As you will see from Picture 1, Bill's mother seems to have moved to the suburbs of Shanklin.The weather looked threatening but didn't actually rain and we had another excellent day including a 3 hour boat-trip round the Solent.
Picture 2 is a close-up of a gorgeous Harley Davidson parked outside a food/drink hut. If you examine the reflections carefully you will see RG taking the photograph.
Today we made our way to Brading Roman Villa, by bus, and used our free-passes which were accepted without demur.
Comments
Bungus .... I've lost your thread with the poached-egg plant. That is it, as published in my last blog-post, honest.
The 'scrooge' headphones sound just the ticket. Would you acquire me a pair please?
Jill ...The hotel has grown on us since first arrival. The food is good and the service and helpfulness excellent.
AnonymousRob...... I know you only holidayed in Cuba but you knowledge is better than ours by 100%. Thanks for the continued 'old-sayings' and I'm sure people will keep remembering more. Due to discomfort following much painkiller medication I was pleased yesterday to be able to report a 'good clear out' after which I felt better.
My position is slightly different about modern technology. I love it and would wish for things to be different.
Quotation slot ........
"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels"
We had two brief but fierce showers yesterday (Thur) and I got caught in both. The first was at Retford Aldi while I was transferring shopping to the car.
ReplyDeleteI bought some Marlin with (sachet of) Apricot & Sweet Chile Sauce. Sandra and I were agreed that it is the best new taste experience we have had in a long time. It was flaky and firm, dry rather than oily, with a good texture and delicate flavour. I had it with just mashed potato (S had her usual salad, of course) because I was unsure what veg would go with it – something with a gentle flavour I have decided, eg, asparagus or samphire, peas or sweetcorn, mushrooms or possibly calabrese. But absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
I will send you a copy of Sandra astride my son’s Harley (when she went over to Florida to visit him a few years ago).
RE poached egg plant:
All I was saying was that the flowers on the plant of which you first published a picture (not ‘poached egg plant’) strongly resembled poached eggs – and that therefore THAT plant probably SHOULD have been called the ‘poached egg plant’ (rather than the one that is – which also looks like poached eggs).
It seems perfectly obvious to me and does not matter a jot!
My earphones stopped working for no apparent reason, so I complained to Gizoo (Serif) who took it to be an order for another set. I put them right saying it was not an order but a complaint. They apologised, as I had expected and agreed to send me a replacement set. By the time that arrived a couple of days later I had found the instructions and discovered that there were 2 AAA batteries (expired) in one of the ear pieces. I replaced them and it is working fine again. So I now have TWO sets.
I wonder if anyone else would appreciate one of them? I am sure there must be somebody, somewhere.
They also require a Scart cable with the right connection (that ended up costing me some £10 - and a friend another £1.50 in postage costs).
Pleased to hear that the hotel is better than you first thought. I know how much you value comfort and attention.
’My position is slightly different about modern technology. I love it and would wish for things to be different.’
I think there is a ‘not’ missing from the above?
My second wife once went round garnering sympathy because she had a 'malignant tumour’, whereas she had been told that she had a ’NON-malignant tumour’.
Excellent Mencken quote highlighting a significant dilemma which must often make it difficult to decide which side to support in a civil war (not that they happen often here).
I like the Bill's mother's photo and see no reason why she should not have a place on the IoW; surely she is omnipresent? Was the Harley a Fat Boy by any chance?
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt modern technology has provided lots of benefits to the human race especially, I would guess, in the field of medicine. But I don't think it has really increased the sum of human happiness, particularly in the world of work. Many people have lost jobs and, I believe, many people are under stress as a result of "ICT".
We are at the caravan again and enjoying a bit of sunshine after yesterday's very disappointing weather. We came to the van yesterday as I've got a long weekend off work and yesterday was Elaine's birthday. We had a very good meal at the Plough Inn, Brackenfield last night though my duck breast was better than Elaine's braised lamb. We shared a tomato and mozarella salad for starter. I had a beautiful lemon tart for pudding; Elaine thoroughly enjoyed her summing pudding with ice cream but I expected it to be hot. Am I wrong in thinking it should have been?
This afternoon we were discussing old sayings after I told Elaine the reason she wasn't feeling the cool wind was because she was wearing a jerkin. This led us on to liberty bodices - are they still available? We also recall both our mothers telling us that if we went out with wet hair, having just washed it, we would catch a cold. Also I had never heard the saying All fur coat and no knickers until I saw a Mike Harding play at the theatre.
Whatever happended to Mike Harding?
Rob
I wouldn't expect summer pudding to be hot - when you make it you weight it down until it is cold....
ReplyDeleteI used to wear a liberty bodice as a small child....I particularly remember the rubber buttons on it (so that they went through the mangle without breaking).
My granny used to say 'if there was enough blue sky to make a dutchman a pair of trousers, then it wasn't going to rain'. And that if you swallowed a cherry stone (or any sort of pip) a tree would grow in your tummy and come out of your mouth. I was fascinated by this, it sounded attractive to me....
Pleased to read that the hotel has improved on further acquaintance. Bill's mother is certainly a lady of property, she obviously has a pad in London judging by the sky today.
Rob:
ReplyDeleteWhere would you draw the line on technology then?
I certainly agree about work having become more onerous. I recall starting with a 5 1/2 day week (41 hours) with 2 weeks holiday (+ Bank Holidays) which gradually became a 35 hour week with (I think) 3 weeks. Overtime (unpaid) was only ever worked in extreme situations, perhaps a couple of times a year for a few evenings. I would not wish to be working now.
We had heavy rain while asleep last night followed by a dull start which turned sunny about 10.30.
Jill has put the summer pudding to bed.
Memory can play tricks but I recall 'fur coat and no knickers' being before Mike Harding ("I saw fag-ash Lil; she always carries a mattress on her back in case she meets somebody she knows.") and as being applied, along with 'kippers and lace curtains' to West Bridgford residents who were regarded as more show than substance. That has become widespread, of course, with the easy credit of recent years.
I recall my cousins liberty bodice (a most strange garment) as well as her mother's camiknickers and my dad's suspenders.
My mother warned against sucking pennies (or ha'pennies) because they could give you 'canker'. I was also forbidden to drink from public water fountains or anyone else's cup or glass. But no one got verucas although warts were quite common and could be got rid of by rubbing them with a bit of raw meat which was then buried in the garden.
Hmmm, good question Bungus, where would I draw the line on technology? Well, speed cameras would have to go because I believe they are ineffective and I think there are better ways to slow down traffic. I remember in the 80s, when I drove into Nottingham virtually every working day, I could do the 13 mile journey in half an hour. No speed cameras and I never saw an accident. I also dislike motorway signs that tell you there is a problem somewhere miles further on or, more especially, that there will be an event at Donington Park in two weeks time. All I think they do is cause traffic to slow down and that creates problems.
ReplyDeleteI suppose what the latter means is that it's not so much the technology as peoples' reaction to, and use of, it. Here's a true story from the early days of e-mail (late 80s):
The Director of Personnel of East Midlands Electricy Board (salary at that time I guess would be £40,000+ pa) receives an e-mail from the Deputy Chairman (salary even larger) which says What is the difference between a Director of Personnel and a Human Resources Director? The Director of Personnel replies I don't know, what is the difference? He gets the response, About 5 grand a year. What a waste of public money. The Deputy Director where I work would rather send me an e-mail than walk out of his office and 5 yards to my desk. Why? Lots of people in jobs get loads of unnecessary e-mails; mobile phones mean you can never escape from the pressure. Computerisation of manufacturing jobs have put loads of people out of work but nothing is cheaper to buy as a result. People would rather sit in front of computers to create photos instead of going into the darkroom; why?
I await a storm of protest and comments telling me I am a dinosaur.
Rob
Rob (or should I call you triceratops?):
ReplyDeleteThe storm is not about to break but it’s very black over… so a shower is on its way.
I cannot get at all worked up about speed cameras and traffic signs. I’m not in a hurry. Stay cool. My general impression is that most people now drive far more considerately than they did in the 80s (when I was last at work) but I no longer travel much at peak times.
Also, I love email but feel that those who make regular use of it for private pleasure when at work are cheating and time-wasting. But it is otherwise so much quicker and easier than proper letters. And I much prefer it to the telephone which I refused to have until 1970 when a new employer insisted. I agreed, on condition that he paid for the installation. We now have a 20 ring delay before the answerphone cuts in (we cannot usually reach it until after 9 rings); that stops a lot.
Possession of a mobile phone does not necessarily involve a need to use it or give out its number to everyone. I almost never speak on my mobile; only text. No pressure.
Things have been very cheap for a long time until recently and many (made in China) still are.
I see that Aldi has reported a 40% increase in trade in the last few weeks.
Digital photography is much cheaper and easier than film which is now only for masochistic aficianadoes (ooh!).
I dare say someone will respond.
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