Time for a beer?

Good choice. Excellent food with an amazing range from cheap basics (gammon and chesse melted hot hob) to triumphs of French inspired cuisine (medallions of lamb with rosemary and port jus served on a bed of creamed garlic and coarse grain mustard mash).

I'll try to make it, but it will have to be tentative. My wife is due to give birth around then...

Christian.

I haven't been to that pub, though, but pass it regularly. It seems to get busy in the summer - have you been there?

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

I would consider it, perhaps, the absolutely perfect venue for this. Large inside, there should be plenty of space of a Wednesday night. It the unlikely event that the weather remembers that it is summer, it is very pleasant sitting by the river.

It is an ideal place to go for good food in a pub setting, when you don't want the formality of a restaurant.

Christian.

I've not been there for a long time. Is it reasonable?

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

What do you mean by reasonable? Reasonably priced? Reasonable atmosphere? Reasonable food?

I'd say the food was excellent. The atmosphere was good. The price reasonable.

Christian.

Yes, I meant quality and atmosphere......

I didn't imagine that prices would be exorbitant....

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

So inconsiderate some of these women aren't they? Can't she manage on her own this time? ;)

Only kidding, good luck for the new arrival when it happens!

Andrew

In message , Christian McArdle writes

What beer does it serve?

The beer isn't as good as the food, but passable.

From the top of my head

Theakston's XB Courage Directors John Smiths ES Fosters Kronenbourg Becks Draught Guiness Guiness EC

Christian.

... and even if she doesn't you'll be grounded if she finds out about the menu! :-)

I wonder whether the Collins or Readers Digest book of home childbirth is best?

Don't laugh. I've had to sit through a home movie style video of several home water births. The last one was reasonably realistic, but the first one was surreal. She laid back, moaned with what appeared to be pleasure for 5 minutes and the baby popped out.

Christian.

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 09:46:39 +0100, "Christian McArdle" strung together this:

I'm just trying to think of any scenario where that would happen in real life.....I'll get back to you....

I suspect that there was some editing, and that a 9 month section in the middle has been consigned to the cutting room floor.

I can understand the notions of home births and water births, but I do wonder about the mechanics of combining the two in a standard domestic bath.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

It isn't done in a standard domestic bath. It is done in something resembling a high sided children's framed paddling pool.

Christian.

OK.

So can you buy a complete deal including pool, midwife and an enormous waterproof sheet for the living room floor?

I can see the appeal of home birth vs. production line though.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

No. The NHS supplies the midwife, the pool company hires out the pool.

Christian.

I see. That's adventurous of the NHS. That attitude has changed over the last few years it seems.

Is this what you're going to go for? Well not you, but the collective you IYSWIM.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 14:52:16 +0100, "Christian McArdle" strung together this:

Hmm, niche in the market, I'm off to see the bank manager with my new business idea!