Tag Archives: Jubilee

Right Royal Fun

June 11, 2022 Neil

As I said previously this year seems to be going by so fast, it appears that the weather has not caught up yet and realised that it is actually summer. I have massively benefited recently from always carrying an umbrella with me plus I have seen people in the last week still wearing scarfs and hats which feels a bit wrong for June. Mind you as soon as there is a glimpse of the sun you can smell nothing but barbeques so it is good to know that as a country we are all being suitably British about the situation.

A couple of Saturdays ago now Lynda and I went up to Manchester to see some friends. We drove up during the afternoon and arrived to a champagne reception from our hosts, well after I had enjoyed a cup of tea that I always insist on having on arrival anywhere that I have endured a journey of thirty minutes or more. We had a civilised catch up before it was time to get changed and jump in the taxi they had booked to take us all to the restaurant that they had organised. During this trip it was the first time I think that I have ever seen a driver obviously turn up his radio to drown out what we were talking about and I promise you it was not that controversial or boring.

We arrived at the restaurant, which nowadays is always my cue to point out to the staff that I am a Coeliac requiring the gluten free menu and possibly the allergens menu to. They were great and the food and atmosphere in the place was also good. It was a Tapas style venue but due to my dietary requirements I had a straightforward starter and main while the rest of them shared a selection of dishes. For the record I was fine was this and still had a dessert option I could and did enjoy. It was some ice-cream that came with a small glass of sherry. Not a combination I had ever had before but I found it quite agreeable and may even have discovered a new drink option.

After we had eaten we had a table booked in a really nice bar called Ivy Asia. In there we had some very nice wine and spent the evening talking and laughing. There was a really cool and classy vibe to the place. I would definitely go there again. The next morning our friends did us a totally gluten free fried breakfast which I really appreciated. They even just did gluten free bread for everybody which removes quite a big cross contamination risk so I was very happy about that. We had a fantastic weekend just relaxing and hanging out with mates. I always like going out in Manchester but just never seem to do it very often.

It was my Dad’s 70th Birthday on the Thursday right at the start of the Jubilee Back Holiday weekend. He was not really sure what he wanted to do and I only just managed to get out of him what he would like for a present the week before. In the end I just decided I would go and see him for the day and cook a family roast dinner for the evening. It worked out well as his brothers and sister popped in to see him for a cup of tea and a quick chat during the day. Then he and mum went to church while I prepared the roast beef feast. I do quite a decent roast if I do say so myself although I am not great at judging portion sizes so we all had a massive plateful of food.

We opened some lovely red wine to accompany our meal and then he had two cakes to enjoy for his pudding. When we had finished eating we had a rest to let our digestive systems get to work. Then I started playing some music I thought he would like but had not had the chance to listen to for a while. We ended up doing this for about two hours with both of us taking turns to choose the songs. It was I guess by my standards at least, a low key celebration but he seemed to really enjoy it and we all had a fun time. I think we went to bed around midnight which is sensible for a man of his age of course.

I love a night out at the theatre and in particularly a good musical. Lynda managed to get a couple of tickets from Sky VIP to see the latest Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical version of Cinderella. It has of course hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently with the way that the cast were informed about the show closing in London a lot sooner than was originally planned. They all found out on social media instead of being personally informed in advance which is totally unprofessional and unforgiveable really. It closes tomorrow but we went and saw it last Friday.

I was not totally sure what to expect I had seen the odd number from it performed on various television shows before it opened and I did know that it starred Carrie Hope Fletcher. However I had no idea how the storyline differed from the original version that we all know so well. It was on at the Gillian Lynne Theatre which looks very non descript and concrete from the outside but is actually quite spacious and nicely organised inside. We had good seats in the middle of the stalls.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, the songs are excellent and catchy as you would expect from a Lloyd-Webber musical. The whole cast were brilliant and Carrie was sensational in the lead role. It is a modern slight reworking of the original tale with some characters and parts of the story very similar and some others very much not. It is easy to follow, staged perfectly and does I feel reflect the world we live in very well at times but ultimately it is a story and show based on a fairy tale where happy endings are the order of the day. I am glad that I managed to catch it, there was quite a bit of humour in it which of course appealed to me.

Before we went to the theatre we had a nice meal in Wahaca. It is on the list of places where I can eat as they do provide a decent choice of gluten free dishes. The other reason we went there is that Lynda had found that they do a great Margarita cocktail. I can now confirm this to be true as after she ordered hers I decided to try one to and they are very good. We had quite an impressive selection of Mexican food between us started off with some vegetable nachos and for me at least finished off by ice-cream with chocolate sauce. It certainly gave me the energy to enjoy our planned entertainment.

While we were at the theatre we got a message from some friends who happened to be in London to but seeing a different West End show. As we had not seen them since New Year’s Eve we decided to meet them for drinks afterwards. Much to our surprise we found a pub that had plenty of seats and no queue at the bar to have a few drinks and a catch up in before we had to get the last train home. It was a brilliant night out, food, theatre and friends is I feel always a winning combination.

It was a weekend for seeing mates which is never a bad thing. I am not sure how but it does seem hard to find the time at the minute to see people. Last Saturday afternoon we went to see our friends Adam and Katy at their house. Embarrassingly while we were there we worked out that we had not seen each other for nearly a year. It was great to see them and they even got some specially gluten free treats that I could enjoy with the copious cups of tea I consumed during the three hours we were there. I was in my element with friends chatting, laughing and drinking tea, that is basically what I was born to do!

I did enjoy seeing all the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee during the special Bank Holiday Weekend. Trooping of the Colour was as ever a fantastic spectacle and I always enjoy a good flight past seeing all of those iconic aircraft fly over The Mall and Buckingham Palace is always brilliant. It was enhanced even more this year by the reaction of Prince Louie. He was the star of the whole weekend for me! The concert on Saturday was as you would expect slick and sensational.

The Pageant was both totally British and bonkers in equal measure. I would also love to know who booked the celebrities for the various buses and what their selection method was. It looked great fun and I wish I had been there to see it in person. I know a few people who were involved with the float on behalf of the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Club. They worked on the sound for the floats, when I was in Somerset I did loads of gigs with them, which were always good fun!

Seventy years in one job is a huge achievement and personally I think she has been and continues to be amazing. She was so good in that skit with Paddington that I think they should have given her a role in both of the films. Stuff like that really appeals to her sense of humour that we all need to have whatever industry we work in I think. Congratulations Your Majesty it was brilliant to see your appearances on the balcony and the interactions with your great grandchildren. Now please rest up a little so we can wave at each other at Royal Ascot this coming week. I am going on the Friday and I am already very excited about it.

Last Saturday night Lynda and I returned to the scene of our second date. It was a restaurant in Berkhamsted called Tabure. Since our first visit my dietary requirements have changed so I had to drop them an email to check they could accommodate me. They sent me a very quick and detailed reply that instantly put my mind at rest so I booked us a table. We went for a quick pre-dinner drink in The Kings Arms, which is where we ended up until closing time after the initial date in that town.

Tabure is a Turkish style restaurant where a bit like Tapas the dishes are sharing options in a particular section of the menu, although you can have individual meals if you like. To make the sharing easier and it better for them to manage my issues Lynda agreed to keep to only gluten free dishes. It was over two years since we had eaten there so we had kind of forgotten how good the food is. Let me tell you it is amazing, I have been lucky enough to eat in some very nice places but this one is right up there. We will definitely not be leaving it so long before we eat there again. The Staff are also brilliant and they do serve an exquisite Malbec there.

I am now starting to get quite excited about Baz Luhrmann’s new film about Elvis Presley. Despite previously playing it cool and saying I would see it at the cinema but I was in no rush to, after seeing the trailer and the hype from the Cannes Premier I went and booked tickets to see it in London on its UK release date. Tom Hanks plays the manager Colonel Parker and Austin Butler plays Elvis. As you would expect from a Luhrmann movie visually it looks amazing and I cannot wait to see it.

This weekend we are off to the Welsh/English border to spend a few days with my oldest friend and his family. We met on our first day in Primary School aged four and we have been mates ever since. I am really looking forward to seeing them. I will tell you what we got up to next time we speak.

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! Cheers Neil.

And Relax

May 28, 2022 Neil

I have been quite busy recently juggling a few different things and my girlfriend felt I deserved a bit of a treat as a reward for my hard work and as opportunity to have some down time and unwind. She surprised me a couple of weeks ago by booking a massage for me to enjoy at Champneys in St Albans. Lynda picked me up from my house and drove me to the spar. At this point I knew I had a surprise coming my way but I had no idea what it was. We arrived a little bit early for the appointment so we were walking around the high street while I was still trying to work out what she had organised for me.

Eventually we turned a corner and were right outside Champneys. At this point I guessed what it might be that I was doing. We went in and walked up to the reception area Lynda confirmed the booking. I must have looked a bit shocked as the girl behind the counter said something along the lines of he did not know about this then? I was also a bit taken aback as I presumed she had booked us both in but they only had one slot free that afternoon and she got it for me. It was a fifty minute personal full body massage. While I went in for my session Lynda went for a look around the shops. A gentleman may have given her his credit card and told her to buy herself something as a thank you, for my gift, however I did not do that!

The massage was amazing, I could choose the muscles that were the main focus but I decided to go for the standard timings they offer to have the whole body unknotted the best they could in the allocated time. As you would rightly expect for such a quality establishment it was all perfect from the temperature of the room, to the background music to the scent of the oils used. It is so relaxing having any stress just rubbed out of your body. I spend a lot of time sat at computers typing so my back, neck and shoulders are always very tight. I always ask for quite a lot of pressure as unless I can feel all the knots being worked on I do not think that I am getting my money’s worth or in this case Lynda’s.

When I walked out and met back up with my very generous other half I felt so much more chilled and relaxed than I had when I had entered the place. I am pretty laid back and easy going at the best of times but there is zero chance of me making any decisions at all after a massage. It was a nice day so we did have a walk down to the local pub when we got home to have a drink in the sun, I had a bottle of water, well I needed to rehydrate after my workout. We only stayed for one then went back for some food. All I could manage that night was to watch a bit of television as a good massage can make me feel quite sleepy.

The other great thing about having a massage is that it always gives me a brilliant night’s sleep afterwards. I felt great when I woke up the next morning. I really should try to have them more often I think they are good for the body and the mind. Although next time I will be organising one for the both of us as she was way more awake that me after I had mine so I think it is only fair and best if we are both in the same zen like state. I have had two massages this year which is a new record for me already, but I think one every four months or three times a year could be the way forward.

Last Saturday Lynda threw a birthday barbeque for her mum. It was the second one she has done this year. She really enjoys doing them and always prepares extra culinary treats. This time we had chicken marinated in tikka masala which was amazing, not to mention an array of salads and other sides. There were about eight of us there in the end. It was a lovely afternoon just enjoying a few drinks and lots of great food. I always end up eating loads at these things as you just have to try everything and I have no will power. I like how when you are in good company the time just flies by without you realising. It was nearly ten o’clock before we finally came inside to continue the party for a little bit longer. Once again I went to bed full of food and happy.

The Premier League football season has now ended then. For the first time this season I watched Soccer Sunday as it was with Jeff Stelling. I think it is a good programme but I rarely watch it as I am normally at the game. I needed to keep across the Spurs score and all the other games and they were showing all the goals from all of the matches being played. Tottenham needed to draw at Norwich at the very least to guarantee that they would be in the Champions League next season. In January that looked unlikely but by this final game we had managed to get in a position where our fate was in our own hands.

We hit form at about the right time after a bit of a worrying blip. Luckily for us Arsenal and Manchester United who were our two main rivals for fourth place both slipped up! We beat Norwich fairly easily in the end by five goals to nil and from very early on in the game the result never looked in doubt. That victory means after missing out last year we will be back in the Champions League next season. They are great nights under the flood lights in the week. I am looking forward to the biggest teams in Europe coming to our place once again. It is also the sixth season in a row that Tottenham have finished above Arsenal, which is a pleasing statistic.

Well done to Heung Min Son who shared the Golden Boot for being the Premier League’s top scorer with Mo Salah. I have witnessed him score so many sensational goals since he joined us. He really is a top player and bloke always happy and smiling and ready to get the fans going. He is one of those players who creates’ an air of excitement every time he gets the ball. Antonio Conte has been brilliant for us and exactly the type of manager we needed. I have so much respect for what he has achieved in his short time here. I really hope he is with us next season and it does look like he will be as I think he could achieve something historic, the guy is a winner!

After starting to watch it a little late I have now caught up with the current series of Taskmaster. How Alex Horne is still coming up with these weird and wonderful challenges is very impressive. It is such an odd and off the wall show the way him and Greg Davies host it but somehow it all just works. Once again they have attracted a great selection of comedians to play the games. I have been a big Chris Ramsey fan since I saw him play a small gig in Aylesbury and got to chat to him after briefly. He was very funny that night and always makes me laugh now. I probably want him to win, although I had kind of forgotten how funny Ardal O’Hanlon is, I like the way he counter argues the reviews of the tasks, it is hilarious. The other thing I like about it is the general silliness and the fact it is easy to watch even if you are a bit tired say after a massage.

Next weekend then it is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend. She has been on the throne for seventy years, which is an amazing achievement. Personally I am a big supporter of the Royal Family well most of them there are a couple of exceptions. The Queen is my hero though, what she have lived through and steered the country through should be celebrated. Although she cannot be political when she speaks, she makes much more sense and seems wiser than many of the people who are actually running the place at the moment. I like the idea of a figurehead. The money generated through tourism related to the Royal Family is worth a lot of money to the countries’ economy. Plus I think the Queen adds a sense of identity to the United Kingdom that we would not have without her.

I remember when we were at Primary School the whole class wrote a letter to the Queen. I was so delighted when her lady in waiting replied to us all, in fact I still have a copy of that letter. As I had a bit of time on my hands during lockdown I decided to write a follow up letter, well she had not heard from me for nearly forty years so I presumed she was interested in an update to see how I was getting on. Everybody in her inner circle suggest she has a great sense of humour so I will admit I put things in there that I hoped would make her giggle if she did actually read it. I did again get a reply for her lady in waiting. As a result of my two correspondents I fully hope to get an invite to a garden party or at the very least an OBE.

I will be watching some of the events being held in her honour and will raise a glass to her over the weekend. She has always carried herself with such dignity. I always enjoy seeing her arrive at Royal Ascot every year and she always waves at me. I hope she can carry on for at least another five years it does feel like she might just be indestructible. It will be a bit of a watershed moment when there is a change at the top. She was very young when she was thrust in to the position she has now occupied for so long, the nation has watched her through every stage of her life. And while certain other very high profile people were seemingly bending the rules she sat alone at her own husband’s funeral. Happy Anniversary Ma’am!

We are off to Manchester this weekend to catch up with some friends. I have not been out there for several years, so I am looking forward to it. I will let you know what we got up to next time we speak.

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! Cheers Neil.

Neil Quigley

Tag Archives: Jubilee

Right Royal Fun

And Relax

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