Later that week we are off to stay a couple of nights with Mick & Deb at their home in Mansfield Woodhouse. 'Max' is packed to brimming with our travel items and we arrive for more of their 'tucker' and make ready for the trip in to Nottingham that morning by local train
What fun!
Having never used this long established train to visit our next nearest big city we are like a pair of school kids in their company
Mick & Deb are bemused at our swivelling head routine as we quickly try to work out the route of the train as it passes through the 'bowels' of Mansfield and following towns
We soon arrive at the canalside world of modern Nottingham and are quite impressed by the array of cafes and bars that benefit from the glorious sunshine of the day
Refreshments are soon ordered at one of the bars and we just chill...
Our ranks are swelled by the arrival of Mick & Deb's daughter, Leanne, and her partner Paul and we are soon lubricated enough to take on a late lunch at Prezzo Italian restaurant.
Superb food here I have to say with lovely thin crust tasty pizzas that take us back to our recent trip to Italy
The crawl is underway with us visiting numerous bars including Brewdog, The Piano & Pitcher, Crafty Crow, The Castle and the Bear & Lace
This was the Stone IRS in Brewdog and thats the most they'll sell you in one hit as its like treacle but has the same kick as drinking petrol I imagine….
I thought it was the Biz
Paul, our guide for the day, looks on as we sample an array of beers with Leanne trying a few favourite mind altering cocktails...
Congregations here have never been higher
Late on (for us Duddies) we are still at it but eventually see reason and finely tune our departure time around that of the 'last train'
Back in M/W we are straight in to the nearest open Chippy and haggling for scraps as our tummies crave some beer absorbent food
The chips were lovely and Mick spent most of the walk back wrestling with a bag that didn't get any smaller it seemed whilst various sausages and fish cakes were devoured by the rest of the Team
These simple things are what we miss whilst overseas….
Next day is spent chilling around the house with Nina & Deb gassing away (talking) and Mick doing a great job on my sat nav electrical feed for the Scoot
More beers, but at a slower pace, are involved and we settle down for an evening of hospitality courtesy of Mick & Adam's (their son) culinary prowess
The Katsu curry & chicken meal was scrumptious and dished up by the two chefs with grinning faces...
To top that Mick produced his forte pudding, Tarte Tatin
Tense moments as it time to either flip the pud or drop it on the floor, either way the camera's ready!
Boom!
Complete success and damned tasty…
I was left however with the thought that not all such occasions may have been this successful and wondered how many have hit the floor in the past!
Always lucky that Lad...
Slighly harder beverages appear and we are soon suppin & croonin as Adam strums away, even taking time to instruct Nina in the finer art of guitar playing
Please Adam, take it off her!