Cheese and Tomato toastie for one

Venue: The Terrace coffee lounge.Hopewells furniture store. Nottingham.

What? There's a cafe at Hopewells? Where?

You might well ask if getting into the actual store is anything to go by. Possibly because of the high price, (its not a high price- its good value price for superb quality furniture and fittings) sorry very reasonably priced quality goods, the front glass door is security locked and you have to ring a bell to get let in and out again. Anyway the secret is to smile nicely at the lady or man on the reception desk, wiggle your wallet or purse and they will make the door slide to one side. It makes you feel special or exclusive or just in need of a wee in the loos on the carpeting level.

On the top floor there is a cafe selling coffees, teas, teacakes and a variety of toasties. I so wanted the staff to go away while I photographed the old fashioned menu board. It looked like it had survived since the 1950s. I ordered a cheese and tomato toastie on brown bread and a cup of tea and then lied in order to get a photo of the cafe! Tee hee! I told the worried looking woman behind the counter that I had been there in the past (true) with a friend quite regularly (true) and I wanted to take a photo to show my 'friend' how it was these days (total lie) as the layout was different. "Worried of Nottingham" asked her work colleague and they grudgingly said 'yes' to my request. The customer in the corner (see photo) kept her head down in case I wanted her to model for me naked. Er, that's her naked, not me! Only kidding lady.

The toastie took a fair while to arrive but was nice enough and tarted up with a bit of fresh salad leaves, all served up on a quality yet reasonably priced square plate (available downstairs in the sale.) I hate to think how the two staff would manage if they had a rush on. Bless 'em.