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One of Sarah’s Christmas presents - I’m once again in front of Grey’s Anatomy, this time with an ice-pack on my back. It felt a bit better yesterday afternoon but much worse today. It’s making me very grumpy.

Yesterday we went across to Leeds for our annual Christmas treat at Tattu - I was apparently very embarrassing, walking like a duck, but I made it to the restaurant and the delicious Rioja certainly helped with the pain.

I was watching a family at a nearby table, they had two very young children, who were immaculately behaved and I got thinking about eating out when I was a child - tea and a scone in Littlewoods cafe, maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I recall once being taken for a meal out in the evening - must have been a special occasion of some sort as there was much anticipation. I was overwhelmed by the menu but settled on game soup. I was a very fussy eater and I imagine there was some bending of the truth from my parents because there’s no way I would’ve eaten it had I known what was in it (in fact I still wouldn’t 50 years later). It was delicious and I loved it. I can’t recall the main course but dessert was Black Forest Gateau - so exotic and sophisticated!

Whenever I go back to Plymouth I pass the restaurant we went to and always have a little smile - eating out was such a rare thing back then. Nowadays the cafes and restaurants and coffee shops are the only things keeping the high street going. In fact, once this ice pack eases my back we’re off out for lunch….