The Night Mail

[Winslow Boy]

A bit like some of the volunteer groups I've been in- quite happy to take your money but surprisingly stingy when it came to spending on the project/scheme. They also liked to be 'seen' giving things away especially if they hadn't bought them. 

[jamie92208]

@Winslow Boy you foolishly offered to try and identify the tree that grows like a weed on our boundary.   I got a couple of photos this morning when the sun was on it.  The first shows the upper part with some leaves turning red and the red things that I think may be see pods.

The second is a clos up of a smaller leaf about 15" by 8"

Jamie, now having a break after cutting the weed patches that masquerade as lawns.

 

PS, I once had a young lady working for me who when the subject of being good or careful came up, told me that her motto was "My mother told me to be good, was I?"

Edited October 9, 2023 by jamie92208

[SteveyDee68]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

when one of the later, thicker, books came out and I bought it as soon as it was published I stayed up through the night so that I could get through the book in one sitting - such was the power of the story telling)

Ditto.

 

I agree that the Harry Potter series of books is excellent; the films are okay, but really should be thought of as “based upon” in so many ways! It has to be said, though, that the late Alan Rickman really did seem to hit the nail on the head with his portrayal of Severus Snape!

 

Having said that, I bought The Lord of The Rings trilogy as a single volume with prize money from a school award and, upon purchasing it on the Saturday morning, proceeded to read the entire trilogy over the course of the weekend, including staying up all Saturday night, so engrossed was I in the story.

 

I was 16 at the time.

 

39 years later, and I still find myself unable to put a book down once started if it has sufficiently gripped me!

 

I am also fortunate in that I can read (and reread) books multiple times - or is that just a terrible memory?! 
 

Steve S

[SteveyDee68]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I've never found that Ming vase or lost Renoir either and we don't go hunting for things to sell on

When my grandfather passed away, it fell upon my dad to clear his house as the executor of his will. My grandad was quite a keen car boot and antique fair visitor and downstairs were various vases and objects d’art that he has acquired over the years, but imagine my dad’s surprise when he discovered both a Stradivarius and a Rembrandt in the loft!

 

Unfortunately, the painting was by Stradivarius and the violin by Rembrandt.

 

Hat, coat …

[iL Dottore]

20 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

When my grandfather passed away, it fell upon my dad to clear his house as the executor of his will. My grandad was quite a keen car boot and antique fair visitor and downstairs were various vases and objects d’art that he has acquired over the years, but imagine my dad’s surprise when he discovered both a Stradivarius and a Rembrandt in the loft!

 

Unfortunately, the painting was by Stradivarius and the violin by Rembrandt.

 

Hat, coat …

G R O A N !

[iL Dottore]

28 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

…Iam also fortunate in that I can read (and reread) books multiple times - or is that just a terrible memory?! 
 

Steve S

So am I, but it’s not having a terrible memory, but that many books are eminently re-readable. Others are read once and then shelved.

 

Interestingly, I’ve found that any given author can write both re-readable and “read once and shelve” books. Take as an example the books by Len Deighton: the Bernard Samson trilogies (Hook, Line and Sinker; Game, Set and Match) I’ve read just once and then shelved; the early not-named spy (aka the Harry Palmer) novels, SS-GB and Bomber I’ve read multiple times (as I have his histories - like Blood, Tears and Folly).

 

Terry Pratchett must be, for me, the all-time eminently re-readable author. Of the more than 70 books that he wrote, maybe 3 or 4 I haven’t read more than twice and only 1 novel I’ve read but once.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

@Winslow Boy you foolishly offered to try and identify the tree that grows like a weed on our boundary.   I got a couple of photos this morning when the sun was on it.  The first shows the upper part with some leaves turning red and the red things that I think may be see pods.

The second is a clos up of a smaller leaf about 15" by 8"

Jamie, now having a break after cutting the weed patches that masquerade as lawns.

 

PS, I once had a young lady working for me who when the subject of being good or careful came up, told me that her motto was "My mother told me to be good, was I?"

 

 

 

That looks a bit like something that pops up down here as a weed. I did look it up a while back , if its the same thing its an American blow-in called a Rhus Typhina or something.

 

The red bits are actually fruit and are apparently edible or you can make jam or something out of them. 

 

All up, an annoying plant with a stupid name, 1.5 stars.

[polybear]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

• Harry Potter. First of all, ignore the films and all the merchandise and other “stuff“ being pumped out by various franchises associated with Warner Brothers studios. The Harry Potter books are a very different universe indeed (only the first two Harry Potter films bore anything more than a minimal resemblance to the books).

 

Absolutely - some of the talking books are well in excess of 30 hours long, which demonstrates just how much of the book is (understandably) lost when portrayed as a film.

I think one of the pay-to-watch TV Channels ("Max") is in the process of producing a Harry Potter series (release in 2025/26), so I wonder if they'll be truer to the books?  Having the Characters portrayed by different actors would take some getting used to though.

 

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

A bit like some of the volunteer groups I've been in- quite happy to take your money but surprisingly stingy when it came to spending on the project/scheme. They also liked to be 'seen' giving things away especially if they hadn't bought them. 

 

I recall a Radio interview with a Farmer who used to supply Tess & Co; he said that every Chrimbo T&C contacts them to "invite" them to donate money to them to go to Charity - all suppliers know that no donation (and we're talkin' numbers with at least three 0's at the end here) would most likely mean no contract renewal.

And what happens?  The headlines read "Tess & Co donates "X" £M to Charity".........

[Dave Hunt]

Well, I’m now in Spain having got through a queue about a mile long at passport control in Malaga airport (let’s hear it for Brexit) and am now en route to the little village where we will be staying. Someone here (or it may have been ERs) mentioned Japanese gravel gardens; this is just outside the arrivals area at Malaga airport:

 

Dave

 

 

 

[monkeysarefun]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Well, I’m now in Spain having got through a queue about a mile long at passport control in Malaga airport (let’s hear it for Brexit) and am now en route to the little village where we will be staying. Someone here (or it may have been ERs) mentioned Japanese gravel gardens; this is just outside the arrivals area at Malaga airport:

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

While  I can see that one little sign with a red circle on it  is saying no Highland Terriers, but what is the other sign warning you about doing?

Edited October 9, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

12 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

 

That looks a bit like something that pops up down here as a weed. I did look it up a while back , if its the same thing its an American blow-in called a Rhus Typhina or something.

 

The red bits are actually fruit and are apparently edible or you can make jam or something out of them. 

 

All up, an annoying plant with a stupid name, 1.5 stars.

There are websites showing how to identify the similar poisonous version…

[monkeysarefun]

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

There are websites showing how to identify the similar poisonous version…

That'll be the ones down here for sure!

Edited October 9, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Oldddudders]

This morning I had an early appointment with my ENT surgeon, reviewing the operation he performed on my thyroid on 4th September. The scar really is pretty minimal, but even so he has encouraged me to massage the area fairly vigorously to eliminate the remaining swelling. I had actually been avoiding too much touching other than when washing, so that will be novel. He gave a demo, and I wondered how many people, at work or in other walks of life, had wanted to shake me warmly by the throat!

 

Sadly the biopsy on the lump that he removed from the thyroid identified a 3mm 'microcarcinome papillaire' which is a bit disappointing. He proposes no further action, but is keen to monitor things. I'm not inclined to argue with that! I see him again in December.

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

@Winslow Boy you foolishly offered to try and identify the tree that grows like a weed on our boundary.   I got a couple of photos this morning when the sun was on it.  The first shows the upper part with some leaves turning red and the red things that I think may be see pods.

The second is a clos up of a smaller leaf about 15" by 8"

Jamie, now having a break after cutting the weed patches that masquerade as lawns.

 

PS, I once had a young lady working for me who when the subject of being good or careful came up, told me that her motto was "My mother told me to be good, was I?"

Yes still got it, Rhus typhina. Goes a gorgeous russet shade of red brown and yellow. Unfortunately it does last long as the leaves fall off very quickly.

Edited October 9, 2023 by Winslow Boy
Damn that Chimp stealing my thunder.

[PhilJ W]

Americans visiting the UK asking is their itinerary OK.

https://www.boredpanda.com/unhinged-americans-uk-trip-itinerary/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

They are based in the Lake District and intend taking a day trip by car to Polperro in Cornwall.

Edited October 9, 2023 by PhilJ W

[AndyID]

We don't have car boot sales here. Nobody knows what a car boot is so it would have to be a car trunk sale. I think the closest equivalent would be a "swap meet". Plenty of garage sales though.

 

The term "car boot sale" always makes me think a spiv flogging dodgy stuff that recently fell off a lorry. Of course in reality it's more than likely it's just cheap carp and you are supposed to think it's been nicked 😆

[AndyID]

9 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Americans visiting the UK asking is their itinerary OK.

https://www.boredpanda.com/unhinged-americans-uk-trip-itinerary/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

They are based in the Lake District and intend taking a day trip by car to Polperro in Cornwall.

LOL!

 

[J. S. Bach]

6 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I'm a bit too old for Star Wars let alone Harry Potter. My favourite authors are the late  ...... and Carl Hiaasen. 

Same here, and the fact that I lived in Ft. Lauderdale and knew a lot of the places he wrote about made the novels even more real.

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

While  I can see that one little sign with a red circle on it  is saying no Highland Terriers, but what is the other sign warning you about doing?

It’s a hiking boot print and means don’t walk here. 
 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

Harry Potter is just a rehash of Enid Blyton.  Mallory Towers intertwined with the Famous Five.  Just spin it out as a series and don't mention the g*p*y children.

[newbryford]

37 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Americans visiting the UK asking is their itinerary OK.

https://www.boredpanda.com/unhinged-americans-uk-trip-itinerary/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

They are based in the Lake District and intend taking a day trip by car to Polperro in Cornwall.

 

But it's only this far on the map.

(Holding finger and thumb about an inch apart........................)

[AndyID]

24 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

But it's only this far on the map.

(Holding finger and thumb about an inch apart........................)

 

I suppose Penrith can't be too far from the North/South mid-point of the UK 😀 I can understand their confusion. It's no big deal to drive 800 miles in one day in the US.

[Tony_S]

32 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

But it's only this far on the map.

(Holding finger and thumb about an inch apart........................)

I did see a suggestion when that post appeared elsewhere was that it was parody but…

[AndyID]

At a rest are North of Paris an Italian chap in a big BMW once tried to flog me a very nice looking women's leather coat out of his BMW's boot. He said he just needed some cash to buy petrol so he could get back to Italy. Obviously I was supposed to think it had been nicked so I wanted nothing to do with it. I subsequently found out there were a lot of coats like that being sold and they were actually made from seaweed 🤣

[Northmoor]

45 minutes ago, AndyID said:

We don't have car boot sales here. Nobody knows what a car boot is so it would have to be a car trunk sale. I think the closest equivalent would be a "swap meet". Plenty of garage sales though.

 

The term "car boot sale" always makes me think a spiv flogging dodgy stuff that recently fell off a lorry. Of course in reality it's more than likely it's just cheap carp and you are supposed to think it's been nicked 😆

Most of the (negative) comments on here about car boot selling I would agree with, although my experiences of the Bordon site (even before this weekend, at least five times over the years) have been overwhelmingly positive.  I only recall one instance of a rude customer - a couple of elderly Nepalese ladies who took an already very cheap item then demanded a ridiculous discount - and most are friendly and cheerful.  Even the vultures who arrive as soon as you pull up, are actually polite and no-one sticks their head in your car; I've been asked for jewelry, games consoles/games, musical instruments, Lego and model railways (yeh mate, like I'd be selling you any of mine via a boot sale).

 

Your experience of these sales is heavily dependent on the location.  I go 20 miles to Bordon because of it's large catchment area, while must nearer here is "Hampshire's Largest Car Boot" in Farnborough.  It's in a small car park in the middle of a roundabout, all pitches are very crowded together which makes it easy for teams of crims to "lift" items from your table while someone distracts you.  A former colleague sold there once and vowed Never Again.  I actually had a pitch next to him many years ago at another local, smaller venue and we pondered the two scruffy blokes with a table opposite:

A Fiesta van (not a local registration) with one broken wing mirror hanging off, one small table with some cameras, small power tools and electrical gadgets, a strimmer or two..... all the things you would take if you have 60 seconds to grab the most valuable items in an unlocked garage or house.......

 

To be honest though - while my £12 profit is an outlier compared to a more usual £40-60 - I am always amazed at the unbelievable tat some people lay out and expect others to buy.  You can tell some do this every week (oh, and how do the ones who are obviously traders, get in when it clearly says, No Traders?) which seems like a lot of effort for £20-30 a week.  To be fair, some of the dealers clearly like getting their moneys-worth as they are still smoking roll-ups when they are apparently only a quarter of an inch long.