Tuesday 5 December 2006

Let's Go Backwards

Evenin' one and all :-)  I've decided that I've done enough rambling for you all other the last few entries so I've finished off another of my adventure write ups ~ so I shall share this with you.  Enjoy xx

TRINA'S ANNUAL BAR-B-QUE 26th to 28th AUGUST 2006

The day started out warmish  and showers were forecast but still I went down to Trina's by train on the Saturday in the morning to help them set up before the rest of our friends arrive, so I met Trina and Wayne at the train station. Unfortunately she still needed a few bits and pieces so we had to go shopping first. We parked up in the car park and cut through Debenhams to get to the town centre. Wayne and I started laughing at the lady announcer in the Debenhams lift. If you've ever heard Aerosmith's Love In An Elevator (or at least seen the video) you would have been laughing too. It sounded just like that woman......................'Hello Mr Tyler, going.........down' LOL

Once we got back to theirs, Trina continued with the food preparation and left Wayne the job to put up the gazebo which she had borrowed from work. He seemed to be doing fine so I just stayed out of the way. Eventually though all 3 of us were out there trying to assemble this frame. It looked huge LOL but Trina assured us that once the cover was on it would look a lot smaller. Wayne and I shared a knowing look!! We tried to get the cover on and even managed to secure a couple of the pegs in but one side wouldn't go down, plus by now it was slightly windy and looked like it wasn't gonna stay up. So we gave up entirely (by this point one of the cats was trying to help us LOL), and decided to take the thing back down. We got the table and chairs out and the BBQ itself of course!! Trina went back to get the food ready.

I stayed inside watching TV figuring again that it was best to stay out of the way and wait for them to shout help!! Eventually Wayne came in to join me as they'd managed to get the Bar-b-que working :-) So he turned the channel's over and started watching an old Star Trek episode. Not long afterwards the first guest arrived (I don't really count myself as a guest!!) it was Stuart, he works with Wayne (I wasn't even aware that he had been invited). I had met him at the wedding reception. After Stuart had a tour of the house, they decide to get the barbque going, so I joined them outside and Stuart and I braved a burger - they were very nice, especially with some relish. We all had a bit of a moan about work and told Stuart about our Queen friends that were arriving. He's not a Queen fan and was really there to keep Wayne company. 

Sarah, Dan, Becky and Dave arrived a little bit later (I think I was on my 2nd burger when they got there lol), and after we all said hello's etc they joined us in having some food. Alcohol was starting to make an appearance at this barbque already LOL :-) Sarah told us about her trip on a posh cruise and how she had met Tommy Ball and showed us the pictures!! I don't remember the time but Jamie arrived after being collected by Wayne and Trina at the bus station. Unfortunately Gabriele was not with her as he had been left in charge to find their missing luggage. They had recently come back from a trip to Italy to see Gabriele's parents and their luggage had not turned up. Basically everything they owned was in those bags so they were not very pleased about the whole situation. Jamie spent quite a lot of time on the phone to Gabriele and other people trying to sort the mess out!! 

Shortly afterwards Wayne and Trina go to collect Bev. I get a phone call telling me to tell Stuart about what had happened to Bev so he wouldn't be shocked when he saw her, (Bev had acid thrown in her face when she was baby sitting several years ago and is left badly scarred!!) was not amused at having to do this but after getting more alcohol I managed to find the words to tell him. Hello's were said when she turned up and more drinking and eating and merriment followed :-) 

Gary and Steve are the last ones to arrive ~ Gary is a mad Queen fan and we first met him at The Kintyre Hotel in Torquay which was run at the time by Phoebe (Peter Freestone, to nonQueen fans lol, he was Freddie's personal assistant). Gary is a lovely bloke but we'd never really talked to Steve before ~ at least now we can say he's a lovely bloke too lol............ So the drinking, eating and merriment continues and at some point Becky and Dave (who were on a special diet) made chocolate bananas for everyone ~ I didn't have one but everyone who did said they were lovely!! I was stuffed by this point lol...............God knows how many burgers I'd had and there was still a lot of food left!! The weather stayed okay for us. I say okay coz it didn't sunshine all that much but at least the rain held off :-) I did feel one or two spots of rain during the day but luckily it didn't get any worse.

Just like last year we all decided it was time to head down to the fair. Gary, Steve and Stuart all left at this point as they had other stuff to do and I'm not entirely sure they wanted to venture to the fair with a bunch of mad Queen fans LOL............So Wayne takes one car load down (as usual he's the only one who wasn't drinking ~ bless him!) so the rest of us decide to clear stuff away. When we were carrying the barbque indoors Trina breaks my thumb - well not quite but it blimin' well felt like it..........The car comes back for us and we make our way down there. Sarah played me something on her Ipod so we end up listening to it the whole way down. Everyone else (aka Wayne, Trina and Bev) had to listen to our singing!! We listened to the Wurzels so were doing our very worst west country accents lol 

Wayne parked the car in the multi storey car park and we had to walk round to the fair which felt like a flippin' long way :( It was already dark so we had left it quite late to get down there. Once we get there the others had already been on the trampolines ~ Photos were taken and we all descended on the rides. First was the bumper cars, I think I was with Sarah and that was rather amusing!! Unfortunately Wayne and Trina had to wait for the 2nd go as there weren't enough cars :( We went on several other rides (well I say we but I did not partake in all of them coz I'm a wimp LOL) such as the octupuss, the waltzers, (becky, dan and bev went on them, Jamie tried to climb a tree at this point??!!), the ghost train, theroller coaster train, (Wayne and I laughed at Trina whilst she was on that one lol).

The rides started to close a bit later so we decided it was time to go home. Trina, Sarah, Bev and I waited for the 2nd car trip and sat and looked at the sea (it was cold though)!! In the car on the way back home Sarah was outvoted and we listened to some Foos :-) Once we were all back home more drinking ensued and games were played. I tell you something those friends of mine have some v. disgusting minds lol Most of us went to bed fairly earlyish..................

More on this in the next entry ~ photos coming too!!

I can't remember who made the siggy but THANK YOU xx

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I haven't been to a barbecue for ages.  And it'll be a while again since we're now into winter!!
Glad you had such a good time.
Hugs,
A xxx

Anonymous said...

Great that it did not rain on you it makes a change. Lounds like a great night. Love Joan

Anonymous said...

What a horrid thing to happen to Bev.

'Fun' should be your middle name.  When you're old and grey in like 70 years you've got a lot to smile about.  A barbi burger are the best :) Rache

Anonymous said...

Just catching up with your adventures, sounds as though you had a good summer!
http://journals.aol.co.uk/irisclyde/LaDolceVita

Anonymous said...

You certainly make the most out of life Jen :o)
Love hearing about your adventures!
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

Sounds like it was a really fun day :o)  Caff xxxx