Hi Skylark. The sun is shining over on this side, too.

You should of seen me a couple of weeks ago in the hospital car park, when I couldn't remember where I'd parked the car. I was wandering around like a lost sheep, and was almost convinced it had been stolen, before I finally found it a couple of rows up from where I thought I'd left it.

Oh Yogi 

Not long after i moved here, i was in town and got on the bus, and only realised i was heading to the wrong house, i forgot i had moved 

At least you realised before you turned up at your old house.

I know 

That was lovely squiggle, i shall look out for Clarissa now x

Yogi and Skylark, back in the 1980s when I worked in Cheltenham, I was told about a student accountant in our office who had parked somewhere in town, met some other people from the office and then went to the pub and drank far too much. The student didn't attempt to go back to his car, he was far too drunk. He was helped back to his house by the others to sleep it off. In the morning after he had recovered, he realised that he had left his car somewhere but couldn't remember where. It was the weekend and he rang the people who had helped him home. Between them, they drove around Cheltenham until after several hours they finally spotted his car.

 

Thank goodness i dont drive El, can you imagine me looking for my car 
Had a laugh with "nana" last week when we went for lunch. Her house is just off a busy road and has had lots of arguments with neighbours and her parking. Anyway, i said to her, looking out of her lounge window, your car fits perfectly into that space. She said, i know i measured it and went along to the car dealership and said i wanted a car this size! She said the man looked at her as if she was mad, but she played along, him not knowing she has a degree with full honours from Edinburgh Uni. She got the car at a discount , and parking sorted ! The poor man is probably thinking, what a daft woman that was, and done her a favour ! It is she who is laughing!

I am liking nana more and more  

@ El's story. I know how that student felt - and I hadn't even had a drink.

 

I'm warming to "nana" too, Skylark. I can just imagine the car salesman's face when she handed him the measurements and said "I want a car that size".

I am so glad Skylark, and nana certainly seems as she has all her marbles

Off now, may be back, if not goodnight all 

It was like feeding time at the zoo there 
Goodnight this time, and yes, nana and i going to be buddies i think, as long as she stops going on about money we shall be fine ! xx

Goodnight for now, Skylark.

I'm signing off too, hope everyone has a lovely evening and sleeps well

Goodnight Squiggle, sleep well.

Signing out, leaving hugs for Ros and Summer.

*collects and returns * Sweet dreams all, I've just had a jolly good chuckle at your stories

Good morning everyone

 

If my reading of the Met Office maps is right, then although the next 2 or 3 nights will be every bit as cold as last week, after that, the temperature will be less cold, though there is likely to be a fair amount of rain (rather than snow, though there may be some in the transition) and cloudy.

 

Good morning it's a frosty but bright morning here, I'm looking forward to laying in tomorrow! Yesterday I posted a card to a friend and was delighted to see Charlie from Charlie & the chocolate factory on the stamp! it seems there's a Roald Dahl collection

Good morning everyone.

It's a lovely, frosty morning up here. I like walking the dog on days like this.

I haven't seeen the Roald Dahl stamps yet. When eldest son was young, he was a big fan of Dahl's books.

Oh yogi I saw a Keira look-a-like on my way in to work! She had a black coat on too lol I too loved the Roald Dahl books, Matilda, Charlie and the chocolate factory, the twits and the fantastic mr fox were my favourites

There are 6 Roald Dahl stamps in circulation, though there are some more just for collectors. These are the 6:

A bright clear morning here, no frost and a bit of sunshine.  I'm a great Roald Dahl fan too, an author with a great imagination.  I loved the first Willy Wonka film with Gene Wilder (all those grandparents in bed) and didn't like the one with Johnny Depp.  My grandsons weren't great fans of reading but loved The Witches film when they were smaller.

 

Enjoy your walk Yogi hope Keira has a good romp, I'm glad you have a lie in tomorrow Summer.  Thanks for the heads up regarding the weather EL doesn't sound too bad, big hug for Skylark, Joyron and Ros. 

Thank you for the stamp pics el I think they're superb!
It must be a Roald Dahl anniversary or something..?

Good morning squiggle how's your new book going?

for skylark, joyron & ros

Good morning everyone.    I have enjoyed reading back over your comments for the last couple of days.  Loved the pictures and the story.  Glad to hear you are getting on so well with nana Skylark.

 

It's lovely and sunny here this morning but the snow does not seem to have thawed much at all.  At least the roads appear to be clear but I've not taken the car out yet.  Hopefully by the end of the week I will feel more confident in trying to get to the shops.  If not then hubby will have to take me.

 

The forecasters say it will be staying cold for a few more days yet; down to minus 8 tonight.  Stay safe and keep warm.    and   for you all.

Morning Summer I'm reading a Joanna Trollope and to my surprise I am really liking it.  I had convinced myself that her books were too "aga saga" but it's really good, it's called A Spanish Lover.  I am beginning to cast my net wider in search of authors I haven't yet read (hence my listing of Who Writes Like Whom earlier) and have just organised a book swap to try Mary Higgins Clark.  How is your reading going at the moment?

Look at the wonderful bow from this little chap

 

Morning everyone 
That little lad is so sweet squiggle!

Lovely morning here, cold and icy but lovely blue sky x 

Summer, there's no obvious anniversary I'm aware of re Roald Dahl, I think the Royal Mail tend to issue special stamps sometimes to keep collectors happy. Royal Mail must make a fair amount of money this way as a lot of the stamps will just be kept by collectors rather than being used and there are other collectables such as cards and framed displays. Royal Mail will be issuing a Charles Dickens set this year to commemorate his 200th birthday which happens to be today.

 

Squiggle, I agree with you about the first Willy Wonka film. I haven't bothered to see the second as it seems unnecessary to have been remade. Tim Burton is an interesting director, he seems to have the potential to make a truly exceptional film but seems to be so much part of the commercial side of Hollywood which limits his ability to make a truly artistic and personal film.

 

Joyron, I hope the snow in your area clears before you need to get to the shops.

 

Will done, that little bowing boy

Today I have received a letter saying that I'm entitled to a half share in US$17.5 million. It's from a private investment manager based in Hong Kong. Someone with my surname died recently in a hiking accident in mainland China with no next of kin and the manager is willing to go 50 50 with me otherwise the money will go back to the state. The manager has provided his email address and a fax number +852 3017 7332.

 

To celebrate this, I'm going to give each of you 10% of what I get.

 

 

 

Which of course is absolutely nothing

Of course, this is a well know scam, and from a Google search I can see that a lot of people seem to die from hiking accidents in China. There's also various errors in the letter - Bing instead of Being and right at the end of the letter he writes:

"I only gave this letter to a friend travelin to post for me, I personally sill it."

 I can't understand why you think it might be a scam, El.

Yogi, so you think I should go ahead and reply to the letter - as he will reply saying that he needs my bank details, as I'm a bit suspcious, I'll use your bank details if you let me have them

Aww, just seen the pic of the little boy bowing to the Queen, what a wee cutie.

 

I think there is something untoward happening in my village today.

A police helicopter has been hovering for ages over the village and when I went to the newsagents, they said there have been lots of police cars in the village, too.

No idea what's going on, they definitely aren't looking for me.

 Let me think about it..............................................NO!

Sounds rather like that time I was woken up in the middle of the night by a dog barking, looked through the window to see lots of police vehicles and this woman being escorted into a police car. I never found out what that was about.

Thats a new one El, havent had that one before ! 

Wonder whats going on Yogi ?? Keep us posted  

Got some daffodils at the shops, its so nice to see them. They always cheer me . They havent opened yet, but shouldnt be long, now they are in the warm x 

Meant to say, lovely stamps El, i am looking forward to reading Roald Dahl to tiddles, she has a bit of a collection already , handed down from my daughter

Knowing my village, I'll probably hear half a dozen different versions of what it's all about - none of them will be correct.

 

I love seeing daffodils at this time of year, they seem to promise us that spring is on its way.

Similar to me, woke up in the middle of the night, looked out the window and there were loads of police all looking intently at the ground.  I scoured the papers to see if I could find out what they were looking for but never did find out, so frustrating.

Talking about Roald Dahl...............

Just been reading an article in our local paper about a lot of children not reading books these days. There are two libraries in the local area and apparently the children do go, but a lot go straight to the PC,s or take out a DVD, or a computer game. Found that rather sad. As a child i always had my head in a book and have always encouraged my kids to do the same, and now my Gd, who adores books. 

Dont really know the answer, but i was thinking, if these kids arent encouraged to read books , then they will pass that on to their kids...........

It is sad, Skylark.

I've always been a bookworm and read to my boys when they were small.

I look forward to reading to my grandchildren, whenever I'm lucky enough to get some.

Yes it is sad Yogi.

You will make a lovely Gran, when the time comes  

Skylark, with that inheritance scam, what happens if people reply to the letter is that they get a reply which seems innocent enough, things are going ahead and the investment manager will be in touch. After a bit, the target gets sent a reply saying something like "I've incurred costs, I can't pay it myself as I don't have the funds myself, so in order for the money to be released, I need money to proceed - can you arrange for your bank to transfer me this money". And more requests for money come to the victim and eventually the victim realises that there is no inheritance.

 

There have been similar scams for years, the best known being the Nigerian letter (because it originated in Nigeria) which is very similar except there's no reference to an inheritance, just a large sum of money which needs to be transferred out of Nigeria without the authorities knowing and they need your help.

 

The inheritance scam can seem plausible to some. Under the law in England and Wales, if someone dies and there isn't a will and there are no relatives who can be found, the estate become bona vacantia and passes to the crown. The property is administered by the Bona Vacantia division of the Treasury's Solicitor Department. There have been cases of fraudulent letters supposedly from this department sent to people, and the fraudsters require payment of a fee before the supposed inheritance can be released.

 

The concept of bona vacantia also applies to companies which have been dissolved but still have assets. There though the assets pass to the Exchequer. This is a very hot potato in the accountancy world in recent weeks because of a change in tax law. There's no need to explain it here as it would be of little interest to anyone other than owners of companies and accountants, but it means that in future any company which wants to close down voluntarily will, if it has assets over £25,000, have to go through the process of a formal liquidation costing several thousand pounds, rather then an informal process of just getting the company struck off at minimal cost.