Fortunately out of all the shitty weather this week the NERDS picked the one day that was warm (actually hot), not raining and which did not have a gale blowing
the slates off the roofs, ie it was OK.
Lafayette organised it and we all met at NHN railway/ bus station on a bright ,warm, sunny (did I mention hot)
pleasant day, Sandyballs came by train, the Seaford contingent - Paco, Froggy and Matt came by bus. Bish
, Dio and Gorilla Brown sent their apologies.
Laf wanted to take everybody to The Sidings Supercaff
next to the river but again it seemed to be in financial difficulties so was not open. Oh dear, twenty minutes to waste until the Ark
opened at 11 30hrs so it was a very slow saunter over NHN bridge and down the road to the pub where at least you could sit in the boiling sun
(did I mention it was blisteringly hot?)
on the terrace to wait for the bar to open.
So pints served, we sat overlooking the river nervously watching out for the ferry
(why? we were no longer employed and there was no office to scamper back to) so we just sat (in the sun) and drank. Froggy
started to get noisy as usual but finally he twigged that he was actually going deaf (not to mention the rest of us), and could not hear how much he was shouting. (needing to turn up the television a lot gives a good clue Froggy!) So he decided to buy himself an ear trumpet.
After a second pint we slothed onwards towards The Hope
which was booked for lunch. When we arrived most of Newhaven had got there before us so that they could sit outside in the boiling, searing loverly, hot sun and drink lager and watch the ferry go by (which it did).
The food was ok. Laf had Caesar salad with chicken,
Matt and Froggy had fish and chips,
and Paco had a steak.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Sandyballs had to go home from The Ark because he had urgent familial tasks and a theatre trip.
Finally someone had a dessert and Paco and Laf had coffee cognac
with an extremely dubious brandy which nobody had ever heard of (made at the Newhaven Distillery, I guess).
Then we set off in the really, really hot burning, searing sun
back to NHN Centreville. On the way Matt wanted to stop at the COOp to get a Magnum
(no, not a gun!)
and so of course we all had to have one - except Froggy who got half a bottle of rum
to keep him going back to his house, and to counteract the effects of the awfully hot, boilingly searing sun which we had had to put up with all day.
So. a nice warm ramble with no photos cos Froggy is now officially deaf and can't hear your pleas, Brian. Just sprinkle a lot of dodgy looking fairies
into the picture section of the blog. ( I especially like the green ones with suspender belts)
and People will think you've (I've) written a masterpiece.
So long, enjoy the sun.
Lafayette.
