Two Phone Calls

Two old pals have been on the blower within the last forty-eight hours. Most unexpected. The first call was from a former colleague with the same name as self: he's retiring next month and wants us to have lunch at the Water Margin Chinese restaurant in Belfast next week. I am particularly keen on Chinese cuisine, even good old sweet-and-sour chicken in batter with fried rice!

I haven't eaten at the Water Margin for a few years, so this celebration - if that's the word - will be a good opportunity to frequent the restaurant again. I might even be tempted to cycle there. The Water Margin is located at the former Donegall Pass Presbyterian Church, near the Ormeau Road.

The trouble with these heavy lunches is that we invariably have equally heavy drinking sessions too. I'd like to pace myself by alternating gins with fizzy water.

Last night, just as I was about to settle in the armchair to watch The Dragons' Den, an old friend from my school-days rang. We reminisced about nights out at the Lobster Pot in Strangford in the mid-seventies; the two very attractive waitresses at the time - one of whom was called Julie - and what a wonderful place it was then. I reminded the old chum that I had a crush on Julie at the time to the extent that I sent her an anonymous Valentine card with Julie, the Sensuous Barmaid scrawled on the envelope! Heaven knows how many Valentine cards Julie received.