General Chat

That must have been an interesting time for Ellen David. I bet she could tell many a tale! That big iron key must have been very old.!!! The talk was very interesting as we hear such horror stories about these places, yet it seems the one in the city was very good. The only record of any kind of restraint was one patient who had his legs restrained for a while. The patients weren't locked in and could go outside with many of them that were able working on the asylum farm as they were self sufficient in food as far as possible. If they went missing, which was easy for those working on the farm, after 14 days they were deemed 'cured'!! They have on record an account of a young patient who liked to run, so a nurse would go running in the grounds with her each morning. They also noted that the patients benefitted from the fresh air and encouraged them outside on the lawns. They even had bands come and play on the lawns and apparently the patients would dance to the music. They would dress up and have plays and even the medical superintendant of the time would join in. About 50% of the patients would eventually be discharged, but this was all pre 1938 and at that time many who were admitted had things like post natal depression or milder illness that these days would often be treated with counselling at first, rather than admission to a mental hospital. I would think that some of the more serious cases must have been kept in more secure areas though, unless they used strong medication then ......or perhaps those cases were taken to the equivalent of places we have now like Rampton??

I'm glad the day went well Mandy and how nice his grandson spoke so well of him.

Mel, you and your OH are getting on well with getting your garden licked into shape. It is always very satisfying to make improvements!!

Off to bed now........bead class tomorrow........we are caging beads......we all looked a bit worried when she told us last week!!! Night, night xx

Morning on this misty moisty one.

Can't get to the last pages so hav'nt caught up with posts yet.

Am posting this to see if I can get there.

The sun is peeping through and burning up the mist.

I want to know how Janice is this morning???

And Fitz

Where is everyone?????????? :-S

Hi Mel

Cloudy but dry & mild, Easy morning , just a little bit of washing, daughter no 1 not working today, so I only have Sofia for an hour while her mum goes to her exercise class.

Yes I wonder how Fitz & Janice are today, hope they both had a comfortable night.

Kettle on

Morning All
I couldn't wake up this morning.Didn't get up until 10 .15 !!!.I got James to take Chester out.I seemed to have the weirdest dreams last night .One was Dr Carl Kennedy(from neighbours) who had turned really nasty and had kidnapped me and a lot of other people and was just waiting for the right time to kill us :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S.I haven't watched Neighbours for years lol
Now I'm showered and hair washed and feel wide awake.Have been looking through some simple recipe cards and have picked out a nice easy one for today.It is Bacon ,Asparagus,Peas,and Creme Fraiche with Baked Potato.

Mel I haven't heard anything yet from Janice.Probably it will be later today.
I doubt I will hear anything about Fitz today,unless I ring the ward and get them to ring me on his mobile.I can't call him as he keeps his phone turned off.
Will report any news when I hear anything.

It is still very misty here.I thought it might have cleared by now.But it does look like it is brightening up slowly.
I think it is time for a coffee now.

Morning Mel and Fiona,

Mist burning off here, should be a nice afternoon. I might do a bit round the garden, then again I might not !!!!

Bottom of my back still aches, also my shoulders & wrists, But I suppose the best thing to do is work through it :-| :-| :-|

I wornder how the "SICK" are today, Might hear later from Jane.

Ros isn't out with Martine tomorrow, so she will be at home with me. I will go down the pub for the lunchtime football, as usual. and a couple of pints (While I can still afford it)

Don't go to the coast today Mandy, only going to be 9 degrees. Inland 19 degrees. Shots on again today.

Sun's come through the clouds, hope it stays a while

Jane , daughter no 1 & I when daughter was still living at home would watch neighbours every day. but since she left home 4 years ago, I have not the least bit interest in any of the soaps any more.

I only watch Doctors at lunchtime.

Mel ,wasn't Doctors funny yesterday with the 3 women and the spliff :-D :-D
I thought they were brilliant :-D :-D :-D

Yes but what a stupid thing to do when you are a doctor or receptionist. Fancy getting high on Tarragon!!

Did'nt think much of todays. Oh commented on the fireman thing and said it would never have been aloud and that stations were nothing like that.

Good to hear Fitz has come through his op well, fingers crossed for Janice that this op will give her more flexibility in her knee.

I was quite disappointed with the Jack the Ripper tour, it was quite dull and not at all scary. The guide was a researcher, she obviously knew her stuff, we would have been better off with an actor. There were quite a lot of separate tours we kept passing on our walk and I suggested to my friend we should gatecrash another one, the guide looked far more interesting, he was carrying a lantern and dressed in a long black cloak but I did have a really nice day, lovely lunch and a few glasses of wine in a very old pub, so all in all it was worth going.

It has been a beautiful day here, felt like summer had arrived, think it's meant to last over the weekend too, I bet Frank had his shorts on today ;-)

I've got some nice Tarragon leaves in the fridge Mel :-S :-S

I just managed to get hold of Janice.She sounds in quite good spirits.This time I think they have got her pain control handled much better and she had a top lady anesthetist and a specialist nurse who had to sit with Janice all night .
She will be allowed home this evening once she has had some supper and done a wee.So fingers crossed she will manage her exercises and also that machine that bends the knee.Her first physio will be on Monday.
So I feel quite happy about her at the moment.

No news on Fitz.His son Ollie is coming from Oxford this evening and will be going in to see him,and his other son Tom will be arriving back from his holiday in Eygpt in the early hours so will see his Dad tomorrow.I will assume if I hear nothing ,all is well.But I'll try and call Georgette tomorrow.
He has to wait 3 weeks to get results from Histology to see if the cancer has spread.That will be a very long wait :-S :-S

Eventually the sun came out and the temperature rose but there has been a hint of that misty haze all day.It was thick mist first thing this morning.
I think it will be power washing the patio this weekend.(who was it who mentioned that?)was it Mandy?Ours is so bad .It is black on many slabs because of that bl***y fire that burned for weeks so I don't really know how well they will scrub up.Can only hope for the best.
I remember helping my Dad lay the patio and crazy paving path in our back garden.I say help,but I don't think I could have done that much as I was quite young.
I need to go an look in the oven .

Maureen ,what a pity your tour guide was a bit boring.You need someone with a bit of 'oomph' and theatricals for that kind of tour.But at least you enjoyed the rest of your day :-D
The guide we had at Somerset house was dreadful.She was so serious and had the most irritating voice :-S :-SI think you need someone with a bit of character to do these things.

I have been a right dopey old thing today.Yawning my head off and not been able to get stuck into anything with gusto.
I am waiting to hear what Ann has done with her caged beads.(I think that is what she said she was doing)

So am I Jane...........

Well you will be pleased to hear that I finished the border this afternoon, and I am glad too :-D

Now I start on the tunnel.

It has been a beautiful day here with plenty of quite warm sunshine and we even had a cuppa in the garden and sitting there it was so peacfull with just the burberling of the pond pump and all the birds were singing. We watched Robby sitting on top of the tall picking ladder thingy raising his head and singing so loudly.

I am glad you have heard from Janice, Jane and that all seems well so far. Hope you gave her my wishes.......

Hav'nt got anything out for dinner but have been thinking of bubble and squeak bacon and eggs all the time o ut in the garden so I had better peel some pots and do some cabbage.

Evening all,

Here I am all showered and shaved in myt dressing gown at 6.40pm.

Went into the garden after I posted this morning, and didn't come in till 5.45pm

I cut and trimmed the front lawn, cleared all the rubbish from the pond and pur the waterfall back in postion. All working fine at the moment. Nice to hear the water running again. I then set about making a new door frame for the garage back door. Took forever, measuiring this bit and rechecking, then moving on to the next. It looks a bit heath robinson, but the door opens and closes. and looks O.K.

I am so knackered, that Ros is doing Dinner. Rib eye steak, Mushroom, onion,chips and a few baked beans. Smell wonderful, I haven't eaten since breakfast.
What's so new about you then Jane, I thought you were always dopey
:-D :-D :-D <3 <3 <3

Glad everybody is getting along from ops. soon be back to normal.

See you later.

Evening all,
I don't know where the day has gone , DIL called this morning with Katie ,by the time we had had a coffee and went to the town and did a little shopping it was lunch time ,i then went into the garden to do a bit of weeding and hubby called ,he wanted me to go to Norwich to pick up a piece of flue pipe for him , the traffic was terrible ,not the best time to go to Norwich a Friday afternoon !!!

It was a little misty here first thing ,but the sun has been lovely ,we sat out side and had our coffee and Katie played with the outside toys.

What a shame about the tour Maureen , i think you were looking forward to being Spooked !!! LOL

Glad to hear that Janice is in less pain this time , must be a relief for her , so is she having the machine to bend the knee at home with her ?
It was me who mentioned the pressure washing ,hubby has done all ours , i suppose you need to get it done this week end before the hose pipe ban starts , we are thinking of filling the spa up next week end , not sure if we'll fill the pool, we'll have to see.

We must remember to put the clocks forward tomorrow night , it will be nice having the lighter evenings .

Oooooooooo I have just done a very silly thing.......................

I had washed out an ovaltine plastic pot and put it on the cooker to dry out for oh to use. Did the pots and the cabbage and put a sausepan on for the cabbage turned it on and it was the wrong ring and melted the bl**dy pot and the top bit caught fire. Filled the kitchen with sreadfull smoke and oh was outside at the time doing the chickens for me. I was ordered out of the kitchen because of all the smoke!! :-(