General Chat

Morning All, Evening Kim

Hi Lesley, your caravan holidays bring back memories for me too, especially the ones up here in Scotland with my mum & dad, I remember the trip we had one year in Melrose on the Scottish boarders, we decided to go on a horse trek one day that took us all around the surrounding countryside, and through some wet ,cold streams , I think I must have been about 7 or 8 at the time and I remember my poor dad had to keep getting off his horse to retrieve one or the other of my wellingtons that would come off if I took my feet out of the strupps also some times my wellies got water in them when we waded through the streams
We were all pretty sore, you know where the next day, so I think we just stayed at the site and rested.
Another memory is lying in bed at night and listening to the rain thunder down on the caravan roof, static caravans were always placed under trees and the rain would drip of the leaves onto the caravan

LilyL, It would be great if the letter does come and says she has the job, but daughter thinks it will probably be a no , Its a very old company that is a family firm and all the ladies who work there have always been 40 years old or over,
daughter will be 26 next Sunday.
The job is vacant because a lady is retiring, the manager says she is also due to retire in a year or so.

JANE, daughter says there was ten applicants , 5 had the interviews on the Tues and 5 on the Fri, daughter had her's on the Tues and she said the ladies who were there when she was were all about in that age range,

Hope James has some luck soon too, Daughter always puts a brave face on when she is knocked back but we know underneath how frustrated she feels,

My oh My, haven't you been little chatter box's. Taken me ages to read through, Welcome Lesley and nice to see you back Ruby.

Good morning to the regulars, evening Kim.

Really bright sunny morning here. Been up since 6.00 am woke and couldn't get back to sleep.

Ann, I know how frustrating it mush have been for you with the appointment. They make you feel that you are stupid, and they are so superior and can't be wrong. I was almost banned from our practice through falling out with a jumped up little receptionist who tried to make me look small in front of other people.

NEW PAM PAM for Chris then . I loved the smell of new cars (I had one every three months) The later and higher spec ones had leather, and I just loved getting into a hot car with leather. The smell stayed with me for ages.

'My first holiday was at Butlin's Skegness in 1954. The chalet was a wooden shed with two sets of bunk beds. one pillow and two blankets, Washing was in a block about 200 yards away. In the morning the "TANOY" would go off "Wakey Wakey campers. breakfast is being served in the dinning hall. and that's how you day began, I remember it was a wet week, and never ever went back to a holiday camp

Must go a get another cup of tea, I'm parched !! BBL

Morning/evening all

Welcome Lesley
I too remember I think my first and only caravan holiday with my Mum Dad and sister
It was at Westward Ho! It must have been in 1960 as there is a photo of my sister sitting in a washing up bowl outside the caravan and she was born in '59I would have been 6.Im pretty sure there was a loo but everything was basic.I made friends with a little girl who had a Corgy .can't recall names though


I m just being called by OH It's time to go and collect the new car.So I'll continue later :-D

I just want to leave a message for William. Many thanks for the information William - I had absolutely no idea that Botox was used for anything except plastic surgery. I was really very scared at the thought of it being injected into my g. dau's neck. I've passed the info. on to her - we're just waiting now on the approval of the Ins.Co. I am so glad the Drs were able to help your wife - new discoveries all the time.

Thank you again
Ruby.

Walkers toffees 4 for 1d, Mojos. Saspirella Lolly ices. my dads new car a Singer Chamois, I still remember the Reg number, CKA 277B.

When the horse meat scandal was on the news, It reminded me of my Aunty Peggy and she came to visit she would bring a little pack of butter, we would ask her why and she would be going on and on about why she never ate margarine because she worked in a very well known Marge manufacturer and knew what went into it!!!!!!! :-0
Watching war films with my Dad, he was in the Parachute Regiment at the Battle of Arnhem. and loved Army films. he always noticed when the film made mistakes, like the wrong type of gun, being used. I remember going to the Cinema with him to watch Von Ryans Express and crying when at the end Frank Sinatra got shot and couldn't get on the train.

Caravan holidays in Cornwall, no electricity, lights worked by gas mantle, no running water, Dad would have to fetch it from the stand pipe!! no toilet or bathrooms in these Caravans, so we'd have to go for a wash in the mornings in our pyjamas with our soap bags and towels and no TV either :-| Happy days eh???

Man’s best friend may be a dog, but cows are apparently more inclined to turn to each other for consolation when times get tough down on the farm.

The Friesian friendship is not be sneezed at because cows can apparently form close friendships with each other to the point that they produce less milk when they are separated.

That said, there’d be a lot fewer eating steak if we allowed them to stick together for all of their natural lifetime.

But the diary of a dairy herd will form a significant part of daily life for the next three years for a team of researchers from Exeter University in Devon, who are anxious to maximise milk potential even if it means letting cows congregate and chew the fat – or the cud – to prosper.

Research is already underway where a herd of cows are wearing radio transmitters, or proximity collars, to see how close – literally and metaphorically – they are to each other on a daily basis.

Do they, for example, discuss the price of beef or worry about traces of horsemeat in burgers? Would they back horses, if they got a good tip from the next field? Do they complain about the smell off the pigs? Would they consider voting for UKIP at the coming local elections?

And importantly, do they all agree that Devon is the loveliest county in the whole of the UK? Of course they do! Moo!

Lol Jane........yes I must chill, but without a deep breath. :-D

I shall be interested to hear what you think of the new comedy Jane. We're going to catch up on Endeavour as I'm not sure that Vicious will be OH's COT!! Poor Chris, early years always leave their mark - with OH it has made him crave affection and follow me round. always wanting to know what I'm up to, where I'm going etc which can be really annoying!!!! that's why it is nice to escape sometimes!

Oh Ann I can see you are cross ...double hit on the button lol
That is really unacceptable the treatment you have had today.Yes you need to put a complaint in to the Practice Manager PDQ.I will keep everything crossed for you for tomorrow :-D...If people don't complain then the practice Manager has no idea of what is happening out there at the front desk (so to speak)...GOOD LUCK.

Just cleared up dishes and am now settling myself down to watch the new comedy
'Vicious" .It looks good.....I hope it will be.

O great Ruby has popped in again.

Yes Ruby where abouts in the US are you . WE like to know everything you know!!

Hope Ann got on alright at the docs in the end. What a todo with all the appointments. Someone needs to get their head into gear if you ask me.

Maureen I have never had Vietnamese food either. If it is a lot of fish I would'nt like it as I don't eat any prawns or shellfish, crab or lobster. Only smoked haddock, tinned pilchards and salmon and fried cod or haddock. Don't even like smoked salmon and the nearest I get is smoked salmon pate' occasionally.

I always went into bed with mum and dad on a Sunday. Dad and I would have a tickling match and then they would read the papers and I would go and get my comic or a toy. Always in bed on Christmas Day with them to open my presents. Dad would lug my pillow case in from my bedroom next to theirs and make some tea and then I would start opening. Dad would also tell me stories soemtimes, just what he made up and did the same for my son but they were mostly Tom and Jerry stories. My son would laugh his head off at some of the things he came out with.

I worked on a Wednesday night over at mums just down the road so dad would come over and baby sit for me.

Well, the saga continues. I got to the surgery early but couldn't book myself in as the screen wouldn't accept it. I had to see the new receptionist that had now taken over. She eventually found that I was booked in for 3.00pm but for Weds afternoon!!!!! I tried to start explaining that I was definitely booked in for today, but she said I must have got mixed up!! My face must have been a picture. I told her that I'd been down to the surgery a second time today at 11.00am to book my appointment for this afternoon. Wasn't really interested was she.......said that the doctor I was seeing didn't work on Mondays (like I should know that, yet have never seen that doctor before!!) She said there were no other appointments, so she couldn't help me and I would have to keep the Wednesday appointment or try (a repeat of the whole saga!) again tomorrow to try and get an appointment for tomorrow. :-S Then she looked straight past me to the next patient in the queue. I walked out stunned and an older lady followed me out and said 'that was disgraceful, the way they have treated you'. OH had nipped to the bank so I rang him and told him what had happened. Unusual for him, he said his blood was boiling and that it just was not good enough. He wanted to go in and complain, but I said they would just say to write to the practice manager. We decided that we should go back in and I would ask how to complain (although I knew what to do) and he could add how he stood next to me when the appointment was made and that it was for today. In we went and were told to write to the practice manager and OH explained he was there with me earlier and said exactly what had happened including about other people charginging across when they thought I was getting booked in for this afternoon ahead of them. I said it was important that the practice knew what happened the patient side of the desk or nothing would change. Suddenly the receptionist had another look on screen and piped up 'I can offer you an appointment tomorrow am or pm if that helps'. I snapped up the first one in the morning and she apologised for the trouble we'd had as we left. I said to OH when we were outside, 'why didn't she offer that tomorrow appointment when I was in there ten minutes ago........was it because we were going to complain and she needed to show she had done what she could to help us???' I'm sure that's why we finally heard the 'sorry' word as well.

Up to now it's 2 fruitless phone calls and 3 trips to the surgery today and still not seen a doctor yet. Oh and OH's day has been completely messed up ferrying me around. :-S :-|

Maureen if you haven't lived with it, it is hard to imagine. I envy you seeing Les Mis musical, it should be very good.

Better go and do as Frankie said and cover my plants!!

Oh Liz that sounds a bit like the Shoemaker and Elves lol When the shoes were all made up by the elves in the night .I loved that story.Your Step Father sounded a lovely man :-D
Chris had a very difficult and loveless childhood until about the age of 11 and I'm pretty sure this is why he finds it hard to display emotions .


This morning when I was out for my little walk I saw what I think was either a Ferret or a Polecat.It was the size of a small cat.It was in the field just by the fence and as I got to where it was it took off and ran alongside the fence and then hurled itself through a gap and ran right across my path in the lane.It was far to quick to get a photo .I have never seen one like that before.It was far too big to be a Stoat or Weasel .

Ruby,
I was very interested to read about your granddaughters treatment for her head pains. You touched on the subject of Botox, and because of all the bad press it has got with it being to treat 'peoples vanity', a lot of people who urgently sought this treatment for neurological complaints get overlooked. Carmel developed (oromandibular) dystonia around 14 years ago and at first there was no diagnosis, we went from a minor stroke to Bells palsy until one neuro managed to pin it down. A lot more is known about it now and it can be easily looked up on the internet. Younger medics are very aware of it. Anyway, with every type of medicine failing for her and her continuing jaw spasms - Botox was the final answer. But what a palaver we had trying to get her the proper treatment. I could write miles on it but eventually it was sanctioned to be administered in the National Neurological hospital in London. We had to go down every eight weeks and it did help a lot. But after the first year she built up antibodies that made her immune from the treatment. We then got clearance for her to have the next strain, Botox B, but she only had two courses of it as it caused her to have a terrific dry mouth.
Over the years the dystonia has gone into partial remission and it only troubles her when she is under great stress.
Hope I didn't bore you with all that, but I just wanted to point out the benefits of Botox to those who really need it. It is after all, derived from one of the deadliest poisons known to man.

Frank, I read about your mothers treatment of you during your life and I just found it so very hard to believe a mother could treat her son like that. How awful for you. It just made me so pleased I could remember my own mother for her love and understanding, for always being there for me and my brother and being such a patient and loving wife to my Dad. I appreciate her much more now when I think back, which means that I can still have a deep love for her even though she is gone.
By the way, I loved the email about the Church misprints, what a howler.

Thst was a bit the same with me Jane. My mother certainly loved me and was fiercely protective of me, right up till she died in 1986, bit too much sometimes!! but she didn't very often kiss and cuddle me, she kissed me when I went to bed, and when I went back to school,and other times like that, but not excessivly. I wonder if it was a bit of that generation,, as a lot of friends whose M's have clearly loved them were the same. My S-father however, often put his arm round me and gave me a hug and 3d to buy some sweets particularly when I was little!! He had a workshop with big wooden bench in it, and when I broke a toy, dolly's arm, dolls house fallen to bits or whatever, I used to just put the broken toy on the bench and leave it there without saying anything, and sure enough a day or so later it would reappear in my bedroom nicely mended!! He was a lovely,lovely person. they both were.

My parents were lovely (as you all know Janice and I were both adopted) .But Mum was not one for hugs ,kisses, or 'maternal'.I think it was most likely to do with the way she was brought up.Her own Mother passed away when Mum was about 5 and she and her sister and brother were brought up by their Aunt,(my Nana).She never had any children of her own and suddenly found herself bringing 3 children up.They were all well looked after but not a lot of loving (if you know what I mean).
My Dad was the one who gave us all the loving ,cuddles ,tickles etc.I think Mum was never allowed to show emotion as a child and so it carried on through all her life.But saying that I know she loved us dearly.I just think she didn't know how to show affection.I do remember her telling me that she was not allowed to cry,and even when Dad died she was unable to cry.I think that is so sad.
Now me,I can cry at the drop of a hat.Sometimes at the most ridiculous things.
What's the expression? Turning the taps on?

Back from shopping and the sun is still shining brightly and I had'nt put any washing out.

Bought another of those sets of shelves in Mo**isons, only £8 and they do lovely in the tunnel.

Just posting this to see if I can get to the last page.

I agree Maureen, I simply can't begin to understand parents being unkind. You certainly didn't mess with my mother,(sadly!) but there was no doubt that both of them loved me, that was something I took quite forgranted! I can understand parents having bounderies that can't be crossed without consquences!! (mine did) but being unkind just for the sake of it is beyond me.
Had a brilliant conversation on the phone with a lady now aged 95, who was a school friend of my mother all those years ago! fantastic info about my father who was a school friend of this lady's brother! Lady has written a book about the village she and her family lived in in the 1920's, really fascinating bringing to life the daily doings of life so long ago. I'm so pleased to have 'run her to earth'
Not necessarily Fiona, I've got a friend whose son wasn't told on the phone, and was told that he would learn by letter whether he'd been successful or not, and thought, like your daughter, that he hadn't, but in fact when the letter came he had!!!
So, until you actually know for definite there is still a good chance. Sorry about James Jane, what a downer that must be for him.

Oh I'm sorry Fiona.She will be disappointed :-( Does she know how many people applied for the job? My James is having no luck at all :-S :-S It's very disheartening.

Looks like daughter no 2 didn't get the job, all she was told was that they are sending out letters, Daughter thinks they would have told her on the phone if she had been accepted.

What a beautiful afternoon.It's really warm outside. :-D I've been cleaning window sills and just making things look a bit less mucky as we have the chap from the replacement window company coming at 1pm tomorrow.There is something about this house where nothing ever looks that clean to me.It's too big really and I have to admit housework is NOT my favourite pastime lol

Oh Frank.You do sound a grump today.Understandable though with that painful knee.I expect the Dr is trying to think of anything that might help rather than to do a knee replacement and looking at every avenue.

I wonder how Ann has got on with her appointment.We have the same silly appointment system here and~I know it drives people barmy.

Nice to see you back with us again Ruby :-D.What part of the USA do you live?We have Shirl in Canada.Kim in Australia and now you in the USA.Where did you live when you were here?Your poor Grandaughter .It must be terrible for her with those Headaches and not being able to work.I remember my Aunty Joyce having dreadful times with Migranes and spendings days lying in the dark.My Mum was not that sympathetic as she always thought Aunty J was putting it on :-S :-S.I used to get quite cross .

Tomorrow morning we are off to Northampton for Chris to pick up his new car.I can't wait to see it and have a drive.

I was a the garage on Barton Rd (Frank the one opposite your old house) and I noticed a young couple with a Retriever .I think they had been to visit at the Care Home.But suddenly from the next drive way appeared a Mastiff dog(I think a Bull Mastiff) and it was trying to follow them.He was gorgeous.Anyway I went in to pay for my petrol and when I came out the dog had followed this couple and dog right across the main Rd ! and the girl was trying to get the dog back this side,but he had no collar on and she was holding onto the scruff .All the traffic stopped until she got across but then she couldn't get him any further .She tried with treats and he just sat on the pavement.Now down the driveway where the dog had come from was a big gate ,and sat on the other side was a big Rottweiler .Looking to see where his mate had gone.I asked at the garage if they new these dogs and the young lad said they were very friendly .I had to go then and really hope the girl managed to get the dog back home.I was so worried it was going to cause an accident on that busy rd.He was just a lovely gentle giant .Hopefully the owners will find out how he got out and make the place more secure now.

It is too nice to think about cooking ,but I better make a move and make a start.

Maureen I don't think I have ever had Vietnamese food.You wouldn't find that anywhere here :-|This town is so unadventurous :-S :-S