Life outside Ambridge
🎶 My Old Man said “Follow the van…..”🎶
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Life in Ambridge
Starter kit for Ed & Emma
Life in Ambridge
Nothing to do with the current story-line but rather cute
Lanjan.June 22, 2022 at 6:50 AM
ReplyDeleteArcherphile, your turn now to get moving!
Will you and Spicy be watching the cricket from The Netherlands .?
In this hot, hot weather I am getting up early, doing a bit of the garden before breakfast ,a bit more after and then plan to watch England win yet again (although I wouldn't be that sad if the Netherlands did)
Housework?
What is that ?
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ArcherphileJune 22, 2022 at 8:44 AM
Oh, I know LanJan…about the moving, that is! Finding the garden more and more difficult to cope with and beginning to accept it will have to be less than perfect these days. More being ‘re-wilder’, which in our case means not mowing various areas and letting the grass/ weeds just grow. I reckon the move will now be between 2023 -2025 Which is when our daughter and family are moving ‘oop north’ and we’ll go with them. Probably to one of those retirement villages I expect, or if we combine
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ReplyDeleteCheshire CheeseJune 22, 2022 at 8:45 AM
Sounds better than spending several hours on the M6 which is what we'll be doing. Off to Edinburgh on childcare duties for a few days.
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CowGirlJune 22, 2022 at 8:55 AM
Have you thought about one of those robotic lawn mowers ? I was in the large garden centre on Monday buying a new chain for my chainsaw and was looking at them, Im not ready for one yet, but the salesman said they were good for large areas, and to be fair they had 2 working on their large out door grass areas.
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Lady RJune 22, 2022 at 10:02 AM
Archerphile you will then no longer be a Hampshire Hog 😩 I take it daughter knows you intend to move north with them 🤣😂
CC hope your long journey is trouble free and the air con keeps going…..😱
CowGirlJune 22, 2022 at 8:44 AM
ReplyDeleteThe corn is ripening in my neighbouring farmers fields, as I went to water my trees along the bridle path the birds were having a feast, I could also hear them this morning when I woke up. they are crowing away now. I dont think his bird scarer is working very well as I have only heard it go off once this morning and it usually goes off every 10 mins or so, so much for the peace in the country.
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Lady RJune 22, 2022 at 9:58 AM
CowGirl is the corn “As high as an elephants eye” yet 🤣 either way it is a beautiful morning!
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CowGirlJune 22, 2022 at 11:08 AM
Yesterday I was walking down the other bridleway here, with my neighbour and her dogs when we were stopped in our tracks by the annual 3 Coast Vintage Tractor Ride, that spends 5 days travelling and of course stopping off on route from Lancashire to Whitby and back in aid of charity, there were some very old tractors and men of course too, but it was also good to see some younger ones . Good weather is of course a blessing as none of the tractors have cabs. Not of course in the same class as the London to Brighton rally, but nevertheless worthy of watching, though neither of us knew it was on.
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Proud to be Yorkshire.June 22, 2022 at 12:40 PM
Anyone else living on Lidl mini almond magnum like ice creams in this hot weather? Yum yum. 🤭
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA very appropriate picture KP, considering all the recent posts!
ReplyDeleteLady R - daughter knows that when we move, it may be to somewhere in the same area as her, not necessarily the same town or village, but within reasonable distance. They are intending to use their narrow boat much more often and want to be centrally sited so the have access to various different canal systems. The annexe idea is not really feasible though . Daughter and I are much too alike and both want to rule the roost, I could foresee problems with her telling me what to do all the time and vice-versa.
The granny annexe I really covet is the one at my sons home near Toulouse. When they moved into their home, the previous owner/builder had constructed what was going to be an annexe for his parents in the large garden. At present it’s used as a games room for the boys and vast storage area. It even has its own garage. It would need to have a bathroom and kitchen fitted but would be absolutely perfect.
And I’d be very happy living near them, and I honestly believe they be happy to have us there too.
If they are going to live in France permanently it might be worth considering moving over there. I have known several Brits who have gone to France to live and have been very happy there.
DeleteThey already do Ev. Son has been there for 20 years and is married to French girl & they have two English/French sons. He recently got his dual citizenship too so they are not going to come back to Blighty now,! Mr A and I could face a few problems with taxes, health insurance etc since Brexit but I’m sure it can be sorted out somehow.
DeleteDefinitely worth considering then. Friends lived there a few years ago and health insurance was then about £30 a month. The healthcare system was good and they picked up on his cancer where it had not been spotted here before they left UK. Sadly he passed away and she came back. After a while she married a vet who had previously looked after her dogs and they now live in Liskeard. Funny the way life turns sometimes!
DeleteKPnuts.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant job you are doing on these "Ambridge Extra" sites.
Thank you so much.
👏👏👏
Cricket.
ReplyDeleteMy little Sis + Hubbie are due at Headingly, Leeds on Saturday for the England vs N.Zealand test match, weather permitting 🤞
They own a flat in Leeds, where a daughter still lives, so no problem about where to stay
I am quite envious 🏏🏏
Me too Miriam!
DeleteB......y chickens, now that they are in the garden they keep coming in my work room through the open door, cant keep it shut as puss cat needs to come and go. Yesterday they were in my neighbours, when there dog went in it quickly disappeared, and was duly found under the bed !
ReplyDeleteNo complaints though as they have free eggs.
I would prefer your wandering chickens, than the rampant weeds + plants, growing into my garden from two neighbouring properties, one empty and one a let.
DeleteI am trying to control this, but it is not working.
I planted 11 runner beans a short while ago. These were in a large tub, with new canes and new compost. All have germinated and growing fast, so hopefully I will have a good crop.
ReplyDeleteI love freshly picked beans, 20 mins from picking to eating.
Just to let everyone know that Zoetrope is having difficulty seeing the latest blogs. She has not seen any posts since around 11th June and thought it strange nobody was posting. I assured her we are still here and told her about the latest photos to look out for. She is going to try logging in again and hopefully will be able to get back to us soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting us know AP
DeleteArcherphile, many thanks your reassurance that you are all still here. I've changed the way I access this blog, so fingers crossed I won't lose you again.
ReplyDeleteNow - lots of reading to do...
Found you all. I was busy posting on the last blog. Thought it was quiet.
ReplyDeleteHope everything is going tickety boo with Mrs P and her moving. 🤞
ReplyDeleteDitto. I hope is going smoothly, and that her wonderful new home, has been left clean..
DeleteA house clearance firm was employed to remove all, from my late fathers bungalow. I went in and then cleaned it all so very thoroughly. The property was left as pristine as I could do.
DeleteNo, I didn't leave a loo roll 😵
However, I did leave a lot of info. about the included appliances, heating system etc. There were also leaflets as to the local history + nearby walks.
Mrs P “welcome” to the first day in your new home. Do hope your move was a smooth one and that Lady and puss cat will settle quickly. Sending my very best wishes to you all, with your false starts now behind you (I feared at times that you might not make a move at all) so good for you 💐🦮🐈⬛
ReplyDeleteMrs P I should sit in an armchair with a nice cup of tea, and just give your daughters directions as to where you want what. Let them do all the heavy work, you just smile sweetly and look helpless. Exciting times for you.
ReplyDelete🏡. 🪑🛋 🛏 🪞 🖼 🛁 🚪 🫖 ☕️ 😊 👏👏👏 🥰
ReplyDeleteShould have said - a message for Mrs P!
DeleteI am enjoying that happy feeling that comes from having brought the washing in 2 minutes before the rain started. 😁
ReplyDeleteRain here started at 2.00pm, but it is now a lovely sunny evening. I still have had to water plants, again.
DeleteI saw a Utube video which said if you water tomatoes every day the moisture sits near the surface and the roots stretch out there. If you water less regularly the roots will go further down seeking water and will be stronger. Mine, in a raised bed are doing well although on very hot days I do water in the evening. So far I have watered about 3 times a week given lower temperatures during the day. Of course plants in containers need daily watering to look good! Mine don’t always get that sort of attention! I had my gardener in this week and he achieved so much in a fraction of the time it would have taken me if I had the stamina! He is a retired policeman and drives ambulances on a part time basis so doing gardening as and when required suits him and me!
DeleteLucky you KP my washing ended up wetter than when it was in the washing machine 🙃 so I just left it - must check shortly as wind going like the clappers again today.
DeleteI am envying family members who were at Headingley today. It seems a great cricket match is happening - and they are all there tomorrow. It's looking interesting..🏏🏏🤞
ReplyDeleteThey got tickets by - its not what you know, but who you know. 😉 😉 🤣
DeleteOff to the golf club in a minute for our next door neighbours Golden Wedding Celebration.
ReplyDeleteHad to find a reasonably nice dress for the occasion but since Debenhams closed in Basingstoke there is really nowhere to buy a posh frock.
Ordered several fairly expensive ones online, but none fitted and were always far to long.
Then, in desperation, visited a charity shop in town and found the perfect thing for £20, and it fitted perfectly!
What a stroke of luck. Have a lovely evening.
DeleteAP, Just the time everyone says on what a lovely dress where did you buy it 🤣 but no problem it worked out perfectly for you and pennies saved 👏🏻
DeletePercy cat managed to push the Sky remote control over the window sill behind the radiator where it became wedged on the skirting board.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbour and I spent ages trying to get it out with a litter picker but it wouldn't budge.
I have got another one now so was able to watch the Test Match on the TV instead of watching it on my I pad
When I lived in the north I went on the Saturday every year to the Leeds Test Match.
In 1981 I was there when a notice came up to say the odds on an England win were 500-1.
I wanted to put £1 on England but my sister said if we won we would have to come to Leeds to collect the winnings so we didn't do anything.
One of the England players decided to place a bet on an England win but before he got round to the bookies so many people asked him for autographs that he didn't have time before play started again.
In case anyone is too young to know the result ,England did win on the Monday
How can anyone can say that cricket is boring ?
Because my hay fever has been so bad I haven't been outside today until evening.
The cricket has kept me entertained.
Hope all has gone smoothly for Mrs P.
The first test match I ever saw was at Headingly... in my pram.
ReplyDeleteI must have been about 3 when my dad took me to see Crewe Alex. The ground was near where we lived at the time. I sat on his shoulders and when the footballers appeared I exclaimed “ Look at the……..( searching for the word!) Cowboys!” I can still remember the excitement now!
ReplyDeleteMy Big Sisters second hubbie is a life-long supporter of Crewe Alex. They still go to this day along with a daughter, and two grandkids etc.
DeleteThe son-in-law won't go, he only supports ManU.
Lovely few hours at Dene Rally, vintage vehicles of all sorts & some steam engines. MrNuts getting nostalgic over the Austin car that he always got travel sick in & I got misty eyed over the the Suzuki motorcycle, same model but different colour, that I passed my motorcycle test on, before rapidly selling to get something larger.
ReplyDeleteA photo is likely to appear on the Ambridge blog when I open the next one.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
DeleteReport on last nights Golden Wedding celebration for our next door neighbours at golf club.
ReplyDelete(Scroll on down if not interested)
Lovely venue, all posh frocks and men in fancy waistcoats. Very nice buffet, not lavish but nicely presented and gorgeous strawberry pavlovas or trifle for afters. We had to buy any drinks we required- which was fair enough
One whole wall was set up as a video screen and thoughout the entire evening photos and videos of the happy couple, from babyhood, through school, university, wedding, holidays up to present were shown. It did rather dominate the room.
After food came the speeches and this is where it got very tedious. Husband and wife, taking turns with the microphone took us through their entire relationship from the day they met, through all the events above, listing all the houses they’d lived in, all the schools they’d taught in, birth of children, all the holidays they’d taken from camping to cruises and all their church activities and postions they had held. This ended with declarations of eternal love, being forever soulmates, etc etc.
This lasted 45 minutes
Then daughter got up and made a speech about her entire childhood, schooling, university
& much praising of parents and grandparents etc
Then , on the video wall, a film from son, in Borneo, going through all the same stuff again.
We found the whole performance which took around and a hour and a half rather embarrassing, and quite frankly, boring. It smacked of showing off and was very self- congratulatory - ‘ look at what a brilliant life we have had, how successful we have been, what brilliant parents we are.’ Etc.
After all the speeches and the following toasts we made our way home.
Now, I know I sound bitter and twisted about this occasion, especially as we were denied any sort of celebration for our 50th, but Mr A and I agreed that, had we been allowed to invite family and friends to a party, this was definitely not the way we should have have done it!
I understand your feelings, which are so justified for many reasons. I am sure that I would have had the same reaction. The major family meeting + greetings, and meaningful thoughts, should have been better done privately, with just the immediate family.
DeleteI was going to say thank goodness you didn’t have to sit and plough through a great number of photo albums - but the contents were shown on the massive screen instead, but at least that way you were not pinned down but could wander about. At least you didn’t fork out a fortune for a posh frock to sit down (and be bored to tears) in 🤣
DeletePerhaps they felt they missed out on speech making at the wedding itself Archerphile.
DeleteWe were at a Silver Wedding tea party on Saturday afternoon. I'm glad to report there were very little speechifying!
Instead we had some wedding photos on the big screen (everyone looked so young!); a 25 question quiz with questions referring to silver or various family names, a 'Mr and Mrs' quiz for the happy couple, designed by their children (who's the messiest, the best cook, the one who takes longest to get ready, etc), and a few round of Only Connect which were not at all wedding themed. Oh, and lots of cake.
We're all looking forward to your Diamond wedding Archerphile, we all expect to be invited to a great knees up, and we'll all politely listen for as long as you wish to talk, or for as short, as the case may be : )
Thank you OWIAS! We did wonder, on the way home if we’d make it to the 60th. That’s when we decided we’d only want a small dinner party for immediate family, no speeches, no photos (and certainly no videos).
DeleteProbably we shall be lucky enough to have the children visit us in a care home with a cake and telegram from King Charles. That would be enough for me! 😂
Good for you,Archerphile.
DeleteThat does sound a bit much, possibly a tad too self congratulatory & smug, I bet they include similar round robins in their Xmas card. Letting the pictures tell the story, a thank you to the guests & a brief declaration of their ongoing affection would probably have been better received. The best bit of those sorts of visual presentations is sniggering at the hair & clothes, and yes I have a fair number of embarrassing photos hidden away. Still the food was good & you didn’t shell out too much for the dress so not too bad?
ReplyDelete...and it was a night out.
DeleteIndeed it was. But we couldn’t wander around we were stuck in our seats until the end! Never mind, Mr A’s birthday next week and we are going to look around gardens open to the public in the Yellow Book scheme. Hope it’s sunny then too
DeleteJust reading this made me cringe! It all sounds boring and embarrassing. I find a lot of weddings have a similar effect and have vowed never to go to another one! Being stuck in your seats reminds me of one where we had to sit on a table with elderly aunts who we didn’t know, the conversation flowing for the first hour and then flagging rather for the next four or so! To add insult to injury the marriage then ended in divorce four years later!
DeleteI have loved watching Glastonbury, but not the artists, that is an age thing 😵 It is so great that this great festival is live and happening again, for the first time for what, 2 years?
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me, is the very many 1000's of people being so close together, just as new Covid varients are becoming rampant.
But then, why shouldn't every one just have fun once again..
At least the come back of Glastonbury was Sunny, and not a quagmire again.
DeleteOur 10 year old grandaughter had a last minute invite to Glastonbury yesterday! The same one that wasn't able to come to our Easter family get together because she was in Houston competing in a Lego robot competition. She's a lucky girl.
DeleteA message from Mrs P via Lan Jan who cannot get on the blog again.
ReplyDeleteShe is now in Minehead after a protracted move, but as yet has no internet.
Glad to hear that MrsP has moved, I didn’t expect her to have internet for a while, I hope she is calm.
ReplyDeleteI hope LanJan reappears soon, no doubt she will try the various tips suggested previously, & I wish her luck.
Mrs. P. I hope it wasn't too stressful in the end, glad that you are now in Minehead.
ReplyDeleteHow is Lady reacting. and your cat?
Hopefully I am back again.
ReplyDeleteFor the first day in several my eyes are not streaming or itching .
Apparently it is a very bad year for hayfever sufferers.
It is in fact raining slightly so I have come inside for elevenses
The Test Match is delayed.
I hope the tennis can go ahead.
One son is hoping to go tomorrow.
The other son is hoping to go on Wednesday and he is also accompanying me when all being well I go on Sunday
A message for Miriam ..........
Yes,it does often depend on who you know!
Scrolling back I read about Archerphile's evening out.
ReplyDeleteI am a miserable old biddy.
I dislike parties altogether.
I have attended some fabulous Dinners but very few have been connected with Weddings ,Anniversaries or "special " birthdays
I am like Mrs Gotobed in "Carrie's War "
I have several posh outfits hanging in my wardrobe one of which (when I thought-wrongly-that my step granddaughter would soon marry the lovely young man she had met.-they are still living together though) Ibought from TKMaxx and have yet to wear
Won't be wearing it on Sunday.
That honour goes to the silk dress (2005) and silkjacket(1996)
We will have to look out for you LJ 🎾 after all I spotted AP & Hinton Ampner 🤣
DeleteLike you I do not like “”gatherings” or dressing up really. Relaxed group of real friends - max 8 more my style.
The one thing that I cannot do these days, is to wear the pairs of gorgeous high-heeled shoes (3"heels) I still have in stacked boxes. I will have to donate them soon, but it greaves me to do so, even though I know that, I will never wear them again. They have memories attached, which is a strange thing to say but I know when they were worn and on what occaision.
ReplyDeleteKeep your memories Miriam unless you are tight for space…..
DeleteInteresting you should mention that Miriam. I got out my one pair of high heels for Saturday night. Only about 2 1/2 high and not ultra-narrow, but I haven’t worn them for many years. They still fitted but I was very unsteady walking in them. When we got home I had to walk the length of our garden, across a gravel drive, then 150yds of lawn. Half way I just lost balance completely and crashed to the ground. Mr A very worried I had damaged hip or knee and it took ages to get me up. Nothing broken, just bruises, but I’m not wearing high heels again either!
DeleteI gave up high heels years ago, comfort over fashion for me any day.
DeleteIt's hard isn't it..to have to change when you don't feel ready to.
DeleteI think I've only ever owned one pair of really high heels! They were a pair of black patent leather stilettos bought to wear at a May ball. The next day I had a change of heart and bought a pair of flat ballet pumps - much more comfortable!
DeleteI woke up at 6.30am to torrential rain. At least the garden has been well watered, so a job that I do not need to do tonight.
ReplyDeleteDocu-drama on BBC4 about the British nuclear deterrent, MacMillan played by Simon Williams, so I only hear Justin! Very disconcerting
ReplyDeleteI still have to go back to our previous blog site to tap your name ,KPNuts.
ReplyDeleteNo problem though .I scroll down to he 23rd May and there you are.
Have you completely turned off your iPad LJ and let it restart…..
DeleteGardening is so therapeutic .... I had my second knee replacement 6 months ago and have struggled to bend it sufficiently, the consultant and Physiotherapist were satisfied, I was not and told the consultant so, he said just carry on with the exercises, which I have done consistently to little effect, however since gardening and forcing my knee gradually to squat I have made significant progress, though not quiet there yet. My first knee was such a doddle in comparison. We need some more rain now for the weeds to grow so I can finish the process and fully bend it..
ReplyDeleteLady R news from the farming front, There was such a ba..ing this morning from the fields down the road, the farmer obviously gathering his sheep for shearing, no doubt they will soon be hurtling down our road to fresh pasture.
Some plastic feed bags have been tied to the trees round the wheat field which is helping to deter the crows from helping them selves, the constant wind we have had over the last few days has helped too, I rarely here them on mass now.
Something is stealing my eggs, I think it is probably rats, they cant carry them though they can roll them, so I have been keeping them shut in till about 11 when at least some of them have laid and then going at regular intervals to check if any one else has laid. even though I have geese in the same house they wont attack the rats as in the past I have had goslings taken by them.
I once had that problem, think I mentioned this once before, and I hid myself in a dark corner of the shed. Watched as a rat high up in the slate wall waited until a chicken jumped out of the nest box and then climbed down the wall gathered the egg up between his front paws and his chin and then climbed back up the wall. Fascinating to watch, but a nuisance and virtually impossible to keep rats out of these old fashioned stone built sheds. Years ago my brother, to protect his stored corn, would pay for an annual visit by the local rat catcher who put down poisoned bait. I always reminded him to be careful not to leave any within reach of my chickens but one year I lost about 5 chickens because at the time I had a lovely bantam cockerel (given to me by someone who had too many cockerels) who used to sit in the apple trees with his long tail hanging down. Unfortunately because he was small he was able to get behind some of the sloping slates the poison had been put behind, and being a good cockerel he scraped the bait out to feed his little harem and of course they died. He survived because he fed his hens before himself and they must have ate it all, and the rest of the chickens who "belonged"to the bigger cockerel survived because he hadn't been able to access the poison. I found my favourite chicken still alive and rushed her into our farm vet but she actually expired as he was giving her a vitamin k type injection. 😣
DeleteI was going to ask my niece to bring the wildlife camera that I bought the children when they come and stay so we can set it up to see the thieves.
DeleteIm afraid I do put down poison, theoretically these days by law you have to use special boxes, I have one it is a nuisance as its difficult to open, though good in that it has a rod to thread the blocks through. Im afraid though I use drain pipes well hidden with the blocks tied to them, works at treat and safe for the hens.
Thank you cowgirl I can visualise perfectly everything you write about and enjoy doing so 🤗
DeleteThat is a lovely present you bought the children. My son gave me one for my 70th birthday and it has given great pleasure. I have learnt a lot from it, and was surprised at how much activity goes on at night when we are tucked up in our beds. I started off with it near the bird feeders and saw not just birds but squirrels (who dug up and ate my runner bean seeds so I had to plant a second lot) and hedgehogs at night on the ground underneath. Then we pointed it at the compost bin and saw hedgehogs and mice going in and out of the access door at the bottom. The hedgehogs seemed to particularly like corn on the cob, so I ended up putting some uneaten ones out. At present it is fixed to a gatepost at the top of the field and it has been recording the nightime and early morning antics of 3 fox Cubs. They are very playful, and on one occasion we saw the mother returning with a rabbit for them. There are 3 or 4 roe deer that graze there, but going by the time on the video I think we would need to be up at 5am at the latest to see them in person.
DeleteI would be interested Cowgirl to hear if you do catch the rats on film, and how they go about removing your eggs.
Will do Janice but they wont be coming till the summer holidays. I think perhaps the rats might, with any luck be gone by then as I see a little blue powder by the rat box.
DeleteLanjan, I hope you read this.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how an i-pad works, but when you get onto this site, are you able to add a shortcut to your home screen somehow??
It is worth looking into.
Been there some time ago, Miriam. You tap on the three dots in the top RH corner of the screen and scroll down the menu until you reach 'add to home screen'. Tap for short cut.
ReplyDeleteLanJan says it didn't work.
Yes that's what I did Sarnia when you first mentioned it and it did work for my tablet. Thanks.
DeleteI had an interesting phone call today. It was supposedly from Medic Alert, saying that it was believed that it was probably necessary for me now. As if!
ReplyDeleteIt was an obvious scam.
The interesting thing is, that I had a phone call my surgery yesterday. Is this a coincidence?
I had a letter addressed to me personally from telling me of some service for the elderly, I cant remember what, I was furious, I immediately wrote to the director and told him in no uncertain terms that I may have reached a certain age but I was in no way incapable and to remove me from his mailing list, had no response of course but it did make me feel better, though of course not a scam but I know how you feel.
DeleteHedgies and mice, Janice? Sweet - I've got a rat in mine!
ReplyDeleteMr S recently had a letter from Staysure travel insurance with a special offer, as his next holiday is on the horizon.
I rang them up and explained that my husband had no more holidays planned for the foreseeable future.
I did a Lidl shop yesterday and couldn’t believe the price of butter. It’s been £1.42 for last few years. It’s suddenly shot up to £1.79. First time I’ve really noticed the increase in prices. Glad I had a few packs in so I didn’t buy any.
ReplyDeleteI went to Lidl on Tuesday.
DeleteDidn't buy butter but their baking powder was 59p (Tesco's -£1.60)
Bananas -5large were 69p
Now that I don't have a car I go to Iceland (10% off for oldies on a Tuesday) ,free deliveries too and Lidl's
As we have a Boots and Superdrug as well as a wonderful shop called "This and That " which sells everything -almost I- am well suited.
There is also a wonderful Charity Shop (no clothes ) -more like an inexpensive antique shop - which is a joy to browse in.
An Uber there and back with my shopping trolley.
Lovely.
Sounds perfect LanJan, you are very lucky to have all these available to you.
DeleteHello everybody - I’m on line at last. William the BT engineer came this morning.
ReplyDeleteIn conversation he gave me information about all the local rivers, I having told him that the sea was ok but that my passion was rivers and especially estuaries.
Will post again later with how it all went, but must get on with the day right now.
Very pleased to be back in the fold again !
Good you are back with us again. I remember our move 36 years ago back here to Cornwall from Cardiff so know you are going to be very busy for a while. There are still some things up in the attic here that never got unpacked!
DeleteWelcome back Mrs P 👏🏻
DeleteWell the blog has been a bit quiet so some farming tales for any one interested.
ReplyDeleteEmerald was a self sucker, when I was milking one day she had no milk, I wondered why and thought perhaps one of the older weaned calves was taking it but no, I caught her at it. So what to do about it, I tried covering her teats with tastes unpleasant to cattle no effect, a nose ring she just tossed that upwards and carried on. I tied her in her stall as tight as I could , no she still managed to wriggle. A bag round her udder was suggested by an old farmer so I made one, it was off in half an hour.
I went on the web and tapped in self sucking cows, you can imagine what came up and it wasnt about cows! I finally came upon an American website that had udder supports for cows to wear that were very large, so bought one and it worked a treat, in fact all my cows wore them briefly when I wanted to wean their calves at 8 weeks, so much kinder than separating them
Much more interesting than anything I have to say at the moment CowGirl.
DeleteOh do keep them coming cowgirl - I laughed out loud at the result of your internet search 🤣 Good to hear you got the problem sorted though. I shall wait for your next episode 👏🏻
DeleteWhat a story, Cowgirl ! Emerald sounds a character, but glad to hear you won that battle of wills. Mind you, if a) cows could read b) had access to the internet c)understood googling, she might have found a special cattle site, giving info' on how to dismantle any smart arse US device which prevented her from having her own way...
ReplyDeleteNonsense aside, I really enjoy your posts about farm life, chicken disasters, chicken triumphs, gambolling spring lambs - the works ( though I glaze over when you talk about building fences etc., all that hard work stuff) Insights into a way of life totally outside my experience !
That said , we do have a handsome white hen called Buttercup - her companion, a rescue, sadly died. She is obstinate about getting into her nest box at night, preferring to perch on the roof, so we always have to put her in, behind a closed door as a protection against a hungry fox.
Cowgirl - how did you choose the name of Emerald? It sounds just right somehow, but is there a link between the name and anything else.
ReplyDeleteI have no news, except my 3rd niece tested +ve yesterday, for the first time. This is the one who works in Knightsbridge, so has been using trains and the tube, constantly. She and family went to a circus last Sunday - enough said.
It is her hubbies 40th birthday today, but the family day out today, and the big party tomorrow night, sadly are not happening.
I am sure these will be replicated soon, once she has recovered.
My cattle were Irish Dairy a rare breed. Her full title is Emerald Isle, self explanatory I think, her mother was Scarlett.
Delete🐮 Lovely.
DeleteBig Sis is visiting family in Queensland, OZ. on the Gold Coast, where there is normally lovely weather all year round. They are experiencing unusally cold, rainy and windy weather, so she has had to go out and buy more jeans, jumpers and wellington boots!
ReplyDelete😱😱😱
Delete
ReplyDeleteNot much news from me this week except that my beloved 22 year old Micra failed its MOT
We had decided not to spend a lot to get it repaired if it failed and some welding and a new oil sump were estimated at £500!
That’s it, I though, my driving days are over. 😢
But we had promised to lend it to my daughter for 2 weeks in July when our son and family are coming over from France….and she is lending them her car (a new one) because hiring a car costs a small fortune now.
So no option really but to have the Micra repaired and let it live for another year. I shall probably cry if it fails again next year because that really will be its end. I love that little car!!
Have been entertained during dinner by the face-off between two very small bunnies & a squirrel. The rabbits are fun to watch even if they eat almost everything.
ReplyDeleteMy last car which was "mine" not " ours" was a Micra and although I loved it it was not my favourite which was a Kia Pride.
ReplyDeleteI have been without a car for 10 months now and haven't missed it.
When you move ,Archerphile ,go somewhere where public transport is plentiful and when you feel like treating yourself get a taxi like I am doing tomorrow when ,all being well, I am off to Wimbledon to see some English players actually winning.
Last year I saw Andy Murray but he was very poor
Have a lovely day LanJan and I hope you get to see a British winner
DeleteAnd yes, proximity of shops, surgery & other vital services will be top of the list
+ easy to get-on-and-off public transport!e
My first car was a racing green Mini. (Well, my first two cars actually, but we won't talk about the one that got written off a 6 months old.) He got part-exchanged when the repairs were getting expensive and the next Small Person was on the way. I cried when I handed over the keys.
DeleteI can fully understand that OWIAS - I might pass my Micra on to oldest grandson when (if) he passes his driving test. Don’t think it will do his street red much good though! 😂
DeleteI still long for another Triumph Herald, two tone olive and cactus green, sunshine roof, sporty gear shift and steering wheel, which was my very first ever car. Bought for me by my dear Dad as a consolation prize for being dumped at the proverbial alter by first fiancé.
I still see the odd Herald advertised but as they are considered a Classic Car these days, they cost thousands.
My first car was a white mini.
DeleteMy father had a Triumph Herald, all I can remember about it was that it got very rusty very quickly. He relaced it with a Sunbeam Rapier, gold with a black roof and black leather seats which I used to love driving when I passed my test.
My first car was a little black Morris Minor, that belonged to my Godfather and then to my dad who gave it to me. I liked the camaraderie of other Morris Minor drivers waving as they drove past, and how they helped if you broke down. It finally finished its life sitting in the field ( how could the garage have declined to MOT my lovely old car any more!! 😥). Then eventually when Shire's Holt rescue were grazing horses in the field I said they could sell the parts to raise funds. Now there is just the engine ( too heavy to shift) and the number plates left.
DeleteThank you for your interest in Emerald ,further instalments will follow about her and her friends
ReplyDeleteLook forward to that. As has been said already, it's nice to get some farming news as we get so little in TA these days.
DeleteHow old is she now Cowgirl? My brother had a favourite cow that went on having calves until she was 18.
DeleteI put her down just before Christmas, she was 17 though I hadnt calved her for a few years as her last calving had been very difficult and I was about to have a new knee. My neighbour was very upset as he was looking forward to caring for her when I had my second knee done.
ReplyDeleteNoooo.
DeletePoor Emerald. Such a lovely name. She should have lived forever!
DeleteWhen I was a child, there were a couple of elderly ladies with a large garden who had come to run a guest house in the village and they adopted the runt of our pig's litter. They called her Susie and doted on her, and I think she thought she was human. Anyway they decided eventually to move back closer to family and civilisation, and with many tears gave her back to live on the farm. She never became like a real pig and we treated her more like a pet dog. My mother sent them regular updates and photos especially at Christmas. Susie lived to a good age, but pigs don't live that long, and my mum kept on sending photos and a newsy letter, of her doings for several years after she died. In the end she realised that even people who had been brought up in town would realise pigs don't live that long so she wrote telling them Susie had lived to a great age but had now sadly died.
That was a lovely thing to do.
DeleteIndeed it was, & Susie sounds an exceptional pig.
DeleteSomething lurking in my mind about pigs : is it true that they are rather intelligent ?
Yes they are, and some people think more so than dogs. They are definitely capable of showing affection. Susie loved having her back scratched. Our neighbour-with-the-chickens, some years before they came here, had a little family group of about six rare breed pigs, and she trained them in the way you would a dog. They sat when she asked them to, and would shake trotters with people, and she gave them treats, including picking and feeding them blackberries. Unfortunately they then had to leave the place they were renting as it was being sold, and because she then had no access to a field she had to part with them. She managed to find someone about 30 miles away who had a smallholding with rescue animals who agreed to take them all. She visited them some months later and they recognised and came rushing up to her. She didn't visit again as she found it too upsetting but she could see they were well looked after.
DeleteKeeping any animal in cramped conditions is terrible, but how some pigs are kept is totally inhumane. I wonder if they are intelligent enough to judge us as humans, and find us wanting.
That is heart warming !
DeleteI doubt whether animals judge us as such, but rather react to what is happening to them, going on around them.
Also thinking that whilst understanding & assessing speaks of intelligence, am not sure that judging actually does. Humans tend to be overly judgmental, I reckon !
She was the last of my small herd. I have a lovely water colour of her, and at Christmas my neighbours gave me one of those large canvas photo prints of her. I do miss her and them as they were my life for 25 years after I retired.
ReplyDeleteYou & Emerald clashed over her 'rights' where the milk was concerned, but then no close relationship, animal or human, is without some ups & downs ! It must have been a hard wrench to let her go last Christmas, the last of your herd.
ReplyDeleteGlad you still have the chickens & lambs
Don't forget that Cowgirl has her geese too Carolyn.
DeleteShe is "The Yorkshire Goosegirl"
It’s really sad to say goodbye to much loved animals who have been in your life for years. I think the only ones who would outlive us are parrots and tortoises! I remember a pet shop in Crewe which had many baby tortoises, a sight unknown now. If I had had one it would probably still be with me although I’m not sure what would have happened to it when I joined the Wrens or in the many moves which followed in our Naval travels! I guess my mum would have had to have it until I finally settled down! As for parrots, they are just too naughty!!😊
ReplyDeleteLanjan thought of you yesterday 🎾 and although not the best of days for GB players looking forward to hearing all about your trip. At least the weather was on your side there at Silverstone it bucketed down with rain! 🏎
ReplyDeleteThanks ,Lady R.
DeleteSee below.
Oh dear another Brit bites the dust 🎾 but Heather got further in the tournament than ever before and of course more prize money.
ReplyDeleteSilverstone pouring rain yesterday and an awful crash today, thank goodness for “the halo bar” that some did not want - certainly saved a life today!
Sadly she wasn't very good yesterday.
DeleteI am sorry to say that in my opinion men's tennis is far more entertaining to watch in the main and I think it is wrong that the women are paid the same as men although they play fewer sets .
A woman might play only 2sets and maximum of 3 but a man might have to play 5 sets.
Had a mixed day out for Mr A’s birthday.
ReplyDeleteWanted a pub lunch but found our favourite village pub now closes on Sundays. The second one had shut down completely and had boarded up windows. The third had changed hands and now only serves very expensive restaurant style meals! So we had to visit the temporary canteen at Mr A’s Gliding Club where they made us some sandwiches.
However the visit to two private gardens open in Binstead, near Alton, was very successful. They had opened to raise money for the Cardiac Rehab Facility in Alton which Mr A has been attending for 20 years. Beautifully laid out, magnificent flowers, trees, yew hedges, roses, fruit and vegetable plots. A disused tennis court had been allowed to ‘rewild’ and had a beautiful display of wild flowers. The garden I liked best had lots of little garden ‘rooms’ like at Hidcote, each leading to another, quite different area. A welcome cup of tea and homemade cake on the lawns at the end rounded things off beautifully
Belated birthday wishes for Mr A. Another mixed day such as you had when we met (briefly) at Hinton Ampner 3 years ago now 😱 When you had intended originally to visit Mottisfont Abbey. I found your day interesting though. The open gardens visits barely 3 miles from us sounded wonderful and two we have never been to, wild flower garden on old tennis court - bliss. However Mr R ‘s mobility issues have increased and we have to think out any trips and take it a day at a time. The tea and cake is always yum at these do’s.
DeleteWhich pubs are you referring to? Especially the closed and boarded up one?
The closed up pub was the Golden Pot at Shalden. We were so surprised because it was used a lot by Lasham members as a meeting point and quite a landmark on the Odiham/ Petersfield road.
DeleteThe ‘poshed-up’ one is is the Royal Oak in Lasham village, right next to the airfield and thus also very popular with the gliding fraternity. It has had several changes of owner over recent years and is now run by continentals ( not sure if Italian or Spanish) who welcomed us with an expensive menu and couldn’t provide a ‘pub lunch’ of ploughman’s, sandwiches, jacket potatoes etc. Only expensive amuse-bouches/ starters/ entrees!
Our favourite lunch pub, the one we visited first, very local to us, is the Purefoy Arms at Preston Candover. We thought it strange there were no cars in the carpark and amazed to find it now closes on Sundays as it has always been very popular.
I think Mr R would be OK to visit Binstead House as it was fairly level but not the second one at Wheatley (with the re-wilded tennis court) as it it quite steep in places, even too steep for me, with my walking stick and has several narrow paths with steps. But that was where they had the big barn for teas.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHope you had a good day at Wimbledon yesterday Lanjan.
ReplyDeleteJust found out that the milk delivery service from a local farm is closing down, I'm very disappointed as we were really happy with it. Maybe it's a casualty of the cost of living crisis with increased fuel costs and people cutting back.
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing CC for both customers and the firm. Times are still hard for business 🙁
DeleteHave had difficulty in trying to get onto the blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks P tbY I did have a very enjoyable if tiring day at Wimbledon yesterday.
The Ground looked lovely with all the superb displays of flowers . Good food and drink including strawberries and raspberries and cream .Watched the 100 year ceremony on Centre Court but couldn't hear much of what was going on so watched it later at home on TV ..
Saw Heather Watson lose but didn't stay to see Djokovic win.
No Miriam yesterday?
ReplyDeleteAre you ok and how are your Covid relatives progressing?
Lady R, your highness,
DeletePerhaps she’s found other venues to express her thoughts?
There are about half a dozen Archer sites out there in the ether.
Coming here to discuss this, that and the Archers was my daily routine. Then I found a place that allowed more intense discussion on various political and social matters as well as the Archers.
I still pop in here and have noticed fewer and fewer posts.
kPnuts, has made a splendid effort to keep the blog going and I would like to thank her very much.
With that in mind I shall make an effort to post more frequently and jolly things up a bit.
Sorry folks I’m here, I’m queer and ready to roll.
Apologies for the last bit of rubbish.
Here are “my thoughts only” perhaps Gary got a bit fed up and gave up, of course other events may have interrupted his life, I can only speculate.
👍thanks KP
I am a bit ashamed to say that I had (temporarily) forgotten about Gary!
DeleteI wonder if we shall ever know why he stopped his association with these blogs without explanation. Probably not.
And I think you are right in the second line of your post as I am fairly convinced I have seen Miriam posting elsewhere. But then, several of us read and post on other Archer sites and it is always interesting to read different opinions and styles of expressing them.
But then none, as far as I know, has a second page for discussing things outside Ambridge and that is one of the joys of this blog because we can chat away about other topics without censure.
Thanks to Ruthie, then Gary and now our dear friend KP!
In case MIRIAM is unwell….
DeleteHere is a GET WELL SOON message from me.
I haven’t forgotten Gary, and have regularly tried to contact him since his absence, but agree with AP that we may never know why he suddenly disappeared.
I don't read or post elsewhere and was grateful to Gary for keeping this blog going, especially during lockdown. I hope that he is OK. Also hope that nothing has befallen Miriam, it would be nice to know.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I am concerned this blog provides a forum for gentle chat rather than meaty discussion, I hope no-one feels they have to post for the sake of it. People will invariably drift in & out depending on what is happening in their lives & that’s fine. I do still wonder what happened to Gary & I hope he is well.
ReplyDeleteI saw posts on Facebook yesterday that I am pretty certain are Miriam, so she may have chosen to take a break from this blog, she knows where we are & she knows she’s welcome.
Running this blog is very little trouble & I am happy to do for as long as people want.
Hi Every-one. I'm still around and thanks for enquiring.
ReplyDeleteI now have 3 nieces, one nephew and one great niece with covid, and all live in different parts of the country. Luckily, none of them seem too bad, just symptoms like a realy bad cold. They all have avoided it until now!
Now off to watch thr Norrie/Goffin tennis match at Wimbledon.
I was at the hairdressers this morning, where there were only two of us wearing masks. My motto is better to be safe than sorry.
DeleteArchphile,
ReplyDeleteThe Archers blog I was referring to has two, what I would call department/compartments.. One for TA with sub threads and another for non A subjects and sub threads for hobbies, crafts etc.
It’s there I can participate in more political and esoteric discussions.
KP. Thank you.
I should be very interested in trying the site you mention Stasia. Would you feel able to let me know the name. Or would you prefer to keep it under wraps, I would fully understand if you didn’t want me gate-crashing!
DeleteKP Nuts
ReplyDeleteThank you for your words earlier this afternoon. I hope most of us feel as you do about this blog.
We did have some very serious debate around the Helen /Rob time when we were with the BBC. My opinion is that was due to the moral questions around that particular story line. Most of the time however the content of TA does not warrant much thought and has very little to do with moral values. I feel pretty sure that if the tone of TA were to turn to such serious matters, most of the contributors on this blog would rise to the occasion with some vigour.
In the meantime I for one am happy that you KP have taken on the mantle when it became apparent that GG was no longer doing so.
Pleased to hear that you are not unwell and still with us MIRIAM.
I’ve emailed GG again today, though do not anticipate a reply.
I'd like to add my thanks to KP for taking up the mantle of running this blog.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely 👏 KP
DeleteMe too! 💐
DeleteAnyone watching McDonald and Dodds. Detective series set in Bath. Nearly as good as Midsomer for a gentle evenings viewing.
ReplyDeleteFinished repointing patio today. I was determined to finish it whatever happened. Fine day all day for a change. Been rained off the last three attempts.
Given me something to concentrate on whilst I’ve been isolating ready for the old 👁 op on Thursday. Just got to keep fingers crossed my covid test is negative tomoz.
Very quiet on here at the mo. What are folk up to?
Yes, I have been watching that programme set in Bath and had seen the first series too.
DeleteEven Mr A, who won’t normally watch a two-hour detective programme because he looses track, watched, saying he enjoyed it and didn’t need me to explain what was going on!
As you say, a bit Midsommerish and not too violent and I love Jason Watkins as a slightly bumbling but very intelligent detective.
I've been hiding in my greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteWell that’s strange. When I posted last night none of yesterdays post were visible to me, despite refreshing the page. Now this morning they have suddenly appeared. Feel daft saying it’s been quiet on here now. Lol. 🤦♀️
ReplyDeleteEmerald
ReplyDeleteWhen I could no longer eat cheese I gave up milking, j before Emerald was due to calve and her udder was filling up I put her bra back on as I didnt want her to take all the colostrum only taking it off in time for her to calve. Of course she took some, but there was enough for the calf, however a day or so later she was upset when the calf wanted to suckle and she had taken it all. She resolved this by the calf having two quarters and she the others. This worked well until she had twins when she thought the same was ok. Back on went the bra and I had to tie her up and take the bra off every 4 hours so the calves could suckle. One day I was puzzled, there was no milk, I knew Emerald couldnt take it .even though the bra was loose, later on I saw the calves noses under the bag sucking away, I was relieved no more getting up through the night trying to find them to allow the calves to suckle.
Who says animals arent bright.
Does that mean you used the milk to make your own cheese? We made cream by slowly scalding it over the Rayburn and taking the cream off the top with a slotted spoon, and my aunt made butter years ago turning one of those wooden churns for ages, but I don't remember making cheese, although in recent times my daughter has experimented making cottage cheese for fun. Making cream from the milk from shops is virtually impossible now, unless you can find full fat Jersey milk. You have my sympathy if you can no longer eat cheese. The cheese sampling stall at the Royal Cornwall is one of the first places I head for, Cornish blue is particularly nice.
DeleteYes Janice. I couldnt sell it as my premises wouldnt come up to parr, a private water supply amongst other things , but I did have a dairy and cheese room. My friends and family used to have it. I made mostly hard cheese and butter when it was the county show. I had a cream setting pan and a hand butter churn, though I still have a one of those large churns though I never used it.
DeleteI did try making blue cheese but not my most successful , It is quite easy to make, just very time consuming as after each stage you have to wait. Lke all things I was self taught, reading any available book.
I has a foodie friend who unbeknown to me gave some to his friend a food critic who said it was up there with the best. I put it down to the milk, the Kerry is renown for the quality of its milk for cheese, the structure is similar to that of the goat, with small fat globules.
It is one of the oldest breeds of cattle in Europe and one of the first to be bred for milk.
OK lesson over !
Absolutely fascinating Cowgirl.
DeleteI once bought a contraption for making cream from unsalted butter.
It was really good and then I found that I could buy frozen cream in little cylinder shapes which were great as sometimes I didn't want to have a tub of cream.
I got rid of the little machine I had bought and then "they" stopped doing the frozen cream.
Grrrr !
Another good farming item cowgirl and your own homemade cheese in days of old - how yummy, I adore cheese!
DeleteWas that the one made by Lakeland plastic LanJan ?
DeleteI think someone else mentioned the Elvis film. We went last night and thought it great. Sad ending of course but the actor playing Elvis was terrific and the music wonderful. Also portrayed very well how talented people can be manipulated by others who see them as money making machines.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a more than usual "going out " time for us as last week we went to an open air production of Midsummer Night's Dream. It was in a lovely setting on the lawn of a walled garden in front of an old manor house, and was played by an all male cast as it would have been in Shakespeare's day. Judith Dench is apparently the patron of this little company, and the actors were good with very expressive faces that helped get across the meaning of the words.
An hour ago I looked in and there were no posts since LadyR at 5.49 yesterday.
ReplyDeleteNow looking in again, there are eight posts from earlier this morning.
So for two of us a strange happening.
Cheese
As a young woman I regularly made my own cottage cheese and from milk brought in those days by the milkman.
I also remember making butter by shaking a small amount of milk in a bottle or jam jar. That was as a child.
I have some old recipes of my great aunt, and instead of, as in modern cake recipes, saying cream butter and sugar together she says turn the butter back to cream which shows she was familiar with the steps of butter making. Funny how little things like that can give you an insight into the lives of people now gone.
ReplyDeleteHave just found a Prairie Homestead YouTube video showing how to make butter from shop bought pouring type cream in a food processor turned on high. She added a little sea salt. It looked so easy I am going to try it. No turning a churn by hand for ages and ages.
DeleteTime I went and picked blackcurrants for freezing before the blackbirds eat them all. Bella cat is being helpful by sitting under one of the bushes. One nest has been positioned in a shed directly opposite the gooseberry bushes so had better pick some more of them as well.
DeleteP tbY is hoping to have her eye operation tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteYou may remember that she should have had it some time ago but it was postponed.
She isn't one to make a fuss and no doubt may not have time to read this but I wish her all the best and hope that all goes well for her .
Well put LJ and I second your kind thought.
DeleteShe's had to wait so long ! Fingers crossed that tomorrow there's NOT another cancellation.
DeleteGood luck for tomorrow PtbY and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
DeleteAnd very best wishes from me. I do hope it all goes ahead OK and she will soon get the results she has had to wait so long for. Fingers crossed very tightly PtbY! 💐
ReplyDeleteWe are being inundated with soft fruit, it’s like having raspberry shaped triffids in the garden!
ReplyDeleteI have already picked around 20 -30 lbs of the fruit, the freezer is full and there are 10lbs raspberry jam in the larder, jam . We have asked neighbours to come and help themselves but nobody seems interested.
Today I had to start on the gooseberry’s which have also done very well and I can’t face picking and cleaning the blackcurrants, there are just too many. My neighbour loves making summer pudding so I said she could come and help herself to all the fruit she likes. But she told me it’s easier to buy a pack of frozen berries from Sainsburys. I despair!
Thats not the first time I have heard that Archerphile. There is nothing that tastes better straight from the bush/ tree.
Deleteup here we are behind you my currants arent ready yet. My raspberries are a disaster, plenty but with so little rain they are miniscule, i hope the autumn ones may fare better. last year was poor for figs but this year my tree is laden, cant wait for them to ripen.
That’s extraordinary, Archerfile. The one big difference is that you have to pay for berries at Sainsbury’s and they won’t be getting any cheaper! It is a measure of how dependent we are on supermarkets to furnish our needs. It’s not as if she would have to pick vast amounts for a summer pudding and as Cowgirl says the taste would be far better.
DeleteThanks for all the good wishes. This is a major start to getting back to normal. I’ll still have a patch until the second op which will straighten the eye up. Nhs website says that can be done 2-4 months after this first one. I will look into having that done privately if it looks like it would be another 18 month wait on nhs.
ReplyDeleteA non sleeping night here as you can tell. Mr R having problems with Hiatus Hernia we have been manoeuvring pillows into all sorts of sitting up positions - I even bought a special edge recently but no luck tonight. Very frustrating as he has always been a sound sleeper. He is also withdrawing from a particular pill. It’s ok for me I can do nights 🤣 but may well fall asleep tomorrow watching the 🎾
ReplyDeleteWell we have had a cuppa so off to try again…..
Of course in real time it is an hour later than showing here - goodnight 🤞🏼😴
ReplyDeleteGood luck PTBY. 👍
ReplyDeleteLady R I hope you managed to get some reasonable sleep last night. Not being able to sleep properly is the pits.
ReplyDeletePTBY 🤞for a trouble free day.
I know that this blog tries to avoid politics but. I have to express some relief that Boris has stepped down, although no doubt the TV schedules will be all over the shop, not that there was much on part from tennis & football. Dear Radio 4 seems to have abandoned most of it’s programming, but no doubt the Archers will still go out, with no reference to todays upheavals.
Oh, KP, Mr S would have been so disappointed. He truly believed that Churchill's true successor was going to take the country back to how it was in the 1950s and everything would be alright again.
DeleteAbout 65 years ago my cousin and I went to one of these Exhibitions at Earls Court where they have all sorts of gadgets for sale.
ReplyDeleteWe bought for 2/6 a plastic tumbler into which you could insert a plastic stick with a disc slightly smaller in diameter of the tumbler .
The disc had small circles cut out.
The idea was that if you wanted to whisk an egg white or cream you just moved the stick up and down and in no time the cream was or egg white ready to make meringues.
Not long ago I contacted Lakeland about one but they were not interested in introducing it.
As a single person I find it a chore whipping up tiny amounts of cream etc.
Does anybody else know what I am talking about?
(I have got this cream theme on my mind .)
I bought some double cream the other day and froze it but in truth when I took it out and defrosted it it was definitely not right .
Tasted OK but had somehow got too thick .
I remember them LanJan we used to whip the egg whites for our omlettes , I had completely forgotten about them, so much easier than a whisk and not much washing up to boot. on reflection I wish I still had one
DeleteYes I remember that gadget LanJan. Think we got ours from the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia. It was similar to a Horlicks mixer we had. This was a tall China jug into which you put Horlicks powder and hot water. Then pushed the metal plunger with holes in , up and down vigorously to get lump-free but frothy Horlicks.
DeleteI wonder if you could find something similar on Amazon?
My mum had one Lanjan. I think hers was glass with the metal plunger. I gathered all her China etc up and stored it in plastic boxes, and I am wondering if it might be in one of the boxes. She never got rid of things she thought might come in useful.
DeleteNot surprised that Lakeland wasn't interested, Lanjan. Companies would rather sell expensive gadgets that have numerous uses & use electricity.
ReplyDeleteA cynical view but probably an accurate one.
Don't remember that device bit it sounds neat.
I am afraid that after going to the hospital for 12:30 pm and being prepared for the operation poor P tbY was told I gather some hours later that there wasn't a bed for her!
ReplyDeleteYou can imagine how she must feel.
I said I would tell you .
I find it unbelievable that she wasn't told earlier.
You hear these stories and hope that it won't happen to friends or family and sadly if it does one feels so helpless.
She hadn't eaten since 6am and had been in self isolation for a week .
Have just read yours Lanjan. How dreadful for Ptby. I know only too well how you psyche yourself up for an op and then to be told it will not happen at the last minute….! Sending her love and thoughts.
DeleteHow absolutely awful for ptby - a friend has just had part of his liver removed (considered urgent) but he also was cancelled on the day the first time for an even bigger emergency but his son had driven from Stockbridge area to take him to the hospital at Guildford.
DeleteAs you say he had then to take another Covid test some miles away and keep isolating
to the next week to the day of the original appointment. Now home with 47 staples across his chest and he and his wife will continue to isolate for awhile as things are again right now!
I find cream a problem in that I often don’t use it all while in date and have to throw some away. Over lockdown, buying from a firm who normally supply pubs, restaurants etc, we bought some small tubs of clotted cream and found that it froze very well. Handy for cream teas etc!
ReplyDeleteI thought Boris was another Churchill but his fatal flaw is that he disregards unacceptable behaviour in public life and has a devil may care attitude. He reminds me of the mayor of Casterbridge who rose to dizzy heights but was beaten by his particular fatal flaw which was extreme jealousy of Farfrae, an up and coming younger version of himself who in the end supplanted him. You have to hand it to Boris that his farewell speech was upbeat and almost triumphant in spite of recent events. Is he a Walter Mitty too?! We will now see what follows in the saga of our leaders!
We are very proud of Buddy. On Tuesday he won his silver good citizenship award from the kennel club. He is very taken with his rosette which is bigger than him! He had his bronze award 5 weeks ago and will now have a few weeks break before training for the gold! It’s all about obedience which doesn’t come easily to a terrier type dog as they can be very defiant but we have seen him come on with this training. It entails various tests like sitting and staying while Katy turns her back and walks away and he shouldn’t move until called. There was a road walk where he had to observe ve the doggie Highway Code and also being happy to be in the car which he is used to. The classes are an education for us as well. I now know I have to go through a door or gate before them for instance not letting them burst through first!🐶🐾🐾🐾🐶
DeleteYou and Mr S were not alone. Boris also thought he was another Churchill.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about PtbY. Having worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years it really saddens me to see how things are at the moment.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely appalled that PtbY's op. was cancelled. She must feel beyond fed up - the 2nd time she's been put off, & now told at the last minute.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for PtbY, to actually get to the hospital before being told the op was off is just plain cruel
ReplyDeleteLanJan- just replied to your cream question somewhere above. A bit late logging in today.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what I would look for on Amazon.
DeleteRe Boris - I have never forgiven him since the day, as Foreign Minister, he carelessly gave wrong information about Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe which, effectively prolonged her kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteHe has long been careless in preparing for important events and will never admit he’s got it wrong.
Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteSat there with no food or drink til 4.30 when surgeon came to tell me it was a definite NO. Hadn’t eaten since tea time last night. I could have eaten a scabby horse. Throbbing head from dehydration. Asked for tea and toast then while I waited for husband to fetch me (an hour away). They even got that wrong and I got 2 lots of both. Sod it, I had the lot.
Was very forthright with surgeon and told him I expect to be put at the top of the list when they schedule again. I will keep ringing the waiting list dept til they are sick of me.
Only good thing about it all is that I’m home for gardeners world that is on tonight.
Since Mr P tb Y has had to do four journeys ,P tbY I am sure ,knowing you,that you won't mind putting Monty off until tomorrow so that he can watch England lose at cricket!
DeleteYeah. Gonna watch Monty on his iPad. 😇
DeleteYou must have had a terribly stressful day. So disappointing for you.
DeleteI am watching the T20 Match between England and India.
ReplyDeleteFour of the Lancashire team are in the squad which means in their quarter final tomorrow ,Lancashire will be missing their four best players.
Bit miffed about that.
You would think they could arrange fixtures better.
So sorry to read about the day that PtbY has had.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend in Hammersmith we’ll into her eighties who was like PtbY actually in the bed waiting for her anaesthetic when told her operation was cancelled. And that happened to her three times over a period of eighteen months.
I’m very pleased that you were able to be forthright with your surgeon PtbY but it probably was not his fault.
And I sincerely hope this does not happen to you more than this once.
The device that LanJan writes about.
I have collected vintage kitchenalia since my teens. I still have the Horlicks mixer but mine is glasswork a metal plunger. I vaguely remember the plastic one but don’t think I ever owned one.
As for the Ideal Home Exhibition that I suspect was on LJs mind, I visited once with my mother around 1960. We both bought a new fangled electric mixer/ whisk / coffee grinder. This week I have unpacked both these implements still going strong and in use by me ( occasionally) sixty odd years on !
Archerphile,
ReplyDeleteTo support your comment Regarding BJ, the man is a pathological liar and in my opinion a Functional Psychopath.
And a liar and criminal.
DeleteI just wonder what all those women in his life saw in him! His “charisma” outshines his looks obviously! It’s all too common as well that people with the gift of the gab get themselves responsible jobs and then can’t fulfil those responsibilities. I think Boris did well in some aspects but failed badly in others. We will have to see now how his successor handles things.
DeleteBit harsh ,Stasia and Mistral.
DeleteI have wanted Boris to go for a while now but I still think he has had to cope with far more than most previous prime ministers with the Covid pandemic .
Let us just leave it now .