The Beach
The PM Blog Beach is whatever you want it to be - a place to hang out with other bloggers, and be completely off topic. Over time it has developed its own identity, complete with camels, sand dunes, and a permanently stocked bar, but fundamentally it is a place to relax and have fun.
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© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~55~RS~)
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Morning all. I have coffee brewing and, seeing as it's my birthday today, hand made chocolates for later. I'll pop them in the fridge so they don't melt.
I'll start the toast and warm the angry aunts and pain au choc/raisin and get the orange juice presser going. But that's it for the whole day... sparkly hammock is mine!
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Happy Birthday Little Red. Bottle of champers in the fridge for later. Same as the one bought for Brucey's 80th. No expense spared.
Bacon sarnies and an assortment of sauces.
Dig in.
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Morning, all! And Happy Birthday, Little Red!!
Coffee, pleeeeease. Grumpy relatives and chocolate discomfort sound great, but I fancy a bacon sarnie, too (I might smuggle one out for elevenses).
Mansaylo -
;o)
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FO, I'll make you one especially for your elevenses. no need to smuggle one out. I'm feeling particularly generous today - mind you, I'll claim the cost back on expenses.
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I'll countersign them, then.
If my sarnie is on exes, best make it a very expensive, top of the range one.
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FO. Of course, nothing but the best for any frogger. Care for a little caviare on the side?
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Happy Birthday Little Red!
And to Val P if it's yours as well?
Looking forward to Pimms o'clock already, especially as the GM strawberry crop is now ready for picking (Not genetically modified!) and will be on the bar later!
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What ho!
Morning all, and many happy returns of the day to Little Red. There will be a special Pimms O'Clock today to celebrate.
Lovely spread of breakfast, I'll have some of everything please.
;o) []
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Many happy returns, Little Red! How many camels do you want on your cake?
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Happy Birthday, Little Red. I'll make you some of my special chocolate cake later.
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Same as Wonko, please.
And Happy Birthday Little Red!
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Bappy Hirthday Little Red!
I will have a coffee and an angry aunt please.
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Happy birthday small red one. Its a bit early for a glass of champers but can I have it with some orange juice in a Bucks Fizz? Thats then one of my five!
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OOOOH! Little Red! My twin? Happy birthday to you too, and thanks so much for remembering, GossipMrs ;-)
Here I was thinking that, as I've been getting down here so infrequently recently, I wouldn't be able to join in the Friday party, but seeing as how I've made it, here's an Anne P Chocolate Cake to share. If anyone remembers my attempt at Annasee's you'll know that a little of my baking goes a long way! No comments about the number of candles, please.
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Happy Birthday Litlle Red and Val P!
I remember your cake, Val - in fact, I've got a pic of it somewhere.
As to the number of candles . . . the Balearics in the 70s. . that would be . . and then you were probably . . . so that would make. . . Can somebody check if that fire extingusher is fully charged?!!
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Happy Birthday Val and Little Red. Here's hoping for a lovely sunny day for all of us today. And not too much breeze to blow the candles out on that cake.
Friend of mine in NZ made a cake for her mother in law's 90th b'day. The sister in law decided it would be a good idea to pout 90 candles on it, and light them all at once. Apparently the resulting conflagration nearly set the room alight. A salutary warning - once you get to "a certain age" candles ought to be symbolic only, or maybe one per decade.
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ValP and Small Scarlet One: Hoppy Bathday!!!!
Now, who's got the fuel for the barbie. If we light it now, it'll just be right for cooking dinner in 7 hours time.... :-)
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Happy Birthday ValP. Second glass of Buckz fizz please.
Now then should I Blame it on the Sunshine, or would it be too Bad or a too much of a Thriller to have Michael Jackson themed words in beach posts?
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Thanks for that, Horse. I too have photos, but enough of that!
Let's ban candles from the Beach - if we throw them on to the Barbie, that should keep it alight until I get back.
See y'all later, for fizz xxx
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Happy Birthday to you!!!!
to Val and to Little Red
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Gasp! I nearly forgot ValP!
A happy birthday and a camel cake to you too!
FF (18):
Hang on and I'll build a little wicker man for you to burn your Barbie in.
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Stewart M - that's in terrible taste. Not that I mind.
I notice Marc on the Radio 4 panel email yesterday was asking about Moon-walking though, so perhaps he has psychic powers?
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Too, too much. It is Wall to Wall - the late Michael Jackson. I came away. "Off The Wall" if you like.
But after a snippet was played before I turned the TV off - I just looked up the words to his chorus for the song "Black Or White".
They were misrembered by me though. I thought they were "If you are thinking of being my baby it don't matter....." - but according to one site it is "about my baby it don'tmatter.....".
Ah well. That is a point I cannot bore people with then?
Possibly stress may have been a factor? Where is that deckchair?
That this O2 too solid flesh would melt - Factor 200 it is then! lol
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*boings along the boardwalk on a spacehopper*
oink!xxxoink!xxx
Hogs and kisses to Little Red and ValP.
Deposits huge cheeseboard, chutneys and pickles on the bar.
*boings off again*
Ta-ra-a-bit!
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See breakfast tomorrow morning.
See what Gillianian has been having this past few days.
I want some of that.
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In RL, I have just discovered something that travels faster than the speed of light!
BLAME!!
One of our beancounters fessed up to a quite large faux pas and is now history!
Anyhoo the world keeps turning.
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did they pay back the faux pas? Will faux pad get modded?
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Faux pas hasn't been wrong-footed yet...
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re payback, No!
re Will faux pad get modded?, probably not!
Unless young Fearless F writes it!
DiY ;-)
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Happy Birthday, Val P!! Hope you're having a great one.
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I would suggest that the use of Furrin words, phrases or sayings that have been assimilated into English are acceptable to the mods, and that this assimilation is the sine qua non.
Legal phrases in Latin and French could be the ne plus ultra.
But using Welsh and Scots Gaelic is a faux pas.
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Okay, let's try really living dangerously now. We've tried furrin phrases, now I'll try that link that the mods pulled on another thread.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-406691/John-Humphreys-returns-Aberfan.html
Perhaps they don't like the DM.
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Right then. School summer fair this evening. Who wants to throw a sponge at a teacher? Or have your face painted, or a pony ride. Lots of other activities designed to allow you to part with small amounts of cash.
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Let's see if this gets through:
Bonne Anniversaire Val P!
What a wonderful day to be born on. A good vintage whatever the year! ;o)
Today (so far) has been rather good, though I did still have to go to the office. But the handmade chocs went down a treat and soon everyone was putty in my hands.
And now the best bit of the day :o) A hockey match and a few glasses of vino collapso.
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A good day to be born on?
Apart from Little Red and ValP - there's Big Bill Broonzy, Laurie Lee, Pearl S Buck, Syd Lawrence, Col Tom Parker ... and, of course, George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert Carnarvon, 5th earl - Happy Birthday to you all!
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Goodness, Syd Lawrence!
They hired his combo (the Syd Lawrence Orchestra) for our first student dance at College. It was late in1963. We were hungry for the Liverpool Sound. Poor Syd was playing to an empty hall by half time.
By Christmas we'd had Gene Vincent and the BlueJeans, him singing Woman Love like a marionette in a thunderstorm, and Rod Stewart (in a solo spot in Long John Baldry's show) playing blues guitar to die for and rasping Big Hipped Momma, dressed in a mod-cut white suit, his hair back combed, his guitar white and electric, him using a real bottleneck, and then Screaming Lord Sutch doing something ghastly on stage but with a backing trio that had taken Chuck Berry's Duck Walk to threat levels as they goose hopped, guitar necks and outstretched lead legs spearheading the charge, at running speed straight at the audience, and then....well, if I told you they reverse sashayed backwards upstage at the same pace and so to and fro you wouldn't beleive me. But they did.
And by Christmas too we had home grown bands, Monty and the Aztecs who stormed through 'I can tell', 'Book', 'They Say' and 'This little Piggy' whom you could hear 7 nights a week at one 200 seater dance after another, if you had their energy to keep up with them.
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Just popping in before grabbing the purple hammock...
...oh, and when I wake up, if anyone dares to bring along a record by you-know-who, do I have permission to smash it over their heads? :)
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Morning all! I've put some fresh coffee on the bar before I have to dash off to work in RL. SOunds like I missed some sort of iPM experiment this morning... did they create a monster? I do hope it went smoothly
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Belated 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday babes. xx
Just the day fdor a dip. High tide at 2..
perfect!!!!!
Time for coffee and cake before I look for my cossee.
Anyone else brave enough to sample the briney here on my RL beach?
mxxx
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mittfh (38)
I feel a bit like that too!
mollyxx
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I'll join you in a dip, Mollster in a bit, it is such a wonderful morning, I feel like just lolloping along the beach for a bit, to see what I can see around the headland.
Actually, I am still recovering from the sight of Gillianians dramatic entry on that spacehopper...
n-n
xx
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n-n-
Oooh! Goodey! C'mon then! Last one in's a sissy!!!
Don't worry about Gillianian- I don't think that's a spacehopper either.....!!!!
(tee-hee!! only joking
...''Zippedy- doo-dah! Zippedy-hay....''
Mxx
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Wow, safari garden at ValP Towers this morning - I've just been taking photos of the tv showing our streaming of the baby swallows being fed in the nest in the New Building, when what should cavort around the swing seat on the front lawn but 2 tiny bambis. Moved the camera phone on to them and followed them from window to window until they found the rose bushes by the washing line, where they proceeded to chomp their fill. While they were doing that the baby squirrel chased a great tit off the feeder nearest to the kitchen window, at the same moment the junior woodpecker on the more distant feeder surprised a blue tit by taking a peck at him and ending up with a mouthful of feathers!
All before coffee time too :-)
Thanks for the cake SSCat - I didn't get one in RL, so it's much appreciated ;-)
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I've left a bottle of Pimms for Big Sis in the NCB fridge,
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Anyone know Pork Pie Island in Leicester?
On Thurday at lunch time I was there. A flight of perhaps fifty birds in close fluid formation cork screwed up and down in the sky and back and across the roof tops of the houses on the corner, diagonally opposite the Library that gives it's (now official) name to the junction. (It looks like a brick version of those underground stations like Hanger Lane that Betjaman should have said were masterpieces)
Anyway, the birds. They were flying an air whirlpool of ecstacy in the sun shine.
Some were gulls from the Beach, for sure. But others were all black, again for sure. All had scythe shaped wings.
Whatever were they?
Going home, they were gone.
On the way into Brum there were hoods on the Motorway Bridge spitting on the posher cars. (There was a two and a half hour jam because the M6 was closed (Juncts. 5 to 6). There was no advice to get off at 4 so 5 got swampped.
Those boys. Are they doing as much damage as their fellow youngsters, anxious to go overseas, making young militarism Britain look respectable, as they sneak onto the parade behind the Veterans who embarked on this very Beach in '45?
Shouldn't there be a Normandy Memorial hereabouts?
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I am doing a curry in the style of jamie Oliver. Other celebrity chefs available. It's sort of a chicken masala. Plenty to share. Be ready about 9.15 pm
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So few people around - I'm assuming there's some curry left? Mmm, yum ...
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Gosh that was a hot one Stewart ;-)
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mmmmm curry for lunch!!! It always tastes great the next day...
n-n
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Thanks for the Pimms, Jonnie.
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any curry left? No? Good! Less washing up to do. Did someone suggest pimms?
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Well i have three fresh Indian dishes for tonight: chickpea curry, courgette tikka, and aloo gobi. and fresh naan and rice are on their way - i was never one for timing things right!!
enjoy - I know I will :o)
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That Aloo Gobi is excellent.
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And some fresh strawberrries for everyone - but please rinse them well!
I have a valid reason for mentioning that.
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Nite all.
See you Tuesday.
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A little murky down this way although I gather it will be 30 degrees in London.
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Jonnie @ 55 - why, did a certain Schnauzer cock his leg on them?
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Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!! Thank goodness the purple hammock's free ;o)
I need a quiet day today, and I'll be drinking nothing but sparkling water. Well...that'll be after my morning cuppa, obviously!
Danish pastries are on the bar, and there'll be boiled eggs in 5 minutes.
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GM @ 58 - I'm betting it's not Rupert but Dolly up to her old tricks again...In fact, I'd check ANYTHING that comes out of the fruit bowl well before consuming.
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Will the smell of this poached salmon tempt anyone to join me for lunch?
I'll go and have a paddle while I wait.....
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Sounds lovely Gillianian, yes please.
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Potato salad with it, Anne?
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never eaten a paddle. Whose estate did you poach the salmon from?
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Why, The Laird Mair's of course, Stewart! Only the finest fettle for us Froggers ;o)
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How did you catch it then? netting? a rod? or by tickling?
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Stewart - DIWyman kindly assisted me with his tackle....which could be the reason why he's lying low today.
I tickle trout, not salmon *Tut!*
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The less said about diy's tackle, the better!
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I remember thinking, when I saw it on television, that I thought DIY's tackle was a bit on the high side.
H.
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Humph (69) - That's due to the Speedos.
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Don't mention fishing. I just had to get a dead baby blackbird out of the pond now. Used the sieve we keep there. It was horrible. Maybe it fell in trying to get a drink? Sad.
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annasee - I remember a couple of years ago watching a baby blackbird trying to land on the duckweed in our pond ... wouldn't give up, kept get its feet wet then flying back to the edge. Have you got duckweed? If it's thick enough, it can look quite solid.
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By that tennis was a bit exhausting to watch. New Balls anyone?
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New Pimms, please ...
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Worn out after watching Andy last night ... however - not too worn out to put the kettle on, start the coffee going, warm up some croissants, get the orange juice from the fridge ...
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Morning Sid! I heard it in the car with very crackly R5Live reception. Felt like 1970's trying to hear the commentary over the crackles! Very exciting
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Sid - no duckweed, just a rather green and unhealthy looking pond. But I've got heavy wire-netting (plastic-covered) over most of the water surface, and in the past I've seen birds standing on it to drink out of the water. So I'm puzzled as to how this one managed to drown. SO thinks it was a suicide bid, I'm not convinced.
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If you've ever wondered what happens after you press 'send' ... this'll show you.
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That's very funny, Sid, but apparently only happens in Paris ;o)
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Annassee - could it have been dead before it entered the water? Did you check if there was any water in its' airsacs?
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Fast approaching Pimms O'clock ...
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GM@ 80 - I'm very sorry to report that I failed to carry out a full post-mortem on the bird, and thus was unable to establish a cause of death, or indeed check the air sacs.
I'm afraid I settled for a "green" burial ( i e slung it over into next-door's wilderness section at the bottom of his garden, amongst the waist-high brambles and ivy.) I thought that should deter the cat from retrieving it and bringing in disguised as a fresh trophy.
I could always go and get it back for you if you'd like to check it yourself? ;-)
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I've made some ginger beer and mango smoothie if anyone fancies any. I'll leave it here on the bar.
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Well, no -one seems to have taken up RxK's offer of ginger beer and mango smoothwe..... shall I mix them up and see what happens ?
I'll just curl up in the purple hammock and wait for the explosion.....
mxx
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Hmmm, all quiet on the Beach, it appears. Are we all set for moving the Beach to the new location? Have the camels been told?
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Hi FF. I'm here lurking behind a sand dune, scoffing a bacon buttie.
I don't think the camels need a reminder, they're like sheep and will just follow the crowd.
Have a good day.
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If you don't feel like a smoothie, why not try this recipe that I now use?
One part orange juice to four parts cranberry juice and topped up with ginger ale. (I usually use one part ginger ale). You can add lemon juice if you prefer something slightly sharper.
We were drinking this the other day as an alternative to alcohol and are now hooked.
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Is it time for lunch yet?
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The did WHAT to the beach?! Why would they take a format that clearly worked and mess it up like this.
Quick links at the bottom of the page = not so quick now are they?
Silly people trying to improve things for improvements sake.
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Little red. Happens all the time in RL. They've never heard of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". This certainly isn't an improvement.
Time for a lie down methinks.
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Does the new look Beach allow me to enjoy a G&T at last?
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Depends, Fifi, if the sun has passed the yard-arm where you are....
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It does! And can we post £ signs as well?
There's no end to the gorgeousness of the blog now....!
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Hitting the [End] key normally takes you to the "More from this blog..." section at the bottom of the page - except Eddie's got so many categories half the list is off the screen...
Hitting the [Home] key will always take you to the top of the page.
Unless you're typing a comment, in which case they do nothing.
*Sigh* and the character encoding bug *still* isn't fixed.
(I know I can do bold and italic, but I still like the old-school asterisks...)
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I know I can make it to the bottom of the page quickly (apple + down for peeps like me!) but that's more buttons than it used to take...
suppose we'll just have to learn to love it. Now where's the purple hammock? I'm ready for a lie down and a cool glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.
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Pound signs are still not allowed. Why?
*sips another G&T and wonders why Beach is spinning*
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Ooo Errr it's all gone peculiar. Where am I? Why did I come here? Who am I?
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Gossip: Just take a little more water with it.
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Err... what the smeg happenned to the Beach?
Weirder than the weirdest thing ever, other than me that is. I think I need a lie down in a darkened G&T...
;o) []
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Eat my shirt or words or whatever it is- I like it!
We've got to move with the times, be adventurous and grasp the nettle.
Stop complaining, you old stick- in -the muds.
mmxx
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where are you guys???!!?!?!?!
AHHHH Found the beach!!!!
Coo, that took me *ages* to find my way here, i am going to have to doodle on my screen so that I can find my way back...
(hang on)
right:
uses marker pen
{--------move mouse over here
Then click on [this] thingy - scroll down like soooooo
ooops, my screen is a bit of a mess now -
actually, i am not sure thats going to help me at all
did someone mention g and t???
n-n
xx
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It's quite a clean and cris new look isn't it?
I quite like it too
Shame about 'Recent Comments' though. No more 'Jonnie on Big sister'
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It's no good, I need to relocate to a shadier position. That hammock under the big parasol looks ever so inviting...
Come on, everyone - the G&Ts are on me!!!
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Mind if I join you Feefs? Ice and a slice of lime in mine please...
;o) []
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There you go, Wonko. And now PM's on the wireless, which is even nicer.
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Well - the things that go on when you go away!!!
My neighbours (in the spirit of iPM) decided to go and meet the chap who is moving in next door to me. They saw more of him than expected - he was putting up curtain poles whilst wearing nothing more than a look of deep concentration! Made the dog bark apparently. She's given up on getting to know that neighbour now until she knows he's fully dressed.
Anyone for summer punch?
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n-n-
Wondered what that mighty rushing wind was..YOU!
''noodles doodles'' - Mmmmm! I think we should be told ...sound interesting-
well- most of us seem to be here....
Inaugural party, perhaps ?
mxx
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@107 Mollster: i have been commissioned by Poundstretcher to rush out some of my finest work for their summer season. You may now purchase oodles of noodle's doodles for a quid a throw. Bargain.
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I'll raise a glass to the memory of Mrs. Slocombe. May her nemesis Molly Sugden RIP.
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Froggers, can we all stand quietly round the campfire and wish with all our hearts that Horse changes his mind and doesn't leave the Blog?
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Big Sis,
I can see you have enjoyed the new blog today. Its good to have someone lighten up things in such sultry weather. Andy did well at the tennis and we could be in for a couple of good games (fingers crossed. I have left you comments on other threads about how your jokes (are you sure you didn't find Bob Monkhouse's lost joke book)cheered me up.
Thank you,
And
Bon nuit.
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Joe, you're so kind, but as I made it clear at the beginning of the joke post, they were all from Eddie's newsletter. He's been inviting in jokes from listeners and reproducing them on his daily newsletter, but as today was the last day he was running this feature, he gave a bumper crop of those that he hadn't used on other days. It was such a wonderful harvest that I felt it deserved to be on the Blog as not everyone subscribes to the newsletter.
Glad it cheered you up - it did me, too. To be honest, it's been so hot that I couldn't get on with much else today, plus I've been dogsitting (which always cramps my style). I'm hoping I'll get more done tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Oh, and good luck to Andy, too. I don't know how he manages it in this weather!
Sleep well!
Big Sis
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Big Sister - I'm with you there. The Intermittent Horse is a much loved denizen of the shallows and the Beach would be sadder without his iron.
Oi bin robbied!
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Who is this chap who always asks the same question at the end? Wish someone would tell him...
doodley-nood- (107 ish)
I feel a(n) haiku coming on...watch out....
mxx
ps TIH *going* ?
Good grief! Why???
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Where id todays glass box?
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That should be, where is todays am glass box
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Let's all have brekkie while we try and figure out where the glass boxes are. Sausage and bacon sarnies in the hostess trolley. Coffee, tea and juice for all.
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Joe, it is here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/2009/07/am_glass_box_for_wednesday_2.shtml
I know it says Wednesday, but bear with it ....
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Ya know? I'm beginning to get used to the new blog :-) Nice to have an extra-wide Beach to play on!
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*new blog* (In honour of Silver Fox).
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Big Sister (110) yes I don't want him to leave either but he has threatened the same thing more than once in the past, so hopefully he's just extremely hot, bothered and p**d off!
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Big Sis,
I bore with it and now things seem to be Thursday. I am happy again. Bit confused though this morning. It was like waking up and the rest of the world had disappeared and I was left on the day it had happened.
Time for a shandy now, I', gaggin'
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It's Pimms o'clock. (it's also G & T o'clock, Bacardi & Coke o'clock and it's always PGGB o'clock). Drinkies lined up on the bar, loads of ice in the freezer.
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Thanks, Mansaylo - just what the doctor ordered ... me not to drink so much of.
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I have a drink problem..................I spill a lot. Especially when I try to dodge the pink elephants.
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Fearless Fred (120)
I'm totally confused now...
Where's Fifi? She'll know...
mxx
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Don't worry, Molly :-) Silver Fox was a blogger in the past. He/she would come along and post something in the form of two words, the second one being "Blog". It was all very succinct, and the comments were usually very pithy, but said a lot with just the one word. I thought that I'd honour Silver Fox here, on the occasion of the new-style blog :-)
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Terrible joke, which will amuse some froggers more than others...
At last Gordon Brown decided to throw the towel in and resign.
His cabinet colleagues decided it would be a worthy gesture to name a
railway locomotive after him. So a senior 'Sir Humphrey' went from
Whitehall to the National Railway Museum at York, to investigate the
possibilities.
"They have a number of locomotives at the NRM without names," a
specially-sought consultant told the top civil servant. "Mostly freight
locomotives though."
"Oh dear, that's not very fitting for a prime minister," said Sir
Humphrey. "How about that big green one, over there?" he said, pointing
to 4472.
"That's already got a name" said the consultant. "It's called 'Flying
Scotsman'."
"Oh. Couldn't it be renamed?" asked Sir Humphrey. "This is a national
museum after all, funded by the taxpayer."
"I suppose it might be considered," said the consultant. "After all the
LNER renamed a number of their locomotives after directors of the
company, and even renamed one of them Dwight D Eisenhower."
"That's excellent", said Sir Humphrey, "So that's settled then .. let's
look at renaming 4472. But how much will it cost? We can't spend too much, given the expenses scandal!"
Well, said the consultant, "We could always just paint out the 'F'."
*grabs G&T and leaves hastily*
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Mansaylo - I know what you mean. My doctor took one look at my trembling hand, and said 'D'you drink much?' And I said 'Well, no, actually - I spill most of it.'
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And Fifi - oh, she's gone ...
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FF (128)
I adored Silver fox- I thought he was the most witty fox ever.
I *thought* I knew his identity once but your comment confused me. I hope this makes sense.
mxx
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I'm duplicating wht I posted ontoday's (Thursday's) Glass Box 'cos it may get lost in the New Look Blog:
Having been away from my computer for a few days, I'd like to ask - has there been a thread to comment on the new look of the Frog?
Frankly, I find it a huge step backwards.
It's far too wide to fit on my screen and I don't really welcome having to scroll right - left - right to see what's going on. That's fine for crossing the street (At the kerb, halt. Look right, left and right again. If all clear, quick march) but not for a blog.
No record of who amongst us froggers has commented recently. So to see if a thread's been updated I now have to open it, instead of a quick glance to the (formerly visible) right.
On a positive note, I like the longer list of topical posts.
Aesthetically and from a user's point of view, then, much work needs to be done to make this anywhere as good as the 'old' blog.
The 'Categories' box fails on these two points as well.
Someone's been having fun with their html and discovering the difference between h1, h2 etc, but in a random way and one which obscures the message. It's distracting.
Please use line breaks! What is
4:the beach ipm: the
programme that
starts with its
listeners pm
???
Do tell me this is the beta version because I'm not sure I'll want to visit the blog as often as before if it's so badly laid out and so irritating.
(Distant sound of cheering)
Sorry to be negative, but I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed these points.
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I'm lost where's the new beach? I'm loaded down with all the breakfast stuff and the bar has disappeared along with all the hammocks, camels and palm trees. Help!!!
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Here have a helping hand Mansaylo - we can set up here til the new one arrives!
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PPPPPPSSSSSSssssssssttt!
Seeeeeeqqqquuuuiiiiinnnn! We need a new Beach!
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I'll light a fire with this drift wood. At least I've got the frying pan with me. No coffee I'm afraid, nothing to make it in.
Sausage and Bacon frying up nicely. Sarnies anyone?
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Fry up sounds good - thanks. Fresh salad from the garden later for anyone who would prefer the healthy alternative. Hot water brewing in the billy can for tea and coffee. (anyone else ever have to boil a pint of water in five minutes flat including building the fire?)
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Frances: Are you using IE as your browser? If you are, did you know that you can alter the zoom level? When it first loaded, the newlook blog was coming up as 125per cent zoom level on my screen and it wouldn't fit. I now have it set at 100 percent and it fits my screen perfectly.
Just a thought.
For me, the adjustment of the zoom level is found at the bottom right hand side of the screen where there is a little magnifying glass with a percentage alongside. Next to the percentage is an arrow which, if you hover over it says 'change zoom level'. Click on the arrow and it gives a range of options to change the level.
I apologise in advance if you know all this. I have to confess that it was something I hadn't always realised myself!
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Frances, I think Big Sis is right. The new blog is optimised to display full width on a maximised browser running on a 1024x768 screen. In fact, the comment text should still only take up about 2/3rds of the width of the window....
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Any sign of the new beach yet?
It's pouring down with rain here and I need a break from reality.
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Hi septic, the rain just gets worse, it's making me fags wet and hard to light. However, I suppose it makes a break from the recent heat wave and it's good for the "gardin".
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Looking at the iPM blog, it appears as though relevant categories are specified at the start of each new blog entry. So this fails on three counts:
a) The categories list at the start of new blog posts is missing
b) Categories have not been retro-fitted to old blog posts
Actually, given that categories worked on the old-style blog, presumably categories did exist, but were hidden from view.
c) The "posts in this category" pages have been removed, rather than left as was or updated to the new format.
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Frances - i seem to remember you are a mac user, in which case "apple and -" should reduce the zoom (and apple and + will put it back up).
Had a highly stressful morning thanks to a colleague, who left for a weeks course yesterday, letting me know I am covering his work while away which include writing a quite important document summarising his last 3 months work. And then leaving me no evidence of anything he has done there by leaving me up the proverbial creek. Cunningly, he seems to have set his phone on silent too and is avoiding my calls.
Anyway, rant over. Cheese on toast coming up. And fresh coffee, or for those stressed out like me, a choc mikshake. Go on. You know you want to.
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I'll take one of those chocolate milkshakes thanks Little Red. Had a rather stressful 48 hours myself. Too much to do, too little time, not enough help. Ah well, t'was ever thus.
Cheese on toast, mmmm...cheese on toast, that's set my stomach rumbling. I have to have some now, preferably with a generous splash of worcester sauce.
;o) []
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I'm a Tommy K fan myself. Worcester sauce is off the menu for us veggies.
And I'm following it up with a mix of pomegranate, blueberries and cherries with a dash of yoghurt on top. mmmm.
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No new beach, no newsletter.... Whole world is going to pot.
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Just for once, playing on the Old Beach is the RIGHT thing to do! Sorry about the noise by the way ... boy racers from RAF Unmentionable must be putting on a show for some visiting dignitaries with the jumpy-jetty things, and now a VC-10* has just wandered ponderously overhead.
* For those impressed by my encyclopaedic knowledge of military aircraft, please bear in mind I share my life with a former airfix kit junkie.
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Bless you, Li'l Red - a chocolate milkshake (with a dollop of walnut ice-cream on top) is just the thing to tempt me onto the new-look beach for the first time.
Aaaaaahhh....well it's painless enough,except for the sand burning my bare feet, but I do miss ''recent comments''!
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Fifi (147),
I think you might find that it wasn't the kits themselves, it was the glue....
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Septic (149)
That would certainly explain some of his more bizarre contributions to our combined LP collection.
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Fifi (150) Sticky Fingers being one of the decent ones, by any chance?
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Have you been peeking in my cupboard, Gillianianianian? (151)
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*dashes in*
Afternoon Peeps, flying vist, RL vvv busy, just back from a week in Worthing, off to Melton Mowbray tomorrow. Down to last pair of clean pants, may need to do some washing. Any orders for pork pies? May make a surprise visit to an East Midlands Frogger....
*dashes out*
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Welcome to 'The Beach' - please turn your clocks back one week....
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DIY!!!!!! (153) I won't be at home tomorrow - am at a music event in Braunston all day.
* waves frantically *
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Little Red, thanks - yes, I'm a mac user (and Firefox).
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately it make the letters smaller while only seeming to shrink the whole blog a tad - I can still only see the edge of Eddie's shoulder, but would need 2x magnifying glasses to read anything uch without straining my eyes.
But good thinking!
And thanks for your thoughts, Big Sis and FF.
OHHHH, I am so glad it's the weekend.
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* gets overexcited *
COME ON TIM!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[laughs]
I did hope 'our' Andy would win, though...
Do we need consolatory Pimm's?
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FiFi 155
I was thinking more of next Wednesday morning. I have to be at the Pork Pie town book shop to do the installation tomorrow but thought of may scrounging a cup of coffee off you on the way back to Norfolk!
* waves frantically back*
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Re all this sport and not winning. We should stick at wot we do best......darts.
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180!
See, now double tops for out.........oops.
Sorry Feefs!
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DI_Wyman (161)
Here's my shopping list -
Pork pies
A wedge of Red Leicester
White Stilton (plain)
Rutland Sausages
Elderflower wine
You can drop them off behind the NC Bar, thanks ;o)
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Gah!
Have only just cancelled all my weekend plans, specifically so I could be here stirring a vat of sprouts bolognese when DIY arrives ... and he's moved the date!
;o)
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Afternoon Froggers, Peeps, Frogging Peeps and Peeps-a-Frogging.
PHEW WOT A SCORCHER!
I have finished in Melton M for the day and am now installed in the Inn of Premiers on the outskirts of Grantham!
Gillianianianianian's shopping list has been sourced and is in the walk in fridge at the back of NC's.
Feefs:-
re vat of sprouts bolognese LOL...this time I didn't turn up as last time you said pop round for a spag bol three some and I did.......you had forgotten!
*sob*
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(hides head in shame) Oh DIY, I know, I know, and I'm still embarrassed!
This time however you can partake of Sprout Surprise in the summer branch office - a thing no other frogger has been privileged to experience except vicariously via inferior photos on a social networking site somewhere.
Oh, and by the way I am very disappointed that Eric didn't publish a pixellated copy of the pointless photo I sent from Yarmouth last summer: a company proudly advertising DIY TOOL HIRE.
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*sniff, wipes nose on Speedos*
'So K, i don't hold a grudge!
Re Sprout Surprise threesome with your ferret worrying SO in the summer branch office, do I have to:-
A. Wear the Red or Silver Speedos?
B. What whine do you recommend?
C. Can whip out my 200mm and take photographs?
DiY :-)
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Would that be Melting Mowbray, yhen, DI?
Hi, Feefs, Gillianian! Anyone else!
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Hi France(i)s.......yep, home of the self baking pork pie
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Or 'then', even. Was there a spell-checker on the 'old' frog? I type and post too quickly, I know. The quick brown FO jumps over the lazy blog.
Did anyone else enjoy the little joke tonight about the Tour de France and Vatan sounding a bit like 'va-t' en'? (excuse spelling, I've only ever heard it - often enough, you may surmise - but not read it. I liked the fact that M le Maire is named Fouquet, roo.
Note to mods: The Vatan joke was made on the programme. It is good enough for PM listeners, so please assume that PM bloggers might understand it, too.
I do hope whoever is on duty today did French O Level, or GCSE, or something.
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DIY (166):
A. Wear the Red or Silver Speedos?
- best stick with the silver ones. My other 'arf had a pair of little red Speedos when I first knew him... wouldn't want to risk getting confused and keeping you here indefinitely!
B. What whine do you recommend?
- yes, I do heartily.
C. Can whip out my 200mm and take photographs?
- as long as it's definitely your 200mm rather than a 9mm with which you do your shooting, then I could stretch a point.
Other froggers are welcome to join us, if you're in the East Midlands on Wednesday afternoon. Just remember I have to be out at band practice that evening, so I'll need to stay relatively sober...
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PM?
What is this PM you speak of?
Is it some engine of the devil to spread the words of Mair amongst the people?
DiY :-D
Tool Hire to the Nobility
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PM is the time before tea and is usually characterised by an inexplicable grumpy feeling, which may occasionally turn lightly homicidal.
Scientists think it may have something to do with
a) hunger, or
b) listening to idiots spouting rubbish via a thingy called 'Radio Four'.
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Frances - don't you let Mr DIY hear you talking about sprouts and rubbish in the same sentence. He can turn nasty!
;o)
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Morning Froggers, Peeps et al....
Kippers, grilled tomatoes, scrambled eggs, toast just the EXACT shade of brown with coffee and tea now at NC's!
Tuck in and enjoy, I am off to reapair a PC and count books in the Ye Olde Pork Pie Town bookshop.
You all have a nice day and play nicely.
BTW if Stewart M appears don't tell him about the Beavers cavorting in the surf.
DiY :-p
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What beavers? I'll brew some more coffee
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Hi froggers. Thanks for brekkie DIY. You beat me to it. I was busy DIYing the rear entrance hall, getting ready to put some new tiles down. I've only been putting the job off for two years!!
The nagging by Mrs M finally wore me down.
Large coffee and a fag needed.
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Mansaylo, I didn't know you went to Eaton!
Smythe-Huntingpants is in year one and he is free this afternoon after he finished my polishing, I'll send him right over.
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Ohh Err Mansaylo, nice rear entrance!
Don't forget to use a waterproof grout though, you don't want unforseen dampness in your substrate.
Stewart M, wot you reckon, does he need a spot of wax and shine to bring out the full glow?
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Well that is at least two of us!
To find that Sir John Sawers (of MI6) dons Speedos is astounding!
I wonder, if his, like mine have:-
Hidden microphones?
Hidden cameras?
Go Faster stripes?
A secret pocket for a pack of three (Fully Ribbed)?
The key code to the BBC PM drinks cabinet
The secret to GB's smile?
And a rip cord in case it always goes horribly wrong? (unlike GB?)
DiY :-D
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Have this afternoon had to interrupt serious loafing about session in RL to act as godmother to a tired elderly racing pigeon (now named Walter). He appears uninjured but is very trusting (let me catch him!) and very hungry. Nice lady from Royal Pigeon Racing Association says keep feeding and watering him, and he'll make his own way home eventually.
Exciting here in the East Midlands!
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DIWyman - thanks - that's my tea sorted then ;o)
Anyone else fancy barbecued pork pie with an elderflower and cheese sauce?
I wish I could come and join you on Wednesday, Fifi, but I'll be mopping my poorly daughter's brow. Have fun ;o)
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On second thoughts......pigeon pie, eh??? Hmmmm.....
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Gillian... there will be no pigeon pie here! If anyone gets Wally it'll be the sparrow hawk not I.
We are, for those interested in this sort of thing, contemplating catching Walter and putting him in a large cat box with seed and water overnight in the shed. To save him from cats and other predators. Any thoughts?
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.....just rolling out this lovelly short crust pastry pillow and was that 180 degrees C for 45 mins?.........
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By coincidence, my daughter rescued a pigeon from our pond yesterday - he couldn't get out because of the cover we had to put on the stop foster children falling in. Health and safety, eh - they don't think about the pigeons, do they?
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Our oven's on at 200 degrees for some chicken in soy and lemon juice action shortly!
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I heard the 'Sir John's speedos are not a state secret' story and laughed like a drained sprout, DI.
I had him mentally sunbathing on the beach... but do we really want MI6 around here? No, sorry, Sir John, old chap, you're barred.
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If the pigeon won't leave the owner will send you a box. Post pigeon home in box. Happened to my brother.
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So there really is a pigeon post, Stewart?
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Ho hum...
I'm enjoying a very nice G&T at just gone half past midnight for two reasons.
1) Monday is a bank holiday here so that means no early morning alarm clock going off.
2) Being unemployed - I don't have to get up early anyway
And, to DIY.... the lovely shop you knew that sold comics (or graphic novels as I think you called them) has just closed down. Another empty shop on the High Street. Sadly, it looks like this is becoming a trend.
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Morning all.
Tea, coffee and irate aunts are available at NC's.
Septic, Re Douglas Books. I Know, it is a shame as I don't think there is anywhere else on the island that has susch a good collection of manga.
DiY :-(
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Feefs, re Wednesday, it will be in the am, probably before 11.
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DIY - okey-dokey. I'll put the kettle on. (It suits me!)
Stewart - last time a racing pigeon arrived (injured) a local expert revealed they often have the owner's phone number printed under the outstretched wing. No such luck in Walter's case. So I rang the regional chairman of the Royal Pigeon Racers' Association, whose wife confirmed all we should do is keep leaving out birdfood and water, and hope it found a safe roost for the night. He should find his way home, although from what I could tell her about the number on his leg-ring, it's a relatively old bird.
There's no sign of Walter this morning, so I choose to assume he's winging his merry way home by now. If he's around later though, I'll let you know! In the meantime, I've left seed and a water dish under the palm trees, in hopes that he will escape the attentions of the sparrow hawk!
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Stewart M - your brother's a pigeon???
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I'm a little confused - but that's becoming increasingly common. According to one source it is the birthday of the sprout king - but I note that people have been congratulating him since Saturday. Is that just to extend the celebrations? Anyway - Happy Birthday DIY - sorry if I'm latte.
If I'm not late (and that too is becoming increasingly common) there will be a Super Sprout Surprise cake at the Nick Clark bar at midday. (The surprise is - no, you'll have to wait and see ...)
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Hi folks. Completely knackered after a weekend of DIY and tennis. I think the latter was most tiring. The fag helped, I just supervised. Large coffee and a mid morning snooze in the hammock. Please ask the camels to be quiet.
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Do they still send baskets of racing pigeons by rail? - remember it as a feature of my childhood - steam trains of course. Perhaps like independent bookshops they too have gone. Sic Transit...
...and please welcome to the beach that faded beauty Gloria Monday.
Think I need a large strong cup of tea, thanks DIY.
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Mansaylo: Serves you right for spending the weekend with the Sprout King. Was it you playing tennis with John Kumphrys or were you warming Federer up for his victory?
Anne: I remember them, too - and recall seeing some long after steam trains were no longer around. I suspect they still go by rail, but that the sport is less widespread. To cheer you up, we've a number of independent book shops around and about us in West Sussex, though not as many as in the past. My personal favourites are the second hand bookshops, which are always independent - but there are quite a few stockists of 'brand new' books, too. Perhaps it is the high proportion of older folk on the south coast and environs that allow them to flourish?
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Walter T Pigeon update: he's still here.
Another addition to the menagerie of other people's creatures chez Fifi!
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Fifi: Are you sure he's not waiting for a train? ;o)
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Can you all whisper please..... I must remember - less G and more T
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Oh dear. I popped indoors for a few minutes, and when I came back... no Walter, but a suspicious scattering of pigeon feathers. Suspicion falls on Dick the Dastardly Sparrowhawk, who regularly patrols the village looking out for dippy birds.
:o(
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On the twittery place, the following exchange with a certain sultry-voiced ukulele-playing BBC employee:
She:
Fifi & Mittfh - I think I might have forgotten to reply saying how lovely the PM song was!
Me:
Gosh thank you! No wonder PM won the 'interactive programme of the year' Sony that year, eh? We sing it at all our gatherings
Me:
Perhaps the BBC Ukulele Orchestra would like to record/perform it with some of us...? ;oD
She:
Haha we'll have to see if we can fit you into our hectic performance schedule. Now that we're an internet hit 'n all.
Mittfh:
How about a 2009 version - get the Froggers who've joined us in the past couple of years onboard as well? :)
So... how about it froggers? Anybody game for any of this? Oh, and the link to the uke story is here (if I'm allowed to post it)
http://bit.ly/NuWOE
Is this a great idea, or one that's even more bonkers than the original one about froggers recording a song in pieces all over the world and then stitching it together??
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Oh, but the good news is Walter's fine. He was back for his lunch and presumably now sheltering sensibly from the thunderplump and lightning bolts.
* does little dance *
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Here... this link Mittfh found ... you don't think.........?
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/cga/lowres/cgan644l.jpg
;o)
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It was here a while ago.
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(distant call) Cooey, Asbos, we're over here ....
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