Early Risers.

[Shadow]

Thanks to ER earlier posts, yesterdays xmas present of a breadmaker has been in hot demand!

 

Trying it out again today. Eldest daughter wants a cheese and bacon loaf.

Well, who can say no to that.

 

I'll let you know later how it went.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Lovely morning here, if a bit chillier than of late. No hangover or other unpleasantness from yesterday, so that's a bonus, plus I slept well.

 

No Boxing Day in France, nor sales - they are allowed by public decree only - so a normal-ish day, although no doubt factories and plants may have shut until New Year.

 

Time to do breakfasts for dobbins!

Edited December 26, 2012 by Oldddudders

[beast66606]

Dark here (!) so I can't predict the day

Suns out now, currently a pleasant morning in Norfolk. In a little while Jill and I are going to take a walk around the fields to clear yesterdays over indulgence

[trisonic]

Odd isn't it? Listening to Mid Week on R4 and no one one there from the BBC staff had heard of the war of 1812 or the burning of Washington by British forces in 1814.

I though everyone was taught about this in the UK?

 

Best, Pete.

[DDolfelin]

"Dreadful humour and appalling puns are very much part of the fabric"

 

Oi! Behave.

 

Anyone waiting for DD's tales of misery and mayhem associated with Christmas will be out of luck this year.

A very pleasant day.

Highlights (I'm easily pleased):

An unsolicited but invigorating kiss from a visiting villager.

A calendar and diary featuring mostly Bewdley - great pics. and from an unlikely source.

Steak 'lunch' - beautifully cooked.

Some interesting bottles of wine to investigate.

Some heartwarming telephone contacts.

 

Happy Boxing Day to all.

[BoD]

Anyone waiting for DD's tales of misery and mayhem associated with Christmas will be out of luck this year.

 

That's ruined my Boxing Day.

I had been looking forward to this all year.

[The Stationmaster]

Odd isn't it? Listening to Mid Week on R4 and no one one there from the BBC staff had heard of the war of 1812 or the burning of Washington by British forces in 1814.

I though everyone was taught about this in the UK?

 

Best, Pete.

 

That's asking a bit much Pete - it seems schools aren'y allowed to talk real history nowadays unless it involves 'equality issues' and daft things like that (although that does seem to be changing under the present Govt).  You ought to see some of the answers given on GCSE history papers papers to the things they are taught - apart from a distinct lack of ability to write in decent English you'd crease up when you read answers like 'Hitler was a nasty man who didn't like Jews.' when the question was to explain the cause of the holocaust.

[skipepsi]

Morning all, mostly pleasant yesterday, MIL is a bit of a worry in the kitchen. Otherwise the day went well I could have eaten more or drunk more but it would need more effort to lose the weight after, the point was that was plenty for everybody. I went to slep feeling content.

[Coombe Barton]

Morning

 

Up at lazy o'clock, coffee, toast and then going to take the dogs out before what the seaweed twirlers (really like Mike's description) have forecast. Food today is already mostly cooked - guess when - and then tomorrow is SWMBO's 60th birthday. Main pressie will wait until spring (loco driving course) as it takes place early on a Sunday morning. She also wants to go out so I get to take her out to lunch. However where we're going our favourite places have ceased to be (but not pining for the fjords) over the years so will have to be inventive.

[Barry O]

Fine, breezy day in Leeds - with a special bus service running may wander into town later but - a new soldering station needs testing so......

[New Haven Neil]

Good morning, see I do arise before noon!

 

Thank you for your welcomes!

 

M®s Ashcombe, a colleague had a resurfacing last year, he has recovered well too, but as you thought mine is unfortunately a longer job.  It is good however that I retain my own joint, as it isn't arthritic, it was the mechanical impingement problem that caused the damage.  Apparently this would cause arthritic damage if not addressed, in the past the hip would have been replaced but new techniques allow a repair to be made for which I am thankful.  Oh, and you'll be pleased to know high heels aren't in my wardrobe....

 

Debs, those are three lovely dogs - Mrs NHN (also Debs!) best friend has two collies, Doona and Ffinlo, which she walks out with most days, given a chance!  I'm more of a cat fancier, but we are currently between cats, more's the shame.

 

Olddudders, that grey/gray livery is a new one on me, I don't have that book.  I must get NH Power off the shelf this morning to see if it is mentioned, I failed to stay awake long enough last night     Over 50's disease!!

 

Best to you all, whatever the day brings.

[AndyB]

Morning all, a rather overcast day here in Hampshire. 

Slightly unusual Boxing Day for me - taking my daughter to hospital as her chest infection is giving concern. 

Been told to expect a long wait, so better call by the cash machine to get some car parking money! 

Hoping to get some time to look at a pair of double slips later and some nice GF wagons.

Catch up later. 

Andy

[Tony_S]

Odd isn't it? Listening to Mid Week on R4 and no one one there from the BBC staff had heard of the war of 1812 or the burning of Washington by British forces in 1814.

I though everyone was taught about this in the UK?

 

Best, Pete.

Well it was on the syllabus when I was at school! There were lots of adverts for exhibitions etc for the 200th anniversary of 1812 if you visited Canadian websites this year. 

Many school subjects were subject to a lot of political interference during the 1980s, history, RE and biology particularly.

Tony

[Oldddudders]

Well it was on the syllabus when I was at school! There were lots of adverts for exhibitions etc for the 200th anniversary of 1812 if you visited Canadian websites this year. 

Many school subjects were subject to a lot of political interference during the 1980s, history, RE and biology particularly.

Tony

I suspect the syllabus inevitably varied among exam boards. Both O and A level seemed to major in European History as far as I was concerned - I think we were London, rather than Oxbridge.

[Tony_S]

Morning all, a rather overcast day here in Hampshire. 

Slightly unusual Boxing Day for me - taking my daughter to hospital as her chest infection is giving concern. 

Been told to expect a long wait, so better call by the cash machine to get some car parking money! 

Andy

I do hope your daughter gets something to help her infection. At our local A&E the car park machine is in the foyer and I think may even take credit or debit cards!

[Wherry Lines]

Many school subjects were subject to a lot of political interference during the 1980s

 

 

In many respects, they still are Tony!

[Tony_S]

I suspect the syllabus inevitably varied among exam boards. Both O and A level seemed to major in European History as far as I was concerned - I think we were London, rather than Oxbridge.

I sat JMB exams and there were at least two options. The two classes in the year that did German as a foreign language did British Economic and Social History, and the class that did French did the European History option.

Matthew's school (GCSEs late "noughties") did the Germany 1918 - 1939 option. I don't know how he managed to get a grade F for that exam. He wasn't allowed to take History A level but did Government&Politics instead and got an A grade. 

[travelintrev]

Good morning all, been up a long while (well since around 7:30)

 

  Quite day yesterday, until Son D-i-L and their 8 month old Labrador puppy with a coffee table clearing tail showed up.  (Which the cats did not apreciate......the yougest one went and hid in the laundry basket!

 

Strange thing about history taught in schools, when I was there  histroy "stopped" at 1900(AD)...... when my kids went  nothing before the '30s seemed to be taught. Now I will have to remember to ask grand daughter (9) what they're being taught now.  ..... Looks like rain here shortly. So maybe a bit more on my esoteric kit.......

 

Have a good day,

 

Trev..

[Debs.]

Boxing-day beach walkies, followed by an extended pavement-pounding by the pawed-ones and I......lots of folks greeting us with a reciprocated "good morning" ............Plenty of new bikes being tested and radio-controlled toys being raced about; but sadly, not much seasonal kindness being shown to we pedestrians by the lycra-clad bicycling ninjas (cradled in iPod sensural-insularity): whom seem hell-bent on mowing anyone down whom gets in the way of them doing 30+ MPH on 'the pavement'.....followed by a stream of abuse for so thoughtlessly inconveniencing/endangering them!

 

It`ll be "left-hoovers" for eats today......probably a 'Turkey Ruby'.

 

Box away, all........

[Tony_S]

 

 . Now I will have to remember to ask grand daughter (9) what they're being taught now.  .....   

 

Trev..

When Matthew was at Junior School there were supposed to be various National Curriculum history topics. The small school he was in had vertical banding (mixed age classes) and due the way he progressed he did "The Victorians" for three years. He had wanted to do "The Vikings" as those classes got to look at ships and swords and  re-enact the historic local Battle of Benfleet.

[New Haven Neil]

It was all Romans in primary school for me, and Modern (1900 - 1945) British history for a JMB O level in the Grammar school, 197, er, 4.  I majored on the General Strike as there were a lot of train stories !

 

Debs, couldn't agree more about the cyclists, they always seem to have had a manners bypass around here too, and folk in general tend to be very polite in our small community over here on Fraggle Rock so it highlights itself even more.

[The Stationmaster]

Lunch today is going to be freshly made soup (leek & potato I'm told) plus home made bread then salad and cold meat (surprise, surprise) for tea.  But I do rather like Christmas 'leftovers'  - we have quite a lot of the capon still awaiting consumption but that will gradually become sandwiches, croquets (a new addition to the armoury this year), curry, and finally soup plus Henry will no doubt get his share day-by-day as well.  An area of non-leftover was the sprouts all the ones that were left went straight into the food recycling bin but i was good buy and had eaten three.

 

This year the (bought in) Christmas pud was removed from my menu by the management after the diabetes treatment was added to my litany of pills etc and it was passed to friends - I'm the only person in the house who eats it - but the trifle might manage to survive another day.

 

PS Do not get me going about cyclists - I still fail to understand why grown men persist in riding bikes along a local footpath where they are not supposed to or indeed on pavements, some of which are quite narrow.  I know the local roads are busy, and not too wide in places but if they want to go along pedestrian routes why don't they get off and push their bikes?

Edited December 26, 2012 by The Stationmaster

[Sidecar Racer]

Morning all ,

 

 the weather is ' not nice ' again today , I made a quick trip for papers but that will be it for the day .

 

 It looks like everyone had a good time yesterday , I did laugh at Stubbys regular poetic updates

on the Christmas card thread .

 

 

Beast commented that ,

 

 In a little while Jill and I are going to take a walk around the fields to clear yesterdays over indulgence

 

 I though that most dwellings had a 'special room' for that purpose , I know Norfolk is still fairly rural

but I did'nt realise it that rural .

 

Quick recovery to those with problems .

 

 Right then , I'm orf for a spot of food .

 

Have a good day all .

[DDolfelin]

"the historic local Battle of Benfleet"

 

We didn't do the late 1950s.

 

Andy - best wishes for a positive outcome at the hospital.

Not the best way to spend a holiday.

[Debs.]

PS Do not get me going about cyclists - I still fail to understand why grown men persist in riding bikes along a local footpath where they are not supposed to or indeed on pavements, some of which are quite narrow.  I know the local roads are busy, and not too wide in places but if they want to go along pedestrian routes why don't they get off and push their bikes?

 

I was bellowed at by a bicyclist recently, after he ran-down one of my dogs (whom was on a short leash at the time!) informing me that: "These roads are far too dangerous to ride a bike on!......the pavement is now the ONLY safe place".....yes, for you; maybe!

 

I have previously made representations to the local Police station on the burgeoning 'bicycling on pavements' issue; I was told that yes, it remains a "technical" offence, but not one that is viewed* as practically enforceable; and anyway, "priorities necessarily lie elsewhere".

 

*I wonder who makes these kind of decisions?.....and which other laws are similarly, quietly sidelined?

Edited December 26, 2012 by Debs.