Linguine, the Lensman, and the Knife

Some days your luck just seems unbounded.

It started with a decision that we would pop into Chichester (always worthy of a stroll round the town). We had some vouchers for a store, and they were approaching the point where they expire.

Now, a quick aside. Several weeks ago the Gorse Fox went into the opticians to have his glasses adjusted. The technician noticed a scratch on the lens and said he would order a replacement. Just before Christmas the Gorse Fox got a call to say the lens was ready and and he should come in to get it fitted. Now, back to the main storyline.

Parking up, we strolled into town and the Gorse Fox dropped in to the optician, and clutching his spare pair of old glasses he explained why he was there. Realising the old pair and new pair had identical frames it suddenly occurred to him to get the lenses fitted in the old pair. As the technician wasn't in, they agreed to this and GF left the old glasses with them. Result - he would end up with, effectively, a new pair of glasses.

We strolled on and spent our vouchers as planned. Then the GF remembered he had broken the spring on the scissors of his Swiss Army Knife, so strolling back he stopped at various shops to see if they were dealers. Eventually he found a super little shop that sold everything. The chap took the knife, opened his box of spares and within a couple of minutes the spring was replaced and all was well with the world; the GF had a fully functioning set of scissors on his knife, again. Result!

We were going to stop a Prezzo for lunch, but they were busy and there would be a 15 minute wait for a table. We decided to go next door and try the Cote Brasserie. Though busy, we managed to get a table immediately and were presented with a superb menu. We enjoyed our starters: a charcuterie board for the GF, and smoked salmon for the Silver Vixen. A superb start. Then we waited for the main course - a seafood linguine for the GF and a fish pie for the SV. And we waited. And we waited. The Maitre d' noticed we had been waiting and came to apologise having chased up the kitchen. The food duly arrived and was excellent. When we came to pay the bill, however, the Maitre d' had deducted the price of both main courses as a gesture for having kept us waiting. Result, again! What service.

Now, leaving the restaurant the GF had a thought - "had the original optician ordered two lenses or just the one replacement?". Rather than end up with a mixed pair - half old and half new, the Gorse Fox returned to the optician to check. The manager had noticed that there was only the one lens, and had gone ahead and ordered the second. This will mean the GF has effectively got a £650 pair of glasses for nothing.

With luck running like this, it is worth doing the lottery.