Christmassy Cow Meat

The hurtling and flailing towards December 25th continues apace, and last night saw Mrs The Millbrooker and me being treated to our pressie from Dong and Shazzerooneypoos: a slap up feast on Steak Night at Millbrook's own Devon and Cornwall Inn.

First things first, though. We started at Dong's estate in Lower Millbrook with some slurping of wine and munching of delicious pastry thingies that Dong's Stroud-based offspring had baked and presented. Very very yummy they were , too. Thank you, Christina (even though they were meant for Dad and we got to chomp on them as well).Neither Mrs The Millbrooker nor I had remembered to bring working cameras, so the photos are all marginally sub-standard by reason of being snapped on my mobile phone's inadequate equipment. Nevertheless, here's Dong getting into the festive spirit beside his roaring fire and Nero-skin rug.Just to prove she was there too, on the opposite side of the fire, here's Shazzerooneypoos admiring the Nero-skin rug.After a couple of very nice glasses of red stuff, the fearsome foursome trekked along New Street, bravely resisting any temptation to indulge in a cheeky pint at The 'Ark and arriving more-or-less on time at the D&C.

Drinks were drunk and steaks were ordered, resulting in the final shot of the evening before I got too occupied with guzzling to worry about recording the occasion.Note the as-yet untouched bowl of chips 'twixt Mrs The Millbrooker and Dong. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit to having gorged about half of them, leaving the remaining half to be divided evenly between the other three diners (who are, to be fair, comparative lightweights in the trencherman stakes).

Must be said, it was a quiet night in comparison to the other steak nights that we've been to at the D&C. Perhaps it's because it's nearly Christmas, perhaps it was just one of those nights, but there was one other group who had finished their meal as we sat down to ours and that was it.

My blue sirloin was well up Russell's usual high standards and Mrs The Millbrooker and I indulged in puddings as well (lemon syllabub for me and cranberry fool for MTM); he does do a nice pudding, our Russell.

Thank yous, of course, to Dong and Shazzeroonetpoos for their generous (and very welcome) pressie; there's half a shout that we might not see them again before the Yule as they're once again off to terrorise the slopes of the French Alps by whizzing around on waxed planks of wood whilst shouting "gerroutofthewayyoubloodysnowboardinglout" every few seconds. So we'll wish Dong and Little Lush Lewis a very Merry Christmas on the pistes.