COWROAST CHRONIC(le)

Welcome gentle reader.

A short pissy pithy  post to alert you to the good news that the Christmas Quiz will be available from 6th December-at no charge-for your entertainment over Christmas. There are 70+ questions all well within your capability. If you want a copy please let me know and I'll email it. As I say there is no charge but if you're passing a charity box drop a quid in. If you want the answers as well they'll be available from 27th December and I'll send them to anyone who has so requested . It's very easy (probably, well, bits of it...) but more fun and challenging if you don't google the answers. If you want a hard copy (i.e. on paper rather than more difficult) let me know.

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I'm writing this post from the village of Wing in Rutland where I'm enjoying a week's break together with the worst cold any man ever had. Such bravery. Such fortitude. Such a wimp!

The ague has been so virulent I have yet to start writing any more of the proposed new book although tho be fair Pam has been here for two days so the opportunity wasn't really there as she enjoyed a short break amusing herself and listening to the  host coughing and sneezing and bemoaning his luck. She is a most saintly woman. The Mother Theresa of Berkhamsted. Sadly Pam has returned home so I can wallow even deeper in self pity/loathing/abuse

The excellent Kings Arms

Where I'm staying in Wing is 25 yards from the local pub (and half way there is a phone box with a defibulator)' The Kings Arms is excellent-except it's Monday and they don't open Monday. Still a combination of "I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue", University Challenge, the excellent Canal Boat Diaries (BBC4), the remains of my splendid stockpot and the crossword will soon mean it's Tuesday. We ate in the pub, the Kings Arms, on Saturday. It was very good-we both had Halibut with mussels and were very impressed. Obviously I haven't lost my appetite with the current ailment which is obviously more than just a cold-TB perhaps or worse but I must keep my strength up to survive.

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Last week we met Philip, Caz, Florence and Mathilda and Polly of course for lunch in Epping Forest-or rather at a pub in Epping Forest. It was a very jolly do and the fitter members of the group had a wander in the woods.

The lunch was good though others found the beef a bit chewy -mine was fine but for me there is no such thing as bad beef.-, nor apparently for Polly.

Talking of pubs...

Whilst we are on the subject of pubs work on The Lamb continues apace so the opening before Christmas looks promising. It all looks very smart when peeping through the window-all very exciting.

The Cow Roast Inn however seems to have stalled-rumour has it a delay with the electrics has slowed down progress. Fingers crossed they can get it sorted. Unfortunately it comes as no surprise to those of us that used the pub over many years. Vatious owners but especially Punch Taverns failed to do any maintenance and what little we saw of the electrics would have blanched the bravest face. Punch have walked away from all the businesses they ruined. Terrible.

I watched The Laundromat the other night. It is all about tax evasion on a grand scale (in the States) but it's international racketeering so we're in it too. Terrible to see what goes on without proper legislation whilst the rest of us further down the pile are assuming there must be a law agin it but there aint. Come the Revolution....

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Last week some of the Cowroastians, past and present with others attended Max Deverill's funeral. It was a tough call as these sad occasions always are but Lesley and family made a brave and touching job of it followed by a get-together at Dunstable and District Boat Club in Pitstone. There was a wonderful display of photos of Max in happier times-very evocative, and a grand spread. Plenty of boaters and others all remembering a top bloke.

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If you are looking for a CHEAP present for your nearest and dearest or even someone you don't like why not grab this £5 Bargain?! Buy it off me and I'll sign it. What a snip!

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A Review in the Winter Editions of the Berkhamsted and Tring "Living" Magazines

Mike Wall – Me and Some Other JokesBy Michael Wall
Kindle £2.50, paperback £5.50

Mike lives in Cow Roast and calls this his ‘first and probably only’ book. It’s a book full of jokes, interweaved with stories of his life. It’s essentially a celebration of the art of joke telling, which Mike fears is on the way out, by a man who clearly loves to make people laugh. It’s an easy, happy read and nicely written. You won’t regret giving it a go.

Available from Amazon or email me at mikewall@cowroastlock.co.uk