleepover weekend for Iris and Bertie (Halloween this year being on a non-negotiable school day).

Nigel will obviously be wearing his beloved pumpkin outfit that our wonderful friend Dianne, in sunny Florida sent him a few years back, but he decided that Darrell's and my festive garb, in his opinion could be found wanting,  so he took himself into town to see what he could find .........

He returned home very quickly for Nigel but nevertheless in jubilant mood ......... this year, he announced we were all going to be pumpkins together ......

..... as he'd found us the most perfect bodysuits. I have to be honest, I was a little dubious of having to fasten a series of  poppers down below .............

.......... but Darrell said not to be a wuss as, and I quote "You haven't lived until you've experienced wearing of a bodysuit at least once in your lifetime!" ....... said poppers just needed to be popped with a certain degree of caution ............. but when carefully negotiated I just wouldn't believe the smooth, unbunched look the suit would give my  upper body!

What on earth is he like?  We both thanked Nigel for his very kind thoughts and considereation and I will certainly be wearing mine with  a certain amount of  ..... erm ...... tight pride!  Happy days!

Lush?

In my capacity as resident Grumpy Old Man chez Towers I am afraid I have another idiom that seems to have infiltrated daily conversation and social media that sticks in my craw and that's the  words"lush"! Whenever I hear it I can't help but cringe ........ I hate it!  In my world I associate the word as relating to abundant, flourishing vegetation, but now I hear it to describe all manner of things from the smell of fabric conditioner, all manner of food and drink, hairstyles, clothes, holidays, the weather, even to describe the opposite sex ...... to be honest, these days anything can be **sh .........

Darrell has used the word once to describe a particular wallpaper that had really taken his fancy, let's just say he has never used the word since and Nigel certainly knows now not to dare announce that any one of Darrell's (outstanding though they may be) Sunday roasts was **sh either!

My Grump Old Man list seems to be getting longer and longer ........ Nigel says that I just need to take a "chill pill" ..... which leads on to .............. aghhhhhhh!  

Halloween Preparations

This year we are determined that our Halloween sleepover for Iris and Bertie will be a really special occasion full of memories that will stay with them for many years to come  ........

...... and as such there has been MUCH activity of a gluing and sticking type nature occuring chez Towers.

This week Darrell and Nigel have been mostly concentrating their efforts on making lots of creepy lanterns using empty plastic bottles, that we will then put battery tea lights in, as part of a spooky midnight walk we are planning to make in the back garden 

To be honest, I don't know who will be more excited on the night ....... Iris and Bertie or Uncles Darrell and Nigel,  however I have a supernatural, Derek Acorah sort of feeling that we will definitely not be found wanting in any shape or form in the festivities department this year knowing those two! 

Nigel's Still Going On .... And On ...... And On ...... And On!

Nigel has returned from his short trip to Cheltenham but is still very full of Malmaison.

Poor Darrell looked quite overwhelmed by the barrage of interior design shots Nigel was eager to show him as he soon as he got through the door .......

...... especially the ones of the wallpaper, on the feature wall which from a distance looked like a fashionably grey, contemporary design..........

........ but up close was all fish and butterflies ....... which Nigel said, with a moist eye, had made him think about his beloved fish in the pond back at The Castle Greysquirrel.  

Nigel also thought the art work was what Hugh would call avant garde ........... with what looked like a baggily dressed gentleman being enveloped by a large metallic sphere.

While Darrell looked at them with a quizzical expression, turning Nigel's pictures round in his hand, they got a very definite "no" from me, as they made me feel very claustrophobic. They are  undoubtedly conversation pieces, but no way could I live with them, looking at that poor man struggling day in, day out, give me a Constable Haywain every time!

His little sojourn with Lucy seems had a quite a profound effect on the little fella, he's taken everything in, even down to mahooooooooooooooooosive light shade, which  I initially thought was a meaningful artistic installation using the inside of an industrial washing machine 

I'm not sure when or where Nigel's next venture is going to be, however I am rather hoping he'll be staying in a Premier Inn or Travel Lodge, where we all pretty much know what to expect, which in turn means a little less ebullience on his part and fewer photos for Darrell and I to work through on his return.  You've got to love him!!!

Breakfast At Malmaison .......

We've always said that you can tell the quality of a posh hotel by the way it presents its preserves at breakfast, Malmasion did not disappoint, with Nigel wondering if it would look a little too ostentatious if he bought Darrell a similar stand for The Towers as a Christmas present perhaps, because it was something that even Hugh, for all his de rigueur and en-trend London ways did not have!

But the really true sign of class was ...........

...... that they also served our very favourite savoury spread of choice, to wit Marmite ...... and it doesn't get any better than that!

Let's just say that Nigel didn't hold back on breakfast, starting with a medley of melon, followed by the full English, then a selection of freshly baked pastries, with the continental meats and cheeses on the side and ending with a toast rack of toast with said Marmite. He said he left the poached Earl Grey prunes, cinnamon and orange apricots for another day!

With that he was set up very nicely for a little light, select, charity shop mooching...........

.........  along Cheltenham's wide and leafy, romantically named boulevards........  

...... before setting home, all of forty minutes away.

To quote the much lamented Fonz ....... "Happy Days!"

Nigel Leaves Malmaison, Temporarily For The Pleasures Of Cheltenham Town Hall and Joe Lycett

Lucy managed to get Nigel away from Malmaision long enough to enjoy Joe Lycett at Cheltenham Town Hall,  just a short walk away.

Let's just say, Joe did not disappoint .........

...... and neither did the splendour of said historic town hall ..........

...... to quote Nigel, it fair took his breath away!  It's a place none of us admit to thinking about when  looking for a show to go to, but Nigel promised to bring us back one of their leaflets of forthcoming events.

After the show, Nigel was a little reluctant to be away from his/their room for too long and seeing that Lucy appeared to be a little tired, I think he may have turned the situation to his advantage suggesting that rather than stopping off in town for a nightcap, he'd treat Lucy to anything she liked from the One Stop on the way "home"........

....... and/or a little something from their en-suite comestibles as a small "thank you" for the trip.  What on earth is he like?  

Fortunately, Lucy was more than happy with the arrangement, and I believe used it to her own advantage too by saying that as it was, she had quite fancied the bottle of red that was in their room and if he didn't mind Nigel could have the Fruit Shoot! So it was win win situation all around ......

....... especially as young Nigel had been secretly hankering on taking a long luxurious soak in the bathroom before turning in.

He fancied basking in the complimentary likes of seaweed and sage body wash, and seeing if the oat and bay shampoo and conditioner added extra bounce and shine to his hair ........

....... leaving Lucy to enjoy her wine, while flicking channels, lounging in her huge fluffy bathrobe and slippers. Happy Days!

Nigel Does Malmasion Cheltenham

Nigel is currently in Cheltenham with Lucy.  She had a spare ticket for a show at the Town Hall and wondered if perhaps Nigel would like to join her, with an overnight stay at a posh hotel thrown in.  Well, the little fella didn't need asking twice, as he can never be accused of not being up for an adventure or a posh hotel stay.

They are staying at Malmasion .....

........ and as this is only a very short visit I have a feeling that, judging by how much he has been enthusing about the hotel so far, we may probably not see or hear about anything else soooooo enamoured is Nigel about the place, bless him.

Let's just say, his every whim has been catered for .........

 ....... never before has he had his Celebrations (or apples) served on a slate tray.  He says he is going to try and find a couple of similar trays (starting in Poundland) for The Towers for our own supper time comestibles, and "is aghast" that Darrell has never introduced such the idea himself, what with all his de rigueur, en trend ways!

The room has its own Nesspresso machine (which seems to be the current trend as he also had one in his room in Cheadle when he went to his friends wedding). He says was a little nervous of it at first, but phoned down to room service to ask if they minded popping up and showing him how to use it.  Needless to say he now thinks he is George Clooney and that we should have one,back at The Towers.

There is an amply stocked mini bar ........ with real, local craft beer and hand pressed fruit juices ......

....... but Lucy has told him that he should consult with her first before availing himself, as the prices will almost certainly reflect their salubrious surroundings.

And in the wardrobe there is a fluffy bathrobe and pair of slippers each to lounge in, but Lucy has told him, only in the privacy of their own room and definitely not in any of the public areas.

The view from the room is very Cheltenham, with its famous wide and leafy Regency terraces ....... but to the best of his knowledge, no sightings of a genuine Cheltenham Young Lady.

However, Lucy has reported that young Nigel has appeared to be a little reluctant to explore further, especially when he found out how much the room was actual costing and thinks that he should really take full advantage of all it has to offer, rather than just be in and out all the time, with a sleep in between, therefore, I feel we shall have more enthusing tomorrow ........ what is he like?