A ' CRISP' & SUNNY MANILVA ON THURSDAY.

THURSDAY 5^th/ APRIL 2018.

We were both up early this morning and after a quick freshen up and a mug of tea, we set off down to Sabinillas for Brenda’s appointment with our Doctor, Natalia, for her six month review/check up, her blood pressure readings etc are fine, her Heart rate is a little out, so she’s going for an ‘ ECG’ on Monday lunchtime and then back to see Natalia in a week’s time, in the meantime she has prescribed a new tablet to help control the problem, all her other prescriptions have been updated, for another year, she is also chasing up the ‘ Costa Del Sol Hospital’ for Brenda’s new appointment with the ‘Cardiology’ Consultant, which we have been waiting for since Xmas?! Watch this space.

After dropping Brenda off at the main ‘ Medical Centre’ I walked along to the new ‘Irish Bar ‘ – “ McGuinness “ to try their ‘ Breakfast Bap ‘ – I had Sausage, Bacon & Fried Egg, you choose three ingredients from a large selection, on a soft Bap, with a mug of strong ‘ Irish’ tea! Very nice, as I sat in the sunshine taking in the view! I then joined Brenda back at the surgery, before coming back up to the house.

The sun is back, again, today, in sunny Manilva, but not for long, as the forecast for the next few days is back to grey clouds, overcast and rain! The overall temperature is hovering on the 19/ 20 degs+ mark for now, next week is not looking much better, with sunny spells followed by the wet stuff returning, with ‘April Showers’ all week, watch this space.

See below a picture of Chester, taken this morning by our old friend/customer Nigel Roberts, the ‘Newsagent’ from Llandudno.

Last night on the ‘ Facebook’ messenger we had a new friends request, after checking I realized that it was the daughter, Heidi, of some of our oldest friends in the Hotel business, Horst & Sylvia Schanz, Horst was from Germany and Sylvia was local girl from Ellesmere Port on the Wirral, I first met them back in 1961, when I was just 16!

I had just started ‘ Catering College’ in Liverpool and went to work on the weekends at the ‘ White Lion Royal Hotel’ in Bala, North Wales, where Horst was the, tall, commanding, Headwaiter and Sylvia was a ‘Red Head’ - who never stopped laughing,full of joy, waitress, Horst always wore Black Tails and stiff White Collars! 

The Manager, another old friend, Ron Astle, used to pick up 2/3students from Liverpool and take us back to the Hotel in his ‘Simca’ Rally Car! – to work in the Kitchens/Restaurant, we soon became friends and they took me out to the local bars in the village ( I was still underage!) for my first drink, I was introduced to ‘ Bacardi & Coca Cola’ by Sylvia, which to this day is still my drink!



See below a picture of the ' White Lion Royal Hotel ' in Bala, North Wales.

During the next two years I worked there in the Kitchens, most weekends, as we also as students went out as Banqueting Staff, to the ‘Grand Hotels’ in Liverpool, Southport, Manchester & Buxton, at the same time! My first full-time job was a ‘Junior Chef de Partie’ at the hotel, after leaving College, then all the staff moved with Ron Astle to the ‘ Station Hotel’ in Stafford, Horst & Sylvia, the Head Chef, the Receptionist, who by then was my girlfriend and finally me! During the next few years we all moved on, Horst & Sylvia to an Hotel outside Chester and I went to the ‘ Stork Hotel in Liverpool, we kept in touch over the years after they were married, then when I met Brenda they became friends with her also and came to our engagement party at my mother’s house in Aintree! 

They also visited us at the ‘ Hotel Seventy Degrees’ in Colwyn Bay, the last time we saw them was when we went for an interview, down in Ipswich, were they were running a Pub/Restaurant, in our ‘ -Silver Grey Porche 928s ‘ !

Sadly Horst passed away 18 months ago, so ‘Heidi’ was reminiscing with her Mum, when our names came into the conversation, we have made contact and are looking forward to speaking to them very soon, Very many ‘ Happy Memories & Times ‘ – watch this space.

Just a quick update on last night’s football result; Liverpool stunned Manchester City and won 3-0 in the first leg, as the outplayed them in the first half, of the Quarter Finals of the ‘Champions’ League.

For our supper this evening we are having our favourite ‘ Grilled Chicken Wings’ with finely sliced French Green Beans and a Baked Potato.

Thoughts for the Day;  See below.

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