General Chat

I have just had one of my best Xmas presents for a long long time. Reading all the messages on the thread, it is making me feel quite elated. Seriously I mean it. I know I am perhaps the thread joker, but not this time. (shudder) I am as pleased as Punch. (Goose pimples all over) SO AGAIN, HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL LLLOL Now that Christmas is so near I can't help but shed a tear For all the Brummies, far and near Who do not know that we are here. What they are missing I must explain Friends like I have and I hope will remain The chats we have in different frain Just like riding on a train Friends spread so far afield What a mighty sword we wield People from all over the world Banded together we will not yield So to June , John, Marge and Dee Faith and Brenda, not forgetting Bruce, Jan and Rick, Pam and Ros From Little me I wish you Joy and Health and a life full of glee SEE YOU ALL LATER From a Happy Jim And Joyful Mary C.

Hello all, what a nice poem our Jim your so clever...I dont think I ever ate brains and if I did they didnt tell me what they were, I was always a bit careful at my Nans house you never knew what she would serve up, I remember a visit and I could hear this clinking noise in the kitchen and when I investigated it was coming from a big pot on the cooker, I lifted the lid and it was a pigs head and the teeth where chattering in the boiling water yuk, I realise now she was making Brawn...John I dont think they have taken Celebrex off the market it was another drug called Vioxx same kind of thing, just ask your Dr next time you go..Dee nice to see you back and still not smoking...Hurry back Jan and Rick I cant wait to see what you got for xmas...Marg our weather is cold and dry I hope you didn't get any more snow...Ok peeps take care its back to the cookhouse for me.

I remember chitlings and pork bones my father loved tripe and onions yuk. We used to get cockles and mussles outside the pub and pork scratchings, my mother used to make us toffee apples when we were little. We always had fruit in the toe of our xmas stockings. My 3year old grandson is putting milk out for Father Xmas and spiderman biscuits The same grandson is going to walk to Scotland to find the snow,his cousins have just come back they told him about the snow. He will get artificial sprayed on the lawn. It is going to be very hot xmas day here, thank you Jim for your poem and Best wishes to you and Mary and to all on this thread and a very merry xmas and happy new year. Regards Pam

Well I am off to Calgary in a couple of hours so wont be back on the board until after Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and Santa brings you everything your heart desires, (as long as its good for you or NOT ) and may 2005 be a wonderfully Healthy and Happy one. Take care everyone talk to you all next year. Love Marg.

Hello All, What lovely messages on the thread to day. I would just like to say its been lovely meeting up with you all. You are a great bunch of people. I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas, Hope Santa comes along and brings you all nice things May the New Year Bring Health & Happiness to you all. Love to you all June. xxxxxx

Hi Brummies everywhere, May an almost-half-a-Brummie pop in for a mo to ask a question of you clever people, please? My mother was born in Aston but she was the first of the family not to be born in far-flung places in northern Warwickshire. I have seen every village the family came from (I love Fillongley!) except Aston. Can anyone please tell me what it was like at the end of the nineteenth century? I feel it was thriving light industrial suburb which went into decline at the beginning of the twentieth century and is now picking up again Am I right? I look forward to hearing from you, Jean

Signing off --- permanently. Nice chatroom spoilt by frightful site management by the owners. Have a bonza 2005. Bruce +++

Hello Jean, Nice of you to pop in and say hello. I lived in Aston from 1938 to 1950. So I only can tell you about these years. Have you ever come on The Brummagem paper that comes out once a month. ? Some times they have photos and stories there, that may help you. The house that I lived in is no more infact the Aston Express Motor way is there now. Hope you will pop back. Bye for now June.

Hi Everone, It's That Man Again! I don't suppose many of you will see my CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO YOU ALL - Don't overdo it but REALLY ENJOY IT. Not being as clever as "our Jim" I'm afraid the words won't ryme, but are sincerely meant ;-))))))} Jean, why not take a look at the "Aston Homepage", there's plenty there to give you some insight into how it was. Tarrarabit John.

Merry Christmas everyone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still no broadband at home although we're expecting it to be working next Thursday now. Jan is getting bored without the internet and misses talking to you all terribly :-((((((( She's making up for it by feeling and shaking all her pressies though (yes Dee - she's still at it lol). Faith - that snow you sent was lovely. Can we have a bit more please on Xmas day (after the trip down the M4 though lololol). Jim - that's a really nice poem - I told Jan about it and she asked me to print it off for her. In fact I'll print off the whole thread from the last few days so she can catch up ! Well we are off to my mum's tomorrow for a couple of days to get fed and watered so we'd just like to wish everyone much laughter and happiness over Xmas and will speak again when we get back. Jan & Rick.xx

Every body have a Wonderful Xmas. I know you will all do your best but please remember the day after can be a bit distressing if you over indulge. I shall be enjoying my faggots and peas, brawn, pigs trotters, chitterlings, brains, herrings soft roe, and I have not forgotten to put a sprig of holly on my BLACK PUDDING! Then at tea time I will finish off with a nice plate of bread and dripping. Now if you believe that you can knit fog. Please spare a thought for my Sister she has gone down with Shingles. If any of you have suffered this nasty complaint you will know how painful it is. On a serious note DO enjoy the Festivities and I will be back all being well on Monday So its "AU REVOIR MON AMIS" from (frog in throat) Jim and Mary C.

To All The Brummies Everywhere especially June & Jim. Connie (my Mum), Myself and our family wish all of you A Very Happy Christmas. Hope you get all you wish for in 2005. Take Care Pat x Jim I will be thinking of your sister, I do hope she can enjoy some of Christmas. Mum and I know exactly what it's like to have shingles. Check if she is using Calomine Lotion? and please tell her to take it very easy. wish her all the best. x Well my Mum will be enjoying the brawn and black pudding boxing day lol, she loves 'em. Take Care and have a good one. Pat x

Hi Pat, Thanks for your wishes for Christmas. I would like to say Have A Great Day and say hello to your mom for me. Hope you get some nice goodies in the morning. See you all soon. Love June. xxxxxx

Hi Everyone, Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day, I started Christmas last night going out for dinner with my youngest son and his wife, then I went to a little country Church that we attended near where I lived when my husband was alive, it still stays with the old traditional Anglican Service that I really enjoy Its only 4-30pm here so we havent eaten yet, had a nice BIG breakfast with my youngest son and family this morning, opened some presents there, then moved on to my Oldest son and family opened more presents, had a nap and am now waiting for dinner, but enjoying a glass of wine while I wait, also went on the web cam and visited with daughter and family visiting in England, had a really lazy Chrisitmas this year no cooking enjoying having my daughter in laws cook for me. even letting them clean up the dishes after. Well I will go and maybe have a little more wine. Bye Marg

Good Day All, Well Christmas has been and gone. So we can all look forward to New Years Eve. Hope you all had a lovely time and had loads of nice things. Marge like you I had a day off cooking as our Jacqueline did all the Christmas Day cooking. GREAT Hope you have saved some of that wine for New Year or will you go mad and buy a new bottle or two. ????? Jim Did you get a new apron for xmas with all the cooking you do you need a new one. I wonder if our Jan has got her DIAMONDS ?????????? Off now to finish off the mince pies . So take care all of you I will be back. Love June. xxxxxx

Hello all I hope everyone had a nice xmas I enjoyed mine, nice and quiet with plenty of food..I saw on another thread Jan got her engagement ring we'll have to wait and let her discribe it. I'm looking forward to the weekend I love the New Year..We have snow forecast for a few days the clouds are already here..I hope you all had loads of nice pressies.. Best wishes for the coming New Year.

Well folks it is only 363 days to Christmas. We hope you all had a good time and are now sobering up ready to greet the new year. Sorry to relate Mary woke on Christmas morning with a sore throat, which developed into a flu like cold, but as we both had our flu jabs it did not cause her to be debilitated. Still not a pleasant feeling. Rather put a dampener on our festivities But it could have been worse. June (BOO HOO) no new apron, but we had 3 food hampers from our next of kin. I think they imagine we are starving but we do realise it is difficult to know what to get two old wrinkleys like us. WE HAD A WHITE CHRISTMAS, woke on the day to find half an inch of snow, but that has now thawed. Still it is still bitterly cold and I can feel it getting colder as the day wears on. Still I have my love to keep me warm. A very pleasant surprise awaited me on the pc yesterday. I had an e mail from a researcher looking up my family tree to say he had got back to my great great g/Dad. This is no mean feat as there are over 8000, Charmans around. Best of all he has been in touch with a long lost Cousin of mine who I have not seen since 1954. So plenty to keep me out of mischief. See you all again soon Jim And Mary C. HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2005.

I am back, Faith just had a look at Ricks site. Yes at last our Jan has got her diamonds. Hurry up you two and get that server fixed up then you can tell us all about it. Rick is it a real one and not from Woolies or out of a Christmas Cracker. laughter. Well done. John I hope you arrived home safe and sound from your brother's did you get any thing nice ? Tat Tar for now June.xx

Morning Everyone, Glad everyone had a great Christmas, I sure enjoyed mine, am now home safe and sound, still putting away my presents, had some really nice ones this year as always, no diamonds though, still havent found that strong or string man to buy me one. still the pressies from my grandchildren are better than diamonds. well have agreat day everyone. Marg

Hiya - It's That Man Again! It seems by the number who are absent, that you are sleeping off the over indulgences ;-))))))))))} Jim, I hope that Mary is OK again, drinking out of wet glasses can be one cause of sore throats lol. June, it took longer to clean the ice off my windscreen, than it did to get home - well almost ;-))))))))} I had a waterproof radio (to take in the shower), as a present lol. As if I needed a reason to stay in the shower longer (I wonder if it was a hint), it takes ages to wash all these wrinkles 8-b} I bought myself "The Da Vinci Code" and it's a damn good read, and for my archives I bought a set of "Coins of the Realm" for the year I was Born - as a clue for the year they all have George the fifth on them. I have also been short changed, there wasn't a penny minted that year 8-(((((((} My eldest bought me a 75cl. bottle of Glayva, boy am I going to get pi--------- eyed (vwg). Tarrarabit - John xxxxxx