Early Risers.

[BoD]

24 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Preparations for the BBQ have gone ok until I ordered some beer.

You were in Masham yet still had to order beer in?

[Tony_S]

Good morning all.

It seems like a rather pleasant morning so far.

Our annual boiler service, more of an inspection really, is scheduled for this morning. Afterwards, Aditi has suggested a trip to RHS Hyde Hall.

After his “out of hours” GP shift in Brighton last night my nephew on his return to Burgess Hill was able to retrieve his car after the security cordon was lifted after yesterday’s lockdown. 
Aditi’s uncle from California is going to Burgess Hill today to stay at our nephew's house before departing for Switzerland early tomorrow morning from Gatwick. 
Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, the rock started at 14c earlier, post ablutions it is now....12c.  In July.  And it's sunny and dry.  What warming?  Feels like late autumn, not the height of summer.

 

As it is Friday we will be out and about with the Old Farts Bike Club, venue for brunch not yet decided upon, we meet at Mick's garage in Ramsey as it is central for us all, and try to decide where to go from there.  Or just talk crepe for half an hour first.  

 

Then I have to get myself down to the Bustling City of Douglas on the train to meet Mrs NHN from work, have a meal in the Terminus Tavern, and ride one of the later trains home that have been put on for the transport festival.  Seems like a decent plan.

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

You were in Masham yet still had to order beer in?

Breweries were not... brewing....

 

In other news..

 

I went to top up Sister Dracs blood bank.  Annual review so I was weighed  (lost a small amount of weight), blood pressure...fine, feet tickling..achieved.. then mentioned that my knee is very painful.. HCA then booked me a telephone meet up with the joint GP... lummy! 

 

Baz

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a warm but cloudy Charente.  We had a good day out yesterday but it's a long way to drive for a few hours on the beach (80 miles). We had a nice meal on the way home.

 

Today I surprised myself by doing another pre breakfast bike ride.  11 miles this time.  It could becone a habit hopefully.  Only saw 1 car in the 50 minutes.

 

Breakfast has now been had and now it's time for a shower. After thst it's time  to try and solve the slowvpuncture in the hot tub.  A weeping air valve is the prime suspect.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. It appears that the rain predicted for Sunday will not happen, anyone in the wetter parts of the country want to swap? Its high noon, literally in the Agathagate case today (yawn). A spat between two silly cows that will cost them £1.5 million each. A good time to be a lawyer. Apparently its the end of Neighbours tonight, its one program I've never watched ever!

[southern42]

I watched Neighbours with the kids and ended up as prime censor watching the earlier lunchtime programme before they saw it after school. A few episodes had the Mother kidnapped - I did not want our kids thinking or worrying it could/would happen to Me.  

 

Better things to think about today and, hopefully, you too,

 

Polly

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A bright and sunny start to the day here in England’s northwest corner, currently 16C according to the app on my phone. I shall shortly be setting off for my weekly walk to the butchers for the weekly meat rations and pork pie for my dinner. Then I shall head off to the Trafford Centre for a few more items that can’t be procured locally, but I suppose as the Trafford Centre is only 3 miles from my house, that is sort of local too! There are no firm plans for the afternoon, so I might start writing up a description of my delay circuit modifications for MERG. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

Edited July 29, 2022 by BSW01

[polybear]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Its high noon, literally in the Agathagate case today (yawn). A spat between two silly cows that will cost them £1.5 million each. A good time to be a lawyer. Apparently its the end of Neighbours tonight, its one program I've never watched ever!

 

Bear predicts it'll be the two Hubby's picking up the tabs....

Neighbours?  Apparently 20M people in the UK watched a wedding between Scott & Charlene many moons ago.

 

Bear here....

Blood-letting done (Sister Drac must be related to Billy The Kid - she was the fastest draw in town, that's for sure); also Tesco fun, submitting meter readings (so much for "smart" meters) and a call to Eon to chase them for the in-home display cos' they STILL haven't sent me one yet - it seems they haven't got any to send out.....

Right, now to start on re-decorating the cupboard under the stairs.....

Bear gone....

 

[Coombe Barton]

Went out to shoot stars last night - not entirely successful as I pressed a button on the camera which was the wrong one and couldn't see, in the pitch black with a red torch, how to reset it. However an amusing story will be presented on tonight's blog.

[jamie92208]

The morning just got better.  I opened my emails to find one from the French Income tax with my annual tax bill for 2021.   I managed to access my "Espace" , not a type of car, and found the lovely words.  Rien a payer at the bottom.  I can cope with tax bills like that.   I still pay a reasonable amount in the UK though as my Police Pension will always be taxed there.   That pays for my healthcare which the French recharge to the UK.

 

Jamie

[simontaylor484]

I must admit in my yoof I used to watch Neighbours I could never get into Home and Away though.

 

I will admit that Kylie Minogue was one of the main reasons for watching

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Late on parade today due to a late night, didn't get to bed until 02.00 as I was watching stuff on TV and didn't even notice the time.

Sunny and very warm here , currently 23°C and rising however there is a bit of a breeze which may help.

I have been informed that Abbie landed OK at 01.35 but didn't get home until 04.00.  I suspect she might have a bit of a lie in this morning.

We've been for a short walk to Asda for one or two more "essentials" and although The Hip hurts a bit it's not as bad as yesterday probably because I made a pre-emptive strike with Ibuprofen earlier.  More Shark wielding is next on the agenda but I'm having a coffee first.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[BSW01]

I was reminded before I set off for the Trafford Centre, that I need to get some strawberries, as Sheila was given some rhubarb yesterday. So that means my afternoon will be spent in the kitchen making rhubarb and strawberry jam! This goes down well with both Sheila and Ava and I’m quite fond of it, the kitchen smells like a fairground (candy floss) whilst I’m making it too! 

Edited July 29, 2022 by BSW01

[DaveF]

 

Thursday's weather was not perfect, there was a light drizzle on and off - just enough to make it feel wet but not enough to do any good.  I had a quick 2 mile walk after breakfast for which I needed a waterproof jacket.  The leaves on the trees are getting very dark, more like late summer but there were still plenty of wild flowers about.  I was back at home just before 9 which was as well, the solicitor rang me at 09.10  to discuss the e mail I had sent her late on Wednesday afternoon.  She is going send me the paperwork in the post as a definitive copy.  They are informing the buyer's solicitor that things are moving.  I also passed on the news to the estate agent.

 

By then it was coffee time, I managed to get the Radio Times Sudoku right first time - I usually do not concentrate enough and make stupid mistakes - after which I worked on the photos I've taken this week.  I cooked a nice lunch, just chicken, stuffing, bacon, sausgae, veg and potatoes followed by plums and custard.  I wonder why I fell asleep for a short while afterwards?

 

I started to prune a couple of shrubs in the back garden, they look better now but still need a bit of reshaping to complete the job.  I also had a long chat on the phone with a friend who had a new heart valve quite recently, then he had a small stroke.  It was good to hear he is improving.

 

In the evening I couldn't find much to watch so I settled on the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.  I think all I need to say is that during it I read a lot of my book.

 

David

 

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

… I will admit that Kylie Minogue was one of the main reasons for watching

That reminds me of a video clip I saw of Hale & Pace on tour in Oz. In their characters of “Ron and Ron (aka the “Management”)” grousing about how lucky Australians were at sport….
 

> Cricket?
- Lucky!
> Rugby?

- Lucky!

> Kylie Minogue?

- Lucky, lucky, lucky!

 

I thought that Hale and Pace were vastly underrated - of course their career did coincide with the rise of “alternative” comedy: The Young Ones, Ben Elton (“little bit of politics, little bit of politics….”) and the like. Too traditional a humour to be trendy, or with it, perhaps???

 

As for the “Two Rons” (aka Ron and Ron - “we are the Management”, “we manage things”), I think the humour there could have been a lot blacker…

 

They also “did” a good Yorkshiremen 🤣

 

[simontaylor484]

Sadly i cant see the clip @iL Dottorehas posted Hale and Pace did some brilliant Yorkshire sketches Yorkshire Airlines the best 

There was also Northern Calypso

Sadly I can't find the proper version so this will have to do

 

 

[polybear]

Bear here.....

A morning grovellin' around in the cupboard under the stairs (full respect to Harry Potter) - first job was remove the skirting; what sort of Brain Donor fixes skirting using 12 Gauge woodscrews FFS??  Were they expecting an earth quake?.  Out of the 8 screws used, 4 of them sheared off as well.  Turdycurses.  At least I managed to remove the skirting without toooo much incident - although one piece (that is well-hidden anyway) suffered a split; this should be glue-able and when painted should disappear. The plastered walls can best be described as "bumpy" in places, mainly in the top corners (no surprises there - plastering a cupboard with a sloping ceiling must be a real b1tch); I scraped the worst of the lumps off and now the next job is to bung some filler in various holes....

 

In other news....

Is it Bear, or has Wayne Rooney been seriously scoffin' the Pies?  By the size of him I thought he was a Bouncer when he got out of the car 🤣

[Gwiwer]

5 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

I must admit in my yoof I used to watch Neighbours I could never get into Home and Away though.

 

I will admit that Kylie Minogue was one of the main reasons for watching

I was rather the opposite.  Never a Neighbours fan and neither was I a Home & Away one but there was a brief flicker of interest in the latter during the early 90s when Rebekah Elmaloglou  appeared as Sophie in that show.  She returned to it again some years later and then went on to a role in Neighbours but it was the young character "Sophie" (her own middle name) which was brought to my attention ..... 

 

My apologies for absence in recent days.  I haven't had a chance to catch up and doubt that chance will arise any time soon.  Life has been a steady round of watering the grounds Upon the Hill of Strawberries, getting up even earlier than usual and taking the night bus to the House of Fun during the industrial lack-of-action by some colleagues and then there's Saturday .....

 

Tomorrow my weathering roadshow goes back out after almost three years gathering Covid-related dust.  I shall be at the Twickenham & District MRC Open Day between 10.00 and 16.00 showing some techniques and exhibiting weathered stock.  Kerswell Hall, TW3 2JF (off Wills Crescent) if anyone's passing.  The postcode says it's Hounslow but it's actually rather closer to Whitton.  Everything required has been cleaned, dusted, checked, packed and prepared.  

 

In other news Dr. SWMBO had what she described as "profoundly moving" morning yesterday with a group of Indigenous Australian students visiting London as a part of their university project.  They had created an interactive movie to the premiere of which she and a select number of others were invited.  This was followed by them visiting Kew Gardens to see her work first-hand some of which is connected with the de-colonisation project being run there.  They presented her with a rather special brooch in the form of Bunjil, the Eagle-spirit of the Kulin nation (approximating to the Australian State of Victoria) which was precious enough.  She assembled the group beneath a large eucalypt which grows outside her office.  One of the group picked a leaf, asked if he could take her hand (to which she agreed) and crushed the leaf finely into her palm.  "This will keep you safe, Auntie" he said.  To be called "Auntie" by an Indigenous person is a term of the highest respect.  It is seldom accorded to a whitefella* and means she is now accepted as a de-facto elder of the Murri Mob* to which the blackfella* in question belongs.  

 

Some 25 years ago she became the only whitefella* to be allowed into the Elder's Room at the Melbourne Museum. This stands on land of specific spiritual significance to the Wurundjeri people; the City of Melbourne was required to provide this closed gathering place as a part of its planning consent. She has worked closely with several of the Boonwurrung and Woiworung elders in her career at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne (both Melbourne and Cranbourne sites) and remains one of very few people from outside their own able to freely and openly discuss mob* matters with those elders.  

 

* Accepted terms used throughout the indigenous communities and used accordingly.  

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Gwiwer

[simontaylor484]

@Gwiwer that sounds like quite an honour for Dr Swmbo.

 

I think I remember Sophie from H&A she lived with Pippa &Tom  and had an enlarged frontage 

[Erichill16]

Weerz Baz?

 

 

 

[BSW01]

6 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

Weerz Baz?

 

 

 

Probably in the beer tent with Wally!

[TheQ]

To the Bear.. you wuz lucky, the skirting boards in this place are held on by 4 inch ring nails and lots of them.

[Gwiwer]

25 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

Probably in the beer tent with Wally!

No. He’s behind the screens having a wee 🤣

[Gwiwer]

35 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Sophie from H&A ….  had an enlarged frontage

And was a “wild-child” character becoming the soap’s first teenage single parent.