151. Posh Wine and Dine, and the Vicar of Bray

The Waterside Inn at Bray is quite posh for a pub or should we say inn. The difference between a pub and inn being that an inn is a pub with accommodation. Inn’s however have now elated themselves to hotels.

The Waterside Inn lives up to its expectation, it is pretentious, extremely expensive and exclusive, for it has its own private dining facilities where rich patrons can hire a dining room for their own private use and can gorge themselves silly.

We wanted to have a quick look inside the place so we moored just off the adjacent slipway. Pretending to be a VIP, which is not difficult for the Cabin Boy, he wandered into the place and had a snoop around before being told that “Luncheon isn’t served until 12 o’clock Sir”

The Cabin Boy came back on board with some info.”Well they don’t have prices, they have tariffs, rooms cost about three to seven hundred quid a night and they have two menus one is called a Menu Gastronomique and the other is a Menu Exceptionnel” “I’m starving said the Captain” How much is the grub then Billy “. “I had a quick look at the Menu and it costs about fifty quid for the cheaper menu and a hundred and fifty for the more expensive one” O and they have Sommeliery, what ever that is? “. “It’s nothing special Billy “said the First Mate “It’s just some ponsie word for wine waiters who know a bit about wine. If I remember correctly, they have some form of fancy name for the members like The Court of Master Sommeliers. I think they learn a bit about wine tasting, how to serve it up, give advice on  what wines to choose to go with your grub ,and  while serving your wine they   wear  white gloves,  and  hover over you ,speaking in some posh voice, about the virtues of the treasured bottle they are cradling in their arms”

As we left Bray, the First Mate enquired, “Wasn’t there a famous vicar from Bray?”.”I’m not too sure, but I think he was mentioned in some old song from the 18^th Century “said the Cabin Boy. Apparently,  it was some sarcastic song about a vicar who used to change his religion to suit the monarch of the day. During one kings or queen’s reign, he would be a Catholic, and during another monarchs reign he would switch to being a Protestant. Anyway, around the time that the song was written, there was a vicar who lived in Bray who supposedly changed his ecclesiastical   allegiance  to suit the monarch of the day, a bit like our ex-PM Tony Blair, who was  New  Labour one day , and an Old Conservative the next day! “And speaking of turncoats” said the First Mate “Don’t forget all those Commies from Russia who suddenly became fervent supporters of capitalism once the USSR fell apart, because they didn’t have the sense to modernise their economy to fit into the modern world".