I used to do that all the time when I just wanted a break.

Edit: noticed amusing typo

Loved the typo! I seriously thought for a minute that someone had put that sign on the door.

Reminded me of an Olympics promotional exercise a couple of years back in our local shopping centre: barbie-lookalike jogging on the spot beside an advertising booth, giving out 'Back the Olympics' badges to the general public. When I looked dubious, she asked me ' Don't you think it will benefit the ECOMMONY?'

Oh, the replies I resisted.

One of the worst typos I've seen was "Barack Osama". (It really was a typo too not someone trying to be snarky)

Haha, well spotted on that typo. I'd go and edit the sign on the door except it probably would be offensive to some people

On our old site, we had an area next to the coffee machine which was just cupboards and a sink and a small table with a couple of chairs. There was a revamp and while we still had coffee machine and sink, the rest was turned in to a little meeting room which was labelled TEAM ROOM. I always always always wanted to put a sticker over the M in team to take it back to its old purpose

I once went to Wedding (Addington Parish Church) with a nice printed Order of Service.
Unfortunately the last item was 'Wedding March from a Midsummer Nights Dream ' - Mandelson

Thursday is my one day off uni however.. it's also my busiest day of the week! for example yesterday: Driving lesson from 9:30-11:30 then my only hour in which to chill, then leave for horse riding at 12:30, return from horseriding at 4ish, leave 4:30 to give a letter to the letting agency then directly to Zumba at 5:30 -6:30, then I met my friends at 7 in town to go to this free concert then stop for chips and i finally got in AT 12AM to have only 10 minutes of peace before my male flatmate friend came in to have a heart-to-heart about his confusing half love life with my female flatmate (did I mention all 3 of us are moving in together next year? awkward.)

Definitely feeling it all this morning, every part of my body aches! and this isn't an argh, because I actually enjoy all the activities I do on Thursday (especially driving atm ) it's just amusing that technically it's my day off!!

not being asked rather than being given the option of declining leaves one feeling a liitle

(My 'family church', btw - my mum sang in the choir there and my grandparents and uncle are buried there..)

I mentioned the church as it was near you ! We had left Selsdon at the time but returned for a friends son's wedding. Reception was at the Golf Club up past you in Farleigh Rd, which hadn't long been opened.

Couldn't decide whether to post this in the Aagh or the What's the weather like so opted for here...

Why, now that the snow is finally melting (and ought to continue to melt over the weekend) are the French trains running a reduced service on Monday "because of the weather"?

Is it me, or is ITV2 a complete waste of airspace?

Never watched it so couldn't say

the latter but thankfully my tv doesn't pick up that channel anyway

Yes.

I would suggest that the bandwidth should be given over to Radio 3.

SB

I'm thinking of buying a slow cooker.

Can anyone recommend a particular one???

Aw, come on! There's nothing wrong with BBC 4, for starters. And BBC 2 shows some acceptable programmes, too.

OK, I will grant you that BBC 2 and BBC 4 shows some interesting programmes. And soaps aside, BBC 1 has its place too. I suppose I just resent commercial television, which always seems to be organised around the adverts, and has a rather 'tacky' appeal. I also mistrust their weather forecasts, because I am never too sure who is sponsoring them, and what their motives are!

SB

Radio 3 is often the default choice in the car and in the kitchen but at the time of the posting quoted here, I confess I had to switch from it. Intentions were good; Wagner is always on my to-do list but for me at least, Gotterdammerung is not the best place to begin. Not on the radio, anyway.

It's not something I've ever owned, but my son bought a cheap Tesco one about 6 months ago and has been very pleased with it. Students tend not to expect too much of their kitchen equipment, but what is there to go wrong in a slow cooker anyway?

Nothing like a good solid 5 or 6 hours on the end of the universe to get you invigorated...

The police helicopter is annoying me.

Better give yourself up!

It seems to have gone now.

How can Ofsted give a school an outstanding (1) grade when it only rates the teaching as good (2)? Surely the whole purpose of a school's existence is to provide teaching?

Ooh, interesting. I would love to debate this but am really not feeling up to it.

This must be the music police. They heard me practising!

I think I now know why our gas bills are so high.

Does anyone else here remember the Flanders and Swann song, The Gas Man Commeth?

Well, a week ago, I thought I could smell gas where the gas main enters our garage, so I called the Gas Board.

Within an hour a man came out with a sniffing machine, and put up barriers and traffic cones on our driveway.

The leak was under the driveway, safely away from the house, but he disconnected our meter all the same, (regulations 'happarently), and left us without heat or cooking on the two coldest days and nights of the year so far.

He then waited in his van for at least two hours until two more men came with another van, and dug up the drive to uncover the gas main, and to isolate the leak. They then left us for the night with no gas, and a ig hole in the drive.

Not being especially old or young we were not a priority, so two mornings later two more vans arrived all the way from Leeds with four different workmen in them. They decided that the drive needed yet more digging. They also said that the steel pipe they had brought with them was too long, and that they would have to get another one cut at the workshop. I did offer to do this for them, but I was told that was not allowed for safety reasons.

Two hours later another van arrived with more pipework, and the two men in that van spent an hour or so leaning on shovels, discussing the firms working practices with the four men already on site before they went their separate ways.

Well, the gas main was repaired, but I was told that they were not allowed to reconnect the gas main to the meter, and that I would have to wait for the Plumber to come.

The Plumber duly arrived, and said that the gas meter would have to be moved to re-connect to the new main. This would mean that the plumbing on our side of the meter would need to be extended, and this work would usually be chargeable.

The outside temperature at this point was minus 3 degrees, and it wasn't much warmer inside, so I grabbed a length of 22mm copper and some fittings from the garage and said I would do the plumbing myself! A phone call to HQ ensued, and it was agreed that the Plumber would re-connect the meter without charge.

After nearly 48 hours we finally had heat, and were 'cooking on gas'! However, there was still a big hole in our drive, so the next morning two more men came along with a big lorry to take the rubbish away, and to fill the hole with hardcore.

Finally, this morning, two more men came to Tarmac over the hole, but the barriers remain, and we have to wait for somebody else to come along and inspect the works before yet another van comes along to take the barriers away.

How many people does it take to repair a minor gas leak?

SB

oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

'Twas on a Monday morning that the gas man came to call'

As you say, hence the price of energy in this country! Should we think twice before reporting a gas leak? (Or at least wait until Spring!)

Let's hope your drive is reusable soon.

Albrecht Durer appears to have moved into my music room....



Bx

You've acquired a print? Or indulging in period dress?

Apparently he is making himself nicely at home.

I don't like the idea of wasting gas at any level, as apart from any safety considerations, methane doesn't do the environment any good. But if there is a next time, and the leak is out in the open, I might just wait a few days until I call the Gas Board.

SB

I have the chance to borrow an oboe for a few months, oooooo the temptation......

No harm in trying it out, Louise.

That's what I thought when someone lent me a clarinet.......

Very true Barry, always wanted to have a go

Glad to report that Albrecht, the object of My Truest Desires (but don't tell Alpha Male Jazz Cat - he'd be mortified to have been outdone by someone born in 1472 ) is VERY at home....

Culture-Bag x

I've tried the oboe, and can bash tunes out of one, but have no motivation to get any better at it...

Oh good. I installed two ambassadors in mine a couple of years ago.... Maybe I ought to buy a Renaissance viol to provide appropriate musical background (my viols are technically 'Baroque')

Good morning everyone!

still waiting to hear if the oboe is still available....

Cyrilla, if you don't mind me saying so you have a really lovely name! I don't think I've ever in my life come across a Cyrilla before!!!

Been reflecting upon things this morning and have many interesting thoughts swimming around in my head

There are 13 of us in the UK, I believe.

Its much nicer than the male name Cyril, though I recenly saw a woman address a quite young boy as Cyril. He's unlikely to have any mates with the same name. Mind you my first name is considerable less common among the younger generation, there were four us in my primary school class. ( I am still in touch with three of them).
I dont know your sister 'Bagpuss' real name, though many on here probably do. Does she also have a rather lyrical name ??

George, Fred, Alfie are common for young boys, plys Emily, Olivia etc. for young girls. But Cyril is yet to make a comeback.

My class was full of Traceys. Nowadays I just cannot see a Tracey that's under 30!