General Chat

I can't get into our greenhouse without pushing back all the tomato plants lol.and it is so difficult to ferret through all the branches to get to the red ones.

Dad made me a Go cart with old wheels off something.I loved it.I remember sitting in the seat with legs stretched out in front and feet on the steering bar which the string was attached to.I think there was a wooden handle at the side which was the brake.In those days we could go down the middle of the road and not worry about getting hit by a car.Those were the days!

Hi All
Been a busy few days here what with reletives up from England . just not had the time to come on. hello to William.
weather lovely yesterday, but has poured all day today, couldn't sit in the garden so went down to the garden centre and bought a patio set, big round teak table and 6 chairs, shoud have been £600, but was in the sale for £400, lovely comfy chairs going to pick it up tommorrow as we didn't have time today, have already paid for it so it will be ready and waiting for us, now we can throw the old garden bench set out, it's falling to bits.

need to set the table for dinner,
BBL

William, my FIL talks about houses near where he lived being flattened with bombs. They must have been a schoolboy's dream playground and a mother's nightmare! My first MIL had a table lamp made from a wartime shell.....

Dad had a curved blade for cutting leather, called a clicking knife I think. He would draw around the shoe as a pattern too. I can remember him repairing stitching around the edge of the upper and sole, bodging holes with an awl, then rubbing candlewax on the stitches to waterproof them. He had black ink he would brush on the edges of heels to colour them......it had a strong smell! All shoes would be repaired till they really fell apart. I would get dad's hammer out and put new tips on my high heel as a teenager if dad was busy. lol

I used to love the home made trolleys the boys would make out of pram wheels and wood with a piece of string attached from one side to the other at the front to steer it. There were none where we lived, but on a visit to grandmas there would be a few in the big yard that was at the back of the cottages where she lived. I asked mum if I could have one once......NO! A trip to grans meant taking your 'play clothes', the ones you changed into as soon as you got home from school. The ones you could get wet, dirty or ripped without a telling off!! Do children have play clothes nowadays.........they always look as if they are in their best things to me!!

Mel, do you think you started it off again with doing the bed. You will have to be even more careful for a bit now. These things always happen when you want to get on too.

Frank have the tom seeds Ros dried had any toms on yet......the little oval plum shaped ones?

Can someone send me Maureen's pics too. I got one but not the rest.

I knew I left someone out.MEL!!.I hope your pain has eased up.Have you plenty of ibuprofen and paracetamol?You have probably been doing too much again :-( :-(

Hi Shirl in hot sunny Ontario.I was just going to forward you Maureens pics,but I can't find them.I have a horrible feeling I have deleted them by mistake.I'm sure someone else can send them on to you.

Yes Ann, we will have a huge barn where we can store our furniture, all will have to be poly wrapped and so on! what performance, but well worth it at the end of the day. Ian has started making lists ,and I've started looking at things with a beady eye!!! Jane, I can't tell you how pleased we shall be to be away from our neighbours. They don't know what we're up to,and of course can't ask!!! mind you I expect someone in the village has told them of our plans! but at least they can't ask US! Nice weekend weather wise promised here so can get on with outside jobs!

I never had anything like Cockles and Winkles even though we lived by the sea.I know they sold them down on the Barbican (Plymouth).There is a Shack there called Captain Jaspers and I think they do a roaring trade.(Not for me though)Yuk!
William I was born in 1954 so knew nothing of the war.But Mum told me a few hairy tales.When she was about 20 she was working in Bourne and Hollingsworth in London and she was taken very ill .She spent a long time in hospital and one night during the Blitz all the patients had to be moved out.Mum was too ill to be moved she always remembered the Brave Nurse who sat with her all night.They were the only ones left in the ward.

It is so warm here,even the dog is stretched out under the big fan.I think all the excitement of this last week has caught up with me.I feel shattered.It will be nice just to get back to normal when James's girlfriend goes back home tonight.It has been lovely having her to stay but goodness she is a bit messy and needs a bomb up her backside sometimes :-S

I have cooked a massive Chicken which is cooling off now,and some new potatoes which will have cold with a salad.That will do nicely tonight.

When I was in Tes** car park this morning I was bombarded by flying Ants!!!
They were even in my hair :-( :-(

HI ALL AND TO YOU WILLIAM FROM SUNNY CANADA--------
ALL SEEMS GOOD THINGS AND GOOD NEW'S HERE WITH THE MOVER'S AND SHAKERS- XXXX JUST DON'T TAKE ANY ''WOODEN NICKLES''JANE HA HA,---
FUNNY THE SHOE LAST WAS WHAT I SPOKE OF WHEN I CAME ON ,,MY GRADA DONE OUR 'S TAUGHT ME HOW TO CUT WITH THE CURVED KNIFE
I HAD CHILD'S FOOT SIZE FORM THAT FIT IN THE LAST YOU BUT OVER THE KNEE'S--- CANT REMEMBER WHAT WE CALLED THOSE OVAL SHAPE STUDS PUT ON TOES ON MEN'S BOOTS ?/

MAUREEN STILL NEVER GOT YOUR PIC'S???
FRANK WE HAVE ANOTHER ''BRILLCREAM BOY ''--MY DAD WAS AT ALDERSHOT----
FRANK CAN I GET THAT LEEK PIE RECIPE AGAIN XXXXX
HOPE A GOOD DAY FOR ROS---

I NOW HAVE ''ONE GREENPEA'' LEFT---SURE NOT GOING TO HAVE COMPANY FOR DINNER ON THAT ,####-


YOU CAN AT LEAST TAKE YOUR TIME LIZ TO UNPACK .
MEL THAT'S NOT GOOD ABOUT YOUR BACK PAIN AGAIN, HAVE Dr GIVE HEART TEST - PLEASE,XXX

Frank, cockles and mussles (and shrimps), that takes me back. I was sent up the High Road before closing to the fishmongers to get 'a pint of each' for Sunday tea. I remember I used to take all the tops off my winkles, a bit of vinegar & pepper and down they went, yummy. That fishmongers was the last to go decimal, they refused, against local council policy, to put their prices in decimal. That shows how long they were in business - sadly they are gone now.
Talking about the kids, when I tell my grandchildren that we used to collect shrapnel during the war because of a lack of toys, they look at me as if I've escaped from somewhere. We moved out of the East End to the Essex fringe to avoid the blitz and because our upstairs flat was damaged beyond repair. (That's what you get for having a barrage balloon stationed nearby). At our new place, the second house from the junction in a terrace, the front window (Mum & Dads bedroom) was blown out by a doodlebug. After that was repaired, a V2 rocket landed nearby and the blast took out the back wall (me & my brother's bedroom), blew down the adjoining wall and went out the repaired front window. It was amazing to see my Mum & Dad in their room! Strangely, the house on the end escaped any damage at all.
What's next on the agenda? Anderson * Morrison shelters?

Good job it's tea time, faggots, mash & calibrase here ;-)

Liz,this is great news at last.I hope there are no more complications to upset things again.I'm sure we will all keep everything crossed for you.

William my Mum made wonderful Suet Cake.I think we always had it with Roast Lamb.I have never been able to make it the same.Her Rice pudding was great tpp.As Frank will no doubt mention I am not the worlds best Rice Pudding maker lol.

Well the car is out in the Lay by.Frank it has 81 K miles.I think I will bring it in the drive at night.
I have to have a Bite Guard to wear at night !Dentist says it may help me grinding and clenching my teeth which in turn should help the Jaw.

Chris has just picked some little yellow plums.I didn't know we had any :-S
.also some Damsons.Hopefully we will be able to make the Damson Gin.

Anne you sound as though you are really enjoying doing the Transcribing in the Archives.That poor lady being whipped until she bled.I suppose she could have been transported to the other side of the world.

I must get a cold drink as I'm boiling.BBL

Afternoon all,

I have just finished all my jobs.

Planted 5 plants, had a job finding places to put them. cut and trimmed lawns, used two bottles of tomato feed to feed all of them . I have one tomato plants thats the size of a triffed. It's now almost blocking the entrance into the greenhouse. Ros picked five tomato's this morning. The little cherry type..

Have made two Leek pies, one in the freezer. Harvey will take that home with him on Sunday. He will eat that on his own Monday evening. Also made a large plum pie, Hope the plums cook while the pastry cooks, I perhaps should have cooked the plums first. Will let you know how it turns out.

William, The paper was like a template, and yes the knife was curved, "Segs" were the same as "Blakies" Just a different name.

It was my MIL that feed the billet, with fruit cakes and Apple turnovers. She would cook all Sunday afternoon, for me to take them back to camp on sunday night.
I remember so well, sitting on the seat under the Rose arch, Podding peas, and scraping new potatoes. After Dinner on a Sunday we kids were sent of to Sunday school !!!!.but ended up down the cricket pitch to watch a match. When we came in for tea, Mum would be all washed, clean dress and clean pinny, the wrape around sort.

Our sunday tea often consisted of, cockles mussels, winkles, that Dad bought from outside the local pub Sunday lunchtime.

My grandson, loves to get hold of the mixing bowl, when his nNan makes cakes.

Ann, We are so lucky, having all these lovely memories, I wonder what our children will have as memories when they get to our age. To them they are sure to remember things that we take for granted.

Back again, memory lane is becoming a long turning! Frank, the newspaper for the shoes is new one on me. My Dad had the 'sharp knife, his had a curved blade to get at the leather. I almots forgot the 'Blakies' and I seem to remember 'Seg's' were similar too. When my Dad died all his tools, shoe & woodworking, were all left in the shed as we couldn't face sorting them out. The new owners probably skipped the lot.
Suet pudding, yes. My Mum would cook them with strips of bacon and sliced onion in, delicious. Her bread puds, she would give me a whole tray to take back to camp when I was in the RAF. I't didn't last long on arrival I can tell you. She built up quite a fan club in my billet.
Cleaning the mincer with stale bread, I'd almost forgotten that! I also remember sitting in the back yard helping her shell peas, my reward was being to eat some raw. Same for cabbage, I washed it, I got to eat the stalk. Happy days. Those were the days your Mum always wore a 'pinny', I would sneak behind her and undo the ties for a prank.
Annx reminded of something saying about her Mum and the madiera cakes. When my Mum was making cakes, I got to run my finger round the empty bowl before it got washed up (not much left to wash up!) No 'health and safety' then - and I think we were a whole lot healthier.
Have a good day all, I'm back off to my family tree.

Afternoon All,

Glorious and sunny and a bit too hot for the heavy stuff in the garden, but I've done a bit more and finished now. OH moved the gravel out of my way and has now gone to do some errands. He said he'd put the washing out but I see he forgot. I'm tempted to do it, but will leave it for him when he gets back. It will dry very quickly this weather.

Jane, I think the odds are you will be alright......the banks get to see more of these problems nowadays so are very cautious. It sounds like you are going to be busy selling!!

I remember at my previous house we had a problem with a rabbit. There were playing fields then a wood and the canal at the back so I think it came from there. It burrowed in and came up under the middle of our very large shed so we didn't know what was eating the veg at first......then we spotted it early one morning. The shed was raised off the ground 9 inches so we wirenetted it all round so the little blighter had to go out the way he came in. We never had any more trouble thank goodness.

Frank, mum would turn any cake that was stale like madeira cake into a pudding with either jam or syrup and lots of custard. Nothing much was wasted. I can remember being sent to get fish and repeating over and over, 'half a crown's worth of cod with the tail end on' on the way so I wouldn't forget!! lol I used to do errands taking a list to the little shop in the village on my 3 wheeler bike and felt very important when the lady next door gave me a letter to post. On the way I would stop at the gate of the small paddock where there was a massive (to me!!) black and white shire horse and if he was at the gate would pull fresh grass off the verge to give him. I was quite scared of his snorting and big chomping lips, but was determined to be brave. It is only since I have got older that I have realised how many work horses you would see in the fields.....many retired I expect.

Liz, WONDERFUL NEWS!!!! Hooray and BOOOOOO to your awful neighbour you will be rid of!!! Now the marathon clearing and packing can begin........hmmmm.....Is there a garage where you can put your stuff while the chalet is put together?? I bet you can hardly believe it after all the problems.

The right tools take a lot of effort out of jobs don't they Mel. OH loved his dad's scorp*on saw......goes through wood like butter he says!! lol

Sun came out for a while and has now gone again as I put some washing on the line and another lot in.

Liz great news on the house front. Good luck with the packing.

They do say you have to bury wire nettinga foot in the ground to keep rabbits out. It did'nt keep them out our chicken runs though.

Jane you need a rabbit trap too like us.

Hi Guys! Firstly 'hello' and welcome to William! Next, the news we've been waiting for, we are to exchange contracts next Friday August 5th!!!!! to say this has been a rollar coaster is putting it mildly, but at last it looks as if we will actually be going on Sept 14th! getting out of here is going to be a marathon, but at least it is with a good heart! William, I used to have one of those mincers you were talking about, as did my mother and Granny. I'm afraid I sent mine to the second hand shop ages ago! maybe I was hasty!! Sheila, you certainly have an eventful life, never a dull moment! cloudy here this am, but warm so am off to sort out the Greenhouse!

Morning All,

Yesterday was so hot. When I had a cold drink with oh in the afternoon I had just changed the bed and had trouble with the mattress again. I got this pain across my back again. It was really bad this time and seemed to come around the front too. Was in agony last night but managed to cook chilli for dinner but did'nt have much myself. Still got it this morning but not quite so bad.

Still dry and warm here today but the sky is a bit cloudy.

Welcome to William and yes we had a last in the shed which dad used to put blakies on our shoes. The blakies were kept in the shoe cleaning box. All different sizes one cards with an orange background and cellophane over them. Dad always said to me be carefull if you move them about as they are sharp on the back. We also had the mincer that you screwed on the edge of the table. Nan would put a piece of thin wood each side of the clamp so it did'nt mark the table. We too put a piece of bread through last to clean the mincer. We also had an upright pair of Salter Scales which I loved to play with.

OH has been digging in the veg garden two of the raised beds to pinch the earth to level the lawn edge up to the new brick wall. He keeps saying to me, "have you seen the new boots on the digger". I think he is pleased now it is back in working order as he calls it his muscles now he is getting older.

Good work on ebay Frank, what will you sell next? Hope Ros feels better today.

Hope Kim is a bit better today with a bit more energy.

William where abouts in the country are you please?

M O R N I N G !!!!!

All still in bed I take it :-D :-D :-D Smashing morning here. Pleany of the yellow stuff. Shorts at the ready. Got some plants to put in the garden. and maybe cut the lawns, for the weekend, they say it's going to be nice.

Have I missed something, What's this about colunterfeits. What counterfeits ????? I can't go back on the page or will loose my posting.

RUN RABBIT, RUN RABBIT, RUN RUN RUN. THERE'SITTLE OLD CHRIS. WITH HIS GUN GUN GUN. :-D :-D :-D :-D

Morning All
It is a lovely morning here.Blue sky all around.Peter Rabbit has been busy in the Veg patch again :-S :-S
When Chris gets back from Wait**** his is going to do something more to prevent the little blighter getting in.

Dentist at 10.50.Have cancelled the long appointment and will just have the routine check.

Poor old Chester doesn't seem his normal self today.He is snoring his head off in the corner of the room behind the Dining Table.
Must get some washing in now so BBL

Night Night Frank.I am off too now.
I am TIRED.Just need to let Chester out for a Jimmy Riddle.
xx

Night Night all.