Down the Pub

Woke up at 7.15, my body thinking it was 10.15, to steady rain and low light emitting skies of solid concrete which is only to be expected in Blighty in December  I suppose but it did put the dampers on doing anything much. I tried watching TV but every time I turned it on all I found was cooking programs.  

Finally,  the rain stopped so that in late afternoon's twilight I was able to get some fresh air walking to Asda for a few things.  Bro called after work, he's on the mend thank goodness, but we kept our distance all the same. After catchup and cuppa, we then got all the Christmas decorations down from the loft, so doing the tree will keep me fully occupied tomorrow, regardless of the weather.

By 6pm, both of us were hungry - my digestive system thinking it was 9pm - and with no food to make a meal and bro feeling (and looking) much better, we decided to drive to the Gardeners pub in Springfield for pie, mash and a pint. Proper English winter warmers innit. Although you wouldn't think so from the photo, deliberately taken in a moment when no one was at the bar, the pub was very busy, (Bingo night) and the dining area completely full. This is why we ended up seated in the bar area, perched on bar stools and sharing a large table with a young couple. What a wonderful happenstance choice that turned out to be.  We quickly fell in to easy conversation and as the four of us chatted together we kept finding more and more things in common - unlikely connections - people and places, school, occupations and ambitions - and so it went on to an uncanny degree because not only are we totally different generations, but also none of us are from the immediate area served by this  'local' pub although all of us are Essex girls and boys. When they left (early start tomorrow) we parted almost like family friends. 

My cheese and potato pie with mash and gravy with a couple of pints of Greene King IPA were a great winter warmer,  but our evening with this young couple was the best kind of warmth at any time of year.