Monthly Meet, May 3rd Already

well this time next week will be the monthly meet again , shall we confirm oak and ivy in hawkhurst for tiger prawns and home-made beefburgers for me I think ?
who's coming ?

 

I will be there

 

Me too. Hopefully...

 

oh nooooo ! we'll miss you ...

 

If you aren't coming, may I have your pudding?

 

Yep, couldn't make last month but can tomorrow. Looking forward to the crack.

 

Might be able to make it. I'm working in Slough tomorrow so depends on what the traffic's like afterwards.....

 

Not a bad turn-out for a rainy Wednesday night - nine hungry folks and Shrimpee. His Worshipfullness Roadie with his favourite High Priestess Shrimpee and Pete Superhoops all came on two wheels (actually Pete's bike looks more like a personal star ship, especially at night) but the rest of us wimped out in cars or particularly shiny vans - (Stars 'n Stripes had obviously been valeting all day in preparation but pretended it still really needed a clean).

Nikki had us all in stitches with what we thought was her impression of a child learning to dress itself; to be fair, she was helpless with laughter and was struggling to don her jacket, but nobody had any sympathy, least of all Gary. We shared tales of famous people we have known or come into contact with - some good, some ok, a few very, very bad. I'd put it down to the drink, but those telling the tallest tales were utterly stone cold sober.

Very worrying...

But you don't want to hear all this tittle-tattle. You want the low-down on the gustatory experience, don't you? Notable tonight were the Tiger Prawns, the lasagne and the Chips and coming in a close fourth in the notoriety stakes was the All Day Brekker (according to Gary). Pete pronounced the Tiger Prawns outstanding. He's not wrong. Your 'umble scribe shared 25% of his starter portion with Lovely Lisa Lou, whose gaze was locked solidly onto my plateful as soon as they were brought. This honestly looked like cupboard love - I recognise it as I suffer from it too. I think Tom inhaled his portion, as one moment I looked and they were there, the next? Gone.

Lucky Pete discovered yet more prawns hiding in his tomatoey linguine seaweed main course and reckoned them 11/10. Why did I succumb to the Thai green curry? It sounded so good yet was ...alright. I should have followed the lead of those who went for a burger of some description.

It is quite possible that Nikki's sartorial troubles stemmed from something funny in her lasagne, with which she was very pleased. She admitted not remembering eating anything else at the Oak & Ivy. There may have been other descriptors for me to report, but at that stage another fork full was on its way and further detail was somewhat muffled. Somehow the garlic bread side order didn't float her boat, though. The aforementioned Pete Starship Trooper quickly snaffled the lonely half slice before it returned whence it came. Clearly a growing lad...

Moving swiftly from prawns (Excellent) and lasagne (Really Good) onto the chips - there is no hiding from the socially-awkward condition that these were suffering from Brewers' Droop. Indeed L.L.L. kindly donated a sample of same to me to prove her point. Excellent flavour, but just soggy. What a shame. I can begin to understand her disappointment, even in this food-related simile. There was no way these were going to provide any kind of satisfaction.

And finally we arrive, expectations falling, at Gary's All Day Brekker. He's a fair chap and doesn't like to speak ill of anyone or anything unnecessarily, so he said the egg was good. But the bulk of it I'm afraid he returned for recycling. What a shame. Probably had to stop at Mickey D's on the way home for some nutrition.

Now: puddings . I was happy with my usual apple pie, custard (where was the skin? Tsk, tsk, tsk) and cheddar. I'm afraid it took up so much of my attention that I signally failed to note Tom's choice or Pete's - even whether the latter did carry out his affirmed intention to get outside a Spotted Dick.

I also forgot to check whether anyone else tried the Orien Session beer - I was allowed a taster and found it possessed an odd flavour reminiscent of diesel fuel. I fell back on my favourite standby of Harveys. A lovely, crisp pint which cheered me more than I can say. Having Googled Orien, I can only find reference to a beer from Bray Brewery in Maine, but I don't think it was that one. The US beer is 4.5% and the liquid served to me tonight was said to be only 3.8%. Suitable for a session as the name would suggest, but how much proper beer do you have to drink to take away the taste first? The Prosecution rests...

It was great to see so many happy folks and I regard this as monthly medicine for my mind. There were notable absentees tonight and you were all missed! I really hope you make it next time

 

brilliant reporting of a good evening as usual... thanks Richard

 

Lovely use of language displaying your grasp of nuance and subtlety with a dazzling depth of vocabulary and wit. Look forward to reading more incisive pieces soon!