Dragged out of Retirement

Readers of Franco's (london1967) posts will already have seen some images from this "Tea Room" we visited last evening near Covent Garden on our way to the theatre, but I thought I'd post one or two more.  The two main members of staff, a very slim lady-of-a-certain-age and an easy-on-the-eye young man, both spoke with French accents with only added to the "chi-chi-ness" of the place ! I loved it, and had the best mille-feuille in years (though I would have like a thin layer of raspberry jam included to give it a 10/10+).




Before we went here we'd had dinner in the Crypt Cafe at St Martin's-in-the-Field and whilst I was waiting for Franco to arrive spotted an exhibition that had, sadly, just finished.... however, the "Introduction" was still on display........




Maybe it's just me, but my "gaydar" was working overtime looking at the faces....... and, looking more closely, I saw all the guys except one have facial hair....

The Joe Orton play "What The Butler Saw" carried on the "CAMP" of the evening....including a bit of full-frontal male and a gasp from the audience - priceless !!

Last weekend I was up in Yorkshire visiting my mother, though I also saw my sister, her partner Andrew and my 2 nephews on the Sunday. 

Saturday I drove with mother up into the Dales, stopping off in Masham for lunch and a wonder around the small market, and the old-fashioned sweet shop.....! So came away with some garden plants, chocolates, and fudge !!

On Saturday evening I picked up Janet who lives in Leeds, and we went over to Hull to see Stephen for dinner and a catch-up. He is currently going through a break-up with his partner of 24 years.......... as you can imagine it's very up-and-down, however a friend of his was also there for the evening, and we ended up talking about "the good old days" of over 25 years ago when we all worked together in a night club / bar / restaurant complex and all the people we remembered, and in the case of Janet, people she still occasionally sees.  They all smoke like chimneys !!

 Stephen, on the right, I've known for almost 30 years.....

Janet and I left just after midnight, it was a very clear, icy, starry night, so I drove carefully and after dropping off Janet got back to my mother's at 2am.  So it was quite a shock when I was told, with my morning tea, that it was snowing heavily and had settled quite thickly in the very few hours........... We had to cancel going for a country pub lunch..... but did manage to visit my sister & co later in the day for tea and cakes.

the view from my mother's flat



........and a view of the cakes