Well, my family birthday celebration didn’t quite go according to plan. I’d been feeling under the weather for a day or two, just a bit of cough, but I decided that a family stroll to the pub, and a pub lunch in the cosy surroundings of the Heathcote Arms, followed by a brisk walk in the fresh air, was just what I needed. I should have taken note when my morning dog walk left me feeling a bit weary.
Simon, Kate and their dog Phil arrived here shortly before noon, followed by Pauline Rob and Megan. Matthew, and my Dad with his friend Edwina, were to meet us at the pub. I was keen to get going, since I wanted to make sure that we got a couple of tables together in the corner of the bar, although since the pub doesn’t really get busy on a Saturday until one o’clock, I wasn’t too worried.
I peered in through the window as we ascended the steps to the pub door – it was busy. We entered to find a big pre-booked family event with buffet taking place in the bar – certainly no room for us. I asked Andy, the landlord, if we could go into the restaurant with the dogs. This would not normally be a problem, but a large party of walkers were about to arrive, and had booked the restaurant.
I briefly considered driving to the pub in Thurlaston, a couple of miles away, which would have involved walking back home for cars, and I knew that the Thurlaston pub is always busy on Saturdays. Andy offered us the bowling alley, and so we went in there – a large cavernous room on the far side of the car park, and with just 10 of us it somewhat lacked atmosphere.
Thanks, presumably, to the family buffet, the normal bar menu was restricted to just three options, and Andy warned us that there may be a bit of a wait, but at least we had the unexpected option of a game of skittles, which I think that most people enjoyed.
Afterwards I led a short walk, but by the time I got home I was feeling distinctly weary and shivery, and was definitely not the life and soul of the party. The younger family members set off on the Easter egg hunt, which seemed to go down well. I’m afraid I abandoned everyone for a while and went for a lie down, returning in time to blow the candle out on my cake, by which time everyone had decided that, since the planned card games were not going to happen, they would call it a night – as did I, heading for bed as soon as they had gone.
Not quite the fun day that I had hoped for. Photos in “Our Recent Photos”
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
