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The Gift Of Food and Fun

July 23, 2022 Neil

Simply because everybody has been talking about it this week I have to start by mentioning the weather. Summer is my favourite season of the year, I like the sunshine and I do like it to be warm. Personally I feel happier and more relaxed with the sun on by back even though that means I have to wear a hat more nowadays due to the way that I have my hair, which is virtually non-existent. However even I must say that last Monday and Tuesday were getting to the point where even I was thinking it might be a bit warm. I am a fan of the high twenties or low thirties, but mid-thirties to around forty degrees is possibly a bit too much.

Last Christmas as part of her present I got my girlfriend a voucher for dinner for two at one of the restaurants’ owned by a Michelin starred Chef who she likes. I knew she was a fan of his as she was raving about his food and wanted to see him do a live demonstration when we were at Pub in The Park in Chiswick last September. The gift was for a lunchtime three course meal for two with a cocktail included. Luckily for me she decided to take me with her to enjoy the experience.

The place we were going was in Marlow so I booked us a lovely little guest house about a ten minute walk from the High Street for us to stay at for the night. The table was booked for quarter to two but we could not check in until gone three. However I managed to arrange for us to park there before dinner. It was a lovely warm sunny day and as we arrived near to where we were dining a little bit early we stopped to enjoy a drink at a pub on the way. I had a bottle of gluten free Peroni that was the very first beer I tried when I was diagnosed as being coeliac and I was not that impressed. This time round and it may have been the sun or because I was looking forward to where we were going but it tasted much nicer.

The restaurant was called Sindhu. It is run by Atul Kochhar. He has a few restaurants in Buckinghamshire and London. This one is actually at The Compleat Angler Hotel which is right on the River Thames, so you have great views of the water through the window while you are dining. We arrived at the correct time and were shown to our table. It had a great atmosphere, vibe and smell. The menu choices were amazing, everything sounded delicious so choosing what to have was actually a bit of a mission, even for me as it turned out lots of the dishes were either already naturally gluten free or they could tweak them to make them so.

While we were still deciding what to eat they bought us the drink included in our deal which was a Kir Royale cocktail, it was very nice, made with the Chef’s personal choice of Prosecco. As it turned out and this is so rare I do not think it had ever happened before Lynda and I ordered the same options for our starter and main. We both had the prawns which were unbelievable you could taste about a million different flavours and yet still taste the prawns to. The man is clearly some sort of magician.

To accompany to meal we both ordered some wine I had a glass of the Reserva Malbec from their wine list, it was exceptional. For our mains we both had Biryani which was simply stunning, it tasted so good and went perfectly with my choice of drink. Lynda is not really much of a dessert person but as it was part of the meal I had selected she had some ice-cream, while I of course went for the chocolate mousse, well if you are drinking red wine you should finish the meal with some chocolate.

Once again you could not fault this final course. It was a wonderful dining experience, relaxing, fun and fulfilling from a food point of view. I was so pleased I bought it for her and even more pleased that she took me along to enjoy it with her. We will definitely be going back there to eat again at some point I feel.

As it was such a nice day we had a drink outside in the hotel garden on the bank of the river. It is a lovely place to stay I have been lucky enough to have had a couple of work parties there and it was always a good do. You cannot beat being near water on a warm summer’s day as far as I am concerned. It was then time to walk back and check in to our accommodation. That was simple and straightforward. It had a huge bedroom as well as a decent sized lounge area so plenty of room for the two of us for one night.

We then went for a nice walk along the river out towards Bisham and back before finding ourselves in another pub. It was perfect beer garden weather so we visited a couple more of them before we got an evening snack and called it a night retiring to the guest house for a night cap before bed. I have always liked Marlow and spent a bit of time there over the years, it had been a while since I had been but I plan not to leave it as long next time.

The next morning we strolled into town to again enjoy the park and river in the sun before grabbing a fantastic breakfast in The Ivy Garden. On the way back we stopped in to see our friends and their children. It was brilliant to see all of them and have a nice catch up over a few cups of tea in the sun. Their daughter who is six going on sixteen accidentally told us she had a new boyfriend, she was telling her mum not to say anything and in doing so she told us all about him.

They have also got a new dog who I met for the first time he seems like a fun little chap. He was very friendly and excited to see us which is a reaction I like from any animal or human for that matter, when I turn up anywhere. I had a nice chat with their son who is now on at least his third or fourth choice of football team to support, although it does seem he is sticking with this one. I only ever remember being a fan of one team and that is of course Tottenham Hotspur. I blame my parents. It was a lovely few hours chatting to each other without a care in the world, perfect.

Around a month or so ago now Lynda’s mum invited us to join her and her friend at their church’s quiz night. We figured it would be fun and it would also be nice to have a night out with her. You might think this would be a quiet laid back evening out but from the minute we decided to go along we also decided that we had to win. Now I am not saying Lynda and I are competitive but we currently have a Scrabble series going on and I honestly think it could last for years.

Anyway the quiz was designed for teams of eight and I think the plan was for all the church members and guests to turn up on the night and randomly join together as one team. Well we obviously could not risk that so we assembled a crack group of eight people including Lynda’s aunty and cousin plus their other halves. The big night was last Saturday. It was due to start at seven, so we got there in good time to grab a table. There were soft drinks only supplied that is how serious everybody was taking it.

Round one started and then half way through there was a little bit of tension on our table after I accidentally knocked my glass of water over myself and Lynda. She was not overly happy, but refrained from hitting me. Think I was lucky that it was a warm evening. There was a break for food half way though and at this point we were winning by two points, it was so far so good but we were only half way there to achieving our goal. I did not have any food preferring to remain fully focussed and not risk any gluten in the take away they had ordered. I did have some more water all of which this time I did manage to drink.

The next round after the interval was a film based music one, which we did really well in. Lynda’s cousin is like the Rain Woman of movie themes. Going into the final round we were three points in the lead, by this point we were getting some odd looks as I think our team may have been the only one that included non-church folk. We did not care we still needed to win but at the end of the last round we felt that we might have blown it.

The quiz master announced the winners and it was us we had done it, mission accomplished. The vicar handed us a voucher each as a prize, Lynda and I gave ours to her mum and her friend. We did not need any reward winning was enough for us. It was a fun event and joking aside everyone was lovely and welcoming, although I am not sure we will be invited back for the next one!

I found what I thought might be a lump on one of my testicles recently. It felt a bit odd and different so I thought I better get it checked out. I managed to get a phone appointment with the doctor at first but he decided it might be easier to assess it in person and invited me to go and see him at the surgery straight away. He took a look for me and although he did not think it was anything serious he did give me a course of tablets and booked a hospital scan for me as a precaution.

Exactly a week after seeing the GP, I was in the hospital waiting area waiting to be called for what I had now found out was an ultra sound scan. I had been given some ultra sound previously on my knee and ankle for injuries but certainly never in this particular area before. It was a very simple and straight forward procedure. The person doing it even showed me what was on the screen which let us face it will be the nearest I get to having a baby scan.

It was all fine and nothing to worry about, I just have some excess fluid in there, insert your own joke here I guess. The reason I mention this is firstly the NHS are amazing and secondly if you discover something odd on your body get it looked at, they will not mind in fact that is what they are there for.

The players are all back in pre-season training for my team Tottenham Hotspur. We have already played a few friendlies and signed by our standards quite a lot of players. There is a new fitness couch at the club nicknamed the Marine. I have been through some tough pre-season training sessions in the past but the stuff they have been doing looks brutal, however if it pays off and gives us a bit of an edge it will all be worth it.

The Premier League season kicks off in two weeks and I am looking forward to being back in my normal seat cheering the lads on. It does feel like we can be at least a bit optimistic that we could have a good year. The mid-winter break for the World Cup at the end of the year is going to be odd, hard to say if that will be a distraction or a bonus. It has been far too long since we won anything and it would be great to get our hands on some silverware for a change. I like Antonio Conte he is a proven winner but making us successful could be his greatest ever achievement.

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

We are away with friends this weekend and then straight off for our own relaxing holiday at a mystery location somewhere in England. I will tell you where we went and what it was like next time we speak. Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.

Taking Care of Business

July 9, 2022 Neil

I am a big fan of Elvis Presley. My first visit to America was to Las Vegas mainly because of the length of time he had spent there in the early seventies. A few years ago now I went on a short US Road trip to Memphis were I of course visited Graceland, spent time on Beale Street, went to Sun Studios and even the shop where Elvis used to buy a lot of his clothes. On the same trip I went to Nashville making sure I took the tour of RCA Studio B which is where he recorded over two hundred and fifty of his songs. I absolutely loved that holiday and I would happily go back and visit all of those places again.

You will not be surprised to hear that I really wanted to see the new Elvis Presley film directed by Baz Luhrmann at the earliest possible opportunity. Therefore on the opening United Kingdom release date I booked tickets to see it at the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London. I got seats in what they called the Royal Box section. These were extra large recliner chairs which almost gave you the chance to lie down and watch the film. They were also right in the middle of the auditorium so you had the perfect view of the big screen and were centrally placed to get the most out of the surround sound set up.

Lynda met me after work and we went and grabbed a pre-film Leon. As a coeliac they are pretty much my go to gluten free relatively fast food option nowadays. I was very excited about seeing the film. I had seen a few of the trailers and visually it looked absolutely stunning. I already knew I liked the music, plus I have enjoyed Baz’s stuff in the past. I think his movies do have a certain feel to them that I like. He I reckon also has a short attention span like me as his films seem to move between scenes very quickly and he tries to cram a lot of the story in to quite short timescales.

We arrived at the cinema and had a quick drink in the bar that had greats view over Leicester Square. It was then time to go and take our seats. I was so keen I was even happy to watch all the trailers. I am not sure if there were a few Americans in as this does not strike me as overly British but there was a round of applause just as it was about to begin. It is I guess if you like the potted history of the life and times of Elvis, there is forty-two years to get into two hours and thirty nine minutes, so the pace is fairly fast at times. However I like how his childhood was covered it gave you a flavour of his influences and upbringing.

It does tell the parallel story of Elvis’s manager Colonel Tom Parker. Well nobody is hiring Tom Hanks and only giving him a bit part. To be fair he was a big part of the Presley story and was there from very near to the start right to the end. The relationship between the two men was very complicated it kind of worked but often not really how either of them wanted it to. I think it is fair to say that the Colonel helped launch his career and made him into a star but he also held him back from achieving more when he was alive due to his huge dependence on what his man’s talents were doing for him.

I know the story of Elvis and the Colonel very well and I think on the whole it seems to be an accurate portrayal but there does seem to me to be some artistic licence at certain moments in the plot. Austin Butler is brilliant as Elvis. He does not particularly look like him but he fully embodies his style and presence. He also does a lot of the singing himself as early Elvis and does an excellent job. The music of course is cleverly used and a few of the big songs have had the Baz Luhrmann touch to enhance the storyline and make them more distinctive to the film.

Neil Quigley and Elvis Presley hanging out in the 70's #crazydays — Neil Quigley and Elvis Presley hanging out in the 70’s #crazydays

I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept me transfixed even though I knew exactly what was going to happen. It really is an exceptional piece of cinema. Tom Hanks is of course brilliant, he plays the role so well. It bought back lots of great memories for me seeing all the places that I have previously visited. Elvis was a truly amazing performer with such a sensational voice and stage presence. His Vegas Shows and live tours in the seventies were as close to perfection as you can get I think. Whether you are a fan or not it is well worth seeing Elvis, it is actually quite up lifting and life affirming.

This is a film I will definitely see more than once. The only thing missing for me was the fact that Elvis did famously have a great sense of humour and was often joking around during recording sessions and on stage. That does not feature really in this take concentrating more on the taking care of business and looking after everyone angle and the slightly darker side of his final years to do with possibly being overworked and feeling too much pressure to look after everybody who relied on him. When I did the Graceland Tour we visited his gym area. It had a piano in there. On the day he died the last song he ever played and sang on that instrument was Blue Eyes Crying in Rain, which in a way may have been sadly to apt.

I am massive music fan and have been over the years trying to make sure I have seen all the big and dare I say iconic bands. There was one huge group from the sixties missing from my list. I had been trying to catch them for years but it had not quite worked out. Two Saturdays ago I finally managed to put that right as Lynda and I went to see The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park. We booked the tickets while out for dinner a couple of months before, we were just chatting and both said that we would like to see them. I mentioned I thought they were playing in London during the summer but I thought the tickets would be sold out. Lynda looked online there were tickets available so we bought them there and then while we were waiting for our main course to arrive.

We paid the extra to get the early entry tickets meaning we could get in one hour before general admittance. We got to Hyde Park and there was just a sea of people everywhere, happily for us a very nice gentleman directed us to the right queue. He was not a member of staff just a Good Samaritan. This line did a massive figure of eight and had nobody directing it but somehow managed to snake its way all the way round to the entrance. I was amazed by how everybody knew where to join and how it just kept its random shape. That would not happen anywhere else other than England.

I must confess and I am slightly embarrassed to admit this but I did not know who any of the support acts were. That said I enjoyed all of them, they were great and very much played the type of music I like so I will keep an eye out for them all in the future. The weather was not quite as warm as I would have liked but it did at least stay dry. The time flew by with the live music on stage, the food, drink and comfort breaks we had while fighting off lots of potential stealers of our seats. We could have tried to get closer to the stage but we had a good view of the big screens and the sound was fine where we were.

After a quick look round to see what food and drink options there were we spotted a space on a picnic table and made that our home for the rest of the day and evening, taking it in turns to leave and do things while the other one secured our place. As they did not say that they did any gluten free food I got an exemption email so that I could bring my own food in. However it did appear that one of the food stalls at least may have been able to cater for me but I would much rather be safe than sorry.

Finally it was time for the main attraction. They just bound out on to the stage and got the party started. They were brilliant from start to finish. It was quite a poignant gig as it was the first one that they had played in London since the death of their original drummer Charlie Watts, which they did of course acknowledge. Their singer Mick Jagger is seventy-eight years old and he has just recovered from COVID. He was jumping around the place like a teenager for the whole two hours dancing and running. I am not sure what he was drinking while he was up there but I think I want some. His voice was still sounding as good as ever.

Then of course you have the two guitar legends that are Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, again you could not fault their energy and commitment to putting on a show. The three of them go through more outfit changes than Madonna! I am so pleased I finally got to see them play they are easily one of the greatest bands of all time. Even the journey to and from the gig was not too bad considering it was a day of train strikes. A top day out seeing some legends I must say I have been to a few of the BST events and they are always very well run and organised.

The day after the Stones, as we did not think we had squeezed in enough during the previous two days we went to a play that we both wanted to see. The reason it had attracted our attention was that it was an Agatha Christie courtroom drama set in a very unusual yet very apt location. The production of Witness for the Prosecution is being staged in the County Offices on the Southbank. It is actually being performed in the County Chamber Meeting room to be more specific which of course has a courtroom feel to it.

It was fantastic we had really good seats right next to the stage so you almost felt part of the performance. It was like watching a play from the public gallery in court. It all fitted together perfectly, the cast were brilliant and it really kept you guessing right until the end. The staging was very clever and you can actually book to sit in the jury seats, which does really make you the jury and part of the play someone even gets to play the foreperson and get a very small speaking role. If you fancy seeing a great play in the perfect setting I would very much recommend it.

Last Friday we went to a Sausage and Cider Festival in Hemel Hempstead. They had some tribute acts playing so we just thought it might be fun to have a few drinks, enjoy some music and sample a few sausages. We got there a bit late and the place was already packed with huge queues for the bar and the limited sausage stalls. I had a quick look at what was available and saw one stand with a sign that said gluten free sausages.

I waited in line for just over half an hour and then when I got to the front I found out they cooked the gluten free sausages in the same oil as the gluten containing sausages. That is no good for a Coeliac as I cannot risk any cross contamination. Not to be beaten I asked the guy on the stand next door if he did gluten free sausages, he said yes, I then waited in his queue for thirty minutes before getting to the front and finding out all the stalls were linked and only had the same options, which of course were no good for me.

I was starving by now so we had a pint of cider each while listening to a Kasabian tribute band before leaving the place to get a gluten free takeaway pizza before I chewed my own arm off. Sadly it was not the greatest success but I did get to have a chat with my mate Lee, so it was not quite a total waste of time! While I was waiting for the food that I could not have there was a Madness tribute playing. I have been lucky enough to hear the actual band sound check in a nearly empty Wembley Stadium and let us just say to use a food advertising slogan you could taste the difference!

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

I do like to keep myself busy and see and do as many different things as I can. I got Lynda a meal for two at a very nice restaurant run by one of her favourite Chef’s as a present. And happily she has decided to take me there with her, so we are off to enjoy that today. I will of course report back on what it was like next time we speak. Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.

Taste of The High Life

June 25, 2022 Neil

My mum recently went on a week’s holiday in Scotland. She had a great time seeing lots of famous and historic landmarks that she has always wanted to see. She very kindly got me a couple of gifts to give me on her return. Obviously she knows me very well as she bought me a box of gluten free shortbread biscuits and a corkscrew shaped like a wine bottle with my name on it which I absolutely love. It is the simple things and little gestures which will always be the best things in life and that will always mean the most.

A couple of weekend’s ago Lynda and I went to visit our good friends Steve and Louise. They live in a lovely little town right on the English and Welsh border. I always really enjoying going there to see them as it is such a relaxing and picturesque place. We left on the Friday evening straight from work. Not only did Lynda pick me up from the train station and drive but she also supplied me with a snack for the journey which was very much appreciated. Happily the traffic was kind to us and we made it in good time arriving at our destination at around quarter to ten.

Steve and Louise being the perfect hosts had a gluten free pizza in the oven ready for our arrival and the kettle already on. We had a nice relaxing evening drinking tea and chatting as I have said before I have known Steve since we were four after meeting at our first day at school. He has asked that I now refer to him as the longest friend I have rather than the oldest which is both correct and fair. We were a bit tired after the week and the travelling plus Steve had organised an activity for us in the morning so we had a reasonably early night.

He is a member of a local gun club and has his own rifle so he had offered to take Lynda and me clay pigeon shooting which we were both looking forward to. I had done it once before on a stag do about ten years ago and she had also had one go at it through a work thing around fifteen years ago. We got up and had breakfast then set off for the club which was situated on a huge site at the top of a hill. It was owned by a former Olympic Champion so as you can imagine it was all very professionally organised and run.

Steve went and signed us all in and got some bullets for us to use. He then led us to one of the several different areas that you can shoot from. We had to wait our turn for the course we wanted to be free. When it was he very carefully explained to us all the safety aspects and rules and how everything worked. There were six different positions that the clays could be propelled in from all controlled by a box with assigned buttons on. He showed us how to use the box and then went first to show us how it was done. He had an air rifle as a child and has always done a bit of shooting so needless to say he is pretty good so he hit a fair few on his first go.

Then it was my turn to take centre stage. He coached me and made sure I was holding the gun in the correct position and knew what I needed to do. I had about six attempts and did not hit a thing so then it was Lynda’s go. We are both very competitive and wanted to beat the other one. On her third try she hit one and took the lead in our mini competition. Then the three of us all took it in turns. During my next attempt I hit one to level things up and celebrated like I had just won an Olympic Gold Medal. A bit later Lynda just catches the side of a clay and nicks a bit off which apparently counts as a success much to my disgust.

We spent about an hour taking it in turns firing at the clay pigeons. Lynda did win in the end by one, which was the one she barely got anything on, so I tried to suggest it was a hollow victory but the other two told me I was wrong and to gracefully accept defeat which I did in the end. After the shooting was done we went and had a cup of tea in the lodge they have there. It was a good experience and I enjoyed having a go at it. I mean obviously the overall winner was Steve he hit way more clays than we did.

During the afternoon they took us for a lovely walk across the fields to a pub on the canal where we had a couple of drinks in the sun. On the way back to their place we walked along the canal and over the viaduct that they have locally. It was a really nice chilled and relaxed afternoon. It is so beautiful around that area, despite having to be wary of about a ton of sheep pooh on the way to the pub. Lord knows what those animals were eating. When we got back to their house Louise then cooked us a fantastic dinner.

After that we watched the film Sing 2 at the request of their daughter Eleanor after Lynda and I had both played Jenga against her and after I had channelled Paul Zerdin to try to bring to life her bird puppet. If you think that you could see Roger De Courcey’s lips move you should have seen my efforts. The movie by the way was surprising good with a great cast that actually included Bono. We finished the night with a few drinks listening to country music as Steve and Louise like me are big fans of the genre.

The next day we got up and had breakfast in the garden followed by a relaxing morning until we discovered the minion toy game. It is a small replica of one of the characters from the film. It gives you three instructions to bop it, pull it and twist it. When you start it off it calls out one of those things and you have to do it within a certain time. You have a go and at first think it is just a bit of fun, but then all of a sudden you find yourself concentrating so intensely to try to beat it. Steve held the high score at 63 I got up to 54 and was waiting to have my next go, when Lynda got to 100 which is seemingly the end of the game, so we stopped playing after that. She seemed to win everything that weekend.

Once we had all had lunch Lynda and I headed off home. We had a fantastic weekend mostly just talking, playing and laughing. I always have a great time in their company and hopefully we will be able to see them again in a couple of months. The other highlight of the trip for me was as a Duke’s of Hazzard fan to see for the first time the Dodge Challenger that they bought and got shipped over from America. They are still repairing it but when it is finished it will be some beast. I got to sit in it and it is some machine.

I have been going to Royal Ascot for the last five years now it is such a good day out. I took Lynda there for the first time last Friday. As we had a London based busy weekend we booked a hotel in Euston for a few nights and arrived there on the Thursday. There was a pub right next door so we had a couple of drinks in there before getting an early night ready for our trip to Berkshire the next day. We got up and got dressed into our outfits. On the way to the tube station we stopped off at a Leon for breakfast. They do a very good selection of gluten free food so since I have been coeliac I have been a regular customer there. I had their Full English Breakfast Pot which was very tasty and surprisingly filling.

We arrived at Waterloo station in plenty of time to catch the train that we had booked tickets for stopping for a bottle of water on the way. We were one of the first people waiting on the platform for it to arrive. This meant we were able to get a seat on what we knew would be a very busy journey. It takes about an hour to get there and about ten minutes so get out of the station as there are just so many people using the service. Once you get out though it is only about a ten minute walk to the world famous racecourse. It always looks so spectacular when it is set up for the royal meeting I think. Once we were inside we had a couple of pictures of us taken in front of the parade ring. It was a very hot day so we then headed inside to get some shade and a drink.

We were meeting a couple of great friends of mine Adam and Nicki to spend the day with it is now a bit of a tradition that we attend this event together. While we were ordering the drinks I got a call from them, saying they had arrived. I went off to find them while Lynda got the drinks which as it happened did get me out of buying the first round. They then got some drinks as well and we had a nice catch up while enjoying the sun and the views. I like to watch the Royal Party arrive into the parade ring, so about five minutes before they were due to appear we made our way down there to get a good spot to see them.

They always arrive at the far end of the course at two o’clock but it takes them around ten minutes to get to where we are. The lead Royals were The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We were in a great position to see them arrive and Prince William waved at us as he went past. Once we had seen them all get out of the carriages and shake hands with the welcoming party it was time to head to the stands and get a place to enjoy the racing from. Then there was just enough time to nip down to the bookmakers to get our bets on for the first race before the action started.

The standard of races is as you would expect exceptionally high for all five days of this huge occasion. We followed the same pattern all afternoon, a combination of betting before and watching each race with more drinks purchased as required through the afternoon. I had a couple of placed horses so got some money back that way and everybody else had at least the same. Nicki had the winner in the last race which she really did enjoy. We kept meaning to go and get some food during the afternoon but we were having such a laugh chatting and watching the races that we never quite got round to it.

Once all the racing has finished for the day and all the horses have been returned to the stables in the Queen Ann Enclosure where we go there is a massive sing-song around the bandstand. It lasts for about forty minutes and is brilliant fun with seemingly the whole of Ascot joining in singing and dancing together. There is a really good atmosphere to the place and the whole thing does feel very British. They run through all of the favourites from war time songs to Oasis and Neil Diamond. Once we had sung our hearts out we went to one of the pubs on the High Street for a couple more drinks stopping off for some emergency gluten free crisps on the way.

We said goodbye to Adam and Nicki and got the train back to London at half past nine, once again it was packed and as a result it was quite a slow journey back. We did not get back to the hotel until nearly eleven o’clock. As we had not really eaten we decided to get a take away pizza delivered. It worked a treat I met the driver outside and after a lot of security questions to make sure it was us who had placed the order I took it back to our room. Start the day hanging out with the future King and end it eating pizza in a hotel room, that my friends is how you keep yourself grounded. It was another great day at Royal Ascot and I am already looking forward to doing it all again next year.

The next day we were going to Taste of London with a group of friends. It is an annual event that takes place at Regents Park. Happily due to our sensible planning skills it was only a twenty minute walk from where we were staying. We met everybody there at half eleven and waited for the gates to open at midday. We had opted for VIP tickets which meant that we got fast track entry, a glass of champagne on arrival and some dishes included with our ticket. There are loads of pop up restaurants who offer a selection of three sample dishes for you to try. On top of that it is a trade fair for food and drinks companies to promote their own products.

Once we were let in, we of course headed straight for the VIP area to collect our champagne and plan how we were going to attack the four hour session that we had there. Annoyingly despite the forecast saying it would be warm and sunny it was a little drizzly, however that did not dampen our spirits. A lot of the companies there are handing out samples for you to try, while I was there I tried a tea infused Bellini, some non-alcoholic gin and barely flavoured fizzy water. We each set off in different directions to hunt down the food that we wanted to sample.

The only way I could discover what I could eat was to go from door to door to see the menu in each place so I could discover any dishes that were gluten free. It did seem like there were fewer options for me to try than last year but I still found three things to sample using my vouchers and even got an extra one on top. The stand out two for me, were a peanut satay lamb dish and a barbequed pork belly little number. The food is well presented and there is the odd celebrity chef floating about doing a bit of cooking to. I even managed to find some pudding. I found a stall where there were selling gluten free dough balls with ice-cream inside. They came in lots of different flavours I tried the mint chocolate chip, strawberry Eaton Mess and the cinnamon all of which were great.

The time does fly by and basically you spend the whole time there either eating or drinking so it is a mini festival that I would definitely recommend. It seemed to be quite popular with Radio 2 presenters as I saw Sara Cox there and Lynda spotted Vanessa Feltz. Before we knew it the time was four o’clock and we had to leave as our session was over. I had a brilliant time there once again I always seem to discover something new there that I really like. We said goodbye to everyone and went back to the hotel for a few hours to let the huge amount of food we had consumed digest.

We had somewhere lined up to go that evening. The friends we went to see in Manchester a few weeks ago were at Taste of London with us so we wanted to take them to a great wine bar that Lynda and I accidentally discovered towards the end of last year. We have been a few times since and always enjoyed it so we wanted to introduce them to it. It is called the Cork and Bottle and it is right on the corner of Leicester Square. We had booked a table there for a couple of hours that night.

The staff are excellent in there friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and drink they serve plus they are coeliac aware and can make most of the items they do gluten free. We ordered a lovely bottle of a Rioja Reserva which was right in my sweet spot for the type of wine that I like. As we had all been at Taste of London and eaten quite a lot we all opted for a cheese selection. We had three cheeses each which in my case came with gluten free crackers and bread. The atmosphere in there is very cool and relaxed so it is easy to eat, drink and have a brilliant time. Thankfully our friends seemed to like the place as much as we do; we will be visiting there again soon that is for sure. It wrapped up what was a fantastic couple of days.

Last Sunday was Father’s Day not being a dad myself I am always slightly worried about suddenly receiving a card as that is not the way you want to find out. Joking aside I did obviously get mine a card and without knowing as we did not talk about it my sister and I managed to independently get my dad exactly the same one. We only realised after we had given them to him. I was pleased with my present though he loves his sweets and I got him a huge box of jelly babies that contained fifty different flavours. That should keep him amused for a while I hope.

I am going to see The Rolling Stone in Hyde Park tomorrow which should be great; I will tell you what it was like 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.

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 Presenter