Sunday 31 December 2017

New Year’s Eve 2017

Tonight we are saying a very quiet and sedate farewell to 2017. We plan to do nothing more than don our festive gay apparel for the last time,  sup one, two or three of Darrell’s sublime celebratory cocktails, share an Aldi family spinach and ricotta pizza and pop a couple of Pringles …….. reminisce on our past year and then look towards the unknown adventure that is 2018, including and I don’t think any of us can still believe it, Nigel’s sojourn to New York!
IMG_6193 We’re just going to put on our Huggs and chill ………
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…….. and then tomorrow we will ring in 2018 with all the family coming round for one of Darrell’s huge and very wonderful Sunday lunches, but on a Monday! 



Saturday 30 December 2017

A Blast From The Past

This morning our lovely postman called to deliver a HUGE blast from the past and something we have really missed since we stopped working.IMG_6150
…… a calendar from Prospect Coaches, one of the companies I used to book buses from in my bus booking days in the not so dim and distant past …… the only things I have booked since have been the odd taxi ….. oh …… and our Greek Odysseys!
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The calendar is very glamorous as befits the company …….
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…….. and was a very kind thought, bringing back many happy memories. At the end of 2017 and on the cusp of 2018 I can’t help but wonder what appointments, occasions and events will be marked within it pages, all will be revealed in the fullness of time.  Thank you Prospect.

Friday 29 December 2017

OMG!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon, after all the joyous excitement of Christmas, we decided that we needed a quiet and sedate day to refuel and recover.
IMG_6137It also seemed the perfect time for Nigel to make a start on his 100 piece New York jigsaw puzzle “adventure” Santa had left him, with Darrell volunteering to help him, just in case he got stuck.
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But when Nigel finally managed to break the seals on the box, he found a note inside addressed to “Young Nigel” …….. well, it had to be for him …. didn’t it?
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But I don’t think anything could have prepared Nigel, or Darrell, for what the note contained, a note, for all intents and purposes that appeared to be written in Santa’s very own hand.
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It seems that the jigsaw was just a cunning ruse to put Nigel off the scent of his real present …… the adventure he had asked Santa for was in fact a trip to New York, in real life America! I think you can imagine the pandemonium that ensued forthwith…….
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First, I was called to see if I thought it was genuine. There was nothing there to make me think otherwise, it didn’t appear to be a sad and very cruel joke and so I confirmed that I thought that it was really real, and that Nigel was indeed off to New York (so good they named it twice), in March, all on his own, for a wonderful, wonderful adventure!  OH MY GOODNESS ME!!!!
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Let’s just say, with this realisation, the emotion at The Towers became both tangible and palpable and vice versa ……. and because we were all shaking so much, the jigsaw wasn’t actually even started …… but kept safely for another day when we had gathered ourselves.
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Nigel instead retired to his room, cradling his letter, alone with his thoughts……… so much for our quiet and sedate day ….. but I don’t think any of us would have had it any other way!  THANK YOU SANTA, you’ve made a certain someone very, very happy!

Thursday 28 December 2017

Special Presents From Mrs A, Norm and Sammy

One of our most special presents this Christmas came right out of the blue from Mrs A, Sammy and Norm, our friends from our Swindon Monkey Convention back in September.
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……. which we have to admit to opening on Christmas Eve when we came in from lighting our Christmas lamp.
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Inside their Christmas card was another card, with three very small parcels with our initials on attached……..
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Darrell and I let Nigel unwrap his first …….. oh my…… it contained the tiniest Christmas pudding badge ever …..
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…… and there was the same for Darrell and I, but each one was everso slightly different, let’s just say, it was an very emotionally charged start to our Christmas Eve evening ……..
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It also goes without saying that all said badges have been primely positioned on each of our various Christmas outfits throughout the holiday and, I hasten to add, very much admired by all, we are truly, truly blessed!
Thank you soooooooo much Mrs. A, you are a very clever lady and thank you too Norm and Sammy for all the careful wrapping.
https://itsanalienlife.blogspot.co.uk/ – have a look for Mrs A hilarious elf posts …… her elf is sooooooooooooooooo naughty!


Wednesday 27 December 2017

A Wolverhampton Christmas

Let’s just say that being back within the bosom of our Wolverhampton family has been very, very lovely ………
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…….. especially when being back within said bosom has included sitting at it’s most splendid and bounteous table.
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It has be said that our Wolverhampton family really do appreciate good food ……. which as you know, so do we and as such we certainly gave an excellent account of ourselves in an appreciative appetite type manner …….
IMG_6261IMG_6262……. not being afraid to circumnavigate the buffet tables on multiple occasions!
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We did offer to tidy up after the festivities, our offers were rebuffed, but I have to be honest, we were all rather grateful because by this time we were not moving as fluidly as normal, and Nigel’s loosened trousers were in serious danger of falling down, had he moved at speed!
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In turn our "Sack of Tut" was very well received providing prizes for the many games we had to play. Sadly, Nigel narrowly missed out on the Pop Tarts he’d set his heart on after being one number away from festive Bingo victory ……..
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  …….. but he still returned to Lu’s with a table of plunder after successfully Pinning The Nose on Rudolph with almost exact precision, gargling the complete Twelve Days of Christmas with Umbongo without stopping and peeling two satsumas and a banana with his hands tied behind his back ……. we were so proud!
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Thank you our Wolverhampton Family ……….. it was a day we shall remember and talk about for years to come.
P.S – We have been past MotorWorld several times ……. but it seems that the knitted nativity is no more …… but thankfully, Nigel has told us that he is now well over it!

Tuesday 26 December 2017

Off For More Celebrations …..

It’s Boxing Day ……. Christmas Day was just tooooooooooo WONDERFUL ….. a few more presents, a little sherry, several cocktails and much laughter to fill The Towers ……… and Darrell’s Christmas Dinner was an absolute triumph from his baby artichoke and bruschetta starter, his turkey crown with all the trimmings, and his blazing flaming Christmas pudding and brandy sauce and a most abundant cheese board! I honestly wondered if I would ever be able to walk again, from the laughter, as well as the food!!!
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But move I must, as we are now off to Wolverhampton for even more family festivities, everyone will be down there including our beloved Iris and Bertie with Tom and Laura and Lucy for a day hosted by Sarah and Graeme our “in laws” and all their family. The food and company will be par excellence, so probably my ability to move may be  again impinged for the second time this Christmas!
And the suitcase?……. well that’s our contribution to the day …… a suitcase packed full of tut, collected over the past six months or so for “prizes” for all our family games ……. the most expensive prize costing a pound, others just pence and some, nothing at all, but all we hope of a hilarious type nature, if we can get it in the car! ……… 
Happy Happy Days!!!

Monday 25 December 2017

It’s Christmas Morning – And, He’s Been!

Oh my life …. it’s Christmas morning ……. and Santa’s been …… 
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……. it’s the most wonderful morning of the year!  I believe Nigel woke at 12.15, 1.20, 2.30, 3.00 and finally 4.00, each time claiming that he thought that he had heard someone in the fridge, but Darrell and I, goodness knows how, persuaded him to go back to sleep on each occasion, warning him that Santa might hear us stirring and then not linger.
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But he did linger ….. leaving me a pair of very romantic sounding sumptuously soft pillows, I think tonight I will be assured of a very sound and comfy sleep, which considering all Nigel’s restlessness last night is no bad thing!
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Santa left Darrell some David Beckham “Homme” in his stocking, in the guise of deodorant and shower gel, with, I think, tears welling Darrell said that if we didn’t mind our traditional bacon and egg baps might be a little delayed as he had a shower calling his name ….. or at least Mr Beckham’s name.
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He was so chuffed bless him ……
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And finally it was Nigel’s turn  …… with a Santa adding a cryptic sort of message on his parcel …….
IMG_6113I have to admit doing a 100 piece jigsaw of a New York with Nigel will certainly be quite adventure ….. for all of us, as Nigel struggles  with some of Iris and Bertie’s puzzles, so we decided than rather than start it there and then it might be best to keep it for an quiet afternoon after Christmas, when Darrell and I, feeling mellow, could help him, perhaps over a turkey sandwich, a few Pringles and some pickled onions.  This Nigel agreed was an excellent plan, as losing a vital piece of jigsaw in bed would seem a little ungrateful, after all Santa’s careful thought.
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And then …. there were presents from Dianne our much beloved fan from very hot and torrid Florida and now a much loved highlight of our festive morning.
IMG_6117 For Darrell there was a plaid shirt with matching dickie bow, ooooo la la  …….
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….. for Nigel new jeans and t-shirt, a much needed gift as the knees in his old jeans have worn right through, although Darrell says this has made Nigel the most fashionable he has ever been and bang en trend!
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And for me?  A lovely warm fleece, which was just what I needed.  It has to be said that when we travel down to Wolverhampton for our traditional family festivities we will give a very good account of ourselves, resplendent in our new clothes, all be looking very, very smart …. Thank you sooooo much Dianne.
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But there was more ….. two wristbands with inset diamonds for Darrell and me ……. telling us to “be you”IMG_6122
…… and a real life America tea towel and oven mitt just like they use in Florida over The Holidays, which will make us feel extra special and almost American when Nigel and I assist Darrell when he starts preparing our much anticipated Christmas lunch.IMG_6123As per usual, it was a very emotional morning, Santa and Dianne dun gud!  We hope your Christmas morning was just as lovely and as exciting as ours.  xxxxx Happy Christmas each and every one from all of us ….. to all of you xxxxx