Deck The Halles - A Symposium of a Lunch

Hello, dear reader.  I sincerely hope you are feeling well and are sailing smoothly through your Christmas preparations.  My cards are in the post, half my pressies are packed and as I type, The Photographer is stretching fairy lights around the perimeter of the back lounge. It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas!  Complete with a festive fluey cold,  I'm afraid.   I've been laid up with a nasty one, and have been feeling most poorly for a few days (insert sad emoji -  if only I knew how!)

 If you've been reading me for a while, you may have noticed that I enjoy girlie get-togethers with a lovely group of ladies.  We decided to make our Christmas meet-up a little special, with partners being invited.  And as one of our ladies is now going to be spending more time in the UK with her new hubby (whose wedding was announced here!). it was a sort of "leaving do" as well.

 I was relieved that by Christmas lunch day, I was feeling well enough to party!

We met up for lunch at a restaurant in town, so being someone who really does love killing two birds with one stone (only metaphorically, of course), I thought this would give me a great opportunity to take some Town Christmas Lights shots on the way back to the taxi, as I guessed it would be dark by the time we eventually called it a day.  I was excited to be sharing a bit of Christmas atmosphere with you.

But first, the OOTD. 

Now, because I hadn't been feeling well, I hadn't given too much thought to what to wear. 

Whilst hunting out a skirt to wear I came across this dress and decided to give it a go.  I was pleased with the result,  I think my "vintage" find worked.  But what do you think?

So let's do a formal introduction.  Allow me to introduce you to my old friend, the brown frill-edged wrap dress from Kaliko.  The dress is about 13-14 years old. 

It was like being reunited with a old mate!

I draped my Zara animal print scarf around my throat which is still feeling poorly from the cold.

Worn with Gabor brown knee boots for warmth.



Then I draped my old mate with a camel "car coat" from Dotty P and I was good to go to Symposium.  It was my first time at this town restaurant. 

The first thing that impressed me was the beautiful art nouveau-style tiling, in keeping with the era of the building.  Though looking at this pic now, it seems to have an element of Belle Epoch.  Tell you what, I'll dig in to its build date and in the meantime if you have views on this style, I'd love to hear.  Deal?!

I loved the tiles' vibrant mix of purple and green!

We arrived a tad early.  The poor Photographer looks a bit "Norman No Mates", all alone at that big table.  But our friends soon started arriving after I'd done a quick take of the lovely décor.

The restaurant is in our old indoor market, the French Halles, which is an impressive architectural structure in the middle of our town.

A tiled homage to the poulterer who traded from this particular property, BITD,

Window inset with a traditional Christmas display.  This window feature may have been the till station - that would be in keeping with the method of business at the time.  

I recall the whole indoor market place being high-ceilinged and that architectural feature has been retained, thankfully.`  And I recall lots of tiling was used, because of the nature of business there, so I'm pleased they've kept on track in terms of wall coverings too.

 A open stall market was taking place outside. I think you can just about see one or two market stalls out in the square from this shot.

Cheers!

And now, a warning:  Food pics!!!

Pretty food, huh?!  The food was excellent, as was the service. 

I will definitely be going back to Symposium again. 

We had a simply lovely day.  After a long lunch our little party moved on to a pub in the market square, for one (or two!) for the road.  We bumped into old friends.  We caught a little bit of live music  (I Shot The Sheriff, Clapton-style - how I wanted more of that beauty!).

Then, with incidental happenings occurring that would be far too complicated to try to recall in this post, we piled into a taxi with another couple who live nearby and headed home.

And possibly because of having had "one for the road", I forgot to take Town Christmas Lights pics en route to the taxi rank so, my dear reader, I am going to have to save that little treat for another post!

A la perchoine.