General Chat

A couple of the newspapers posted about delays in post in 25 postal areas in England GL3 and GL4 were the only two areas of Gloucester to be mentiend. Apparently it is 'staff sickness and resourcing'. Royal Mail words. I did al;so see that somebody has found out that the mail only gets delivered in the two problem areas if somebody is happy to work overtime. I would have though that being close to Christmas surely they would all welcome overtime but it seems not. the daft thing is, the longer it is left the worse it is when somebody does want to do a round as it will have stacked up. last saturday I had 10 pieces of mail.

Hallo William, I didn't know you well but I do remember your name and it's always good to see former posters on this thread popping in. I hope you and your wife have a peaceful and happy Christmas together and wish you all the best for 2026.

Your lunch out sounded good AnnG. I hope the soreness in your leg is easing. What has happened to your post? We've had 3 deliveries this week and I am sure I saw the postie in our Close yesterday though there was nothing for us. When you think of the cost of postage and the service we are getting for it is it any wonder that people are sending emails or using other delivery companies?

I hope bil can sort OH's computer out for you Mel. You are getting on well with your Christmas flowers that you do.

I managed to write another 5 cards this morning. The first one wasn't too bad but by the time I got to number 5 it looked as though I'd written it after having one over the eight. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through so I posted all that I have done. I had to go to the PO and wanted to go to the Co-op for a couple of bits so we carried on to FarmFoods as I buy a couple of things in bulk there which saves a bit of money. Today I got 24 tins of baked beans. In the Co-op I picked up a carton of juice and luckily checked the date on it. It was best before 23rd November. I know Best Before isn't the same as Use By but I don't think it should still be on sale so I told the girl on the checkout as there didn't seem to be any other employees around. She didn't seem to be bothered but said she would go and have a look.

I still have lots of jobs to do so I'd better get on. I could do with a house elf or a fairy with a magic wand ;-)

Well no post again today. The ;ast post was last Saturday and that is not just me it is the whole post code.

BIL is here and he's just cleaning up oh's pc.

Good morning Anng and William,

I was just thinking of William the other day and wondered how Carmel was getting on. Its so nice t hear from you and know your news. Keep it coming please.

Its 10 degrees here this morning and very windy not a nice day to be outside so you lot stay inside nice and safe and cosy.

BIL is supposed to be coming today to fit the new pc up for me as this opld one is getting harder to use.

I also have to go to the shop and do the flowers for them. So I shall be back later I hope. I don't know how long its going to take him to do it all. He had to buy a new laptop ashis old one was on window 10 and I think he was also having trouble with that.

Good morning William Good, as always to see you on here and to know that, for once I am not the oldest one. Well done for keeping fit and active. Sorry though to hear that your wife is not as active and often poorly. It sounds as if she is getting the help she needs which is good. I hope that, together, you will enjoy the contented company of each other at Christmas. And that 2026 will be kind to you both.



Good morning all from a very wet gloucester where it is 9 degrees. I am not going anywhere today which will hopefully give my ankle a bit of time to recover after a rather active week.

Not that it was very active, but lunch yesterday was really nice, there were 7 of us. the roast turkey was really tasty with lovely roast potatoes, stuffing pigs in blanket, and plenty of veg all beautifully cooked (sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli carrots and parsnip. followed by Christmas pudding. The staff were welcoming and pleasant, it could not have been better. A relief as we had not been there before and last year was a bit od a disaster.

Hello, just to let those of you who know me that I am still in the land of the living even after my 90th birthday last July. It's so nice to revisit and find names that I so well remember and that the thread is still going on. Some of you I see on Facebook and those will know that I am always kept busy one way or another. I thought it would be nice to look in for old times sake especially with Christmas approaching rapidly. I don't think it's going to a very exiting time for us as my wife, Carmel, has twice been admitted to hospital in the past two months and now home we are having to have carers and health workers until her health improves. This has meant having a stair lift installed, a keysafe for the cares and other equipment for her current needs. Our only local family is our daughter and her husband and they are going away for Christmas, which was pre-booked last December. So we will definitely be 'home only' but we have each other still and thast is what matters. There is always someone worse off. Well folks, I shall carry on dunking my biscuits and enjoying my early morning cup of tea. Take care and best wishes to one and all.

Done another arrangement this afternoon both now need some bows which I can make indoors so I came in and cooked up a big lot of mince onions and carrot which should do 4 dinners. Also I had baked a huge potato and put it in the fridge and got htat out and took the innards out chopped up an onion and grated some cheese. put milk in the mashed pot and the chopped onion and grated cheese and shoved it all back in the two potato shells with some cheese on the tops so I will have those for lunch tomorrow.

I bought a huge cauli in Lidl which I am going to make into cauliflower cheese but it would feed an army so I may just blanch a lot of it and freeze it.

Afternoon all,

Not a bad day here now after a sharp frost ,the suns shining and there's blue sky ,Colin had a blood pressure and pre diabetes check up at the doctors so after that we did a bit of christmas shopping and called at sons to drop something off .

Mel thank you for your christmas card that came this morning and the little stitch markers will come in handy .

Anng hope your leg is less stiff now since you've got up and been moving ,hope you've enjoyed your lunch .

Been to Lidl and they did'nt have the two things I wanted but I still managed to spend £49.

Its pouring with rain here and its so dull I need the light on.

There was frost last night but not a bit when I got up.

Morning girls,

When I got up this morning at 7.23am and looke dout the window the sky to the east was all red not a good omen. Red sky in the morning a sailors warning!! by the time I had been to the loo and came out for my camera its was gone.

Pleased you had a better night Anng but its not good that your poor leg hurts when you are going out with friends. Hope it eases by the time you go.

Must get on with the flowers arrangements today and still have to find out if Phylis wants a ring this year. Lots to do. Its our local schools Chirstmas fare today too from 2pm to 5.30pm don't know if I will go to that.

Good morning all. slept well last night up twice for loo but finally woke at just gone 8. Trouble with that is because my leg has not moved much in the night it hurts now because is is stiff. can't win.

Lunch today with friends at a hotel we have not eaten at before. Fingers crossed.

Good morning

Misty, frosty and cold this morning. I think I’ll be staying indoors today. I’ve got plenty of jobs to keep me busy. Have a good day and keep warm.

We had a very wet and windy morning and a slightly wet and very grey afternoon.

Thank you for your pretty Christmas card AnnG which arrived this afternoon. I'm still trying to get the rest of mine written. I did a couple this afternoon but the writing was so bad because my hands were shaking that I soon gave up. I'll have to try tomorrow when I may be less tired. I'm sorry to hear you had a bad night because of your leg but pleased you enjoyed the U3A "do".

Must get on. Still got lots to do and time is fast running away with me.

We had a very wet morning and a sunny afternoon 7 degrees here now. Had a nice Christmas get together, about 20 of us, lots of chat and plenty of food.

We had a lovely sunny morning but its just clouded over as I was going in the garden to pick stuff for the arrangements.

Yes Mandy it was a very mice coffee too! Will you start another jigsaw after Chirstmas?

Afternoon all ,
What a dreary day its been raining most of the morning ,I sat and wrote my Christmas cards this morning and we did a little on the jig saw ,we're hoping to get it finished before Christmas so we don't have to roll it up as we'll need that end of the table .

Oh dear Vera I didn't read it back to check and this tablet adds its own words.and I never noticed Mel had mice coffee.

Ann that was awful that poor chap slipping in the shower ,that was what happened to Colin's brother he slipped and knocked his head ,he never came round and passed away the next day .


Anng thank you for your christmas card it came this morning ,sorry to see you had a bad night ,its awful when you lay there and just can't get off to sleep ,hope you can get a better night tonight .

Just a reminder for those that like it It's Kirsties homemade Christmas on channel 4 at eight o'clock tonight .

Morning t

Morning Anng and all,

Pc says mostly cloudy and its 7 degrees.

I had 12 female pheasents in the garden this morning and one male, what a luckky boy! I bet he'll be tired tonight.

Good morning all 7 degrees and raining at the moment and still very dark.

That will teach me not to get complacent. I was congratulating myself on having 5 really good nights. Last night was awful, I could not get my leg comfortable, then I was over tired and couldn't get to sleep, I think I had about 2 hours sleep all night. And then I was dreaming. 3 O'clock I was reading my book.

Ann, I remember the fuss over talcum powder and have not used it since.

Vera, I had a chuckle at your optimism at 'only writing a few words'. Please don't, I love your long epistles. Enjoy your coffee morning with your friends, that is what keep you 'young'. And your OH too. Those two men have the right idea, chatting is good for them.

I thought I was going to have to cancel going to the U3a social meeting today, but feel a bit better about it now I am up,washed and dressed, I will be tired later but. I will go I think. Leg is still sore, but no worse.