Early Risers.

[Barry O]

Pan hagarty. .yes but that is not how our family call it.

 

Simple but effective and really a comfort food

 

Baz

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

pierce tin, put in pan of boiling water for what felt like ages, remove from water and take off lid

There was a newspaper once who gave precise instructions for boiling an unopened can of condensed milk for a number of hours to get something like caramelised fudge. You should have sat the thing in a pan of boiling water for a number of hours then let the can cool before opening.

 

Unfortunately the newspaper omitted to say that you had to put water in the pan.

[PhilJ W]

Back again. I got a reply from the shed company, my shed will be delivered some time between 12 and 5 this afternoon so fingers crossed. I've checked the Virgin Media website, the breakdown is apparently local but they don't expect it to be running until four in the afternoon which in IT speak does not of course say which afternoon. I've got three can openers, all are pretty ancient and have rarely if ever been used over the last twenty years or so. The reason being that I now rarely if ever use canned food. I prefer fresh food wherever possible and the microwave is useful for cooking vegetables, only takes a minute or two. The other cooking item I use is an air fryer, mine is one of the top end machines that can double as a small fan oven. Another advantage of the microwave is that I use the grill quite a lot and sometimes with things such as fish it can be difficult to be sure that the item is cooked through so a quick 30 second zap with the micro makes sure that its cooked right through. 

[Two_sugars]

pan Hagarty . . panakarty . . .panacklty . . . 

 

The spelling does not seem to affect the taste.

 

I think it was last year . . .maybe  longer, that Ma Ma Ma Matt Baker brought Countyfile to Easington and was touring the allotments.

He was re-introduced to this noted cuisine by one of the local ladies.

 

Morning all . . . finally caught up . . for how long, can only be speculation in  this corner of the nation.

Fine day up to now but heavy cloud rolling in from  the north west. 

 

Have a good day everyone, I'm orf to trim the lawn.

 

John

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Last night we went to bed early and this morning we both woke up late, it being well after 9 o’clock when I got out of bed! Anyway, the sun is shine and the sky is blue, but there are a few clouds about, some of which look a little grey. Now breakfast is but a distant memory I’ll head off downstairs and continue clearing away the rubbish stuff that might come in handy that has been stored there for the last 40 years or so. It’s slowly becoming clearer and hopefully by the end of the year a start will have been made on its refurbishment into a (model railway room).

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Today we have visitors but having carefully checked the relevant advice from HMG we will be compliant in respect of total numbers (6) and the make up of said numbers should we have to convene indoors instead of the planned use of the patio.  Fortunately the occasion will be accompanied by home made scones as a little snack to start things off  (Roddas' cream already to hand - the management doesn't mess about when it comes to cream for scones.  Even more importantly the main meal will be Oxfordshire made Cornish (family recipe) Pasties no doubt to the management's usual standard - as illustrated below just to keep your memories fresh (apologies to a particular ER who I know has taken a fancy to such delicacies but has thus far never had the chance to sample them).

 

And back to Sidmouth - fortunately they delivered said furniture, at very reasonable cost.  We found out when visiting the museum a couple of years back that the social make up includes 'the better-off' who have retired to the area and seem to get involved in various things in the town but without taking over although the lady who was running some educational thing for local youngsters had taught in the town for some years before retirement.  But as Chris said I think a large proportion of the population, and the shops, very much rely on the holiday season for a good part of their annual income.

 

Talking of shops a stroll round part of the town here the other day while Mrs Stationmaster was doing battle, largely successfully, in Waitrose revealed three recent shop closures in one street.  Whether we still have a dry-cleaner, cutter of keys and mender of shoes, or even a shop devoted to the sale of mobile 'phones etc, is now questionable.  The number of nail bars has also declined by at least one and probably two but we should no doubt be thankful to be getting yet another 'interior decoration' type shop instead of one of them.  Laura Ashley will no doubt go once their sale is complete as will the bespoke maker of ladies' hats who is also apparently offering substantial reductions - the latter meaning that Theresa May will have to buy her hats elsewhere in future.  It is of course rather awkward that we can no longer get shoes mended because for everyday use we can no longer buy them in the town either.  But most eateries still seem to be trading except the Greek restaurant which has changed into something else food wise (and looks no more inspiring for it)  which has slightly reduced the variety of offshore style food offerings to 'Indian' (4), 'Italian' (2), and 'Thai' (2), there is also a café which hints at being 'italian' but is in fact run by a Colombian/Polish married couple with a Polish cook, and we still have a branch of Café Rouge which despite its name seems, as ever, to have no idea what style of food it serves.   The only 'proper' (in British terms) 'Chinese' offering is takeaway which is also a chippy but the Sikh run chippy is much better.  But we won't be eating in any of them for a good while to come.

 

But who cares about that lot when pasties are promised later today?

 

Have a good day one and all and try to stay safe and dodge the 'spikes'

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

I remember opening tins of corned beef, luncheon meat and SPAM using an industrila tin opener many years ago..amazing bit of kit. Our moreasons tin opener has survived a fair length of time and has, a while ago, opened a Frey Bentos pie.

 

 

I just use a screwdriver to open my Spam cans - does far less damage to the body shell

 

Afternoon. Our neighbours funeral is today. He was vey ill from lung cancer a heavy smoker and only retired earlier this year before finding out that he had cancer.

[Barry O]

3 hours ago, Two_sugars said:

pan Hagarty . . panakarty . . .panacklty . . . 

 

The spelling does not seem to affect the taste.

 

I think it was last year . . .maybe  longer, that Ma Ma Ma Matt Baker brought Countyfile to Easington and was touring the allotments.

He was re-introduced to this noted cuisine by one of the local ladies.

 

Morning all . . . finally caught up . . for how long, can only be speculation in  this corner of the nation.

Fine day up to now but heavy cloud rolling in from  the north west. 

 

Have a good day everyone, I'm orf to trim the lawn.

 

John

John

My grandma lived in quebec before getting married whatever it was called in Easington is fine by me. She used to include bacon and then add great slices of corned beef into it before serving. Appears this is not on the new healthy food menus we are being urged to follow..pah!

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

39 minutes ago, Barry O said:

grandma lived in quebec before getting married

Did the one in County Durham just get the name or did any of the Québécois culinary delights also cross the Atlantic?

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I went to do a bit of eyelid inspection this morning when there was a knock on the door at about 11:30, it was the guys with my shed. It only took them half an hour  to put it together. I was fascinated by the 'hammer' that was used to fix the roofing felt. It had a conventional handle but the head was the size and shape of a packet of cigarettes. Every time he hit the roofing felt with it it inserted a staple, I thought its not a hammer that you would want to catch your thumb under. Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

Edited July 29, 2020 by PhilJ W

[Ian Abel]

HUMP DAY dawns...

 

Yesterday evening soiree was enjoyable and included me driving back - only just over a mile, was uncomfortable time we got home but thought I'd try it! Chalked up as a small success.

 

<RANT>

Rhetorically, WHY are most IT departments now apparently staffed by !@$%!@#% MORONS???

Attempting to connect to the "client" VPN this AM, a two-step authentication, never receiving the text message with the authorization code.

I dutifully email the client contact, forwarded then to their IT department whose FIRST question was, "What VPN are you using?"

Same team of idiots who had me switch from one VPN to another last year, for reasons known only to them, so WHY don't they ALREADY KNOWN what sodding VPN I use???

Arrghhh, as I write this, second email from IT , "Vendors are not typically authorized to use AnyConnect, do you have a network account with us?"

Apparently, the criteria for hiring IT staff is - DO YOU HAVE A PULSE!

Always include IN with COMPETENT when dealing with IT departments

<END RANT>

 

22 partly sunny, headed for 29.

 

Carpe diem

 

[simontaylor484]

Been waiting for the district nurse to come. She has dressed my leg and checked the circulation thats ok in both legs. There still swollen been measured for some compression stockings sound fetching just the thing for a Saturday night. 

 

 

[PatB]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

I was fascinated by the 'hammer' that was used to fix the roofing felt. It had a conventional handle but the head was the size and shape of a packet of cigarettes. Every time he hit the roofing felt with it it inserted a staple, I thought its not a hammer that you would want to catch your thumb under. Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

Indeed not. When I was 7 or so I tried an experiment with a small stapler, to see whether it would staple through my thumbnail. Somewhat unexpectedly (for the clueless child that I was) it did so with ease, driving the thin wire staple into the nail bed, and then bending it over, rendering extraction somewhat difficult. A valuable educational experience. 

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon all.

 

A nice warm one it is too though there was still a chill in the early morning air earlier.  Much remains to be done today after a night of somewhat interrupted sleep - refer to last night's post.  We have not heard further from Friend Downunder but the last couple of comments he made suggested he was pulling out of the darkest place.  One problem is that we cannot know for sure how things are unless he answers future messages.

 

In other news an unscheduled outing was required after lunch as the vet decided, after a phone call, that there needed to be an urgent consultation in the surgery.  Cat was duly crated and transported by tricycle (his usual but somewhat unorthodox means of making this journey) and we encountered the novelty of a vet surgery under current limitations.  Queue in the car park (in full sun today) rather than in the waiting room, check in via a mailbox in a doorway, mask-up (humans only and not required if exempt) and use the squirtilizer at the door as the vet escorts you in.  Screens within the consultation room and at the counter which is not currently in use as a counter.  Pay and re-book via the same mailbox through which the card reader could just about be poked for use.  

 

It appears Sir Furworthy Pawsface has a kidney infection.  Hopefully the shot of antibiotic will be enough - and he gets a booster in two weeks - otherwise it's much more expensive investigation ..... 

 

Garden requires water, laundry requires sunlight, dishes require the Fairy, bins require dealing with, dinner must be cooked and I still haven't managed my afternoon beer-in-the-sun on the lawn.  

 

I may be back later.  Or I might be exhausted!  Stay well.  

[TheQ]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Did the one in County Durham just get the name or did any of the Québécois culinary delights also cross the Atlantic?

Poutine?

[pH]

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I was fascinated by the 'hammer' that was used to fix the roofing felt. It had a conventional handle but the head was the size and shape of a packet of cigarettes. Every time he hit the roofing felt with it it inserted a staple, I thought its not a hammer that you would want to catch your thumb under.

Staple hammer or roofing hammer. Many roofs here are asphalt shingles, and that’s a standard roofers’ tool for fixing them. Here’s a top-of-the-line version from a local DIY store: 

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/dewalt-carbon-fibre-composite-hammer-tacker/1001044039

[New Haven Neil]

Well its not raining...that's about the most positive I can be about today's weather!  Rather average for April.  Shame its July and almost August.

 

Been trying to isolate a squeak in Mrs NHN's ride to work bike for a week, a recent 500 Honda.  rear suspension sound sort of thing, surprising as it has under 2k miles, and the linkage has hardly had time to dry out.  Lubricating everything anyway has failed to cure it. 

 

Taking her top box full of girlie stuff off did stop it though.  #sigh#  Life? Don't talk to me about life.....full-on Marvin moment.

[brianusa]

21 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

It is past time for bed.  The cat is unwell. A friend in Australia is in electronic conversation with SWMBO threatening to end it all.  It is going to be a long night.

 

 

Why do those who contemplate ending it all want to talk about such a drastic action?  Do they want to be talked out of it or just a sympathetic ear to their woes?  If they were really seriously thinking of it, surely the deed would have been done already! Trust it will have a happy ending and the cat gets better!

     Brian.

[Erichill16]

3 hours ago, PatB said:

Indeed not. When I was 7 or so I tried an experiment with a small stapler, to see whether it would staple through my thumbnail. Somewhat unexpectedly (for the clueless child that I was) it did so with ease, driving the thin wire staple into the nail bed, and then bending it over, rendering extraction somewhat difficult. A valuable educational experience. 

On a similar theme i once asked my mum why her thumb was deformed. The answer was she’d seen her mum ‘dry’ clothes with a mangle so tried to dry her hand with it. ‘Ouch!!!’

[Sir TophamHatt]

22 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

On a similar theme i once asked my mum why her thumb was deformed. The answer was she’d seen her mum ‘dry’ clothes with a mangle so tried to dry her hand with it. ‘Ouch!!!’

Wow! 

 

I've been pretty lucky and not broken anything or anything like that!

 

Mrs STH has only ever had one operation in her life so far too!

 

 

I've worked out that I can't watch Disney/Pixar's Up without crying at various points these days. Whether becoming a father has done it or really connecting with the very short story of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen I don't know but hey ho, I'm not afraid to admit I can be a cry baby sometimes... especially when stubbing my toe! 

[simontaylor484]

My wife and kids out me to shame when it  comes to pain and needles

 

2 long labours 30+ resulting in emergency c sections with minimal pain relief 

 

Then she broke her leg in Tenerife cost an arm and a leg literally luckily we were insured and could claim back Please if anyone goes on holiday get travel insurance the bill runs into thousands otherwise again hardly any pain relief 

 

Youngest falls bites through the skin between lower lip and chin blood everywhere doesn't cry has blood test take 10 tubes of blood no problem 

 

Eldest broke his arm no crying 

 

Me need hand holding for blood test, plasters removing anything. When I had op  a couple of years ago nurse has to hold my hand whilst they put cannula in nearly broke her hand 

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

Athelstan, Vikings and a vow ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/postcards-from-the-periphery-2020-04/

 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, brianusa said:

Why do those who contemplate ending it all want to talk about such a drastic action?  Do they want to be talked out of it or just a sympathetic ear to their woes?  If they were really seriously thinking of it, surely the deed would have been done already! Trust it will have a happy ending and the cat gets better!

     Brian.

My professional training says that many who talk will not carry out the act.  It isn't a reliable guide but it is viewed as a cry for help rather than "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish".  I remain wary any time such words are heard.  I work in a situation where we are constantly on watch for the unexpected.  That has occurred three times in as many years in front of my eyes and none of those were even on the radar.  They just seemed to walk out from nowhere.  There really is no sure way to tell.  

 

We receive training from The Samaritans as  part of the job. Not just for ourselves (because things do happen) but to give us a little help and some leads into talking with what the railway industry calls a "Person in a Precarious Position", otherwise a "Concern for Welfare".  I have also received training from several other professional sources over the years either as a part of what ever job I was doing or because I chose to undertake it simply through being a willing volunteer and - according to many a friend - having a "good listening ear".  

 

We have yet to hear back from Australia.  It is in his nature to go quiet for weeks then reappear with all manner of issues.  We know he was released from a drug rehabilitation unit, has a history of unstable and destructive relationships and is restrained from seeing his child ever again.  It's a complex and ongoing situation and a perfectly lovely chap has got himself into one awful mess (and it gets worse every time we hear from him) for reasons which no-one seems capable of understanding.

 

In other news the cat has improved very slightly since seeing the vet though has yet to eat or drink.  That is a concern as it is now over 36 hours since we know he did either.  But he did follow us outside tonight and had a short walk while we shut the greenhouse and watered the garden.  He has also moved off the sofa, has visited both beds and has wandered slowly around the flat.  I left him purring gently in the arms of SWMBO though not with his usual enthusiasm.  Fingers crossed.  

 

A rather busy day has come to an end.  It is time to place head on pillow and inspect the inner eyelids.  Sleep well one and all.  

[polybear]

38 minutes ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

I've worked out that I can't watch Disney/Pixar's Up without crying at various points these days. Whether becoming a father has done it or really connecting with the very short story of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen I don't know but hey ho, I'm not afraid to admit I can be a cry baby sometimes... especially when stubbing my toe! 

 

The one that gets me is Disney's Dumbo (the early 70's version) - the bit where Dumbo goes up the hill to see Mrs. D locked in the Wagon....

 

12 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Then she broke her leg in Tenerife cost an arm and a leg literally luckily we were insured and could claim back Please if anyone goes on holiday get travel insurance the bill runs into thousands otherwise again hardly any pain relief

 

 

The ones I have no time for are those that appeal for help to get little Johnny home from Thailand or wherever, who decided to go out there with no insurance and then promptly wrap a scooter around a tree.

I wonder how many are still going to Spain with no insurance, as it's now invalid even if you have it.

 

[simontaylor484]

That was the best £48 i ever spent 1 weeks insurance from the Post office