Epilogue

15 Mar
London Eye

London Eye (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We went on telly every morning for a week. People in the street recognised us. We had a huge cooked breakfast each day and VIP treatment at Madame Tussaud’s, the Planetarium, Planet Hollywood, the London Eye (bumped to the top of the  long queue and given a semi-private capsule – just one other couple in it) and somewhere else which I can’t now remember.

We met famous British people and the World’s Smallest Dog (they bumped our green segment for that one).  We met a man who did something interesting with Lego (so interesting, I can’t remember what it was) (they bumped our green segment again for that one).

The production staff were lovely.  They told us that our boys were the best-behaved children they’d ever had on the show.  Stuff was always coming in to the office, to be featured on TV.  One morning, a member of the production team who I don’t think we had met, came up to us with two expensive remote-controlled cars and told me they were for the boys; she had received them and thought, ‘I know just who I want to give these to.’  Wasn’t that kind?

We had a fantastic week, though the Hub was looking rather lyard in hair and face by the time we were dropped at Euston Station.  His M.E. wasn’t as bad then but it had been a hard five days for him and the kids were propping him up at that point.      Our train was in and we were about to board when we were suddenly stopped by a station guard.  She politely asked us to wait a moment, and then led us into First Class.  Apparently, the train was standing room only and she turfed four people out of their seats and gave them to us.

Euston station, London, UK

Euston station, London, UK (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nothing to do with The Big Breakfast – we were a family with two young children, looking exhausted (the boys and I) or about to collapse (Hub), and the four people were all young and travelling alone and only allowed those seats because there was no space in steerage. We still had the bulk of our cash wad but we discovered you don’t pay for snacks  in First Class, even if you haven’t paid for a First Class seat.

All in all, a fabulous week.

Now, the teabags:

When Tory Boy was eleven, he didn’t like a strong cup of tea and he liked half milk-half water.  I made two cups of tea from one tea bag, leaving the bag ready in another cup after making the first brew.  Lots of people do it; there’s nothing peculiar about it – but for some reason, it was all the council, Bella, the Newspaper Which Must Not Be Named and The Big Breakfast could fixate on.

Tea Bag Firestarters

Tea Bag Firestarters (Photo credit: Earthworm)

I made two cups of tea from one tea bag and as a result there is a photograph floating around the ether of me hanging used tea bags on a washing line; and I and my family got to be in a magazine, a newspaper, a local council event and on telly for a week.  We were given free gifts and food and money and treated like we were something special.  We met kind people and nice people and friendly people and a couple of jerks (not discussed in these posts because if you can’t say anything nice about someone then don’t blog about them).  We lived a charmed and somewhat pampered existence for a week and came out normal at the end of it.

Ain’t life weird?

*

I hope you’ve enjoyed my saga.  It was supposed to be one post; two at the most. It stirred so many memories, however, it stretched to a week.  With all the fun things that happened to us, it’s no wonder we felt kef on the train home, or in a state of drowsy contentment.

 

25 Responses to “Epilogue”

  1. McGuffy Ann March 15, 2013 at 16:42 #

    You are simply amazing. When Are you going to write a book? I will review it!

    Like

  2. terry1954 March 15, 2013 at 17:05 #

    You would never catch me up that high on a ride. Just call me Big Chicken!!

    Like

  3. Elaine - I used to be indecisive March 15, 2013 at 17:23 #

    I’ve really enjoyed your ‘saga’ and glad it all ended so well. I shall never buy Bella again (not that I buy it, but if I did I would stop now!) and if I knew which newspaper it was I would boybott it too.

    Just two cups of tea per tea bag? Lightweights – I can get three! 😉

    Like

  4. Maddie Cochere March 15, 2013 at 18:20 #

    I thoroughly enjoyed your posts about your week of fame, and I’m smiling and satisfied as though I just closed a good book that was very entertaining. So glad you shared. 🙂

    Like

  5. viveka March 15, 2013 at 19:22 #

    This was one of the best journeys I ever been on – fantastic .. to be remembered by the teabags … isn’t the worst thing that could happen. Thanks for joyful reading, Linda …

    Like

  6. granny1947 March 15, 2013 at 19:25 #

    I have been a bad Granny and haven’t been blogging or reading posts.
    That was so interesting I shall have to and read the rest of the saga.

    Like

  7. sharechair March 15, 2013 at 20:00 #

    I love your saga… but I still want more. I want to see the photo of you hanging out the teabags and a piece of the video. More! More!

    Like

  8. benzeknees March 15, 2013 at 21:27 #

    I often use just 1 tea bag to make a whole pot of tea, so it was quite common for me to leave a tea bag on a saucer for re-use when I was only making cups of tea one at a time. So you’re not weird – I think there are lots of us out here who are economical (read not mean).

    Like

  9. vivinfrance March 15, 2013 at 22:18 #

    I’m glad I didn’t miss the end of the saga. You deserved all the nice things that happened to you.

    Like

  10. Barbara March 15, 2013 at 22:18 #

    I can’t believe it’s all over

    Like

  11. adinparadise March 15, 2013 at 23:24 #

    Yes, life can be very weird at times, Tilly, and you proved it. 😀 What a week to remember. Now I have a song blossoming in my head. It goes like this “Ten brown teabags, hanging on the line………….etc. etc. ” 😆

    Like

  12. Rorybore March 16, 2013 at 01:46 #

    What a great adventure! I put coffee grounds around my garden plants. not sure how newsworthy that is. and I forget what bug it is supposed to keep away, but you know…..coffee anywhere I figure is a good thing.

    Like

    • Grannymar March 17, 2013 at 14:22 #

      The coffee grounds are supposed to keep slugs away from the plants.

      Like

  13. Three Well Beings March 16, 2013 at 03:32 #

    This has been such an entertaining series of posts, and I am so glad you shared! You enjoyed a bit of celebrity and I can imagine it to be much fun, but yes, exhausting. Time to move on at some point! Photos of our lives do circulate forever. I had a photo included in a LIFE magazine when Jane Fonda came to my college campus. I recently discovered that the photo is sold as a poster! It’s all over the Internet…and it was 40 years ago! Obviously Jane is the focal point, but there I am as my 19-year old college self. That’s my moment of celebrity. LOL! This has been fun!

    Like

  14. Tom (Aquatom1968) March 16, 2013 at 11:57 #

    A nice adventure, Tilly!

    Like

  15. mairedubhtx March 16, 2013 at 13:54 #

    Loved the saga. It certainly was an event, wasn’t it?

    Like

  16. Xiomara Maldonado March 16, 2013 at 17:28 #

    How awesome is it that you were able to travel first class when you were so exhausted!

    Like

  17. slpmartin March 17, 2013 at 03:48 #

    So with the suggestion about the book…it maybe that the Hub will be proven right…this time. 🙂

    Like

  18. Grannymar March 17, 2013 at 14:24 #

    First Class tale and a nice way to finish the week!

    Like

  19. bluebee March 31, 2013 at 01:40 #

    This series was a most enjoyable read, Tilly.

    Like

  20. sarsm April 5, 2013 at 17:14 #

    I thoroughly enjoyed your series. Fantastic!

    Like

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Granny Liu | Janet's Notebook - June 1, 2013

    […] are lazy. My friend fixed a new toilet seat all by herself and it didn’t wobble. She made me four cups of tea in 8 hours, of different flavours and strength. I think she recycled her tea bags for her own family, but for […]

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