The last instalment for the season fell on debutant Anthony
'Dockers' Dockray shoulders, and not only did he display tremendous courage in
choosing a restaurant that we had not tried before, but also bravery in a new
pre-curry activity….Laser Tag! Obviously needing some pre-war pints, the
arrangement was made to meet in the Aire Of The Dog in the Cardigan Fields
Retail Park, on Kirkstall Road. Alas, we couldn’t find this place as it had
shut down but the Bridgewater Arms Flaming Grill was its suitable
replacement. Due to Gled and Matty having a pre-arranged late round of golf,
and Vinny Vine's work dinner, the squad was depleted. Perhaps the fear of
taking a laser blast to the balls was more of a factor than they'd let on. A
couple of swift pints amongst the aroma of giant burgers and steaks could be
argued as bad 'prep' for battle and curry, but it is the path we chose.
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| A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm... |
Upon arriving at Laser Zone, we limbered up with some
impressive touching of toes. After which, we discovered we wouldn’t just be
playing with ourselves (waaayyyyy) but against another team, a team who was some
years our junior. The briefing room was tense, akin to Sergeant Apone's speech
in Aliens, and TTT took the role of joker asking if 'petting' was allowed when
the instructor informed us the rules of engagement. It was met with a good
chuckle by all. It was here we discovered a third team was already waiting in
the arena, so we were to be involved in a serious '3 way dance'. Once equipped
with our guns and armour, into the fray we went. Moving in a 5 metre spread
formation, no sound, we looked good and took defensive placements near the
first corner we found. Backs to the wall, we could see the enemy approaching
and take them out. Out of the blue, Broady was shot. I was shot. Scott was
shot. In a panic, Grimes shot TTT and Dockers shot Grimes. Dockers was then
shot. Where was the attack coming from? We couldn’t figure it out and panic
stricken we spent the next 5 minutes shooting each other. In real combat it
would have been a friendly fire bloodbath. We soon realised there was an
upstairs, and a team of student laser quest regulars had pitched themselves on
the higher ground, picking us off at every available opportunity. It was time
to move out, keep mobile, keep moving, keep shooting, take the fight to them.
But alas we were just as crap on the move, creating carnage throughout the
arena, with TTT commando rolling all over the place and Grimes crushing me with
his arse in my face when I was in deep cover. Needless to say we finished last.
The stats showed Scott was our best warrior, but basically this was for his
'friendly fire' body count being in single figures.
Off to the bowling alley to meet Vin and commiserate
ourselves with a pint. A sweaty bunch, we cooled off and discussed future plans
for the club. I suggested we get t-shirts made up to command respect in the
restaurants but Broady thought bigger, wanting a franchise throughout the
country. Time to finish off the season and move to Bengal Brassiere.
Bengal Brassiere, Kirkstall/Burley, Leeds
Located up a dark, unassuming residential street, Bengal Brassiere is small but smartly presented. It was a terrific welcome too, with
the waiters shaking our hands like we'd known them years. Dressed in Polo's and
windbreakers, Gled and Matty arrived along with FONO first timer Jason
'Stubbsy' Stubbs, who's 6 foot 7 inch frame suggests some extra naans would be
consumed. Surely after playing 18 holes in
monsoon conditions would mean these boys were ready for a decent meal. Drinks
ordered as we perused the fine selection of different dishes available, it went
unnoticed by most - but not the writer of this blog - that no poppadoms or
pickle tray was had. Did it matter? Not a jot, as the starters arrived super
swiftly, and nicely presented too. With enough to go round, the mixed platter
was decent though not world beating.
As we awaited the mains, a tale was regaled about TTT's
power necking session in Leeds over the weekend, as photo evidence of his firm
'grip' on the situation was passed around and enjoyed. We didn’t have to wait
long either, as the mains arrived in an efficient and prompt service that
occurred throughout the night. Again, well presented, the curry dishes were
left on a hot plate in the centre of the table. This was a nice touch which
kept our curries warm as we enjoyed the lovely, flavoursome food, which
encouraged Matty to finish his dish rather than taking home for tomorrows
lunch. The fact that Vinny finished his 2nd meal of
the evening also was a testament to the good food on offer. When all the
naans, rice and curries were devoured, a discussion was had on our favourite
post curry 'sweet', whether this be the classic mint imperial, aniseed
torpedoes or fruity lollipop. It was decided the chocolate mint got the gold
medal and the staff must have been listening, as we were presented with said
chocolate. Lovely. And the fantastic service didn’t stop there, as we were
offered a complimentary short of which we duly obliged to toast the end of a
great season. Whiskey, Amaretto and Drambuie was the chosen digestif's, and FONO Stubbsy enjoyed his first
ever Drambuie that much, I fear he will be using it as a milk substitute on his
morning cornflakes.
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| Making your way in the world today, takes everything you've got... |
Overall, Bengal Brassiere was a delight - nice food and such
fantastic service means this is a little hidden gem and worthy of a revisit. As
with many of our restaurants, it has failed to tackle the 'gas' factor, with
everybody reporting a bit of 'bubble and squeak' but it is a small price to pay
once a month for good food, great company and terrific ambience.
Roll on next season, until then.
Cheers
Danny
