This Time Last Year

Due to the present unpleasantness we haven’t been away since January.

Scouring the archives for something to write about I found this report on our August Bank Holiday Weekend 2019 trip when things were very different …

Warning, contains nudity …

30 August at 12:48

Thunderthighs wanted to visit Brighton to ride on Volk's Electric Railway.

We'd left our sunhats at home so bought news ones off a Senegalese street trader — in Brighton

Mrs Leftfoot This is a really lovely photo of the two of you. X   

Bentonbag Ferretfingers took it.

From Brighton we took the bus to Eastbourne (scenic route via Beachy Head) where I was struck by this statue's resemblance to Sharpe (it was the chapeau wot did it).

Fester braved the traffic to read the plaques.

It wasn't Napoleonic but a general remembrance of the Royal Sussex Regiment (quite a lot about Malta?!) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

30 August at 20:45

As we were in an elderly Premier Inn there was no air conditioning, but there was a fan. 

The temperature was 27*. 

His father's son stripped off and watched Mastermind (?) on the tv and something else on his tablet, both with subtitles; however hot it got the ear defenders stayed on.

(One for you Mrs Leftfoot )

For one glorious moment I thought he was volunteering to have a bath.

Mrs Leftfoot I'm speechless.

31 August at 12:00 – NewhavenFort

Actually this was a very interesting information board:  the only one I've seen with translations into French, German and Dutch.

Bess Cavalier We went to Newhaven Fort in July.  Excellent day out.

Bentonbag I kept thinking I should tell you about it because you would like it - now I don't need to.

 

 

 31 August at 15:22 

We met up with Bigsister, her husband and brother-in-law and climbed to the top of Newhaven Fort.

(to me this looks like the cover of an Enid Blyton book)

1 September at 10:18

Starting the journey home:

Newhaven to Brighton, 

Brighton to St Pancras 

and then to Kings Cross 

for the train back North.

 

Cat Tales #16 Aloft & Listing

As I may have mentioned previously, 2012 was our Annus Horribilis.

One good thing was getting the loft extension made so Thunderthighs could have his own room.  

It seemed fitting that my share of the old family home should be used to benefit a new family home.  But having major reconstruction brings with it quite a lot of stress.   

Thank fully no one could accuse me of being house proud.

Amongst the many horrible things in that year was Matilda cat getting an inner-ear infection, requiring her to be medicated twice daily – which was no fun for anyone concerned.

Here’s how we discussed it on Facebook.

30 August 2012 at 10:14 ·

The staircase arrived yesterday in kit form so I'm sitting here listening to two grown men doing a 3d jigsaw ...

later I've just ventured out onto the landing ...

You know when people say "the house looks like a bomb's hit it"?

Well mine honestly does ... no really ... not the usual mess but half a staircase up to the loft with the top half separated from the bottom, threequarters of the landing ceiling down but the laths still there and the stairs strewn with lumps of plaster, wood, polystyrene tiles, ladders and tools and the landing light (on) hanging by its flex at a very funny angle from apparently nothing.

Kippa Oh dear.

30 August 2012 at 23:26 · ·

Of course, now the stairs are half in and the ceiling mostly out, who is the first family member up into the new loft?

 

Felix cat.

 

Much to Thunderthighs's horror and trepidation ...

and now of course his feet are completely black 

(Felix's not Thunderthighs's)

 

Matilda cat is now walking with much less of a list, but still prone to falling over all of a sudden particularly if startled. It's getting much harder to get her medicine and tablet into her as she knows what's coming, tries to get away, falls over, growls a lot and drools all over the place once it's done. And the Purina biscuits and sardine afterwards is not helping her mood at all.

Henlady Pleased to hear of Matilda's progress. Have you tried the medicine in pate?

Bentonbag Oh yes - fish paste worked a couple of times but she's wised up to that

Bentonbag All suggestions welcome though :}

Mr Melodeon We used to wrap Bagpuss in a warm towel, one of us held him and the other gave the medicine.

Bentonbag I've been doing it solo, the towel helps though

Mr Melodeon Good. It does make it more comfortable for all parties!

Bentonbag I think Matilda might have a different opinion on that.

Mr Melodeon Ok, fair enough. Perhaps she would prefer the old way. I presume then it only helps you so is only half a success.

Bentonbag The liquid medicine isn't so bad if you quickly find a gap and squirt (preferably when she's swearing at you) it's getting the tablet in that's hard - she's twigged to it being hidden in soft cheese and fish paste and sardine so we're running out of options other than grabbing her by the scruff of the neck and forcing it between her jaws.

Mr Melodeon That's the way. When she is wrapped up papoose style, gently squeeze open her jaws where they are hinged. Take the pill with a pair of tweezers or tongs and pop the pill in. Gently hold her mouth shut until she swallows the pill. One of our cats failed to do this but others were fine. Hope this helps.

Another Couple

… of short Facebook posts

29 August 2015 at 11:21 ·

Neighbour just rang to ask me to feed her cats. She's off to Aviemor so I suggested she take a trip up the Cairngorm.

"Oh yes" she says "you did that on the ventricular railway"

#MrsMalaproplives

29 August 2016 at 18:03 ·

Sitting with my boys waiting for the 55 bus I spotted a boxy turquoise car crossing the junction.

"Oh! Thunderthighs look, there's a twin for our car."

"Mum, that's a Panda not a Multipla."

"Well it's much the same shape and colour, it could be its baby sister."

The look he gave me after the huge sigh was more pitying than withering.

 

Madam Lili I get that ...the withering "come on mum” look it’s great ...embrace it now I do ...

 

Mrs Poet Good to hear you are out and about...fully recovered or pale and wan?*

Bentonbag  Taking it gently Mrs Poet. 55 to Newcastle, X15 to Morpeth and a half hour stroll to charity shops, X18 to Warkwork, village stores for picnic supplies (sarnies, crisps, choccy), stroll to river for picnic on bench, stroll up river then uphill to castle, through moat and back down main street to bus stop for x18 back to Haymarket.  Lovely sunny day and good views from the top deck.  A change is as good as a rest and to build up a little stamina.

 *This query was because at the time I was recovering from my first ever (and please God only) chest infection:  a real stonker that laid me out for 3 days, waking up in hot and cold sweats.  Horrendous.

Rebuilding the Bower

Facebook post 28 August 2017

It being a Bank Holiday we didn't go to the community centre to water the allotment garden.

So I set Ferretfingers to cutting back next door's ivy (at her request). 

He's not responsible for all that heap of cuttings; just most of it.

 

In 1991, recuperating from the ileostomy operation which removed the tumour in his bowel, my first husband Phil built me a bower in the back garden, which we planted with sweet roses (Zephirine Drouhin). 

 

In September 1992, during his last week at home we would walk to the end of the garden and sit on the bench, him plucking the fruits from the fuchsia to encourage more flowers for the bees.

 

Time has taken its toll and the top trellis finally rotted and fell apart last year.

The posts and side trellises are ok.

 

Today I girded my loins and cut back all the excess forsythia, bramble, ivy etc. which had grown around and through it. Using leftovers from house and garden repairs, old tights and boot laces; 

I've put two small beams on top of the posts supporting a new trellis top.  The roses and honeysuckle that had grown up so high have been pulled down and laid across it. I've no doubt the forsythia, ivy and brambles will all come back under their own steam.

 

Mind you, when it all needs repairing/replacing in another 26 years I'm pretty sure I won't be the one doing it.

Comment from Thunderthighs "How did you do that? You're not a carpenter."
To which I replied "No. But I am a woman and a mother and an ingenious and intelligent one at that."

 

A Couple of

... short Facebook posts

27 August 2010 at 09:29 ·

All packed and ready to go to London for the weekend - which will be spent on public transport systems - oh joy oh effin rapture

DW Infinitely preferable to trying to navigate your way by car... Unless you intend to do so before 6am.

Bentonbag  I didn't mean the journey down by train which, as you say, is infinitely preferable - 

I was referring to Thunderghighs' intention of traversing as much of the Tube, trams and overground railways he can fit into 2 days.  I think he only has 2 lines to tick off his list of London Underground routes he has travelled, mostly from one end to the other.

 

27 August 2012 at 11:07

Quote of the week from Cousin Daisy with regard to our mutual, recently deceased, Uncle:

"Well, we're not in the will pet because he never made one, or if he did the bugger's hidden it so well no one can find it"

I expressed some surprise that my ex-copper, fully compos mentis, apparently well organised Uncle had died intestate, aged 91.

"Your Bigsister nearly had a stroke when she heard."

"Well to every cloud there's a silver lining."