Happy Birthday To Me

December 18, 2021 Neil

It was my birthday the other Friday the tenth of December. As you get older in life some people tend not to celebrate birthdays that much and even try to ignore and forget them. I am very much of the philosophy that each one should be suitably marked. Achieving another year on the planet is no small feat so you really should reward yourself for your effort I feel. I only tend to have a party on what I consider landmark birthdays and as my next one of those is not for a few years yet this time I enjoyed a weekend in London.

I think as far as I can remember since I have been an adult at least, I have taken control and planned exactly what I was doing for my special day, be that a party, a weekend away or just a night out. This time however it was slightly different. My girlfriend Lynda is a good organiser of things and she told me around six months ago that she had booked us both something to do on the evening of my birthday in London and that I should keep it free. A couple of months later she admitted that she had also arranged another surprise for me on the Saturday evening.

With two events planned over two nights it made sense to stay in London for the whole weekend. Together we booked a very nice hotel to stay in for a couple of nights. That took a lot of thought as we were trying to get the location right, which she was attempting to suggest without giving the game away about what we were doing of course. We settled on The Great Scotland Yard Hotel just off Whitehall. I managed to organise to work from London on the Friday and after I had finished I walked across town to meet Lynda who had already checked into the hotel. As soon as you went in and met the staff you could instantly tell that it was a well run establishment.

I collected my key from reception and then went to the room to see Lynda. At this point I still had no idea what we were doing but I knew we had to leave in about ten minutes, so I had a quick cup of tea and opened some cards before it was time to quickly get changed and head out. She obviously had to lead the way as I did not know where we were going. Then all of a sudden we were standing in the queue at The Garrick Theatre waiting to go in and see The Drifters Girl. It stars the brilliant Beverly Knight and as you have probably guessed it is the story of the Drifters. I gigged with the group on my birthday in 2007. Just to clarify I was not singing it was a dinner and dance at a huge venue in Yeovil. I was the DJ and they were the Cabaret. They were great and it was amazing to watch them from the side of the stage.

I am a fan of their music. They have released some great and very memorable songs. We had good seats near the front of the stalls and Lynda had the foresight to pre-order some drinks so it was not long before I was enjoying a red wine. I ordered us some interval drinks to because well it was my birthday. The show was fantastic, the whole cast were wonderful and most of them had to play multiple roles, that they did perfectly and very cleverly. Beverly Knight was excellent she has such a sensational voice and her American accent was perfect. It is a very slick and well put together show. By the encore we were all on our feet singing and dancing along to the songs. Lynda had done very well with the first surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

After the show we went across the road to the Cork & Bottle Wine Bar in Leicester Square. It is a little downstairs place where we decided to go for a bit more wine and some late night food. They had a few gluten free options and I ended up with a carrot and peanut curry with rice, which was very nice. We stayed in there until closing time and then made our way back to the hotel. The bar there was already closed and that may not have been a bad thing as we had a full day ahead of us the next day, so it steered us to bed. Due to me being at work it had been quite a long yet enjoyable day. Plus it was my birthday weekend so there was another surprise waiting for me on the Saturday evening.

We had breakfast included in our stay so made sure we got up to enjoy that. As you would expect from the quality of the hotel we were in it was very nice. I had the omelette which was great. Not wanting to waste the day we got organised and went for a walk along the South Bank. There just happened to be a small Christmas Market there, it would have been rude not to have a Mulled Wine while we were there so we did. We then decided we needed some more food so we went to Prezzo as they do a very good gluten free menu. I had some garlic bread and pasta as I was aware we had an afternoon and evening of drinking lined up so thought it best to line the stomach properly. After lunch we returned to the hotel to relax and get changed before the evening entertainment.

The toilet in the room was a bit more advanced shall we say than anything I had ever experienced. I do not want to be too graphic but when you have done what you need to do there is a control panel that offers jets of water followed by a drier option. Therefore it is a good way of reducing paper use in this situation. I had never tried anything like that before but now having experienced it for myself I really want one. It makes everything simpler and yet more exciting. We got dressed up and went to enjoy a drink in the classy hotel bar. We had two things planned for the evening one that I knew about and my second birthday surprise present from Lynda. The first place we were going to was a cocktail bar that she had wanted to go to for a while. That we actually managed to book at table at for this night the last time we were out in London together.

It is a place called Cahoots in Soho. We walked there in the rain which was not ideal but on arrival they showed us to the table we had booked in the underground section. It is designed like a tube station and you sit in little carriage compartments. It is all very nicely done and is set in the 1940’s just after the end of the war. They have a comprehensive list of cocktails many of which are unique to the place. It is very dimly lit and the menu is in a newspaper. My eyesight is not great so I was finding it hard to read it for a laugh Lynda passed me the candle on the table, which I took and titled slightly. I had not realised it was full of wax and managed to drip it all over my black trousers which made them look shall we say a bit suspicious in a certain light, until I managed to fix them a little in the toilet.

The drinks have all sorts of different names while I was there I had a Vera Lynn, a Judy Garland and a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts. The first one came in a glass that was a replica of the singers head. The drinks were great and not normally what I would have ordered ingredients wise but sometimes it is good to try some new things and push the boundaries. Lynda had three cocktails as well including their own version of an Old Fashioned that she really liked and as she is a bit of a connoisseur of that drink that is high praise indeed. I still did not know where we were off to next, although I did know it included us eating at some point. It was back towards the hotel, was all I knew so Lynda led the way once again and we found ourselves in The Strand outside one of the big impressive hotels there.

She had booked us into a very nice restaurant called Indigo. The reason she was taking me there was it only serves gluten and dairy free food. Therefore for the first time since I have been diagnosed as a coeliac I could go in to somewhere that not only could I choose anything off the menu to eat but also somewhere that there would be absolutely no chance of cross contamination. It was such a cool and classy place that had a nice and relaxed vibe to it. I instantly loved it in there and that was before I had seen the wine list or even the menu. It was such a lovely and sweet place for her to book so I could relax, choose whatever I wanted to and enjoy my food.

We of course ordered some wine first which for the record was very good. They then brought us a gluten free roll with diary free bacon sprinkles butter. That combination was sensational and already a great start to the meal. Next up I had the belly pork starter which was fantastic. Not only was the food great but it was like Master Chef “style” presentation to. Lynda had the crab for her starter. My main course was Halibut with crushed potatoes and crab sauce, which again was melt in your mouth good. She had the fish and very chunky chips. Then for pudding I had the most amazing chocolate mousse I think I have ever tasted it was just ridiculous. There was one more surprise when they came out with a piece of chocolate cake with happy birthday written on it and a candle for me to blow out, which I thought was a really nice touch.

I had a wonderful time there and will definitely be going back there again. It is a fine dining place and of course their prices reflect that but I would say the food was worth every penny. If you are coeliac or gluten or dairy free I would recommend you go there as a special treat for a big occasion. If you have no dietary requirements I would still go the food and whole experience you have there is brilliant. It was honestly the perfect place for me to eat out for my birthday. It may well become my go to place when I want to mark a special occasion or just fancy eating at possibly one of the safest places I know for my medical condition.

We then went back to the hotel with full and content stomachs and had a couple more drinks in the bar including some Champagne to toast the occasion. We went to go to bed at a reasonable time but when we got to our room none of our key cards would work. I went to the reception and a security guard came back with me to use the master key but that still did not open it. He then had to radio down for another member of the team who came and stuck a screwdriver in a certain area before producing a conventional key and managing to get us into the room. In the end it took us half an hour longer to get in the room than it should of. Modern technology is great when it works and very annoying when it does not.

On the Sunday we got up and had breakfast. I had the omelette again well if it is not broke do not fix it. We then checked out leaving our bags being looked after by the hotel to spend the afternoon mooching around. We had a look around the Christmas Market in Trafalgar Square, before having a stroll around Convent Garden where the better tree of those two places is located. We then went to have a drink in my favourite pub in London Waxy O’Connor’s just off Leicester Square. I have been going there for years, normally I would have a pint of Guinness but now I am gluten free that is no longer an option so I just had to make do with a pint of cider. I was pleased that I could introduce Lynda to the place for the first time though.

Then as we had obviously not eaten enough food during the weekend we went for a late dinner at another gluten free friendly place Cote Brasserie. I still managed to put away their Toulouse Confit and Crème Caramel for pudding washed down by a glass of red wine. We then decided to go for a walk down The Mall and back through St James Park before having one final drink then calling a close to the weekend. I had a brilliant time and was delighted with both of my birthday surprises. That does really put the pressure on me now though as it is Lynda’s big day in March and it is only fair that I organise something as impressive and clever as what she did, wish me luck!

There is literally never a dull moment with my football team Tottenham Hotspur. A Covid outbreak among the players and the coaching staff led to a couple of our games being postponed. This may mean as we refused to play in effect we could be removed from the Europa Conference. I am totally fine with that as I have said before despite the fact we were in it I could never really see the point of it. We lost a few Premier League games but that was agreed and other clubs have been granted that right earlier in the season anyway for the same reason. It is a shame though as we were just starting to get in to a rhythm and put a few wins together. But the health of the players and their families is more important than anything else of course. I look forward to seeing what happens when we return to action. Come of you Spurs!

Christmas Day is only a week away. I have nearly finished all my present shopping which is pretty good for me. I am just going to have a quiet day with my parents on the actual day. Then on Boxing Day I am planning to go and see Tottenham play Crystal Palace before disappearing for a few days to a hotel with Lynda to relax and build ourselves up for New Year’s Eve. It should be fun we are staying at a bit of a quirky hotel. which I will tell you more about next time we speak. Whatever you are doing have a great Christmas, eat, drink and be merry!

A quick reminder that you can listen to me every Saturday afternoon between 2pm – 4pm on Radio Ninesprings https://www.radioninesprings.co.uk/

Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Happy Christmas! Cheers Neil.

A Matter of Taste

December 4, 2021 Neil

Two weeks ago today I went to the Taste of London winter event with my girlfriend and a few of our mates. We had all been to the summer event in Regents Park together and enjoyed it so much we thought we would give their seasonal offering a go. It was held at Tobacco Dock in East London. It is a part of the capital that I do not venture out to that often but as it was a dry morning I decided to get the tube to Tower Hill and then walk from there. That did of course mean I got to walk past the Tower of London and Tower Bridge both of which I still find breath taking to look at I think just because of the historic moments associated with them.

We all met up outside the dock which is now a warehouse turned office space come conference centre. The event started at eleven o’clock in the morning. On arrival because we had purchased VIP tickets we were given a glass of champagne. Prior to this I had been handed a couple of small cheese samples which accompanied the drink very nicely. Once inside and with the first drink of the day consumed we made our way to the VIP bar where we also got another glass of fizz on the way in. It was a very cool place with a DJ playing a chilled and relaxing set. We were enjoying ourselves so much in there we treated ourselves to a cocktail before we moved on.

Already three drinks to the good we figured it might be an ideal time to try out some of the food. Like the previous one we had been to there were lots of pop up restaurants to sample. Our ticket came with vouchers that meant we could try up to three dishes from any of the places we liked. Due to me being a Coeliac and unable to eat gluten this did mean my options were slightly more limited than the others. However I did find myself some ribs to start my food journey for the day. They were served on a paper plate with a wooden fork and knife. I did try to use these to eat the meat initially but this was not working so I had to go full on caveman and pick them up and eat them off the bone. They were really nice!

As I was walking around looking at some of the produce stalls I was handed a free can of a pre-mixed margarita which would have been rude not to accept and drink. I then managed to find some pieces of fried chicken that were made with a gluten free coating. They were great, just what I needed. We then found the same gluten free fruit beer that was there at the summer event Jubel, so we all had a pint of that. Obviously everybody was making sure they managed to eat and get their own dishes in as the time seemed to go so quickly. The whole thing lasted for five and an half hours but it seemed to go by in a flash.

For my final dish I had a potato and cheese meal, which was very tasty. That is always a simple but effective combination as far as I am concerned. We then stumbled across the Grey Goose bar so felt it would be wrong not to try one of their Vodka based cocktails. That for the record was nice and refreshing. It was then time to leave so we made our way back across London. Lynda and I then went back to my place to get ready for a night out seeing a mate of mine who I had not seen perform for ages. The Taste of London winter version was a huge success and we will more than likely go again next year the only slight disappointment was that I did not manage to find any mulled wine.

My parents had invited us out to see Alvin Printwhistle do his Elvis Tribute Show at Broadmoor Farm in Haddenham. They have their own bar and entertainment facility there, which is actually rather nice I thought. They have had it specially built and I think the stage and the bar are in exactly the right place, which always gives you a good chance of creating a decent atmosphere at a venue. This was in the evening after Taste of London so Lynda and I may have already been a bit merry by the time we got a taxi there to join my mum and dad as well as my Aunty Shelia and Uncle Mick, who were all already there.

I had not been there before and when we walked in it looked like a Wedding venue and for a split second I thought we had gone to the wrong place. Until I spotted a table plan with my dad’s name on and then looked up to see him and mum waving at us. We took our seats and said hello to everyone before heading to the bar to get ourselves some wine. I have known Alvin for over twenty years and I have seen him perform many times. He always puts on a wonderful show. As it happened I bumped into him on the way back from the bar so I did manage to have a quick chat and catch up with him which was nice.

The ticket for the evening did include a buffet style meal. My mum had enquired if there would be gluten free options in advance and they said there would be but I am a bit sceptical about these things until they happen. However I need not have worried as soon as I said I was Coeliac and could not have anything with gluten in it the lady behind the counter took my plate and then went into the kitchen before returning with a plate of uncontaminated gluten free food kept and prepared in a special area. That is some of the best service I have received for my condition since I had been diagnosed. The meat they served was amazing. To say that I was happy with this situation is an understatement.

After everyone had finished eating Alvin came on and did his first set. He was wearing the famous leather jumpsuit from the comeback TV special that really relaunched “The Kings” music career after the years spent in films. He sang a few early hits and some songs from the movies as well as telling a lot of jokes and interacting with the audience. He takes the music and the show very seriously but not himself plus he enjoys having a laugh and some fun with people. Then there was a brief interval which gave us a chance to go to the bar and refill our drinks. It is a pretty brave thing to move around while he is on stage so I tend not to if I can help it.

The second part of Alvin’s show is always the Las Vegas years’ so he puts on the old seventies style stage jumpsuit and performs a lot of the great man’s biggest hits with a few jokes and some laughter thrown in. Elvis Presley had a great sense of humour and he would often mess around on stage during his performances. I actually ended up having a dance with Lynda and my mum at various points. The first time I had been on a dancefloor inside since long before the first lockdown. We got a taxi home to bring to a close a very long but brilliant day.

Last Saturday night Lynda and I went and saw one of my best friend’s and his wife. We had not seen both of them for well over a year. We booked into a hotel just up the road from them so we could all have a few drinks and we met up at their house. It was marvellous to see my mate and his family I had not seen his children for so long I had a few gifts to give them that I had been holding on to for ages. Among the items was some rock. I made the mistake of giving her stick straight to their daughter and she started eating it right away. You can tell that I do not have kids as I never think of these implications when it is so close to bedtime.

We had a fantastic night just chatting and laughing. Each other’s company was the only entertainment we needed. They laid on some nibbles. We arrived with some drink and Lynda supplied an amazing cheese cake for our pudding. For our main course we ordered some Pizza’s and side dishes from Pizza Express completely at my request as I knew from past experience that they had a decent selection of gluten free food options on their menu. The only slightly awkward moment was when I accidentally mentioned something to my mate’s wife that I had forgotten he had told me as a secret. The problem is they are both such lovely people and I get on with them both so well that I am so relaxed in their company so I talk very freely in fact too freely sometimes it would appear.

I had a brilliant time and we did not leave their place until about 2 am. I felt sorry for them, Lynda and I could have a lie in at our hotel while they had to be up early to take their son to football and their daughter to a party. I often forget how tough it is to be parents when you want to do your own thing yet have to be available to do a whole host of things normally early in the morning. I am now hoping we can start to see them a bit more regularly again now.

I had my annual contact lens check up in the week. Eye health is of course extremely important. It all went fine my prescription has not changed and my eyes are healthy. The only issue is they are very dry. It is not a major problem I just need to start using the eye drops I have a bit more during the day, a minor inconvenience to solve the issue. The optician was saying that dry eyes are becoming a bigger problem in all age groups as we all spend too much time looking as screens. Basically the natural moisture in our eyes is produced when we blink and we do that a lot less when we are staring at computers and phones. Therefore if you want healthier eyes just try to blink more!

The other thing I learnt from the appointment shocked me a little bit. As I am very short sighted I just presumed that my eyes would more than likely remain at the same level for the rest of my life. However apparently as I get older at some point I will also become more long sighted meaning I may end up needing bifocals or some reading glasses to use while I am also wearing my contact lenses so I can read things close up. This all sounds like a bit of a pain and was honestly the first time that I was aware of it. Although the one slight benefit is that as I get more long sighted I may get slightly less short sighted so every cloud does have a silver lining I guess.

I had a phone call from my dietician the other day to check how I am getting on with my gluten free diet. It has caused me to lose a bit of weight as it is actually quite a healthy way of eating. It seems like I am doing mostly the right things but because I exercise so much it was suggested I try to have more carbohydrates and some higher calorie foods, which I actually think is quite a nice position to be in. As we are now in December I am sure gaining a little bit of weight will not be that much of a problem but we will see.

It was brilliant to see my horse Stage Star win his second race of the season at Newbury last Friday. He led from start to finish and was perfectly ridden by Harry Cobden. The trainer Paul Nicholls is now probably going to enter him into a Grade 1 race towards the end of December. It will be very exciting to see how he does as he steps up to compete against the best young horses around at the moment. We have very high hopes for him he seems to improve every time he is on a race course at the moment, which is just fantastic.

What can I say about my team Tottenham Hotspur at the moment? I think after our defeat to Mura (no I had never heard of them either) in the Europa Conference Trophy Antonio Conte now realises the scale of the job he has got at the club. I have felt this for a while but there seems to be something wrong at the core of the club. I still maintain we have some good players but the level of performance from them has just not been good enough for quite some time now. That is massively frustrating. There have been several times in the last three years when I thought we may have turned the corner only to then be proved wrong very quickly.

I like the new boss and given time I think he can turn it around. There were some great videos of him joining in during training throwing himself into tackles and winning the ball. His passion and intensity for the game is clearly there to see. He has so much experience and is a proven winner but being at the helm of my club could prove to be his biggest challenge yet I fear. The big matches keep coming thick and fast and at the moment I think I might be happy with a top eight finish. I feel you either have to be in a Europa League place or not in Europe at all. I am not a fan of this new competition and I have been saying that from the start not just because of the most recent result from it.

A quick reminder that you can listen to me every Saturday afternoon between 2pm – 4pm on Radio Ninesprings https://www.radioninesprings.co.uk/

Just in case you were somehow unaware of this it is my birthday this coming Friday 10th December. I will be celebrating it in style and I will tell you how I marked this huge occasion next time we speak. Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.

Neil Quigley

Monthly Archives: December 2021

Happy Birthday To Me

A Matter of Taste

Neil Quigley Presenter