Thursday, November 23, 2006

Alton Trips

Alton Farmer's Market saw my first public performance as a Morris Dancer - see Valerie's Gallery for the juicy pics!! Was very nervous but it was good fun. I only joined in two dances, of which the stave dance, Portobello, was probably my best effort. I don't think "Nutting Girl", the hankie dance, went quite as well, I seemed to be hitting myself in the face with the hankies quite a lot, also waving them uselessly when forgetting the figures! Oh well, it's a start! The others seemed pleased with my efforts anyway. We went for an Italian meal in Prezzos afterwards, I had some very nice pasta & meatballs whilst Bill Badger had a Quattro Stagioni pizza. It was good to do something to celebrate together as well. Also visited the Kings Head at half-time where Linda and myself got some very strange looks in our costumes! We ended up buying lots of "real food" at the market (not to mention Mr Whitehead's mulled cider) so had to make a trip home to put it in the fridge.
Later we were back in Alton for the Real Ale Train (RAT), a steam train with racked-bright casks of ale on it. We also met up beforehand in the Eight Bells to join Reading CAMRA, bumping into them later at the Railways Arms. The Winchester Trusty Friend Porter and Triple fff Moonshine were delicious, but the beer ran out half way! Disgusting, a complaint to the Watercress Line manager in the strongest terms is required, I think;-) A lot of the CAMRA contingent got off at Alton in search of real ale in the local pubs. Bill Badger, Julie and I stayed on the train, sipping our beer to make it last. This was very wise as I was rather rough the next day!!
Very good day, I enjoyed muchly. Thanks to Other Val for the RAT organisation!

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