Here is a date for your diaries: March 17th will be a St Patrick Day's Ramble. We shall be joined by a gothic American who is closely related to my daughter.
Make sure you're all there.
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Friday, January 31, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Spain Arrangements
Gentlemen,
Paco and I have booked our flights to and from Valencia. We are booked out from Gatters at 09.05 on Tuesday 6th May and return on Saturday 10th. Paco has also booked a car - this time to be picked up at the airport. He has requested a more modest 5-seater estate but we will probably end up with a 48-seat coach!
Happy online booking.
Harry
Paco and I have booked our flights to and from Valencia. We are booked out from Gatters at 09.05 on Tuesday 6th May and return on Saturday 10th. Paco has also booked a car - this time to be picked up at the airport. He has requested a more modest 5-seater estate but we will probably end up with a 48-seat coach!
Happy online booking.
Harry
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Spanish Preparation
It occurs to me that members of the NERDS going to Spain should perhaps be classed as yet another sub-group and be given a name. It would make it easier to have another collective email address!
However that is not the point of this message. I would just like to agree the dates so that we can make a flight booking. I think we said we should go on Tuesday 6th May - Monday not a good idea as it is a Bank Holiday. Personally I am OK with staying 4 nights, coming back on Friday 9th (Europe Day - whatever that is!)
Any dissenting voices?
Harry (aka Sandyballs)
However that is not the point of this message. I would just like to agree the dates so that we can make a flight booking. I think we said we should go on Tuesday 6th May - Monday not a good idea as it is a Bank Holiday. Personally I am OK with staying 4 nights, coming back on Friday 9th (Europe Day - whatever that is!)
Any dissenting voices?
Harry (aka Sandyballs)
February Ramble arrangements
Dear All,
We failed to set a date for the February ramble during our last expedition - must have been the distraction of all those girlies.......Anyway I am suggesting that we next walk on Wednesday 26th. Hopefully the later the date, the nearer we might be to some of that early Spring weather. Any problems with that for anyone we can, as usual, be flexible.
Sandyballs
We failed to set a date for the February ramble during our last expedition - must have been the distraction of all those girlies.......Anyway I am suggesting that we next walk on Wednesday 26th. Hopefully the later the date, the nearer we might be to some of that early Spring weather. Any problems with that for anyone we can, as usual, be flexible.
Sandyballs
Saturday, January 11, 2014
January 2014 Ramble
NERDS' Ramble No. 290 - 8th January 2014.
Joint NERDS/Darkside Ramble.
Those Present:
NERDS – Sandyballs, Lafayette, Froggy, Matt, Paco.
Darksiders – Sheila, Jane, Marion, Ed, Dave,
Mystery Guest - ?????
Well, what a special day for the NERDS! A chance to mingle at last with some girlies and find out a) what they look like, b) what they actually do and c) whether they drink or not.
This was an experiment put forward by Lafayette to amalgamate his favourite rambling group (The NERDS) with his second favourite group (The Darkside) and see whether they got on OK and didn't just go on about how many Nigerians they'd knocked off in their respective spectacular careers etc.
The grand meeting took place at Lewes station where the NERDS looked distrustfully at the Gatwick lot. What were they doing down here on our territory? Didn't they usually stick to the posh parts of Surrey with its expensive pubs and lah di dah wine bars?Maybe they would look down on us as they were all Inspectors or CIOs and most NERDS were (or had been ) just humble IOs. But eventually tensions eased, kisses where exchanged and Lafayette even got a birthday card and some nice chocolate from Sheila that he thought he might keep all to himself (ha, ha, fat chance).
So, rules of engagement having been established, the NERDS welcomed their Mystery Guest who turned out to be Shaz, ex Newhaven, but who had not been allowed to join the NERDS in her time there cos she was a girlie and Rule No.2 expressly forbade that. Shaz had managed to show some sense and had quitted Newhaven long ago to take up more rewarding employment like arranging marriages or depriving various maniacs of their firearms before they could do any real damage (viz Hungerford Flynn).
So the group now being complete Lafayette led them all off to Berwick where the plan was to do a short walk (not a long one like the Gatwick maniacs usually indulged in) and to go round the Arlington reservoir to er.. Arlington. Sandyballs had come properly equipped for the mud with a pair of wellingtons which his mom had sent him out in, while Paco had decided on his best pair of Gucci loafers which he thought were more appropriate for the hazards ahead.
First casualty was Shaz going through a muddy gateway and falling to her knees.( Good job she'd brought a dress and a spare pair of suspenders to change into later). The ground underfoot was pretty treacherous but this was to be part of the major entertainment that day. Lafayette decided to play safe and skirt the reservoir on its south side where there was lots of concrete so as to minimise puddles and shit and stuff. This worked quite well until we got to the final stile and where everyone had to execute spectacular dives one way or another to avoid getting sucked down and disappearing into the vile quagmire.
Across some fields we went until we got to the famous B.T. Balancing Bridge where the present holder of the title (now comfortably retired on his reputation in France) had on two occasions jaywalked on the parapet of the bridge at great risk to life and limb simply to show that drunkeness is no bar to being a complete dick-head. However the girlies present were all quite impressed with Lafayette's account of this great feat and he promised to write to B.T in France to ask him to return to give a repeat performance next Christmas – but this time naked on rollerskates.
And so to The Yew Tree at Arlington where the usual warming atmosphere prevailed and where much to Froggy's delight the long table had been put at our disposal for lunch. The menu was vast and it was a pleasure to simply contemplate it and work out how much cheaper meals were here than in Surrey. Lafayette made friends with the non-pub nymphomaniac cat, a creature of a lovely fawn colour, that sought to avail itself of the comforts of the Yew Tree when it got bored rolling around on the road outside.
Soon we got stuck into the excellent meal- that is when we could persuade Paco to stop reading the football reports in Ed's Sun and make polite conversation. Lafayette was torn between which organisation to favour from a pecuniary point of view. You see, the NERDS have a whip round and the Darkside collect a kitty (not a nymphomaniac one). Ah, but the kitty comes with someone who fetches and carries, the Ever Treasured Ed, whereas the NERDS just quarrel about who has the biggest baron in their family and usually the service is a bit patchy. Guess which one Lafayette went for.
Lunch was excellent and we were joined by The Landlord, Peter, who placed a free bottle of Shiraz on the table, recommended it, and invited our opinions. The bottle of Shiraz disappeared like a lump of bloody meat tossed into a pool of pirahnas. Yes, we did approve it and to show our appreciation ordered a few more bottles - just until we'd got used to the taste.
Next was the dessert. Now Lafayette knows all about desserts and especially those from this particular pub. The flavour of the month for him was a large portion of belgian icecream with a minature of Baileys chucked over the top. In fact this was so nice that Lafayette went back for another one, and was nearly challenged by Sandyballs to take a third , but even Sandyballs didn't want Lafayette being sick all over the table.
Sheila read all our horoscopes and we revelled in all the promises of illicit love, riches and Mercury intertwining with Venus's conjunctions – and then promptly forgot the lot. Matt proposed a meeting of his Club Corona the following week, and we had to explain the meaning of all that (how embarrassing!). Enthusiasm for everything became so great that Froggy had declared his intention to resume work at Newhaven, and Matt was going to take the plunge and go to Gatwick to supplement his meagre pension by going back on the desk. Such are the alcohol fuelled ambitions of daft NERDS. Foodwise it was obviously a success since Marion seemed to leave everything (5: 2 diet), and Jane ate everything including the Snickers pudding which Lafayette had managed to overlook.
We staggered out of the pub, rediscovered the nympho cat, said goodbye and thanks to Peter for his hospitality and set off up the road back to Berwick hoping to encounter less mud and stuff than going back over the fields. Somehow or other we ended up in a pub near Berwick station known by the NERDS as Milf Central – because every time we go there it's being run by a different Milf. Some of them are sexy and some are bleeding ugly; but this month's Milf was called Ashley and she was OK. We sat around, had a little drink or two and scoffed most of Lafayette's Toblerone. Then we managed to get the right train in the right direction and ended up in The Lansdowne Arms in Lewes.
Those who were feeling a bit sleepy pushed off home during this interlude leaving the hardcore (Mostly NERDS, it must be said) to empty both the whip and the kitty, and to reminisce about what a fabulous job we had all been in and how much we missed it, and how today's IOs couldn't string two words together and had no idea what they were doing etc. etc.........
So, it seemed to have been reasonably successful, this meeting of great minds, this cultural exchange, this inter-denominational piss-up, and we resolved to do it all over again some time in the summer when it wasn't quite so muddy. Special thanks must go to both Shaz and Dave (sounds like a band) for travelling from afar to see us; to Ed the Treasure for his sevice and financial management; to Sheila for Lafayette's birthday present, and to all the good looking NERDS who attended and all the ugly ones who didn't. And to all the Darksiders who are all good looking all the time.
Bye for now.
Lafayette.
Joint NERDS/Darkside Ramble.
Those Present:
NERDS – Sandyballs, Lafayette, Froggy, Matt, Paco.
Darksiders – Sheila, Jane, Marion, Ed, Dave,
Mystery Guest - ?????
Well, what a special day for the NERDS! A chance to mingle at last with some girlies and find out a) what they look like, b) what they actually do and c) whether they drink or not.
This was an experiment put forward by Lafayette to amalgamate his favourite rambling group (The NERDS) with his second favourite group (The Darkside) and see whether they got on OK and didn't just go on about how many Nigerians they'd knocked off in their respective spectacular careers etc.
The grand meeting took place at Lewes station where the NERDS looked distrustfully at the Gatwick lot. What were they doing down here on our territory? Didn't they usually stick to the posh parts of Surrey with its expensive pubs and lah di dah wine bars?Maybe they would look down on us as they were all Inspectors or CIOs and most NERDS were (or had been ) just humble IOs. But eventually tensions eased, kisses where exchanged and Lafayette even got a birthday card and some nice chocolate from Sheila that he thought he might keep all to himself (ha, ha, fat chance).
So, rules of engagement having been established, the NERDS welcomed their Mystery Guest who turned out to be Shaz, ex Newhaven, but who had not been allowed to join the NERDS in her time there cos she was a girlie and Rule No.2 expressly forbade that. Shaz had managed to show some sense and had quitted Newhaven long ago to take up more rewarding employment like arranging marriages or depriving various maniacs of their firearms before they could do any real damage (viz Hungerford Flynn).
So the group now being complete Lafayette led them all off to Berwick where the plan was to do a short walk (not a long one like the Gatwick maniacs usually indulged in) and to go round the Arlington reservoir to er.. Arlington. Sandyballs had come properly equipped for the mud with a pair of wellingtons which his mom had sent him out in, while Paco had decided on his best pair of Gucci loafers which he thought were more appropriate for the hazards ahead.
First casualty was Shaz going through a muddy gateway and falling to her knees.( Good job she'd brought a dress and a spare pair of suspenders to change into later). The ground underfoot was pretty treacherous but this was to be part of the major entertainment that day. Lafayette decided to play safe and skirt the reservoir on its south side where there was lots of concrete so as to minimise puddles and shit and stuff. This worked quite well until we got to the final stile and where everyone had to execute spectacular dives one way or another to avoid getting sucked down and disappearing into the vile quagmire.
Across some fields we went until we got to the famous B.T. Balancing Bridge where the present holder of the title (now comfortably retired on his reputation in France) had on two occasions jaywalked on the parapet of the bridge at great risk to life and limb simply to show that drunkeness is no bar to being a complete dick-head. However the girlies present were all quite impressed with Lafayette's account of this great feat and he promised to write to B.T in France to ask him to return to give a repeat performance next Christmas – but this time naked on rollerskates.
And so to The Yew Tree at Arlington where the usual warming atmosphere prevailed and where much to Froggy's delight the long table had been put at our disposal for lunch. The menu was vast and it was a pleasure to simply contemplate it and work out how much cheaper meals were here than in Surrey. Lafayette made friends with the non-pub nymphomaniac cat, a creature of a lovely fawn colour, that sought to avail itself of the comforts of the Yew Tree when it got bored rolling around on the road outside.
Soon we got stuck into the excellent meal- that is when we could persuade Paco to stop reading the football reports in Ed's Sun and make polite conversation. Lafayette was torn between which organisation to favour from a pecuniary point of view. You see, the NERDS have a whip round and the Darkside collect a kitty (not a nymphomaniac one). Ah, but the kitty comes with someone who fetches and carries, the Ever Treasured Ed, whereas the NERDS just quarrel about who has the biggest baron in their family and usually the service is a bit patchy. Guess which one Lafayette went for.
Lunch was excellent and we were joined by The Landlord, Peter, who placed a free bottle of Shiraz on the table, recommended it, and invited our opinions. The bottle of Shiraz disappeared like a lump of bloody meat tossed into a pool of pirahnas. Yes, we did approve it and to show our appreciation ordered a few more bottles - just until we'd got used to the taste.
Next was the dessert. Now Lafayette knows all about desserts and especially those from this particular pub. The flavour of the month for him was a large portion of belgian icecream with a minature of Baileys chucked over the top. In fact this was so nice that Lafayette went back for another one, and was nearly challenged by Sandyballs to take a third , but even Sandyballs didn't want Lafayette being sick all over the table.
Sheila read all our horoscopes and we revelled in all the promises of illicit love, riches and Mercury intertwining with Venus's conjunctions – and then promptly forgot the lot. Matt proposed a meeting of his Club Corona the following week, and we had to explain the meaning of all that (how embarrassing!). Enthusiasm for everything became so great that Froggy had declared his intention to resume work at Newhaven, and Matt was going to take the plunge and go to Gatwick to supplement his meagre pension by going back on the desk. Such are the alcohol fuelled ambitions of daft NERDS. Foodwise it was obviously a success since Marion seemed to leave everything (5: 2 diet), and Jane ate everything including the Snickers pudding which Lafayette had managed to overlook.
We staggered out of the pub, rediscovered the nympho cat, said goodbye and thanks to Peter for his hospitality and set off up the road back to Berwick hoping to encounter less mud and stuff than going back over the fields. Somehow or other we ended up in a pub near Berwick station known by the NERDS as Milf Central – because every time we go there it's being run by a different Milf. Some of them are sexy and some are bleeding ugly; but this month's Milf was called Ashley and she was OK. We sat around, had a little drink or two and scoffed most of Lafayette's Toblerone. Then we managed to get the right train in the right direction and ended up in The Lansdowne Arms in Lewes.
Those who were feeling a bit sleepy pushed off home during this interlude leaving the hardcore (Mostly NERDS, it must be said) to empty both the whip and the kitty, and to reminisce about what a fabulous job we had all been in and how much we missed it, and how today's IOs couldn't string two words together and had no idea what they were doing etc. etc.........
So, it seemed to have been reasonably successful, this meeting of great minds, this cultural exchange, this inter-denominational piss-up, and we resolved to do it all over again some time in the summer when it wasn't quite so muddy. Special thanks must go to both Shaz and Dave (sounds like a band) for travelling from afar to see us; to Ed the Treasure for his sevice and financial management; to Sheila for Lafayette's birthday present, and to all the good looking NERDS who attended and all the ugly ones who didn't. And to all the Darksiders who are all good looking all the time.
Bye for now.
Lafayette.
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