If It Wasnae Fur Yer Wellies

Carter Bar 2016

Happy St Andrew’s Day

We had a dusting of snow overnight, but it was worse thirteen years ago if this Facebook memory is anything to go by...

30 November 2010 at 10:21 

Thunderthigh had to walk to the end of the street to get his taxi.

Ferretfingers’ transport couldn't get out of its own estate so we have him home again.

He wore his wellies all day yesterday and plans to do the same today.

Miss Fiddle  Inside as well as out? 

Bentonbag  From breakfast to bath time.

👢👢👢

This memory reminds me of his uncle, Bigbrother, who one Christmas put on his wellies shortly after breakfast on Christmas Day and didn’t remover them until after Boxing Day.   

We only have Sister-in-law’s word that he actually took them off to sleep.

🖋🖋🖋

Warning

Advent starts tomorrow together with much busyness and socialising, so I’m afraid blogs will be thin on the ground.

Sean Bean's Thighs

I believe it was the doyenne of tv critics, Nancy Banks Smith of the Guardian, who wrote, of an adaptation of LadyChatterley’s Lover:

"Plus the latest gamekeeper wasn't as sexy as Sean Bean in the role who had an arse worth remembering on a dull evening"

(and raises the femme d'un certain age's temperature on a snowy morning)

This happy memory was prompted by a trawl through Facebook memories which brought up this short and sweet post…

29 November 2013 at 13:38

Noticed Troy is on again tonight - can I cope with Sean Bean's thighs with Fester away in Sheffield?

Cold Caller Baiting #27 Sky Scam

Two days in a row!

Facebook Archives

26 November 2021 at 09:42

I regularly get cold calls telling me the warranty has run out on my washing machine and how they are phoning to renew it.

Questions such as 

"Where did I buy the washer then?" or 

"What make is it?" 

go unanswered or with 

"We haven't that information" or 

"It's an automatic front loader."

And once, famously, "We can't tell you because that information is confidential under the Data Protection Act."

New one today 

"We're ringing to renew the insurance on your Sky television equipment."

"Well that will be interesting since I've never had any Sky television equipment."

Paddington  I like the one where they say your computer’s running slow/badly or whatever they say is wrong I ask them which one as we have 3 in the house. I'm usually greeted with silence.

Bentonbag  We have 3 desktops working in the office, another older retired one unplugged, 3 laptops and I've lost count of the tablets Thunderthighs and Ferretfingers have between them.

Ms Exlibris  When my mum lived at home, she had 3 different insurance policies on her very old Sky box because of these calls.

Drummerman  We find that talking about double glazing when they say there’s a problem with our Windows is good for a little innocent fun…

Oneupmanship?

Since the last blogpost I have:-

    Been to a LDNE Finance Sub Committee meeting (as good as it sounds)

    Phil’s last auntie’s funeral, which was surprisingly lovely, as was seeing his cousins and niece.

    Driven to Chesterfield to spend the weekend with Middlesister.

    Had a WI meeting making baubles.

    Spent a day in bed trying to shake off this bug.

    Taken both boys for their dental checkups.

    Had an evening with Mrs Eft and friends I’ve not seen for decades.

    Been to knit and natter.

The lurgie has settled on my chest and Thunderthighs says I am “coughing like an old banger” (meaning a car).

Hence no energy for blogs and nothing in the archives for today…

So I’ve had a look back to ones you might have got had I the health and strength to dig them out

Facebook Archives 

22 November 2013 at 09:46 

50 years ago today Dad passed his driving test on a cold wet Welsh November day. 

I remember because I was sitting trying to get warm on the hearthrug next to the coal fire (whistling kettle whispering to itself) and Dad came in with a joyful 

"I passed".

Mother comes out of the kitchen drying something on a tea-towel and says "President Kennedy's been shot."

I'm not sure whether that was the ultimate oneupmanship with news or wetblanketing putdown.

Bess Cavalier  Funnily enough, I was sitting by an open fire as well, waiting for Mum to come and read to us before bedtime.  I remember her saying she was too upset to read just now because President Kennedy had been shot.  It was my first real moment of awareness of events in a wider world.

Darklady  I was watching a film at the Astra Cinema on RAF Colerne in Wiltshire when the film stopped, the lights came on & Some bod in uniform told us the news of Kennedy's death.  Forgotten which movie just remember everyone filing out in utter silence.

Kippa  I heard it on AFN while searching for radio pirates on a huge radio that my family had recently acquired.

Should add that the rest of the family were in the front room watching the TV which we acquired at the same time. My mother did not want to believe me when I went through to tell her the news. It seemed like ages before the sad news appeared on the telly.

McChurch  I was off the coast of Scotland on HMS Venus.  The first we knew was on daily orders for the following day, with the comment that we were not expecting to go to a heightened degree of readiness.

Stop The Music

Another hiatus due to taking to my bed with the lurgie for two days  

(not Covid), a lovely long quiet weekend away and general busyness.   

Away again this weekend, and next few weeks are filling up!

The following Facebook archive post was inspired by A Point of View: Why it's time to turn the music off - BBC News, It's necessary in order to rediscover its true value, says Roger Scruton.bbc.co.uk

It seems the proper time to share it now the Xmas retail season music is upon us..

15 November 2015 at 16:18 

Piped/background music is a huge problem for Ferretfingers and I'm heartily sick of having to ask for it to be turned down or off so that we can enjoy a meal.

Yesterday we walked out of a cafe in Alnwick because I didn't have the heart to have to explain yet again, before a room full of strangers staring at his ear defenders, what the problem was. 

We found an empty cafe and had a nice meal in silence with understanding staff.

Don't get me wrong - I like music.

I also like sex, but I don't want that forced on me either.

Squireen  Back ground music is annoying in public places.  You and Ferretfingers shouldn't have to ask for it to be turned down/off.  We should not be subjected to it.

Mrs Leftfoot  I nearly choked!!!  Heard the same item this morning.  Was thinking of it whilst in M&S earlier...

Mr Melodeon  It is amazing to me how the top rated places to live have their status due to 'quiet and peacefulness'.  Yet, it is not promoted in city living.  There seems to be a strange paradox in this

Bentonbag  Seriously thinking about rejoining Pipedown the campaign for freedom from piped music

Mr Melodeon  We are members and Mrs Melodeon in particular has had some success. We have for some years now a quiet swimming hour for the first Saturday swim session at our pool.  It is bliss - peace for meditation in the sauna too.  Marvellous!

Sandy  Co-op's have started playing music (their in house radio station with crap ads) so loud I can't concentrate.  It becomes difficult to remember what I need unless I've got a list. Plus (of course) they only ever play utter crap.

Mrs Melodeon  Argh!  What is it with the Co-op trying to deafen customers!  Today I left without buying much and asked the guy at the checkout why it was so very loud. This was met by a shrug.  Only when I told him I was not prepared to shop there did he say he would turn it down next time I go in.  Ha!

Bentonbag  I took Ferretfingers for his annual medical at our GPs this afternoon where he had to ask, very loudly, at least three times for the radio to be turned off.  Radio BBC Newcastle  play crap music in the afternoon too, and the patter's not much better.   

When I've complained before I've been told it's so that patients can't overhear what's being said at the reception desk!

Mrs Melodeon  I've heard this excuse too.  What happened before radio was introduced?

Sandy  Well I do know someone living in a small village, who found out that way that his (now ex) girlfriend was pregnant (not his).

Mrs Melodeon  Oh dear!

Cat Tales #34 The Intruder

From Facebook Archives

6 November 2022 at 15.07

So I go into Ferretfingers's room for something and who should I find sitting, bold as brass, on his pyjamas?   

Jessie-cat from No3 (I belive) the cat that isn't our cat.  

It's bad enough she's smothered the succulents in my window box and has to be regularly chased off the cat bowls in the kitchen. It's got to the point where we can't leave the back door open without she sneaks in.

I wonder if her owners know.

I actually had to pull the pyjamas out from under her to get her to move!  She's far too grumpy and growly a cat to pick up and throw out.

Mrs Quilt  She definitely has that warning look in her eye!

Bentonbag  To be fair she's probably wondering if I've got the mister in my hand.   

I've had it set to a thin stream, which goes a long way, and got her with it a few times when she's been bullying my boys in the back garden.   

It would help if the man of the house stopped feeding her - she's got him trained.   

The other day she actually mewed to be let in our back door.

Madame Fifi  She's lovely.

Bentonbag  Madame Fifi: to look at!   

Madame Fifi  You know what I'm like with kitties.  She would win me over, same as the man of the house.   

Mrs Quilt  Madame Fifi:  Look at her eyes!  That's a warning if ever I saw one!

Bentonbag  Every time I sit down one or other of mine wants to sit on me.   

When I lie down in bed trying to do the crossword one of them is always on my chest (makes filling it in a pain) and decides to try and sit on my shoulder so I can't see the paper anyway.  The ginger git sleeps at the foot of the bed, or between us nailing the duvet down, or on the side by my knees so I have to clumber over him to get out for a wee.  The black&white one just wants to sleep on my head, or my face if I'd let him.   

I end up lying in a question mark shape.  No wonder I'm always knackered.  And of course we can't shut the bedroom door or they'd dig the carpet up on the landing.

Madame Fifi  Bliss.  My Oscar used to lie on my head in bed.  He used to wash my hair, it was lovely but I'd end up with a matted clump of saliva guncked hair.  My ladies used to get under the duvet, one under each armpit

Bess Cavalier  Next door's cat spent yesterday afternoon on our spare bed.  As we no longer have our own cat it's not a problem.  She went home when Mrs Nextdoor came home later in the afternoon.

🐈🐈🐈

I am reliably informed that Jessie is a male, as in Jessie James.