August's Meeting

August is always a tricky month for the Intellectual Dinner Club, someone is always going on holiday or doing something exciting and so it was only natural that we decided to move the next dinner in to September. We did the same thing last year...although the memory of that is quite disturbing...an empty restaurant, Jamiroquai playing on a loop and a nice big hair in our chocolate brownie dessert! This year however the restaurant looked more promising, a friendly pub set in the picturesque village of Thurstonland, which promised us a homely atmosphere with some good pub grub!

Caviar of the North!

The first couple of weeks in September had been hard and we were all feeling slightly exhausted from hectic weeks at work. In some ways it was no real surprise that Amanda had decided that for the first time ever she just couldn't face a night out, and so Caroline, Phoebe, Danielle and I made our way around the windy roads of Holmfirth towards the Rose and Crown. We were greeted at the door by a little dog who willingly accepted our cuddles as we slowly made our way over to the bar. The staff were friendly and relaxed and the restaurant was buzzing with people enjoying themselves. This looked good! It was the first time that we had seen Dani since the magazine article came out and so of course we brought a copy with us to once again laugh at our picture and dissect the other groups featured. We all agreed that the magazine had saved the best group until last! Amanda's absence was strange...there was something a little unsettling about not having her with us...who would argue with Dani? Purse their lips in disapproval? Order a latte? It just wasn't the same. We ordered our food from the blackboard and squealed with delight when we discovered that we could have three courses for the bargain price of just £13.95! We were all starving and so we decided to order up big! Phoebe and I ordered creamy garlic mushrooms, Caroline the vegetable soup and Dani ordered the chicken liver pate of course. They all arrived quickly and we delved in to the mountain of delicious food. For our mains it was a unanimous decision 'Caviar of the North' as the waitress put it...or rather fish and chips. It was a good choice, although a rather large choice...gigantic chips accompanied a Moby Dick sized fish topped with mushy peas, tartar sauce and lemon wedges (to add an exotic twist!) The food was delicious and given the price we were definitely getting our money's worth...with excellent service thrown in too.

Our conversation tonight had somehow turned to growing old...depressing I know but with Dani there it had started to become hilarious. We all discussed what we would be like as old women...Phoebe would be a straw hat wearing, rosy cheeked, slightly senile old lady, whilst it was determined that I would be a Marks and Spencer loyalist, wearing my odd clothing covered in flower prints, a rain bonnet for every occasion and wrinkly pop socks. Caroline wouldn't change a bit...still youthful but with a full head of silver hair.  Danielle would be exactly as she is now but old...trapped in the noughties with her style, energetic, flirting with the old men and wheeling a very old and grumpy Amanda around in her wheel chair...the pair of them still arguing and debating! Amanda when not in her chair complaining would be speeding around on her shop mobility scooter, knocking people out of the way...not a care in the world...but still looking fabulous of course! Our conversation carried on throughout dessert, sticky toffee pudding and raspberry tarts all served with cream. It seemed wrong to be squeezing a pudding in but it was included in the price and so was absolutely necessary.

 And so we turned to our theme 'Discover Your Inner Child' as selected by Danielle. It had taken me a while to figure out how I was going to approach this theme and after begging my husband to take me to Moomin Land whilst we were on holiday, and failing to convince him it was vital for the successful completion of my theme, I settled on a project that I had started a few years ago called 'Mr Cow.' As a little girl I always loved writing and illustrating my own stories so I dug out some old pictures I had drawn of a well loved toy called Mr Cow. For my theme I produced a picture book, which told the story of Mr Cow the travelling cow and I presented it by reading my book to the girls and introducing them to the real Mr Cow at the end of the story...who was quietly hiding in the bottom of my bag. I loved this theme and couldn't wait to see how the others had approached it. Phoebe went back to her childhood days of Saturday morning television, sitting in front of the TV, her T-shirt pulled over her knees and eating her cereal. Phoebe talked about how she discovered a new kids TV program called 'Almost Naked Animals!' But it still didn't compare to the days of Button Moon, Thundercats (Hooooooo!), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and

Fun House...complete with Pat Sharpe and his big, long, hairy mullet! Caroline had prepared her theme before she jetted off to Barbados (she just had to remind us for the millionth time that she had been to Barbados) and talked about the childhood excitement of going on family holidays to Scarborough. Packing up all of their things, which usually ended up being four T-shirts and a pair of knickers. The smell of the hotel, donkey rides on the beach and playing bingo in the arcades. Even thirty years later she still gets the same excitement and anticipation before going on holiday as she did as a child...but then you would if you were going to Barbados, all-inclusive with cocktails served on the beach at ten thirty in the morning! Finally Danielle presented her theme and in true Danielle style she admitted she hadn't done it...tonight she was free styling! Dani admitted that even now she still considers herself to be a child...her holiday this year was to Disneyland, she watches a Disney movie nearly every day and earlier this week she had thrown a huge temper tantrum. So she decided to turn the theme around and find her outer adult...it's time to grow up a bit she said. But before she finished she told us some stories about her childhood...and then presented us all with a ginger bread man, because that's what her Mum always bought her as a little girl when they were out shopping.

It was time to pay the bill and make our way home. It had been another fantastic evening, despite Amanda's absence and we had tried to make the best of it even though it felt strange to be there without her. A few more cuddles with the dog as we left and we descended into the dark, chilly night, our bellies full and feeling content. We climbed into the car as Phoebe frantically searched for her glasses only to realise she had never brought them with her. What were we saying about the slightly senile Phoebe as an old lady...could it have begun already?  Another month had been put to bed, personally it had been a difficult one and I was glad to say goodbye, but knowing that we have the Intellectual Dinner Club at the end of each month gets me through the difficult times. I just hope that next month we will all be back together...here in our honey pot for any kind of bee! ;-)

Catherine xx

Missing our Amanda!