Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

celtic_moon

So sorry for your loss Meritaten! Much love and hugs to you xxx

Floss

I'm sorry for your loss Meritaten, it's 10 years tomorrow since my mum died.

nursemaggie

All this talk of Betty's has reminded me of my mum. I was brought up in York where there is also a Betty's There have always been the two one in York and one in Harrogate.

She used to meet some of her friends in a cafe opposite Betty's every Friday morning. It was called Terry's, the same family as the chocolate company one of the original coffee shops. I am talking about 50 years ago now when I first joined them, whenever my day off fell on a Friday.

Terry's clients looked down on Betty's then. I guess it is the age of the place now that makes it such a legend and it has kept its service. Terry's had better cakes and better service. It was huge with wooden paneled walls and leather chairs rather like a gentleman's club. Big round tables with crisp white cloths and waitresses in black with white frilly aprons a frilly lace caps. The best china and tea and coffee pots were silver.

It wasn't dark because the ceiling was very high with huge tall windows all down one wall and lots of mirrors that would probably have take about 4 men to lift them. You sank into the deep red carpet. We had our own regular table and they knew just how everyone liked there tea or coffee. It was very Georgian.

Terry's once closed down for a month and we had to go to Betty's for that month. We agreed if it ever closed again we would not go to Betty's again. Of course it did close down for good, probably just after DD went to school.By the time it closed all the women had returned to full time work so no one had Friday mornings free.

We used to think we were the bees knees going in there in the school holidays.

candlelight_2013

NurseMaggie, What a wonderful description, I can see it in my mind's eye. It sounds really grand and what lovely memories you obviously have of it.

Candlelightx

nursemaggie

Thank you candlelight. I remember first being taken when I was about 14 a sign I was growing up but to be accepted as part of the crowd who met there was a sign of being an adult.

I just reread it and we looked down on Betty's in more than one way because Terry's coffee shop was upstairs.

candlelight_2013

I don't know whether you admire the writer Alan Bennett, but I love anything he has done. Well he did a programme once about how embarrassed he was of his Mum and Dad, and how he regrets that so much now.

On rare occasions they would go to a hotel on a Sunday and order a pot of tea, and they would take their own sandwiches which Mum kept on her lap.

My point is that she was not at ease eating out, and I can remember my own Mum being the same. I suppose when she was younger she couldn't afford to even stop for a coffee, but gradually by taking her and Dad out for a meal (very often a Berni, do you remember those?) she really enjoyed herself. The one thing that did embarrass me was, she would always stack the plates when we had finished:eek:

A very minor embarrassment, and like Alan I was young at the time and perhaps trying to be sophisticated. I would know better now.

Candlelightx

THIRZAH

I like Betty's too. DD2 was at uni in York and when I visited we'd buy a couple of cakes from the shop and take them back to her room.
They have a cookery school in Harrogate- I've been on a couple of courses and really enjoyed them.

Bubblesmum

I am really sad to hear of your loss Meritaten. I am reading a book today called 60 postcards, about a young woman's journey to remember her Mum, who died at 59. My Mum died aged 60 16 years today, I was a month away from my 30th

At this ladies funeral this poem was read:

She is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
Or you can be full of love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow and because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want, smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
David Harkins

My thoughts and prayers are with all those suffering from loss in any shape or form x

mcculloch29

I do remember Berni Inns, Candlelight, very well. When I first went to stay with my in-laws in Birmingham after I was married we had a meal out at a Berni. I think I ate at one in Cardiff too, before the chain went west, but it's the Birmingham meal that stays in the mind.

I think I had a gammon steak, the ex had rump steak but we definitely had Black Forest Gateau for afters. That, Peach Melba or a triple of ice creams were on every restaurant dessert menu in the Seventies.

A few years ago I bought this pearwood steak cutlery set - and it reminded me so much of meals out at a Berni. Five stars on Am@zon by the way.

candlelight_2013

mcculloch I remember it well. Usually prawn cocktail to start, then either gammon or steak, and definitely black forest gateaux. If you were a little flush, and not driving, a bottle of blue Nun.

My goodness we knew how to live. Now that I am much older I couldn't contemplate eating 3 courses. My Dad used to say the appetite diminishes as you become older and he was right.

Candlelightx