General Chat

Joyce have sent the photo for you now. Pleurisy is not very nice, very painful, hope your son doesn't get that again.

Sallie Happy birthday to Alan, hope he enjoys his day.

I am sure your friend is wrong about the second £200 we are not getting extra I'm sure. Unless she is in the 'older' group who get £400 but then she would have got it all at once.

Huia, happy birthday phil for tomorrow. I do hope you can solve that rat problem soon, it must be getting you down.

Tony has gone to golf, I am just off for a shower and hair wash. Back later.

Ann it's a good job I keep all my promarkers in a case laid flat in a drawer then, I think it refered to the one point pens.
Sally wish Alun a happy birthday from me please.
Joyce Llonka seems to be coming along nicely now and she will feel a lot better after a shower, glad Michael coming on ok, there's always something with your lot isn't there, they keep you on your toes. I haven't heard anything about extra cold weather payment either.
Huia I have just noticed it is Phils birthday tomorrow as well, happy birthday to him.

Love Caz xx

Good Morning Girls, I did not know which thread to put this on, but I wanted to catch the eye of Ann in Glos, and saw she had posted in the last few minutes.
Ann, I remember a conversation between yourself and Daff, last summer, on the merits and varieties of Tumbling Tomatoes.
Well yesterday, as I had previously mentioned, I went to a new to us, garden centre. I picked up a packet of seeds for a new tomato variety called 'Cherry Cascade', by T & M. It contains 8 seeds and retails at £2.49.
The blurb on tha back of the packet says
'"Possibly the world's most prolific cascading plants, ideal for growing in hanging baskets or container and rewarding you with a massive number of sweet and juicy 'current' sized fruits throughout the summer. No side shooting or training necessary "
I thought I would give them ago, and at 8 seeds, is just enough for 2 hanging baskets.
I remembered your conversation, and when I saw the seeds, thought I would let you know. By the way, they are all new 2011 seeds in the garden centres now. Needless to say, I also bought a packet of 'Summer King' Foxglove seeds, a pinky colour, and Poppy seeds 'Candy Floss' a Lilac, both at the trial price of 99p.
The Tea Rooms at the garden centre did a 'not bad at all' homemade mushroom soup' aswell. Will definitely be on our visiting list for 2011..
Take care All
Julia in Derbyshire

PS., meant to say, I'm looking forward to meeting with Sallie on Thursday

Ann she was 75 in Dec but she said it was cold weather will have to ask her ,mybe its because she turn 75 on 15 Dec?
Huia wish Phil avery happy birthday from Jan and I
Hi Julia how are you keeping nice to see you on here there great bunch and Sallie is loverly lady
Sallie sorry i rang early this morning but thought i would surprise Alun with wishing him happy birthday LOLxx

Julia, sorry went away from PC to sort washing, empty dishwasher (2 days worth) and start on taking cards down prior to undecorating in the next couple of days. Can't do it all in one these days!!!

Thanks for that I will tell OH. He usually grows Tumblers in his baskets. As this year we are away in April I don't think he will be able to grow seeds so will just buy a few plants.

Hi Jean love forgot to ask how you and J are doing its been while since we spoke ,but between us all theres been so much going on hope this year is better for us all
Love Dutchxx
Mo will send you that photo when i find it have been looking for it and forgot were Jan put it LOLxx

Hi Girls,

First of all Alun has asked me to thank you all for the Birthday Wishes you've all sent him. Thank you everyone.


Joyce, I'm sure it will take a good while before Michael will get over Pneumonia and Pleurisy. I'm glad he feels a bit better than he's been.
Please give him our Get Well Wishes when you next speak to him. We are thinking about him.


I know how he's feeling, having had Pneumonia and Pleurisy at the same time myself.
It was weeks and weeks before I could lie down to go to sleep, between the pain and breathing problems, the only way I could sleep was propped up with pillows.
Richard was in infants school and Jennie was in nursery, luckily I had good friends that took them for me and brought them home. I was also fortunate that my mother came to look after the house, cleaning, cooking etc., I certainly wouldn't have been able to do it.

I haven't heard anything about the heating allowance going up either, unless as Ann said it is for the older ones.

Pleased to hear that Llonka seems to be coming along nicely, hope she will continue that way.



Julia, it's nice to see you posting on here, if only now and again. I'm really looking forward to meeting you on Thursday. I'd be interested to know where this other Garden Centre is. My friend goes to one out towards Breadsall way, not sure of the exact place though. We tend to go to the ones that are nearest to us.



Caz, how are things with you today? I hope you are feeling a bit better and not in so much pain.
When does Phil start back to work? Alun starts back tomorrow, but he still has two weeks holiday to take before the end of March. We are hoping to go down to Richard's for a day or two soon, but not sure when. We'll have to go down when he has his day off one week. He has a few small jobs to be done, so Alun has offered to help him.


Ann, are you going to start on some cards while Tony is at golf?

I thought I might try and make some cards this afternoon, but just some plain simple ones to start with and see how I get on with those, As I've already said, my concentration is not very good so don't want to do anything too taxing.

I've been reading Daff's thread, but haven't posted on it for a week or two. I'm so pleased that she has started to eat a bit more now and that she will be able to go home very soon. I hope and pray that this will be a good year for her, and that she'll have the bone marrow transplant from her brother.


Huia, please would you wish Phil a Happy Birthday from both Alun and myself.

Hope you can get rid of your ' unwelcome visitor ' very soon. If you can find out where it's coming from you could then hopefully do something to get rid of it.

Well, I'm going to do one or two things before I make our lunch, so I'll be back later on today.


Love and best wishes. Sallie.xxx

Joyce, no problem with the phone call. It was nice of you to think about him. I'll speak to you very soon.

Love, Sallie. xxx

Hi Sallie, the garden centres we use the most are,
The one we are going to on Thursday
Trowel
Moorgreen
Jacksdale
Sometimes Wessington, if we are up that way.
And more recentley, Toton, on the end of Brian Clough Way, where we went yesterday. and
Little Eaton, which is perhaps where your friend means. It is on the road into Derby, adjacent to the A38. I have also found a proper butcher there, who also deals in Game. As soon as the freezers are down, we are going to have a session in this shop, and then go to the garden centre.
Havn't tried the Japanese Water Garden at Toton for a while, so when we are next over that way, we will give it a try., as we are about to set up fish.
That's our kind of day out.
Take Care
Julia in Derbyshire

Hi Julia,

We use Toton Garden Centre and Trowel more than the others. The food in Toton coffee shop is quite nice, they do a nice roast dinner there, although we haven't had food there for a good while. so maybe it's changed now.

I think that you're right about it being Little Eaton that my friend goes to, I know it's on the road into Derby and not far from the A38.

Do you know Julia, now we have been talking about the Garden Centres, I fancy a visit to the nearest ones now. So it looks as though Alun will be having a trip out now.It can be his birthday treat.lolol!!!


Right, I'm off now, so I'll speak to you all later on.


Love, Sallie.xxx

Hi again, no Sallie not done any crafting while T at golf. Been looking at photos daughter sent me of grandsons flat he's bought. They were down in Plymouth decorating with him last week. Then i did a load of washing and sorted it round the radiators to dry ( roll on summer), emptied 2 days worth out of the dishwasher and put it away, put out yet more recycling to be collected today and took down the Christmas cards as I like to look through them again before deciding what to do with them, some to keep, some to recycle. T should be in soon, didn't see him this morning, he was out of the house about 7.30 and I had gone back to sleep!!

Sallie had alook on the cold weather payment site it dose,nt say anything about extra money,and you olny get 400 pound if your over 80 which she is,nt bet shes got muddle up again as she is forgetting alot of things laterly also money wise .when she is paying for things she keeps on counting 20 pound notes as 10 pound notes ive told her family they will have to keep eye on her not everyone will give it her back if she makes mistakes xx

Oh what a lovely surprise, so many friends chatting away.

Huia, will you stop making that darned rat so comfortable. It must be enjoying your company, and seems to be snug and warm where it is,and doesn't want to be evicted.
Are you going to take a birthday cake in for Phil's birthday. I hope you both have an enjoyable day,and that Phil realises what a special occasion it is.

Joyce, my son had pneumonia when he was a baby, and still suffers with bronchitas every year.
I do hope that your son improves very quickly, just know that we are all praying for you both.
I hope Jan finds the photo soon love, I can't wait to see it.

Caz thank goodness things are getting back to normal, and you will be able to get back to your crafting.
It's nice to have the hubbies home for a while, but by golly they upset our routines don't they. lol

Ann, a shower in peace and quiet is heaven. I hope Tony enjoyed his round of golf.
I bet you are looking forward to your April break. Are you of abroad again this time.
I have finished taking all the decs down, and the house looks like a shiny new pin. I just wonder how long it will take Roly to make a mess again. he's worse than a child at times. I could have four of the grandchildren here at one time,and when they go home it's still quite tidy, but leave Roly with them for a while,and it's chaos afterwards.

Sallie I hope that Alun is enjoying his birthday. I bet if you go to the garden centre, you will end up buying loads of things,and end up spending Aluns money..............thats the way it should be LOL
Just go out there love and enjoy yourself. I am sure you and Julia will have a wonderful meeting. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

I also know nothing about the extra heating allowance. Lets put it this way, we certainly didn't get it.

I wonder where our Jean is today. She will be quite shocked at how much news there is to catch up on.
Jeanieeeeeeeeeeee where are you flower.

I will say bye for now girls, love to you all. Take care and stay safe all of you. Mo xxx

Joyce, it does sound as if somebody should be helping your friend, she does sound to be confused.

Mo, yes the April holiday is Tenerife. We may yet get a week or two in lanzarote in early March if we can find a cheap one. Then we have a week in Dorset in May and a week in the Lake District in June.

Ann, I don't blame you for wanting to get away from this country so often. At least you are guaranteed nicer weather than here.
The Lake District is such a pretty and peaceful place to be isn't it. We have never actually been to Dorset, been to Devon and Corwall, and we found it such a laid back way of life. Where as here in Kent life seems to go at a fast pace, never time to lay back and relax. I suppose it's being so close to London that does it, and it spills over to here and also Essex.

Hi Sallie, glad all this gardening and garden centre talk has inspired you to go out and pay a visit. Can't say the same for the pockets of your OH LOL
Yesterday when we were in the one at Toton, they had all the carvery laid out. It looked so good that, had I not had a Pork joint and vegetables prepared at home, we would have partaken of the fare. I had Home Made Mushroom soup, and OH had a meat salad roll, sufficient really when going home to a dinner. By the way. The Sunday Roast was not cheap at £7.25, but it was proper ingredients, and not catering pack.
Hope you enjoy yourself today.
Julia in Derbyshire

Well girls, I never got to go to the Garden Centre after all---we had unexpected company arrive, so we didn't like to say that we were going to go out. Never mind we can always go another day.

Julia, the last time that we had a roast dinner at Toton GC it cost £4.95 , so goodness knows how long ago that was.lol!! I must say that £7.25 seems a bit steep though, but if it's as good as when we last had it, then it is worth the money.
Alun would love the homemade mushroom soup---mushroom is his favourite, especially if it's homemade. I can see us having a trip to Toton one lunchtime when he's on holidays, for him to have a bowl of soup.lol!

I'll look in again later on.

Love, Sallie.xx

Mo, looking out of the window it is snowing here so thoughts of Tenerife and warmer weather are cheering. Dorset is even more laid back than Devon.

Know what you mean about overspill from London, we used to live in Essex and it was lovely when we moved to Gloucestershire, then we moved again to the Herts/beds border and it was frantic again. Glos is not quiet any more but a little more laid back than where we were.

Sallie, pity you didn't get out to the garden centre, never mind you have it to look forward to now. Looks like we will be lucky to get in to town tomorrow it is snowing quite a lot here at the moment. ugh!!!!

For goodness sake Ann, not more snow. I just hope we don't get it again, sorry I don't mean to sound rude in saying that, but it seems like we have only just got rid of the darned stuff.

Sallie what a shame about not getting to the garden centre, but having company is nice isn't it.
Mmmm Mushroom soup is also my favourite of all soups.

Ann, lets all hope that it will stop snowing and it will turn to rain, Not a good alternative, but better than a lot of snow.

Yes it's a shame we never got to the Garden Centre, but as you say, it will be something to look forward to, another day.



Mo, it was nice having company too, and especially since we hadn't seen them for a while.

Do you have a darts match tonight? If you have, I'll be crossing my fingers that your team will win.


I wonder where Jean is today----I hope she isn't suffering from vertigo.

I'm also wondering how things are with Marie's brother in Rockhampton---seeing all the floods on the news, I'm hoping he and his family are safe.


Love, Sallie.xxx