General Chat

Hi Jane! 2011 and 2012 at wetherspoons in Victoria. Are you still in touch with Rach?
Happy birthday :-D

Mel, I recall scarey Billies tethered by long chains on quiet road sides and off towpaths as a child but my first close encounter was more recent. He had plenty of lady friends........ you know where I’m going with this LOL. Just a few years ago I was walking the dog along the towpath when that ‘old familiar scent’ filled the air. Billy was some distance away but the wind was blowing towards us.
It was the pong that put me off goat cheese which my brother could not understand – he’d only had cheese made with maiden milk so no ‘essence of Billy’.
I tried growing carrots but failed. I have seed for earlies but not sure if my soil is suitable. As the camellias and peonies do well I think it may be on the acidic side. I probably need some of that sandy Jacks Magic LOL

Annx, we had a glut of marketmore cues the first year we grew them and cucamelons. I made cucumber relish, yummy, and pickled the cucamelons ‘interesting’ but stayed crisp.
I saw the bubonic plague item this morning and they have a brain eating amoeba in Florida. Lorks!

We caught up with Countryfile last night. Is anyone going to enter the calendar competition – AnnG ?

Have a good day all

Phew, that is one hour of wiping done and about another half hour plus to go. OH not home from golf yet, not that he helps with the wiping it is quicker to do it myself than keep an eye on him. I did notice 2 cues on our big plant yesterday (full sized cues. One of the baby ones we lost and the other doesn't seem to be doing much. toms are all doing ok though.

Lot of wildlife around yours today mel, could it be rabbit pie for dinner?

Ann it does sound as if Mel has hit the nail on the head with your cues doesn't it?

Jane have a lovely afternoon with your family.

Interesting (for us anyway) to see if the cold cap works or helps. Maybe your hair will just thin a bit. If it comes out will you go for a scarf or a wig?

My BIL entered the Countryfile Calender comp once and I really thought he would get in with his picture of a seal sitting in a boat but no he did'nt get anywhere.

I grew cucamelons a couple of years ago and thought they were awful. Not what I expected at all.

Somewhere I have a nice recipe for I think its called Sandwich Pickle made with cues but it dos'nt keep long. I used to make it when we had the barrow outside with the veg on and it sold well and was esy to do. I used to make most of the jams and pickles in the microwave.

I fondly imagined bowls of cucamelons for healthing snacking or an apperitif for dinner parties which we don't have LOL. But yes! they are pretty horrible - what a waste!!

Underestimated how long the rest was going to take. another half hour done and all the veg and another 4 bags of 'stuff' to do. That all has to wait as OH is in and wants his lunch!!!!

My fella does the wiping down Ann, he's very organised with it. I make a welcome pot of tea for when he's done :-D :-D

Island you are lucky then although I guess it might be too painful for you to do it. I am quite organised now but with it being a two weekly order and not knowing when we will get the next one it is always a lot. £160. this time so that is cheaper than the previous. And the trouble with a Monday delivery is that there are always fairly short dates on everything.

Nooo, I'm not that debilitated Ann, thanks goodness. I think we got into this routine because he was offered a 'priority' spot (if you get in quick) with Sainsbees when I had the two week flare due to meds change so was unable to help. So as he has his own system going I leave him to it. I'd only get in the way ;-)

Is anyone still wiping post? We are - well he is, I just peg it out on the line.

<3 <3 <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE <3 <3 <3

Loved the pics, what a lovely treat and the picnic looked delicious. Enjoy your birthday with your family, I hope the weather is nice for you.

Island I wipe envelopes that come in the post but not what is inside, I think they have been on their travels for at least two days so should be ok and only wipe the envelope because of the sorting office and postman.

I jave just finished it all took 2.5 hours altogether. If my OH offered to do it I probably wouldn't accept it as I am too much of a bossy boots. I let him do the hoovering and all the ironing though and empty the dishwasher before he goes to golf.

We leave the post on the step for a few days. If its a parcel in plastic bags I wipe it down and the insides. I wonder could we iron envelopes?

I have the big wipe down tomorrow. ugg :-S

have added to my asda order and done some washing and ironing and just need to eat now so I can take my second anti of the day and then I think it may be up the border after doing my car insurance.

GILL did you see your stars and moon last night???????

That was a long time wiping down AnnG, I bet you're shattered now and could do with a nice cuppa and a sit down.

I leave the post on the side for a few days, just to be on the safe side. The same with the newspaper.

You're lucky Island having your OH doing the wiping down, it wouldn't occur to my OH to do it, so it's left to me.

Did you see the Planets last night Ann, it was quite cloudy here so I couldn't see them again. OH said he notice them just before dawn, he was working nights last night. They're still on show tonight so I might take another look with OH as he's not working tonight. We have lovely sunshine at the moment so not many clouds around, although it's very windy so I can't sort out my front garden of all the weeds yet. I think they've loved all the sunshine and showers lately as they are multiplying quite a lot, so that's going to be a full days work when it's less windy. I know what you mean about pots drying out quickly with the wind, we have a job keeping on top of all our watering with having so many pots to do. Our screening attached to the fence is still creaking, but so far the fence is still up. The washing line attached to it on the neighbours side is a big metal one that pulls out, so quite heavy. I think it's helping to keep the fence in place. At least I hope so and it doesn't add to weight to make it fall over onto my plants.

Hope Frank and Ros are having a nice time away and the weather isn't as windy as here then Frank can take a walk as we know he likes to do that. I hope he doesn't have another fall though.

I see your troughs are now planted up Mandy, let's hope the weather doesn't do them any harm before they have a chance to establish themselves. Are they protected from the wind? How did you get on with your wipe down after shopping, I hope it didn't take as long as AnnG's did.

I bet you feel much better after your hair cut Vera. It sounds like they had everything in place to make you safe. I suppose they have to protect themselves as well, so it's in their best interests to get everything right.

That's handy having a cellar Flappergirl, we had one in our last house, it had been tanked and made into another kitchen and separate living room. The back part had a proper window and door leading out to the back garden as our house was built on a hill. It came in handy for our children to take their friends to and we also used it for my OH's 40th birthday as the space was the whole ground floor size, so plenty of room for everyone. I do miss it with not having one now. I think my OH would of been thrilled if it was a workshop though.

That was a lot of wildlife you had Mel. Thanks for taking the pics I look forward to seeing them if you can do it. Did you see Jupiter and Saturn as well? Tonight is the last night to see them all together, the Planets will be to the left of the moon tonight, I'm hoping it isn't cloudy like last night so I can see them again.

My hubby offered to do the wiping down yesterday AnnG, but I told him I was worried he'd cut corners and miss bits so I did it. (I've seen how he dusts! lol) He does put most of it away and I do the freezer stuff so I know where it is as I try to group like with like. I put the tall wicker laundry basket in the kitchen yesterday so I could perch on it at times to save my knees and it did help. It is a tiring job though. I have wondered about a sufficiently, but not too strong bleach solution in a bowl to dunk all the waterproof, sealed things in like a sheep dip, but then they would still have to be wiped dryish. I never got the small Thornton's cake I ordered for my birthday, but they did send a bigger, yummy looking chocolate one in it's place so I'll be happy with that! :-D I think our Sunday delivery affects some of the short dates we get too. More people are in the store at the weekends buying up the later dates. I am just so glad to get a recurring date though so won't do anything to muck it up! We leave letters in the porch for 24 hours, plastic bags 3 days. If it's something we need to open sooner it gets wiped down on the outside first. After a while the thought of not doing it seems strange doesn't it.

I hope Frank is ok and enjoying himself. I wonder if he took his laptop?

Happy Birthday to your daughter Vera. I bet your hair feels so much better now and I think hairdressers have really upped their game to be able to open. I feel happier about going to mine than going to any eating place yet. The owner of mine sent a lovely email to us all the other day, but he is a really nice man who started with nothing and really looks after his staff. He is the one who takes teams into local hospitals to do the hair for women on a cancer ward for free and he is an ambassador for one of the animal rescue places.

That's handy having a dry cellar to put things FG. I would like that!

Fingers crossed the cold cap will work or at least help Jane. There are some nice bandana style hats and others that look good if not and it will grow back quite quickly to a pixie crop.

These are just a few bits from the email the owner of my hairdressing salon sent. How many businesses would be this honest and appreciative and write to you? I found it quite moving.

Dear Ann,

Independent businesses are having a terrible time and we are no exception. Having to remain closed for over 3 months has been devastating for us emotionally and financially. The saving grace has been the furlough scheme, having the team at home and safe with enough money to pay their bills has been a blessing.

However, whilst the grants and loans have been a welcome handout, our business has been left in a precarious position. Over 25 years in business we have experienced some ups and downs, but this one has taken the wind out of our sails.

Your name is in our book and therefore in our heart. We see your name regularly as we review our upcoming weeks. How does that old saying go - out of sight out of mind?

Please help us to build our reputation - take the time to review your experience with us. Every review lifts the team and allows us to celebrate when the team does a great job. Each month we randomly reward one Facebook reviewer with a complimentary cut and blow dry – remember, you have to be in it to win it.

Lastly, we want to thank you for your support, we are so very grateful, without you we would not have got this far. You are the meaning for our existence and we honour that with all we do. You are the heartbeat that keeps our business beating and however you are able to support us is appreciated more than mere words can express.

Yours Sincerely,

Barrie Stephen & Team

I do actuallu wonder if all the wiping of groceries is necessary but would not be brave enough not to do it. I chuckle to myself if OH picks up the post he holds it gingerly by a small corner and brings it to me for sanitizing (It has occurred to me he could actually do it himself. after handing it to me he quickly goes and washes his hands.. I don'y think he would be as careful if I was not around to see though. Not sure how good he is after golf, although he does take hand sanitizer (doesn't mean he uses it though.

We don't wipe anything down anymore, but we do wash our hands almost obsessively, apart from that we just observe normal hygiene. It's being near other people that we are still a bit wary of so we both have our face masks at the ready!!
Have just discovered that a several times G.Grandfather of Mr Fg had a sugar plantation in Jamaica! Oh dear, not a welcome find! Well, I think he is particularly interesting so the tale needs to be told not glossed over however unpalatable!

I have wondered too AnnG but it's bound to reduce the risk and the smaller the risk the better. I am surprised the food delivery drivers are not wearing gloves, but OH says they are probably using lots of sanitiser.

I haven't been out anywhere at all for over a fortnight now and OH hasn't since his hospital appointment, but we need to hand our prescriptions in tomorrow so may go the long way round to top up my car battery. At least the rain has washed the dust off the car. It's other people getting too close that puts me off going out Fg. You can keep the distance yourself but others come too close, even the staff in garden centres. I don't enjoy shopping at the moment.

Six from the travellers site have had prison sentences according to the paper. Two families feuding and a property set on fire. They were caught on their way back from Essex. To look at their site it looks like a very smart park of holiday homes with posh sliding gates.

Gill it was cloudy here last night, but I shall have a look if it is a clear sky tonight. Nice pic of the moon Mel, but I could only see one bright blob above the moon.

FG you think thats bad I have a baby farmer on my tree wwho was hanged in Hollaway Prison.

Amelia Sach 1866


Annie Walters and Amelia Sach, the “Finchley Baby Farmers”.
Annie Walters and Amelia Sach became the first women to be hanged in the new women's prison at Holloway on the 3rd of February 1903 by William Billington and Henry Pierrepoint. Previously, female executions in London had been carried out at Newgate prison.
Twenty nine year old Amelia Sach ran a "nursing home" which offered a haven for unmarried mothers to have their babies in and which, for a fee, claimed it would care for the infant afterwards. Sach told her clients that she could arrange for foster parents for the babies for an additional fee. Once the mother had left the baby with Sach, she would pass it over to 54 year old Annie Walters who would murder it, either with a dose of Chlorodyne (a morphine based drug that causes asphyxia in babies or by suffocation if the Chlorodyne didn’t work. The baby’s body would then be disposed of in the Thames or by burying it on a rubbish dump. Walters was neither literate or very bright and in 1902 decided take one of the babies home. She lived in rented accommodation and her landlord was a police officer. She told him that she was looking after the little girl while her parents were on holiday and his wife helped her change the baby's nappy. The policeman's wife noted that the little girl was actually a boy. A few days later, Mrs Walters told the couple that the child had died in its sleep and she seemed genuinely upset about his death.
A few months later she did the same thing again and this time her landlord became suspicious when this second child died. She was duly arrested and charged with the murder of the child, a 3 month old boy by the name of Galley. Further bodies were discovered from the information Walters gave the police and Amelia Sach was also now implicated in these murders. The police had enough evidence to charge them both with murder. Many items of baby's clothing were found by the police when they searched Sach's home and they may have murdered as many as 20 children.
They were tried at the Old Bailey on the 15th and 16th of January 1903, before Mr. Justice Darling. It took the jury 40 minutes to find them both guilty. They were taken back to Holloway and were hanged there by William Billington assisted by John Billington and Henry Pierrepoint on Tuesday, the 3rd of February in the newley constructed execution shed at the end of “B” Wing. On the day of her execution, Amelia Sach was in a state of virtual collapse in the condemned cell. Pierrepoint recorded in his diary the following, "These two women were baby farmers of the worst kind and they were both repulsive in type. One was two pounds less than the other (in weight) and there was a difference of two inches in the drop which we allowed. One (Sachs) had a long thin neck and the other (Walters) a short neck, points which I was bound to observe in the arrangement of the rope. Amelia Sach had to be almost carried to the scaffold while Annie Walters stayed quite calm and is said to have called out “Goodbye Sach” as she was hooded on the trapdoors. This was to be the last double female hanging in Britain.

The other star is very faint and to the left of the picture.

I am having trouble downloading my pics from the camera since this update and had a message saying they could'nt send the email so let me know if you have got it please.

Oh has murdered the lawn today. Frist he cut it then he scarified it and then he went with his invention of a grass collecter and picked it all up. He came back covered in grass cutting on his back of a fleece jacket.