awwwwww - missed everybody- night yogi ,squiggle and skylark

Good morning everyone

 

A thoroughly wet evening and night, but the ground really needed it.

 

Skylark, you really are suffering computer problems - the laptop may be over heating or dust got into it.

morning El happy Sunday I've slept thru a night of heavy rain apparently I agree the ground needed it, our lawns will look gorgeous tomorrow!

morning everyone else when you pop in *sets out tray of breakfast muffins, pastries & fruits*

Good morning El and Summer.Yummy pastries and muffins, Summer.

We also had heavy rain overnight, which is good for the parched lawns and plants.

Will be back later.

Good morning everyone, ooh thanks Summer a blueberry muffin my favourite   Like everyone we also seem to have had a lot of rain overnight.  Its lovely to see the grass and the plants lapping it up and reviving.  The sky is washed blue this morning.

 

Skylark hope everything goes well today and that those precious photos are still there somewhere.

 

Have a good day everyone

Morning everyone x  Thanks for the support over my comp probs x

Raining here too.   The ground does need it though. 
 Thanks Summer x

Hi Skylark and Squiggle.

Hope you can retrieve your photos, Skylark.

 

Celebrity coachtrip is being repeated on CH4 just now.They are also filming another celeb one just now.Michael Barrymore is on it..yuk.He's been warned about his behaviour  by the shows producers.

Thanks for that katty

When I drove to church this morning, just after the crossroads, the road to the church was under water for about twenty yards - 2 to 3 inches of water. I was able to drive through it, but I pity any pedestrians who wanted to walk down this busy road as they would get swamped. It must have been caused by blocked gratings over the gullies preventing last night's rain draining away. After church I drove back home a different route.

I was looking for something on Youtube and happened to find this clip. I don't have any information about this clip other than it was created by someone in Japan. I assume that it shows pictures from the poster's garden and home, but it is a highly artistic home movie. Music is played by Secret Garden.

 

A very professional video EL, someone with a lot of technical knowledge.  I half expected a movie to start.

Joyron as you live near Tiptree I thought you would find this excerpt from our village newsletter interesting.

 

THE CINEMA MAN

      I came across this advert the other day which read:  'Home Cinema System, blog sonic XYZ + Home Theatre System, complete with 6 speakers including subwoofer £100, etc.', and it brought to mind my time when I lived at Tiptree.

      It was not long before I met a Mr. Chick Bright who, on coming out of the services after World War II, was determined to have his own cinema.

      Although he ran a temporary cinema at a hall in Tiptree, it was not long before he acquired a bungalow with land at the side suitable for a cinema and enough land at the back for a car park.

      Once the plans were passed and the villagers heard about the new project, they were interested enough to want to help with things like digging the footings and even trundling loads of bricks from the station on hand pushed trolleys.

      Soon the cinema was near completion. Materials were in short supply and a problem arose regarding how to put a ceiling in.   Mrs. Bright came up with a great idea!   She went to the local butcher and asked for all the carcass muslin covers which were generally disposed of.   She then washed them and sewed them all together, making one huge piece which was suspended over the auditorium and it is still there to this day!

      The cinema was called 'The Astoria' and was run by Mr. Bright and his family - mother would be on the ticket kiosk, father would do the projection and the daughters would act as usherettes.    Mr. Bright had an Adana printing machine and would do his own posters to display around the village.   He also produced

a monthly 16mm version of 'Tiptree News'.   On one occasion he climbed the jam factory chimney to show views of what Tiptree looked like 'from the air'.

 

 Illustration:  Paul Swailes

      All went well for a while but attendances began to drop due to television becoming available.   After a while, Mr. Bright decided that a change had to be made. "I'll turn it into a dance hall", he said.   But this was more easily said than done because the floor was raked and would have to be levelled, and the radiators were all at different heights.

      However, when this was sorted there were dances on Saturday nights.   But sadly, after each dance there was trouble outside, which became a major problem, and so "I'm going to try it as a cinema again," said Mr. Bright.

      But of course by now the floor had been levelled and the only thing to do was to raise the screen, at the same time change the format from 4 x 3 to widescreen [cinemascope], achieved by ropes from the projection box.   On one occasion a rope dropped down and knocked off a patron's hat!

      It was interesting to go into the projection box whilst a show was on.   The clatter of the machines was like the noise of a factory, reels were changed every ten minutes and there was a huge, glowing valve kept in a metal box so that if it exploded it would do no harm.

      Interval music was provided by a quite ordinary record player and focus was checked by a small pair of binoculars used through one of the projection ports. 

      Once again attendances dwindled and Mr. Bright had to think again.   Fortunately, the cinema had been built with a shop at the front and so Mr. Bright opened it for selling electrical goods.   The seats were all cleared from the cinema and it was let for functions and dancing classes.

      One day when I was chatting to Mr. Bright, he told me that the BBC were broadcasting 'Workers' Playtime' from there and that he had, for some reason, a direct line to the BBC.   He told me when it would be and that I was invited.

      Well, I completely forgot all about it until one day when we had the radio on and the announcer said:  "This week, Workers' Playtime comes from Tiptree." Without hesitation I rushed around to the cinema where I was welcomed with a "Quick, come in."   The stars of the show were the singer Ann Shelton and Cyril Fletcher.

      Sadly, Mr. Bright passed on and the cinema sold and the auditorium is now a large white goods and electrical shop. However, if you go in and go to the far end and turn and look back, you can still see the old projection ports.

Tony Beauclerk - Stowmarket.

 

A fascinating story, squiggle, particularly as I'm a bit of a film buff. It reminded me of course of the film The Smallest Show on Earth.

 

A couple of years ago there was an article on The Culture Show about a tiny cinema in Wales which had closed, but re-opened for a special tribute arranged by Mark Kermode and Kenneth Branagh. You can read about it in this article by The Guardian

.

Hello all x Sorry i cant see your vid El, its just my internet problems x
Lovely evening here after torrential rain 

Has anyone watched the series with Brenda Blethyn, called "Vera"? (I think it started last week.) I really like BB as an actress but I'm not warming to this series so far.

Hi Yogi, no i am not watching. I watched a bit last week, not taking to it really.I like her tho, but not sure in this ....................

I taped it and watched about 10 minutes, like you I like Brenda Blethyn but this seems a hotch potch to me and perhaps, for once, miscasting?

 

Looks like we all feel the same way.

Evening Some of the darnies watch Vera, It sounds good El I knew there would be flooding at the first sign of rain! I hope it doesn't cause any problems there I've been pampering this avo: foot spa, facials and I'm sitting with a conditioning mask on my hair..

Evening Summer. A little bit of pampering does you good.

Hi Summer x Are you having a chill out evening, sounds good x

Signing out now, goodnight everyone.

 

Ros, a big in case you are in here later.

Goodnight Yogi xx

Its been the same here El, that was very nice of you to think of taking a different route, a lot wouldnt bother. I was dodging the water build up today, and some drivers take pleasure soaking pedestrians 

Signing out , Goodnight xxxx

Yes I'm off too night night speak to you tomorrow.  EL driving through water always makes me nervous, just in case its not 2 inches but 2 feet

hi  - sorry i have missed everybody again night yogi squiggle and skylark

Signing out too sweet dreams everyone, and you again ros

Good morning everyone. Weather-wise, I think I'm in for some sunshine and showers.

Got some shopping to do this morning, will be back later.

Good morning everyone

 

At present, it's sunny but there is a high chance of thundery showers later on.

 

I have been watching Vera as well. The second episode was very downbeat - it's good but not enjoyable.

Hi everyone, sun and showers for me too as well. Ros sorry we all missed you again Joyron if you pop in check back on the thread as I have posted something you might find interesting relevant to where you lived.

 

Enjoy your shopping Yogi, speak to you later, am off to google lots of things I have been meaning to look up, such as what type of tree is it outside the window that has green tassles on it

Morning everyone, not a bad day here, although it changes fast!
I watched Vera on plus last night, but cant say i will watch again. A bit of overacting going on, is she supposed to be the female equivalent of Frost ? cant say i enjoyed it, but each to our own x
Got things to do will be back late, hopefully xx 
Hope you get the answers to your tree questions squiggle x 

I looked up trees but I am still a bit baffled, it might be a plane tree (which seems to be part of the sycamore family and we do have sycamores in the garden) I thought putting in that it has green tassels at this time of year I would find it instantly but I am still in the dark.  I know what it isn't but that's not much help is it

Morning all Sunshine here but we were predicted rain.. Maybe later I'm getting my body ready for holiday now, so I can't decide what to get for lunch How are you all?! Squiggle, how's your computer now?

squiggle, I have seen a post elsewhere which suggests that your tree might be a Norway Maple tree - it might be worth checking that out.

Hi Summer we have downpours and thunder and lightning.  As I don't have to go out today and as the pond and the garden desperately need rain I am enjoying it.  My laptop is better than it ever was, much quicker and I like Windows 7 (my computer guy put on Windows 7 Ultimate) its so much better than Windows Vista so I am a happy bunny.  I have ordered a lap cushion to prevent too much jarring as I discovered that jarring can greatly shorten the life of a laptop, I hope it will help.

 

Where are you off to on holiday, will it involve a beach and a bikini? Good luck with getting your body ready to be unveiled.

 

I will go off and google a Norway Maple EL thanks, the leaves are broad sort of 5 pointed with prominent veins and very leathery.

 

EDIT: I have looked it up now and the only thing that makes me doubt it is that it says the leaves go bright yellow in the autumn and I don't think they really do

 

Oh my goodness we have hailstones now

Oh I hate to say it but I'd love a good storm to rain down here, I like to watch them! We're heading to Tuscany in Italy, so no beach, but there is a pool so yes I'll need to look good in my bikini! I exercise regularly anyway but I do like the naughty foods so I could use a bit of improvement hehe I'm really pleased about your computer squiggle, I don't like being offline for even the shortest amount of time did you get one of those lap desk's I've seen on tv?!

squiggle, you'll have to ask Gardeners Question Time if that still exists

I suspect that Summer meant to ask how Skylark's computer was

 

Downpours, thunder, lightning, hailstones - I hope that lot misses me.