In the Northrhine Westphalia area grandtanteJE65
Last three letters contd - 2026
Good Morning Monday 20th April 2026
Hello! 
Just for a bit of a sunny Saturday chat.
As you probably know, Mumsnet, Reddit and other sites have ‘AMA’s.
(See above - the squid is ‘just because’; don’t worry).
As of just now, I see that Mumsnet have on the go
‘My DH was a member of a cult: AMA’
‘I was on Dragon’s Den: AMA’
‘I was born deaf: AMA’
You get the picture.
My own personal (lighthearted) favourite was from a few years back:
‘I’m your MIL: AMA’
I wanted to do an AMA for a while, but couldn’t think of anything about me that was of much interest; until I landed on my ‘Owl Story’ (which I wheel out at every opportunity).
So, what would your AMA be?
And are we allowed to AYA (please)?
Thank you! 
In the Northrhine Westphalia area grandtanteJE65
Where in Germany, Hiraeth?
I live 600 metres from the Danish-German border on the Danish side. AMA
Thank you Fanny I would like to add, sometimes an interesting thread, not necessarily this one, becomes a conversation between a few people. You might drop a comment in, but it can be ignored. Fannyalways reads through the posts and answers everyone. Thanks again
I’ve been on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ with Chris Tarrant. AMA
Hi Fanny
No I didn't meet Peter O'Toole I think he was off filming somewhere at the time, just Sian came round for a drink. I often think back to those wonderful times.
Mum at one time ran a B and B and we had many of the ballet dancers to stay who performed around Xmas. One of them used to order boiled eggs for breakfast and we never found the shells, we wondered if she ate them !
One very beautiful young actress who stayed received a letter from a boyfriend and he had drawn a picture of her naked body on the envelope ! My mum was broad minded and found it very funny. Sadly the young actress came to a sorry end.
We had Mandy Miller stay, she sang the children's song Nelly the Elephant. I think she married a farmer and lives in Scotland.
Thanks Lucca, I can picture it now.
But that’s such a shame about the jewellery
NanKate that’s amazing.
Did you meet Peter O’Toole? (Swoon)
MrsKen33
Melvyn Bragg gave me my BA certificate. He said I had a beautiful name. Flatterer?
That’s quite a compliment coming from Melvin Bragg - he’s got a super impressive barnet himself!
Leanetta
OP - what is your ‘owl story’?
I’ve got loads of catching up to do with this thread.
Thank you for your really interesting answers Leanetta 
Re the Owl Story - my parents and I had tame Tawny Owls for well over 20 years. ?
You can AMA (those of you who don’t already know the saga letter and verse!
)
I once entertained Glenda Jackson on my boat and had no idea who she was.
It was only when I’d walked back to her car that people moored near me were shocked at what had just happened.
They all recognised her. It appeared that she had just made Women in Love. AMA.
Sorry my error Albert Finney the late actor.
Is that Finney, Nankate or so somebody else I have never heard of?
Fair enough NanKate. ?
Urm I am careful not to speak to Albert Finley’s son as I don’t know what the relationship was with his dad. I know AF left money in the millions so if my neighbour got the cash I would imagine he would live in a gated property, not a 4 bedroom bungalow ! The neighbour who told me is a friend and I mustn’t break her confidence in me.
I am surprisingly
not frightened to fly though my dad died in a plane crash the year before our near miss.
My DGS is currently at RAF camp. I am uncertain how I feel about that!
My DSiL was in a near miss a few years ago . Terrible storms in sri Lanka he thought the plane was going to crash
Leanetta
Grammaretto oh my word - how scary! I don’t fly any more as I just got more and more scared every flight I went on - like I was increasing my odds of crashing the more I flew. Do you still fly?
Someone who was trying to make me feel better once said “don’t worry, if it’s not your time, it’s not your time” he then looked thoughtful and said “of course, if it’s someone else’s time on the same plane, you’re stuffed”
Yes! I've been on a couple of dodgy flights. One with a failed engine and one where an engine caught fire. For someone who already has a flying phobis, it's certainly clipped my wings.
The late Albert Finley’s son lives in my Close but I have been told not to speak to him as he doesn’t like to talk about his dad. I would love to say ‘our dads knew each other’ but I respect his privacy
Aw, but NanKate I think that’s a bit special.
I’d have to risk it for a biscuit I think.
Roy and Rory Kinnear, looked their names up.
Wellbeck I did meet Julian Glover, maybe at the Dirty Duck again. Judi Dench was appearing then. My dad was friends with one of the actors whose son is now a famous actor. Their names evade me but the son played a major part as a government official in one of the James Bond films about 5 years ago.
The late Albert Finley’s son lives in my Close but I have been told not to speak to him as he doesn’t like to talk about his dad. I would love to say ‘our dads knew each other’ but I respect his privacy.
Grammaretto oh my word - how scary! I don’t fly any more as I just got more and more scared every flight I went on - like I was increasing my odds of crashing the more I flew. Do you still fly?
Someone who was trying to make me feel better once said “don’t worry, if it’s not your time, it’s not your time” he then looked thoughtful and said “of course, if it’s someone else’s time on the same plane, you’re stuffed” 
Urms I was a child so had no idea what was going to happen. The undercarriage wouldn't come down so we were told we would circle the airport to use up all the fuel and then do a belly flop.
My DS and I watched as adults took out their teeth and clutched their rosaries. Some wailed and prayed and wrote messages.
It was a desert airport in Pakistan and darkness came suddenly. We looked out to see fire engines and ambulances waiting. When the big bump came the sand from the desert looked like smoke and people were screaming.
No safety ladders but we children were thrown from man to man across the wing until we reached the ground.
Then, instead of joining the celebrations we were taken to a barracks building and told to go to bed! I remember mosquito nets and pristine white sheets. We could hear the adults singing and praising the captain
We had a famous cricketer aboard who was returning to England from a successful Australian tour
Dennis Compton.
There was no new plane for us to go onto so we remained in Pakistan for what seemed like weeks. I have never forgotten it.
Grammaretto
What an inspiring post Leanetta!
I was once in a plane crash landing AMA
? Grammaretto! I fly back & forth to Malaga fairly often and never think about such like.
How scary was it?
Many of us will know or know of Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE, an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for “Cranford.”
She co-created the television dramas Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975) and The House of Elliot (1991–1994) with Jean Marsh.
I gave Fraser Hines his trousers in 1970…..?
Aren't other people's lives interesting?
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