Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Churchy's stag epilogue

Well we shall just leave it to Bill:-

http://howlongittakes.blogspot.com/2007/02/most-exciting-day-ever.html

Monday, February 26, 2007

Churchy's stag Part 4

By Monday numbers were thinning rapidly and the group was down to four, Jarman, Pieter, Churchy and our hero. A gentle brunch (at the place they had meant to goto the day before) followed by a quick trip downtown for a view of the World Trade Centre and general ramble through the financial district followed.

To call it cold would not begin to do it justice and so they dived into a Starbucks at the World Financial Centre to warm up. Their barrista had a rather odd name.



Suitably refreshed, and amused, they wandered up through Tribeca and back into the West Village where they stocked up on gifts for their loved ones from a first class chocolatier.

A quick final pint in the White Horse before back to hotel and off. All in all a pretty first class few days.

It is fair to record that he was not at his best upon arrival at the office the next morning having caught the red eye back and gone straight there from Heathrow. He could at least have had a French shower.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Churchy's stag Part 3

Having gone hard at the ball on Saturday the boys were a little fragile Sunday morning and having spent like Kings the day before decided to head out of the hotel for some brunch.

Having wandered aimlessly through the mean, and freezing, streets eventually common sense and cold took hold and they staggered into a cheap and cheerful dinner on the Upper East Side (having walked past severaly more salubrious joints on the way).

Thus sustained they headed back onto the freezing streets with a view to going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On the way they walked past the Frisk Museum and on the basis that it would be warm they dived in.

With that cultural edification tucked under their belts they headed up to the Met but once there only Major and Jarman decided to investigate whilst the rest (sans Nick whom by this stage was on his way to Philly) who decided to go for a walk through Central Park before stopping for some pastries.

Just for the record therefore on a stag do they went to an Art Gallery, for a walk in the park and to buy some pastries. Really letting their hair down.

Sadly Nigel had to leave them Sunday evening and so to see him on his way they congregated in the hotel bar for a few jars. A few too many as it transpired as Nigel promptly missed his flight back.

With Nigel gone they could move a little downmarket and headed down to McSorleys (one of our hero's old haunts) where his good friend Bill joined them.

Supper proved to be a bit of a challenge with Churchy being asked for ID and them having a row with a barman (resolved when they walked out without paying) before finally settling down for supper at a lovely little restaurant called Lavagne (with thanks to Bill for locating it). He of course promptly fell asleep at the table.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Churchy's stag Part 2

Having eaten like a hobbit the day before (breakfast at Heathrown, second breakfast on the 'plane, lunch on the 'plane, second lunch at the Spotted Pig and supper at the steakhouse) he awoke Saturday morning with his guts having simply given up and a large undigested mass of food stuck in his stomach. As it was clearly never going down he cleverly managed to get rid of it the other way. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he pucked his guts up. Rock and Roll.

Clearly a light breakfast was the order of the day and so he duly ordered a kilo of foie gras stacked on a loaf of brioche. He recorded it as being, "the stupidest thing I have ever ordered by a country mile." We agree.

Having weighed themselves down they decided to go on a quick helicopter trip around the island. Imagine their faces when the ground-crew laughed at their suggestion that they could all go in one 'chopper'. "You are too fat" was the essential message.

Having forced two of their number onto another aircraft the five left, including our hero, were further humiliated as pilot after pilot refused to take them and lighter groups of passengers leapfrogged them in the cue. Eventually the skies above darkened and a heavy lift chopper hove into view to take them on their trip (after having dumped fuel to reduce its weight).

With the sound of laughter ringing in their ears they strolled back towards their hotel and up Broadway to Times Square. By this stage the tourism thing was wearing thin and so they jumped in a taxi to Brooklyn to visit the brewery there. They managed 40 minutes in the outer boroughs before being too frightened of the guns and natives and so braves the subway back to Manhattan.

Yet another steakhouse followed for supper (he managed to stay awake this time) before they decided to investigate the less seemly side of life. The Penthouse Executive Club was first on the agenda and was followed by The Fantasy Club. Nigel's cello playing was a rare treat.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Churchy's stag Part 1

After a night on the sauce with Gay George (Not Actually Gay) he was up at some unseemly hour to make the quick trip to Heathrow. In fact so quick that he was so engrossed playing with the new features on his swanky new 'phone that he had to be nudged awake by the driver on arrival.

With him, Glenn, Nigel and Martin (Churchy's allegedly more sensible older brother) all on the same flight the attendants must have been somewhat nervouse about having them alltogether and so upgraded Major to Club. Nigel being the man of the people that he is had already booked himself into Club. Glenn and our hero were therefore stuck out back.

To deal with the disappointment he kicked off the drinking early by ordering one of these
at a little before 0700. An aggresive start to the weekend.

Clearly the general soporific affect was passed onto the pilot who reported that "we hope to land around lunchtime" which demonstrated a rather high level of imprecision. Particularly as the in-flight entertainment system could be tuned to show a map with distances and time to arrival. Glenn was somewhat bemused that they did not have this facility in the cockpit.

On arrival at JFK, after a gentle snooze, imagine his surprise when there was snow on the ground and a rather wintry wind in the air. Imagine his friends amusement at his lack of warm clothes.



A gentle start was of course called for so met up with the others (Churchy, Pieter and Nick) and they hit the Spotted Pig in the West Village for a quick half gallon of "Pig" (a rather aggresively alcoholic pint) before sinking another couple at the White Horse (passim) before an early supper at a steakhouse. He of course just fell asleep at the table in the usual way.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Rugby Legend Part 2

Last Friday the rugby fans for Bristol were all of a quiver all day as the got ready for the benefit dinner of the millenium for a stalwart of the local game whose last season this has been.

We are of course talking about Mark Regan and not our hero.

He found himself on a table to avid rugby fans and another washed up rugby player apparently now making a new career for himself as a dancer. We had not heard of Matt Dawson before, we wonder if our readers had.

As ever with two retired rugby players they competed throughout the evening with their respective tales of rugby glory. Despite his most valiant efforts in the scheme of things the World Cup winner probably won out.

We were hoping to be able to report that at least things had been a bit more competitive on the dance floor but our hero got so legless on red wine he had to leave before the dancing started. Impressive stuff.

This weekend is Churchy's stag in New York so we do hope to be able to report on some excitment next week. Stay tuned.