General Chat

Good evening ladies
Well it's 4 days now without being able to view Aunties thread:-( I have been click click clicking only to be greeted with a blank page:-( I have Auntie Motie saved in my watched threads even click click clicking on this doesn't work I have found the only way I can get into the the Land of Oz is through the mail GR send out when the thread has been updated:-)

I'm sorry to hear about your fruits leaky roof Susan :-(

Oh dear CC suffering from insomnia :-( do you think that could have been bought on by shock following your ordeals of the past days?

Auntie Petunia have you finished your holiday shopping or is there more to be done? Are we to assume you will not be taking part in the organisation of the Paralympics unless of course you can oversee proceedings from your ship :-D

I must away now as I really must compose a mail to the friendly GR Team to see if they can resolve my issue :-D

BFN
Lesley

hi Lesley how is the little one? I've got FM so I alternate between flaking out all the time, or having bouts of insomnia, as well as all the other problems that go with the condition. No I dont think that my ordeals as a result of hiding in dear Petunia's wardrobe had anything to do with it, although her rolling pin is a weapon of mass distraction.

I noticed in a thread that advice was being given to click on Tools and Compatibility to resolve some problems, I dont know if that would help you. The site was revamped before you started getting white pages though wasnt it.

Can you get into any other threads, or access any other features of this site? Good luck with asking GR ....... !! :-D

CC

Good evening dear Friends,

Well what a clammy dehydrating day it has been. I have been sipping elderflower cordial all day. I fear I shall put down roots soon if I dare to drink any more. As refreshing as it may be................one can have too much of a good thing.

Are dear Upsidedown Susan, I did know that your Enzed team won medals, I was just teasing you dear. Seeing as I am now an honory Kiwi, as I have my magical necklace, of course I took full notice of their endeavours. I did so like that John Walker many years ago. He of the flowing locks. Any news on him dear? Is he still in the public eye? We still have our dear Brendan Foster giving his opinion on the new runners. I still have visions of all Enzed houses being wooden bungalows dear, please dont think me patronising. It is just a romantic view I have, along with the lush green fields and dear little baa lambs. We had a 'celebrity cook' many years ago on the tv over here, from Enzed, called Rowena.................there you see I have gone orft on a tangent again. Please give your fruit with the holey roof my best wishes dear.

Now Cherry dear, I will have to take you to task once again..........I do appreciate that you are a little bereft of sleep dear. But it is getting to the point that so am I! As much as I like Mr Ball dear, I feel a little against the idea of listening to him all night. I presume that Mr Ball has not sent you his new CD, being Mr Todd, for we would be listening to that too. I do so like that dear little Imelda dear, his co-star. Did you know that she is married to the butler in Downton Abbey dear? Of course you did!

I did think we had lorst you dear Lesley. Once your new babbie batted its dear little eyelashes, then you would never returned to us. Give her a big hug from us all dear.

My shopping is not yet complete dear. One has yet to purchase, erm, how can I put this delicately. Underclothing. I used to buy it from a haberdashers in Marylebone, but along with the recession etc. She has gone bust. Oh, see! I made a joke there! Apparently there is a similar emporium in Spitalfields, I shall go there tomorrow. Strange name for the place though. Ann Winters. Apparently Mrs Berry's daughter buys some of her unmentionables from there, and thought there may be something there to suit me. What a giggly little creature she is. She could barely speak to me, bar laughing. I take buying delicates as a very serious business. If it is not of suitable quality, there could be all sorts of chafing.

I am very keen to supervise the Paralympics dear, and have put my name forward. However, I have had a lovely letter, expressing their appreciation of my endeavours at the Olympic Village. However, they felt that because of my advancing years, they did not want to put too much strain on me. I can appreciate that, and maybe they could be right. Plus, it would give me time to do more shopping....................

I shall contact them tomorrow expressing my appreciation of their kind concern. How polite they are, I do so appreciate good manners....

Oh dear, here we go again, pass the ear-plugs!

Pip Pip
Auntie Petunia

ah Petunia dear how kind of you to grace us with your presence; after all, this is only your home - but you seem to spend so much time out of it, organising others, when you are sorely needed here. Pat rish aaaah keeps twittering dear, perhaps you ought to get her a laptop so she can Tweet instead?

You may be an honorary Kiwi dear, but please refrain from trying to rub noses with me. As for those frightening faces you've been practising in front of the large framed mirror, and the war paint ....... Well, Hiawatha has nothing on you, dear.

Well I do not know who you heard playing Michael Ball CDs all night long, but it was not me. I should know - I was using my personal CD player so I wouldnt disturb anyone. In fact, the mice in the wainscoting made more noise than I did, and they are as quiet as ..... mice !! :-D Perhaps Pat rish aaaah borrowed one of my CDs, I certainly bought enough new CDs from The River to keep me going for quaite some time. No I havent caught up with the Demon Barber yet, dear, but give me time ... and money ....

*collapses in hysterical giggles* oh perish the thought of you wearing Ann Winters unmentionables Petunia dear. Have you any idea just how unmentionable these unmentionables actually are? No ?? Well lets put it this way - you wouldnt see me wearing them in my coffin.

BTW - have you seen the £3m house in Dorset overlooking the Solent and The Needles? Its for sale, should you be thinking of relocating from Motie Towers. I wouldnt mind being a guest in a large cliff top mansion with a thatched roof ..... :-D And the interior is exquisitely decorated in the best possible taste. I'm sure your furniture and other household goods etc would slot into the mansion's rooms very naicely ..... as would I !!!

CC

Hello CC I was sorry to read that you have FM.

Baby E is doing well thank you, mum and dad are making a rod for their own back though :-( she gets picked up as soon as she cries, I can't say anything I was the same with our first born :-D I do think a dummy might help to pacify her also she is quite windy and I think a dummy might help relieve the pain from the wind.
Yes this is the only thread I'm having a problem with but I'm sure GR will sort it for me :-)

Auntie Petunia I am sorry to hear your Marleybone haberdasher has done bust (pinches your joke)

I can just imagine the headlines on the front page of Thursdays newspapers.

READ ALL ABOUT IT READ ALL ABOUT IT

The Right Honourable Auntie Petunia is photographed leaving the Ann Winter shop in Spitalfields
As you can see from the picture she was very heavily laden with her purchases

Shock Horror don't do it Auntie Petunia think of your reputation
:-D :-D

Oh dear did you all hear me scream then :-(

I live in the country and am use to BIG spiders :-(

But we have just had the BIGGEST spider ever in the house :-0 :-0 :-0 it made me come over all unnecessary :-D

aahhhh - spiders !!! hello Lesley, I could tell you a story about spiders. When one's first husband was working in a burned-out flat, cleaning it up prior to redecoration, he developed a problem with the skin around one eye. He thought a bit of grit had got into the eye and was going to "wait and see", but went to the doctor, who found a bite mark, and the doctor told MFH he'd been bitten by a wolf spider probably during the night. It was "this time of year" when the spiders migrate into the house. I was horrified to think a large spider might have been running across my pillow as I slept, but I didnt so much have a fit, as a cleaning frenzy.

I was bitten by a spider, myself, not long ago, I found a spider running up my arm early one morning, and in spite of my new hip being at the "running in please pass" stage, I leapt off the bed, and flushed the spider to Southend. I know it bit me in the night, because I developed a large painful lump inside one ear flap, a classic reaction to insect venom; fortunately its healed now.

My Mum and sister have also had a spider experience this week. One very large one, and one slightly smaller large one. Neither could be caught - until their cat caught one of the blighters and attempted to eat it, as cats do, while mother and sis had hysterics.

Colicky babies end up becoming adults prone to "gas". A dummy doesnt stop the colicky tendency, but it stops the crying which causes air to get sucked into the tummy. I used to give my infants gripe water, I dont know if this is still available, I recall hearing there were some problems with the stuff but this was possibly due to over-dosage by over-anxious mothers. I also put my babies on their tums across my lap, which seemed to soothe them. I used to do a lot of things which would have horrified the health visitor, but my children survived :-D

The trouble is, as you have no doubt discovered, fashions in weaning and child-rearing change every three to four years. Things I was advised to do regarding my oldest, were "out of date" just three years later. I ignored the health visitors, and followed my instincts, and anything I wasnt sure about I asked my mother ..... after all, she raised me.

I wish I could meet Emilie, to cross her palm with a 50 pence piece :-D but fear not as I wouldnt give it to her to hold afterwards ..... I'd put it into her money box.

CC

CHOCOLATE HALTS OR PREVENTS DEMENTIA !!!

Its been in the papers. A daily dose of cocoa is good for us, it seems.
whooppeeeeeeeeeee !!!!! good news for chocoholics ...... who's nicked my big bar of Cadburys????? :-D

CC

Scott of the Arctic has nothing on me dears, I have survived wind, rain and humidity today. What a funny old day!

No sign of dear Upsidedown Susan for a day or two. She is probably on the night time patrol..............remember the old song 'When it is night time in Italy, its Wednesday over here? No? Me neither! That nice Mr Alan Breeze used to sing it on Billy Cotton Band Show on a Sunday lunch time. When I hear Wakey Wakey! I can almost smell roast beef!

Ah, my shopping expedition, I was warned, was I not? But needs must when the whotsit, ouzits. Pat-trish-aaaah got out the tuk tuk this morning, and we pedalled down the City Road, along to Liverpool Street and over to Spitalfields.

Did you know that Arry Potter is filmed in Leadenhall Market?

There was a tour guide waving her umbrella with a crowd of oriental tourists following her. She was going on about the various characters, and what film etc. I am sorry dears, I just could not stand it a moment longer.

I stood behind them and shouted 'It's not real you know.............it is only a film, they are only actors' Well the guide went potty [sorry another pun] and she chased Pat-trish-aaaah and I off with her umbrella. Tutty tut.

So...................back to the business in hand. We then ventured past the Brewery, and along to Ann Winters.

Do you know dears, I thought it was a Fancy Dress shop, with the little nurses uniform in the window. In through the doors and we saw a heading BloomerBox. Aha, I thought, some underpinnings, just up my street. Well! I dont know where the bloomers were, but I could not find them, only skimpy bits of lace which I presumed where bonnets you wear when your hair is in curlers.

Past some rather strange looking stays, I half expected to see Mr Benn and the Shopkeeper. As they used to say in the News of the World, I made my excuses and left......................so back to square one.

I agree Cherry dear, baby practices are a la mode of the year. When dear Bonita was born, she was swaddles, and only allowed to excercise herself when she was changed. I dont suppose that is the norm nowadays.

Spiders I do not mind dears, it is the rodents I do not like. As clean as Motie Towers is, I do hear scratching at night. I hope it is the mice and not dear Pat-trish-aaaah tearing at her skin. I thought it was snowing one morning, until I realised she was shaking her sheets out of the window.

Lesley if you DO come over un-necessary, then do as Cherry and I do. Drape yourself over the chaise longue, look pale and interesting, flutter your eyelids, and fan yourself with an ostrich fan. If that does get the attention of someone, then you are not doing it properly. A low moan may accompany these actions, if ones partner is engaged in watching the football. Failing this, fall to the floor in a dead faint.

Yes I read that about the chocolate too. Thank goodness for medical science.

Pass around the violet creams.
Auntie Petunia

Spitalfields :-D... Try M&S Petunia, I am sure their 'underpinnings' are delicate enough for you ;-)..

By the by, I don't know of the Rowena you mention and I do take a keen interest in cooking shows - until they bore me silly with the vast quantities of 'chefs' who have made it to the small screen. We have a dedicated cooking channel :-S.
My fruit was out of town again yesterday for her work and rang me on her return to say meet me at the fence, she then handed me a bag of goodies, lovely lamb shanks for a meal and a nice fresh bread base to make a gourmet pizza, along with a nice fresh chunk of mozarella and a bag of napoli sliced salami... I have in the fridge a bag of rocket, a pear and some parmesan..... I feel an Italian meal coming on tonight, must buy some vino. I appear to have finished the last bottle :-D. What a good little fruit I have :-)..
The pup went off to work again with her master, I sent along a lamb leg fresh bone, she was given it at 7am, by 11am there was not a skerrick of it left....

Lesley, I remember well how useless I was with my first born, he was a prem, in hospital for six weeks before he came home, the first night home he cried in the night and for a minute, I couldn't think what on earth the nosie was :-D. he survived my mothering and is a strapping young man of nearly 29 now. I too used gripe water for baby... MIL came to ours with baby two who never liked to sleep in her own room... Two nights of putting her to bed and shutting her door, leaving her to scream and then OH climbing in her window to put her back into her own bed.. Of course she wasn't a newborn at that point :-D. She always did and still has, a mind of her own - now she brings me food parcels ;-).

We still have rain about and lots of it, where does it all come from and don't tell me ths sky cause I know that... Very annoying indeed, we need some sunshine to lift our moods out of the doldrums.. or an overseas holiday - a cruise perhaps ??

Today I am orf to town (after work) to finally print photo's of our UK trip... I have had to choose carefully as the album I bought only takes 300 photo's :-D.. Not quite sure how many I have saved to usb stick to print.. Thank heavens for food parcels as no doubt the pics will cost me a pretty penny to print. Oh well ,

goes off singing "Memories, all the .... can't remember the rest :-S

Toodle pip
Susan

CC I think I'm going to start sleeping under a mosquito net spiders don't bother me but the thought of them crawling on me or possibly biting me makes me shudder :-(

You are so right about weaning fashions changing not all for the best I don't think my eldest is going to ask the midwife about gripe water, I suggested boiled cooled water this is boohooed now :-S and bathing babies isn't advised for the first week :-S :-S

Not guilty of nicking a big bar of Cadburys chocolate Oh unless you mean the big bar of Cadburys fruit and nut :-D

Auntie Petunia You paint such a vivid picture I can imagine you being driven past the Old Brewery amongst all the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane, ah a thought maybe Lulu and Lush on the corner of Fashion St and Commercial St would stock just what you are looking for.

Tonight I have tried both your suggestions, laying on the chaise longe fluttering eyelashes whilst fanning myself, you will never believe it do you know my hubby turned to me and said do you have to make such a draught :-0 well I thought know it's time to try fainting did this work no he dared to put his feet on me and said that better I'm much more comfortable and carried on watching the football :-|

Mmmmmmmm Susan a nice Italian for dinner I can't think of anything better :-D

How is the dear little puppies eye, healing well I hope :-)

a very late good evening, one and all. My daughter came to visit me, and my toenails are now respectably clipped. She'd recorded her radio show, and brought her laptop so we could all listen to the heavy metal, while she interacted in the internet chat room. I heard all about the Bloodstock festival, and how clean the portaloos were. She enjoyed herself so much, she may DJ at next year's Bloodstock festival - which has nothing to do with horses, I learned.

Petunia dear I too listened to Billy Cotton and his Bandshow, every Sunday, many moons ago. Alan Breeze, Kathy Kay, and the dancing girls who used to scream and run when Billy yelled at them "get orff". As you say - accompanied by a nice roast beef with Yorkshire pudding dinner. Halcyon days indeed. Oh dont get me started on nostalgia. Its a thing of the past !! :-D

But ..... I am now the proud owner of a Billy Cotton Bandshow CD - which I dare not play when anyone else is in the house. *whispers* I also have a Mrs Mills vinyl album.

Yes indeed the weather has been up and down has it down. Night has fallen and I am still sweltering. This afternoon I went outside to wipe the windowsills and door steps, back and front, and the rain began to fall. I went back in the house, and the rain stopped. But the humidity remains.

We have graced Alnwick Castle with our presence. Did you know that some Harry Potter scenes were filmed at Alnwick? Just think - my feet have trod where Professor Dumbledore has been .......

I believe I visited Leadenhall Market back in the 1960s. But in those days I went to so many places. Its all rather a Blur now ........ although I think there was some park life.

Rodents??? We have rodents at Motie Towers ???? oh, rats.

CC
*thinking* never mind the violet creams, I want those nice chocolates with the alcoholic centres.

Please dear Susan, stop sending us all your New Zealand rain. Keep it to water your own pastures green.

How is the little dog today? Is the eye healing well?

Lucky you getting food parcels from your daughter. You shall not starve in your old age. My cousin's son went into catering - this is the cousin who went to South Africa and never came home again except for two holidays in the late 1990s. She too is well fed.

I hear that there has been an underwater volcanic eruption resulting in a wide plateau of pumice, floating on the water off the NZ coast. Not a danger to shipping, so thats something. I expect that there will now be a lot of New Zealanders with very smooth foot skin ..... :-D

CC

hello Lesley, there is a mozzie flying around the room at the moment, as you have a mozzie net I shall send it over to you.

I asked my dau about the V festival and she says its more Indie music and she only plays metal or goth.

Ptshaw - of course you can bathe a baby during the first week, mine didnt suffer from being kept clean. Honestly ... newborns are treated like guinea pigs all the time. I dont understand why boiled cooled water is frowned upon :-S. Milk is their food and they still get thirsty inbetween meals. As long as the bottle is sterilised .....

Perhaps I should have advised dear Petunia to try Trinnie and Susannah, for undergarment advice.

Next time you are pale and interesting and fainting on the chaise longue, try moaning a little bit louder but ... do not be reading a Jackie Collins novel at the time or your companions will get the wrong impression.

No I didnt mean the large bar of fruit and nut. There was a large bar of plain Cadbury's milk chocolate hidden at the back of the ... oh never mind, I really cannot be giving away all my hidey holes :-D

CC

Morning all,

Just a quick visit, I am accompanying my fruit to the vets this morning, Pup is not allowed any breakfast this morning :-(. If the vet isn't happy with the eye, then it is operation day.....

Back later

Good evening dear Friends,

I have spent most of the day looking through catalogues that stock goods that you did not know that you needed!

Turn your lavatory into a bidet, scare cats away with a polystyrene meerkat, big numbered mobile phones........................the range is endless. Alas no drawers!

I think somehow I shall have to venture to the Army and Navy and see what serviceable undergarments they have.

I saw the newspaper today for the Femail, and there is a suitcase cum chest of drawers for the discerning traveller. I was enchanted until I saw the price. I think the old portmanteau will have to do again.!

Thank you for saying I am descriptive dear Lesley. I do so hope so. I do appreciate that some have not had the upbringing I had. They are not as well read, well travelled, well educated, and it is my mission in life to teach them the finer things in life. For example, did you know dear people that a banana should not be undressed and then golloped down. But delicately peeled, and then cut into bitesized pieces and eaten with a fork? A dessert fork naturally!

You obviously know the East End dear. A relative of mine, who was in Trade, used to sell Day Old Chicks in Brick Lane. Lovely yellow fluffy things, naturally they died the next day! They had been taken too early from their Mama. So sad.

Dear Upsidedown Susan, please let us know if puppy is ok. I do so hate to see animals suffer. I know I would be desolate if anything happed to Trickey Woo, so please God that your little one is ok. Sorry about the rain by the way!

Cherry dear, be at your own peril to borrow CD's Pat-trish-aaaaah. She does not have a CD player, and pops everything onto the wind-up gramaphone. You may have trouble listening to it when returned.

So, an early night I think. I shall work out a route to take in all the departmental stores, and if the A & N does not have what I want, then onto Peter Jones.

Onwards and Upwards
Auntie Petunia

I went to the zoo
oh what a to do
I saw a cute monkey
that looked just like you ...........

shades of Ed Stewpot from the Junior Choice days ........

good evening one and all, Petunia dear I shall bear in mind that Pat rish aaah plays CDs on the old wine up gramophone. If anything of mine is damaged, I shall hold you responsible as I do not think that poor Pat rish aaah is totally responsible for her actions !!

Good luck Susan, for the puppy,

Yep I have been to the zoo today - at Colchester, I havent been there before. The weather held out, so did my new hip (just about) and so it was a pleasant day.

*yawning*
CC

Good Evening.

Auntie Petunia
Do ladies still don their horsey head-scarfs in the area around Peter Jones?

I can not say that I remember day old chicks being sold :-( budgerigars, canaries and pigeons yes I remember this well :-( now if I venture into this fascinating part of London on a Sunday I do find myself over indulging in Columbia Road. Oh such beautiful flowers do you know they all talk to me :-D they are saying buy me, buy me :-D

When my dear grandpa had a Sunday off from driving his hansom cab around Bethnal Green he would teach me East End etiquette about eating a Gertie Gitana and knees :-D

CC you've been to the zoo today, dear if I had known I would have invited you to join me in a nice cup of Rosie of course served in my very best Dresden:-D I'm only about 3 miles from the zoo :-|

Susan I hope the vet is happy with the puppy so that an operation isn't necessary :-)

Lesley

hello Lesley, how is the baby doing? I bet she grows with each passing day. And a smile is not "just wind" ..... :-D

how kind of you to say you would have served me a cuppa rosie lee in your very best Dresden (wot, no Coalport?). If I'd known, I would have turned up .... but no doubt would have found you packed up and ready to roll with a Pickfords van waiting outside the well manicured front lawns !! If we come back to Colchester, I will let you know. Likewise, if you find yourself floating down the river Lea, float your boat across to my humble cardboard box. I will dust off the orange crates for you to sit on :-)

Lawr, I was soooo shattered by the time I got home; and worried I might have overdone things ergo be laid up on Friday, I took one Tramadol. Am now waiting for side effects ..... but Tramadol has a wonderful effect on all the aches and pains. I feel almost human.

I was very interested to see a sign for a Quicksand, en route to the zoo. If it was not politically incorrect (yooman rites and all that) I can think of a few people I would cheerfully drop into quicksand. But, justice must be seen to be done even though the law is an ass.

I remembering seeing a beautiful roundabout, not far from the zoo, in a road which I think was called Tollgate Road, does that ring a bell with you?

My late Papa was a Cockney born and bred, but he never ate jellied eels in all his life although many people think its the Cockney Diet. He was born in Shoreditch, and told me many stories about his childhood. Many many stories. I didnt appreciate it at the time, being a mere nipper, but after he died (and I was older and wiser) I wrote down all I could remember. His stepfather sold linnets and canaries in cages, dahn Pe''icoat Lane. The old "so and so" (which is not the word Dad used for his stepfather) would get the bus, having first ordered Dad and his younger half brother, carry all the cages to the market on foot. Dads younger half brother was killed on the Penelope, during WW2, off the coast of Italy.

I've heard tales of selling "day old chicks" but never knew anyone who actually did it.

I get some grocery items calling to me, Buy Me Buy Me. Usually in the vicinity of the chocolate counter.

Put the kettle on dear, we might visit Colchester again in about three years time :-D

CC

Dear Friends, a very good morning to you all.

Just to let you know I may not be reporting on my good works for a couple of days, we are off oop norf.

Distant relatives have invited us for the week end to the North East and we are catching the train from Kings Cross immediately. I dont know why Pat-trish-aaaah was moaning because I asked her to stay up all night to iron and pack my clothes, she has the rest of the day to sleep it orft!

If I manage to find time in my hectic social whirl, I shall report back. If not, see you after the week end!

Pip Pip
Auntie Petunia



Climb aboard the puff puff early in the morning......................