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"longer off topic comments" - Episode 13 Life Outside Ambridge
"longer off topic comments" - Episode 13 Life Outside Ambridge
Life outside Ambridge
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Life in Ambridge
THIS POST IS CLOSED "longer off topic comments" - Episode 14 Life Outside Ambridge Have a seat and let's chat.
Back to lawn chairs for our chit chat off topic comments.
ReplyDeleteAre they yours? Love the cushions.
DeleteGood Wishes to Gary Gilday, Cheshire Cheese, and every-one else, who will be celebrating, and enjoying the company of family + friends over Sat/Sun.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile, how is your grandson doing?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteGG - such good news and enjoy the day!
ReplyDeleteYour probably not looking in any more as it's such a big day tomorrow GG,
ReplyDeleteBut my best wishes along with everyone else.
Have a lovely time and a wonderful honeymoon.
Gary, hope your wedding day is all that you hope it will be, have a beautiful day and enjoy your (fantastic sounding) honeymoon.
DeleteHope the wedding goes well Carolyn and the best of weekends with both daughters CC.
ReplyDeleteI echo Mrs P's words Carolyn 😀
DeleteI am worn out from the 1st of the mens Wimbledon Semi Final! Say no more as some may not yet know the result...🎾
Ahh, celebrations all round. Lovely.
DeleteAdding my felicitations to Gary and everyone celebrating and coming together this weekend. 🎉
DeleteI am looking forward to a weekend to myself whilst Mr S visits his family.
😉
To all those involved in whatever way I hope the weddings go very well..
ReplyDeleteI hope that after such a heat wave the rain stays away for you all.
Send it this way if you wish.
It looks black as they say "over Bill's mother's " but not over here.
Love the geometric cushions Ruthy.
Too late to send my heartfelt good wishes to GG for his wedding on the last blog as it is now closed. But, if you have time to log in on the great day I hope everything goes as wonderfully as you have planned. A long and happy life yo you both. 💕
ReplyDeleteIn answer to Miriam, my littlest grandson is doing fine now, thank you so much for asking. He still has to have another brain scan in August, just before leaving for Dubai, so I am hoping everything will be OK and they won’t detect epilepsy which is what the doctors suspected. But we are assured that if he does need further treatment there are first class hospitals in the Emirates.
ReplyDeleteAll the best ,Archerphile but it is reassuring to know about the hospitals in the Emirates should further treatment be needed.
DeleteFingers crossed all will remain well for your grandson Archerphile - much better news all round right now anyway. 😃
DeleteWe had our first rain for weeks today. Half way around Sainsbury’s doing the big shop we heard a terrific noise, like the sound of a helicopter landing on the roof. Everyone rushed to the front of the store to see what was going on and discovered one of the heaviest downpours I have ever witnessed! The rain was beating down on the metal roof and bouncing off the cars and ground. It lasted for over half an hour and virtually no one dared risk a trolly dash to their car for fear of getting drowned. Arrived home to find the road outside our cottage completely flooded and water close to flowing under the front door! Wonderful to have rain for the garden again but would have preferred not to have a whole month’s worth in half an hour! ☔️
ReplyDeleteEnvious ,Archerphile.
DeleteThe ran clouds were taunting us last night but no rain.
The plants can be replaced if necessary -I have taken lots of cuttings - but the leaves on our trees are dying .
It is a pity but it isn't the end of the world.
Perhaps you will get your rain after the weekend Lanjan, I think the forecast is for a Front coming in on Monday, so I’ll keep fingers crossed for you. I have to say that our cloudburst has had little effect on the garden as we are on chalk and it drained away very quickly leaving the ground dry again. But at least it filled the water butts!
DeleteArcherphile we are not so far apart as the crow flies but all we got Friday was some thunder (still no rain.) Our friends nr Odiham also had the downpour you describe, never seen anything like it they said.
DeleteNice summery cushions Ruthy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruthy. Wish my grass is as green as yours. The bit of rain we had yesterday had absolutely no impact on the desert I call the lawn.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day everyone, whatever the celebration.
I am confined to the sofa, like a Victorian invalid, with my foot resting on a cushion. Extremely disappointed I couldn't go out today and have tea with MrsP.
Stasia - hope you will not be an invalid for long!
DeleteArcherphile - didn't get the chance to say glad that your grandson is on the mends.
I will be home bound today as I am working on my laptop at home. It's been very long hours of work this week and I am hoping that I can finish my project today.
I do have the tv on and watching with one eye, Serena, who has now lost the first set. And will watch England football this afternoon.
I hope you will soon be out and about Stasia.
DeleteStasia, what has happened? It sounds painful, so take care
ReplyDeleteI had rain on Thursday evening and then overnight. It was a welcome relief, but it only just "settled the dust" and wet the garden. There was absolutely no rain on Friday, and now it is extremely hot + humid, once again. I will be out watering again, later on tonight.
My focus tomorrow will not be on the World Cup, as I will be watching the Mens Final at Wimbledon.
I am furious! It is a beautiful day, lovely weddings going on, football and tennis matches to the fore, Mr A out gliding.....and what am I doing? Laid up in bed, on strong antibiotics and Co-Codamol with a throat abcess! Dr said it was on my tonsil, but I had them taken out when I was 18, so they weren’t removed completely, apparently. Praying that the antibiotic will work because if not improved by Monday it will be off to Hospital for an op. to have it drained. What an exciting prospect! So I sympathise, Stasia, with being laid up and on such a lovely weekend 😡
ReplyDeleteGood Luck Archerphile.
DeleteWere I able to ,I would send both you and Stasia a home made card.
I hate "Get well soon" -it sounds like an order- so the one you both would have had may well have been an umbrella with rain drops falling on it and
"I hope you will soon be as right as rain"
Thankyou, I should love a card like that so I’ll just imagine it in my brain!
DeleteThe other bloggers who have had operations would have had a card with a smiling sun on the front of it which would have said "Hope you'll soon be feeling brighter"
DeleteI would have taken Mrs P's with me to Putney in order to save the postage.
Then of course there are the ones I would have sent to those of you who have weddings in the family.
I might have needed to know the initial letters of the first names of the Bride and Groom.
Lady R and others would have had a birthday card with a woman of a certain age on the front reading a card saying.
"You know when you are getting old when you still know somebody who sends you a card with a note inside on your birthday"
(I would of course have sent a letter)
I would have to find a picture of T❤️O❤️B❤️Y for Maryellen I think or may be she would settle for one of Jane Austin.
I could photograph a £10 note
(Archerphile and Stasia the umbrella is usually tri coloured -red,dark blue and dark green-Lancashire colours but other colours are available.
A thank you card for Ruthy?
Hmm I will think about that one.
Something with chairs on I think.
I will take it to Heathrow when she comes over.
I love your flights of fancy Lan jan, and you have not done one of your alternative Archers scripts for a while.. too much gardening and sport to watch, I expect! (Moeem Ali did well at Lords today, great to see England beating India, even though it was only an ODI 🏏
DeleteSuch a card would have been a joy to receive LanJan, however it is the thought that counts and that is much appreciated 😀
DeleteSo much sport this weekend.
ReplyDeleteSpoilt for choice.
As I type England cricketers seem to be doing well against India but I watched England footballers play Belgium and what a poor game that was-for England .
I would love to say that Harry Kane played well but he was poor.
Sterling also.
I think the best players of the tournament have been Trippier,Pickford and Henderson.
Maguire has had a couple of good games.
As for tennis ,I am pleased that Kerberos won but didn't see much of the match.
Watched the match last evening which Anderson won after 6hours.
Ridiculous.
Poor bloke has to go out and play again tomorrow.
Question.
Why are penalty shots counted towards the Golden Boot award?
Kane does not deserve the Golden Boot.
I hope that both Stasia + Archerphile will be, + feel, a lot better tomorrow. Take Care, both of you, and keep us informed as to your progress.
ReplyDeleteLanjan. The tennis tomorrow will be interesting, as both the finalists, Anderson + Djokovic, have had very long and hard semi-finals.
ReplyDeleteI will be supporting Anderson.I am hoping that it will be an exciting and a competative match, and that both players will have had enough time, to recoup and re-charge their energy levels.
Me too,Miriam.
ReplyDeleteYou know more about tennis than I do but something seems wrong to me when women might only have to play 2sets whereas men may have to play 5 the last one of which could go on and on and on ...........
I used to be a tennis umpire, - many, many years ago! I cannot play though.
DeleteI think that there should be a final set tie-break, at 12-12.
I used to enjoy watching both the many golf + cricket broadcasts, but I rarely see these now, as I do not subscribe to Sky. Sadly this had to be my choice due
Deleteto the cost involved.
I am a single person, maintaing my lovely, 3-bed semi + garden, on my single "pension" income. Things will change, when I finally can claim my state pension, 26 months to go and counting!
DeleteEsscee. I too wil be 66, when I, at long last, will be able to claim my state pension. My pension age went from 60, to 62,63,64 and then jumped to 66! I was born in 1954. Luckily my monthly income from my personal pensions and investments, is very adequate for my needs, at the moment.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteStasia and Archerphile
ReplyDeleteGet well soon🤒
In one local shop there are cards to buy "To the teacher" £1.
ReplyDeleteIn the shop next door there is a sign which says " Back to school" .
Archerphile h, your tonsil problem sounds dreadful, any abscess is of course.
ReplyDeleteI do hope the antibiotics work, an operation on the throats would be horrible and I do hope you do not have to go through that.
I must share an exciting event this evening.
A friend and I went out to the Severn, just because it was a lovely evening.
So far I have not been able to get to see the Severn Bore, though very keen to do so.
We were just walking along and thought we could hear the motorway, then realised it was the Bore coming.
And there it was..... so unexpected for me, since I thought it only happened at certain times of the year.
In fact, it happens twice daily.
I am thrilled to bits !
Seasider -Re deleted post.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried applying magnesium sulphate?
Thanks Lan Jan
DeleteI haven’t come across that remedy so I will look it up.
Ah, Epsom salts, of course. I will give that a try. Thanks again Lan Jan.
DeleteJust read in the news about a spike in insect bites and people being treated in hospital for infected horse fly bites, owing to the hot weather. I had some nasty bites on my legs a couple of months ago and I suspect this one on my neck could be the same. I was out running then gardening early in the morning on Wednesday and forgot my insect repellent.
DeleteArcherphile I do hope you are feeling better today and on the road to recovery. Likewise Stasia that you are less sore and hoping it is nothing serious.
Mrs P I looked up the Severn Bore - really interesting and how exciting to witness. I understand it is affected by/coincides with the moon cycle.
Thank you all very much for your kind thoughts. I am feeling better this morning, although still a bit sore. My foot is a long standing problem, but I am starting a new medication which I hope will deal with the problem.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile. I do hope the antibiotics work before Monday. Having a sore throat is not nice, but an abscess is definitely not pleasant. I am sending you positive thoughts for improvement. When my sister had her tonsils out she was given lots of ice cream, we were all envious. I hope you are not having too much difficulty swallowing. Think of a nice cold ice cream.
Lanjan. Thank you for the imaginary card. The one I would send myself would read, You WILL get better, and PULL yourself together.
MrsP. Were people riding the bore?
Again, thank you to everyone for your kind and positive thoughts. Am now 2 days into the a/b treatment, not detecting much improvement yet but hope another day will make a difference.
ReplyDeleteMrs P - how wonderful to actually be there in person to see the Severn Bore! I have seen film on TV and it looks amazing. There were some surfers trying to follow it along, but not for very far, they soon capsized.
I must emphasise that this was a very minor bore, but exciting for me nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to organise myself to go and watch when the big ones come, but early morning and late evening are difficult for different reasons.
Yes there was one person paddling out on a board when we arrived.
In retrospect, we should have realised as there were also several people standing by the riverside. We watched him surf through the Bore and then he came ashore very close to us, so my friend offered to send him the video that she had just shot.
He told us that he lives half a mile away and rides it frequently, this being his second time yesterday.
Now that I have experienced it, I will make a considerable effort to see it when it is really high.
I first heard of this phenomenon way back in the seventies, probably saw it on ' Points West' but it has taken forty odd years to actually see it.
I am so thrilled !
😃
DeleteYesterday? Best. Day. Ever. Weather was stunning, ceremony was everything we hoped it would be, and we all went swimming in Loch Lomond at sunset... Perfection!
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for your kind wishes.
Honeymoon starts tomorrow but will still be listening to the Archers on our travels and will still be reading the blog!
Congratulations 🎊
DeleteSo glad all went well and have a wonderful honeymoon. Bon voyage ✈️
So pleased your big day was all you hoped for and more GG
DeleteHappy days ahead.
🎉💑🥂
DeleteSo pleased for you both. Sounds like a fabulous day.
DeleteHappy travels, have a wonderful honeymoon.
🥂✈️
Enjoy your travels. 🏊🏄🚵👨❤️👨
DeleteHow wonderful you had such a perfect day. My heartfelt good wishes for your future together and Bon Voyage! 💕
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteCongratulations to you both, and hope you have a wonderful time travelling.
DeleteAgree with what the other bloggers have said..
DeleteCongratulations to you both,Gary and enjoy travelling.
I got bit by a spider last weekend on my outside ankle and have been applying antibacterial and hydrocortisone cream for a few days. It was aggravated by me wearing work boots for two hot days during the week. It is still swollen and now itchy. If it doesn’t improve will head to the doctor for checking .
ReplyDeleteRuthy, spider bite, sounds unpleasant, be careful.
DeleteTo those of you who suffer from insect bites , I suggest you use an Aspivenin, or other cheaper version. Whilst it is meant primarily for wasp, bee stings or snake bites, I have successfully used it on horse fly and ant bites, it sucks out the poison and helps reduce the after effects. Obviously the sooner it is used the better. I have used one for many years now and wouldn't be without it.
ReplyDeletePS scorpion and spider bites too.
DeleteCG - never heard of such product but then again have never suffered so bad from a bite. I will search for it for future use, too late for this nasty bite. Thank you.
DeleteThanks Cowgirl. Horseflies are being a real pain down here at the moment.
DeleteRuthy 😮 sounds an awful experience you take care and keep us posted..
DeleteCowgirl, can you buy it over the counter?
ReplyDeleteMy neck is very red and sore this morning and the lump, which seemed to get a little softer for a while yesterday, feels hard. Still not sure if it’s a bite, boil or cyst. Ugh!
Oh dear Seasider, that sounds really horrid. Perhaps you should consult a pharmacist for advice? Hope it clears up very soon.
DeleteYes, Boots, other chemists or online.
DeleteHope the neck heals quickly.
If you go to the chemist please ask about magnesium sulphate paste ,Seasider.
DeleteIt is a drawing ointment.
Have you got an aloe Vera plant?
If you have and pull off a piece of a leaf and spread the goo inside it over a sore you will be amazed how quickly it gets better.
Another thing that is apparently good for all sorts of ills is cider vinegar and also tea tree oil
I have an old book called Grandmother's Secrets which mentions all the plants that were traditionally used to treat problems.
Re stings.
Emergency -butter for bees
Winegar (sic) -wasps.
We say : bicarb for bees and vinegar for vasps!
DeleteI was disgusted watching the awards ceremony in Moscow yesterday - when the heavens opened only Mr Putin was provided with an umbrella. Poor Monsieur Macron and the lady President of Croatia were left to get soaked to the skin! Putin didn’t even offer to share his umbrella with them and by the time 2 more umbrellas were rustled up the other Preidents were absolutely soaked through.
ReplyDeleteSo much for diplomacy ! There had been thunder and lightening all through the game so you would have thought the officials might have been better prepared.
Oh, and of course, thrilled France won but Croatia were fantastic too, pity it couldn’t have been a draw with them sharing the cup for two years each! 🇫🇷 🇭🇷
Archerphile and how is your throat this am ?
ReplyDeleteFeeling better I hope
Think the clarithromycin is doing its job, thank goodness ! A bit easier to swallow now though still sore, but I think the inflammation has reduced quite a bit. Spoke to the doctor earlier on and he said “don’t think we need bother the hospital now” for which I am incredibly thankful. And thank you CowGirl for asking. 😊
DeleteArcherphile, so glad to hear you are on the mend. It must be a relief not to have to go to hospital today.
DeleteThanks also for your concern for my minor problem when you are not well.
I intend to make a trip to the pharmacy to ask advice. It’s a bit of a dilemma with these things whether to let them run their course rather than using invasive methods unnecessarily, or whether if you act early you are nipping it in the bud.
Thanks again to Cowgirl and LanJan and good luck Ruthy with your spider bite. Sounds painful.
Archerphile so glad hospital visit not needed today 👏 hope your throat keeps on improving - never nice to be in pain!
DeleteMe, too - 17th today, Archerphile, throat any easier ?
DeleteAdded another bit for you Seasider just above Archerphile's 9.36 one.
ReplyDeletePleased that you seem to be getting better Archerphile.
Thanks Lan Jan. I looked it up yesterday after your advice so I wondered do you buy a paste or make it up at home. I have tea tree cream but no oil and I have apple cider vinegar. I also read about hot compresses so I am trying those. The NH S site doesn’t rate the old remedies but I think they win over inserting needles and scalpels. I still have a scar on my back and I don’t want one on my neck!
DeleteThanks for the tip re stings / bites Cowgirl.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this before.
Lan Jan..... not 100% sure, but think Mrs GG might be a mister !
Thank you for the insight MrsP. Will be careful in future comments..
DeleteThanks Mrs P.
ReplyDeleteI have deleted my comment..
I don't think it was necessary to delete your comment LJ.
DeleteI'm sure GG would have accepted your comment without being offended.
Still on the south coast,but popping in to offer commiserations to the wounded soldiers here - nasty conditions & evil bites. The natural lines of cure may well help (eg, I know aloe Vera is terrific with minor burns, but the things reported sound rather more serious)
ReplyDeleteLovely to read your update, GG, amidst all the joy & fun ! Particularly caught by sunset swimming in Loch Lomond !
Son's wedding was terrific, too, even the speeches, very much from the heart, without being sentimental at all. Very happy, memorable day, with photos on the beach etc. (Didn't snivel, though welled up a bit when they made their vows...)
Congratulations!!!!
DeleteSounds like you had a really lovely day Carolyn, am so pleased for you that all went well.
DeleteSeasiders. I do hope the pharmacy can offer you something to ease your discomfort.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile. I'm glad the ABs are beginning to take effect, and you swallowing improves. Did you have any ice cream?
What a wonderful event Carolyn, as your son's wedding just sounds so perfect. You must be very happy + proud.
DeleteArcherphile, I am so very pleased to hear that your antibiotics are working, and you have not have to sucuumb to a hospital stay.
ReplyDeleteI have had some good news, re my cataract assesment appointment, 8 weeks time and this is far better than I had anticpitated. I am still waiting for the glaucoma appointment
I picked up a very much stronger comtact lens on Friday, but sadly it needs to be made even stronger! I will get the replacement by Friday.
I am quite pleased how things are progressing, in the short-term.
Seasider I am an ex-Pharmacist. I would suggest you visit your local Pharmacy. Pharmacists are very highly trained, and have to continuously update their knowledge and learning. You do not need to suffer, as help is very readily available.
ReplyDeleteI have always tried not to reveal my previous professional work life I was a lpcal, retail Pharmacist/Manager, for 38 consequative years, and it was wonderful!
DeleteI "retired" 4.5 yeats ago, when I was 59. It was the right time due to the changing NHS.
DeleteMany years ago when on holiday in the north of Scotland whilst staying in a lovely old manse,my younger son aged about 3years old slipped on the polished library floor ,put his hands out to save himself and they were covered with minute splinters which must have hurt terribly.
ReplyDeleteWe went to see the doctor who told us about magnesium sulphate .
I spread it over his hands and they soon got better.
I am a great one for old remedies.
Same son got horribly stung by nettles and knowing about dock leaves I grabbed a clump of leaves from a plant and rubbed the leaves over his legs.
I hadn't a clue what the leaves were.
They may well have been the dock leaves I told him they were.
He said it worked!
So am I LanJan have just ordered a copy of the book you mentioned
DeleteGreat to know that all weekend weddings went perfectly ! 🎊👍
DeleteI am no longer a "registered" Pharmacist, and as such I do not now give any medical advice. It took me 5 years to attain my Pharmacy degree and the following necessary training to eventually qualify, and become registered in my chosen profession.
DeleteThe "old" remedies do still have a lot of success, but I feel that any delay in seeking medical help, could be detrimental.
I had a regular "client" who came to see me on a Friday afternoon. Two fingers were going very cold and turning blue. Luckily, this person trusted me, in that when I said go straight to A+E, they did. As I suspected, it was a blood clot, blocking the circulation. This was quickly dealt with and resolved. Had that person ignored my advice, and waited, then as the hosp. told them, the hand could have had to be amputated.
If there is a potential medical problem, always seek professional advice and help which is readily available in a Pharmacy. I know, as I used to do this.
I agree Miriam. NHS Choices can also be a useful source of advice.
DeleteSo interesting
DeleteTo hear about your life as a pharmacist, Miriam. A vital position to hold in the community and especially valuable nowadays when it is so difficult to get a doctors appointment. Thank you ( and everyone) for your concern and good wishes.
Abolutely agree - pharmacists are highly traned professionals.
DeleteI am disappointed that there is so much tv advertising of online prescription services. It could lead to losses of our community pharmacies. Where is the online immediate advice such as that described above?
Pleased to hear your improving Archerphile.
ReplyDeleteJanice, I will tell more about my ' Big Cat ' sighting, but pushedfor time at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI might need a reminder.
Hope everyone is getting better. No need to Google alternatives, best advice pouring out of bloggers right here !
ReplyDeleteThanks for nice comments re Brighton wedding; they're off to a 'mini moon' in Gibraltar on Thurs. ( yes, really...), the big one happening much later. Home now, having dropped our good friends at Heathrow
We went to the Regent's Pavilion yesterday, not seen by me in decades - what a piece of extravagant fun it is ! One thing I did remember : Rex Whistler's (20 portrait of a naked George, apart from a garter, clambering over the nude, slumbering form of ' the spirit of Brighton' , a naughty gleam in one dark eye directed at the viewer...
I must go to Brighton to see the Pavilion! My daughter, Katy is in the l ast week of term so maybe o er the summer. Must see the Whistler painting. What fun!
DeleteHope Archerfile, Seasider and Ruthy are on the mend together with any others iunder the weather! Talking of which when it finally rains will be out there singing in the rain! We haven’t had a drop since May! My outdoor tomatoes are ripening though possibly the earliest ever. You can’t usually pick them until well into August! Sending all the poorly ones very best wishes!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI have not been to the Brighton Pavilion for decades either, and Carolyn's post reminds me that I would like to see it again.
ReplyDeletePleased it all went well Carolyn.
My younger daughter got married in Brighton, at the registry office.
Sensible couple. No fuss. No guests.
Just the two of them and the toddler.
She told me she was not going to waste money on flowers, so I went to Brighton myself a couple of weeks before, and organised a florist for a small bouquet for her and a tiny posy for the little girl.
Unfortunately the staff at the R. Office, did not give them the flowers until after the ceremony, despite the trouble I had gone to, to make sure the note with instructions was on the correct page.
She was pleased and did thank me.
Well, chaps and chapesses, here's tomorrow's timetable -
ReplyDelete5am: last drink of water
7am: admission to hospital
1.30pm: off to theatre for R medial partial knee replacement.
8pm: Gardeners' World
Should be the last time, as after this there'll be nothing left to replace!
Oh! The very best of luck Sarnia, hope it all goes well for you and you are soon running around again. Make sure you do all the exercises (that’s what I’ve been told!) and take care of yourself
DeleteGood luck and best wishes. I always plan a treat for afterwards if I have to do something hard. Maybe you could buy yourself a nice plant if you like Gardeners World.🌱⚘🌻🌼🥀
DeleteBest of luck Sarnie.
DeleteYikes!.........The very best of luck Sarnia......Fingers and toes all crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteSarnia good luck!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, all. I'm meticulous about exercises and will be wheeled off to the gym at regular intervals for my physio package, which I always feel is 50% of the result! Janice, I went shopping (with difficulty) last week, so have already acquired my rewards, as it will be at least 3 weeks before I can manage the hilly terrain to the bus stop.
ReplyDeleteHope all goes well today and soon you'll be dancing to knees up Mother Mother Brown. .
DeleteAll the best, Sarnia ! Sounds like you're an old hand (should I say 'knee') at this. Glad to hear from you, after a gap, & will be thinking about you at. 8pm...
ReplyDeleteOff to the RHS Tatton flower show today. It's the 20th anniversary this year and I'm so pleased that I am recovered enough from my hip replacement to be able to go.
ReplyDeleteJust seen a report from the Tatton show on BBC Breakfast.... they were giving the weather reports from there and showed a very interesting garden designed for hot, dry summers. Hope you have a lovely day there. (P.S. are you able to walk without a stick now?)
DeleteEnjoy Tatton,Cheshire Cheese.
DeleteIn my opinion in the best of the Flower Shows I have attended.
No trouble parking etc.
I think Monty Don once said he liked that one best but I may be making that up.
All the best Sarnia.
Enjoy Gardeners Workd .
I hope to be watching Lancashire playing Leicestershire on TV this evening.
I would certainly be interested in hearing about what to grow in conditions like we are having so if you hear any more Archerphile please let us know.
At the moment we can still use hose pipes where I live .
I have decided that if everything dies I intend replacing all plants with geraniums.
They and most of the fuchsias still look good.
For me a great deal of schadenfreude to hear the outcome of the Sir Clifford case. Delighted with the judges criticism of the BBC who assume they always occupy the high ground. Just look at their arrogance towards our splendid lady camaigners.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you ,Pierre.
DeleteIt isnt just the campaigners of the Archers blog that the BBC treats with such arrogance, I read through many blogs and the number of complaints was quite staggering. It certainly made me feel we were not alone in our fight.
✔️✔️✔️
DeleteAnd the BBC makes the announcement that they will appeal.
As always !
I am not sure that it was important enough to be the main item of the news.
Deletei think I may be on my own but it sickens me when millionaires are given vast amounts of money.
I hope he gives it away to a worthwhile Charity .
He can hardly need the money.
LanJan I am pretty sure Cliff said it is not about the money and that would go to charity. I know he quietly had an extension (?) built at his mothers care home when she was alive and living there re her dementia but it was very low key, and that he often visited the residents introducing himself because he felt he could not assume they would either know / or remember him.
DeleteAlso he took his case to court to hopefully help possible future cases where people (unlike him) could not afford to fight the Media and fingers crossed stop future distress for them .
Lady R. I also hope that his compensation, will be donated to a charity of his choice.
DeleteGood luck Sarnia, hope all goes well.
ReplyDeleteToo late a post for you to read before your off to the hospital Sarnia, but I wish you the very best in your surgery and the outcome.
ReplyDeleteHope to hear more from you during and after your recovery.
Cheshire Cheese, so pleased for you that your recovery is good enough for you to be getting out and about to a ' big show '. I hope it is not too tiring a day.
ReplyDeleteMiriam, belatedly, but full respect to you for your career. It is very reassuring to have walk in professional advice and often very local. Let’s hope that doesn’t change the way we have lost so many other local community services.
ReplyDeleteMy MP was not present for the important Brexit vote.
ReplyDeleteI imagine he was at home replying to the letter I wrote to him several weeks ago.
😃😃😃
DeleteCheshire Cheese.
ReplyDeleteI really hoped you have enjoyed the Tatton RHS Show. I went in its first year, and for many years afterwards. I particularly enjoyed the innovitive back-to-back gardens. I stopped going a few years ago, as it was a nightmare drive to get there + home again (even though I know some short-cuts) and was so crowded, that I stopped enjoying it. This was when i also developed "backpack rage". This is when some-one beside you, turns around, and you get hit, in the arm or face, by their heavy backpack. I "bumped" into Monty Don one year, - what a lovely man, and he chatted for quite a few minutes. I have the photo.
Do let us know about your day out.
PS I bought some wonderful oriental lily bulbs from there, quite a few years ago, which I planted in a pot. They flower every year, always in the week of Tatton. They started to bloom yesterday, and there are about 60 highly scented flowers, yellow with purple centres.
DeleteWe had a lovely day at Tatton thank you. No problems with traffic or crowds but today is RHS members day so tends to be less busy. Both the operated hip and the one which will need doing in the not too distant future held up well. I was a bit disappointed with the show gardens but the back to back ones were as good as they always are. The school gardens are one of my favourite features and were amazing this year.
ReplyDeleteI even had an Archers moment. We went to a talk in the poisonous garden, given by someone who works in the poisonous plants advice centre at Kew. Afterwards we had a look round the plants and one of them was juniper the use of which in gin making was mentioned. That got me thinking about Toby's enterprise and where he gets his juniper from. I also thought about how dangerous it was when Toby was trying out random plants to use as botanicals with no mention being made of checking if they were safe to use.
Archerfile, I've just noticed your question about being able to walk without a stick. Thankfully I haven't needed any walking aids since I stopped using the crutches 6 weeks after my operation.
DeleteThank you Cheshire, that is very encouraging. Especially as today I recevied my letter from the hospital with the date of my admission for the new hip operation. It is the day after my birthday! So better not go out for a traditional birthday meal in my favorite restaurant as I have to report to the ward at 7.00 am next day!
DeleteGood to have a date Archerphile. I found it helpful in processing what was about to happen.
DeleteI hope you can feel something similar.
You know for sure that it is going to happen now.
I found having a date made it easier to plan and prepare for the surgery.
DeleteYes, at least I know when now, though I had been told there was an 18 week wait which would have been end of October, so I have been a bit taken by surprise! Only have my ‘hip school’ session the week before so it will be a rush to get any equipment supplied and. installed. Mr A is now busy making me temporary steps for awkward places around the Cottage (e.g. the deep step down into the bathroom) so hopefully I will be able to negotiate with crutches a bit easier.
DeleteDo you think I can teach him to cook too, in less than four weeks? 😉
Might be a good idea to make sure the freezer is well stocked up!
DeleteYou can have a jolly good try, time he learnt !!! you are never to old to learn.
DeleteAll good wishes for the op .
I get Saturday and Sunday breakfast made for me - very simple mostly just eggs and toasted bagels. Still, can’t complaint.
DeleteRuthy, I would be very interested to know how you pronounce ‘bagels’. I suspect it might be ‘bay -gells’? Here in the UK my parents were Jewish and used a lot of Yiddish words and expressions so we always called them ‘by-guls’ which was a London Yiddsh pronunciation. Similarly, Matzot were called ‘ Motzah’. Anyway, however they are pronounced I envy your weekend breakfasts - my favourite filling is cream cheese and smoked salmon with a squeeze of lemon and black pepper, gorgeous but only a very occasional treat. 😋
DeleteHere you go Archerphile.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your request!
To those of you who have had various treatments recently.
There comes a time because of aches and pains
We cannot do the things we used to do
Like taking walks down leafy country lanes;
Removing tights when going to the loo!
The time has come when you decide that "Yes
I've had enough.Don't like these falls and slips."
Just get replacements from the NHS
And get yourself some brand new knees or hips.
I hope it won't be long before again.
You'll all be feeling just as right as rain
LJ
Oh bless you, LanJan. That is perfect and has cheered me up no end! 😁
DeleteThank you LanJan.
DeleteVery apt for all us old crocks, soon to be young crocks.
LJ - excellent - thank you for fresh verse!
Delete......and Miriam I really hope that too.
ReplyDeleteYour eyes will soon be fine.
Indeed I do.
When I was trying to do my last comment,I pressed sign out by mistake and then couldn't sign in for ages because I couldn't remember my password.
ReplyDeleteIt has taken me a while to sort it out.
Hope it is OK now.
🏃🏼 won't be long before all those new knees and hips will be, hopping, skipping and jumping. ⛹
DeleteWonderful news about the date of your op. Archerphile. My younger sister had a hip replacement, about 15 years ago. She was about 46/47
ReplyDeleteand went privately (thanks to her husba
nds business health plan).She was playing golf, 8 weeks later.
Recovery is a postive attitude, just follow all the rehab plans, and do not give up!
LJ -thank-you mentioning my eye problem. I am lucky as the 2 problens are only affecting one eye, the other still has perfect vision. I am hopefully getting another even stronger contact lens for that eye, tomorrow. I know that my problems will be sorted, with hopefully no permanent effects.
Glad you've got a date, Archerphile, at least you can plan, though, as you say, they haven't given you & your husband much time to sort out amenities, which aren't just easy peasy, I've heard. Perhaps, as they've brought the OP. date forward, they could give you the necessary information earlier, too ?
ReplyDeleteProgress sounds pretty efficient in your case, Miriam. Hope you're pleased with the new contacts tomorrow, for a start !
Luckily it is only a new stronger contact lens for the "bad" eye, that I am gettimg. The contact lens in my "good" eye is still in perfect condition and and gives petfect vision, so hasn't had to be changed, for 4 years!
DeleteThat is good news Miriam. I do hope everything progresses well with your eyes, they are so precious to us. 😎 🤓. (Can’t find an emoji for contact lenses!)
DeleteI have been using contact lenses for now over 40 years, and these were the first things, I sorted out, when I first started working, and I started to earn a regular salary. This made such a major difference for me, a I was very thrilled to no longer have to wear "Deidre Barlow" glasses.
DeleteLoved your verses, Lanjan, very cheering & encouraging !
ReplyDeleteLan Jan 👏🏻
ReplyDeleteAnd the Epsom salts plus aloe Vera gel is working a treat 😀👍
DeleteI am just giving one quick extra comment, before tonights TA episode will begin.
ReplyDeleteI am now using frozen veg. I cannot find a supply of freshly grown vegetables. I have been to a couple of local farm shops and also a couple of supermarkets. I have found a very poor selection and these are not good quality. I feel very sorry for the farmers, who are trying very hard to try and maintain their income and livelihood. I will hopefuly be picking my first crop of my runner beans soon, they are doing well, but I water them every night.
Miriam - I almost always buy frozen peas because we never get them fresh and I find they are as good as fresh when defrosted.
ReplyDeleteHere I go again and thought that now it would be more appropriate to put this on
ReplyDeleteoff topic comments. I am obviously doing something wrong. I commented on a
Google account Kathleen Carter but wanted to be known as Peggy. However, each time
I comment, it appears as Peggy (hurray!) but next time I look it has gone !!! This will
probably do the same so I am wasting my time but I live in hope someone will see it and
hopefully tell me what I am doing wrong please.
Hi Peggy, your post is still here. Welcome (although I feel I am too infrequent a blogger to say that 😀). I can't tell you what you are doing wrong, just wanted you to know your post has been seen. I also saw your Kathleen Carter post on the other blog.
DeletePeggy, Some posters did initially have teething problems which seem to have been sorted. I have to sign in again with my google account every time I clear my history. Am used to it now. Welcome.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMiriam, get yourself an allotment and you will have so much fresh veg you'll end up feeding friends and neighbours. The only veg not doing well on my allotment are runner beans, everything having been a month behind in April/May, is now a month ahead because of the heat. I grow tomatoes outside and wouldn't expect to be picking until the end of August, but they are ripening so fast I can't keep up.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes with the new lens.
Our runner beans were enjoyed by greenfly before the foliage died through lack of water.
DeleteWe had half an allotment plot but gave it up last November.
I am pleased we decided to give it up.
It is fine if you have a plot close to home but if not at times of drought it can be a bit of a bind we found .
Mrs P have you got time now to tell about your sighting 🐱? The sightings down here vary in colour and size. I have wondered if they can cross breed. Years ago someone from South Africa married and moved into this area for a while with a young pet panther. She used to walk out with it on a chain lead but as it got bigger the local Parish Council got concerned and grumbled so it was then restricted to a garden pen which was not ideal. Then it vanished and she said that she had taken it to a sanctuary, but I did wonder if the "sanctuary" was Bodmin Moor!
ReplyDeleteIt would explain the one that the organiser of the moorland walks saw as he described that as a black panther. It was on a different part of the moor but they probably range quite widely.
DeleteWill reply this evening Janice
DeletePeggy - you are showing up as Peggy! Good that you are surfaced!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ruthy. Yes, probably teething problems. It does seem to have
Deletesettled.
Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful day in New Jersey. Took a few days to rest on the Jersey Shore (3 days to be exact) and took some nice pictures that will appear on our new weekly posts. Look for them this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI am very intrigued and interested. Thanks for continuing to produce and maintain this "blog".
DeleteSounds lovely Ruthy. Glad you could take some time out.🏖🧘♀️
DeletePeggy, I can also see your post. I also had trouble when I first logged in as I found I kept disappearing!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your input.
Thank you Miriam. My last post a few minutes ago is still there but had a prompt
Deleteunderneath to 'Delete' which Inignored. Probably just giving me the option. Thank
You to everybody else who posted to tell me my post was seen.
I am a "techno-phobe" but I am amazed how things are changing. I have just received a video, via Whatsapp, of MY Monty, my newest great nephew, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. He is 6 months old today, and was seen bouncing in a ceiling hung "bouncer", chuckling away, smiling and just adorable. I will meet him for the first time over the August Bank Holiday weekend, when they are coming home (some-where nearby, but sire where), for a quick visit, when en-route to Ireland.
ReplyDeletethis should read...but not sure where.... They will be only a maximum of 30 miles away, so I will easily be able to meet up with my neice and her partner for the first time in 2.5 years, and I will meet their son, Monty, for the first time. I think that this week-end will a big family get-together. I estimate at least 17 of us. It is a date for the diary.
DeleteAlert - very off topic but requested by Janice
ReplyDeleteJanice, as you have asked....
If you Google Rick Minter you will get links to the website, as well as his book.
He has been studying the Big Cats for several decades and is the authority on the subject.
I had been out to a local rail station which is in the back of beyond.
As I drove back at about ten on that summers evening I took a wrong turning and found myself driving up a lane with a slight incline. Towards the horizen I saw a creature emerge from the hedge on my left and cross the lane to the other side. I spoke out loud to myself and realised as I did so that my foot was coming off the accelerator and the car was getting slower and slower. ' what am I looking at ' were my words.
I knew that I was not hallucinating or imagining. I knew it was some sort of animal. But I did not understand what it was doing, or what it was.
The body was long and lean and very muscular. As large as an extremely large dog and an intense black.
Those words ' intense black 'are significant, and are always part of everybody's description.
The tail was as long as the body, very straight and horizontal to the body and with a tight curl at the end.
This animal appeared to be dancing !
When it reached the other side of the asphalt it tried to step up the bank, but couldn't manage it and moved a few yards to get a footing before getting onto the bank and through the hedge on my right.
I thought through this experience for a couple of days pondering on what I should do, if anything. I googled ' strange animals ' and got all sorts of weird stuff.
Should I tell the police ? The press ? Anyone at all ?
Two days later I visited a local area that looks out over the Severn Vale, and got talking to a local lady walking her dog, and told her of my experience.
" Oh you saw a Big Cat " she said, " it was probably the Woodchester one "
When I described the dancing, she suggested that maybe it was carrying prey.
And then the penny dropped, and what I saw made sense to me.
The prey was probably a young deer, and the BC was carrying it in its mouth and one paw, thus lifting and dragging with each step. The straight tail, which is usually seen lying in a deep low curve with the end curled up very tight, was being used as a balance.
When you see a dog carrying a heavy stick or branch it's tail is held straight to balance the weight.
So now I googled Big Cats in the Stroud district and discovered that this area is a hot spot.
I telephoned the local contact that I found and within days had about four calls from different people including Rick Minter.
A few days later I met up with a couple of volunteers to show them where exactly I had experienced the sighting, so that they could add the details to the data base, and possibly set up cameras in order to film any return.
......................................
As I have said previously I now get an invitation to the annual conference at the Agricultural University which has a department studying these animals.
Many people come including a lady from Devon who used to live in Gloucestershire and she has had a siting when dog walking in Devon.
There is a review of the previous years research and many tales in the pub later about how any publicity is squashed by police and the Home Office.
Sorry about all the gaps.
ReplyDeleteThat last post was even longer but too long to be accepted.
So I tried to chop it into parts that were ' short ' enough to be accepted.
I will try to rewrite the rest later for Janice.
But apologies to any other posters who do not wish to hear about Big Cats.
I found the whole account fascinating. Thanks for letting us share your experience.
DeleteMrs P.
ReplyDeleteThat is so fascinating, and very interesting.
I can imagine it is one of those moments, when you question, did I really see that? Go with your instincts -
ReplyDeleteBig Cat ....... continued
I live very close to the Rodborough Fort, a Victorian Folly.
In the seventies I lived in Malmesbury.
At that time one could visit the small pet department in Harrods where all sorts of exotic animals were for sale, and people all over the UK kept exotic animals as pets.
I remember when the law was changed and exotic animals were no longer legal to keep as pets.
At that time a lady who lived in the Fort kept monkeys and other animals including Big Cats. And I remember seeing accounts of this on ' Points West'.
The local tale is that she panicked when the new law was announced and engaged a couple of men to ' take them away'.
Apparently they did not take them very far !
Hence Stroud being a hot spot. And this area is perfect for them, huge deep wooded valleys.
Yes they breed and interbreed.
And Rick Minter says there is not a county in England that does not have sightings.
One tale was of a groundsman very near Tewksbury who witnessed a mother take her cubs one by one to higher ground as the flood waters rose when the Severn flooded a few years ago.
I feel privileged to have seen one of these animals quite by chance, and find the whole subject fascinating. And one of the most interesting facts is that most people when asked think the animals should be left alone, including some farmers who believe that their local BC keeps the deer population under control.
I hope this account satisfies your interest Janice and that you are interested enough to follow up my account with further reading.
............... .............. ..............
And apologies to any poster annoyed by this long post.
Mrs P thank you for taking the time to write that. You are a gem. I am now going to look up Rick Minter, and will tell my cousin up in Hampshire about your sighting.Once early in the morning she looked out of her bedroom window across the field at the back and saw a large black cat . She knew it was big because there is an old railway track there and it was standing across the track and its body was as long as the width of the track.
DeleteThank you Miriam, for not being bored or annoyed.
ReplyDeleteMeeting others who have had sightings is very rewarding. Knowing one is not alone.
Spellbinding. Thanks so much for telling us about, well, all of it, but especially your moment with a stunning BC. Great you followed up, & found out so much. I'd no idea that the handsome black prowlers were not, in fact, so rare.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mrs. P for your account of the encounter with the big cat. It was fascinating.
ReplyDelete✔✔✔✔😀
DeleteIt reminds me of a story I read in a welsh newspaper, with photos, of wallabies being seen in a forest in Wales. Due to one of those major storns a few years ago, fences were destroyed so the wallabies escaped. They were all recaptured. but if they hadn't...
ReplyDelete.......we'd all have happy little jumpers bouncing around in our back gardens...
DeleteI'm wondering why we hear about sightings of big cats etc but very rarely, if at all, about discovering their bodies. Do they dematerialise after death, or is it that sightings of live animals make more interesting news items than discoveries of dead ones?
ReplyDeleteHave just made an interesting [but odd!] discovery, visiting the blog on my desk top computer various posts have black & white symbols or sometimes squares, but when I look at the blog on my phone or my Kindle the symbols are coloured & the squares are proper recognisable emojis & make sense with the post. Curious!
ReplyDeleteLook for many chairs.
ReplyDelete