General Chat

Good evening everyone. Typed my last post then lost it lol.

Spanisheyes although I do like living here in Zeals it is a lot different way of life to what I am used to as I am a town girl born and bred and life is certainly a lot quieter here.

AnninGlos yes Fareham is quite near Southampton although originally I am from the North East of England.

Going to say goodnight now as it is rather late. 11.30 pm here in Wiltshire.

Evening all, hope you are all ok. Glad to hear that the vick may be working on your cough Bridget, it seems to have worked on my family too. Glad you also had heard of it Val, as people might have thought me strange!!!
Not done a lot today, looked after my grand-daughter for a couple of hours this morning, she's 18 months and a little cutie. Then a trip to the Dr's to have my eyes photographed ( am diabetic) Then not a lot after as they have to put drops in your eyes, and vision is very blurred for a few hours!!! Supposed to clear in approx 3 hours, mine always lasts for at least 10!!!!
Well ladies will say goodnight. Take care Penny

Gpod morning, 8.00 a.m. here, cloudy and cool.

So glad that you both enjoyed the Bobotie Bridget, I will post another recipe later to-day.

I got the quote to repair my laptop - R2900. - Apparently he backlight cannot be replaced the screen must be replaced, so I will continue with the present situation which is working very well.

Penny, another thing I remember my mother doing was rubbing the soles of our feet and chests with camphorated oil..

The window cleaners came yesterday and during the night we had a few drops of drizzle, enough to mess up the lovely clean windows! We have the window cleaners once a month as some of our windows are quite high and we are both too old now to be climbning ladders. I also don't want my domestic helper to climb the ladder in case she should take a tumble and get injured.

Have a lovely day.


Val.

Good morning everyone.
I slept much better last night and feel that both my cold and my eye are on the mend!
so in order of who posted when her are my comments for today.! sounds pompous but not intended to be, just trying to think of a different way to say Hi!


Jacqueline, thanks for your post. I can fully understand how different it must be living in a small country place compared to a city or large town. Have you met many neighbours yet, and are there any activities going on around you that you could join?
I was bought up in London but would never wish to live in a city again. I left London around 1971 and have moved quite often but always w=to somewhere by the sea or in the countryside. I found that by joining a local activity even if only for a year or so I met and made friends.

Penny, I love my grandchildren very much but my goodness when they were younger I was exhausted after I had looked after them for a reasonable period of time. Part of this I am sure is that I was trying to hard to do things the way my daughter wanted and perhaps not quite as I would have done. Not that she ever said anything to me. Also i could see every danger possible , once they got to three we just sailed along...

Hope your eyes are more comfortable today but as you will be aware it really is important for diabetics to have this test, so well done. Hoping that you had a reasonable sleep last night.

Val,Looking forward to seeing your new recipe, I wonder if we can persuade Jacqueline and Penny to add to my Culinary Delights thread, I do hope so.

My husband still cleans our windows but the way our house is designed,
he can reach both the main part of the house and the ground floor as that is at the same level as the swimming pool level, and where we spend quite a lot of our time in the sun during the summer time. Talking of which we are normally outside a lot of the day by now but the weather is still cold and wet which is very unusual. Please Sun come back soon is my mournful request.
I am not sure what the exchange from R2900 to Euros or Stirling would be BUT it does sound an awful lot of money so hang on to the way you are managing for as long as possible.

Well I must go and have another coffee so goodbye for now

I hope that you all have a pleasant day

Tonight is quiz night and that means that today we shall have our main meal at Lunch time and so far I haven't decided what we will eat! that suggests to me that it will be something simple and quick.


Bridget

08.02hrs Spain

Nudge Nudge

Bridget, I guess that your son is based at the same place that my OH spent time at in the late fifties when it was not army but RN.

Hi Everyone, have spent this afternonn reading the "My Participation Threads"
Now need to rest my eyes. 9and brain). Have got up to 3rn March (or was it the 4th) on this thread.
Will read the rest tomorrow and then join in the Housework discussion (I hope that it is still going)

Sorry to have been away so long,
Tess

Evening all, a little earlier tonight, bit tired so am off to bed soon. It's been a glorious day here today and warm for the time of year. Have been busy today, washing etc and a semi spring clean, will get round to the rest as and when he he.
Val, that sounds an awful lot of money for a repair, but like Briget not fully conversant with exchange rates. Hope you can cope with your running repair. Do your family all live in SA? From what I have seen it looks a beautiful country, but like everywhere it has it's faults I presume.
Bridget so glad you are feeling a little better, yes my eyes are fine today thank you for asking.Hope your quiz night went well. Well all am off now, Take care Penny

Good morning everyone I hope that you are all Hale and Hearty and if not, please look after yourself and I will add you onto my 15 minute quiet time each day. The sky is the grey blue coulor today and the sea is dark blue. There is not much of a breeze so maybe we will have a dry day today....

Welcome back Tess and we are looking forward to seeing you on here as often as possible. My goodness you read a lot to catch up no wonder you had to rest your eyes. Anyway having been so thorough I am sure that you can comment on many of the entries!!
No discussion is ever finished in my view so I look forward to your next entry.

Penny, South Africa is a country I would have loved to have visited, I know it is very large so would only have seen parts of it but I guess that is the same of many countries. In fact thinking about it I haven't been to all of the UK. That is I haven't been to all of the cities etc,
In the 1970s I thought that my husband and I were going to live there, My husband was a charted accountant and he was offered a fantastic job by the company he worked for. Another couple we knew from the same work place was also going, I was so excited but just before we were to book the tickets he changed his mind!!!

The quiz night is tonight I was a day ahead of myself, will let you know tomorrow how it goes tonight.

My eldest Grandson was 14 yesterday, we had a good chat last night and the two presents that he was delighted to have was a camouflage tent from his Army Uncle and a dart Board and he can't wait for his granddad P..er (my husband), to see him soon so that they can have " a good game" . OH was delighted when told.

Ann in Gloc, if it begins with a W and ends in an R then you are probable right. My son loves the life and is doing very well and enjoys every moment of life, He is quiet as all my children are but also very sociable and respected by his men and the ladies as well as his superiors.
Good news My army sons' twin brother was head hunted and has been for ywo interviews and been offered a new job, much nearer to home and ....wait for it... £5000 extra per year,,,, Yippee he really deserves some good luck. He called me to ask my view...Then a couple of hours later he called again to say that he had cut his finger, had been in A&E for three hours and was told he could be there for another 3 hours before he could be seen!!! I told him to go to the chemist, buy some plaster strips and to go to his GP surgery this morning and have a tetanus jab...now this is nothing special I can hear you all say But now I await a call from Army so, who is in A.....y with his wife, on a ski-ing week and I am waiting from a call from him to say that he has also done something I hope it is a minor accident!!! The twins always follow each other in aspects such as this.
Well it is time to go, so have a great day everyone I shall be back later.

Hello everyone, 8.55 a.m. here. Another hot and windy day - nothing new there!

Nice to see you back Tess, please do write about the housework, I'm sure it will make interesting reading.

Penny, apart from a niece who lives in Australia my family are all in SA. It is a beautiful country and if only the crime and the corruption were not such major problems it would be wonderful. I think my computer repair equals about 30 Pounds (I can't find the pound sign!) which when I say it doesn't sound so much!

Congratulations on your son's new job and such a nice increase. I must say your A&E sounds much like Casualty at our state hospitals, some people wait all day and are not seen. Our government wants to introduce a NHS here and it has been said that we can stay members of our medical aids but will have to pay the NHS contribution as well, not sure how that will work or how that will affect the private hospitals.

Had an email from friends who are holidaying in Australia and they are having a really good time.

Off to hang out the last load of washing.

Enjoy whatever you will be doing to-day - and have a fun time at the quiz to-night Bridget, have a glass of wine for me!!


Val.

You sound as if you are having a busy day Val, but at least the washing will blow nice and dry in the good weather. I love the smell of newly blown bedding when it has been in the garden, it cannot be the same when dried in the tumbler and I do not like to use to many artificial smelly things.

In the UK everyone who works has to pay into the NHS and then they can still go to private hospitals if they want to. when I was working, not the last job though, I was always covered but was amazed some years ago when I learnt directly from the Drs' at one of the well known private hospitals in London that at night there are NO DOCTORS in the building and also they do not just work in their specialised areas.!
However we do get very heated when foreigners who come to live in the
UK never contribute but use all the facilities. A subject for discussion???

Glad that your friends are having a good time in Australia I expect you will be poring over the photos when you next see them.
well bye bye for now
Bridget

17.20hrs Spain

Wee, have now managed to read this up to date. Had to have a few breaks while doing so, especially yesterday.

Will be back tomorrow to chat about housework. Will be starting with a brief description of what it was like when my Mum was growing up in Ireland......

Meanwhile I have looked up Bobotie on the internet, looks really good. Will have to write down (or print off) a receipe for future use.

Tess

Hi all, hope you are all well. Another beautiful day here very warm for the time of year, but about to change tomorrow by the sounds of it!!!
Congrats on your sons new job Bridget, hope his twin is safe on his hols.
Val, said quickly no £30 does not sound a lot, but with bills as they are these days and a fixed income, it gets harder to find. I dont suppose things are any different in SA.
Hope the quiz went well Bridget, do you have prizes?
Not a lot done today, a bit of household shopping & a meal out in the local pub with friends, which was very pleasant.. Well ladies til tomorrow, take care. Penny

Goodmorning people, 6.45 a.m ,temperature supposed to be 27 here to-day.

Oh dear my maths really left me in the lurch yesterday! The exchange rate is about R10 to a pound so that should have read 300 Pounds! Sorry about that. Costs keep rising but unfortunately pensions don't! The interest rate on investments is also not good so there isn't much to add to the pension, but still we are fortunate to have a house which was paid for years ago.

A singer from Cape Town who won the SA's Got Talent last year is touring SA with Andre Rieu. This chap was discovered by a Cape Town resident while he worked as a dustman, she heard him singing while he worked and then sponsored singing lessons for him. He later studied in Germany for a time before returning to S.A, I think this all started for him about 20 or so years ago. I actually watched the finals of the competition on TV and he really does have a lovely voice.

We are off to Port Elizabeth this morning - to fetch computer components for our daughter and to look for a new light fitting for the dining room, haven't been able to find one which I like at the local shop.

Hope you had fun last night Bridget.



Val.

Good morning from a Grey damp morning, How I long for hose days when I am up early, make a coffee, and sit on one of the veranda's, and am able to write about the wonderful views, the peace & quiet setting, describe the sun raising and the fishing boats going out to catch the daily quota....

I did venture out about 30 mins ago but the damp atmosphere is not pleasant, the sky & sea are the same shade of grey, a few birds could be heard twittering but I could not see them the only good thing was the quietness and the tranquil atmosphere. I just had a very strange thought as I was writing " the good thing was actually waking up"!! What a strange thought.

It felt good this morning finding 3 entries already on here, so thank you all.
Tess, what a marathon you have completed,reading all the entries and I trust that you mostly enjoyed them. I never thought that this thread would last so long, but I am so delighted for a number of reasons that it is still going.
I am looking forward to reading your memory about Housework from the 1950s. Do you know that there is another interesting thread all about food and recipes which I started, it is called Culinary Delights, just drop by and have a read there are some really good things on there. BUT still stay here. do you have any suggestions for another topic for April?

Penny.
Enjoy the good weather whilst you can is my motto. Thank you for your comments about my twins, I learnt last night that the one who has the new job also has a new girlfriend and she is accompanying him too the Church Blessing of his twin brother and his wife in May.......At last he seems to be having a good time...fingers crossed!

Val
Not many people at the quiz last night just three tables which meant that there were 12 people, however we still had some fun. We think the poor turnout was due to the weather, quite a few people who normally come live further inland and the roads are not good in many places and it was a very wet evening as well. However in good Dunkirk spirit we sat at our respective tables and had a good time. My OH has 5 rounds of 12 questions and then we have a break for 15 mins. the landlord provides some sandwiches and last night we also had some home made Bread pudding which was delicious,..just as well that the portions were not too big! Then we have another 5 rounds and then my OH tells us all what the answers were. Oh yes forgot to say each team can also choose one set of questions as there Joker round and that means that they score double points for that round.
OH then gathers them all, checks them and announces the winner....This team is then presented with 4 bottles of wine from the landlord. There is a lot of banter going on by now and it is all just a bit of fun.
We came third of the three, sounds so much better than last!!

£300 ponds to repair a computer, wow!!! Here in Spain and in the UK you could buy a new computer for that amount of money, no wonder you are using the computer your daughter has set up for you and how fortunate that you daughter can, hopefully, repair your own comp....OOH I am still in shock
What a delightful piece of news about the singer, and how wonderful that someone recognised his talent and helped him on his way. do keep us up to date with his career.

Well I have exhausted my news and views for the time being, and today I am going to try and write another piece of my story.

Bye bye for now and you are all in my daily thoughts and positive thinking,

Bridget

08.06 hrs Spain

A sunny and mild day here in the West Midlands in England. Managed (with my son's help) to collect my prescription from the Chemist. As often happens when I am at a low point, I had run out of my anti-depression meds. Not good news for my son, who is living with me at the moment, as this makes me VERY irritable.

Bridget, the housework I was going to talk about was from the 1920's ((I hope that this is okay.

Like a lot of people, I just wish I had asked more questions of my mum and her siblings.

My Maternal Grandmother was born c1879 in Co Limerick in Ireland.
My Mum was born in 1920 in Co Tipperary in Ireland.
As a child I was able to visit both the home my mother was bought up in and the home my grandmother was bought up in.

My Nan (Ellen) moved back to her childhood home in her later years and it is here that I associate her with, as this is where I visied her.

My Mums Dad died when she was a few monthes old so poor Ellen (her Mum) had to go out to work to keep the family fed.


The housework would therefore have been shared amoung the older children. Mum recalls the hens coming into the house and messing up the floor.!
A stone floor, with only rag rugs, no real carpeting.
Water fetched from a local spring, and in later years (after pressure from my uncle) a pump was installed, for the use of five (or was it six ) houses.
There was also a rain barrel, water from this was used for washing.
Water had to be heated on an open fire.

so household duties would be ... Light the fire, fetch the water, feed the chickens, look for the eggs. etc.

Clothes would have been washed in a sort of half barrel (I vagually remember seeing one somewhere) I just don't think I ever asked wht they used for soap. (For laundry, people, pots and panns etc.)

The floor would have been some sort of stone floor. This woild have been brushed out every day. It must have been mopped friquently to, but I don't know what sort of mop was used.
They baked their own bread (Irish soda bread) and had a garden where they grew their own veg, esp potatoes and cabbage.
The family had to try to be self sufficient, as so little money was coming into the house.
A very hard life in a rather poor household.
The war-time slogan of "make-do and mend" would have been part of the family way of life long before the war.

New clothes would have been a rarity, in fact very little would have been shop bought, (excepting tea and sugar).

I will try to find out of any of my older cousins know more than me about this time in our Ancestors lives.


Tess

Good evening all. Good morning Saturday where I am in Oz. Typical Autumn day coming up - overcast but still quite warm.
Arrangements were made for yesterday to clean out the roof gutters in our villa complex. A team of three arrived at 2pm after a phone call was made and we were told they "forgot"! An email also arrived with the following excuse -

" Although we were aware of the scheduled clean, unfortunately due to the recent heavy rains we have been inundated with leaks & we have had to prioritise our work load with emergency repairs, we also updated our iphones last week & we are now aware that we have lost our alerts."

It seems that we now have another excuse to use - technology! Well, it sounds better than the earlier one ("he forgot"). This is the first time I've heard of blaming the iphones!

That's a bit like the favourite. 'It is a computer error'. Hmmm somebody has to input information or in your people's case forget to input information!!!!

Good evening all, hope everyone is well. Yes technology carries the can for mistakes these days, am sure that they think we are all a little thick not to see through the excuse!!
Val hope you had a successful trip to Port Elizabeth, and got all you need. Are the computer bits to get yours up and running again?
Weather here today not been quite as nice as yesterday, and this evening it has gone chilly, will have to wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Tess so you are in the W Mids, where abouts may I ask,I am also in that area so we cant be too far away from one another.
Glad the quiz night went well Bridget, and that you had some fun, great place to come 3rd, dont want to look too keen do you he he.
Well not a lot else to add today, just done housework and washing and that's about it.
Til tomorrow then. All take care. Penny

Just looking in before I go to bed.
I keep forgetting to say Hi to Penny so... Hi Penny!!!
I live in Birmingham. Have been here for most of the last fifty years.

I will add to the Housework discussion. But forgot to say that the main fuel (beside wood and waste that couldnt be recycled) was turf (I think that it is called peatr over here).

Many households wouldhave their own area of land where they could dig the turf, this would have to be dug ages before use, then stacked till it dried and could be used on the fire.

Tess