General Chat

Good morning all 4 degrees again, looks like another day like yesterday when it rained all day although the forecast said it would stay dry so we will see. I do so hate this miserable weather it is so depressing.
My sleeping pattern is not that good at the moment. I had several weeks of good sleep and now I am waking every two hours. I am sure it is to do with the weather and not being able to get out in the air,

I did it in the microwave in its pouch with slits in the top.

Off to bed now as I am really tired tonight.

So 6 minutes Mel, what temperature? 180?

Annx is that how they met?? It sounds like they were reliving the past when they were young. How lovely.

I did my lamb shank for 3 mins and then gave it a shake and did it for another 3 mins. It was delish and I had it with mash, broccoli and carrots and made a little more gravy to mix with the juices in the sachet. It went down a treat. :-D

Well OH got done quite quickly at the eye clinic and by the time we got home it only took two hours this time. They did a scan and had another really good check of the eye and were happy with it so no more lasering needed. The doctor said OH could have another appointment in a few weeks as reassurance if he wanted, but that he was happy it was ok. OH was happy with that and knows what changes to be aware of and to go straight back if so and didn't feel he needed another visit. He said while he was in the waiting room a woman in a nightdress who didn't look at all well was wheeled in by a nurse to wait and was obviously an in patient. Next thing the nurse was shouting her name and she was unresponsive, so was quickly wheeled into a side room. Next thing OH had to tell a crash team that arrived which room she was in. He said she was wheeled out later and looked ok but had had a cardiac arrest!

Openreach were finished across the road leading to our end bit of the close by the time we got back, but had moved back further along to where they'd already been and had removed a manhole cover. Later on OH noticed they were talking to our neighbour beyond us so I don't know what they are doing next. Hopefully they will let us know if we don't get chance to speak to them. They work very short days.

I remember and didn't really like Tommy Trinder. He was a Music Hall type of performer and always wore a hat. Arthur Askey seemed another similar performer as was Max Wall. I can remember trying to copy his walk. MIL and FIL loved them all. They watched very little current tv and FIL recorded all the old films and they would watch those. He even kept records of when they watched each one in a notebook each time they watched it. (OH does the same with footie matches and grounds so it must be where he gets it from). OH's dad was a cinema projectionist and MIL was an usherette, so they must have already seen some of the films umpteen times anyway.

When my dad was working as a builder and decorater he had two lads working for him and they wold go to a cafe' in South Woodford for their dinners and it always worked out that what dad had at lunchtime mum had cooked for dinner that evening. It got so bad in the end he always had fish and chips cos he knew she would'nt cook that.

Yes thats right Anng and he did radio too. Not done much today again as its been wet and dreary all day. Even the chickens are staying in their house and dust bathing in the nest box.

I am having a lamb shank tonight so I better do some mash and broccoli and carrots. that should fill me up.

I remember him but can't remember much about him, I guess he was somebody who would have made my Dad laugh. I don't remember him in Sunday night at the London Palladium but I guess as we always watched it from 1955 on I must have seen him. I do remember his catch phrase 'You luckt people' though.

Tommy Trinder now thats a name from the past. He died in 1989.

I thought this is an interesting topic so I googled it. To save you looking it up this is interesting:-

People who ate in British Restaurants during World War II were
generally not looked down on as "taking advantage," particularly as the war progressed and they became a staple of everyday life for all social classes. While they were initially intended to feed people bombed out of their homes or the working poor, they quickly evolved into a popular, cross-class dining experience.
Here is a breakdown of the social perception of British Restaurant patrons:

A "Democratic" Setting: By 1942, these restaurants were frequented by a wide mix of people, including manual laborers, office workers, civil servants, and managers. They were considered "democratic" spaces where, due to the "fair shares" ethos of the war, eating there was seen as "doing your bit".

Initial Stigma vs. Reality: While some initially feared they would be seen as charity (or "workhouses"), this stigma quickly disappeared. They were seen as a convenient, patriotic way to cope with rationing and shortages rather than a sign of poverty.

Encouraged Usage: The Ministry of Information, through campaigns and films (such as Eating Out With Tommy Trinder), explicitly encouraged all members of the public to use them.

Exceptions: There was some minor tension when the restaurants were "crowded out" by the general public, leading some to argue they should prioritize war workers. However, this was largely handled by having priority lunch hours for industrial workers,

The thing is that my Mum always worried what others would think so I think, in this case, it would have been totally acceptable to go to a restaurant offering a good meal at a cheap price (although I am not sure it was actually that cheap for those times,) maybe just food more avaiable saving rations.

Morning All,

I had a bad night too Vera, I always do when I have to get up early, so I am a bit of a zombie today too. I managed the nightmare trip into the city ok but my knee hasn't liked the stop start everywhere with all the traffic. I got this appointment time mixed up with his Monday appointment there so we were in the rush hour this morning. OH was convinced the chap in a small van in front was either drunk or on his phone. I've come home now till OH rings me to fetch him as he's no idea how long he'll be.

I imagine what Mel meant was that in those times there was more judgment by some who would see it as showing they needed charity and some were very sensitive about how others judged them. So some would be too proud to accept things that were intended to help everyone. I saw it a lot in my job when I did a stint as a visiting officer seeing elderly people. Being able to manage without accepting anything was more honorable to them and they would think others needed help more than they did. My mum being one of nine was just the opposite and would have gone for the meals. Like you AnnG she wouldn't have seen anything shameful and always tended to see everyone as equals.

Oh hubby is ready to collect so I'm off again now. BBL

Morning all,

Cloudy this morning and 7 degrees. Asda messaged me again this morning at 6 am and I could'nt go back to sleep again for quite a while but must have dropped off in the end.

Shoppping comes today between 11am and 1pm so better get ready for that. Get my box out and get dressed!!!

Good morning all 4 degrees still a bit dark but I think it is dry.

Towel wash in but I am not dressed yet.

My Mum can't have been proud then Mel, not sure what you meant by that, I meant that although we hear and see things connected to the war I have never seen any comments about the British Restaurants. I can't see anyone had any need to feel shame for using them, they were a help during rationing with providing a meal. As far as I can remember, in our case, it was a cafe like any other in amongst the shops. My parents were not well off and were not bombed out as we didn't live in Portsmouth where the bombing occurred. I suspect it was like the community cafes that you get in towns now, nothing to be ashamed of using them.

Good morning

I hope that, unlike me, you are all sleeping peacefully. I came to bed about 11 o’clock but gave up trying to sleep an hour ago and got up again. I’ve had a drink and read for a while but don’t feel sleepy. I’ll probably be grumpy tomorrow when I’ve got another busy day. I have a couple of things that need to be done in the morning, a Ladies Club meeting in the afternoon and a Tesco delivery as soon as I am back from that.

I had no luck getting anybody to answer the phone at the opticians so it looks as though I will have to go in on Wednesday.

Mel, I certainly remember bread and dripping and we regularly have bubble and squeak now. I wish I had recipes for some of the cakes my mum used to make when I was little.

Well, I am going to get back to bed now and just lie quietly. With luck I’ll doze off and sleep for a couple of hours.

People in those days were very proud and would'nt want anyone knowing they had gone to a place like that Anng. Those who lost relatives in the war and their houses etc would welcome a hot dinner for 9d. I can remember taking 9d to school for my dinner, a sixpence and a thrupenny joey. I liked those cos they had dandylions on them.

I was looking at something on youtube about lost recipes. They talked about bread a beef dripping (introduced to me by a school friend I used to go home with at lunchtime when I was in senior school. Bubble nad squeak, eggy bread and other things I have had over the last couple of weeks. So not forgotten recipes in this house. I have even done bubble and squeak with sausages for Stu when he came once. He calls my cooking proper cooking!

Strange isn’t even those not born until after the war tend to know about things during the war but even I have never seen anything about British Restaurants, they are never mentioned.

I was'nt even born then.

I have had a day of doing nothing..............................................................I hav'nt even sorted dinner and its 7.44pm.

Evening All,

It's been dull here today and quite chilly.

No Mel I have never heard of the Lyons Corner Houses or the Nippies although OH has! I never even visited London till I was in my mid twenties and that was a bus trip with my first OH's workplace to have a tour to see the buildings they had built or restored in London. We lived in a tiny village till I was nine years old and the only cafe I remember or went in with mum was at the Green Bus Station and it's only delights were white bread, curled up cheese or ham sandwiches with the thinnest fillings. It even had teaspoons hanging on cords so people didn't steal them. I think I would just have a bottle of Vimto while we waited for our bus.

That was interesting AnnG and something else I haven't heard of so I will ask OH if he has when he gets home.

Oh Vera, what a wasted journey as you say. Everywhere is getting too reliant on IT now, so that we can't do anything when it stops working. I hope the fresh appointment will arrive soon. I'm finding more and more that there's no answer when I ring places. I tthink either staff numbers have been cut or they are working from home and not answering. I went for a little drive to the shop today to check how my foot is with driving and just on one short road there were seven dogs being walked by people who were working age. OH met a friend at a cafe this morning and said it was full of people using laptops. How nice to see the Blackbirds as we haven't seen one for years now and I miss their happy evening songs.

Mandy I keep forgetting to ask you how your head is now and I hope the BP readings you handed in had improved. I think it might be a good idea for me to do another painting while I can't do a lot else.

The little, self set, pink Cyclamen under the arbour are flowering. I think I may have to dig them out and put a few in a pot to bring out each year once they go over, as the patch has trebled in size and I don't want them spreading across the gravel next.

Evening all,

It's been a dreary cold day here but its nice the mornings and evenings are really pulling out now and we can now say we alter the clocks next month.

I had heard of the Nippys but I don't remember ever going out to a restaurant until I was in my teens and later when I was going out with Colin , we had our engagement party at the Norwood rooms in Norwich its long gone now but I always remember the waitress spilling gravy all down my uncles jacket .

Oh Vera that was a wasted journey ,I suppose everyone turned up through the day as they had no way of letting anyone know because they didn't know who had appointments, oh dear I hope another appointment soon comes through fairly quickly .just think how many appointments were cancelled in ons day throughout the whole hospital as it affected all departments.
Hope you had some luck getting through about your glasses.

Got a few jobs done today some hoovering ,gave the kitchen a good clean on the worktops and a little ironing .
Tomorrow I have a blood test in the early afternoon so we're hoping to go there and then on to Tesco's.