The building above is called The Chateau.
But this wasn’t in rural France – oh no – it was in deepest West Bridgford, Nottingham.
It was also a Berni Inn.
For those not of a certain age, a Berni Inn was a restaurant where you could get a steak main with a strawberry and cream dessert for £4.99
Sounds cheap doesn’t it?
Well it was, but they still made it feel like it was posh.
Hence restaurant names like, ‘The Chateau’.
We didn’t go there much.
In fact we didn’t go out for dinner anywhere really – except for the odd birthday.
But that’s not the reason I am writing about it.
It’s because it’s also the last place I ever went out for lunch with Mum and Dad.
I was living in Australia, but had flown back for Mum’s birthday.
Dad had had a stroke, but even though he couldn’t talk well, he was still able to walk – albeit with a wobble and a stick.
To be honest, I don’t remember much about the lunch, but I do remember it was lovely.
A gentle time as a family.
All together.
Enjoying a moment that we probably all secretly knew may not happen again.
There’s some things that stick in my mind …
Getting a taxi to the restaurant as we no longer had a car.
The surreal moment where I had to go to the bathroom with Dad to make sure he was OK [he was], which brought home the severity of his illness to me.
Dad managing to utter the word “knickerbocker” to the waiter/waitress when he was asked if he wanted dessert and he absolutely loved it.
For anyone who saw us that day, they would have just viewed a family – like the countless other families around us – having a nice lunch.
But to us, it was so much more.
A moment of normality at a time our lives were in chaos.
A chance to enjoy the privilege of the mundane.
An opportunity to be a typical family once again.
It was the last time it was to happen for us.
I miss it.
I miss them.
I’m so glad I have a photo to remember the day by.
