Well, it took a lot of organising, and I am always aware of the old adage, "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip...." but our trip to take Tea at the Ritz on 14 July went without a hitch.
There are a lot of things that need to dovetail - our lovely wheelchair accessible taxi driver had to be booked; the carers were very helpful in making all the calls at a time to suit the schedule, and Mum needed to be in a good mood, and co-operative when getting ready to sit in the wheelchair. And all that is quite apart from my need to complete a "six month's dockyard job in only 40 minutes," to get myself ready on time as well!
We are still in the middle of very warm (hot) settled weather, and at least didn't have to worry about rain lashing down or bitter blasts of biting wind blowing on Mum as she was decanted into the taxi. It was also a bonus that my long hair stayed in place!
Over the past couple of days, there have been demonstrations in London and we thought these might affect our journey; we allowed extra time for that, and arrived at The Ritz quite early. We sat in the lounge and had a chat, and took photographs, until Grandson Al and his girlfriend Hannah arrived.
We were all sad to see the beautiful Ritz Fine Jewellery shop had closed, with the new Ritz Cigar Shop in its place. Wendy and I entered its portals to see how the space had changed; it now has the atmosphere of a gentlemen's club, with lots of pictures of famous cigar-smoking chaps adorning the walls. The private side room, which previously had been used for special customers of the Ritz Fine Jewellery, is now a humidor, with fine cigars stored in optimum conditions.
As two ladies, Wendy and I definitely felt a tad "out of it;" this was confirmed when the men in our party went round the shop, and were warmly welcomed as prospective customers. Clearly, no-one considered that I, too, might light up the odd £80.00 cigar when I'm sitting in the rocking chair on the back porch..... along with my corn-cob pipe!
That aside, the Manager of the Palm Court made us so welcome; in a few minutes, the ramp was in place, up and over the stairs, and Mum was wheeled to our table. It always feels as though you are among friends - so many of the staff know and remember us, and make sure we have everything we would like. They certainly go the extra mile with their attentive care.
Mum tucked into the (specially ordered, on plain white bread and butter) cucumber sandwiches; I always ask for extra butter, and a little salt, to add to them, and she also took some cheese sandwiches on tomato bread, from the main menu. I don't know if she remembered she had enjoyed those the last time we were at the Ritz, but they went down well.
Tea at the Ritz gives me a couple of hours to escape from the daily routine; the time always passes so quickly, but I can only say that all the preparations, all the effort that everyone put in to help make the day successful and enjoyable, was worth it! For two hours, I feel really energised, and can forget that everything will be back to normal tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.
The carriage may have turned back into a pumpkin, and the coachmen are now mice scurrying away, but....! there is another date booked for Mum's birthday. I have already decided what I shall wear...
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| Mum and me at The Ritz 14 July 2018 |
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