Tales of Chateau Midden

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

The Good Life ?

From Facebook Archives

16 July 2013 at 22:46

Very suburban-earth-mother this evening.

After watering the broad beans, pumpkins, courgettes, lettuce, beetroot, cabbage and sunflowers (with Thunderthighs’ help) I made about 8lb of blackberry, rhubarb and blackcurrant jam whilst liquidising another 2.5lb of blackberries and putting them through a sieve onto icing sugar preparatory to making an attempt at sorbet tomorrow.

Mr Melodeon Impressive!

Ms Telyn Very humbled by your efforts...

Darklady Blackberries! They're early!!

Ms KA Domesticated godess!!!

Henlady My class always loved your jam at brunch- and staff often popped in when they smelled the toast!

Bess Cavalier I've got a tub of half made pear and blackberry jam from last year in the freezer!

Really must find time to finish it off before the preserving season really gets under way.

Must get some nectarine vodka on the go as well!

Bentonbag The blackberries are last year's from the freezer - we didn't have the time

(or energy) to do anything with them last year. Mind you there are nice big green fruit on our early red-blackberry so they're not so far off!

Darklady I finally realised that! I've still got sloes & hips from last year

Miss Fiddle Ben, we're dancing at the Cumberland on Thursday and I have some jars - do you want them?

Bentobag No thanks - I'm working my way through the collection in the garage ....

Later The sorbet works!

So does the jam.

Darklady Yippee!

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Videography RIP Chivalry (?)

From Facebook Archives.

Tom Ranson was my first father-in-law

15 July 2012 at 14:18

Back from first trip to Sheffield ...

Thunderthighs got a camera for his birthday, which he used to take photos of buses (and a tram) in Sheffield, and I've just watched a video package he's made of them.

Mummy is impressed!

15 July 2013 at 22:39

RIP Tom Ranson, it would have been his birthday today.

A lovely man I'm glad to have known who showed us how to face the worst life can throw at us with grace, fortitude and humour.

15 July 2024 at 21.59

With it being so chilly and damp this evening I wore thick tights and a vest underneath my long sleeved dress to the WI meeting.

We had a Salsa man, he was very good.

But I did regret the vest and tights.

I mentioned this to himself.

His reply was "Well you should know better after your decades of experience chucking your body about."

Monday, 14 July 2025

The Age Of Chivalry

From Facebook Archives

14 July 2014 at 23:12

Yesterday Bazoukiboy came over to celebrate Thunderthighs' 18th birthday tea with us.

As it was such a humid day I was wearing shorts

(too hot for trousers too sticky for a skirt).

"You've got your legs out" says Bazoukiboy

"I don't think I've actually seen your legs for years ..."

"You've not missed much" says Fester.

Who says chivalry is dead?

Saturday, 12 July 2025

Birthday Tea Preparations

From Facebook Archives

12 July 2023 at 12.17

Fester comes into the office

"He got all the ket* on Monday, there's pizzas in the freezer and you're in control of the trifle..."

Sits down as I ask

"What about the birthday cake in the freezer?"

He gets up again and heads downstairs.

I ask "What would you do without me?"

"Less."

He has returned with coffee.

I hear a rustling.

"Oo have you got chocolate? Do I see chocolate over there?"

He gets his birthday bar out (not a euphemism)

"Do you want three squares or six?"

Silly question.

*see yesterday’s blog

Friday, 11 July 2025

Early First Ringtons

From Facebook Archives

10 July 2013 at 09:52

Thunderthighs came downstairs to go to college

"Oh I see Dad's up early!"

It was 9.30

I'm up at 7

and he reckons he's tired ...

10 July 2013 at 11:32

A first for Fester this morning - he's buying something over the 'phone using his debit card.

I know ... welcome to the 20th century ...

He'll learn to text next ...

Bess Cavalier I thought scientists were supposed to be at the cutting edge of technology, rather than us arty types who are far too ditzy to be able to push buttons in the right order!

10 July 2024 at 14.07

Today is Ringtons man's day.

I spotted him coming up the path, opened the door before he could knock and said

"He's not home yet. Come back at four o'clock."

Go upstairs calling to Thunderthighs

"Your father knows how much coffee he wants, and I'm not paying for it."

Settle down up here, hear the front door opening and shout down

"You've just missed the Ringtons man."

"Oh no I haven't. He spotted me and is turning the van around."…

Moments later they are in negotiation on the front step.

He is now in discussion with Thunderthighs as to whether there is enough ket* for his birthday tea on Friday.

Just read this out to him.

"I didn't see the pile of it when I asked."

"How could you miss it? It was a foot high.”

We have also just debated whether him buying me soft mints is guilt or wheedling his way into my good books.

*For those unfamiliar with the Geordie dialect ‘ket’ is rubbish food such mass produced ultra-processed cheap sweeties, cakes etc. Not to be confused with anything Ringtons makes which is all delicious and wholesome: I highly commend their Chocolate BrazilNut Biscuits.

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Living With Second Hand Anxiety

From Facebook Archives

8 July 2018 at 09:02

Felix hasn't been home since yesterday teatime.

Thunderthighs is wandering around with a face like a smacked arse.

If he comes and stares at me as if I can do something about it once more I think I shall scream.

Living with somebody else's anxiety is really really hard.

Mrs Leftfoot You're all up early?

Bentonbag It's the heat!

Actually I'm up and Thunderthighs is up. Ferretfingers is still in bed and Fester is lying in a darkened room watching telly and wearing nothing but a small towel.

Mrs Leftfoot I'm speechless.

Mrs Banjoman At least he has a towel. Although I wish I could now mentally unsee this image...

Mrs Leftfoot Thank goodness. I thought it was just me!

Mrs Poet It must be awful, Ben? You have my sympathy as well as my undying admiration.

Bess Cavalier Our Freddie hasn't been coming home much in this heat either, not even for his 10.00pm slice of ham. He's been staying out all night, shooting in for breakfast first thing, then out again.

Bentonbag Felix is back. All is well in Chateau Midden. Thunderthighs has decided he will go out after all. Teddy is looking through the back window and is not amused.

Henlady My cats are staying out too. Titus didn’t come home for two days. He had been at a neighbours for snacks I discovered. It’s the hot weather.

Monday, 7 July 2025

Bosom Pals

From Facebook Archives

7 July 2021 at 09:18

I've blogged https://bentonbag.blogspot.com/2021/07/cup-sizes.html

Feel free to share

“Cup Sizes

This week’s blogs seem to have developed a theme – entirely coincidental I assure you… I was delighted to learn in Bath that at least three of the Coven are also loyal listeners of BBC Radio’s More or Less (if you are not I urge you to give it a go). We started chatting about a recent episode that included an item on bra sizes and measurements.“

Miss Doozer https://www.booborbust.com/ BOOBORBUST.COM Boob or Bust Bra Calculator. I am assured that this is a very good alternative to the 'band and cup' method which does us such a disservice

Miss Fiddle There is a boob or bust group here on fb. Their measuring method is brilliant!

Woolerwoman 'More or Less' is one of my favourite programmes and bra sizes one of the most puzzling things in the world. I have quite small breasts volume wise but because they are quite far apart the tape measure insists that I'm a DD!

It is getting harder and harder to try bras on too! A small local business based in Alnwick/Rothbury was forced out of that side of the business because manufacturers were no longer interested in supplying the small quantities (ahem) they could sell!

It's been on my bucket list for several years to get down to Sadie or Bravissimo for a proper fitting. (I've gone from size 8 to size 14 following development of osteoporosis and subsequent fractures, so just doing what I used to do no longer works.)