General Chat

I think the only trip we had abraod with the school was to France and mum and dad would'nt pay the £33 it cost so I never went.

Afternoon all


Still very cloudy here and a lot cooler. I have put a T shirt on, as it feels a little chilly.

It's an absolute minefield out there looking at induction hobs. There are so many makes and prices. They all seem to be the same size as well. I have measured the worktop and the depth will just fit in, the width is no problem. Some are offering a free Saucepan set others £30.00 off. All seem to be in stock, and free next day delivery. I will speak to Harvey before we decide, as it will be him who has to fit it.

No sign of Barry yet, he might be thinking it's not worth coming as the lawns haven't grown, so won't need cutting.

Your OH is a glutton for punishment Gill, all this digging, with the ground so hard. Will the hosepipe ban have any effect on you, apart from not being able to water the garden.?? Our local water company has said they do not think a hosepipe ban will be needed in this area.

Mel, I would think the local council would, and should insure your field. Why would they expect you to do it. What you should do is charge everyone who wishes to attend the show an entrance fee, to cover your costs, You might be lucky enough to make a profit. lol lol.

It's strange how your cat disappears like he does, and the food also. Have you asked your neighbour if she is feeding him ?? How nice these school trips are today. Being educated during and after the war, we never, ever went on a school trip, they just didn't exist in those days. I know my two went on skiing trips to Austria, and summer holiday to the Scilly Isles. Harvey went on a Cruise when he was 13/14. Conrad had the opportunity of going away with the school, but aways refused to go. My two also did exchange with children from GERMANY. The Germans enjoyed it much more than Sarah and Simon did. They didn't like the food. !!!!

I am doing a BIG rack of ribs for tonight. I have made a marinade to put on them. Will do a few chips and salad.Still too warm to want to stand cooking.

Over to Simon's in the morning, so I might not be on till late. I also have the Drs. at 3.45 pm. about my shoulder and neck.

It was my neighbour on the phone to say they were home after being away for the night dog sitting for their daughter and to say thanks for taking in the bins this morning.
Mel. £33 was probably a lot of money for your Parents back then. I know it was a struggle for mine to pay for me to go to Austria. I think Janice went on one trip to Rouen in France .She was so young and still at primary school. She hated it and wet her pants on the statue of MarieAntoinette or someone :-D.She never wanted to go abroad again with school LOL

I went to our M&S this morning and there was a big notice up saying it is closing on August 11th :-( :-( This is a disaster for Kettering . It has been here for over 40 years and some of the original staff are still work there.There are big empty spaces where obviously they will not be re stocking .The town centre will not be the same without M&S
:-(

I didn't go away with the school as, like Frank said, trips like that didn't exist then, too soon after the war I guess!! We only went to Museums and Art galleries, and Hatfield House! L went on three, I think, I know she went to what was then Yugoslavia (Sarajevo) Venice and the Netherlands. M didn't go anywhere as he didn't want to. (He's made up for it since!!) He did get a month away in West Berlin in 1979, to stay with some German friends. It was an amazing experience for him especially glimpsing the other side of the Berlin Wall and all that entailed! The barbed wire, guards, grim buildings and just the drabness of it had a lasting effect on him! Our three youngsters, seem to be always on a trip! A has just got home from a week in Morocco! We had such a lovely card that arrived after she got home! Ed is in Weymouth with the school on an activity week!! Hope he gets home ok!!
I would have thought the people organising the dog show, would be responsible for the insurance Mel, or as Frank says, the Parish Council! I can't quite see why you have to stand the cost of that when you are good enough to allow them to use your property. We wouldn't agree to that particularly at that cost!! Maybe they'll offer to?!!

The fence our side is now up and Ruby proofed they still have the top of Mark's garden and the other side to do as Mark is unlucky that he is responsible for both sides. I think he wanted it done before he and his family go to Slovakia for a month as Martina, his wife comes from there, they also own a flat there

Holly who is in South Africa has a part time job in New Look when not at school and saved up to pay £2000.00 towards the trip which cost £4000.00. I don't think there are many going and because of security there are nearly as many adults going.

Jane that is a shame your M&S are closing down I know you can shop online but it's not the same. Bracknell Town Centre is undergoing a regeneration and a big M&S has just opened in The Lexicon along with a lot of other popular chains we also have a large Waitrose but that was opened a while ago.

Liz the opportunities for children these days to travel with school is just brilliant. KI think though that the children going on long haul trips raise money by getting people to sponser them . I was trying to think how much Hannah's trip was to the USA and i think it was around £1,200 and that is going back some years now !!. At least there was a years warning :-D

Yes Mel surely you should get some reimbursement from the dog show for your cost of insuring the ground. They would not be able to hold the show if it was not for you and OH letting them use your land every year. Do you just insure it when the dog showe is on?

My BIL's daughter is having her op tomorrow for her Bowel Cancer.They think it is all contained in one place so fingers crossed all goes well.
Also my Nieces FIL is really ill now He has a cancerous tumour in his mouth and throat which bled badly yesterday. I won't go into the unpleasant details of the state of his home ,but it was bloody. So last night about 6.30 the GP told Rachel and William to take him straight to Gloucester Hosp as it would be quicker than waiting for an ambulance. Again I won't go into the care he had (just appalling ) .Still on a trolley 8 hours later with no proper pain relief and no pillow . Rachel managed to find a blanket somwhere to roll up for his head. The GP says he just needs Palliative Care now.
He has been a Chronic Alcoholic for many years and smokes maybe 60 cigarettes a day .So although he has brought this on himself I just hope he has good care now until it is time for him to go. I think the fact he is actually in hopsital now is going to be a big relief for all the family. So Janice had go and sit the Grandchildren last night and got home at 3.30 this morning only to have to get up for Amelias sports day and picnic lunch !!!! . Her Knee replacement is booked now for the 30th August !

Oh my goodness Jane that is just dreadful! Poor poor man! My S- father died of oesophageal cancer, and he'd smoked and 'liked a drink'! all his life! but nobody deserves that to happen to them! I do hope your BIL's daughter makes a full and speedy recovery. My MIL smoked her head off (as that generation tended to) and liked a drink(!) dying of old age aged 92!! Not my favourite person as you know, not that I'd have wished that on her, but how did she escape!! :-S
OH has just brought in some sweet peas, now where's a vase!!!

I 've had three little bunches of sweet peas off my few plants in a tub and I have some nice colours too.

Its only a family dog show and it used to be run by one of the very old residents of the village who has now sadly past away. She was a great old lady with a talent for painting and craft. One of our neighbours a way away had a tapestry of there house done by Nancy and there are prints and post cards and Christmas cards etc in the church for sale of her work. The money goes to the friends of St Mary's our little church as Nancy started that too for the maintainace of the church.

I have been fiddling with my beads this afternoon.

Lamb shanks for dinner with broc and cornish new pots again. Lushious it was too.

Morning all,

Sunny here today and I think its going to be a really hot one.

I shan't be doping much outside today thats for sure.

Hope you all slept well last night.

Anyone watching Picnic at Hanging Rock?

No, but we're recording it for a later date! I've read it and its excellent, so looking forward to watching it at some stage!
Found a card from Ed tucked away in our post box (lucky I looked properly, unlike OH!) Isn't it amazing how the simplest thing really cheers your day up?!! :-D
Off to the Dentist in a minute , then down to Tesco's as M is coming to supper tonight. He's planning to sell his business and has had two good offers for it!! He wants to discuss it with us to see it what we think. It would mean selling his cottage too and 'retiring' permanently to Surrey!! He's only 53 so it's a big step, but it's what they both want and we feel he should go for it while he's still young enough to do something else. We'd miss him, but it's not about us, and not the other side of the moon!

Morning Mel, morning all

Sunny here today they say it's going to be hot but we're in for more rain tomorrow which won't please OH as he has lots of rubbish to take down the tip. He's at his mates all day today and if he doesn't take the rubbish bags to the tip they'll fill with water and make them even heavier, so I doubt he'll be in a good mood tomorrow. Hopefully the borders will be dug out soon.

Hope all goes well with your BIL's daughter today Jane. Sorry to hear about your niece's FIL, that must of been a shock for them. So your M&S is closing I know how much you liked that shop, there seems to be a lot of shops closing nowadays and it's normally to good ones.

The hosepipe ban covers our area Frank, I think they've used a lot of water putting out the fires in Manchester which would explain why there's a shortage, plus from what I've heard on the news there are a lot of leaks that haven't been fixed, so unfortunately the customers are the ones you have to suffer. Luckily we only have three new plants in the front garden so far, so they won't take to long to water with a watering can. We're not putting anymore in until the ban is over, it would take far to long to water the whole garden otherwise, using a watering can. The water board said the only way the hosepipe ban wouldn't happen is if we have two weeks of constant rain.......I can't see that happening. I'm not sure how long the ban will last for either. I have lots of pot plants in the back so it looks like OH and I are going to be very busy keeping them watered with just two watering cans.

Yes, I'm watching Picnic at Hanging Rock Mel, I recorded the last one so haven't seen it yet. I thought the first one was a bit odd but I'm going to stick with it and hopefully it'll improve. I noticed you had lamb shanks last night, Sandra and I are having those tonight.

Pleased to see Toby is okay Anne, at least you don't need to worry anymore.
I never went on any school trips abroad, they didn't seem to be around when I was in school, not that my parents would of let me go if they did, they weren't the type of parents to let me go anywhere with the school apart from the odd little day trip in this country, but that soon stopped. I remember they wouldn't let me go ice skating because the bus didn't return until 9.30 and I had to be in bed by 9pm. I remember crying as I was the only one who didn't go and another time when I was the only one who didn't go on a trip the teachers had me cleaning out the cupboards in the classroom on my own. Not nice memories for me. It got to the point where I stopped asking as I knew the answer would be no. My sister went on lots of trips, but then she was their favourite.

Going to carry on with my family tree today, copying all the information that was given to me, I'm slowly getting through it all ;-) I'm on family 120 out of 165 so not much more left to do now.

Afternoon all,

Just back from Simon's and Sally's. What a beautiful houses they have now. It was always nice but they have just had a new kitchen, which must have cost a fortune. everything is hidden behind cupboard doors. It's ben painted the same colour as Ros painted ours. They have a new garden room, with a shed attached, a new HOT TUB that seats six, with lights and water jets. The water is a constant 38 degrees. They use it every evening when Simon gets home from work, to relax and chat over the days events.

They had a Irish family staying with them. Simon meet them on honeymoon to his first wife. They visit each other at least twice a year. They have a boy and a girl. The boy is 16 and totally deaf and dumb, and seems that he can hardly walk without assistance. The girl in 9 and seems very withdrawn. They live close to Belfast. A very pleasant couple, who chatted away all the time w were there.

Sally served up Tea and Coffee, with HOT sausages in Bread rolls. We were going to stop on the way back for lunch, but neither of us were hungry.

Not good news within the family Jane, I just hope nobody suffers to much with their illness 's. I hope the knee operation goes alright for Janice, wgntheb time comes.

I am hoping the doctor can do something for my neck and shoulder. It had me awake again last night, I was up at 1.00 am until 4.30 am and was up again by 7.30. Feel ready for bed ;-) ;-) ;-)

Also, my right knee has started to let me down. I am now walking with my stick, as I fear it will let m down, I will mention this to the doctor later today.

It's the CHOIR CONCERT this evening. Roa has to be there for 6.30 pm so I will go down with her, it will save me that walk. It starts at 7.00 pm. Martine, Carolyn and Jean are also coming. The place will be packed to the rafters, with sanding room only. So I will be pleased to get there early.

So Toby can't go walk about now Anne. Any more news on who's eating the cat's food. ??

I have to be at the doctors for 3.45mand Ros has her nail appointment at 3.30 so she won't be able to take me. Another walk that I could do without.

Very humid here this afternoon. At least the CHURCH will be nice and cool this evening.

See you later.

Afternoon All

I see this hot weather is going to go on for sometime yet and even up t0 33 !!!!! on Monday ,and humid again too :-S. I don't know when this house is going to get a decent clean. I can just do a bit at a time. The big stuff will just have to wait until it cools down. I won't be putting the big freezer back on either for now. The little one is fine for now.
When I got home this morning I was surprised to find Chris looking a bit odd. He had only pulled out a big tooth root with his long surgical forceps !!!!. It must have been left behind when he had that tooth out last week and been working its way to the surface. !!! It was a good half an inch or so long. He had been feeling something but thought it might have been a nut or something stuck in the hole .He is fine now but said it did make him feel a bit all unnecessary whe nhe was getting it out. I am not surprised .

Simon and Sally's home sounds lovely Frank, The hot tub didn't tempt you? :-D
it was to have met Simon's friends and their children too.

I am sure the Choir will be a huge success tonight and Ros will sing her head off for you :-D. Are you taking a cushion again like you did before? How did the Drs go this afternoon? Has he come up with any good suggestions about your Shoulder?

Liz I think if M thinks it is a good time to retire now and has those good offers for the business then I would go for it if I were him. He will only be a few hours away if he did move so it won't be too bad really.

I hope that Larry's Daughter has had her op now and that it all went well and nothing nasty has spread. The Doctors didnt seem to think it had so fingers crossed they are right.
Must start thinking about getting dinner now. Its almost too much effort really :-S

You're right Jane, they'll only be a couple of hours away, and I'm sure they'll be up to us and us them. I know they want to have a month in New Zealand to visit partners daughter, SIL and their two little boy's. The younger one has got kidney atrophy on both kidneys!! He's only five months, so is 'a worry'! NZ isn't particularly cutting edge on the medical front, so the future is a bit uncertain. UK for treatment when he's older maybe an option - who knows- there's always something!!
Do hope the op went well today, fingers very tightly crossed! and the FIL is more comfortable.
I like the sound of that hot tub Frank - lead me to it!! I'm sure the choir will be absolutely fine, at least the church will be cool!! ;-)
They're harvesting beans in the field opposite! There's dust and a lot of noise! Hope they finish fairly soon!
OH has done chicken breasts in a tomato/garlic sauce with rice and a side salad. Pudding is meringue and ice cream! Should be ok!!

The op went ok but part of the bowel was stuck to the bladder so maybe a bit more complicated than first thought .I don't know but she is back on the ward now and is ok.
My Niece's OH has had to go and sign the DNR today (Do not resuscitate ) and tomorrow a meeting with the Palliative care team.

Dinner ready here now

Morning all

The day started off sunny but there is forecast for rain anytime soon. I can see the clouds building up. I hope they are only short light showers as OH is digging in the front garden again. To tell you the truth we'll be glad when all this digging is finished then we can fill up the holes with some decent stuff ready for the new plants. OH thinks if we can put the plants in soon then they will have had enough watering in to get them going then when the hosepipe ban is here then we can water them with the watering can as there won't be to many to do. We will fill in the gaps once the ban is over and we can water the garden properly again.

The hot tub sounds great Frank, did you go in it? ;-) ;-) I hope you managed a better nights sleep last night and that the doctor can help with all your problems. How did the choir go did you get a good seat?

So M is ready for retirement then Liz, hope all goes well with the sale of his business, I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.

Pleased to hear the op went ok Jane, it must be a worry with everything going on at the moment.

I'm going to go back to my family tree today, I've been copying all the information over for months now and I'm starting to get fed up of it. Not to much more to do, so hopefully it'll be done and dusted soon. F1 again this weekend, I'm looking forward to that.

Good morning Gill, and all my dear friends ,

Everything went off to plan with the choir concert. I sat on a chair with Carolyn. (NOT THE SAME CHAIR) lol lol. It had a cushion so I didn't need to take one. There was a good crowd there and they raise over £600.00 Which was very good.

I had had enough of it by the interval, so walked to the pub for a couple of pints. Rather than drag Ros out to pick me up, I walked home.

We didn't eat at all yesterday apart from the sausages in rolls. I did have a bag of crisps with my pint. This morning I have done eggs on toast. I now have to decide what to do for dinner tonight. I might get Ros to take me to the Chippy in Towcester. and have F & C. W haven't had any for a long time.

What a waste of time going to the Drs. My appointment was for 3.45 I got to see her at 4.25, and was in there no more than 5 minutes. She confirmed what I already know about my neck and shoulder, but never offered any other treatment. When I told Ros. she was on the phone to get another appointment with another Dr. who I know can give me a cortisone injection, but can't get in until mid August. You could get to see the POPE easier, than a doctor in this practice, :-S :-S :-S

Overcast and humid here again. I am just in a pair of shorts, and ready to go into the garden to read my book.

Both Ros and I suffered with cramp during the night. My legs feel like I have been kicked by a MULE.

Ros has made two models in wire and cotton material , covered in a stuff calld "PARVERPOL" These were done at Stitchery Do. She is now thinking of making more at home. If any of you are into this type of thing look on GOOGLE. Very interesting.

Glad the operation was a success Jane, now the healing time, on the road to recovery, which I trust won't take too long xxxx

Have an enjoyable day, whatever you are doing. xxx

Morning Gill and all,

Frank Simon and Sally's house sounds really great. Fancy them having a hot tub I think oh would love one of those.

Hot here again this morning but there are some clouds in the sky but very high up and misty one lot which look a bit like a heard f wooly sheep and others are just small and hanging in the sky.

Got up late and oh was up the second garden with the digger. I think he is trying to get to the potting shed to see if the little cooker is any good for Di till she can get a new one.

My window vac should come today I hope I hav'nt missed it I did'nt get up till 11am.

Afternoon all,

Cloudy here but so muggy ,i hope we get a little rain later the poor garden needs it
I have had and still have a sore throat ,when i cough it's like a razor blade in my throat ,i don't feel like doing much so i haven't .
Might BBL will see how i feel.

My window vac has arrived and I have it on charge.