That Alan Bennett video on the side here.....

Oh I give up, I will try tomorrow

Yessssss eventually got it,(you wouldnt believe how long I have sat to catch it)

I loved it he should be made a National treasure

I was on the point of giving up but glad I didnt.

I think he's wonderful! Such a gossipy voice.....reminds you of old aunties sitting round the tea-table sipping at tea, still wearing their hats!

My ideal guests for afternoon tea, sat at my kitchen table and having a good old gossip, would be Alan Bennett and a few lovely Gransnetters.

Sounds perfect, Carol!

Oh Glass! Sorry it took so long. [flowers] for perseverance.

Oh! why don't they change that! No one uses it for thanks.

greenmoss He reminds me of one of my aunties!

(no wonder he's gay)

green I think you could have a great gossip with him.

glass, I think there would be a lot of 'mouthed' but silent words - you know the sort? My mother used to do that when she was talking about female illnesses. Mouthed, "everything taken away, you know..." The pursed lips, the arms folded under the bust....

It was very good. I want the book!

green my sister and I were only laughing about our great aunts and grandmothers 'mouthed' conversations the other day. They would sit on the edge of their chairs, pink winceyette bloomers that nearly reached their kneews, so these would be showing under their skirts, and they would update each other about all the people they disapproved of in their neighbourhood, including 'that hussy with the children with two different fathers' and 'her at number 10 who had to have it all taken away.' As children, we had visions of the contents of some poor woman's body being scooped out and put in the bin when we heard this phrase!

Oh, Carol, I remember the knickers, elastic grabbing around plump knees! And the bunion-stretched shoes would have a chunky heel, but lace-up! Another discussion would be the state of the washing that some slovenly types hung out..."I wouldn't have washed my floors with rags that colour...! OR when someone has passed on, and all slovenliness forgiven: "She used to hang out a lovely washing....."

green I hadn't realised how much that sort of thinking had got into my psyche until I had my first baby and became obsessed with hanging out a very neat line of a dozen bright white terry nappies! On a lovely summer morning, I would wheel my pristine pram out into the garden in the shade of the pear tree, and leave my son to sleep while the nappies dried, then discreetly look around to see if my elderly neighbour was nodding approving looks! Ha ha!

Or the colour of their nets

I heard of someone who had taken advantage of a lovely sunny day to wash out all those ragged superannuated towels and tea-towels that languish at the bottom of the drawer and are so useful when you need an old cloth. Her mother-in-law dropped in unexpectedly, looked at the washing line, but said never a word. Come Christmas, what was her exotic present from MIL? A dozen linen tea-towels.