Recently
twenty-one years of life for two remarkable young ladies has passed by ... my
god-daughters ... one now studying Psychology at Birmingham, while the other
doing medicine in London.
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| Prunier champagne with a spoon of caviar |
For
their 21sts – what to do ... something different was required ... I’d been down
at the Natural History Museum in Kensington and for some reason (now I know
why!) the tube was closed ...
... ok
jump on a bus and trundle along to the British Museum, my next ‘station stop’
... all
British readers will understand the ‘station stop’ connotation – always said
approaching a tube stop, and also on the trains ... often enough to be very
irritating!
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| Caviar House, Piccadilly |
But as
the bus made its way along Piccadilly ... we passed the Caviar House – the
light bulb moment happened – do they do gift vouchers? ... on my way back to
Victoria (main line) station to get out of London ... I called in and asked
said question.
Birmingham
god-daughter had been anxious we should get together, but poor girl has had
glandular fever, and then tonsillitis ... so was run down, behind on her
studies, etc ...
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| Click and collect ... more likely check in and order a light repast ... from the wide selection of caviar on offer ... |
... the
best decision was to get some rest, enjoy Christmas and the New Year, catch up
somewhat with the studies ... and then early in 2014 get together and use some
of the vouchers ...
...
last weekend was set – and off to London we went ... I’d booked a hotel ... so
I didn’t need to leave early to get back to the south coast ... and of course
we could make a real weekend of it ...
Medicalgirl
and Psychogirl decided the date ... and after much texting, chatting too no
doubt ... planned that a look at and stay over at the Medicalgirl’s house would
be a good thing ...
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| themselves! |
...
then I had a spare hotel room and wondered if Psychogirl’s mother was feeling
up to coming down – she also hadn’t been too well last year ... anyway things
were perking up and mother came too – which was nice for me ... otherwise I
might have been a gooseberry!!
Plans
were made ... or left open – but were well met ... meet at the British Library
after lunch ... two choices a free show, called Picture This: Children’s
Illustrated Classics and an exhibition I wanted to see on The Georgians ...
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| Cafe set at the back of The King's Library: George III's library - originally housed at the British Museum, until the British Library was completed to house it |
...
medicalgirl was running late so we paid and went round The Georgians –
fascinating period of history (mind you aren’t they all) – then we met (and now
we are four) ... in need of a cup of tea and a good gossip!
Visited
the illustrated children’s books of the 20th century – I should
definitely have spent longer there – Medicalgirl knew the bus to take ... as it
was bucketing with rain ... and off to the hotel for a brief collapse and
another tea - we are British ... !!
Put on
our glad rags and hit the streets of London once again walking down to the
Caviar House for our evening out – it’s rather nice being paid for with your
own gift vouchers!
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| Tsarina |
The
background ... before I left for South Africa I decided to take my family – at
that stage my mother, two brothers and one wife! out for a farewell supper ...
Having
been wined and dined at the Caviar Bar ... this seemed a very good treat to
take the family to ... for the fond adieu to their daughter or sister ... this
was some decades ago - and that Bar is no longer ...
...
rinse and repeat the process for these young ladies ... I typed up a colourful
letter reminding them of some childhood ‘antics’ ... and saying that to
complete the circle of the family dinner all those years I’d do the same for
them in this their 21st year ...
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| Pata Negra |
... the
family remind me of the farewell dinner on occasions – as it was definitely
something we would not normally do ... but it turned out to be a memorable
evening.
So to
conclude part one ... we had a fun Saturday night dinner a la Caviar House ...
it is a seafood bar – and my god-daughter is not too good with fish – and I
hadn’t realised the menu in that respect is a little limited ... but for fish
lovers definitely isn’t!
There
was a ‘Pata Negra’ – traditional
Spanish ham served with toasted bread and a mixed leaf salad – which thankfully
satisfied Psychogirl ... and she tried a Caviar Spoon (well some of it!) ...
and a small piece of my oyster ... I only had one!
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| Mine! |
I had
the Seafood Platter, MedicalGirl had the Tsarina (lightly toasted blini topped
with crème fraiche, served with Balik smoked salmon and some selected caviar),
mother had Shrimp Cocktail – consisting of Mediterranean shrimps, with
succulent cold water Atlantic Prawns and freshly peeled King Prawns ... while
Psychogirl had her Pata Negra ...
We had
salads, side dishes, plenty of bread ... we each had a Caviar Spoon ... and were constantly
asking for ‘more butter’ please ... as L said – it was delicious butter ....
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| Shrimp Cocktail |
We had
the house Prunier Champagne Brut – and got rather hooked on that ... I have to
say it was delicious champagne ...
Well
I’m recovering still ... we had a full Sunday and Monday, as L and I had a
lovely evening together reminiscing and catching up – as we hadn’t seen as much
of each other these last few years due to circumstances beyond our control ...
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| Petit Fours with our cappuccinos |
... so
the weekend came together ... part 2 to follow – and the girls are meeting up
next weekend in Birmingham ... as Medicalgirl has a Psychiatry Conference and
will stay with Psychogirl!!!
God-daughter’s
mother, L, and I have plans to meet in March, but may well do before that as
ideas were broached, which could turn out to be fun and collaborative ...
I don’t
have many pictures ... but hope others will be sent down – for now ... I do
have some!
It’s
nearly evening here ... and now I’m feeling hungry ... sorry to leave you!
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
