PeterBB

It is perhaps surprising to the non-computer literate among us as I have found out that MacAfee has bits in all sorts of places and it took both the computer company and new AV provider a few attempts to find them all as the 'remove software software' type stuff made it look removed completely but wasn't.

We were rural (our forever home) and moved to an even more rural area. Since then both of us have had 'hospital visits'. There is a bus that comes up our road (over a mile long and a cull-de-sac) but have no idea of its regularity - a double decker turns round at the low railway bridge but that is a 10-12 minute walk and neither of us can do that - perhaps I could but SWMBO would never be able to make it - on a waiting list to join a waiting list! We do not have a village shop so need the car to get to the next village that fortunately has a very good one. The main difference to the midlands is the 'the lack of easy facilities' but in a totally rural area that is acceptable and overall the move has been a good one family wise as we see and take GD to school as required. Our initial thoughts on moving, if we did, were to a town with facilities within walking distance. Was I ever used to a big city ... yes London but the only thing missed there were the relatively frequent trips to concerts and the theatre - to do that now would cost and arm and a leg and that is only the travel!

Disagree with that - prices much the same as 8 years ago certainly in a recent quote.

Build cheap and with rooms rather like small packing cases than rooms that allow people to pass each other or to get a bedside cabinet next to a bed and in the living room no room for a settee and a table. The other thing about developers is that they pay lip service to providing affordable housing and then come back repeatedly to the council to reduce the number because ' it is not viable' whereas in practice what would help the housing situation is to provide affordable housing close enough to where the occupants can get to work with minimal cost in time nd money. Seems like a rant oops.

All this doggone thing that has triggered our Hattie and found this photograph - not with us for a long time now but was fantastic and a friend painted a portrait that hangs on the wall..

Welcome back Dave - we have missed you.

This triggered a comment Marples as Transport Minister was a motor/lorry man and pushed the downfall of rail travel by very much 'encouraging' lorry use ... Beeching just completed the job of making railways 'disappear'.

Like the collar, seems that it stops him scratching but allows him to see what's going on.

Are you barking mad?

Marples was a motor/lorry person so as minister for transport was responsible for running down the railways before Beeching completed the process.

Happy Birthday @iL Dottore

oops!

Quoted the wrong one but Montreal 1976 on a bus I politely asked for information in English - French was always just a babble of sounds. It was obvious that they totally understood and were far from helpful, in fact deliberately pretending that they didn't understand. Those that know me will possibly remember that I am not prone to swear but on that bus I did with other comments as to their parentage as I got off the bus - at the correct place by chance - and was rewarded with a torrent of English to which I replied "You have proved my point". That has struck a memory ... back in 1955 or thereabouts with the French teacher missing one (Deputy Head) had us all in the hall (it was in fact the John Innes former Library at the horticultural centre) and decided that we had to tell the time he gave us in French ... those who put their hands up quickest and were correct were then told "You may go". Dave C and myself were never quick enough to respond let alone correctly and eventually left rather late (Dave just a minute after). This may not seem out of the ordinary but the school I went to had a six day week and this was on a Saturday morning!

Oh come on now, all those hours being fed tea and KitKat and you never know ... she might even offer LDC!

Particularly like the station signs.

Can't be south 'cos its norf of Watford.

Great when students actually take part. Engaged on first date - wow. Young son managed it in St James Palace on the day he picked up his DoE Gold Award. Agree that credible alternative is non currently viable and seems to have been extremely personally quiet at present.

Thanks, did so as above ...

Something struck a chord so had to check it out - taken well over an hour to do so. Am not an Australian but some distant relatives in recent years seem to have had some political leanings but have never checked of which party. Whitlam - that four others had declined to be QR before Kerr, asked by Whitlam to be QR, suggests that there were doubts about him. Whitlam would have been a democratic president? What came through in reading, Kerr took an enormous amount of advice, and in spite of Fraser and Whitlam ... Any more would potentially lead me into politics but I'll leave as above 'be careful what you wish for' rings true.

Hi Guys, had a nice surprise - young son visited and provided a cake made by his partner. It was cut before a suitable photograph was obtained but the attached gives some idea of the topic. Inside the icing etc. were 4 sponges each with jam between them ... for some reason there is not that much left!

Interesting hinged baseboard giving better access to a 'familiar' track plan - getting over the 'problem' of the hinge area in Cadley Hill that required quite a modification.

Belated congratulations to Black Rat and Jamie and Beth. That has reminded me that tomorrow will be a significant rotation of the earth round the sun but for various valid reasons family are miles away so hopefully brownie points will be gained garden wise. Condolences to the 'hay fever' sufferers - in student days fellow students said that they would buy shares in Kl****x because of the number of boxes got through ... these days much less so just the odd, but frustrating, days when anything being done takes 2/3 times as long and the word 'turdycurses' comes to mind. ID - surely you didn't 'buy local' while still having appropriate stock available in your cupboard. Remember of course in stating that that for me so called food 'additives for flavour' most often make food inedible. SWMBO is different so for some of her favourites I need to have a day out as even the smell gets to me e.g. I cannot go into a coffee shop but now able to make one from the instant variety at arms length for her. Saying that SWMBO normally makes her own.

Pigeons and Starlings are both a menace with their droppings and the noise the latter make. However the squirrels will try anything to get to the bird feeders and have wrecked a couple in so doing. The perspex bowl above the feeders has so far stopped them.

Agree, this always seems odd to me. We have a very big door knocker and a lit bell push but for some reason most delivery drivers still seem to prefer to 'tap' on the door itself that has nowhere near the sound covering distance of either of the 'normal' ways of contact at a front door.

That's cheap compared to this area.