General Chat

Cake......Jelly and Ice Cream.......Yummy ! Thanks Rita.

It's dark now so work has stopped for the day. Good progress made.

It's all looking nice and fresh, needless to say Mrs Stephen is now comparing the rest of the paintwork in the other rooms. Hey Ho ! I know whats coming next.

They can keep their Royal Wedding. If I'm not invited along with all the rest of the Friendly Thread it will be a rather dull affair.

We could show them how to have real fun. A day they would never forget.

What about gate crashing it anyway?

My daughter is very poorly. She must be bad as she never complains about being ill. Mrs Stephen has gone to her house to help out a bit. Thank goodness we are not too far away from her.

Next Saturday I will be heading for Glencoe. A night in the tent by the side of the burn. Then a climb up Buchaille Etive Mor on Sunday.

It's a climb of pilgrimage. Three of us used to go every year when we could manage on the last Sunday in February. This had been going on since 1965. With few exceptions we managed every year.

The last few years I have been going alone. Both of my friends are now dead. I will drink to their memory on Saturday night and place a rock on the summit cairn on Sunday. Norman and Ian were the kind of chaps you wanted around you in a tough situation.

It wont be a morbid pilgrimage but one filled with happy memories of our days together.

Gonna have something to eat and relax a bit.

Catch you later.

Money all counted.
Going to have a cup of coffee and some cream doughnuts. I've only got 2 so I might as well eat them. Sorry!

Well done on all your hard work Stephen. But then it is a labour of love for Mrs Stephen isn't it, but she's worth it isn't she.
What a wonderful tribute to Norman and Ian. Obviously wonderful memories of the three of you together,at the top of Buchaille Etive Mor.
I bet you were proper wee devils when you were all together.
I hope your daughter feels better tomorrow.

Linda,well done on your Parcels for Bulgaria. They must be so grateful to receive them, as they are so badly needed. Knitted garments add extra warmth in a country that can be so cold.

Maddie, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. And there's you being Mrs Wishy Washy doing all your laundry.
I hope you have been able to relax this evening,ready for the onslaught tomorrow.

Shelly, poor little legs, banging his head like that, Ahhhhhhh bless him.
But I bet he's a toughy though, with his uncles egging him on. Boy's will be boys. LOL

Pauline, I am addicted to my grandchildrens Wii, they bring it here every
Christmas,and we have games amongst the family.
We don't have one ourselves, but at one time,Roly was talking about getting one himself. But I know it would be a five minute wonder with him.

Hope you are still enjoying yourselves Marilyn. Well thats a stupid thing to say really, how can you not be. lol
I hope you asked for forgiveness in advance at mass this morning, before going home and imbibing of the intoxicating liquer.

Like you Pat, I would rather go to friends or family, on the royal wedding day.
I wouldn't go if I did get an invite, to much pomp and splendour for my liking.
It's nice to be able to let your hair down on occasions like weddings,and not to have to worry, in case you say or do something wrong.

Evening everyone, apologies for my absence.
Car problems all weekend!! I spent yesterday helping my daughter whose clutch went and today searching for a minor part for mine with no luck.

Rita glad you had a lovely day yesterday.
Hope you are all well, be back tomorrow

Cath xx

Hope you get your car fixed soon Cath x

The Language of Irish Music & Song.

Much of the mysterious power of Irish music & song lies in ability to speak on issues that, perhaps, words alone cannot seem to address. They are particularly powerful because of their multiple connections with the history of the Irish people at home & abroad. Far flung Irish Diaspora was the outcome of one of the greatest calamities ever to befall a nation - the ‘curse’ of emigration.

The first great wave of Irish hit American shores during the New World’s colonisation in the sixteenth century - now, that’s a good while ago! Mostly young Catholic men braved the eight to ten weeks voyage over stormy seas in crowded ships in the hope of working their way onto their patch of land during the earliest settlements in America.

As they cleared the brush & scrub, they helped to till another man’s acres while they pined for the small country they had left behind. At those times, Catholics in Ireland were seldom landowners or capable of economic prosperity.

The very act of setting out to find new opportunities in a foreign land ran counter to an Irishman’s Gaelic roots. The native language - Gaeilge - had no word to describe for willingly departing the homeland. Perhaps this accounts for the great sense of loss that the words of many of the oldest songs convey.

The Irish had enjoyed a rich cultural life brimming with creative & artistic expressions. Their music & songs were filled with myths & legends of the ancient Celts. There were also tales of the spirit world of pre-Christian Ireland & the fairy folk who lived there - a life system that existed happily side-by-side with Christianity for centuries thereafter.

Every community had musicians & singers - they still do. Every ancient Chieftain had poets, genealogists, bards, harpers & historians all of whom contributed generously to the rich cultural life of a then populace deprived of formal education by the political system of the period.

Obstacles to gaining fame & fortune were many. The cost of crossing the Atlantic was equivalent to six months pay at the time - where was Ryanair? Emigrants were packed into damp bacteria-infected ships. Food during the journey was scarce & the quality generally poor. Diseases, such as dysentery & cholera, were rampant on the ships. Those who perished on the journey were slipped quietly into the sea without much ceremony.

Hard times indeed!

very interesting Dermot,
I've never been to Ireland. I'll have to go there one day.
Majestics do coach tours to Ireland. Perhaps next year!

Hello everyone, hope you have all had a nice weekend though it sounds like you have all been very busy.
Rita it sounds like you had a lovely birthday, I do hope Mike and the rest of your family are well, and you yourself of course.
Mo I hope you are feeling better now. I bet Lilly has grown a lot now, bet you love her to bits.
Cath hope you get your car fixed soon.
Dermot when are you going to have a go at that book,
Stephen sounds like you have had a few busy days, but I bet Mrs Stephen appreciates it.
Yvonne how is your lovely horse, bet you are looking forward to the Spring/Summer then you can ride a lot more.
Pat, Pauline, Maddie, Mailyn hope you are all ok.
Shelly how is your little boy? hope his head is not painful now and his lump has gone down.
Oh I do hope I haven't forgotten anyone, if I have am sorry, my memory is getting worn out lol.
I have decided that I cant look after my horses as I like to so have put out feelers for homes for them, but will keep my vardo horse.
Go with God and in good health.
Jeniwren xx

Thank you again Dermot for your "stories". They are so interesting and paint a beautiful picture.
Like Pat I have never been to Ireland,though I have one branch of my family who married into the army and then in the early 1900's emigrated to Canada.
I have met descendants of this branch of my father's family whilst visiting my mothers sisters family. Quite uncannily they lived within walking distance of each other !!!
Cath I hope you get the cars sorted quickly and without too much expense. I know how evryone depends upon their cars, not sure how much you do with all you family duties.
Marilyn please don't enjoy too many G&T's or you will have to go to confession sooner rather than later, for enjoying yourself too much. Can't wait to be in the same boat as you and enjoying a few cocktails !!
I got all the washing sorted and the ironing done before we went out for a walk. It was dry but overcast and dull and cool. At least we got out. Saw lots of spring flowers begining to come into flower and many shrubs starting to bud up. Spring might just be around the corner.

Catch you all tomorrow

Linda :o) XxX

PS Hi Maddie and Jean who posted while I was typing.
Jean sorry you might have to find new homes for some of your horses. But I think it might be to do with looking after Scarlett? If so I hope everything is OK Linda X

Maddie,

That's the life o' Riley

Great.

I liked to know who Riley was.

Jean,

Great to see you on the Thread again.

Just take it easy for a wee while.

NO SIX BAR GATE JUMPING......until next week.

Night All.

Hi there Jean.
It's a shame you will have to let the horses go, but keeping your Vardo horse is a good idea, it will keep your hand in.
Do NOT overdo things love.

Night Night all, sleep tight.

Jean,
Hi nice to see you on the thread again.
Been watching South Riding on BBC1 -very good.
Going to get a cup of coffee and then bed. Monday tomorrow!
Night x

Morning everyone,
Patricia and Linda I'm sure if you ever get to visit you will love it. I need my "fix" at least once a year and am going back in 6 weeks, yippee.
Dermot, more quality writing. You do have a gift with pen and paper.
Jean its a shame you have to find homes for some of your horses but I'm sure they must need an awful lot of looking after and with little Scarlett and your health worries it might be for the best. As long as they go to good homes thats the main thing.
My car is ok, drivable, unlike my daughters! As its half term I'd be lost without it, have to look after 3 grandchildren in afternoons this week so I hope the weather is half decent and we can get out and about.
Hello to Stephen, Maddie, Mo, Pauline, Yvonne, Shelly, Marilyn and Rita, hope I've not forgotten anyone

Cath xx

Morning All.

Damp and dark this morning.

Give me a cold crisp morning anyday compared to this.

Trusting that my parts arrive ok today so that I can get the Central Heating back on
Particulary missing it in the Laundry Room where we hang the clothes to dry when we can't get them outside. We never use the Tumble Drier.

As Larry would say....'Have a Gay Day'.

Catch you later.

Morning everyone.

I like this South Riding it is a remake of the other South Riding.years ago it was a drama on TV

Maddie this is the last census they are going to take the finial so copy your form when you have filled it in for the futrue generation.
I have a thread out many weeks ago about this. still on going. but it got confusing. it appears you should be able to fill the form in by computer.(Scotland is different ) there are 57 questions in the census forms for England and Wales in Northern Ireland there are 59 questions and in Scotland 51 the booklet is 32 pages long however a lot of the space is explaining how to complete the forms.they will scan these forms .The oriignal documments will be pulped and recycled.none will go to the National Archives.so worth keeping a copy of.

Hope your feeling better Mo and Jean. Thank you for the Pm Marilyn
Stephen I hope you get yourself sorted today.

Pauline my printer is giving me a problem my printing is coming out pink face and boddies so I am playing around to see why ? I have not long ago replaced the cartridges. so I cannot see it is that.
well of to sort the washing out for the machine.
back later
Rita

morning all

rita if thay say this is the last census how are thay going to tell
rufley how meny people we have in the country

i think thay need to tell us who are not feeling them in
weather it is english people or foren people

what i meen is why do foern people need to bother if thay are only here and dont plan to stay or thay may think why should thay bother if this is not there home coutry

alot of people that are not from this country are now only here to work
save there money to build a house in there own country

i think thay should keep the census and make people feel them out
if thay say you will loss your home weather you own it or not
then i think more people would feel them out

Hi Shelly If you dont fill the forms in you can be fined £1000 .

I think the Government are doing this so they can find out how many people live in the Britian ? how many are woking?. where they were born.? where they work? what they have in their homes like washing machines it is all to do with the population statistics. in otherwords they are being nosey, all the Goverment offices all have different fiqures on imigration how many live here etc etc and this way we are doing their work for them. they have 35,000 staff working on these papers.that is process of collecting. and doing the data.they said there are lots of people living on water thats houseboats and barges etc.they will find out about the Elderly people in homes, and bed and breakfast accomadation.


By the way someone said they have British down on the census not English. so I dont know why they mention Engand and Wales in one breath I shall write I was born in England and I am English.

Rita

Rita, I can't remember filling the last one in, probably did ............just can't remember, must be my age.

Is anyone else having a problem with this site this morning? It's been messing me about.

It's another dull dark day here.

I'm busy trying to clean my lounge carpet, we had company at the weekend and someone dropped a full 2 litre bottle of lemonade. The whole lot spurted out onto my £60 a yard carpet.

I'll make a cuppa for everyone...

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The coke's for Lady, everyone else can have tea of coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to Linda, Rita, Pat, Cath, Lady, Yvonne, Dermot, Stephen, Jean, Marilyn, Mo, Maddie, Shelly, Liz, Sue. Have a nice day everyone.