Across the road

We were in Woking around noon. I was given a copy of the Food For Life Cookbook as a belated birthday gift. Its recipes are from the team behind the Zoe app that I occasionally try to use to eat a healthier diet. The dishes all look delicious. J&P arrived shortly after we did, but PY had a chance to hide the birthday cake.

Just before 1 pm, we walked to the restaurant.When we arrived, they had not reserved the table agreed upon earlier in the week; instead, they offered something considerably less accessible that we couldn't use. The staff offered to try to get us a table, but as they couldn't ask other diners to leave, it would be a while. Most aggravatingly, we were made to feel like the issue was our problem ("you can't book tables during the day") rather than theirs (I'd counter, "you shouldn't commit to bookings you can't honour"). It's a shame, as the food and service were great the last time we were there. PY discovered that Street Burger across the way had a table for six available, and reluctantly, we crossed the path.

Because the range of food is less extensive, we were disappointed that we'd end up with burgers or pizza. However, the food was delicious, and everybody could find something they wanted, and, more importantly, the service was excellent: a sharp contrast to the dismissive way we'd been treated across the road.

Then, we returned to the flat where the birthday cake was brought out, and we all ate some with bubbles. We gave J her birthday present, and she seemed very touched that PY remembered the necklace from the Isle of Wight jeweller. Another lovely afternoon and shows the advantage of C being so close by.

There was some confusion on the train journey home when changing at Surbiton. The platform staff announced one train while the signs above their heads showed a different one. We took a gamble that the sign was right, and we were wrong. We changed at Wimbledon. While leaving the platform at Wimbledon, I overheard a couple dismissing a man's hairstyle and colour choice. When I looked up to see who they were talking about, it was clear that the man in question was in fancy dress, going somewhere dressed as Beetlejuice. Which, in turn, reminded us to book cinema tickets.

When we got home, we had a light dinner, given the size of our lunch, and then we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's my favourite Christmas film, and I try to watch it most years. I love Tim Burton's macabre humour and Danny Elfman's wonderful music. I think of it as a Christmas film, and this is the first year since my initial viewing that I have watched it closer to Halloween than Christmas.