After a very busy month I have finally gotten round to sitting down at this computer and updating this blog. I missed my July update completely! (Where did that month go!!)  The Cafe has had another change in staff with Nina going off to new things. She is still popping in to see us and about to start a job nearer to her home so it will be more convenient for her and we wish her well in the future.  We have been very lucky in finding a replacement. A lady who has been recommended to us and she has said she would like to come and work at Morello's starting in early September. So look out for Toni in the  near future!!

The summer never really arrived and the cold, wet, weather has meant quite a few customers seeking solace in soup, but we have had to disappoint them as I have a summer break from soup making. I keep telling them that it's the middle of summer, and they should be eating healthy salads etc!! But I am getting some weird looks as the rain pours down.

On the positive side, the flowers in the yard are enjoying the cool conditions and the 'busy lizzies' have reached half way up the windows. I made a daft mistake one day after a particularly busy Saturday when I went out to spray some of the geraniums with insecticide as they were getting eaten by something.  It was a short time later that I came over cold with the realisation that I had not checked the spray bottle.... Yes, you guessed it, I'd sprayed them with weed killer!! Doughhhhhhhhhh!! So the half eaten geraniums have become the dying geraniums. Thank goodness I did not spray everything.

Did you see the 'Evening News' magazine for Friday 22nd August? Simon Parkin, a reporter, had obviously made an anonymous visit to the Cafe that week and then wrote an article, with pictures in this publication. We were so pleased that he had such positive things to say about Morello's. It gave us all a boost and we had some new customers on Saturday just because they had read the article. I have said before that its word of mouth recommendations that are so important to us. If we just continue to give good, 'old fashioned' service, with a smile and provide simple home cooked food we should be able to ride out this downturn in the economy, which has seen less shoppers coming into the city in recent months. So Thank you Simon, glad you appreciated your 'Cafe Morello' experience, we hope you will become a regular.

A pdf file of the article is available by clicking here.

Pam and I had a Church fundraiser in our garden this month on a Wild West theme. We had Live Musical entertainment and one of the 'acts' was 'Steal-a-note', a Ladies Barbershop Quartet who sang for us. We found out about them through one of their number who is a regular customer of ours and she kindly agreed to help with our fundraiser. They were well received and if anyone would like some more information about them they will find it on their web site, www.steal-a-note.co.uk. 

Click on the photographs to open larger images

So you will see the pictures accompanying this blog do not show the latest Cafe Morello uniform!!!!  We were so blessed with the weather again this year, rain all week and even rain the morning of the event, but by lunchtime it had cleared up, there was very little wind and we had sun throughout the afternoon and evening.  The marquees all over our lawn were for shade only!!  You know, us British, are such a stoical lot, buying tickets, in advance, for an outdoor event in this country, what brilliant support from our friends and neighbours and a good time was had by all.

So now as September approaches and the schools reopen we look forward to our 'Indian Summer'. Have you noticed the blackberries are ripening? I enjoy taking our dog out and picking these in the autumn countryside and maybe a few will find their way into pies for the Cafe.

Soup should be back on the menu in October for those afficianados of the culinary art of stock and veg. I must admit a good tasty soup, with garlic bread and a glass of red wine is pretty close to a lunchtime perfection for me.

    So see y'all in the Cafe soon.

Oh! I should say that our daughter Jennie and her family have now moved North from the Southern State of South Carolina so maybe its time I dropped the Southern expression for 'you all'. She has moved to Maryland by Chesapeake Bay and we are going out to visit in September. We are looking forward to seeing them and exploring a new area of America and maybe making new friends in that area.  I know its a 'men and their toys' thing, but Chesapeake is the largest, freshwater bay, in the world so I am looking forward to some play time on that too!!

Bye for now

Steven

 

I normally say that September is my favourite month as the weather is generally so lovely then but this year!!  These rain storms are tropical in their intensity. However, I just love the tenacity of some of our customers and noticed this yesterday afternoon. We look after our customers so well we even supplied the umbrellas. They refused to come under the tunnel out of the rain, insisting they were fine and loved being 'outside'...

 

Steven

Wednesday 24th September

Click on photos for larger image

From Maryland, USA.  I thought it would be fun to continue this blog while I am visiting our daughter Jennie and her family in the States.  

I flew out on Sunday 21st from Terminal 5 at Heathrow. It was a relaxing 2 and a half hours drive down to the airport as the roads were quite empty it being Sunday morning. Despite all the bad publicity at its opening, terminal 5 is now one very impressive building and it is really lovely inside with lots of natural light and loads of space. It helped that I was there on a Sunday morning when it wasn't so busy I expect, but I found it very efficient.

My flight was with British Airways and left on time at 1pm. I have not flown with BA before but it was an excellent flight with good service.  It is a great idea that you now can 'book in' yourself, at home, and sort out your own seat on the plane and print off your own boarding pass, before even leaving for the airport, which meant I had a good seat with plenty of leg room. The flight was eight hours and touched down at 4pm US time, in Baltimore where Jennie, Pam and our two grand-daughters were waiting for me. (Pam had flown out 2 weeks ahead of me). It was lovely to see then again.

The grand-daughters, Emma and Ava have grown so much since I last saw them at Christmas. They live in North East, about 60 miles from the airport and have a lovely house on a quiet development, surrounded by trees.

Our dog, a Red Setter called Harry was also there to greet me. He is 14 now and an old man, but still the same loveable old friend and we have got back into our routine of going for walks twice a day.  This is a very wooded area and I have ventured with him into these woods, but unlike England have been told to watch out for Snakes. I have been told there aren't any copper heads but there are some black snakes which have been seen around here. Our neighbour, Jim, saw one in his yard about 3 feet long but he shooed it away!

Jennie and her husband Bill live about 10 minutes by car from Chesapeake Bay and we went down to the water on Monday and it was beautiful.  Chesapeake Bay is the largest freshwater bay in the world and North East is at the top of it and from where we first saw it there was this huge area of water stretching away into the distance. There was a children's play area, lots of boats and I spoke to some fisherman there to get some tips on how to fish it and what could be caught; wide mouth Bass and Sun Fish seem to be most common. I  am looking forward to trying my luck! They catch Blue Crabs out in the Bay which seem to be on most menus as an area speciality. There were lots of seagulls and other birds, waders, geese etc and a buzzard soaring overhead.

The town of 'North East' is on the shores of the bay and at first look reminds me so much of what you'd expect a small American town to look like. It has one main street lined with quaint and interesting shops but is a place obviously used to a large number of visitors, drawn to the area because of its numerous water related activities. The weather here is a very pleasant 80F with beautiful blue skies. It gets a bit humid in the afternoons but nothing like South Carolina. It's probably because we are heading towards 'the fall' and there are some trees just beginning to turn.

One of my interests while I'm here is in the different types of birds to be seen and I have put out a syrup feeder to attract the humming birds!! I haven't seen any yet but they are quite common.

Amy is running the Cafe while we are away assisted by Jennette, Toni and the girls Flossie and Fiona, so I know it and you are being well looked after. We speak to her everyday so get all the news.

Well, that's all for now and I hope you enjoy reading of our adventures.

Steven..