I loved it, great for breakfast if your in a hurry, you could sit anywhere you wanted, as a solo traveller all you had to say was "Do you mind if l join you"and all the years it was always a yes! and from that chance encounter many friendships were formed, the singles gatherings for the morning coffee, or the nice buffet lunches, A safe haven if the Queens room was full for afternoon tea, there was the odd time l used it for Dinner, Once our whole table arranged to dine there for dinner and we had a superb night and great service and as always loads of laughs.
Now the evening buffets, Im first to admit l could always be found there at midnight, having a cup of tea and just a small selection of something to eat. The Gala buffet while it was still grand, it wasnt as grand as the good old days,
But my lasting memory was on the 11th November l went in there to have only a little something to eat and one of the waiters recognised me from the round UK voyage and asked me did l want my usual, l of course replied that im only a visitor and cant sign for anything, and away he went, only to return with a glass for me, Now that small gesture ment such a lot and really did nothing to help my state of mind that day.
Oh and there was the time l had a bone in my chicken mayo sandwich, afternoon tea that day did seem much busier than normal and thankfully the 3 of us were having tea with Glynn Christian and l discovered this bit of bone, normally such things l would have hit the roof, and casually mentioned to the waiter on his next visit about the bone, well before l knew it the Lido supervisor was across full of apologies, which l accepted with grace and added of course you realise that l can never sail QE2 or ;)Cunard again and that lm completely traumatised by such a thing and l can never have any more chicken mayo ever again, it was all very light hearted and that was it or so l thought. I returned the cabin late that night and there in the cabin was a bottle of bubbly from the Lido supervisor, Now how he knew who l was l have no idea, But l for one was and still am a Friend of the Lido, and l loved it!!!