It is quite surprising how absolutely shattered we were, or I certainly was after the week’s exertions. We went back home, put the kettle on and slumped down on the sofa. Phew!
Julie had a course at lunchtime, and so we had an early lunch before she headed out to Folkestone, leaving me behind to work through the hundreds of shots I had taken. As usual, there was football on the radio, and so I alternated between snoozing on the sofa and stuff on the computer.
Sunday we headed back over to Rye as I had booked us in for Sunday lunch, as I had so enjoyed the Mermaid when Sami and I went in for coffee the week before. We had some stuff to get from Folkestone first, mainly cat food. Feeding four hungry cats; that should be three hungry cats and an elderly contrary one, can be, is, expensive; so the chance to get 50% off means we got a bootfull and enough until the end of next month, hopefully.
We drove along the coast through Hythe, Romney before heading over the march to Dymchurch where there is a café near the station. We had enough time for a walk to the beach before we had to head to Rye and get there in time for our reservation. As you would expect, all manner of Sunday drivers were holding us up, and it was just before half past when we made it into the town. And then we had to make our way through the town and the parked cars, find a place to park, and then walk up the steep cobbled street to the Mermaid.
The Mermaid was rebuilt in AD 1420, and very much looks its age. It is timber-framed, wattle and daubed, and the timber frame have settled so the building is every angle except right ones. We walked in the main entrance, down the corridor painted with famous Elizabethan figures, and were shown to our table by the window. It was a leaded light window of course, I wouldn’t have expected anything less to be honest.
The waiter asked us what we would like to drink; I chose Speckled Hen and Jools chose cider. Both were brought in silver tankards. We ordered starters and then main course; fried risotto balls followed by roast beef for both of us. In the meantime we looked around and sampled our surroundings. It was all very nice indeed.
The starter arrived, and was beautifully presented with a savoury jus adding colour and pattern to the plate. The food was wonderful, needless to say.
The roast beef arrived and was well done, but melt in the mouth tender; it came with roast potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding (of course) and seasonal root vegetables. Along with the beer and a small glass of red wine, it was wonderful.
We even had a dessert; Jools had Pana Cotta with coconut and raspberry conserve and I had Coffee, Plum + Armagnac and pistachio ice creams in a wafer basket with a sugar thing net roof. Both looked stunning; so stunning we snapped each others dish before tucking in.
Would we like to retire to the lounge and have a coffee before leaving we were asked? It was too good an offer to decline, so we went into the lounge, sat beside the fire and waited for the coffee and petit fours to arrive; along with the bill. Ow, that was a shock, but the meal and surroundings were just amazing.
Time then to head home and get ready for the working week ahead. All good things come to an end, and the week off had.
Not a good start to the week was another round of redundancies announced by head office, hitting many people in our department. At the end of the day, a presentation came round with organisation charts of how we all fit in to the new, leaner company. Only me or my boss were not mentioned. And so the waiting goes on. Talk was of realignment, with no guarantee of where or if we fitted in.
First thing this morning a mail came round saying my boss has been promoted, or has a new title, and there is me on the flow diagram still working for him. YAY. Hopefully this is it now, the end of the sackings and redundancies and we can get on with working without the executioner’s axe poised over our necks.
Please.
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