The Night Mail

[New Haven Neil]

Cheshire oaks is a Big Day Out from the rock, given all we have is a Tescos (medium size by UK standards) and M&S (ditto).  As a foot passenger they go on the fast craft to Liverpool (3 hrs) and a bus takes them to the hideous place, then return, all clutching ridiculous amounts of 'bargains'.  Not for these Fraggles.

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 hath returneth bearing gifts of doughnuts for breakfast tomorrow. 🙂

 

We've been out for lunch and now she has entered tidying mode, thus I am on edge as questions will abound about random objects. 

 

I have already been asked if we still need the new pack of batteries ( bought for powering various Christmas decorations) and if they should be thrown out. 

 

She is also in a good mood as she has secured second place on the number of butternut squashes bought at our local Sainsbury. 

 

I think she is gunning for number 1 slot next month. 

 

I predict a lot of soup being on the menu in the next few weeks. 

 

Andy

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

 

She is also in a good mood as she has secured second place on the number of butternut squashes bought at our local Sainsbury. 

Aditi does a sort of risotto with butternut squash and mushrooms. It is quite nice but I often have weird dreams afterwards. I don’t normally have weird dreams after eating mushrooms so I have wondered if the squash causes the effect. 

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Last years' colour?  For suitcases??  Now I've heard it all.  I've got images of someone's SWMBO saying to Hubby:

"We can't possibly use those Suitcases we brought last June....the colour is just SOOOOO last year........"

🤣

 

 

Won't bother me.  I still use my ancient Karimor Randonneur big frame rucksack.  I carries just as much as a suitcase but leaves my hands free to push wheelchairs etc.  If It makes me look like an ageing hippy I'll plead guilty but it works for me.

 

Jamie

Edited January 15, 2023 by jamie92208

[Winslow Boy]

42 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Won't bother me.  I still use my ancient Karimor Randonneur big frame rucksack.  I carries just as much as a suitcase but leaves my hands free to push wheelchairs etc.  If It makes me look like an ageing hippy I'll plead guilty but it works for me.

 

Jamie

 

Peace Man.

 

I have a mental image of Rick from Young Ones.

[SM42]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Peace Man.

 

I have a mental image of Rick from Young Ones.

 

I've got a missus with a competitive streak when it comes to vegetable shopping.  

 

She's making soup as I type. 😬

 

I don't think her choice of suitcase is a la mode, I'm just glad she didn't buy any at Sainsbury's

 

I dread to think what might have happened if she had. 

 

She could be out buying cases just to get 1st place in the fashionable luggage league

( that takes some saying after a couple of sherberts) 

 

 

Andy

 

[Dave Hunt]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Last years' colour?  For suitcases??  Now I've heard it all.  I've got images of someone's SWMBO saying to Hubby:

"We can't possibly use those Suitcases we brought last June....the colour is just SOOOOO last year........"

🤣

 

A few years ago we were staying with some friends in Cumbria and I needed a new pair of walking shoes so my friend suggested going to the Newbalance shop in Keswick as they had a sale on. I was surprised to see shoes reduced by as much as 70% and asked the salesman why they had such reductions, was there something wrong with the goods on offer? Oh, no he told me, it's just that they are last year's stock. I asked what the difference was in the new stock and he said it was simply the colours as well as the numbers on the top of the tongues. When I expressed surprise that such minor things could make any real difference he said that in that case I wasn't a fashion victim and could take advantage of those who were as it was they who influenced the market. Sad really but I did get some real bargains so I wasn't complaining.

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

23 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

I've got a missus with a competitive streak when it comes to vegetable shopping

The number one squash purchaser may be equally keen to retain their position. Sainsbury should issue badges, and make announcements that number one and two are in the store. Then there could be celebrity squash shopping…

[coastalview]

2 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

A few years ago we were staying with some friends in Cumbria and I needed a new pair of walking shoes so my friend suggested going to the Newbalance shop in Keswick as they had a sale on. I was surprised to see shoes reduced by as much as 70% and asked the salesman why they had such reductions, was there something wrong with the goods on offer? Oh, no he told me, it's just that they are last year's stock. I asked what the difference was in the new stock and he said it was simply the colours as well as the numbers on the top of the tongues. When I expressed surprise that such minor things could make any real difference he said that in that case I wasn't a fashion victim and could take advantage of those who were as it was they who influenced the market. Sad really but I did get some real bargains so I wasn't complaining.

 

Dave

I do like New Balance trainers I find them very comfortable,  so I must admit to buying a pair today. They were heavily discounted and even Made in Britain.

 

I doubt many shoes are made in the UK these days.

 

For putting up with a days "holiday" shopping I was treated to a Victoria Sponge and coffee which was rather nice.

[Dave Hunt]

9 hours ago, coastalview said:

I have just been told that we are off to Cheshire Oaks for final holiday shopping.....

 

So far the closest I have ever been to Cheshire Oaks is driving past it. Each time I do drive past it I thank the good Lord that I have never been inside and that Jill has now realised that her female friends are much better shopping companions than I am. All those years of inarticulate following her around without making any real contribution are at last paying off!

 

Dave

[SM42]

Things are looking up.

 

This has just been presented

 

Paczki export

 

 

😀

 

Andy

[coastalview]

10 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

So far the closest I have ever been to Cheshire Oaks is driving past it. Each time I do drive past it I thank the good Lord that I have never been inside and that Jill has now realised that her female friends are much better shopping companions than I am. All those years of inarticulate following her around without making any real contribution are at last paying off!

 

Dave

I think you played a blinder.

 

Avoiding Cheshire Oaks is a skill to be admired

[BoD]

I have this shopping mall lark off to a T.   I will chauffeur but whoever I am with knows to drop me off at a coffee shop and provide a dose of caffeine while they shop that part of the mall. I will provide suitable  reading material, usually on an iPad.  I am then picked up and ushered to another coffee shop in another part of the mall and fed another coffee while that section is shopped.  This process is then repeated as often as necessary. Sorted.

 

We  pass road signs for Cheshire Oaks when we head to Holyhead for the ferry.

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, BoD said:

I have this shopping mall lark off to a T.   I will chauffeur but whoever I am with knows to drop me off at a coffee shop and provide a dose of caffeine while they shop that part of the mall. I will provide suitable  reading material, usually on an iPad.  I am then picked up and ushered to another coffee shop in another part of the mall and fed another coffee while that section is shopped.  This process is then repeated as often as necessary. Sorted.

 

 

Wot, no cake??

[BoD]

11 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Wot, no cake??

Only every other one.

Got to watch the figure.

[Tony_S]

I was genuinely trying to be helpful last,time we had an extended visit  to our nearest John Lewis. “We” were choosing curtains for bedrooms. Aditi insisted I should choose something I liked too. After a while she told,me to go and look at televisions , or light fittings or anything in fact. Apparently the final straw was my choice was apparently for young children’s fabrics. When summoned back, I was given three to choose, which was easy as I didn’t like one and I thought the other two looked identical. 

[iL Dottore]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Aditi does a sort of risotto with butternut squash and mushrooms. It is quite nice but I often have weird dreams afterwards. I don’t normally have weird dreams after eating mushrooms so I have wondered if the squash causes the effect. 

It’s probably the rare and little known psychoactive “cuckoo“ squash (aka pumpkin to the Americans). It lurks, perfectly camouflaged, amongst harmless squash, waiting for a careless or inattentive victim.

Those exposed to the psychoactive toxins then go on to do weird and bizarre things - especially in the kitchen: how else can you explain pumpkin pie, carved pumpkins, pumpkin (squash) cake and pumpkin (squash) bread?

[polybear]

8 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I was genuinely trying to be helpful last time we had an extended visit  to our nearest John Lewis. “We” were choosing curtains for bedrooms. Aditi insisted I should choose something I liked too. After a while she told me to go and look at televisions , or light fittings or anything in fact. Apparently the final straw was my choice was apparently for young children’s fabrics. When summoned back, I was given three to choose, which was easy as I didn’t like one and I thought the other two looked identical. 

 

So Aditi wasn't big on the idea of Thomas the Tank Engine then?

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

A few years ago we were staying with some friends in Cumbria and I needed a new pair of walking shoes so my friend suggested going to the Newbalance shop in Keswick as they had a sale on. I was surprised to see shoes reduced by as much as 70% and asked the salesman why they had such reductions, was there something wrong with the goods on offer? Oh, no he told me, it's just that they are last year's stock. I asked what the difference was in the new stock and he said it was simply the colours as well as the numbers on the top of the tongues. When I expressed surprise that such minor things could make any real difference he said that in that case I wasn't a fashion victim and could take advantage of those who were as it was they who influenced the market. Sad really but I did get some real bargains so I wasn't complaining.

 

A dearly departed friend and former colleague of mine used to walk with his wife in the Lake District every year.  He used to wryly observe that talk of congestion in the Park must have referred to the one or two locations that everyone insisted on going to because everyone else did, because they would walk all day round Buttermere or up Catbells and see no-one.  On the rare occasions they visited Ambleside, every cafe would be full and the streets busy with hundreds walking around in all the latest gear from the outdoor clothing shops.  Oddly enough after walking half a mile from the High Street, there was no-one around, so it seemed all that (expensive) clothing was needed for a stroll round the shops.  One wonders what would have been needed if they'd done the Coast-to-Coast.

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Won't bother me.  I still use my ancient Karimor Randonneur big frame rucksack.  I carries just as much as a suitcase but leaves my hands free to push wheelchairs etc.  If It makes me look like an ageing hippy I'll plead guilty but it works for me.

 

Jamie

 

But have you given it a proper test?

 

A the NEC.............

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

would walk all day round Buttermere

When Matthew was in a pushchair we went for walk round Buttermere. We had sensible clothing but not all the latest Arctic gear like most of the people we met. The pushchair wasn’t even one of those all terrain types popular nowadays.  

Edited January 15, 2023 by Tony_S

[BoD]

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

they would walk all day round Buttermere or up Catbells and see no-one.

These days there are queues to get up Catbells too.

[Dave Hunt]

Just as we were about to go to bed last night, Jill came to tell me that Horace the cat was not at all well. He was apparently unable to walk very well and mainly was just sitting down and staring straight ahead. He had also been sick. When I tried to pick him up he was obviously not happy and seemed to be in pain, which was quite worrying. Since he had been out until a short time before we wondered whether he had been poisoned so after ringing the emergency vet helpline we took him to the out of hours vet at Telford at 0015. He was seen by a lovely young Polish lady vet who decided that he was hurting in the chest area and after shaving his fur found that he had multiple puncture wounds that looked as though he had been attacked by another animal, possibly a cat but maybe a small dog or even fox. She stitched him up, gave him a pain killing injection, an anti-emetic and the start of an antibiotic course. We got home at about 0230 and Horace immediately went to his safety hidey hole under the spare double bed, where he stayed until this evening. Tomorrow we will be taking him to our own vet for a check up and further antibiotics. At about 1800 this evening Horace came out of hiding to eat and drink and looks somewhat better so it seems that he is on the mend. An interesting time.

 

Dave  

[jamie92208]

47 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

But have you given it a proper test?

 

A the NEC.............

Believe me, if it was full, anyone who got in the way would go flying.  It's bery well travelled iscthat Rucksack.  

 

Jamie

[SM42]

I am occasionally dragged to Merry Hill when something is "needed". 

 

I try not to get too involved and spend most if the time sat waiting on some convenient seat near the shoes. 

 

I am then summoned to pass an opinion and I am non committal, unless she really does look terrible in whatever she's tried on. 

 

She has learnt not to ask certain questions as she gets answers she doesn't like. 

 

She rarely gets dragged to a model shop ( I point this out in an attempt to be excused shopping  but we know the real reason)

 

If she does come with me, it's usually for translation purposes, but I'm getting better at bluffing my way through. 

 

The last time we went out for some proper gear for walking, as we intend to do some, she was shocked at the price.  They are however very good. 

 

This was after we had walked up a very big hill ( 1600m ish IIRC) in Poland with little sensible gear for such a task.

We were however quite well prepared compared to some. 

 

Andy