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.

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!

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'!

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.