| The Warky Report: Sheffield Wednesday and Goodbye Ma'am (A) 14:52 - Sep 19 with 739 views | Warkystache |
The leaves are turning and the season advances. Today's early walk was a dawn one, amid the festooned greenery and the chill, so cold that breath came in plumes. Things scurried amongst the undergrowth. A barn owl hunted as the morning broke, plumage whiter than the ermine on hats in the procession later, spectral flashes. Dog walkers offered 'mornings' grunted and almost slender in voice. Dogs whittled the hedges with sticks and ran off to sniff.
I went to London on Thursday to see HM in state. I didn't particularly want to, considering the length of the queue and the likely ramifications of wasting time in it when London has so much more to offer, but Paula's mum is a Royalist of the type who reads the Daily Express and has dishcloths with Windsor Castle (a trip she made in 1998) printed on it. She couldn't go herself so asked if we would on her behalf. Representation or some such chicanery. Anyway, we weren't doing anything so we decided we'd give it a go, despite meejah warnings of thirteen hour waits and pushing ins.
It was very well done as these things often are. I can't explain it better than that. Once in Westminster Hall, and once up and then down sandstone staircases shiny with the imprint of shuffled feet, the cloistral hush of conversation and the people salaaming to the draped coffin, candles flickering off the diadem and the globe and mace, sparkling over the purple cushion, were poignant in the sort of way a proven cynic couldn't fathom. The queue was the hardest bit, but we'd taken sweets and water in my backpack, as well as boxes of tissues, a salad pitta each and something Paula got in M&S at Liverpool Street which tasted like rice cakes.
Our nearest neighbours were a farmer and his daughter from Wiltshire and a couple from Barnstaple who supported Bristol City and were friendly when I told them I was Town. They liked Mark Ashton. This ate up a few miles. I still couldn't believe it as we passed over the bridge. We're a well-respected football club. Mind, they said Norwich City were doing better. We glossed over that. They were pleased we'd done Rovers on Tuesday. Their stories of Rovers fans were eye-openers.
The farmer and his daughter, she in her late twenties and pretty, if you like farmers' daughters in that sort of way (all chubby cheeks and arms like a drayhorse's legs) chatted about HM and Paula did her best Royal bit, even though she's non-committal in truth. He'd met Her Maj in 1988 when she came to some show he'd attended, fresh from Ag college. His sheep won a prize or something; he never made this clear. By that, I mean I never knew what they'd won. He was presented to Her Maj for the prize-giving. This was clearly the best thing he'd ever done, aside from fathering his daughter, who had a very tight bum I noticed. And kept noticing as we advanced.
No Tel. No news from Tel, more importantly. No misspelt texts or tinny calls from Nassau, where (I believe) he's now resident, having spent a week in Miami with his in-laws. I did think of texting him but didn't. He deserves a break from me and I him, probably. Anyway, he'll be back before we play Pompey because he's coming to that one, having missed Cambridge when it was called off. I've booked Trongs for the evening. He asked me to before he went.
I hope he's having a good time anyway. He usually does in Spain. It's a bit further than Spain, but at least they were booked into business class on the flights. That's one of the many advantages of having money.
Saturday was quiet. I worked it in Colchester; we have a big presentation next Friday in Brum and my laptop wouldn't log in at home so I used our Colchester base to update my bit of the presentation. I went in at 9am and came out at 2pm, to enable me to watch Soccer Saturday down the pub after I'd parked at home. Paula joined me as we'd booked Luccas again after. She had VRB's, I had lager. We were hopeful when Town went 2-0 up but then they pulled one back and then, just as we were toasting a great away win, bloody Michael Smith went and nodded them level. Relapsed into momentary gloom, which is a strange feeling this season. Still, as P pointed out, 2-2 is a good result away at Sheffield.
Yesterday was walks and a picnic of sorts on the beach at Wrabness, where we stopped and ate our Ploughman's rolls and cold chicken legs watching the tide ebb and the geese flutter. The Royal Hospital School looked like something out of a Turner landscape, wreathed as it was in cloudy sun rays. We came home at four just as the chill began to bite, and used the breast of the chicken we cooked for Saturday night into a big Caesar salad. It was delicious served with a minerally sauvignon blanc.
And that was all folks. We're now waiting for Her Maj to arrive at Windsor Castle, taking a break from the Beeb to cook supper and type this. It's been a long, slow BH Monday, no traffic on the roads, gloomy outside with the odd break of sunlight, the back lawn, freshly cut this morning, still smelling of fresh grass and petrol mower. Back to work tomorrow. Properly. In Brum. Can't wait. Well, I can, but....well, you know. Paula and I are back as one and we've shared 'experiences' in the last few days, but she's not Tel. I never have to answer questions about racehorses, beer or bets with P. There's no 'funny little stories' that lead nowhere or shared hot curries where the discussion is as crude as the chopped chicken in the vindaloo. There's very little dropped aitches or taking offence. It's better in many ways, but then in some it's a bit dutiful. There's something I now share with King Charles. Admittedly his duties and mine are very different, thankfully. I'm not sure I'd be up for swapping either. I've never fancied Camilla.
Take care, and remember to sing, ye peasants!
|  |
| |  |
| The Warky Report: Sheffield Wednesday and Goodbye Ma'am (A) on 18:22 - Sep 19 with 526 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
You're back in Miss Slave's good books as you didn't really want to do the Queen thing. Also,
"Paula and I are back as one and we've shared 'experiences' in the last few days, but she's not Tel."
made her chuckle. |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
