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.
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Wednesday 21 July 2010
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!
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.
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.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
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.
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!
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!
Saturday 17 July 2010
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!
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.
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.
Wednesday 14 July 2010
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
The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky coffee-ers: Danni, Anna and Susie
Tuesday 13 July 2010
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!
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!
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.
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.
Monday 12 July 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday 6 July 2010
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!
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!
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!
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
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!
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!
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