General Chat

Morning/evening all,

A nice bright sunny one it is too. I have to clean the chickens out and get breakfast ready for when oh comes in from ringing.

His car was dead this morning and we don't know why!!! He used it on Wednesday without any trouble and it had a good run so it should'nt be anything to do with that. He will have a charge of the bettery when he gets back.

I have some nice bubble and squeak for our big breakfast today with todays eggs, bacon, mushrooms, bean, frankfurters and toms. No need to cook a dinner tonight then.

Saw little Hedgie last night and we watched him or it till it went off with a full tummy. I put more food out and that was gone later too. Two clean plates this morning. I am wondering just how much a small hog can eat in one night?? or am I feeding LOADS :-S :-S :-S

Been on a hedgehog website in Epping Essex this morning again but I just can't work out how to register. They have a forum on there and I would like to join in.

Afternoon all,Night Night Kim,!!

What a great day. Got up 7.30 thick frost everywhere, then up came the sun, bright as a button. The frost was gone in no time where the sun got to it.

Mel, If hogwart isn't eating it all, something else is, so you are feeding the wild amimals anyway. Which can't be a bad thing, can it. As long as it's far enough away from the house.

Dinner already for late afternoon, Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, Roast parsnips and potatos. Cauli, Broch, brussels, carrots peas. I don't think we will go hungry.

Lewis is playing football this afternoon, so a bit chilly round the knees lol lol.

Mel I'll have a looksee at the hedgehog site, see if I can see anything. If so I will report back.

That could well be the answer to the radiator problem Jane, also the fact he would have been very warm working in a small room. Try turning it on. If it warms up, you know that was the cause." DON'T PANIC MRS ROSE"

I wonder if Many got away to the coast. Couldn't ask for a nicer day to have a strool along the prom. Fish and Chips for dinner, and a read of the papers sitting in the car in the sunshine.

Anymore thoughts on the Halogen cooker Liz. ???

Coffee time, so see you later.

Mel, can I come round to you place for a second breakfast - sounds yummy. What was the Epping Essex web site you were having a go at? I was in the RAF at North Weald just up the road from there. Had a few nights out in pubs in Epping. As a lad a trip to Epping Forest was a nice treat.

I thought of a naughty 'ditty' my Dad used to try and catch me out on when I was a boy.
You had to say 'Ah' before the last word of whatever he said - So it went thus. . .
I went to the shops,
Ah shops -
I wanted something for tea,
Ah tea -
I looked at the fish -
Ah fish,
And decided to by soles -
Okay, okay, you get the picture.
Then I'd say "Oh Daddy, you are naughty, you've made me swear!"

Remind anyone of the old Bisto ads with the two kids - Ah, Bisto . . .

William we used to go to Epping forest a lot when I was younger and lived in Essex. We also went fishing at Copped Hall the old house that was derilect. My son got stuck in a bit of bog in that forest once when I went looking for moss to make wreaths!! I lost a welly trying to get him out :-S :-S Had a very wet foot as I wass'nt worried about my boot just my son who was sinking fast. Mum was there too and did'nt know if we were both going to get stuck and I was the driver!! We did get out but it took a little while which seemed like a lifetime to me.

This is the site.

http://thehedgehog.co.uk/index.htm

It is worth a good look for anyone interested. There are pics and advise and all sorts.

Mel, that's a very good site, I've learnt a lot already from a few minutes on there. I'm hoping the hedgehog we saw has made a nest in the dead oak lives under the small oak at the bottom of the garden. I don't want to get too nosey in case he/she is there and I disturb it and he clears off.

Did you manage to register OK in the end? I got there after one or two glitches, it's not the clearest of sites to register on.

Afternoon All
It is almost 3 and the day has just flown by.We just had a sandwich to fill a hole until tonight.Chris is busy turfing all sorts into the skip.He keeps coming in and saying"what about this?"I think I will leave it to him as I will just want to hang on to things lol....just in case I might need one day(even though I know I never will.

I nipped into town to get a couple of mats and odds and sods and was supposed to get a little bag of grout as Mario missed a bit.I came home without it :-S :-S

I will probably be back later on but lots to do so will press on.There is one very dirty Hostess Trolley that needs a good scrubbing Frank.I will get that done tomorrow.I hope it still is in good working order,and will give a test once it is all dust and debris free :-D.
Off to get my new mop and bucket in use.

Afternoon everyone ,

What a lovely day it's been ,sunshine all day after a very frosty start , we never made it to the coast after all ,we went to Norwich to a get a new blind for the downstairs loo .

We went to sons this morning for coffee and hubby took the van as son had some things to go to the tip ,he has just built his self a new computer ,and had a new desk too so the old one went to the tip shop.

My aunt and uncle lived in Loughton and use to like walking in Epping Forest ,when my uncle died his ashes were scattered in the forest .

No cooking tonight as we had a KFC while we were out ,will just have a sandwich later on .

Ann, sorry i meant to say how lovely the photo's were , such lovely colors with all the trees changing color .
Hope you enjoyed your evening out .

Hi all,

We were real ESSEX people when you thing about it. us four
Mandy, Mel, William and me.

My first job was at Loughton. Foster Bros. Wood machinests.. I started an apprentiship there on leaving school. 11 1/4 d an hour. My first BIG JOB was morticing and tenoning the Mahogany Joints for all the Doors benches etc for DEBDEN POST OFFICE. When it became an overspill from London. after the war.!! I spent a lot of time in Epping,Abridge, Pasingtord bridge, and the swimming pool at the Grange Country Club up by Rolls Park Corner. On the No. 10 route to Abridge. Where it turned round and went back to Aldgate or Victoria. My daughter and her husband ran the pub on the round about at North Weald. My dad worked at North Weald RAF station, long after the war had finished.

Meat is in the oven, pots and persnips par boilded.

Ros decided to get all the mugs off the tree and give them a go in the dish washed. One thing led to another, we ended up clearing the whole corner and cleaning everything. The tray in the bottom of the toaster had almost enough crumbs for a loaf of bread !!!!

Oh Mandy, I gave you the perfect weather forcast and you ignored it :-( :-( :-( Then again Norwich is a lovely City. As you know I spent a lot of time there in the RAF. I often think about the old streets and the Castle, where I use to go on a Saturday afternoon, rather than sit around camp. I think over the time there I must have had a pint in most of the pubs. and we went to the Saturday dances in the various places. The favourite place to meet a date was on the steps of the Main P.O. later to become Anglia Televiksion.

I had better stop, I am in reminisce mood. and that will never do.

Going to look at that site now Mel.

Afternoon All,

I hope you found a blind you liked Mandy. It has been cold but sunny here too.

Alan Davies turned out to be very good! We both said how much better he was than Jimmy Carr when we went to see him. Barely a swear word for a start and he had us chuckling all night. :-D We nearly didn't get to see him at all though! When I went to get the tickets we'd already ordered from the box office, they told me we'd ordered for the night before!!!! :-0 OH turned up then and couldn't believe we'd come on the wrong night!! (not like him.....more like me to make mistakes like that!) Anyway, luckily there were tickets left so we got some on the side balcony. Today they rang us to agree a refund on our unused tickets so that was good of them.

I did that once Ann! took my mother to the New Theatre in Oxford (evening performance) and when we went to our seats we found someone else sitting in them!!!! On checking them I found to my horror that we/I had come on the wrong night! Like you though, there were a couple of cancellations a few rows away; imagine my relief! I never did that again! I think we have postponed the 'oven' Frank, need to see one in action before making a decision; If we can do this then we might get one, or not!!! Years ago, L used to describe TV programmes she didn't like as a 'load of old wee!' that has now become a family saying so we all know what we mean without having to ask any more! Tonight there is a new series starting - might be good, on the other hand it may be etc etc! Been a lovely day here and have spent it just pickling around, but isn't going to last sadly.

No Frank i'am not from Essex ,Norfolk born and bred i am ,you could say i'am a proper Norfolk Dumpling LOL

My aunt and uncle lived in Felstead Road Loughton , am i right in thinking the Royal Mint was there ?

Yes Ann, we bought a Teal colored blind for the loo ,i've only had just a net up the window and i fancied having a blind ,we got a new piece of cafe net to go up too , another job for hubby!!!
Glad you enjoyed your evening out , and good of them to refund the money after your mistake , i suppose the thinking being that you will book again to see some thing else if they keep you happy :-D

Mandy, we go there quite often, so maybe you are right, they don't want to lose custom. I love that teal colour, picked myself a dress that colour when I was Matron of Honour at my sister's wedding. Your son is very clever building his own computer! I hardly know one end from the other.

So we aren't the only ones then Liz! Is it The Secret of Crickley Hollow you are watching.......we thought we'd give it a try.

Mel, you have obviously been making wreaths for a very long time now......an expert. I hate it when your feet get stuck in mud like that, it is much harder to free yourself than you would expect.

Jane, it's a good idea to have a clearout before you put things back.......I bet Chris is tucking anything you might want to take back out of the skip underneath other stuff and out of sight. ;-)

Alan Davies said he was from Essex and not far from Epping. I must confess that it is an area that I hardly know.

I love Alan Davies on all programs. He really makes me laugh and he is quite inteligent too.

I am going to watch that program tonight too. I meant to come on earlier and tell you about it. It is a ghost story I beleive. I think there are three episodes.

I have cleaned out two bantam houses this afternoon and then I turned the pc on to tell you all about the program and I had an email about my tree and went off in a tangent.........................as you do :-S It turned out it was'nt anything to do with my tree as far as I could see but do you think I could find this blimmin George Tummon 1879 on the census. I only found him on two and one of those was mistranscribed.

Yes Ann and Mel that's the one! We're watching a programme about the last days of steam, and taking OH back to the days of 'train spotting'!!! As he often says ' A proper train'!

I might have a little rummage in the skip Ann tomorrow when he's gone to work lol.Just in case I discover something that should still be here :-D
XF on now and then the Jungle ,so that is me bidding farewell for tonight xx

Glad you enjoyed your Evening with Alan Davies :-D

Now Now Jane, He will smack your hand if you put rubbish back in the garage. Hows the radiator in the loo now ???

Come dancing was good tonight, and the right one went out. Ros is watching you know what. I will go back for Jungle.

Yes Mandy, Royal mint is either in Loughton or Debden.

Oh Ann what a booby.!!! Good job they had spare tickets. Never happened to me, but there again I'M PERFECT :-D :-D :-D

Liz, is there a showroom that you can go to, to see one of these ovens working, or at least get all the info. ??

Dinner was great tonight. Cooked to much as usual. This is when I miss the chickens, they had all the scraps, as did the dogs. The old cat only had the meat. !!!

Lewis rang this evening, wanting Ros and I to take on one of the cats. It's very stressed living with the other cats, and needs to be rehomed. I know it's one of his favourites, but don't feel I should take this into consideration. We are at the stage where we don't want the responsibiliy of looking after an animal anymore. He was very good about it, but I am sure he was hoping we would take her on. SOB SOB..

Not much to look forward to next week weather wise. Strong winds and rain, even though it's going to be a bit warmer.

I've no plans to go oput during the day tomorrow, but hope it's dry to walk down to the pub tomorrow night. If not Ros will take me, and my neighbour will bring me back. That's what I call service.

Nearly time for Jungle, so will say night night all, sleep tight.

Well....... what did you think of that then?? I thought it was quite gripping but oh thought it was in bad taste seeing as how the little girl went missing a few weeks ago and what with all the saville stuff he would'nt watch it.

When I was stationed at RAF North Weald I had a 'sleeping out pass' I could either cyle across country to our home at Chadwell Heath, could do it in an hour. Or, it was bus from North Weald to Ongar, bus to Romford then bus to Chadwell Heath.
If it was a weekend pass I I was off to the Midlands, it was push-pull steam train from North Weald to Epping, then the tube down to Euston. That was all in the early 1950's.

Last time I went that way by road I hardly new the place.

It was certainly 'scary' Mel! but we were gripped by it and will be watching next week! Maybe a bit too soon after the 'little girl', but I can't see that the Saville business made it inappropriate, as the 'abuse' was set in 1943 and sadly people's attitudes were very different then which I think this portrayed. Bit worried about the dog though, no-one seemed too concerned that it was missing!!!!! That's an idea Frank, I'll have a scout round and see if there is anywhere that I could see an oven 'working', It's still well on my mind, particularly as I MUST clean the oven today!!! what a yucky old job that'll be!!!

Morning All and Evening Kim,

Raining today and a bit windy too. Not nice at all.........

Saw little hedgie last night three times, now whether it was tjhe same one or not I don't know as this one, when it saw me, went under the camelia behind the log seat where I feed Hogwart. It looked a bit smaller than the other one I am feeding. I just wish I could mark them in some way and then I would know. Oh said to me "why did'nt you catch it"? I said it was too quick for me as it shot under the bush in the ivy. First it was under the seatwhere I would have had to bend right down by which time it would have gone anyway.