Little darling it feels like days since it's been here (From Watford Observer)

Little darling it feels like days since it's been here

10:32pm Tuesday 10th August 2010

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It was a sunny day in early May when a small delegation from The Harrow Apollo Male Choir visited The Three Crowns with a view to booking their annual barbecue.

The pub they had been using for years was closing and would we be interested in having 50 of their members & partners come along for a sausage or two followed perhaps by an impromptu sing song.

“Absolutely delighted” I said gazing out on a garden still brimming with apple blossom set on a lush green lawn.

June came and went, followed by July and Les & Colin kindly agreed to leave their marquees up after the Beer Festival – just in case the evening turn cool and shelter was required from the occasional light breeze or nocturnal hornet.

August began favourably enough and so what if the grass under the marquees was starting to dry out, this was the Summer we had been praying for for years.

Meanwhile Roz from the Choir was rounding up the troops and the numbers started creeping up past 60,then 70 to an all time record 74.

The weather forecast was initially giving us a few worries but then came a change and Michael Fish & Co promised us a few light showers in the morning followed by hot sunshine and a pleasant evening.

So what happened then Mr Fish ?

At 4 this afternoon I took the decision to move the Quiz Night to the small bar and set aside the lounge bar & restaurant for the Choir, Sophie phoned the tables booked for dinner tonight to tell them they may well be in between the tenors and the baritones and we would understand if they cancelled their bookings

They didn`t cancel

At 6 I swam in from a last minute shop at Costco, the Choir had increased to 79 and I didn`t want the last few to be sausageless.

At 6.45 there was a break in the clouds, just enough to give us hope and Al started to set the barbecue up in the garden……..

….in time for the stair rods that greeted the Choir as they filed in shaking their brollies out as they arrived.

Meanwhile Al & Kris started roasting sausages and chicken drumsticks in the kitchen oven whilst Gary finished off the potato & chive salad.

Determined to provide an authentic barbecue experience the lads moved the barbecue into the kitchen and started cooking burgers

Out front the arrangements for the “impromptu sing song” started with guitars, keyboard & mikes being set up, with Stuart, James & Irish Michael pouring pint after pint of ale whilst calculating how many drumsticks would be left over.

What happened next ?

Proud to say that 59 minutes after the first burger left the grill all the choir had been fed and the tables booked for dinner had arrived and seemed quite at ease.

We even got a round of applause before the sing song began.

As I write this Steve the Quizmaster is struggling manfully in a packed bar and the choir are just singing the song I requested.

“Here Comes The Sun”

And do you know what ? the forecast for tomorrow and the rest of the week isn`t half bad.

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