I have never sadly, been a great fan of Barry Cryer... I though have to express my sadness, as to his passing. He entertained so many, for many years, and will be greatly missed. 😰
Loved him. ISIHAC is my favourite radio programme. I have two tapes my sons gave me at various times and I still laugh outloud at them. And his quick wittedness and use of the English language was outstanding. 'You'll have had your tea then!' RIP.
Yes, me too. ISIHAC is a great favourite and the quick wit of Barry and others is so funny and amazing. I have also been crying with laughter at Dave Allen today. I have taken to watching on Utube a young American’s reaction to things British and he was folded up watching Dave talking about air travel. Joel is the American and BTW he tasted Marmite and hated it!
Miriam,I know you only seem to post after 4pm and I don't know when you stop viewing the blog . This may mean that you did not see the comments made at the end of the pervious blog which stated what proportion of the blog you are utilising. It appears to be over 30% of the total number of posts
You have either not read what was written or have chosen to ignore the posts. PLEASE take notice of what people are saying. I am going to be blunt. Does it really take two posts to say that you enjoy a. Bovril and tomato sandwich?
Given that there are far fewer comments being posted on both blogs than in the past, it seems immaterial how many blogs per day are posted by one individual. It's sad that people have so little to do than to monitor one person's posting activity by actually working out the percentage.
There is a point to consolidating the posts into longer ones than 2 lines every few minutes though. It saves Gary having to open up a new blog as often. Not sure if that’s a long job or not tbh though.
And Patrica C - a number of us have been asking, politely for over two years now. Miriam says she will take our request seriously and tries to conform for a few days, then she slips back into her habit of multiple posts within a week. Despite being generally gentle and polite it. It has on occasion blown up, and in the past Miriam would state that she will leave the blog. She generally reappears within a day or so. The last time, not so long ago, a previously regular contributor who had ceased posting but was obviously still reading the posts, intervened and accused posters of bullying. This resulted in at least two other posters removing themselves from the blog. They are much missed by several of us.
Patricia, if you read the blog regularly you may remember these occasions that I mention. If you only drop in occasionally I do hope you will not mind me making you aware of the wider picture behind the surface.
Dear Patricia C, You say that there are fewer posts on the blog. Well I for one am not commenting as I used too, because there is so little to comment on. I do not need to hear whether someone is going to hoover their bedroom or what birds are in their gardens. I do not 'live my life' on a blog. There are many comments about Barry Cryer then a person, who does not like Barry Cryer, leaves a message about his death, then goes on to say about a favourite sandwich.
There are two, at least, people who have ceased to post as they are tired of reading tittle-tattle. Also when that person posts on the other blog there is very little on TA episodes and characters and I thought that was the blog was all about!
I think your comment was rather rude for someone who very rarely posts, to some people who are rather fed up into what the blog has become.
Spicy just out of interest what would you like to comment on or about? I like literature, history, interesting research, stained glass, definitely the bird and wild life in my garden and surrounding area, the countryside and farming in general, and hearing about and trying out new recipes. Could the problem be that all our interests are so different that we are connecting less? Here's a challenge, you choose a topic that you like and I will try to comment on it, might not be in depth but I will try.
Lady R. I, like you, hope we don't sink. I think the last 2 years we have been held together by covid and its ramifications, and supported wonderfully by this blog, and many thanks to you Gary for that. This was a lively interesting blog before covid and I think it can be again.
I like people commenting on things that I wouldn't normally be interested in or don't know much about I might learn something. I can always skim past anything that I find boring.
We have a shoe dweller with ADHD. They are full of plans to get themselves organised and to overcome their time blindness - wall planners, multiple alarm clocks, you name it. These usually work for about 2 days. Not Small Person's fault - with ADHD, a strategy that works one day might not work the next. Small Person can talk nineteen to the dozen - by the time they have finished telling you the plot of a film, you could have watched it ten times over! When in company, another Shoe Dweller is skilled at telling Small Person when they are being annoying and need to stop talking. Not much later, Small Person will be talking nineteen to the dozen again. Small Person is scatty, disorganised, creative, kind, thoughtful and generous. Their friends know this and have got used to Small Person's idiosyncrasies. Similarly, I wake every morning full of plans to get the Shoe tidy. This never happens : ( I'll keep trying, and from time to time I'll make progress. But it won't last. Doubtless some visitors would feel it necessary to comment on the state of my shoe. Those who know me better accept it as it is. In both cases, knowing the person better helps you to understand their behaviour. On this site, we only know a little about each other, and can only guess at what makes the other posters tick. Similarly, for some of us, this blog is a pleasant place to come in and chat about The Archers, and a variety of other topics - some of which may interest us, and some which won't. For others, it may more literally be a lifeboat - providing human connection at a time of enforced isolation. Some of us may want to discuss momentous events, others want to chat about little day to day matters. I don't think any of us have the right to specify which is correct - 'though we can always skim over posts that don't interest us. Miriam *knows* she posts a lot of short posts, she *knows* a lot of posters would prefer her to consolidate these into fewer, longer posts. And she *tries* to do this. Then she goes back to her short one-liners again. Why this is, I don't know. But I'm inclined to think that this is just how Miriam is. Yes, the odd gentle reminder may help, for a time. But please let's not get into 'We tell her but she never listens' territory, particularly on days when then are very few posts and anyone who does look in looking for a bit of human interaction would find very little to reply to. OWiaS (who couldn't do short and pithy if her life depended on it.)
I found what you said about time blindness very helpful and illuminating OWIAS. Athough not officially diagnosed both my daughter and myself are aware she is somewhere on the high functioning aspergers spectrum, and the most frustrating thing I have found is her "time blindness". She can say she will be back in ten minutes and not reappear for 2 hours and be totally oblivious to the fact that dinner is ruined, and she is invariably late for things. She seems to have no real concept of time. Her work colleagues are very fond of her and accept her "scattiness". I had never heard the expression time blindness before and giving it that name has given me more understanding.
Glad to be of help, Janice. Do take a look at some ADHD websites - although stereotypically associated with 'naughty boys', it is becoming increasingly diagnosed in girls. They tend to display the attention deficit more than the hyperactivity - although I read a suggestion recently that their hyperactivity may be more internalised. They tend to have very busy brains. We have one Small Person with an ADHD diagnosis, and one just entering the diagnostic process. Both have ASD, diagnosed as teenagers. ASD, including aspergers, is increasingly being recognised and diagnosed amongst adults - I know of an 80 year old who is currently being assessed. Some people are quite happy to remain undiagnosed and perhaps fear being 'labelled'. Others find it helps them to have an explanation for their character traits and the challenges they face fitting into a largely 'neurotypical' society. A diagnosis also opens the door to various forms of support to assist study and day-to-day living. Time blindness can be very frustrating - especially when the dinner goes cold! I'm glad to hear your daughter has understanding and supportive colleagues. All the best to her as she navigates het 'Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey'.
COVID has changed our lives and narrowed our boundaries. I am now emerging and the other day I had a rare treat, a facial at the beauty salon just up the road. Relaxing and energising, much needed at this dark time of year! While there I met up with a lady who does much for the community and who I got to know through the knit and natter group. She said that they were meeting again just next door in a shop which had been the coffee shop run by volunteers now sadly defunct because of lockdown etc. With the loss of our Post Office due to change of ownership in the shop where it was situated the former coffee shop now hosts a PO service once a week on Wednesday mornings. The GPO will not grant a franchise for longer hours! So knit and natter is held there on Thursday afternoons. After my hour of pampering therefore I dropped in, some familiar faces and some new ones and had a chat. It was so good to touch base with others again and remind myself of what unrestricted life is like. Next Thursday I have an art zoom session but will definitely resume knit and natter after that. If this is tittle tattle I apologise but I thought this blog was about exchanging news of our lives and hopefully encouraging discussion from the different threads of thought from our daily experiences.
I agree wholeheartedly about lives changing and boundaries narrowing due to Covid. I hope that you are able to enjoy your knit and natter sessions for a long time Ev with no interruptions from further restrictions.
What are you knitting, Ev? I learnt to crochet during lockdown. (I've tried it before but never did enough to remember the stitches for next time!) I went into mass production of cute crocheted hearts, originally for our local hospital and then, when they had more than enough, for our local hospice. Sadly, the latest batch have been waiting months for me to get them packaged up and posted. Unlike you, we do have a regular post office - the news agent up the road opened up a counter about 5 years ago. Very convenient. The crochet took a break over the winter so I could concentrate on other projects. But now I've restarted, so perhaps those hearts will finally get posted ...
I have a sweater which has complications and has been set aside for at least two years! Must get back to it! For knit and natter will look out a new one which is plain sailing and can natter without going wrong! The lady I mentioned I met again the other day, Trish, said that she was no longer knitting baby blankets as it has been impossible to send them abroad because of covid. For some reason she is now knitting Brussels sprouts!! I never have learnt to crochet but somewhere have a ladybird book on how to so must look it out! You can certainly create lovely things with it! My Mum taught me to knit and strangely her Dad taught her. He spent some years in the army before and during WW 1 and it passed the time for him when things were quiet. He once knitted a sweater for my younger brother on circular needles with no seams! It had a cable pattern too. Sadly it was too small for my brother! He was a cook and when the army suddenly moved them on from Gibraltar he hid a bag of sugar in a wall thinking they would go back. They never did and he always wondered whether it was still there!
I think I've knitted two adult's jumpers in my life! When I knit, I like things to be finished yesterday, so I stick to small things like hats, baby clothes, and glove puppets. OMiaS's mother was a wonderful knitter who kept him supplied with jumpers. Sadly, he's down to the last one, and that needs repairing. He would have liked me to make him more so in the end I obliged - shame the only pattern I had was to fit an Action Man doll : ) My grandmother was brilliant at Fairisle and Arran. She made Dad a jumper once which was somewhat on the generous side. (We have a photo of Dad and my brother wearing it together!) Mum had to undo it and reknit it to fit before we next saw Granny. Fortunately, this particular jumper was in plain stocking stitch. I knit on the bus - but was banned from doing so in the company of a couple of Small People going to school parents' evening. Apparently, I was embarrassing them. I hope your grandfather's wonderful cable jumper finally got worn by an appreciative younger member of the family, Ev.
No, sadly my brother Michael was the smallest. We did have the jumper to admire for a while though. Not sure what happened to it as Mum was not a keeper!
I love tittle tattle Ev 🤗 and agree with all your comments regarding the whole point of this blog. Our lives are very quiet in general due to Mr R orthopaedic problems and of course Covid for the last two years. I do not have the practical talents and skills of many of you here (and our “garden” is a small area of pots) so not able to be a big contributor but I absolutely love following everyone’s news and commenting from time to time to congratulate, sympathise, encourage etc and would certainly miss it, as indeed I miss the contributions from my “local” bloggers Archerphile and Sarnia (and KP nuts has been a little quiet of late too) Come on ladies please come back to join us and get tittle tattling 😊👏🏻
I don't know how many of you watch The Repair Shop but I am looking forward to watching the programme about the presenter, Jay Blades, learning to read at the age of 51. I have recorded it as it was broadcast last Wednesday. There was an article about it in the Radio Times explaining what a difficult childhood he had and how he was written off in school because of his severe dyslexia. Although things have improved a lot since then there are still a lot of children these days not getting the help they need.
Yes CC we watch The Repair Shop - love it! Also watched the Jay Blades documentary all power to him and others he will encourage to take that same step no matter how old!
Thank you for your thoughtful post about many short one liners and such.
In the past I have been one of those asking Miriam to think about how, and how many posts she writes. Like others I was irritated by the frequency. But I haven’t commented on this recently as I have come to the same conclusion as you suggest, that this form of writing is just how Miriam is, how her mind works. And I’ve decided that she is as entitled to be who she is and how she is as much as anyone else who contributes to the blog. It may irritate me, but I can cope.
MrsP - re. Your 10.01pm post yesterday I do read the blogs on a daily basis and thought that comments to Miriam about her frequency in posting were escalating again as they did last May (I called it bullying at the time and although Miriam said she didn't feel bullied, she was still very hurt by all the comments made about her). Given the horrid 2 years we have lived through, it would be good if we could live and let live and be kinder to each other.
I agree that I have posted, probably far too many times. The reasons:- No-one else were posting on the same day, and as such there were very limited posts from others. I had things to talk about, which I now know, were of no interest, at all to the majority on this site. Finally - it is not nice to "log in" - to then find that I am being discussed on a very personal and hurtful level, by so very many.
Would any others like or accept this, if it happened to them?
Best wishes, Miriam. To me you are one of several who liven up the blog. Keep posting! A lot of comments were very much in your favour so don’t take things too personally. 😊 How is your cat? Dudley went to the vet this morning as his injections were due. He was pronounced in good shape for his age which is now 8. He has been playing up at the groomers recently and as he is a reactive little dog the vet thinks the noise at the groomers is disturbing. Also he is partially sighted so people rushing around adds to his confusion. Katy has done some online training in grooming and is going on a day course over the water soon with Buddy and Betty man thinks it would be good to do Dudley at home. Buddy isn’t too keen on groomers so hopefully she can get the skill required. It will also save us nearly £100 every 8 weeks! Dudley can have more cake (within reason!) 🐾🐾🐶🐶🎂
Miriam, please. Did you read my post at 11.36? I was trying to stress that we're all different, we all have different experiences, and we all have different expectations of this blog. We *all* need to be kind and understanding of each other. Yes, I spoke of you - because I wanted to address the criticisms that were starting to arise again, and which I hate to see. None of the comments that follow mine are critical of you.
I would love to meet you in person, Miriam, I think we'd have a lively and interesting conversation. As we can only 'meet' via this blog, I for one hope you will keep on posting, and will know that you are loved and valued within this community, as are all our fellow contributors. I often log in several times a day. So if you're posting and no-one is replying, I'll do my best to add my two-penny worth to keep the conversation going.
BTW we discussed ages ago the lack of italics and bold for emphasis on this blog format. When I want to emphasise something, I use *---*. I think that is a fairly standard method, but perhaps I've been happily using it and people have been wondering what I was on about. So here's a reminder : )
Miriam. You have reminded me that I must go down to the bottom of the garden to see whether my snowdrops have flowered. They come from my late mum in law’s stock and have travelled on with me through the last three moves. Katy’s chalet hides them from the house so I need to go and look. It is of great interest to me to hear of blossoming especially at this time of year! I had primroses out just after Christmas which was bizarre!
We used to have 'winter flowering' pansies that finally bloomed in about June. I think I've had snowdrops at odd times too, 'though whether they were early or late I can't recall. Yesterday I spotted two frost-bitten mallow flowers poking through the fence - definitely the wrong time for those!
I have what a friend of mine calls her PHD - or projects half done. In my 20s and early 30s I did a lot of knitting and would start a new project as soon as I finished the previous one. Since then, I have started some, and bought yarn to start others, but not completed them. I made curtains for our living room 3-4 years ago and still need to hem them - the hems were tacked and pinned before I hung them, and have remained that way since. My daughters, now in their 20s, roll their eyes if I say I'm going to start a project. In the garden, I have a habit of buying plants and bulbs then planting them much later than I should. I did plant some snowdrops in the autumn, but haven't seen any flowers yet.
Miriam - keep posting please. I may not comment often, but I read this blog every day and love to read everyone's comments, whether or not I agree.
Another post, which is one too many, I know!! This is to do a simple thing, to just pass on what I have listened via Sounds, which might be of interest to perhaps one person, but not a lot. 1) Paw Tracks in the Moonlight - read by Kevin Whately 2) How to Kill Your Family. This was intriguing, weird and interesting, along with the strange ending.
I should definitely be awarded a PHD. I can beat your 3/4 years Zoetrope : I made curtains, every stitch hand sewn, and left the hem loosely tacked to let them “drop”. They are still dropping 25 years later. Another project is knitting. I love to start - choose the pattern and wool but give up when the thing is nearly finished. I have difficulty sewing the bits together. I knitted my first boyfriend a beautiful sweater and felt so pleased with myself that I started another. Unfortunately the relationship ended before I had finished it. I still have the unfinished jumper as I meant to unpick it and use the wool again.
In the early days I started to knit an Aran sweater for Mike. It took a few years but I did finish it. By that time it no longer fitted him but it does fit me. I could never bring myself to wear it and it still sits in the wardrobe,! I did let him choose the pattern from a booklet and said I didn’t like doing blackberry stitch so of course he chose the one which had that in it! Maybe at 73 I had better get it out and wear it especially on cold walks with the dogs at this time of year!
My snowdrops are starting to flower earlier than usual this year. It always cheers me up when I see those white flowers, it feels like spring (my favourite season) isn't too far away.
Yes my snowdrops are coming out too, and one of my red (with contrasting yellow stamens) camellias is in full bloom. It is in a sheltered position so expect that helps. Miriam I included a boiling bacon joint with my Morrisons order this week and intend trying your recipe with apricots next week. I will let you know how it turns out. I think my daughter in law might like it because her philippino style of cooking often seems to include fruit in savoury dishes.
I like to read any and all comments and just scan those that don't interest me. Miriam - I will listen out to the two programmes you mentioned. Thank you. I used to knit a lot, including sweaters, but now just do crochet from time to time. Nothing too difficult or challenging. I met a friend recently who told me that she has got so used to being inside that she has to force herself to go out. I hope that she, and all of us, will feel we can go out more this year and enjoy life.
We have snowdrops out around our lime tree, lifts the spirit. I too drop into this blog every day, comment v little at the moment, but appreciate ALL your posts. Rehearsal tomorrow am with the altos, for those of you who may be interested.
So kind of you to remember Parsley. Thanks for asking. D.i.L still having to clean and dress ‘stump’ everyday as it’s not completely healed over yet. But she is being very affectionate and loves being cuddled and stroked and, apparently, seems very happy, which is amazing really.
The last couple of days show this blog is capable of lively, thoughtful discussion where we have learnt something from each other and exchange news, which is exactly why it was set up. In my corner of Hampshire we have one clump of snowdrops in bloom and our hellebores coming on nicely ( we have quite a lot of these as the rabbits don’t eat them) but I discovered that they don’t do well if cut, I tried putting a couple of blooms in a vase and within a few hours they had completely wilted. Last night I went to see Jenny Eclair in Winchester, very funny, but I was slightly surprised by just how few of the audience were wearing masks, less than 10% I reckon, but that’s the great British public for you! I wore my mask throughout.
My hellebores once cut don’t last long. I have seen their leaves floating in a shallow bowl of water looking very attractive, I doubt they would last though. In the ground they flower for ages. I was cutting some damaged leaves off to find little clumps of snowdrops that I’d forgotten about completely. It made my day!
I’m still having trouble posting on here with my new IPad too Soz. Quite often getting a ‘whoops’, then ten minutes later allowing me to post. If this doesn’t get through I will try again later.
There have been some interesting posts, I am adding my twopenneth, as Lanjan ?? would say. Re ASD/ADHD. I worked with adults diagnosed with ASD (in care) for many years. I now think that the very precise way of speaking, looking for clarity and avoiding confusion with metaphors etc, has become so ingrained that I often find face to face communication is difficult as I struggle to find vocabulary. I also am very habit-bound in my actions, which I consiously try to break sometimes. I saw 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime' with a work collegue, we were both exhausted afterwards, it felt as though I had been through a hard day at work, which only goes to show how good it was. I really enjoy programmes on R4 by a man called Henry Normal, which discuss his family life, which can make me both laugh and cry, he has a son diagnosed with ASD. Recently, out of the blue, my son asked me if I have been diagnosed with ADHD, I was astonished, until he explained that he had listened to a woman on the radio describe her thought processes and abilities to complete tasks, he said it was exactly like listening to me. At the same time, my s-i-l suggested that I have rheumatoid arthritis, a condition my mother had very badly. I have discounted both of these non-medical theories, and think it may be better for these young men to keep their thoghts to themselves :) PHD - me too, and I love this description and will use it forthwith. I have some embroidery I started with I was first pregnant, it is almost finished now, My son will be 37 this year. Matthew Bourne - lucky you Zoetrope, I have seen every production of his that has ever been to Newcastle. I had never seen ballet before, his work was a revelation to me. My absolute favourite was Lord of the Flies, truly amazing, also Edward Scissorhands. I really miss live theatre but I thought the streamed National Theatre productions were a good compromise during lockdown. I'm not yet ready to sit in poorly ventilated theatres, but may start going again in the summer. Snowdrops - none up here yet, but plenty of wind!
It is the annual garden bird watch this weekend but this year my hour's count has been rather sabotaged by the 3 squirrels coming to the bird feeders. They take turns in coming and the birds promptly vanish, so I thought I would listen to Henry Normal while waiting. I had never come across him before and tried his Family one. I thought it was really good, a talented man, and now know exactly what you meant about it making you both cry and laugh. If the pesky squirrels don't go soon I shall listen to another one.
I’ve just listened to Henry normal doing a prog on ageing. Some funny bits and some funny poems but I’ve decided I’m not a serious poetry lover. Will try the family episode after listening to tonight’s archers.
Well that was a first - not one post on January 30th!
Thinking of all bloggers in the North and the awful weather you have had and the effects of which you may still be enduring. Please know you are being thought of ❤️
Ev, we have spoken previously on our service in yhe Royal Navy and the WRNS. The HWRNS were incorporated into the RN some years ago. I wonder if you have noticed that the first female appointment to Admiral rank has recently taken place. BZ.
Yes, I heard about this. Very proud! I think the female role in the Navy must be much more interesting now that horizons have broadened so much. I’m not sure about how I would have adapted to going to sea but when I did go on ships I did feel the excitement of going to new places. Conditions couldn’t have been worse than my four weeks at HMS Dauntless!
Archerphile, I have a confession. I didn't read what you wrote about Plume and only picked up that she has been injured in some way when others commented. I am not proud to admit that I am a coward when it comes to reading about injured animals . However it seems as if she is now on the mend so Poppy,Percy and I send her our very best wishes. Mistral,I usually add my fourpennorth not two!
Ruthy's Briliant Life-boat ⛵ seems to now be floundering and starting to sadly appearing to sink 🛶. I hope that some of you, which does not include me, can keep it afloat and so you all can still enjoy.
My final post is a silly one:-
To wear, or not to wear, a mask. That is the question.
This I know, will irritate a lot!
I am so pleased that Plume is progressing so well. I, for one, was so horrified to read about her ordeal + injuries, when all was told. 🙀
PS Another post, one too many I know..😪 but I enjoyed my lunch today. This was a bovril + tomato sarni, in 2 slices of toasted granary bread with proper butter.
Yes I bet I have taken up 30% of this board, yet again. Cat Lovers - Listen to Paw Prints in the Moonlight, ( via Sounds), which is about a cat. I loved it 😻
I shall be glad to see the back of masks! But I don't think we're there yet : ( We still have to wear them on TFL services, and shops seem to still prefer them. At present we're still asking people to wear them at toddler group. Yes, they're a pain, but if they help us keep each other safe they're worth persevering with. But it's hard to sing with them on, and my glasses still steam up!
All in all, I think it's time for Covid to realise it has outstayed its welcome and shuffle off into the sunset!
Miriam, I enjoyed How to Kill Your Family when it was broadcast before Christmas. I wondered if the ending was going to echo that of Kind Hearts and Coronets (it didn't). I might give the Pawprints programme a go. Have you come across The Train at Platform 4? Gilbert's step-sister in this week's episode definitely attended the Hazel Woolley Academy of Charm and Diplomacy.
Miriam. Fgs just blog like a normal person instead of the poor me blogs. As various people say….consolidate your posts. If these last 3 posts are going to be your last….so be it. If you are gonna be posting again, stop with the “threat” of it being the last one.
I'm not a fan of cucumber. Ritz Crackers, Butter, Marmite - perfect. (We'll just ignore the salt content.) A drop of Marmite adds extra flavour to soup.
Of course the lifeboat is not floundering. Tomorrow is a new month. Let us start it by reverting to the sort of posts we used to write. For example If you haven't heard "Fairy Meadow "on BBC Radio4 Catchup it is well worth a listen Really enjoying "The Responder" and "The Bay "but gave up watching "Trigger Point "after the first episode. Pity "Only Connect "has finished but the questions at the end were getting too hard for me I am not a foodie but have just bought a George Foreman grill I am now making wonderful paninis. No snowdrops yet but a lovely fragrant viburnum in the garden. Just joined a yoga class. Found it hard to get up from the mat last week without the help of a chair. It is past my bedtime so don't usually write comments this late on and I haven't been drinking.
Dipping toe in water again because, although it is annoyingly difficult to publish a post, I don’t want to loose all the friends I have made here.
LanJan- don’t feel bad about our cat problems, it was the family’s little cat in France who went missing for three weeks after Christmas and was eventually found, badly injured. Won’t go into details but she is now recovering slowly and getting lots of loving attention.
My only event of interest is that we managed to go to our first classical concert in over 2years last week. The Anvil in Basingstoke; Bournemouth Symphony; Kirill Karabets (a fantastic conductor); Rimsky Korsakov 2nd Symphony; Rachmaninov 2nd piano Concerto played by an amazing 20year old, blond, dishy, pianist from Russia. I have never seen hands fly over a keyboard so fast! The sad thing was that the Anvil was only half full ( shade of Covid I suppose) which almost seemed an insult to these wonderful performers. And it was a bit of a pain having to wear masks throughout the entire evening, but better safe than sorry.
I get a digital version of The Times Newspaper each day It suits me down to the ground In case anyone is interested it can be tried out for three months and the cost is only £1 ! However if you want to try it out please do so today because it is the final day of the flash sale
We had a lovely day at RHS Bridgewater yesterday? It was chilly and windy but reasonably sheltered in the wonderful 11 acre walled garden. There was plenty of winter interest to see around the garden.
An interesting item in our local press yesterday. It concerns a young boy who became a chimney sweep at the age of nine in the early 1800’s. He came from Alverstoke, just over the water in Hampshire. He was brought to the island and as so many of those unfortunates was malnourished and badly treated. He was found dead a year later having suffered numerous beatings. His master was convicted of manslaughter but in the event only had one year in prison. The boy was called Valentine Gray and after his death a memorial was erected which is still there today in Newport. I often walked past it on my way to the bus station and used to touch it thinking of this poor little boy. Why in the news now? Well, yesterday was the 200th anniversary of his death and two councillors laid a wreath at the monument in remembrance. It is so good to think that this poor little waif is still remembered thanks to those who sought to achieve this. His name is well known on the island still.
These were very different times and this story and many others put into context the awful treatment and transportation of slaves which I abhor. However, they weren’t the only ones who suffered so badly at that time.
EV, what strikes me is how little times have changed. I can think of three children recently who have been murdered within their families. It's good to acknowlege them.
It was apparently cheaper to replace dead children mine workers ( life expectancy a few months generally) than to buy pit ponies to pull the coal trucks to the surface. They were culled from orphanages and workhouses as free labour. Lord Shaftesbury did a lot to try to reduce the working hours of children, attempting to cut their day from 14 to 12 and then later to 10 hours, but he had an uphill battle to fight as many of those in power gained their wealth from textile factories and mines etc, and even when the labour laws were brought in they were often ignored. Much respect for Lord Shaftesbury who stuck to his guns despite much opposition.
It’s nice to read lots of varied comments recently. Here’s my two penn’orth! There are catkins on the hazel trees in the park and forsythia in bloom despite below zero temperatures at night and the days are so much longer now, especially on sunny days when the orange afterglow brings out the dark grey outline of the Alps. I could pick out one distinctive peak which is 184 km away!
Don’t know if this will be of any interest to you, Ev, but I have been watching the new series of Watercolour Challenge on Channel 5 at 4pm I first watched this programme many years ago when it was hosted by Hannah Gordon, and it sparked my interest in painting Now it’s hosted by Fern Britten and features 4 amateur artists painting in a different venue each day, all beautiful landscapes around the county and the paintings are judged by a local expert. Last week was in Yorkshire, this week in Wales. I find it fascinating how different each painting turns out, different styles and techniques. I think it will start me painting again in the summer.
This is the first time I’ve looked in since yesterday lunchtime. I’m sorry to see that Miriam has decided to leave us. Perhaps our discussion last week about neurological differences was the last straw, but I hope not as the tone was positive, not negative.
Dear Miriam, I'm hoping that you are lurking somewhere close by even if you are not going to post any more. I, for one, will miss your chatty posts about life in general and yours in particular. Life can be far too short for some, as I know from personal experience, and after the last horrendous couple of years any contact between people is to be celebrated.
Nobody who posts or reads on these blogs is required to read everything that is posted. Anyone is at liberty to skip any post that they might find boring or annoying. Personally, I find most people interesting. We all have differing points of view. Surely that is to be celebrated, not censured.
Well said EnZed! Not having family nearby both sisters living over 100 miles away (although in contact) I find sharing other bloggers lives very interesting, rather like a real life “Archers” 🤣 and let’s face it the characters in that village very often disagree but in a real crisis pull together!
Agree, EnZed and far from sinking there’s life in the old blog yet! I found much comfort in the BBC blog after my husband died and the contact with others following on into this blog has continued to give me a lot of pleasure. I don’t like it when there is conflict but at the same time we are all entitled to our point of view whilst of course seeing that of other people. We are a varied lot after all!
More about Valentine Gray. His death and obvious bad treatment was widely reported in the local and National press. Public outrage added to the discomfort already felt about child labour. It led to the climbing boys act which prevented any more little boys being forced to climb chimneys. There was also a move to improve working conditions for children and as Janice said reformers such as Lord Shaftesbury campaigned for reforms too. As today, vested interests stood in the way but how refreshing that not everyone turned a blind eye. Whether from local guilt or compassion, public subscription paid for the memorial. It can be seen online if you Google valentine Gray At the very least, good things came out of his death.
I vowed that I would never post again, but here I am doing just the opposite.
I have been looking in, only to catch up on how the many regulars are doing, along with their pets + health. I wrote a "test post" a couple of days ago, which was responded to, just as I expected it would be. I should have made a couple of comments at that time, which sadly I didn't, hence my comment now. This is that:- 1) at no time have I criticised another poster, in such a personal way, as to the contents of a post or even against the poster 2) to disagree is to be expected and accepted, but it is how this is done that makes a difference.
I have felt extremely hurt + upset, but this is now fully overcome and my life goes on, even with my elderly cat, peeing all over the place! A problem which is getting difficult to solve, but she is healthy otherwise. It is too soon to think about the inevitable.
You can get pee pads, Miriam which stick to the floor. If she is going all over the place maybe not easy to site them but if like a dog(I know nothing about cats!) she will favour certain places. It sounds as if she has a bladder problem or maybe a urine infection which could be treated with antibiotics. I can only go by my experience with Gypsy but maybe cats have similar problems. Good luck!
Different subject but I thought you might like to know Miriam that I cooked your pulled ham and apricot quiche for dinner tonight. Myself and daughter have just finished eating and we both thought it was very nice. I was going to make it last night but discovered I didn't have enough eggs ( our neighbour's chickens are only just beginning to lay again after the Winter) so I roasted it and we ate some yesterday but left enough to make the quiche today. I found that roasted it didn't fall apart as it would have if I had prepared it as a boiling bacon joint, but I used a potato peeler to shred it to get the pulled effect. With a Rayburn you don't need to blind bake the pastry first you just cook it on the bottom directly on the metal floor. My daughter in law hasn't tried it yet because they have travelled to Truro today for Dan to test drive a car (Hyundai Tucson) which I gather from their message he has bought. His pride and joy is a bright red sports type car thing, but with his wife almost 7 months pregnant they need something bigger. I asked him if he wanted a big boot so he could get a pushchair in, but he said no it was so he could get his kayak in.😣🤣 Just in case anyone is interested in poultry, our nice neighbour has just bought some ducks, as she likes their eggs, and while getting some ducks she saw he had some Brahma chickens so half a dozen of them will be coming as well. Those 3 pesky squirrels that disrupted my Garden Bird Watch Count at the weekend have got Winter quarters in the middle of the chickens store of straw bedding, and apparently in the morning they climb the trees there where they can see down the track into my garden and the moment after I have fed the birds and they hear my back door shut ( it has to be pulled hard because it has swollen with the wet weather) they start jumping from tree to tree to get down into our little orchard where the bird feeders are. Better stop as son and d in l have just walked in all excited and wanting to talk about the car.
It's good to see you back Miriam, please stay. My cookery expertise runs to flapjack (non-ballistic). lemon drizzle, and pasta with vegetables and cheese sauce. As far as possible I leave the catering to the shoe dwellers who actually enjoy cooking. But that quiche does sound rather good ...
In a previous shoe we had a squirrel who frequently visited the garden. The bird feeder was on the end of a chain which was hung from a curved hanging basket bracket fixed to the fence post. I swear Tufty hung on by the fluff of his tail in order to reach the bird food! Another time I had the bright idea of hanging the feeder on the whirligig washing line. Tufty just bit through the line. Tufty 2, OWiaS 0. Our current shoe is mercifully squirrel free so the birds can feed in peace. (Although the ungrateful things are ignoring the peanuts that Santa gave OMiaS.)
Just to add, Miriam, I am so sorry that you have found this blog a hurtful place to be recently. I have tried in my posts always to be supportive and encouraging. It has never been my intention to criticise or upset you or any other blogger. But wires can become crossed and messages can be mmisunderstood. So if any of my posts have contributed to your distress, please accept my sincere apologies, I certainly did not mean to cause offence. And now you've returned, please stay! This little lifeboat is enriched by the contributions of every single one of its passengers.
I am leaving Scotland for the first time in 2 years - off to Liverpool for the day to see an old friend's exhibition at the Tate. On a train and feeling excited!
Gary ,I hope you enjoy your trip "down south" La (that is what you may be called,) from a former Woolyback. On the way try (if you haven't already done today's ) WORDLE .
I have been watching Michael Portillo on BBC2 this week visiting the areas of Scotland where we used to spend our holidays . Lovely programme The Black Isle On my bucket list .
Discovered Wordle yesterday. It’s the same as the Lingo prog which I don’t like. Like doing the one Wordle a day though. Have a lovely day Gary. I enjoyed looking round the Tate at Liverpool. Did the big bus tour there too. That was good. Also did a zip wire that was there down the main shopping street. Brill. A forerunner to doing the slotzilla zip in Las Vegas. Love em.
Intoduced to Wordle last week and have exchanged results with son in Frankfurt. I used to play 'Mastermind' with children 'way back when.' Different coloured stcks in something like a crib-board. Sorted Wordle today at 6.30am in 3 goes!
Gary = Happy trip to visit 'Old England' . Lovely to know a friend has works in Tate! How the other half live!!!!!
Miriam, I find it very odd that you are so distressed by polite requests to consolidate your posts when in the pre GG days you made the same suggestio to us all.
Moving on
Has anyone read any of you read any of Colin Thubrons books,I am currently reading Among the Russians a very insightful book, which reminded me of some of my visits to Childrens homes in the communist block and the sharp contrast in particular To one in East Berlin with guards on the gate children not allowed on the grass and dreary quarters, the babies in cots for 3 with no toys or any other form of stimulation to the bright and cheerful childrens village in Hungary where we were able to communicate with the children, though given the language differences a little difficult.
That reminds me of when my oldest daughter spent part of her gap year volunteering in a Romanian orphanage. She returned with both difficult and rewarding memories and scabies!
Yes, Gary, have a lovely time! If you have a spare moment and you are near the Mersey Funnel, which is the Catholic cathedral, is well worth a visit. I haven’t been for years but guess it is still, although quite modern, an extraordinary building!
Enjoy Liverpool Gary, I spent my student days there, even after 5 years I struggled to understand the locals! I only went to the Tate once, just after it opened. All I remember is my friends and I totally not getting the Rothcos.
Thank you Miriam. I didn't think Pawtracks in the Snow would be my cup of tea but I decided to give it a go. I listened to three episodes back to back last night, and the final two just now. It was lovely!
It's amazing how a small animal can change a person's life, isn't it? A few years ago I read A Streetcat Named Bob, another wonderful puss who was devoted to the human who'd befriended him.
I hope he went on the train to the "posh" resort of Southport Esscee! All being well I am to be treated to "Blood Brothers" in Wimbledon next week. I love the Show and have seen it several times in London. At that time there was a department store called George Henry Lee in Liverpool where BB is set which was mentioned in one of the songs .It is now John Lewis .
The first time I saw it I rushed to get a tape of the music from an HMV shop,saw myself in a mirror and saw my cheeks were covered with mascara I hope they get the accent right. I used to translate what Jamie Carragher said for Mr LJ when he was commentating on football. (I thought Martin Freeman's accent was pretty good on the Responder.)
I was due to visit my friend who lives near Liverpool in the first May of lockdowns. We'd booked tickets for the show based on Carole King's songs /life. I was looking forward to visiting Liverpool for the first time.. . Oh well, we'll have to arrange another time. We have just arranged to meet in Birmingham in September to see the Ballet Rambert's new production - Peaky Blinders. As someone who almost never watches TV as I fall asleep within about 10 minutes - I have a serious amount of catching up to do so I can understand the ballet!
Wordle - I've been playing and sharing results with my sisters (one in Australia) for about 2 weeks. Apparently someone has devised a maths version called nerdle!
Miriam - if you're still reading - Chester Zoo was on the news today about trialling a vaccine for elephants. I thought of you when I heard it this morning.
Er, thank you Zoetrope. Wordle is cleverly designed to give you one game a day. So is Nerdle - but if you read the faqs you discover it's possible to find games from pervious days .... I have now dragged myself away and shall do my best to forget the mathematical version ever existed!
Lovely to see some old friends posting again. Cowgirl are you still using your tricycle - I think it was you who told us about buying one ?
And Gary- welcome back to England after such a long time. Visiting Liverpool is on my Bucket List, as is Shetland!
Can someone explain how to get Wordle please. I have heard so much about it but when I try to download it from Safari all I get is a completely blank grid!
Here's the link to the website: https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/ I didn't need to download anything. It may be different if you're playing on a phone. You start with a blank grid - but you should see the alphabet buttons underneath. Click on these to spell your first word. You can also type in the letters using your computer keyboard. Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.
Ev, I have always been able to just type a new guess which automatically starts a new line. Grey means you have no correct letters Yellow - the letter is in the word but in the wrong place. Green - right letter, right place.
Have got it now! I was trying to click on the first letter of the next line instead of typing right away! I think I need a few practices but was never a great fan of countdown or scrabble! However have improved with Sudoko and now can manage some of the hard ones! I just need time but get there in the end! The wheels of my brain grind slowly!
CC I hope the treatment was less traumatic than when I had to paint a little family just received into care from the neck down.
Archerphile I still have my trike and hard work it is, but havent used it this winter yet as I had knee replacement surgery before Christmas and recovery is slow.
PTY may not have posted but have dipped in and out regularly
Thank you OWIAS! I thought you were going to be given the first word and had to carry on from there! Didn’t realise you had to put the first word in yourself to find out which letters were correct or not. Only prob was, I forgot what each colour denoted half way through! However, got there in the end and got the correct word Apparently youngest English grandson plays daily, so I can compete with him. A new addiction but approved by Susie Dent. 😉
I tried Nerdle the other day but gave up after 2 guesses. Tried again today and got it in 4! Maths is not my strong point but my first guess gave enough clues that with hard thinking I managed to work it out. Got today's Wordle in 3.
Oh gosh Zoetrope I didn't know about Nerdle . Do I just Google it like I did with Wordle? Good job I decided that this week was going to be my staycation week when I was going to do what I wanted in my own home which did not include a lot of housework. This has meant actually watching television during the afternoon and more during the evening . Really enjoyed "The Responder" -but can't say I really understood it. Will have to watch it again. Will happily translate for those who are unable to understand tge accents. Why do I watch "The Apprentice" ? It gets worse each year. Last night three of them were unable to spell the word Arctic.!
Day trip to Liverpool was exhausting, but amazing. My friends exhibition was spectacular. It's a retrospective of her career so far and it was amazing to see the early works that I haven't seen in 25 years. The area around the Tate was fantastic too. I love a bit of water.
Ev, I did consider going to see the Catholic Cathedral but I went to the Anglican Cathedral instead - the more Gothic the better as far as I'm concerned! So glad I did too, it was absolutely breathtaking. Durham Cathedral is next on my list for visiting.
As to Wordle and Nerdle? I think I'll just leave them for everyone else to enjoy, not my cup of tea. Each to their own and all that!
If you’re ever in the Midlands go to Worcester Cathedral. King John’s tomb is there and I used to put my hand on it. I don’t think he was so bad and was left to get on with it while hero Richard b*******ed off to the Holy Land!
The Anglican Cathedral. Is an example of the Perpendicular style if I remember rightly. We are talking schooldays here! It certainly looms way above you when you look up in the interior! I must admit I was more taken with the Catholic Cathedral although I don’t like all things modern as I found the new Coventry Cathedral very uninspiring!
With you on Cathedrals Gary. The Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool(Paddy's Wigwam ) is not for me. Love the area around the Anglian Cathedral ,Abercrombie Square. I sat next to a someone when I went to a Service in Norwich Cathedral and he said that when Queen Elizabeth 1 was on the throne the Cathedral was already 400 years old. Amazing.
I loved the way the light from the stained glass windows at the top of the “funnel” shone the various colours onto the white marble altar in the middle and having it in the middle just seemed more inclusive like theatre in the round. Everyone’s perception is different though. Many people admire new Coventry Cathedral far more than I did! When we went to Italy, with the exception of St Peter’ s which is magnificent I felt that our cathedrals were far superior to the ones we saw. On a river trip with Katy we went to Cologne Cathedral and that was lovely. We lit a candle in remembrance of Mike and that was so special. I am not a Catholic but that practice shared with high church C of E is very moving and comforting.
A charming temporary Shoe Dweller has just introduced me to Absurdle. Like Wordle only rather less helpful. (You'll need to read the rules to see why.) Unlike Wordle, there is no limit to how many times you can play. Happy to pass on the information - but I will accept no complaints for time wasted as a result. You have been warned!
Re Thé Apprentice - we enjoy watching it for the comedy show it has now become. We just laugh our heads off at the absurd candidates and the stupid ideas they come up with. I am incredulous at how uneducated some of them are, as LanJan said, not being able to spell Arctic and thinking penguins live there. Oh and producing a child’s electric tooth brush that looked exactly like brown t*rd! Best comedy of the week!
Totally agree Archerphile a good laugh. Although I’ve never seen the programme “Love Island” from the odd trailer shown the girls on The Apprentice appear to be replicas of that shows participant’s. Come that same can apply to the boys 🤣
..and where is the farthest north, a penguin can be seen in the wild? This is a good pub quiz question. It is the Galapagos Penguin, found in this archipeligo on the equator. Penguins are never seen north of this area in a natural habitat.
Sarnia I hope you are still reading the blog - I won’t be the only one who misses your humour. I watch The Apprentice, much to my husband’s disgust. It always surprises me that each year produces the same set of clones. I was disappointed with the one who was fired last night. A week ago she seemed like the one with something about her - she wasn’t at all squeamish when fishing and caught the most fish. Ok she can’t spell and if she had owned up to it straight away she would have gained some respect. I suspect the programme is heavily edited to manipulate our opinions.
I am beside myself with euphoria never having done anything like (this much talked about) Wordle before I have just completed todays - on the 6th go but hey one has to start somewhere 🤣
I tried Wordle last night. I got it on my screen without any difficulty but then didn’t understand what I should do. Could someone please tell me how it works. The short explanations above have not enlightened me any further. Please expand from first action to last.
Hi Mrs P., In wordle there are no clues. You are presented with a blank grid, and have 6 attempts to guess a 5 letter word. You have to enter a valid word. You are then shown grey squares if your selected letters are not in the word. Yellow if the letter is in the word but in the wrong place Green if the letter is in the right place. From these clues you can try to guess the word of the day.
Write any five letter word in the the spaces on the first row.
Spoiler Alert as I'm doing today's puzzle!
When the letters turn over (after you've have pressed 'enter.' ) they have different colours. Grey ones are not in the word, Green ones are in correct space and yellow words are in the word but not in correct space.
O P E R A (I start with this)
O 💛 💚 R 💛 So I have third letter E in the right space and two more letter in the word but not in the right places, Then you have to think of language skills and spelling rules etc to work out relevant words. I then thought of the word A D E P T 💛 D 💚 💛 💚 So I have 4 letters with two in the right spaces. My next word was P L E A T (which was the correct word in 3 guesses.)
Soiceycushion. My strategy for wordle is different. I put a word with three vowels and two common consonants on the first line and a different word with the other two vowels but three different common consonants on the second line and then try to work out a word for the third line. That way I reckon it is likely that at least two vowels and a consonant or more will be in the correct word.
Did it in four working on previous strategy but am now looking at the Times General Knowledge quiz and for the life of me I can't think of the County town of Essex! PLEASE don't tell me the answer . I am going to work on it .
A wonderfully inteligent and funny man. What a loss for us. I noticed the sun broke through just as I head of his passing. Lovely coincidence!
ReplyDeleteVery funny indeed. RIP Barry.
ReplyDeleteTruly funny man. RIP
ReplyDeleteI have never sadly, been a great fan of Barry Cryer...
ReplyDeleteI though have to express my sadness, as to his passing.
He entertained so many, for many years, and will be greatly missed.
😰
Loved him. ISIHAC is my favourite radio programme. I have two tapes my sons gave me at various times and I still laugh outloud at them. And his quick wittedness and use of the English language was outstanding.
ReplyDelete'You'll have had your tea then!' RIP.
Totally with you spicy!!
DeleteIndeed spot on Spicy - loved BC 💔
DeleteYes, me too. ISIHAC is a great favourite and the quick wit of Barry and others is so funny and amazing. I have also been crying with laughter at Dave Allen today. I have taken to watching on Utube a young American’s reaction to things British and he was folded up watching Dave talking about air travel. Joel is the American and BTW he tasted Marmite and hated it!
DeleteAs I do.
DeleteI am a Bovril lover.
A bovril + tomato sarni, is something I love to indulge in
DeleteMiriam,I know you only seem to post after 4pm and I don't know when you stop viewing the blog .
ReplyDeleteThis may mean that you did not see the comments made at the end of the pervious blog which stated what proportion of the blog you are utilising.
It appears to be over 30% of the total number of posts
You have either not read what was written or have chosen to ignore the posts.
PLEASE take notice of what people are saying.
I am going to be blunt.
Does it really take two posts to say that you enjoy a. Bovril and tomato sandwich?
Given that there are far fewer comments being posted on both blogs than in the past, it seems immaterial how many blogs per day are posted by one individual. It's sad that people have so little to do than to monitor one person's posting activity by actually working out the percentage.
ReplyDeleteThere is a point to consolidating the posts into longer ones than 2 lines every few minutes though. It saves Gary having to open up a new blog as often. Not sure if that’s a long job or not tbh though.
DeleteAnd Patrica C - a number of us have been asking, politely for over two years now.
DeleteMiriam says she will take our request seriously and tries to conform for a few days, then she slips back into her habit of multiple posts within a week.
Despite being generally gentle and polite it. It has on occasion blown up, and in the past Miriam would state that she will leave the blog.
She generally reappears within a day or so.
The last time, not so long ago, a previously regular contributor who had ceased posting but was obviously still reading the posts, intervened and accused posters of bullying. This resulted in at least two other posters removing themselves from the blog.
They are much missed by several of us.
Patricia, if you read the blog regularly you may remember these occasions that I mention. If you only drop in occasionally I do hope you will not mind me making you aware of the wider picture behind the surface.
I'm sure Gary, who is known to call a spade a shovel at times, would intervene if he thought a poster was using the blog inappropriately.
ReplyDeleteDear Patricia C, You say that there are fewer posts on the blog.
ReplyDeleteWell I for one am not commenting as I used too, because there is so little to comment on.
I do not need to hear whether someone is going to hoover their bedroom or what birds are in their gardens.
I do not 'live my life' on a blog.
There are many comments about Barry Cryer then a person, who does not like Barry Cryer, leaves a message about his death, then goes on to say about a favourite sandwich.
There are two, at least, people who have ceased to post as they are tired of reading tittle-tattle.
Also when that person posts on the other blog there is very little on TA episodes and characters and I thought that was the blog was all about!
I think your comment was rather rude for someone who very rarely posts, to some people who are rather fed up into what the blog has become.
🤞🏼 our lifeboat is not sinking.
DeleteSpicy just out of interest what would you like to comment on or about? I like literature, history, interesting research, stained glass, definitely the bird and wild life in my garden and surrounding area, the countryside and farming in general, and hearing about and trying out new recipes.
DeleteCould the problem be that all our interests are so different that we are connecting less?
Here's a challenge, you choose a topic that you like and I will try to comment on it, might not be in depth but I will try.
Lady R. I, like you, hope we don't sink. I think the last 2 years we have been held together by covid and its ramifications, and supported wonderfully by this blog, and many thanks to you Gary for that. This was a lively interesting blog before covid and I think it can be again.
DeleteI like people commenting on things that I wouldn't normally be interested in or don't know much about I might learn something. I can always skim past anything that I find boring.
DeleteWe have a shoe dweller with ADHD. They are full of plans to get themselves organised and to overcome their time blindness - wall planners, multiple alarm clocks, you name it. These usually work for about 2 days. Not Small Person's fault - with ADHD, a strategy that works one day might not work the next.
DeleteSmall Person can talk nineteen to the dozen - by the time they have finished telling you the plot of a film, you could have watched it ten times over! When in company, another Shoe Dweller is skilled at telling Small Person when they are being annoying and need to stop talking. Not much later, Small Person will be talking nineteen to the dozen again.
Small Person is scatty, disorganised, creative, kind, thoughtful and generous. Their friends know this and have got used to Small Person's idiosyncrasies.
Similarly, I wake every morning full of plans to get the Shoe tidy. This never happens : ( I'll keep trying, and from time to time I'll make progress. But it won't last. Doubtless some visitors would feel it necessary to comment on the state of my shoe. Those who know me better accept it as it is.
In both cases, knowing the person better helps you to understand their behaviour. On this site, we only know a little about each other, and can only guess at what makes the other posters tick. Similarly, for some of us, this blog is a pleasant place to come in and chat about The Archers, and a variety of other topics - some of which may interest us, and some which won't. For others, it may more literally be a lifeboat - providing human connection at a time of enforced isolation. Some of us may want to discuss momentous events, others want to chat about little day to day matters. I don't think any of us have the right to specify which is correct - 'though we can always skim over posts that don't interest us.
Miriam *knows* she posts a lot of short posts, she *knows* a lot of posters would prefer her to consolidate these into fewer, longer posts. And she *tries* to do this. Then she goes back to her short one-liners again. Why this is, I don't know. But I'm inclined to think that this is just how Miriam is. Yes, the odd gentle reminder may help, for a time. But please let's not get into 'We tell her but she never listens' territory, particularly on days when then are very few posts and anyone who does look in looking for a bit of human interaction would find very little to reply to.
OWiaS (who couldn't do short and pithy if her life depended on it.)
I found what you said about time blindness very helpful and illuminating OWIAS. Athough not officially diagnosed both my daughter and myself are aware she is somewhere on the high functioning aspergers spectrum, and the most frustrating thing I have found is her "time blindness". She can say she will be back in ten minutes and not reappear for 2 hours and be totally oblivious to the fact that dinner is ruined, and she is invariably late for things. She seems to have no real concept of time.
DeleteHer work colleagues are very fond of her and accept her "scattiness". I had never heard the expression time blindness before and giving it that name has given me more understanding.
Glad to be of help, Janice.
DeleteDo take a look at some ADHD websites - although stereotypically associated with 'naughty boys', it is becoming increasingly diagnosed in girls. They tend to display the attention deficit more than the hyperactivity - although I read a suggestion recently that their hyperactivity may be more internalised. They tend to have very busy brains.
We have one Small Person with an ADHD diagnosis, and one just entering the diagnostic process. Both have ASD, diagnosed as teenagers.
ASD, including aspergers, is increasingly being recognised and diagnosed amongst adults - I know of an 80 year old who is currently being assessed. Some people are quite happy to remain undiagnosed and perhaps fear being 'labelled'. Others find it helps them to have an explanation for their character traits and the challenges they face fitting into a largely 'neurotypical' society. A diagnosis also opens the door to various forms of support to assist study and day-to-day living.
Time blindness can be very frustrating - especially when the dinner goes cold! I'm glad to hear your daughter has understanding and supportive colleagues. All the best to her as she navigates het 'Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey'.
Thanks 😊
DeleteA brilliant post Owias 👏🏻
DeleteCOVID has changed our lives and narrowed our boundaries. I am now emerging and the other day I had a rare treat, a facial at the beauty salon just up the road. Relaxing and energising, much needed at this dark time of year! While there I met up with a lady who does much for the community and who I got to know through the knit and natter group. She said that they were meeting again just next door in a shop which had been the coffee shop run by volunteers now sadly defunct because of lockdown etc. With the loss of our Post Office due to change of ownership in the shop where it was situated the former coffee shop now hosts a PO service once a week on Wednesday mornings. The GPO will not grant a franchise for longer hours! So knit and natter is held there on Thursday afternoons. After my hour of pampering therefore I dropped in, some familiar faces and some new ones and had a chat. It was so good to touch base with others again and remind myself of what unrestricted life is like. Next Thursday I have an art zoom session but will definitely resume knit and natter after that. If this is tittle tattle I apologise but I thought this blog was about exchanging news of our lives and hopefully encouraging discussion from the different threads of thought from our daily experiences.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly about lives changing and boundaries narrowing due to Covid. I hope that you are able to enjoy your knit and natter sessions for a long time Ev with no interruptions from further restrictions.
DeleteWhat are you knitting, Ev? I learnt to crochet during lockdown. (I've tried it before but never did enough to remember the stitches for next time!) I went into mass production of cute crocheted hearts, originally for our local hospital and then, when they had more than enough, for our local hospice. Sadly, the latest batch have been waiting months for me to get them packaged up and posted. Unlike you, we do have a regular post office - the news agent up the road opened up a counter about 5 years ago. Very convenient. The crochet took a break over the winter so I could concentrate on other projects. But now I've restarted, so perhaps those hearts will finally get posted ...
DeleteI have a sweater which has complications and has been set aside for at least two years! Must get back to it! For knit and natter will look out a new one which is plain sailing and can natter without going wrong! The lady I mentioned I met again the other day, Trish, said that she was no longer knitting baby blankets as it has been impossible to send them abroad because of covid. For some reason she is now knitting Brussels sprouts!! I never have learnt to crochet but somewhere have a ladybird book on how to so must look it out! You can certainly create lovely things with it! My Mum taught me to knit and strangely her Dad taught her. He spent some years in the army before and during WW 1 and it passed the time for him when things were quiet. He once knitted a sweater for my younger brother on circular needles with no seams! It had a cable pattern too. Sadly it was too small for my brother! He was a cook and when the army suddenly moved them on from Gibraltar he hid a bag of sugar in a wall thinking they would go back. They never did and he always wondered whether it was still there!
DeleteI think I've knitted two adult's jumpers in my life! When I knit, I like things to be finished yesterday, so I stick to small things like hats, baby clothes, and glove puppets. OMiaS's mother was a wonderful knitter who kept him supplied with jumpers. Sadly, he's down to the last one, and that needs repairing. He would have liked me to make him more so in the end I obliged - shame the only pattern I had was to fit an Action Man doll : )
DeleteMy grandmother was brilliant at Fairisle and Arran. She made Dad a jumper once which was somewhat on the generous side. (We have a photo of Dad and my brother wearing it together!) Mum had to undo it and reknit it to fit before we next saw Granny. Fortunately, this particular jumper was in plain stocking stitch.
I knit on the bus - but was banned from doing so in the company of a couple of Small People going to school parents' evening. Apparently, I was embarrassing them.
I hope your grandfather's wonderful cable jumper finally got worn by an appreciative younger member of the family, Ev.
No, sadly my brother Michael was the smallest. We did have the jumper to admire for a while though. Not sure what happened to it as Mum was not a keeper!
DeleteI love tittle tattle Ev 🤗 and agree with all your comments regarding the whole point of this blog.
ReplyDeleteOur lives are very quiet in general due to Mr R orthopaedic problems and of course Covid for the last two years. I do not have the practical talents and skills of many of you here (and our “garden” is a small area of pots) so not able to be a big contributor but I absolutely love following everyone’s news and commenting from time to time to congratulate, sympathise, encourage etc
and would certainly miss it, as indeed I miss the contributions from my “local” bloggers Archerphile and Sarnia (and KP nuts has been a little quiet of late too) Come on ladies please come back to join us and get tittle tattling 😊👏🏻
I don't know how many of you watch The Repair Shop but I am looking forward to watching the programme about the presenter, Jay Blades, learning to read at the age of 51. I have recorded it as it was broadcast last Wednesday. There was an article about it in the Radio Times explaining what a difficult childhood he had and how he was written off in school because of his severe dyslexia. Although things have improved a lot since then there are still a lot of children these days not getting the help they need.
ReplyDeleteYes CC we watch The Repair Shop - love it! Also watched the Jay Blades documentary
Deleteall power to him and others he will encourage to take that same step no matter how old!
OwiaS
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful post about many short one liners and such.
In the past I have been one of those asking Miriam to think about how, and how many posts she writes.
Like others I was irritated by the frequency.
But I haven’t commented on this recently as I have come to the same conclusion as you suggest, that this form of writing is just how Miriam is, how her mind works.
And I’ve decided that she is as entitled to be who she is and how she is as much as anyone else who contributes to the blog.
It may irritate me, but I can cope.
🙂Thank you Mrs P
Delete... and from me
DeleteMrsP - re. Your 10.01pm post yesterday
ReplyDeleteI do read the blogs on a daily basis and thought that comments to Miriam about her frequency in posting were escalating again as they did last May (I called it bullying at the time and although Miriam said she didn't feel bullied, she was still very hurt by all the comments made about her). Given the horrid 2 years we have lived through, it would be good if we could live and let live and be kinder to each other.
OWiaS I found your comment of 11.36 am helpful and left a comment there.
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice, I've just replied.
DeleteI agree that I have posted, probably far too many times. The reasons:-
ReplyDeleteNo-one else were posting on the same day, and as such there were very limited posts from others.
I had things to talk about, which I now know, were of no interest, at all to the majority on this site.
Finally -
it is not nice to "log in" - to then find that I am being discussed on a very personal and hurtful level, by so very many.
Would any others like or accept this, if it happened to them?
...and to think that I just logged in to :-
DeleteWish all well.,- esp. GG and others "up North" -with the strong winds, both now + tomorrow night.
Best wishes, Miriam. To me you are one of several who liven up the blog. Keep posting! A lot of comments were very much in your favour so don’t take things too personally. 😊 How is your cat? Dudley went to the vet this morning as his injections were due. He was pronounced in good shape for his age which is now 8. He has been playing up at the groomers recently and as he is a reactive little dog the vet thinks the noise at the groomers is disturbing. Also he is partially sighted so people rushing around adds to his confusion. Katy has done some online training in grooming and is going on a day course over the water soon with Buddy and Betty man thinks it would be good to do Dudley at home. Buddy isn’t too keen on groomers so hopefully she can get the skill required. It will also save us nearly £100 every 8 weeks! Dudley can have more cake (within reason!) 🐾🐾🐶🐶🎂
Delete..and I have now snowdrops in flower, which I know is of no interest to all 😭 👎
DeleteThat’s Vetty man!🤣🤣
DeleteMiriam, please. Did you read my post at 11.36? I was trying to stress that we're all different, we all have different experiences, and we all have different expectations of this blog. We *all* need to be kind and understanding of each other. Yes, I spoke of you - because I wanted to address the criticisms that were starting to arise again, and which I hate to see. None of the comments that follow mine are critical of you.
DeleteI would love to meet you in person, Miriam, I think we'd have a lively and interesting conversation. As we can only 'meet' via this blog, I for one hope you will keep on posting, and will know that you are loved and valued within this community, as are all our fellow contributors. I often log in several times a day. So if you're posting and no-one is replying, I'll do my best to add my two-penny worth to keep the conversation going.
BTW we discussed ages ago the lack of italics and bold for emphasis on this blog format. When I want to emphasise something, I use *---*. I think that is a fairly standard method, but perhaps I've been happily using it and people have been wondering what I was on about. So here's a reminder : )
Miriam. You have reminded me that I must go down to the bottom of the garden to see whether my snowdrops have flowered. They come from my late mum in law’s stock and have travelled on with me through the last three moves. Katy’s chalet hides them from the house so I need to go and look. It is of great interest to me to hear of blossoming especially at this time of year! I had primroses out just after Christmas which was bizarre!
DeleteWe used to have 'winter flowering' pansies that finally bloomed in about June. I think I've had snowdrops at odd times too, 'though whether they were early or late I can't recall. Yesterday I spotted two frost-bitten mallow flowers poking through the fence - definitely the wrong time for those!
DeleteYour snowdrops are very early Miriam.
DeleteOurs in the churchyard have had green leaves showing since NY, but no white tips yet.
Miriam
Do please read the comments about you today.
I hope you will feel a little happier when you do read them.
I have what a friend of mine calls her PHD - or projects half done.
ReplyDeleteIn my 20s and early 30s I did a lot of knitting and would start a new project as soon as I finished the previous one. Since then, I have started some, and bought yarn to start others, but not completed them.
I made curtains for our living room 3-4 years ago and still need to hem them - the hems were tacked and pinned before I hung them, and have remained that way since.
My daughters, now in their 20s, roll their eyes if I say I'm going to start a project.
In the garden, I have a habit of buying plants and bulbs then planting them much later than I should. I did plant some snowdrops in the autumn, but haven't seen any flowers yet.
Miriam - keep posting please.
I may not comment often, but I read this blog every day and love to read everyone's comments, whether or not I agree.
Another post, which is one too many, I know!!
ReplyDeleteThis is to do a simple thing, to just pass on what I have listened via Sounds, which might be of interest to perhaps one person, but not a lot.
1) Paw Tracks in the Moonlight - read by Kevin Whately
2) How to Kill Your Family. This was intriguing, weird and interesting, along with the strange ending.
I should definitely be awarded a PHD. I can beat your 3/4 years Zoetrope : I made curtains, every stitch hand sewn, and left the hem loosely tacked to let them “drop”. They are still dropping 25 years later. Another project is knitting. I love to start - choose the pattern and wool but give up when the thing is nearly finished. I have difficulty sewing the bits together. I knitted my first boyfriend a beautiful sweater and felt so pleased with myself that I started another. Unfortunately the relationship ended before I had finished it. I still have the unfinished jumper as I meant to unpick it and use the wool again.
ReplyDeleteIn the early days I started to knit an Aran sweater for Mike. It took a few years but I did finish it. By that time it no longer fitted him but it does fit me. I could never bring myself to wear it and it still sits in the wardrobe,! I did let him choose the pattern from a booklet and said I didn’t like doing blackberry stitch so of course he chose the one which had that in it! Maybe at 73 I had better get it out and wear it especially on cold walks with the dogs at this time of year!
ReplyDeleteI mainly qualify for PND - projects not done. Upstairs in a drawer I have the fabric for a ball gown I was going to make 30 years ago ...
DeleteMy snowdrops are starting to flower earlier than usual this year. It always cheers me up when I see those white flowers, it feels like spring (my favourite season) isn't too far away.
ReplyDeletePlease do keep posting Miriam.
Yes my snowdrops are coming out too, and one of my red (with contrasting yellow stamens) camellias is in full bloom. It is in a sheltered position so expect that helps.
ReplyDeleteMiriam I included a boiling bacon joint with my Morrisons order this week and intend trying your recipe with apricots next week. I will let you know how it turns out. I think my daughter in law might like it because her philippino style of cooking often seems to include fruit in savoury dishes.
I like to read any and all comments and just scan those that don't interest me.
ReplyDeleteMiriam - I will listen out to the two programmes you mentioned. Thank you.
I used to knit a lot, including sweaters, but now just do crochet from time to time. Nothing too difficult or challenging.
I met a friend recently who told me that she has got so used to being inside that she has to force herself to go out. I hope that she, and all of us, will feel we can go out more this year and enjoy life.
We have snowdrops out around our lime tree, lifts the spirit.
ReplyDeleteI too drop into this blog every day, comment v little at the moment, but appreciate ALL your posts.
Rehearsal tomorrow am with the altos, for those of you who may be interested.
AP, how is Plume?
ReplyDeleteSo kind of you to remember Parsley. Thanks for asking.
DeleteD.i.L still having to clean and dress ‘stump’ everyday as it’s not completely healed over yet. But she is being very affectionate and loves being cuddled and stroked and, apparently, seems very happy, which is amazing really.
The last couple of days show this blog is capable of lively, thoughtful discussion where we have learnt something from each other and exchange news, which is exactly why it was set up.
ReplyDeleteIn my corner of Hampshire we have one clump of snowdrops in bloom and our hellebores coming on nicely ( we have quite a lot of these as the rabbits don’t eat them) but I discovered that they don’t do well if cut, I tried putting a couple of blooms in a vase and within a few hours they had completely wilted.
Last night I went to see Jenny Eclair in Winchester, very funny, but I was slightly surprised by just how few of the audience were wearing masks, less than 10% I reckon, but that’s the great British public for you! I wore my mask throughout.
I've been wondering how many will wear masks when I see Matthew Bourne's 'Nutracker' in Bristol on Tuesday.
DeleteMy hellebores once cut don’t last long. I have seen their leaves floating in a shallow bowl of water looking very attractive, I doubt they would last though. In the ground they flower for ages. I was cutting some damaged leaves off to find little clumps of snowdrops that I’d forgotten about completely. It made my day!
DeletePetals not leaves floating.
ReplyDeleteI cannot post on my beautiful new iPad but can on the old one. AP how are you managing on your new machine?
I’m still having trouble posting on here with my new IPad too Soz.
DeleteQuite often getting a ‘whoops’, then ten minutes later allowing me to post.
If this doesn’t get through I will try again later.
There have been some interesting posts, I am adding my twopenneth, as Lanjan ?? would say.
ReplyDeleteRe ASD/ADHD. I worked with adults diagnosed
with ASD (in care) for many years. I now think that the very precise way of speaking, looking for clarity and avoiding confusion with metaphors etc, has become so ingrained that I often find face to face communication is difficult as I struggle to find vocabulary. I also am very habit-bound in my actions, which I consiously try to break sometimes.
I saw 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime' with a work collegue, we were both exhausted afterwards, it felt as though I had been through a hard day at work, which only goes to show how good it was. I really enjoy programmes on R4 by a man called Henry Normal, which discuss his family life, which can make me both laugh and cry, he has a son diagnosed with ASD.
Recently, out of the blue, my son asked me if I have been diagnosed with ADHD, I was astonished, until he explained that he had listened to a woman on the radio describe her thought processes and abilities to complete tasks, he said it was exactly like listening to me. At the same time, my s-i-l suggested that I have rheumatoid arthritis, a condition my mother had very badly. I have discounted both of these non-medical theories, and think it may be better for these young men to keep their thoghts to themselves :)
PHD - me too, and I love this description and will use it forthwith. I have some embroidery I started with I was first pregnant, it is almost finished now, My son will be 37 this year.
Matthew Bourne - lucky you Zoetrope, I have seen every production of his that has ever been to Newcastle. I had never seen ballet before, his work was a revelation to me. My absolute favourite was Lord of the Flies, truly amazing, also Edward Scissorhands. I really miss live theatre but I thought the streamed National Theatre productions were a good compromise during lockdown. I'm not yet ready to sit in poorly ventilated theatres, but may start going again in the summer.
Snowdrops - none up here yet, but plenty of wind!
It is the annual garden bird watch this weekend but this year my hour's count has been rather sabotaged by the 3 squirrels coming to the bird feeders. They take turns in coming and the birds promptly vanish, so I thought I would listen to Henry Normal while waiting. I had never come across him before and tried his Family one. I thought it was really good, a talented man, and now know exactly what you meant about it making you both cry and laugh. If the pesky squirrels don't go soon I shall listen to another one.
DeleteAh, great Janice, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think that is the positive aspect of these blogs, the sharing of small pleasures.
DeleteThat reminds me, must enter my bird watch results.
DeleteI’ve just listened to Henry normal doing a prog on ageing. Some funny bits and some funny poems but I’ve decided I’m not a serious poetry lover. Will try the family episode after listening to tonight’s archers.
ReplyDeleteWell that was a first - not one post on January 30th!
ReplyDeleteThinking of all bloggers in the North and the awful weather you have had and the effects of which you may still be enduring. Please know you are being thought of ❤️
Blow me one appeared after I posted - must have been lurking in my system!
DeleteWell now plenty there! I give up 🤭🤣
DeleteEv, we have spoken previously on our service in yhe Royal Navy and the WRNS. The HWRNS were incorporated into the RN some years ago. I wonder if you have noticed that the first female appointment to Admiral rank has recently taken place. BZ.
ReplyDeleteYes, I heard about this. Very proud! I think the female role in the Navy must be much more interesting now that horizons have broadened so much. I’m not sure about how I would have adapted to going to sea but when I did go on ships I did feel the excitement of going to new places. Conditions couldn’t have been worse than my four weeks at HMS Dauntless!
DeleteAP, glad to hear she's continuing to improve, our Lily is turning out to be a terror... regular piles of feathers & entrails under the dining table...
ReplyDeleteArcherphile, I have a confession.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read what you wrote about Plume and only picked up that she has been injured in some way when others commented.
I am not proud to admit that I am a coward when it comes to reading about injured animals .
However it seems as if she is now on the mend so Poppy,Percy and I send her our very best wishes.
Mistral,I usually add my fourpennorth not two!
I'm glad to hear that Plume is recovering well and seems happy.
ReplyDeleteRuthy's Briliant Life-boat ⛵ seems to now be floundering and starting to sadly appearing to sink 🛶.
ReplyDeleteI hope that some of you, which does not include me, can keep it afloat and so you all can still enjoy.
My final post is a silly one:-
To wear, or not to wear, a mask. That is the question.
This I know, will irritate a lot!
I am so pleased that Plume is progressing so well. I, for one, was so horrified to read about her ordeal + injuries, when all was told. 🙀
PS Another post, one too many I know..😪
Deletebut I enjoyed my lunch today. This was a bovril + tomato sarni, in 2 slices of toasted granary bread with proper butter.
Yes I bet I have taken up 30% of this board, yet again.
DeleteCat Lovers - Listen to Paw Prints in the Moonlight, ( via Sounds), which is about a cat. I loved it 😻
I shall be glad to see the back of masks! But I don't think we're there yet : (
DeleteWe still have to wear them on TFL services, and shops seem to still prefer them. At present we're still asking people to wear them at toddler group. Yes, they're a pain, but if they help us keep each other safe they're worth persevering with.
But it's hard to sing with them on, and my glasses still steam up!
All in all, I think it's time for Covid to realise it has outstayed its welcome and shuffle off into the sunset!
Miriam, I enjoyed How to Kill Your Family when it was broadcast before Christmas. I wondered if the ending was going to echo that of Kind Hearts and Coronets (it didn't). I might give the Pawprints programme a go. Have you come across The Train at Platform 4? Gilbert's step-sister in this week's episode definitely attended the Hazel Woolley Academy of Charm and Diplomacy.
Miriam. Fgs just blog like a normal person instead of the poor me blogs. As various people say….consolidate your posts.
ReplyDeleteIf these last 3 posts are going to be your last….so be it. If you are gonna be posting again, stop with the “threat” of it being the last one.
Goodbye.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you All.
May all you, your families + pets, have the life that you want.
You will NEVER hear from me again.
Miriam, I really do hope you don't mean this. We need you on this site.
DeleteHaving the misfortune to like Bovril in preference to the wondrous Marmite is no reason to jump ship on us!
Hear, hear !!
DeleteWell said OWiaS
Delete(especially re the Marmite 😂)
Just live and let live for goodness sake !!!
ReplyDeleteExactly what I think.
DeleteChez Parsley Marmite remains a devisive subject... 😉
ReplyDeleteI like Marmite on toast with slices of cucumber on top. It mellows the marmite a little bit.
DeleteI'm not a fan of cucumber. Ritz Crackers, Butter, Marmite - perfect. (We'll just ignore the salt content.)
DeleteA drop of Marmite adds extra flavour to soup.
Of course the lifeboat is not floundering.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is a new month.
Let us start it by reverting to the sort of posts we used to write.
For example
If you haven't heard "Fairy Meadow "on BBC Radio4 Catchup it is well worth a listen
Really enjoying "The Responder" and "The Bay "but gave up watching "Trigger Point "after the first episode.
Pity "Only Connect "has finished but the questions at the end were getting too hard for me
I am not a foodie but have just bought a George Foreman grill
I am now making wonderful paninis.
No snowdrops yet but a lovely fragrant viburnum in the garden.
Just joined a yoga class.
Found it hard to get up from the mat last week without the help of a chair.
It is past my bedtime so don't usually write comments this late on and I haven't been drinking.
Dipping toe in water again because, although it is annoyingly difficult to publish a post, I don’t want to loose all the friends I have made here.
ReplyDeleteLanJan- don’t feel bad about our cat problems, it was the family’s little cat in France who went missing for three weeks after Christmas and was eventually found, badly injured. Won’t go into details but she is now recovering slowly and getting lots of loving attention.
My only event of interest is that we managed to go to our first classical concert in over 2years last week. The Anvil in Basingstoke; Bournemouth Symphony; Kirill Karabets (a fantastic conductor); Rimsky Korsakov 2nd Symphony; Rachmaninov 2nd piano Concerto played by an amazing 20year old, blond, dishy, pianist from Russia. I have never seen hands fly over a keyboard so fast!
The sad thing was that the Anvil was only half full ( shade of Covid I suppose) which almost seemed an insult to these wonderful performers. And it was a bit of a pain having to wear masks throughout the entire evening, but better safe than sorry.
👏🏻 You’re back!
DeleteI get a digital version of The Times Newspaper each day
ReplyDeleteIt suits me down to the ground
In case anyone is interested it can be tried out for three months and the cost is only £1 !
However if you want to try it out please do so today because it is the final day of the flash sale
We had a lovely day at RHS Bridgewater yesterday? It was chilly and windy but reasonably sheltered in the wonderful 11 acre walled garden. There was plenty of winter interest to see around the garden.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting item in our local press yesterday. It concerns a young boy who became a chimney sweep at the age of nine in the early 1800’s. He came from Alverstoke, just over the water in Hampshire. He was brought to the island and as so many of those unfortunates was malnourished and badly treated. He was found dead a year later having suffered numerous beatings. His master was convicted of manslaughter but in the event only had one year in prison. The boy was called Valentine Gray and after his death a memorial was erected which is still there today in Newport. I often walked past it on my way to the bus station and used to touch it thinking of this poor little boy. Why in the news now? Well, yesterday was the 200th anniversary of his death and two councillors laid a wreath at the monument in remembrance. It is so good to think that this poor little waif is still remembered thanks to those who sought to achieve this. His name is well known on the island still.
ReplyDeleteThese were very different times and this story and many others put into context the awful treatment and transportation of slaves which I abhor. However, they weren’t the only ones who suffered so badly at that time.
What a very sad story but it's heartening to know that people still remember the little boy.
DeleteEV, what strikes me is how little times have changed. I can think of three children recently who have been murdered within their families. It's good to acknowlege them.
ReplyDeleteIt was apparently cheaper to replace dead children mine workers ( life expectancy a few months generally) than to buy pit ponies to pull the coal trucks to the surface. They were culled from orphanages and workhouses as free labour.
ReplyDeleteLord Shaftesbury did a lot to try to reduce the working hours of children, attempting to cut their day from 14 to 12 and then later to 10 hours, but he had an uphill battle to fight as many of those in power gained their wealth from textile factories and mines etc, and even when the labour laws were brought in they were often ignored. Much respect for Lord Shaftesbury who stuck to his guns despite much opposition.
It’s nice to read lots of varied comments recently. Here’s my two penn’orth!
ReplyDeleteThere are catkins on the hazel trees in the park and forsythia in bloom despite below zero temperatures at night and the days are so much longer now, especially on sunny days when the orange afterglow brings out the dark grey outline of the Alps. I could pick out one distinctive peak which is 184 km away!
Lanjan…..thanks for the info re the Times. Mr PtbY joined today ….he likes a bargain….otherwise known as he’s tight!!!
ReplyDeleteDon’t know if this will be of any interest to you, Ev, but I have been watching the new series of Watercolour Challenge on Channel 5 at 4pm
ReplyDeleteI first watched this programme many years ago when it was hosted by Hannah Gordon, and it sparked my interest in painting
Now it’s hosted by Fern Britten and features 4 amateur artists painting in a different venue each day, all beautiful landscapes around the county and the paintings are judged by a local expert. Last week was in Yorkshire, this week in Wales. I find it fascinating how different each painting turns out, different styles and techniques. I think it will start me painting again in the summer.
I missed this but will certainly catch up! Thank you, Archerfile!
DeleteThis is the first time I’ve looked in since yesterday lunchtime.
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry to see that Miriam has decided to leave us.
Perhaps our discussion last week about neurological differences was the last straw, but I hope not as the tone was positive, not negative.
Dear Miriam, I'm hoping that you are lurking somewhere close by even if you are not going to post any more. I, for one, will miss your chatty posts about life in general and yours in particular. Life can be far too short for some, as I know from personal experience, and after the last horrendous couple of years any contact between people is to be celebrated.
ReplyDeleteNobody who posts or reads on these blogs is required to read everything that is posted. Anyone is at liberty to skip any post that they might find boring or annoying. Personally, I find most people interesting. We all have differing points of view. Surely that is to be celebrated, not censured.
Well said EnZed! Not having family nearby both sisters living over 100 miles away (although in contact) I find sharing other bloggers lives very interesting, rather like a real life “Archers” 🤣 and let’s face it the characters in that village very often disagree but in a real crisis pull together!
DeleteHear hear, EnZed!!
DeleteAgree EnZed
DeleteVery eloquently put Enzed. I agree with everything you said. I miss hearing from you Miriam and send my very best wishes.
DeleteWell said EnZed.
DeleteAgree, EnZed and far from sinking there’s life in the old blog yet! I found much comfort in the BBC blog after my husband died and the contact with others following on into this blog has continued to give me a lot of pleasure. I don’t like it when there is conflict but at the same time we are all entitled to our point of view whilst of course seeing that of other people. We are a varied lot after all!
DeleteMore about Valentine Gray. His death and obvious bad treatment was widely reported in the local and National press. Public outrage added to the discomfort already felt about child labour. It led to the climbing boys act which prevented any more little boys being forced to climb chimneys. There was also a move to improve working conditions for children and as Janice said reformers such as Lord Shaftesbury campaigned for reforms too. As today, vested interests stood in the way but how refreshing that not everyone turned a blind eye. Whether from local guilt or compassion, public subscription paid for the memorial. It can be seen online if you Google valentine Gray At the very least, good things came out of his death.
ReplyDeleteThis post can easily be ignored and skipped over.
ReplyDeleteI vowed that I would never post again, but here I am doing just the opposite.
I have been looking in, only to catch up on how the many regulars are doing, along with their pets + health.
I wrote a "test post" a couple of days ago, which was responded to, just as I expected it would be.
I should have made a couple of comments at that time, which sadly I didn't, hence my comment now.
This is that:-
1) at no time have I criticised another poster, in such a personal way, as to the contents of a post or even against the poster
2) to disagree is to be expected and accepted, but it is how this is done that makes a difference.
I have felt extremely hurt + upset, but this is now fully overcome and my life goes on, even with my elderly cat, peeing all over the place!
A problem which is getting difficult to solve, but she is healthy otherwise. It is too soon to think about the inevitable.
You can get pee pads, Miriam which stick to the floor. If she is going all over the place maybe not easy to site them but if like a dog(I know nothing about cats!) she will favour certain places. It sounds as if she has a bladder problem or maybe a urine infection which could be treated with antibiotics. I can only go by my experience with Gypsy but maybe cats have similar problems. Good luck!
DeleteDifferent subject but I thought you might like to know Miriam that I cooked your pulled ham and apricot quiche for dinner tonight. Myself and daughter have just finished eating and we both thought it was very nice. I was going to make it last night but discovered I didn't have enough eggs ( our neighbour's chickens are only just beginning to lay again after the Winter) so I roasted it and we ate some yesterday but left enough to make the quiche today. I found that roasted it didn't fall apart as it would have if I had prepared it as a boiling bacon joint, but I used a potato peeler to shred it to get the pulled effect. With a Rayburn you don't need to blind bake the pastry first you just cook it on the bottom directly on the metal floor.
DeleteMy daughter in law hasn't tried it yet because they have travelled to Truro today for Dan to test drive a car (Hyundai Tucson) which I gather from their message he has bought. His pride and joy is a bright red sports type car thing, but with his wife almost 7 months pregnant they need something bigger. I asked him if he wanted a big boot so he could get a pushchair in, but he said no it was so he could get his kayak in.😣🤣
Just in case anyone is interested in poultry, our nice neighbour has just bought some ducks, as she likes their eggs, and while getting some ducks she saw he had some Brahma chickens so half a dozen of them will be coming as well.
Those 3 pesky squirrels that disrupted my Garden Bird Watch Count at the weekend have got Winter quarters in the middle of the chickens store of straw bedding, and apparently in the morning they climb the trees there where they can see down the track into my garden and the moment after I have fed the birds and they hear my back door shut ( it has to be pulled hard because it has swollen with the wet weather) they start jumping from tree to tree to get down into our little orchard where the bird feeders are. Better stop as son and d in l have just walked in all excited and wanting to talk about the car.
It's good to see you back Miriam, please stay.
DeleteMy cookery expertise runs to flapjack (non-ballistic). lemon drizzle, and pasta with vegetables and cheese sauce. As far as possible I leave the catering to the shoe dwellers who actually enjoy cooking. But that quiche does sound rather good ...
In a previous shoe we had a squirrel who frequently visited the garden. The bird feeder was on the end of a chain which was hung from a curved hanging basket bracket fixed to the fence post. I swear Tufty hung on by the fluff of his tail in order to reach the bird food! Another time I had the bright idea of hanging the feeder on the whirligig washing line. Tufty just bit through the line. Tufty 2, OWiaS 0.
Our current shoe is mercifully squirrel free so the birds can feed in peace. (Although the ungrateful things are ignoring the peanuts that Santa gave OMiaS.)
Just to add, Miriam, I am so sorry that you have found this blog a hurtful place to be recently. I have tried in my posts always to be supportive and encouraging. It has never been my intention to criticise or upset you or any other blogger. But wires can become crossed and messages can be mmisunderstood. So if any of my posts have contributed to your distress, please accept my sincere apologies, I certainly did not mean to cause offence.
DeleteAnd now you've returned, please stay! This little lifeboat is enriched by the contributions of every single one of its passengers.
Hope it clears up soon, Miriam - is the very windy weather putting her off going in the garden? Let us know how she goes on 🤗.
ReplyDeleteI am leaving Scotland for the first time in 2 years - off to Liverpool for the day to see an old friend's exhibition at the Tate. On a train and feeling excited!
ReplyDeleteGary ,I hope you enjoy your trip "down south" La (that is what you may be called,)
ReplyDeletefrom a former Woolyback.
On the way try (if you haven't already done today's ) WORDLE .
I have been watching Michael Portillo on BBC2 this week visiting the areas of Scotland where we used to spend our holidays .
Lovely programme
The Black Isle
On my bucket list .
Discovered Wordle yesterday. It’s the same as the Lingo prog which I don’t like. Like doing the one Wordle a day though.
DeleteHave a lovely day Gary. I enjoyed looking round the Tate at Liverpool. Did the big bus tour there too. That was good. Also did a zip wire that was there down the main shopping street. Brill. A forerunner to doing the slotzilla zip in Las Vegas. Love em.
Intoduced to Wordle last week and have exchanged results with son in Frankfurt. I used to play 'Mastermind' with children 'way back when.' Different coloured stcks in something like a crib-board.
DeleteSorted Wordle today at 6.30am in 3 goes!
Gary = Happy trip to visit 'Old England' . Lovely to know a friend has works in Tate!
How the other half live!!!!!
Miriam, I find it very odd that you are so distressed by polite requests to consolidate your posts when in the pre GG days you made the same suggestio to us all.
ReplyDeleteMoving on
Has anyone read any of you read any of Colin Thubrons books,I am currently reading Among the Russians a very insightful book, which reminded me of some of my visits to Childrens homes in the communist block and the sharp contrast in particular To one in East Berlin with guards on the gate children not allowed on the grass and dreary quarters, the babies in cots for 3 with no toys or any other form of stimulation to the bright and cheerful childrens village in Hungary where we were able to communicate with the children, though given the language differences a little difficult.
That reminds me of when my oldest daughter spent part of her gap year volunteering in a Romanian orphanage. She returned with both difficult and rewarding memories and scabies!
DeleteHave a great day Gary, sounds exciting.
ReplyDeleteYes, Gary, have a lovely time! If you have a spare moment and you are near the Mersey Funnel, which is the Catholic cathedral, is well worth a visit. I haven’t been for years but guess it is still, although quite modern, an extraordinary building!
DeleteHope you have a fun time Gary!! Been years since I went to Liverpool but remember it well.
DeleteNever been Gary but look forward to hearing all about your trip on your return. Have the great time you deserve 👏🏻
DeleteEnjoy Liverpool Gary, I spent my student days there, even after 5 years I struggled to understand the locals! I only went to the Tate once, just after it opened. All I remember is my friends and I totally not getting the Rothcos.
ReplyDeleteThank you Miriam. I didn't think Pawtracks in the Snow would be my cup of tea but I decided to give it a go. I listened to three episodes back to back last night, and the final two just now. It was lovely!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how a small animal can change a person's life, isn't it? A few years ago I read A Streetcat Named Bob, another wonderful puss who was devoted to the human who'd befriended him.
I hope he went on the train to the "posh" resort of Southport Esscee!
ReplyDeleteAll being well I am to be treated to "Blood Brothers" in Wimbledon next week.
I love the Show and have seen it several times in London.
At that time there was a department store called George Henry Lee in Liverpool where BB is set which was mentioned in one of the songs .It is now John Lewis .
The first time I saw it I rushed to get a tape of the music from an HMV shop,saw myself in a mirror and saw my cheeks were covered with mascara
I hope they get the accent right.
I used to translate what Jamie Carragher said for Mr LJ when he was commentating on football.
(I thought Martin Freeman's accent was pretty good on the Responder.)
Good to see you posting,Cowgirl.
Cowgirl….
ReplyDeleteThere’s a blast from the past! Glad to see you are still with us.
I was due to visit my friend who lives near Liverpool in the first May of lockdowns. We'd booked tickets for the show based on Carole King's songs /life. I was looking forward to visiting Liverpool for the first time.. .
ReplyDeleteOh well, we'll have to arrange another time.
We have just arranged to meet in Birmingham in September to see the Ballet Rambert's new production - Peaky Blinders.
As someone who almost never watches TV as I fall asleep within about 10 minutes - I have a serious amount of catching up to do so I can understand the ballet!
Wordle - I've been playing and sharing results with my sisters (one in Australia) for about 2 weeks.
Apparently someone has devised a maths version called nerdle!
Miriam - if you're still reading - Chester Zoo was on the news today about trialling a vaccine for elephants. I thought of you when I heard it this morning.
Er, thank you Zoetrope.
DeleteWordle is cleverly designed to give you one game a day. So is Nerdle - but if you read the faqs you discover it's possible to find games from pervious days ....
I have now dragged myself away and shall do my best to forget the mathematical version ever existed!
But I got the Wordle in 3 again today : )
Pleased to see Cow Girl is still with us.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to posting CG
Lovely to see some old friends posting again. Cowgirl are you still using your tricycle - I think it was you who told us about buying one ?
ReplyDeleteAnd Gary- welcome back to England after such a long time. Visiting Liverpool is on my Bucket List, as is Shetland!
Can someone explain how to get Wordle please. I have heard so much about it but when I try to download it from Safari all I get is a completely blank grid!
Here's the link to the website: https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/
DeleteI didn't need to download anything. It may be different if you're playing on a phone.
You start with a blank grid - but you should see the alphabet buttons underneath. Click on these to spell your first word. You can also type in the letters using your computer keyboard.
Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.
Wordle is web based - not an app.
DeleteThere is apparently an app with the same name which has been around for ages, but it's a completely different thing.
Archerphile ,all I did was Google it .
ReplyDeleteVery easy to understand .
Did it today in 4
I look forward to reading later how you got on.
Have you done it yet P tbY?
Yep. Got it in 4 today.
DeleteI had a go but my first word was all grey and does that mean I can go no further as I can’t seem to go on?
DeleteEv, I have always been able to just type a new guess which automatically starts a new line.
DeleteGrey means you have no correct letters
Yellow - the letter is in the word but in the wrong place.
Green - right letter, right place.
Have got it now! I was trying to click on the first letter of the next line instead of typing right away! I think I need a few practices but was never a great fan of countdown or scrabble! However have improved with Sudoko and now can manage some of the hard ones! I just need time but get there in the end! The wheels of my brain grind slowly!
DeleteCC I hope the treatment was less traumatic than when I had to paint a little family just received into care from the neck down.
ReplyDeleteArcherphile I still have my trike and hard work it is, but havent used it this winter yet as I had knee replacement surgery before Christmas and recovery is slow.
PTY may not have posted but have dipped in and out regularly
All this talk of Wordle I might have to have a go
Thank you OWIAS!
ReplyDeleteI thought you were going to be given the first word and had to carry on from there!
Didn’t realise you had to put the first word in yourself to find out which letters were correct or not.
Only prob was, I forgot what each colour denoted half way through!
However, got there in the end and got the correct word
Apparently youngest English grandson plays daily, so I can compete with him. A new addiction but approved by Susie Dent. 😉
I tried Nerdle the other day but gave up after 2 guesses.
ReplyDeleteTried again today and got it in 4!
Maths is not my strong point but my first guess gave enough clues that with hard thinking I managed to work it out.
Got today's Wordle in 3.
Lanjan has started a new obsession in us. Thank goodness there is only 1 per day to do.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a large part of its success.
DeleteBeen Wordling for a while!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh Zoetrope I didn't know about Nerdle .
ReplyDeleteDo I just Google it like I did with Wordle?
Good job I decided that this week was going to be my staycation week when I was going to do what I wanted in my own home which did not include a lot of housework.
This has meant actually watching television during the afternoon and more during the evening .
Really enjoyed "The Responder" -but can't say I really understood it.
Will have to watch it again.
Will happily translate for those who are unable to understand tge accents.
Why do I watch "The Apprentice" ?
It gets worse each year.
Last night three of them were unable to spell the word Arctic.!
Lanjan - I just typed Nerdle in to Google.
DeleteI read about it online, in an article about the success of Wordle and the purchase of it by the New York Times.
beginners luck, I got it in 2
ReplyDeleteDay trip to Liverpool was exhausting, but amazing. My friends exhibition was spectacular. It's a retrospective of her career so far and it was amazing to see the early works that I haven't seen in 25 years. The area around the Tate was fantastic too. I love a bit of water.
ReplyDeleteEv, I did consider going to see the Catholic Cathedral but I went to the Anglican Cathedral instead - the more Gothic the better as far as I'm concerned! So glad I did too, it was absolutely breathtaking. Durham Cathedral is next on my list for visiting.
As to Wordle and Nerdle? I think I'll just leave them for everyone else to enjoy, not my cup of tea. Each to their own and all that!
If you’re ever in the Midlands go to Worcester Cathedral. King John’s tomb is there and I used to put my hand on it. I don’t think he was so bad and was left to get on with it while hero Richard b*******ed off to the Holy Land!
DeleteThe Anglican Cathedral. Is an example of the Perpendicular style if I remember rightly. We are talking schooldays here! It certainly looms way above you when you look up in the interior! I must admit I was more taken with the Catholic Cathedral although I don’t like all things modern as I found the new Coventry Cathedral very uninspiring!
Just played wordle for the first time and I got it in two too, Cowgirl!
ReplyDeleteWith you on Cathedrals Gary.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool(Paddy's Wigwam ) is not for me.
Love the area around the Anglian Cathedral ,Abercrombie Square.
I sat next to a someone when I went to a Service in Norwich Cathedral and he said that when Queen Elizabeth 1 was on the throne the Cathedral was already 400 years old.
Amazing.
I loved the way the light from the stained glass windows at the top of the “funnel” shone the various colours onto the white marble altar in the middle and having it in the middle just seemed more inclusive like theatre in the round. Everyone’s perception is different though. Many people admire new Coventry Cathedral far more than I did! When we went to Italy, with the exception of St Peter’ s which is magnificent I felt that our cathedrals were far superior to the ones we saw. On a river trip with Katy we went to Cologne Cathedral and that was lovely. We lit a candle in remembrance of Mike and that was so special. I am not a Catholic but that practice shared with high church C of E is very moving and comforting.
DeleteA charming temporary Shoe Dweller has just introduced me to Absurdle. Like Wordle only rather less helpful. (You'll need to read the rules to see why.) Unlike Wordle, there is no limit to how many times you can play.
ReplyDeleteHappy to pass on the information - but I will accept no complaints for time wasted as a result. You have been warned!
Sounds interesting.
DeleteApparently there's a sweardle too.
Absurdle - got it in 6!
DeleteRe Thé Apprentice - we enjoy watching it for the comedy show it has now become.
ReplyDeleteWe just laugh our heads off at the absurd candidates and the stupid ideas they come up with.
I am incredulous at how uneducated some of them are, as LanJan said, not being able to spell Arctic and thinking penguins live there. Oh and producing a child’s electric tooth brush that looked exactly like brown t*rd!
Best comedy of the week!
Totally agree Archerphile a good laugh. Although I’ve never seen the programme “Love Island” from the odd trailer shown the girls on The Apprentice appear to be replicas of that shows participant’s. Come that same can apply to the boys 🤣
Delete'North Pole = No Penguins, South Pole = Some Penguins' ; )
ReplyDelete..and where is the farthest north, a penguin can be seen in the wild?
DeleteThis is a good pub quiz question.
It is the Galapagos Penguin, found in this archipeligo on the equator.
Penguins are never seen north of this area in a natural habitat.
Sarnia I hope you are still reading the blog - I won’t be the only one who misses your humour.
ReplyDeleteI watch The Apprentice, much to my husband’s disgust. It always surprises me that each year produces the same set of clones. I was disappointed with the one who was fired last night. A week ago she seemed like the one with something about her - she wasn’t at all squeamish when fishing and caught the most fish. Ok she can’t spell and if she had owned up to it straight away she would have gained some respect. I suspect the programme is heavily edited to manipulate our opinions.
I am beside myself with euphoria never having done anything like (this much talked about) Wordle before I have just completed todays - on the 6th go but hey one has to start somewhere 🤣
ReplyDeleteI tried Wordle last night.
ReplyDeleteI got it on my screen without any difficulty but then didn’t understand what I should do.
Could someone please tell me how it works.
The short explanations above have not enlightened me any further.
Please expand from first action to last.
Hi Mrs P.,
DeleteIn wordle there are no clues.
You are presented with a blank grid, and have 6 attempts to guess a 5 letter word.
You have to enter a valid word.
You are then shown grey squares if your selected letters are not in the word.
Yellow if the letter is in the word but in the wrong place
Green if the letter is in the right place.
From these clues you can try to guess the word of the day.
Write any five letter word in the the spaces on the first row.
ReplyDeleteSpoiler Alert as I'm doing today's puzzle!
When the letters turn over (after you've have pressed 'enter.' ) they have different colours.
Grey ones are not in the word, Green ones are in correct space and yellow words are in the word but not in correct space.
O P E R A (I start with this)
O 💛 💚 R 💛
So I have third letter E in the right space and two more letter in the word but not in the right places,
Then you have to think of language skills and spelling rules etc to work out relevant words.
I then thought of the word A D E P T
💛 D 💚 💛 💚
So I have 4 letters with two in the right spaces.
My next word was
P L E A T (which was the correct word in 3 guesses.)
I hope this may help!
Wordle 230 3/6
ReplyDelete⬜🟨🟩⬜🟨
🟨⬜🟩🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
This is the result of 'sharing' The green words tell my son how I got the word but no clues as to what the word is!
Thank you all.
DeleteI will have a go, but I’ve never been very good at word puzzles with the exception of finding words in a grid.
I will report back.
I managed it …in five.
DeleteI chose IDIOT and got to PLEAT.
I am not euphoric.
Will try again.
Not euphoric Mrs P! You got it in one less than my 6 (max goes and I was euphoric 😂)
DeleteSoiceycushion.
ReplyDeleteMy strategy for wordle is different.
I put a word with three vowels and two common consonants on the first line and a different word with the other two vowels but three different common consonants on the second line and then try to work out a word for the third line.
That way I reckon it is likely that at least two vowels and a consonant or more will be in the correct word.
👏👏
DeleteDone todays wordle. Struggled but got it in the end. Just could not think of five letter words.
ReplyDeleteI got today's Wordle and Nerdle in 4.
DeleteDid it in four working on previous strategy but am now looking at the Times General Knowledge quiz and for the life of me I can't think of the County town of Essex!
ReplyDeletePLEASE don't tell me the answer .
I am going to work on it .
How many letters?
Delete(I haven't been out for the paper yet)
I got it in three today.
ReplyDeleteGot stuck at two, left it and when returned got it with some thought.