The 2023 Christmas Ramble

 

We met later than planned. We were SB. Paco. The Bish, Froggy, Matt and moi. The Bish had been writing his Christmas cards

in the pub so that he could distribute them by hand and so save money on stamps.

The weather was dull and shitty

but not raining like the previous day when Lafayette had had to trek round the life ring course in atrocious conditions to do his civic duty. The NERDS

wandered through Lewes until we came to The Gardeners

where we settled and drank Harvey's Old and looked at some old photos Paco had brought and in which we, and all our wives, looked very young.

Then we upped and walked round the corner to get the correct bus to go to Isfield. (Not the 29 which would have taken us to the closed Halfway House).

The Laughing Fish was very bright and welcoming. There was a nice fire and our table was decorated with a load of Christmas stuff

- tinsel, crackers, poppers etc.

We set to drinking the Rioja and the Malbec

and enjoying the pigeon breasts, black pudding and turkey amongst other delicacies.

This was followed by Christmas pud for some and a cheese board for others with more Malbec and Rioja.

Then coffees with cheeky infusions of clandestine brandy supplied by Sandyballs.

Eventually we paid our bills and went outside to wait in the bus shelter for the bus home.

There was an old lady waiting there who was lucky enough to be the recipient of NERDS' witty jokes

but she seemed to be glad of the company.

In Lewes most of the NERDS seemed to disappear in the direction of the station leaving only Sandyballs and Lafayette to go to The Lansdown and plot revolution and world dominance while drinking beer and Jamesons. A very good afternoon indeed!