Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

zagubov

Generali wrote: »

I worked in Aldwych for a brief period years ago. That's the closest to The Strand I worked. Goldmans are mostly around the east end of Fleet St and St Paul's. I used to go to The Savoy for Sunday lunch quite a lot (every other month or so). .

This place (the india Club Restaurant) is opposite the Indian embassy and just off the Aldwych.
It has a set menu that's not on the menu. Anyone I know who's eaten in India seems to think it's authentic but i have to taker their word for it as I haven't.

The entrance to the Savoy is listed in Schott's Miscellany as the only place in the Uk where you drive on the right but ther's more places than that.

Generali

GDB2222 wrote: »

We went to the Savoy for dinner, but only once. There was a restaurant with a dance floor, and DW and I made our usual foolish but enjoyable attempt at dancing. We don't know any of the right steps. The food was not that impressive - grit in the salad, for example. In fact, apart from that, the food was completely unmemorable.

The Savoy has upped its game substantially on the food front, it really is very good. £32 with wine for a 3 course lunch:

http://www.gordonramsay.com/media/133414/savoy_grill_lunch_menu.pdf

zagubov wrote: »

This place (the india Club Restaurant) is opposite the Indian embassy and just off the Aldwych.
It has a set menu that's not on the menu. Anyone I know who's eaten in India seems to think it's authentic but i have to taker their word for it as I haven't.

The entrance to the Savoy is listed in Schott's Miscellany as the only place in the Uk where you drive on the right but ther's more places than that.

I know the place although I've never eaten there that I can recall.

You drive on the right up to the Savoy so that cabbies can open the door for their passengers without having to get out of the cab.

Spirit_2

GDB2222 wrote: »

We went to the Savoy for dinner, but only once. In fact, apart from that, the food was completely unmemorable.

Once I was admitted to hospital whilst on holiday in Scotland. Mr S left me there , ultimately to make my own way home, whilst he went to attend a business dinner at the Savoy.

On the only occassion I have eaten there it was definitely more about the tinkling piano than the food.

BertieUK

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never been to a posh place for food. I couldn't justify spending a whole day's money on one meal, I couldn't enjoy it!

I completely agree with your comments and I certainly would not enjoy eating a meal paying those prices...

...I personally think that if your lifestyle is one of being in the company of, shall we say those who are wealthy and in high paying jobs the price of a meal would be not questioned it would be considered the lifestyle that goes with the job...

My OH and I considered going out this past Christmas for our dinner but at the price of £100 basic before any refreshments we just looked at each other and said, no we will just stay at home and enjoy each others company.

On Christmas Day after our lovely dinner together, we went out to a nice hotel for a walk and enjoyed coffee and mince pies.:)

Generali

BertieUK wrote: »

I completely agree with your comments and I certainly would not enjoy eating a meal paying those prices...

...I personally think that if your lifestyle is one of being in the company of, shall we say those who are wealthy and in high paying jobs the price of a meal would be not questioned it would be considered the lifestyle that goes with the job...

My OH and I considered going out this past Christmas for our dinner but at the price of £100 basic before any refreshments we just looked at each other and said, no we will just stay at home and enjoy each others company.

On Christmas Day after our lovely dinner together, we went out to a nice hotel for a walk and enjoyed coffee and mince pies.:)

I love going out for a really nice meal but only if I can afford it. If I was struggling then I wouldn't enjoy it, not if I was paying anyway.

I've had a very varied life financially. I've been pretty rich by most people's standards: not a millionaire or anything but probably in the top 5% of earners. I've also lost everything by taking a calculated risk that turned out far worse than the worst case scenario.

Lots of my favourite things are either free or very cheap: I love cycling and walking in the countryside. I love kicking a ball around with the kids. I love driving up the coast in Aus and flopping down in the first motel we come to when we get too tired to drive any further (petrol is a lot cheaper in Aus than the UK and most motel rooms are about $100: £40 at a sensible exchange rate but about £65 at current rates - this does not buy a life of luxury!). A pint and a roast Sunday lunch in a beautiful English country pub with my wife is one of the finest things in life. I have a $95 season ticket to Sydney FC (includes public transport to get there) that I go to with my daughter and that's fantastic despite the quality of football being variable at best.

I also enjoy some things that are very expensive: I like to stay in nice hotels in beautiful places. I like eating some of the best food the world has to offer. I like very good wine, port and whisky. I like to travel in comfort and I like to wear very nice clothes if I can.

I've experienced both and I can enjoy things from both ends of the scale if you like. Actually most of my rich friends are much the same: I suspect it's why we're friends. We like things because they're fun to do not because they're the expensive thing to do. I wouldn't spend extra for the sake of it, only because I'm getting an experience that is genuinely more enjoyable.

SingleSue

We have, in our past, enjoyed many eek priced meals. One (well a couple actually), was while we were at Disneyland Paris but as we were, at the time, quite well off, it really didn't matter.

We were strange like that, we would baulk at paying silly money for what was seen as normal stuff (sofas etc) but would push the boat out on meals out. I suppose really it gave us the excess to enjoy ourselves like that and having that romantic meal out appeared to be the perfect excuse to do it and right for us.

I know I moan about ex husband but he was a pure romantic and loved to wine and dine me, send me flowers regularly and buy me little gifts to discover when I got to work...he wasn't all bad, it just went wrong in the last couple of years of marriage. For many years, we were a very strong team (well apart from when it came to the children), I suppose that was why it was such a shock when it went so awfully wrong.

I have sometimes pondered on if we did the right thing by splitting up, maybe I should have forgiven him etc but I only need to take one look at the boys and where they are now and where they were then to realise it was the right choice.

zagubov

PasturesNew wrote: »

I am sitting here on yet, another, wet Sunday in England, wondering if there is somewhere I can go that's free. And the bottom line is you can't do free stuff and enjoy it, in the rain.

The only thing that'd be free would be to walk to the nearest beach .... but once you're there you've seen it - so that's 10 minutes. And you can't do it again as you've done it before and there's nothing there.

I don't have any wet weather clothes, so that'd be a cost. Even in good weather I don't have dry walking clothes, so that'd be a cost.

So I sit and surf the net and watch telly, which are cheap and 24/7 whatever the weather - not requiring any special clothes or equipment.

I find that when I'm working there's too much to do to have time to relax, from checking DSs homework, to walking the dog. When it's the hols I'm exhausted. As DW doesn't have the same holidays as me I'm the chief cook and bottle-washer for a while and after ferrying DS around my one recreation ends up being watching the telly online (I hardly get to watch it in term-time). I've no energy left for anything active.

Managed to watch all of Breaking Bad last summer (it became an addiction I have to say). It's beginning to supplant the Wire in my pantheon of programmes.
This is a legit website for watching the telly online. Naturally I wouldn't use anything else.

When I think back to how we lived before we had kids I struggole to think how we filled our weekends. I reckon we used to just slob about till it was time for a pub lunch. Which we most certainly did not rush.:)

zagubov

Actually thinking about it if you want to broaden your horizons this site might be a better TV one. But not for students without a TV license.

Spirit_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

So I sit and surf the net and watch telly, which are cheap and 24/7 whatever the weather - not requiring any special clothes or equipment.

They require a TV, a laptop and broadband.

A cagoul and waterproof trousers seems positively frugal.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I am sitting here on yet, another, wet Sunday in England, wondering if there is somewhere I can go that's free. And the bottom line is you can't do free stuff and enjoy it, in the rain.

The only thing that'd be free would be to walk to the nearest beach .... but once you're there you've seen it - so that's 10 minutes. And you can't do it again as you've done it before and there's nothing there.

I don't have any wet weather clothes, so that'd be a cost. Even in good weather I don't have dry walking clothes, so that'd be a cost.

So I sit and surf the net and watch telly, which are cheap and 24/7 whatever the weather - not requiring any special clothes or equipment.

Wet weather gear is a cost, but can be bought cheaply if you are prepared to go with basics. E.g. My waterproof trousers were a river from a supermarket. Once you have then walking on the green stuff ( after petrol to get there) is free, like your beach.

Wild swimming, beach or elsewhere is free, year round and rain doesn't matter:D