"You know, Amma is old. That's why I used Old English with her."

 

Got some more wrapping to do, so signing out for tonight.

Catch up with everyone tomorrow.

Night owl hugs.

I found a news item for Gloucestershire on the BBC website. As it is a video clip, it is impossible to embed BBC clips on this forum, so I will have to post this link instead

 

I think you will like it

.

Good luck with your wrapping, Yogi

Aww how sweet Leo,s little face 

Lovely pic of the dalmations , that must be a busy household , looking after that lot !

Happy wrapping Yogi  x

That's a lovely story about the chimney, heartwarming.  Yes hope you get it all wrapped up Yogi   I'm going to sign out early too, I am watching the programme about Butlins, happy memories of when I was very young and my parents used to take us, climbing up the fountain with my big sis, funny bicycles they used to have where the seats went up and down as you pedalled and entering a bonny baby competition (I didn't win).  Night night all, sleep well, speak to you tomorrow.

Goodnight squiggle, enjoy the Butlins programme, i am going to watch it too. I cant beleive you didnt win the bonny baby competition , you was robbed!
I applied for a job years and years ago before i started my training, i didnt get it. You had to enclose a photo, i obviously wasnt good looking enough  The mental scars are fading tho !
 

Goodnight 

popping in to say goodnight, this afternoon was non stop too and I had to go grocery shopping after, then wash my hair.. 2 down, 3 1/2 to go.. 98 hours til Christmas El I loved the Dalmatian story, they are beautiful dogs I'm not sure exactly, but the 101 Dalmatians story is tied to Sudbury in Suffolk, which is near where I grew up. They have a tourist history trail throughout the town. Like usual though, as a local, I never took the trouble to find out I think I'll google it Sweet dreams buddies

P.S. I never got chosen for the carnival queen either so I know how you all feel

night all you lovely peeps

Good morning everyone

 

Cloudy, dry, and a lot milder than recently.

 

Yesterday I happened to see the last minute of The One Show, and there was the story about Santa and the chimney, the one I posted the link to yesterday.

 

Summer, the water trough at St Peter's Church in Sudbury is the connection with 101 Dalmatians. I found this extract from the book:

 

Sudbury is mentioned in the book 101 Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith, and a memorial plaque on a water fountain by St Peter's features an excerpt:

"Just before midnight they came to the market town of Sudbury.

Pongo paused as they crossed the bridge over the River Stour. 'Here we enter Suffolk,' he said, triumphantly. They ran on through the quiet streets of old houses and into the market square.

They had hoped they'd meet some dogs and hear if any news of the puppies had come at the Twilight Barking, but not as much as a cat was stirring.

While they were drinking at the fountain, church clocks began to strike midnight."

Good morning everyone. Weather is dull and wet.

 

I loved the news story about the dalmation puppies, aren't they completely gorgeous?

Aww, little Leo and the chimney, what a cute story.

 

Hope work isn't too busy for you today, Summer. Stock up on apple crumble again, that will keep up your energy levels.

Good morning everyone, milder here too, which makes a nice change, although we haven't had the snow but it was very wet.  Skylark and Summer those people had no taste whatsoever

 

I love that little excerpt from 101 Dalmations, thanks EL, I only saw the film I have never read the book.  And speaking of books the new one is shaping up very well isn't it Yogi?

 

A huge big hug for Ros

 

 

 

         

               

 

                                          

Morning x
Very mild here  
In a bit of a rush , getting gd ready for her party .
Have a good day  
Nice pics squiggle x

Squiggle, the retriever in the Santa hat is soooooo lovely.

I'm enjoying the book, I think I'd like to read more by Trisha Ashley.

 

Skylark, hope your granddaughter enjoys her nursery party and comes home very happy and tired out, as opposed to hyper and full of beans.

Yogi, I had a suspicion that you would like squiggle's Santa retriever picture

 

Squiggle, I'm fairly certain I did read 101 Dalmatians many years ago. Doing a search I found that Dodie Smith wrote a sequel called The Starlight Barking. This has never been filmed - the film sequels are not based on this book.

 

Skylark. I hope your granddaughter has a nice time

Just to show how mild it is, my thermostatically controlled central heating is off which is quite unusual for this time of the year.

I'm glad you like the retriever Yogi, he is so dignified isn't he?

 

Just to say also RESULT, you may have seen me mention that the power company put my monthly payment up by a ridiculous amount and I have been determined to outwit them and get my consumption down as much as I can.  I just got the annual bill and they now want to reduce it by £55 a month which hopefully will save me £660 next year.  Hopefully with your central heating switching itself off in this mild weather you too will save money on your energy bill EL.

afternoon I'm working my day off today, and it's still been busy, although a smaller constant queue than y'day so I feel more relaxed today. Everyone's been excellent conversation this morning too I talk to children as I would grown ups, as I child I hated adults talking at me like I was a baby. As a result I find the kids relax more and conversation just spills out of them, they've been brilliant this morning El-cyclopedia, thank you for the Sudbury/Dalmatian link! I know the church, and the fountain, I worked near there so used to pass the fountain daily! The river stour defines the Suffolk-Essex border, I used to cross over it daily as a child on my way to school My tired jelly brain has forgotten what I was going to write for everyone else and I have to get back to work so I'll leave you all a hug instead and catch up with you real soon. Stay warm, dry and cheery, I'm loving the Xmas pics

Summer we are all thinking of you, you are working so hard   I do agree about not talking down to children, I hated it when I was a kid too, I'm glad they are opening up to you, I love to hear when they get all excited.  Hope you have another apple crumble to revive you and keep you going.

 

Here's another pic especially for you

 

 

         

Summer, sounds as if your day is going well  Here's a link to a Delia seasonal crumble

Summer, I'm glad you aren't rushed off you feet. You made me laugh with your comment about your jelly brain - I can really identify with that.

El, that apple crumble looks delicious, my mouth is watering!

It's excellent news that you are winning the war against the power companies, Squiggle. You are still keeping cosy and warm, aren't you?

Brilliant result on the energy bills, squiggle,

I'm not sure how my heating bill will compare this winter compared to last. I know that last winter was a lot colder than this year so far, but last year I had the big problem with my boiler not working properly some of the time. Time will tell cost-wise.

 

I saw yesterday's Christmas University Challenge. These are between 2 teams of some fairly well known people who went to the universities they are representing. I wasn't impressed by their attempts at the music question though. Neither team got the starter question correct, and the team which got lumbered with the 3 follow up music questions got all of them wrong. The 4 music questions were all based on identifying the composer of 4 extracts from classical music.

 

The starter question was the easiest of the 4. None of the contestants could have ever seen Brief Encounter.

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto is played during much of the film. One team came up with Glinka and the other Tchaikovsky.

 

The first of the follow up questions was the hardest.

The second one was one of those pieces which I recognised but couldn't place the composer. It's by Saint Saens from his third symphony. It was heavily adapted for the film Babe and you can pick it out from the music which was played at the end of the film.

The third of the follow up questions was one which I knew immediately as it comes from Faure's Requiem which I rate as the most beautiful music ever composed. This is the last segment of the Requiem and was the one played on the programme.

quick present for you all

 

Yes thanks Yogi I thought about people like EL whose heating comes on and off according to the temperature of the room.  Mine doesn't do that its more old-fashioned and is just either on or off.  I have always had it come on for about 4 hours in the morning about 3 hours in the afternoon and topped up with the halogen heaters after that.  So I have set the heating to come on for an hour 3 times a day and keep the halogen heaters on in the living room and bedroom.  Its working a treat and even when it was cold I was toasty warm and of course overall I am saving half of what I was paying before for the central heating.

Squiggle, that's what I forgot earlier, your heating! Sorry! I'm really pleased you've found a way to cut the cost of the bill and still keep warm what a relief! I detest how they've hiked the prices up so much in one go

Thank you for the Yule Log Summer, it looks delicious.

 

EL I know the middle one of your clips as If I Had Words which I like, here is a clip, also from Babe where Farmer Hoggett sings it

 

Squiggle, there's also this version from Babe with the mice singing

Love the Yule Log, Summer. I used to make one each Christmas but haven't done so, for quite a while. You have prompted me to make one this year.

Squiggle, you seem to have your central heating and hologen heaters working to suit your needs.

El, I don't often listen to classical music but I thought the third piece was beautiful.

Yogi, to go with the clip of In Paradisum from Faure's Requiem, here from the same Requiem is:

I find it remarkable that one musical work can have so much beautiful music in it. Faure said of the Requiem "I see death as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience."

"I see death as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience."  How true.

El, thank you for posting those pieces of music.

I got goosebumps whilst listening to them, which is a sure sign that I like a piece of music.

Hi everyone x
Will listen to the music El, when i get the wee one to sleep, she is playing up tonight and wont stay in bed . 
Hope you have all had a nice day x 

Signing out now, been a bit of a busy day, so I will head off early to read.  Night night, sleep tight

Is the wee one still excited, after her nursery party today?

 

Goodnight Squiggle, sleep well.

Goodnight squiggle x
Hi Yogi, thats her off at last! She really enjoyed her party, all the little ones were so nice all dressed up. They sang all the usual songs and parents etc were invited for the last half hour. They sang Away in a Manger at the end, it was so sweet. My son was playing hide and seek with her and got her all wound up! 

 

 

So it's all his fault then?

The party sounds lovely. I always get all teary when the little ones sing - I'm so soppy.

I was a bit teary myself Yogi. 
He is in my room now building her bike, that will teach him 
 

Aww, he's a good lad.

Is it a pink bike?