Forum Breakfast Meet-ups

Helen, yes I was sorry to hear the breakfast meet-up was a no no this time. There will be other days. I don't drive myself but do you find that ladies mostly choose a colour first and the 'car quality' next. A good point though - easy to find in a car park. My daughter took over her father's car - Forrester and she treats it like a baby. I am very lucky, she is my dear chauffeur most times. I feel completely safe with her behind the wheel.

My previous car was inherited but grew to hate it. It wasn't too bad while I was chauffeur but it was always 'difficult'. Even on the day I sold it, it let me down. I picked this one for reliability, size and cheapness to fix. A lot of new cars are too blocky and look like they've escaped from a Star Trek movie but if there had been a nice colour I might well have been tempted to spend a bit more. The only girly promise I ever made about cars was that I'd never buy a Mini. My Mum had an original one and I remember being terrified from being sat lower than a lorry tyre arch! Everything about those tiny machines appalled me. Plastic seat leather that gave me frost bite in the winter and second degree burns in the summer. Of course I never had to park them, so I couldn't appreciate their finer points.

Yes Helen, it was indeed a bummer. In my case, a double-bummer. Or triple-bummer. The chronology of events is as follows: Thursday 18-4-24: I decided to attend this function. So I immediately bought my advance train tickets online, to save time on the big day. Friday 19-4-24: I was up the Smoke all day (on business like; a big exhibition at Excel). So far, so good; an excellent event, and for once the trains were on time in both directions, something which I ought to note in the book of unusual occurrences. But of course, the law of unintended consequences had, unbeknownst to me, been invoked. I was not in COV, so was away from my desk computer. Saturday 20-4-24: Up early. I had planned to walk to the railway station, but had to do another errand first in my car. A red car! Not a big flash thing, you'll understand, but a 14 year-old Seat 1.4. Been the most reliable car I've ever owned (more reliable even than BMWs). But on this morning, the battery decided to give up the ghost - well, it was 7 years old. Never mind, plenty of time to walk to the station. Boarded the 0847 at KNW, and arrived nice and early (0903) at CAA. Plenty of time to find Tesco, then get a load of cash from the ATM, as it must surely be my turn to pay for brekkies. At 0930, I studied everyone in the cafe and did not recognise anyone. By 0940, I manged to get an internet connexion on my mobile (my mobile doesn't like the internet) then I finds out that the big event had been cancelled at the eleventh hour! So I got the next train back to KNW. Later in the day, I forked out £100 for a new car battery. Monday 22-4-24: I gets back to my office computer, with full internet and email access. Imagine my dismay at finding out that I had left the Tecso cafe too soon. If only I'd waited, I could have joined you and Philip. On the other hand, two's company, three's a crowd! Yes, I was too hasty leaving the Tesco cafe. As I said to Charlie, you'll never get nowhere if you're too hasty. But at least I've now visited the Arena. .

Hello to you all, I as much as anyone, I was so disappointed at the cancellation of what we call our friendly breaky meet-up. They are intended to be light hearted joyful occasions. Family members arriving too. Quite early on in April, we became aware that the joy & light hearted part was at serious risk of being destroyed. That risk was deemed too great a risk, not only for the public reputation of our Coventry Forum, but also for any unseemly conduct (arguments or whatever) ultimately having to be managed by the host. In other words, being thrown out. That is how serious we viewed this scenario. BEING THROWN OUT! More in detail may be said on this later. We all get things wrong sometimes. I do more than most. It's learning to pick up the pieces & carry on. At present, that is our intention.

Sorry you didn't get the message or spot us Slim. I was mostly out of touch till Friday night. I'm not smart phone ready.

Hello, When will it be sausage time? Sausages from Youtube

Hello, A picture can sometimes replace a thousand words. That lot for just less than £8. Tea & toast included, includes fried bread. I cannot give too many details, as level ten clearance is required. Happily, a duty might just take me there tomorrow morning. Shhhh. At the start of the pandemic, the UK stock market was valued in toilet rolls. I hope that it now gets valued in Sausages.

Oooh that looks a good'un Philip - Do tell................ Thanks for the research. I'm in for a meetup but it may have to be later in August as I'll be in Bella Italia (not the restaurant!) earlier in the month. How does August 17th or 24th sound?

17 August OK, but I will be just south of latitude 45 deg. chez Chateau Gamin Choriste (just a two-up, two-down + cellar) on 24th.

The other way around for me.... can't do the 17th!

I'm not really free till the autumn but I'll have a sausage while I think of you.

Hello, I'm tempted to do a sausage test this morning.