Good Morning Friday 20th March 2026

Good morning from Bristol. It’s dry and probably frosty as it’s cold indoors. Wonderful drying weather, so my towels are in the wash, ready to hang out.
Yesterday was more or less as expected, with the usual exhausting eye test. I took myself to my favourite little Methodist church cafe (I thought of you corner) in the town centre for a restorative cuppa and tea cake. Bought some fabric and very necessary ironing board cover. I also treated myself to a very pretty top.
I spent a hour in the sun, hand sewing before taking the bus again, Dinner at DD’s. Everyone seemed in a good mood.
I had a bad night and hope for a nap as I have a 12hour day. Spanish, then a “not WI committee” meeting here after which I have a Lent group in the evening…🙄
Thoughts to our mountaineers. Carpe diem 🦩🦩🌺🦩🦩

Good morning from s somerset, very sunny today

A poor sleep for me last night, could have been the temperature drop then impinging thoughts about how world events and so on are affecting us all. Whizzy head all night and I am groggy this morning

I spent the day gardening yesterday, followed by spinning, nothing strenuous but was tired at bedtime

Definitely no plans for me today, I need RnR after last night and a nap will happen

Good morning from Malta where a fine, rather windy day is forecast with a high of 18°C.

Yesterday was a public holiday (St. Joseph the Worker) which I hadn’t realised until half way through the day.

My friend messaged me and I was very happy to walk up to meet her and we had a coffee and chat in a packed café. It felt like another Sunday. Good to have company.

I have my usual hairdo today, nothing else planned but I have been sticking to my half hour of aerobic exercises every morning as I don’t want to waste away!

Thanks for the kind comments yesterday. Like many of you, I’ve got worries about family members, it’s not from watching the News. I just get overwhelmed at times being on my own.
DH was the voice of reason and I miss having him to lean on.

Hope you all have a good day.🤗

Good morning, cool and dry here in south Glos but no frost unlike yesterday.
What a beautiful sunny day yesterday, so many bees around and I saw several butterflies on plants in the front garden.
The washing dried quickly on the line, so lovely to have that line-dried scent again.
The gardener is coming again today, he’s transformed my front garden, I couldn’t be more delighted.
Best wishes to you all 🌹

Good morning from Shropshire where we have a very misty start to the day.Another warm and sunny day forecast.

We had an enjoyable day with DH’s brother and his wife yesterday.They go back to West Wales today.It is the first time they have visited Shrewsbury and they loved it and plan to come back later in the year.

Today is a quiet day until school pick up when the children will come for their usual Friday sleepover.

Thinking of Marydoll and hoping things are improving for her🙏🏻💐

Wishing everyone the best day possible 🦩🌻

Good morning from Sheffield

What a beautiful day it was yesterday, it lifts the spirits.

The family came for tea last night. It was bedlam, the children were playing together very well . Sometimes they glue themselves to screens, but yesterday they were all present. We made some Easter wind chimes ( a craft kit)

I am working this morning, a friend around for coffee at lunchtime then this evening we are going out for tea and then to town to see Ross Noble.
He always makes me laugh. I like his daft sense of humour. He isn’t cruel and doesn’t swear.
We are going with our eldest son, his birthday present.

Hoping for another sunny day
Take care everyone

Good morning Mick and all GN's on a still, cold dark morning in North Yorkshire . Can just see the outline of the tree against the sky. I gave up trying to get back to sleep and got up about 4.30am , struggling with cramp and mind spinning on numerous plates in the air, with very few solutions appearing to any of the varying problems. However today is the doctors appointment at about 9.30am, fingers crossed it isnt cancelled or moved . I have tried to write a succint list of symptoms as they appeared as one thing affects another etc. Trying to be positive and hope the doctor can give me some miracle idea to at least minimize the wretched cramps, if nothing else.

It was a very busy day yesterday , not helped by my knees joining the go slow, which would not allow me to do anything in the garden, or even walk down to the washing line. However mentally it turned out to be a better day. I really struggled to get showered , dressed and to the meeting on time. Felt exhausted before I even got there, and the wretched roads and paths full of potholes made the journey worse than usual. However it was worth it. There were various points of discussion that were sorted and I was able to add a couple of things people had not considered etc, so on the whole that part of the meeting went very well. Then the lovely yoga teacher turned up and it was just what I needed.

It was a struggle for me to do a lot of the exercises as I was in a lot of pain, but did what I could, and she is very good at suggesting alternatives for a sitting pose , if I am unable to do the standing one. I felt sad when they were doing a tree pose as I looked back at my dancing past especially my ballet lessons when I could do them all with ease and no pain and that difficult one where you bring the arm over the head and lean sideways whilst letting your other arm slide down the opposite leg. But the effort is to bring the arm over the head, moving only sideways,not forward or back at thesame time.
Anyway it was all very good with the breathing exercises etc and there was a real sense of togetherness and calm as we sat or stood in a circle. It ended with a relaxation and I felt a much needed calmness and the feeling of safety amongst friends, a very good antidote to my physical feelings at the time.

Then it was a swift trip home and a quick sandwich ready to dash off to the library for the meeting with the phd student. The researcher overall was also there, and there were a couple of apologies from people who had not been able to come, then another lady after she had read all the screed about what it involved and what it did not include decided she didnt want to continue and left. So it ended up with 4 of us and the researchers . One man and three women, but physically a good cross section. We all knew each other from a group that meets once a month, and he is pretty fit and able to walk and do exercises etc in groups or alone, Another lady was there with a rollator, who does not have a car, and manages to get about walking with the rollator, to as much as she is able to get to. I was the worst in that way arriving on my yellow peril and struggling even to move across to sit at the table. When we filled in forms about the exercise that we are able to do etc., we were asked first to fill in as we were at that time, so that we looked at exactly what we had managed to do this week etc. So given how bad this week has been my offerings were very poor. Hadnt managed to swim once, and not even managed to do any walking round the garden etc. It was frustrating as I wanted to write them out a better week when I can swim or walk a bit etc. However it really was very good for this purpose as it happens.

They are researching how much exercise people do and what stops people either starting or keeping up with exercises and what could be done to encourage people to increase and keep doing whatever exercises they did. My main point, backed up by the others was that the absolute basic obstacle was transport for a start. Here on one road that has a lot of bungalows with disabled people near the hospital, the buses now stop after 3.30pm. So without a car or someone to take you home you might get to an afternoon class but would have to have a taxi home, if you could get one. The poor quality of the roads and paths with potholes etc etc., so it was very useful as their main concerns where why people did not go, or stopped going to classes and this basic point of access was not seen as a major point. Then the costs of everything going up so that even if you could get there , with the cost of living even a reasonable fee to join a class or go to a gym becomes something you may no longer afford etc.

Anyway we all talked and filled in forms and contributed and naturally as one of us mentioned such as lack of buses then the others confirmed this with their own stories of missing buses or cancellations at specific times meaning they could not get to the classes. We all could show how patterns of days helped or didnt in the case of keeping up exercises . There was much writing and smiles from the researchers as what we said obviously sat well with their premises. So I hope that we provided good information that will get councils etc to consider these wider points which so affect our chance to do things. We were then awarded a Tesco voucher for our troubles, which was very nice , but I would have done it anyway as felt it was important to get across the views to fit and healthy council officials who probably all have cars .

Came home feeling exhausted and hadnt expected the cleaners as I had sent them a message and not heard from them. But as it happened it was very good that Debbie had been able to come, and she had done a grand job hoovering and cleaning floors and other things that are difficult for me , including opening the beetroot jar!! The mystery was solved as to why no reply as I had sent the message to a phone that Jessie had lost and now got a new one, so we were at cross purposed. So alls well that ends well, and I just had some soup that I had in the freezer and a sandwich, Just felt too weary to make a proper meal.

Rubbish night as usual, added to the fact of lots of thoughts about different things whirling around in my mind. So gave up and got up thinking about todays efforts. The sky has now lighted a little but is very misty now, so dont know whether it will clear to some sunshine or stay like this all day. So I shall have to allow time to get to the surgery , and take the mac and the sunglasses and may need both!

I hope that the doctor will have some good ideas to help me get some sleep most of all, but I then plan to get the local paper on the way home and have a much needed quiet day, letting myself relax a bit, doing some yoga whilst I remember it, checking up on the calendar what appointments I have next week and fingers crossed not have a lot on, and hope that my knees will improve so that I can do some gardening. We shall see. I also will be able to look back at the posts for the last couple of days as I need to catch up with the news and views.

I am hoping all the early risers are enjoying their cups of tea or coffee and have a smooth day in front of them.The daffodils are really out now and cheering the morning. I hope that there are flowers and blossom to greet us all today and lift our spirits. Enjoy your day everyone

Good morning from a chilly but dry Torbay following a sunny day yesterday.

The performance of Don Quixote was wonderful with superb dancing, glorious music, beautiful costumes and imaginative scenery. It was just the antidote to the worries of the last few days regarding my car. We used public transport to good effect at both ends of the day and I clocked up nearly 5,000 steps! (and my knees are not happy!)

Another early start as we’re heading to Crewe as my DGD is dancing in Coppélia with The English Youth Ballet in Hanley. It will be the first time we will have seen her dance en pointe.

Wishing everyone a good weekend. 🦩🥰🦩💐🦩

Good morning, Michael and all GNs from a grey cold South Yorkshire but it started out like that yesterday but heralded a beautiful day. I slept very badly last night.

Our morning walk in the woods was lovely. We covered all three sections of the 350 acres of wood. Paths were dry, lots of birdsong and it will be a good year for bluebells I think. Had lunch at DD’s and then called on my niece on the way home. I had a chat on the phone with GS after tea, mostly about golf and food.

School this afternoon - a short session with year 4 who are always a joy. Then home to work in the garden.

Have the best day you can, folks.

Good Morning from a dull, grey Durham. Dry, but gloomy.

I’ve a funeral to attend at 10.30 then there’s more stuff from the Solicitor to sort out - I hate doing things online!

I hope Marydoll is ok.

Best wishes to all. X

Good morning, the sky is grey, but we are forecast a sunny warm day.

Waiting for the 11yr old to wake and give me his breakfast order.

Not sure if I am going to the gym, I have bits and bobs to do.

Thinking of our morning friends with worries and health problems 🙋‍♀️

Good morning from a bright W Kent. A bad nights sleep and up early for an eye appointment this morning. After DH’s experience at the end of last year I am rather apprehensive.
DGD2 has now received her meningitis jab and will be at home until after Easter
Best wishes

Good Morning all from an already bright and very clear central south coast. Cool though - 4 degrees on the garden thermometer but it will climb quickly once the sun gets going. I love this weather.

DH is getting on famously with his new hearing aid and commented how loud everything is outside now. I am so pleased I persuaded him to go for the hearing test after years of him denying that he was getting deaf!

Had a message from DD in Ecuador yesterday to say they had just been for a bike ride "in the Amazon". Made my mind boggle imagining them in wet suits under water. She said it is very hot there, which was not a surprise to hear. I imagine it is quite steamy. Not my cup of tea at all!

Plan for today is dealing with some desk work, paying some annual subscriptions, sorting the Tesco delivery out and later, catching up on TV recordings and some YouTube posts I follow. The Llangollen canal breach has been well reported on YouTube and it is fascinating to see how they are dealing with it. I find civil engineering projects really interesting.

Thinking of all our strugglers, as always, and hoping for some ease and comfort for all, today

Good morning from N. Bucks. I haven’t looked outside yet but hoping for another sunny day.
DH is off to golf in a while . I am planning a trip to buy some picture frames . We have a small exhibition next Friday of the work we have done at the Art classes and I’d like to display a few of my favourite ones. It will be a bit scary , putting them out for public view.
This afternoon will be spent sorting our further craft club projects and DH has requested a fruit cake to be baked.
All 3 DDs are away for the weekend with their Grandmother, DH ‘s Mum. They are at a very nice hotel and she enjoys being made a fuss of.
Thinking of those who are poorly or with other troubles and wishing a good day for all.

Good morning all from a promising looking North Leicestershire.

Yesterday was quite tiring - we had a neuro physio at the Bright Sparks cafe talking about importance of exercise in keeping the brain healthy. And he made us join in the exercises!!!

Today is a shopping day with a trip to the egg farm, the butchers and Waitrose on the cards.

Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning from dry and bright South Lanarkshire.

We had glorious weather yesterday, it’s so good to feel the warmth of the sun.

I’m another who has had a rubbish sleep, feeling like a half shut knife at the moment.

The nurse was pleased with DH’s knee, the wound is a scabby mess but the skin is no longer raw so he can start using ointment on it now.

I have no plans for today so I’m free to potter.

Wishing everyone the best day possible.

Morning Mick, morning All. Clear skies over our corner of Somerset, more sunshine today.

Yesterday went more or less to plan. The bedding dried beautifully on the line. Such a treat. Mr C loves his new glasses, very different - I’m adjusting. Some garden tidying, a quick charity shop drop off with time for a cuppa before a call to our Welsh friend. I increasingly find some of her comments both inappropriate and hurtful. A long chat with a son later - even if I was half way through my meal - cheered me.

Volunteering this morning, more food gathering for next week and some general faffing at home will fill today.

Best wishes to all. Have the best day you can everyone.

Good morning everyone from Inverness where it’s bright and sunny and a warm day forecast
Hope your eye appointment goes well today luluaugust and good that your DGD has got her jab now
I’ve an online volunteering session this morning and then off to the gym for a couple of dance classes. Then I’m looking forward to seeing all the spring bulbs in flower along the riverside walk back into town.
Hoping Marydoll is doing ok
Thinking of everyone with worries and struggles, hope today is gentle and take care all whatever the day brings 💐

Good morning all from Polmont where it's currently 3° with a heavy mist. I can barely see my neighbour's tree. Madeleine I hope the doctor can help you. Ashcombe safe journey to Crewe.
Yesterday was a good day. I was collecting stuff i might have needed for the car, when I realised my driving licence was out of date. I hadn't updated my change of address from when I moved and the photo part was also out of date. Fortunately it was very simple to sort it out online and my new licence is winging its way to me. I then picked up my new car. There's a slight blemish on the roof which the salesman pointed out to me and they'll fix. I was so excited that I started to drive and hadn't put on the seat belt nor fixed the rear view mirror for my short stature. It was soon rectified before I joined the main road. It's a very nice car although I struggled a little with reverse which is different to the last car. Nothing daunted, I headed to Stirling for the art class. I started a large mixed media which I have been preparing for and I'm pleased with it so far. Greer was very happy with it too and extremely complimentary.
Once home, the shine of the day was only slightly dimmed by my reading glasses breaking in two. I'm rather annoyed as they were expensive but the frames were older ones so no point in going to the optician. I have a pair of reading glasses which will do in the meantime, although they aren't quite my prescription.
Today I'll go to the school library for a while then home to read the car handbook and check out where everything is. Fortunately it has automatic lights, so that will help with driving in the mist. At some point the new(cheap) reading glasses should arrive. The plan for the next few days is to get rid of everything I had stored in the old car to take to the charity shop and never did. Dinner will be very ordinary-pie, chips and beans- but enjoyable. Have a good day all

Good morning all and it’s very chilly but the sun is shining here in Essex.

Today I’ll shop and then we’ll meet our friends for our lunchtime drinks. The chap who works there as a gardener has whittled each of us ladies a beautifully carved walking stick. He won’t take any money but I need to get him something as a Thankyou.

Take care all 🌱

Good morning all from a misty Black country.
Yesterday a trip to Stratford with fish and chips by the river a very enjoyable day.
Today as the weather not so good will catch up on some housework and there is ironing in the basket looking at me.
Thoughts with missing posters.
Best wishes everyone, enjoy your day whatever your plans ☀️.

Good morning everyone from mid Essex, the sun is trying to burn off the mist and low cloud, and it’s a cold 3 degrees!
Yesterday was a beautiful day, wall to wall sunshine. I had a longer walk than usual, incorporating a trip to the pharmacy for more dressings for my leg.

I had a disturbed night, like many others on this thread! Woken at 1.00 by a WhatsApp message from my niece in Australia with a photo of her mum cuddling my niece’s baby 14 years ago! Our family WhatsApp group had been messaging all evening with photos of my dear sister in law with my DGDs as babies. I can manage on 4 hours sleep so will just get on with things.

Late afternoon or early evening I had a delivery of post, an important letter from the solicitor dealing with my late godmother’s probate. I’ll need to go to the post office this morning to post my response.

ash I’m pleased that Don Quixote was so enjoyable, and hope you have an easy journey to Crewe. You must be so proud of your DGD, and I hope you have a good time with your family. It’s good to be able to forget your worries over your car, even if just for a few hours.

luluaugust, a relief that your DGD has been able to have the meningitis vaccination and that she’ll be at home until after Easter. Hopefully she’ll be able to relax with family away from the situation.

gagagran, so pleased your husband is getting on well with his hearing aids, it must make such a difference to your lives!

I hope marydoll will be back with us soon.

Thinking of all who are struggling.

Have the best day possible everyone.

Good morning Mick and everyone from sunny Carlisle.

It was quite busy yesterday morning, a bit of cleaning followed by a Tesco delivery mid-morning and, as soon as the driver had gone, the installer of my dash cams arrived. It took him well over an hour, now I have to get my head round using them. They're very subtle, lots smaller than I expected. I have to get the associated app onto my phone now.

After lunch, I went for a walk in the park. Another close encounter with a wheeled vehicle, this time a mobility scooter driven by a youngish man at definitely more than the 10mph I thought they were limited to. No warnings...some innocent walker could be crippled for life.

Today, the gas boiler is being serviced then I will probably go out in the car to see how the dash cams are working. An excuse to go to the garden centre to look over the new stock and get my free coffee. Then the afternoon is at leisure, I shall probably catch up with my reading plus do a little admin.

Have a good day everyone if you can.

Morning all from West Oxfordshire, it seems I’m having a lie in! I was up very early yesterday for my London trip.

In fact I had a lovely day yesterday. The study day on ‘wallpaper’ was excellent.

It was good to meet younger son afterwards for an early dinner. I hadn’t seen him since just before Christmas. He had the usual stories about his life as a civil servant.

I have various things to do today, including listening to two Renaissance lectures which I missed on Wednesday. I also have a parcel to collect from Waitrose and petrol (eek) to buy. The WI secretary wants to pop round so we can update the national data base with the extra information. I might put her off until next week.

Have a good day. It would be good to hear from MaryD.