Thread: Yes, yes, let's talk about the weather! The British thread 2016 Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm grateful to Gilbert & Sullivan for the inspiration for this year's title, quoted from The Pirates of Penzance. As many of you seem to have been having rather a lot of weather, perhaps it's even more apt than usual ...

There are a few wee squitty snowflakes ambling down outside, so we may be in for a white-ish New Year.

I've been Domestic Goddess Piglet this morning, faffing about cleaning and making the place look civilised* for tomorrow evening.

* well, what passes for "civilised" chez Piglet ...
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
We went to a nearby Attraction (gardens and shopping centre) this afternoon. I wanted to visit one of the shops which had a sale on to upgrade my waterproof walking jacket. Deciding to wear the said jacket, I continued wandering around while Himself went for a yomp around the lake...whereupon the sky got very very dark, the wind got very very squally and the rain lashed down...the jacket lived up to its description! Much colder now.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I went out this morning - bright sunshine.
Lord P went out or a walk this afternoon and came in looking like a drowned rat!
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
It was a lovely, calm, sunny springlike morning. Then the temperature dropped, the sky went dark, a gale sprang up, rain lashed the windows and it's dismal.

Actually cooked lunch today (and just avoided burning myself a second time) doing pork in a Chinese-style marinade with egg fried rice (total success), and baked chicken in lemon and thyme sauce. Tomorrow I'm thinking pork with cider and apple. I'm not normally this kitchen-minded but it's been fun and the results have definitely been edible.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm sensing a pork theme, Ariel.

Much calmer here now, and colder. I've had a nap and a nice cup of tea and Mr Nen and I are off later to see the new year in with friends.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Good thread title!

Rain Rain Rain Rain here - for a change!

It has promised fine, clear and cold for midnight 'tho - which is when we will be walking home from the wild party.

Happy New Year to all from me and the pooches xx


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm sensing a pork theme, Ariel.

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It was a pack of two pork steaks, so not really a theme, though I'd be happy for it to be.

Enjoy your evening. When I was young I used to stay up on NYE and contemplate the sins of the past year and anticipate the sins of the year to come, but these days an early night with a cup of cocoa and a really good book have become more the norm.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
The weather here is still wet.

First there was Elland bridge now there's Brighouse bridge.

We are in danger of being cut off.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Yikes, Balaam. Keeping everything crossed for you. It seems to have stopped raining here, at least for the time being.

RE: Seeing in New Year. I have plans for 'Basil the Great Mouse-Detective' and a glass of kir royale. We know how to party in this house
 

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Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on :
 
Happy New Year everyone. We've had a few days of sheer self-indulgence. Star Wars, a panto, posh expensive meal out. Tonight we've cooked a curry with each of us (husband, son and me) doing different dishes and are well into our second bottle of wine. Will we make midnight?
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
No need to cross anything for me. I live halfway up the moor (or what was a moor before it became urban). It is the surrounding valleys that need the help and prayers. (Even heading up hill ends eventually in Rochdale, another flooding valley.)

Where I grew up there is a site that the council have been refusing planning permission for, where the goal posts were under water. The council have this right, the only thing to build on a flood plain are sports fields.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Water polo?
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 
In that currant>

Second half is with the tide.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Balaam and your neighbours down the hill; those bridge pictures look v. scary.

Just in from a v. nice evening taking in the New Year with the folk who are coming round to us on New Year's Day for a spot of supper; we hadn't reckoned on one of our choral scholars still being in Newfoundland for New Year, so we've added her to the invitation list. This may cause something of a brain-ache in the placement department, but we'll cope.

Hope everyone had a good New Year!

PS Over the course of the evening we seem to have accumulated a couple of inches of snow. That's quite enough, thank you.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I was sitting here last night merrily doing something or the other when the upstairs bell rang - this is the easy way of getting my attention, saves their legs or voices. I wandered downstairs to find that my favourite neighbour here in the village had called to see me. There was a big celebration at the local temple that he left to come and give me a rather touching New Year card.

What a sweetie!

I then overslept this morning, got up eventually to have breakfast, pottered about a bit on the interwebby thing and then went to bed until just recently.

I do like lazy days.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

I do like lazy days.

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Me too!

A very quiet day here, lots of walking followed by sitting around reading.

It's really frosty which caused Tatze (nearly 3) to charge and slide around like a little puppy
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
Slight weather stuff from me, I've become obsessed with the weather living in Cumbria. I have no aversion to the rain, I welcome it normally. It is the lack of balance with the rain we have here and other parts of the world that could do with it. The flooding is something else. The destruction and devastation of the land - again - something else. I worry about the animals and the insects and the birds and plants. We're so out of synch.

What to do?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Mmm, those bridges are why I have my daughter staying with me, not watching the bridges fall down and cut her off.

We had frost this morning too, a nice layer on the cars. I did debate going out to play in it but the vegetation wasn't particularly spectacular.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
After the rare treat of a lie in, we had another rare treat of a cooked breakfast. Bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms & hash browns. Now we're going out to walk it off. At least we won't need lunch.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Happy New Year everyone.

No party at Château rouge this year because we didn't feel like so we headed round to my friend T's house where a good time is copious amounts of tasty Malagasy cooking (mmm) and Michael Jackson.

Now I didn't feel all that tipsy, but the evidence is suggesting otherwise... I may have been dancing to Britney Spears and la Macarena. How the hell drunk was I?
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
... dancing to Britney Spears and la Macarena. How the hell drunk was I?

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Very.

Dinner party went off really rather well, despite one or two scary moments - in particular, when I used our favourite ceramic knife to chop the end off a rather large carrot, and the carrot fought back, breaking the blade of the knife in sunder ...

I haven't stopped all day though, and am now a rather knackered little piglet.

Do I have the energy to empty and re-load the dishwasher? Answers on a postcard please.

Lazy day tomorrow, methinks.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Just off to the cricket at Newlands. Horrible trip over sitting around at airport waiting for connections. And somebody took my case off the carousel! So had a palaver getting it back. Otherwise all is well. Blazing hot. Otherwise no complaints from me.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have a bright purple suitcase - no chance of someone mistaking it. Our next holiday is to visit my son in Heidelberg in February (when he turns 30!!) hope to the that rare thing - the sun!

It's fine but dull here. I'll be taking the puppy on a bus to town then on a tram for a short round trip as we haven't done enough transport work lately. Then we will walk round shops for training purposes, but I won't be buying anything. Hopefully we'll see some pigeons so that I can work on her pigeon distraction.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Pouring with rain and the wind howling round the eaves etc. I was thinking of going out for the day but not if it's going to be like this.

Anyone see Sherlock last night? Great fun, though quite creepy as well.
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
I couldn't get into Sherlock. And, turning into a sad middle-aged thing, I'm looking at the upcoming telly programs for tonight and thinking ug. I feel a movie coming on, having sold my soul to amazon and got a fire stick and prime, I have a lot of choice!
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I enjoyed the Sherlock - though I think Gatiss bigs up (in this case literally) Mycroft too much. It was amusing spotting the embedded canonical fragments.

Another dull but quiet day here. Must nip out for milk and a paper presently. I find the end of the week festive days particularly confusing as, just as you feel you've had a weekend (big meals, atypical telly) it's the weekend.
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Pouring with rain here too.

Yes, I sat through Sherlock last night. Couldn't get into it at all. ~Didn't help that they speak so fast my very old ears can't catch everything. Would have turned it off but Mr. N seemed to like it.

My daughter recommends Agatha Christie on iPlayer. Might try that. At least it will be straightforward and not weird!!
 

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Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:


My daughter recommends Agatha Christie on iPlayer. Might try that. At least it will be straightforward and not weird!!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:


My daughter recommends Agatha Christie on iPlayer. Might try that. At least it will be straightforward and not weird!!

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It was a blood bath!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I was going to go for a walk this morning but it's now raining (there's a change... ) so I'm drinking coffee and eating biscuits instead.

We had friends round last night so are planning to catch up on Sherlock this evening. And yes, the recent Agatha Christie is a must - if gory and creepy. I was thoroughly gripped and I don't usually do gore or creepiness.

Now, when to take the decorations down - today or tomorrow?

Mr Nen and I have also agreed we're doing Dry January - on the understanding that January begins on Monday. (And might exclude weekends... and bad days at work... )
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
Are we talking about the Agatha Christie - ten little soldiers? I was absolutely gripped by that. I had forgotten the story line and got engulfed in the horror of being trapped in an island.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Beenster:
Are we talking about the Agatha Christie - ten little soldiers? I was absolutely gripped by that. I had forgotten the story line and got engulfed in the horror of being trapped in an island.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eigon:
I was very impressed with Sherlock - I thought it was very cleverly done, and it built on what had gone before, like the mind palace.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
... Now, when to take the decorations down - today or tomorrow?

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Neither. Wednesday - Twelfth Night. I'll take down the trees and other decorations then, but the candle-bridges and Nativity scene will stay up until Candlemas (2nd February).

I had a lovely lazy morning; I did summon up the energy to unload and re-load the dishwasher* before I went to bed, so there was very little left of last night's stuff to clear up.

As we still had industrial quantities of baked ham left, I decided to try another risotto for lunch: Risi e bisi - rice with peas and ham - which turned out very nicely (and left enough to freeze for another time).

Now I'm contemplating my first attempt at proper pea soup as there's still a fair bit of ham left, with a bone.

* Our dishwasher is a little one (24" rather than 30"), so it takes about 2½ loads to do a dinner-party.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I agree with Piglet. Decorations come down on Twelfth Night. Much to the disgust of my sons, they go up after the last Sunday in Advent. Those are the proper dates according to my mum. An occasional church goer but emphatic about those dates.
 

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Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
It's rank heresy to take decorations down before Twelfth Night!

M.
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
Yes indeed but is Twelfth night the 5th or the 6th?! There are so many differing opinions on this one.....
Meanwhile here in Kenya my husband and I are privately taking bets on how long the decorations will stay up in our house back in the UK. One of our lovely daughters is living there and she is a bit like her dad- they are both cat-like and don't find change in their environment easy so now she's got used to the decorations being up I predict they'll stay up for quite a while.....
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
Yes indeed but is Twelfth night the 5th or the 6th?!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:
[...] I sat through Sherlock last night. Couldn't get into it at all. ~Didn't help that they speak so fast my very old ears can't catch everything. Would have turned it off but Mr. N seemed to like it.

My daughter recommends Agatha Christie on iPlayer. Might try that. At least it will be straightforward and not weird!!

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There's normally subtitles on iPlayer - it's the little 'S' at the bottom right!

The fast-speaking can be rather annoying; honestly, I'm having none of it, and liberally rely on the subtitles then. (Sometimes they contain funny mistakes, but they're normally quite accurate.) I don't think that's cheating. - What was that infamous Cornish drama series of a few months ago? Couldn't acoustically grasp a word of what they were mumbling anyway!!

And in related news: I have now co-watched, with another Shippie, on iPlayer and Skype, Sherlock and we've quite enjoyed it! Lots of in-jokes there were! And many thanks for the hint about the Agatha Christie trilogy. Would have missed out on it otherwise, but will now have to indulge in that mayhem too!
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Since we had an unChristmas, there seemed little point in waiting to unEpiphany to clear away the cards.

The calendars are up - sent for to Germany which seems the only place to get the sort we like, large format and 90% picture to text. Romantische Malerei* in the dining room, Nordseekuste** and Lichtblicke*** as postcard-a-week desk calendars.

I shall wait for the January reductions to pick up a couple more for the scullery, solar etc.

*Romantic painters
**North Sea coast
***Light views
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I left on 22 December, which was about when I would have put decorations up, and returned on 29 December. So no decorations to take down here. (A surfeit of Christmas in education establishments and trees, baubles and lights normally in use elsewhere means I don't have all the decorations to do anything until term ends anyway.)

I took the work tree down on 18 December, one of the moments I wandered around refocussing as I worked late to finish off everything that needed doing. Mostly because a deep clean and work was booked over the holidays and I suspected that the cleaners would just throw it out.

It's grey and dull here, and although I have a NY plan to get out and walk daily, I suspect I have a chest infection, which is causing an enthusiasm deficit.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Good for Lothlorien and Piglet. Our tree went up the Monday of Christmas week and will be coming down on the 5th.
Our church lights may not come down till Candlemas so that our vicar has a chance to see them - poor man has been in hospital with pneumonia, but is back home recuperating.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm with Boogie on the decorations - I don't like them hanging about into the new year. The first year Mr Nen and I were married he was shocked when I proposed taking them down the day after Boxing Day . So they're allowed to stay up until after New Year's Day, but they have to be down before work starts back in earnest or, in the past, before the kids went back to school.

They go up mid-December, though - I insist they are up by my birthday on the 15th as that's what happened when I was a child so it wouldn't be a proper birthday for me without them. It's just as well I have this reason, as Mr Nen is Bah Humbug about the run-up to Christmas and left to himself probably wouldn't put them up until Christmas Eve.

We've spent the afternoon packing everything away, and dusting and hoovering. Tomorrow the real business of the new year starts.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm with Boogie on the decorations - I don't like them hanging about into the new year.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm with Boogie on the decorations - I don't like them hanging about into the new year.

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Is it that you feel it's all gone stale, Christmas is over, it's a different month, a new year, let's move on now, etc?

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Yes - absolutely!

But I am very lucky as I only work one day a week, so all of life is holiday
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm with Boogie on the decorations - I don't like them hanging about into the new year.

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Is it that you feel it's all gone stale, Christmas is over, it's a different month, a new year, let's move on now, etc?

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Yes, that's right. I am always sad to see them come down and, as you say, the house looks very bleak and empty without them. But Christmas was last year now (only 350-ish days till the next one ) and it's time to look forward to the Spring. Which, incidentally, seems to have arrived with snowdrops, primroses and daffodils all blooming around here.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Another day at the Test Match at Newlands. Cloudless sky and an excellent days cricket. Now for ( very ) early bed. Thoughts are with the shivering millions in UK. Till tomorrow then.
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Our decorations came down today, two weeks after they went up. Don't mind hanging around til Epiphany, but this year's tree was a dropper, and it's nice being able to walk around without prickles everywhere. I'm also extremely knackered at the moment and the thought of having to it one evening doesn't appeal much.

I don't work Mondays, which makes this evening less traumatic than it is for many, but just ordered a takeaway anyway to celebrate The End Of Everything Festive...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
The cricket was on at our house all day shamwari - I was 100% *jealous* of that blue sky and sunshine! They kept showing aerial views of the whole ground with mountains and sea in the background - glorious!

No shivering here 'tho - it's too warm. We need some clear, bright skies and a nice frost or two - please! That's 'proper' winter weather.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by shamwari:
Another day at the Test Match at Newlands. Cloudless sky and an excellent days cricket. Now for ( very ) early bed. Thoughts are with the shivering millions in UK. Till tomorrow then.

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You can really go off some people...

AG
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Good luck for tomorrow Sandemaniac.
 

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Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Well, we've been roped in to take the decorations/tree down in church on Wednesday morning, so I may try and get our trees down on Tuesday. I like having them up as the lights are very cheering on the days when it gets dark early (like, 10 am) but they do block access to the radiators for drying the washing!

Then I can have all the fun of putting away the Dowager's decorations when I go down to see her on Friday . She insists the lights on the tree no longer work, but as I only bought them this year (from Waitrose, yet!) I don't actually believe her.

Mrs. S, who loves Christmas but hates these soggy wet dark days
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
This year's tree was a dropper, and it's nice being able to walk around without prickles everywhere.

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quote:

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Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
She insists the lights on the tree no longer work, but as I only bought them this year (from Waitrose, yet!) I don't actually believe her.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ariel:
... For me it's retaining a little of that holiday feeling into the first days of the new year ...

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I think that's part of it for me too; banishing the "bloody January again" feeling! I don't go back to w*rk until Tuesday; despite a generally barbaric attitude to holiday entitlement, my place gives us two days for New Year (and two free days between Christmas and New Year), a luxury I hadn't enjoyed since leaving Scotland.

We've moved our time of Choral Evensong from 6:30 to 4:00 p.m. - the original reasoning was to save heating costs, as the building wouldn't need to be completely heated for so long - and I think it's better all round - it was nice to be back at around 5:30, and it'll really only be a few weeks before we're coming back in something approaching daylight. It also leaves you free to do civilised things like entertaining or going out for dinner ...

The pea-soup attempt is in progress; I must go down and check to see how it's doing. Should be available for virtual tasting quite soon.
 

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Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Mr S and I went to United Communion at 6.30 yesterday - we avoid All-Age Worship so it was our chance to go and give thanks for the safe arrival of the Intrepid grandson

Halfway through the final carol, Mr S nudged me - we were at the front and I was closer to the aisle. The Advent crown - on its last outing and by now as dry as toast - was well aflame; the shortest candle had finally burnt down to the socket.

I tucked my hymnbook under my arm, wandered up to the dais, blew out the conflagration and went off to find a mug of water in the vestry. There are always mugs in the vestry in spite of notices telling you not to leave them there, but someone must have had a rush of blood to the paws and decluttered them so I had to root through the cupboards till I found a glass to carry a bit of water to dribble over the decoration and make sure it was out.

The vicar, up at the altar and screened by the Christmas tree, had seen nothing of this, but as he came down for the Blessing I could see his nose twitching ...

The Intrepid Fireperson, Mrs S!
 

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Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on :
 
I've just been out in the garden (if you can call a small patio area that) and our neighbours mock orange, that obligingly grows over our fence is in bloom, and my camelia is nearly out too.
We went dancing in St Paul's Cathedral last night, part of the encircling the land with sacred dance project. It was amazing to dance under the dome.
Today is my first day of normality after the holidays, I supose I ought to be doing housework, but surfing the net seems a far more atractive proposition.
 

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Posted by Landlubber (# 11055) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
This year's tree was a dropper, and it's nice being able to walk around without prickles everywhere.

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I love the noise the Hoover makes when it sucks them all up ...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Landlubber:

quote:

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Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
This year's tree was a dropper, and it's nice being able to walk around without prickles everywhere.

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I love the noise the Hoover makes when it sucks them all up ...

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So, presumably, does my son-in-law who hoovered up after taking the tree out, but I was the one who had to unclog the Hoover afterwards.

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It would have been a more productive noise had we fixed the dyson *before* hoovering, rather than saying 'it's definitely not as good as the last one was'
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I used to look out of my office window in central Oxford and would regularly see a family of foxes in an overgrown back garden. They've adapted quite well to city centre life: find somewhere to hang out during most of the day then go for the dustbins and discarded takeaways in the evenings. Lots of rich pickings if you're an urban fox.
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
When I lived in south-east London (zone 2 or 3 depending on which bit of God's own side of the river - Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Lee, Brockley) foxes were a regular sight. I think 'babies crying' is a slightly understated description - 'babies being murdered' more like. It frightened the life out of me the first time I heard that (that was when I lived on Lee High Rd) till I realised what it actually was. In my bit of Brockley (Brockley/Nunhead border) I regularly saw them in the street, and also heard them in my garden (which bordered the railway line so had lots of foxes living nearby).

I only saw an urban fox once or twice when I moved to Glasgow, and don't recall having seen one now I'm in Stirling.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Rain.

So very sorry for all those in danger of flooding. Keep safe.
 

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Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Our nearest river is currently about a mile wide. Fortunately the flood plain hasn't been built on, but two of the roads out of the village are flooded and the river is now extending beyond the flood plain and into the village.
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
The foxes were deliciously bold when I lived in London (South west). I remember being eyeballed by a very pregnant beautiful fox - either pregnant or as fat as fat as fat can be. She was so pretty and fearless - we stood and looked at each other. It was slightly weird but I sensed her "daring" me to hurt her - if that makes sense. Kind of "you toucha my face and I will chew you to pieces". She wandered off very relaxed.

What I disliked was living by the sea and the seagulls - esp on the mornings in the summer when the rubbish had been put out the night before. They would tear the rubbish bags apart and all sorts would be strewn around the street and oh man it would stench, even as early as 6.30am which was the time I set off for work.
 

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Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :
 
Seagulls - at least, the kind you get round here- are vile scavengers. Astonishingly, it seems they are protected by law. We need to cull them.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
When I was still living at home in Orkney and Mum and Dad were away on holiday, I thought I was being very efficient, putting the rubbish out the night before the bin-men came, and in the morning it was all over the place. There was swearing.

Here, despite being a hop, skip and a jump from the harbour, we don't seem to have that problem - I always put the bin-bag out the night before, and it's never come to any harm.

Famous last words ...

D's mum quite often has foxes visiting her garden in Colchester; I think she would rather they didn't, but I don't know that they've ever done any real harm.

I've had a typically lazy, "last-day-of-the-holidays" sort of day; the pea soup was really rather good (and there was enough to freeze for another time), and I turned the remains of a chicken into a batch of stock.

As Dad would say, back to old clothes and porridge* tomorrow ...

* eta: not literally ...

[ 05. January 2016, 01:00: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
attritional day at the cricket yesterday. SA battling to draw this one and well on the way to doing just that. Have not yet seen a cloud in the sky. Do such things really exist? Out for a meal at restuarent last night with family who are all going their separrate ways in next two days. One grandson doing a gap year job as housemaster at an Oxford school!! Now heading back to Newlands.
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Re: rubbish. Please can we not talk about "seagulls" because there is no such thing. There are black-backed (great and lesser), blacked-headed, herring, common, mediterranean gulls, plus kittiwakes.

If you're in an urban area the chances are what you have are black-backed gulls: you'd know if they were herring gulls because they are huge - roughly two foot long and with a wingspan of 4-5 feet.

If you're in a coastal area then you can add terns into the mix.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I once spent a night with a girl in Port Talbot. The only thing I remember is the shrieking and flapping of wings of seagulls against her window.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by L'organist:
Re: rubbish. Please can we not talk about "seagulls" because there is no such thing. There are black-backed (great and lesser), blacked-headed, herring, common, mediterranean gulls, plus kittiwakes.

If you're in an urban area the chances are what you have are black-backed gulls: you'd know if they were herring gulls because they are huge - roughly two foot long and with a wingspan of 4-5 feet.

If you're in a coastal area then you can add terns into the mix.

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quote:

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Originally posted by L'organist:
Re: rubbish. Please can we not talk about "seagulls" because there is no such thing. There are black-backed (great and lesser), blacked-headed, herring, common, mediterranean gulls, plus kittiwakes.

If you're in an urban area the chances are what you have are black-backed gulls: you'd know if they were herring gulls because they are huge - roughly two foot long and with a wingspan of 4-5 feet.

If you're in a coastal area then you can add terns into the mix.

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quote:

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Originally posted by L'organist:
If you're in a coastal area then you can add terns into the mix.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Celtic Knotweed:
... about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK ...

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I've just finished reading The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson, and he notes that you can never be more than about 70 miles from the nearest coast in the UK. Apparently the actual spot that's officially furthest from the sea is Coton in the Elms in Derbyshire; I think I'd have expected it to be much further south, probably nearer your neck of the woods.

Back to w*rk now - better go and do something constructive, like getting coffee ...
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Lothlorien:
We don't all live in your area and birds differ from area to area. Down here we have seagulls and there are many reports of their harassing those eating outside beside the harbour or in parks. They are pests and filthy scavengers and squawk loudly under my windows through the night.

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Those Australian gulls are vicious. Never leave food unattended for more than about 1.235 seconds, or you will find yourself in something out of Hitchcock.
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Dunno about sea birds, or floods, but I think that Christmas lights look promising and hopeful in the second half of December, and dull and tawdry after New Year.
Our decorations are still up, but I will feel brighter once they are safely packed into their boxes and stashed away in the loft. Plus the tree can go back outside and take its spiders with it...

In other news, it has been much brighter here today, and our new kettle seems to be working as it should, so all is well in St Everild Land - tea, anyone?
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Doubt if we shall be going to cricket tomorrow. Its taken 4 days forneach sideto complete their 1st inningsnso unlikely they will each get thru their second tomorrow. But its been enthralling stuff and well worth it. So maybe a bit of retail therapy at the shops tomorrow.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Raining lots here in Oz, where it's not burning. Yes, our seagulls are vicious, and so are the emus. The cockatoos are vandals too, and have managed to pick apart a complete streetlight fitting alongside our driveway. The dish shaped cover is lying on the verge, full of water.

I quite like having small birds around our garden, but native birds the size of hens become problematic in numerous ways. I have, however, discovered that the best way to stop them landing on our verandah railing and pooping everywhere is to leave the green spiky Christmas garland draped along it. It may have to be Advent all year round at Chez Banner!
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
MBL, if the railing is wooden there arespikes attached to a flat base which can be screwed to rail. Even attached to circular metal rails here. Screweyes attached at intervals along the rails and threaded though with fishing line about two centimetres above rail is also a deterrent.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
As I don't wish to puncture the derrieres of visitors who sometimes use the railing as a bumrest, or create a hazard for the grandchildren, I think the spiky Christmas garland is a good and far less ugly alternative to the serious bird deterrent methods available.

The synthetic wiry green bits are vertical enough to fend off any foul, but will give way under human bumbardment. It will be interesting to see how it weathers, although it is slightly protected by the verandah roofing. Probably will fade in the sun eventually...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
- - - -

I've got it, I've got it, I'VE GOT IT!

We had to wait a bit as it was lunchtime before we got there and there were three people in front of me but I've got it...

...I just hope it isn't contagious!

- -
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Congratulations Wodders!
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
abandoned going to the last day of the Test Match. Just as well. No chance of an outcome. Went for some retail therapy instead. Great excitement in the house. Grandson got 7 x A grades in his matric. Whiich is A levels in UK. Its all in the genes!
 

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Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on :
 
Congratulations WW. Is that the end to the hoop jumping for the foreseeable future?
Congratulations to the grandson Shamwari. Is he off to university?
This is my first day back at work and I'm easing myself in gently!
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Very many congratulations to WW and shamwari's grandson.

Congratulations also to Banner Lady for the use of the word 'bumbardment' in a sentence.

All worthy achievements.
 

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Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
Thanks for sending me photographic proof of the latest addition to your UK passport.

And heartiest congratulations, dear friend.

PS This is a post that did not slag you off. Isn't that miraculous?



 

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Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by L'organist:
Re: rubbish. Please can we not talk about "seagulls" because there is no such thing. There are black-backed (great and lesser), blacked-headed, herring, common, mediterranean gulls, plus kittiwakes.

If you're in an urban area the chances are what you have are black-backed gulls: you'd know if they were herring gulls because they are huge - roughly two foot long and with a wingspan of 4-5 feet.

If you're in a coastal area then you can add terns into the mix.

---

I think what we have are herring gulls. Whatever they are, they are huge squawky quarrelsome initmidating scavenging ugly bastards with a cruel-looking red spot on their beaks. Can't be more specific- haven't examined them closely-the only way I'd want to do that would be through a sight.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
It rained hard all last night - but it's fine and dry now. Lots of rain forecast here for tomorrow. We are off to see Gypsy work and meet her for one last time. Thankfully it's in Wetherby, and the forecast is fine there.

Today the puppy and I are doing bus, shopping centre, tram and coffee shop. Yesterday her work was walking to a restaurant and lying patiently by my chair while I had lunch with friends (all very musical people who sing in choirs and play in bands/orchestras. I was very much the odd one out!) I had tandoori chicken with salad and it was super tasty
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Last night we had a meeting at church and got in late. There was a tin of baked beans in the cupboard which I had suggested to husband en rouge we could eat because it would be ready in five minutes when we got in. Yes, I have converted to my Frenchman to beans on toast.

Yesterday was also the Epiphany when French people traditionally eat galette (a sort of tart made of puff pastry and frangipane). Husband en rouge is of the view that there’s no point in galette unless you serve it with Champagne. I consequently left the necessary in our fridge.

So: we had beans on toast and Champagne in the same meal. I feel very Bohemian.
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
That was truly magnifique!
 

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Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sipech:
L'organist, is it the adjective "sea" that you object to specifically, or is it an objection to grouping together various species of birds under the term "gulls"?

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quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
...we had beans on toast and Champagne in the same meal. I feel very Bohemian.

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Many, many, many years ago, when I was a student, aged 19[!!!], I met what can best be described as an old soak who was of the opinion that champagne was that rare drink that went with everything, he'd have been delighted at your choice.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I understand that not long after moving here (before I made it over the Pond), D. was invited to supper with a rather grand (and very rich) old lady in the congregation, where he was given macaroni cheese and Champagne - very civilised!

I'm glad La Vie has converted Husband en rouge - beans on toast can be a dish fit for a king. They have to be proper beans though, in tomato sauce, preferably made by Mr. Heinz, and never been corrupted by the evil that is molasses.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Very lazy day. Heatwave abated and been replaced by a very strong wind. But it is still warm!
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
I'm glad La Vie has converted Husband en rouge - beans on toast can be a dish fit for a king. They have to be proper beans though, in tomato sauce, preferably made by Mr. Heinz, and never been corrupted by the evil that is molasses.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
We are off to see Gypsy work and meet her for one last time.

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You'll be in my thoughts and prayers -- I know this will be a bittersweet time for you. You'll be very proud of Gypsy doing the very important job she was raised to do, and proud of your part in that. But it has to be heart-wrenching as well. Luckily Twiglet and Tatze will be there to greet you when you return home.

 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
We are off to see Gypsy work and meet her for one last time.

---

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers -- I know this will be a bittersweet time for you. You'll be very proud of Gypsy doing the very important job she was raised to do, and proud of your part in that. But it has to be heart-wrenching as well. Luckily Twiglet and Tatze will be there to greet you when you return home.

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Thank you. I think the biggest wrench was when she left for big school - but I shall certainly be taking my tissues! Other puppy walkers say it's good - as it's when we realise they have moved on. I will let you know!

I am so very pleased she has qualified, only 75% do. I trust Guide Dogs to always have her best interests at heart and I know that they follow and monitor all the dogs life-long. I am in touch with 1000s of guide dog owners in a Facebook group, it gives an excellent insight into the lives they lead - I would love Gypsy's new owner to be one of them

I dearly hope that her new owner will get in touch (I have sent on a photo book with all our details in the back - I know her owner may not be able to see it but his/her family will.)
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
I'm glad La Vie has converted Husband en rouge - beans on toast can be a dish fit for a king. They have to be proper beans though, in tomato sauce, preferably made by Mr. Heinz, and never been corrupted by the evil that is molasses.

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I'm sure they've changed the recipe over the years. I used to love beans on toast, but they don't taste the same any more, even Heinz.

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Try putting a fried egg on top.
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I hate molasses based beans. Blecchy. I used to fake illness to avoid eating beanie-weenies when I was a kid.

When I tried beans on toast on my 2008 trip to Portsmouth, I was so relieved they didn't taste like Karo syrup. Very yummy, and texturally satisfying.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Try adding grated Mozzarella, or any cheese, when heating! But Mozzarella melts well.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I've heard of people putting things like fried eggs and grated cheese on top of beans on toast, but I honestly don't buy it. I can be very specific sometimes about what I like with what; there are things that I love individually (such as chocolate and peanut butter) but I think are an abomination when combined (as in Reece's Pieces).

I think baked beans and either fried eggs or cheese would come into the same category. I even eat the components of a fried breakfast in groups: mushrooms and tomatoes with the sausages and/or black pudding, egg with the bacon, fried bread dipped in the yolk. No beans!

I don't have OCD. Honestly ...
 

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Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
I've heard of people putting things like fried eggs and grated cheese on top of beans on toast, but I honestly don't buy it.

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Fried egg? Surely not - that's quite the wrong combination of textures. If you're going to eat egg with beans on toast, the egg must be poached.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Quiet day so far. Youngest GS left for Oxford to do a year house/games master at Oxford school. Its his gap year. I have been surfing - not the waves but the internet!
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Frankly all 'baked beans' in a tin taste hideous to me (quite happy to make my own though). But cheesy beans on toast is a very popular lunch for the ferijenet.

In order to comply with the thread title: more rain here. Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain... My windscreen was a little bit iced up this morning though.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Yes, first frosts this morning. That's a change - especially as I was looking at the daffodils in the tubs on the station platform yesterday evening. They're just about to bloom. And we haven't even had snowdrops yet.

I just hope there aren't going to be fledgelings who will be caught out by the return to traditional winter cold.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Yes, first frosts this morning. That's a change - especially as I was looking at the daffodils in the tubs on the station platform yesterday evening. They're just about to bloom. And we haven't even had snowdrops yet.

I just hope there aren't going to be fledgelings who will be caught out by the return to traditional winter cold.

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S'nothing. We had daffodils in bloom outside Newport station before Christmas! Do the railways use an early flowering variety?
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
A FB friend who lives in Jersey posted a picture of a daffodil the other day, but according to the Telegraph there's an icy blast on its way to the UK. Not quite time to ditch the duffel-coat, methinks.

Over here it's been cold but dry with just the odd snowflake for the last couple of days; they're forecasting rain for early next week, but there was an ominous-looking flock of snowflakes on the long-range forecast for the end of next week and the beginning of the week after. We've been very lucky so far this winter - we've only had one snow-day, and there was a warm-up over Christmas that cleared most of that, before we had a few inches on New Year's Eve.

Definitely not holding my breath ...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
What a day!

We went to a hotel and met Gypsy's trainer, then followed them at a distance while she worked for about twenty minutes. She was amazing, she didn't put one paw wrong. It was a very busy town and she was as steady as it's possible to be. She's only 18 months old.

She got our scent on the wind towards the end of her walk and kept looking back!

Then we met her at the hotel - she knew us instantly and jumped all over us. We gave her her presents and her trainers told us about her new owner. We spent over an hour with her.

Her new owner is a young woman in her 40s who has a very active lifestyle, she works afternoons and she has three children and a cat. Just what Gypsy needs as she's a busy, active dog. They will stay together for two weeks at the hotel while they train, going home at weekends. They start on the 18th of January. Then two more weeks training at home. Gypsy will be her first guide dog.

It was very emotional and incredibly special. She has grown up SO much and darkened a lot in colour, she's fox red now! - while her nose has pinkened even more!

I was proud and thrilled. I shed a tear as we left her, of course, but - at the same time - I can see that she's ready for an amazing job ahead and I wish them both all the joy in the world.

Here is a short video of our afternoon.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
S'nothing. We had daffodils in bloom outside Newport station before Christmas! Do the railways use an early flowering variety?

---

I don't know. The tubs are new, but I've been enjoying seeing the progress of the daffs and crocuses, day by day.

(Well, you have to fill in the time between connections somehow. It's that or appraising the graphic design of all the advertisement posters.)
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Gypsy is 100% adorable - that last picture of her brought a lump to my throat! I hope she and her new human have a wonderful life together.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
off to Fish Hoek this morning maybe for a swim. Sun blazing down so should be a nice day. Had a fish meal at a restaurent last night - they served the fish & chips & spinach up in the frying pan!
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Fish & chips & WHAT??!!
 

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Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :
 
Spinach is either an interloper, an outrage or a clear incidence of heresy. Or possibly all three.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
Gypsy is 100% adorable - that last picture of her brought a lump to my throat! I hope she and her new human have a wonderful life together.

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quote:

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Originally posted by shamwari:
They served the fish & chips & spinach up in the frying pan!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
We had a meal at the hotel restaurant yesterday - the meal was served on bread boards. The food kept falling off the edges.

What is this fashion for using things which are not plates? Plates have been devised over 1000s of years to be just the thing to eat off. Stop messing about! If I could put anything into room 101 it would be plates that are anything but plates!

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Absolutely useless for chips, as the gravy would all run off. Sometimes I despair.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Well, yes, pitta bread was devised with that in mind as well. But a group of us from the office went out for lunch last year to a pub where most of us were given our meals on large slates, of the roof-tile variety. Luckily what I'd ordered came on a plate - I'd have asked for one if it hadn't.

Some of the pictures I've seen of this kind of thing are quite amusing but at the same time a bit alarming - how hygienic is it serving chips in a flat cap or a trainer (shoe)? Do these things get re-used and are they properly washed in between?

I think the crowning photo I saw, and it may well have been on the We Want Plates website, was where the meal was served with no plates at all. Spaghetti was dumped on the table and the sauce poured on top of it, with a family of four looking on, a bit nonplussed as they clutched forks and spoons. I'm assuming the restaurant did warn them in advance.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Sometimes when working with a group of children, we put tin foil on the table and drop the chips and mayonnaise on there. They love it!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Gypsy is gorgeous, what a lovely video. I had to swallow hard one or twice. She is a credit to you, Boogie, and may she and her new owner have a long and happy life together.

I too dislike having my meals served up on wooden boards, or pieces of slate, but apart from roast dinners I seldom use plates on which to serve the meals at Casa Nen. A couple of years back I was introduced by my daughter to the joys of pasta bowls and now we use them at pretty much every main meal. Casserole and vegetables, salads and salad dressing, stir frys - all contained admirably in the pasta bowl (not all at the same time, you understand).

In other news, it's raining hard.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Many years ago I had a Japanese flatmate who was in England for EFL reasons. We got on very well and had fun with the differences in language, customs etc, including one day in the kitchen when she looked at the bowl with lunch I was about to take back to my room and said, "In Japan that is a soup bowl."

In turn I looked at the dish containing her lunch and said "And in England that is used for baking flans."
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
A couple of years back I was introduced by my daughter to the joys of pasta bowls and now we use them at pretty much every main meal. Casserole and vegetables, salads and salad dressing, stir frys - all contained admirably in the pasta bowl (not all at the same time, you understand).

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quote:

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Firenze: My last birthday present was a specially commissioned hand-thrown bowl

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I hope you managed to duck in time
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
I'm with you all on the no boards, no slates thing, but curry definitely tastes better eaten from a banana leaf, although it's interesting trying to eat sago (much stickier than the English kind) with nothing but a poppadom.
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
A couple of years back I was introduced by my daughter to the joys of pasta bowls and now we use them at pretty much every main meal. Casserole and vegetables, salads and salad dressing, stir frys - all contained admirably in the pasta bowl (not all at the same time, you understand).

---

We have recently invested in new "everyday" tableware. We didn't want to spend too much money but definitely wanted pasta bowls as we too use them a lot - but not many sets have them. Eventually (a week ago) we went to a "retail outlet" where they were selling Denby "seconds" at highly discounted prices. We arrived home well pleased with our purchase!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Firenze:
Dinner chez Firenze otoh comes on square plates - which have the effect of making the most ordinary food look terrifically stylish.

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I love mine - they're black, and have replaced the smoked glass ones I used to have for daily use.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
White. Always white.

Ceramic fashions may ebb and flow, but the real cook will always want their productions to go out on the classic purity of a smooth white glaze.
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
So does the cook who tends to break things - replacing White is so much easier than anything else.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There was a fad about 20-odd years ago for "steak-on-a-stone" restaurants - the stone was a square about 8" x 8" and about 1½" thick, which had been heated, and you were given a steak, just seared on the outside, which you proceeded to cut in slices and cook on the hot stone to your desired degree of doneness, then dip in the assorted sauces provided. It was quite fun, once in a while, but it suited me better than D: I like my steak medium-rare, but it was hard for him to get his to "cremated" before the stone lost its heat ...

I'm happy enough to have things like cheese or charcuterie served on boards, and our "everyday" side-plates are actually little rectangular wooden boards which D. brought back after his godson's christening in Norway nearly 30 years ago. For main courses (especially anything involving sauce) though, you really need proper plates.

I've been a v. lazy piglet today; it's amazing how much you can fail to achieve when you've got a sofa, a blanket and an unputdownable book.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
went early to Kirstenbosch gardens not far from here. amazing collection of plants etc. son and his wife went for a !run! from there up and along the slopes of the mountain. Thats it for today! lounging beside the pool is next on agenda.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Ceramic fashions may ebb and flow, but the real cook will always want their productions to go out on the classic purity of a smooth white glaze.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
There was a fad about 20-odd years ago for "steak-on-a-stone" restaurants - the stone was a square about 8" x 8" and about 1½" thick, which had been heated, and you were given a steak, just seared on the outside, which you proceeded to cut in slices and cook on the hot stone to your desired degree of doneness, then dip in the assorted sauces provided.

---

I never saw the point of this. What's the point of going to a restaurant just to cook the meat yourself?
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
This is where I spent my New Year (I thought you'd be interested in knowing that )

I'm in England now, the wheather transtion is, erm … interesting.

Something interesting happened. During Carnival 2009, I was in Brazil. I was mostly playing, and backstage I met some musicians who said to me: "we'll be recording some stuff on Thursday, come join us." So that was the day after Ash Wednesday, when everyone in Brazil has a hangover (but recording studios are cheap). But alright, I went to the studio for about on hour and played a bit. The following week, I was off to Cape Verde and mostly forgot about the whole thing. Last week, I was in a rather obscure CD shop in Brazil, saw a cover and thought: "I remember the name of that band." I opened the booklet and there it was on page 2: "[My real name], trumpet on tracks 2 and 16". After seven years, I'm finally able to hear what I played on that moody Thursday
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:
This is where I spent my New Year (I thought you'd be interested in knowing that )

I'm in England now, the wheather transtion is, erm … interesting.

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You can go off some people
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
I never saw the point of [steak-on-a-stone]. What's the point of going to a restaurant just to cook the meat yourself?

---

I suppose it was the novelty value, a bit like holding fondue parties; we once invited a couple of elderly friends for a fondue bourguignon and they were tickled pink at the idea of being asked for dinner and cooking their own food.

I'm a bit confused by LeRoc's link - when I click on it, this is what comes up - a games site?

On the subject of serendipitous CDs, we were at a party at my boss's house a couple of Christmases ago, and there was a festive CD playing. D. said, "that sounds familiar" and sure enough, it was The Bells of Dublin, a CD made by, among others, the Chieftains, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull and a choir from Belfast for whom D. was the accompanist. My boss (and the assembled company) were suitably impressed. I understand it sold in its squillions, but all D. got was a flat fee, if that. If he'd got even a tiny percentage, I could be kept in the style what I'd like to get accustomed to ...

Singing Evensong at 4 o'clock instead of 6:30 seems to be a Good Thing - D. reckons we sing better at that time of day, and I even managed to get in an attack of goddessishness when we got home. Chicken casserole made for tomorrow's lunch and a batch of French sticks.

And I started on the third book of the trilogy that I've been having trouble putting down.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
I'm a bit confused by LeRoc's link - when I click on it, this is what comes up - a games site?

---

If you click on the jpg link (just under "Download") it will open a picture of where he was.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
All I get below the "download" button is an advert for vapour cigarettes.


 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I guess something went wrong with the tempsend link. It should have stayed there for a week. Sorry about that.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:
I guess something went wrong with the tempsend link. It should have stayed there for a week. Sorry about that.

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OK - so where did you go?
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I was in Brazil for an extended Christmas holiday. As some of you know, I have a house there. (The question "where do I live?" is a bit difficult for me to answer right now, as I'm travelling a lot between Brazil, the UK and Africa at the moment. I guess I consider Brazil my home.)

I posted a picture I made myself, but it was a bit like this.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I am indecently proud of myself.

Improbable as it may sound, we had leftover Champagne (because had to have it for the galette but didn’t want to get completely sozzled on a work night).

I give you: roasted cod steak with beurre blanc au Champagne, served with risotto (made with fish stock). I used a ring to make a perfect circle of the risotto, with the fish on top and the sauce spooned over and even made a balsamic reduction to decorate the plate. The balsamic reduction actually was necessary, I think, because white plate – white risotto – white fish is all a bit samey. OTOH I also discovered that making it stinks, eeew boiling vinegar .

This is the one and only time in my life I have looked at something I cooked and thought “this plate looks like it was served in a fancy restaurant”.
 

---

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
Hope you took a picture!
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Quite right, BC - we can't have her bragging like that without photographic evidence ...

We had a v. good lunch yesterday in a new-ish "boutique" hotel called JAG; I very rarely order cod in restaurants, but I had roasted cod on a bed of warm potato salad with tomatoes, olives and arugula and it was absolutely ace. D. had moose masala, which was equally delicious.

Mine came in one of those cast-iron skillet thingies set on a board, and his in a balti-dish, but this in no way detracted from our enjoyment.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Relaxing now in the cool of the evening ( 22degrees) with a glass of the red stuff to hand. Went to Hout Bay this am and had lunch there. A decxent sized King Clip plus chips plus 2 glasses of the red stuff cost me £10. No spinach in sight. I had hoped I might bump into Michaela Strachan from Springwatch who lives in Hout Bay but she obviously hadnt heard I was in town. Ahh well, you only win some.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
I hasten to add they were only small glasses.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I have no idea what a King Clip is, but anything that includes two glasses of South African red stuff for £10 sounds pretty good to me.

One of our favourite restaurants (sadly now defunct) when we lived in Belfast used to sell very nice Red Stuff called Cape Bay Pinotage, which we liked so much I think we actually drank them dry of it ...
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
It's a local fish, piglet. I would have gone for a chenin blanc myself.

I have particularly fond memories of the hotel/wine estate where I've stayed several times where it was practically coming out of the taps. The wine that is, not the fish. That would have been worrying.

[ 11. January 2016, 15:21: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
A somewhat belated Happy New Year!

Christmas seems like a very long time ago - I've been back at school a full week now, although I've still not had a full class of children! Here's hoping all the sick ones recover.

Reading all about people's lovely food - I was out on Friday night, and ate far too much, though it was all lovely. Ed's Diner first of all for burger, chips, onion rings, coleslaw etc, then on to the Haagen Daaz cafe for ice cream. Then I had to walk very carefully back to the station, as I was feeling very very full. Worth it though.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
It's a local fish, piglet. I would have gone for a chenin blanc myself ...

---

With a fish dish, I think I would too. I once mistakenly paired salmon with a glass of red wine, and the effect was most unpleasant - each made the other taste of iron-filings.

After about a week when it's been more-or-less too cold for meaningful sn*w, the temperature's crept up above 0° and the rain they've been promising us is finally tipping down, which is a Good Thing: the more residual sn*w it shifts, the better.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
The nearest thing o red wine that I have had with fish was a Touraine Rose. That was a fairly dry wine and went well with Zander (pike-perch) in a creamy sauce. Then again, that is probably my favourite fish.
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Was that in Hungary? That's the only place I've ever eaten Zander.

Brown trout is good with Pinot Gris, or perhaps Muscadet although that might be too dry.

Portuguese cod with Vinho Verde (well-chilled) is great, but not to everyone's taste.

[ 12. January 2016, 08:42: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Cod can go surprisingly well with certain red wines.

In the 19th arrondissement there is an amazing restaurant run by the Compagnons du devoir – a sort of semi-masonic organisation the main ethic of which revolves around hard work and a job well done. They consider that one should work not just to earn money, but in order to be a useful member of society. For that reason, their restaurant is relatively inexpensive (23€ for three courses IIRC) and very, very delicious.

They serve a dish which is cod cooked in red wine. It works extremely well.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Was that in Hungary? That's the only place I've ever eaten Zander.

Brown trout is good with Pinot Gris, or perhaps Muscadet although that might be too dry.

Portuguese cod with Vinho Verde (well-chilled) is great, but not to everyone's taste.

---

It was in France, probably ten miles from the winery and the fish could have come from even closer.
 

---

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 

 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Somewhat Interesting Weather™ here today; it started to sn*w just after D's lunch-time organ recital, and the schools in and around St. John's were closed for the afternoon (not quite sure why, as by the time it started, the kids would have been only about half-an-hour from going home anyway).

It then turned to freezing rain (which is really horrid) and then to ordinary rain (which is good, as it might clear away the sn*w), so although it's forecast to freeze again overnight, there's little likelihood of a sn*w-day tomorrow.

What I do have tomorrow is an early start: one of my colleagues phoned this evening to say that my boss has called a meeting for 8:30 in the morning (I don't usually start until 10), and my presence is required. As I'm a nocturnal piglet, this doesn't make me happy at all.

Oh well, I suppose it'll be an hour or two in the holiday bank - better go and get some sleep ...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Boogielet 2 is home this week, he's soinf Airbus A320 simulator work. They do this twice a year to practise things they can't in real life (hopefully) like a fire in the hold/engine failure/etc.

Trust our heating to pack in when there are four of us in the house and it's snowing outside! The bloke is coming to look at it tomorrow.

I'm off to puppy class this morning
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
It's snowing in England? Not seeing anything here in MK.
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
We had our first snow of the year in Stirling (mid-Scotland) yesterday, it settled and is still here this morning but is only a light dusting really so hopefully won't cause too much chaos. Yesterday evening when I was driving home from picking up the Elf Lass from nursery it felt a bit hairy even though the snow wasn't deep, as it was still coming down thick and fast so I had to keep my wits about me driving in the dark. Her nursery is a mile down a country lane which most of the time is brilliant as she sees lots of horses/tractors/etc and gets all that fresh air, but when it snows I'm always nervous as the road is a bit on the bendy side and drivers do tend to hare down it a bit too fast for my liking.

We're hopefully going out for a walk later today, I'm hoping she'll sleep in the buggy (that's the plan, although she's less likely to co-operate these days - 2 year old prerogative, apparently) but will pack her wellies and padded clothes just in case she insists on walking.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
No snow here either, though apparently they had it in Bicester this morning and it wasn't forecast. I think it's the only place in the county that got any snow.

[ 14. January 2016, 11:12: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

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Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
No snow in London today, though my aunt in Brighton had some last night. Not sure how much, though.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
It's snowing in England? Not seeing anything here in MK.

---

You rarely do in MK. Something to do with its position relative to the Chilterns, I seem to remember.
I do recall one day when it did snow quite heavily, on a Friday afternoon, I think. Offices closed early, everyone left at the same time and suddenly all the roads around the centre were gridlocked. It took me 45 minutes to drive from the centre to somewhere near Oldbrook (usually a 5 minute drive if that) and finally I had to abandon the car in a carpark and walk home. (In my defence I usually had to drive around visiting schools during the day so I had to have my car with me. Otherwise I'd have walked to work!)
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Met Office is now warning of snow, sleet and rain in Wales, S/W England and the West Midlands. I expect we'll see some snow hereabouts but doubt it will settle. Some cars will probably arrive tomorrow proudly bearing a couple of inches of show.
 

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Posted by marzipan (# 9442) on :
 
We haven't had any snow just ICE everywhere. Allegedly the main roads have been gritted and salted but yesterday the roads were so bad that three school buses were in separate accidents (i don't think anyone was hurt). As a result this morning quite a few school decided to open later but that doesn't help those of us who work in other places... Yesterday and today I was an hour late to work because that's how late my bus was. Hopefully we won't get too many more icy days (doesn't help that we also get rain to make extra ice).
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
As forecast, last night's rain has frozen in Patches of Treachery™, probably because we didn't put any salt down on the steps.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
My sister arrived from Knysna to spend 3 days with 7s in Cape Town. Tomorrow off early in the morning for a conducted tour of kirstenbosch Gardens after which we may go along the coastal road towards Cape Point.

I see from my tablet that Caddington had snow today.We had sunshine here - again!
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
It was a bright and frosty morning here with just a light dusting on Blackford Hill. But we saw several cars with impressive coatings of snow - presumably in from the Alpine fastnesses of Penicuik or the like.

The weather app thinks it might snow here tomorrow and fersure it's going to snow Monday.
 

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Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :
 
At last! Proper winter's coming. Not that I like all the slippy stuff, but I do like my climate to have a place for everything, and everything in its place.

Although I had to look at the weather warning twice - the first time I read it, I saw it as "Warning of yellow snow"!
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Sioni, you live much nearer the coast. Climate can be very localised - I worked in Merthyr, which is a lot higher than my town, and the difference could be quite noticeable. Mind, there were times when Darllenwr worked at the Mint when his colleagues couldn't understand why he had had difficulty getting in, and it's common to hear of people working in Cardiff having to explain why they can't get in from the Valleys.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I got out of the car this evening in a country village into a night of burning cold and no street lights, only a sickle moon and the stars for illumination. But the sky was lit up with a wonder of constellations - Orion, and the Plough, and so many other winter stars, all in a vast net spanning the heavens, and it was even possible to see galaxies, and the kinds of stars you never see in a town because of the haze of light. My fingers went numb pretty quickly but the sight of the night sky was breathtaking.
 

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Posted by Tree Bee (# 4033) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
It's snowing in England? Not seeing anything here in MK.

---

You rarely do in MK. Something to do with its position relative to the Chilterns, I seem to remember.
I do recall one day when it did snow quite heavily, on a Friday afternoon, I think. Offices closed early, everyone left at the same time and suddenly all the roads around the centre were gridlocked. It took me 45 minutes to drive from the centre to somewhere near Oldbrook (usually a 5 minute drive if that) and finally I had to abandon the car in a carpark and walk home. (In my defence I usually had to drive around visiting schools during the day so I had to have my car with me. Otherwise I'd have walked to work!)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
Sioni, you live much nearer the coast. Climate can be very localised - I worked in Merthyr, which is a lot higher than my town, and the difference could be quite noticeable. Mind, there were times when Darllenwr worked at the Mint when his colleagues couldn't understand why he had had difficulty getting in, and it's common to hear of people working in Cardiff having to explain why they can't get in from the Valleys.

---

Very local indeed! Cardiff is about 15 miles west of Newport and the weather *always* changes en route, unless the weather is at one extreme or the other.

As for not being able to get in from the valleys, it's tricky "up the hill" where we are, less than 200' ASL but barely a mile from central Newport, as we get sn*w when it's merely wet in town and we're on a road that makes an excellent toboggan run!
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Just off to Kirstenbosch Gardens. They apparently have a rope walkway slung high between the trewss which sould be interesting. A challenge to my vertigo. Its just down the road from here.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Do you mean something like this, Shamwari?

If so, rather you than me!
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
In the event it was nothing like that Piglet. The bridge did run along the tree tops but it was as solid as could be. Steel stanchions, wooden walkway and safe as houses. The gardens are superb. They got a Kew Gardens expert in at the beginning and they now rival ( and better) anything that Kew can offer. Had lunch in the restaurent and I had fish ( spinach on the menu again !!) but the portions were huge. Now having a (very quiet ) evening as the rest of the family are out galivanting. The social life they lead is way beyond my ability to endure.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Our heating remains orf! They are waiting for a part, apparently. It takes me back to the days before central heating, as it has been below freezing outside all day - brrrrrrrr!

My son is visiting this week. It's been very pleasant. We went out for a meal yesterday evening and will enjoy a bottle of red this evening. (Watch that diet Boogie!)
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
It's definitely not the weather to be without heating. I was in Bradford today and they had gritted the pavements. There was a layer of ice outside the media museum, which is where I went to watch The Revenant (Leonardo DiCaprio vs a bear) which is 2hrs of solid wintry weather. Brr.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
A couple of years ago, just after New Year and before we were back at w*rk, something went very wrong with Newfoundland Hydro, and the entire island was without electricity for a whole weekend.

A weekend when the outside temperature was hovering around -10°C. And the only form of heating chez Piglet is electricity ...

I know I'm far more likely to complain of being too hot than too cold, but even I was feeling it more than a touch brrrrrrr.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Just waiting for the promised snow to arrive; it's due after dark. The roads have already been unpleasantly icy and after seeing a cyclist crash onto the car park on black ice the other morning I'm not risking the steep hills and bends outside town for now.

Walking down the street this morning, I was amused to see a young Polish couple, swathed in thick coats and woolly hats and looking distinctly chilly, sitting out at a table on their tiny balcony, having coffee and a cigarette as they chatted, for all the world as if it was spring. But good for them for being brave enough to do it at all in winter.
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Cold here too - according to the Met Office we are in the middle of the promised 100 mile wide strip of snow and ice...getting up tomorrow morning and leaving the house at 7.30am will not be pleasant, and neither will be walking to church on ungritted pavements.
Has anyone discovered boots which actually grip on ungritted pavements? Since breaking my ankle 18 months ago I am rather more nervous of slips and falls...
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
Has anyone discovered boots which actually grip on ungritted pavements?

---

A couple of years ago I discovered a sort of rubber overshoe with studs which you just slip on over your normal footwear and enables you to walk on snow and ice without breaking your neck.

There's a variety of these around. As soon as you get onto non-snow/ice, just whisk them off, stuff them into your bag and carry on.
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
We use these (I use the 'walk' model, TME uses the 'pro' model - we both think they're great). Honestly, the best £14.99 I ever spent. I am one of those with quite a penchant for comedy falls, but I have never felt even remotely skiddy when I've had them on (you just have to remember to take them off if you are indoors or on a bit of pavement where there isn't ice). This week we've had a bit of snow, which has become compacted, and I feel completely confident walking on it wearing these.

[No they aren't paying me - but I do really rate them!]
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
We went up to Brecon today. I've never seen so many cars parked near Storey Arms, there were lots of people tobogganing and a steady stream of people climbing Penyfan.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
I'm a great believer in Doc Martens, especially when they're new and stompy, but the price appears to have increased by £30-40 in the couple of years since I got my last pair. Might have to look for an acceptable alternative.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
The ground here at the moment is vacillating between crunchy snow and Patches of Treachery™, so flat shoes or boots should probably be the order of the day.

Having said that, I got a pair of these in the sales just before Christmas (they were actually my Christmas pressie from D.) and they're so comfortable, and so me that I've been braving the treachery in them (the soles and heels do have quite good traction control).

At this time of year, I rarely walk more than the length of myself anyway, as it tends to be fairly unpleasant underfoot ...

[ 16. January 2016, 22:25: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
Wonderful evening out last night courtesy of son and DIL. We went for a meal ( Italian) and then to the theatre to see Swan Lake on Ice. An international Touring Company (mostly E. Europeans) performed wonderfully well. I have only watched ice skating routines at Winter Olympics ( on TV) before. This was something special. Wonderfully athletic dancing, familiar tunes, great special effects made it an extraordinary evening. Ice skating enables a fluidity and speed beyond normal dancing. It was quite special.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
The ground here at the moment is vacillating between crunchy snow and Patches of Treachery™, so flat shoes or boots should probably be the order of the day.

---

Having looked out of the window at what looks like a light powdering of icing sugar, it'll be ordinary flat shoes for today. So much for this vaunted 100-mile corridor of snow and the forecast saying my area would get 6 hours of it.

However, on the plus side, at least it'll be ordinary flat shoes for today and getting out and about as normal.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
I like this sort of snow. Just enough that it looks nice but not so much I lose work.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I walked along the Thames from the Globe, over Hungerford Bridge and through Trafalgar Square and Regents Street to Oxford Circus in mizzle and misery last night, then came home to snow, which is still there this morning. The difference of 45 minutes on the tube.

I was hoping to see the Lumiere London exhibition, but all but one was turned off. Apparently for safety, when I got home and checked, but maybe because it was past 10:30pm. I have a second chance tonight.

I had been to Pericles at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, which was amazing. There was one point that I wished I hadn't been to the talk that said in passing that when Shakespeare gets stuck with a plot he introduces pirates. I nearly laughed very inappropriately. Having not managed to get out of w*rk for my usual carefully positioned standing ticket one Friday, this replacement ticket was sitting in the pit (basically, a good seat).

(Piglet, I forgot to post, I went to The English Concert performing Burney's Journeys: The Grand Tour before Christmas, which was fantastic, the music interwoven with quotations from Burney's Journeys.)
 

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Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Snow here in Banbury, light and crunchy. Haven't been out yet, but it does look good from inside a centrally heated house.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Snow here in Milton Keynes too this morning. It's already melting rapidly, so I don't think there will be much left in the afternoon. But it gave some pretty pictures. And I threw a couple of snow balls on my way to church
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
A typically warm day here, we came back overnight from Bangalore and have had a lazy day - a lazy day tomorrow then off to the mountains, guest-health permitting, on Tuesday then back to a village wedding on Wednesday! It's a tough life!

We had a good time away until guests both taken mildly ill in Mysore but they seem better now judging by the amount of lunch they tucked away!
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
It's meant to be the dry season here but it's pouring with rain again and I'm cold.
I don't mind being cold if there's snow or frost but cold because of rain at the wrong time is just not on!
This weather is going to cause the farmers a lot of problems so food prices will go up again.
Hey ho....
 

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Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Glorious but cold day here in Suffolk. Frost but no snow. Constant sunshine since sunrise (it's now 1.30pm), some light cloud just beginning to develop.

[ 17. January 2016, 12:29: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Cold and damp here. The kind of day to stay in and read books and faff about on the Net and do a bit of colouring and pretend to be making progress with the decluttering.

Which is pretty much my intention.
 

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Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
My plan to go to oxfam is being frustrated by waiting in for the delivery of the delivery box that is designed to ensure I do not have to wait in for deliveries anymore.

I feel my inaction has somekind of ironic luster.
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
As I predicted, I was in the 100 mile wide corridor of snow. And it did indeed snow. And I had to go out into said white stuff because, well, I'm the Vicar and I have to be there, even if no one else apart from the Holy Spirit shows up.

One person came to the 8am (just as well as the church heating wasn't on and it was flipping cold in there. I put the heating on, but 15 mins of heat isn't enough to take the edge off, really....).

More people at the later service, which was warmer. And the faithful few who come to the evening service have decided that they weren't going to come, (caution over slips and falls - understandable and I don't blame them) so I have cancelled that.

I put my scarf onto a radiator in the vestry so that it would be warm when I eventually wanted to wear it to came home in. Guess what? It is still there...at least I remember to wear my gloves back!

I really dislike the cold and damp conditions....I think it is the dampness that I can't stand. If it was cold and crisp and dry, it might be more bearable.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Snow around here has now all melted
 

---

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
What is it with so-called Eco light bulbs? They don't give as much light and last half as long as the trad ones. Not a happy Saint, here.
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jacobsen:
Snow here in Banbury, light and crunchy. Haven't been out yet, but it does look good from inside a centrally heated house.

---

All we got 17 miles south was some light snow that melted as it touched the ground, causing many puddles. Even that had stopped by 10 am.

Deliberately left the heating on last night, to try and warm the house up a bit. This appears to be working, since I haven't needed to find a second sweater whilst doing stuff indoors today Now I just need to remember to put it back to timed before heading out tomorrow morning...
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
What is it with so-called Eco light bulbs? They don't give as much light and last half as long as the trad ones. Not a happy Saint, here.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
I have a problem! I hope someone can help.

It's the wrong, overuse of the word "like".

I work in an office the hapless (selfish, uncompromising) 24y/o colleague uses the word like in the most bizarre and annoying way.

Sentences may and often consist of "I was like, what are you like, and he was like, let's go to the like pub like, and I was like, like yeah!"

This girl has a degree. Can I say anything to her? She's on her career path, like.

---

quote:

---

Beenster: Where does it come from this "like" thing.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
... The other speech pattern that can be quite annoying is the sentence with the rising intonation at the end like a question? ...

---

That's what Stephen Fry referred to as the "AQI" or Australian Questioning Inflection when he was the guest on Room 101 many moons ago. I blame Neighbours (is that still going?).

In other news, the sn*w didn't start at all until I'd finished w*rk at 2 o'clock, and has only really been in earnest for the last couple of hours, but now looks as though it's settling in for the duration; I'd say the Pigletmobile is probably under about 3 inches so far.

Mind you, it'll probably have stopped by the morning, and just become messy, so we won't get a sn*w day.
 

---

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I think it is originally called Valleyspeak, referring to the San Fernando Valley in California.

(I really like this Star Wars spoof in Valleyspeak.)

---

Also known as "upspeak" and colossally irritating to those of us who think we know how to speak (but probably don't). But it's not just a teen thing. There is a woman in our church whose voice rises almost to a screech at the end of a sentence when she is addressing a meeting, even when she isn't excited about something. I don't understand the constant use of "like". It might be instructive to analyse how these people write (if they can write) to see if it carries over from their speech.

This message comes to you from a notoriously bad speaker.

[ 18. January 2016, 23:13: Message edited by: Stercus Tauri ]
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I have to confess that Orcadians have a slight tendency to rise at the end of sentences, although it's a different sort of rise from the Australian one. It may be the Norse influence on the dialect, as most of the Scandinavian languages go up and down in pitch a lot more noticeably than English does.

A late Welsh friend who lived in Orkney used to reckon that the end of some people's sentences could only be heard by dogs ...
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
That's funny piglet about the dogs hearing ends of sentences! And it's true, some dialects do go up at the end and yes, guilty, I used to go up at the end of sentences as I wanted to be like one of the girls in neighbours.

This valley speak and analysis of the way / the why people do it is very insightful.

Sure, my language is far from perfect, glasshouses and stones.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
But in my experience, the Welsh (when they speak English) have a rising pitch at the end of the sentence too. I guess it's a different kind of rising pattern.
 

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Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
*Grumble grumble*

I detest my local council. Just before Christmas they sent me a bill for council tax, but it wasn't the usual annual bill. It was headed "discount amendment" and as I only have one discount (single occupier) it seemed that this had been revoked.

I phoned them up and they said I never returned a form to confirm that I still lived alone. How can one return a form one has never received? I asked for evidence that they had sent one; no such evidence was provided. I was told to email and confirm my details, as well as the fact that I was still living alone.

I later received an email (which unhelpfully was directed to my spam folder, so didn't find for some time) acknowledging my email and directing me to an online form, which I have filled in.

Got home last night and found a demand for payment and a threat that I would lose my right to pay by installments if I didn't pay within 7 days of the date at the top of the letter. The letter was dated the 13th, yet I only received it yesterday.

I don't owe them any extra money, have never given them cause to think I do not live alone and they have not presented me with any evidence to the effect that I don't live alone.

 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
But in my experience, the Welsh (when they speak English) have a rising pitch at the end of the sentence too. I guess it's a different kind of rising pattern.

---

Very true; and many Orcadians (myself included) have frequently been mistaken for being Welsh.

There's a saying that the definition of an Orcadian is a Norwegian living in Scotland speaking English with a Welsh accent ...
 

---

Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Not wanting this thread to sink without trace ; I thought I would report that it is sunny, clearish sky and not quite as cold as it has been.

I will be glad though when the sun is a bit higher in the sky - it doesn't half clobber you driving south!!
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I guess the solution is to keep driving North
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
No, just drive backwards.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I guess the solution is to keep driving North

---

That seems like a very sensible idea.

To this exiled Orcadian, the most comforting sign on a British road is the one just outside Perth that reads "A9 North".
 

---

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
I would have thought "Welcome to Scrabster" would be even more welcome!

Anyway, there are signs to "The North" just leaving London on the M1!

[ 20. January 2016, 15:12: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 

---

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
But in my experience, the Welsh (when they speak English) have a rising pitch at the end of the sentence too. I guess it's a different kind of rising pattern.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
But in my experience, the Welsh (when they speak English) have a rising pitch at the end of the sentence too. I guess it's a different kind of rising pattern.

---

Yes - it is different, and almost musical in the way it flows and rises to a gentle peak; not the sound of squealing tyres when you've hit the brakes too hard. OK - I have a big bee in my bonnet over this one. Ignore it.

---

quote:

---

Sipech: Any other suggestions for the worst place in the UK?

---

Easy. Port Talbot.


[ETA: Sioni, could you make one more post? I want to see five ducks in a row.]

[ 20. January 2016, 19:34: Message edited by: LeRoc ]
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Two of the towns I have lived in have been named "Britain's Crappiest Town" at one time or another, Redditch and my current abode, Newport.

I have also spent a fair bit of time in Hull and I have worked in Crawley (pretty bad) and Dunstable, which is just too close to Luton in any number of ways.

To put the tin lid on it, I was born in Blackpool. It's a good place to come from.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
The central belt, greater Glasgow periphery, Clyde coast and Ayrshire are all good for the post-industrial urban motorwayed tower blocked glue-sniffing heroin shooting grey-harled shop-boarded urban wastelands.

Even Embra has its tracts of dismality.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Thank you Sioni. 22222 looks lovely
 

---

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
Thank you Sioni. 22222 looks lovely

---

Now he can never post again.

 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
I would have thought "Welcome to Scrabster" would be even more welcome!

---

Good God, no - that ferry takes you to Stromness.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:
Anyway, there are signs to "The North" just leaving London on the M1!

---

Shortly after they introduced the congestion charge in London, there was a series of letters in the Daily Telegraph (as you might expect). One pointed out that just beyond the congestion zone, there were signs for "The North", and I replied that the writer had a very shaky grasp of the meaning of "North", citing my favourite road-sign (it's actually a directional sign painted on the road).

And they published my letter.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Nearly two weeks now and still our boiler is out of action. We have a couple of rooms with warm spots near the fires, the rest of the house is freezing!

The good news is that the boiler has now been condemned and we will shortly have a new one at no cost - insurance thingie.

I am desperate for a bath!! (we do have an electric shower in the en-suite so you lot can all take the pegs of your noses!)
 

---

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
If by any chance you are a member of a health club or a gym they may have baths there. (If you are not a member, ask about joining and see if they give you a free introductory period.)
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
If by any chance you are a member of a health club or a gym they may have baths there. (If you are not a member, ask about joining and see if they give you a free introductory period.)

---

Yes I go to the gym four times a week - no baths 'tho, just showers
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Boogie: Nearly two weeks now and still our boiler is out of action.

---

In the Netherlands you have 24/7 service for this kind of thing.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Boiling a kettle for hot water may be an old-fashioned way of doing things, but it does work when you need it to. There have been occasions when I've had to resort to this.

[ 21. January 2016, 19:12: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
But the amount of hot water is much less than needed. For a hairwash, just enough to supply a tepid bowlful for the lathering and after that it's cold rinsing.

At the moment, main use for water is setting bowls of it on the bedroom radiator. I hung new curtains yesterday and the consequent upturn in atmospheric dust has given me a sore throat and a racking cough (the headache, I think, comes from the resultant sleeplessness). And I do hate the Self Help pages which, once they've gone through the advice about gargling etc feel compelled to add that if you just vacuumed a bit more... Fine, here's nine rooms and a flight of stairs and either a cleaner that could feature in those Pull a Truck competitions, or one which is light but chokes to a halt after one or two rooms.

[ 21. January 2016, 19:52: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My first thought was 'wow-nine rooms!' then I counted ours and we have nine too!

But I do vacuum every single day - two hairy dogs cause this state of affairs.

I usually soak in the bath for a good 40 minutes a day as I have psoriasis - my skin is now shouting out for a lovely long bath.
 

---

Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Very damp here in Narnia today. It's spurring me to think I probably should get on to hiring someone to fix our leaky gutter- it drips over the flat roof on the bay window, causing a leak inside. I've had a couple of patch repairs done but it probably just needs the gutters redoing. I hate organising for work to be done, though. It is just so much faff and stress.

Hope your new boiler is in soon, Boogie!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We only have showers here, which is probably good in our climate. A good soak in a tub is an attractive feature of visiting UK occasionally but here would just make me feel even more sweaty!

We are back from the mountains, the days were warm enough but the nights were still quite cold [by my standards] - we did a very pleasant 2 hour walk around a tea plantation one days and a stroll around town the next day, also taking in bits of a wedding or 6!

Today a more local historic tour around the area taking in a church, an old and now ruined seminary, a synagogue, a mosque, a Jewish cemetery and finally a Hindu temple - all in the same village! A 14th Century local landowner got the Religious Diversity message centuries before most of the rest of the world!

We then had more food. Our guests seem to like our local fare.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I never have baths of the bath tub kind; I hate them. I much prefer a shower.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Château Piglet has one bathroom with a shower and one with a bath; having his-and-hers suits us perfectly as I like showers and D. likes baths.

A year or two ago, D's bathroom developed Plumbing Issues and we had to make do with one for several months - no fun when you've become used to having My Bathroom and His Bathroom ...
 

---

Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
We have "dicing with death" electric showers here....which is great (the shower not the potential hazard) after a hot and sweaty day in the field like today.
But sometimes I really long for a nice hot bath filled with something that smells nice to relax in.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

MrsBeaky: We have "dicing with death" electric showers here....which is great (the shower not the potential hazard) after a hot and sweaty day in the field like today.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
I can't remember the last time I took a bath...a long hot shower every morning is the way to go.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
If you wear reading glasses etc you can't read in the bath, either!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
If you wear reading glasses etc you can't read in the bath, either!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Doublethink.:

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
If you wear reading glasses etc you can't read in the bath, either!

---

Why ?

---

Because they steam up and slip down your nose.
 

---

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 
Ah, there are ways round this - dipping them in hot water before you get in the bath, certain sprays etc - but possibly the best way is to put on an audiobook or the news quiz on bbc iplayer

[ 23. January 2016, 18:31: Message edited by: Doublethink. ]
 

---

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I generally shower for speed, and also because it Wales me up in the morning, but I agree there is little to beat the joy of a long hot bath, especially with candles and a glass of wine.

---

I have never understood the barthroom candles thing - I just imagine I,ll either accidentally knock them in the bath or or burn some personal pheripheral
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Depends on the candle.

Plain and simple - "hurricane glasses".

Pillar candle. The fatter kind of candles don't overbalance, and the flame doesn't usually reach the outer edges of the wax but will burn down leaving a kind of wax shell around the outside, and the light glows through that. This kind of candle doesn't really need a holder until it's been going for a bit, though you should always have one - a saucer would do. If there's any kind of draught in the area it will direct the flame.

The stained glass effect - there are lots of different holders for tealights.

And there's an entire range of scented candles in glasses.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
For the first ten years that I lived in Paris I only had a walk-in shower because it was the only thing that would fit. Many Parisian buildings were built before running water was generalised and so the bathrooms are tiny.

Finally! I now have a tub and I have a bath every. single. day. Bliss.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Chateau Piglet has one bathroom with a shower and one with a bath; having his-and-hers suits us perfectly as I like showers and D. likes baths.

---

When Mr S and I came to have the bathroom and the en-suite redone, we argued so much about what we wanted that in the end we agreed to disagree and I took the bathroom, he had the en-suite

While I like the occasional bath (after a hard day's gardening, f'rinstance) I think I've had one bath since then (> 2 years ago) as it takes So Damn Long to fill the bath and I am not the most patient person in the world. But as Piglet says, bliss to have your own space for ablutions!

Mrs. S, loving her own bathroom
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I suspect that Château Piglet has been the victim of somewhat bodged renovations over the years. D's bathroom is on the top floor, with the bath below the slope of the roof, and would probably have been a more sensible site for a shower. I have trouble standing up in it, so I imagine it's a lot worse for him.

Mine is on the middle floor, and has far more space, but for some reason a previous owner put a shower-stall in it, although there would be ample room for a bath. If money were no object (ho ho) we'd possibly have the fittings replaced in a more sensible order, but that'll have to wait until our numbers come up ...

It's that sort of house: it's probably somewhere over 120 years old* and was likely divided as a "rooming-house" in the past.

* quite a rarity in downtown St. John's - there was a huge fire in 1892 which devastated most of the city, but we think our house pre-dates it.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Oh, hell. The US snowstorm is heading our way, bringing rain and flood warnings and a possible 8" of rain.

Storm tracks can change but best to keep an eye on the forecasts over today and tomorrow.
 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I go to the gym four times a week

---

Thought you'd slip that one in to make the rest of us feel like lazy slobs, did you? Sympathies about the cold, though, and the lack of baths. I mostly shower but like to have the option of a bath and on the occasions when I'm thoroughly chilled a hot bath is the only thing that warms me up.
 

---

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
Am just preparing for a trip out tomorrow.

My (now former) parish priest is being ordained bishop at Westminster Cathedral tomorrow. A group of us from my parish are going down to spectate. It's quite a distance (6.30 start for a noon kick-off) to do in one day on a coach, so we'll be picnicking down the M1.

Should be interesting, but we're all a bit gutted as he was very well liked and had only been with us 7 months (it's possible these things are connected, I wouldn't like to speculate ). So long as no one starts singing, we'll be fine.
 

---

Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Oh, hell. The US snowstorm is heading our way, bringing rain and flood warnings and a possible 8" of rain.

Storm tracks can change but best to keep an eye on the forecasts over today and tomorrow.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
D's bathroom is on the top floor, with the bath below the slope of the roof, and would probably have been a more sensible site for a shower. I have trouble standing up in it, so I imagine it's a lot worse for him.

Mine is on the middle floor, and has far more space, but for some reason a previous owner put a shower-stall in it, although there would be ample room for a bath.

---

I don't understand. If you can't stand up in D's bath, you couldn't use a shower stall in that space at all. At least with a bath there are things you can do sitting down...
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I probably didn't describe it all that well; there's about a foot of flat ceiling above the tap/shower-head end before the slope of the roof kicks in, so it's possible to stand at that end, and shower basins tend to be a little lower to the floor than baths, which would give a bit of extra space.

Talking of showers, that's a v. scary forecast - eight inches of rain????

Stay safe everyone.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Herself visited in hospital this morning, apparently a little after we had gone two nurses visited with her blood sugar results and gave her a right dressing down which will probably be reinforced by the Dr sometime soon.

Guests should be boarding the first flight on their way home about now. Himself and I are both shattered - he has gone to bed and I shall be heading for mine very soon.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Enjoy the sleep WW and the sense of quiet after the guests. I enjoy that feeling after having had a family of parents and grandchildren sleep overnight here. Fortunately that does not happen often.

Prayers for herself too.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
After the dismal start to the day (cricket), I'm now a little relieved after having won an appeal against my local council for wrongfully revoking my single occupier discount for council tax.
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
What is going on with councils. Mine revoked mine too. I assume it's because they are increasingly strapped for cash so are finding areas they might be able to get more income from and changing first and requiring you to action to get it back.
 

---

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I generally shower for speed, and also because it Wales me up in the morning, but I agree there is little to beat the joy of a long hot bath, especially with candles and a glass of wine.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:
My Dear Wife, who is a librarian and should treat books better, can soak in the bath for an hour or more reading while I bring her mugs of coffee.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sipech:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:
My Dear Wife, who is a librarian and should treat books better, can soak in the bath for an hour or more reading while I bring her mugs of coffee.

---

Does she pour the coffee into the bath to keep it warm? If not, that water must be getting pretty cold by the time she comes out, an hour after getting in. Unless she can withstand scalding temperatures at the start.

---

quote:

---

My Dear Wife, who is a librarian and should treat books better, can soak in the bath for an hour or more reading while I bring her mugs of coffee.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sarasa:
... I do it less now I do most of my reading via my Kindle.

---

Probably just as well ...

Glad you got sorted out, Boogie - there's nothing worse than dysfunctional plumbing.

There's a batch of freshly-made French sticks in the kitchen - help yourselves.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Glad you got sorted out, Boogie - there's nothing worse than dysfunctional plumbing.

---

Snarf!

Know that from experience, do you little piggy?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Still knackered after having guests for 3 weeks, it's a bit like the jet lag they'll doubtless be feeling but without the cold winds and gales and rain.



What is excellent is to be eating less, despite Himself's best efforts! Today a normal breakfast and since then a little beans on toast [WW-style] and then a light fruit salad and that will be me for the day.

Herself is still in hospital but might possibly be discharged tomorrow or Friday - she is happy about this and I have told her I am happy as long as she stays on her diet and keeps her blood sugar low - she is 40 in March so this is her last chance to have the babies as they have said no more IVF after 40th birthday. She really has to toe the line and do this but her blood sugar is all over the place.

A birthday card has arrived from a shipmate in Switzerland so many thanks - you know who you are!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Good luck to Herself.

My niece had last chance IVF and now has 3 year old twins who keep us all on our toes!

Boiler man is still here so we suffer a little for great impending gain. No water, no gas no electricity just now - erk!

I have been head-hunted!! I work one afternoon a week doing art work with year six children in a primary school. A visiting head teacher asked for my details so I'm going to do the same for her. It feels great to still be wanted and appreciated for what I do!

(But two afternoons a week is quite enough w*rk thanks - hehe!)
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sipech:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Glad you got sorted out, Boogie - there's nothing worse than dysfunctional plumbing.

---

Snarf!

Know that from experience, do you little piggy?

---

I'm sure I don't know what you mean ...
 

---

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:
My Dear Wife, who is a librarian and should treat books better, can soak in the bath for an hour or more reading while I bring her mugs of coffee.

---

Well, just place her mugs a little bit too far away for her to reach - that'll teach her!

On the other hand, you may prefer to enjoy the Peace and Quiet while she is immersed (unless, of course, your plumbing is so dysfunctional that it continually gurgles and groans).
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
The taps over my bath come out from the wall at right angles to the bath, about three quarters down its length (rather than at one end as is more usual here). This means I can easily reach the hot tap for a top up without moving the rest of my body - perfect for reading in the bath. I don't have anyone to bring me cups of tea though

A friend of mine trialled a plastic map reading pouch so she could read her kindle in the bath, but I'm not brave enough to try that.
 

---

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
You can get special sealed bags for electronic devices...perfect for tab each, so I'm told, equally good for reading one in the bath!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Apologies to Swiss Shipmate - it was a Christmas card!

DUH!
 

---

Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
I thought it was really early for your birthday card.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Even if I were a Bath Person rather than a Shower Person, reading wouldn't be practical as I'd have my contact lenses out, and if the water was hot enough to be of any use, spectacles would get steamed up.

Then again, I don't read in bed either: there just isn't a position in which I can get comfortable to do it. My reading is done on the sofa.
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Doublethink.:
Ah, there are ways round this - dipping them in hot water before you get in the bath, certain sprays etc - but possibly the best way is to put on an audiobook or the news quiz on bbc iplayer

---

Might I kindly suggest the 'News Quiz Extra', from Radio 4 Extra? It comes at an extravagant length of 45 minutes, and many extra bits left out of the regular version. - It's available the following Tuesday. Once you've listenend to that, you'll never want to go back to News Quiz Proper! So much more fun!

(ETA appropriately enthusiastic smiley!)

[ 28. January 2016, 10:17: Message edited by: Wesley J ]
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Not even quite the end of January and we're already up to a storm name beginning with G. How are we going to get through the rest of the year, and will there be a Storm Xerxes?

I've been playing Piglet's online Scrabble game. It won't let me have words like "Bited" or "Fowlee" (if you can have a fowler, surely there must be a fowlee, no?) but otherwise very enjoyable. Have got to Assistant level so far.

Anyway, baths are good because you can have a range of bubble baths. I've never been keen on the ones that smell too much like food (who wants to emerge smelling like chocolate?), but there are plenty of good ones about.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I very rarely get above 2000 points* in the three rounds you get in the online game; having said that I just played a game and got 232 points for the word EXAMINATIONS.

Who's a clever little piglet?

* which takes you to the rank of "Initiate"; I think for that many points you ought to be at least "Assistant Librarian".
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Our esteemed weather forecastists don't seem to know whether they're coming or going: for the last few days, they were telling us that from today to tomorrow (Friday-Saturday) we'd be getting about a foot of snow*. Even the Council must have taken it under their notice, as they cleared the heaps from around the streets over the last couple of nights.

However, this morning all they're threatening is "scattered flurries" for this afternoon and about 6" of snow, turning to rain. Actually, I'd say 6" was a bit more than a scattered flurry, but what would I know?

* about the most useless combination imaginable: enough snow to make getting about a complete pain in the ear after I've finished w*rk on a Friday so no possibility of a snow-day.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
I very rarely get above 2000 points* in the three rounds you get in the online game; having said that I just played a game and got 232 points for the word EXAMINATIONS.

---

I'm in awe. The little Scrabble character must have gone utterly berserk with joy. Fantastic stroke of luck getting that one.

I managed to clock up 1227 last night so will see how this evening goes.

Just thinking about dinner. I've been thinking about getting a Chinese takeaway all day but think I may cook my own, with egg fried rice.
 

---

Posted by marzipan (# 9442) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Not even quite the end of January and we're already up to a storm name beginning with G. How are we going to get through the rest of the year, and will there be a Storm Xerxes?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:


I've been playing Piglet's online Scrabble game. It won't let me have words like "Bited" or "Fowlee" (if you can have a fowler, surely there must be a fowlee, no?) but otherwise very enjoyable. Have got to Assistant level so far.

.

---

Ahem. Because I needed more distractions on the Internet... Thank you
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Sorry about that, Ferijen.

We had a couple of friends round for supper this evening (hence my very late appearance by the Saintly Teapot).

As it was a very informal sort of do, I decided to go completely retro and did chilli con carne, rice, garlic bread and salad. I reckon it was the first time I'd made a herb-and-garlic loaf (the sort where you cut it not quite through and spread the butter in between the slices) in about 30 years.

I'd never done it with a loaf that I'd made myself before though ...
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Domestic Goddess Piglet

A flying return visit to the Mall this morning to pick up some Mascarpone and a block of Parmesan then held up on the way back by a march of the fascists - there were possibly 20 of them but that is still 20 too many! Some of their utterances make Donald Trump seem completely reasonable!

I feel a pasta dish coming on sometime soon with a Mascarpone and Gorgonzola sauce and with a little zing of chilli.

We like food.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Welease Woderwick: I feel a pasta dish coming on sometime soon with a Mascarpone and Gorgonzola sauce and with a little zing of chilli.

---

This is my permanent state of being Enjoy!
 

---

Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
Morning all I'm currently enjoying toast for breakfast, with my friend's home-made marmalade. Delicious!

Life has been somewhat stressful recently, but I seem to finally be learning to deal with it well by giving myself plenty of downtime on difficult days.

I also had a lovely trip out in the week to Lates at the Science Museum in London - once a month, they open in the evening, and it's adults only with all kinds of interesting talks and things to make and do. Plus, they sell alcohol all over the museum, so this time I had the pleasure of talking to one of the guys working on the Philae lander while sipping a G and T.
 

---

Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
Wow, remind me not to play scrabble with you - I got 256. For the whole game.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

moonfruit: I had the pleasure of talking to one of the guys working on the Philae lander while sipping a G and T.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
Wow, remind me not to play scrabble with you - I got 256. For the whole game.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
Wow, remind me not to play scrabble with you - I got 256. For the whole game.

---

Aha. My secret is to avoid words that score less than 30 points minimum. The game can take longer but I like seeing the little character do his dance. I'm not up to Piglet's standard though.

Fun day in Oxford yesterday, lunch at Le Petit Blanc and a climb up the tower of St Michael at the North Gate, which is the gentlest of the three towers open to the public. I've done it before, but my friend hadn't, despite having spent most of his life in Oxford. You get a 360° panorama over the city and a realization that it nestles within a gentle valley, as you can see out to the countryside and hills. Also some small but pleasant discoveries locally and the enjoyment of foreshortened perspective as landmarks don't appear where you expect them to be.

Rounded off with a trip, as ever, to the Ashmolean to see some old favourite paintings. So a good day.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
The trip in Oxford sounds heavenly. It's on my list of things to do, one day I'll go to the Ashmolean.

---

If you do get over Oxford way, let us know on here and a Ship-Meet might be possible! I would say that the Ashmolean really needs a day to itself - my usual tactic is to choose an area I haven't been into for a while and amble round it. (Except for the week when I was helping someone shepherd Year 5 classes round it... )

Despite the greyness of the weather I'm in a good mood. We have our first flowers in the garden. A large pot of snowdrops have started to bloom. Maybe by the end of next winter I'll have a tree ready to plant them under.

(edited as even with preview I still missed a typo!)

[ 31. January 2016, 14:38: Message edited by: Celtic Knotweed ]
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

Fun day in Oxford yesterday, lunch at Le Petit Blanc and a climb up the tower of St Michael at the North Gate, which is the gentlest of the three towers open to the public.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Have you tried the cupola of the Sheldonian? A very easy climb, a look at Wren's fascinating roof, and then hidden views of the historic heart of the place (it seems that I am learning to love it again... funny, that!).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
Wow, remind me not to play scrabble with you - I got 256. For the whole game.

---

Aha. My secret is to avoid words that score less than 30 points minimum. The game can take longer but I like seeing the little character do his dance. I'm not up to Piglet's standard though ...

---

I have had an embarrassing amount of practice ... I like it when he does his 40+ points dance, and gets excited if you get a word of seven or more letters.

I don't know Oxford at all - I've been there once and all I can remember was that I was suffering from a filthy headache at the time, and we went into a pub so that I could get a glass of water to put down a couple of paracetamol. Not really the introduction to a place that one would choose.

Because D. comes from East Anglia (and did his PGCE in Cambridge) we've always gone for the Light Blue: if we're there when the choirs are singing, a pilgrimage to King's and/or St. John's for Evensong is de rigueur.
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Plus I went to see ISIHAC* at the Brighton Dome.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Have you tried the cupola of the Sheldonian? A very easy climb, a look at Wren's fascinating roof, and then hidden views of the historic heart of the place (it seems that I am learning to love it again... funny, that!).

---

Yes, I missed Oxford a lot once I left. I haven't been up the cupola of the Sheldonian. I haven't done Carfax Tower yet either; the stairs always put me off and these days I seem to have less of a head for heights, but it might be worth a go one day. St Mary the Virgin has great views if you can stand the endless narrow spiral staircases (there isn't room for people to pass each other coming up and down) and the vertiginousness of it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Because D. comes from East Anglia (and did his PGCE in Cambridge) we've always gone for the Light Blue: if we're there when the choirs are singing, a pilgrimage to King's and/or St. John's for Evensong is de rigueur.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lucia:
I used to work very close to the Ashmolean museum so would sometimes go in at lunchtime to wander around, seeing different sections of it in bite sized chunks! One of the good thing about free entry to museums - you don't feel you have to do it all in one go. I don't know if it is still free these days?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Plus I went to see ISIHAC* at the Brighton Dome.

---

How the Hell did you manage to get tickets?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I think you have to attend a whole series of "Quote, Unquote" to get into the ballot for a recording of ISIHAC.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

Let us know if you feel like a shipmeet when you're back. There are usually prix fixe menus in some good places which are value for money, and special offers pop up now and again.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lucia:
What do you UK based shipmates think will be the biggest changes we notice?

---

It used to rain a lot - now it rains all the time!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I could say that about the last time we were in Cambridge. It absolutely chucked it down all day, and because there was some kind of University thing going on at King's, the queue to get in to Evensong went from the Chapel entrance to the porter's gate halfway down the next side of the quad.

I was a very soggy piglet by the time we got in, but it was worth it.

Usually the weather phenomenon I associate with Cambridge is cold - the wind there comes straight from Siberia - but I don't mind; if I'm well wrapped up I love Cambridge on a crisp, dry, cold November day.


 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lucia:
What do you UK based shipmates think will be the biggest changes we notice?

---

It used to rain a lot - now it rains all the time!

---

Terry Wogan won't be doing Children In Need...
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Plus I went to see ISIHAC* at the Brighton Dome.

---

How the Hell did you manage to get tickets?

---

I reckon CK has cultivated an Inside Track. Not easy mind, I think you have to attend a whole series of "Quote, Unquote" to get into the ballot for a recording of ISIHAC.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lucia:
What do you UK based shipmates think will be the biggest changes we notice?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lucia:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:

Let us know if you feel like a shipmeet when you're back. There are usually prix fixe menus in some good places which are value for money, and special offers pop up now and again.

---

Yes, I like the idea of Shipmeet! The only time I've met up with any Shippies was at Greenbelt a few years ago. Might have to wait until we've got our life in order a bit. I can't quite imagine what it is going to be like living in the UK again after 10 years away! (Even though we've been back to visit each summer) What do you UK based shipmates think will be the biggest changes we notice?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
My last time that I was in the UK was longer ago, but one of the big differences I saw coming back is that all pubs are now part of chains.

---

No, not all. But it's heading that way.
 

---

Posted by mrs whibley (# 4798) on :
 
As someone who has recently returned to England after 13 years in Scotland...
There are a lot of speed cameras. And the ambulances are really really day-glo bright. And there seems to be a bit of a thing for tribute acts (still) in that they seem to be able to fill venues that the acts themselves would struggle with. And the food is much better than I remember!
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
I've been visiting England as a tourist for about 25 years (I think this coming summer will be my 13th time). Sometimes people who visit occasionally notice things that people who live there don't, because they happen gradually. I think the biggest differences I've noticed over the years are the increased number of chain stores, and stores that are open on Sundays.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Every time we come "home" we seem to notice more new buildings: Kirkwall, where I grew up, has ballooned in the 28 years since we left. The town centre hasn't changed all that much (they're hardly going to dismantle a 12th-century cathedral ) but on the periphery a new road or row of new houses always seems to have sprung up since last time.

I'd agree that the eateries have improved: these days even fairly ordinary-looking pubs in England serve very good food (and mostly at very reasonable prices), and there are a few excellent restaurant chains.
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
No more Woolworths, more poundland and more Tescos. Nearly every town in England has Tescos.

---

On a tangent, there seems to be a peculiar British thing that we put an S on the end of supermarket names for some reason. I've also heard people refer to Aldis, Lidls, Asdas and in the old days Safeways when they were still around. Oddly, it never seems to happen to Waitrose though. Maybe they're too posh for that sort of thing.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
It's because of Sainsbury's. That's how their company logo has it.

[ 02. February 2016, 07:28: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Sainsbury's makes sense as its someone's name, as is Morrison.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That's a good point: now that I think about it, I would refer to "Tesco's" (and probably Lidl's and Aldi's), but not to "Costco's".

I suppose the fact that Waitrose ends with an "s" sound makes it seem like a possessive already.

I wonder if their greengrocery department spells it "Waitro's"?
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I do my shopping at Co-op's.
 

---

Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
I hadn't spotted the rogue "S". Have I sinned by missing an apostrophe out of some of them??
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
I hadn't spotted the rogue "S". Have I sinned by missing an apostrophe out of some of them??

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
It used to rain a lot - now it rains all the time!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
An Englishman visiting from the USA who'd been living there for some years remarked on how multicultural it had become.

I think it's also become quite a lot more security conscious than it used to be. CCTV is almost everywhere now, as well as a more visible police presence in cities, and bag searches at tourist attractions. The armed police at major railway stations can be disconcerting but they are also reassuring.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
After just three years away in the mid-nineties I returned and immediately thought "Have they all forgotten how to drive???" Maybe it's a function of crowded roads, higher performance cars, young people with money, old people still driving but, whatever, driving had got worse. And we had been living beside the Mediterranean.

---

I suspect it will still have some way to go to compete with Tunisian driving. More to the point we will need to remember to drive in the British way! If we drove in the UK the way we do here I suspect we would be liable to either cause an accident or provoke a road rage incident...

Thank you for all your other comments. On our summer visits I too had noticed how many of the same shop chains are everywhere! And now all the supermarkets seem to have their mini stores all over the place as well as the giant superstores.
 

---

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Following a particularly manic January, we took ourselves off for a long weekend in Bordeaux.

The weather was filthy. Consequently we spent much time on the inside of various eateries . I had been sick with a nasty virus thing and not wanted to eat much of anything last week, but over the weekend well and truly got my appetite back. I highly recommend a completely unexceptional looking brasserie near the cathedral where for the princely sum of 13 euros you can get steak and chips, dessert and coffee. 'Twas yummy.

Sunday we saw some relatives. This also involved patronising a restaurant and sampling the local booze. I am now completely fooded out.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That sounds like my sort of weekend, La Vie - glad to hear you were feeling well enough to enjoy it.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Oh dear - I seem to have been head hunted. Another headteacher has seen the art work I've done in my school (I teach just one afternoon a week) I have agreed to do another afternoon each week for her.

It's a battle to stay retired!!


 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Just make sure your head stays firmly on your shoulders Good luck!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thought the Scrabblists among you would like to know - I just got 175 points in Scrabble Blast for FIZZ.

One of the "Z"s on a double-letter square, the other on a triple-letter, and the "F" on a triple-word square.

How often is that going to happen?
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Well done you!

I'm still trying to beat my personal best of 1237 in three rounds. It ain't easy but actually it does sharpen up your thinking and improve your vocabulary. As well as spark creativity as you "discover" words that apparently don't exist, but ought to. So thanks for that.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
That game really is an incredible time waster, I love it!

Aussie guest has gone - we got up at 02:00 to run him to the station as his train was at 03:35! I've since checked and it arrived almost on time after a run of 48 hours and a couple of thousand kilometres.

Also last night was a party preparatory to a wedding today - the music was horribly loud but it is all over now. The food at the feast is best not discussed!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Ariel's right - word games definitely improve the mind. Especially cryptic crossword puzzles* - we often find ourselves building up a word from the elements in the clue, and looking it up to find if it actually exists ...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... The food at the feast is best not discussed!

---

Because it was (a) so good we'll all be envious; (b) so bad you don't even want to think about it; or (c) so abundant that you can't move?



* The Grauniad is particularly good, and their entire on-line crossword archive is free, unlike the Times and the Torygraph.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Sadly it was [b] - and we didn't go back to the wedding reception itself today as we couldn't face more of the same.

I have just heard the drums welcoming back bride and groom as the first night, or sometimes more, is spent at the bride's home.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Ariel's right - word games definitely improve the mind. Especially cryptic crossword puzzles* - we often find ourselves building up a word from the elements in the clue, and looking it up to find if it actually exists ...

---

This is where I fall down. I generally think of myself as a reasonably intelligent chap, but I've never managed to successfully get a single cryptic clue! I try every now and then. Maybe after seeing the answer, I can see how 1 in 4 works, but most remain a mystery even after you know the answer. I stick to Sudoku - pure logic.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Part of the key to cryptic crosswords is practice: once you've been doing them for a wee while, you get to know the "code". Roman numerals, abbreviations, musical terms, chemical symbols, acronyms, knowing that STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS ...

It doesn't hurt to be good at solving anagrams (apparently more likely if your left eye is the dominant one. No - I don't understand that either). A good trick for anagram-solving (passed on to me by a late fellow-cruciverbalist) is to write the letters to be sorted out in a circle, with the letter "E" (if there is one) in the middle.

There are also what D. and I call "crossword words" which seem to crop up regularly in crosswords but rarely in Real Life™, such as EYOT, UPAS (a kind of poisonous tree) and EGRET.

Oh yes, and 24 down is usually either ETNA or ANTE.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
I've seen those in retrospect, but it's never clear precisely which words in the clue form the anagram. It might a 6 letter word you're after, but the clue contains three 6 letter words. As a mathematician by training, I'm inclined first to calculate the number of permutations and if it seems to be a reasonable, I write them all systematically and see if any fit.

Yet some people can read something like "The fourth crow flies at midnight in this Siberian breakfast" and in 10 seconds work out the answer is "Titanic".
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
734 in Ariel's Scrabble. A nice way of killing time.

But please carry on.
 

---

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Eeeek - Piglet's game, really. Sorry!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sipech:
Yet some people can read something like "The fourth crow flies at midnight in this Siberian breakfast" and in 10 seconds work out the answer is "Titanic".

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

Can anyone answer me as to why a quick dash to the supermarket can so often end up costing more that a planned visit?

---

I can. It's because it's not a planned visit! Far more scope for impulse buys. Planned visits = lists and sensible head

I don't speak from experience as Mr Boogs is the chef and thus does all the food shopping, but that's what I'm told. When Mr Boogs is away I do all my shopping online.

I do go in shops regularly with the pup - but I pretend to shop and concentrate on training, which is fine. I hate hate shopping. I've never been to the Trafford Centre and I never will!
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
How does 'over' clue backwards?
 

---

Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Curiosity, I miss Auracaria too! I used to love his jigsaw puzzles - you'd think you could never get there - but he always left a clue as to where to start!

LeRoc - the "over" in the clue tells you to reverse a word, in this case "flow". Which equals Wolf.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Nicodemia: LeRoc - the "over" in the clue tells you to reverse a word

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
After a while, the board just clogs up with letters you can't use. And it didn't let me use the word 'wanker'.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
...I've never been to the Trafford Centre and I never will!

---

I've been, many years ago, and it was even worse than I feared it might be - and the appalling pastiche architecture is quite
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
Is there a link for this game?
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Here's the Scrabble Blast link, Sipech.

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I am still to break the barrier of 1000 points on piglet’s game ...

---

I managed 2113 points last night - probably more by luck than judgement. I'm an Initiate!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity Killed:
Can you tell I miss Araucaria?

---

Don't we all?
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Ariel: If the board clogs up with letters you can't use, just click on "exchange".

---

quote:

---

Sipech: Is there a link for this game?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

---

Sipech: Is there a link for this game?

---

Are you sure??

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
* the answer is wolf - because it's flow backwards, clued by the "over".

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
But can't you just keep clicking on exchange then until you find a nice juicy word that will give you a lot of points?

---

quote:

---

Ariel: No, because it's got a timer on it so you can only do it once per round. Or something.

---

That's better. At least then you have to think strategically about when to use it.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Absolutely. I usually try not to use it until I'm halfway through the round, but sometimes you have no choice.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
To revert to the topic of the weather, there have been hours of rain and gales which have brought down trees and flooded various bits of the country. I don't envy anyone trying to travel anywhere this evening.

Went out for lunch today in a Thai restaurant where they do an all-you-can-eat buffet. I hadn't been there for a few years but it was just the same as I remembered and still very pleasant. Chinese New Year is this weekend - I'm hoping that I might be able to catch a glimpse of a dragon somewhere. The London celebrations always look wonderful, but seem so crowded that (like the Notting Hill Carnival) I've never actually gone to them.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I suspect that we're all still reeling from the side-effects of that storm that hit the eastern US the other week: we've had fairly wildly fluctuating temperatures and it was blowing a hoolie here this morning (although later in the day it was cloudless and rather nice).

I think we're maybe gearing up for a spot of sn*w next week, although as yet I don't think they've decided just how much.

The less the merrier, if you ask me.
 

---

Posted by Kittyville (# 16106) on :
 
Just watching "Me and My Guide Dog" (the UK version). What amazing work the Guide Dog Association and puppy walkers like Boogie do! I support the NSW/ACT equivalent and I'm more glad than ever that I do.
 

---

Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Its stopped raining and the sun's out!
 

---

Posted by Chocoholic (# 4655) on :
 
Same here, but we are due more heavy rain and high winds later!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
I'm giving up storms for Lent.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kittyville:
Just watching "Me and My Guide Dog" (the UK version). What amazing work the Guide Dog Association and puppy walkers like Boogie do! I support the NSW/ACT equivalent and I'm more glad than ever that I do.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
I'm giving up storms for Lent.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chocoholic:
There seems to be some pre lent over indulgence going on.

---

Says who? Oh, you do!
 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
But blowy out, isn't it? Monday is my day off, but the combined effects of a bad night's sleep (thanks ferijen junior), growing a second ferijen junior, and the weather means I think we're in for a lazy afternoon. Not going to get my 10000 steps today...

But I've made lemon curd for the first time, and it is good. Very easy too, why have I waited this long? Help yourselves...
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You may not have noticed but I was away for the weekend and coming back on the train today half the carriage I was in was a big gang of mostly elderly Muslims going on Umrah - or a visit to The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a tour of the Islamic Holy Sites - but not Hajj, which can only occur once a year. It was a superb example of Herding Cats!

There was an elderly Muslim guy who appeared to be in charge, sort of, but oh were the folks disorganised! It was side-splittingly funny - this lovely old guy trying to sort all the identical bags of luggage and climbing on the seats to reach for them all - and then came the station before mine, the one nearest the airport, where the younger guys took all the luggage down to one doorway whilst the maitre-d' tried to get everybody lined up ready for exit. I think he was chosen because he was just so good-natured, although I couldn't understand the words I could follow bits of the conversation.

I'm glad we had the 15 break after leaving Angamaly for my sides and breath to recover before I had to get off at Aluva.

I have to add that sitting in an A/C compartment for four and a half hours is no sort of preparation for going out into the midday sun on arrival!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There appear to be little squitty white things falling from the sky outside here, but not in a very convincing way.

Having said that, the Weather Channel are offering us about 8" of sn*w between tonight and tomorrow, so if that falls at just the right time, i.e. if there's a decent accumulation by the morning, we may get a sn*w-day, which would be rather nice.

I could feel a pot of soup and a batch of rolls coming on ...

Pass some of that lemon-curd, Ferijen!
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
There appear to be little squitty white things falling from the sky outside here, but not in a very convincing way.

---

quote:

---

Sipech: Thanks for the Dr Who themed mental image.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
... these little dolls are made of our own body fat. I thought you'd like to know that.

---

You were wrong ...
 

---

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
No squitty white things here, but more than enough rain. I had to ring myself out when I got home. In compensation though I had a slice of lime, coconut and courgette cake which made up for the lousy weather.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Imogen has been pulling my hair until my scalp tingles. I caught sight of my reflection in a window at one point, looking like Medusa on a bad hair day. Glad it's mostly over now.

They do say "February fill-dike" and every available ditch, pond, puddle, pothole, dip in the road, etc etc has been well and truly filled with rain. Thank God the bus windows weren't open this evening.
 

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Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :
 
I'm selfishly thankful to have been out of reach of Imogen. Yes, I feel for those who have been caught out but well, in Cumbria we have had more than enough of storms. I hope everyone is safe and with power and little or no damage.
 

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Posted by moonlitdoor (# 11707) on :
 
I've been getting quite a bit of Donald Trump related spam emails lately. Has anyone else been getting it ? It's not about politics, it has titles like Donald Trump's secret for increasing your concentration levels, or improving your eyesight.

I'm not sure who is behind it or what I did to get on their list.
 

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Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
Well. I've heard the saying about being cursed with interesting times..

We have parent's evenings this week at my school, and my class (or rather some of their parents) are currently doing their best to re-enact EastEnders in terms of personal drama...and then at lunch time we had the Ofsted phone call. It's that moment when the message comes round: all staff to the staffroom at 12:15, and you Just Know. Still, we're more than ready, so I think for most people the attitude is, let's do this thing.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonlitdoor:
It's not about politics, it has titles like Donald Trump's secret for increasing your concentration levels, or improving your eyesight.

---

This sounds great. I'd love to know what Donald Trump's secret for improving your eyesight is, but as it's a secret, I'll probably have to go on wondering.

In other news, just finished making a small pile of Scotch pancakes. Looking forward to a Shrove Tuesday breakfast tomorrow.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
... just finished making a small pile of Scotch pancakes ...

---

I'll be right over. Shall I bring jam? We were given several assorted jars of home-made jam for Christmas, so I seem to have half a larder-full of the stuff.

The threatened blizzard hasn't started yet (they're now offering us around a foot of snow); it's nearly midnight now, and if it doesn't get a move on it won't have come to enough to give us a snow-day.

Mind you, once it starts, it can sometimes accumulate at quite a lick ...
 

---

Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
WW, when we were in Russia last year, we arrived at a very crowded Leningradsky station simultaneously with an Indian tour group. The situation you describe was mirrored there. Is it an ingrained cultural trait?
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonfruit:
It's that moment when the message comes round: all staff to the staffroom at 12:15, and you Just Know. Still, we're more than ready, so I think for most people the attitude is, let's do this thing.

---

Oh dear, my sympathies. There is an F in Ofsted
ah well, they come then they go.
 

---

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :
 
Not easy, I know ... but better than the old days when you knew that the announcement meant four months of pressure and stress before the Inspection itself. (My wife was an Acting Head, so she Knows).

[ 09. February 2016, 08:08: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Today I made that pasta dish with Mascarpone, Gorgonzola and Parmesan and I have to say that it was pretty darned good - but I am so glad we bought that machine that removes all the calories and cholesterol - worth every penny!
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Care to pass on more details WW?
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonfruit:
It's that moment when the message comes round: all staff to the staffroom at 12:15, and you Just Know. Still, we're more than ready, so I think for most people the attitude is, let's do this thing.

---

Oh dear, my sympathies. There is an F in Ofsted
ah well, they come then they go.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonfruit:
It's that moment when the message comes round: all staff to the staffroom at 12:15, and you Just Know. Still, we're more than ready, so I think for most people the attitude is, let's do this thing.

---

Oh dear, my sympathies. There is an F in Ofsted
ah well, they come then they go.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonfruit:
After a day of Ofsted, we're still smiling. And very, very tired. But mostly smiling.

I can see Friday afternoon involving a DVD, and me sat at the back of the classroom with a cup of tea.

---

Well done - aaaand relax!

It's amazing how good children are at watching anything on a screen, isn't it?
 

---

Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :
 
Praying for you all Moonfruit
Keep smiling and roll on Friday!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Glad to hear you're still smiling, Moonfruit!
 

---

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Happy Birthday Piglet!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks, St. E!

We went to Mallard Cottage for dinner to celebrate, and very good it was too.

He started with root-vegetable soup, and I had fish cakes with turnip greens and a mustard-seed sauce; and for main courses I had duck leg in a light curry sauce with ginger beetroot and he had up-market bangers and mash, all of which was washed down with a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.

It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it; the only points they lost were for the dishes not being warmed. The main courses were served in cast-iron Le Crueset oven dishes like this, and while we wouldn't have wanted them to be really hot, they could have done with being warm; D. reckoned that if you're paying $29 for bangers & mash it really ought to be properly hot.

It seems to be an almost universal failing over here: even in upmarket places, the plates are rarely warmed (and the white wine is often not nearly cold enough, although that wasn't a problem tonight).

Still, I'd rate it at least 9½ out of 10.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Here we are in Heidelberg again after an incredibly easy journey plane~train~train. Now for a couple of weissbiers with Boogielet1.


 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I love Heidelberg; haven't been there for a while. Enjoy!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

It seems to be an almost universal failing over here: even in upmarket places, the plates are rarely warmed

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Is this a north American thing?

---

I think it may be; we have a friend who's rather up-herself about food and cooking* but when we eat at her house, not only the plates but the serving dishes are Not Warm, and in five minutes, neither is the food.



* Think Hyacinth Bucket; I don't think she actually has hand-painted periwinkles, but you get the idea.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Was flipping channels last night. Don't watch much TV and there was nothing to encourage me to watch anything. Then flipped past Fawlty Towers re-runs and discovered Mrs Bucket followed. I must have seen both shows multiple times, but enjoyed both of these even though I remembered what came next.
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Fawlty Towers is still brilliant and I can watch it over and over, but I'm afraid Keeping Up Appearances I've never found remotely funny. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever found anyrhing written by Roy Clarke remotely funny.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Keeping Up Appearances has brought a smile to my face a couple of times. It had some good comical actors. But it was basically telling the same joke over and over again, by going completely over the top. There are limits to how many times that can be funny.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I agree about Hyacinth but it has been many years since I saw an episode so could cope with one.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
I must say I rather liked Keeping Up Appearances because the characters were all so familiar from growing up in 80's/90's suburbia. Hyacinth is just a slight exaggeration of my Mum.
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
Has the Post Office changed its delivery times? I posted a birthday card to a friend in England yesterday and was told that second class post would take 3-4 working days, i.e. it would arrive on Monday or Tuesday and that if wanted it to arrive before Tuesday, I'd have to post first class.

I thought first class was one to two days and second class was two to three? Where did this fourth day come from?

His birthday is on Saturday, apparently last Tuesday was the last date to post second class safely.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you want to privatise the Royal Mail you cut funding and cut funding until it is all so inefficient that BINGO There Is No Alternative.

[The next sentence is deleted because nothing I could possibly say can be said politely!]
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
Fawlty Towers is still brilliant and I can watch it over and over, but I'm afraid Keeping Up Appearances I've never found remotely funny. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever found anyrhing written by Roy Clarke remotely funny.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by North East Quine:
Has the Post Office changed its delivery times? I posted a birthday card to a friend in England yesterday and was told that second class post would take 3-4 working days, i.e. it would arrive on Monday or Tuesday and that if wanted it to arrive before Tuesday, I'd have to post first class.

I thought first class was one to two days and second class was two to three? Where did this fourth day come from?

His birthday is on Saturday, apparently last Tuesday was the last date to post second class safely.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
eta: I'd pay a king's ransom for a channel devoted to the output of Hat Trick Productions, especially Chelmsford 123, Drop the Dead Donkey and Have I Got News for You.

---

Ooh. You do and I'll be right round on the doorstep. Three of my favourite programmes in one sentence!
 

---

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
I did a Drop the Dead Donkey re-watch not that long since and it still holds up. It's amazingly topical still even though it was 20 years (20 YEARS!) ago.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks, A-in-E - now I feel truly ancient.

Having discovered that the bread-machine was leaking (the spindly thing that holds the paddle had come loose and wouldn't stay put), we've invested in a new one. After some fairly intensive research on t'interweb, D. went and had a foray round an actual shop and found a bigger version of the old one (two paddles rather than one) reduced from $150 to $90, and bought it. Although it's bigger, it still fits into the same bit of counter-space.

As it's used at least once most weeks, and bearing in mind the saving we make* by not buying any bread, it shouldn't take too long to pay for itself.

* 10kg of flour costs less than $10, and will make about 45 French sticks; that would cost about $135 to buy. Anyway, making them yourself is just so therapeutic.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We had a lovely day in the sunshine walking down the river Neckar, stopping at coffee shops and meeting Mike`s many friends. Today is his 30th (!) birthday party
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Piglet: Although it's bigger, it still fits into the same bit of counter-space.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
I did a Drop the Dead Donkey re-watch not that long since and it still holds up. It's amazingly topical still even though it was 20 years (20 YEARS!) ago.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
I did a Drop the Dead Donkey re-watch not that long since and it still holds up. It's amazingly topical still even though it was 20 years (20 YEARS!) ago.

---

I did the same recently. I noticed a very interesting comment about Jimmy Savile in one of the episodes. The general public didn't know then what we know now, but watching that episode now I realise that they were playing very close to,the edge with that joke.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

---

Piglet: Although it's bigger, it still fits into the same bit of counter-space.

---

It's bigger on the inside!

---

It's a TARDIS bread-machine! I reckon its "footprint" is slightly longer than the old one, but not any wider, which suits the space fine. I've just taken my first batch of French sticks made in it out of the oven, and they look (and smell) v. nice. I can feel some bread-and-jam coming on - do help yourselves.

I've had quite a productive day: before making the bread, I coloured my hair, sorted the laundry* and made a paella for lunch.

Domestic Goddess Piglet is back!

* Ironing may have to wait - I'm not that much of a goddess ...
 

---

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
My ambitions as a domestic goddess have taken a sharp downturn as our oven (fitted last July!) no longer has an effectively-functioning thermostat. Having noticed that we'd had a week or so of exceedingly well done meals (read: burnt offerings ) we bought an oven thermometer and, being scientifically-trained, plotted a graph which showed that at 50 degrees on the oven the actual temperature was about 100 - and so on.

Emailed customer services with these details, and then rang them after two days of non-response. They managed to send an engineer out after a week (!) who then announced that yes indeed the thermostat needed to be replaced but he hadn't got one

I asked him why - when I'd gone to the trouble of explaining exactly what was wrong - customer services hadn't thought to make sure he had a thermostat of the correct spec before he came out, and his answer was that they didn't have time to do it! I am flabbergasted that it is apparently cheaper to send an engineer and van out for an hour, and then make him do the same thing again when the ruddy thing turns up, than to get the customer service department to do it from the comfort of their own computer screens!

(He's supposed to return next Friday to replace it. Every time I use it I'm hovering over the cooker, watching the thermometer - currently, at an indicated 75 degrees, the oven reads 200 or so!)

Sorry - rant over - but I can only slaver longingly over anyone's recipes at the moment. I suppose my oven would be brilliant for baked Alaska, but there's no chance of ordinary meringues!

The frustrated Mrs. S
 

---

Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Mrs.S you have my sympathies! Trouble is, its US who pay for the crazy inefficiency of these people!

Can you use the microwave instead? Not the same, but you can usually see what its doing!
 

---

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Have mercy upon us, miserable sinners - it must be Lent, we sang the Litany this morning. Not greeted with universal joy by some of the congregation but, as the PP pointed out, it is meant to be a penitential season!
 

---

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nicodemia:
Mrs.S you have my sympathies! Trouble is, its US who pay for the crazy inefficiency of these people!

Can you use the microwave instead? Not the same, but you can usually see what its doing!

---

I could and do, Nicodemia, and the slow cooker is invaluable - but I would really like my oven back!

Thanks for your sympathies, they are appreciated, and I know I'm luckier than so, so many people - my MiL, f'rinstance, who cooked for years on two electric rings ...

Mrs. S, counting her blessings
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by L'organist:
Have mercy upon us, miserable sinners - it must be Lent, we sang the Litany this morning. Not greeted with universal joy by some of the congregation but, as the PP pointed out, it is meant to be a penitential season!

---

We did as well, complete with a mystery procession. I'm sure the thurifer was making up the route as he went along.

[ 14. February 2016, 16:33: Message edited by: Spike ]
 

---

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Glad to hear someone else out there still uses The Litany: do you do the whole thing, or stop at before The Lord's Prayer?

It being a Eucharist, we finished just before the Lord's Prayer and then continued with the rest of the service (Litany took the place of the intercessions). However, when we have it at a Matins we do the whole thing.

Oddly enough, our Junior Choristers don't mind it - they particularly like the bit about batttle, murder and sudden death!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Here it's done in procession on the second Sunday of Lent and the second Sunday of Advent. I rather like it.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Just waiting for the train now to take us to the airport. We've had a smashing few days visiting Mike's many friends of a great variety of nationalities and ages. What do they all have in common? - they love to party! I have never been to so many parties in such a short space of time!

Home now for a rest
 

---

Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
It's half term. Bliss. I have celebrated, as it were, by actually cleaning my flat somewhat. In all the madness of the past two weeks, it resembled something of a dumping ground, which is kind of what happens when you come in, dump bag, shower, bed. And repeat for the best part of a week. Still, it looks much better now, and I'm looking forward to a week of peace and quiet!
 

---

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by moonfruit:
It's half term. Bliss. I have celebrated, as it were, by actually cleaning my flat somewhat. In all the madness of the past two weeks, it resembled something of a dumping ground, which is kind of what happens when you come in, dump bag, shower, bed. And repeat for the best part of a week. Still, it looks much better now, and I'm looking forward to a week of peace and quiet!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
I love school holidays. The roads are clear. I wish schools were on holiday every week.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
... I love school holidays. The roads are clear ...

---

When we lived in Carrickfergus, our commute into Belfast was always noticeably shorter during the school holidays, despite the fact that during term-time most of the cars didn't appear to have schoolchildren in them.

Never quite worked that one out.
 

---

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
... I love school holidays. The roads are clear ...

---

When we lived in Carrickfergus, our commute into Belfast was always noticeably shorter during the school holidays, despite the fact that during term-time most of the cars didn't appear to have schoolchildren in them.

Never quite worked that one out.

---

Lots of people work term time only or take time off during school holidays.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
True enough, KLB, but the difference always seemed more dramatic than that. Not that we minded, you understand - it certainly made the journey less fraught.

It seems to be getting a bit blustrous outside. Possibly not surprising considering that this morning it was -12° and by Wednesday it's supposed to go up to +7° - swift changes from warm to cold air tend to make the atmosphere move about a bit.

Winter's really not over yet ...
 

---

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
As my sainted MiL used to remark, it's cold enough for a row of daffodils here!

She would also refer to 'cold enough for a walking stick' - ah, how I miss those bizarre Lincolnshire expressions...

Mrs. S, glad to be in here rather than out there with the daffodils
 

---

Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
My MIL would always say "its as black as Newgate's knocker" when a dark storm was brewing.

Obviously those in the East of England (She was Kent born and bred) can find great expressions to illustrate their every day speech!!
 

---

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Nicodemia, MiL's version was 'it's black over the back of Bill's mother's' - though whether Bill was related to everyone's Uncle Bob, I couldn't tell you.

Mrs. S, still shivering in the nithering* cold

* another of MiL's words ...
 

---

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
It’s gone distinctly parky here as well. Just as the heating decides to play up. The bugger is that it is a central system running through the whole building so it doesn’t get sorted out until the management are prevailed upon to do something about it.

On the other hand, on Saturday night we are having a Star Wars theme party. I have been making my very own fluffy Ewok outfit so I should be lovely and warm. Our poor cleaner is also going to be hoovering up faux fur for about the next six months .
 

---

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Another part of Blighty that is distinctly chilly...although the frost has melted from my car, now! And there is a blue sky - yay! and sunshine - double yay!

Kettle will be in on a couple of minutes - anyone for tea?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've been looking at hotels in a town a couple of hours away today and it was definitely NOT parky! The place is a bit like Swindon or Crewe in that it owes its existence solely to the railway junction - but on a rather smaller scale. Some nice hotels, as well as some decidedly grotty ones, so the trip was a success - now to book the tickets: out on Sunday morning and back on Monday morning. I know it's an extravagance but I'll go air-con both ways - I've decided I deserve it!
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Did you physically look at the hotels? And now you're booking a ticket to go there again?

It doesn't like an exciting place to be, unless perhaps you're interested in trains?
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
... I have been making my very own fluffy Ewok outfit ...

---

According to the Law of Murphy, that should guarantee that they'll have fixed the heating by then ...

We were observing on the way to w*rk today that the snow we had at the weekend must have been more substantial than we thought at the time. It never really looked like a proper blizzard (although it lasted quite a while), but the heaps ploughed up on the pavements and street corners would suggest otherwise.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
It’s gone distinctly parky here as well. Just as the heating decides to play up.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Nicodemia, MiL's version was 'it's black over the back of Bill's mother's' - though whether Bill was related to everyone's Uncle Bob, I couldn't tell you.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jack the Lass:

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Nicodemia, MiL's version was 'it's black over the back of Bill's mother's' - though whether Bill was related to everyone's Uncle Bob, I couldn't tell you.

---

The Northamptonshire equivalent is very close to that: "It's a bit black over Bill's mother's". I thought everyone said that, till I moved to London and my then flatmates looked at me like I was an idiot when I said it.

You'll no doubt be unsurprised to learn that it's a bit parky in Scotland too today.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
Did you physically look at the hotels? And now you're booking a ticket to go there again?

It doesn't like an exciting place to be, unless perhaps you're interested in trains?

---

quote:

---

Welease Woderwick: One of the many advantages of retirement is that I can just go and do things on a whim if I fancy it.

---

Yeah, rub it in

Hope you have a good time with your friend.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Rain rain, pouring rain, 3 wet dogs steaming
 

---

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
posted by Welease Woderwick

quote:

---

One of the many advantages of retirement is that I can just go and do things on a whim if I fancy it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by L'organist:

Do things on a whim? Stay in a hotel on a whim? You have got to be kidding.

---

**passes coffee and cake to L'organist and suggests she sits down**

We are off to Majorca on a whim - I am with Wodders, whims are great! I taught 10 year olds for 40 years - I deserve the occasional whim - haha
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
The cheapest hotel I ever stayed in was in Honduras. It cost around 30p a night. The walls between the rooms didn't go up to the ceiling, so you had a nice hearing of what happened next door. In the room to my left, three people were having a card game and threatening each other over money (they probably had arms). In the room of my right, two men were discussing how to take turns with the prostitute they had brought into the room.

Erm …
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...and return fare from Local Larger Town to Strange Rail Junction in unreserved 72 pence!

And have no fear, I know just how fortunate I am and it feels embarrassing sometimes - if I had remained in UK I think I would have had to take another job after retirement as my pension is not that massive. Whether my mental health would have allowed such a thing at the time is a moot point but...

Ah well, I'm here and I'm managing, most of the time, and I haven't had an antidepressant in many years - and at 66, soon to be 67, am probably unemployable!
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I'm sure that a good curry counts as an antidepressant.
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I'm sure that a good curry counts as an antidepressant.

---

It's certainly good as an antidote to constipation.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I suspect I'm going to have to work until I drop; although I have a frozen pension from the time I worked in Northern Ireland,* I had 7 years here when I wasn't eligible to work, and we couldn't afford to put anything away, and as I'm only part-time I doubt if anything I get from my present job will amount to much.

If you move abroad, you take a gamble - there are certain countries where British pensions are not index-linked, and Canada is one of them. There's a group of expat pensioners trying to get the Government to iron out this inequality, but without any success so far.

Ironically, an advert just appeared in my computer's side-bar saying "Retire on $1300 Per Month - The Best Places to Retire in 2016", but when I clicked on it, it wanted me to sign up for something.

Just as well I love my job - I may be doing it for some time ...

Schoolteachers here seem to get a very good deal - once they have 30 years' service, they can retire on a very generous pension, so many will be retired not long after hitting 50.

* The date on which I become eligible for this seems to get later every time they send me any information.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I have worked in 8–9 countries by now and my pensions are definitely a mess. I have no idea how much I'll receive and when.
 

---

Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on :
 
I've decided to try and get to Mass at least once during the week during Lent. I turned up today and discovered that there is a bring and share lunch after Mass on Wednesday. A nice surprise and a chance to get to meet some other parishioners (I haven't been going to this church long).
As for pensions my solution is that we sell up and move somewhere much cheaper when we finally stop working, house prices in our area of London being a bit on the silly side.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Brace yourselves - it looks as if you may be in for a bit of weather.

quote:

---

Met Office forecasters are predicting up to two inches, (5 cm), of snow on higher ground and 2cm on lower ground.

---

That would barely register over here.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The kids here would love a snow day!
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
We had about 1 cm snow on Sunday afternoon and night in the White Peak - pretty icing on the hills, not great to be out in when it came down. It was all pretty much melted by 10am on Monday, barring the odd patch in the shade.

The White Peak is the southern bit of the Peak District, which is mostly limestone villages, stone walls and fields, in contrast the the peat moorland of the northern Dark Peak.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
When I was growing up in Orkney, which despite its latitude doesn't get that much snow, we reckoned it was a pretty duff winter if we didn't get a snow-day or two.

In the 15 years we lived in Belfast, I think we probably had a total of about 6 inches of snow; although there were places out in the country that would get more, it really was a rarity in the city. When we got a light dusting (less than half an inch) one Christmas Eve, it excited the choristers no end; some of the younger ones had never seen snow before.

It did, of course, bring the entire province to a standstill ...
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
When I lived in Belfast in the late '60s, there was no measurable snow for two years. Then I had a baby and had to push a pram. We had a enough snow after that to make things difficult.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Not that I can speak from experience, but I should imagine than even the slightest wee squit of snow would make manoeuvring a pram difficult.

I was just about to go into Domestic Goddess mode and make a batch of red pepper jelly (I'd even got the sugar measured out) when I discovered that I only had half a cup of vinegar, so D's been dispatched to the supermarket ...

Oops.

brainless piglet
 

---

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Not that I can speak from experience, but I should imagine than even the slightest wee squit of snow would make manoeuvring a pram difficult.

---

From experience, fresh snow is just fine. Frozen over virgin snow is a bit heavy going, but doable. Snow that has been frozen in ruts because there was foot / pram / bicycle traffic yesterday, it froze overnight, and the selfish git who owns the house next to that stretch of footpath hasn't been out to shovel it, on the other hand, is really really bad.

(I imagine a sliver cross-style pram with large wheels would do rather better on that than the typical collapsible design with small plastic swivelly wheels.)

Once or twice, the snow was sufficiently deep that I left the pram at home and strapped the baby onto a sled.

[ 19. February 2016, 06:08: Message edited by: Leorning Cniht ]
 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
We've only had one winter with any snow since we've had a buggy/pray thingy. It was brilliant at cleaning the wheels! (But I've got one which is quite off roady with big chunky wheels).

Heavy frost here today. Going to ace to de-ice the cars. But a half day as I'm taking my godson and his brother to the theatre this afternoon
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Good morning all, frosty and clear(ish) here. Tatze loves the frost and skids around the decking like a child would
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
Not that I can speak from experience, but I should imagine than even the slightest wee squit of snow would make manoeuvring a pram difficult.

---

From experience, fresh snow is just fine. Frozen over virgin snow is a bit heavy going, but doable. Snow that has been frozen in ruts because there was foot / pram / bicycle traffic yesterday, it froze overnight, and the selfish git who owns the house next to that stretch of footpath hasn't been out to shovel it, on the other hand, is really really bad.

(I imagine a sliver cross-style pram with large wheels would do rather better on that than the typical collapsible design with small plastic swivelly wheels.)

Once or twice, the snow was sufficiently deep that I left the pram at home and strapped the baby onto a sled.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Anything refrozen is evil. It belongs in a glass with strong drink ...

---

Absolutely, SS - the drink in question being GIN.
 

---

Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Anything refrozen is evil. It belongs in a glass with strong drink ...

---

Absolutely, SS - the drink in question being GIN.

---

Oh, yes - it's GIN night tonight!

AND my oven was mended this morning *yippee*

Happy Friday, everyone -

Mrs. S, celebrating
 

---

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Intrepid Mrs S:
Oh, yes - it's GIN night tonight!

AND my oven was mended this morning *yippee*

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I'm not familiar with the oven method of imbibing gin. Could you please enlighten us?
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

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Sipech: I'm not familiar with the oven method of imbibing gin. Could you please enlighten us?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Anything refrozen is evil. It belongs in a glass with strong drink, not outdoors on paths and roads.

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... peas?

Enjoy your pea cocktail.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Now that does look evil.

Talking of odd things in drinks, I was watching a "How It's Made" programme on the Discovery channel this evening and the subject was a very small-scale, artisanal GIN distillery in Quebec. After the spirit had been distilled with the aromatics (juniper, obviously, and coriander seeds, lemon-peel and sundry other things) they steeped peeled, chopped parsnips in it before filtering and bottling it.



[ 20. February 2016, 01:59: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I don't drink any more but that sounds rather nice.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

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Sipech: I'm not familiar with the oven method of imbibing gin. Could you please enlighten us?

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Prepare a cake. Put it in the oven. Poor yourself a GIN and watch it rise.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
Now that does look evil.

Talking of odd things in drinks, I was watching a "How It's Made" programme on the Discovery channel this evening and the subject was a very small-scale, artisanal GIN distillery in Quebec. After the spirit had been distilled with the aromatics (juniper, obviously, and coriander seeds, lemon-peel and sundry other things) they steeped peeled, chopped parsnips in it before filtering and bottling it.

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Our local artisanal GIN distillery uses watercress, which I'm sure is nicer than parsnips The GIN is yummy, btw.

In celebrating the oven repair I finished off my bottle of Bathtub GIN, which leaves me only Bombay Sapphire, Bombay non-Sapphire, and something I made myself using vodka and botanicals (Mr. S's Christmas present to me, or one of them). It looks like something a vet might label 'this horse is unfit for work' but tastes okay, even if it doesn't taste much like GIN! Probably should have left the juniper in for longer

Mrs. S, decluttering the GIN cupboard
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
You can keep the gin, I'll gladly have a nice warming brandy any day instead. Beautiful colour, lovely aroma, and the pleasure of that delicious, deceptive flavour followed by a fiery warmth. It's an instant mood-lifter, especially in winter. Gin always seems so cold.

Anyway, the weekend beckoneth. I need to think about getting primer, undercoat and a paint scraper to do some essential redecorating on the outside of my mother's house when weather permits. I can't say I've ever actually stripped wooden surfaces and repainted them before, but hey, it'll be a new experience. (Though paint in my hair won't be.)
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Erm, Ariel, I don't know about down there but here we prefer brushes to using our hair for painting, it gives a smoother finish.


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Just using my head where these things are concerned.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
One not very well known disadvantage of owning cats - you can slip on their toys and possibly case a flake to be dislodged from a bone in your foot.

yes, fellow shipmates, that's what I did last night, and couldn't put any weight on my foot as a result. A (thankfully) quick trip to a&e this morning resulted in an x-ray and my foot being bandaged up, and an appointment for fracture clinic on Thursday.
Thankfully, we have a recliner chair, so I slept downstairs last night, joined by Annie, one of the feline culprits.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
That's lousy luck, St. Gwladys. I hope you're not in too much pain and that you've given the (ir)responsible pusses a stern word. Hope you heal quickly.

ION, I spent this morning at Wakefield Rhubarb Festival. A smaller than last year, I think, but I managed to come away with good pork pies, cheese and not surprisingly, rhubarb (there was also a sloe GIN stall). Lots of buskers and random people dressed as bears and French cooks. Several morris troupes were in evidence, including Goth morris dancers, which is a first for me. No accordionist, instead a purple-stripe-socked, steampunk-goggled ukulele player!
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Ouch, Sir G....that sounds painful.

Our 2 felines try and trip me up coming downstairs in the mornings...if I'm found cold at the bottom of the stairs, the cats have probably caused it.....
 

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Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :
 
I have a firned who tripped over her cat, fell down the stairs and has damaged her knee. Surgery does not seem to be called for, but she's cripped up for the duration. Those cats are dangerous!
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
That's lousy luck, St. Gwladys. I hope you're not in too much pain and that you've given the (ir)responsible pusses a stern word. Hope you heal quickly.

ION, I spent this morning at Wakefield Rhubarb Festival. A smaller than last year, I think, but I managed to come away with good pork pies, cheese and not surprisingly, rhubarb (there was also a sloe GIN stall). Lots of buskers and random people dressed as bears and French cooks. Several morris troupes were in evidence, including Goth morris dancers, which is a first for me. No accordionist, instead a purple-stripe-socked, steampunk-goggled ukulele player!

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We were also there, from mid day to when the liquid sunshine got a little too wet. Did not bump into you.

Looking forward to the 3 flavours of scotch salmon (whisky, port and sherry cures) and the pork and Wensleydale pie. LRP enjoyed the rhubarb GIN.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Poor St. G. - that really sounds nasty. Hope you feel better soon.

Having spent the latter half of yesterday and intermittent bits of last night nursing a hum-dinger of a headache, I've been a moderately productive piglet today - batches of French sticks and red pepper jelly made, and nails painted (black - channelling Gothick Piglet).

I'm not really a Goth, but I possess very few outfits that don't have some element (trousers, waistcoats, whatever) in black, and my default dress ring is one like this, so black usually looks right.

[ 21. February 2016, 02:10: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Oh dear, St. G, hope it heals soon, feet are nasty when something goes wrong! We depend on them so much!

Yet more rain. I can feel real depression setting in - think I'll just go back to bed until about April.
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Choral Matins today and a much larger congregation than usual, not sure why.

Anyway, they all seemed to enjoy the Jubilate to the setting by Stanford in C and Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace so maybe they'll be back.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by balaam:

quote:

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Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
That's lousy luck, St. Gwladys. I hope you're not in too much pain and that you've given the (ir)responsible pusses a stern word. Hope you heal quickly.

ION, I spent this morning at Wakefield Rhubarb Festival. A smaller than last year, I think, but I managed to come away with good pork pies, cheese and not surprisingly, rhubarb (there was also a sloe GIN stall). Lots of buskers and random people dressed as bears and French cooks. Several morris troupes were in evidence, including Goth morris dancers, which is a first for me. No accordionist, instead a purple-stripe-socked, steampunk-goggled ukulele player!

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We were also there, from mid day to when the liquid sunshine got a little too wet. Did not bump into you.

Looking forward to the 3 flavours of scotch salmon (whisky, port and sherry cures) and the pork and Wensleydale pie. LRP enjoyed the rhubarb GIN.

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Sorry to miss you, Balaam. I might have mentioned a shipmeet before, but going on the Saturday was a last minute decision. Hope you enjoyed yourself.

Happy to report that the rhubarb was very tasty over some brack (a fatless fruitcake from the Elizabeth Botham stall at the festival.
 

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Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :
 
I popped onto the board to answer a pm and thought I'd hop in here to says hello
Poor you, St. Gwladys! I hope you make a speedy recovery.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Hello HA! I was just thinking about you the other day and wondering how you're doing - great to see you back!
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Well I was wondering where you'd got to - good to see you here again!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Woohoo! - Hiya HA, good to see you.
 

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Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
Spent most of the weekend being quite excited, as I managed to book my first summer holiday for 6 years.

Need to get myself fit now as I'll be hiking/climbing around various bits of Switzerland on a 3 centre holiday; travelling by train between the resorts.

Any advice you folks have for travelling around Switzerland would be good. Things to go and do. I'll probably take some Karl Barth to read along the way, but any other appropriate reading recommendations are welcome.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

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Sipech: Any advice you folks have for travelling around Switzerland would be good.

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quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

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Sipech: Any advice you folks have for travelling around Switzerland would be good.

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Bring plenty of money.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
Get ready to try your French, Italian and German

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Je peu parle un petit peu de Francais, Italiano no no, Ich nein spracken ze Deutch though my Inglish ain't two bad, I s'pose.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Even if you did speak German, it's very different in Switzerland.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Perhaps you could visit Swiss L'Abri, should you feel so inclined. Fabulous scenery up there, too. I spent a few months with them in the 1980s, shortly after Francis Schaeffer's death.

The Lake Geneva area is stunning in any case, and there's the Montreux Jazz Festival in summer (in case you want to part with your hard-earned cash...).
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm delighted to report that, having finally got the Pigletmobile booked in to the menders, it's now back, complete with new front number-plate (it's not exactly the same; having been ordered from the Irish Republic it's in a slightly different font, but it's the thought that counts).

They were going to try and charge D. the deductible, but he was able to point out that as we were stationary when the imbecile backed into us, it wouldn't be coming from him ...
 

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Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sipech:
Shouldn't be too bad as I'm going half board. My dad warned me, though he wasn't too specific. In London, lunch for 1 typically sets me back £6-10. Are we talking £30+ for a sandwich and a packet of crisps?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Fab, fab lunch today - I missed breakfast through over-indulgence in sleep - and for lunch Himself had made me baked fish with saute potatoes with a little side dish of fried onions, fresh sliced onions, quarters of fresh tomato and some spinach that had been washed and patted dry then chopped and stirred in a hot pan for probably less than ten seconds.

Yummy!

I don't think I'll be wanting any supper either.

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What a delicious lunch - worth skipping breakfast and supper for.

Off to track down some tyres today, hopefully without touching the Big City.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
And here she is - Gypsy, Guide dog.

Proud tears shed again.

I wish her and her new owner a long and happy partnership and all the joy in the world xx
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Lovely as WW's lunch looks, I would still be able to have breakfast before and dinner after

@Boogie: congratulations.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Great shot Boogie, and hasn't she turned into a gorgeous and very handsome dog!
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
And here she is - Gypsy, Guide dog.

Proud tears shed again.

I wish her and her new owner a long and happy partnership and all the joy in the world xx

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She looks like a safe pair of paws
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Huge congratulations Boogie and Gypsy - what a beautiful dog! Wishing her and her new human a long and happy life together.
 

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Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :
 
Just beautiful
Well done Boogie!
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
What a gorgeous dog she is now! And well done Boogie for your essential part in getting her there!

Do you know who her human is - male or female?
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Indeed, she looks the very model of a guide dog. Well done you, for your part in her training.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:
What a gorgeous dog she is now! And well done Boogie for your essential part in getting her there!

Do you know who her human is - male or female?

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Thank you all for your kind words. Her owner is in her 40s, and has three children, the youngest is 11. She works in the afternoons and often visits her dad in a nursing home. She only has 3% vision. So Gypsy will be working hard - which will suit her as she's a very active dog. Gypsy is her first guide dog.

She has my details but, of course, it is up to her whether she gets in touch or not.

We have our fingers and paws crossed!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Just one more photo. - this time in full harness
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I saw a dog guiding someone this morning, and I thought of you.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:
I saw a dog guiding someone this morning, and I thought of you.

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
Just one more photo. - this time in full harness

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It won't let me in.

 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Me neither - it seems to want me to create an account.

I've been quite productive today - batch of rolls made, and a batch of chicken stock bubbling away in the slow-cooker - must remember to turn it down or off before I go to bed.
 

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Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Blimey, just looked out of the window preparatory to setting off for work and seen it's snowing.

There's a few flakes - bet the trains will be terrible.

M.
 

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Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Went to the theatre last night to see the wonderful Vamos Theatre doing 'The Best Thing' - mask, mime, music telling the story of a young girl in the '60s giving up her baby for adoption (where's the emoticon for 'heartrending' when you need it?)

Judging by the sniffs and sobs towards the end, it wasn't only hard-hearted Hannah here who was affected by it - but the fact that our grandson is only 8 weeks old made the whole thing very emotional and it was all extremely well done

Worth anyone's time and money!

Mrs. S, *snif*
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
It won't let me in.

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Oooops, sorry
Here it is.

This could be my last photo of Gypsy as guide dog owners are not obliged to get in touch with puppy walkers, although they are given our details. It is, of course, up to them if they want contact.

Work hard and enjoy life, beautiful girl xx
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Boogie, she's beautiful, you must be so proud. I was thinking of you today as there was a stall at our local hospital raising money for Guide Dogs, with a lovely golden retriever called Flora.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thank you St. Gwladys!

Cold and overcast - not my favourite kind of day!

My husband is coming to help walk the dogs - that makes a nice change!



[ 26. February 2016, 09:11: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I can handle "cold and overcast" as long as there isn't anything actually falling from the sky.

We've had a sudden burst of (almost) Spring here - at just after midnight last night it was 13°C. That would be warm in the middle of the night in June, let alone February.

It's cooled down a bit (9° as I'm typing this) and a bit blustrous, which cools it further, but still ...
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
After a v. pleasant evening at a Chinese restaurant celebrating the birthday of a friend, came home to find that the History Channel was showing Skyfall, which I'd never seen in its entirety, but I have now, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

They shouldn't have been allowed to do that to an Aston Martin DB5 though ...
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Lord P has begun his big adventure! He's going to Dorking via Tunbridge Wells, then flying from Heathrow to Austin in Texas where he'll be staying with friends for a month. Being Lord P, he's flying on Feb 29th and coming back 1st April, because he can!
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
How are you doing St G? I hope you're feeling better?

Quiet day today. It's been a mixed bag of a week: bitterly cold, sunshine, hail, gales, rain; spring flowers everywhere now, but still no sign of spring lambs, probably too cold for them; saw the collapse of part of Didcot Power Station, without realizing at the time what was happening; had two delightful lunches (on different days, I'm not that greedy) with a colleague I haven't seen in a while, and a business contact from the States; there's been a lot of laughs and banter throughout the working week, which has been lovely.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Nice lazy-ish day here - made a chicken-and-mushroom risotto for lunch, then went for some retail therapy - there's a shoe-shop here that sends me a birthday voucher for $15 off, and as it would expire on Monday I thought I'd better use it. They didn't have any shoes that both floated my boat and fitted me, so I bought a pair of slippers, as the old baffies I'd been using for the past God-knows-how-long were getting beyond a joke.

Thing is, last week the same shop sent me another voucher, this time for 20% off*, which lasts until the beginning of April.

What am I to do?

* and which the girl in the shop said could be used more than once ...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We all get an extra day tomorrow - I think it should have no label, be a holiday for all and be named 'leap day'.


 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Thanks Ariel - I'm in plaster, got an appt at fracture clinic tomorrow when I should find out more.
 

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Posted by Doone (# 18470) on :
 
I hope tomorrow goes well S. G
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Good luck St G, let us know how it goes.

Very annoyed earlier to lose my nice new beret in Tescos this morning. It wasn't handed in, and they're hard to get. By an amazing stroke of luck I actually found two replacements locally reduced to a quarter of the original price, each, but still sad to have lost a good-quality new one.

Cheered up by the first sight of spring lambs this afternoon - by the look of them they are 3-4 weeks old already, but enjoying running around a large hillside field, with their mothers and some large crows for company. Spring is finally here - snowdrops, daffs and spring lambs. Now we just need some blossom.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I shouldn't imagine that we're finished with winter yet over here, but since we had that big temperature hike last week (13°C ) and the rain that accompanied it, the snow is becoming more notable by its absence, and there doesn't seem to be much more in the offing for the next week or so.

We quite often get a phenomenon known locally as "Sheila's Brush" - a snowfall around St. Patrick's Day - but by that time the ground is usually beginning to warm up a bit, and it often doesn't lie for long.

Famous last words ...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've just had a lovely weekend away with the icing on the cake being on the way home yesterday - I had a gap between trains planned in so I could have a meal. Also sitting in the restaurant was a lad of about 8 - 10 years with his mum. The lad clearly had Downs Syndrome and was absolutely in the moment with his food, relishing every mouthful then every so often he'd look up at his mum with a look of such amazing love and devotion that it was magical - 0h that we should all have such a look bestowed upon us!
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Piget - who is, or was Sheila?? And what was she doing with her brush?
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
I've just had a lovely weekend away with the icing on the cake being on the way home yesterday - I had a gap between trains planned in so I could have a meal. Also sitting in the restaurant was a lad of about 8 - 10 years with his mum. The lad clearly had Downs Syndrome and was absolutely in the moment with his food, relishing every mouthful then every so often he'd look up at his mum with a look of such amazing love and devotion that it was magical - 0h that we should all have such a look bestowed upon us!

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This brought a tear to my eye WW
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:
Piget - who is, or was Sheila?? And what was she doing with her brush?

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I think the inference is she was St. Patrick's metaphorical wife or sister, and the "brush" referred to her clearing up after the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Sexist or what?
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
We just spent a very pleasant week at chez parents en rouge in the Midlands.

Highlights: a daytrip to Worcester visiting the olde worlde bits; a very enjoyable lunchtime concert of Beethoven trios by three members of the CBSO for the princely sum of £10 each (I was about thirty years younger than anyone else there ); visiting the Grandad; balti. There are restaurants here serving food from the subcontinent, but they just aren’t the same as proper balti from Sparkbrook.

Husband en rouge continues his formation as an anglophile and was sighted in a pub eating pork pie.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Aargh! I've got to have a MRI. I've had one and hated it, I very nearly pressed the panic button. I've definitely fractured my foot, and the MRI is to determine what damage I've done to the ligament. Best case scenario is plaster for 3 months, worst case is an operation and plaster for 6 months.
Meanwhile, thanks to ST's help, Lord P is now on a plane to America. It's great fun explaining to non-shippies how we came to know the vicar of a parish in Guildford diocese, who we met at the Eden Project (he was a curate in that area) and whom we'd never met previously.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Darllenwr got a concert programme signed by an artist last night, 37 years after the concert. He played timpani with his school orchestra, who ended up playing Katherine Howard From Rick Wakeman's "6 wives of Henry 8th) at the Royal Festival Hall.
We went to a Rick Wakeman concert last night, and Darllenwr took his programme and photos. Rick was signing things afterwards, and was fascinated to see the items and signed them. He comes across as a really nice man who seems genuinely interested in people.
 

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Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
Oh no St.G, that doesn't sound good.

Life continues very much as per normal this week. I had an entertaining lesson in How I Am Viewed By Seven Year Olds last week - I was dicussing with my class what they'd done during their half term break, and one of them asked me where I'd been/ what I've done, and before I could reply, another child chipped in, quick as a flash: "Yeah, I bet she just stayed at home all week". Clearly they've got the idea that I'm not the jet-setting type! (Entirely accurately, I might add...)
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
... Husband en rouge continues his formation as an anglophile and was sighted in a pub eating pork pie.

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Glad to hear the training programme is going according to plan.

St. G., that sounds v. nasty re: your foot.

Meeting Rick Wakeman, on the other hand, is v. cool - when I've seen him interviewed on TV he comes over as a decent sort of bloke.
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Oh dear, poor St.G! Maybe as the MRI is only for your foot it won't be so bad as for more intimate parts of the body! Bad enough though

And I do hope its only plaster for 3 months, not 6!! Still, you'll be able to enter for the Crutch and stick manoeverability Olympics!
 

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Posted by daisymay (# 1480) on :
 
It is very wet now in London. And when I have to get the children from their school it will be not nice.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Plaster for three months!? Commiserations

Yes, we're expecting heavy rain here any time now. I was also handed a jolly little leaflet at the station this morning saying I can expect two weeks of rail closure in the summer for flood prevention, to which my response was a spontaneous cry of anguish. I know there will be replacement buses but it will take forever to get to and from work because the roads will be extra congested.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
St David's Day has delivered its usual weather of rain and wind. At least it wasn't freezing cold so we didn't have to scrape ice off the windscreen this morning.

btw Ariel, from recent history you are likely to get two weeks without trains for flooding anyway. Let's hope the work takes place at that time, so you don't lose even more time.

[ 01. March 2016, 12:19: Message edited by: Sioni Sais ]
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
A happy St David's Day to everyone.

Its crisp and windy here with the daffs (small, wild ones mostly) blowing: the sort of day that, if you were lucky enough to be born on the right side of the dyke, makes you feel Pob dydd, pan dwi'n deffro, dwi'n dweud diolch i Dduw fy mod i'n Gymraeg*!

Chex l'Organist tonight it will be salt lamb for dinner.

* Everyday when I wake up I thank God I'm Welsh.
 

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Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
Happy St David's Day. My daffodils are beginning to peek above what's left of the lawn after the ravages of a wet winter.

It's been so wet here that neighbours had flooding. We were grateful to discover that we are not in the path of even exceptional flooding at present, but it's made me check that we're far enough from the river to fulfil the requirements of our house insurance.

Cattyish, looking forward to getting some vitamin D in April.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Happy St David’s Day. Another thing I forgot about the trip to Blighty: the Wales-France rugby match on Friday night.

We obviously cheered for Wales (father en rouge is Welsh). More surprisingly, husband en rouge didn’t mind the Welsh winning either. He doesn’t really care about rugby and agreed that the Welsh deserved to win for the superiority of their singing.

Get well soon, St G.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Happy St. David's Day to those of you "west of the Dyke".

Over here (a bit further west ) it's currently 9° with a mixture of sunshine and showers, but it's forecast to plummet again tonight (expected low -8° ).
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
He doesn’t really care about rugby and agreed that the Welsh deserved to win for the superiority of their singing.

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A great predictor of a Welsh rugby win is the singing of Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer at mass as we did on Sunday. I pick the music and have no claim to clairvoyance, but it seems to work
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
IMHO one doesn't need any excuse to sing Guide me, O thou great Redeemer. Especially with the descant.
 

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Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
I thought it was 'Guide me o thou great Jehovah'?

Is it a different translation?

M.

[ 02. March 2016, 06:14: Message edited by: M. ]
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Hymns Ancient and Modern and The New English Hymnal both say "redeemer".
 

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Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
A quick check on Cyberhymnal and other sites suggests that Peter Williams produced two slightly differing translations in 1771 and 1772. You can check out numerous versions on the Hymnsite with scans from largely American hymn books.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
Just to say that the oldest pages scanned dating from 1791 and 1792 respectively have "Jehovah".

Jengie
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
FWIW all the people I know who use "Redeemer" in Cwm Rhondda are English. I have never heard a Welsh person sing anything other than "Jehovah" (or rather Je'ovah once the accent is taken into account )
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
I'm Welsh. I use Redeemer
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
FWIW all the people I know who use "Redeemer" in Cwm Rhondda are English. I have never heard a Welsh person sing anything other than "Jehovah" (or rather Je'ovah once the accent is taken into account )

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At our shack in Cardiff, most people including those who choose and play the music are English, so we sing "Redeemer" on the rare occasions Cwm Rhondda is included.

Everywhere else however, except for some CiW churches, it's "Jehovah" and sung with notable gusto at funerals.
 

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Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Ooh, interesting. Thanks, Shippies all.

M.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm Scottish, and I think all the versions I've sung (in Scotland, Ireland and Canada) have been "Jehovah". Either way, it's a jolly good sing.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I think Sioni’s got it right. My Welsh acquaintance are indeed stalwart Presbyterians.

(Cwm Rhondda was not sung at my uncle’s funeral, but the singing was indeed glorious. If you have to die young, that’s the way to be sent off )
 

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Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on :
 
I've seen one hymnal that printed two versions, differing only in whether the first line had Redeemer or Jehovah. I think it might have been the Church Hymnary.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Lord P posted on f/b that the weather in Texas was like midsummer on the Scillies,. When I told him, Darllenwr made a rude comment as we've had icy winds, hail and even a few flakes of snow.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I think Sioni’s got it right. My Welsh acquaintance are indeed stalwart Presbyterians.

(Cwm Rhondda was not sung at my uncle’s funeral, but the singing was indeed glorious. If you have to die young, that’s the way to be sent off )

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quote:

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Originally posted by ArachnidinElmet:
... hopefully with a bit of welly.

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That's exactly the right way to sing it. I always imagined that expression was a purely Scottish thing - perhaps I was mistaken.

We tried out a new-ish Chinese buffet for lunch today; it was really rather good, but there was a slight oddity in the fresh fruit salad. When we were up at the buffet bar I said I thought they looked like tomatoes, but D. said "it's a fruit salad - they must just be big grapes".

I was right.

I think a change of signature line is in order ...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...but tomatoes are a fruit!
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
Four weeks from today we will travel down to Nairobi thus beginning the journey back to the UK- we've been here since 2012 so there will I'm sure be plenty of adjustments to be made.

Our plan is to then be based (for family reasons) in the UK returning here to Kenya for 3 months each year as friends of the diocese.

Any heads up on things to be aware of back in the south of England?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
...Any heads up on things to be aware of back in the south of England?

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The Government, the weather, the cost of living - apart from that you should be fine!
 

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Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
Every autumn we run a Family Fun Concert in church, to raise funds for our two charities in Africa, and they always end with a Finale (how else?) in which all the performers join.

The concerts all have a theme - 'Are you 'Aving a Giraffe?' or 'The Jumbo FUN Concert' and last year's was 'A Whale of a Time' so of course our Finale was 'Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer' as I don't know any suitable songs about whales.

It was FABULOUS, even though I'd have preferred 'Jehovah'; I'd never heard singing in our church sound so good!

This year's theme is 'Monkey Business'!

Mrs. S, planning for October already!
 

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Posted by Chocoholic (# 4655) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
Any heads up on things to be aware of back in the south of England?

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quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:

Any heads up on things to be aware of back in the south of England?

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Don't engage with any news outlets unless you want to be bored rigid by people Stating Their Views Which Are Definitely True And Telling You That The Other People Are Wrong about the referendum.

Hampshire is still beautiful
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
Government, weather, cost of living, traffic, fuel prices and referendum.....
All of the above (election rather than referendum) are issues here so maybe adapting will be easier than I thought?!
It will be nice to be able to cast my vote again as we haven't been able to vote for 4 years due to admin issues.

All feels a bit odd really but I'm so looking forward to seeing the bluebells in bloom again
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
Re: the singing of Cwm Rhondda - the word you want is hwyl.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Chocoholic:

quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
Any heads up on things to be aware of back in the south of England?

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The traffic has got worse but petrol is cheaper.

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quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
...All feels a bit odd really but I'm so looking forward to seeing the bluebells in bloom again

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quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
...but tomatoes are a fruit!

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Exactly - see new sig.

We appear to have gale-force fog here today - I was nearly blown away (no mean feat!) when I left the house, and the view from the window outside my office has all but disappeared.

eta: Just a thought, Mrs. Beaky - if you've been living outside the UK for a while, will you have to re-register to be able to vote? Might be worth checking on one of the Government web-sites.

[ 03. March 2016, 14:06: Message edited by: Piglet ]
 

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Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 
re Africa to UK. I think one thing that the natives haven't mentioned is culture shock. After spending a winter in India, it is always a shock to return to Canada - although I have lived here all my life. Canada-India doesn't seem as much a shock.
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
The Intrepid Mrs S - are you familiar with Jonah Man Jazz? My sister was in a school production, and sang the songs endlessly until I knew them all too, especially singing "When Jonah sank into the sea he closed his eyes and prayed...." as fast as we possibly could!
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
You're right piglet we'll need to check we're on the electoral roll
And yes Uncle Pete, I know lots of people who have found reverse culture shock much harder than going to the new place (which we seemed to handle reasonably well apart from a couple of hairy moments)
Hey ho, could be a fun ride ahead!
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Eigon:
The Intrepid Mrs S - are you familiar with Jonah Man Jazz? My sister was in a school production, and sang the songs endlessly until I knew them all too, especially singing "When Jonah sank into the sea he closed his eyes and prayed...." as fast as we possibly could!

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quote:

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Ferijen: "Nineveh city was a city of sin/the jazzin and the jiving made a terrible din..."

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Sounds like a cool place!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
MrsBeaky - what really does get to me and disturb me every time I arrive in UK is how fast everybody travels - picked up one Friday night from Heathrow by a friend who had been on a course locally and the journey up to Liverpool was a nightmare!
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Something very trivial that I notice whenever I'm home is how small the car-park spaces seem in comparison to Canadian ones - it makes me wonder how I ever manoeuvred my old Volvo into one.

Oh, and the cars seem much smaller too, but cars over here are generally bigger* than European ones; when we bought our old car (a Hyundai Elantra) the bloke in the showroom described it as a "compact sedan (saloon)". That's not compact, we said, it's huge ...

Even the present Pigletmobile seems considerably bigger than the Nissan Micras we had when we lived in Belfast.

* and people over here seem to be very fond of pick-up trucks, which tend to be bloody enormous.
 

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Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Eigon:
The Intrepid Mrs S - are you familiar with Jonah Man Jazz? My sister was in a school production, and sang the songs endlessly until I knew them all too, especially singing "When Jonah sank into the sea he closed his eyes and prayed...." as fast as we possibly could!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Eigon:
The Intrepid Mrs S - are you familiar with Jonah Man Jazz? My sister was in a school production, and sang the songs endlessly until I knew them all too, especially singing "When Jonah sank into the sea he closed his eyes and prayed...." as fast as we possibly could!

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Well, our puppet team did the story of Jonah and the Whale at the beginning of the concert, I think that might have been to Jonah Man Jazz! We had a brilliant whale, and a separate whale mouth to swallow up the Jonah puppet, so that went down well.

I'm not sure the Entire Company could have sung it, without rehearsal, though!

(Thanks l'organist, that is indeed the word!)

Mrs. S, quoting Snoopy - 'Just because I can't sing, doesn't mean I won't sing!
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Gill H:

quote:

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Originally posted by Eigon:
The Intrepid Mrs S - are you familiar with Jonah Man Jazz? My sister was in a school production, and sang the songs endlessly until I knew them all too, especially singing "When Jonah sank into the sea he closed his eyes and prayed...." as fast as we possibly could!

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We did Swingin' Samson - anyone remember that one?

"Snip snip went the scissors, he's the baldest man in town!"

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quote:

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I've sung the part of God in Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo a couple of times.

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That reminds me of the Family Prom in, I think, 1990. They did Britten's Noyes Fludde (always a great show). I was painting the living room ceiling while listening on the radio. When the solemn BBC announcer said "And that applause was for Cleo Laine as she takes up her position as God" I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the ladder: paint tray, roller and all.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Is there a particular reason why Britain always has nice weather when I need to work, and foggy sleet when I'm free?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you can cast your mind back a month or so, to when we were discussing Scrabble Blast™ - I have just scored 1493 with only one score below 40 [28 to dispose of a really annoying bomb!] so I'm pretty pleased with myself.


 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
LOL, I'm now finally able to listen to Jonah Man Jazz.

He was sitting under a pineapple tree?? Do these people have any idea how pineapples grow?

 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
If you want double-entendre lyrics (but vastly better music) then I recommend The Daniel Jazz.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I've been party to several of those productions; I've played the flute in the band for Jonah Man Jazz (and may have sung in it at some point too), and the recorder in Noye's Fludde when I was at school.

Just after D. and I started going out together, he did a production of Noye's Fludde in St. Magnus Cathedral and I got roped in to sub-conduct the animals - they were processing in through the west door and he was conducting under the crossing, so I was conveying the beat.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

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L'organist: If you want double-entendre lyrics (but vastly better music) then I recommend The Daniel Jazz.

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Oh my, I suddenly feel I should have a cold shower. Can I have something of whatever the lyricist was smoking?


And I'd better not start talking about the theological content of these songs here, lest I give WW another headache
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I feel I should, in honour of the thread title, Talk About The Weather.

Today we have had glorious sunshine, blue sky, spring warmth. I accidentally didn't bring a coat to work. I'm currently looking at sleet which is making the tops of cars go ever so slightly white. We've seen hail, rain, and everything in between.

What a perfectly *British* day...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
We had thick, thick snow!

⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
We had hail. As someone remarked, it was slow hail. It dropped in a leisurely fashion and bounced off the cars in a languid sort of way before eventually turning back to rain. It's been bitterly cold all day.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Another lovely day here, just off on a flying visit to The Big City.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I've been trying to get into Goddess Mode, as we're having a couple of friends round for supper on Saturday evening. Pâté has been made, and dusting has been accomplished. Further housewifeliness will be attempted in the morning.

I'm going to make a sort of cross between a risotto and a paella, which shouldn't really be too taxing if I have everything organised before I start, and if I set the bread machine going at the right time I can serve some nice freshly-baked French sticks.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ferijen:
... Today we have had glorious sunshine, blue sky, spring warmth ...

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We had that too, but without the spring* warmth ...

* Spring in Newfoundland usually happens on the second Tuesday in June, at about 2:30 in the afternoon.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Piglet:
[...] Even the present Pigletmobile seems considerably bigger than the Nissan Micras we had when we lived in Belfast.

* and people over here seem to be very fond of pick-up trucks, which tend to be bloody enormous.

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Hey Piglet, I think rather everything seems considerably bigger than a Nissan Micra. The clue's in the name. (No, not 'Nissan!')

Now, if Nissan Micras and some slightly bigger, yet somehow smaller cars are being driven by Piglets (or Piglets'): Could we say that them gigantic gas-guzzling pick-up truck beasties and similar are being driven by fully-grown swines? It might be a statement that bacons to be made.

Bon appetit.
 

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Posted by balaam (# 4543) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
We had thick, thick snow!

⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄

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Ours made the BBC national news.
<ONEUPMANSHIP>

But it isappeared in last night's rain

(The letter d isappeared too)

[ 05. March 2016, 06:07: Message edited by: balaam ]
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
balaam, apparently you can still see snow in the surrounding hills from the fourth floor of the University Building. (I looked at the map after I got a text saying lots of snow.)

Here it was just cold; sunny, pretty and very, very cold. This morning there's a white crust of frost on the cars; the grass and roofs are hardly touched.

Half term-itis turned into what felt like flu. The week back after half term I was told to work from home because I looked so terrible the couple of days I went in. I spent it curled up in bed, clearing one of the very overdue paper mountains. I do like laptops.

Last week, still full of something not very nice, it was back to leaving at stupid o'clock as we're almost certainly expecting Ofsted following a complaint, and that will be without warning, plus an inspection next week. And to add to the joys, one of my much loved colleagues very sadly died unexpectedly. We found out on Tuesday night, spent Tuesday night and Wednesday organising how to break it to the rest of the staff on Wednesday afternoon, and then the students on Thursday.

Social life, what social life?
 

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Posted by Sarasa (# 12271) on :
 
Frost on the roofs here. I've just seen a sparrow using out bird feeder. Either it didn't like what was on offer or it was being kind to (or being bullied by) the wood pigeons sitting on the shed roof, as it kept spiting the seeds out, As soon as it had gone the pigeons flew down and waddled round the patio eating the dropped seeds.
We're off to meet the rest of my side of the family to celebrate my mum's 88th birthday in a bit. Not helped by 1. trains not running the way we want to go, hence a bit of a trek round, and 2. my brother being very vague as to what time he's actually booked the meal for.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Some frost on the grass here in MK. I feel sorry for the concrete cows.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Today I'm having a coffee morning to raise funds to name a Guide Dog puppy "Coffee" (see my sig) I have no idea how many will turn up - lots of brownies are made!

☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕

The reason for "Coffee" is that I am in a Facebook group for blind/VI people, guide dog owners and puppy walkers called the 'Guide Dogs Coffee Lounge'.

(guess who has discovered how to put symbols on here? hahaha!)
 

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Posted by Chamois (# 16204) on :
 
We had thick frost on the ground and roofs this morning here in south London but it's already gone. Rain is forecast later and it looks set to hit us just when we'll be taking my 93 year old mother out to lunch for an early celebration of Mothering Sunday.



Boogie, good luck with your coffee morning.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
We just had a flurry of snow too - not that it settled. Brr
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Right at the moment it is cold and windy but dry enough to take the cover off the garden furniture in the hope that it and the furniture can dry out a bit.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Ordinary sort of day with rain, here. I took myself out for dinner last night (Brown's in Oxford) on the "£11.95 for two courses" offer. You'd think I've have learnt by now that this sort of offer never actually is a bargain unless you stick rigidly to the options available, have no extras and only drink tap water.

I must say it was good having a peaceful candlelit table and a delicious early evening dinner, with a glass of sparkling wine and a Brandy Alexander by way of dessert. I'm not going to think about how much it cost (or the health aspect of what I ordered), but on a bitterly cold night after a trying week it felt very good to just relax and enjoy a meal and drinks out.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
I missed the Northern snow as I'm in Surrey for the weekend. It's still chuffing freezing (I believe that's the technical term) but only a bit of rain this morning.

I'm down here visiting my aunt, with my Dad who's celebrating a significant birthday. We went to a Tamil temple in Ealing for a birthday blessing and stayed for some food (rice, dhal and sambal). I've no idea how they manage to feed so many people, easily 300 people just in the time we were there. Temple food always seems to be lovely even though it's cooked in bulk. Some people had dressed up, so we had women in many-coloured saris and kameez, topped of with woolly union jack socks to keep out the cold.

I could probably have posted this on the interfaith thread, not that I did much discussing of the issues as I had my mouth full
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Cold and rainy here too. I am So Sick of winter...
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Just outside the cattle crossing, we've had a bit of everything today - sun, showers, hail, a bit of now in the night... the only unifying factor has been that it's been effing cold!

Luckily I've been indoors most of the day painting the front room and hallway in preparation for laying a new floor next weekend. I could get used to this DIY lark...

AG

Wot no sig?
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
It's been cold here today, but lovely and sunny and lots of blue sky, so we went for a walk below the castle (it is on a big old rock and can be seen for miles around, and there are several walks lower down that go all the way round, with lovely views over towards the Trossachs and Ochils) and into the older bit of town. It was very pleasant, although really quite nippy! The Elf Lass was asleep so we thought we would nip into the museum near where we parked for a cup of something warm so that she could sleep a bit longer before we messed about putting her back in the car, but we got there precisely 1 minute after the cafe closed (3/4 hour before museum closing time). So we've had to make do with tea back at home to warm up, but that's no bad thing.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Husband en rouge cooked brunch this morning. It consisted of (English) bacon, eggs, baked beans and toasted English muffins.

My work is done.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
Husband en rouge cooked brunch this morning. It consisted of (English) bacon, eggs, baked beans and toasted English muffins.

My work is done.

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Short of adding a fine English sausage, like a Cumberland ring, you could hardly do more.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
As the main road is closed at the moment, we had to go to Abergavenny via Mynydd Llangattock this afternoon. There are tremendous views, right over to Radnor Forest. Many of the peaks we could see were snow covered. It was very beautiful.
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:

quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
Husband en rouge cooked brunch this morning. It consisted of (English) bacon, eggs, baked beans and toasted English muffins.

My work is done.

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Short of adding a fine English sausage, like a Cumberland ring, you could hardly do more.

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quote:

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Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
Husband en rouge cooked brunch this morning. It consisted of (English) bacon, eggs, baked beans and toasted English muffins.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Spike:
... And fried bread.

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I was just about to say, what, no fried bread?

I haven't been over the door today: the snow which the Weather Channel was predicting from about 11 in the morning actually started at about 2 in the afternoon, and carried on until about 5-ish, but then turned to rain, so now it's really just a bit of a mess.

Our friends made it round for supper (one of them lives out in the country, where they tend to get more weather than we do), and everything seemed to go down well - everyone had second helpings and there wasn't much in the way of left-overs.

quite accomplished piglet
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Well done Boogie! I imagine you had lots of snow, which is well done all those who came!!

Spitting snow here again.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Has anybody else tried frying good bread in butter and olive oil and then spread it with marmalade? It really is quite delicious!
 

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Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Has anybody else tried frying good bread in butter and olive oil and then spread it with marmalade? It really is quite delicious!

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quote:

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Welease Woderwick: Has anybody else tried frying good bread in butter and olive oil and then spread it with marmalade?

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I usually do that with cheese.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Fried bread - yuk, you can keep it. Hard, crunchy bread I don't like (and that includes Melba toast and that sort of thing). Fried bread always seems to be saturated with grease and is barely one stop short of being deep fried. Horrid.

And YM may V but my Sunday morning treat is hot potato cakes with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, accompanied by a fried egg, and a cup of tea. I've almost mastered the art of frying eggs now.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "potato cakes". My mum used to make tattie scones with a recipe that I imagine was similar to this.

We could eat them as fast as she could turn them out, spread with butter, rolled up, and another knob of butter added before each bite.

Heaven on a plate (without the plate).
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Ariel, I agree about hard and crunchy fried bread - yukky!

I take a frozen slice about 1.5 - 2 cms thick and have the oil and butter mixture a bit scant and quite hot then the fried bread is crisp on the outside but soft inside - goes well covered in doctored baked beans, too - in fact I think I'll make some for lunch as I'm on my own today.

With a couple of fried eggs.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
That actually sounds rather nice. It's just that the stuff I've been served really has been more like deep-fried toast.

The tattie scones sound very similar to potato cakes, though my recipe doesn’t involve baking powder and I don’t put in salt or butter - those go on afterwards - but otherwise the procedure is much the same. I divide the mixture into balls and flatten them into small individual rounds rather than make triangles.

[ 07. March 2016, 07:47: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
The joys of having a new 10 week old puppy. He is the centre of attraction at shops; church and hairdresser. Also a frequent visitor to vet!!! First injections x 2 lots and 10am mircro-chip today. He is getting a complex about visiting the vet
 

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Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :
 
posted by Welease Woderwick

quote:

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Has anybody else tried frying good bread in butter and olive oil and then spread it with marmalade? It really is quite delicious!

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Someone not a million miles away (!!) advocated that people try it a while ago on a thread about, I think, breakfast.

Yes, absolutely delicious: marmalade should be proper stuff, slightly bitter - if you don't make your own Cooper's Oxford is ideal.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I quite like fried bread but I think it would have been a bit superfluous in husband en rouge’s fry-up – he already had muffins which is quite enough white starch to be going on with. I am also quite chuffed that he bought all the stuff in our local supermarket and didn’t have to go to any special shops for it. Anglophilia is becoming quite a thing here. They don’t have English sausages though. You still have to take a trip to Marks and Sparks for those.

In response to Ariel’s question, husband en rouge is prepared to drink English tea with milk when in England. The rest of the time you’ll tear his expresso machine out of his cold dead hands.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I adore fried bread! But you lot can all stoppit!!

I only have 6Kg to lose now and I'm very determined!


 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have spent the morning sticking flowers, made by my art class (aged 11) to a board. They will be cut out and become part of a large 'sculpture'.

Here is a photo.

Tomorrow butterflies!


 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
The heating at work is broken. I'm free this afternoon! (Well, I'm going to do a bit of work at home.)
 

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Posted by Nicodemia (# 4756) on :
 
Absolutely gorgeous day here - the moors are still snow-covered and really sparkle in the sun at this time of day. (late-ish afternoon)

Hopefully it will get warmer and Spring will arrive. I'm optimistic! (still a bit chilly up north!)

Mothering Sunday celebrated very happily with daughter and flowers.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by shamwari:
The joys of having a new 10 week old puppy. He is the centre of attraction at shops; church and hairdresser. Also a frequent visitor to vet!!! First injections x 2 lots and 10am mircro-chip today. He is getting a complex about visiting the vet

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What sort of dog have you got? It sounds like he' getting well and truly socialised.
 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
He is a Yorkie. And a real handful.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Some tiny snow flakes in MK this morning. When is this 'spring' thing going to happen?
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
2017.

(We wouldn't want to rush into anything, would we?)

[ 08. March 2016, 10:46: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
It's well on the way here.


 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Do you actually have spring in South India? If so, how does it manifest itself?

I'd have expected it would be more the three standard seasons of equatorial countries: hot, hotter and rainy.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Well, it is moving toward hotter here at the moment; a bit earlier than usual, I think - but I think I am so attuned to the four seasons from growing up in UK that I still tend to think that way. But indicators of spring here are thinks like the mangoes beginning to ripen and the hedges coming into bloom. It's a great time of year.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Heh, I'm used to the mangoes ripening in November in Brazil.
 

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Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
The lurgy has struck, just a week after my mother commented to me that I'd gone all winter without a cold.

Half the office has the sniffles, and one of our team is off today.

Woe is me! Woe is me!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The Priyu variety will be in the shops next month and then we move on through until September of October - the Neelam, my favourite, and the Tinduram, etc. will be a bit later - the Neelam are just the most wonderful fruit ever. There are imports from other states almost all year.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Hm, we call the most common ones manga rosa and manga espada in Brazil (I have the latter variety in my garden). I'll do a bit of duckduckgoing to find out if they coincide with the Indian ones.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
I think of mangoes as being seasonal in June because that is when you see ripe Indian/Pakistani ones at markets sold by the box. So much better than rock-hard supermarket ones.

Over the weekend I visited an Asian supermarket in Southall and now have a fruitbowl full of yellow guava, custard apples and passion fruit.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

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ArachnidinElmet: Over the weekend I visited an Asian supermarket in Southall

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Which of the 100,000 ones?
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LeRoc:

quote:

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ArachnidinElmet: Over the weekend I visited an Asian supermarket in Southall

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Which of the 100,000 ones?

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Good Point. I meant large supermarket, rather than small shop or market stall, though that probably doesn't narrow it down much either.
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
We just pick a passionfruit or 2 as we need them - they grow almost as prolifically as a choko vine.
 

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Posted by moonfruit (# 15818) on :
 
Mmm, mangoes. One of my abiding memories of being in Kenya a couple of years ago was mango fresh from the tree. Being a westerner, I was not quite so adept at eating it and ended up covered in juice, but thoroughly happy.

Having had our ofsted report published (official verdict: good, but we knew that!), we now have our SIAMS (church school) inspection all day tomorrow - we've had a week's notice of this, rather than the half-day ofsted give, which somehow seems to have made it worse. Time enough to really get worried, but not to do much that's truly productive. Fingers crossed...
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Good luck again, Moonfruit!
 

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Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
My son had a mango tree in the front yard of his previous Defence Force house. They had to pick the mangoes as quickly as they could before the fruit bats got to them, hence the freezer was well-stocked with fruit. They were Kensington Pride, I believe, which may have come as a seed from India, but was cultivated in North Queensland, and is now a major variety across northern Australia.
 

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Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
We leave Kenya at the end of the month so will miss our mango and avocado trees coming into fruit.
The weather pattern here has been really weird for the last year so nothing has quite done what it usually does at the usual time.
I really will be sad about not picking mango and avocado straight from the tree....but fully intend to compensate with cheese once I'm back in the UK!
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Kensington Pride are the best mangoes, IOHO.

Sydney is marginal for mangoes and avocadoes. I know of one ancient avocado tree in Darling Point, which bears very good fruit and there are others around. The area around Bayview is good as it's pretty well sheltered from the south and the temperatures are moderated at sea level.
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
All this talk of mangoes reminds me of this poem. Mmm.

Years ago, we had some friends whose family came over from Pakistan with a suitcase of fruit from their back garden. Probably totally illegal, definitely totally scrummy...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks for the link, Ferijen, great poem!

Some people say that the best way to eat a mango is to smear the flesh over your naked partner and then lick it off - but that's a bit too messy even for me!
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Hehe, I do admit that after 14+ years in Brazil, my face still gets messy eating a mango. As it should be.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by MrsBeaky:

I really will be sad about not picking mango and avocado straight from the tree....

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You will, you will!

I was brought up in South Africa. We had figs, apricots, mulberries, plums and peaches - too many to eat and even to give away. Wonderful.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I am a bad-ass coconut opener. If you're ever stuck on a desert island with a coconut tree, me and a hammer, you have nothing to worry about.

(On second thought, perhaps you do )
 

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Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Thanks for the link, Ferijen, great poem!

Some people say that the best way to eat a mango is to smear the flesh over your naked partner and then lick it off - but that's a bit too messy even for me!

---

Many, many years ago, I brought back to my brother's place a mango, which had just been picked. Since my then 9 years old nephew, was salivating, I gave it to him. His mother made him strip down to his underpants and eat it over the sink.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I was just beginning to think from all these descriptions that the best place to eat a mango must be in the bath.

I've never actually eaten an entire mango, although I've had a sort of fruit punch that had mango juice in it and TBH it didn't really float my boat - too sweet.
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 
This is where it's useful to have rellies in far off places (Mauritius, FYI) as they all have interesting fruit trees in their gardens (it's also useful for a good supply of run, but that's another story). The first time I went over, my Gran kept trying to show me how to eat a pomegranate, because she didn't realise that we had them in the UK.

The flip side is when my aunts and cousins come over, It's my job to feed them European fruit and veg: blackberries, gooseberries, even parsnips are very exotic if you don't normally have them. Aunt #1 was amazed at how apple-y the apples tasted over here.
 

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Posted by moonlitdoor (# 11707) on :
 
I wouldn't recommend trying to eat an entire mango Piglet. There's a large part in the middle which would present some difficulties to such an endeavour.
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
All this talk of mangoes has made me decide to add one to my next shopping list.

I like them chopped and mixed with cottage cheese
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Three big labs snoozing nicely after a long walk together. I have had two silly busy days. I'm finding staying retired a bit difficult just now. Is this typical of the early days of retirement?

I worked Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons then helped with Brownies yesterday evening and we're looking after my friend's dog.

Too much! I must learn those words 'I'll get back to you' then 'no!'.

Luckily the Wednesday work is a short term art project - just three more afternoons to go.


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Boogie, you can't actually retire until you stop going to work!

Just saying.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
What is it about Cadbury's Mini Eggs? I swore I wasn't going to buy another packet. Then I wasn't going to eat more than a very few out of it. Now I'm thinking I probably won't need much, if any, dinner.

Eggs are good for you, right?
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Of course. As everyone knows, chocolate is a vegetable.
 

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Posted by Bene Gesserit (# 14718) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Kitten:
All this talk of mangoes has made me decide to add one to my next shopping list.

I like them chopped and mixed with cottage cheese

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Why have I never thought of that??
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
A touch of finely chopped mint would go well with that. Smell mango before you cut it. It needs to be ripe to be really good.

[ 10. March 2016, 21:15: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Latin Americans eat unripe (green) mangoes with salt. They may add lime and/or peppers. It's not for everyone's stomach though.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
La Vie is absolutely right. And for reasons I can't explain, Cadbury's mini-eggs are much nicer than most other Cadbury's chocolate.

Now I want some ...
 

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Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :
 
Mixing sweet and savoury things together makes the Baby Jesus cry. So stop it. Cf. pineapple on pizza.

Mangos belong with other tropical fruits in a tropical fruit salad, or made into ice cream. And not that abomination that is mango chutney (refer to my first paragraph)
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
But some fruits go so well with cheese, I also enjoy fresh figs with soft goat cheese in a salad
 

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Posted by Spike (# 36) on :
 
Cheese on digestive biscuits is quite nice as well and I gather that cheese with fruitcake is quite a delicacy in Yorkshire
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spike:
Cheese on digestive biscuits is quite nice as well and I gather that cheese with fruitcake is quite a delicacy in Yorkshire

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Ahem - Lancashire!

Crumbly Lancashire is a mild cheese with a young, fresh, milky finish and slightly tangy flavour, best enjoyed with a large slab of fruit cake
 

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Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
And as my uncle (from Yorkshire) used to say, 'An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze'
 

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Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
Latin Americans eat unripe (green) mangoes with salt. They may add lime and/or peppers. It's not for everyone's stomach though.

---

Mauritians do something similar with pineapples. Chilli powder and salt on cut pineapple, or wedges of baby pineapples in a salty tamarind sauce sold in plastic food bags by the side of road. Yum.

Re: mangoes. You can grate an unripe mango into a carrot salad.

Sorry, Karl, we'll have to agree to disagree. Pretty much all my cooking involves throwing fruit at savoury dishes.
 

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Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :
 
I side with ArachnidinElmet against Karl. I love adding sliced up banana into a chicken jambalaya. The banana melts and creates a thick, sticky sauce.

And you can't go wrong with a pork & apple sausage. Unless you undercook it, of course, in which case you take the next day off work.
 

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Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Another vote here for cheese with sweet accompaniments; the usual early/mid-evening repast chez Piglet involves a platter of cut-up cheese (usually a combination of Jarlsberg and mousetrap, with the odd slice of Brie) and apple slices.

I also wholeheartedly endorse the north-of-England cheese/fruitcake combo - IMHO it's inspired, no matter which side of the Pennines it came from.

And, as confession is good for the soul, I'll admit that my default pizza topping used to be ham, pineapple, sweetcorn and mushrooms.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

Piglet: And, as confession is good for the soul, I'll admit that my default pizza topping used to be ham, pineapple, sweetcorn and mushrooms.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Meat with fruit is an old English tradition. Pork and apple pies, the original mince meat pies, duck with orange sauce, lamb with redcurrant jelly, mackerel with gooseberry sauce, and so on. Medieval cooking is full of that kind of stuff.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Nicodemia:
I'm with Karl - can't stand sweet things with savoury! I don't care if that's what they did in Medieval times - anyway, they only did that to hide the taste of bad meat!

You can keep your cheese and cake!¬

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