The Lockdown Gang - Carry on Regardless.

Morning gangsters, well I have my coffee and one of BL’s delicious brownies, so I am happily ready to catch up with all of our posts.
Oh, what a performance BL, thank you for the link. What a start to the day, I am still smiling ... and will send it to several friends, who will appreciate it.

Cherry so pleased you had a good night ... hurrah. Whenever I type your name, I mistype it as Cheery, so that must be how I think of you. I am saving your lovely apple and blackberry crumble for supper ...

Golly Grammaretto imagine being sent to NZ to be a wife, at the age of 17, your GGM was robust and then to bear 12 children. Contraception has brought such change to women’s lives hasn’t it?
I look forward to hearing more about the Paper Museum.

Doodle, it’s currently 9.15am and your talk of chips has got me thinking about them too. ? But proper chips of course, not fries...

Mammissimo, the photos of your GGPs are lovely. Your GGM is beautiful, l love the picture of her with the dog.
We all stem from redoubtable women!
I think the story of your GGP would have been a fascinating addition to the exhibition.

Panache your trip out sound lovely. I agree with you about daily newspapers, I haven’t even got to the Guardian yet, for reading all the gangster posts.

It’s a lovely sunny morning so I shall go for a walk, while my partner does his Zoom exercises. Have a lovely day, all. ?

Bradfordlass in the Margaret Thatcher Milk Snatcher era the local students' union put on a coach to take demonstrators to London to participate. It left from outside my school at 9.00am and was to return us at 4.30.

Needless to say I saw an opportunity....reader, I boarded the bus, marched a little bit, nipped into a couple of shops, made my way to Park Lane and lay down in the road with the others. Two burly policemen good natured lay carted carried me off the highway. I rejoined the bus and was home at normal time.

Both my parents were school teachers.....and had eyes in the backs of their heads....and little birds who dobbed me in but I was seriously amazed when the BBC started the six o'clock news with footage of student demonstrators being cleared off Park Lane.....parents and sister watched with open mouths as I was carted off.....their heads swivelled to look at me....silently....for all of thirty seconds before the wrath of Mama was unleashed......

Happy days ?

Mamissimo what an elegant couple in your pictures. Is the lady with the dog your Gt Grandmother? She was a lovely looking woman. A hard life for many in those times.
Hope you didn’t over shred your garden or overwork yourself. Your DH obviously has an eye for a present that will please you.
Grammaretto another fascinating story. Fancy being sent off at 17 to another country. When we were in Dublin some years ago I remember seeing the Famine Statues on the Quayside. They were haunting and very sad. You could almost see them as people suffering. Sorry gone off at a bit of a tangent to your story but I have posted a link to a video about the statues below if anyone wants to look at it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh-8bxi4T8o
Shame about your helper but wise under the circumstances.
Sorry you didn’t sleep well last night. Might have been the singing?
Cherry glad you are pleased with your hair. Gives us a boost if we think we look ok. I am much happier looking in a mirror since I’ve had my hair cut (well not much happier. The tired old wrinkly face is still there but the hair looks good ?)
Apple and blackberry crumble is my favourite, I’m off to the kitchen right away.?
Just read about your scan. That will be today then. Hope it goes well and the results are fine.
Bradfordlass an arch of pasties sounds far more tasty than one of chairs any day ? Good news about your test results.
I had a little grin at the thought of you being part of Rent-a-mob. ?. I have a feeling you’re a force to be reckoned with when you’ve got your dander up.?. Good for you for sticking up for what you believe in bit I’m glad you won’t be called upon to spend the night in the trees. Let’s hope the action taken will be enough to make someone step in and buy the plot to save the trees.
That video duet was very good. I’m sure you’re version with the ginger tom was music to the ears ?
Ooh I love brownies. Thank you I’ll have some one with my coffee ?

Nortsat your mention of sitting down with a cup of coffee to read this thread every day, makes we want to say “ Good morning, are you sitting comfortably, now we’ll begin” bit like listen with Mother, ?
Was a good video. I enjoyed it too.?
Sorry for mentioning chips. They were really good.
What no zoom exercises for you too.? I would rather go for a walk. Have a good day.
Mamissimo ? another rebel in our ranks. What a story.
I can imagine what you thought when the whole thing was on the BBC News. Ooh was your mum very cross. ?
Hope all the gangsters, those here and those missing, have a good day. Thinking of you all.

Hi to my fellow gangsters,I am fast learning saying mornin g usually gets to afternoon by the time I complete my posting.........which is increasingly difficult..... as I have so many calls that take up my time whenever I sit with my thoughtful hat on.........ready to share all!
I can only do what time allows, so sadly I miss out on many of the deeper conversations here.Perhaps I shall eventually catch up!

For both Bradforlass and Cherry ladies whom like to colour their hair come on gals,be devils and try my fav purple!
My mane is again gathering a deep hue and I guess I know I am on to a good thing when in the past 2 weeks I have had 3 very nice compliments.......strangely enough.......all from men.
I do wonder why?
Could it be a colour women in general cannot take to?
Answers on a postcard invited!!

Whilst Cherry you were certainly talking about the same river and very near to where we found this magnificent peace and solitude during our drive out........actually you were thinking of another spot,only a few miles away ....Neyland...with.ferry running to and from Pembroke Dock prior to the Toll Bridge being built...... now quite a bustling waterside village,in fact it boasts a very busy marina........so as you can imagine it would not have been peaceful and certainly rather over crowded.
We were some miles up stream,hence totally free of people.........the name is Rhooseferry.........and the ferry ran some time even before we were born........to a lovely riverside spot called Lawrenny.!!
I drop these names thinking they will again bring you some further memories.

You are so right Doodle how often do we innocently mention a place ,a name,or talk about a situation to have someone else pick it up, and spin a truly interesting tale about it.

What I am not is a baker and believe me very greedy when I hear mention of any home baking, am first in the queue for your apple & blackberry crumble Cherry.......stealing some for my dear man whom is equally greedy!!
Might even manage the odd brownie!!

I enjoyed that photo and story about your great ancestors Mamissimo,they both look so very strong,so now we know where you inherited your strengths!!
Your`s too Grammaretto.......such lovely stories to know about your ancestors.
Talking of grand parents,even parents brings me to tears always,such a weak point in my life.
Very sadly and shockingly I knew none of them, and that has been a bitter yoke around my neck all these years,even worse is the fact I do not even know why I was literally dumped.That hurts.
It has obviously affected me throughout my life though I have fought hard to overcome.

We need no lullabies when you so vividly describe those boating scenes on your stretch of river Doodle, my mind is in overdrive!!
How peaceful for you both whilst enjoying your glass of whatsoevers!!

Sunshine continues, and although our time spent outside in our little oases was cut short by a dark cloud yesterday,we are full of fresh hope for this afternoon......already having enjoyed a pleasant walk around our garden a few times,such a joy to park those wheelchairs for now.

Hope life is being kind, and for those struggling may you be afforded extra strength to fight through.

Take good care and stay safe.

Ha Ha! I do so love your stories. Although you should not have mentioned chips Doodle

My old car/demo story is a combined one which almost ended in tragedy.
My big DSis, newly at uni, was offered a lift to London to join the Easter CND march, by her new friend in his DM's new mini! It was 1964 and he had just passed his test.
I was in the front passenger seat (the suicide seat as it was popularly known - no seatbelts) sis and another lad were in the back. The driver was showing off. At my last terrified glance at the speedometer it was going at 85 mph on the M1. The steering went wobbly but he must have slowed down. The car turned over and ended on the grass verge upside down.
I can remember my sis screaming and that I was still stuck inside. Infact we both walked away without injuries and were laughing in hysterics with the shock once we had reached safety. The poor boy in the back had a broken arm.
I can still remember the driver wailing, how was he going to break the news to his mum about her precious car!!

When our DM found out she was furious that we had both nearly died! My DF had been killed in a plane crash so it was understandable but she showed no sympathy whatsoever.
I must say the experience has left me nervous of accepting lifts in peoples cars and I was always terrified when our DC went off hitch hiking.

We did arrive in London somehow but I have no recollection of the CND march that year.

Thanks for the sad statues of the famine victims. My ancestors were no different from the refugees today really. They left for a new life. Any life was better than the one they were leaving. I guess my gt GM was an orphan but I don't know.

The photo shows them in NZ with presumably their grandchildren. I thought it better not to show any mini photos.

Thanks for the uplifting cat duet BL wonderful!

Just popped by to say I'm not dead yet! I've been rather busy the last few days with DGD's and DGDogs coming and going and I've only looked in on GN a couple of times and both times got side tracked on the Active page before I looked in on I'm On and now I'm six pages behind on all your news. Now I have to go out again to collect the campervan from Great Yarmouth where it's gone for it's service! Hopefully not too many 'little extras' to pay for!

Panache I remember going on a short holiday with my dear SIL who used a lilac tint on her silver hair. Twice in the same day two different people stopped to say how lovely her hair looked. She was thrilled and the compliments made her day ?
I am going to look up the places you mentioned on Google Panache. I have convinced DH (without much persuasion) that some time when this virus is over, we may take a trip to Wales again and visit the areas my folks came from.
It must be very sad for you not to have known any of your family or the circumstances of being alone. My mother’s mother died when she was young leaving younger siblings. Her father, unable to cope, took to drink and her older sisters went to live with maiden aunts whilst the baby of the family (a boy) was sent for adoption. My mother often talked of him and wondered if he ever knew he had family. She was only 9 and never saw him again.
Hope you enjoy a trip out somewhere today.
Grammaretto that’s a scary story. You were lucky that, apart from the lad with the broken arm, you were all able to get out ok.
That’s a fascinating photo. I love it. Gt Grandpa had a lovely beard. They look as though they were wearing their Sunday best. I wonder if they were going on a day out.
Nfk nice to hear from you again. You seem to be very busy.
Are you going on a trip in your camper van?
Back later to check up on you all ?

Bradfordlass whilst finishing my lunchtime coffee I have been looking at your blog from the last couple of days. I had to laugh about the snippet of your Mother’s version of Hey Diddle Diddle. That is a really cute baby picture of you. ?

Back from my adventure ? that was the breast clinic. I can ✅ that one off, barring me contacting them, ? that'll be not, for a year ?.
Thanks Grammaretto I think the good luck wishes paid off ?.

Seems that we have, either in the past or in the present, a few protesters in our little gang. In my time I've not been adverse to a protest or two. In 1981, along with a number of women and girls I went to Cardiff for the start of the march from there to Greenham common. Unfortunately I was unable to take part in the march from there onwards but my SiL and a cousin did and both stayed at the common for a bit. During their stay one of our neighbours borrowed a minibus (her sister was staying at the common too) and me, my mother, my aunt and my other cousin went down to see them and add to the protest for the day. My aunt didn't want to leave so we left her there ? . A couple of days later our neighbour went back there and stayed a while too.

I went on the anti poll tax marches and Unite against Fascism marches ? in the late 1980s and in 1993, the year before apartheid ended, I went on the anti-apartheid March in London.

Eek by the way Grammaretto, good to know nobody got too seriously injured. I'm not surprised it's left psychological scars though. I'm amazed that you did arrive in London and whilst you can't remember it you obviously still went on the march.

Panache I've not heard of Rhooseferry but I have heard of Lawrenny and I think I now know the area you are talking about. It's very close to Jenkins Point and Lawrenny has a caravan park there doesn't it? There's a walking trail thereabouts where you can head to Carew Castle, the ? with the ghost? - ?. Although a very very long time ago I've walked part of the trail to the castle from a different direction.

BradfordLass lovely brownies thank you, you don't mind do you but I helped myself to three one ?.

I was wondering where you'd got to Nflk. Pleased to hear that you have been spending your time in a lovely way, with your DGD and the dogs. My WP has been on the phone trying to book our car in for a service today but hasn't been able to get through ?. I hope there are no unexpected extras to pay for ?.

Hope you enjoyed your walk Nortsat

Doodle you should definitely pay a visit to the areas in Wales your parents came from, especially if you haven't done so before or it was many years ago when you did.

All this talk of ancestry and the stories told has put me in a reflective mood. My gt grandmother came from Greece with virtually nothing except the clothes on her back, two tapestries and two large brass plates. It seems strange to think that my grand parents were Victorians and my father was born at the start of the Great War and all they lived through when I think of how things are now.

Back laters ?

Hello Gangsters, I can't keep up with all your recent posts. I was blown away by Panache's house move under such pressure and emotional stress. It started me thinking about our home and how much 'stuff' we have. I had to move my Mum out of her house when it became obvious that she couldn't manage any longer after Dad died. It was a heart-breaking experience. So many mementos had to go, just memories left.

I keep looking round my house and wondering how I would manage in Panache's place. The contents of our garage alone, laid out, would require an aircraft hangar, that's before we start on the loft (there is a 'safe slope' away from the loft hatch, despite DH almost clearing it about 10 years ago). I guess I will continue to bury my head in the sand for the time being. Our DS still has most of his stuff stored here. I hope he will be in a position to move out properly in the not too distant future.

Our fallen apple tree has yet to be removed. We have spoken to our nearby tree surgeon but he is quite busy. My DIL suggested we get a wood sculptor in to make a carving for the garden from apple wood.

I also have some Ercol furniture - an oval, gate-leg dining table in elm and ash. It was a wedding present and still in use. It is so useful, it folds away but can sit up to 8 with ease. It is very plain and has not dated.

I don't colour my hair these days although I may have highlights added occasionally. I quite fancy having brightly coloured hair but have inherited my parents' hair colour, neither of them had white hair. My hair has dulled but not whitened and wouldn't take a colour well. On the other hand, my DH (who is younger) has had white hair for many years.

BradfordLass, DH and I were on our narrowboat earlier this year and were stunned by the miles of destruction of the countryside near the canal in preparation for HS2. This isn't a political thread so I won't go on.

I'm pleased to see that Mamissimo is obviously recovering and hope Cherry's scan results in good news.

Today has been quite chaotic. We have 4 landscapers here, relaying parts of our patio and noisily chipping out the grouting of the old slabs. Our neighbours at the bottom of our garden are replacing their boundary fence (we can see straight into their garden). Next doors' chickens came for a visit, the dog in the house at the bottom of the garden spotted one of the chickens and ran up our garden, barking excitedly. The chicken made a run for it, clucking wildly and backed itself into a corner behind our garage. The dog was dragged away but the cat from the house on the other side to us got on in the act and proceeded to stalk the traumatised hen. DH shooed the cat off but it came back in stealth/stalk mode so we rang the cat's owner and the cat was put inside (claws flailing) while we tried to coax the hen out. I laid a trail of bird food for the hen to follow and left it. Once the hen was safely out of the way, the cat was released!

We have just had our weekly food delivery, the only substitution has been granulated sugar for icing sugar. My cake will have to have a coffee crunch topping instead of coffee butter icing.

I'm actually finding this period of 'sheltering' more stressful than when in lockdown. I really want to go places, see people but can't - so thank you all for keeping me feeling DH and I are not alone in this. Even if I don't post every day, like Nortsat, I start my day with this thread.

Cherry so glad things went well for you at the clinic.
Well I obviously have a very active gang for good causes here.
I’m thinking we might have to hire a camper van (or borrow NFk’s) and head off to NZ to support Bradfordlass in saving the heritage trees. We could take Jeeves with us to do the driving and clearing up and we could tow a wagon behind us with all the beans and tomatoes we need for our daily meals.
Another interesting tale Cherry . Might have known our Tigger would be a campaigner. ?
I have been to Wales a few times Cherry. Not as often as I would have liked to. I was born as a very late child into a family of much older people. My father never drove a car and we didn’t venture far for holidays. In my youth I did go to Wales twice by train. I know where my father came from but my mother lived in a shack on the side of a hill. No street names or location and long since gone I imagine. Photos unfortunately were few and far between.
Had a lovely walk in the sunshine this afternoon and a quiet drink on the balcony to finish off. Time for dinner now ?

Missedout I almost missed you ? You posted while I was typing.
That’s quite a nice idea from your DIL to have the apple tree and it’s memories carved into a sculpture.
I had to laugh at your tale of the new fence, the dog and the chicken and the cat. It would make a good children’s book. ?
Not quite the same thing, granulated sugar and icing sugar. However, I am quite prepared to taste the cake. Just to give my opinion you understand ?
Life is still up and down (or should that be in and out) with this Lockdown business. DH and I haven’t been near a shop. We have been for a meal which was a bit stressful until the waitress kindly brought me a hand spray to do my hands after I had touched my chair ?
Hope you and your DH are keeping ok,

It is amazing that most of us have campaigned for causes in our time. Mind you I am feeling my age lately. I went with a friend to look at the water problem and a couple of circuits of our garden later I was ready for a wee lie down.
That gt grandad in the photo was born in 1829.
Previous generations did live through a lot but so do the young ones. Who'd have thought a 5 yr old would have to wear a face mask! If she gets the school bus she will have to.
I am so glad our tigger survived the clinic. Yay!!
Missedout your apple carving sounds a lovely idea.
Our weeping ash tree came down in a storm a couple of years ago. The tree surgeon has left an ugly stump about 5ft high. We have contemplated either cutting it down entirely and planting a new tree but have thought of carving an owl or something into the stump.
Our DGC were using it as a perch at the weekend so perhaps it's just another piece of garden apparatus for the kids. Poor tree.
I'm enjoying my G&T.
Cheers!

Thanks Doodle I'm relieved I don't have to go back to the clinic for a year ?.
I do remember you saying that you've been to Wales but I wasn't sure whether you had or had not been to regions/s your parents came from. I see that you wouldn't even know if you had or not where your mother's home was ?.

I'm with Doodle in thinking the episode with the chicken the dog and the cat would make a good children's story Missedout, it even has a happy ending ?.
I think keeping part of the apple tree and using it in some way in the garden is an excellent idea. If not a sculpture could part of the trunk be hollowed out and turned into a planter or water feature?
Surely castor sugar would have been a better, though not what you needed, replacement for the icing sugar ?. Some of these substitutes can be weird.

I popped back in to say - Panache whatever the reason you were, as you put it, "dumped" it was not because of you, you know that don't you. My WP was fostered out a couple of times when he was but a toddler because apparently he was "problematic", "behaved badly" and was "naughty". He was returned to his so-called parents but fostered again because of their actions! He was always told by them that he was left outside a church but was returned to them but around 3/4 years ago found out that that was categorically untrue - it was another child. He was constantly reminded, by one means or another, he wasn't wanted and eventually he ran away from home. He had daemons for years. He is the most wonderful soul I have ever known. Their issues. Your parent/s issues. You Matter. They don't!

Thanks Grammaretto, chin chin ? (mine is non alcoholic) ?

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-951709-apple-seat.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202009/medium-154883-my-wade-ancestors.jpg

Missedout What a wonderful story about the animals - though not so cheery for the hen.

Applewood is greatly valued here whenever an orchard is sold. My son tells me it imparts flavour to BBQ food. I think a rustic seat would impart so much more to any garden.

Happy to read all recent medical tests are proving to have excellent results. I like the hand-stand graphic Cherry
I hope you didn't get left with the brownies from which Grammaretto had picked the splodgy white chocolate decoration!
Panache I am currently looking for purple to put in my hair (watch this space)

Doodle My dander is very rarely up despite my showing annoyance here a few times. For instance, I wouldn't really have slapped the Dad who left the wee boy crying. I'd be far more likely to say, 'Bring him round to my house on the way to work and he can play. I'll take them all to school.'

I get angry with abstracts though: greed - real greed, when someone has more than enough yet will gladly deprive others to acquite more.
And racism - which is totally beyond my comprehension.
But generally, I'd rather find solutions (and often do) than let temper muddy the waters.
I am a strong woman though, that I will admit but then it's obvious from this thread that we all are.
One day, our descendants will look back with the same awe we do and say, 'How did she do it?'

Grammaretto that's a very smart rig - on the way to church I suspect from Mama's hat. The kids don't look too happy so not going to market or anywhere pleasurable.

My lot in this ancient glass photo are not much better, though I bet I'm descended from the dreamy one on the right!
I'm told this is one of the first photos taken in Bradford.

Thanks to our dearest Doodle, no one is ever alone when they're part of this thread/family.
You may not be able to post for a while but we all have you in our hearts.
It's a remarkable thread in that we know more about one another now than in the casual 'moan and disappear' threads out there.

We're growing together and though we may never meet, our mutual support is genuine.

Doodle yes, I was always a little dumpling - then a larger dumpling and now....well, I think you all know

Grammaretto if I’d done a few circuits of your waterlogged garden I would be ready for a wee too, just not the lie down
I’m sure your weeping ash enjoys being useful. A 5ft stump is quite high. Could you cut a bit more off and turn it into a seat?
Gt Grandad in the photo looked a formidable character. I love looking at old photos. You could see that people weren’t used to having their photo taken and there were some very formal poses.
Enjoy your G&T.?
Cherry how are you tonight? Relaxing now you’ve been to the clinic I hope.
Sorry, I misled you a bit about my mother. When I said I didn’t know where she lived I do know the part of Wales she lived in but not a specific place.
Cherry that was a sad life for your WP as a young child. I am glad that he found happiness with you, just like Panache has with dear MrP
I have been looking for Jeeves but he’s hiding somewhere. Probably keeping out of the way in case Bradfordlass wanted him to spend the night in a tree. I’ve made the hot chocolate so help yourselves. Hope you all sleep well.

Bradfordlass the brownies were lovely thank you.
No you don’t strike me as an angry person but strong and principled I think. I do hope we get a picture if you decide to go purple.?
That’s an amazing family photo. I love the mother’s hairdo. It was obviously the fashion at the time. They were all very well dressed. Do you know who they are?
I think your baby photo was lovely. Dumpling was always a term of affection when I was young. ?
I love how stories are evolving over time. As you say, some aren’t always able to post but they are still in our thoughts. Like Marydoll and Dragonfly hope they are getting on ok.
Sleep well all.

BradfordLass I was thinking the same thing about the children in Grammaretto's photo. The boy looks quite miffed about something. You're probably spot on about where they were heading, very turned out.

Very well turned out family in your photo too BradfordLass. Maybe you are descended from the dreamy one on the right but there is a studious acuity in the look to the one on the left.... makes me ? there's the link... ?
The splodges were intact on the brownies but there weren't many left.

I agree about this thread/gathering, it is so much more than a moan or even casual groan thread. We have all been locked down together and much togetherness has been the result ?

Hope everyone sleeps well tonight. I think I may. Night gang-sters ?

Hello again gangsters!

Hope you had a reasonable night's sleep (apart from BL who'll be going to her bed shortly) DH has not so I've left him in bed to try to catch some more.

Your early Bradford photo is gorgeous. Do you know who everyone is?

Were they off to church in my photo? It was a very long way to the nearest church and a bumpy ride with those cart wheels. I love her Irish flat peaked cap. It looks so modern.
I have realised that the 2 DC in the photo would be Charlie and Mary Ellen, their own 2 youngest. It was probably about 1895. a few years before they lost a son in the Boer war. After that the photos of her look very solemn.

I have had an email from a DNA related distant cousin in America. She is excited to be Scottish and proud to trace her ancestry to Robert the Bruce (22 generations back!!). She's avidly watching Outlander and asks me if I speak Gaellic as she is learning it.

It reminds me of the woman so determined to prove her ancestry that she lay down beside a reclining statue of a medieval knight and asked our friend the chapel curator if he could see the family likeness.

If there is ever an After Lockdown I would love to visit Wales again. We had many a happy holiday in Mid and North Wales but never in the South.

Today I must email the council to ask them to pick up and recycle my old wheelie bin which squirrels have eaten so badly that it fills with water. My pottery clear out has revealed dozens of old aprons and towels - far too many so I need to think of a good home for them. An animal charity? -- no not the aprons --

Better get on with it. See you later.

well maybe:

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Good Morning!

The sun has got his hat on in Hampshire today so the tomatoes will be ripening ? Good job too because we seem to have many, many of them! They're a special Italian tomato, beloved of the pizza industry because they make the best passata and pizza sauce. They dry well too so at least I know they won't go to waste. The picture is of part of one plant.....and we have 3....

One of my passions is what Mr M calls "dead relies" and I have a lovely collection of very old family photos. They all look utterly sober sides to because of having to hold still for so long. I often wondered what we would like in similar style so I dragged DH into one of those Victorian photo shop places at an open air museum to be done....it's one of our family's favourite photos.

My DD has discovered that if she tells my DGC that the veg came from Granny's garden they eat it all.......and so far we've had no failures....I'm going to nip to the garden centre to see if I can get a couple of Brussels sprout plants..? but as I type this the thought occurs to me that I can take any veg in a plain bag for them as required naughty Granny

Would you all hold my other twin DD in your thoughts today? She and her husband are embarking on their IVF journey. It's so hard for her watching her identical twin have 2 babies in quick succession. Both the little ones adore her and she them, but I've seen the tears.

We watched the new "All Creatures Great and Small" last night and were pleasantly surprised. Good, enjoyable undemanding entertainment.

Good days everyone

Good morning gangsters, I have my coffee, I’ve read the headlines in the Guardian and now I am ready to catch up with our posts. Thank you Doodle, I am sitting comfortably.
(Watch with Mother came into my mind then and I could almost hear the woman’s voice asking if we were sitting comfortably. My favourite WWM was The Wooden Tops, especially Spotty Dog.
When my nephew was about 9, in about 1986, my sister got hold of a video of WWM and was excited to show it to DN. We all watched it together, she and I loved it and giggled all the way through it. My DN watched Andy Pandy and then gave up, ‘Is this all that happens?’ he complained.
His favourite at that time was Power Rangers and Castle Greyskull, which made Andy Pandy and Teddy, in their basket, almost incomprehensible to him).

Doodle thank you for the link to the haunting Irish Famine Memorial, I didn’t know of it. I will show it to my partner whose family are from Eire.
Cherry, you must be so pleased your clinic visit is over. I hope you had a lovely restful night.
We must have supported some of the same causes in the 1980’s - Anti Poll Tax and Anti Apartheid. I spent some time at Orange Gate at Greenham, too. Rock Against Racism was a great day.

Missedout what a super idea, to have something carved from your fallen apple tree. I have seen chainsaw sculptors on television and they make extraordinarily delicate and beautiful sculptures with great big chain saws ... who knew?
I agree with the other gangsters the chicken, the cat, the dog and the fence, sounds like a perfect story for littlies.

Bradfordlass what an interesting glass photograph and indeed doesn’t it look early? How elaborately they are all dressed. I can’t imagine the work involved in bring up so many children and ensuring they are all clean, fed, dressed, educated and loved.
By the way, my friends loved the performance of the Cat Chorus, a couple are music teachers and had heard it before, but thought that those two singers gave the best performance yet. ?
Morning Nfkdumpling ?
Grammaretto, any progress on the water situation?
Another fascinating photograph, it looks like another world, with the pine clad house and GGF with his extraordinary beard and his pipe.

Panache, all those compliments on your hair ... how lovely.

Well I have finished my coffee and need to go out for my walk before it starts to rain. We are going to go out for a cautious lunch this week ... our first outing since February (notwithstanding medical appointments and one garden visit).
Have a lovely day gangsters, stay safe and well. ?

Good morning all (well just)
We are having late coffee having been getting ready for our annual boiler inspection (that’s the central heating one, not me ?) We have to remove all the supplies from our outside cupboard (which is like a supermarket extension at the moment) so the man can take his readings and check everything.
I’ve seen some photos, so I can’t wait to start reading ?
Cherry yes I think you could be right. The girl on the left could easily be Bradfordlass’s ancestor. ?
Hope you had a better night.
Grammaretto thank you for the extra bit of information from the photo. Perhaps it wasn’t a church visit just a trip out.
Sad that she lost her son in the war.
Your story about the woman lying next to the reclining statue to see of there was a family resemblance made me laugh ?
I assume you did one of those DNA tests if your distant cousin was able to contact you. Does it work from some central database? Have you had contact from others? If your distant cousin is related to Robert the Bruce I assume you are too. I bet that topic is mentioned at every dinner party your cousin has from now on ?
I can Just picture all the little hedgehogs having one of your old aprons on to do their housework. ? Made me remember my mum saying to me “put your pinny on before you get your frock dirty” ?
Mamissimo I see a glut of tomatoes is the next thing on the calendar. You will be kept busy processing them ?
Love your photo. You look very becoming. I love the way your DH is standing, very much the man of the family. ?
Photos were such a rarity in those days. I have one of my brother sitting on a stool in his Sunday best taken in a studio and hand coloured.
Obviously food from granny’s garden tastes best.
I will hold your DD in my thoughts and prayers Mamissimo.
I hope the IVF will work for them soon.
Nortsat the Wooden tops was one of my favourites too, I loved spot the dog also Andy Pandy and Teddy and Loopy Lou. Also of course Bill and Ben. Oh the innocence of those times. I can still sing the theme tunes to them ?
I didn’t know about the Irish potato famine until we were in Dublin and saw the statues. They made such an impression on me I went home and read up about it.
Missedout we are all agreed you must write a children’s book about the happenings in your garden when the new fence was being erected ?
Hope everyone has a good day.