General Chat

thanks for that. I think what I saw was in response to the fact that people have been unable to get tests and have run out. e.g. daughter has run out and not able to find any. hopefully supplies will be replenished but a pharmacy on TV last night said they were not getting the numbers they need.

enjoy your afternoon with your friends

Morning all

It's a grey day again. It's fairly mild still, though not as warm as the last couple of days.

Mandy, take care of that cold. You will want to be well rid of it by Christmas, though I reckon you'll be sweating it out if you are outside moving logs today.

I think you're right AnnG in that figures have got inflated but I don't think it's done deliberately to panic us. I think it's down to the way Covid cases are counted and different places using different methods of collecting data. Like T, my brother caught Covid in hospital but he was already on end-of-life care and the Covid didn't hasten his death at all, but because he died within 28 days of a positive test, by law, Covid had to go on his death certificate as a third cause of death which it wasn't.

Yes, the swabs in the new rapid flow test kits are different. They are about the size of a cotton bud. I checked when to take a test and this is what both the NHS and government say - they are both very similar but I've pasted both here.

When to do rapid tests (from NHS site)

Do rapid tests on days when you're more likely to catch or spread COVID-19. For example, do a test before you:
• mix with people in crowded indoor places
• visit someone who is at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
You should also do daily rapid tests (1 a day for 7 days) if you've been in contact with someone with COVID-19 and are either:
• fully vaccinated
• under 18 years and 6 months old


When to take a rapid lateral flow test (from Government site)

In England, you should take a rapid lateral flow test:
• if you will be in a high risk situation that day
• before you visit people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19
• if you have been told that you are a contact of someone who has COVID-19 but you do not have to self-isolate - how long for depends on if you live with the person or they live in a different household
You are at higher risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 when:
• in crowded and enclosed spaces
• there is limited fresh air

Now I really must get going as our friends M & V are coming for a cup of tea and a mince pie this afternoon and the lounge is in dire need of a dust and hoover. Kitchen sink could do with a clean as well. Why is OH always doing something else when I want help?

Just seen this in the DM. I have been saying this all along, ever since T caught it in hospital.

Health service statistics show there were 5,697 beds taken up by people who had tested positive for the virus on December 7, the latest date available.
But 4,214 of them (74 per cent) were primarily being treated for the virus, with the remaining suffering from other illnesses or injuries. These could include a fall, broken leg, or even new mothers who tested positive after giving birth
And older people, who are more at risk from the virus, made up a smaller proportion of the patients in hospitals because of the success of the country's vaccination drive, figures also showed.
Campaigners today called on the NHS to stop inflating Covid admissions by including patients who were initially brought in for something else such as an accident, saying they should 'obviously' be removed from the figures so that they can't be skewed upwards


I am sure the numbers are inflated to panic us into obeying the rules.

Mandy, no not until Monday so won't pack until Saturday, daughter arriving Sunday and that is the room I normally pack in so has to be out of the way by then. But it is the organising what to take this time of year, not knowing what the weather will be like.

Morning Anng and all,

A little brighter here this morning to what it has been during the week and I can spy a tiny bit of blue sky to the north, something we hav'nt seen for a week. It is only small but its there and thats what counts.

Oh missed the bin men this morning so that will have to stay here for a fortnight. I hope he's put it in the big garage up the top.

My knee is driving me mad. Its itching like anything and I keep wanting to scratch it and do gentley around the scab.

Morning all ,

Lovely sunshine here but very misty too, I seem to have picked up a cold been coughing in the night and have a blocked nose ,I didn't feel right last night so I did a test and that was negative so that was good ,goodness knows where I've picked it up from ,we haven't seen family for a while so it's not from them .

We have a load of logs coming this morning so I'll be out in the air stacking that away.

Anng is it tomorrow your going away ,safe journey to your daughters if it is .

good morning all grey again here and 10 degrees. slept well last night, bed stripped but not showered yet.

Vera do the swabs look different then on the new tests? I still have a box of the old to use :-( Not had need of them yet. and now they have run out But I am sure I saw on TV an instruction to only test if you have symptoms or been in contact with somebody with positive result.

Not doing anything today so will probably be sorting things out for packing.

Good evening everyone

Gosh Ann, I feel exhausted just hearing about your Mrs O. It does sound as though she has a problem. Thank you for your lovely card which came today.

We did our rapid flow tests today and were clearly negative so off we went on our visit to Southend. We had a lovely few hours with our friend and came home with Xmas presents for us, a box of presents to go to my daughter, a box of photos which were connected with my brother for me to go through and keep or dump and some books that were my brothers to pass on to my son

I’ve spent a couple of hours going through the photos and most of them were connected with various youth and theatre groups my brother was involved with, so they will go but there were just a few that I will keep as they involved family members, including one of my brother aged 2, holding my hand and paddling in the sea at Clacton. I was 8 and wearing a horrible costume that I remember was pale blue cotton but the whole thing had been sewn with shirting elastic in a sort of diamond pattern. To complete the outfit I am wearing a very fetching white rubber swimming cap. My goodness that photo brought back some memories.

Regarding the number you need now for the rapid flow tests - I am not at all sure that you HAVE to have a number. You are asked to report your results and I think the number is so the NHS can tie the results to your details. I must admit I haven’t reported ours. I don’t know if any of you have used these new tests but they are much easier to use than the old ones. There’s none of this digging around at the back of your throat. You just have to swab your nose.

Like the rest of you I sent Gill a card. It would be good to hear from her and from Frank that they are OK.

I’m going to contact my son now to tell him about the books I have for him and then I might try to get an early night.

EDIT. I see the autocorrect has been at its games again. For shirting elastic above please read shirring elastic.

Had a card from Shirl today too. Justmy kind of thing with an old fashioned scene of a sl;eigh full of holly and two boys and a girl colecting holly and a tree. The girl in sitting on a tree stump covered in snow with her hands in a muff. I hope she dos'nt get piles.

Thanks for your card Ann love the chickens on it in the snow.

My post has come up twice as I had trouble with the error page and was'nt sure if the post came up as it was taking a long while to go I copied it and then tried to get to the last page by posting it again and still got the dreaded Error page. Faffed about and got her ein the end. If I delete the second post I bet I'll get th eerror page again so I am leaving it there.

Stayed gloomy here all day but no breeze or wind or rain not even mizzle.

Did up all oh's presents this morning and afternoon after lunch. Had a coffee and watch Tipping Point and I am going to make chilli for oh tonight.

We did'nt go to Holsworthy as oh can't stand for long. We want an appointment so we can go right in and get it over and done with.

Stayed gloomy here all day but no breeze or wind or rain not even mizzle.

Did up all oh's presents this morning and afternoon after lunch. Had a coffee and watch Tipping Point and I am going to make chilli for oh tonight.

We did'nt go to Holsworthy as oh can't stand for long. We want an appointment so we can go right in and get it over and done with.

Has anyone located where the press conference is as it is not on BBC

Has anyone located where the press conference is as it is not on BBC

Another update by Boris at 5.00pm.

Yes I looked at the squirrel and thought 'painting thoughts' Mandy. :-) Covid again at the school then, but at least they were quick testing everyone. We enjoyed our F&C but I did give OH about a third of my chips. No wonder he thought it was very filling! That's good you got your shopping done early while it was quiet. You get done quicker when less folk are about too.

The geraniums in the greenhouse are still in flower, but there are some snail trails on them so I need to put some pellets in the pots tomorrow. I forgot to look how the 2 rock plants are doing so must remember to give them a once over tomorrow as well.

Yes I sent Gill a card too, so I hope we hear from her soon.

Have you a booster date yet Mel?

Afternoon all,

Thank you Ann for your card with the squirrel in the snow that would be a good one to paint .
Enjoy your F&C when you don't have them for a while they go down a treat .

Been shopping so thats all put away ,it was very quiet I went nice and early but I thought it would have been much busier than it was with Christmas just a week and a bit .

Son said it was hectic at the school yesterday they had a child with covid so all the children in that class weren't allowed in school until they had all been tested .

We've had a bit of sun today and I cansee blue sky .

Mel did you email Gill to see if she got your card I sent one too so I hope we hear if she got them.
We have some roses out too and there's new Buds coming on the Fusha that's still flowering.

Hope you soon hear from the doctors Mel and you can both get your boosters done .

Morning All,

Dull and gloomy here too, but it has brightened a little. :-(

Yes, I really think the neighbour has a problem AnnG and I feel sorry for her if she has. When she has her shorts and strappy top on in summer you can see all the bones of her spine and her knees are bigger than the rest of her legs. I've never known anyone else to be out picking up individual pine needles and leaves off the drive even when more wind is forecast. Her quiet husband is over 6 foot and a big build, but he is always on the go with jobs and wiping the car down. We don't know if they are both the same or he gets instructions! It's hard to be friendly with her other than a polite wave as she is so loud, has fallen out with 3 neighbours and we've heard her be so critical of others.

F&C should be arriving soon which is a rare treat now so I'd better get everything ready!

Morning Anng and all,

Dreary old morning once again no wind and it looks all dampy out there.

The practise manager never rang me yesterday as the doc had told me she would so I am still inthe dark.

The apricot rose is still out on the wall and one bunch of them over the big arch also the Albertine rose at the end of the decking off the patio has a flower on it! The worlds gone crazy and the plants can't understand it.

Did all the boys pressies up yesterday afternoon and I must do oh's today.

good morning all, 10 degrees but can't foretell what the weather will be like as it is still gloomy out there. Didn't sleep that well last night had one of the keep waking up nights.
I have my friend from around the corner coming for coffee this morning so it will be good to have a chat,

It does sound as if your neighbour has OCD Ann doesn't it? To be always cleaning that time of the morning.

Good to get your hair cut, my next appointment now is after I come home in January. I just hope we don't get locked down before I get it done.

Sounds like you had a good spring cleaning in winter day Ann too.

Evening All,

This morning I was curious as to what had made Mrs O's security light come back on after her OH left for work at 7.10am so got up to peep through the blinds. There she was at the front door with cloth in hand, rubbing away at the door and step as if she was trying to shift 12 month's grime. She went over and over it. Then I got up at 8.00am for my hair appointment and there she was in the en suite doing the same with the window, rubbing back and forth really hard. I really think she has OCD and being on the go so much is why she is so thin.

No other customers were were at my hairdresser's which was good, but my hairdresser and I were surprised the staff at the gym reception further down weren't wearing any masks. She went to get her booster in the city yesterday, but was told they couldn't do it. When she asked why, when Boris had said people should be able to get them from Monday, they said they knew, but they weren't starting till today!! She then called in the now NHS drop in centre (Where I learned to do beading when it was a community centre), and although she didn't have an appointment, after checking her vaccination card, they did it for her. She said there was only one other person waiting.

Well I shall certainly be keeping my geraniums thirsty this winter and see if it works this time. I must go and check on them tomorrow.

Was the malteser cupcake nice Vera? You are tempting me with all this talk of rhubarb crumble and malteser cakes! :-D Your neighbour is very good keeping up this supply of tasty cakes. I hope your OH's back is soon better. Mine has his tennis elbow back today.......probably his heavy briefcase last night. I'd not heard of needing a code number to collect lateral flow tests either.

I still haven't done anything in the garden today, but I have pulled my little cabinet away from the wall in the lounge and cleaned the hard floor under it and the skirting board, then wiped it down and cleaned the glass top. I then gently cleaned that replacement vase for the one that OH broke. I have stuck some velchro circles around the base and on the glass cabinet top to make it firmer and put just a few berry twigs back in it and cut them shorter so it won't topple as easily as well. OH is giving it a wide berth! I shall work my way around the rest of the lounge this week, moving the furniture to hoover and dust behind and under everything. At least everything slides easily without scratching on the hard floor with soft pads on the ends of the furniture legs.

Thanks for saying about the Asda slots Mel. I hadn't realised till I just looked that they have released the January ones now. I have booked one for the 2nd January then the usual ones should hopefully follow on..