Tales of Chateau Midden: December 2025

Wednesday, 31 December 2025

24 Ways to Create a More Peaceful Home

Yesterday I prepared a nice blog full of New Year messages.

Then this morning this reel/meme came up in Facebook Memories and my and my friends’ reactions to it made me smile.

So here it is

31 December 2024 at 08.38

"Play gentle background music" FFS! This person has obviously never tried living with an autistic person and has little consideration for the hard of hearing, for whom background music is a real inconvenience. Play music and listen to it, it took skill and dedication to create; don't use it as chewing gum for the ears.

There's also far too much about cleaning and decluttering; however then you're meant to add plants, artwork, photos and meaningful personal items and "Set up a cozy reading nook".

Personally I'd rather go with Max Erhmann's Desiderata

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence."

https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html

Not in the best of fettles this morning, as you may have noticed...

Dulcima How big a house are we talking about here? My cosy reading nook is my sitting room.

Bentonbag Quite; chair in bay window with pouffe, chaiselongue with reading light, or bed (if poorly)

Miss Doozer Here's my guess. The post was created by AI. The music was created by AI, as was the artwork and 'meaningful personal items'. The AI has an AI to clean and declutter, and AI kids that fold up and slot into their chargers when not in use, along with the air purifying plants. The AI's job is reading and meditation, then creating meaningless posts like these.

Meanwhile, normal humans obey the second law of thermodynamics (chaos always increases) and we trip over stuff, pets and one another, a lot.

Bess Cavalier The only one I agree with is investing in comfortable furniture, which seems to contradict the art gallery vibe of all the other suggestions!

Bentonbag Which begs the question "who the heck invests in uncomfortable furniture?"

Bess Cavalier People who are more concerned about style and image than making a welcoming home.

Squireen I aspire to clear work surfaces. Couldn’t cope with the aromic smells

Bentonbag I have similar aspirations but that's as far as they get. I need the aromic smells to cover the ones from places we don't like to think about.

Meanwhile I'm leaving the Old Year with the Irish Prayer, although having got down on my knees I shall need a hand getting up again.

A happy, healthy and peaceful New Year to us all.

Tuesday, 30 December 2025

Cards Plans Dolly

From Facebook Archives

30 December 2009 at 13:10

Have just got back from buying next year's Christmas cards half price in the charity shops on Shields Road, Byker

FifiD Were they free???!!!!! Xx

30 December 2012 at 16:41

Overnight stay in Sheffield booked on-line.

Train tickets for Mummy's Trip To London For Bigbrother's 70th booked on-line.

Next to look into Scotland train trip @ half-term and Wales @ Easter. This time last year I had everything booked up until November, but I haven't had the hwyl this year.

Mr Paddington My best man and best friend lives in Sheffield so if you need any local gen you know where to come.

Mr Mull Do think about coming over to Mull!

Bentonbag I've promised the boys we will. The Family Railcard runs out this month so Thunderthighs has been ordered to pick up a 16-25 leaflet and when that's done we'll be off for the Freedom of Scotand Travel Pass (Fester has his >60s and Ferretfingers and I go on his Disabled Person's Card). The question is can we realistically do Newcastle-Tobermoray by train in one day or should we stop overnight in Oban and get the first ferry over?

Mr Mull The first question is what day & dates would you be travelling on? After that I can let you know what the options are. Different days have different travelling options. If you message me that would be great.

30 December 2019 at 23:31

This maybe showing off (ok it is) but this is the dolly my great-niece found in her Xmas box.

Dolly and yarn came from charity shops,

Doc Martens' box covered with shiny paper, knitting by me (including knickers).

Reuse, recycle, regift.

Mrs Lasagne She’s lovely Ben, I bet she loved it xx. They are the best sort of presents so much work and thought put into it xxxx❤️

Bentonbag It's what I enjoy doing so it's a win-win. By the way, have you got Moana dolly's waist measurement?

Mrs Lasagne You are so kind. I will measure her 😘

Bess Cavalier Love the little teddy.

Bentonbag Mum and Dad were RAF so I like to buy something off the RAFA stall. There's a rubber duck looking for a good home.

Post Script

This yearBarnardo’s were selling their cards at £1 a pack (of 10) and 7metre gift wrap at £1 a roll.

We made it to Mull in the February of 2013 and had a magical picnic with Mr & Mrs Mull at Calgary Bay. It was so warm we were able to go barefoot on the sand.

Monday, 29 December 2025

Party Wax Plan

From Facebook Archives

29 December 2023 at 09.36

Yesterday I had a delightful afternoon at the Springfield Community Association children's party. The kids were all lovely, the parents grateful, there were plenty of helpers and all I had to do was turn up and do as I was told.

Today up at 07.25 to take Thunderthighs to his 08.10 ear irrigation appointment in Forest Hall.

The health assistant was a little lady who loved her work.

"Ooo lovely and full ... great job satisfaction … I see you've been oiling them ... the wax is shining back at me."

Two lovely big plugs came out and his ears are now clear.

Today's plan is:-

Shields Road charity shops for next year's cards (not that we need any but might see something useful)

Goose stew making

Sunday, 28 December 2025

Pleasure Delayed

From Facebook Archives

28 December 2022 at 11.41

Postlady has just been.

Cards from people we thought had forgotten us; including one from Bigsister with the boys' gifts in.

Thunderthighs had just got back from banking his uncle and auntie's cheque so was delighted to see it was cash.

I made him phone her and my Middlesister was still there, so they both got to have a nice, happy stress-free chat with him.

There was also a package addressed to Fester.

He hadn't been able to get a page-per-day Dr Who calendar in the shop so they organised for it to be sent by post, but the strike got in the way.

So he'd bought Thunderthighs an ordinary Dr Who calendar (if such a thing exists).

I gave Thunderthighs the resealed package in the kitchen.

"Is this for me? Really!"

He was so pleased he dashed upstairs to the office and barged in with a delighted

"What can I say!"

Almost better than if it had worked out as planned.

Mrs Walker Lovely to see delight in simple things!

Saturday, 27 December 2025

Finding My Tribe

From Facebook Archives

27 December 2022

Remembering my mother visiting the Squireen and me when we were flatmates.

"Who dusts?" she asked

"No one" I answered

"So I noticed"

then

"You should have a rota for that sort of thing."

Oh how we laughed…

Tylebach Hahaha

Mrs Walker What's dusting?

Bentonbag It's good when you find fellow members of your tribe.

Mrs Walker I'm a fully paid up member!

The Goddaughter Mam still doesn't dust and I apparently have a dust allergy (which may have just been my asthma in disguise)

Friday, 26 December 2025

Growing The Xmas Pudding Fun Run

For many years my Boxing Day was dominated by the Woodlawn School Xmas Pudding Fun Run. Over that time it grew from a few hundred to well over a thousand runners. Then came Covid and I finally escaped the PTA and other people took up the baton.

I’ve lifted these posts from today’s Facebook Memories, some from my own page and others from the pages we created to publicise the Run.

Sometimes the weather got in the way…

26 December 2009 at 09.58

Woodlawn Xmas Pudding Fun Run due to take place on Whitley Bay links this morning at 10.30am has been cancelled due to ice - they couldn't get the safety and catering vehicles on it was so slippy so no way the run could take place.

26 December 2011 at 14.50

The Woodlawn Xmas Pudding Fun Run 2011 - probably the twentyfifth run (we lost count) - on Whitley Bay sea front - Boxing Day - over 700 runners ranging from the highly competitive and competent to fancy dress fun runners, aged from primary school to at least one septuagenerian.

A lovely morning of fun racing and fundraising.

Ernextdoor Opps sorry forgot Ben x hope it was a good turn out x x

Bentonbag No worries - over 700 people which is wonderful after we were all so anxious after last year's cancellation and postponing the year before

Ernextdoor Let’s hope you raised lots and lots of money for the cause x x x

26 December 2012 at 16.51

811 runners in Woodlawn's Boxing Day Xmas Pudding Fun Run - almost a record number.

Well done and thank you to North Shields Poly Runners for all your hard work on the logistical, marshalling and registrations side.

Thank you to Tom Wilson of NTyneside council events department for the PA system and bringing the minibus full of puddings, tables etc. from school.

Thank you to everyone else who helped (putting up posters etc)

Thanks to Alan Campbell MP for starting it and staying around right to the bitter end to see the last runners come home.

And most of all thanks to all the runners - I take my hat off to you ...

Happy New Year and see you next year (if we're spared)

Mr Gobiron We drove past some of the runners and wondered what the event was. Had meant to check on tha intarwebs but in the FB age, the information seeks /you/ out.

Bentonbag For the past few years one of my best Christmas moments has been driving to Whitley Bay on Boxing Day and spotting runners warming up because, however much work we've put into publicity etc there's always that little worrying niggle that nobody will turn up. So to come up over the Panama Dip and see the Spanish City with hundreds of runners gathered always makes me grin with glee as I think to myself "I helped make this happen!" Always lifts my mood.

26 December 2016 at 14.46

By our calculations (by subtracting the number of bags we had left from 1000) there were 896 runners.

A RECORD!

Thank you so much to everybody who turned out to run, everybody who helped set up the Run, did the planning, worked on the registrations, handed out bags, helped publicise the Run with Facebook shares and Twitter re-tweets, I'm naming no names because I'm sure to leave someone out.

It wouldn't have happened without you.

Thank you all for making my Christmas

26 December 2017 at 12.35

Thank you to everyone who made today's Run a recordbreaker.

We had over a thousand runners, last year it was 883.

We only had a thousand pudding and certificate Start Fitness bags prepared so apologies to anybody who missed out.

We just never expected to see so many wonderful people.

When we have the final entry numbers (and proceeds!) I'll post them here.

update at 16.36

Mrs Treasurer has counted all the entries 1066.

21% up on last year.

Phenomenal!