Doily-gate!

Backblip

Eleanor and Kenny came for lunch then the four of us headed out to visit a local stone and timber flooring specialist.  It was a very successful trip as we saw flooring we liked for the new kitchen, garden room and pool.  

There was one range of stone tiles that we particularly liked for the kitchen, till Eleanor found the price list and they were £106 per square metre!  We went off them rapidly.  Our favourite was a sample of beautiful flagstones that I was convinced would be even more expensive, but when we enquired, they're within budget.  They are currently no. 1 on the kitchen floor list.   

After all that hard work we decided it was time for something sweet and after originally heading for the place in town that serves THE best hot chocolate (as well as handmade chocolates) we decided at the last minute to try a fairly new addition to our High Street.  

I had heard a few grumbles about this place but wanting to support a new venture and make up our own minds, we piled in.   That was our first mistake! 

Inside it's very quaint and there are lots of lovely deli things you can buy to take away as well as cakes and scones.   We found seats by the window (all mismatched and antiquey) with a very rickety old table (all part of the look.)  The waitress was lovely (as were all the staff we spoke to) and warned us not to lean too heavily on the table as it was old and drop leaf, so we sat around it very gingerly, hands in our laps.

They talked us through the cakes on offer and we each ordered something different as well as three lattes for E, K and me and an Americano with hot milk on the side for David.

A few minutes passed and the cakes arrived, followed immediately by the coffee, in these tiny quaint china tea cups (again mismatched to fit in with the bohemian theme of the place).   Now David got the best deal as his cup was all coffee to which he added some warm milk.   E, K's and my latte had about an inch of froth on the top so all in all the coffee amounted to two mouthfuls!  

All the baking is gluten free, which is very noble, but a gluten full alternative would be nice for those of us with no gluten issues.  My beetroot & chocolate cake tasted nice enough but was a bit dry.  Ele's lemon cake was slightly more moist.  David's parsnip cake was very dry and had to be accompanied by a sip of coffee with each bite to get it moist enough to swallow, but Kenny's scone - OMG I'm actually laughing again as I type this - was so dry, that when he picked it up and bit into it, it shattered into a pile of crumbs on his plate and the small amount that did land in his mouth was described by him when he stopped coughing, as like falling over on the beach and ending up with a mouthful of sand!

And that's when it all got a bit surreal and childish.  The four of us sitting there in wobbly chairs, with a table ready to collapse at any second, sipping coffee from tiny china cups whilst trying not to choke to death on the sawdust like cakes.   

Ele and I caught each other's eye and the uncontrollable urge to laugh began.  We both looked down at our laps but it was too late.  I could feel my shoulders shaking as I bit my lip to try and stop the inevitable snort that always comes with suppressed laughter.  

When I glanced up a few seconds later, my contorted, tear stained face was gazing upon Ele's equally contorted, tear stained face.  David's mouth was going like a cement mixer and Kenny was desperately trying to gather up the sawdust scone crumbs that had landed on the table.  

It was at that precise moment the waitress arrived at the table to ask if we were enjoying their wares and each of us, like four naughty school children, just looked at her and nodded.   

As we left, Ele insisted it was her treat then almost keeled over when she got to the till holding a £20 note to be told the bill was just shy of £25!!!   Those tiny cups of coffee were £3 a pop!

Once outside, Kenny commented that you certainly wouldn't become a glutton at their prices and David replied "that's cause everything they sell is glutton-free!"  Hahahahahahah!!!

Later in the evening nephew Andrew arrived with his girlfriend Nikki and we all ended up over at the golf club for dinner.  A great impromptu night out!