Yesterday I picked up my old mate Bert and we went out for lunch at "The Hardy Pick" which is a "Hungry Horse" chain pub. He hadn't drunk any beer since the last time I took him out.
Bert always orders fish, chips and peas because of his ill-fitting false teeth. It's a meal he can chew and swallow with confidence. It was nice to watch him clearing his plate and he drank three pints of "John Smith's" bitter brewed here in Yorkshire.
He is steadily approaching his eighty seventh birthday but he remains cheerful, upbeat and keenly interested in the state of British politics. He despises the Tories and what they stand for, saving much of his venom for Johnson and his legacy. We both wonder how this great nation could be hoodwinked by such a duplicitous blaggard.
Little Phoebe is currently sleeping upstairs. We have looked after her all day and it's the same tomorrow. Her mum is down in London effectively waving goodbye to the job she had for six years down there.
She joined a start-up company that serviced the recruitment industry with imaginative and effective software. It thrived and grew to a point where it was bought out for almost a hundred million pounds by an American company working in the same field. Fortunately, Frances took out a share option in her first year and has been handsomely rewarded. Joining them in the first place was equally fortuitous as so many start-ups fail. She was the fourth member of staff but at the end there were sixty people on the pay roll. Her job involved Human Relations - not the technical stuff.
It seems that there's a pattern when it comes to business takeovers. Very often the staff of the business taken over will be heavily pared down within months of the takeover happening.
Anyway, she's about to become redundant as she approaches the birth of her second child. On that front, everything is going well and it's the same down in London where Ian's girlfriend's pregnancy is proceeding nicely. The two grandbabies are due within four days of each other towards the end of October. It's an exciting but slightly nerve-racking time for all of us.
Perhaps that chain is why we now have the phrase "Hungry as a horse" over on this side of the pond.
ReplyDeleteMy kids have had similar work experiences as Frances. So far they've come out on the positive end of things. You're right that company taken over is gutted.
ReplyDeleteI also choose easy to chew foods when eating out and fish and chips is usually the choice. It's nice of you to treat your friend to a meal now and again.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Frances! And well done, you and Bert for getting together again and enjoying a good meal and each other's company at the pub.
ReplyDeleteFor an almost 87-year-old, Bert's face looks remarkably fresh, with few wrinkles or age spots. What's his beauty secret?
I can't recall seeing the Hungry Horse chain. I've found chain pubs in your country to be just fine.
ReplyDeleteFour days apart! Who will pass the finish line first. It is interesting to watch someone Phoebe's age to see how they react to the newcomer in the house. The one (or more) that requires all the parents' time and energy.
Everything seems to be going well for everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice looking man Bert is. Are you sure he is 87?
ReplyDeleteGood news all round on the family front.
ReplyDeleteTimes to treasure. We're lucky to have videos of our kids when little, and they are a joy to watch.
ReplyDeleteLunch out sounds like a great idea
ReplyDeleteSuch excellent news! How can Bert be 87 and have no wrinkles? What a beautiful old man!
ReplyDeleteAnd hurray for Frances! Smart woman, indeed.
Those babies will be here in a flash. You are right. It is an exciting and yet of course, nerve-wracking time for all in your family circle.
It's nice of you to take Bert out. I am sure he enjoys it very much. He looks great!
ReplyDelete" We both wonder how this great nation could be hoodwinked by such a duplicitous blaggard."
ReplyDeleteWe wonder the same about this country, and how the duplicitous blaggard is trying to take control again!
I wish I knew Bert. I think I would get on with him really well and enjoy a pint or three.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how effectively duplicitous blaggards can play on all the worst impulses of any given populace.
ReplyDeleteKudos to both you and Bert for understanding the meanness prevalent in politics and identifying the complicit blackguards. And a big wow to Phoebe's mum for her sweet turn in the tech industry. I know those grandkids are going to please you, Neil.
ReplyDelete