Mingle Hell (Never mind Jingle Bell!) when I Meet the Table Policewoman

Brighton's Thistle Hotel

http://www.thistle.com/virtual_tour/thistle/brighton/flash/pano9.htm

Located on the seafront.  Brighton & Hove University of the Third Age held its Christmas Lunch at this gorgeous hotel on 12 December.  Fabulous!  We were treated like royalty, lovely two-course roast turkey lunch and pud, plus mince pie, plus glass of wine, plus great table service AND, if that wasn't enough, live music - and all for £15 each.

I know this hotel, as occasionally I have used the restaurant (the seafront one with the picture windows) for Sunday roast - two delicious courses for £9.95.  Took my friend from Israel there, and more recently, my sister when she came to stay for the weekend.

Anyhow, back to the lunch. Our chairman, Alan, suggested we should "mingle" after the main course so that we could get to know new people and enlarge our social circle. Well meant suggestion. I duly mingled, exchanging places with another lady so she could talk to people from her classes, while I wanted to have a chat with a student from my writing class.

It should have been okay.

But - the lady next to me became very agitated because I was "sitting in someone else's seat."  I explained I'd get up as soon as "the someone else" returned.  This wasn't a good enough reason.  I promised that I would be back with my friends immediately the owner of the seat returned.  But - insisted this woman - the lady had left half her pudding behind.

HORRORS! 

"We have stopped the waiter from taking it away," she said, as though it was a matter of life and death.

OMG. Why do I always attract these people. Because I do.  Everyone else is happily mingling and I'm having a confrontation. 

I sighed, picked up the pudding belonging to the person sitting in my seat on the original table, and - no, I didn't empty it over the woman's newly permed hairdo - instead I trotted over with it, plonked it in front of the lady I'd changed places with, and explained briefly that I was being given a hard time on her table.

I returned once more and carefully avoided looking at the Table Policewoman. But she was determined.

"Don't worry about it. We know each other," I snapped finally, in desperation, but secretly thinking "**XX!!!xx** busybody!"

But - in spite of P.C. Permabarnet - everyone else was fantastic!  U3A is booking the same hotel again next year.  I will take better care who I mingle with.