A mixed bag at a one year review

Well, I've now been writing and hosting this blog for a year.

It's been a fascinating learning curve but before I get in to the review and analysis, a quick thank you and thumbs up (belatedly) to a couple of people.

First off, Mark.

Cast your minds back to that really hot (lovely!) spell we had in mid June.  Now I love the heat but not everyone does and even I find it difficult commuting at rush hour in the heat.  

It was Friday, 13th which added to the "mix".  The bus was really over crowded and hot.  Our driver, Mark, was wonderful as instead of growling at everyone, he kept everyone cool and laughing with his smiles, jokes and assuring people the air conditioning was on.   He really was trying to help everyone in a not easy situation.   

Even though the bus was very crowded, very busy and very hot inside, when I got up to ring the bell I asked if I could take his shot for the blog as a way of saying thank you.  He somehow, without delaying other, made time for a thirty second banter about the date and the fact of the full moon - a rarity to have a full moon on a Friday, 13th - about the fact that there were other funny dates in 2014 including this coming August having five weekends whereupon I found that Mark was having his holiday in August.  

Hope you have a great time.

And thank you and thumbs up from all your passengers  

Another thank you, this time to all the staff at the BP garage, Dunchurch Service Station and especially to Liz.

So, it's another hot, sunny day and this time we're in my car, the man and me, driving back from Bilton in Warwickshire to London.  We're in my car but the bloke is driving.

Time to fill up before we get on the motorway so we pop in to Dunchurch to the BP garage there.  My car takes diesel.  My man filled up with petrol.

The good news; he didn't start the engine, it's hot and sunny and we're on a garage forecourt.  The bad news; it's a Sunday afternoon and none of the emergency road services have a fuel guy available until Monday midday.  Nor can we find anyone local who is open on a Sunday.

Liz, behind the till in BP could not have been more helpful.  She said we could push our car to the side and if necessary it would be fine until the next day there.  She also had given my man a card for a company called Dr. Fuel (unbeknownst to me).

Time is moving on, we've spoken to the AA, to Volvo Assist and I lose track now who else but it's about three hours since we put the fuel in and we're about to go with the AA guys who will come at 11:00 the next day for a rather large sum of money when the bloke pulls this card out of his pocket that Liz had given him and I see what it is.  I suggest giving them a call to see what their prices are and when they could come.

All good; one and a half hours to two hours and less than the other quotes we've had.  Meanwhile Liz is doing a terrific job keeping my spirits up with her smiles and jokes.

While all this has been going on, incredibly, another car has done the exact same thing, well actually slightly worse; diesel in to a petrol car.  Also pushed to the side.  Liz was worried it was something she was giving off.  Absolutely not.

By the time Dr Fuel came Liz had left for the day and we were helped equally nicely by the rest of the staff who allowed me to run up a tab (well I wasn't about to drive off in a hurry!) with the coffees etc before we filled up, again.

Thank you all and a big thumbs up .

As to analysis of the blog on the anniversary?  Well, you'll have to wait for another post as both Mark and Liz deserves their belated thank yous and if I delay any more while I try to get philosophical, it'll be way too late.  Let's just say for now it's been great and I'll be carrying it on and hope for many, MANY, more guest posts from you.   Thank you.
 

Half a bank holiday

Friday night turned in to a local smile fest and continued on Saturday in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.

Friday evening, London, the man and I got a bus to West Hampstead.   We were on a number 13 (there is a point to this stay with me) rather than wait for the 328 as its just a short walk down from Finchley Road.   Being the bank holiday, London was lovely and deserted so the bus was hurtling along Finchley Road with no one getting off the bus and no one flagging it down to get on.

Our stop for West End Lane was approaching so we rang the bell.  The "stopping" light lit up but.... The driver went past the stop.  However he was stopped a few feet further along by the traffic lights, about the same time he heard me saying "excuse me" in my best polite British manner.

The driver couldn't have been nicer or more apologetic, he let us off with a smile, a honk on the horn and a wave agreeing he was having too much fun on the lovely empty roads. So number 13 driver on the Finchley Road/West End Lane junction Friday night at about 8:00pm, may we give you a thumbs up.

A walk down the hill then towards The Black Lion pub.  Coming down the hill you get a great view of the fire station and we could see the fire engines out and the blue lights flashing but no sirens.  Peculiar? Not when we realised it was for the benefit of a three and five year old who were being allowed to sit in the cabin and have their pictures taken. (hope this doesn't get anyone in trouble) but a thumbs up to the firemen at West Hamsptead station

Arrived at the Black Lion where we greeted by both Gloria and James.   More of James later in future posts about the Black Lion and the Read for RNIB Day Campaign http://www.rnib.org.uk/getinvolved/readforrnibday/Pages/read-for-rnib-day.aspx but for now Gloria.

I first met Gloria last year when taking part in World Book Night.  I was giving away copies of Pride & Prejudice and her smile then just wowed me - here's the evidence - and you can still enjoy that smile when she's at work in the pub so Gloria, you get a thumbs up as well.


The man felt like pizza and although we seriously like La Brocca being a very warm nice summer's night I didn't fancy a basement so we plumped for Pizza Express.  It was the right decision.








The staff were collectively and individually having their own smile fest and it was lovely to eat in the middle of that.


Reginaldo, our waiter (on the right) was sweet and we had a nice joke about my ignorance that Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape   Then the manager, Ago, (in the middle), was very helpful over my runny egg on my pizza, while also being very funny (ha, ha) about his name being like Argos.

Meanwhile, the chef, Frederico, "the ugly", was grinning like he was on a red carpet with the flashbulbs going while he tossed the pizza dough, delighting the watching children when he pretended to make a mistake.

There were many other smiling chefs and staff there that night, including Serena on the left in the picture above. So not only a thumbs up each to Reginaldo, Ago and Fredericobut. Thumbs up to Pizza Express West Hampstead staff
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With all those smiles our Friday night was a delightful thumbs up night.


No photos to accompany the smiles and service on Saturday evening but some folk that deserve a few thumbs up; first of all Mark on the bar in The Olive Bush, (http://www.theoldolivebush.co.uk/# ) in Flecknoe village (Warwickshire) for some true old fashioned pubican hospitality,and to Jane and her staff for serving some homemade pub "fayre" all with fun and smiles and then on to Braunston in Northamptonshire where a local, Pete, was running a pop-up pub in his home, (which was the site of a pub many years ago, the Dog & Gun), for charity.  The music, drink and atmostphere were aces, so thank you Pete and a thumbs up to you
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