Our Opinion REALLY Counts!

When Rob, our lovely postman, hands you a letter that says "On His Majesty's Service" on the envelope, you just know that it's going to be a communication of great import and, most probably, an honour to receive.

So, imagine the unfettered and rife excitement thronging The Towers when Darrell bought such a letter to the table. Let's just say his hands were shaking in anticipation as he opened said letter ......

..... to reveal that we've only been chosen to take part in a "National Travel Survey"! As you can imagine, it got emotional!  We felt sooooooooo proud that our opinion has been deemed to be trusted and valued.

We're to expect a phone call to arrange a suitable time for our interview, which will be carried out in the comfort of our own home. Trust us the interviewers photo ID will be scrutinised to the ninth degree before they cross our portal, no matter how excited we are!

Thankfully, we don't need any specialist knowledge of national transport or training to take part, just our real life experience and thoughts ....... which, since we all walk everywhere, 98% of the time, should be quite interesting. Although, that being said, we do have a whole slurry of train journeys booked over the next two/three months.  Eric's already decided he's going to suggest more Hedgehog buses though!

And for our trouble?  Well, we've already received a £10 Love To Shop card for just opening the letter ....... then for everyone in the household who completes the survey, they will be rewarded with further £5 voucher!  It's almost too exciting for words! 

Perhaps our constant calls for questions to be asked in Parliament has finally paid off!!!!!!

The Knitted Bible Comes To Evesham

Oh my goodness, you'll never guess what's coming to Evesham in the next week or so ........ ONLY the knitted bible, well, thirty six stories in woollen form from it at the very least!

Let me tell you, the ever fragrant one did an abrupt about turn when she noticed that the church nearest us (where we go to vote) had a very nice, new notice board outside and on it, resplendant ..........

........ a poster advertising the Knitted Bible to be on display between 21st May and 5th June. She said her heart started beating ten to the dozen, knowing exactly what Eric's reaction to such biblical news would be, having such fond memories of the Motor World knitted nativity back in the homeland and now with his own set, a wonderful and emotional gift from our best beloved Seaside Karen a couple of Christmas's ago.

We'd heard of the exhibition some years ago, I think we even posted about it on our old blog, but, to be honest, never ever dreamed we'd get to see it in actual, real, real life, especially in Evesham!  

Even without seeing it, we already feel totally blessed in a Hello Magazine and holy type way!

It goes without saying that if we lose Eric while it's on, I think we'll know exactly where to find him between the hours of 10.00 am and 4.00pm! 

Admission is free, but I know the little fella will be going through his piggy bank to make sure he gives a good account of himself.  As and when he pays his first visit, no doubt accompanied by Alice, you'll be first to see their reactions, especially Eric's!  Happy, happy, happy, happy days! 

Who Needs Other People To Do Things For You .......

We've just about recovered from our bitter rejection by a certain online selling platform who purport to fashion you with personalised gifts (as per yesterdays post), however at the time, we were left in total limbo as to how to fulfil our idea of giving truly memorable presents to Seaside Karen and Pharmacy Michelle on the occasion of our Southport Meet-Up.

Well, let's just say, in the face of adversity, if we do say so ourselves, we excelled beyond all our expectation. 

The first thing we decided we had to do was find another company that didn't baulk at the very thought of putting our faces on a mug. To Photobox, we are eternally grateful, thank you so much, you did us proud!

After that we got all arts and craftsy and did the rest all on our own. Darrell printed off our picture on sheets of magical transfer paper .........

 ..... which he then ironed onto plain shopping bags that he's had squirrelled away for ages.

There were a few hiccoughs along the way and not a few tears of frustration, but fortunately, we'd got ample supplies of both to cover all the mistakes and, in the end, the finished results, thanks to Darrell's valiant efforts and Alice's wiping of his fevered brow, came out perfectly.  It was ...... emotional, very, very emotional, very emotional indeed.

Buoyed by success, we then went one step further and using the same picture Darrell created some stickers to decorate two, blue candles in jars (to reflect the colour of the Southport sea) to complete our trio of gifts. 

We didn't want to post our endeavours until after the event for fear of spoiling the surprise for our lovely friends. 

We were so proud and as you've seen in our previous posts Seaside Karen and Pharmacy Michelle were just as delighted as we were ....... 

As ever, happy, happy days, with difficulty and disaster overcome with aplomb!

URGENT Questions Need To Be Asked In Parliament

We are NOT happy bunnies, NOT happy bunnies at all!  I don't think we've ever been so dejected or hot under the collar before!

As you know, we had our glorious meet up with our best beloved fans Pharmacy Michelle and Seaside Karen in Southport last week and we really wanted to put a few personalised bits and pieces together as mementoes of such a auspicious occasion, however a certain online company totally rejected us!!!!

Now, can you honestly see anything remotely wrong or disturbing in the picture above? OK, it's had a bit of Ai jiggery pokery added to the background, but it's just us, on the beach at Southport, on a glorious sunny day.

However, the unnamed company has refused to put the image on absolutely everything, from bags, mugs and keyrings to cushion covers, badges and blankets?!!!

Poor Alice was in an absolute flood of tears, thinking that in some way our faces are deemed, in some way totally unacceptable for putting on even so much as a jigsaw or diamond dot set, despite our scrubbing up so well for the picture, and, it has to be said, after 17 years of blogging. Trust us, we've tried to find out why we don't comply with their community guidelines, without avail!

QUESTIONS REALLY HAVE TO BE ASKED IN PARLIAMENT, but our custom, has now been lost! 

OMG Soooooooo Many Presents

Following on from Friday ....... it was such a relief to finally get home from Southport, not to get away from it or from our beloved Seaside Karen and Pharmacy Michelle, but let's just say that changing trains a total of five times was somewhat taxing, especially when everyone was also accompanied by a suitcase that had to go somewhere!  Thank goodness for reserved seating. 

However, after a very large mug of hot, sweetened tea and a whole packet of chocolate Hob Nobs, it was soon a very dim and distant memory .........

....... especially when there was a whole pile of, as of yet unopened presents, from our aforementioned beloved friends, that we'd saved chiefly to help buoy our spirits after such an adventure.      

What can we say but a huge heartfelt thank you, as we were totally overwhelmed when the unwrapping began. From Seaside Karen there were mementoes from her Cunard half way around the world cruise .......

..... a new, real life Cunard i-pad cover, perfect to replace our ancient and very tatty one ........ won by Seaside Karen during a game of Cunard Disco Bingo!

Plus, a lovely China Southern Airlines pochette containing all a traveller could possibly need, but may have forgotten in all their anticipatory cruise excitement, to wit earplugs, a collapsible  brush, cotton buds and wipes, a toothbrush ........

..... and Eric's very favourite, which was nabbed straight away, an Eric sized tube of toothpaste, which are neigh on impossible to find in any chemist or supermarche!

Alice's choice was a beautiful beaded rendition of the rare and beautiful quetzal bird, at present hanging from the horns of a bull magnet we bought back from Spain, but she says she's working on an idea to use it as one of her signature hair adornments for "posh" occasions!  What is she like?

And then, there was enough foreign confectionary to keep our reviews from never going stale, from Sao Miguel in The Azores, Portugal ........

 ...... not not forgetting the now obligatory local St Anne's freebie magazines to peruse, to see what they've got and we haven't and vice versa. What can we say, we were unbelievably soooooooo spoilt ......

But there was more, from Pharmacy Michelle, all wrapped up in an actual NHS Pharmacy carrier bag from the very hospital she works, making up all the medicines, drips etc. for people who are suffering from cancer.  In our eyes she is a TRUE TRUE HERO! 

In delicate tissue, she'd wrapped up a small bottle of prosecco, perfect for sneaking in our Greek Oddity suitcase, to quaff as our traditional toast to our holiday and memories on our last evening as the the sun is setting, Pharmacy Michelle will be there too in our hearts.  There was also a box of our very favourite Southport clotted cream fudge, which will be very much nommed during our next Saturday night televisual viewing.

And then last, but by no means least, she'd given us a beautiful Southport tea towel, with beach huts, deck chairs etc. ........

...... which was commandeered straight away by Darrell, to hang, resplendent, on our cooker door, with strict instructions that it is not for wiping mucky hands, it is strictly for display and memories!  

Goodness me, how truly blessed and incredibly spoilt we are ....... the journey home?  What journey home!!!!?????

Eurovision, Nul Points Before We've Even Started This Year ......

As you can see, we've made it home, safely, in one piece from our glorious and emotional Southport meet up, with soooooooo many wonderful memories still whirling about our heads. It's going to take quite some time to come back down to earth, it was just too magical for words. 

And, you'll also note, that we are back, just in time for Eurovision, which used to be our ultimate televisual highlight of the year, before, in our opinion, "it went a bit off" ..........

........ so, it has to be said, that we're not as obsessed as we used to be and obviously, while we were away enjoying the pleasures of Southport, we were far too busy and otherwise occupied to even give the ensuing semi finals a second thought, so we return knowing nothing, except perhaps that Boy George is making and appearance and someone from Neighbours????

AND, believe it or not, we're away again, leaving first thing tomorrow morning for a longish weekend away, May being quite a month for us, therefore it would obviously look exceptionally rude if we curtailed all activities on Saturday evening in order to catch the multi lingual warblings from Europe, and as such, we don't think we're going to catch up on any of it until at least Monday night, if we're even up to it and by then, to be honest the boat will have sailed and Eurovision will be yesterdays chip paper! 

Sooooooooo for this year at least, it's highly unlikely that we'll be giving any of our reflections or insightful opinions on the event.......

......  but, if the UK does actually lift the trophy (let alone manages to get on the left hand side of the score board) we'll eat our collective "kiss me quick" Southport hats!

A Bit Of A Failed Southport Mission .......

Last night we had planned to feast greatly on fish and chips at the acclaimed Swan Fish and Chips restaurant, washed down with lashings of dandelion and burdock pop, as enthusiastically recommended by Pharmacy Michelle ........

 ..... however, in our last ditch effort to catch a twilight glimpse of the Southport sea .......

 ...... we found ourselves very hopelessly lost ...... 

...... despite Darrell having early boasted of having earned the prestigious compass badge when he was in Scouts!

When we eventually found the beach, let's just say the sea was miles away, just about visible on the horizon  ........

..... far to far to walk for Eric's intended cheeky paddle, so after taking a few wistful photos, sharing a few memories, the plan was supper at the aforesaid Swan .....

..... but we got lost yet again! We took all the wrong turnings, backtracked goodness knows how many times and most probably even walked right past the shop, until in the end we had to admit defeat, calling at another establishment, which was just closing its restaurant, so haddock and chips had to be duly purchased to be eaten back at our hotel ......

...... by which time the batter had gone very soggy, although the fish itself was really meaty and delicious!

And, did you get an ice-cream I hear you ask, Southport being the seaside town of a million and one exotic flavours?

Well, unbelievable as it may seem, no ....... time was running away with us and not one of us could actually decide from the huge range proffered for fear of making the wrong choice and having instant buyers regret or envy of others.  To be honest I think we were all incredibly tired and overawed by the excitement of our meeting with Seaside Karen and Pharmacy Michelle and subsequent sad goodbyes, coupled with all the travelling. We were tired and emotional, no wonder we got lost and not able to choose between a simple Snickers, Bounty, Irun Bru or mango to name just a few ........ but still very incredible, very happy days.  At the back of our minds we knew we needed to hold a little something back for tomorrow, when we travel back home catching five different trains ...........