Lunch Date

Yesterday was booked as a lunch date with a friend so regardless of the drainage problem I decided to keep the appointment. Lunch consisted of a starter of mushrooms covered in cheese and served with peppercorn sauce and garlic bread, followed by a trio of fish (sea bass, salmon and cod) neatly arranged on one of their wooden serving boards, with bowls of delicious chips and mushy peas. In other words, we had fish and chips! Sorry there's no picture. I did take one but it didn't pick up the yummy look of the meal.

On the journey to my friend's house I stopped driving to make way for a funeral procession. It was similar to the above but not quite the same. The lead car, accommodating the funeral directors, was followed by a team of four black horses drawing a Cinderella style black carriage. They trotted in unison, lifting their legs with each step, just like those that perform in a show ring. Bringing up the rear were four limousines with, I would say, about ten people in each.

Inside the carriage was a pure white coffin adorned by a single stem red rose. Other flowers were on the top of the carriage. It was wonderful to see and I did so wish I had a camera handy. I don't usually go gooey-eyed at passing funeral processions but this one was so moving.

Since I was the one holding up all the traffic to enable to procession to have a trouble free journey up the narrow road (lined, of course, with cars) the driver of every funeral car saluted me as they passed. I assumed, since the coffin was pure white, that the deceased was a lady. Whoever she was, she had a splendid send-off.

Now, you're not going to believe this but the man from UK DRAINAGE came while I was out. Various tests were made and ............ he said .......... he couldn't find any evidence of a blockage.

He thought maybe whatever caused it might have gone away all by itself. That's not the end of the matter, he is going to come back with a specialist plumber to make further tests and maybe divert one of the pipes. Apparently three bath loads of water were sent down to see what happened ... but nothing did.

As for reliability .... the man from UK DRAINAGE kept my guy informed by phone of all appointments. Not a bit like SEVERN TRENT who spun cock and bull stories such as blocked phone line and didn't come back to us (several times) when they said they would.

As I speak the washing machine is ON. Fingers crossed......