25th August 2010

Sometimes a trip into Birmingham is a delight. Sometimes it is unavoidable! Todays' visit was a bit of both. Had to buy some uniform stuff, some provisions for a weekend camping trip and some 'bits'. The children were actually very good and the sneaky coffee at the end was right up their street!

Krispy Kreme Donuts, Selfriges, Bullring
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie
Bought: Coffee for me, original glazed donut for Ethan, Powder blueberry donut for Naomi, Strawberry Kreme donut for Edward, Cinnamon apple donut for Susie
Cost: £7.15 - eeeeek!

And: The coffee was actually amazingly nice. AND I got the last bite of Susie's donut - also very nice.

24th August 2010

It's Tuesday and, much as they regret the fact, the children eat so must also shop! On the plus side was the promise of a sneaky coffee with a myriad of friends afterwards.

Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Me and younger three (Ethan occupied elsewhere), Danni and her younger two, Viv and Alex
Bought: A coffee for me and drinks for the children. Made the interesting discovery that you can buy a 'children's coke' for 50p.
Cost: £3.50 ish
Sat: Table 28! Need you ask?

And: A coffee with friends is always welcome. A coffee with children is sometimes a little stressful!

23rd August 2010

Mr Tesco came up trumps again and provided vouchers for a family day trip to Drayton Manor park. The last two times we have gone my older children have thoroughly chickened out of the big rides but not so this time. The addition of one of Ethan's school friends seemed to galvanise them and not a 'train wreck resembling' rollercoaster, nor a 'thing that probably gets done to the worst sinners in hell' spinning swinging thing phased them! Danni and I had a somewhat more sedate time touring the small and mid range rides! (and watching the bags!)

Anyway - the day was a bit damp so regular coffee was needed. I won't detail each one as essentially it was all the same stuff.

Drayton Manor
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni and associated gangs (though they were invariably off being spun and swung, soaked and dropped)
Bought: Cappuccino and coffee
Cafe: The nicest location was outside the Hollywood Diner where we had metal patio tables and proper cups. Otherwise it was picnic tables and paper cups.
Cost: About £1.50 per cup I think
And: It was pretty ok and very welcome

18th August 2010

In contrast to the previous day today was dry and even warm!

Cafe Main, Cromer
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Marjorie, Naomi and Edward
Bought: Two coffees, two smoothies and three pieces of cake
Cost: Nanny paid! (Anyone notice a theme emerging?!)
Cafe: Functional, not unpleasant. We sat outside overlooking a road like yesterday but in the sunshine roads look much nicer it seems!
And: The cake was nice, the smoothies were really nice and the coffee was excellent. The loos were a long way away though.

17th August 2010

Anna and I plotted an escape from the holiday house and the infestation of children! We walked into town with the express purpose of using a cash point (and having a coffee!)

Julios, Cromer
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Anna
Bought: A small coffee and a small tea
Cost: Anna paid (again! Thanks!)
Cafe: We sat outside as it was dry, albeit a bit gray and damp. The view wasn't much to write home about - a road. But there was no children and the chance of uninterrupted conversation!
But: It started to rain. At first it was just the odd spot but quite soon we were having to drink up as our cups were re-filling with rainwater!

And: The coffee (in its undiluted state) was pretty ok!

14th August 2010- part two of two

Now this is more like it - a proper sneaky coffee!

Tides Restaurant, Cromer Pier
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Naomi
Served: by a waitress!
Bought: A filter coffee, juice for Naomi and a slice of carrot cake to share
Cost: £6 including a tip
Cafe: On the pier on a sunny day. Sat outside and smelled the briny spray, the sun on our skin and watched the waves roll in. Lovely.

And: lovely coffee, nice cake, a nice interlude with Naomi. Having four children does mean spending individual time with them can be a challenge

14th August 2010 - part one of two

We are on holiday in Cromer with Simon's extended family. The house we're staying in has nine bedrooms and can technically sleep eighteen. There are fourteen of us. Our holiday house is immaculately decorated and I quickly wished I had photographed it when we first arrived before all our 'kid junk' started to clutter up the place! We had a sea view from almost every window and only a five minute walk into town. It promised to be a good week, with plenty of coffee!

Cromer Esplanade
This might not count as a sneaky coffee under normal circumstances but as the first 'coffee out' of the holiday I am going to include it anyway!
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Auntie Anna, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Cody and Kian
Bought: Eight donuts (I do realise there are only seven of us, but they came in bags of four) and a coffee
Cost: Anna paid - but it would have been about £4.75
Cafe: A caravan on the esplanade with patio chairs! A great sea view and in the sunshine it was quite pleasant!
And: Not great coffee, but the donuts were hot, fresh and sugary and the promise of a whole holiday stretching before us was enough to make me overlook slightly bland beverages!

12th August 2010

My National Trust membership has really been worth its weight in gold over the last week! As a child I was taken (dragged?) to NT places and I swore never to do that to my children. Now I take (drag?) my children to NT places regularly because they are free (or at least our pre-paid card gets us in free), educational, wholesome, etc etc....! The easiest way to make a NT visit palatable to them though is to combine it with a get together. Today we not only met my parents and Grannie but also my Uncle, Aunt and two cousins who although technically are the the same generation as me are much closer in age to my children and thus great favourites with them.

Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward and Susie; Mum, Dad and Grannie; Uncle Lloyd, Auntie Isobel, Mark and Tim
Bought: Our family had a cafetiere of coffee, two 'afternoon tea' for kids (carton of apple juice and a chocolate crispie cake), a glass of milk and a bottle of posh juice. Lactose intolerance has made cream tea a treat of the past.
Cost: Dad paid! Thanks Dad!
Cafe: In the actual hall - unusual and charming. A bit on the small side and we were lucky to get three tables on which to spread out.
And: I was on a table with Auntie Isobel, Tim and Susie. We had fun. Susie shared her drink and cake with her doll.

10th August 2010

It's Tuesday, it's eleven am.... but ti's the school holidays! It is far enough into the school holidays for a 9am start to be unrealistic (unless by start you mean breakfast) but still near enough the beginning for me to imagine a sneaky coffee with all the kids might just be, in some small way, a little bit idyllic!

Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Danni, Maddie, Laura, Rachel, Amanda, Ben, Elizabeth, Daniel, Naomi W and James
Served by: A tolerant and sweet bar lady. I had to order five drinks and four of those drinking (mentioning no names but NOT me) changed their choice of drinks several times during the process!
Bought: A black coffee, a hot chocolate, two Pepsi and a smoothie carton
Cost: a bit over a fiver

And: Well the kids got table 28 and the grown ups were relegated to table 29! They weren't awful but it wasn't the most peaceful coffee ever!

9th August 2010

School holidays present long periods of trying to keep the children entertained and busy without spending too much money. National Trust properties are ideal but the kids are not always enthusiastic! However - this lack of enthusiasm can be avoided if the visit is made with another family. Today we did exactly that!

Croome Park, Worcestershire
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Sarah, Chris, Elliot, Maddie, Esther
Bought: I bought a cream tea (scone for Ethan and Naomi to share, tea for me) three cartons of drink, one can of drink and a large hunk of shortbread for Edward and Susie to share.
Cost: £9.60 (eye watering I know, I know I previously suggested that Heaven would contain a National Trust tea room but since have decided this will only be so if it is free - and as many people have pointed out it WOULD be free because Jesus has already paid the price!!!)
And: The cafe here is in an old RAF base which makes it spacious and suitable for a cafe if a little featureless otherwise. In fact the main feature was copious amounts of wasps.

8th August 2010

I should point out that the date here is a SUNDAY! Sunday sneaky coffee is extremely rare for two main reasons. Firstly church - which takes up the first half of the day. And secondly church - which leaves me too exhausted to go out again.... only kidding! The second reason is that Simon is at home at weekends and Sunday is designated as a family day and he doesn't seem to get the glory of the sneaky coffee!

Kinver Rock Tea Room, Kinver Edge
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Simon, Ethan, Naomi, Edward and Susie
Bought: A cup of Earl Grey tea, three cans of fizzy stuff and two fruit shoots
Cost: £5.05
Cafe: Built into the cliff which is sandstone. However, it also has a garden which we sat in. Very peaceful little garden with a lawn and old fashioned cottage-y flower beds.
And: The kids don't quite get the restorative point of sneaky coffee so it was fortunate that the 'upper terrace' of the Kinver Rock Houses (to all intents a purposes a series of room sized caves connected by tunnels) were just the other side of the gate. They went off and played, the grown ups enjoyed the garden and the drink.

4th August 2010, part two of two

Armed with the exciting news that the pregnant woman we shared a curry with last night has actually gone into labour AND delivered a baby boy I met my crowd at Aston Hall for coffee and to take advantage of the free children's activities on offer.

Aston Hall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Auntie Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Amanda, Ben, Elizabeth, Daniel, Naomi, James, Danni, Naomi, Maddie, Laura, Rachel, Viv and Alex
Bought: Tonnes! Anna bought for us... a coffee, a tea, two slices of cake and three ice creams
Cost: £9
Sat: Outside - the patio was crowded when we arrived and emptied when we left (although threatening weather may have contributed to this as well as the foghorn like racket the kids were making!)

And: This time I asked for my coffee in a mug instead of a cup - which made my drink twice the size. I don't even think I was charged more for it. I noted on the menu that you could buy a 'Cafeteria of coffee' (as opposed to a Cafetiere) which irritated my inner (or not so inner!) pedant!

4th August 2010, part one of two

My sister in law (also called Anna!) is staying with us at the moment. One of her many qualities is that of extremely devoted Auntie to the kids! Thus, when a trip to Tesco was offered this morning the kids jumped at the chance knowing Auntie Anna would probably buy them each a present! They were not disappointed. Whilst I had my mind of fruit, meal plans and freezer contents the kids weighed up various clothes, toys and CD options. Just as the whole lengthy process was drawing to a close Anna offered to buy me something but I was so weary by now that a quick coffee upstairs was the only treat my mind responded to with any enthusiasm!

Tesco, Aston Lane
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie and Anna Mary
Bought: A coffee, a tea, an innocent smoothie, a fruit shoot, two soft drinks, two ham sandwiches and two jam sandwiches and a prawn sandwich
Cost: £7.15 I think - staggeringly reasonable
Sat: On two of the high tables as we were eating too
And: Improved coffee I think

3rd August 2010

It's been a while! School holidays do rather infringe on time which should rightfully be devoted to sneaky coffee-ing so today I bit the bullet and suggested an aptly titled 'child infested' sneaky coffee!

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Danni, Naomi S, Maddie, Laura, Rachel, Viv and Alex
Bought: I used a filled up stamp voucher for my free coffee and bought the children a pepsi, two orange juice and lemonades and a fruit shoot (The filled up voucher was given to me a couple of weeks ago at a promotion in the downstairs mall designed to enlighten people of the fact that The Arthur Robertson actually serves coffee! The man who gave it to me knew me well - and presumably was fully aware of my full awareness of said fact!)
Cost: £5.05
Sat: The adults got table 28, the children rather charmingly sat at the next table and even managed to instigate a 'sort of educational grammar' game!
And: A child infested sneaky coffee may not be quite the same, but it can be fun anyway!

26th July 2010

My wonderful parents have taken my adorable children away for the first week of the holidays. They have only gone as far as Stafford and they are camping... but it's at a Bible Week which the kids really get a lot out of as well as having a lot of fun. I nurtured the idea of romantic interludes with Simon but various work and church commitments have got in the way. So I have decorated Susie's bedroom! It looks so good and, amazingly, can be done very quickly when there are no interruptions! Anyway - on the Monday of the Bible Week there is no daytime meetings so I went up and joined them for a day. We ventured out to Sudbury Hall, a National Trust property which has the National Museum of Childhood on site, and (crucially!) a National Trust tea room! (I suspect Heaven will feature National Trust tea rooms!)

Sudbury Hall
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Ethan, Naomi, Edward, Susie, Mum and Dad
Bought: Three coffees, four ice creams, three variations of cake (fruit for me, millionaires shortbread for Mum, a tea cake for Dad), then later on three mugs of coffee
Cost: Not cheap! The first round was £15.?? and the second was nearly £6.
Cafe: Typical of the genre, a converted stable block (or similar!) with light pine tables and chairs, canteen style service with unutterably tempting cakes on display!
Position: But we sat on the picnic tables outside!
And: Nice coffee BUT the cheapest option (still £1.60) was a CUP, a small cup! You can pay more for a mug or even more for a large mug but I think the cup is too small.

However - the rest of the museum and the play area are excellent and very well worth a re-visit.

21st July 2010 - part one of two

The last week of term is always busy. There are assemblies, awards nights, parents evening, parties, proms and all manner of 'end of term' events which make the week exceptionally full. By this point in the week I had done Ethan's parents evening and Susie's 'graduation' and though I was looking forward to the holidays with the children I also knew that some of my term time pleasures would be sorely missed until September! Danni and I knew our usual Friday breakfast would not be possible as various children would be off school for 'teacher training' so arranged to use an excess Tesco voucher and head into town for an indulgent breakfast.

Cafe Rouge, The Bullring, Birmingham
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Bought: We each had the 'complet' option which had a coffee, a glass of fruit juice and a pastry (we both had pain au chocolat) and I also had a glass of water for my vitamin tablet to effervesce in!
Cost: The menu was £5.50 each but we had a £10 Tesco voucher so it cost me £2 (I tipped!)
Cafe: It was a sunny day and Cafe Rouge has a nice outside deck where you can sit, but the sun was still quite low in the sky and we found that one or other of us was blinded wherever we sat - so we moved and sat in a window seat inside. The restaurant inside is classic 'pretend French' but charming nonetheless.
And: The pastry was warm, the coffee nice and the fruit juice a little warm due to being served in a warm (straight out of the dishwasher?) glass. The ice battled bravely but ultimately the heat won. However - the conversation was nice and neither of us had much to do so we enjoyed a very nice jaunt around town afterwards - savouring the last opportunity to do so in such a care-free (aka child-free!) manner for a couple of months!

21st July 2010 - part two of two

OK - I hope you read the previous post... because this one follows straight on!We were jaunting and savouring and the prospect on one last coffee entered one or other of our pretty little heads and almost by magic we found ourselves in M&S Cafe Revive. That decision was mine. I have a distant memory of M&S coffee being amazing and suggested trying it again... maybe not the best decision ever!

M&S Cafe Revive, High Street, Birmingham
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Bought: A caramel cappuccino for Danni, a large black for me
Cafe: WAS CROWDED! We brought the average age of customer down by a decade or so and waiting so long to be served was frustrating. Almost every table was occupied and the ones with leather armchairs and coffee tables more so! However - the provided a pile of trashy magazines (the type you like to read but could never actually buy!) which the aged clientele were clearly not enamoured with so that was a plus! We learned much about the ongoing antics of Ms Cole and so on!
Cost: Can't remember exactly but expensive - at least Starbucks prices which one doesn't expect in a department store cafe
And: Well - the coffee WAS very nice, but the queue was long, the service efficient as opposed to friendly and the ambience somewhat elderly for us.

20th July 2010 - part two of two

A spare Tuesday and, as the last one in the term, a precious Tuesday presented itself ad we struggled to fill it. None of us needed to go anywhere, no one wanted to spend money uselessly... and then it came to us....

Aston Hall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Amanda, James and Viv
Had: A coffee, a glass of water and a chicken salad sandwich
Cost: £3.60
Cafe: In converted stable blocks, very nice with stone floor and wooden tables, also a lovely patio area where we sat today as it was warm and muggy albeit not sunny

And: The coffee was nice but only served in cups and I really would have liked a mug. The sandwich was a bit dry. The venue was wonderful with gorgeous gardens to potter about and extensive areas of the hall to explore. I've lived within a couple of miles of the place for 18 years and this is my first visit despite the fact that it is free. I shall be there again over the summer with the children.

20th July 2010 - part one of two

I almost missed this one! Susie was 'graduating' from nursery and there was a little concert and presentation. It was supposed to last until noon but was pretty much finished by 11am so I skipped out. The songs and poems were lovely and the kids looked cute in caps and gowns.

Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni, Amanda, Viv, James
Had: Nothing - felt a bit nauseous :-(

BUT: My girls keep me buoyant even when I feel queasy! Bless them!

17th July 2010

Where else in the world to dozens of people turn up in the park to share a picnic in the rain? The picnic had been planned so people went - the weather only puts off the lightweights among us!

The Boat House, Handsworth Park
Two cups of coffee from the Boat House, much good conversation, endlessly fabulous food!

16th July 2010

It's Friday, Danni's three younger girls are off school but promise to behave like ladies who breakfast and we both fee this is an important aspect of life for them to be exposed to.

Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni, Anna, Maddie, Laura and Rachel
Sat: Table 28
Had: Coffee and a bacon roll

And: The girls were great, as was the coffee and food.

14th July 2010

Excuses excuses.... I cannot even remember. It must have been an afternoon and we may (or may not) have needed to get something from the shops....

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni, Anna and Susie

13th July 2010 - part two of two

After the traditional post shopping coffee comes a child free afternoon for me. I try (and usually succeed) to use this time wisely - in fellowship and relationship building activity (i.e. coffee). Today we headed to Wednesbury. We had some vague excuse to visit the large Next store there and also Ikea. Upon learning that Next actually featured a coffee shop the decision hardly needed discussion!

Lavazza Coffee, Next, Wednesbury
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv, Amanda, James and Louise M
Bought: A black coffee
Cost: Normal coffee shop price - about £1.50 I think
Cafe: Bright and white! Hard white chairs surrounding hard white tables on a mezzanine floor with two whole walls and the ceiling being glass! In bright sunshine I suspect it would have been uncomfortable hot and painfully bright. As it was actually dull and cloudy this wasn't an issue and the abundance of daylight was lovely.
Position: Upstairs, at the front of the shop with expansive views of the car park and M6

And: The coffee was good, the company exemplary and there was even the interesting side show of filming going on just within our view!

13th July 2010 - part one of two

Oh what a lazy blogger I have been! I apologise and cite end of term weariness as my excuse. Although I am not a teacher the end of term does still consist of a round of parents evenings, productions, celebrations and all manner of other (nice but) time consuming activity. Then I get to look after all the kids for six weeks! More lie ins but much less peace!

Anyway - one whole week ago is where I begin with the traditional Tuesday event!

Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Danni, Viv, Amanda, James and Louise (a new companion!)
Details.... sorry cannot remember! I expect I had coffee!

And: We bumped into Louise in the shopping mall. We have known her for years but haven't seen her regularly for ages. Thus it was a lovely treat to catch up.... and the day continued thus!

9th July 2010

A short but lovely concert in Handsworth Park featured the one and only Naomi Cherry-Tuesday Smith playing the flute so obviously I had to collect Susie early from nursery in order to hear the musical masterpiece. (The fact that it was a sunny day and I was to meet the incomparable Danni and the promise of a sneaky coffee was the in offing was only coincidental in my enthusiasm!)

The Boat House, Handsworth Park
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Susie
Bought: Two coffees, two slices of banana and sultana loaf and an ice lolly
Cost: £5.something
Sat: The cafe is in a very small building by the boating lake in Handsworth park. We tend to visit during fine weather and sit on one of the outdoor tables enjoying the view of the lake, the mature and fine trees and also giving the children (there is usually at least one!) a chance to wander and explore.
And: Coffee acceptable, cake nice, trashy magazines available and read.
Perfect way to spend a Friday lunchtime.

8th July 2010

I had to go shopping after the school run. I had birthday related things to buy for Edward, who turned seven the following day. I was not trying to distract Danni from her cakes but just wondered if she might need to get supplies from One Stop as well....

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Bought: A large breakfast each! (i.e. a large drink and a pain au chocolat for her and a bacon sandwich for me)
Cost: £1.79 each
Sat: 28 is my favourite number!
And: Is there any better way to start a day that an indulgent (though not wildly so) breakfast with a great friend? I think not!

6th July 2010 - part three of three

Costa Coffee, WHSmiths

This was not a sneaky coffee for pleasure but rather a work one. Honest! I did not enjoy it at all! (Actually I did but we did work, honest!)

Sneaky coffee-ers: Heather, Danni and Viv
Bought: Peach flavoured iced tea
Cost: £1.95
Sat: A sofa miraculously became available as we arrived!
And: For a Kids Alive, end of term planning meeting, this was a lot of fun!

6th July 2010 - part two of three

The Arthur Robertson

Post Tesco coffee - a crucial part of my week!

Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni, Viv, Amanda and James
Bought: a diet coke today - didn't want last weeks coffee jitters
Cost: Amanda bought it! She texted me from the bar 'What do you want to drink', I replied 'A diet coke', she asked 'What size?', I told her 'Small - and yes to ice and lemon'. This is what a mobile contract with free text messages does to you! Renders you unable to walk five metres and have a proper conversation!
Sat: Table 28

And: Always fab!

6th July 2010 - part one of three

Tesco Cafe

Ok - we bump into Wendy, a lovely but elusive friend, as we enter Tesco. She hasn't time to join us after the shopping at The Arthur Robertson.... so we just had to have coffee before the shopping too!

Sneaky coffee-ers: Wendy Ewins, Danni and Viv
Served by: Robert
Bought: Black coffee
Cost: 95p
Sat: In the arm chairs!

And: Coffee not great, company fab!

5th July 2010

Hollywood Diner, Drayton Manor Park

This was a super special sneaky coffee because it was a super special day. Sue became my friend in 1997 when she and I were both pregnant with out first children. We went to antenatal classes together then saw each other more or less weekly (at least!) for the next four years until she moved (inconveniently for me!) to New Zealand. Our eldest children are now twelve! Out second eldest children are both ten and on this visit back to the UK Sue brought her ten year old back too. I kept my ten year old out of school for a day (with permission!) and we spent the day together at Drayton Manor Park, a theme park close to Birmingham. In between various spinning, swaying and sailing type rides we had coffee at 'The Hollywood Diner'

Sneaky Coffee-ers: Naomi, Sue and Amy
Bought: The girls had some vibrantly coloured slushy drink, Sue and I had coffee, I also had a lemon meringue donut
Cost: No idea - Sue paid
Cafe: Really quite nice. Very well themed as a 'typical' (i.e. like you've seen in films) American diner complete with juke box, stools and posters of iconic American film stars.
Sat: By the juke box which I would have used but which seemed not to be working
And: Very nice coffee, slightly dry cake, very precious company. I love when you see friends you haven't seen for years and it's like you have never been apart - what good friendship looks like!
S

30th June 2010

Costa Coffee, Museum and Art Gallery, Walsall

Ok - I have lost the plot and not blogged for weeks. You may think (hope, fear or be amazed by) that I haven't indulged in the sneaky coffee-ing for the whole time but that wouldn't be true! I've simply not blogged.... so here goes. (And let us hope my memory doesn't fail!)

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Susie
Served by: memory fail one
Bought: A cappuccino for Danni, a black coffee for me (and a pack of vegetable crisps)
Cost: £3
Food: As with the weeks earlier trip to Starbucks in town we purchased out lunch at a cheaper outlet (this time Boots) and smuggled it into the Costa. (Or in this case we ate outside so not so much 'in' in the smuggling!)I recall a spicy wrap of some sort and a cake which Susie ate!
Sat: Outside! One must make the most of every sunny moment!

Tuesday 29th June - part two of two

My friend Sarah has been ridiculously busy for the last two years as she attempted to do an ESOL teaching course, do some ESOL teaching, do admin work for her church, run the children's ministry at her church, raise three children, be a devoted and godly wife and manage a lovely but slightly bonkers greyhound named Lulu. She is like to become busy again doing a selection of the above PLUS a job as well. Thus I had to make sure a coffee date was made before she forgot what I looked like!

Starbucks, New Street
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Sarah
Served by: the barrista (sorry - too busy chatting to notice!)
Bought: A small black coffee and a skinny peach and raspberry muffin
Cost: £3.20
Cafe: This Starbucks has a ground level and a basement. Both levels have a selection of high and coffee tables. We didn't get an armchair table this time. We felt we ought to go and sit in the basement as we had smuggled in sandwiches purchased at the Tesco across the road (because spending £3 on a sandwich in Starbucks would be silly!) However - once the illegal contraband had been consumed we went back upstairs as the air conditioning in the basement was at full pelt and we were shivering!
Position: This Starbucks is on pedestrianised New Street. A little distance from the Bullring where we usually begin our town visits but this made us confident that our calorie intake was already 'paid for'!
Busy: Yes - mornings are always better for a quiet coffee
Food: Lovely yummy chicken fajita wrap from Tesco, equally yummy muffin from Starbucks
And: Well how nice to have a good chat and a catch up. Sarah provides me with Christian conscience and encouragement without the complications of church politics as we go to different (although theologically similar) churches.

29th June 2010 - part one of two

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv and Jane
Served by: Steven
Bought: A large black coffee (then later had a small black coffee bought for me)
Cost: A large costs £1.29 but I bought one for Viv... then she got one for me... not sure!
Sat: Table 28! It should have our names on it really!

And: A sunny childfree Tuesday, a group of relaxed and contented friends, a whole weekend's worth of conversation fodder! Brilliant!

23rd June 2010

Danni is very busy at the moment. She is a cake decorator extrordinaire but not always that organised! Thus she has four cakes to make this week and three of those are wedding cakes or in a wedding cake style - which means even more work. I phoned her mid-morning just so that she wouldn't feel too lonely in her days of crafting icing flowers and piping endless designs - and found she needed a quick trip to the shops for supplies. Would I meet her for a very quick coffee! Let me think.....

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Susie
Bought: Danni bought me a black coffee and a coke for Susie
Sat: 28!

And: It wasn't very quick but may have been quick! A quick catch up to fortify us both for an afternoon of industry (though I am, as you can see, whiling it away on the computer!)

22nd June 2010

Tuesdays are great. Child-free Tuesdays my favourite day of the week! Sunny childfree Tuesdays bring me to the edge of ecstasy but although this Tuesday was all of these things my joy was tempered by the fact that my Grandad had died on Monday night.

Today's blog is, therefore, dedicated to James Ashdown - a true gentleman, a devoted family man and very fondly remembered by all who knew him. We lost him to Alzheimers Disease a few years ago really and now can really start to grieve for him - but the shock still caused real sadness.

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv, Alex, Amanda, James (Alex was off school with tummy ache)
Bought: Nothing - Amanda not only bought me some flowers as she'd heard about Grandad, but she also bought my coffee. :-)
Sat: Need you ask!? Table 28!

And: My friends are the best in the whole world. My Grandad's death made me sad, but it wasn't a tragedy. He was almost 93 and had lived a full and good life. They were able to let me be sad, but also grateful and happy that I had had him in my life.

18th June 2010

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Matt (though I accidentally called him James as the till told me that was his name!)
Bought: A large (!) coffee and a pain au chocolat
Cost: £1.79
Sat: Table 28
Food: The pain au chocolat was particularly delicious this morning. Really warm (almost hot) and crispy of the outside with gooey chocolate inside.

And: I can now have proper white coffee! I phone Lactofree this week and requested they introduce a portion size UHT version of their product for people, like me, who like to drink their coffee or tea in places other than home. They were ahead of me and yesterday evening a big box of 100 portions arrived!

17th June 2010

I needed to pop to shops this morning so texted Danni on the off chance that she might need to as well... she didn't but we still ended up having coffee!

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Steven - who now greets us like old friends!
Bought: A black coffee and a cappucino
Cost: It was my free 6th coffee!
Sat: NOT at table 28! It was sunny and bright and warm so we sat outside on the 'terrace'. Quote of the day came from Danni who said, when gushing about the glorious weather, "You could be anywhere.... except you're not, you're in Perry Barr"!

And: Short, sweet and precious xxx

15th June 2010 - part two of two

I love a good excuse! Simon needed some more food for his tropical fish and this food is only available at larger retailers of fish paraphenalia hence a trip to Melbicks was planned. Danni has recently got an allotment so is enthused to buy lots of garden stuff. Viv lives in a newly built house so her garden is a blank canvas in need of garden centre purchases. Amanda is both a keen gardener and shopper! AND Melbicks has a lovely coffee shop. Win win win win win!

Melbicks, Chester Road, Coleshill
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv, Amanda, Naomi and James
Bought: We all had different things. I had a normal coffee from the 'Starbucks' bit of the coffee shop. I also bought Danni a hazelnut latte as a thank you for a clematis montana she bought for me.
Served by: Polite but not very friendly young lady
Cost: About £4
Cafe: The coffee shop has a large area with classic high tables but also has a large area with coffe tables and leather sofas. We got the very best one with one long sofa and two armchairs. The cafe has a glass roof so it lovely and bright.
Postion: At the rear of the garden centre to the right.
Busy: Reasonably - but who cares? We got the best table!
Food: Amanda bought chocolate cake and Danni bought a tea cake... no complaints from either!

And: I got to have my coffee white as Amanda bought a carton of lactofree milk! She had bought it specially because I had lunch with her the day before and didn't need it herself! Bless her!

Conversation was light and merry!

15th June 2010 - part one of two

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Viv, Amanda, James and Danni
Served by: Lovely Steven
Bought: A small black coffee (and also had a glass of tap water)
Cost: 99p
Sat: At table 28!

Complaints: My water didn't have ice in it - but that's just picky!

11th June 2010 - part two of two

Ok - this one's going to look at bit random. Danni, Viv and I had an afternoon to play with. All of us had more worthy things to be doing - it cannot be denied - but somehow the lure of 'going out to play' won out over the laundry, cleaning and housework!

We'd aimed for Ikea as Danni had stuff to return but I needed a DIY place and B&Q is right opposite. I suggested combining the two and Danni, shockingly, pronounced that coffee at B&Q was probably nicer than coffee at Ikea!

B&Q, Wednesdbury
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv and Susie
Served by: A lady
Bought: Two cappuccinos and a black coffee, a muffin for Susie and I to share and a scone with jam and butter for Danni
Cost: My drink and cake cost £2
Cafe: Not brilliant. A few tables and chairs in the corner of the DIY shop.
Position: Views of radiators!
Food: Lovely, really lovely, muffin. Apple and toffee I think. Took vast amounts of self control not to scoff Susie's half.

And: How can coffee and time with these lovely ladies be anything but wonderful? Plus I bought blinds for my newly decorated bathroom and toilet!

11th June 2010 - part one of two

Sneaky Breakfast with Danni is becoming a tradition I intend to nurture, cherish and absolutely insist upon! At the end of a busy week, with an even busier weekend looming, is there any better pleasure than the company of a good friend and the consumption of a slightly naughty breakfast treat? I think not!

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: The youngish blonde man!
Bought: A coffee and bacon roll for me, a cappuccino and pain au chocolate for her
Cost: £1.49
Sat: Table 28!

And: Lovely! Conversation topics: tantrums (of our children!), end of year exams (for the kids!), the world cup and the importance and value of a sneaky breakfast!

8th June 2010 - part two of two

I had a few errands to run which necessitated a trip to Birmingham. I wasn't in the mood really as it was chucking it down with rain and I had remembered, thirty seconds after leaving the house in the morning, that my boots had started to leak. Thus I had wet socks and soggy feet for most of the day. However - my husband doesn't often ask me to do things on specific days so I headed into Birmingham anyway and Viv was kind enough to keep me company.

Errands complete we had planned to meet at Starbucks on New Street but en route I was accosted by a Market Researcher who wanted my views of bleach bottles and was willing to pay a fiver for them! Viv and I cheerily offered said opinions (very nice new Domestos range coming up in fabulously bright coloured bottles) and pocketed the fiver each!

The novelty of earning money led me to buy a cake as well as a drink!

Starbucks, New Street, Birmingham
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Viv
Served by: Couldn't tell you age, race or gender but they did offer (without being asked) to give both of us a cup with ice in the decant our bottles into.
Bought: Two bottles of juice / spring water stuff (I had serious caffeine jitters) and a skinny peach and raspberry muffin to share
Cost: I paid for the muffin - the drink and cake was £3.55 but Viv gave me some for her share
Cafe: Typical Starbucks, some comfy seats around coffee tables, some hard seats around dining height tables. We got two armchairs.
Position: This particular Starbucks is on a corner which makes it quite light and airy. It also has a basement cafe which isn't light or airy but is quite cosy. Today we sat upstairs.
Busy: Getting a comfy chair was a bonus as it was quite busy but a few high tables were empty so it wasn't heaving.
Food: The muffin was really nice - much nicer than I expected and a half was totally ample to serve as a small treat.
Complaints: None at all.

And: A lovely oasis in a rainy day. AND the rain stopped and the sun appeared while we were in there. AND it was effectively free given our 'earnings'!

8th June 2010 - part one of two

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv, Amanda, James and Jane
Served by: Steven - who today won favour by noticing we hadn't been in last Tuesday (it was half term - between the five of us we have 24 children!)
Bought: A large black coffee, then Jane bought a 'round' later so I had another one. She accidentally bought one to many cappuccinos so we were there for ages - well after noon by the time we left. My frozen produce was merely chilled!
Cost: My coffee was £1.29
We sat: At our table
Food: Amanda had a bacon sandwich

And: Conversation was lively and varied - we covered lodgers, music, weddings, wine and tool cupboards!

Viv

I have known Viv for just over ten years. We met when my eldest daughter was about five months old (and apparently looking cool in dungarees!) and her youngest daughter was a couple of weeks old. We bonded almost immediately after learning that our respective husbands were both mechanical engineers. We each have a collection of 'being married to a mechanical engineer' anecdotes!

We both have four children though hers are older than mine. However - the two girls who met a decade ago are now best friends (forever!) and find an eight hour school day insufficient to say all they need to say to one another so weekend, evening and holiday get togethers are common!

Viv, of all my friends, needs coffee the most. I mean she really needs it! Even her children, when they were much younger than they are now, made the link between Mummy's general demeanour and efficiency and her coffee consumption! Caffeine doesn't affect her sleep thankfully or I suspect she would never sleep!

When it comes to sneaky coffee Viv usually has a cappuccino. She takes it with a little sugar. She can always be relied upon for good conversation! Not only does she have four children, and an engineer husband, to supply her with endless funny stories but she is also a teacher and, despite being extremely able, prone to entertaining 'interludes' of activity!

Viv is also one of the most selfless people I know. Unerringly generous with her time and any other resource she has to hand.

My life is certainly the richer (and easier!) for having her!

5th June 2010

Ok - this is maybe not quite a 'sneaky coffee' in the fullest sense of the word but it was great coffee and had a little bit sneakily so I include it anyway!

Chez Smith (The Smith's House!)
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv and Matt (plus nine children!)
Served by: Matt
Bought: Nothing... but I enjoyed a black 'lunga' (I think) whilst the others had cappuccino
Cost: Free at the point of delivery though I believe the little capsules used in the posh coffee machine cost about 35p each.
Cafe: The small but perfectly formed garden at Chez Smith
Position: On the bench underneath the kitchen window by the compost bin!

And? Coffee with friends? Good coffee at that? All good!

This was a happy accident. I had popped in the Chez Smith to collect planning books for Sunday School, I was then going onwards to collect a box of Samosas for my brother's wedding celebration and Danni suggested I left the children with her then went back to collect them then Viv saw my car and followed me (inspired by self confessed nosiness!) and thus we ended up enjoying lovely coffee with lovely friends. Happy accident. Serendipity!

3rd June 2010

Each Christmas my family draw names from a hat and then each buy one nice big present for the person selected. This means you get once pretty decent thing instead of a smaller things. It also saves money when you are the purchaser. It's a scheme which serves us well. This year I drew my Mum. My Mum, when asked what she wants for her birthday (or similar) always replies, 'I don't need anything, don't spend your money on me' and, when very heavily pushed, concedes 'a small thing, bubble bath, writing paper or a new pen' would be ok. So I was faced with finding £30 bubble bath or finding an alternative. Interestingly my Mum actually had the idea (and amazingly she voiced it too!). She wanted a treat instead of a present.

This is a fine idea on so many levels. Most of the people I know have everything they need. They also have almost everything they want... especially everything they want in the £10-£30 price bracket. A treat, and some time, are a lot more fun and don't clutter your house up.

To this end I spent the day with my Mum yesterday and we went to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and while there we had (an exceedingly posh) afternoon tea!

The Cavendish Rooms, Chatsworth, Derbyshire
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Mum
Served by: Very well dressed, polite and helpful ladies and gentlemen.
Bought: Our 'afternoon tea' included four finger (crusts cut off!) sandwiches each - egg mayonnaise, cucumber and cream cheese, ham and mustard and smoked salmon. They also brought out extra sandwiches on request. Then there was a scone with jam and clotted cream, a chocolate brownie, a meringue dusted with freeze dried berries or similar and a shot glass of lemon cream. (Re: the lemon cream - I should not have eaten it with my lactose problem. I decided to have a tiny spoonful to see what it was like and it was the most delicious thing ever so I polished off the lot and felt a bit nauseous and bloated for 24 hours.) We also had a glass of rose wine and a pot of tea each - chosen from a list of about 20 tea varieties! It was proper leaf tea too - but we kept forgetting to use the strainer!
Cost: About £15 each - not an everyday treat!
Cafe: Lovely! Proper solid wood (looking at least) tables with comfy bucket seats. Tones of pink and purple mainly. A L shaped room along two sides of a stable block.
Position: The Cavendish Rooms are in the old Stable Block of Chatsworth House. The cafe has glass where the arches would have been so you look out into the courtyard. The rest of the Stable block hosts lovely gift shops and another (cheaper canteen style) restaurant. There is a fountain and some sculpture in the courtyard and lots of people milling about - great for general people watching.
Busy? It was a bit but not in any detrimental way. The clientele were pretty quiet and genteel. In fact - I was self conscious about getting my camera out to photograph the sandwich and cake stand but did it anyway!
Food: The food was great - very posh, very dainty and very tasty.

And? An all round lovely experience. The shops were great for 'mooching' and, being child free we got to have a proper explore of them. Chatsworth gardens are amazing. They go on and on and on and just as you round every corner, you see how much further they continue for. Lots of water features, beautiful trees and planting and, in the glorious sunshine of our visit, it's all absolutely stunning.

Chatsworth House is similarly stunning. Extravagent and rich beyond belief and morality! Touring it, and similar stately homes, always brings out my inner Marxist! These super rich people must have had to develop complicated inner ideology to justify their rampantly privileged lifestyles. Then I am reminded that on a global scale not much has changed - we just don't live in the same locality as the poor propping up our lifestyles in the West anymore.

1st June 2010

I feel like I should add 'finally' to the heading of this blog entry. I spent a few days in Essex staying with my mother-in-law who is kind and generous but not as attuned to 'sneaky coffee-ing' as I. (Though in fairness - few are!) We had two utter (and disappointing) failures in sneaky coffee terms and both times her response was 'Well - we can have a coffee at home' which is accurate and pragmatic but entirely misses the point! Maybe I can see the true source of Simon's inability to grasp the concept properly!

The first incident would have featured a coffee trip for eleven - all six of our family, Nanny (aka Mother in Law or Marjorie), and Simon's sister Wendy and her family (husband Phil and two children). We went for a walk along the shores of Hanningfield Reservoir in windy, chilly and slightly damp weather - all the time bribing the children with the promise of sneaky coffee (or equivalent) at the Fishing Lodge cafe - about a mile along the path. We arrived at the cafe to find that they only served meals between 12.00 and 2.30 and no 'drinks only customers'. It was 12.30. The cafe was packed and our chance at coffee scuppered. The children were each appeased by a packet of crisps or bar of chocolate from the adjoining shop but there was no consolation for me (both foodstuffs were offered and declined - I wanted a coffee!)

The second time was the following day. It was cold, it was wet, it was grey and any plans for 'outings' had long since been abandoned. However - the kids were a little 'cabin feverish' so I suggested a trip to a local garden centre. I have found that garden centres are surprisingly good family destinations. They often have a pet section so kids can look at birds, fish, small mammals, reptiles. They also often have quite interesting shops and products to marvel and giggle at! (Honestly - some of the water features must have been designed as a joke!) They also often feature coffee shops - as this one did. The smell of the coffee was amazing as we pottered around looking at scented candles, silk flowers, hose pipe attachments and bird tables. We selected a few items for purchase (as I said - my Mother in Law is very kind - we all got something!) and then took them to the car as I had seen on a quick recce to to the cafe that baskets were forbidden. We then hastened back to the cafe - arriving there at 16.02 and finding it closed!!!! It closed at 16.00. I was sad.

But then... success.... sort of

Tesco, Mayflower Retail Park, Basildon, Essex

We ended up in Tesco. I needed to buy groceries to bring home to Birmingham. The others went into the cafe while I did a 10 minute run around an unfamiliar Tesco looking for familiar products. I finished, I joined them and was gratified to learn that the children still had just about enough stamina left for me to have a drink too.

Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna - and Simon, Marjorie, Ethan, Naomi, Edward and Susie
Bought: Well I had a coffee but I couldn't say for certain what else was bought. I saw hot chocolate, more coffee, fruit shoots....
Cost: Don't know - Marjorie paid while I wasn't there. My coffee was 95p.
Cafe: Typically Tesco - in the corner of a vast store. It had some coffee tables with bucket red leather seats but table choice was made for me as I arrived last.
Position: Views of the car-park and a distant A127? Not much to comment on.

And? Well I got a coffee but it wasn't quite the experience I had hoped for!

30th May 2010

Simon graduated 25 years ago and last night there was a reunion meal and pub crawl around St Albans to celebrate. Given the 'pub crawl' aspect of the evening we decided to stay in a hotel for the night, leave the children with his Mum and thus we had a child free 24 hours together! Wooo hooo!!!!

After breakfast this morning the sun was shining on this pretty little cathedral town and after strolling around for a bit I insisted on a coffee! After all he is my husband and I ought to share my favourite pastime with him on occasion!

Bellaccino's, French Row, St Albans
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Simon
Served by: a waitress!!! Unusual but lovely!
Bought: An americano and a de-caff cappuccino
Cost: The bill was $4.35 or somthing but we left a fiver as the service was prompt and friendly
Cafe: We sat outside as it was sunny and mild. The inside was buzzing - it's obviously a popular place (and I chose it because they spelled 'Espresso' correctly on their signage. I get frustrated with the inaccurate 'Expresso' seen regularly.)
Position: The cafe was on a narrow pedestrian street and our table on the opposite side of the street. It was fun to 'people watch' (or in Simon's case Dog watch as the couple sitting opposite had a beautiful black labarador - his favourite type of dog). The cafe played music of which we heard agreeable snatches. Then a bag pipe player walked by, then a small but very talented group of Christian singers began to sing fantastic worship songs! It was almost like being at church - but with nice coffee!
And? It was lovely all round. I had bought a paper which we both flicked through. We found lots of nice things to chat about. We enjoyed our temporary childless state and remarked how much childlessness is wasted on the childless! As we left the bill came with two very small bars of chocolate - the packaging on which proclaimed them to be 'Useless bit of chocolate'! This made us both smile!

I love my husband SO much. He drives me slightly demented from time to time but I know I am an extremely blessed lady.

29th May 2010

Viv, a dear friend, is a somewhat nervous driver. She has no need to be. She is perfectly competant. However, this nervousness means that on occasion she asks for help getting to bits of Birmingham she can't drive to. Today that place was Tyseley. Danni, newly free from days of busy-ness, was happy to join us on our little road trip. The business at hand took mere minutes leaving plenty of time for the more important things in life... coffee!

Pausa Coffee, Dunelm Mill, New Bond Street, Birmingham
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Viv and Susie
Served by: Phillip
Bought: We all had a drink and cake combo. Thus the order was three varying types of coffee, a carton of orange juice then one slice of farmhouse fruit cake, one (humongous!) slice of marmalade cake, a toasted fruit bun and a pink gingerbread bunny rabbit!
Cost: Danni paid but the coffee cake combo is advertised at £2.75
Sat: Around a table - soft chairs. Nice.
Busy: No
Food: Lovely fruit cake - light and a lovely sugar crust on the top
Complaints: Again coffee was spilt into the saucers. It is a small thing but has happened three times out of three visits to this place.

And: Lovely as ever! Susie was on form with her 'mock' adult conversation which isn't quite perfected! (Mainly as she is only four!)

Short mooch around Dunelm afterwards. Danni bought a duck egg blue towel for her newly decorated kitchen. I resisted navy blue bath mats for my newly decorated bathroom despite the fact they were in the sale!

Danni

Danni is my most regular sneaky coffee companion. There are many reasons for this. Firstly Danni is one of my longest standing and my closest friend. We have been friends for twelve years and live only minutes from each other. We have spent years going to the same playgroups, the same church, the same supermarket, the same parks... We each have four children and each of them would count one of the other's kids as their best, or among their best, friends. Aside from all this she is an amazing person - kind, gentle, fun, shockingly talented.

When it comes to coffee Danni likes it 'proper'. She is not one to drink instant coffee - even at home. She usually opts for tea when at home, or in other people's homes. Part of the reason for this is she is married to a man (also a great friend) who is a coffee enthusiast... bordering on a coffee snob! (What am I saying - he IS a coffee snob!) Thus her taste is somewhat more refined than that of those who indulge in the odd mug of Nescafe!

However - when going out for coffee Danni opts for the 'hot milkshake' types of coffee. She likes them milky, sweet and flavoured! In Starbucks she opts for Hazelnut latte every time - except for at Christmas when the Toffee Nut latte comes into stores and we trawl from outlet to outlet searching for one which has syrup AND sprinkles! In Costa she has had to abandon hazelnut latte as their syrup has changed to 'roasted hazelnut' which she doesn't like. She now opts for caramel latte.

Danni will experiment though and finds that she prefers cappuccino in some places and latter in others. In places which don't have flavoured syrups on offer she adds brown sugar in a very artistic manner - sprinkling it in circular patterns on the froth of the coffee!

Danni will, I hope, continue to feature heavily on this blog. As a sneaky coffee companion she is un-surpassed!

25th May 2010 - part three of three

Sunny afternoon? Post school trip to the park!

Handsworth Park
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Anna
Bought: A mocha and a minestrone soup
Cost: £1
Sat: On the middle bench!

And: A nice way to round off the day!

25th May 2010 - part two of three

So a sunny child-free afternoon was in prospect. We all had some bits and pieces to do but concluded that all doing said bits and pieces in the same place (thus enabling further coffee, chat and company) was good sense and so we headed to Walsall.

I had to find sandals for my twelve year old boy. In the fourteenth shop I looked in I found some! It seems that little children (shoe size up to 13) need sandals, as to adults, but middle sized kids are woefully ill-provided for (or have such a heavy duty cycle that sandals need much more regular replacement thus selling out quicker - which sort of fits in as the reason Ethan needed sandals is because the previous pair were chewed by a dog having been left outside overnight). I considered buying pink ones as they were freely available and I thought he may learn a lesson, then I found some Man Utd themed ones which would have, from his perspective, been far worse!

Viv was looking for dictionaries for her 15 year old son and Amanda was after shorts for her ten year old son.... anyone spotting a theme?!

Costa Coffee, The Art Gallery, Walsall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Amanda, Viv, Ellen and little James
Served by: a young man and Barbara. Helpful and very happy to give me a glass of iced water.
Bought: A small black coffee
Cost: £1.80
Sat: Outside - warmish and sunnyish

And: I was just happy the hunt for sandals was over! If champagne had been on offer I would have bought it! (Not really!)

25th May 2010 - part one of three

Well - it does seem that Tuesdays net the most sneaky coffee! Tuesday - or as I like to call them - Childfree Tuesdays - is the day when I have 9am - 3.20pm with not children in my care. I take full advantage of this. It was particularly welcome today. Last night I went to a ladies meeting with my church and we all committed to trying to make one scripture leap from page to life. I hadn't exactly decided which scripture but was erring in the direction of being patient with my children. However - by 8.30am I had failed - utterly and miserably. Thus I was utterly miserable by the time I arrived for the first sneaky coffee. My friends - all of Christian persuasion in this instance - are the gift of God to me at all times but especially today. We've all been there and we are all dependent of God to make up for our inadequacy.

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Ellen (Viv's grown up daughter), Viv, Jane, Amanda and little James
Served by: Laura - my new favourite member of staff. She was friendly and polite. She offered me a 'real' teaspoon if I didn't want to use a wooden stirrer, gave me lots of ice (and offered lemon) in the glass of water I requested and later on she brought a colouring sheet and packet of crayons over for James.
Bought: A large black coffee and a glass of water....
Cost: But it was all free as I had a fully stamped loyalty card (i.e. I have bought five coffees)
We sat: At our sofa table
Food: I had a pack of oatcakes to eat... and Danni brought in a pack of Thorntons Caramel Flapjacks - which I cannot eat due to the milk content.
Complaints: None at all!

And? My friends are the best - really really the absolute and very best! Our conversation was such fun, so uplifting and peppered with laughter. I love them.

23rd May 2010

My Mum turned 60 on the sunniest weekend of the year so far (and possibly the sunniest weekend of the year in its totality judging by recent years) and the whole family were at Center Parcs. We were so busy enjoying the facilities, weather and necessary icecream that it took us until Sunday morning to make use of one of the many Starbucks outlets on site.

Starbucks, Sherwood Forest Center Parcs
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Simon, Ethan, Naomi, Edward and Susie; Mum and Dad; Grannie; James, Heidi, Luca, Theo and Ellis; Paul and Angela
Served by: A slightly inpolite young lady - I expected that my Starbucks card (which is empty of credit but usually qualifies me for a free shot of syrup) would not be accepted but other similar outlets allow me the free syrup even if they don't accept the card as payment. She wasn't exactly impolite... but not apologetic either.
Bought: Our family had two flavoured spring water drinks (to share between the four children) a decaff coffee for Simon and a black coffee with a shot of almond syrup for me.
Cost: £7.20 - prices noticeably higher
Cafe: It was a nice place - spacious and well equipped with soft comfy chairs. However - we took advantage of the terrace area - mainly because the weather was stunning but also because we had seven children in our party and spilled drinks and noise matter less in the great outdoors!
Position: In the Center Parc 'village' which feels like an upmarket pedestrianised market town street.
Food: The others bought cakes etc. They were the standard menu items.
Complaints: No - all was well.

And? It was a nice time. However - such a big party does limit the feeling of 'having coffee together' as you can realistically only chat to a few people.

21st May 2010

I think the Friday morning breakfast with Danni is going to become a fixture. We both enjoy it so much and it costs relatively little in terms of time or money. Today is, as far as I am concerned, the first 'proper' spring day we have had. The sun has shone before now, the air has been warm... but today to two coincided and I deemed it not only a sandals day, but also a shorts day!!!!

Danni was in a hurry this morning and almost cancelled.... but she didn't. We just ate, drank and left without the usual following hour of chat! (Mental note - make sure that I allow twice as long next week!)

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Bought: A cappuccino and pain au chocolat for Danni, an Americano and bacon sandwich for Anna
Cost: Danni paid!
We sat: NOT at our usual table but at table 55 which was near the open front entrance of the pub (over looking the bus stops!) but far enough from the actual 'patio' area which was full of smokers. We got to see and feel the sunshine - a bit.
Food: They put butter in my bacon sandwich (after expressly requesting that they didn't) which added calories. I don't understand why bacon sandwiches need butter. Mayonnaise maybe but not butter!

And? Lovely as ever. I also took along my 'effervescent energy boost vitamin supplement' tablet with me which I fizzed into a glass of (free) water. Somehow this added to my enjoyment!

19th May 2010

My trip out this afternoon originally was to 'do banking' but I managed to 'do banking' online (more of a surprise than you might expect given our temperamental computer) so I had no excuse other than the sun was shining and Viv needed companionship!

Costa, Walsall Art Gallery
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Viv and Susie
Served by: Barbara
Bought: A small americano and a babycino for Susie
Cost: £2.30
Cafe: This is a nice Costa, it is on corner of the ground floor of the art gallery, has glass walls on two sides and a nice selection of sofa type seats as well as cafe tables. We sat in the small outside bit which had cafe tables and was obviously mainly used by smokers as all the ashtrays were overflowing. It wasn't quite sunny enough for this to be lovely but it was warm and dry enough for us to opt for it as we never know when the next opportunity to drink al fresco may arise.
Position: The windows look out on to a canal wharf and a 'piazza' (ha ha) leading into the main shopping street. Sadly it is in Walsall which is not quite the prettiest place in the world so this all sounds better than it actually is! However - Walsall does have all the amenities and shops one might need and parking is cheaper than Birmingham by about 60%.
Busy: It was quite busy but we didn't have to queue at the counter
Food: Well - a babycino comes with marshmallows usually and today it only came with one. There seems to be inconsistencies between Costa outlets with this regard. Sometimes you get as many as three!
Complaints: The marshmallows were only given sparingly and Costa seem to have lost all my loyalty card points which upsets and annoys me a little. My next free drink has been delayed a little.

And: I am not sure if I prefer Costa coffee or Starbucks. I plan to buy two take out cups and try them side by side - all in the name of research you understand! The coffee was nice enough today. The conversation continually interrupted by a very talkative Susie!

18th May 2010 - part four of four

And so the kids were out of school. The sun was shining.

We all met at the local play park which has been refurbished in the last few years and provides a great range of play apparatus and - crucially - access to the coffee machine in Handsworth Leisure Centre. I took squash and brioche rolls along for the children (seven in all) and a few small coins to provide for our needs!

Handsworth Play Park, 4pm
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Anna!
Bought: A mocha for Danni, Minestrone soup for me
Cost: £1 - but only because I paid for Danni's too. 50p each.
We sat: On the bench to the far right!
Busy: The park was VERY busy because it's one of the first sunny afternoons we've had for weeks.

And: Danni and I have children (four each) who LOVE to spend as much time together as possible. They have such a special friendship which is great because so do we!

18th May 2010 - part three of four

Ok - I had bought a new tyre, I had shopped, I had put the stuff away, I had realised that I had forgotten breakfast cereal so I went back to Tesco. Then I went to pick Danni up. We both had a couple of errands we could combine so headed off to north Birmingham with lists.

We intended to do the stuff then go to The Fort for coffee but ran out of time. We tried to have coffee at the cafe at B&Q (Where we were) but their credit / debit card machine was out of order. Between us we had about £3 in cash - not quite enough.

Then we ran out of time. Our coffee-ing intentions had failed.

18th May 2010 - part two of four

Ok - we were a bit late meeting Viv (who opted not to shop at Tesco this morning - clearly less enamoured of clubcard deals than I am!) but she was late too so all was well!

The Arthur Robertson, 10.45am
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Viv (apologies from Amanda and James - little James was ill so she could neither shop, nor drink coffee sneakily!)
Served by: Emma - helpful, polite
Bought: A diet Pepsi (with ice) as I had caffeine shakes
Cost: £1.55
Cafe: We sat at our table - of course!
Complaints: My one complaint about the Arthur Robertson is the sheer volume of 'stuff' on the tables. There were about four magazines (all their corporate magazine), three standing up menus, two standing up drinks menus, and two sheets advertising their Tuesday evening 'Steak Club'. I remove the lot to the floor otherwise I can't see my mates to chat to them over the table.

And: Lovely as ever. Viv had even dressed up!

18th May 2010 - part one of four

Ok - today has featured way too much coffee! And a lot of Danni (though there can never be too much Danni so that is not a complaint!), a fair amount of driving, a little bit too much spending... but as I have committed to faithfully record my sneaky coffee-ing them I must be truthful.

Tesco Cafe, 9.30am
I was late to Tesco this morning as I had to stop at a garage en route to have the rear nearside tyre changed on my husband's car... confused? I was when I phoned him up and found I had gone to the 'wrong' place! His reaction was more appropriate to the preceeding phrase 'All four children have been swept away by a freak tsunami' than 'I'm at Abbey - which brand of tyre do you want?'. A loud and heartfelt 'NOooooo' must have been audible to the man who had jacked up the car, removed the old (bald) tyre and done all manner of stuff which I don't understand. Hubby soon calmed down (I had, apparently, phoned at a bad time) and an appropriate brand was selected and paid for. (Incidentally the garage gave me a £10 discount for being a good customer - go Abbey Tyres on Witton Road.) Anyway - this episode made me 30 minutes late for Tesco but I found Danni still in fruit and veg (i.e. not very far around) - dithering over bananas or something. She confessed to being somewhat unfocused and we opted to go for a quick 'pre-shopping' drink in order to help the focusing process take shape.

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Robert
Bought: A 'mild black coffee'
Cost: 95p
Cafe: We sat in the red bucket seats next to the coffee height tables. We were later joined by a mutual friend - Kerry.

And: The coffee tasted better today. I must replenish the supply of 'the milk which isn't milk' jiggers though as black coffee does tire one after a while. We left the cafe focused.... which was just as well as we were due to meet Viv at 10.30am and needed to do all our shopping and drive to The Arthur Roberston in 30 minutes!

17th May 2010

Tesco Cafe, Aston Lane, Birmingham

This really was super impromptu. My car had gone into the garage for its MOT, Danni picked Susie and I up to take us home but needed to nip into Tesco for a bunch of flowers and to get some cash... and upstairs is a cafe....

Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and Susie
Served by: Robert the very friendly and helpful manager there
Bought: A 'mild black coffee' and a fruit shoot for Susie
Cost: £1.60 in total
Cafe: Mainly canteen style tables and chairs, bright (harsh?) lighting, huge mural style photos of food which doesn't closely resemble that on offer in the hot food cabinet! There are, thankfully, two coffee tables with red (hurrah!) leather bucket seats around. We sat there.
Position: On a mezzanine floor above our usual Tesco. View over the store and the automated sound of the customer service queue are key features!
Food: No - not ever but the deals aren't bad. I wonder if the food is?
Complaints: The coffee isn't that good and the cafe isn't that nice - it's a shame as Robert is lovely and I feel we betray him weekly by decamping to the pub for our post shopping coffee.

And: Coffee with Danni is always a pleasure... the coffee is adequate but the atmosphere and decor of the place make it... only adequate for sneaky coffee-ing.

14th May 2010

The Arthur Robertson

After such a succesful Friday Breakfast last week Danni and I were tempted beyond that which normal people can withstand. We are NOT normal people.... but we still couldn't withstand such temptation so once more we disposed of our children at their various schools and nurseries and met for coffee and breakfast, chat and chilling.

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Bought: A cappuccino, a black coffee and two pain au chocolat
Cost: £1.79 each (we had a large coffee - woo hoo!)
Served: By Stephen... and was able to answer his question as to how to properly pronounce 'Pain au Chocolat'. Always glad to be of service!
Seated: On our very own sofas (apparently table 28!)
Busy: Not very
Food: The pain au chocolat were warm, crisp, delectable

And? Oh I don't know what I would do without Danni. Todays conversation included cake making, decorating, children tantruming, creationism, being a junior church leader....

13th May 2010

The Arthur Robertson

I feel I should now include a 'what I should have been doing' section... in this case it was painting the bathroom which is a work in progress. However - hearing my mobile beep at 7.30 I fervently hoped it would be exactly what it was - and invitation from Danni to meet her for coffee!

Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna and Danni
Served by: Stephen
Bought: A large black coffee
Cost: £1.29 (but I also bought a paper on the way in which was £1)
Cafe: We sat on our sofas
Busy: No - not at breakfast time today

And? A very satisfying way to start the day. Nice coffee, nice chat. And when I got home I got straight on with the painting and made good progress! Honest!

11th May 2010 - part two

Pausa Coffee, Dunelm Mill

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Viv, Danni, Amanda and James
Served by: The same man who we may have startled with out enthusiasm last week. Spotted today that his name badge read Phillip. There was also a girl there helping.
Bought: Well - today was not so much coffee as lunch! We'd spotted their meal deals and determined to sample them! I had a panini meal which consisted of a panini (funnily!) which had been warmed and served with salad, a drink (I had Pepsi - the coffee jitters from the two coffees consumed an hour before were still jittering) and a slice of cake (to the value of £1.85!). I chose black cherry and almond slice. The others had sandwiches or baked potatoes.
Cost: My meal deal was £5.49. It meant the cake cost me just 20p.
Busy?: Well it was quite, or at least the tables were not full but the queue was longish. The two staff were working hard but things were not super speedy. My panini sat by the toaster for a few minutes before being 'done' for example.
Food: Well my Tex Mex Chicken panini was lovely - spicy and tasty. The cake was perfectly pleasant. The others reported their food was good too.
Complaints: I had to ask twice for my cake even though it should have been given to me on order. However - this is a minor gripe.

And? Very nice. Good value and a nice place for a post lunch browse. Did a bit of shopping too.

11th May 2010 - part one

The Arthur Robertson

Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Viv, Danni, Jane, Amanda, James (Amanda's 18 month old son)
Served by: Nice chap - asked his name as we visit so regularly. He is called Paul.
Bought: Various coffees - we had two each! I had two black coffees, one large and one small. (Or regular as the menu would have it!)
Cost: Well - the first coffee was free!!! This was thanks to the loyalty card which gives you every 6th drink for free! The second was bought by Jane (thanks!)
Cafe: We got our sofas
Busy: We regularly go immediately after shopping on a Tuesday morning. The earlier we arrive the quieter it tends to be. Today we arrived about 10.45am and it was filling up a bit. Thankfully it is getting busier generally as we would hate it to close due to poor business.

And? I came away with mega caffeine jitters! Two coffees in close succession is not good for a girl who only has de-caff at home (that's probably another post!). Also (and excitingly) I was able to have 'milk' today as I had spotted, on the lowest shelves of Tesco's coffee aisle, a box of ten 'jiggers' of milk which isn't milk if you see what I mean. I bought a box and siphoned two jiggers into my handbag at the checkout only to find, when my precious and kind friend Danni arrived, that she had also spotted the product and bought a box for me! I now can have eighteen more coffee's out without it having to be black! Maybe even a fortnights worth!

As always, with this fine group of friends, conversation was abundant, entertaining and uplifting!

Mac Banana, April 2010

I am a blessed lady! One of the recent blessings in my life was the chance to go to South Africa on holiday (and for my brother's wedding!) in April 2010. Sneaky coffee-ing over in South Africa was so cheap that even Simon couldn't object! Thus we did it a fair amount!

Thus - the next entry is not intended to provide information (unless you plan to go all the way to South Africa for your sneaky coffee), but rather a nostalgia fest for me!

Mac Banana, Kaw-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Simon, Mum, Dad, Ethan, Naomi, Edward and Susie
Served by: Smiling, polite, helpful staff - they all earned their generous tips many times over. Especially the lady who replaced Susie's spilled milkshake (no use crying!) and didn't charge extra.
Bought: Coffee (black) and Cappuccino. Banana Milkshakes. Beer. Pineapple milkshakes.
Cost: Can't remember exactly but eight drinks were less than the equivalent of £12
Cafe: GORGEOUS! We sat outside in a colonial dream of a garden. Peacocks strutted past, weaving between banana trees. The sun shone and we sheltered under a parasol next to the fountain.
Position: There was an indoor cafe but who would want to sit there?! The gently sloping terrace was perfection!
Food: We bought pancakes on one visit - banana and cinnamon! Hmmmmmm - though a dollop of cream would have improved it further that is no longer permitted due to the lactose intolerance. The bananas grown there (and available for silly money) taste amazing. Juicy, intense.... It's because they are ripened on the tree.... I can no longer eat bananas from Tesco. My eyes have been opened.
Complaints: Why don't they open a branch in Birmingham?

And? Everything about this place was lovely (though it probably benefits from the holiday mood factor) and I was delighted to have had it recommended. It also had a large shop selling fresh produce, homemade goodies and knick knacks. We got a lot of stuff there! The banana milkshakes (and I must confess I sneaked a sip - naughty girl) were to die for. I wouldn't normally be so enthused about a milkshake (or any other drink) but these really were. Freshly picked and ripe bananas, blended with honey and soft ice cream.... delicious.

Lactose Intolerance

When my sneaky coffee habit began I consumed very milky coffee. Latte - absolutely. Cappuccino - regularly. Cafe Misto (a Starbucks concoction which tastes a lot like instant but nice if you want a milder drink) - very often. However - in the autumn of 2009 I realised how ill I felt. For some time I had suffered with bloating, nausea and lots of other issues a polite lady would never post on the internet! One morning in October I was leaning on my Tesco trolley in the breakfast cereal aisle and a thought occurred to me - maybe it is milk.

Now I am convinced that the 'thought' was actually the voice of God - especially given what happened subsequently.

I gave up milk and milk products. No breakfast cereal (a particularly sad loss), no cheese, no cream or custard. I gave up latte and other coffees in the family and tried to learn to love my coffee black.

Within twelve hours I felt so much better. Within two days I genuinely felt like a new woman. Within six weeks I had lost a stone in weight (every cloud....) Since then I have visited various doctors who, having heard my history, feel no need to further investigate. Lactose intolerance it is. Lactose intolerant I am.

I really miss milk sometimes but on times I throw caution to the wind (ha ha - what a pun!) the effects are fast and nasty. It isn't worth it.

I really really miss latte, flavoured latte, cappuccino.... and I am gutted not to be able to try the new 'flat white' appearing everywhere. I am learning to enjoy black coffee... still learning.

The enjoyment of sneaky coffee has become much less to do with the actual coffee.

On the plus side I think I am developing a more discerning palate for coffee generally. A couple of times I have genuinely loved my black coffee, now I need to find out exactly why that was.

8th May 2010

The Victorian Tea Rooms, Kings Heath Park, B14 7TQ

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon. My daughter was at a swimming party some distance from home. Too far away to bother with two return journeys so coffee was the obvious solution. The companionship of a friend (the mother of my daughter's friend) made the decision even more inevitable. We politely declined the opportunity to 'enjoy' our 'coffee' at the leisure centre and struck out in search of something nicer.

Kings Norton was very disappointing. Both coffee shops on the square closed just after lunch. However - their loss was the gain of the very nice establishment we stumbled upon in a desperate (and possibly erratic) coffee shop search driving tour.

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna and Viv
Bought: A pot of coffee and a large cappucino
Cost: Well Viv paid (thanks!) but the total bill was £3.75
Served by: The staff were all very polite, friendly and helpful.
Cafe: In a Victorian building in the park. The cafe has many lilac covered tables complete with small vases of (silk) flowers. An adjoining conservatory is presumably used in busy (sunny?) periods.
Position: Lovely views of the park which still looked attractive in the rain!
Busy: Busy enough - no problem getting a table but no echoing conversation in an empty room either.
Food: We got FREE biscuits with our coffee! A digestive an a strawberry custard cream each!!! Viv (with admirable self discipline) didn't eat hers but I dunked and ate mine!
Complaints: The cappucino (of which I had persuaded Viv to have a large) was served in a small vase type receptacle. No handle! Very odd but I don't suppose it impacted on the flavour.

And? What a find! The coffee (served in a miniature cafetiere) was perfectly acceptable. Free biscuits felt like a lovely bonus. Viv and I had a nice chat. Then we had a nice (albeit short due to the weather) stroll in the park. We both commented that coming on a nicer day for a longer stroll (and possibly cake with the coffee to replenish the burnt calories) would be a good future plan.

7th May 2010

The Arthur Roberston - again!

I stayed up all night watching the general election results as they arose... I was very tired and coming down with a cold. A 7.30 text inviting me for a child-free breakfast time coffee under the excuse of essential shopping! What is a girl to do?!

Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni and Anna
Bought: A black coffee and bacon sandwich and a cappucino and pain au chocolat
Cost: £1.49 each
Served by: New guy? Didn't recognise him. Polite and helpful (and he accidentally gave me a large coffee instead of the small I ordered. I didn't point this out as I figured it would cost the pub more to pour away the large one and replace it with a regular).
Position: We got our (yes - our!) sofas
Food: Divine! And such good value. We may make it regular Friday thing.

And? The nicest sneaky coffee for so long. The coffee was ok, the food was great but Danni and I had such great conversation and felt so relaxed and ready to face the day when we left.

6th May 2010

The Arthur Robertson, One Stop Shopping Centre, Perry Barr, B42 1AA

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Naomi (aged 10) and Edward (aged 6)
Bought: A small coffee and two J2O drinks
Cost: £4.19
Served by: A manager type figure, seen him before.
Cafe: It's a pub! But there are two leather sofas facing each other over a coffee table and next to a fire. It's a nice ambience.
Busy: Not really
Food: I read the menu because it was new!

And? Well - going for coffee with your children can be nice... or not. In this case they made mess with ice cubes, crawled under tables and didn't make nice conversation! They were only off school because it was general election day and their school was closed.
The Arthur Robertson is a regular haunt for us as a group. The coffee is ok (apparently the cappucino is good but I can't have that) and it is a nice local place.

5th May 2010

in Dunelm Mill, B9 4HX

Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Danni and (honorary) Susie (honorary as she is only 4 years old and doesn't drink coffee!)
Bought: A hazelnut latte (for Danni), Americano with a shot of cinnamon syrup for Anna and a flavoured water for Susie.
Cost: £2.75 for the Americano and water. The shot of syrup was 40p.
Served by: Young man who was somewhat bemused by our excitement. Not chatty but quite smiley and efficient. He did splosh my coffee into the saucer a bit but that was mainly because the cup was properly full so it would be churlish to complain....
Cafe: Mainly high padded chairs or hard chairs and tables but two sets of arm chair and coffee table combinations. We had one of those.
Position: At the back of Dunelm Mill. No natural light or windows BUT a lovely view of ladybird dustpan sets and gorgeous stripy and spotty brooms....
Busy: No - we were the only customers. (Though a couple arrived as we left)
Food: OK looking cake and good 'afternoon tea' deal. Very tempting lunch deals - we're planning to go back for lunch next week.
Complaints: The coffee was REALLY hot. I couldn't even sip it for a couple of minutes. Thus I ended up spilling even more of it into the saucer whilst trying to hold the cup. Only a small thing though.

And? All in all a very nice time. The coffee was good (apparently the latte was very good) and the novelty made it a lot of fun. Might add it to our regular haunts! Dunelm is also a lovely 'moochable' shop with lots of lovely things to look at.

Why sneaky?

I coined the phrase 'sneaky coffee' - I really did!

I love to go out for coffee. I love not having to tidy up in order to sit down, I love not having to boil the kettle, I love having 101 options as to exactly how I want my coffee to be, I love the sofas, the music, the aroma.....

My husband (who, it must be said, is lovely) doesn't get it. His take is that 'you can make coffee at home, why pay for what can be had at home for free'. A reasonable question? Maybe. However - because I love the whole 'having a coffee out' experience I continue to indulge anyway. Whilst I don't keep my coffee drinking and buying habits a secret... I don't exactly advertise them either!

Starting out

An interesting thought....

I have devoted many hours in recent years to developing what I believe to be a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the best places to enjoy coffee with friends in and around Birmingham, UK.

I can't claim this is a solo effort and many other dedicated 'sneaky coffee-ers' have been instrumental in this endeavour. We have, without thought of personal gain or pleasure, sacrificed considerable resources - time and money - to being able to absolutely reliably rate the Birmingham coffee experience.

Today one of my coffee-ing companions enjoyed coffee in a new place which is always novel and exciting and liable (if good) to ensure that voices become high pitched and occasional bouncing and clapping be exhibited! When said coffee shop is also in a shop with lots of lovely lovely things the effect is doubled! We were so excited I commented that I should blog our experience and knowledge and thus bless humanity (or at least coffee lovers in Birmingham!).

So here I am, here it is!