More coffee and chat!

Tags

coffe and cake, Covid-19, Fabb House, special birthday

Tuesday 13th October – 15th meeting of 2020

Another month has gone up and we met up again at Fabb House coffee shop in Orpington.

Luckily all our ladies could make today and as we met we used two tables keeping social distancing all the time and wearing our masks until we sat down. We ordered at the counter and our teas, coffees, cakes and sandwiches were served to us.

We chatted for some time and because we had finished our food and drinks we ordered more teas and coffees. Of course Coronavirus was the main topic of conversation but we were all pleased to hear that our families and friends were all still well and managing to get on with their lives in this horrible situation we are in.

Any of you who follow this blog will know that when any of the group reach a certain age we present them with an array of gifts which could be funny, useless, pretty, horrible, sensible or stupid. Well our two ‘babes’ have now reached that age and join us all in the 70’s club. So in our usual traditional we had all collected a lot of gifts. Normally we have a big lunch and present the presents one by one and watch them open them but that just wasn’t possible with all the restrictions due to Covid-19. So they were both presented with a huge plastic bag of all the gifts and cards we had for them. It did seem a shame we couldn’t do it in your usual manner as it is such fun and so enjoyable but this way they still got their ‘special birthday gifts’. One ladies did open one gifts which was a London mug with lots of different teas in which she seemed pleased with.

We had a really nice coffee time and so enjoyed meeting each other. At the time we didn’t realise that it would be our last meeting of the year as restrictions tightened again as the numbers of cases contracting Covid-19 increased and meetings were not allowed.

This year has been a really difficult sad and stressful one. It is hard to believe that this virus has brought the whole world to a halt, taken so many lives and impacted on everyones lives so much. On a positive note I am pleased to say that all our group family and friends have been safe during this time and hopefully we will all stay safe in the months ahead. The news of the vaccine being roll out is marvellous and so amazing that it has been developed, tested and now being given in such a short time.

Our statistics for this year are really so different from our previous years. Meetings just 15 half of which for coffee and cake! We were very lucky that we did have a holiday. We went to Warner’s Cricket St. Thomas, Somerset in February and had a really lovely time before the Covid-19 virus hit our shores!

This has been a hard year for everyone but I just hope that 2021 is a much much better year. I wish you all a very enjoyable, happy and peaceful Christmas. I thank all the followers for taking the time to read the blog and hope to be back more regularly in 2021 to tell you of the adventures and stories of our group The Freedom Ladies.

Coffee Time!

Tags

cakes, coffee, Covid-19, DIY, gardening, school

Tuesday 22nd September – 14th meeting of 2020

Today we decided to meet up for a coffee as things are getting easier with cafes, restaurants and pubs being open and are allowed to serve six people inside around a table. We choose our old haunt Fabb House coffee shop in Orpington as it is convenient for us.

Not everyone could make it due to sickness and Granny duties but was good to get out and meet and certainly seemed more like normal although the face masks were a clue that things were not normal!

We occupied two tables and wore our masks until we sat down. We signed in as we went in as this is the normal procedure in restaurants, cafes and pubs as it is used for the track and trace system now used in the combat to fight Covid-19.

We ordered at the counter and then our teas, coffees, cakes and rolls were brought to us. We really enjoyed being out and sitting chatting. Pleased to say that all the ladies, families and friends are all well. Lots of talking about gardening, decorating and DIY. All our grandchildren were back at school and it seems most of us are worried about the situation in the schools but each one said schools were very Covid safe and our grandchildren pleased to be back at school.

It was very pleasant to meet up and catch up on all the news. We hope to continue doing this until things are safer regarding travelling.

More Tea and Cake!

Tags

cake, Covid-19, restrictions, Tea

Wednesday 26th August – 13th meeting of 2020

The Summer has been glorious this year and as the weeks went by another of our ladies kindly invited us to her garden for tea and cake.

The Covid-19 situation is still with us and restrictions are still in place but shop, restaurants, cafes and hairdressers are open but still a limit on the amount of people that can meet.

We met at 2 o’clock and all arrived together. Not all ladies in our group could make today but we were pleased to see each other. We have over these weeks in Lockdown contacted each other by telephone and messages so it was lovely to be face to face.

The sun was shining as we sat around a couple of tables which were set out for us and we were social distanced. The garden looked delightful. Very green with many pots and borders of flowers.

We felt really spoilt as she served us tea and cake. Cakes all home baked by her and a couple of the other ladies. All tasted delicious and it was so enjoyable sitting out chatting and catching up on all the news. It was lovely to hear that all the ladies and families and friends were doing well in these difficult times and all fit and healthy. Most of the group have been doing walks to keep fit and many had been doing DIY and decorating.

After talk about the virus we started to discuss how things will be for our group until the end of the year. We came to the conclusion that we were very restricted on what we can do and what we should do as keeping safe is our main concern. We decided to meet for coffee about once a month if the restrictions allow.

At about 4.30 pm we left and all made our ways home after a really enjoyable day. So lovely to see friends and catch up with all the news.

We Meet Again!

Tags

Coronavirus, cream, garden, jam, restrictions, scones, Tea

Tuesday 28th July – 12th Meeting of 2020

Due to the coronavirus that has swept the country we Freedom Ladies have not been able to meet to walk or visit a museum or even having a coffee, because of the strong restriction rules that have been in place since March. As we are all older ladies and classed as vulnerable we have been particularly keeping within the rules. But as rules changed and we were allowed to meet outside, one of our ladies kindly invited us to her garden. The weather this summer has been lovely hot and sunny and it has certainly made lockdown easier to bear.

Not all our group could meet up due to illness and other commitments. I, for one was really looking forward to seeing the ladies and although we have kept in touch with a Whats app group, email, texts and telephone, nothing can beat seeing friends face to face and chatting. We all arrived at two o’clock and sat, socially distancing, of course, in her beautiful large garden with the sun shining. The colours and variety of flowers and plants looked lovely and the birds flying in the trees completed the picture. She gave us tea and scones with jam and cream that she has baked. There was also cakes that a few of the ladies had baked and brought for us, so we were really spoilt! They all tasted delicious.

Needless to say we were all chat, chatting as there was much to catch up with but alas the conversation repeatedly was about the coronavirus and the restrictions, the statistics etc. We were all pleased to hear that all our families are coping well with the situation and are all fit and well.

It was really so nice to be sitting in the garden in the sun. We had a second cup of tea and also another piece of the delicious cakes provided.

When we all left we all said how nice to see each other again and hoping that things will soon get better and we can meet again in the near future.

Birthday Lunch Time

Tags

birthday, birthday cake, birthday lunch, cornavirus, Covid-19, last meeting, Locksbottom, thara tahi

Tuesday 17th March – 11th meeting of 2020

Today was one of our ladies birthday, not a special one but we decided to celebrate by having lunch together.  We choose a local restaurant because of the Covid-19 situation as we were all being asked to limit travel.

So we all met at Thara Thai restaurant at Crofton Road, Locksbottom. All nine of us for this special lunch as we have decided to halt any meetings for the forseeable future because of the worsen situation with the virus.

It was empty in the restaurant and during our time in there only four other people came in. A very nice restaurant nicely decorated with a very nice atmosphere. Staff were very good.

We all choose our meals and all went for the menu giving choice of three tapas and one rice dish. Naturally we topped that with a glass of wine or such like.

The food was delicious and after our meal the waiter brought out a cake with candles burning and we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Then we all enjoyed a lovely piece of the chocolate cake with a cup of tea/coffee.

Obviously the conversation was limited to the coronavirus! In fact we were there two and half hours and the virus was the only topic of conversation!!! Things were moving fast and there were lots of restrictions etc to come so we were pleased that we could have this lunch.

We enjoyed a really lovely meal and said our goodbyes and made our ways home.

This, I fear will by my last blog for sometime but we will certainly be back once life is back normal. So that only leaves me to wish you all well, keep safe, keep washing your hands and look forward to blogging later in the year!!