Late on parade this week due to the weekend away I have been rabbiting on about over the last few weeks. The social splinter group of the KBDG ventured to Bournemouth on Friday and had three great nights at the Savoy Hotel, excellent value, food and service if anyone is looking for a hostelry in the area. I gave it three stars in my recently published book on hotels called ‘My Word That Sounds Nice’.

Our eight intrepid travellers arrived on Friday afternoon following a terrific lunch on route at the Tudor Rose pub near Fordingbridge.

The only downside to the Savoy upon arrival was the car park. It must have been laid out by someone with a Smart car ‘cos anything bigger was a problem to park Luckily one kind gentleman moved his car over so I could park my limo. Chivalry is live and well and living in Bournemouth I say.

The weather of course was brilliant and a great day was had in Poole on Saturday and a magnificent walk in Christchurch on Sunday was the icing on the cake.

Now two of our team were on walking sticks which led me to think perhaps we should get some younger friends, when low and behold one of the group went to disembark from the boat trip we had just completed and all his pain had disappeared.

Just like some 1950’s epic starring Charlton Heston, the man (we’ll call him Chris) leapt up threw his stick overboard and more or less danced back to the bus. (We used the bus around Bournemouth-free travel you understand). Actually I lied about him throwing his stick overboard but you get the idea. Quite amazing.

Like I said a great weekend, we even won the hotel quiz one night. Plus my old mate Chuffer pulled on Sunday night. The smooth talking geriatric was in with a barrage of patter to a fellow guest (we’ll call her Marilyn) I hadn’t heard since I last saw Errol Flynn in action. Impressive –but just as well we were going home on Monday.

Having mentioned the good service we received on the weekend let me just relay the lunch we had on Saturday in Poole. How would you call the experience in culinary terms-Crap that’s it. The establishment was on the Quay all very fine and a notice said the lease was for sale. Having dined there I can understand why. Some lady who plainly wished she were somewhere else told me there were no hot drinks. My bride likes a cup of coffee on these occasions y’know. They eventually brought out the sandwiches leaving out one of the orders, plus leaving off the cheese on my ham sandwich (the baguettes were not available) the bread which was from a sliced loaf, left the cream cheese off other salmon sandwich and then serving hot drinks having told me they couldn’t. On top of this the bill was astronomic for what we had had. I thought I had bought the lease. I wish I had instead of the lunch I can tell you. The place was called Jazz I think. I never did like Jazz anyway.