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Afternoon All Not much left over here, though enough for a slice of the very tasty chicken crown which we had yesterday with some ham, mash and some veg - that's tomorrows dinner. Todays is shin of beef cooked in the slow cooker for 8 hours yesterday in a rich gravy with veg. Happy Boxing Day to my fellow ERs - for us, this year Boxing Dax really meant BOXing day as the packing continues apace. No doubt this afternoon some midwives will be called on the recorder. Regards to All Stewart

I couldn't agree more - one of my "investments" was a 70cl Golden Cask bottling of 20yo, single cask, un chillfitered Caol Isla bottled at cask strength, numbered bottle. It was on the whisky shelf in a castle in the South Of Scotland, and somebody had just gone along the row of Golden Cask bottles with a price gun set at £24.99 - all the others were correctly priced - the woman assistant on the shop remarked that "We had loadsa them, an they never went oot o the shoap sae quick before" I'll bet there were some real rarities being under sold - I think mine should have been £124.99. Well I sat on it, sat on it, and sat on it again, until I REALLY wanted a decent dram - so I opened this nectar of the Islay gods, and savoured it over a good few weeks. I had enough left for a couple of decent glasses, and one of our neighbours came round, and his son had just turned 18 - I asked if he would like to try a couple of my malts - he willingly accepted, and we started with a Pedro Ximinez finished Lagavulin, and progressed through Talisker to Ardbeg. I then got the last of the Caol Isla out, and he drank it like he'd been drinking whisky for years, not minutes. That was about 20 years ago, and he never forgot it, and now he sometimes gives me a good bottle from his acquisitions and reminds me of the time that we shared that last two glasses of the rare one. He now does have a few bottles laid down for posterity - the ones upwards of £300 a bottle.

I Believe - the Batchelors

Merry Christmas, Dave Keep up the modelling and just as importantly, keep our endless need for pictures of your fantastic layout filled. Regards Stewart

Morning All As promised - here to wish you all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS We were up at 6 this morning to check some of the overnight sales, but there was nothing that 30747 wanted. She has been after a certain piece by Swarovski for two or more years - and it has never gone into the sale - same again this year - at least this year she did not ask me to get the computer fired up at midnight. Enough of the moaning - I will not be having my pill that is contra indicated with alcohol today, and didn't last night, so that I can at least have a lunchtime small(ish) glass of the 18yo Talisker which I got as a Christmas present. Regards to All Stewart

And here's an early happy christmas greeting from Lily sitting beside the bin planter

My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli

Afternoon All Sorry I've been missing in action again - largely down to things being very busy here - though the house move, just seems to be snailing its way along. So with a bit of skipping we're here and offering the now obligatory generic greetings, and a PROMISE of a visit tomorrow morning to proffer season's greetings. Tomorrow's dinner is partly prepared (I've got the prawns out to start thawing) and as there's only two of us, and ALL the free range corn fed chickens in Lidl were almost the size of a small turkey, we instead bought a deluxe range free range chicken crown with winter fruit stuffing, which if it is as delicious as it sounds and looks will do us well. Anyway, here's another bit of Christmas cheer from Foxes and Fossils. Back tomorrow, and that's a promise. Regards to All Stewart

On The Road Again - Canned Heat

She's A Woman - a Beatles B Side

Hi Jim, The subway used to be even better when the original trains ran - electrified from cable hauled, when there was the gripper car, and a trailer. They were only painted on one side, as the other side never got seen by the travelling public - and the smell - ah yes a slightly dank, mushroomy smell from the fungus growing in the tunnel walls. Last time I visited Glasgow (some years ago) that smell was still present.

Now on with the game Dance Me To The End Of Love - Leonard Cohen

But here's a better version

Afternoon All Mog and fist here all day - burnt off for about an hour, then came back down again - now very chilly and dank - seems to be throughout the whole of the UK judging from posts on here. Had to go and visit a former neighbour, whom we have now known for over 25 years, and she has become a friend now. She has not ventured out very much, and she still had our birthday presents from February and May - we had forgotten them, but she hadn't. Three bottles of vino, to add to the three that we had, a nice port, and three bottles of malt whisky - I am quite looking forward to the end of my tablets so that I can indulge a little. Most posts rated, and all posts read (not something that I can say all that often). And the usual greetings of the generic variety to all fellow ERs whether ailing or celebrating. The "final" of that dance show will be ignored, as I feel that they should at least have got the last couple to be eliminated back even of only to make the number up. Regards to All Stewart

Couldn't agree more, Simon - I was breathalysed one morning (early - around 7 am) a couple of years ago as part of the "christmas safer driving campaign - aka random breath testing looking for miscreants with residual breath from a bender the previous night). I was OK as I don't drink and drive, and don't drink at all to excess any more. The guy in front (there were several officers involved) was not so lucky and was in the process of being arrested and taken to the local nick - I suspect that it rather spoiled his day, cost him a year's ban and a rather large fine - so how can a so called "personality" escape being locked up on the grounds that "she has shown remorse, and will attend a rehab course - not only drunk, but also already banned for previous offences- they'd throw the book at any normal person - drunk, banned and uninsured. 30747's manager has, apparently really tested positive, so we will be testing daily using the "new" up the snozz only tests which we have acquired from 30747's workplace. 30747 came in, and promptly went out again as she has decided to attend the last art group this year. Her parting shot was "you can do the dinner" - well that is done, and I hope she enjoys the slow clloed brisket with red wine sauce, mini roasted potatoes with parsnips, yorkshire puds, and a veg pot - all prepared by my own fair hand, and all courtesy of one of the well known German supermarkets, sorry Flavio - that's the best I can do - I'm not a contender for Masterchef - and I'm not a cordon bleu like you. 30747 has to work tomorrow as they are quite a few down - still it will pay for the new tyre which I had to buy yesterday due to getting a nail in the sidewall of the new tyre which I bought in October.

Just confirms what I said on Monday, Chris, but she is not as young as she was at 74 now - still a good singer, nonetheless. I forst met her when I was about 25 - now some 45 years ago, and she'd have been 30 - OMG - how time has flown by - Maddie was already famous on the folk circuit, and I never was - even though I was working with the Fyfe twins - who did (sort of) get there, compared to me. Morning All And the usual generic greetings and aplogies for absence due to pressure on the laptop for "more serious" matters. 30747 was called in to work this morning, as two of her colleagues have been taken ill, but not with COVID, Her senior manger, whom she actively dislikes, as he is a pratt of the first order, has just resigned as has his wife - after resigning he has "mysteriously " contracted COVID - or not as he has given a month's notice, and now with ten days' self isolation time, he is home and free to not have to attend again, and most of the staff are in agreement that this is a ploy - but in so doing, he is going to scare the parents, and also his colleagues. Anyway, to cheer things up a bit, here's a Christmas offering from the world's best cover band. Maggie is particularly good on this one. Regards to All Stewart

And not overly expensive either AFAIK. I did introduce him to the delights of Malt when he was just turned 18, when I shared the last of my 20yo unchilfitered single cask, cask strength Caol Isla, numbered bottle with him - he has always been grateful for this over the past 10 years.

Circle In The Sand - Belinda Carlisle

My whisky loving friend has also gifted me a bottle of Bunnahaibin Staiuiradair - which I've never sampled, n-but look forward to doing so ASAP

Come To The Harbour - Dan Fogelberg

Morong All Well where does one start with the bad news on here this morning - Toppham Hat - yours is easier - you'll all recover. Tuigerburnie - there is not a great deal to say about your sad news, but just remember that we are here a cyber shoulder to cry on - we ERs are getting very good at that, as I think we all have been the bearers of bad news over the years that I've been a member here - which is now a VERY long time, as I was among the first 400 RMWebers when Andy started this site off. And my mum decided to pass away after a shortish illness on Boxing Day ten years ago. So for everybidy else I proffer the usual generic greetings. Electrician tomorrow to take down the lights and do an electrical test on the house wiring, so may be back to my usual absence. Regards to All Stewart

Ah yes, Chris, Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, I'd expect - very good indeed, though I think that Maddy is just starting to show her age (aren;'t we all) - but her voice is still miles better than any of the "Christmas" singers who warble from the beginning of December on the radio. I've know Maddy since the early 70s when I was still able to call myself a folkie, and we supported Steeleye a few times back then - strange to think that of the six in our band at the time, two are deceased (the Fyfe twins), three are now out of touch, and I haven't played in earnest since about 1982.

Afternoon All Well we reached a compromise last night - the rain had abated a couple of hours earlier than forecast, so we walked. I didn't have my tablet last evening, so decided it was safe to have a small measure of Glendronach Portwood finish (59 quid a bottle), a slightly larger measure of Compass Box Peat Monster, (43 quid a bottle), and a third of a can of a rather good Bavarian Dubbelbok Dunkel, from a Costco German Beer advent calendar. I managed to walk home straight, and had a good night's sleep. I also was given a carrier bag to take home, and inside was a bottle bag, containing a full bottle of Bunnahabain Stiuireadiar - most generous indeed. I will save this, and the Abrachan, and Speyburn until I'm off the tablets, then can slowly savour some rather nice whiskies. So as ever, not all posts have been read or rated, as there has been a plethora of eBay activity this afternoon, and also we had to attend not one but two Christmas fairs - one was rotten, and the other was almost as bad. Still, it got us out for a few hours. So as ever, I just hope all are well, and any who are not so well, get better soon. Make it five in a row? Hopefully! Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All, Three days running is somewhat of a record for me nowadays, but I've managed it. A bit of skipping has happened to get here, but I've managed to catch up with a number of threads where my presence has been lacking. Generic greetings to all fellow ERs are on offer as ever. I may been a tad greedy while doing the shopping yesterday, as Lidl which is where we get our weekly shop are doing a special weekend offer - South African rose wine at £2.99 a bottle, bought 2 and 100g of excellent 74% dark chocolate at 39p a bar. I was limited to six bars per person, so I bought 6, and 30747 bought 6 - then as we passed the other branch of Lidl on the way to Home Bargains, I nipped in for another 6 and another couple of bottles of South African rose. This morning, I went in again as we passed on the way to Lancaster, and wanted a few more of the vino - totally sold out, and six more bars of chocolate making 24 bars in all. I just hope I don't go off it now. Tonight our whisky loving young friend is up from Northants to do a pre-festive visit to his parents, and he will bring some rarities for me to sample - and I am on tablets which I have been warned by the Dr, pharmacist, and the box label and instructions inside are an absolute no-no with alcohol - and also it is due to chuckitdarn here from about 3 - and it's just started, so we need to drive down anyway - I hope he will so a take-away for me. I remember the last time he came up, he brought 6 for me to try, and two of them were upwards of 58% ABV - I had a bit of a problem walking home in a straight line. Will I make it four visits here in a row? Who knows? Regards to All Stewart

Love Me Do - the inevitable Liverpool mob