SPANISH SUMMER NIGHTS AND ME by David Mitchell (the read aloud family .txt) 📕

? No – we didn’t. But that doesn’t stop people being nice to each other and offer greetings does it ?
Not once in 9 years did we ever witness trouble along the front. But that was then and this is now – I wonder if today all is as peaceful as I recall ? However, in that atmosphere it would be exceedingly difficult to cultivate bad thoughts or indeed carry out bad actions. From time to time there were bouts of pickpockets and some people lost their wallets or whatever. Having been warned we learned to protect our valuables but these people were extremely clever. However, careful though we were, one evening we were at the promenade phoning England. We were obliged to use one of the phone booths because living in the hills as we did the cost of have our own phone fitted was phenomenal. Later it got better and more reasonable to the extent that instead of speaking of thousands of pounds installation fee we spoke in hundreds. That we didn’t mind paying. Anyway we exited the phone booth and almost immediately Lynne said to me that her solid silver bracelet with many luck charms attached had vanished ! We retraced our steps immediately and searched everywhere. But we were not able to find it. Now I cannot be 100% certain of this but I have a strong feeling that it was taken off her wrist by a pickpocket – and she didn’t feel a thing ! The thing is the bracelet was secured by a safety chain ! We doubted it could fall off by itself and that’s why we feel very strongly that the hand of a pickpocket was probably responsible.
For a very special night out we could motor into BENIDORM – about 25 kilometers along the coast – and there visit the Benidorm Palace. There they put on great musical show of flamenco dancing and other forms of entertainment. We went there quite a few times and were never disappointed with the quality of the entertainment. It was not obligatory to eat there – although you could. But we became a little wary of eating in crowded places where entertainment was going on and recall especially the TALK OF THE TOWN in London where I used to take business clients from time to time. We had a few disappointments there.
On the other hand, we also frequented the Lyon’s Corner Houses – and I refer especially the one in the Strand just before it opens out into Trafalgar Square. These Corner Houses were of a very acceptable quality standard but the prices were cheaper than the Talk of the Town. There one would walk down a thickly carpeted winding staircase to The Brasserie below – that experience alone was very good and an excellent introduction to what was to follow. You could either have lunch there in which case you would be served by pretty waitresses with black and white lace uniforms; the same waitresses would serve afternoon tea if you wished. And then – about 6 pm it was all change ! The girls went off home and were replaced by men with long white aprons. Now a so called “gypsy” orchestra was always playing and as you began to walk down the luxurious carpeted winding stair case you began to hear the strains of the sounds of the orchestra and as you became nearer to The Brasserie the music got louder and louder – what a wonderful welcome it was and what a place to take your wife or ladyfriend !
The people there were very kind and obliging and at the end of the evening you really felt that you had been out and had enjoyed a great evening because you also saw a very good cabaret show and afterwards you could dance. Once we took our eldest daughter on her birthday. The waiter heard us talking and a little later came with a cake and one candle. He then signalled to the orchestra which began to plat HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JACKIE. Of course Jackie went as red as a beetroot but she enjoyed the experience and recalls it in conversation even now although she is pushing 60 ! We saw some excellent shows there too– including probably one of the finest magicians I ever saw in my life. Because as a boy I worked on the limelights, or spotlights if you prefer, in a theatre/music hall to earn some much needed money. I was only 13 – I lied about my age ! So I saw a lot of magicians in my time – and the one at the Corner House was the very best. It may sound a little tame if I write a description but in one part he came on the the stage – a slim man dressed in evening wear. There was simply nowhere he could put anything bulky without it being noticed. But he opened his jacket and brought out a very large, flapping, rather angry cockerel ! Feathers were flying all over the place because Mr Cockerel was very angry and indignant. He continued flap until the very aggressive fowl was taken off stage. Everybody there was asking the same question: “How could he possibly have produced a large bird like that from nowhere ?” It was an amazing experience.
But the point I wish to make about the Corner House. It was a place where ordinary people could go and enjoy themselves without it costing a fortune. I have to say that, on occasions we, found their cabaret better than The Talk of the Town and one thing I must emphasise – the food served was infinitely better, was warm when served, and nicely served to the table. It was a place you could take anybody too and know they would have a nice time.
Sadly, Lyons as a popular company with about 6 Corner Houses, plus The Strand Palace Hotel, when it really was one the best hotels in London, plus many Lyon’s Tea Houses or Cafes, with it’s own bakery making much of their food items from bread rolls, cakes, and a whole range of goodies which became so popular that Lyons began to sell them to wholesalers and shops all over, was taken over by another company after the war and very sadly the new people changed the policies in many ways. The Corner House were changed into places more reminiscent of Burger Bars or Pizza Parlours. And so another piece of good old London was lost to us.
The Strand Palace Hotel was always remembered by the man standing outside in green dress coat and top hat. If it was raining he would come to your taxi and cover you with an umbrella and see you safely to the entrance of the hotel. Then, if you fancied a snifter before dinner you could go down to the Exeter Bar where you could comfortably sit and be served with drinks. Then you entered the Exeter Bar where they served excellent food. The hotel was more expensive when we compare price standards with the Corner Houses but still very good value. Right opposite was The Savoy Hotel and The Savoy Grill Room where, if you were lucky, you might bump into Winston Churchill himself – for it was one of his favourite restaurants – or even Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh plus many other stars and well known people. As a boy born in the wrong end of town, but now a prosperous businessman, you can imagine how proud I felt mixing with such exalted company. And what a way to spend a summer’s evening !
The Strand Palace hotel still exists and so do the Corner Houses and some of the Tea shops/Cafes but it is not a patch on how it used to be. They tried to modernise Lyons – but it didn’t need modernising. Everyone liked it just as it was.
Years later, when I was running my own company, I was trying to think of a nice place where I could take my staff for a Christmas dinner and celebration. My mind wandered back to the good old days and I wondered if there had been any change in policy at Lyons. So I phoned their Head Office only to be disappointed. But the lady I spoke to there told me that I had no idea of the number of calls received there enquiring if the old Brasserie and Showboat might be making a comeback. The lady told me that the question is under active consideration by the directors – but could give me no further information.
So when I think of summer evenings I think of those amazing Spanish nights and, in it’s own way, those amazing nights in The Strand too ! But it is a very expansive subject because I also think of summer nights in Paris, in Budapest, in Prague, Cologne, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico as well as London.
Happy summer nights to all !


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Publication Date: 07-06-2010

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