General Chat

It's Trinty Steet Lesley, on just a little way down from the Cristian Science reading rooms. I was in there the other day. Alas they do not sell Merrythought bears because I asked. They have mainly Steiff bears. There is a range called Jellycat which are soft and baby friendly, at all different prices. I have bought those in the past for various newborn fruits of friends.

Ooh Auntie, I thought I saw you in a carriage, what a wonderful hat you were wearing. It was such a bright colour and those birds on top, well it looked a right Bobby Dazzler :-D
So Pat rish aaaaaa has hithered to the jungle. The bush telegraph was correct in its information to me :-D I feel that she may be doing many trials and eating all manner of strange things :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

Cherry dear your puss is very demanding, a bit like FTE, I sent her parcels today. The postage alone was almost as much as the contents :-|
I have several days orffff next week so will have a read of the said book.
Just orff to nag FTY into submission for his French revision and wash a stack of very muddy football training clothes.

I expect Susan is off from paid toil today and doing MOB duties :-D


Teresa

Teresa I told my GOG about your FTY and the book he didnt read during the school hols, and GOG sort of half-smiled. It is the sort of thing GOG would have done. Whereas, I would have read all the way to page 90 then kept on reading to the very end. My middle name should have been Bookworm.

I trust FTE will refund you all these postal charges you are incurring on her behalf?

GOGs BIL once told me he'd sent a Christmas parcel to his daughter and her family who now live way down south in the vicinity of the Jurassic Coast but a bit further along. He said it cost him nearly £100 !!! It must have been a very big parcel, but she has two young children and decent gifts for children don't come small or cheap these days . Unless, its a T shirt which reads "my Grandma went to Hawaii and all she bought me was this little ol' T shirt".

Why do loving and attentive happy fiances turn into GOGs? One of the many wonders of the Universe .. if not the MultiVerse.:-S

CC

Yoohoo Lesley, have you checked these sites out?

Merrythought Ltd - Offical Web Site - Handmade Teddy Bears ...
www.merrythought.co.uk/
... Merrythought has been hand-making the quintessential British Teddy Bear for ... all our teddy bears are fully jointed and made using the finest materials and ...
Olympic Teddy Bear - Traditional Teddy Bears - Collectable Teddy Bears - Contact

The Great British Teddy Bear Company – Bridesmaid Bear | Royal ...
www.gbteddybear.com/
We have created an affordable range of hand made, plush teddy bears each dressed in beautifully detailed iconic British costumes. Great British Teddy Bears ...

GB TEDDY BEAR CO | Ashby Bears
www.ashbybears.com/.../Great_British_Teddy_Bear_Company.html
See the entire range from The Great British Teddy Bear Company at your UK Store for ... 11" fully Jointed, hand made plush teddy bear, dressed in beautifully ...

Teddy Bear for Charity
www.gosh.org/
Buy your Teddy Bear from the
Great Ormond Street Hospital Shop!

Teddy Bears & Gifts
www.ashbybears.com/
A proper UK Teddy Bear Store
Huge range in stock

CC I have seen the GOSH bear :-) and as much as I would support GOSH through the gift shop their bear isn't what I am looking for :-( I have looked at the Ashby Bear site and I thank you very much for giving me that link as, I had forgotten about Deans Bears and their Classic London Gold Bear is exactly what I am looking for:-D although I said previous I wanted to see the bear before I bought it with this one I don't need to as I know this is the right one and have ordered it on-line :-)

Must dash my dancing partner is waiting :-D

Lesley

so pleased to have been of some help Lesley and when the bear arrives I do hope it doesnt disappoint.

CC

Dear Ladies, a good morning to you all.

Lesley dear, I too hope that your bear is exactly what you want. Nothing more important to a child as their Teddy. I still have mine, wrapped in tissue paper, because he is so fragile. No hair down one side, where he was loved.

The Lord Mayors Show went off wonderfully. I am sure you will agree it was a spectacle.

Now a more sober day today. Tis Rememberance Sunday, and as such we at Motie Towers will be remembering those proud and brave ladies and gents who have given so much.

My family were all in the armed forces of one kind or another. And as such we owe them such debt.

I shall be going to church for a Rememberance Service, and then on to the Old Soldiers and Sailors Home with the Vicar, who will give a short blessing, and then we will have a Party in their honour.

Lest We Forget

Auntie Petunia

good morning ladies, and everyone else, yes indeed Petunia dear it is Remembrance Sunday and also Armistice Day I believe so at 11 AM I shall be perched in front of the TV set following the Cenotaph service and paying my respects to our War Dead, several of whom were members of my family. And not forgetting the soldiers who came back, my Dad among them, mentally scarred by their experiences. Dad never failed to attend the Cenotaph service during his lifetime, to lay a poppy wreath, and I am unable to do that in person but I make sure the TV is switched on for 11 am, and I observe the 2 minutes silence.

After that, we are orft to an antiques fair,

CC

Hallo Ladies, The Fruits on the football feild held a minutes silence before the game and you could of heard a pin drop.

Cherry dear, FTE will no doubt pay us in kind on her return, she owes us a few nights sitting for FTY when she returns for a short time in April :0)

Ah GOGs Mine returned from shores abroad yesterday with an eight hour time lag. He went round turning orff lights to save money while I was trying to cross stich in the gloom. I did not tell of the postage costs :0)
FTY had again not read his book to the allocated page. Tuttty tut. He is reading it now :0)

Orff to tune in for the dancing and to see Pat rish aaa make her debut in the jungle


Teresa

Good morning ladies and peeps,

Well, I worked my fingers to the bone over the weekend whilst one of us was galavanting about with the Lord Mayor :-S... I do hope you had a wonderful time Petunia.
We have a Mayor here, he is defo not a Lord and there is definitley no carriage ;-).
As my OH is more than likely to be at war with our Council re the heating saga, I should think the Mayor wouldn't want us anywhere near him....

I arose at 6am on Saturday and didn't stop my toil until 4.30pm. Needless to say I was fair knackered. But am overjoyed to have finally finished the ruddy painting and nearly finished washing down the house...
Yesterday I planted a few more Hosta's and laid some snail bait.... The puppy has been sniffing around so I am off to buy a different bait that is supposed to be safe to animals :-D.

Teresa, fruits never ever really leave home do they, they still need their Mama's to lend a hand here and there ;-). Good luck with FTY and his homework. Oh dear, it is football season again :-D.

Lesley, hope you are hapy with the bear when it arrives. My mama still has the bear who accompanied her on her travels in the 50's. He is now rather thread bare :-). He has the stuffing hanging out of him and is rather scratchy :-P.
My OH has his teddy too, I don't remember having a bear. I do remember a toy called Moomoo :-D, it is somewhere in a cupboard.

CC, hope your outing went well. Did you purchase anything? We have Prince Charles and his lady wife here at present, they did attend Armistace Day celebrations I believe.

Talking about purchasing bits and bobs, our paper had an article called "What to do with your stuff when you snuff".......... :-D.
It got my OH and I talking about the topic. OH suggested I have the converstaion with my parents :-D. Oh dear, I shall 'pick' my moment as my intentions could be misconstrued...

Ladies, what thought have you given, if any, to your bits and bobs? I would hope we don't have to make any decisions for many a year yet ;-).

Have a pleasant evening

Susan

Good evening to you Ladies.

We have had a lovely day. The service this morning was tranqulity itself, and we too had the two minute silence.

We then went back to the Old Soldier and Sailors Home. I am very pleased with the people I have put in charge. This is a legacy to Lavinia and her gentleman husband, and the dear old boys are being very well looked after. She would have been very pleased indeed.

After a slap up lunch, a young lady arrived to play the piano. She was accompanied by an older lady, who I later found out was her Mama. Mama was dressed as a soldier, and they sang songs, and played the piano with gusto. The old boys were as pleased as punch. They laughed, and some cried, and we ended the concert with A Long Way To Tipperary. There was not a dry eye in the house. Each of the old boys was given a small bottle of their favourite tipple to take back to their rooms. All were happy. I was so pleased. It is sad to think that some of them will not be here next Armistice Day.

I do hope that Cherry dear will not bring back too much junk, erm, treasures back to Motie Towers. I am overstuffed enough as it is. No doubt we will see what we will see.................

Teresa dear, I see you are still being a supportive Mama with the Devils Game. I hope you have not been visited by the Docker in recent weeks. How lovely that there should have been a silence before the game. I believe the Rugby Game on television was the same. You could have heard a pin drop.

Dear Upsidedown Susan, how lucky you are to have the future King and Queen visiting you. Put plenty of plants in his way, he likes to talk to them. Maybe you could get him to visit your newly planted Hostas. Then you could be By Royal Appointment. There was an article in the newspaper last week showing how much CPB has changed in the last few years. Then some 'experts' told how it has been done. Apparently it is all down to golden highlights and light reflecting foundation. There now...............who would have thought it!

Yes dears, try to spot Pat-trish-aaaah tonight, apparently she has had a ducking from a canoe with a previous Doctor Who.

Heaven preserve us
Auntie Petunia

Teresa never ever tell your GOG what you get up to when he's not around. I firmly believe that Ignorance Is Bliss .... except in my case - I always insist on being kept in the loop.

Susan we heard about Charles and Camilla coming to see the Kiwis. While in Aus, Cammie cuddled a Joey. While she is with you, will she be cuddling a Maori?

I gave up growing Hostas years ago. Snail bait - we can buy a chemical-free gravel which is supposed to keep the slugs and snails away. Vinegar sprinkled on the soil around a plant (be careful not to sprinkle it on the plants) will deter snails slugs and cats. Slugs and snails will shrivel and die, but vinegar does not harm marauding cats dogs or foxes. And, the malt in vinegar is good for the soil, so I am told. None of my plants have come to from me using vinegar. Another remedy to deter snails and slugs is crushed egg shells.

I found a few displays of Wade Whimsies at the fair, and bought two items for £2 each. On getting home, GOG has been perusing E-Bay and looked at the Whimsies, and I noticed that some of the items in my collection (obviously, the common ones) are on sale via E-Bay at a price. One of the ones I bought today for £2, was available on E-Bay for £2.99 free post and packing. Yeah right, obviously the 99p was tacked on to cover the postage.

However, I was chuffed to discover that my Lady Whimsie (Lady And The Tramp) is worth nearly £20 on E-Bay. Then again, the value of these little ornaments is decided by what people are prepared to pay. I shall be scouring the junk and charity shops again .... they dont always know what they are selling.

Ah yes, my bits n bobs. I have a collection of books, of CDs and old vinyl records, and audio tapes, and the Wade Whimsies, and some Delft Blue Clogs, then there is my old stamp collection and the postcards and bookmarks. And I have a collection of coffee mugs. I would ask for my bits n bobs to be buried with me but I dont think that people can be buried in aircraft hangars ..... My offspring have no interest in my "treasures". Oh what to do, what to do .....

CC

Ah there you are Petunia dear, creeping around. Yes I know this is your house and I am but a mere guest here, I dont need reminding of that fact, but it would be nice to hear people approaching so I dont jump out of my skin.

Do take a close look at my newest Wade Whimsies, £2 each, arent they a bargain?

You look quite flushed dear, should I turn the central heating down? Or have you had a bit too much Long Way to Old Kit Bag? I recommend a cup of coffee and a good nights sleep !

sweet dreams, all :-D
CC

Good afternoon Ladies, how are we all?

Quite bleak and grey here at Motie Towers with a little light drizzle.

I shall expect you in your best bib and tucker later on today. For tis the anniversary of my birth 94 years ago today.

I shall greet you all later on this evening for a little soiree. For those who partake, a little embrocation, and those who dont, elderflower cordial. We shall have a jolly time.

Mrs Berry has been baking since yesterday afternoon, and I have seen the cake it is splendifferous.

Evening dress if you please dear, nothing fancy, just a ball dress and fascinator will suffice.

Preening in the mirror
Auntie Petunia

Ooh Auntie, I shall be there is my best black frock and heals :-D

There is another ladies celebrating here today. I feel her celebrations will be a little more excitable than your lady like do ;-) I sent her a cake down the cyber hatch but will bring yours in person. Tis a good rich fruit cake not these cup cake type things which the young are so fond of nowadays.

I will return after aerobics and weigh in at the school hall this evening. Do start without me if I'm a little late :-D

Hosters, more like slug grub ladies. I have given up with mine :-|

I'm glad you have your whimsies Cherry. I must ask my sister if she still has hers. Mine are somewhere in the loft I think.

Susan, Camilla likes a nice G&T I have heard. Make sure you have some on hand. You can buy single measures in tins nowadays. It saves having a bottle on hold for her next visit. :-D

Lesley, a certain card company have got a promotion on at the moment. If you spend over £10.00 you get a free bear. They are quite sweet, soft and cuddly and not bad for free. The said card shop is in culver square ;-)

Susan, I hope you have better weather than FTE. It's raining in St Lucia :-(


See you later alligators


Teresa

Good Evening

Ooh how I love a party :-D I will be with at 7.30 for 8o'clock if that is acceptable Auntie, as Fern is no longer in need of her ballgowns she has she said I can have my pick to wear this evening :-S Saturday's little pink number will I think suit me perfectly my accessories will be black ;-)

Happy 94th Birthday x

If I may be so bold as to say you do exceptionally well for your age.

CC I'm sure you are aware of the Wade Pigs that the NatWest gave to children when they had reached different savings targets :-) well dear this is nothing to do with Wade :-S but the said bank also gave away clocks that have the pigs on the clock face, now I don't want you telling everyone but these clocks are very desirable ;-) who would ever of thought that the Whimsies that some collect were once to to found in Christmas Crackers.

Susan you are talking of planting hosta's just when I am thinking of taking the leaves off of mine :-(

Teresa I was in town yesterday but didn't notice the free bear offer :-( I think £10 would be very easy to spend in that card shop :-)

Happy Happy Birthday Petunia,

I shall be thinking of you all celebrating with cake and cordial. Have a lovely time. Such an age, quite remarkable :-).

CC, not so much cuddling but 'hongi - ing'. The art of touching noses as a non threatening greeting. ;-).....
The couple are being kept very busy it would seem. The weather is not playing the game however, last week was gawgeous :-D.

I am entertaining a group of friends this Saturday evening. We will be twelve for dinner :-D. I have roped in my fruit to prepare the dessert :-). She does a mean chocolate and raspberry brownie - full of calories and absolutely delicious.

St Lucia sounds rather lovely Teresa. Who needs a balloon to get around the world? I hope you are receiving regular pictures of fruits travels? Do they do a burger in St Lucia ? ;-). Shame about the rain but I bet it is still warm...

Tis a tad cool here this morning. I may have to drag out the woolies again, FGS that is ridiculous..

I bought some Christmas wrap yesterday :-D, couldn't pass on the 'special'. The silly season has begun. Yippee !!

I am orf to be shorn this morning, better get my skates on.

Toodle pip
Susan

*waltzes into the Parlour, wearing a brand new black binliner ensemble that I threw together this morning, in honour of dear Petunia's 94th birthday. She used to be 49, you know, before she turned it to 94.

Well Petunia dear, what do you think of this fetching little dress, doesnt it shine nicely in the glow of the coals, but I wont stand too near to the flames. There was enough binliner left over for me to make a fascinator, using an old alice band, a toilet roll holder, a fairy liquid bottle, a length of string, and some double sided sticky tape. When I am finished with it, I will auction it on HeeE-Bay.

Oh I can see how impressed you are dear, you are tongue tied. Dont worry, if your friends ask me to make a similar outfit for each of them, I shall be happy to oblige.

And what about my 24 carrot necklace. Original, or what.

Oh my, Mrs Berry has done you proud Petunia. What a lovely repast on the dining table. Yum, these sandwiches are delightful - let me see, smoked salmon with salad cress and watercress. Egg and tomato. Ham and cucumber. Fairy cakes. Chocolate cakes. Crisps. And what a glorious birthday cake, what a pity its too small for 94 candles. I thought we were just a small gathering tonight but there is so much food - who else is joining us?

I have never seen so many birthday cards, oh look there are cards from Father Thadeus and his Elephant Man. A card from Pat rish aaaah. A card from Mrs Berry. Oh, how strange, here are three cards from Lavinia. Ah I see - they are the birthday cards she sent you for the last three years, and you saved them. How sweet. Ah, and cards from all the distressed sailors in their Home. And there is a card from Juana too. 'ang on - those are all Christmas cards. And these are Easter cards from the 1930s. And these are cards addressed to GrandMamma. Ah I see, YOUR GrandMamma, you saved all these as well. Oh well, it makes a lovely display.

94, who would have thought it. It seems like just six months ago you were 93. Are you enjoying two birthdays a year, like our Queen?

MANY HAPPY RETURNS, DEAR. I'd give you a peck on the cheek but your whiskers are rather stubbly today.

Here is your birthday card and gift from me, I hope you like it. What did you get from Pat rish aaaah and Mrs Berry?

*

Teresa most whimsies are now worth between £2 to £5 but I have seen some on E-Bay for very inflated prices. You should display yours, because they are now collectibles. Forget around the world in 80 days - let's do Around The World with FTE, these little anecdotes are most interesting. She should write a diary, and turn it into a Travelogue after she retires. An instant best seller.

*

No I dont remember the Wade pigs Lesley, or the clocks, we havent banked with NatWest in many a year so I dont know what they offered to lure customers in. We would have gone back to them about 3 years ago with a small cash ISA (which is our funeral fund) but they messed about so I told them to forget it. It is amazing what turns into a Collectible, after a few years have passed.

*

Susan, it was on the news today that an elderly man tried to attack Charles and Camilla but was apprehended before he got near the royal couple. Ah yes indeed - I know all about the nose rubbing :-D

CC

Good evening dears,

I see you are all mingling nicely in the parlour.

Cherry you look indescribable dear, I really do not know quite what to say. I think the word is unique. Come and sit down dear. All that rustling, it sounds just like taffeta.

Lesley, I do like your bear avatar dear, I am so pleased that the bear problem seems to be solved. You look delightful in your little blue gown dear. I shall not sit you next to Teresa in her green. You know what they say, Blue and Green, should never be seen. So you will sit opposite her. I have laid a place for Susan dear, so she can virtually join us.

I am so pleased that your like the cake dears, it is a novel approach to stick the candles on the sides of the cake too. I feel that I am cutting into a hedgehog. Perish the thought.

If only Pat-trish-aaaah were here, she could play some music on the tissue and comb. She does well until it makes her bristles on her top lip vibrate, and it sounds like an echo.

Ah, a knock at the door, Mrs Berry is busy, I shall open it myself dears.

#walks to door, and opens it#

Good Grief, what are YOU doing here?



AP

Auntie dear my dress is pink so there is no need to separate us Essex gals :-D ...........Please step away from the coals CC I can see your creation is beginning to um melt :-0...........I wonder who it could be at the door :-S maybe one of the 136 onlookers have decided to join us :-D