The art of conversation
According to Arthur Nelson the young have lost the art of conversation but yesterday proved that amongst our Rust Belters it’s still going strong.
At 31 my p/a Polly is hardly blue rinse let alone silvery, indeed as a triathlete she is a picture of glowing health looking like a Nordic ski instructress.
She popped round to help with some admin yesterday and we had a wide ranging conversation on whether she could go through with a pregnancy with a Down syndrome baby, her plans to make Sherry the gin of our age with fashionable and sexy bars serving Manzanilla in small decanters at ridiculous prices as well as attending to some security issues on my email account and setting up Excel for a lunch club I organise.
Soon after she left I did too for lunch with a Rust colleague in the Bridge Inn Amberley near Arundel. We had an even more wide-ranging conversation.
My colleague had to bring up two children on his own, his wife dying tragically of cancer and he was involved in a demanding career in television. He confessed he made a hash of parenting but I replied because the necessity for professional qualification was never imposed on his kids – as it was on us – they could take different and diverse career paths free of any interference.
I do not believe it is a coincidence that Polly and her best friend Grania have indifferent fathers but have become high achievers.
My view of professional qualifications is they are overrated but they do confer a set of skills that are of use. Indeed last week an ex-tenant of mine, hassled by the rating department, expressed herself so emotively and aggressively that I was not disposed to assist her. Had she calmly and pithily and, above all professionally set out the facts I may have done so. Parenting is an interesting subject as we still recall our own childhood and that our parents carried a set of values that were/are now out of date.
I will let Daffers review the Bridge Inn, Amberley. I will say it ticked all the boxes of a top country pub.
The grub is hearty fare. I had a delicious freshly made tomato soup followed by gammon, duck eggs, chips and peas.
My colleague had calamari and a fine macaroni cheese. We both washed it down with pints of the local brew. The service was friendly and efficient, comfort good and at £54 a reasonable price.
Monday lunches are difficult but the pub was 2/3rds full with all the age groups present and a dog so I was not alone in appreciating it.
On the drive back I could only admire the russets and tints of autumn in the trees’ foliage and reflect what a beautiful county Sussex is.
