General Chat

It was a very wet day here yesterday. rather quiet too, it felt like a Sunday.
Sunny to day, so got round to doing washing, now that it is newarly done, I see lots of dark rain clouds looming overhead. Will have to keep an eye on the weather.

Will be goung out later this afternoon. My fifteen year-old grandson will be staying with me for two weeks, so that he can do some work experience in a local restaurant. I will be meeting him at the station.

Will show him the way to the restaurant tomorrow morning, on the bus. (he has only been there once, and that was when his dad took h imin the car).
Then hope to go to the Library, must remember to take my bottle of water as the cafeteria in the library has now closed.

Greenfingers, I see that you too want to go to New Zealand. I ahve wanted to go since reading about it in a geography book when I was ten. magnificent descriptions of Christchurch. It seemed that the writer had fallen in love with the place.

Hve to go now to get the place ready for grandson and to have some lunch.

Hope that everyone is well,

Tess

I am reminded today and yesterday of the ryhmme Rain Rain go away, come back another day. It has rained for nearly 2 days now, and it s wonder we haven;t got webbed feet. It poured all day from 2 am to whenever yesterday, a group of us wet but undefeated met in Norwich at the Assembly rooms for afternoon tea for my daughters hen party....it took us ages to get there...its 30 mins usually, the traffic was ghastly, road rage imminent and nowhere to park and it was pouring !!!!!!!!!!! Despite that we had agreat time and Alex enjoyed it too, it was a scrummy tea and well worth it, it beautiful surroundings. The men, my OH BIL, SILto be and Grandson to be were due to have a boys afternoon, thwarted by the weather and getting us to Norwich destroyed all that....but we are still smiling...well just !! Her dress fitting went well, we pick up the dress on Wednesday....and I've got our decorator arriving tommorrow to sort out our dining room mad or what !!!

Hope you are all well.

Jan

Jan,thanks for taking time to tell us about your day. It sounds as if you all had a great time.

Wevwere out to a free lunch curtesy of the owner of the English bar for all the Quizzes that oh does throughout the year. The bar closes at the end of July until September.

Tomorrow is our 18th wedding anniversary and I cannot find the card I bought for OH..... I wonder if I can do one on line?

19.26 hrs Spain

Bridget - have a look at www.jacquielawson.com
or hallmark.com

I have received some beautiful cards sent via Jacquie Lawson website.

Another rain rhyme - - - -


It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man's snoring,
He went to bed,
To mend his head,
And couldn't get up in the morning.

- - - - - -

It's still raining here.

Also I can recommend the M & S Card site....its really good, if you are in the UK its 2.99 each card and they can be personalised...They only deliver in the UK, so I would thoroughly recommend, can't help you tho Bridget..sorry. Have used this site loads this year as I have as you know been laid up and everyone I have sent to has been thrilled

Jan

Congratulations to you both Bridget, may you have many more happy years together.





Val.


4.57 p.m.

Thank you for you wishes for tomorrow. I eventually explained that I did not have a card for OH and he sad" no worries we will share the one I bought whilst in the UK, he then printed on the first inside leaf, " From me to you & from you to me on our 18th wedding anniversary. They said it would never last.". 2011.

Now that is what I call, love, happiness and sharing

Thank you all for your wishes and kind comments. We have put to one side a good bottle of Champagne to go with our breakfast tomorrow.

17.26hrs Spain :-D :-D <3 <3

Good morning to you all.

I hope that you all have a splendid day, and that you make at least 2 other people smile.

For breakfast this morning we are having scrambled eggs with pieces of smoked Salmon, toast, coffee, and our bottle of champagne. This is being organised by OH, but as he is still asleep not sure what time the breakfast will be, it could become "brunch" .

Greenfingers, how is the decoration in your dining room going?
I used to go into Norwhich nearly every weekend when I was living in Attleborougj, . It was a good shopping centre.
We fell in love with Norfolk and made many friends in and around Attleborough, in fact we have decided that when we return to tne UK, not just yet,we would like to live near to or even in Antleborough.

The birds are chirping away and it sounds quite funny. Unfortunately I cannot recognise which bird makes which sound...but... there is one bird who every time it gets into song all the other birds start to sing / chirp even louder. Reminds me of when all the children were living at home.

It is quite cool at the moment although we are expecting high temp levels again this afternoon. I have the best tan I have had for years but I do use a lot of high factor cream and also mousturiser . Yesterday when our friend visited they told us of a family they saw on the beach whe had three young children and they were all turning red and only had pants on so no protection for the rest of their body. Need I say which country they came from. My friends were having a coffee very close to the family and got chatting to them, tried gently tlo explain about the strength of the sun ,but were told "oh don't worry they are used to running around like this at home in Manchester!!

Oh well we can only do our best.

Becoming rather excited now as we go to see BB King tomorrow evening on the Beach under our Papaluna Castle. The event starts at 22.00hrs. So will have to be there at least an hour before hand. Has anyone seen him live?
If so did you enjoy it?

Hoping that you all enjoy the day, and write on this thread!

Best wishes

.08.17 hrs. Spain

:-D

Its all going well...wallpaper goes up tommorrow, Iv'e told him hes not allowed home until my dining room is finished !!! I love it all being new but the garage is full of boxes and my conservatory full of furniture !!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary.

Richard and I will be celebrating 19years this September

Wedding getting nearer..........weather still wet !!!!!!!!!

Regards Jan
4.50 pm Norfolk

Anniversary congratulations Bridget, I hope you are having a lovely day.

I hope you have had a lovely day, Bridget. Many more to come.

I, too, have had a 'memory' day. My eldest son was 50. Where did all those years go? (and I wasn't a child-bride!).

Greenfingers - make a hasty "Plan B" to allow for rain - then put it aside and don't think about it. I'm sure your day will be bright. Think positive!

As we are in a hotel we won't have to worry so much about the weather, but it would just be nice if it waas dry and warm. DEcorating coming along, most of wallpaper up now ...it looks very good. Curtains awaiting putting up again...will post again.

Jan

Bridget, your anniversary card sounds extra specail. One to tresure and to pass on to your grandchildren.

The bird chorus souns like it ends in a crescendo!

Greenfingers you do seem to be very busy. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that the rain in your part of the country takes a holiday on the day of the wedding.

Berona, a child of 50, I never would have believed it.
Things have changed a lot since he was born.
I came to live here just over fifty years ago. No central heaing, coal fires. Very smokey and often had fog in the colder months.
T.V was black and white, and only two channels. Fewer cars around. Not many people (in my school) had a phone or car in the household. Ditto fridg or holidays abroad..
So many of these "new" things we now take for granted and expect to have much more too.

Going to finish as I am going to let grandson use the computer for an hour or so.


Tess

Yes, Tess. It seems a little scary when I think about it - so I don't!!
You are right. Times have changed since then. When my first grandchild was coming along, my dtr's mother-in-law and I both advised her to have at least 3 dozen nappies - only to find that she never used them because disposable nappies were the 'thing'. Baby bottles went into the dishwasher (WE didn't have a dishwasher) with a 'tablet' for extra help with the sterilizing. And, of course, a clothes-dryer. I got one of these later in life, but not when I needed it most!
All that loving care we put into knitting jackets to keep the baby warm! Material jackets were appreciated more because they didn't have to be hand-washed!

Of course, our 'working life' was over, once a baby came along, so it was progress to have life made easier in order for the mothers to be able to return to the workforce. I didn't return to it for seventeen years.

OOH, I think we haveva new subject for this thread. I am referring to the last two messages from Berona and Tess, which I have found to be very interesting. Of course not everyone will have children so I thought we could have a tread about
What was life like for you in "The 1950s, 1960s and so one".
Then people could choose which era the would like to talk about.

I will start by adding my piece about the 1960s.

"MY 1960 Experiences",

The 1960s were possibly the most importantnof my life. This was the era of the Hippies, wonderful music, having to study hard at school, have a weekend job, and eventually leave school and findca career.

I was 14 years old in June 1960 and had already had experiences which I had not desired or could talk about, but it wasn't all bad in my life.
I had been fortunate to have won a London County Council award to a High School, following my good 11+ exams. This set my future and I simply soaked up the information being given to us with the exception of maths!
I made friends with people from such backgrounds that set my brain thinking "I want to be like that".
I did quite well, gained reasonably good results academically, took my Speach and Drama exams and passed, and managed to get reasonable grades when leaving school. I am still in contact with two other girls who I shal see later this year.
I left school in 1964, and after many arguments with my parents, I wanted to go to Drama School at the Guilde Hall in London but parents said "no" and they won. So off I went to The London Hospital in Whitechapel east London.
This was a choice I have never regretted.

Part two to follow either today or tomorrow.

Really looking forward to reading other peoples experiences

Jan, you must be so excited and may be a little emotional by now, looking forward to reading all about it.

Well time to go and do some work, and decide what to have forbour main meal, I think it will be a pasta dish, nice and easy to cook.

Wishing you all a very good day

Bridget

10.21 hrs Spain





:-D :-D

Those who read my life story when I put it on here will know more or less where I was in the sixties. But for those who didn't. My daughter too will be 50 this year, and, as Berona says, terry nappies for me, clinic once a week for weighing, undressing baby completely each time poor little things, they always yelled because it was cold. Bathing baby every day and feeling very guilty on the days she got topped and tailed. Baby put in pram in garden to get fresh air 'because it was good for them' whatever the weather. Mind you it was a high coach built pram and my pride and joy.

Anyway married 1960, in rented accommodation until April 61 when we bought our bungalow £2450. We had to sell the car to raise the deposit, but soon got another one. No central heating in the bungalow but we hadn't been used to it anyway so didn't bother, no fitted carpets, just marley tiles and a carpet square. No washing machine, freezer or even airing cupboard. Washing hung on the line whatever the weather. We did have a black and white TV and a dansette record player.

Almost all our furniture was second hand, we did have a fridge because it was left in the kitchen when we moved in.

Will try and add more tomorrow.

My memories of the 1950s.

When I was four, in 1950 we moved from a very old flat off the mile End Road in east London to a house. It seemed so big with a kitchen which also had a huge boiler for the washing of clothes, mum used to have a big wooden "thing" which she pushed up an down the clothes and had to wear gloves to take the clothes out of the boiler and then rinse them hang them on line in the garden.
We had a tiny "best room" only used for special times such as the priest calling in for tea, bad news etc.
The living room had a big fire place which seemed to be constantly on and a large guard around it. There was a radio, a record player, two big chairs a tiny table and four chairs and a window which looked out onto a tiny garden. The toilet was outside.

We had great times there and sad times. The neighbours were normally good but some times the women would argue and the children played hopscotch, skipped, tin tan alley and sometimes played ball games with the boys.

Well it is late now so will add to this tomorrow.

Good night everyone

Bridget

01.07 hrs Spain

In the 1950s we lived in the same bungalow that my parents bought in 1939, the last person was my Dad and we sold it when he went into residential nursing care in 1997.

My memories of the fifties are from ten to twenty so my teenage years, changing school to High School, not particularly happy days, Church youth club on Friday evenings. Quite a lot of freedom, cycling down to the beach at Lee on Solent in the school holidays with friends from the age of thirteen (when I had my first ever bike). Sunday school Sunday afternoons, church in the evening (Baptist), fellowship walks after church, singing to all the latest songs as we walked home.

I remember first being able to wear jeans when I was working at 16 and able to buy them myself. Mum was quite old fashioned and narrow minded and thought jeans were 'common'.

Our bungalow was modern with a largish bathroom, a very large kitchen diner, a 'front' room only heated at christmas and on special days, and three bedrooms. No central heating of course. Coal fires in both kitchen and front room. Nobody seemed to move when I was young so we had the same neighbours until I was about 14 when one couple and their som moved and we had an Australian family move in. (Can't remember why they were in England, he may have been attached to the R Navy). I do remember that the boys aged about 6 and 11 went everywhere, even in to town on the bus with bare feet. But even though the neighbours knew each other and were friendly, there was no calling in unannounced. Occasionally Mum would share a cup of tea with one or other but mostly they chatted over the fence.

As Bridget has said, no washing machine, just a boiler and a wringer and wash day Monday taking forever, then the washing all hung out on a line on pulleys and heaven help us if the line broke.

Older teens? Well I met my now husband when I was fifteen, just short of sixteen 1956 so my memories of the last four years are of romance and partings when he had to go away for several months at a time (he was RN), and preparation for marriage in 1960. And that, as they say is another story.

Well Ann, that is a delightful piece but as you said you have another story to tell! Hope it comes soon. How wonderful that you met the person meant for you when you were so young, congratulations on your life together.
Now awaiting the 1960 episode.

I will be adding to mine later this afternoon / evening.

I wonder who will be writing the next story

09.50 hrs Spain