A long long time ago - omg -
AND SHE'S OFF
If you ever see me - NEVER EVER talk using song lyrics !
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile ( music always makes me smile )
And I knew if I had my chance
( I usually take chances - lol - lots and lots of chances )
That I could make those people dance
( Just love to make people smile and dance )
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
( After meeting me people usually cry tears of joy - YES THEY ARE JOYFUL ! )
But February made me shiver ( brrrrrrrrrr )
With every paper I'd deliver
( never in my life - EVER would i deliver a paper ! )
Bad news on the doorstep
(Don't think I've delivered bad news - apart from turning up ! )
I couldn't take one more step
( and not cause of the drink either !)
I will AIM TO SHUT UP NOW !! -
I WILL TRY !! - I PROMISE - BUT OH PLEASE ...
IT'S IN MY HEAD NOW !!!
I can't remember if I cried,
When I read about his widowed bride,
Something touched me deep inside,
The day the muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusic died.
So
Bye, bye Miss American Pie ( Join in if you want )
YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO !
Drove my Chevy to the leveeeeeeee but the leveeeeeeeeee was dry ( no - serious - i never had a chevy - Just a Qashquai - but that don't go ! )
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
( Mmmm Morgans Spiced )
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die - ( well - it's only 5pm - still time ! )
OK - THAT SHOULD be out of my system now - so -
Where was I
A LONG LONG TIME AGO !!! .....
Way back when my grandparents were alive and the Kids in the high street had respect for their elders, Kings Road did not have speed bumps and the Market was on the MARKET SITE and NOT half way down Mortimer Street on a Saturday morning and omg -
HERNE BAY CHATTER DID NOT EXIST !!!!
( I know - I WON'T even go there !! -
that's not even worth thinking about !! )
THE GATE PUB WAS OUR LOCAL !!
THE GATE AT MARSHSIDE !! -
Run by Chris ( on the right ) ,
A great big beef of a man with massive Santa beard
( OK I'm over 40 - but remembering as a 6 year old here ! ) and he had a character that was straight out of Faulty Towers ( yup - scared the living daylights outta me ! ) and he had his trusty sidekick whose name i forget by his side -
Off my Brother and I would waddle
( That has not changed - well - i
I waddle at least ! - but - in Duck territory i think this is acceptable ) to the tree -
OHHH NO FOLKS - THIS WAS NO SIMPLE 'TREE' -
THIS WAS ...
THE ... du du duuuuuuu TREE
( The one in the middle of the above picture )
I'm sure it had links to the Faraway Tree and Mr Spoon, Silky and Moonface - But - as i could NEVER get to the top - then or now - i will never know .... Frankly if i got to the top now - i would be very very sad as the next day I'm sure i would be attending both myself and the tree's funeral ...
We would laugh and climb and climb and fall and cry - and get shouted at for making a noise !!! That's just by the parents !! - ( JOKE !!! ) -
Anyways - both my brother and I loved that tree -
but - thank goodness we didn't recreate any OLD PHOTOS when he was back visiting from Australia a few weeks back ! - THAT could have been a tad embarrassing !! -
For passers by !!
So - as you have probably Guessed - we have been going to THE GATE for over 40 years - and it holds many many FABULOUS MEMORIES for myself and my whole family ..... Thankfully it was open when My Bro came over - and EVERYTHING was exceptional - food, drink, ( My beloved ) Coffee and Service - ( I wont mention a sour faced waitress as i believe she has now gone !! WHEWWW WHEWWWWW ! -
If she hasn't - she will be by the time this is published ! -
No - seriously - EVERYTHING WAS SUPERB ! * Titter * - Bad me ! )
Today we returned - WE RETURNED !!
Just myself - My daughter - Mother and Father !! -
In we went - and
WHOOOOOOOOSH -
Was hit in face by the warmth and atmosphere -
The Log Fire was on -
There was a family with a small baby - an older ( distinguished ) guy sitting by himself in the corner - and then the rest of the bar was made of of families and a couple and guys just having a quick lunchtime drink ...
No Tables - But - Mum asked if we could join the guy sitting on his own - and VERY VERY HOSPITABLE - The local immediately pulled a chair and gestured - well - dad didn't need asking twice - he was dead on his feet - OK OK - maybe that's a tad disrespectful as he has just come from the K&C Hospital ! - but - Thankfully he knows me and knows - well - i have no limitations on what comes out my mouth !!!
Anyways down he sat, while Mother and I went to the Bar - Mums usual haunt - but - myself being Teetotal just stood there ... I looked at mum - what are you having ?? -
"Three Diet Cokes I think" - was her reply
WOW - SHE WAS THIRSTY ! -
" YOU ? Coffee ?? "
She knows me too well !!
YUP - Coffee for me please !!
But - that's when the Manager grabbed our attention - and NO - I don't mean he did a lil dance across the bar - although - I'M SURE HE WOULD IF HE COULD HAVE !! -
and i KNOW he would have done it justice -
he just had 'that face' - a very like able fella !
He looked at us -
"Here you are" -
he said as he put a light on i think -
"Would you like to come through to the Restaurant"
OH YES - YES,
WE BLOODY WELL WOULD -
THANK YOU -
( I'm sure Grandad would have put a 'good man' in there at the end if he had been there ! )
Well - Getting Dad up - after he had Sat - well - that was tricky - and being the ever loving and helpful daughter i am - i left that to mother.
Frankly if Dad went down ( He is as Giddy as I, He has Parkinson's ) and then he pulled me down - the whole place would be in array ( or should that be disarray ? ) with people splayed and crumpled on the floor - and however good this Manager was / is ( and has to be said - atm it's looking very very hopeful ) - i don't think he could quite cope with me in Full Storm Hulk Mode ( See blog about my Invisible Illness ) - i would class that as above and beyond the Rhelms of Duty !!!
So we made it into the Restaurant with no mishaps and even the Manager fella ( Later to be known as Glenn ! ) helped dad as he stumbled - with no thought for himself - he jumped right in there and grabbed an arm - not any arm - obviously - Dad's arm ... * laughing * ( Sorry - I will stop with the over dramatisations in a second - but - atm they are causing me far too many laughs ! ) and helped dad to a chair without making dad feel daft or anything - I too was very very good and did not pass comment !!
The Restaurant was LOVELY - it was nice and warm ( a week before we had been seconded to the Punch Taverns 'conservatory' - where - rather dark - and FREEZING - if we had been there for even five minutes more - an ACTUAL icicle would have formed on our noses and fallen - probably silently - as we cryed - again - inaudibly - because of the cold and lack of human interaction .. BUT -
At THE GATE - Firstly the chairs were ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS for my Fat bottom ( Yes - this needs to be taken into consideration ) - a smaller bottom may well have worked better with a cushion - but me - well - i have plenty of padding so was quite happy -
The Manager ( Opps - sorry - Glenn ) took time to make sure we were ok ( I don't mean he asked if our bottoms were ok - ) Rather he took orders for drinks - and came back very shortly with above mentioned drinks and took meal orders ...
Very very fast service ....
I won't go into details about our conversations as - well - i'm sure you are NOT interested in such trivialities - Unicorns and Blog's and Great Uncle Betty - Yes - I did say UNCLE Betty ... etc - But - our Meals came out - and OHHHHHHHHHH THE GATE BURGER ( This is what my family over the decades have always ordered ) would NOT DISAPPOINT !! - Utter deliciousness on a plate - so said my mum !! - Dad had a Bacon Sarnie - Mmmm = NOT JUST ANY BACON SARNIE - that actually was something from a monumental mammoth of a Pig and the bread - well - yes - doorstop - just how dad likes it - !!!
Ohhh REMEMBER TO ASK FOR A BUCKET OF NOGGINS - NEVER EVER FAIL TO DISAPPOINT !
Cassie and I however are the difficult ones - Vegetarian and a pain in the arse - not literally - but metaphorically speaking - but - OMG - I have had the Flat Mushroom and Goats Cheese Burger MANY TIMES ( today the beetroot was diced, and actually FAR FAR BETTER, than the 'normal' way of a round !! ) and today's was as delicious as last time - but probably not as good as it will be next time !!
Cass - well - she opted for the Spicy Bean Hot Pot - to which her reaction was - WOW - THATS HOT - but in fairness - WHAT DO YOU BLINKIN EXPECT !! - ( It was NOT 'That' hot ) and after she added a few mayo sachet's in she ate the whole lot - and LOVED IT !!!
FOR PHOTOS / VIDEOS OF THE FOOD AND OUR JAUNT - PLEASE SEE THE BELOW !!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbFKAxyjBBS/?taken-by=abigail007bbw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_yXT_q4Ls
All the while we were nodded by and smiled at and i'm sure i got a wink by a gorge fella in white
( Ohh shush - there are NO GHOSTS HERE ! )
Everyone made us feel very welcome and it was a lovely meal - all staff were fab -
( well to be fair only saw the manager ( Glenn ) and the Barman / Waiter ( WOW THAT HAIR ! -THAT WAS AMAZING - AND WORTH GOING TO SEE ALONE - He was lovely and very friendly and a happy chappy too ! )
It is WELL WORTH a visit from ANYONE resident to the Bay or Visiting.. All for a very very good price - obviously we will return - but - probably far sooner than usual after today's experience !
Such a nice place and typical of Kent at it's best !!
Gate Inn
Church Lane,
Boyden Gate, Chislet,
Canterbury, Kent
CT3 4EB
01227 860498