Life outside Ambridge
One slightly scary looking Beaver!
Life in Ambridge
Following todays news
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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
EvFebruary 5, 2023 at 11:06 PM
ReplyDeleteThere’s an interesting article on the bbc news site about beavers and how they can invigorate wetlands by building dams which then conserve the water and provide an ideal habitat for other species as well as themselves. They chew through tree trunks and use the tree and it’s branches to build dams etc. This naturally coppices the tree as new shoots grow out of it. Of course in the wrong place they can cause more harm than good but can then be moved on. They are fascinating creatures and natural engineers! There is a move afoot to introduce them on the island and in fact I seem to remember it had been started. They were hunted into near extinction in the C19th but we now recognise nose their value.
REPLYDELETE
EvFebruary 5, 2023 at 11:07 PM
Take out nose in the last sentence!!
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AmbridgesMrsPFebruary 5, 2023 at 11:36 PM
I’ve saved that article EV to read later.
AmbridgesMrsPFebruary 5, 2023 at 11:36 PM
DeleteI’ve saved that article EV to read later.
I have been very interested in the re introduction of Beavers since it was being talked about decades ago.
Yesterday I discovered that they have been introduced to the Holnicut Estate right here on my doorstep.
I am very excited about this….. but I don’t for one moment ever expect to see them.
JaniceFebruary 6, 2023 at 9:03 AM
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Holnicott estate has guided walks to see the beavers. I know that at Ladock in Cornwall, where beavers were introduced in 2017, they have summer evening walks with small groups to see them. I haven't seen them myself as it is quite a bit further south than us.
Thank-you KPnuts, for keeping this blog going. It is so appreciated. 😍
ReplyDeleteBeavers. I remember watching an episode of the programme, with Kate H. and Ben Fogle from Longleat House + park - Animal Park?
ReplyDeleteOne of the staff noticed strange gnawings on a tree by the lake. After months of searching two beaver dams/sets were found deep in the grounds. It was fascinating along with the questions, were they linked and where had the beavers come from.
No-one knew.
Did any of you ever read the book called"The Beavers"?
ReplyDeleteIt was our first class reader when I went to Grammar School..
It was written by someone called"Grey Owl"
It was then assumed he was a First Nation person but. later it was discovered that he was in fact English.
The book is delightful and certainly worth reading .
No LJ, I don’t think I ever read that book, and yet the name Grey Owl seems to ring a bell !
DeleteKP - two of my posts today seem to be missing from the new BEAVER blog.
ReplyDeleteHalf of one that starts with my comment to Ev about saving an article to read later and then a second describing an owl in my garden this afternoon.
Have I done ‘a wrong un ‘ and you’ve deleted me ?
They're both on the old one, Mrs P.
ReplyDeleteJaniceFebruary 6, 2023 at 9:03 AM
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Holnicott estate has guided walks to see the beavers. I know that at Ladock in Cornwall, where beavers were introduced in 2017, they have summer evening walks with small groups to see them. I haven't seen them myself as it is quite a bit further south than us.
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AmbridgesMrsPFebruary 6, 2023 at 3:15 PM
Janice, the Holnicot Estate is now within the NT.
On my Taunton district feed this morning there is a piece about a woodland walk in North Devon that was a favourite of Wordsworth and his drug fuelled friend Coleridge.
The NT is aiming to improve its walking areas with improvements for dog walking. Water, and washing facilities for muddy pars etc.
so…… to answer your query, no, not yet but perhaps it will do so in the future. I shall keep an eye open.
DELETE
AmbridgesMrsPFebruary 6, 2023 at 6:12 PM
Since living here I’ve heard daily at dusk the local owl.
As the crow flies the woods are about 100 yards away and that’s where I felt able to locate him /her.
Just now I was tending my compost bin and heard the owl but not in the woods, rather very close by. I looked up at the tree that overlooks my garden and the owl flew out just above my head and then over the roof of the house.
It was a tawny, but over Christmas when in Cornwall when stirring in my sleep one night a huge Barn Owl flew past the window of my room. It was like a huge white ghost flying past.
Hi MrsP I’ve brought the comments over, and tucked them in the appropriate part of the thread I think,
ReplyDeleteThank you KP
DeleteMy cousin who rescued retired greyhounds would walk them very early in the morning before going to work. She was kept company by a barn owl who perched outside waiting for them, and it then hunted the field side of the hedge while they walked down the lane. She thought it must be because the greyhounds exploring the hedgerows frightened any small creatures over to the owl's side. She has retired now and moved to the outskirts of a little town but misses seeing her owl.
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve always had ‘thing’ about owls, but I have no idea of why !
DeleteWhen I was a child I used to go to a pet shop in Catford Broadway where owls were kept in cages. ( please do take into account this would have been the very early fifties )
I would stand in front of these poor creatures and try to stare them out.
Perhaps someone can tell me…. Is there a myth - or is it true - that owls do not blink very often ?
I became quite good at this staring the owls out.
I look back at this behaviour and conclude that I must have been a very strange child.
Not at all. Simply a child's curiosity about strange creatures.
ReplyDeleteI remember a lady who used to go into our corner shop with an owl perched on her shopping basket. It was small and looked very happy! Us kids believed very firmly that said lady was a witch! There were lots of children in our street and we knew everyone. When the houses were demolished to make way for the Asda car park everyone was scattered to various council estates. We moved further out of town to a bungalow which my dad had bought although because of his age ( 50) and that he was self employed he had a lot of difficulty getting a mortgage. He was determined though to own his own house coming from a background in Glasgow where everyone it seemed was in council property. Anyway, I digress! I love owls too and I think it’s because they often featured in children’s stories. Regarding pet shops in the fifties, I remember seeing puppies in the window in a small compartment and small tortoises falling over each other. I loved going to look at them but realised later how cruel it was.
ReplyDeleteThese days we have more inbreeding & “designer” breeds which are another form of cruelty I sometimes feel humans don’t deserve their place in this world☹️
ReplyDeleteMrs P will vehemently agree with you. I'm just making the best of mine while I've still got it!
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteLooking at recent posts, and lack of, others are obviously feeling like me.
ReplyDeleteThis is the interimn period, as to not much is going on, and just waiting for warmer days.
At least the mornings and nights are getting so much lighter and so quickly. Here, very frosty mornings followed by a lovely sunny day, but so cold still. Spring though does not seem very far away..the sooner the better.
Good News though - OZ family are planning a trip to UK in September, the first visit since 2018 so it's all 🫰🫰at the moment...
To add. Suddenly interesting posts about owls have just appeared!
DeleteThese were not visible a short while ago when posted.
I must have a glich somewhere, but then I have had problems with Google, which is hiw I access this blog.
Actually, Miriam, I've been quite busy by my standards. Now that the front fence is done, all the major outside work is finished and I can go back to the rejuvenation of my house, which ceased abruptly with lockdown. Nothing remarkable as yet, just a new cupboard here and a re-organisation there; does a lot to enhance the new enjoyment of my home, but not the sort of thing that the world and her neighbour want to hear about.
ReplyDeleteI must really sort my outside jobs now. Thanks for the inspiration, just what I needed. 😊
Delete.....and an awful lot of sorting and throwing out still to do. It's surprising how much energy that takes.
DeleteNigel came this morning and we re-worked the gravel bed in the front garden. Now it has proper metal edging, six bags of sharp sand and several layers of membrane for lining, with all nine bags of Cotswold chippings on top. I just DARE any weeds to come through this time!
I have a lovely jigsaw on the board, at the moment. It is one that I have mentioned before, called "Life in Lockdown". It is basically three blocks of flats against a night sky, with flats illuminated showing what all were doing in those awful times. It is surprising what I have forgotten about those times.
ReplyDeleteJigsaw is not too challenging and a wonderful fun one to do...
The 2yr+ empty neglected house with the overgrown garden, which abuts the bottom of my garden, is now sold.
DeleteIt will be many months before any-one lives there, as it needs a big make-over, both inside and out.
At least it's nice to know that the house will become a home again.
That sounds very expensive, Miriam. Perhaps a builder has bought it up to renovate.
ReplyDelete....if they got it at a much reduced price! It is just nice to know that things will change in a good way esp. as the weather improves.
DeleteIt will also be a more pleasant sight beyond your carefully-tended garden.
DeleteDid you ever find out what happened to the people who lived there Miriam?
ReplyDeleteSadly no...but obviously a very sad ending.
DeleteHope you will be as fortunate with the new neighbours when eventually they arrive as with your “boys next door” how are they Miriam 🤔
DeleteBrilliant! I've never had such lovely neighbours...though I admit that I haven't seen much of them since Christmas, but I never hear them, which after the previous neighbours is such a difference.
DeleteMiriam, I know you love cooking with mushrooms. I'm watching The Magic of Mushrooms on BBC4. Beatrix Potter comes into it!
ReplyDeleteI missed that. I will look for it on i-player. Thanks for mentioning it.
DeleteIs that Magic of Mushrooms the Richard Fortey programme? I really enjoy the few programmes that he has done, he is such an excellent communicator, understated and passionate. Makes a change from presenters striding out on the tops of mountains etc. I also enjoy his books, he writes science in a very accessible manner.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was, CC. Last week I watched The Magic of Moss, which was equally fascinating.
ReplyDeleteCC how’s recovery going for you (and nurse Mr CC of course 🫢)
ReplyDeleteThank you for asking Lady R. Recovery is going as expected, pretty painful but gradually mobilising. I'm having my clips out this afternoon. With my last one, five years ago, the district nurse came out to do it. No such luxury these days I have to go to the GP surgery for the practice nurse to do it. I'm not looking forward to it as it will be the furthest that I've walked since coming out of hospital. Mr CC is doing a great job and I've had visits from friends which cheers me up.
DeleteGlad to hear you getting more mobile but sorry to hear you still have a lot of pain.
DeleteI don’t know if it is unusual, but my operation scar wasn’t stitched or clipped together but glued together with some magic surgical glue!
My long scar from the knee replacement (which is very long) was dealt with in the same way. The scar is now virtually invisible. I suppose each surgeon has their own preferred method.
Good luck when you see the nurse, it will be a big relief for you when it has been done.
Oooh! I must watch that Moss programme- thank you for mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteI took Lady to a new to us wood yesterday and was marvelling at the wonderful deep moss with so many shades of green.
I love Moss. I find it exotic and sensual and want to lie in a bed of moss.
CC Sounds that you are well on the mend. By the time the days are warmer and Spring has arrived, you will be out skipping about like a new-born lamb!
ReplyDeleteKeep us updated...
I had a surprise last week.
ReplyDeleteI have a tendency to pile up junk mail in the porch, and as this looked awful, I went through it to put in the re-cycle bin, to find a letter with a cheque for £96.10 in.
It was a refund for overpayment of my house insurance going back for 3 years, as the 10% discount I am entitled to via to my bank account, hadn't been applied. I knew nothing about this discount
How to bank it - Both the local sub-branches have been closed down - so thought PO but my cheque book had no paying in slips.
I downloaded the mobile app. scanned the cheque in by my camera 'phone and it was immediatley deposited, in a very easy + straightforward way and all done from my arm- chair.
I then uninstalled the app. just in case!
Wow a lesson for us all Miriam thank goodness you checked that junk!
DeleteThe lesson I learnt is, put the rubbish straight out in the bin as soon as it arrives!!
DeleteI have just read that the great Burt Bacharch has died (94yrs).
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant musician and composer he was.
I saw him live at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in I think, either 2018 or 2019. It was a true magical evening, with all standing up and dancing + singing along...
What an experience and great memory ⭐️
DeleteCC thank you for the update hope your appointment went well today. Each day is another step forward (terrible pun 😉) Full marks to Mr CC 👏🏻
ReplyDeleteFor the attention of Ev:
ReplyDeleteI've just resumed the never-ending task of sorting my husband's books. One such is an absolutely mint copy of The Monumental Brasses of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (I know, I know, and there are SHELVES of them!)
Would you be able to point me towards any local society on the island who would be pleased to own such a treasure? This is so very pristine that I assume it to be a presentation copy from one of the authors, who was a friend of his.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhat a lovely idea, to pass these books onto appreciative recipients.
DeleteI can't just throw them out, Miriam, they're collectors' items - if only I could find out who wants to collect them!
DeleteAlthough I have no idea how to do this, could you perhaps try to sell them on-line on a suitable site, so reaching those who would be interested?
DeleteAh, Miriam, I do not transact online.
DeleteWill look into it for you, Sarnia!
DeleteThank you, Ev.
DeleteI have just finished listening to "Uncle Silas" via Sounds.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting listen.
Did anyone else hear it?
I’ve only just found out that “Kit” Hesketh-Harvey died at the beginning this month which saddens me greatly. MrNuts and I went to see him multiple times over the years, brilliant performer and only 65☹️
ReplyDeleteI did not know of his death either.
DeleteSaw Kit and the Widow very early on in their collaboration in the eighties.
Such a talented man.
Trivia alert.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I'm cleaning windows and putting up new voile curtains.
I was so long mired in garden buildings, paving stones and fencing, it didn't seem possible that I would ever reach this stage!
Well done to you Sarnia ⭐️ I am in awe of your industriousness today.
DeletePlease don't be - it was only two small ones!
DeleteNot trivia at all. It is nice to hear what others are up to...which makes me, realise what jobs are needed to be done...
DeleteFantastic news today. The OZ family have booked their flights to UK and also visiting France, to see +catch up with all their family members, and there is a lot from both my niece + her hubbie.
ReplyDeleteI will get to meet them, in late September for the first time in 5 years...My diary is being kept clear!
That really is something to look forward to Miriam.
DeleteHow exciting Miriam will the timing of the gathering include your birthday what a double celebration that would be 🥰
DeleteFive years is a long time.
ReplyDeleteYes. The eldest son was just 5bmonths then, and I have never met son no2.
DeleteIn September they will be 6yrs and 4yrs. It is sooo exciting.
There is only 15months in age between the boys..😃
DeleteExciting times for you Miriam.
ReplyDeleteRead in our local newspaper today about the Growth Hub in Cornwall which helps people who have an idea and want to start up in business. One of the people they helped was a nurse who had previously worked 13 years in the NHS. She had seen how vitamin B injections helped improve the quality of patients' lives, and she is now self employed and visits people in their own homes to give them these injections. Presumably she must charge a fee to do this. I don't know if anybody can ask for them, or if it is for people who have previously been diagnosed as being deficient in vitamin B. Am just mentioning this in case Mrs P finds it interesting.
It is interesting Janice, thank you for thinking of me, and I shall pass it on to my daughter who will also be interested.
DeleteWhen I was battling along with my younger male neighbour ( who I relied upon for his research as well as his insider knowledge within his industry, pharmacology) I discovered that there was a WhatsApp group in Stroud who having fought the same battles, were now getting their own supplies from Germany, sharing the costs and presumably injecting themselves.
Although I heard about it, I was never able to find a way into the group.
I must add that my new surgery here in Somerset have not questioned my six week regime at all, and even give me the date for my next injection.
Glad to hear that you are getting your injections as needed MrsP
DeleteThank you CC - I do hope you are managing your pain and mobility and feel that you are on your way in recovery.
DeleteYoung people can be absolutely lovely. Cattle sheds are being cleaned out after the winter and it was the local YFC dung run for charity today, and the four who came carried 20 heavy bags up the track and right into my allotment garden. I gave them extra for their trouble as they saved me so much heavy wheelbarrowing, and they did it so cheerfully.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds wonderful, though a bit smelly. Your allotment will certainly do you well later on..
DeleteI did a quick s/market trip this morning, as needed some fresh veg. which I didn't need when I did my latest normal weekly shop. I have noticed 2 things:- that the veg ailses now empty far more quickly, and that more of my neighbours are now putting the kitchen caddies out, for recycling.
ReplyDeleteThis must indicate that more are cooking more sensibly and not just buying ready meals nor relying on take-aways...
It is a sign of the times.
My eldest grand-niece (still 11yrs only) has really taken to cooking, so much so she makes meals for her family, and loves doing it. She is a far better cook than her Mum.
What of a dream of a daughter- takes after great aunt??
ReplyDeleteShe learns it all from videos etc. on You-tube and other such sites..but I like she wants to learn how to cook.
DeletePS She was making sushi last night!!
DeleteSort of busy dealing with Mr S's books. He was an avid collector of books, some very old, on archaeology, old parish churches and their monuments, cathedrals, abbeys Sussex local history, cricket - the house is Groaning with books! As I only ever saw him reading the sports pages of the local newspaper I doubt if he knew what was in them, he just liked being surrounded by them.
ReplyDeleteI'm gradually sorting them for disposal to various bookshops, but it's a wrench - not because they mean anything to me, because they don't, it's more that they've always been there and it feels a bit as if I'm throwing him out. Stupid, because it has to be done or my son will be lumbered with it on top of everything else when I go.
My mother had everything of my fathers gone within a month.
DeleteMy sister and I did get to sort and take what we wanted from his books but I frequently wish I had his regimental tie and his trilby.
But I have got his shaving gear and mirror and she did keep the medals.
That would have been kinder to me, but I didn't have people around to help and then lockdown prevented them from coming. Also, I'm only just beginning to acquire the information I need.
DeleteAs it's a nice day I've taken myself out I to the garden to get my mind off them!
DeleteMemories. My late Father's very many books (2000 of them) were exactly on the same topics, esp.as he did a diploma on Landscape History.
DeleteHe was brought up in Sussex, and was always a life-long supporter of Sussex County Cricket.
Mr S. and my Dad, would have had a lot in common.
It was music with my dad. He was a music teacher, his training was as a singer and there were cupboards and drawers full of sheet music.
DeleteMy father also loved music and had a massive collection of CD's. He belonged to a UAE music group, so his entire collection was donated to them and were gratefully received.
DeleteDunno about that, Miriam, Mr S wasn't keen on musicians in the first place and finished up with too many of them!
DeleteCalling all Adam Frost fans:
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the pin-up pic on the cover of the March GW magazine, of him nursing a bowl of tomatoes and a bunch of rhubarb? Definitely one for the bedroom wall, girls!
Right….I’ll be off for that today!! 😍
DeleteMy father adored his music and our home throbbed with what my mother called ‘his bloody symphonies ‘
ReplyDeleteWhen he retired from paid employment he had already had a number of years part time in the Corps of Commissioners (?) so he continued with that and through doing so did duties at The Royal Albert Hall.
He would choose his duties according to the programme so for the rest of his life he got his music live in one of the best venues in the world, and without his wife nagging him.
Writing this has reminded me ( not that I’m ever likely to forget since it was also the night that my marriage came to its end ) that on this night 14 February in 1977 my husband and daughters and me of course spent the evening in a box at the RAH with ABBA live on stage. My girls were great ABBA fans. Courtesy of my dad of course.
What a dreadful Feb 14th that must have been for you, Mrs P.
ReplyDeleteDepends on whether MrsP likes ABBA & how she felt about her husband at that time I suppose.
DeleteNot the ABBA one, the end of the marriage.
DeleteI've chosen 'Thank you for the music' and 'Dancing queen' as exit music at .y funeral!
Great choices Sarnia
DeleteP tb Y
ReplyDeleteYour mate is on the cover of Gardeners World as Sarnia says
Gosh he is a scruffy beggar
Don't buy the magazine though I will send you my copy.
Ah ok. Don’t crease the cover!!
DeleteAnd read it quick sharp! Lol
Hey no need to send mag. Mr PrbY says he’ll treat me to it as a belated valentines! Last of the big romantic spenders he is.
DeleteSo you’ll be able to look lovingly at Adam for as long as you like now.
Sad people!😉
ReplyDeleteRe Dads and music.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad played played saxophone and clarinet in well known dance and jazz bands in the 30s/40s, so our house was filled with the sound of dance music and jazz, especially what I would call traditional jazz.
The only records we had at home were jazz records, Sid Phillips, The Squadronaires, Ambrose (with whom he once played), Louis Armstrong etc. I grew up to the sound of “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “The Darktown Strutters Ball”. My mum played piano for him too.
He had been encouraged to take up playing wind instruments by the Brompton Hospital, to help his breathing after having damaged his lungs by inhaling burning oil when his shop was torpedoed at Gallipoli. Apparently he had to learn to breathe with one lung because the other was scarred.
So the medical advice led to a new part time career which he loved.
When he died he left his clarinet, alto and baritone saxophones and masses of sheet music.
I had hoped to inherit these and wanted his grandchildren to have a chance of learning to play the instruments. Unfortunately my brother got his hands on them first, and sold them without notifying me first, as he did so many other items.
I thought that latter bit really sad Archerfile. A musician can put their heart and soul into their musical instruments, and they would have been really personal mementoes for your grandchildren. Someone who plays an 1800's violin of mine (leant as I am a hopeless musician sadly) calls it "his soul", and I am hoping that in time my baby grandson will learn to play it.
DeleteArcherphile your comment about your brother and mine regarding my mum, brings home to me how ruthless some people can be at the end of a relatives life.
DeleteYes Sarnia, the pain of that Valentine’s Day and the following few days with our anniversary on the 19 th wiped out the happiness of that week covering the previous decade. As our anniversary coincided with half term we always had that week as our one holiday and usually went to Snowdonia where we had the use of a caravan on a plateau just outside Beddgeleart, and they really were such happy times. But for the rest of my life the worst week of the year.
Until four years ago, when I drove to Worcestershire to meet and take home Lady on the 19 th of February.
Thinking at the moment what we can do this coming Sunday as our special day.
I feel for you, Mrs P.
DeleteMrs. P. Is it already 4 years you adopted Lady? It seems like yesterday and shows that I have been on this site, far longer than I thought 😆
DeleteSorting through possessions after someone has died is hard, especially if family members have different ideas of how they want to handle it. I hope I have the time and energy to sort out my excessive amounts of stuff rather than leave my daughters all the work.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely couple of hours gardening this afternoon. So much debris has been cleared away, shrubs hacked back with "gusto", roses completely pruned back.
ReplyDeleteI could do a lot as filling up my garden bin was not a problem as, the collection of this bin starts again next week, providing I can find my find my new, paid for, permit to stick on the bin!
It is somewhere safe - but where did I put it?
To add , the bulbs that I thought had rotted, are now showing, though slowly.
It is just due to poor soil and lack of sunshine, until now.
Yes, I've got alliums and the odd tulip and camassia daring to show their heads above the parapet. I'm reluctant to do too much clearing, though, as the bouts of frost are heavy and unannounced, so the dead debris is needed for a while longer as protection.
DeleteI had to change when got in - as I was so wet + filthy dirty - but at least the garden is already looking better..Now to make a hearty steak pie for tea 😋
DeleteSarnia. There was enough evidence seen, to suggest that most have survived the winter so I risked doing it. I hope that I haven't been too premature. The mood was there, so I went for it!
DeleteI'm really looking forward to working in the garden again. The snowdrops, crocuses, cyclamen and hellebores are all doing their bit at the moment.
DeleteI envy you that. I'm presently negotiating with book dealers and having to make a decision about some much- disputed bathroom tiles. I've taken to sitting down in the courtyard for half an hour or so and tidying up here and there, but my mind and energy are elsewhere.
DeleteI've found the garden vacuum, so when we've finished re-jigging the landscaping in the front, Nigel will be able to play with it. Then everything will be tidier.
Re your earlier comment ,Sarnia 9:43 am .
ReplyDeleteWho is sad?
I winked.
ReplyDeleteIt is our northern sense of humour!
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed that our best comedians are or were from the north?
Victoria Wood Les Dawson, Ken Dodd,,Peter Kay ,( actually all from the west of the Pennines).
I am not a Lancastrian by birth but moved there when I was six years of age from Oxford but I really loved the small village where I grew up.
Sadly you may have read that in the lLinear Park which used to be where the steam trains fro m Manchester to Wigan ran a 16 year old girl was murdered by two teenagers.
In my day we literally had one Bobby who rode round the village on his bicycle.
I can't remember there being one crime in our village then .
How sad.
They have to be funny from that side of the Pennines cos it’s hell on that side!
DeleteGods own county on the other!! 🤭
I don't mind which side of the Pennines I'm on as long as I'm near to them.
ReplyDeleteHow’s the recovery going CC.
DeleteRecovery's going well thank you PtbY.
DeleteCC. So glad you are recovering so well. Keep positive..
DeleteI had a lovely message from Little Sis this morning. She + hubbie were out with friends at a local pub, for an early evening meal.
ReplyDeleteA family of four came in, sat at a table just by them, and also enjoyed a meal. Why am I mentioning this?
It was William, Catherine, George and Charlotte.
They were just ignored and not acknowledged in any way at all, which is how it should be.
BTW. Little Sis. only lives a few miles away from Anmer Hall.
Wow ⭐️ what a piece of news Miriam and lovely to hear that the “family of four” were able to enjoy a relaxed meal just like anyone else 👏🏻
ReplyDeleteSorry to be a cynic but where were their security seated, or where they at the door ?
ReplyDeleteBut yes , it is good to know that they are able to enjoy normal occasions.
DeleteSitting at a nearby table Mrs P 🤔 no doubt in very casual clothes but likely armed (?)
DeleteKate has been seen shopping in both Waitrose and Sainsbury’s (children’s clothes dept) in her time and wears some M&S amid the Jenny Packham, Reissue etc. Good to be able to see something of the normal world I would imagine, even with BG nearby.. we are told they live in their house alone now as a family umm. Security/ Nanny?
That is a nice insight into their lives Miriam. I wonder if they have a cook or whether Kate normally cooks for them. Prince William once answered a question by saying that Kate was a better cook than him but that he could cook a full English breakfast. Presumably there must be someone there to cook for the children when their parents are away on official business.
DeleteIn case anyone is interested the Academic Archers conference in combo with Dumteedum has been confirmed for April 21st-23rd I went to Reading back in 2020 & it was fun, I’ve already booked for this year. Links can be found on the two group’s Facebook pages or google Academic Archers.
ReplyDeleteI had my lawns cut today and the edges strimmed. Although the lawns are still a wee bit "clumpy", what a difference and I can fully see my bulbs which are really starting to come into flower. Two minature tète-a-tète, are now in bloom which is early for me, but lovely to see.
ReplyDeleteI am angry tonight. I ordered a prescription from my surgery via internet as usual, on Monday. I went to pick it up this morning, from the Lloyds Pharmacy in Sainsbury's when there shopping, to find it is temporarily closed. I know that this pharmacy will close this year, but there was no notice saying when it would be open again.
ReplyDeleteMy prescription is for my "pre-glaucoma" eye-drops which I can't do without. Luckily, I do not run out until next week, but others might not be so lucky if like me, a prescription cannot be collected.
Rant Over!
DeleteI know how you feel Miriam.
DeleteThis happened to me on several occasions with Lloyds in Stroud.
And that was just the beginning !
It got very much worse when all the staff disappeared overnight and the branch stayed closed for several days. Then when new staff arrived it took ages ( not hours, but days and days) for any prescription to be processed.
It seemed clear to me that the company was failing badly.
I eventually switched to Superdrug and was very happy with the service I received.
I’ve tried Boots here and I wasn’t satisfied with the service they provided so I have switched to Tesco and I am very satisfied. I hope it stays that way.
Miriam, do you still have insider knowledge of the pharmacy industry ?
Perhaps you know what is happening inside the company that owns Lloyds.
Those comments about Lloyd's are interesting. My local pharmacy, attached to the GP centre opposite my house, is changing from Lloyd's to another pharmacy. Several other Lloyd's pharmacies have also closed in the past few years.
DeleteOur local pharmacy was Lloyds until it was taken over by an independent pharmacist last year. His comment was 'I'm going to start running this pharmacy the way it is supposed to be run'. The improvement is quite obvious!
DeleteWhat interesting comments from others who have had similar experiences. The sad thing is, up until now, this particular pharmacy has been fantastic - said by one who knows what service to expect! 😆
DeleteNot quite ‘up till now ‘ Miriam.
DeleteI would say it’s about five years since Lloyds was fantastic.
If it’s the company you were associated with then you have my sympathies because it must be heart rending to read how others feel about the company now.
I feel that a number of the well known pharmacies have not been up to scratch in recent years, such as Boots and Lloyds and I have become aware of independent pharmacy’s giving a very good service to a local community.
The Lloyds in Sainsbury's I am hopefully still using, are just like a community pharmacy. The staff know the regulars, are always so helpful and understanding, and nothing is not too much trouble.
DeleteRemember I was a community pharmacist, who although working for a minor but also national company (not Boots, Lloyds, Superdrug, Well) I always gave the best personal service possible, even if I often went against this companies profit making ideas.
My aim was to give the best pharmacy service available at that time by me, be it with prescriptions, liasing with the local GPs when needed and being the friendly person, so to give valuable advice as and when required. PS An action off mine helped a young lady to get immediate medical help, without which, her hand might have had to be amputated!
This is what the Pharmacist + staff do in this Lloyds in-store pharmacy and will be missed...
It’s good to know Miriam that there are some branches of Lloyds still operating efficiently and with staff that are able to be useful and friendly.
DeleteThe staff in the branch attached to my medical centre in Stroud were a great bunch, helpful and understanding, so it was particularly distressing to watch them become overwhelmed with whatever it was that was ailing that branch. When they all left en masse it became obvious that something was up.
The beast from the east hasn’t arrived on the island so far! This morning we sat outside in a sheltered spot in the garden with an iced milkshake! Enjoying sun today as tomorrow might not be as nice. 😊🌞🌻
ReplyDeleteI seem to be lucky yet again. There's a possibilty of strong gusts of wind overnght, but tomorrow is meant to be sunny, warm 13C but breezy. I already have the bedding in the wash machine ready to switch on, followed by a good blow on the line. It makes such a difference to dry outside.
DeleteYes I deed, Ev, lu ch in the garden today.
ReplyDeleteA good listen I came across, which others might enjoy...
ReplyDeleteMagpie by Elizabeth Day.
10 × 15mins episodes - which I listened to over 2 days and really enjoyed it.
I hope it is not minded if I mention somethong I have enjoyed, as often my tastes correspond to others - or then not!
PS Enjoying Hotel Portofino on ITV.
...but not at all happy that there is no final episode of Call The Midwife tonight.😵
DeleteNo, it’s fine MIRIAM. As a fellow Radio4extra and R4 fan I am always interested in hearing about good programmes.
DeleteAs I have probably said before, it is my routine to sit in the dining room, in the afternoons doing a jigsaw and listening to a good play or serial on the radio.
Sadly R4X have recently altered their schedules so that there is often no play starting at 3pm as there used to be, so I am using Sounds to catch up on a variety of programmes. My favourites are an Agatha Christy or Dorothy L Sayers serial. Or something lighthearted like Cabin Pressure or Hancock.
Ah, as Digging for Britain has finished, at last Vera has no competition, so I can watch the last episode live instead of having to catch up.
ReplyDeleteJust whiled away a merry hour watching videos of Tom Chambers dancing. That's enough to gladden any heart!
A Strictly fan??
DeleteI love Tom Chambers in Father Brown, but this might be due to his now, greying temples!
DeletePerhaps it is just stage make-up 🫰
No, not a strictly fan, (audience too noisy), but I saw Tom Chambers play the part of a dancer in one of the other crime series and was surprised at how good he was. I then discovered that he was actually trained in musical theatre and had won SCD years ago, and found the videos. He's been a great Fred Astaire fan since childhood and it certainly shows in his tap dancing. I must say, I've really taken to the older, more expressive CI Sullivan, although they might have greyed up his hair, as he's only 45, born the same year as my daughter.
DeleteHave loved watching the current Vera series, but always record it and watch the following week so we can cut out all the adverts - as we do all with programmes on commercial TV.
DeleteAP I do exactly the same. This is to record then watch when it suits, cutting out all the so many and annoying commercial breaks.
DeleteMiriam, I agree re Tom Chambers in Father Brown - it's a beautifully understated performance.
DeleteI can't believe that I have had to water my hanging basket, window box + tubs. They were all so dry and pansies etc. were all suddenly drooping.
ReplyDeletePS Finally got my eye-drops today on the 5th visit to the pharmacy.
They close on April 23rd, so I now need to choose a new pharmacy and set it up before next the prescription is due.
Must add, I had a wonderful video this morning of the 3yr old, doing what all kids do - sitting on kitchen floor, 3 upturned saucepans + two wooden spoons - it is obvious she does similar in pre- school as she sang nursery rhymes, beating out the rythmn.
DeleteWhat was so amusing was that she sang:-
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Chocolate Bar...."
the rest of the lyrics were sadly lost by the loud drumming.
It was a wonderful start to my day...
Miriam - this pharmacy you mentioned was closing on the 23rd April ( St G day and WS birthday .? )
DeleteWas this the Lloyds branch you mentioned last week ?
I have just seen the latest news about the missing dog-walker.
ReplyDeleteSo sad....
I just hope the press, T V (especially Kay Burley on Sky News) and internet trolls leave the family alone to grieve in private. The intense and frankly disturbing speculation over the past three weeks must have been unbearable for them.
DeleteI find it so sad that people are prepared to believe so much of what is put out on social media by people who have no expertise or knowledge of the subject. It reminds of when I was working and the patients who used to come in with all sorts of stuff that they had found on the internet with no evidence whatsoever to back it up.
DeleteWhat I have found so awful, is why persons feel the need to post about something that they know nothing about, which is then believed by others!
DeleteThis is not just this sad event, but so many other events.
After some lovely early Spring like days, the temparature is dropping quickly tonight! It will be back to winter woollies tomorrow...and the heating on much more again.
ReplyDeleteI have got away with it on for just 2 hours over the last days, but think this will now change sadly..
Finally got my gazebo man here today. 4 thick wooden supports up so far. The rubble he dug out of the holes was unbelievable. It’s making me dread the thought of what it’s gonna be like digging out my big border this spring.
ReplyDeleteI’ll cap those pigeons. Won’t be able to poo on me any more when gazebo done. Will just need to pressure wash the patio then it’ll be lounging time on my swing seat.
Something to look forward to ptby 🌞
DeleteFor want of greater excitement my main event this week has been to discover that as I suspected, no matter which way we try to go about it, the two standard additions outside the back door of my 1920 house cannot be replaced with a conservatory for under £50,000.
ReplyDeleteBetween us, the agent and I came up with some very creative solutions, but caught between the planning laws, the practical problems and my limited resources, the answer was always the same - £50,000. Apparently I could pay half and take out a ten-year repayment plan, which I thought was hilariously funny.
He asked me to get back to him if I had any more ideas, because he's never been defeated by a property before and he's not used to it!
I have, actually, but I really must do some washing.
I'm not up to much this week, as it's half-term. The reason being I hate going out and about, wihen there are so many kids around. It's not that I don't kids, far from it, but these days, to me, they tend to appear not be as well behaved as in times gone by. Perhaps this is just an age thing and I'm justbnot as tolerance as I once were!
ReplyDeleteYou have greater tolerance than me Miriam.
DeleteI’ve always kept close to home when school holidays were happening.
Never could bear screaming children whenever or wherever they are.
When we were in a position to be looking for where to buy our first house we were looking in Barns and Mortlake. One house was on a pedestrian path directly behind the ten foot high wire fence of a junior school playground. The thought of having to cope with the screaming at least twice daily meant a rejection of that house.
In contrast when with my mother viewing the sheltered housing flat she had been offered which was opposite the corner of another junior school playground again with the ten foot high wire fence, my mother commented that it would be nice to be able to see and hear the children.
We are all different and good that we are.
I’ve received today a photograph from my daughter of my granddaughter patting the trunk of an elephant.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn’t look as though it is in any kind of enclosure and perhaps she just encountered it walking down the street.
A memory to be treasured !
Certainly is Mrs P 😀
DeleteRight - excitement alert!
ReplyDeleteBy means of the wife of our new ward councillor who was in my choir years ago in a different church, I have introductions to several electricians on personal recommendation. I have spoken to two of them and one is already booked to come at midday on Monday to assess the situation, while the second one will get back to me tonight.
Now I know how much I won't be able to afford I will be keeping a tight rein on the proceedings. Could this really be a way through the two-year log jam at last?
Gosh, this is so exciting - should I offer my scriptwriters to TA, do you think, to see if they can inject a bit more pzazz into the proceedings?
Fingers crossed for you Sarnia
DeleteWe’d like an excitement alert.
ReplyDeleteIt would be the garage phoning to say they have fixed Mr A’s car. They have had in in their workshop since before Christmas trying to find someone with the electronic nous to fix it!
All this time we are creeping round in my ancient Micra, just hoping it will keep going.
Mr A drove it down to the garage last week to find out what’s going on, and whilst there, one of the mechanics manage to back another car into mine, causing a big dent in the rear wheel arch!!
It all sounds like a bad comedy sketch but I can see us having to finance the replacement of at least one new car. 🫣. 😳. 😭
That sounds painful, on all accounts so 🫰the outcome is better than you anticipate.
DeleteCars are one of those items - you can't or don't want to do without, but can cause many problems + unexpected cost.
A next-door-but one neighbour has just upgraded his car and keeps driving it up + down the road which is very short, 5-6 times a day! No idea why unless he can't get used to driving it, but in my cul-de-sac it is impossible to get out of 2nd gear. I tend to crawl round in 1st gear....
You couldn't make it up Archerfile. iI hope that the car gets sorted out.
DeleteI've been downloading more books to my Kindle today, I seem to be getting through a lot at the moment. It's better than walking round the garden getting frustrated at all the jobs that I can't do!
ReplyDeleteThe walking good for your recovery though CC 🙂 how many weeks now since the op and how is the experience comparing to your hip replaced (5yrs?) ago?
DeleteMiriam, you seem to be the knowledgeable one;
ReplyDeleteDo you think it might be more straightforward for women to win SCD as they have the professional providing a stronger lead?
Many wonderful males have won SCD and rightly so.
DeleteNow as to why - they have to lead their female pro, lift them compently + safely, and still master all the steps.
A talented female though, has an equal chance but no advantage.
To add - many others here probably have more knowledge than I have. I am just a total SCD addict..
DeleteLady R, it's just over 4 weeks since my hip replacement. The recovery is going better than my last one, mobilisation has been easier. I think it's because I've had a lot less swelling than last time possibly because they gave me dexamethasone post operatively. It's been less painful as well which could be due to having a robot assisted operation.
ReplyDeleteWhat good news CC 👏🏻 🤗
DeleteHow weird…I kept checking the blog yesterday and there were no new posts. This morning I check and there were all yesterdays posts. Blinking phones!
ReplyDeleteI agree Miriam about children nowadays. I met my husband, complete with both dogs, in our usual cafe on Monday. There’s a regular lot that go with 3 other dogs. (Dogs only allowed in the front bit of cafe). This week we had to sit at a small table by the door and the large table next to us had a family on. 2 young kids and one in a high chair. The kids were shouting and screaming and then running the length of the cafe and the parents did nothing. Our Daphne barked at them. (She’s now big and looks like a hairy wolf). The parents looked at her in horror. As one regular lot left Mr P said she’s not used to screaming kids to them. The family heard but still did nothing. We settled daphne back under the table. Honestly dogs are better behaved than children. Drank my coffee really quickly and left.
I now have a roof on my gazebo! It’s getting there and the path and patio at the end of the garden is prepared and ready for flagging. Now if we could just get some warm weather I’d be living in the garden. In fact I can’t sleep some nights because of garden planning.
I can identify with that, PtbY, as I've just had 3 years of it. Exciting, but mentally draining at the same time. I just envy your ability to do so much more of it yourself - so much more satisfying (and cheaper!)
ReplyDeleteNews from NZ: email from my daughter to say that the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle continues to be a problem. After another week of torrential rain there is danger of a landslide and she and her neighbours have all been evacuated.
Oh Sarnia feel for your daughter and neighbours please keep us posted.
DeleteThe overall situation in North Island is dire, Lady R , with a state of emergency in existence for several weeks now; the UK media choose not to report it. Jessica has had to move several times as the rented house has been from under her. She now knows that the house before last that she lived in has been swept away in the floods. My granddaughter has a brand new river surging through her back garden. Schools are closed and she has to keep the children indoors.
DeleteSince we're having a run of excitement alerts ... our shoe is getting a new front door!
ReplyDeleteNo more leaking through the beading and extra short letter box during heavy rain, no more draughts, and locks that don't get stuck or refuse to accept Small People in a Shoe's keys. Hurrah, they can have their own and stop borrowing mine. Shame it will be plastic rather than good old solid oak, but c'est la vie.
Whether our cheap and falling apart kitchen will get replaced in the next century is another matter. (Vicarage kitchens and bathrooms are supposed to be replaced every 10 years, but budgets are stretched (and have been for years). Our bathroom was at least 10 years old when we moved in and we waited another 10 for it to be renewed.)
On a less exciting note, we have Extra Small Visitors in a Shoe : ( The first time I encountered the little darlings years ago I insisted on humane traps. Blow that, the bright green bait is down in its strategically placed boxes. I just hope it works.
After the dainty letterbox for handwritten missives in the old 1920 door, my 'new' one has a gaping flap to rival 'Jaws'. I regularly fail to hear the tiny knocker or doorbell, but the SNAP of the letterbox can be heard halfway down the garden. I'm only surprised there aren't any fingers on the mat with the post
DeleteWe have a box outside because of Dudley. In spite of a clear message on it that post should not be put in the door as the dog will eat it, seemingly some posties can’t read and sometimes post is shoved through the letterbox and I have to rave to beat him to it! Sarnia, I must apologise re the monumental brass book. I have been preoccupied with the kitchen and recently the painting of the walls etc in there. Do you still have the book? I was thinking the library in Newport might take it if no organisations emerge.
DeleteI feel really under the weather and am wondering whether the stress associated with the kitchen plus the cold weather recently is to blame or am I coming down with something? I am very tired and need to rest a lot and am now in bed very early. I feel every one of my nearly 75 years! Hopefully will,perk up soon. The daffodils and snowdrops are out in the garden. There is a massive pile of leaves to clear up but afraid it is on the back burner!😒
I was in the supermarket this morning and there was plenty of choice of fruit + veg, including tomatoes, some things were low in stock though. I expect by tonight there will be empty gaps.
ReplyDeleteAll the children I came across were well behaved wh8ch was a delight to see.
I found that too in our Sainsburys. Plenty of all the salad items including peppers and cucumbers which were missing last week. Lettuce and celery were fine and there were tomatoes but not quite so many varieties as usual.
DeleteOn my face-book feed, I am being inundated by posts about recipes.
ReplyDeleteThese amaze me as to what is shown along with pictures of the final product, such as a ginger cake cooked in a slow cooker! Just don't start me on air-fryer "goodies".
The other type of recipes which just astound me are the healthy and cost effective ones - a chicken + veg pie, chicken and veg casserole, a beef stew with butterbeans, home-made beefburgers, basic lasagne etc.
These are recipes that I have used for years, but then I have always cooked.
If these recipes get more cooking "properly" then that's great.
I think it just surprises me that these recipes are needed, by many.
I am enjoying both the new series of Converations of a Long Marriage and David Sedaris. These are my sense of humour and can relate to them in many ways.
ReplyDelete...on radio 4.
DeleteI’m with you on both of your latest posts Miriam -
DeleteI’ve felt for years that the world of the media acts as though cooking food is the latest fad the newest thing since sliced bread, and now to add to that, slow cookers and air fryers.
And ….a long Marriage as well as DS……. I’m happy to have them both and to not feel guilty by turning off todays comedians, particularly the women.
I’m loving “ conversations…..”
DeleteIt’s theirs voices. I love them both.
I’m in a rut re the cooking conversation. I think it’s the weather and by tea time I feel too tired to bother much.
I seem to make a much nicer meal when it comes to getting out what is left and creating something with it. Fusion food!!!
I agréé about your first programme, a great listen. But afraid I cannot agree about David Sedaris. I just don’t get his American type of humour and find his voice grates on me - it’s the accent I think.
DeleteI turned on to Desert Island Discs last week, in the middle of the programme, not knowing who the guest was. I genuinely thought it was an American woman until several records later when Lauren Laverne mentioned his name!
EV….being nosey, what colour are you painting your kitchen?
ReplyDeleteTuscan terracotta! Looks lovely against the grey units!😊
DeleteNew blog opened, look for the kitchen picture
ReplyDelete