45156

Evening All Wow - curtains, curtains and more curtains. 30747 took it into her head that we need new curtains in the living room (2 pairs), the front door, and the landing window - and by chance we found 3 pairs of Sanderson print cutrains in an unusual size (104 x 82) - in near new condition, though one curtain had a slight stain on the lining - so slight that we couldn't see it - in a charity shop in one of the nearby villages. Three pairs for £95 seems a bargain given the prices being asked online for similar. And the pattern suits our decor - and the drop was just right for all the windows where they were to go. When she want to change the curtains on the landing, the curtain pole came away with a mix of plaster and filler which had been used to get the old pole up - done as an emergency measure just after we moved in, when we reused the existing pole. So a trip to the local emporium where they sell all that sort of stuff, and £18 later, and a new, much longer pole was obtained, and with a little bit of a struggle was erected - it helped to read the instructions, as it was unlike any others that I've ever put up. And by a judicious choice of height, the curtains fitted the drop perfectly. Many brownie points have been achieved as she's chuffed to mint balls with the result, and I have got to say, so have I. She must have been pleased as the actually overlooked my pouring a 70 ml measure of Smokehead. However, a bit of skipping has resulted - so the usual generic greetings are on offer, I will not be around at all for a bit of next week due to personal commitments. I will probably pop in tomorrow after the shopping and before and while his Kingship and her Queenship are crowned. Regards to All Stewart

For My Lady - mid term Moody Blues

And the branch in Ludlow - though it appears that a new owner may have been found - hopefully better than LLoyds, whose only benefit is that it is the nearest pharmacy to both GP practices

Happened to 30747 in Sidmouth - apparently, the locals do not eat sandwiches or many other comestibles in the open.

If all the "can you justs" were removed from your work pattern, I suspect that GBRF would only run about half their services.

Well things worked out a whole lot better than expected - the appointment for Lily was to have her bum shaved where she wouldn't let us go - a muzzle and a clipper soon took care of that, and a nurse who has a lot of experience of awkward dogs like Sussex. While Lily was in the vets, I got a call from 30747 to say that Shawn the electrician had arrived as his last job was quicker than expected - I got back to find most of the work done, saw Shawn off, duly paid (50 less than quoted as it was not as big a job as he expected - in fact the gas pipe and the consumer unit are only eight feet apart, and one very small hole, and a bit of earth cable, and clips - hey presto. So off to the pharmacy early, and got our prescriptions, and via the Dr to order the items which we or they had forgotten. Then home with my birthday cake - a delicious light and fluffy Victoria Sponge from Ludlow farm shop -and two jars of their equally delicious jams and marmalades - dibetes can have a day off. Highland Park now beckons. And my book will be delivered this afternoon around 4.30 - it's great to know where it is - about three miles away, but woth 43 drops before here.

Morning All, I start my 72nd circuit of the sun today, and DPD are bringing a parcel from Choice publications - a signed copy of Gavin Morrison Steam Photographer - I ordered it and 30747 paid for it. Also a couple of bottles of Scottish WIne - a 10yo expression of Highland Park, and a bottle of Abrachan from Lidl - better than it sounds - a blended peated malt, with no age statement, but rather nice anyway as a day to day drink. Unfortunately, I also need to take Lily to the vet's as she's got a few knots on her bum that she won't let us touch - needs two people and a muzzle. And also Shawn our electrician called a few days ago to confirm that he is coming this afternoon to sort out the earth bond on the gas meter. And I need to fit in a trip to the pharmacy for some meds for both of us - I think that after that, when I get home, the Highland Park might just get a look in. Apologies again for absence, and generic greetings are on offer. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All, Apologies for the prolonged absence - much regretted, and down to, A) Cabinet B) Ebay C) lack of mojo D) Visitors I see from a few posts ago that commiserations are being offered to Baz, and these are also being given from this quarter. Regards to All Stewart

Living in Ludlow (as I do now), I see more poor driving that I though I would - largely from very elderly drivers. The incident which prompted me to post was today when I was walking the dog. A very old lady (possibly in her late 80s or early 90s) came down our road, which is not an A road, but nonetheless is quite busy. doing about 15 mph and with her offside wheels well over the white line - then when she came to the bend, didn't seem to react at all to the left hander, and wound up completely on the wrong side of the road, where she continued until she finally corrected, but only to revert to straddling the white line and causing oncoming drivers to have to slow and squeeze past - the problem is that outside of Ludlow, the public transport is, to say the least, minimal, so elderly + rural = accident waiting to happen. I am 70, and do not think of myself as elderly - I am talking about people about a decade or more older than I am.

All The Fun Of The Fair - David Essex

Love Me Do - early Beatles

Afternoon All, Oxfam has been oxfammed, and a few more railway books added to the stock - but nothing all that exciting. eBay has been eBayed, but quite a few items failed to sell. However, we have made a few good sales over the last few days, and you can't win them all. Five parcels in two days is not to be sneezed at. Fodder run tomorrow, then off to Leominster to see what has sold from the cabinet (if anything). Regards to All Stewart

In my last online news announcement from BT (you know, the one that also announced the price increases - (OUCH) they said that "our range of calling plans has changed" - but not what to. The two calling plan options that I was offered when we moved were 700 minutes (no hour cap) to UK landline and mobiles and unlimited. We chose the 700 minute plan, but 30747 exceeded that once, and we were automatically shifted to unlimited. I have always been with BT - I worked for them, and USED to get some concessions, but they stopped them for the pensioners just after I started to draw mine. As much of my TV is streamed on BT vision, it is too much hassle to change, get a new set top box, and atrrange all the packages separately.

Afternoon All, White Rabbit - my sympathy is all I can offer, plus a hope that the medics have got it wrong. I too have a chronic and incurable illness (diabetes) but at least mine can be controlled by four injections of insulin a day. Best wishes to you. Today has been the E word - checking out five parcels - the two egg coddlers, and a jigsaw which has been sitting in the cabinet for weeks - sold within a day of listing at a higher price. And two other items which got last minute bids on and which will go tomorrow. Then listing a few more items. Then the G word was mentioned, and unusually, I was ready willing and able, and we spent two pleasant hours working on the front garden, and chatting to neighbours. However, first thing, I went to Sainsbugs to get some half price coffee - after dropping the parcels off - to find that they were closed until 11 am. So went back and couldn't find the coffee that was on offer off to Customer nonservice, and the not helpful person said "we might not stock that line here - WOT - 200g jar of Nescafe Gold Blend. So I goes back to the coffee aisle at her behest in case I had somehow missed it - and found the empty space where it should be, and about five outers of six jars on a shelf well out of reach. Back to customer nonservice, who couldn't get it down - not her job - sent for somebody else. Once sorted, I saw some smoked salmon on special offer, so bought two. When I got home, I found I had been charged for three - didn't notice at the time, so back again to get the third one refunded - what a waste of time. Still, 30747 was on the phone to her friend when I went out the first time, was still on the phone when I got back, was STILL on the phone when I went out the second time, and was still on the phone when I got back the third time - a total of 90 minutes - thank BT that we have unlimited calls option. Oxfam tomorrow. Regards to All Stewart

My wording is a bit confusing - lunar monthly to me just means 4 weekly - ie twice biweekly or four times weekly - still confusing when all the bills, direct debits etc are all calendar monthly. Let the second egg coddler go to the first underbidder for £67 as she made an offer for it - net of eBay fees, it's a net profit of £75 Back later (?)

Afternoon All, Manged to miss about a week's worth of erudite discussion drivel on here, mainly due to being too busy with Ebay and other items - and I have to say that it is getting a bit more profitable than the cabinet. We bought a couple of Emma Bridgewater egg coddlers from one of the antique centres in Leominster - a quick check on eBay via the phone showed them to be well under priced, and we got both fo £48. One went onto Ebay straight away last weekend, and finished today at £73 - so the second has just gone on today so we could be looking at a profit of about £80 if the second one goes at the underbid amount. Cabinet can never keep up with that - but how a dealer can wrongly price to that extent is beyond me - there are so many online resources to use. As ever, if there is anything urgent that I should know about, could some kindly soul please pm me - thanks. Other than that, it has been bookwork, and the problem that we now have more income being paid lunar monthly, than calendar monthly - and our income seems to come is all over the place, as 30747 and I are on different payment cycles for our State pension, and our pensions are paid about ten days apart, and my work pension comes in on last working day of each month - We'll get used to it, I suppose. No car boots on at all round here tomorrow, as all the fields are waterlogged - PAH. Jumble sale tbis morning also was a bit of a non event as it was busy, with people rummaging about in piles of nothing. Oh and there was a sign for a yard sale about five miles up the road starting at 8 - so we got up early, and drove up there - there was a sign outside the yard saying yard sale, but at 8.35 the gate was padlocked and there was nobody about - so we came home for a bacon butty before going out the the jumble. Regards to All Stewart Regards to All Stewart

That museum has certainly been expanded a lot since we visited some years ago - £22 does not seem excessive for such an interesting place - a yearly pass to Ironbridge actually cost us a lot more than that - £35 - and it's gone up this year. It seems that all the major open air museums are now offering a year's admission rather than a daily one.

Happy birthday Mike

Indeed, I have just this morning dug out said CD and am playing it as I type - it really is a very good album, and it also evokes some memories. Latest find is two complete wooden jigsaws promoted by the GWR - probably 1930s, as I don't think any would have been prooduced during the war or in the post war chaos where the railways were struggling to sort out traction, rolling stock, and infrastucture. They depict destinations which the GWR served, and are for their age in reasonable condition - boxes tatty, but complete - a bargain at £6 each in a charity shop. Now doing eBay sending as some items that are listed have ended. Back later for another catch up.

Afternoon All, All posts read sonce last visit yesterday - miracles will never cease. As to music again - Annie Haslam was a much underrated singer - Northern Lights is but one of a number of excellent tracks - I have Sog for all seasons on CD and used to have it on vinyl - excellent album indeed. I have met Maddy Prior on a number occasions, as one of the bands that I was in supported Steeleye a few times - I really never warmed to her in the way that I did to many other folk and folk/rock vocalists and musicians. On the classical side, I was so lucky, as I've said here before, as my late father was a superb music teacher, as Jock 67B also remembered, and one of his great favourites was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade a wonderfully evocative and descriptive piece of music - which he analysed and interpreted to the ten year old 45156 - there are many many good recordings out there, but not the Karajan rendition - too brassy and germanic. Visited a number of the antique centres in Leomonster today, as well as the charity shops, a couple of purchases to be photographed and listed on Ebay, along with some other bits - so I thought I'd get my tuppence worth in here. Regards to All Stewart

My best achievement on a live gig was at uni, when I was in the student's union for lunch and there was a call on the tannoy for some folk to offer assistance with the Pink Floyd's gear in exchange for a free admission to the gig that night - and the following night's gig. I volunteered, and a large group of us helped the roadies to move all the gear from their artic to the hall on the third floor of the union. Once it was all set up, the guys in the band came in to thank us and we hung out with them until the gig started - they all went to the green room and the others of us went into the front row to watch Ron Geeson who was the (lousy) support act. Floyd started the set with Atom Heart Mother, which was at that time their latest offering, and finished the set with Saucerful of Secrets. The next night we got free admission to see Yes, supported by If. Yes were utterly brilliant, doing a lot of their (now) early material - this was pre -rick Wakeman Time And A Word, stood out. If were about as good as Ron Geeson, and I spent most of their set in the beer bar. One thing I do remember is going out for a walk to get some fresh air (no smiking ban in those days) and getting to George Square where the music was still almost as loud as it was in the union. Evening All, Much skipping so have not managed to keep up with events at all - just too much happening - and laptop is just seeing too much use with Ebay and other things - 30747 has decided to take some of the items from the cabinet which are overpriced or that she thinks won't sell, and I have the task of doing the photos and listing them - well it keeps me occupied. Regards to All Stewart

Me And You And A Dog Named Boo - Lobo

Afternoon/Evening All, Oxfam this morning, then rush home as 30747 had to see the fangmeister, with a suspected lost filling, but after a good check, she was happy to be told that it was just something that she had eaten which had caused a bit of roughness, but the filling may need to be replaced at her next inspection. Much skipping has again ensued, with the usual apologies on offer, and sincere greetings and commiserations. Main reason for going AWOL is the working out the monthly outgoings, as I mistook the chancellor's statement about the energy price guarantee, and foolishly thought that it meant the energy bill support - so was hoping to salt a bit more away - it was only when Shell emailed the new prices for gas and electric that I got the message. Still, it's all sorted now. Then we spent a great part of the weekend binge watching At yesterday's car boot sale - a big fat nothing, as it was cancelled due to a muddy field. So we went to the Ludlow flea and antiques market, where I managed to obtain a near pristine copy of the 1951 Trains Annual - meaning I only need five for a complete set of Trains, Trains Illustrated, Locospotters, and Railway World annuals and yearbooks. The dealer wanted £8 for it - I offered £6, and he responded with "for a tenner, I'll throw in this lot" This lot was a full volume of 1952 Trains Illustrated, and priced at a tenner themselves - it would have been churlish to refuse. Islay malt fans - a quick heads up - Morereasons are offering Smokehead for £26 a bottle - gentle it isn't. Regards to All Stewart

Evening All, Not a lot to report - cabinet did just over £100 for first week, but much of that because we are new dealers - will undoubtedly settle down very quickly to a more realistic level. We are rapidly running out of logs, fire lighters, and kindling, so it's time to wind the stove down so we can have the chimney swept, and the stove serviced. And that's about all from me for now. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All Not a lot to report - 30747 and I slept in this morning, and weren't up until 07.45. She had an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner for scheduled maintenance, while I went to the pharmacy to collect our prescriptions - 30747 still both items out of stock and has been for some weeks, and mine was half rations - odd, as it was ordered two weeks ago and dispensed last Monday, yet had an owing note dated for TODAY and the meds are now on order - but why was the balance not ordered when it was dispensed last week, so that it would have been ready today, instead of my having to go back again???!!! Are the pharmacy in league with the parking department of Shropshire CC. Other than that, not a lot to report - will find out tomorrow how much we've sold. May not be back now for a few days, as we are quite busy with other matters. Now guitarists and music lovers - here's a real treat. Regards to All Stewart