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| Birthday girl |
Five days on The Isle of Man but home tomorrow afternoon on the 3pm ferry to Liverpool. Today was Shirley's umpteenth birthday and I was the perfect husband. Soft boiled eggs in bed with a mug of Yorkshire tea and buttery toasted soldiers to dip into the golden yolks.
Then when we were ready, I drove milady along the TT motorcycle route to the slopes of Snaefell - the island's only mountain. There's nothing like scaling a mountain on your birthday so that was a special surprise I had planned for her. I know that all the huffing and puffing and complaining on the way up was but a funny pretence.
Later, for lunch, I led her to the convenience store in Kirk Michael where she picked a chicken and sweetcorn roll for lunch with a bottle of Fanta Orange and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps. We consumed our chosen victuals on a sunny bench overlooking The Irish Sea.
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| Kirk Michael Beach looking south and below - looking north towards Peel |
But in the evening we headed out to a restaurant on the Douglas seafront. Trip Advisor lists it as the fifth best place to eat in the town. It's called Jaks Bar. I have no idea what happened to the "c" or the apostrophe. Anyway, we enjoyed perfect rump steaks, chips and salad before heading off to "The Manor Hotel" for a couple of drinks.
I had a pint of the local beer - OKells. It's a lovely brew. I wanted to purloin a beermat as a souvenir of our time on The Isle of Man but the honest angel inside me said that I should ask the landlord first. I went to the bar and asked if I could buy the beermat. He was astonished that I was even asking.
We were about to leave when he dashed from the store room with a brand new OKells beer glass which he presented to me and then as we were getting in the car to leave he came rushing out with a second, smaller OKells glass which he described as a "lady's glass". What wonderful kindness and he didn't even know it was Shirley's birthday!
By the way, I bought her a new handbag, a small bottle of wine and a box of chocolates as birthday presents and it was a nice day for both of us. I first met her when she was twenty years old. We have shared so many birthdays together but this was an especially nice one.
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| Farm ruins in the centre of the island |
Sounds like a lovely day with your girl.
ReplyDeleteAren't we lucky YP ? Tony and I have been together for around 46 years and like you, still enjoy being together. We can show these young ones a thing or two about being married !
PS. Happy Birthday Shirley !
ReplyDeleteStickability is important Helen. We all have our ups and downs. Shirley and I are lagging behind you and Mr Tony by nine years so you get the gold medal ma'am.
DeleteHappy Birthday Lady Pudding!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful day together the two of you had! Bravo on being a good husband to your lovely lady!
Like Gregg I was wearing my slave uniform for the day. A big cloth diaper and an ankle chain.
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ReplyDeleteA Happy Birthday to Shirley from me! It sounds like you both celebrated the day in fine style. A very nice way to enjoy a birthday.
And how nice of the publican to give you the glasses. A lovely gesture...see...kind gestures reach far and wide. We've even heard about it down this way! :)
Kind gestures - without any hope for personal gain - are like jewels in one's life. To give them and to receive them.
DeleteA belated Happy Birthday to Shirley from me, too! I'll now have no problem remembering her birthday, as it is just one day after my own. Here's wishing the two of you can celebrate many, many, many more birthdays together!
ReplyDeleteThe overall description sounds like it was a great day for both of you, but I must admit I do wonder about the 5th best restaurant in town. Who makes these rankings, and why didn't you eat at the very best?
I don't think I need to tell you which of these pictures is my favourite.
What a kind landlord!
Meike - we went for the fifth best because it was the only one in the top twenty that specialises in steaks and that is what the wife wanted. I often look at Trip Advisor reviews. For example they say that the best restaurant in Ludwigsburg is "Wok on Fire" based on diners' reviews.
DeleteYet more birthday greetings, to Shirley, from me too. It's good to see a photo of the birthday girl. You certainly know how to wine and dine in great style, YP !
ReplyDeleteYes CG - a bench by the Irish Sea with a bag of stuff from the local convenience store.
DeleteBelated birthday greetings to Mrs YP....sounds like a wonderful week together.
ReplyDeleteYes but... see my next post Libby!
DeleteHappy Unbirthday to Mrs P. As for the IoM I went once when I was 16ish and was so cold, so bitterly bone-chillingly cold, that I've never been back.
ReplyDeleteYou have denied yourself a beautiful, historical and very varied island Graham. Here I feel the presence of the Celts, the Vikings and those who went before them... as well as echoes of the nineteenth century tourist boom. You should have worn your long johns!
DeleteHappy umpteenth birthday, Shirley. Nice scarf you are wearing there.
ReplyDeleteI have to say the evening meal is definitely an improvement on lunch.
Ms Soup
The lunch on the beachside bench cost a fifth of the evening meal's bill.
DeleteSounds like a lovely birthday day for Mrs Y P. Hope the gale doesn't get up for your return ferry ride.
ReplyDeleteWhat return ferry ride? See my next post Mrs W.
DeleteSo pleased for Shirley that you made t your mission to treat her so well for her birthday. Do we need to check the authenticity of said facts with her YP?
ReplyDeleteCarol, anyone other than a petrol head or a tax evader wouldn't go near the place. It does have it's moments but is a bit dour. It's moments are the TT.
DeleteCarol - no need to check with The Missus. Only the eggs in bed were a lie! And Adrian - not all fellows are drawn to engines and shiny motorbikes etc.. I saw several roadside memorials to deceased riders. What a waste!
DeleteThat sounds like a great day! I love the pub landlord coming through with some nice OKells paraphernalia. People can be amazing.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that that little tale caught your eye Steve. A counterpoint to the evil unleashed in Brussels.
DeleteHappy Birthday Shirley. I agree that Graham has got the placed sussed. It is generally cold and damp but why he knocks it is beyond me. It does have trees. Whereas Lewis only has five and they are around Lewes castle. Folk go to drink coffee and look at tall vegetation. It's fine for ten minutes. Then the weather emulates that of the Isle of Man.
ReplyDeleteAdrian - we have had five dry days with spells of sunshine here on The Isle of Man and only today (Thursday) did we see any rain at all. I think we have been lucky. But see my next post.
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