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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!