Good Morning Friday 12th July 2024

Good morning from a cloudy but brightish morning in Torbay, if that makes sense!

I’m glad your TV is behaving now, Mick, and hope you are able to seek advice about your health, if necessary.

Yesterday, I had an email from South West Water to say I owe over £7k for water and sewerage! I had received a voicemail on Monday regarding a leak but it was still a shock. After a couple of hours (yes, really!) of WhatsApp messages (no response to calls) in which I felt I was going down some ghastly spiral but making no progress, I finally had a conversation with an actual person. He reassured me that I will not have to pay that amount.

Our water meters are accessed via the pavement outside the property but my meter has not been read in many months despite repeated requests to South West Water to come and do it as I cannot access it. As the leak is within the bounds of our block of flats, it is not their responsibility to have it mended. Since the management company insure the buildings (using our fees!) I have been in touch with them but I expect there to be reluctance as ever to go through the insurance company or to spend any money. 🙄

All this on a day when I’m struggling with my arthritic knee and ankle sprain and DH had left for France! He is safely back in his home now, overcoming a few train delays.

I look forward to reading some brighter news from the morning gang!! 🦩💐🦩🥰🦩

Good morning from a grey Bristol, such a change from a glorious yesterday.
I had @ successful day, went to town, got most of what I went for, came home, cut out and made a simple top for DD. I was frightened she wouldn’t like it. She made the right noises, and SiL loved it!
While I was at DD’s for dinner, I had a scare. My uncomfortable eye turned out to be scarlet instead of white. Apparently I have had a “spontaneous conjunctival haemorrhage” which according to Dr. Google is nothing to worry about - like a bruise, and will go away. It certainly is very spectacular! l shall go to the eye hospital should anything get worse or be painful.
No Spanish to day. Holidays. I’m going to the supermarket and pharmacy to pick up my prescription.
Hope today and the coming weekend are physically and metaphorically warm for you all. Carpe diem 🦩🦩🦩🦩

Oh Ash, how dreadful for you. Have the other residents had such a bill too?
Yes, in my experience, the management is slow to react and even slower to pay for anything! These fees one pays seem to be just for profit as soon a you need to access them. All the best.

Thanks, grandMattie! No, I’m the only lucky one, as far as I know!

Morning all from Devon.
We will set off back home later this morning. We have to be out of the house by 10 am at the latest.
It has been a good holiday, but there’s no place like home!

Have a good day everyone, especially those of you with troubles.

Good morning from s somerset, it is cooler and dull today

I could scarecely cope with getting a horrible financial shock like that Ash. South west is expensive for water as is wessex.Your management company should have the sinking fund to deal with the actual leak, which might well be expensive.

I really want to go for a cycle ride today, it refreshes me no end and puts me in the relaxation zone. I have no other plans, I am up to date with everything for now apart from having a dress to make, spread all over my dining table

I hope I get a local allotment soon, I could do with that short hilly cycle ride to somewhere specific, where I can potter and get involved with a community. I used to go to my last allotment on most days but going 12 miles each way became silly, so I gave it up soon after I moved house. I never thought to put my name down locally as I was so busy settling myself in, making a garden etc

Have a good day

Good morning all from Polmont where it's currently 10° and cloudy. GrandMattie I hope your eye settles down. It must have been quite disconcerting for you. Ash my goodness! That's a large sum to find. Hopefully it'll all be sorted out. I'm sorry that you are in pain too. Ladyleftfieldlover safe journey home.
Yesterday I met up with a friend for breakfast and had a lovely time. We blethered for a couple of hours too. On the way out of the restaurant, we could see many house martins swooping around and then, higher up, two enormous birds of prey. Sadly neither of us could see them clearly enough to identify them. Later on dd nipped in with some jars for my jam exploits and some washing to put in the tumble dryer. She's busy organising a holiday for us next summer and the place she has chosen looks lovely.
Today I will brave the local road chaos and pick up my prescription then visit a local art club's exhibition to support a friend who is heavily involved. Salad tonight for dinner. Have a good day all.

Good morning, Michael and all GNs from a bright, dry South Yorkshire. I am off to meet a friend in the Peak District this morning and am greatly looking forward to it. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Im glad to have a dry day for the drive. On the way home I shall call in on DD as we haven’t had the chance for our usual catch up this week.
Ash what a shock that must have been for you. I hope it is sorted out soon.
Have the best day you can folks.

Good morning from an overcast and breezy Oxfordshire. It’s good to be aware of any small changes in our health Mick , then we can act quickly.

Ash what a horrible shock, hope it all get sorted by your Management company soon.

GM I’ve had this in my eyes as well. Scared MrOops, but apart from aching a bit, no lasting problems.

Hope everyone has a good day and that the sun appears.

Morning all from a grey S E Essex, rain is forecast ☔️

Off to see what I can do at the gym with my knee in its brace. I predict lots of sitting exercises 🤣

Ashcombe how scary to get that bill 🙀
grandMattie I hope your eye gets better soon 🤞

We are going to our favourite Thai restaurant this evening, can’t wait.

Enjoy your day 🙋‍♀️

Good morning all and it’s grey and drizzly here in Essex.

Both sons have COVID - strange as they haven’t seen each other recently. Dd not well with , who knows what! , and I’ve woken feeling rather nauseous and weird. I’ll take DGD to school and see how I feel as the day goes on. I’m rarely ill and usually shake things off before they start! 🤞.

We had a police car and ambulance arrive outside next door yesterday lunchtime, saw the youngish chap who lives there with a bandage around his head and a bloody T shirt. The ambulance left but was back two hours later and stayed a good while. I’ll give a knock today to see how things are.🤔.

Ash you could do without shocks like that. 😡.
GM I hope your eye improves.

Take care all 🌸

Good morning all from an overcast Wiltshire. It was warm enough to sit outside until the sun went down last night.

Yesterday I went to the GWH ophthalmology dept. Visit lasted nearly 2 and a half hours. It was depressing with no seats to sit on at first, the lifts were out of order, 2 out of 3 eye scanners were broken and staff rushed off their feet. Nearly 300 patients in during the day to be seen. I was told my epiretinal membrane is scarred but surgery was fairly high risk and best to live with it. This means I can only drive on a day where weather conditions are bright but not sunny. Quite fed up as I thought they would be able to laser away all the rubbish affecting my vision in the vitreous humor.

Bracing ourselves for a sleepover here tomorrow with the smallest GC (5 and 3). It will be a 24 hour stint. Today is my DGD2’s 11th birthday. So pleased we saw her last week.

What an awful shock to open your water bill Ashcombe. Hope it’s all sorted asap. Best wishes to all poorlies.

Have a good Friday everyone.

Good morning all from a cloudy Glasgow where it is currently 10°C.

Ginster, what a shock!

GM, when I had a similar experience with my eye, DIL an optometrist advised me to go to my nearest optician's to get it checked out in case it was an indication of something more serious. I protested, but she insisted, saying that I had to go, despite me saying I was fine.
Any optician will check it out for you, as an emergency appointment.

Ash, I know that awful feeling when you get a bill like that. When we were told we owed over £7,500 to Scottish Gas, (faulty smart meter), I thought I was going to faint.
My only advice is be persistent in contacting them and keep a record of every conversation until it is resolved.

We had a lovely, but exhausting day with Dollie. It was rather chilly, but at the end of our short stroll, we found a deserted beach, whose existence we were unaware of, where despite the weather, Papa and Dollie buried treasure for half an hour.
I sat on a bench and watched the world go by! It was so calming and helped lift my mood.
If you look carefully, you can see Ailsa Craig in the distance. It is the only place in the world, where the rock curling stones is quarried.
To add to Dollie's delight, there were racehorses enjoying a paddle in the sea.

Today, I am off out to get my chest xray. I hope I can get parked, the hospital is at the top of a very steep hill and there is no way, I can manage to climb it!

DH has just messaged to say there is a car taped off with police tape at the end of our road and I will have difficulty getting out! The best laid plans! I hope no-one has been hurt.

Have a good day folks.

Hope your eye clears up quickly GM.

glammagran 💐

Good morning everyone from Inverness where it’s cloudy but dry , yesterday the sun tried to come out but didn’t last long
Goodness Ash what a hassle you could well do without, hope it’s sorted soon
I’m looking forward to meeting my pal later today for a coffee and a good catch up. We see each other most weeks but there’s always lots to chat about
A disappointment that nothing could be done to improve your vision glammagran, no wonder you’re fed up. Hoping your eye gets better soon gMattie
Thinking of everyone with worries and struggles, hope today is gentle and take care all whatever the day brings 💐

glammagran 💐

Good morning all from a bright but cloudy North Leicestershire.

Bed linen change and washing today plus a trip to the butcher's and Waitrose. DH has a volunteer drive.

Hoping everyone has the best day possible.

Good morning Ashcombe and everyone it’s a dull looking day here on the east coast of Fife, I’m pleased Scotland doesn’t have water metres, if I’d received a bill like the one you got I would have had a heart attack, we folks in Scotland pay for our amenities far different from you, glad you got it sorted out though it must be a piece off your mind.

Everyone continue to take care Covids on it’s rounds again

Good morning all from the Scottish Borders. 10°C. Really? This is supposed to be Summer.

Yesterday went very well. Introducing the cousins at the cemetery where their ancestors are buried, followed by coffee at a nearby hotel seemed an apt way to celebrate DH's birth date. In the evening we enjoyed an Indian meal although the Edinburgh restaurant was so busy, we had to wait an hour to be seated.

What nasty shocks Ash and gMattie!! May you make speedy recoveries.

Although not yet repaired, I should receive some insurance money for the ceiling if not the roof. Thanks Grandmabatty for your advice.

Work this morning and the preview of our pottery exhibition tonight.

Have the best day you can everyone.

Good morning from Malta where it is extremely hot already. I have just walked up to the corner shop thinking I would go before the heat got going but it’s clearly going to be another scorcher.

Lots of happenings today on the GM thread! Ash I can well imagine what a nasty shock you’ve had but hope it will all be resolved and that your knee will feel better.

grandM, your eye sounds alarming. Dr Google is not always your friend so perhaps you ought to take Marydoll’s wise counsel to visit an optician just to be onthe safe side.

Gingster your poor sons and DD, I hope they will feel better soon and that you do too. Sounds like quite a drama with your neighbours too! Hope nobody is badly hurt.

Best of luck with the chest x-ray Marydoll. Parking at our hospital is always horrible too.

The boys did a bit better yesterday, thank goodness. I really have felt so upset and anxious about them. I’ve looked after them since they were 9 months old and we always had such happy days together. Seeing them upset is so hard.

I will go with DD3 to pick them up again today, after which I have my weekly hairdo then back home for the tennis.

I managed to go to Clark’s yesterday as I’d seen a pair of sandals I liked. Was thrilled to find they were on sale so I bought two for the price of one! Not often I bag a bargain!😄

Wishing you all a good day.☀️

glammagran how disappointed and frustrating 🌺

glamma 💐💐

Good morning from a grey but dry Lincolnshire.
Yesterday was cold and wet all day.
DS and DIL went off to collect DS's car then the family went off to Tattershall Castle without me, too many steps to climb apparently.
Today the family are off to Lincoln again, DIL and three teenagers are going to do a Harry Potter escape room experience. I will be staying home again.
Have a pleasant day everyone.