General Chat

*titters*
Petunia dear, it wasnt me who Partied, and left the debris everywhere. We were invaded by a tribe of Hells Angels. Pat rish aaaah will no doubt tell you all about it, and try to blame me, but I wasnt responsible for this. As for dear little Tricki Woo - well, he narrowly escaped becoming a shish kebab !!!!!

She sits beneath the whirring fan, composing little ditties,
Patting up the perspiration that runs down off her neck.
Oh to be beneath a cooling breeze, she dreams of shady pines
As she tries to engage her brain to think of more poetic lines.
What rhymes with 'this', what rhymes with 'that', oh - what the heck.

CC

Oh dear Petunia,

CC, you should have covered your tracks - or had Patri shaa do it :-D.

I am pleased you managed to find suitable under pinnnings Petunia, you should be all set to go now? Did you check on baggage allowances with your Liner?
I too love the Geordie accent, fishies and dishies and all that jazz.

The puppy saw a senior vet last Friday, he is happy to wait a bit longer to see if the eye improves by itself. Phew, so back pup goes on Wednesday.

CC, I insist on sending you some rain, a) to cool you down and b) because I am heartily sick of it :-|, it is making me very cross....
We are at about 1.5 oC warmer than average for this time of year, but the rainfall is way up. Fruit borrowed my gumboots (wellies) t'other day and hasn't returned them yet..

OH and I visited a sweet shop while we were in the South Island recently, mostly UK sweets, I bought my Mama, two walnut whips, her favourites. Also a Terry's orange bar, yum !! I had a wee taste ;-). I am trying to lay off the sweets and things I shouldn't be eating, somehow the chocolate has shrunk my clothes :-(. If it ever stops raining, I will get out and pound the pavements again. I live in hope. :-)

I trust baby is doing well Lesley? Do you have a trillion photos of her yet?

Speaking of photo's, I finally made the effort and printed out photos of our trip and put them in an album. I forced, err, showed them to my Papa.. We always have to look at his holiday pics, so I returned the favour :-D. Petunia dear, there is one with the most remarkable likeness to yourself? I had a wee chuckle as my London town photos almost look black and white, then I remembered, 'that' particular day was perishing cold and very dull skies :-(, but the photos are great !!
Such happy memories. If our boat ever comes in, as opposed to yours sailing, Petunia, we will return :-).

Must away and make some sarnies for our luncheon then get myself off to work.
I have to go past the Council to check where our services sit on our section - we are going to remove our knackered hedge, 'dial before you dig' and all that.

Have a pleasant evening all,
Susan

Tutty tut Cherry dear, I despair of you!

I walk through the door and their is debris everywhere! Please dear, I think I have been quite patient so far, you may eat in your room and you do drop crumbs dear, but now the passage way is starting to overflow with polystyrene containers, wrappers and chickens bones. What if dear little Trickey Wood got a bone stuck in her throat? Where is she by the way?

Oh my! I can see the pile in the corner moving! A dear little wet nose is peeping out of a Jaffa Cake wrapper, my little Trickey! Oh my dear little pooch is covered in Soy sauce and noodles. Really!

I can hear Pat-trish-aaaaah stomping about upstairs, has she been out for an airing dear? She needs to get out for an hour or so everyday. Lack of sunlight makes her very tetchy dear.

I agree Lesley dear, this weather is very draining.

I am very tired dears, all my packages are still sitting in the hallway and I am hungry and fatigued. I just want a nice cup of tea.

Now, if I can only pick my way over the rubbish into the Parlour..............

Not very amused
Auntie Petunia

thanks for that info Lesley, I thought the rocks made a lovely display but I am a bit of a rock hugger anyway. I was banned from Stonehenge along with "GrandMa Giles". Wonderfully eeerie atmosphere there ..... !! :-D

eeeh Petunia me dear, I canna imagine thee eatin Sto''y Cake, it'll make ya start talkin the talk, in the local accent deah. I lurve the way they talk in the north east, it makes me feel reet at 'ome. Ma fust 'usband is a Wearsider, deah, as were 'is Mam and Da afore 'im.

She sits beneath the whirring fan, her mind much too hot to think,
But she soon must go and have a shower, before she starts to .....

....... ah will let our Petunia 'ave the last werrd ! and why not she usually does !

CC

Fanning furiously with a lace edged fan! My ostrich feathers have wilted! It is slightly cooler here dears, but not much. We are keeping towards the River dears, as the water cools things down.

Our hotel is very swish, it overlooks the Iron Bridge, it is wonderful to look out of the balcony and see the bridges lit at night. It reminds me a little of Venice!

We have fot to the bottom of the Family Tree. Apparently Octavia's ancestor was not a common or garden Miner [not that there is anything wrong with that] but a Mine Owner. He invested with a few others, and they had a co-operative mineshaft. Eventually he bought everyone else out, and became sole owner. No perhaps not new money after all..................

Ahh Stonehenge, one can only remember Spinal Tap, when Stonehenge was in mortal danger of being trampled by a dwarf.............surely not the same stonehenge?

Yes, babies and animals are not good in the heat. I only hope they have put dear little Trickey Woo in a cool room. She does get very fretful, and then starts to scratch, not a pretty sight. I imagine you dear little baby was unhappy with the heat, Lesley. I hope she had sufficient air to let her skin breathe! I am sure she did, with Grandmama in charge.

Oh dear Cherry, do we have to lower the tone with poems about 'glowing'? Indeed I have been a little on the warm side, but there is no need to succumb and loosen one's stays

By the by, I have found a wonderful haberdashers just off the main road. It is up a twisting alley, and over the threshold into a shop that possibly has not changed in 100 years. Certainly the lady behind the counter could well have started there as a Saturday Gel. It is within a spit and a throw from the new Shopping Centre, but my dears, it has everything I could possibly want.

Silken stays, combed cotton undergarments, sleeping bonnets, button hooks, lisle stockings, bed jackets, and bed socks. I am in seventh heaven! I have bought a new valise, so that I can put all my new purchases on the train without any bother. Hurrah!

We are dining in the Hotel tonight dears, we are to sample Stotty Cake.

I cannot wait.........................I think!

Travelling home tomorrow
Auntie Petunia

It has been another sizzler here in Essex :-( far to sticky for long cuddles with baby E :-( after a short time we both had a radiant (ruby red) glow :-| not very pleasant I might add.

I stayed up to late last evening so as to watch day one of the V Festival :-S oh dear there were so many young and not so young people frying out in the midday sun (mad dogs) and not one parasol in sight :-|

CC Yes that is Tollgate roundabout when it was redesigned several years ago it gained the nickname of Stonehenge, since then plants have been added to give it a much softer prettier look :-) :-)

Lesley

I forgot to say, Lesley - driving in the vicinity of Tollgate Road I noticed a beautiful roundabout, laid out with rocks and flowers. Is that the Tollgate roundabout? or is it another one? I've been online (Google Maps) to find a pic of Tollgate Roundabout and it looks nothing like I espied although of course it could be an old image as Google Map images were done a few years ago now.

CC

Trust dear Petunia to head off out of London for the cooler north-east, and leave the rest of us sweltering.

"she sits beneath the whirring fan, her clothing very wet.
no, she hasnt had an accident, its just a puddle of sweat."

hello Lesley, alas I could not remove the ostrich feathers from my telescopic feather duster, but I know only too well what can befall visitors who do unsuitable things in front of the birds of prey ... like the gentleman eating a ham sandwich discovered one day during a Falconry Exhibition.

Enjoy the company of your little visitor :-)

CC

Dear Petunia I hope your enjoying your trip oop norf :-)

Oh dear I have been a tad hot today:-( I do hope others are not suffering as I am :-(

Lesley

When I take my little promenade.............Such a fashion card............on the promenade!

Via the blooooooberry I have to say that we are now in the Newcastle Archives.

Octavia has now discovered she has northern roots. It seems she is new money, and her forebears were toiling people!

There were two or three people with the same name, one a miner, one in the ropery and one on the shipyards, so we are here to try and work out who is her Ancestor. If only we had one of those people with us who knows about these things!!!!!!

While Octavia is pouring over books and ledger, Georgianna and I are walking along the Riverside. We have had coffee in one of the numerous pavement cafes and we have walked over the bridge where that nice Mr Caine, was Get Carter.

Strange to think only a few decades ago, this was a thriving port and had regular shipping going up and down the River Tyne. It is very metropolitan now, with hotels, little boutiques and cafes all along the side. Also we notived that all the roads lead down to the River, we could do with a cable-car to get us back up to the Town Centre. It is hustling and bustling here.

As it is very warm, there are millions of young gels walking around in very skimpy clothes, towering heels and big hair. They appear to be Cheryl Coke clones. Ah to be young! The young men are very polished too, manicured eyebrows and smelling sweetly.

I hope you are enjoying the sun dears, I shall be back home on Monday

In the meantime we are having a reet good time!

Toodle Pip
Auntie Petunia


hugs for your dear little Baby Boo!

CC Tollgate ding dong is where my nearest supermarket was until they moved to new bigger premises just along the road. Quicksand I can't say I have seen that sign but they have excavated sand around that area so maybe that's what has caused it :-S I do hope you are feeling more rested now there certainly is plenty of walking to be done at the zoo apart from the all walking the oppressive heat and humidity is very draining :-( CC dear did you take your ostrich feather fan on your trip? I have this terrible image of one of the birds of prey from the falconry display getting distracted :-D :-0

I haven't heard from my eldest so I am assuming baby E is doing well, they are visiting us on Sunday so I will give her lots of cuddles then :-D

Auntie Petunia I hope you enjoy your weekend oop norf ;-)

Lesley

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......................

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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.