Maggi had organised to meet her sister and Richard with spouses for a lunch to celebrate her birthday and we all went to Le Comptoir in Blindfold Street. We have eaten there before and always had a decent meal. While Maggi had the £15 steak and chips offering I choose the Guinea Fowl, which I enjoyed. I followed this with one cheese a Comte and washed it down with a glass of port. All very good.
I did notice that after Maggi told everyone that we would pay for the meal that nobody shied away from having the more expensive dishes. This applied principally to Lynda who added an espresso martini to her menu without really asking. She is however usually very generous whenever we go to her house, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.
Before we arrived at the restaurant Richard and Aida had turned up at our house to leave their car there as he had arranged to stay the night. We all travelled into town together and on our walk through Marylebone we stopped at the catholic church of St James’ Spanish Place. The building is actually situated in George Street. The church has connections with the Spanish Embassy dating back to the 17th Century although the current edifice was cont constructed until the 19th Century in a Gothic Style. From the outside you would be surprised to see how magnificent it is when you enter.
Aida showed her Catholic Heritage by buying and lighting a candle and bowing when she approached the altar. I didn’t follow suit.
We left the church and met Lynda and Dave at the Coachmakers Arms before we went onto the restaurant. I left the restaurant and hurried home where I watched the last 40 minutes of the Arsenal v Sheffield United game which the gunners won 5-0 with Eddie Nketiah scoring a hat-trick. Aida and Richard returned home with Maggi and we rounded off the evening watching a very dull Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand which the Springboks won 12-11 without scoring a try.