General Chat

Good morning everyone, today the sun is shining, the sea looks a beautiful shade of blue, the birds are twittering, and there is a delightful sense of calm. OH has left to take a friend to the airport and we have promised to keep an eye on her husband..there is a 30 year gap in their ages, and he has had several falls recently. We did ask if he would like to stay with us but he has declined.

Had a very quiet day yesterday, most likely because of the wine the night before.

OH has started painting the outside Walls, as it is required each year to keep it looking good. It doesn't take to long so he does a couple of hours each day until it is finished. We needed some more paint so went shopping and there was a 25 percent reduction so we were delighted. Every bit helps.

Tees I really enjoyed reading about your mothers toil as a young girl, now I am not suggesting that we should return to those days but it might do some youngsters a wake up call if they lived like this for even a week.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Kings Speech so hope you do as well, the coach for the king is very interesting so I will look forward to hearing your view.

Now Val would I really laugh, well maybe a giggle but only for a moment. I hope that you did not hurt yourself too badly.

I am surprised that you
have to provide an annual report that you are still alive and well. Do you have to pay for the commissioner ?

Tees, I hope that you get a good sleep today, I am one of those people who can survive very well on little sleep but every few months I fall asleep for about 12 hours...having just written that has made me realise that sincei came home I am in fact sleeping quite well..

Must go now, to tidy the kitchen etc but may be back later today

Keep well and have some fun today

09.23 hrs Spain

Goodmorning, 7.00 a.m. here.

Interesting reading Tess, life was very hard for someone as young as your Mum, times have certainly changed. I know that we love home-made bread instead of a bought loaf. Life to-day is easy compared to back then, but it is good to know that things were better for your Mum once she moved to England - a big step to go so far from home at a young age, must have been difficult.

We don't go to the movies often, in fact I think I might have been about four times in the past ten years! I had read such good reviews about the "King's Speech" which is why I dragged my husband along, threatening him with dire consequences should he doze off in the darkness of the cinema! It doesn't take much for him to nod off.

On Sunday evening I was sitting at the computer on a chair with castors when one of the bars with the castors on suddenly broke and the chair tipped forward, down I went and landed flat on my bottom! Result one painful back and shoulder, fortunately I didn't break anything. It is OK to laugh at the mental image Bridget!

Once a year those of us who worked for the Civil Service or the Provincial Health Department ( which is what I did working for the hospital) and are in receipt of a pension paid out by the National Treasury must complete a Life Certificate (to prove we are still alive!) and it must be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths, so I will take a trip to the local Police Station this morning to have mine signed - can't risk not getting my pension.

Look after yourselves.


Val.

Back to Housework - not mine you understand, but my mothers story.

At aged 14, she had to leave home to "go into service".

She was a little skinny bit of a girl, so much so that the housekeeper/cook said that as she was only little she didn't need a fullo sausage for her dinner, and used to give her a half sausage (cut lengthways).
As the junior in the staff, she had to do all the muckie nasty jobs... But I am getting ahead of myself...

Before leaving home herself, one of her young neighbours, who had been in service and was home for a few days, explained to my my that in the big house, they have a button on the wall, when you press it, a bright light comes on.
Mum couldn't understand this at all, the only buttons she knew about were on clothing.

When she got to her own "big house" in the near-by city, I think that the button on the wall was the only good thing about it.

She had to lay the fires, get rid of the ash.clean the fireplaces, shrub the door step. floors etc etc,. all the heavy, messy work. She was not kindly treated and must have gone through a difficult time, as she was among strangers.

In fact she rarely spoke about tit because of the painful memories.

There were no rubber gloves to protect her hands, no Fairy Liquid (or anything of that ilk), that was kind to hands. Just some rough soap and soda crystals etc. No help mop and bucket, but a scrubbing brush. Very long hours, for very little pay.

I think that she changed employers, still working in the same city, but her employer was not much better. In fact, I think that this was the employer, who wanted to to bath their children, including the twelve year old son!
She rarely got home, as she was badly paid and had very little time off (this was in the mid 1930's).
Eventually she got an infection in her hand and was unable to work, so she went home. After all, her employers didn't want to feed her if she wasn't working!

Her (widowed) mother wanted to make up for the bad time Mum had had. So one day Nan said that they would have a bought loaf instead of a home-made one (how timws have changed)!

Mum went to the local shop (where they probably made their own bread) to get the loaf. It was wrapped in newspaper.

The paper had job vacencies for good Catholic girls, to go into service in England.
Mum showed the advery to her mother and her her permission to apply, and to come to England if she was successful, hithertoo England had been "that heathen country"

All went well a few weeks later, Mum moved to England .. the first person in her family to do so.

Here pay and conditions were a lot better, so mostly a happy time for her.
She was fed a lot better (exceptionally well at one place) The housekeeper/cook thrie loved cooking, "the boss" used to entertain quite often, and cook always made sure that there was enough "Guests dinner-party food" for herself and Mum to have a big helping.
She was also paid at lot better (possibly double what she had been given in Ireland) even had enough money to buy a bike, something of her very own.

I know that this is more about my Mum than about actuall housework, but I don't know all the details and this shows how things changed in the home in her lifetime.


Have met up with two of my school-friends this afternoon. We booked to see "We will rock you" in July and went to a Chines "all you can eat buffett" for lunch.

I am now Full, so won't require any tea.

Val, I haven't been to the pictures for quite a while. Now thinking of asking my sister if she will come with me to see something, possibly "The King's Speech"

Tess

Tess

18.08 UK time

Captaingpugwash,val and Tess, thanks for your contributions. I was very busy yesterday and our friends who came to have a late lunch with us stayed until quite late. Well 4 of them went home around 9 pm and the other Copley stayed the night. This morning we were all rather quiet,,, maybe it was the wine ??

OH cooked a full breakfast for them but I could only manage toast and OH declined except for a few cups of black coffee.

Have to go and do some ironing now but may be back later.

Take care everyone


18.04 hrs Spain

A restful day today. Put some washing out on my (new) washing line. Unfortunately I don't have a line prop yet, so could only put short things on the line.

Sat out in the back garden again for about half an hour, not as warm as yesterday though.
Later in the afternoon it rained, luckily I managed to get wshing in.

Will be busy over the next few days. Meeting school friends, going shopping and having an Indian Head Massage.
Quite looking forward to the first and last.

What good news that you have helped to put together two family members. I hope that their friendship grows with the years.

Hi to everyone, hope you are all well.
I'm off for a lie down as didn't sleep well lastnight.

Tess

Hello - 14.00 here.

I don't know where the last couple of days have gone! So nice to see someone new on here, hope we see you again Julia.

Went to movies yesterday, saw "The King's Speech" an excellent film although everything seemed to take place in the dark! Very unorothodox methods used by the chap teaching George V1 to overcome his stuttering.

After church this morning we went off to a birthday brunch, have just returned. There were about 30 of us the food was delicious and for dessert we had Milk Tart.


Penny and Tess hope you both having a better day.




Val.

Good evening all, sorry its taken a while to get back. Hope you are all well? Was wishing I was feeling a little better myself, have a bad back at the mo, not very comfy but am sure there are ones worse off than me !!!
Its been a very busy week here for me, visitors, eating out etc. But the week has flown by. Just hope the following week is a little quieter, could do with recharging my batteries he he.
Hope you all have a lovely Mothers Day. Take care Penny

So pleasing to see so many people posting, Thank you everyone.

Well I have had a few strange days. A few days ago I had a message about an aunt by marriage who is on my tree. She has been there since day one of my family tree. I was lethargic one day and checked her details again, there was nothing new to add.

Out of the blue came a message. Someone had started a tree because they want to trace another person. On their tree was a person with thevsame name as my aunt....it is an unusual name so I contacted them....we

do have the same person....I am thrilled but notvas much as the lady who contacted me....this is her grandmother, and she is so exited as her mother and siblings
Never met there mother after they were put into a Dr Barnado home..when they were very young.....we know the cause which in it's self was sad.

Now the person who contacted me has also called me and then we
discovered that she lives within a twelve mile radios of mt sister in Bath.
They have spoken as of today..

Bye for now,

19.58 hrs Spain

Great to see you on here Julia.

Take it easy and don't overdo it.

Tess

Oh Dear Theresa, what a time you had at the library. I sometimes think these 'self service' innovations create more work than what they are supposed to save. I avoid the ones in the supermarket like poisen LOL.
I personally don't get to our library much these day, though I certainly believe in them. If we had a mobile one then I would avail myself of it.
I do buy alot of paperbacks from the supermarkets. I save these up when read,and when I go up the hospital to see consultants, have x-rays, scans etc., the OH takes bags of them to the league of Friends shop, so they do somebody some good whilst raising funds.
Nice that you have been able to sit out for a while this afternoon. I have been outside also, working, but not very hard.
Now is the nicest part of the day.
Take Care All
Julia in Derbyshire

Well have got back on here at last.

My busy day on Thursday involvrd going to get my hair cut short!!

I now have my right ear on display, and a slanted fringe ... it is all part of my new style.

Then went to the library to exchange some books and renew another one.

All did not go according to plan!
Library is self service, have to put books into a special machine and the press all the right buttons.
I did that ok, but it wouldn't let me renew the book I required for GReaders.
had to take it to the customer service desk, was told that someone had requested it, so I couldn't renew at the moment.

Then tried to get some new books. I now only have four at a time (usually) because of the weight of carrying them home.


Choose four books, put them in the machine .. it let me have two of the four, told me I could not borrow a third and just didn't seem to 'see' the fourth.

So another visit to the customer service was required.

The helpful Library Assistant could find no reason why I couldn't borrow the third book (I don't owe them any money and no one had requested this book), so she said that I could have it and stamped it in the 'old-fashioned' way.

Now to the fourth book ... the reason that the machine couldn't 'see' the book, is that it isn't a library book.
Just one that somehow got put on the shelves by mistake!

She told me I could have it, so I have bought it home.


Yesterday I received a death cert for my great-grandmothers, great-grandmother (she died in 1842). So spent what little energy I had on trying to update my tree.
Have managed to find more details about this branch of the family on Ancestry, partly because of some corrections done by some very kind, hard-working people.
Thank you, whoever you are.


Have managed to sit out this afternoon for about half an hour.

Tess

Well good morning to you all. We seem to be so busy with our lives that we do not have much spare time. Perhaps we should all try to write something each week,and we could change the heading to BBs Weekly Diary? Now if you agree please let me know asap and could someone tell me how to change the heading.

Well the life of a retiree is certainly not boring! We are out at lunch today to celebrate a chaps 81st birthday....what on earth do we buy, oh yes another bottle of wine methinks

Take care everyone


10.15 hrs Spain

Hi all, hope you are all well. Very early on here tonight (for me that is!!). Just thought I would drop in for 5 mins.Hectic week and am very tired so am off to my bed. Night all, take care Penny

Another busy and rather tiring day.

Willbe back tomorrow.

Tess

14.30 here on a cloudy day. I had just hung my washing on the line this morning when down came a shower of rain, I'm not complaining because I am only to grateful to have a few drops of rain, hasn't lasted unfortunately.

I hope that as you are quiet it means you are busy and not that you are not well.

I had a pleasant surprise last night when two people contacted me on this site., one from Soputhampton is connected to my family but sadly the other one is not. I have tried numerous times to make contact with various people but seldom do they follow up.

I googled Tenerife to see where you will be going Ann. When are you off?

Val.

OOPs so sorry not to have posted yet, the morning flew past and then we had to pick up some friends and we went to a restaurant in Benicarlo, there were 24 of us and we had a great time, talking about anything and everything, met a lot of people who were so very kind in their comments about me being home permanently,

I had forgotten how kind many of them are. Good food, we had 4 courses, wine if we wanted it, plenty of soft drinks and water and good coffee.

We dropped our friends back at there house and arrived home about 20 minutes ago.
Jet and Joe have gone for a walk, which means they have gone to the top of our road and are sniffing around the unused part of the mountain only about 500 yards away and as t is a cul-de-sac very very little traffic. In fact some days we do not have any traffic at all.
They have just returned home as I was writing!!

Oh falling asleep now whilst watching the cricket, and I have to go and bring in the washing I did this morning.

Val, that is a good piece of advice that you have posted, if only we all keep to it.!
Captain Pugwash you do sound very busy, find a few minutes now and again during the day for yourself.

AnninGlos, Off to Tenerife...when do you go and for how long?I have never been there, you must let us know what you enjoy about you visit.

I think I may have a nab now so may be on here again this evening

17.07 hrs Spain

A good one to remember Val thank you.

A very grey day here and the washing is back to drying indoors. Had to doa load to get it all cleared before going to tenerife. got a 'to do' list as long as my arm but slowly getting through it. At least the garden is up to scratch. OH is off playing golf so have had the morning to myself to get jobs done.

Hello all, 13.32 here. The day started out very cloudy and cool with a heavy mist over the sea, but it turned out very hot although there is a breeze.

i don't sleep very well so I listen to the radio quite a lot during the night, in the early hours this morning I heard this and thought it worth repeating - Don't look down on anyone unless you are helping them up.

Look after yourselves.


Val.

Hi all, just to say I'm still around have had a few very busy days. Hope you are all well, been thinking of you even though I have'nt been on line. Must go to bed now another busy one t omorrow. Take care all. Penny

Sorry, brain is too jumbled to write about my mothers experiences tonight.

So will shortly be off to bed.

22.33 in UK

Tess