A Special Visit

A vase of flowers cut from the garden

We had a very special guest of honour at the visitors’ hub on Sunday, my father-in-law, Professor Godfrey Brown. The occasion, his 94^th birthday. It was the first time he’d attended anything since Lockdown started, as he has been self-isolating due to the current Covid19 pandemic. At his great age, it’s always a challenge to find something unique to mark the occasion. This year it seemed especially important to find something novel to do, as it is the first year since 1977, he hasn’t been able to celebrate in his beloved Betley Court, due to last August’s fire.

We were really fortunate, as Nigel’s younger brother, Martin, was able to drive down from Scotland, now that the Scottish Assembly have eased Covid19 travel restrictions somewhat. Whenever one of Nigel’s brothers arrives at Betley Court, it always perks the Professor up, so Martin’s visit proved to be a perfect birthday present and presence rolled into one!

Martin, Godfrey and Nigel, enjoying Emes View across to Betley Mere

In any other year, we might have thought about taking the Professor out for a lovely meal, but this is 2020, and 2020 has other plans for all of us! As for dining at home, the splendid Nash room at Betley Court, where we have marked so many family occasions, is alas just a memory, and a pile of ash in a skip somewhere. We had to come up with an idea that got around all the obstacles that life seems to be throwing at us at the moment!

By sheer coincidence, a post popped up on Facebook page, stating ‘Bookings now being taken for this Sunday’s takeaway lunch.’ Takeaway Sunday lunch, now there’s an idea! The post came from the Speed family, who run Betley Tea Rooms, just next door, at Betley Court’s former home farm. It couldn’t be more convenient, could it? We’d never come across a takeaway Sunday lunch before, but these are strange pandemic times, and I take my hat off to anyone trying something new in order to keep money coming through the tills. We put in an order, and started planning the rest of the festivities.

Betley Tea Rooms, at Betley Court Farm

We thought the almost finished visitors’ hub would make a nice venue for the Professor’s celebrations. Nice views of the gardens, wheelchair access, even a half-plumbed sink to do the dishes in. A spare old-fashioned dining table was requisitioned from a garage, and we found enough patio chairs from the garden to accommodate Martin, Nigel and myself, and our two daughters. Nigel dug out our 1990s CD player, a massive black plastic monstrosity to play some VE day tunes from Vera Lynne, Gracie Fields and the like. The girls took one look at it, rolled their eyes and declared, “We could’ve just downloaded something onto our phones, Dad!” Had ether Nigel and I ever bothered to work out how our phones worked properly, then I daresay we could!

We decorated the table with a cloth, and the girls made fancy folded origami from the napkins. The final flourish was a vase of flowers cut from the garden, and a pile of cards and presents. We were ready to collect both the Professor and the takeaway lunch, and begin.

The table set-up in the visitors' hub, complete with odd mix of patio chairs

With grandad, at the head of the table, head-bobbing and singing along to ‘We’ll Met Again”, Nigel and I drove up to the Tea Rooms, and joined the socially distanced queue to collect our order.

Loved this sign, ensuring social distancing at all times in the queue

We were handed a tower of large foil boxes with the lunches in, paper cups holding gravy and onion sauce, and tubs containing our deserts. Driving back with cups of gravy in the boot of the car was fun! We made it without a spillage.

Our precious cargo of hot food from the tea rooms

The lunch was fantastic! Generous portions of roast pork, roast and mashed potatoes, three vegetable, stuffing, and of course, the gravy and onion sauce that we had successfully couriered to the hub. Godfrey ate his roast lunch until he could eat no more.

Our scrumptious meal

Although by some miracle, he found he could eat some more once the desserts appeared! He has always been and will always be a ‘pudding man’. We shared profiteroles and dark chocolate sauce, and a gorgeous sticky toffee pudding with custard. What a feast!

No modern family gathering would be complete without a family selfie taken during dessert!

We concluded with opening the presents and cards, and a glass of something fizzy to toast the head of the family’s health. He’s not doing badly, for 94. I recon, with a bit of luck, he could make it to a century. By which time, we might be able to hold his centenary party back in the main house, when it has a roof, floors and windows again!

Opening the presents with Nigel and Martin

All best wishes

Ladybird Su