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Cherry Blogs Sue
Reading, Watching, Cooking, the weekend & the Wicked Witch
Posted: 14-05-2008 09:46:28
Current Book:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Having recovered from the culture shock that comes with the language in this American classic (it is written in dialect and it's not what you would call PC) I am enjoying the yarn - a good read.
Great TV:
The Apprentice
A bunch of egotistic, selfish, back-stabbing, clueless nasties competing to work for a bloke who has done it all before and knows every trick in the book. I love it and it's on at nine tonight.
Cooking:
I'm not - salads are in - how easy is that.
The weekend:
I am really looking forward to catching up with Chrissie at the weekend - she always cheers - we are going to the Botanical Gardens with the intention of having a light lunch and a heavy gossip, but it won't be about....
....The Wicked Witch:
Mrs Blair continues to rake in the lolly - her latest scheme is her book which, amongst other revelations, tells us the when, where and how she conceived her youngest. Too much info, does that woman have no modesty.
The movable feast
Posted: 13-05-2008 09:55:31
The wedding:
Italy in April is out.
UK at Christmas is in.
Bride & bride's mother (that would be me) are a bit tetchy.
Expect further venue changes.
My tongue is already feeling well bitten, it could be chewed to bits before this is over.
Aren't weddings lovely!
Ah well, the weather is smashing, this means the 'orrible geezer next door is in barbie mood and we will soon be smoked out - which means I can vent all my frustrations on him. I knew he would be useful one day.
The really nice thing about this time of year is the food - suddenly all those lovely fresh salad and veggie things just take on a whole better taste and you eat so much better. But even so I confess to indulging in home made chips last night, they were lush.
We had a nice run up..
Posted: 06-05-2008 09:29:36
.. to Cheshire on Saturday to meet Rob's family. We had already met his Mum & Dad but this was to meet siblings, a cousin, Granny and God Parents. They are a lovely family, we were made very welcome and they put on a small informal celebration of the engagement.
A bit more socialising Sunday evening - we went next door to celebrate the 50th birthday of friend and neighbour Aruna. Lots of food and the old man was well and truly in his cups!
My tummy rebelled on Monday however so I ate small and sensible and went for a good long walk early evening which helped lift my mood and is my first step towards getting a bit fitter - so I don't look too scary when I go on my hols! And I will need to tone up a bit for the wedding next year - March or April - which the kids have decided will be in Italy. My Italian is very rusty - haven't used any in more than 2 years - so I guess I will be listening to the tapes and talking to myself soon.
I can't let the opportunity slip by without some political comment so I will just say I was delighted to see the government get a wake up call in the local elections. Nuff sed for now!
Voting in the dark
Posted: 29-04-2008 13:20:18
For Richard (and all other over-18's who haven't a political clue):
I know exactly what you mean - how can you make the decision of where to put your cross without the relevant information? My own experience this year is that we have had just a couple of scraps of paper chucked into the porch. One from the Lib-Dems telling me how much they work for the local community and one from the Tory bloke telling me the same! Neither of these impart any real information about policy and to date we haven't heard a peep from the Labour party. So is it any wonder that the electoral turn out is getting lower year on year, which is a great pity considering the suffering endured in the past in order to give we mere serfs a democratic right.
Surely, if people want to take office and expect us to put them there, the least they could do is make their case - get out and canvass, give us the opportunity to ask questions. Instead it seems we are expected to make a decision without being aware of all the facts. (Bit like the referendum we had on the Common Market several decades ago).
On Thursday, all those eligable to do so will be able to cast a vote to elect the people who will represent us in local government, which effectively means we will decide who will be spending our money. Now all local government is guilty of waste on a massive scale. Mrs T tried, unsuccessfully, to address this issue and make councils more accountable to the public, but on spending we remain fairly powerless - all we have is our little cross once a year. I am sure that Brum wastes loads of dosh every year but I have to say that the current encumbents have at least made a real effort on the big issue of recycling - apparently the city is one of the best in the country and we still have our weekly collections. Which nicely brings me on to the litter in our road....
... more men with picky-up sticks arrived last week, then we had the grass verges cut, a road sweeper and a man with a broom. Blimey, the pavement hasn't seen so much activity for yonks. Even Saturday saw a man with a stick who very obligingly removed the plastic bag from the tree - only on request of course! I quote - 'we don't look up LOVE, we just do pavements, but I will get it for you LOVE'.
I wonder if we will see him again once Thursdays poll is over?
Jolly Dom Joly
Posted: 22-04-2008 09:55:55
I loved Dom's new programme last night - Dom Joly's Complainers - it dealt with the serious business of complaining in a light-hearted and very funny way. Among last night's targets were council re-cycling policies, traffic wardens and loud mobile phone users.
Would my own recent experience would be a good enough reason to join his team.....?
Now I have to say that Birmingham refuse collections are darned good. They collect our paper, plastic, glass, tin and garden refuse fortnightly and I am pleased to say they maintain weekly collections of other household rubbish. But in recent years there has been an increase in the amount of litter in our road and although a lot of this is just the result of scumbag ignorance it is added to because an increasing number of idiots start to put their rubbish out days before it is due for collection. So, after filling a carrier bag (in just one day) with sweet wrappers, tissues, newspaper, tin cans and bits of plastic etc, I emailed our council to ask for a clean up. I received a reply to the effect that the matter would be dealt with within 5 days. After a week of not seeing any improvement I emailed again and yesterday a couple of blokes arrived, complete with their clever little pick-up sticks, and parked their council vehicle conspicously near to our house. Number one bloke used his stick to pick a couple of bits up from the pavement in front of half a dozen properties and then got back in his cab. Number two bloke did the other side of the road but only for about a hundred yards, crossed over and worked his way back the the truck. He missed most of the rubbish so I yelled at him to please pick up the stuff across the road but his response was 'It's in the gardens LOVE and I'm not allowed to go on gardens'. The 'gardens' in question are an extention of the grass verge and they don't deter the postman or the army who deliver the junk mail that adds to the problem. By the time they had driven off, probably to sausage sandwich heaven, all that 'garden' stuff had blown into the road! Seems they don't do trees either 'cos a plastic bag which has been decorating a small tree on the pavement for a couple of weeks, and must be all of six inches above the blokes head, is still waving in the breeze. Now maybe I am being over-suspicious but we live in a long road and they only did the bit immediately near my house so was there a bit of lip-service involved here?
Ah well, I shall be voting next week - a small voice I know, but all mine.
The nicer side of life now - Simpsons on Fridays was superb - can't wait for a good reason to go again. It was a combined celebration for Becky's 30th (21/04) and Robs 33rd (17/04) and yesterday they delighted everyone by getting engaged.
Oh - and the bookcase that I ordered from Whartons Pine in Shirley is now here and they are delivering it today - it is a lovely shop, nice people and they do free delivery - sometimes life is good.
It's all Greek
Posted: 16-04-2008 10:08:54
We are looking forward to the holiday we have just booked for September on the island of Skiathos. I think a couple of cherries are also heading for Greece this year.
Yamas!
Food, food, food.
Posted: 15-04-2008 10:06:36
Nandos on Friday with pal Angie - I was so hungry I demolished my peri peri chicken in no time at all and have to admit it was hot, fresh & very tasty. Shame that they always have hot glasses for the cold beer! 'Twas nice evening of food and gossip.
The old man and I mooched around John Lewis & Lakeland on Saturday - I love both of these shops. We bought a few 'kitcheny' items including a new flan dish, and then had a light lunch at JL's before looking for a couple of birthday gifts.
On Sunday I watched the re-run of Saturdays night's Britain's Got Talent. I have never seen this before but was pleasantly surprised - some of the acts were so bad they were hilarious and amongst all of that were some real gems. I had made a nice flan for supper (in my new dish) of bacon, eggs, leeks and gruyere cheese which is pretty good, especially cold, and I have a small final slice with todays lunch to look forward to.
Keeping up the foodie theme, we are eagerly anticipating lunch at Simpsons on Friday to celebrate my daughters impending 30th. Crikey, where have all those years gone?
Movies
Posted: 08-04-2008 09:55:31
Went to see 27 dresses - very much a chick flick but my mate & I enjoyed it and now I want to see Son of Rambow - it's getting great reviews.
The snow put paid to my gardening plans and I am now a month behind with my plans for a veggie-plot - it's may never happen at this rate.
No-one can have failed to see the dreadful scenes surrounding the procession of the Olympic torch through London and whilst initially my reaction, like most I expect, was to feel sympathy for the protesters some pondering has taken me a stage further. Politics should not come into sport at all yet the reality is that they have been influencing this great tournament for decades - remember Munich, Moscow....
I have no doubt that the IOC awarded the 2008 games to China with good reason and almost certainly this was as much politically motivated as it was pilanthropic. The hope seems to be that this will aid China's entry onto the international stage where time and diplomacy can exert slow but steady pressure on a number of issues, human rights being a fairly central one. I was saddened to see the torch, which represents the core belief of the games that sport unites nations, hijacked by politicians and celebrities leaving it open to attack by human rights protesters. Pressure is also being put to bear on athletes who have worked long and hard to achieve a dream and this is grossly unfair. It all smacks of hypocrisy. we have been trading with China for years and I'll bet we are all wearing or using at least one thing that says 'Made in China'.
I would love to see sportsmen & women take this games back and keep it where it belongs with all politics kept well away. Of course that won't happen but lets support all the worlds athletes and hope that the politicians get the message. One thing is for sure, 2008 will see an efficiently run event but if T5 is anything to go by I don't hold out much hope for 2012.
Maybe....
Posted: 01-04-2008 15:10:13
... I should take up meditation (did I hear someone say medication?)
The death of democracy..
Posted: 01-04-2008 09:49:01
.. happened quite recently. Our current government was elected on the back of a number of promises; health, crime, education to name but a few but also to hold a referendum on the European constitution. However, they clearly had little faith in the electorate (who knows, we may have backed it to the hilt!) and instead parliament held a vote to decide whether or not to let us have our say. Many of our elected representatives voted against the proposal, and indeed against their own consciences, and in doing so have sounded the death knell for democracy. To mark it's grave the symbol of Brittania is now being swept aside because she apparently represents an old Britain that no longer exists. Despite a nationwide campaign to keep this great tradition the government diktat is that she be replaced by more relevant symbols and so I thought the following may be more pertinent: - A speed camera or double yellow lines, a chef's hat (our national obsession with celeb chefs) or a bowl of curry and a naan, body piercing or perhaps a tattoo'd derriere, some Jimnmy Choos, a can of lager or a mobile phone - crikey there is so much that could represent modern day Britain yet none of these things fill me with hope or pride for this country. Brittania gave us something worthy to aspire to, she represented decency, fair play, honour and pride. They are old fashioned virtues but I haven't seen anything yet that can take their place. Let's hope that one day someone has the backbone to bring her back.
Whilst I'm waiting I am getting on with my little garden and enjoyed a spell out there on Sunday - the weather was wonderful and my hands are wrecked but it is a small happiness.
Scary
Posted: 26-03-2008 09:53:50
Due to the shortage of organ donors the government is considering introducing the 'opt out' system whereby, unless you state otherwise, then your organs will be automatically taken after death. Until yesterday I thought this was OK, after all if you or a loved one needed a transplant and this was not an option because of the current low level of 'opt in' donors then you would welcome this. At least that was how I felt until I read an article in yesterday's newspaper.
A 21 year old Texan car crash victim was pronounced dead and was about to have his organs harvested when someone noticed a small movement in his foot. They scraped a scalpel across the bottom of his foot and he reacted. 48 days later he left hospital. The doctors had performed the necessary 'brain stem' tests yet he actually heard them pronounce him dead! I have been on the donor register for years but this has made me think again - scary eh!
I hope that you all..
Posted: 25-03-2008 10:58:24
.. had a lovely Easter break. Ours was fairly low profile but we did have friends over for Sunday lunch - very enjoyable but I overdid the pork, burnt the full cream rice pudding, spilt a whole carton of milk and cut a finger (straight through the nail).
I am currently debating with myself whether or not to see the film 'Love in the time of cholera'. It is one of my all time favourite books, I have read it three times and will probably read it a dozen times more. Having always thought it would be impossible to film, someone has done just that and it is receiving dreadful reviews. Apart from a wonderful story the appeal of the book is the prose and that can't be transalated onto celluloid so I will probably make a point on not seeing it - on the other hand....
I recommend you read the book - it's magic
Macca
Posted: 18-03-2008 09:41:41
Don't know why 'cos I've never met him but I have never much liked the bloke. It's unfair to make such a statement about someone without any evidence but there is something very unpleasant about him. It's said he is worth more than 800million so just under 25million is hardly going to make a dent and I reckon the girl earned every darned penny of it. Sadly the press continue to demonise her - so give up, take the money and run love.
Delia is also getting a roasting - in the main by other 'celebrity chefs'. Are they jealous or just missing the point? Much as I like James Martin, Marcus Waring, JO, AWT and the like, the truth is they do not teach people how to cook. They demonstrate their own skills and probably make the 'cannot cook' generation feel even more concerned about their own lack of skill. Delia on the other hand is showing the pingers (microwaves go ping OK) that they can construct a dish for themselves by using ready made ingredients. She has enough sense to realise that the first step is the most important and once they have the confidence to put together a store cupboard shepherds pie or spag bol they may progress on to doing their own mash or ragu. OK they are not the cheapest of ingredients but have you looked at the price of a ready meal?
Last night she did crab cakes made from tins and it looked so good I shall be having a go at it myself. Well done Delia.
In keeping with my 'against the flow' theme of today I loved Dancing on Ice. I can't dance and I can't ice-skate so I have nothing but admiration for amateurs who do both in front of the nation and make it so entertaining - it was brill!
Dot, the King and the shrinking purse
Posted: 12-03-2008 09:36:46
Dot broke her leg last September and went into Selly Oak Hospital where she caught the superbug known as C-DIFF. I went to her funeral yesterday and despite the anger that is felt by everyone who knew her about this unnecessary death it was a true celebration of her life. She was sent off to the beat of Elvis singing All Shook Up. Personally I don't believe there is an afterlife but if there is, I truly hope that Dot gets to meet the King.
Today is a new day and once again it is budget day - are you any better off than you were this time last year? Thought not, so don't expect to be any better off by the end of today. It is rumoured that this will be a green budget with a tax on plastic bags (we can shortly expect bag police to join the fag police) and further taxes on booze (wrapped up to look like a means of controlling binge drinking but really just another cash cow). Wrap it up whichever way you like we will be paying more, will have less freedom and will be treated like naughty school children.
Let's get drunk and play Elvis.
A lovely..
Posted: 04-03-2008 09:16:09
.. weekend. I spent some time with my daughter and we did a bit of shopping in Nottingham ( I like that city ) and she treated her old Ma (& Pa) to a very tasty meal at The Trent in her village of Radcliffe.
She had started her new job last Monday and had found her first week a bit stressful so I was a bit worried about her. Just when can you stop worrying about your kids eh? She will be 30 in April, has a wealth of experience in her chosen field, has a good brain, strong heart and solid steel for a backbone. She could take on any challenge and no matter how hard it was she would never give up - but I still worry and I will be happier when she has got things sussed.
The old man cooked a nice leg of lamb on Sunday night when we were home and we finished it off last night with some sauteed spuds and a salad. On the subject of food - Delia is back next week - I like Delia, she beats all those other 'celebrity' chefs by a mile.
What Mum really wants..
Posted: 26-02-2008 09:43:26
..for Mothers Day is you.
OK, the card, the flowers, the chocs, the smellies, the whatever, are all very nice and always appreciated. The fact that you went out and bought something is lovely. But what your Mum really wants is to know that you are happy to spend time with her - so just do it! And smile!
For one Mum, who may be denied the time her daughter can spend with her in future, this will be a very precious day. The lady, who is elderly and in Hull, was married to an American and so technically her daughter is a US citizen. The daughter has lived here with her family for years and wants to stay to take care of her Mum. This will save the state a bundle in care but she is being deported and the Home Office say that neighbours can take on the responsibility. What a damn cheek!
Had she been a terrorist, was a hook-handed preacher of evil, had four spouses living on benefit, or was of that ilk, then she would be able to stay and would probably be paid to do so.
And to boot, had her Mum been the American and her Dad the Brit, she would be a British citizen!
What a mad world we live in
It really does pay to complain
Posted: 20-02-2008 14:44:08
We don't complain enough in this country and quite often when we do we are made to feel, that even though we may have received abominable service, it's somehow all our own fault.
But it does pay off sometimes.
I ordered some extra shelves for a kitchen cupboard from Homebase way back at the beginning of October - £40 including fittings with 2 week delivery. They delivered promptly - the wrong size. In all they delivered 5 lots of incorrect shelves over a 3 month period. Despite constant phone calls and endless promises the store just couldn't get it right and the most annoying aspect was that they didn't follow up and I had to do all the chasing. I finally lost it a few days before Christmas and the Manager promised he would sort it out and 'keep me in the loop'. He did manage some temporary shelves but didn't get back to me and I finally wrote a letter of complaint at the end of January. 48 hours later I had my shelves and I have now received a letter of apology from the Manager along with £50 in Homebase vouchers.
Complain - join the revolution!
And..
Posted: 19-02-2008 11:33:11
it's Bacon Week apparently - so have a bacon butty without feeling guilty eh!
It's a funny old world.
Posted: 19-02-2008 09:26:54
You know how it is, when you haven't got any money the shops are stuffed to the gills with lovely desirable things but when you have cash to splash they seem full of trash. That's exactly how it was on Friday when Chrissie and I had a trip to Touchwood. I had a nice list and a modest fund but came home with nothing more than a new hairbrush for the old man. The trend for phsychadelic smocks with strange sleeves continues - I did all that in the 60's (though not all at the same time) and I don't wanna do it again. We had a nice lunch though, and a few laughs.
But - we did buy a bank.
I didn't want to buy a bank
Did you want to buy a bank?
It's not the 'N' word - it's Public Ownership.
Thanks Gordie, thanks Mr Dahling, but my £4k would be better spent on shoes!
The weekend seemed to pass in a blur of visitors and cooking but it was nice to see people and catch up. I did a mean Leek & Potato soup for Saturday lunch, the old man did his magic with a roast chicken and there is enough of last nights Shepherds Pie for tonight (it has just a hint of harissa for a bit of bite). And wasn't the weather a treat.
I so agree with Shaun about spitting - it is something I feel really strongly about. Years ago (in another life) spitting was an offence carrying a hefty fine. I have a vague feeling it was because it was seen as a way of spreading disease and am pretty sure that TB came into the equation somewhere. (If anyone knows for sure, please let me know). It's interesting to note that TB, once virtually eradicated in this country, is now on the increase. Sadly the habit has become a fashion and is not helped by the constant spitting by footballers. Now maybe there is some physical reason for them to do it but why should coaches and managers indulge?
Cut it out - it's vile.
Thank you to Richard for his explanation of Pushing the Envelope - maybe he could give some thought to the real meaning of Public Ownership 'cos I don't really feel as if I own part of a bank - do you?
Medics & Clerics
Posted: 12-02-2008 09:23:50
There are still hundreds, maybe thousands, of people that the cash strapped NHS are unable to provide with life saving cancer drugs. They either buy their own and suffer financially or suffer and die.
However, 500 Senior NHS Docs spent last week enjoying an NHS funded break at the exclusive Val d'Isere ski resort at a cost of up to £400,000. They were attending a 'DoctorsUpdate' conference in the name of Continuing Educational & Professional Development and although they were there to attend a couple of short seminars each day were free to enjoy the resort for a large part of their stay. They are allowed £800 per year for CEPD but the poor 'dahlings' couldn't possibly do this at a Holiday Inn in Slough 'cos they need to get away from all that stress and re-charge their batteries. Aah!
One cleric who probably wishes he spent last week on the slopes reminded me of Henry 2nd's words about Thomas Becket (Archbishop of Canterbury 1162-1170). "Will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest?" The old ones are the best eh!
Somehow Henry 2nd led me to think of Shakespeare and the fact that I have always wanted a really good edition of his works. So I have treated myself by buying the RSC version from Amazon. When it arrives I may go all wordy for a while.
Which in turn prompts me to ask if anyone can explain the following:
Pushing the envelope
and
Chasing Pavements
If you can think of any more stupid sayings, please let me know. I may start a Dictionery for the PPP's (Pretentious Pretty P****s)- maybe it would sell, make me a fortune and then I can go skiing too.
Fat Tuesday
Posted: 05-02-2008 09:34:33
A very busy weekend. A 40th birthday meant a big family party on Friday - 100 plus friends and family and a good time was had by one and all. Becky was home for the occasion and stayed the weekend and on Saturday asked me to cook up a veggie broth that I used to do for her years ago (she has been a veggie since she was about 11) its just loads of chopped up veggies and pulses cooked up in a nice stock with herbs and stuff. It's so easy and I just add some cooked chicken or lamb for us carnivores. She took some home too.
Aside from enjoying the family stuff however I have been near to popping a few blood vessels due to the stuff that is going on and I have a long list of 'Angries' I could rant about but will pick just one for today - Doctors.
On average GPs earn around £106k per year for a 44 hour week as compared to some of their patients who struggle on a whole lot less. Now I know that they spend at least 5 years studying and suffering in order to minister to our physical needs but most of the costs of that are met by the tax payer and at £106k they certainly enjoy the rewards. Unlike vets, who are expected to understand the workings of just about every creature on the planet, they are limited to the human body. Now I don't think it is unreasonable to ask them to be available outside of normal working hours occasionally. Under the present situation some bloke who may be on less than £20k a year needing to see a GP may have to take take off work. He could probably lose some of his pay so it is not unreasonable if Mr Average feels peeved that his taxes are paying a salary for a Doctor who is unprepared to be flexible.
How hard can it be to re-shuffle the existing hours to accommodate one evening or a Saturday morning? Is it really too much to ask - that same Doctor may be quite happy to go shopping on Sunday in shops staffed by workers on minimum wage who have little or no choice about the hours they do. I am fed up with whinging medics going on about how tired they are and how hard their lives are - tired and hard is a low paid minimum waged Mum or Dad struggling to make ends meet. We have already lost most of our NHS Dentists and I suspect that GPs want to go the same way lured by the private pound. How much longer are we going to put up with this? We are far too apathetic in this country - and that applies to my increasingly long list of things to rant about.
Anyway - it's pancake day so lemons to it all.
Sunshine
Posted: 30-01-2008 10:27:49
OK, so it isn't exactly warm and sunny but we have seen some nice sunshine over the last few days - makes me want to be on a beach somewhere. So I think a few travel brochures may be the basis of my weekend reading and I spotted some very nice new stuff in M&S! Mmmmm.
Priorities
Posted: 29-01-2008 10:34:42
There is so much going on in the world and indeed plenty to concern us going on in our own country - most of the world hate the English, including our nearest neighbours! The Irish have been doing battle with us since the time of QE1 and the Welsh and Scots would like to be independent. We are living in a fairly lawless society and everyone is in debt up to their necks. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue and Scotsman Gordie wants to wipe out Britannia (almost the last vestige of our culture). So what is on our news today - Holly Willoughby and her low cut dress. Priceless eh!
Personally I thought she looked fine and far more flesh has been exposed over the years on Neighbours and Home & Away so I don't get what all the fuss is about - jealousy in the main I suspect.
Why do folk make such a fuss of a little bit of glamour and bury their heads about the really important stuff? Leave the girl alone.
On the domestic front the old man did his magic with a beef roast again - I dont care what the French say - I am proud to be a rosbif!
Curry..
Posted: 22-01-2008 09:25:09
.. on Friday with pal Angie. Having tried Shimla Pinks in Solihull with the family over the Christmas period and having been bitterly disppointed (no atmosphere, surly service, food that was well below standard) we thought we would try Kabbabish in Moseley Village - what a difference. Great service, lovely atmosphere and smashing food. My old dear did a smashing pork roast on Sunday and I have probably over eaten generally for the last few days. I really should think about shedding a pound or two some time soon - maybe tomorrow!
Lots going on in the world as always - the Northern Rock situation is rattling my cage at the mo. If things go wrong in a business and re-financing is necessary the first port of call would be the existing shareholders. In this instance there are a lot of small folk involved who are unable to contribute further so the next move would be to sell. There are a few white knights (perhaps circling sharks would be a better description) but the shareholders are opposed to selling for fear of losing more than they already have. So the taxpayer is having to cough up - currently to the tune of two grand each. Now if I want to invest two grand I would like the choice of where it goes thank you very much Mr Brown. Is it 55 billion we are stumping up? In the news at the same time is the fact that, along with government policy, there are thousands of newly qualified physios who are unable to get a job in the NHS. They have been trained at a cost of over 50million to the taxpayer and a further 50million would ensure that they are employed and thus able to reduce the long waiting list of NHS 'customers' currently in desperate need of treatment. 50million towards the good health of the nation seems peanuts when compared to 55billion for private enterprise. But then this lot are determined to have their own pay increase but won't give our coppers a decent pay rise so what else should we expect.
Just thought..
Posted: 16-01-2008 09:19:05
.. I would mention that the main character in 'Making Money' is called Moist von Lipzig
A fairly..
Posted: 15-01-2008 12:58:13
.. ordinary weekend punctured only by odd moments of boredom. So much so that I was sorely tempted to have a kind of Tourettes moment whilst doing my shopping in Sainsbury and run round shouting 'chickens'.
I resisted.
Instead I began reading one of my Christmas gifts - Making Money by Terry Pratchett - very promising. The great man sadly announced recently that he has Alzheimers - that is a real tragedy and I hope he is able to fend of the inevitable for as long as possible.
Finally, what has happened to men? Some of our cherry boys are actually discussing furniture and stuff - it's just not right! Football, girls, chickens - this is the stuff they are supposed to be chatting about.
I am having Chicken
Posted: 10-01-2008 11:23:46
Tonight
Chickens..
Posted: 10-01-2008 09:21:05
..the great debate, here amongst the cherries and in the news, is all about chickens. I have to own up and admit I have not seen the TV programme that has highlighted the issue of battery farmed chicken and egg production but have seen the news and read all the related news items so I have a handle on what it's all about. OK - so it isn't a good situation but before we all indignantly huff and puff our way round Tesco or Asda let's stop and think how this all came about. Here comes the boring history bit - at the end of WW2 this country was unable to feed itself and as a result food rationing was introduced. The average amount of meat, dairy and sugar based food we consume in a day would have to suffice for at least a week and be topped up with any available veg. Farmers were charged with the task of producing food quickly and cheaply and this country should be eternally grateful for the intensive farming methods that put food on every table in the land. Now of course we are so priveliged that we can afford to pick and choose from the seemingly endless array of food that is on offer all around us and, I may add, this country sees some of the cheapest food in Europe. How lucky are we to be in this position eh! A huge percentage of the worlds' population would weep with joy at the opportunity to eat a chicken of any sort and certainly wouldn't stop to question where and how it came from.
Apparently a half dozen battery produced eggs costs about 72p compared with £1.28 for free range organic. Even the more expensive item means a single egg, which can provide a nourishing and complete meal, costs just over 21p. A more startling statistic is that we import something like 40% of our food and given that we live in a more unstable and volatile world than ever this is not a happy fact. Our farmers have taken a battering in recent years - BSE, Foot & Mouth, Floods etc - and now they have to contend with the smug 4x4 brigade demanding ethically produced food but of course it still has to be cheap! I really think we need to start looking at this subject as a much wider issue and as a country aim to be able to feed ouselves without the need to import in the future. Would anyone blame any farmer who was able to sell off his land in order to satisfy the need for house-building, take his money and run off to relax in the sun, leaving the rest of us to feed ouselves - don't reckon we would be too bothered where our eggs came from then would we? I hadn't made any New Year resolutions but I now vow to dig up a bit of my lawn ans start my own veggie patch - when the weather improves of course.
That was a long break..
Posted: 09-01-2008 09:25:46
.. thanks to the generosity of Ian I had a longer than usual break this Christmas, in fact I was due back yesterday but had a funeral to attend. My friend of more than 35 years sadly died on Christmas Eve following a long battle with cancer. Despite this we enjoyed one of our happiest Christmases ever, maybe because I was so much more aware of how important it is to enjoy family and friends while you can. A three day foodfest included the best Christmas day lunch I have ever produced - Duck cooked in true Keith Floyd fashion! Perhaps the secret of a stress free cook-in is as simple as a few margaritas eh!
Albeit a little late, I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2008 - the pundits are predicting a bleak economic outlook but I am more hopeful and think a belt-tightening slow down is more likely. But don't cut down on your marketing, it is a competetive world out there and the need to get your name in lights (or even better on a Cherry designed website!) is greater than ever. Happy New Year.
It's cold
Posted: 18-12-2007 09:50:38
As someone who normally complains that it's too warm it's fairly unusual for me to say that it is cold - but it is. I had a bash at the last garden tidy-up of the year on Sunday and even though I was well wrapped up I got well and truly frozen. Couldn't feel my hands and feet for hours and only warmed up when I had a hot bath. On Monday I finished off the last of the pressie shopping and wrapping - all I need to do now is get the house ready and shop for fresh food at the weekend. Roll on Christmas. It is set to be a good one. My lovely daughter and her man will be with us and as she has just bagged a new job she will be mega happy.
May I wish each and every one of you a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS and I hope that 2008 brings all you desire.
A night in front of the telly..
Posted: 12-12-2007 10:37:37
.. went very well indeed. We enjoyed a warming beef stew and then watched Spooks which had me on the edge of the sofa, followed by the hilarious Marcus Brigstocke on Room 101. I am heading for a chicken casserole with herby dumplings tonight but I don't think there is anything worth watching on the box so I may start on the Christmas wrapping - I'll enjoy that.
I am getting a coach next time!
Posted: 11-12-2007 10:40:27
My oldest friend, we have known each other for 36 years, is terminally ill and I wanted to go see her and her family at the weekend. The old man was committed to something he had volunteered for so I got the train on Friday. Do rail companies set out to make life awkward? The train to Ely was OK but it is timed to arrive 3 minutes later than the train to Kings Lynn resulting in a 57 minute wait on a grotty station. Nevertheless I arrived on time and was able to visit Pam in hospital that same evening. Good job really 'cos when we turned up on Saturday they had closed the ward due to some revolting virus. There was the possibility of visiting Sunday morning but that was scuppered when we were advised that the ward remained closed until (possibly) after lunch. So at 10.15am I left Pams house and after a change in the timetable (that was not on the internet last Thursday), cancelled trains due to emergency engineering works, a detour to Leicester and a coach from Leics to Brum, I finally hit New Street at 6.15pm. But I am glad I did it 'cos it was great to see my old mate and her lovely family who were, as always, sweet and kind. The old man did me a lovely dinner when I got home with spatchcock poussin and all the trimmings - he's a good 'un.
I read my Horror-scope..
Posted: 04-12-2007 09:22:08
.. for the week. Now this is something I don't usually do and if I do then I take it all with a pinch of salt and promptly forget what it said. However, this one struck a cord. It advised me to keep my opinions to myself or risk the consequences. As there are a couple of hot potatoes that I would really like to sound off about this is proving very difficult but on reflection I think it is probably very good advice. I feel so passionately angry about these issues that I could get a unnecessarily offensive and at a later date, when I have had time to look at all sides of the argument, I would regret my words. So I am keeping my mouth shut.
On a more personal level I met up with my pal Chrissie on Friday for a meal and a gossip, have cracked the worst of the Christmas gift shopping, got a bloke in to remove an old and rotten apple tree and prune back the remaining two trees and have been shouting at the telly a lot!
Poor old Mr Brown..
Posted: 28-11-2007 13:08:52
.. says he knew nothing about all that naughty money that was donated to his party - yeah whatever!!!!
In keeping with the past it's money that destroys Labour governments and sex that wrecks the Tories.
Vote Tory next time, that's what I say, there may not be much difference in the government but at least the scandals are likely to be funnier.
A very nice..
Posted: 27-11-2007 13:00:57
.. Sunday lunch with friends at the Horseshoe in Hall Green. It used to be a real dive and once I wouldn't set foot in the place but it has been completely revamped and we had a very well cooked and nicely presented meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken liver pate for starters and followed with lamb - melt in your mouth quality and I had no trouble scoffing the lot.
I have also started the Christmas shopping and enjoy choosing nice gifts for my loved ones but why are the shops so hot? Never mind all the ballyhoo about plastic bags (which I do not deny is a genuine issue) but how about turning the heating down a few degrees - customers would be more comfy, retailers could save a bomb and the environment would benefit from lower carbon emissions. Ok, the shop assistants would complain about the cold but a woolly hat, sock, fingerless gloves etc could form part of the uniform surely, and would they not be true eco warriors? Talking of which I am still addicted to I'm A Celebrity and was delighted to see the EGO-warrior Lynne Franks get the boot - what a dreadful woman. Biggins is very funny but where does he get the idea from that more than 50% of the population indulge in group sex on a regular basis - he knows lots of famous folk and it begs the question doesn't it????
Quiet weekend
Posted: 20-11-2007 09:32:04
Didn't do very much, still felt a bit rough with the cold that the whole country seems to be suffering at the moment. Did get to the cinema to see the latest ELIZABETH though. Now I loved the first film that covered the early years so I was really looking forward to this latest offering but I was somehow disppointed. Cate Blanchette was, of course, wonderful in the role but try as she might she wasn't a convincing 53 year old (probably won't look 53 when she is!). On top of that I felt it was in danger of being a bit arty in places - sort of Merchant Ivory - and then I got a bit confused with my history. If anyone knows then please tell me, but I had thought that Walter Raleigh was in Ireland at the time of the Spanish Armada whereas the film shows him virtually saving the whole day - Drake barely getting a look in. Perhaps I am being picky eh! Overall it was just an OK movie.
Dilemma TV and a spag bol
Posted: 14-11-2007 09:15:51
My poor old man, who has emphysema, is suffering with a very nasty chest infection (he is prone to them) so last night was a lazy one in front of the TV.
Spooks or Celebrity?
Last night Spooks won and it was worth it - it was gripping stuff. The good old fashioned spag bol was delicious with a chunk of garlic bread, real comfort food and was just what he
needed.
A cold
Posted: 13-11-2007 13:53:24
I've caught one! Thankfully a cold is a rare thing with me and I really thought I had avoided picking one up this year, even though I am surrounded by other poor souls in suffering. Alas - I was out with my pal Angie on Friday night and as the evening wore on I began to feel crook. The weekend was dire as a consequence and, apart from freezing whilst picking up bags of apples and sweeping up the leaves from our back garden on Sunday, I kept in the warm. Feel much better now, just the usual after effects.
I am not a TV reality show fan but I love I'm a Celebrity and last night's opener did not disappoint. Fantastic entertainment courtesy of some ageing, reconstructed American model and of course Ant & Dec are the most expert mickey takers on TV. Burton-Race is a bit of a fave of mine so I am rooting for him although I am too mean to actually run up my phone bill by voting!
More like cordoned off than..
Posted: 06-11-2007 09:31:45
..Cordon Bleu.
Beetroot is a much maligned veg but is one of my favourites, especially hot with a little white pepper. I managed to get my mitts on a few this weekend but as I am the only one I know, apart from Becky, that likes the stuff there was far too much. So I put it on to boil on Sunday morning, turned down the heat and left it to simmer for a couple of hours while I went off pottering around the house. After a couple of hours of enjoying the lovely sweet aroma I return to find the hob and surrounding worktop had become a beautiful deep pink. Thankfully the beets were OK so after I had peeled, sliced and bottled them I set to work cleaning up the mess. I followed this masterclass by having a bash at reproducing "Britians Best Dish" as won by a Norfolk pig farmer. Slow Roasted Pork Belly. I bought a suitable pork belly which I duly boned, rolled and tied before putting on a rack in the oven over a pan with a little water in it - as per the recipe. This was not a success - I will say no more. I may give up cooking now.
Paula Radcliffe - well done
Firemen - true heroes
Mark - I know where he is coming from and one day when I am more composed I will argue the case about immigration but not today 'cos I would probably be offensive without intending to be, so I will wait. Meanwhile it's Bonkers for Conkers Day - good luck boys and have fun
Pay as you throw..
Posted: 31-10-2007 09:15:40
.. so, the government has given the go ahead to councils after all. Councils now have the green light to test out the pay as you throw system of refuse collection. Now I already pay for my refuse to be collected, it's part of my excessive council tax, and even though there is talk of reducing the tax before imposing the charge I just have my doubts. I have developed a natural distrust of all governments, national and local, and have deep suspicions that this is just another cash cow disguised as an environmental issue. How will it work for flat dwellers, how do we police the inevitable rise in fly tipping and how will large families cope? The fact is that if the environmental issue was really at the heart of this then the powers that be would be considering dealing with the problem at source. Instead of beating up Mr & Mrs Average they would be imposing massive fines on packaging manufacturers who have failed to timely develope biodegradable alternatives and forcing supermarkets to reduce the mountain of plastic etc that we all but every week. Instead they have chosen the soft option by setting the hoi poloi off on a massive guilt trip and it appears to be working. Despite recycling and composting as much as possible I still have a load of rubbish every week and have a real conscience about it - but should I really have to pay because large companies have not been coerced into getting their end sorted? No! I feel so strongly about this that if our council tries it on I may just have a little revolution - I believe prison is quite comfy these days and prisoners have more by way of human rights than our old folk!
I used to love trains..
Posted: 30-10-2007 09:45:19
.. but this last weekend has nearly put paid to my liking for rail travel. I went to Radcliffe on Trent to stay with my daughter for a few days and travelled there on a weekday. Although the trip from Brum to Nottingham was hassle free I almost didn't make the connecting train. Nottingham station is in chaos 'cos there is some work being done there and to top it all the information screens seemed to be in trouble. I should have had 11 minutes between trains but in fact it was only about five and the lack of immediate information could have meant I missed my connection. It was sheer luck that I found the train and had just jumped on as the doors shut. It was the Skegness train and was packed to the rafters but my little trip was only about 10 minutes so I didn't mind being squashed inbetween the mound of luggage and the door. All in all the trip was about 1hour 50mins so not too bad. The return journey was a different story - the Skeggy train arrived nearly 20minutes late and the first door I opened revealed a wall of luggage so I had to try another - I just about squeezed on but arrived at Nottingham in time to see the Brum train departing. The only visible station staff was one bloke in an orange vest who did his best to avoid me but I managed to ask 'when's the next train to New Street' as he whizzed past. He was ten yards away when I heard his unhelpful reply and had disappeared from view by the time I had said 'thank you so much, I do hope I didn't trouble you'. A long wait, a train to Derby, another long wait and a train to Brum. The whole journey took 3hours 45 mins. The worst thing was the overcrowding on those trains - it was plain dangerous. Every exit was blocked with bodies and luggage and in the event of an accident no-one would escape. I had to stand squashed between a smelly fat man and a phone chattering student for an hour on the last leg from Derby to Brum. Where's Elf & Safety when your need 'em eh!
Other than that I had a lovely weekend. Radcliffe is a really nice village with a great pub (The Horse Chestnut) and some smashing eateries (we ate at the Piano) and we did a great shop in Nottingham. I am looking forward to Becky and Rob coming to us for Christmas and have already got the cook books out looking for something to burn!
Well pickled..
Posted: 23-10-2007 10:37:00
.. on Saturday! Well, to be honest it was shallots that got pickled. I peeled 2 kilos of 'em while I watched the rugby. I am lucky in that they don't make me cry so any tears shed were for our lovely lads. The players and the fans did us proud, despite the try that never was. If I have one criticism about this world cup it has to be aimed at the Aussies who have made a national sport out of pommy bashing. Come to think of it though the Welsh & Scottish aren't far behind, they delight in supporting any team that opposes England. It's hard to remember sometimes that we are supposed to be one nation! Nevertheless if England ever get knocked out of anything I think most of us support Wales and Scotland if they are still in competition - does that mean we still believe in fair play are are we just mugs?
Had a very average lunch at the newly refurbed Plough at Monkspath and the remainder of the weekend was spent having a really good bash at the garden. My hands are still recovering from the smell of shallots and the scratches from the rose bush I moved.
Thanks to Mark, Richard & Matt who collectively got my PC up and running this morning.
And finally welcome to Kim - it's nice having another female in the office and I am sure she will brighten up life for everyone.
The way blokes dress..
Posted: 17-10-2007 13:01:51
.. these days! Gav has just suggested that Ed wears trainers with his nice smart business suit - perish the thought.
Politics, blogs, food and all that
Posted: 17-10-2007 12:34:11
Having had an extended weekend I have just caught up with reading my colleague's blogs and noted that Ian is thinking about the more serious aspects of life - politics and all that. Now I had once thought that as I got older, the more relaxed I would become, after all experience has taught me that we ordinary folk can do little more than just do our best for our kith and kin and worrying about the ills of the world does no more than raise the blood pressure. But surprisingly instead of relaxing more and ignoring the state of things, great & small, I find myself becoming more and more angry about things, politicians, governments, greed, inequality, injustice, devisive religions, stupidity, ignorance - I could go on and on. I am finding it increasingly difficult to stay quiet and have to discipline myself to think about the good stuff - friends, family etc. I have noticed that many of our blogs centre around food but I don't think this is as trivial as may first appear, after all feeding our loved ones is a real demonstration of our love for them and there is nothing wrong with that.
I can't resist a little rant however. Whilst stuck in this mornings traffic watching a steady stream of students wend their way to college I could help but notice how badly dressed they were. Black seems to be the 'colour' of the day and even the prettiest of girls were draped head to foot in shapeless long garments, covered in scarves and booted in the most awful footwear. Now I know that fifties/sixties/seventies fashion was oft a little strange but at least it had life and colour and we all made an effort to look good every day. So come on girls, you are young, you are beautiful, so enjoy it. There is time enough when you are old to wear black and don sensible shoes and believe me you aint young for long!
Mad people
Posted: 10-10-2007 09:21:22
I've witnessed some bloody stupid driving in my time but there was an epidemic this morning! Some idiot clearly got fed up of sitting in the double queue of stationery traffic on Stratford Road so he simply drove as far as he could on the pavement and then forced his way back in. Pedestrians beware. A few loonies managed to ignore traffic lights and amongst the inevitable daily 'mirror, mascara, manouvre' brigade was a bloke reading a book at the wheel whilst bombing around the island at Five Ways! Cor blimey.
I'm just not cool
Posted: 09-10-2007 13:29:20
I really like the single - Some Kind of Wonderful - by Cerys Matthews & Aled Jones
London....
Posted: 09-10-2007 10:01:04
..last Friday to see the First Emperor Exhibition at the British Museum. It was well worth the trip and I can now bore you with the details - I will try to keep it brief!
More than 200 years BC what we now know as China was a half dozen individual realms until the King of one of said realms, King Qui of Qui (pronounced Chi) invaded and conquered them all. He was an amazing bloke who recongnised that more than just force was needed to unite the people as one nation and he introduced mass production, standard weights and measures, law and order and most important of all a single script to ensure that everyone could communicate equally. There were a few attempts on his life and he made sure that he would survive into the afterlife by having a world built around his intended burial chamber. This consisted of several thousand terracotta warriors complete with spare armour and weapons, acrobats, musicians etc. There were also birds and animals made of metal and it is believed that his burial chamber had rivers made of mercury and a sky complete with the stars - although it is unlikely that this chamber is ever likely to be excavated. The whole site is massive and several villages are to be re-sited in order that the archeologists can continue to uncover more. The Exhibition shows just a few examples of the warriors and other items and the skill involved in producing each individual item is mind blowing - every warrior is different and even details like hair and the bottoms of shoes are crafted beautifully. The Emperor died aged 49 having achieved in uniting China, building the first great wall and in surrounding himself in death with a replica of his world. He had extraordinary vision and I couldn't help thinking that this is the kind of leadership we could do with today (but perhaps without the violence). Anyway, it was a good day out and I would love to go back soon to the museum as there is so much other stuff to see there - but next time I will reserve seats on the train!
Nigella's Sexpress
Posted: 02-10-2007 10:04:57
Unlike some of my female friends I do like Nigella. When she is in serious mode she is an intelligent erudite woman but even I am getting a little fed up of the antics in her latest cookery programme. She constantly advises the viewer that she is a busy lady, juggling home and family with her work comittments yet still finding time to have a wonderful social life (and look stunning throughout). Last night for instance we saw her 'get the children off to school' - this consisted of taking the wierd looking boy as far as the pavement where he was picked up and driven off. Despite her heavy schedule this gave her time to pop back to the kitchen to prepare her own lunch of noodles which at 9.30 she was tucking into on a London Bus. Of course we now know that the kitchen is in a purpose built studio and the bus was hired and filled with extras. I don't mind the fake bits if they add to the content of the programme but I do think that the average working Mum will be offended, if not laughing, at the idea that this very priveleged lady is representative of a busy Mum juggling work and home. This was especially notable this morning as I watched the lady across the road toddle off to work at 7.30 waving to her little girl (Grandma takes her to school). She will toddle home at about 6.30 this evening laden with her daily shopping and will no doubt then set about preparing an evening meal for hubby, do the washing, ironing, cleaning etc before collapsing into bed. I doubt if she has the time or enrgy for pouting and seductively licking spoons, probably not enough time to watch Nigella either.
We are off to London on Friday to see the Chinese Terracotta Warriors exhibition at the British Museum and then do a bit of sight seeing - maybe I will bump into Nigella on a bus!
More Mad Bus Drivers
Posted: 26-09-2007 14:06:15
So, there I am patiently waiting on Corporation Street for a number 6 bus. The stop is also for the number 4 and whilst said number 4 was loading up a number 6 sailed past. Thankfully it had to stop at the lights so I hammered on the door and it finally relented. The driver had limited English however and could only shout at me with 'you get on bus at stop' ......'bus is at stop'..... I tried to explain that the bus at the stop was not the one I wanted but he just didn't get it and although he did let me on he continued the journey with constant mutterings of 'you get on bus at stop'. Now to be truthful when you are trying to get home it really doesn't matter who drives the damn bus but if they could understand the whole multi-bus stop system and speak coherent English it would make for a better service.
My favourite subject
Posted: 25-09-2007 13:24:21
FOOD!
I have been off pasta for a while now but having discovered Delia's very simple recipe for fresh tomato sauce my taste buds have been reinvigorated.
Finely chop 1 onion
Ditto a large clove of garlic and gently fry until soft (5 mins) in a good tablespoon of olive oil. Add about 2.5 pounds of fresh, skinned and chopped tomatoes and 8 or so torn basil leaves plus salt & black pepper to taste. Then simmer gently with the lid off until you get a jam-like consistency (an hour at least). Add one or two fresh chopped tomatoes and some fresh basil just before serving
It's lovely on it's own with pasta or to form the base of a ragu - and if you make a larger amount it keeps in a jar in the fridge.
Wedding..
Posted: 25-09-2007 09:26:56
..celebrations on Saturday. Best wishes to Jenny & Pete. They got spliced in Thailand a month ago and Saturday was just a knees up for family & friends to enjoy. Becky & Rob were here for the weekend - Rob was filming the Judo at the NIA and Becks wanted to visit her Gran in hospital. Poor Rob worked 12-13 hours on Saturday & Sunday and just wanted food and sleep so we didn't see much of him. They both left late on Sunday looking absolutely shattered so I hope they managed to get through Monday OK.
A Fishy Tale
Posted: 19-09-2007 10:06:33
We had a lovely houseful over the weekend to celebrate Alan's birthday and enjoyed a meal at the Loch Fyne restaurant in Knowle on Saturday evening. I had the most yummy potted brown shrimps followed by cod cakes. We have enjoyed lunch there several times but this was the first time we have booked for an evening and it was hectic. Despite being short staffed the service was excellent but if there is one criticism then it was that the place was packed to the rafters (I suppose crammed in like sardines would be an apt descrittion!) and that didn't make for relaxed dining. Nice though - and then we went back home to enjoy the lovely cake Rob had made - that man sure can cook!
Dreams are bizzare
Posted: 12-09-2007 09:13:00
Last night for instance - there I was happily doing some amazing Spanish dance when I was prematurely woken up by cramp in my feet! Must have been all that stamping about.
It is the old darlings birthday tomorrow but celebrations will be delayed until Becky and her Rob are here for the weekend. In the meantime I wonder if he fancies a turn around the dance floor - ole!
The last few weeks...
Posted: 11-09-2007 09:34:58
...seem to have been spent traipsing to and from Selly Oak to visit my Mum. In fact we only do about 3 visits a week as the family now have a rota working but it feels like more! Having spent several months in Hospital myself some years ago I am mindful of how important visits are so I try to do this with a good heart but it is difficult to find enough to talk about for 2 hours. I find helping with games and crosswords passes the time and hopefully provides some stimulation. Mum has been diagnosed with osteoporosis - funnily enough we have had that one worked out for the last 10 years but the 'health professionals' have now confirmed this. She is 87 and now quite immobile so in the long term it looks as if a nursing home will be her fate. Meanwhile there is talk of looking for a place for her to convalesce (is that correctly spelt?). On the up-side I am looking forward to going to Londinium in early October 'cos I have booked tickets to see the Chinese terracotta warriors at the British Museum - I am thinking we could build a weekend trip around it and take in a few of the sights.
I am in quite a good mood but..
Posted: 04-09-2007 10:45:48
.. still can't resist having a good old moan.
Is it just me that has a problem with buggies/push chairs?
Push chairs used to be things that you pushed your infant around in and, because they were awkward and pretty damn near impossible to get on a bus, Mum would walk everywhere, This meant that as soon as possible you would ditch the thing and get little Johnny or Jane walking.
Then someone devised a collapsible thing called a buggy which meant Mum could catch a bus - albeit still with some difficulty, so offspring was still encouraged to walk ASAP.
Now however, the push chair is built like a small family car, sometimes with as many as three kids in and I swear some of them are teenagers! Mere mortals are expected to move out of the way of the Mum & Pushchair as a matter of course, without an 'escuse me' or 'please' and failure to observe this rule results in, at best a withering stare until you've shifted or, at worst in being rammed with said vehicle at the most sensitive part of your shins. Most annoying is when the child is out of the push chair (usually wandering around screaming and without proper supervision) 'cos Mum has filled this town equivalent of a farm vehicle with her purchases.
Buses have been specially designed to afford spaces for Mum & Push chair (which I don't have an issue with) but even this is often not enough and commuters, including little old ladies, are expected to move to accommodate the additional bodies. Shop aisles are often impassable and the access to many amenities, like the local post office, is like an assault course. Is it any wonder that, having spent the former years strapped in a huge protective tank on wheels being rammed through a see of legs by determined, resolute and thoughtless creatures (usually with pierced navals), kids develop behavour problems!
I am not confining my moan today to Mum alone however as I also have an issue with oldies in those bloody mobile scooter things - also built like the average family car. Now the fact they this gives the immobile the freedom and independence we all enjoy as a matter of course is fantastic, but do they have to do their shopping at the busiest times of the week - surely they have all day, all week in fact, and could pick a quiet time to shop. But no, a busy Saturday blocking the aisles in Sainsbury's would seem to be much more fun!
If anyone can think up some method, other than the wearing of cricket shin pads, to deter the menace of the buggy and the disabled scooter I would love to hear from them. Of course when I reach my dotage I will probably be armed with my own personal taser so look out, I am hoping that it will be legal to taser not just the kids!!!!
Currently reading..
Posted: 29-08-2007 11:57:36
.. Liseys Story by Stephen King - very good.
Currently very bored with Amy Whingehouse.
A day at the Zoo..
Posted: 28-08-2007 09:49:16
.. on Sunday. But before that, we 'enjoyed' the spectacle of a three day weddingfest, as provided by a near neighbour. And as a follow up to that here are a few tips for anyone contemplating holding or visiting such an event in the future:
1. If you are a host, have a chat to your neighbours and explain that this may result in a large contingent of visitors and vehicles. In my experience folk respond positively if they are asked in advance and you may find they will help with the parking, thus avoiding a lot of bad feeling.
2. If you are a guest please remember that the multiple late night al-fresco parties are audible, often by folk who have to get up for work the following day, so please depart quietly and avoid the shouting and car door banging - your neighbours will respect you for it.
3. On the big day it is advisable not to block the road for several hours so exercise a little consideration, park sensibly and, as there are probably going to be a couple of hundred of you all craning to see the happy couple, avoid the overwhelming urge to trample all over gardens and drives. Keep your kids in check and don't let them swing on gates or try to demolish the odd fence. This will avoid those primevil territorial urges that remain inherent in man.
4. Finally, if littering the street with paper plates and cups, plastic knives and forks and fag ends is absolutely necessary, please clean up as soon as possible.
Best wishes to the bride & groom - may they have a long and fruitful life and not wake up one day to find nothing but rubbish remains.
The Zoo - Twycross - was lovely. The weather was perfect and the zoo is just the right size, we managed to see almost everything at a leisurely pace and the apes (both sides of the barriers) were very entertaining! There is free parking and there are plenty of places to picnic if you choose to although we opted for a nice meal on the way home. I wanna go back.
The sunshine may not last long so
Posted: 22-08-2007 09:14:36
let's enjoy it while we can - be happy!
The last few days..
Posted: 21-08-2007 09:32:41
.. have been a bit unsettling. My old Mum is still in hospital and although it is now confirmed that her fall hasn't resulted in the suspected hip fracture, she remains fairly immobile and very confused. Sitting in a ward filled in the main with elderly, confused and often toothless old ladies is a bit scary, a chilling glimpse of the future, and a timely reminder to enjoy today.
For some bizzare reason I started to think about Sid.
I worked with Sid about a hundred years ago - he was a talented and hilarious intellectual ambling towards retirement working as a copywriter and, as a diversion from his boredom he took pleasure in being improperly rude to uptight young ladies with the sole intent of making them squeal. It didn't work with me, I just thought he was funny and we became pals. His reputation as a dirty old man was undeserved. I moved jobs and worked with a delightful girl who eventually ended up working with Sid - he fell hopelessly in lust with her but instead of rebuffing him entirely she pursuaded him to settle for a long and loyal frienship. However, in one of the missives he occasionally sent me he confessed to one of his unfulfilled fantasies with the object of his affections which involved a log cabin in the Alps.
Sid has long since gone and the world is a poorer place for it. Wherever he is I hope that one day he achieves his dream that the lady is willing, the snow is cold, and the birch twigs......! Bless him.
The Bay Hotel in Teignmouth...
Posted: 15-08-2007 09:36:20
.. which is a lovely unspoilt old-fashioned seaside resort in Devon, was delightful. The weather was mixed but we had a couple of corking days just chilling and when it was wet, cloudy or generally unsuitable for sitting in a deck chair there were plenty of places to visit within easy reach.
We came back early.
My Mother has had a fall and is currently making life hell for the nurses in Selly Oak Hospital - I don't know who I feel sorriest for!
Hedgehog Heaven
Posted: 08-08-2007 09:23:36
The hedgehogs (there is more than one it seems) are happily munching their way through my enormous slug collection. I am very happy about this 'cos the slimes have completely wiped out my dahlias. I may install a hedgehog house and invite them to stay on a more permanant basis.
We are off to Devon for a long weekend and I won't be back in now until next Wednesday - sand between my toes, a feast of shellfish and some local brew, it all sounds pretty good eh! Fingers crossed that this good weather continues.
A lunch treat..
Posted: 07-08-2007 09:22:43
.. when I worked with Angie at Five ways was an occasional Nandos take-away, so when we met up Friday evening for a gossip we headed straight for some peri-peri. Now the place has been open for a few years - probably 5 or 6 and to be frank it needs a make-over. I couldn't fault the food, it's cheap and very eatable, as evidenced by the numbers of punters (it was packed) but it is looking shabby. The table had been cleaned but it was sticky and my ice cold beer arrived with a boiling hot glass - now that just isn't right is it? Other than that we had a nice evening and it kicked off a decent weekend.
Locking up last night..
Posted: 01-08-2007 09:12:15
... when I spotted a hedgehog just a couple of feet from the back door - then it spotted me and scarpered. Aware of the dangers of developing into some kind of demented female Bill Oddie I put out some cat food and water and went to bed. Now the cat food has all gone, although of course a cat may have eaten it! But I suspect that Mr.T (I thought it would make a change from the standard Mrs Tiggywinkle) is still lurking as my cat keeps prowling and is distinctly rattled. Lets hope she doesn't try her luck 'cos with those spikes I think Mr.T would come off best.
I did try..
Posted: 31-07-2007 09:19:25
.. to paint but the sad truth is I made a complete hash of it. Now I could bring it in and take the humiliation or I can admit failure - failure wins over humiliation every time!
In between bouts of uncontrollable laughter the old man suggested art classes - he is not nice.
On a subject I feel I have a little more understanding of my tomatoes aren't doing too well this year. I am normally very successful with my toms but too much water and not enough sun has me down to just one plant and that is struggling. The chillies are looking OK though - fingers crossed.
As a dyed in the wool, lifelong carnivore..
Posted: 25-07-2007 09:09:43
.. I have never had any issues about the death of the animal being consumed. After all I accept that in this country our livestock is despatched as quickly and as decently as possible without undue suffering. So it was quite gut-churning watching last night's episode of Last Man Standing which put our six 'strongmen' with a Mongolian tribe of Nomads. They were lovely, welcoming people whose diet consists of lamb, bread and milk - absolutely no access to fruit & veg. As the six were living with families they needed to help with the chores as a way of earning their keep and this included aiding with the slaughter of sheep for lunch! It was a cruel and grisly process which without doubt caused suffering to the animals and whilst it is not our place to judge the traditions of another race and culture it was enough to make the most hardened meat eater turn veggie. Thank heavens for Hugh Fearnley Whittingthingummy whose latest series of the River Cottage demonstrates a more civilised method of killing - if killing can ever be called civilised! I really fancy a nice cheese and spinach quiche!
Art for Arts sake
Posted: 24-07-2007 09:35:59
I am entering into the spirit of things and having a go at painting a picture but Richard has set the standard - he brought his pic in today and it's just plain superb. As for my attempt - well I don't really stand a chance surrounded by all these Uber talented guys. During the course of my working life I have been referred to as a Number Cruncher, a Bean Counter and (most cruelly of all I think) the Paranoid Android. I have never had an art lesson in my life, indeed even in my earlist school years I was told 'can't sing, can't paint - can do numbers'. So - it's painting by numbers then!
Currently reading..
Posted: 18-07-2007 09:31:05
.. The Memory Keepers Daughter.
And I am thoroughly enjoying it - it centres around apparently (?) losing a child and the effects on a family of keeping secrets. The secret has initially good, but misguided intentions, and over time time lives begin to unravel. Recommended as a good holiday read.
Nice weekend
Posted: 17-07-2007 10:16:16
Becky & Rob came on Saturday with bags and baskets galore and took over the kitchen - for 4 hours! It was well worth their efforts though as they dished up a fabulous 3 course dinner and, joined by some other family we all had a wonderful evening. The food theme continued into Sunday with a lunch at The Boot (fast becoming a real favourite of ours) but we denied ourselves a pud and went home to strawberries and cream accompanied by some bubbles! It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend marred only by the racket from a near-neighbouring 'bakery' - but more on that subject another time as, although they woke me at 3.30 this morning I refuse to get mad today - tomorrow could be another matter.
Apparently..
Posted: 11-07-2007 13:32:04
..today is National Siesta Day. Nite nite.
A woman's work..
Posted: 11-07-2007 10:13:41
...the paved out back of the house has needed a bit of TLC for a while now so on Friday I started off by giving it as good blast with the power washer. It's what would once upon a time have been called crazy paving and it cleaned up rather well. The downside being that large chunks of the pointing was in a bad way and so I then cleared out all the loose stuff, leaving great big holes. A respite on Saturday - the wedding of friend's son - a lovely big friendly Irish affair, and no punch ups! But I was back to it on Monday although I had no idea of how to mortar fill. Then I was lucky enough to find some Geo-Fix in Wickes which comes as a course loose powder and which can be swept in as required. The stuff is only good to use for an hour and needed 24 hours dry weather to 'go off'. I checked the forecast, which promised dry days for both Monday and Tuesday and so I did the job. I found getting on my hands and knees with a small soft brush to be the most effective way and within an hour I had the job done. Then it rained - great heavy sheets of bloody rain!
I swept off the loose top layer yesterday and it isn't too bad, just a rougher, slightly grittier surface that I had hoped for and I don't know how long it will last. I have backache, my hands are wrecked and my knees and shoulder are a bit on the sore side.
I need to do the garden path next - but I am saving up for a proper job!
This Bombing Business..
Posted: 04-07-2007 09:04:03
This is probably a really niave question but why? What is it about the UK that inspires such hatred, such a desire to kill and maim the innocent? OK, we have our problems and I would be the first the moan about lowering standards, rising crime and the general attitude of 'I'm alright Jack'. But let's look at our positive side: we welcome people from all over the world, allow them to practise their religion openly and without fear, give them shelter, education, freedom and opportunity. We do not lock them up because we don't like the way they dress or allow them to be abused. And we must have something in our favour, otherwise why would so many peiople want to settle here and raise their families? So again I ask why? I know that the latest argument is that the terrorist attacks are in response to Iraq but that doesn't hold water, for instance 911 happened well before the war. On the subject of the war, I think most people now accept that we were lied about WOMD and in retrospect we should never have taken part, but the fact is we did and having gone this far we now have a responsibility to help the Iraq people rebuild their country instead of just cutting and running. So, here I am, just an ordinary typical Brit asking a simple question - why? Naive, maybe, but it is a question that most ordinary folk would like an answer to. Meanwhile, what a relief for the family of Alan Johnston who has been released after 114 days - fantastic news.
Weekend Highs..
Posted: 03-07-2007 09:28:29
..Seeing the back of the world's worst decorator,
Friday night curry, the company of friends, Jeckyl on Saturday (Nesbitt should get an award for his performance) and Sunday lunch.
Weekend lows..
The weather, my Mother (aaarrrggghhh!), and
scraping off and repainting some of the 'work' done by the world's worst decorator.
Last Man Standing
Posted: 27-06-2007 15:34:24
On BBC3 last night - absolutely brilliant.
Six of the strongest young men from the 'west' attempted to qualify for the wrestling team of a remote Brazilian village tribe. Eventually 3 were allowed to participate but failed to win a bout. It was superb entertainment and a wonderful insight into a totally different way of life. Roll on next week.
Bye Bye Tony
Posted: 26-06-2007 13:54:39
Phoney Tony and the Wicked Witch
are leaving Number Ten.
They are off to seek the Dollar,
the Euro and the Yen.
Ten years of his new En Aitch Ess
and sounding 'oh so jolly.
But tell me Tone, what has changed?
where have you spent my lolly?
Cancer and Alzheimer drugs are far
too expensive now.
But if you want a baby then IVF
will show you how.
Elbow grease and good strong bleach
used to clean our wards.
Now killer bugs rule and high paid
managers gets rewards.
Education was Tone's other boast
he liked to beat that drum.
But our kids can barely read and write
Can't do a simple sum
And those who make it, get the grades
and gain a place at Uni,
are stacking up enormous debts
it all seems very gloomy.
Failing public services are costing
so much more
My tax is higher but criminals get cash
at an open prison door.
And worst of all the lies he told to involve
this country in war.
He has no shame for the blood he spilled
when he defied UN law.
Violent crime and poverty, immigration
all gone mad.
His legacy is a sadder society and I think
we've all been had.
Will Gordy fare any better when Tony's
packed his bags
One thing's for sure, his face will soon
be on all the ladies mags.
The wettest place in Europe..
Posted: 26-06-2007 09:18:14
..apparently it's Bergen in Norway where it rains for 265 days a year! No consolation to the folks in Sheffield who suffered last nights flooding. I was watching the coverage of this on GMTV this morning when it was interrupted by an important newsflash - the vacuous Paris Hilton leaving jail - like I care!
The AirCon is working..
Posted: 20-06-2007 12:51:12
... a treat. I have to say that I am so much more comfortable now although I suspect others are feeling a bit nippy - sorry guys! And thanks Ian.
Woke up early this morning and 'cos I was hungry I had a nice soft boiled egg with a slice of toast and yoghurt to follow. Am now tucking into a corned beef and tomato sandwich - good old fashioned grub.
A small blip on the new kitchen front: Our old cooker had a warming drawer for plates but our new one doesn't and I can't stand hot food on a cold plate. So I have bought a plate warmer - an element fitted into a fabric cover that will warm 3-13 plates. It arrived this morning so I am looking forward to my dinner remaining hot - worth every penny of the £30 I reckon.
Sue's Soap Box
Posted: 19-06-2007 09:31:09
Before I start today's rant I want to give a little plug for The Boot at Studley. We enjoyed a really lovely lunch there on Sunday 'cos Becky came home for Father's Day. It's been revamped since we went there last (about 2 years ago!) and it's a definite for a return visit - nice decor, great service, very good food and a lovely atmosphere - and good value for money. Try it.
OK - sorry but I have to express my feelings on a very emotive subject - paedophiles. Well done the cops who have just smashed a big network of those creatures. Keep it up. From what I can gather there are tens of thousands of these vile, depraved, disgusting creatures and without a doubt the internet has given them bigger opportunities to feed their habit. This alone is worrying but what also concerns me is what happens to them when they are caught. For too long they have been judged as needing help and 'treated'. Sorry if this offends but I don't buy that, as far as I am concerned the minute they take part in this activity they forego the right to be human and I certainly don't believe that they can be helped. There is talk about chemical castration but frankly I would prefer the more direct kind. Harsh - maybe, but still a lot kinder than handing them over to a group of mothers! The rights of children have to override the rights of this scum and each and every one of them should be exposed to the public where that can take their chances. Let's see the authorities get tough with them, lets see zero tolerance, lets wipe 'em off the face of the earth - lets see our kids safe.
Number Plate of the Day
Posted: 13-06-2007 09:19:52
Spotted on my way in this morning: -
A4XER
So, took a look at this oh so fantastic driver in his very flash motor with his shades and mobile phone ear thingy.
Get real mate!
Either you are just plain delusional or you havent learned that women lie to blokes in flash motors!
Dusty Days
Posted: 12-06-2007 13:57:56
Had last week off 'cos my new kitchen was being fitted. As expected things did not go as smoothly as we first hoped. The guys did the strip out in less than a day - all the old cupboards, tiles and flooring ending up in a skip but we discovered that the floor was dodgy and had to be replaced, as indeed did some of the wiring! They had hoped to finish Thursday/Friday but the hiccup has meant that they won't be finished until end of play today. It's a vast improvement on the old place.
The interesting thing was watching the skip scavengers who seem to just drive by and target every skip they encounter. I had added to the pile with a load of old junk out of the garage and I was astonished to see an old defunct washing machine motor disppear within 5 minutes. The following also went pronto: - the tap off the old sink, the old cooker hood/extractor, an old worktop, all sorts of off cuts of wood, pipes and bits of wire. It's nice to see recycling in the real sense of the word and I felt like I wanted to put more stuff in for them.
Channel 4
Posted: 30-05-2007 10:55:21
1. The Freak Show is returning to our screens in the form of yet another Big Brother. Another load of wierdos whose only aim in life is to be on telly and be famous at any cost. Don't watch it - it's drivel.
2. Pics of a dead/dying woman from 10 years ago. Regardless of who she is this is a shameful example of the lengths that TV companies will go to in order to bump up the ratings and keep the commercial sponsors happy.
3. I am not sure of CH4 is the guilty channel in this instance but I hear that the next big prog will have the prize of a kidney for transplant! If this is true then I really think we have plumbed the depths and if it is a hoax then it just aint funny.
Suggestion - try making good quality, entertaining programmes - we might actually like them.
What a washout
Posted: 29-05-2007 09:15:36
Sorry to talk about the weather but it was pretty dismal and put paid to any plans for getting out and about. I did get a chance to watch Saturday night TV, which was about as dull as the perpetual rain but with one exception - The Peoples Quiz. I haven't seen this before, although it has probably been on for weeks, and it was a delight to see Quiz Master Supremo William G Stewart again.
Queen or Princess Consort?
Posted: 23-05-2007 09:44:36
There is a bit of a debate going on again regarding whether or not Camilla should ever be Queen. Now I admit I have never been much of a royalist, in fact it could be said that at one time I was all for abolishing the monarchy. However, 10 years of Blairism has served to change my mind, but I will excercise as much will power as I can muster and refrain from blathering on about matters political and stick to the original subject.
Now, it seems to me that the argument against is based on the fact that both Camilla and Charles are divorcees and, as head of the Church of England, which disapproves of divorce, Charles is in a no win situation. Now, maybe I am losing the plot but in it's most simplified form wasn't the Church of England formed in the first place because 'Enery the Eighth wanted to divorce and re-marry Anne Boleyn - who was to be known as his Queen? It would appear to me that denying Charles the same right is a somewhat hypocrital stance. If Charlie ever makes it to being crowned King, then I say let the lady have her crown and good luck - there are worse things happening in the world.
Chocolate
Posted: 22-05-2007 09:44:48
I confess that I have never been a real chocaholic but I could be pursuaded - Ladies, have you seen that Aero advert!!!
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly & a very nice man
Posted: 15-05-2007 12:01:44
The Good:
The old man's roast beef dinner on Sunday followed by apple crumble and double cream - now that's what I call good.
The Bad:
The weather - a month's rainfall on Sunday and a chink in my guttering resulted in a continual drip drip drip all day. Now it was all replaced 4 years ago so I am a bit miffed that I had to cough up £50 for a small repair yesterday - ah well.
The Ugly:
We have what is laughingly called a garage at the rear of our property which I happily admit is somewhat delapidated. We use it for storing stuff - like the mower and old man's expanding collection of wood. Don't ask me why but he likes wood - he doesn't do anything with it but says it may come in useful! Anyway, a number of the windows have been broken and as they are the ones facing my neighbour, who has been breaking up his old pathway at that end of the garden, I have my suspisions. I am not confonting him 'cos he would get ugly.
A very nice man:
The yale lock on our front door is getting a bit dodgy so I hauled out yellow pages and got some quotes for a new mortice lock. Most suppliers quoted an hourly rate but, even though they fit locks for a living, were unable to tell me how long the job would take or even how much the lock would be. Hourly rates went from £56 onwards. I eventually got a bloke who quoted me a fixed price - all inclusive. He arrived on time, took 2 hours ( a bit longer than he had estimated ) fitted a BS Kite marked 5 thingimijigummy, cleaned up after himself and as good as his word billed me £86 plus VAT - and was happy with a cheque. I would highly recommend him, so if anyone ever needs a locksmith - give me a bell. he is a very nice man.
Long weekend in Belgium (A History Lesson)
Posted: 08-05-2007 09:18:42
I won't go into detail but thought I would mention that we did an unscheduled trip to Ypres while we were there.
Here comes the boring facts bit - over 300,000 allied troops died in Flanders in WW1 and, apart from the Cathedral and the huge Cloth Hall, the town of Ypres was completely destroyed. The town was rebuilt and in 1928 a monument was erected to the 54,896 soldiers who died there. It is known in English as the Menin gate and at 8 o clock every evening the police close the through road to traffic at the gate and the Last Post ceremony is conducted in honour of the dead. It takes just 10 minutes and crowds gather there every evening. This has been done every night for nearly 80 years with the exception of the WW2 years. It is extremely moving and there is not a dry eye.
Now I don't know how good the rather eccentric Belgians are at footie but they sure have us beat in the honour and respect stakes - let's be honest we struggle to maintain 2 minutes silence once a year.
Other than that it was a strange weekend - and it was cold and windy and ruddy wet.
Grumpy Old Lady's Carbon Footprint
Posted: 02-05-2007 09:44:36
I do my best; recycle as much as possible, compost, don't leave things on stand-by, use the washing line instead of the dryer (weather permitting), have even invested in an energy efficient boiler. Although I love travel I am not what you would call a frequent flyer and our family car is a little box on wheels. Most people I know are the same although some are much better than me. The one thing I do have a problem with however is public transport.
Despite all the pressure on motorists to reduce car usage, in some parts of the country rail travel is purposefully set at an inflated price to discourage commuters because the trains are too overcrowded!!! And my own experiences of bus travel in recent years is pretty grim. I qualify for an OAP bus pass but have never bothered to get one 'cos quite frankly the less I see of buses the better. Take last night for instance. I walked up into town to do a bit of shopping, just for an hour, and then wound my way to Corporation Street to wait for the bus. It was a very long queue and even though an empty bus arrived after just 10 minutes or so I knew I had no chance of getting on, so I just shuffled my way up to the front. I made it to 7th in the queue so you would think I would have no trouble getting on the next one - wouldn't you? Not so. Another bus arrived after 20 minutes and within seconds there was what can only be described as a mob which appeared from doorways and other bus queues intent on embarking without the courtesy of allowing the legitimate queue to get on first. My remark of 'there's a queue here mate' was met with open abuse, foul language and, as I later discovered, a couple of bruises in the rib area. When I finally got on the bus all of the seats were taken and I had to stand most of the way home, crammed like a sardine in a tin can - not a very clean one at that. A couple of stops before home I managed to bag a seat - next to a lady who constantly sniffed and sneezed and kept knocking me as she read her newspaper. This is not a one-off, it is a typical daily experience for lots of decent hard working people.
So - do you fancy leaving the car at home and getting a bus? Thought not.
We are supposed to be the nation that queues, in fact the rest of the world finds this national pastime quite amusing but it's a myth in this town. We have a new generation that has no respect for the queue and is simply intent on getting where it wants without any regard for others. They are totally selfish and lack the most basic of good manners. Birmingham likes to think it is the 2nd City and worthy of attracting business and visitors alike - sorry but if I were a visitor in today's climate, just one bus trip would deter me for life.
Morris Men & Maypoles
Posted: 01-05-2007 09:09:21
Already it is the merry month of May and I wish one and all a Happy May Day - sun is shining - can't be bad.
What happened?
Posted: 25-04-2007 14:00:42
I missed last Wednesday's episode of The Apprentice but as the previous shows had been repeated on the following Tuesdays I wasn't too bothered.
But it wasn't repeated at all! Now I am bovvered!!!
Ups & Downs
Posted: 24-04-2007 09:32:42
I was really looking forward to my curry on Friday night. This was our second visit since our usual haunt changed hands recently and underwent a re-vamp. The flock wallpaper has given way to a more contemporary look, black & white square place settings, leather seating and higher prices. Sadly the old chef has taken his recipes, probably his pension too, and scarpered to warmer climes. The new bloke just can't cut the coriander and for the second time we were disapppointed. The company made up for the food though. Sunday's joy came in the form of the London Marathon - as a spectator you understand! The elite men's race was truly exciting though I was sad to see Haile bow out - I always root for that amazing man. Then I made an apple, raisin and cinnamon pie with a crisp sweet crust. There's none left.
Dilemma..
Posted: 18-04-2007 10:07:10
A new series of Sea of Souls started last night, it's good gripping scary stuff and the next episode is on Thursday, but this is gonna clash with House with the gorgeous Hugh Laurie. Which to watch - which to record????
Bah humbug!
Posted: 17-04-2007 09:20:34
First things first - great news about the baby - many congratulations to Ed & Linzi.
Now - what is it about a warm dry spell that means we all have to 'barbie'? The mere smell of charcoal and some folk (sorry, but it's mainly blokes) who wouldn't dream of cooking for the rest of the year, suddenly become experts at all things culinary. I love the idea of eating al fresco on a lovely day but food that is burnt on the outside and only half cooked inside, accompanied by fly-attracting salad just doesn't do it for me. The bloke next door will BBQ several times a week during the summer and this means his chav daughters will be there with their current husbands and tribe of screaming kids. The 4x4's will be parked without a care for anyone else and if I am lucky I will be able to rescue my washing and shut the windows before the smoke and smell have invaded too far.
The following is a light hearted swipe at this new British pastime:
Spring is here and friends invite
us to join the fun
with a seeded bun.
Yes, a barbeque and this in spite
of loathing that food
but I can't be rude.
They've got new table & chairs
haven't they spent,
there's even a tent!
Marquee! says Pauline putting on airs
as she serves up drinks
complete with sticks.
Soon the tent's filled with smoke
Charcoal is burning
and steaks are turning
black, as Fred starts to choke
the folk next door
as he burns more & more.
The haze travels miles around
as he cooks up a meal
from a special deal
from Tesco, steaks two for five pounds.
And I tell no lies,
that salad has flies.
Though we all had a fun time
Bill & Trevor got drunk
And Alan talked junk
Barbies should be classed as a crime
'cos my Tummy's sore
Were those burgers raw?
Sundays
Posted: 11-04-2007 09:26:56
What a lovely weekend - I didn't do anything extra special or very grand but I did catch up with family and friends and even managed to tackle some gardening.
Did anyone else notice how nice Sunday was?
Easter Sunday is the only day in the calendar when shops over 3,000 sq ft are not allowed to trade and a kind of peace descended. The roads were clear of folk hell bent on spending money they don't have on things they don't need and just briefly I was faintly reminded of how Sundays really should be. One day free of the mantra of shop around the clock.
We will never return to the days when the only real noise was the boys brigade playing their merry way to church and the only excitement was tagging on behind enjoying the majesty of the music and pretending to be part of the band. Years of social engineering still haven't obliterated poverty and ignorance but it sure as hell knows how to open your purse.
Lots of things
Posted: 04-04-2007 12:24:58
My daughter and her bloke are off to Australia in a day or two, via Dubai, and in all they will be gone for about a month. What a life - I have worked out that she has pretty much been around the world already. She will be 29 while she is away so I will miss the birthday bash but I know she will ring regularly - just to make me jealous!
Food again - I fancied a sausage & egg McMuffin this morning but as I didn't pass a McD's I couldn't succumb. It's not something I do regularly but a little of what you fancy etc...
Life on Mars - brilliant as ever last night and sadly next week is the last one - ever!
The news - well I have been trying to stop myself from getting het up over some of the stuff that is going on but it's hard and wittering on about all things domestic can only last so long. There are so many things I could rant on about but I will restrict todays moan to the injustice of the abolition of prescription charges for the Welsh. Now I like the Welsh and I love Wales, in fact I think that my paternal grandparents hailed from the valleys, but this is just so unfair. As far as I am aware the rates of Tax and NIC's are the same for all of the UK and all of those contributing to the health 'service' do so on an equal basis according to income, not geography. Correct me please reader if I am mistaken but does that not mean that we English are paying the same as the Welsh but the benefits are now somewhat unevenly distributed. The French wouldn't put up with this now would they?
Reading the weather - has anyone noticed that on the TV weather maps Birmingham seems to have shunted a little towards to Welsh border? Now at one time it was one of those annoying things that I was tempted to write to points of view about but on reflection if we could just move a little bit more we could get free prescriptions!
Richard - isn't he profound. And he is genuinely nice with it.
Paella
Posted: 03-04-2007 09:18:02
Someone gave me a smashing recipe for a quickie paella using pre-cooked chicken so I had a go on Friday and it was smashing. The old man hates prawns however, so I had to cook them seperately - with a little chilli and garlic - gorgeous. Sadly, although the weekend weather was pretty tempting I did not get much gardening done. I went down with a horrible cold so only managed to turn the compost heap over before giving up. I made up for it by shampooing the upstairs carpets with my new toy - a Vax Rapide Deluxe. In previous years I have either had the carpets cleaned professionally, which can be a bit on the pricey side, or hired a rug doctor, but that's a heavy bit of kit and I am just a little old lady these days. So, I invested in my own bit of equipment and once I got the hang of it I reckon it made a fair job of it. Of course, I only had a cold so I had no excuses for not doing my chores. The old man on the other hand - well he has got flu !!! Nuff said.
I'm falling to bits
Posted: 28-03-2007 13:52:46
My new specs are driving me mad - I have worn glasses since I was nine, well except for a few years in my teens and twenties when I refused to be seen in them. Of course I spent a lot of time getting on the wrong bus and falling down stairs but at the time I thought I looked cool. Common sense eventually prevailed and I have been four-eyed ever since. The recent advice was that I should continue with bifocals for long distance and reading but invest in a pair solely for VDU use. These are just fine except they are no use at all for anything else and I am constantly changing specs, to top it all the new bificals just aint right - I can barely read with them. I shall just have to go back to the optician. On top of that I have gone deaf in my right ear again - I have this horrible suspicion that I am not far off a zimmer and (with any luck) kind young men to help me across the road. Time is cruel.
The weekend
Posted: 27-03-2007 09:55:00
If weekends ran alphabetically then this last one would have been the letter F - it started well on FRIDAY 'cos I met up with my FRIEND Chrissie - she has been having a really hard time of late so it was good to see her. She is coming over this Friday for dinner and I am really looking forward to cooking something nice for her. The weather was FINE and we had lots of good FOOD, bit of a FAVOURITE subject of mine, and I ate until I was well and truly FULL. Sad to say that FLORA, one of the carers in my Mum's residential home, is heading back home to Tanzania but she has kindly asked me to visit and promised a trip to Zanzibar if I ever make it - very tempting. The FUN factor was provided by my lecherous neighbour who must be approaching 70 - he has dyed his hair and is parading around as if he is the bees knees - FABULOUS. Of course the next letter is G so I guess GARDENING is on the agenda for Sunday!
Budget Day
Posted: 21-03-2007 09:17:58
Instead of enjoying the first day of Spring my thoughts turn to Budget Day and I wonder what joys we can expect - not too many methinks! Gordie will almost certainly deliver another raft of backdoor taxation, wrapped up to look like he is doing us all a service. I think we can expect an increase in public spending, aimed at the usual trinity of health, education and unemployment and in preparation for his impending coronation he will advise us that this legal pick-pocketing will make the country a better place. The continuing increases in money for the health service might just as well be spent buying us all a bottle of something nice to drink because it almost certainly won't end up making a jot of difference at the sharp end and at least a drink would make us feel happier about the mess - Bevan must be turning in his grave. Perhaps we will see the usual punishments inflicted on societies' old pariah - the smoker, and probably something nasty aimed at the new pariah - the carbon producer. In summary, work harder, pay more and expect less. In the words of someone whose name I have forgotten, taxes are an imposition not a duty. Enjoy the spring sunshine, so far it's tax free!
Lovely weekend
Posted: 20-03-2007 10:21:29
I enjoyed an unexpected day off last Thursday which gave me a longer than usual weekend - so I just had to go shopping. I bought the old man a new spring outfit (he would walk round in bin liners if I didn't keep him stocked up) and replacement kitchen stuff - cupboards and a new oven/hob/hood. Our old kitchen is a fair bit past it's sell by date but I have been putting off doing anything about it because it is such an awkward place. However, the nice man in Homebase was a gem - he not only came up with a sensible use of space but advised the best way to take advantage of the current offers. He then surpassed all expectations by popping in on his way home from work to check the measurements. Delivery is not until late April which gives me time to empty all the cupboards - I feel a car boot sale coming on. Friday's Comic relief gave us some wonderfully funny moments - Mr Bean was hilarious but the genius that is Peter Kay was once more immortalised with his rendition of the Proclaimers 500 mile number. Just Brilliant.
Sunday (Mothering Sunday) was spent with my daughter and her lovely man. We visited their new abode in the lovely village that is Radcliffe on Trent, as did Rob's parents and the kids treated us all to a slap up lunch in The Larder, a smashing eatery in Nottinghams Goosegate. Highly recommended if you are ever in that neck of the woods, as much as possible they use local produce although the Exe mussels I had as a starter had travelled a little bit further than most of the food on the menu. Yummy. Popped in to see my own Mum on the way home and then finished the day off with a couple of glasses of scotch and a cracking roast beef sandwich - with wholegrain mustard. Slept well!
Rediscovered
Posted: 14-03-2007 10:17:58
I have rediscovered the humble omelette. For some unknown reason it has been ages since I made or even ate one. No cheese, mushrooms, onions or anything else for that matter - just the eggs with a little salt & pepper, cooked to perfection and eaten with fresh crusty bread, proper irish butter and a green salad. Heaven.
Apparently today is International Question Day
Posted: 14-03-2007 09:09:50
So Richard - how do you like my new tartan shopping trolley?
The world's gone to..
Posted: 13-03-2007 10:04:21
...Hell in a HatBox. How depressing every time you open a newspaper or switch on the TV news: Our soldiers, doing their bit for us in a questionable war, are poorly equiped in the field and now poorly treated in our hospitals. Our hospitals are a national disgrace, filthy and staffed with a large number of nurses who haven't got a clue what the word nurse means (I know I am in danger of upsetting quite a few people on that subject but I speak from experience). You can't get to see an overpaid underworked GP unless you are critical. Law & order continues to decline and our politicians are determined to make us pay for our sins againt the planet. I could go on and on as the list is endless but let's be honest, for a civilised society we are in a sorry state and it is pretty soul destroying. But I spent a couple of hours on Sunday out in the garden, just tidying up, nothing too heavy - and I just felt so much happier. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the garden is bursting with life. My springtime resolution is to stop reading newspapers, stop watching TV news and spend more time outside - it's good for the soul. And I might buy some new shoes - shallow but happy!
Shine by Take That
Posted: 07-03-2007 09:34:34
At the risk of being accused of lacking in musical taste I have to say that I really like this. On another matter, is it just me that doesn't get this red route malarky. An array of confusing signs displayed on congested roads punctuated with traffic lights and bus stops etc. Stopping is unavoidable and although I have no doubt that this well intentioned idea is supposed to keep the traffic moving, it just doesn't. From what I can see the only beneficiaries are the sign manufacturers and the red paint shop.
Kelly from our ...
Posted: 07-03-2007 09:20:54
... accountancy practice is with us for a couple of days and is working away diligently. It's nice to have another female in the office for a while and I am sure the boys will appreciate her presence too.
Bad day yesterday..
Posted: 06-03-2007 09:35:50
..went to a funeral, a very very sad affair.
I have almost finished..
Posted: 28-02-2007 09:15:53
..reading Making History by Stephen Fry. Now I love the man, for his intellect and for his many talents, so I was looking forward to a good laugh - the dustcover promised a comedy sci-fi mixed together with a time-travel thriller. It had a promising start with a little dark comedy but by the time I was a third of the way through the laughs had dried up and it had become a fairly serious read. I am now heading for the end and frankly it will be a relief. I suspect that the book reflects Stephen's own personality starting with a layer of fun but peeling away to reveal layers of dark and even darker depression. Poor man.
Also managed to watch the two-parter called INSTINCT on TV Monday & Tuesday. Murder of course but brilliantly done. Blimey, after all this dark stuff I need a drink and Ricky Gervais.
Fun in Tunisia
Posted: 20-02-2007 09:19:10
Enjoyed a lovely week in Tunisia although the weather didn't really meet expectations - dry with some sun but the temperature only hovered around 19 during the day. The hotel was one of the strangest I have ever stayed in, WHIST for the 'young at heart' club who spend 3 - 6 months there every year, we really thought Agatha Christie would appear at any time. Amongst other things we did a 2 day excursion into the Sahara which included stops at the Ampitheatre at El Jem (digitally re-mastered for Gladiator) the troglodite dwellings (used in Star Wars and now a bar/sleep over/restuarant) a camel ride into the sunset, sunrise over the salt plains, stops at a couple of Oasis (should that be Oasii?) and a 4WD through the Atlas mountains - the whole trip was a bit of a highlight and highly recommended. I would love to do a week in the Sahara at some time in the future - there is a lot of interesting stuff to see and enjoy.
We met some great folk both in our hotel and on our trip and hopefully we will stay in touch with Barry & Nicky, who provided so much fun, and Rick the Roaming Rep (a friend of Barry's dad) who guided us around the Medina and gave us such an insight into the country and it's people.
Ah well - back to work.
Looking forward
Posted: 07-02-2007 17:10:42
to our curry over in the 'Balti belt' then I am off for some winter sun so I look forward to catching up with everyone's blogs when I come back - they have been very very funny of late. Ta ta
I have to admit..
Posted: 07-02-2007 10:06:48
..that it is darn cold out there today and I must express my admiration for the girl I observed from the comfort of the passenger seat this morning. Not only was she on her usual morning training run, she was doing it with a full back pack. Respect.
The breadmaker.....
Posted: 06-02-2007 09:39:12
....I bought a year ago had been consigned to the kitchen gadget chapel of rest awaiting it's final resting place at the nearest charity shop. Yes the bread was OK, though it never really lived up to expectations - it always failed to match the stuff you make by hand from scratch, but it was edible and the house smelled nice. The truth is I got frustrated with all that measuring and 'exact order' stuff. I am a 'guess the weight' kind of cook but someone recently recommended using a bread mix as an easier alternative so on Saturday I had a go.
I am not sure if it would be a viable business option but I can now make an industrial weight brick!
Candlelight
Posted: 31-01-2007 09:54:37
Having had a series of light bulbs go pop in the landing light fitting, the old man climbed a ladder yesterday to change yet another bulb. He was in the house on his own and he fell, which could have been nasty. As it was he was just shaken and far more concerned that I might be miffed about the shade that shattered as he went. In all honesty I was mad - at him - for climbing a ladder without someone else at hand, he could have been seriously hurt.
Clearly something is wrong as the lights all fused first thing this morning and so shower, breakfast and lunch prep were all done by candlelight whilst he attacked the fuse box. Apart from the house alarm going hell for leather during the process that lovely ambient light was really very pleasant, but I think we may need an electrician before something serious happens.
All the Banks..
Posted: 30-01-2007 09:45:59
.. seem to have jumped on to the SALE bandwagon and mine is no exception. I was so excited to receive a small sample of rain forest yesterday about this very subject and eagerly opened the post expecting at least a small reduction in the price of money. You know the kind of thing, buy one £20 note and get another one free. Or maybe three fifties for the price of two. But it was nothing more than another so called 'cheaper' loan offer. Just a bit more for the recycling box then. My message to the Banks is: - BOGOF - it really is the only way.
On another, happier note my favourite flowers have begun to grace the world - the humble daffodil brings so much cheer and lifts my spirit - and the days are getting longer - wonderful.
Telly watching
Posted: 24-01-2007 09:35:59
I have tried to avoid the BB debate, personally I have never given the programme house room as I find the whole concept somewhat disturbing but having seen snippets of the Jade affair on the news recently I am breaking my silence. Firstly, this girl has been through our state school system yet appears to have learnt nothing. In fact she is horribly ignorant and I wonder just how big a problem that is nationwide? Secondly, there seems to be a case of double-standards here. Apparently her claim to fame is that she won BB despite being called 'pig' and suffering world-wide ridicule. Did anyone ask questions in the House of Commons about the offence felt in sty's around the globe......oops I am getting carried away now.
So lets watch some decent telly - the beeb started a cracking drama last night called 5 days - brilliant edge of your seat stuff. I can't wait for tonight's episode.
The gadgets are taking over
Posted: 24-01-2007 09:18:03
There is a new gadget in the office - it measures body fat and I gave it a go yesterday. You just pop in your height, age & weight and it measures your body fat. At less than 60 kilo I am obese apparently.
I think I may kill myself.
A quiet Sunday
Posted: 23-01-2007 09:22:14
My daughter and her lovely man have just bought their first house together. They should have completed and exchanged on Friday and were all packed up and ready to move Saturday. However, the best laid plans...... the solicitor was somewhat lax and caused an eleveth hour delay which resulted in the funds transfer missing the close of banking by 20 minutes. So the final was postponed until Monday. Thankfully it is all now done & dusted and they are moving today but the weekend could have been a real disaster for them as everything was packed away - not even a cup for coffee. Plan B - stay with Mum. I was delighted and planned to spoil them with a big home cooked meal on Saturday evening with a few bottles of wine. Unfortunately, we all over indulged and paid the price so Sunday was a quiet day.
My thoughts are with them today and I hope the move goes well. It is a DIY move with Rob's Mum and Dad pitching in but his piano could be tricky.
How safe is Internet Banking?
Posted: 17-01-2007 09:33:22
A pal rang last night with the news that some low life had taken seven thousand quid from one of her internet bank accounts. She only discovered this when she checked her home emails and found one from her bank confirming a transaction that she knew to be incorrect. She rang immediately and with any luck they will be able to stop the money from reaching it's intended destination but had another day passed there is the likelihood that it would have been too late. Lets hope that the fraud squad catch the scum and throw away the key.
It makes me see red. Like so many others she has worked hard all her life, in fact is now still working past retirement age and continuing to contribute to the wealth of the nation. She and her hubby have raised their family to be useful members of society and have never taken a penny from 'the state'. The scum who think stealing in all of it's rotten forms is an acceptable way of 'earning' a living are probably claiming every bit of benefit our ridiculously out of control welfare sytem can offer and, if they are caught, will either get a slap on the wrist or a rehabilitation holiday complete with plasma multi channel TV. The welfare system - well that's another one of my soap box subjects..... another time perhaps.
Meanwhile, if you internet bank I would advise vigilance. It isn't as safe as we think.
Yesterday
Posted: 16-01-2007 09:24:34
Wasn't yesterday a lovely day - dry and sunny albeit cold and windy. I enjoyed a bracing walk. Only a mile and a half but the wind made it hard work and I felt like I had walked five by the time I reached home. My friend Chrissie popped in after work - tea, custard creams and a gossip and then I finished the day off with Waking the Dead - brilliant as usual.
Perfect Black Trousers
Posted: 10-01-2007 09:33:41
As any woman will tell you, the search for a pair of perfect black trousers is a life long quest. This inevitably results in an impressive collection, most of which are unwearable for a variety of reasons - too short, too tight, too big, too wide, too narrow etc. So even though I own about dozen pairs there are only a couple that are of any real use.
However, I recently bought a pair that almost fitted the bill. They were a pretty good fit in fact, a reasonable price and they were machine washable - I loved them. Of course this means they were doomed from the start.
Extreme ironing is a funny old sport and just when you think you are in the lead, just when you reckon to have it licked, fate smacks you in the face - well a hot iron in the pants to be more accurate. Yep - last night I had the iron too hot and ruined my almost perfect black trousers. Now I have to go shopping again - and I just hate shopping.
In praise of Roast Beef
Posted: 09-01-2007 09:22:44
The old man surpassed himself on Sunday. 21 day matured beef roasted to perfection with all the trimmings. Much as I enjoy food from just about anywhere in the world there is nothing to beat a roast dinner when it's done properly and I ate until my tummy hurt. Couldn't even face the pudding for a couple of hours! There was enough left over to enjoy on Monday with some of my home made pickles. I have no chance of shedding the Christmas pounds while he does food that good. Wonder what we will have next Sunday?
Happy New Year
Posted: 02-01-2007 13:09:55
A new year and a new skill for an old lady - a blog! How cool is that. I have fears that this could develop into a grumpy old woman feature so I will make a real effort to be positive and start by simply wishing everyone a very happy new year and a vow to lose a couple of pounds.
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