Blackburn’s Blog

Blackburns_Blog

One day I will get the hang of this blogging business…
Well as Jan is away - Transylvannia again! I’m going to try this on my own!!

26th March - Easter Bank Holiday Weekend - Saturday.

Jan’s parents finally meet my parents! Not that I was worried or anything you understand but it could have all gone horribly wrong!

Back in December, Jans parents said they wanted to take Jan to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a birthday present - knowing about Jans love of gadgets and cars it must have seemed like a match made in heaven to have both in one show! Jans mum & dad very kindly asked me if I’d like to go along. Loving the theatre almost as much as Jan loves gadgets and cars - namely Citroens - how could I refuse?!
I thought it would be a nice idea if my parents came along too and met Jans parents at the same time - nice idea, scary but a nice idea! Well everybody said yes, great idea and we all sat back to wait for March 26th to dawn! Why we chose Easter Saturday, I have no idea, but it seemed like a good one at the time. Seems like every family in Christendom, with 1 plus children had the same idea! So that was nice.

We all agreed to meet up in the Cafe Royal on Regents Street of all places… Why? - who knows but we thought it seemed suitably fabulous for the occasion!

Unusally for once I was early! Having agreed a time with my parents, I proceeded to tell Jan and family that we were meeting much earlier - only an hour or so… it wasn’t until we were on the train that I let slip my sneaky plan for being on time if not early! Anyone who knows me will probably delight in telling you about my dysfunctional personal sense of time - only this time I was determined not to be late! Anway… The Cafe Royal was a lesson in overstated, shabby chic elegance and opulence! It is easy to see why it was so popular when it first opened for business! The grandeur of the settings helped offset the any nerves I had, that was for sure. Well my parents arrived and everyone got on like a house on fire! Relieved or what - not that I had anything to worry about really - of course I know that now!!

Anyway… after a light refreshing beverage or two.. we took a wander up to the Palladium near Oxford Circus and went in to the show…. OMG!!! what a fantastic show!!!! THE CAR REALLY FLYS!!!! It was absolute magic and we loved every minute of it… but the best bit was when the car flew over the audience - we were lucky to be virtually within touching distance - the stalls are great for that audience participation feeling - fabulous with a capital F! To be honest the funniest bit was my mums minor mix up between Brian and Billy Connolly - no offence boys but you both tell rude jokes!! - well it made us laugh

After the show we decided to continue being fabulous by having dinner at the Strand Palace Hotel Carvery - brilliant! It took me right back to my childhood days and memories of similar treats! But the absolute best bit was trying to get a cab to the Strand Palace - not easy in Piccadilly Circus in the rain - we were just about to give up and walk when I spotted a cab and practically jumped in the middle of the road to hail it… My mum obviously not paying attention saw a young-ish woman hailing a cab and thought typical - the first available cab you see for ages and someone else gets it - she was most surprised to discover it was me! Not half as surprised as I was! We all managed to crowd in to the cab - not an easy task as there was 6 of us… I ended up half standing and half sitting on my dads knee and I thought I’d grown out of all that - 34 and still a child in your parents eyes - will I never learn! After the most precarious journey of my life and much to the relief of my poor dads knees we got to the Strand Palace Hotel and it was just as I remembered it only better - the food was fabulous and everyone had a good time! Thank goodness!

Blackburns_Blog Here is a picture of Jan and I from New Year in Eastbourne - what an experience! Jan and I went to Eastbourne and stayed in an hotel with his parents - Barbara and Con. I don’t think Jan and I really had any idea of what this really meant - suffice to say the average age was approximately 60+ and the most exciting activity was ‘horse racing in the lounge’! On New Years Eve we were encouraged to make finger puppets!! and dress up for the evening knees up!?!?! - the theme being ‘Cowboys and Indians’. As my Pochantas outfit was at the dry cleaners I decided to throw caution to the wind and become a ‘Saloon Sally’!! What do you think? At least we won a prize and the evening was one to remember if not quite for the reasons I would wish to! Especially as sitting down in that corset took a lot of negotiation!!