Nervous.

My friend Louisa wanted to take me out to afternoon tea. I had never been out to an afternoon tea before. I have seen them on telly, and have seen other people put theirs on social media. The posh China, with tea and the nice section of cakes and small sandwiches on the three-to-four-tiered cake stand, round and bigger at the bottom and getting smaller at the top. I had heard, that you can take home what is not eaten, because it has all been paid for.

I wouldn’t have had a clue as to how much such a treat would cost. I just knew, it would be expensive and as a special one off.

Louisa always looks stunning when she goes out.

I was nervous the day before, and thought carefully of what I would wear. I wasn’t sure, if they would stop me wearing anything that was not the norm. I know some posh places, have the power to stop people entering their entablement, as it will, bring the side down. For people, who there, have put on their best, and eat there often, they too may not want to see people dressed down, or inappropriately.

I had chosen my lovely outfit. I was going to wear a hat. I was having my hair done a few days later. With my trusted hat I would feel, comfortable and complete. It still was in the back of my mind; would they accept me with my hat on? Who goes out for afternoon tea, wearing a hat? Was I overthinking it all? I didn’t think so. I was SO nervous, I didn’t want to let Louisa down, by not been accepted at the door. I expected there to be a doorman at the main entrance.

Louisa explained to me, “I have booked us a table by the window, this is £5 each.” I thought, now I have heard of everything, paying for a room with a view. I suppose it is same on an aeroplane, but I don’t know.

Louisa came to my home, and from there she booked an uber taxi. I don’t go in one often, and so they seem like a luxurious way to travel.

Louisa told me, “Each slot is for two hours.” I suppose that makes sense, so that people are not hogging the spaces, that can be used for other customers, while they sit, around chatting, in a nice warm place. I did wonder, if the place would be too hot in there or too cold with too much air conditioning.

I thought, would I have to leave my leather jacket in the cloakroom? Would I have to pay to leave it there? What if I had no choice? Suppose it got stolen? My house keys were in the one pocket and my car keys was in the other. I think I was giving myself an extra gray hair! That sort of nonsense was what I think kept me slim, with Stress, When I was younger. I would even have lost sleep over it all, thankfully I didn’t lose sleep.

When we arrived, the building was huge, it was both of our first time. We got into the lift, I didn’t feel it move, it was that smooth! Louisa then realized that we were already ON the seventh floor, when we had walked into the building! She then pressed the button for us to go up, then we were on the 25th floor.

There wasn’t any doorman. It was a lovely nice place, we walked past a bar, and went up to the lady on reception. Louisa said, “I’ve booked a table for two for 12,” She replied, “Pleased can you get yourself a drink at the bar until it is 12.” It was 11.55 we didn’t see the point. I took some pictures of the champagne bottles that was by the window and pictures of the black baby grand, ready for the live music. There was also an old-fashioned scooter and lots of pictures of the celebrity owner, on the walls. I was excited but still nervous.

We were taken to our seat, I asked Louisa, “Which seat do you want?” She wanted me to have the seat that I had chosen. Louisa said, “I am happy where I am.”

I expected to stand out, like I did when I was younger, when I went to my god-mothers home to stay for the week, in Lytham St Annes, but as I looked around, I could see people of all races, I didn’t expect that! I think in the back of my mind, that is what was making me very nervous.

I began to relax a little, my leather jacket was on the back of my chair, Louisa informed me of how many floors up we were, it was lovely to be so high up, it was odd looking down on the birds below us. It was a nice peaceful feeling. The people below were tiny.

As I began to look around at my surroundings, I started to like the ambiance of the very large room. There wasn’t a lot of people in the room.

A young woman came over to us and said, “Have you got any allergies?” We both replied, “No, we haven’t.” She went on, I will be back in five minutes, choose from the menu which tea you would like. You can have as many pots of tea as you like, at no extra charge. Would you like to order anything else?” Louisa said, “As it is my birthday, I would like a glass of champagne.” The server said, “On your bill it will be added, it is £5 a glass.” I thought, that is a lot of money, but it is her money and I know she can afford it. I didn’t know what she meant by your bill.

Soon after an unusual shaped dark wooden ‘box’ arrived, it looked like a mini, book shelf, with no back, with a handle at the top, it was filled with goodies on each shelf.

Cakes and biscuits on the top shelf, two scones and little pots of strawberry jams on the second shelf and a selection of twelve small sandwiches on the bottom shelf, on brown and white bread. The generous amount, of thick clotted cream arrived with the pots of tea.

I took pictures of beautiful Louisa, and the delicious looking food. We ate the neat looking sandwiches first, of course there were no crusts. Then we ate the scones, they were large and still warm. I said, to Louisa, “The debate will always continue, which is, do I put on the scone first, the jam or the cream,” I could see that she had put the cream on first, I said, “Me, I always put the jam on first and then the cream.” I went on, “There isn’t a right or wrong way, just enjoy.”

I think the nerves, had taken their toll, and I began to feel full up. It wasn’t just me; Louisa felt the same. I said to her, “What we don’t eat, we can take away in a doggy bag, that is not something that Louisa would ask for.

I had really worried about what to wear, but I needn’t have worried, for as we ate, other customers arrived, for their afternoon tea, they were all dressed casually. Families arrived, couples arrived, including children of all ages.

Finally, I relaxed down to 1%.

Louisa had put on the booking form, that it is her birthday, she knew that they would acknowledge it with a birthday plate and candle.

An hour after we had sat down, the Server who had asked us three times, “Is everything OK?” I was hoping he wasn’t going to ask us a fourth time. He came over to us and gave Louisa a white dinner plate, he said, “Happy Birthday,” She replied shyly, “Thank you.” It was beautiful, on this place was a lit candle inside the smallest cube of chocolate cake with a strawberry cut in two, either side of the tiny one-inch cube cake. That was on the left-hand side of the plate. The rest of the plate in dark chocolate were the large words beautifully written, “Happy Birthday.” I took pictures of the beautifully decorated plate, and I wondered, if the artist was employed especially just for this job. I thought what a great job! it was SO simple, yet effective. It bought so much joy.

We ate a while longer and enjoyed each other’s company. Neither of us touched the delicious looking cakes, three flavours each. When we had both had enough, I said to Louisa, “I will ask them for a doggy bag for us, ok.” I asked a server as he walked past our table. A small neat carboard box was given to me. I carefully put the in the box and closed the lid, including the mini jars of jam. As I was SO nervous, I only had a spot of the clotted cream, Louisa is not really a clotted cream person, I AM, so most of it was left in the small bowl, that I would have loved to have taken home. I was looking forward to home.

Ten minutes before our time was up, Louisa asked, asked a Server, “Please can I have the bill?” A different person, came to the table, and gave me the bill, I was shocked!!! When I saw the price. I had thought it would be £29 in total, instead it was £70!

Louisa explained to me, “It is £24 each and I had the glass of champagne and that is what went onto my bill yours is still £24 then I paid £5 each for our seat by the window, it should have been £63, with the, Happy Birthday plate free, it looks like they have given themselves a tip too.”

During the Afternoon Tea, Louisa had said to me, “I want us to have a meal here,” I had replied, “That would be lovely, thank you.” Now I had seen the bill for our afternoon tea, I said, to Louisa, “No way should we eat here again, it is far to expensive.” She replied, “I haven’t eaten here before, and I don’t want to come here on my own, so I would like you to eat here with me.” I said, “I can’t justify the money here, yes the ambience is wonderful, can’t fault it really, but I think it is too much.” Louisa replied, “It is my treat, I want to,” I said, “Ok.”

I thanked the Server that had come to our table, on my way out. It was then that I noticed how full the room had become while we had sat there for the two hours.

At the quite bar, we took more pictures and downstairs on the ground floor.

Louisa ordered the Uber taxi, it was cold outside, and nice and warm in the taxi.

Later, when my nerves had all gone, I really enjoyed my delicious cakes, with a cup of tea of course.

That was our first encounter at Marco Pierre White, steakhouse bar and grill, in Birmingham.