Support and friendship for those whose lives have been affected by estrangement.

Happy anniversary Smiles and Mr S 🥳 hope you had a great time in the Titanic dining room, sounds amazing, and glad the dogs came to celebrate with you.
Yogi you should look at hotels that take dogs, I understand that going solo in a cottage etc., could be worrying because they are sometimes in remote places and there aren’t other people around. My DDs in-laws stay sometimes in a hotel in Crystal Palace that takes dogs, breakfast is included and is really nice, in actual fact is a pub but an upmarket one, and the rates are reasonable.
I think staying somewhere like this would be more reassuring for a solo traveller.
Whiff I also was a bit naive, when I was visiting one of our daughters at uni I smelt something in the halls of residence and remarked that someone was burning incense, she just laughed and said that it was wacky baccy, so I know the smell of it now.
A big day at school for your youngest grandson, one of mine is now in preschoolers at nursery, he looks like such a baby I can’t imagine him at school next year. He will only turn 4 in August and his best friend is 4 in the first week of September so they will be a whole school year apart.
I wish they did a New Year intake like they used to do once upon a time.

I think I must have lived a sheltered life as I have no idea what pot smells like . When I was at high school the local grammar sixth form was well known to sell pot . They looked down on us as our school was called a secondary modern school. But many not those that bullied me when on to have good careers and owned their own business. The pot dealers made nothing of themselves and some went to prison . They lived on the same estate as me and they had good parents .

Alnwick. Smiles heard of that but can't remember why give me a few days and I will remember why . Have a wonderful 45th anniversary. It would have been our 44th in May normally I remember and wish my husband happy anniversary but forgot this year but it didn't upset .

Hope you take a picture of the dinning room it must be very luxurious..Hope the food is good..

Did talk to my move it lose it instructor and she changed her way of doing the class . And glad to say everyone came back .

During my sit fit class one of friends was sitting down and tipped backwards and hit her head on the toilet door . Once she was ready our instructor and me sat her up and she leant against my thunder thighs . Her head was bleeding so held 3 pads of clean tissues to stem it while an ambulance was called she's 85 . Her bad leg hurt but nothing broken I was more worried about her head wound and the large lump . Luckily she isn't on blood thinners. Changed the tissues 3 times and by the time the ambulance crew came it had stopped bleeding . 4 of us stayed and I had no intention of leaving until she was ok and helped out instructor put the room back . The ladies son came and picked her up and onto a chair. Paramedics did all the checks then spoke to the hospital they did want her to go in but they said if she didn't want to they would contact her GP . Her son took her home .

Heard from our instructor yesterday she was ok her head was sore but no headache and she had sleep was just resting and would be back next week. She doesn't even know why she tipped backwards as we where just going to do another exercise when she went back. I know I had stupid accidents and do things I have no idea why.

Yogin do you and Joey go on holiday together as there are dog friendly places to rent and bound to be dog friendly hotels . Or don't you like going away by yourself? My best friend who's husband died nearly must be 3 years this year does even go to the gym by herself and goes on holiday but never alone . Which to be honest I don't understand. They both did things apart when he was alive . But she can't seem to do things since he died .

I know I have been widowed a lot longer but I do most things on my own . I did go to York for 3 days year after he died as he made me promise to go. As I spent most of my time in my room crying . Then didn't have another holiday until May last year when I went to Berwick upon Tweed and meet a someone from GN .That's why I went to York in September and had a wonderful time as I didn't see much of it before. Harrogate on 15th for 5 days and one of the cuppa and chat members said to go to Knaresborough to the witches stone . She said they had been trying for a long time for a baby and was told to rub the stone and she would get pregnant which she did . But said she didn't believe it was the stone but glad she rubbed it .

Babs hope Mr B is doing ok and his mobility improving. I know how hard it is for you . It proves our lives can change in a minute. So we must make the best of everyday . That's why I don't live with what if's or if onlies . Life goes by so fast .

Today all 5 of my grandsons are now at school . My daughter sent me a picture of the boys . The youngest looked so grown up in his uniform. She said he went into school like a trooper
but his brother went to go into the wrong room he's in class 3 and headed to class 2 🤦. Only seems 5 minutes since my 2 where at school..

My friends who came on Saturday thier grandson/ nephew is in pre school at nursery now . Said if he starts going ch ch ch at you he's learning word sounds. It's all so different to how my children learnt .

Look after yourselves.

Have a super wedding ann. on Saturday Smiles it sounds great.
Yes, the smell of that 'pot' is awful! but what can you do [?].

Had my 2 GDs to stay Sunday to Monday late afternoon, back for a quick cuppa, then off for my evening yoga class, I slept like a log that night; 11-7am .

Waiting for the rain to stop so I can take Joey for walkies. Nice you are taking your doggies on Sat Smiles, that's a problem I have with bringing Joey with me, I need a doggie friend to go away with, my lunch friends are not doggie people, so even if we went on holiday in this country, I wouldn't feel right taking Joey. They want us to book somewhere for next year, next time we meet up for lunch, but; 1. I don't want to go abroad anymore and 2. I don't want to leave little Joey . So, equates into not going away anywhere this year .

Morning everyone.

The smell of cannabis is unmistakable isn't it Babs; sickly sweet. A couple of doors down from where we lived, the smell was at times overwhelming and we used to say if you stood outside his flat for 5 minutes, you could get high!!!

So pleased that the memorial service went so well Yogin and that you enjoyed 'Tina Turner'. Some of these tribute acts are very good aren't they. A few years ago we saw 'The Bee Gees' and I was very impressed. Not so much so with 'Michael Jackson' but then again I was lucky enough to see him and I'd never bother with a 'David Bowie' tribute.

It's nice to have something to look forward to Whiff. It's our 45th wedding anniversary on Saturday so on Sunday we're going to the White Swan Hotel at Alnwick and staying in a cottage in the grounds so we can take the dogs.

When the Titanic's sister ship 'Olympic' was decommissioned, the first class dining room which was exactly the same as the one on the Titanic, was removed to the White Swan so on Monday and Tuesday evening, that's where we'll be dining; can't wait.

Here's hoping that we'll all have peace, rest and less to worry about Babs, especially for you and Mr. B. x

Happy first of Autumn 🍂
Here’s to a peaceful and restful season with less worries and more moments of contentment.
Love to all ❤️❤️

Yogin glad you had a good time at the show and the memorial was a success. . He touch so many lives .More than you probably realised.

Allsorts we all have a moral code we live by . And you looked after your dad because of love. You are always giving and unfortunately you are not treated with love ,respect or kindness by others . You know how I feel about that . I have found the world is split into takers and givers. Takers take without a thought of what you are going through they are only out for themselves. They have no love or empathy.

Givers give freely because of love even if they know the person's or person doesn't care about them . And unfortunately it's the givers that get get stomped on time and time again but still give..

I hated my mother in law for 40 years even though she denied she had a son or 2 grandchildren after he died I didn't give up on her . She was still family . And the way I was brought up that meant something.

Unfortunately for our estranged children and adult grandchildren family seems a dirty word . Love isn't in their vocabulary but cruelty , cowardice, selfishness, perfection seems to be.

Had a lovely time with my friends yesterday and they loved the food and of course took home the leftovers . The daughter had made a plum and almond cake so brought me some . Will have some later but smells delicious.

Had a stupid accident yesterday. Was dusting and stood up and hit my head on the mantle over the fire . And ended up on the floor by the door . Normally I can sit up and bum shuffle to the chair and with cushions get up. But I couldn't sit up . I knew I had lost strength in my arms since January but this was ridiculous. Had to phone my daughter. She sat me up and got to the chair but even with her help it was a struggle to get up..At least the lump is no longer the size of an egg but third.of the size. Just hope the MRI on the 9th shows something I don't care what then I can deal with it. And get the pre January me back .

Cake and cuppa Monday then sit fit ,and move or lose it Tuesday first class in 5 weeks. She's not going to be happy with me I really like her and the exercises but after using the book. Emailed the company and found out a few things. Had issues with how she does the exercises and now have my answers . The company wanted to know where my class was a who the instructor was but said I will deal with it . Plus I checked with all the religious terminology. Nothing to do with the company as classes are open to anyone . I have no idea why my being an atheist bothers her so much . I don't try and change people's beliefs. I am 67 not going to change my views now as I have held them since I was 14.

Boiler being serviced Thursday there is a nip in the air of a morning and leaves are starting to fall. Already found a taxi company in Harrogate who will help me get in and out of the car . So looking forward to that only 2 weeks tomorrow I go. Brought some packing cubes didn't know about them until my daughter mentioned them for my GN friend I had lunch with fee weeks ago . Will make finding things in my case easier. Already booked the restaurant for our meet up in October .

Anyway hope you all have a good day.

Thanks Babs & Allsorts It was a fantastic send off, so many people turn up, nice food & drinks, even a big cake for the doggies which D loved.

Makes you realise how fragile and great life can be. Not been a bad for friends service. Glad you enjoyed your concert Yogin.
Hope all well and happy. Have you had anyinterest in your house Babs.
Whiff I hope your get together went well.

Yoginimeisje

Thanks Allsorts the show was brilliant!

Have the memorial services of our dear park friend today, so hope weather stays dry & sunny.

Thinking of all loved ones and friends today.
Must have been a lovely person to have so many people paying tribute to him.
RIP
🙏🏾

Thanks Allsorts the show was brilliant!

Have the memorial services of our dear park friend today, so hope weather stays dry & sunny.

Yogin, what a great birthday gift of DD, enjoy yourselves. My dad recovered and lived 6 years after and was walking each and living his life. The one thing he dreaded was dementia.
The drug dealers are making a fortune and yet they carry on in full sight ruining lives.
Have a good weekend everyone.

Allsorts well done on looking after your dad, his second wife didn't love him in sickness and in health then. My mum had a stroke and recovered back to normal quite quickly, but later developed vascular dementia.

Rotton day today. I'm off to see 'Tina Turner' tonight with my DD, it was her birthday gift from me, so glad rags on .

Your right Babs re confronting the drug dealer! Best I stay quiet. It's deemed as ok to smoke pot/skunk, but when it's that strong and smoked every day, it without doubt effects the brain, especially when they smoke it from an early age. I know some smoke a different sort of cannabis for medicinal purposes and that is acceptable.

Babs, I nursed my father after his first and second stroke as his new wife wouldn't. He came through both of them and eventually got back to his old self, but he never flew again, preferring UK which he hadn't seen as much if as he would have liked. At 70, when he had his first one he gave up driving, just in case he said. Looking after my father was a priviledge he was the best patient, always grateful for the day and tried hard at everything. I had just ordinary hard working parents whose main focus was family, I thought I had been one myself but we never know. He said to me, your children are not an insurance against a lonely old age, I never understood what he meant but I do now,

Yogi we often smell cannabis in our back garden, we think it is young men in a house backing onto our garden at the bottom of Victoria road, is a pungent smell. Wouldn’t try to confront anyone it could be dangerous, the couriers probably have knives.
Smiles a grass snake that long is amazing, you have such a lot of wildlife where you live, so exciting, though admittedly I would also be a bit scared if I saw the snake.😳
Whiff, we northerners do like to think we are a hospitable bunch, though we can be a bit gobby, when we lived in Lancashire we were part of a real community where everyone helped each other out, have good neighbours here in the SE too but it isn’t the same.
Get homesick sometimes.
Allsorts DH is doing really well, cognitively he struggles but is improving slowly. The thing with recovering from a stroke is that it is a marathon not a sprint. A doc told us that in the hosp and how true it is.
Hope the HMO next to you turns out to be nothing to worry about Bridie.
Love to all ❤️

I don't think that's the only reason Allsorts. Some wouldn't be able to afford them without selling their home and doing so of course releases any equity providing cash for their retirement.

So they do it just to avoid the council tax that the rest of you manage!

Afternoon everyone.

Grass snakes are a protected species Whiff so finding the skin was a big surprise and testament I think, to the richness of the wildlife there is and how lucky we are to be living here .

I agree Allsorts, extremely foolish and so dishonest too but as you say, maybe that's how they've always lived their lives .

Like so many holiday parks Yogin you can be here 52 weeks of the year which we are, but must have a 'permanent home address'. There are residential parks which become your permanent home address and with those you pay council tax and water rates which we don't do here. Those are part and parcel of our annual site fees.

With a bit of luck your neighbours wont get the trampoline assembled; fingers crossed.

Morning all, nice and sunny at the mo.

No Smiles not been invited to have a jump on the trampoline next door, the boxes haven't been touched and I'm hoping it stays that way. They should change the rules so you can stay where you are full time, most are there 11mnths of the year anyway.

Birdie good luck with your new neighbours when they arrive.

Yoga, please whatever you do don't get involved with upstairs dealers.I know it must be horrible having that awful smell wafting around you, just hope the guy gives the habit up. A very good old friend thought it was harmless and let her son smoke it at 15. What a massive mistake it turned out to be.
Thank goodness my four grandchildren dislike it as much as me. Next door had peopIe move in that used it but I never said anything, she died just past 30, now there's a new family. Any more problems and I will be off. Anything mind altering pointless trying to reason. You never know wherever you move to whom lives next door.
Smileless, those people chancing it are fools. That's most likely how they have lived their lives. it would worry the life out of me.
Whiff, your holdays sound fantastic, you are making up for lost time and you plan everything in advance and always enjoy them, it's good having things to look forward to. I now enjoy my shorter holidays, don't really want airports and particularly long haul, I am seeing this country.

Smiles grass snakes are on the in dangered list for British wildlife so that was a brilliant find. Saw an adder once on a Welsh hilltop on a big stone enjoying the sun . This was before we got married so in the 70's we have it a wide berth.

I have a frog in my garden I can never see it. But it appears everytime my gardener comes it lives near my pond . Apparently he's getting bigger . Not many birds flying today to windy.

Told my daughter on Sunday my holiday destinations for next year . Ok with Lancaster but doesn't want me to go too Dundee but I am going . It's just under or over 5 hours journey which is my limit. Her reason was she couldn't get to me . Didn't point out they went abroad twice this year for a week then 10 days . So they was no way they could get to me . I know she worries and loves me but forgets I had 13 years and no back up. When I had the limb jerks and not on heart medication I had needed for decades . I don't know how many years I have to beable to travel so making the most of it . But I am making up for the 19 years I went without a holiday.

Babs your family will help you with your move and Mr B going on the bus is amazing . He has come such a long way from when he first went into hospital. It shows how strong he is but it's mainly down to having a strong wife never letting him give up and the love your share together you make a whole and that is worth fighting for .

A layer of skin peeled off my finger that got scalded the worst thankfully when I was washing . And not dropping bits of skin everywhere.

As usual rambled on . My September calendar is filling up already and have things booked in October as well.

Take care everyone.

Yogin that's awful. If there are drug dealers round here they must be low key. But as I live in the north of the county imagine is more central .

Where I live I have wonderful neighbours. And I haven't had any problems with people since I moved here. Apart from 2 taxi drivers. I always use the same company they work for that company but all the other drivers help me . I have to perch on the side of the front seat and they grab the front of my trousers and put my legs in and out. They always offer my their arm but I managed on my own . I thank them but worry incase I pull them over.
I have been in the city at night but have never been frightened waiting for my taxi to come .

I have been in the city I haven't felt frighted by people . But I can't go because of the noise and buildings they set off my HPX. When I went to the Brain Charity it was fine because it wasn't in the city centre and once off the bus and onto the next one short walk to it. Same if I went by train .

I used to live on a good area houses near buy when for £800,000 and up to million that was 6 years ago so would be even more know. My own bungalow has increased to £325,000 from £220,00. But where I lived before would never go into the town at night. It was a small town but after my husband died and kids left home didn't feel safe . Even during the day I watched where I walked and have had people kick my stick they didn't do it on purpose but walked to close to me . They apologised. But I can't walk outside without it just not safe .

Since moving here I have never had abuse shouted at me nor be hassled by school kids waiting for a bus . They thought because they were with friends I wouldn't say anything. They where wrong . I can be very nasty when I want to be.

Moving for me gave me a life I am loving . Not existing . I know I have said that before. But my life wasn't my own once my husband died he was my life my home . I looked after my parents and mother in law who I hated for 40 years because that's who I am . I don't abandon people who need me . It's easy to turn your back on people . I know I should have done it to my mother in law but she was still my mother in law and my kids nan . Even when she denied she ever had a son or grandchildren. She didn't have the excuse of having any form of dementia she was just a vile human being. My father in law was the same he told me I was defective. He was the defective one.

We all have a moral code we live by and values we abide by.

My old neighbours weren't horrible people but only care about themselves. Here northerners are different. Plus healthcare is brilliant and transport system.

Allsorts and Bridie I couldn't live with bad neighbours. Especially Bridie if there are going to be multiple tenants . Especially if they all have cars and have to park in the street. Plus that sort of set will be aimed at young people not families or older people.

I think it could contain 6/7 separate rooms yogi, just hope it stays empty!
Please don't approach anybody using or dealing drugs near you, it could be dangerous, just reported anonymously.

Just seen your post Yogin. Cannabis has such a strong and sickly smell doesn't it.

Oooh that's a good idea. Plenty of vacant plots where we are and Mr. S. would be on hand to help with any gardening .

Morning everyone. Just got some bedding on the line hoping it will dry before the rain comes later.

There are quite a few who have made this site their permanent home Allsorts and from what we can gather apart from us, they don't own another property which they should do and are using an AC or parents address as their own.

Not sure how they get away with it because once a year we have to show a current Council Tax bill and one another, showing our permanent address. TBH I couldn't sleep at night if we were doing this because if discovered, you run the risk of being told to leave and having to find another site and the expense of having a static caravan or lodge moved would be very high, especially for anyone who has a double lodge like us.

This is a great place to live in old age. The lodge is all on one level and so easy to maintain. There's a shop on site which does restrict opening hours out of season, but there are days when it's open. We also have to '10th Hole' licensed cafe, open 6 days a week all year round and J who lives here alone, goes every day for a coffee about 11.00 am and meets up with others who live alone.

Fancy allowing families to move into a development for the over 50's Yogin . You have to wonder why anyone would think that a good idea.

Has the trampoline been assembled and if so, do you think they'll let you have a bounce?

That's great news about your house going back in the market Babs. Despite having a long way to go, Mr. B.'s come so far hasn't he.

Yes, we're looking forward to Autumn here, it really is the most amazing place for wildlife; neither of us expected to see such a variety. Mr. S. spotted the skin shed by a grass snake yesterday, it must be a couple of feet long!!!

So pleased your hand is much better Whiff, even the smallest of burns can be very painful. Oh yes, the nightmare with the shed with Mr. S. getting it sorted in the end which he always manages to do .

There are two more where we are as our neighbours were so impressed they got one too

It's never a good thing to have an empty property next door Bridie but try not to worry about it becoming an HMO. One was developed where we were living before coming here. Everyone was concerned but there was never any issue with the people who live there so our fears were never realised.

Fingers crossed it's like that for you too.