General Chat

I don't drink squash usually and just have water, but I tried a small glass of the Blackcurrant and Apple and liked it. I'll order some of the Asda sugarfree orange and mango to try as it sounds nice. I've sometimes diluted fresh orange juice or added it to lemonade. I expect BIL was thinkling it would be hotter still on Saturday.

Its 26 here now but feels a lot hotter and BIL is going round the garden on the mower cos he's lost his fly spray, its jumped off the mower somewhere in the garden. He is then going home to do his own grass.

Annx my oh used to like the asda sugar free orange and mango and thats the only one I would drink too. I don't like orange squash as it leaves a funny taste in my mouth but what I do do is have about a third of fresh orange juice and top it up with water and ice.

It's a bit later now and 26 degrees here. It's supposed to reach 29 degrees by 4pm. Far too hot for me and the men need the doors all open so the sun is blazing through the front door. I've just dropped my car windows down a bit to stop the heat building up. The last two days the men have almost got through two bottles of squash you dilute with ice in, so when they finish and the flooring man has been to level off the floor I will go and get some more as OH enjoys Robinsons and it is sugar free as well. I don't mind as they are doing a good job and I can't offer them biscuits as we don't buy them now! I saw your rambling rose on a photo and it is a picture. Nice with a perfume too.

Not sure yet Ann as its so very hot today will see how it works out with BIL here. He could be rushing off after mowing or he could stay and do something else with me. Its 23 here now and pc is telling me temps to drop so lets hope they do and I can get outside and cut some stuff down. I too have a huge rambling rose that needs dead heading and its a really visous one. I need to cut it right back and I won't get many flowers next year if I do. OH used to do it every so often. Its another one that fills the garden with its strong perfume.

BIL is here and he said he was coming on Saturday.

Morning All,

I slept well with just the sheet over me. I've put a very thin top on today and now I'm actually a bit chilly here in the study. I was hot when I was outside watering the pots at 7.00 am but it's overcast just now which will please the men as they are cutting things in the driveway where it was boiling hot yesterday. It's supposed to get very hot this afternoon.

OH set off for a day's National Governance Conference in Birmingham first thing and won't be home till late so, apart from keeping the hot and cold drinks flowing for the workers I can get on without meals to get or many interruptions! I can't put anything in the skip till Monday and when the workmen have finished putting their stuff in. I've set my desk fan up with the frozen water packs. Now I need to decide what to do first.

I hope your chiropodist is on time for you AnnG and that you have a nice meeting and look around the garden of who is holding it this time.

Good idea to get the shopping done early Mandy. My word you did get a lot done yesterday! Dead heading is quite a chore, but it pays off to do it. Unusually, we have had a lot of Peacock butterflies in the garden and I realised why when I went out on the front last night. A self set little Buddlia is flowering and of course they love their flowers.

Will you be in the garden today Mel, or inside making more miniatures?

Morning girls,

Its going to be another hot one today I think its 20 degrees here now and its going to get a lot hotter according to the forcast.

Slept ok had strange dreams I can't remember but I know they were weird.

I must make an appointment with Specsavers in Bideford and get some new glasses.

I also have the foot doctor this week. Hope you have a nice time at the garden meeting this afternoon Anng.

Morning all,

Busy day for you then Anng .

I had a busy day yesterday I dusted and hoovered all the bedrooms gave the upstairs bathroom a good clean ,hoovered the stairs and did a bit of dead heading I started on the white rose and piled up a tub and there's still loads to do I could fill the tub another couple of times at least as there's so much .

Shopping day today so we want to get going early before it heats up just having a cuppa then we'll go.

Ann sounds as if they are getting on well looking forward to seeing it when it's all done.

Hope everyone had a decent night's sleep last night with the heat its not easy .

Good morning all. early and yet already 14 degrees and sunny. I have a sort of tight schedule today. I have an appointment with my chiropodist at 12 o'clock, hoping he is on time so that I can get the bus to get me home by one o'clock. There is a garden meeting this afternoon but it is not at my house this month. My friend will pick me up around 1.45 to get there. No problem if I can't make it, they will go ahead without me of course.

It was very hot last night so sleep was fitful.

I remember Billy Cotton Mel and The Billy Cotton Band Show. Fancy him being a relative of the lady you were walking the dog for. The PC says it's 23 degrees here but it feels hotter. OH has gone to a meeting at Oakham in Rutland tonight so will be home late. I hope we can all manage some sleep tonight. I'm off to try now. :-)

When I was young I used to walk a little sausage dog for a lady who lived up our road, I think dad also did work for her as he was a builder and decorater. One day I walked up to see if I could take Penny out and there was a green MG parked outside. Its number plate was BC 1. It belonged to Billy Cotton and he was visiting Penny owners. Dad told me after that he was a relation to penny's owners. It must have been you talking about Bands that triggered my memory.

Its 23 degrees here now and quite hot outside so I am staying in the house.

Afternoon All,

It's warmed up a lot now, but the gentle breeze is keeping it cool enough at the moment. The men are here on the dot at 8.00am each morning and only have a break for lunch. They are getting on well and have started lining the walls with the boards now. I think the shower base will be in today but we'll see how they get on. I've learned a new phrase from the young chap helping, a 'double bubble' which seems to mean both a hot and a cold drink! The dust is much worse and is the fine stuff today as they were cutting the boards.

Thank you for the photos Mel. How nice to see there is a second brood of the little chicks. It's amazing they start out so weak and vulnerable, but their parents keep them alive and thriving. Good to see the Hedgehog too and the Iris and Rose are lovely. I like seeing Damsel flies in our garden as the metallic blue is beautiful. I bet the carrots and mushrooms look very realistic.

Vera, it sounds like the cleaners have done an excellent job of the conservatory. You have taught me something today as I'd never realised saxaphones and clarinets came in different sizes! That 80 year old sounds a bit of a character.

It would be a nice surprise to find the Garden Centre was cool AnnG as they are usually hotter than most shops. I see you bought some nice plants and tops too. You are right you don't hear big bands on TV anymore and there were so many of them.

Afternoon All,

It's warmed up a lot now, but the gentle breeze is keeping it cool enough at the moment. The men are here on the dot at 8.00am each morning and only have a break for lunch. They are getting on well and have started lining the walls with the boards now. I think the shower base will be in today but we'll see how they get on. I've learned a new phrase from the young chap helping, a 'double bubble' which seems to mean both a hot and a cold drink! The dust is much worse and is the fine stuff today as they were cutting the boards.

Thank you for the photos Mel. How nice to see there is a second brood of the little chicks. It's amazing they start out so weak and vulnerable, but their parents keep them alive and thriving. Good to see the Hedgehog too and the Iris and Rose are lovely. I like seeing Damsel flies in our garden as the metallic blue is beautiful. I bet the carrots and mushrooms look very realistic.

Vera, it sounds like the cleaners have done an excellent job of the conservatory. You have taught me something today as I'd never realised saxaphones and clarinets came in different sizes! That 80 year old sounds a bit of a character.

It would be a nice surprise to find the Garden Centre was cool AnnG as they are usually hotter than most shops. I see you bought some nice plants and tops too. You are right you don't hear big bands on TV anymore and there were so many of them.

I had a good morning at the garden centre, it was cool inside with air con and wehad out coffee outside sitting in the shade. wasps are still a bit of a nuisance. I bought quite a large geranium, a reddish sedum and a begonia and when we got back Karen gave me three coleus that she has grown from seed. I also bought two tops in Edinburgh wool. She drives her new automatic car well (she is the young lady who dislocated her shoulder a year ago and it is still not properly healed. Although she is a fast driver she is very careful. She is lucky as she qualified for a good dicount on the car for being a military pensioner. I didn't know places did that but I think it is good.

None near me either but I am glad they are still performing. Collingwood is interesting if that is HMS Collingwood as I grew up about a quarter of a mile from their surrounding fence and my Dad served there for a while, then in 1956 tony was stationed there.

Thanks Andysmum for posting that. I might have been interested but none are near me.

For those who are interested, here is a list of concerts by the Royal Marine Band during September.


Nottingham: September 11, 2025, at the Royal Concert Hall.
Gateshead: September 12, 2025, at The Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead).
Edinburgh: September 13, 2025, at the Usher Hall.
Bristol: September 17, 2025, at Bristol Beacon (formerly Colston Hall).
Birmingham: September 18, 2025, at Symphony Hall.
Manchester: September 19, 2025, at Bridgewater Hall.
Liverpool: September 20, 2025, at the Philharmonic Hall.
Plymouth: September 20, 2025, at the Minack Theatre.
Harp and Thistle Concert (Scotland): October 9, 2025.
Roebuck Theatre Concert: October 9, 2025.
Salute to the Heroes (Collingwood): November 21, 2025.
Carnglaze Caverns (Plymouth): December 7, 2025.
Roebuck Christmas Concert (Plymouth): December 11, 2025.

Good morning AnnG, Mel and all

It's already 21 degrees and sunny. It's supposed to get up to 25 or 26 this afternoon and then get even hotter over the next couple of days so I'm not really looking forward to that. I didn't sleep well again last night but was in a lovely sleep at 7 am when OH decided to wake me. He doesn't usually wake me but he knew I would want to be washed and properly dressed by the time the window cleaning men arrived at 8.

When they told us the price yesterday I did gulp hard as it seemed expensive but I now think it's reasonable for what they are doing. They arrived at 8.10 and are still here at 10.20 so I reckon it will be 2 of them for 2.5 hours. That's 5 man hours to pay for plus whatever percentage is added for their business overheads and then their profit. They are doing a really good job. Even OH is pleased and he is a bit of a perfectionist. Getting going early meant I got the ironing done while it was still fairly cool so that's another job out of the way.

Annx, your en-suite will look lovely when it's finished but you'll probably find the dust keeps appearing and you'll be damp-dusting for ages. We haven't heard you talk about your beading work for quite a while so it will be good to see the finished pieces. Don't forget to send us pictures.

I love the idea of you making little mushrooms and carrots Mel. They must be quite fiddly to do; you must have very deft fingers. You are all so good with your hands and I am such a clumsy klutz.

I hope you enjoy your trip to the garden centre AnnG, and the lady driving doesn't give you too much of a white knuckle ride. The lady who often drives myself and another friend to our lunches and events is a fast driver and she is now 80! We still call her the boy racer. She has decided that now she is 80 she can say what she likes and she shouts at other drivers, though I don't think they hear her from the closed car. I just sink down in my seat and pretend I'm not there.

As for music, I agree with you Ann. We don't hear enough of the big bands these days and a good military band is always worth hearing. I smiled when you mentioned clarinet and saxophone as they are my daughter's main instruments and she has several of each as they come in different sizes and tunings.

Just had a bit of a break as our men finished at 10.45 and they wanted us to see what they had done and make sure we were happy before they went. Everything they did is gleaming and they even cleaned up a couple of bits we hadn't asked them to do. We made them a drink earlier but I think it's time we had one now so I'm off to put the kettle on.

Morning girls,

Bit of a grey morning here today and it 17 degrees and no wind to speak of.Hope it brightens up a bit later on as it looks a bit miserable out there now.

Enjoy you trip to the garden centre and I hope the daughter dos'nt drive too fast today.

Must get ready to get up the post van this morning as its only there till 11am.

Good morning all a bit grey but already 13 after a fairly cool night. I slept well just under a sheet, woke twice then got up at 7.

Vera to carry on where we left off. Although I do like listening to piano music my preference is for 'a bigger noise' I love the clarinet and sax and big band music. When I worked for the MOD living in Clifton Beds, we were able to get preference booking for the Royal Albert Hall Royal Marine band concerts which were always good. To hear The last post played from one of the top balconies was awesome. And also (I think it is called) Duelling trumpets.
Just thinking and you don't hear big bands, Jazz or otherwise on TV nowadays although I am sure they still exist. (except orchestras I suppose - The Proms). I am just old fashioned. Well old certainly. There were many around my age at the concert yesterday.

today I am being taken out by friends to a larger garden centre down the M%. My friend's daughter takes us, she is daughter's age and single. ( and a bit of a fast driver witha new car).