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The New Thread

(102 posts)
  • Started 3 years ago by Christine Berrett
  • Latest reply from Helen Hawkins-Ainsley

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  1. Christine Berrett
    Administrator

    The weather forecast for Saturday looks dreadful for the North West :o((

    Posted 3 years ago #
  2. Our weekend forecast doesn't look too bad, so Christine you can keep it on your side of the Pennines. They do make a good barrier for keeping the worst of the weather away from us.

    Mick is busy cleaning downstairs as his kids are coming for dinner on Sunday. Kids !! - they are all grown up now & he is going to be a grandad at Christmas.

    Not sure how much stitching I'm going to get done as I'm expecting a phone call about some contracting I do & that will keep me busy for a while.

    I'm hoping to get my bell pulls back on the wall later.
    We also have our little "bedroom on wheels" to sort for next weekends' camping trip. It will be good to get away for a few days.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  3. Yup - you're right Mrs. Berrett...one of the reasons then I thought to mow the back lawn this morning. Now done despite the fact I had a list as long as my arm of other stuff I wanted to do as well - and then the window cleaner turned up too....got all the latest with his current health problems, so that took a while. However, I pressed on regardless so now have a nice smooth bit of green at the back which I can see through spotless glass (thank you Malcolm)..... and I hope the rash soon clears up......

    Hope you have a good camping trip Helen. Sounds like you are having a bit of a rough time lately and getting fed up with being hemmed in at home all the time......

    On the weekend you are away I shall be spending the Sunday afternoon at Specsavers. Ha!! I've had an e-mail to say they are now doing routine eye testings again so I clicked on the link to book myself in and found they are open on Sundays - probably to try to catch up with a backlog and, of course, they are only having so many people in the shop at any one time. I've opted for a Sunday appointment as it means I can park for free in our supermarket car park! Tight-fisted or what......

    Posted 3 years ago #
  4. Hi Brenda, yes I do get a bit down at times.
    Didn't work yesterday - put up the bell pulls so the living room looks more like home and did a bit of stitching. I'm working today instead.
    Our Specsavers has always worked on a Sunday - I've had Sunday appointments in the past.

    Christine, you were supposed to keep the clouds at your side of the country not send them to us. It's shaping up to be a miserable day today, but not cold.

    We might be able to go away over the bank holiday weekend - just got some details of an event.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  5. Barbara Stone
    Member

    Evening everybody, hope you are okay. We had a fantastic weekend, weather wise. Not only in Taunton according to neighbours, but also in London, where I spent the weekend. Non stop sunshine, and today has been the same - we had a residents meeting outside in the sun, so we've had to water everything this evening. Hope I'm not making you all jealous, because other peoples weather didn't seem too good.
    I managed to get an appointment with the optometrist for the beginning of August - only delayed since the beginning of April.
    Hoping that if Bob's health improves, we might be able to get away to somewhere nice to watch the birds, but I don't think its going to be over the Bank Holiday weekend. I never did like crowds, even more so these days.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  6. Hello everyone,
    Yes Helen! - you are absolutely right - Specsavers do open on a Sunday as a general thing. I never knew that........ I dug out the letter I'd received from them earlier in the year to have a look at what it said about opening times.....and there it was in black and white. Wot a clever little chick you are.....

    As for feeling a bit down - well, I am sort of regarding this year as a 'write off' year really so if you can think of it like that and start planning nice things from January 2021 it will help a bit. At the end of the day, no one is getting away from losing all their nice activities, but as long as you are keeping well that's the main thing and if you can think of this time as a WIPSOD year that'll help too....(and that means doing Works In Progress and Sod Off Virus!!)

    Also - here we have Barbara telling us what a lovely weekend she's had....that's great Mrs. Stone - I feel I've shared it with you with your lovely bubbly telling of what you've been up to.

    As for me well, I finished a little project last night. I've been looking at my band sampler and realised back in 2018 I'd left a space on it. I'd stitched some wording about a concert we did in the November (in recognitin of the 100th anniversary of World War One ending) and we sang Karl Jenkins The Armed Man. We had planned to sing it in Nantwich (our usual venue) on the Saturday evening, but were approached by a choir in another area nearby - called Malpas - and they were singing it on the Friday and had wondered if we would join them to help boost numbers of singers. Well, when we got to their church it was a simply stunning sight. They'd yarn-bombed it with knitted and crocheted poppies - it looked wonderful. So - what with that concert and then our own the next night, I just had to do a piece about it on the band sampler.

    I'd therefore stitched some wording - then left a space, then stitched some finishing off wording. In the space I planned to knit a poppy and stitch it to the band - to emphasise what the Malpas singers had done to their church. Anyway, as you do, the knitting sort of fell by the wayside. A few weeks ago though I picked it up and Googled for a freebie pattern. Found one and knitted it. Oh dear...the petals looked a bit big - why does everything I do in the knitting line come up so large.....dunno... anyway, last night I stitched all the petals together and it now doesn't look so bad. I shall now sew a black button in the middle and take the needle through the band at the same time to hold it firmly in place.

    However, there is a lady on a handicraft stall in Nantwich market though who must think I am such a tightfisted cow with my money.........I wasn't too sure what size of black button would look best - so bought one middle size one and one small one - I spent a whole 35p on them........ oh dear I don't think this is quite what Boris and Rishi had in mind when trying to encourage everyone to start boosting the country's finances......

    Posted 3 years ago #
  7. Barbara Stone
    Member

    Okay Mrs. M, I want to see your new band sampler when we are able to meet up again. Sounds fantastic, and from the last time I saw it, I know it looked brilliant, but s I haven’t seen it for ages, I would like to catch up with it. If your knitting always comes up too large, try reducing the size of the needles, but I’m sure you know that anyway. The Armed Msn is a fantastic piece to sing, and I’m so jealous that you got to sing it. My brother sang it in a concert actually conducted by Karl Jenkins. I’ve neve forgiven him for not inviting me to the concert. I’d have travelled halfway across the country to have seen that.
    We’ve had another fantastic day here weather wise, in fact when I was waiting for Bob to come out of A & E this morning, I got burnt! Nothing important wrong, he was given a letter to make an appointment for an ‘urgent’ x ray of his knee, and the first date they could offer was in 5 weeks time!!! And that’s urgent? I think the NHS needs some rethinking, as I’ve got friends who still work in a plastic surgery theatre, and recently they said that because there aren’t any plastic clinics at the moment, they haven’t operated on anybody for four days! When I was working, we always had a backlog of cases, This virus has got s lot to answer for!

    Posted 3 years ago #
  8. Hi Ladies

    I'm still blaming Christine for the weather - she was supposed to keep it at her side of the pennines. Our forecast was for clouds Friday & Saturday then some sunshine on Sunday. Well Sunday went to plan, but Saturday rained on & off all day - no good for sorting out camping stuff.
    We are now all sorted to go away this weekend.

    Brenda you MUST remember to bring your sampler to the first weekend we can all get to, it's such a long time since we've seen them.

    I have a problem with doing WIPs called WORK. I think that's what gets me down, when you see people (of working age) lazing around & partying into the small hours (so you can't sleep) - I won't say anymore or I just upset myself.

    I'm taking my red wool away with me (must find some needles) so I can do some poppies if it's too wet to go out.

    Barbara, I like the idea of URGENT being in 5 weeks time. That's what we get up here all the time. When my knee went the doctor at my surgery said I could have a physio appointment or go to A&E - I was in agony with a lopsided knee !! You can guess which option I took - even then I think A&E should have done more.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  9. Christine Berrett
    Administrator

    Helen, you can't have got our weather - we've still got it here! P'd off with the rain at the moment :o(

    Posted 3 years ago #
  10. Christine, were you trying to share then? Yesterday was OK, but trying to start again today. Hope the weekend stays dry - don't mind clouds or it being cool.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  11. Weather not too bad in Crewe.....we've had some rain (mostly overnight) but, using the water butt by the kitchen window as a barometer, it's not been much at all. Isn't it odd how it can be so different all over the country. I have even had the strange phenomenon a couple of times of sitting in our living room - with windows to front and back - with it raining at the front and dry at the back...how weird is that!!

    Barbara - fancy your brother singing it with Karl Jenkins conducting - and not letting you know. Still that's men for you...... no brains really to have any thought processes going on........'nuff said......

    I touched on the subject of face masks yesterday with the girl on the til in our Asda. They come into mandatory force tomorrow as we all know and I really would prefer not to have to wear one. Anyway, our Asda girl said they don't have the right to enforce it and she felt that people would just carry on as they are - some wearing them and some not bothering. I still can't see how you can make people wear them in shops and yet you can go to a restaurant for eating and drinking when it obviously isn't possible to do that whilst wearing a mask. It will be interesting to see how this one goes. In any case - what the Government tells us to do, compared to what they do themselves is going to make for interesting observations........

    Can just picture the sewing room if Leicester goes ahead though......all sitting round the tables stitching wearing masks and then going down to the dining room at meal times without them...... You've got to laugh.......

    Posted 3 years ago #
  12. Jean Strange
    Member

    Morning all
    Weather here in Berkshire has been pretty good in fact in the afternoons it has been too hot in our new conservatory can’t wait for the blinds to arrive!!! Have had some rain overnight and our new water butt catching water from the conservatory roof is relatively full.

    Yes rules for masks seem decidedly odd. When I went to hairdressers had to have my temperature taken and contact details noted. I was asked to wear a mask if possible but it wasn’t enforced the girls were wearing the plastic face shields. It really is crazy. Going to hairdressers again on Monday to have colour done as they have now caught up on all the cutting to stop the shaggy dog looks!! The lady Dr I saw last at Kings said I could now have my hair coloured. When I came out of hospital someone said no I couldn’t. This Dr said “Of course you can. Just because you’ve had a transplant doesn’t mean you can’t be fashionable.” I like her.

    Off to the caravan for a few days tomorrow then back for a couple of days then off to North Devon for a week with Judith, son in law and grandsons in a 3 bedroom lodge. We are extending that by a night to stay in a B&B near Exeter to visit the butcher we see at The New Forest Show and use for mail order. Will be nice to see them again we are on first name terms with them we have used them for so long!!!!!

    Posted 3 years ago #
  13. Barbara Stone
    Member

    Another sunny day here, (sorry to those of you who have bad weather) but they are forecasting rain this pm. Anyway, went to Sainsburys yesterday (whilst wearing s mask) and the girl at the entrance, limiting the number of people who go in, was telling everybody that masks will be mandatory from Friday, and they won’t be allowing anybody in who isn’t wearing one! I don’t think they can do that actually, but it will be fun watching them trying to enforce it.
    I actually made Ruth and Helen a couple of masks, they can use to drink through - they’ve got a very small hole in, just big enough for a straw, and that is covered by s flap that falls back into position when the straw is removed. They’ve used them (to great hilarity) outside their bungalow, and had requests for the pattern from several people. Maybe they are what’s needed for using when going to a restaurant. Maybe I should think of how they can have a mask on, which opens to put food in, but is then covered up when the user is chewing. Hmmm - might have to get thinking on that one!
    Jean, how on earth can you be having a second hair appointment already? I’ve still not been able to get s first one, until the beginning of August, and due to having to go back up to London again (this will be the last trip, as the completion date is very near that), it might have to be postponed! Oh well, back out into the garden to pick more beans, blackberries, courgettes and peas.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  14. JeannieQ
    Member

    Morning all, back from our canal holiday which was lovely and relaxing especially as I don't do any driving just the locks. We had glorious weather for half of the week and it only rained seriously for 1 day. Got quite a bit of stitching done (no TV or radio reception or mobile phone most of the time) and my daughter did about half of the Ackworth Anniversary sampler. Back to work now and all the usual chores. Like you Barbara, I'm tackling the European courgette mountain and the beans. Dealt with all the soft fruits before we went away.
    Brenda, I hope you enjoyed the canal programme you found on the TV, we passed a few WWII pill boxes on the Oxford canal - they were obviously expecting the Germans to get that far up the country!
    It's looking to be quite a nice day here in Cheshire, but rain all day tomorrow when I'm travelling up to Carlisle to visit my Mum. I hope it doesn't rain where you are camping Helen.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  15. Christine Berrett
    Administrator

    Washing out on the line here in Cheshire, so I hope you are right about the weather :o)

    Posted 3 years ago #
  16. JeannieQ
    Member

    Of course I was right Christine, I live with my own personal weather forecaster so he knows exactly when to do the washing!! No need for a tumble drier here!!:o)

    Posted 3 years ago #
  17. Jean Strange
    Member

    Morning everyone
    In caravan rainy morning off to stock fridge for next couple of days so not too bothered except if have to queue in rain for shops!

    Barbara go to hairdressers down here in New Forest and I count as a regular local customer. They did all their catch up cuts and are now doing the other things like colour and other treatments. They are only taking regular and local customers I seem to count as that because of the caravan being in the village!!!!!!

    By the look of it it will be stitching and knitting today after doing the shopping. I am one of those people who like the sound of rain on the caravan and awning as long as it’s not so loud that I can’t hear the TV.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  18. Hello everyone,

    Oh, so it's back down to earth now Jeannie, now you are home from the canal holiday. It sounds as if you had a lovely time....and all that stitching you and your daughter did - brilliant!!

    The t.v. programme was lovely, I felt I was gliding along with them on the boat all sort of 'dreamy'. Haven't ever been on the Kennet and Avon.....well....I sort of have now I suppose!!

    The other Jean I see is in her caravan and Helen's in a tent....I think I'd prefer the caravan to be honest...and as for the noise on the roof when it rains, I wouldn't mind that at all...you'll get the same effect in your conservatories too the both of you.....

    The only time I went camping was years ago when Geoff and I lived in Bletchley. We volunteered with a youth group and went camping with them for the middle week of 3 weeks in Glenelg (up in Scotland). Lovely name - a pallindrome - Anyway it rained and rained except for one day. I took advantage of that one dry day and knelt over a stream and washed my hair (God it was cold that water) - only to be told by one of the young people 'Miss - there's a dead sheep in that water further up'. Sort of took the edge off my little alfresco adventure!

    The other abiding memory is that we all had little two man tents for sleeping in but a big one as a communal meeting and eating area. In the middle was a huge pot into which the remains of our dinner each night was tipped and then extra stuff added - that made the dinner for the next night. Good job I wasn't fussy about such things as that pot went on from day one until the day they all left for home. I cnfess though to being a bit thankful that I only had to eat one week's worth out of it. All that boiling up every day must've killed any germs though......

    Posted 3 years ago #
  19. Jean Strange
    Member

    Morning everyone

    Had a couple of days of grotty weather but have a modern centrally heated caravan so not worried if it gets cold. Managed some stitching and knitting though. Finished knitting a 4 ply cardigan will sew it up when I get home. Started another 3/4 sleeve cardigan. Also managed quite a bit of stitching on my Historical Sampler Company “Happy Holidays” design.

    Had hair colour done yesterday makes me feel even better hair looks so much brighter now.

    Weather forecast doesn’t look brilliant for next week when we will be in Devon with daughter, son in law and grandsons. Glad I have collected together a “holiday box” of bits and bobs for them to do. They will of course bring their electronic devices!!!!!

    Off home tomorrow to get everything up together for packing on Sunday.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  20. Barbara Stone
    Member

    Morning everybody, well, the weather here isn’t too bad at the moment - we do have some sun, but there are black clouds over the Quantock Hills and over Exmoor, it looks dark and brooding. Going to have my hair cut on Saturday morning, after which I was going to drive up to London again, for the final time, before mum moves. However, things have now been rearranged and now I won’t have to go again.
    I love going away in my camper van - you can be in the middle of nowhere, but still have a bit of comfort. We go to Campsites where we can hook up to an electricity supply, use their facilities, but still can get away from other people, and enjoy fabulous scenery. Plus the bed at night is comfortable, and not too hard. That’s my idea of camping, and I love it.
    Today I was informed that my appointment in the diabetic clinic would now be held via a video link, but I would have to arrange to have blood taken. Now, my local GPs aren’t seeing anybody, nor are their nursing staff, everything is being done by phone, and I would love somebody to tell me how you can have blood taken by telephone. I know technology has moved on, but I even so..........
    Hope the weather improves for the weekend Jean, and your holiday will be a good one.

    Posted 3 years ago #

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