We don't wear Wellies in the top right. Wellies are for softies.

Please don't tell me you wear those dodgy velcro sandals..! 

As I may have said elsewhere we remove footwear, hose, roll wor jeans up and walk boldly.

Sounds like you're on a day trip to Cullercoats or Whitley Bay to me 

Lol

Gene Kelly in Kendal earlier 

 

 

 

 

  I was awestruck by them.

 

I think I can safely say our annual trip to the Hoppings is not going to happen *heaves a huge sigh of relief*

It can't make it's mind up here today - I thought it was gonna be lovely but the sun is in and out like a fiddlers elbow.

 

It'll be a swamp

Its always a swamp there ... and a rip off

Newcastle was in the eye of a monsoon yesterday

I broke down ... on a junction - it took 5hours for me to travel about 3 miles

I had to google 'The Hoppings' very, very different to the Hopping I know.

 

 

Did anyone here ever go hopping?

I was in a meeting with someone who went to see mrs browns's boys at the arena. It took 'em ages. Testo's roondaboot and Heworth were all shagged and they had to divert all over the place.

I may take the kids to the hoppings. Last day tomorrow but who knows? The opening was postponed and the weather has been dreadful. That's the fair on the moor, and not the hopping carried out by unkempt cockney scatters. Discretely leaves forum.

My dad's family did, Soozy.

I took him back a couple of years ago to see the farm where he used to stay.

In those days it was a way for poverty hit Londoners to work & earn and at the same time have a holiday.  My mum was always envious because her dad (who had less than a brass farthing to his name) refused to allow any of his kids to go; he said it was full of diddicoys, vagrants and ne'er do wells.  Quite how he could afford such a superior attitude is a mystery to the rest of us!   

 

If you've not already seen it you should watch the film Last Orders.

Apart from a stella UK cast - including The Raymond, it had Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Tom Courtney all reminiscing about their days as youths and their time spent down in the hop fields of Kent. It's a good film.

We might have been unkempt matey, but you'd be crying for your mammy if you said that out loud round here 

 

My nan used to go year after year - she used to take my cousin (her grandson) with her in later years. She would have liked me and my sister to go but my mum wouldn't hear of it. For a long time I was so jealous - I then went on a couple of 'day' visits - when I actually saw what it was like and witnessed the toilets  I was so glad I hadn't been allowed to go with her.

 

I'll look that film out - a lot of families from my area went hopping - it was their holiday.

Well it wasn't The Ritz, that's for sure.  In fact, it was squalid, cramped and the sanitation left a lot to be desired.  BUT.... it was better than what some had left behind, and as we've already said, a chance to get out of the Smoke.

I was attending Saturday morning pitchaz round about the early sixties. I have vague memories of a crime thriller centred on a hopping family. It was like another land.

Yes - when I visited my other nans relatives in a pit village in Yorkshire it was another world for me. I found it a bit scary seeing all these men wandering home on the cobbles covered in coal dust.

 

The world is a smaller place nowadays.

Often when I'm drinking ale I wonder where the hops come from. Do they still grow them, but harvest with machines, or are they imported?

Think it's more chemical rather than hop based these days, Joe.

They still grow them, but I think it's more for the pure and/or specialist ales.

Doubt it's for lager 

I drink ale! It says on the bottle that it contains hops!

A week to the day, and several bottles of hop flavoured fermented barley/sugar preparations later, we've had more downpours. The water was up to the doorstep again.

Joe apparently we are expecting a months worth or rain over the weekend.  I wonder which month though, I just hope it's not last months worth of rain.

Gorgeous day here in NE Lincs - hope it lasts

Sunny East Scotland . Most peculiar  
Lashed with monsoon like rain yesterday with thunder and lightening  

nooooo, get rid of it! I'm coming up this weekend

It's beautiful at the moment Saz.  So nice, I'm thinking beer garden on the way home for a glass of wine.  Take advantage of the shining sun.

Is this some sorta joke like me telling Cler it's scorchio in the top right? It's slinging it down here.

No honestly Joe, it's beautiful here in Newcastle, blue sky, sun shining.  All windows open to allow for ventilation.

Newcastle people, have you noticed how misty it is outside.  

 

It's going to be hot tomorrow. 

We had a couple of near misses today. I've had all of our drains flushed out and hope for the best over the next 48hrs. Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

We had a couple of spectacular thunder storms tonight and it's still as hot as Hades 

Slugs are like pigs in sh!t round here 

Here we go!

Call me Michael Fish 

 

Epically incorrect!!

Horrible, horrible rain, fog and blustery here today. I know I shouldn't have bought those lovely new sandals yesterday,

Have we missed August and September and just jumped right to October?  

 

I think the Summer must have resigned.

I got friggin drowned on my way back from the school run, soaked right through!

I'm off to brave the weather picking Jack up from play group in a minute. Not relishing the thought TBH 

Not as bas as expected here, (as in no flooding,) BUT been tipping down all day and I've got the ruddy heating on. Looks like tomorrow's village festivities will be a complete wash out

Apparently today is the worst of the three. The rain is now more intense.