Harry would be the first to admit that he’s not the ‘hearts and flowers’ type of bloke. To his mind, all that ‘Valentine’ stuff’s a bit sissy – okay for kids, but not for a man in his late fifties.
Gloria, on the other hand, is an incurable romantic. She’s been complaining lately that he never buys her flowers or takes her anywhere nice. He can’t understand a woman’s logic, sometimes. Didn’t he take her to that posh restaurant for their silver wedding anniversary in 1999? Cost him an arm and a leg, too. Flowers, well, they’re another thing – waste of time in Harry’s book – and (if his memory serves him correctly) they make him sneeze.
It seems, though, that Gloria’s not to be beaten on this occasion. Valentine’s Day’s on the horizon – she’s saying that she wants a romantic break and insists that a romantic break she will have, even if she has to drag him away, kicking and screaming.
Harry knows when he’s defeated. He settles down to watch the football, while an excited Gloria checks out the Internet for a suitable venue. Very soon, she’s found it – a beautifully quaint, converted 16th century inn situated in the very heart of historic Stratford-upon-Avon, the city famous for Shakespeare and his plays and romantic sonnets. Booking couldn’t be easier and now all she needs to do is to convince Harry that he will have a great time.
As they head towards Warwickshire, Harry’s still unenthused. He’s not into all that soppy poetry stuff, and besides, there’s the Six Nations match on Saturday. He’d had his heart set on relaxing in his armchair, with his slippers on and a few cans by his side. Typical.
On arrival at the inn, Harry and Gloria are shown to their room which is in the original, 16th century part of the hotel. Even Harry can’t fail to be impressed by the olde-worlde charm and elegant furnishings. The room has a huge, soft bed with crisp, white linen, its own ensuite bathroom, direct dial telephone, colour TV (a bit of a small screen, maybe, thinks Harry, but never mind), along with a host of other amenities and 24 hour room service.
To set the mood, Gloria has arranged for them to be greeted with a bottle of champagne and chocolates – very welcome after a long drive. Things are starting to look better, much better.
Better still for Harry when he discovers that the hotel has been an Ale House since 1640 and has two bars serving a fine, extensive range of beers with original ales on hand pumps. He can hardly believe his luck when he learns that one of the bars boasts a large screen TV especially for screening sporting events – and it’s open all day! Hallelujah!
As they enjoy a refreshing beer in the atmospheric bar, Harry’s eyes are drawn as if by hypnosis towards the
