The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #6

We're into April and that means that the wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher is just a matter of weeks away! They'll be taking their vows at The Garlic Tree on the 21st, and you are all invited to the ceremony and reception!

This week we're looking back to Thanksgiving, when our famous couple wanted to make sure they had the best time possible...

Turkey farm - Thanksgiving 2017

Yep, a trip to the turkey farm to handpick the unlucky bird! The Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher spent a long time perusing the Rustic Turkeys before the Lake Dog and Frisbee Dog chose for them. Well, it was more a case of a turkey willingly leaving the Harvest Haystacks behind.

The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #5

The Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher are just a few weeks away from tying the knot, and our look back at some their best bits to date continues with last Halloween.

Fortunately there was nothing particularly petrifying about our favourite couple's activity at Halloween, with the pair visiting a Fortune Teller.

Fortune telling - Halloween 2017

The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #4

We're inching ever closer to the big day for the Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher, and today we're looking back at a rather fun trip they had to a hard to find place.

On 1st September 2017 there were Harry Potter fans across the lands rejoicing at Epilogue Day - the day upon which the final words of the book series were set. And Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher got in on the fun with a visit to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters - September 2017

There they saw the Hogwarts Express (the Locomotive) letting off steam as the Train Conductor whistled on its way. One or two students including the Rose Seller and Jock were running rather late, but still had time to make their final goodbyes ahead of the long journey north.

The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #3

The countdown continues to the wedding of the Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher, with just seven weeks before they tie the knot!

This week we're heading back to last August when The Garlic Tree celebrated its fifth anniversary. It was a party to end all parties, with so many familiar faces from my restaurant through the years showing up to enjoy a drink and a dance. And once everyone was as merry as could be there was a rather large conga wound its way around the dancefloor.

Fifth anniversary party conga - August 2017

The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #2

Last weekend I premiered a new series of posts centred on the build-up to the wedding of the Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher. With their big day one week closer, it's time to share another fine memory from their adventures this past year.

And this time we are returning to the summer, when our favourite couple went into business together.

Summer market stall - summer 2017

The outdoor area of my restaurant was headlined by Action Chef Lee and his BBQ Island, but a corner was reserved for Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher who had set up a Jam Stand having slaved over a pan of fruit for ages the night before. Yes, fresh jam and marmalade too! All very tasty and locally made!

But the Frisbee Dog and Lake Dog felt they could top this and so decided to cobble together a Produce Stand. Why buy a jar of jam when you can make your own?! Apples, oranges, lemons and much more to create your own unique and groovy jam or for preparing a delicious tart. Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher did well, but on this occasion I think the two pooches did better!

Next: Memory #3 - Fifth Anniversary party

The Wedding of Miss Parasol and Mr Fisher: Memory #1

If you read my post last weekend providing a tour of my restaurant, The Garlic Tree, you'll be well aware of the big news. But if you haven't a quick recap - two mainstays of my place, the Playful Parasol and Lake Fisher, are getting married! Mr Fisher popped the question under the Eiffel Tower, a year after the couple first met.

The wedding is pencilled in for Saturday 21st April, and preparations are already underway. Invites will be going out in the near future, but over the next few weeks I'll be recalling memories of this power couple as we countdown to their big day.

And where better to start than with their initial meeting?

Love at first sight - Valentine's Day 2017

TGT Presents... Nineteen Years Later

At 11 o'clock yesterday morning hundreds of Muggles were congregated at King's Cross Station in London. Why? Because yesterday was the day of the Epilogue - going by the series' timeline, the final chapter of the Harry Potter story took place on 1st September 2017. It's the only event in the bestselling books to take place in the future, and was a moment that so many fans around the world celebrated as only Potter fans could.

To mark this grand occasion, I've cast a spell over my restaurant, The Garlic Tree. The scores of familiar faces who are regular visitors to my place have risen to the challenge and have done a great job of getting themselves into character. So let's start at King's Cross, where there's plenty of hustle and bustle at Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters at The Garlic Tree

TGT Presents... The Team Take a Beach Break

I'm off on holiday today, with a two-week break on sunnier shores. This means that you're going to experience total silence here on the Restaurant Story Adventures Blog over the course of the next fortnight. But it's not all bad news...

Usually when I head on vacation I leave the staff at my diner working away as hard as ever. That's not really fair, so this year I've decided that Action Chef Lee, Gran-Gran and co are coming with me! And they've already flown out to Busy Beach...

Overview of Busy Beach

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: The Finale

The Mad Chemist and his Lab Assistant have been touring time for more than two months. Having spent even longer constructing a Time Machine in the basement of The Garlic Tree restaurant, they've gone on to experience so many different climates and cultures, from the dinosaurs and the Ice Age through to the Wild West and the first modern Olympics.

Their original aim was to search for new and exciting recipes they could bring back home to expand The Garlic Tree's menu. They've certainly achieved that, with a wide range of delicacies now carried with them through the passages of time. But they've also made lots of friends along the way, starting with the Train Conductor at the dawn of time itself and ending with the Jock in the Summer of Love. They've all joined the crew and helped ensure the Chemist and Cat didn't get homesick.

 The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine

 30/05/16 Stop #10 - Restaurant in the Clouds
 23/05/16 Stop #9 - Summer of Love
 16/05/16 Stop #8 - Olympics
 09/05/16 Stop #7 - Wild West
 02/05/16 Stop #6 - Middle Ages

But after the Chemist overjudged the return home and sent the team careering into the future, there's a real sense of trepidation. The group are out of fuel, and worse still appear to have instigated a strange storm at the Restaurant in the Clouds. As much as the diner in the skies is a special place, it's not home.

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #10

The darkness fades, and an immense and blinding light takes over. The crew had been heading for home after their traipse through time, but the Mad Chemist clearly tipped in too much Rocket Fuel Punch. Having expected to land comfortably in the present day, our adventurers have overshot their destination by at least a hundred years.

This location appears to have a particularly bright sun and there's not a cloud in the sky. Just as the Cat makes to step away from the Time Machine she realises why - the team are above the clouds. They're about to dine at the Restaurant in the Clouds!

Overview of Stop #10: Restaurant in the Clouds

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #9

The journey is approaching its climax, with the Mad Chemist, Lab Assistant and their squad of eager explorers now headed for home. There's time for one last stop, with the Time Machine's radar set for the 60s. The crew took a deep breath as the laws of physics were once more punctured and the world again slowed down, before they were engulfed by the most colourful of settings.

With so many free souls and smiling faces, it was clear that the gang had arrived in 1967 - the Summer of Love!

Stop #9: Summer of Love

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #8

After two months of voyaging through the bowels of history, the Mad Chemist, Lab Assistant and their growing team are into the final stretch of their adventure. From the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, our favourite explorers have spent only a few drops of fuel to advance forward less than three decades to another momentous occasion - it's the first staging of the modern Olympics!

Overview of Stop #8: Olympics

The world's biggest sporting extravaganza has evolved greatly from its first official event back in 1896, but at the same time some of the sports which feature prominently in today's Games were present even at the end of the 19th century.

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #7

We're on to the seventh stop in the Mad Chemist and Lab Assistant's epic journey through space and time, and this week they've found themselves in the midst of a famous period from America's past. Having gulped down some travel sickness pills and braced for a rocky ride, the crew have touched down in a land they've only ever seen in the movies - it's the Wild West!

Overview of Stop #7: Wild West

And wild it most certainly is! The expedition appear to have landed upon an area filled with so many of the characteristics we associate with the Wild West, be it steam engines billowing as they charge across the desert, tricky cowboys playing a tense game of poker, or outsiders shooting pool aside the bar. It's a quirky place, and the travellers were keen to get out and about.

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #6

It's Monday, and that means the Mad Chemist, Lab Assistant and their ever expanding crew are again on the move. After spending a week in the quiet of Ancient Asia the Chemist splashed a rather generous helping of fuel into the Time Machine and got everyone strapped in.

For a moment there was nothing but darkness, and then the most busy and colourful scene yet. The explorers had landed in the middle of the Middle Ages!

Overview of Stop #6: Middle Ages

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #5

It's time to time travel again, and with the Mad Chemist and Lab Assistant nicely tanned from their visit to Ancient Egypt, they're feeling revitalised and ready to cause another rupture in the space-time continuum. With a rumble and a loud crack (some of which was provided by the newest crew member, the Island Drummer) the Time Machine was on its way.

Dizzy from the journey, our pioneers found the scene awaiting them at the latest stop to be the perfect sight for sore eyes. With a focus on peacefulness and serenity, our crew had arrived in Ancient Asia!

Overview of Stop #5: Ancient Asia

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #4

The sun wasn't all that prominent when the Mad Chemist and the Lab Assistant were stopped at the Ice Age, so they had high hopes that their next destination in time would offer a little more warmth and bright sunshine. Following another glug of fuel, the Time Machine ensured that their wishes were fulfilled.

Upon arrival, the crew found themselves at the centre of a large expanse of sand and under a blazing heat. A brief glance around soon confirmed that the explorers had touched down in Ancient Egypt!

Overview of Stop #4: Ancient Egypt

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #3

Having spent some time building up a sweat in the jungle, the Mad Chemist and Lab Assistant are looking for somewhere to cool down, and hence have adjusted the dials and set the Time Machine in motion again. With a snap and crackle they rip their way through space and time before the bitter cold hits.

As far away from the closeness of the animal kingdom as could be, our voyagers have landed amid the event which wiped out the dinosaurs and reshaped the world forever. This is the Ice Age!

Overview of Stop #3: The Ice Age

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #2

After spending some time taking in the wonders of the early solar system, the Mad Chemist and the Lab Assistant have again boarded the Time Machine and ignited the burners. Their aim with this ripping of the space-time continuum was to find some solid ground a little closer to home, and with a blend of Rocket Fuel Punch they soon achieved that.

After the queer quiet of outer space it was the sounds of the Chemist and Cat's second destination which hit them first ahead of the sights. There were regular and random chirps and growls, the slop of disturbed water and the low hum that could mean only one thing: the time travellers had reached the jungle!

Overview of Stop #2: The Animal Kingdom

The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #1

After revealing last week that the Mad Chemist and his Lab Assistant had recently finished constructing a Time Machine which they planned to use for an almighty journey I think it's about time we put their creation to the test.

It turns out that the fuel the Chemist has spent so long concocting down in The Garlic Tree's basement is much more powerful than even he could ever have envisaged. Upon splashing a generous portion into the Time Machine's inner bowels, our pioneers clambered aboard and clung on for dear life. With an intense rattle and a thundering roar the world began to spin around them, and before they could pause for breath there was silence.

And it was a strange kind of silence. Not the type where there's a distant sound of cars humming by on a busy road or a solitary bird softly crowing from a distance, but the type where there is truly nothing. After a few moments of adjusting to his new surroundings, the Cat gathered with some alarm that they had found their way to the Dawn of Time itself.

TGT Presents... The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine

I've been running this blog for more than three years now, and yet when you think about it, we've never really gone on an 'adventure'. Well, that is all about to change today, as I proudly announce the première of The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine.

Long time readers will probably know that it is at this time of the year that I tend to give my restaurant, The Garlic Tree, a complete makeover. Many of the quirks of my place are always maintained, but the layout is given a reboot, just to keep things fresh. Well, it's that time again, but on this occasion I've decided to spice things up...

Inspired by some of the quite brilliant storylines that my great neighbour Nibbles and Noms has conjured up in the past, I'm going to bring you a tall tale over the course of the next few weeks which you can follow right here on the blog.

Let's get straight to it, and our story begins at The Garlic Tree, but not in the usual surroundings. For the first time, I'm taking you downstairs to the basement, which turns out to be a more interesting place than you'd ever believe...