General Chat

Yesterday (Saturday) I was having a quiet 'Nana' nap, accompanied by our cat, when OH rushed in with the depressing news that the outside fridge/freezer had stopped working.

We went out to survey the damage and ended up throwing the contents of the freezer out. Fortunately, moneywise, there was only about $100.00 worth of food which included an unopened bag or raw prawns, a bag of cooked prawns, a pork joint and a piece of chuck steak.

There were also some packs of fish and that is where the loss really hurt as the fish was given to us in May this year by our daughter. It was freshly caught and frozen on the day and there was about three kilo's.

The fish is now almost irreplaceable as the Government has announced a ban on Recreational fishing in the area where our daughter caught it. In fact the ban is proposed for most of the Western and Southern coasts of WA., and has led to our daughter and her husband deciding to sell their boat.:-(

The other galling part is that like a pair of idiots we paid $400.00 for the fridge/freezer and bought it from the couple whose house we bought :-|

Oh dear Allan, that is not good. and what a shame about the loss of the lovely fish. I suppose there must be a good reason for stopping the catching of the fish now. So much of the worlds fish is being over 'fished'. What sort did they catch there. Shame they have decided to sell their boat though.

Can the freezer not be repaired?

You seem remarkably calm Allan. I’d be spitting blood over the freezer conking out! :-0 :-|

Are the contents of your freezer covered by your house insurance Allan? We lost a lot during a power cut several years ago and were able to claim for it all.

Good luck!

How do you value for insurance that which is irreplaceable? ( the fish)

AnninGlos, the fish were a variety; some Sweetlips, some Pink Snapper, Red Emperor and a couple of other varieties.

As for having the freezer repaired, it may just need re-gassing, but we would have to take it into the repair shop ourselves and we don't have a trailer. Both our daughter and son-in-law are recovering from abdominal surgery so we can't ask them to assist with their trailer.

JoyLouise, we have to be phlegmatic about it :-) It is what it is and no amount of jumping up and down is going to reverse the situation :-(

Cornish Susie, we could claim on the House Insurance but we probably wouldn't receive anything as the excess we have to pay on the claim is more than the value of the food itself, particularly as the fish was, unlike the meat, had no prices showing on it.

Allan, all I can say is, that' s a right b*gger.
You can never tell when they're going to die.
I currently have a huge lamb joint and beef joint in mine, bought when, for some reason 'Tescos' decided to sell them at half price.
Whether I will be able to afford to cook them is now in doubt :-(

Strangely, my neighbours freezer failed on Monday.
The things she wanted to save (and asked If I could put them in my freezer) were 2 packets of cod, because, when her friend comes around, that is what she likes.

I duly stored them.

On Friday, she came to retrieve the, as her freezer had started to work again.
I pointed out that I used to work for the factory that processed this stuff.

What I didn't point out, is that I won't eat cod - in Shetland, it's called 'worm fish', and I wouldn't eat anything from this processor, as I know what happens to it! :-D :-D :-D

And Cod isn't called the dirtiest fish in the sea for nothing!

:-D :-D :-D

Maggie, when I worked on the Fish Docks at Grimsby it was usual to ask for a parcel of fish for each Friday. The fish didn't cost anything because it came straight off the Trawlers, but you were expected to give the the guy who prepared the fillets a 'present' at Christmas.

You were never given Cod unless you asked for it but always Haddock, the reason being that throughout the Fish Docks Cod was thought only to be suitable for feeing to cats :-D

We used to do the same in Shetland - get fish straight from the boats.
I'm not sure what we called the parcel of fish - possibly a ;'fry'. (must ask the ex) :-D

I can tell you - having prepared cod, the rumours are true!!

I also never eat dyed kippers.
I had a phase of doing that - the dye was called 'Factor X', we HAD to wear rubber gloves, and if we caught them on the rusty nails the fish were attached to, we HAD to get new gloves.

Hopefully, the dye used nowadays is safer - but old habits die hard.

Crab paste? Naaaa.

However, I happily ate unprocessed crab, and scallops from the factory for my breakfast.
We were, at the time, living in a tent (2 man tent - as used by Bonnington on his Everest expedition)
Weirdly, when we moved to Kirkpatrick Fleming, we regularly met Bonnington in Tesco's, in Carlisle. :-S

My Ex called it a Fry as on a Friday once the boat had tied up. The crew shared out what was left and he would give a Fry to the neighbours of prawns(linguistines) or any other fish that they caught.

Strangely thats the only thing I miss, Large prawns on tap lol

Florence in the hebrides

It was amazing what was in the bag, wasn't it!

Have to admit, Mickie, our cat, was the first to utilise the boat's 'leftovers' system.
When we lived in Mevagissey, she'd stroll down to the harbour every morning, when the boats came in, and return with a fish in her mouth - which then had to be boiled.
'Madame' didn't like raw fish!

Once cooked, it was quite often left in the saucepan to cool down.
If we were late giving it to her, we'd hear the sound of the saucepan lid hitting the ground, as Mickie removed the fish from the saucepan, dropped that on the ground, and proceeded to eat it :-D :-D

I am known for tackling anything but If I was visiting someone for a meal and was served calimari I’d be polite, eat about a third then plead full. I tried it 40 years ago in a staff canteen and didn’t like it. I have never bought it since.

My favourite is John Dory followed by lemon sole but I am not really not picky as far as food is concerned as I was not brought up to be like that.

I still like banana and Mars Bar butties and other unlikely concoctions from my school days. We girls tried all sorts. :-D

Banana and Mars bar butties sound lush!

My favourite spread was condensed milk.

I’m beginning to dream of a banana and mars bar butty. Luckily for me OH can no longer eat mars bars :-D

Added : typical - now I read there is a mars bar shortage :-0

I like that too Maggie. :-D

Anyone else have margarine/butter and sugar sandwiches?

Used to have sugar butties as a child

Yes Allan, so did we courtesy of nanna.

Since I've stopped eating things like sweets, condensed milk sanwiches, and sugar sandwiches, I've put on weight.

Do you think there may be a link :-D :-D :-D

Or could it be getting old and staid?