BS: All welcome on this thread

Subject: BS: I am
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Sep 17 - 05:56 PM

Groot

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 16 Sep 17 - 02:41 AM

Very good day yesterday, as anticipated, but almost blown by traffic so that despite an early start we arrived for our coach with literally 1 minute to spare. There are standard tours of the Houses of Parliament where groups of around ten have a guide, or alternatively there are audio tours with headsets, but because ours was arranged through the MP, it was a personal tour of just my myself and my daughter and his secretary. I always prefer that kind of tour myself, because it gives you the flexibility to stay as long or as short a time on each bit, or to study things other people might not be as interested in, on the one hand, and then to ask questions on the other. But the biggest difference was that we were able to go to St Mary Undercroft (not my photos). This is reached via a set of gates labelled "pass holders only" and even our secretary had to notify the security people we were going there. But why did we want to go in particular? Because that is where Emily Davison's cupboard is. I was pleased to see a large information panel beside it, giving the story, but it seems a very British thing in some ways that it is in a part most people can't see.

Next, off to the Royal Opera House for the backstage tour. I hadn't appreciated just how large a building it is. The theatre, for those who have visited, is perhaps one quarter or one fifth of the total size of the building. It has six floors above ground and two underground. It contains what is, or perhaps was, the largest lift in Europe, which takes entire lorry and is used while transporting scenery. In renovations and other building work since the millennium they have been able to bring most of the auxiliary activities on site. So rehearsal rooms used to be about 45 minutes away - they didn't say but Sadler's Wells rings a bell for ballet rehearsals. Now they have three or four duplicates of the stage for various purposes - rehearsals, built sets for other current productions. We were lucky enough to see some rehearsals under way, but could only watch for a few minutes. Then in one of the rooms at the top of the building is where they make the props, which is a serious little machine shop, with separate rooms for the metal work, carpentry, glass fibre work and textiles, plus a properly vented spray room. all these are clustered round the main area where a mere handful of people are busy carving heads out of polystyrene amid a tumble of props - a chair with pig feet and ears, axes, turtles hung from the ceiling and fake tiger skin rugs.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 16 Sep 17 - 04:02 AM

Emily's plaque . This is inside the cupboard. The infornation board I referred to is outside.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Sep 17 - 04:11 AM

Sigh

The 'Groot' post was from another thread entitled 'I am'. I guess it was brought here by someone who does not know Guardians of the Galaxy.

Ah well.

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Sep 17 - 05:18 AM

Not had any posts for a couple of days so I guess we have done here. I found it interesting that although the premise was "Anything goes" it has been a peaceable place. Maybe the proviso "you are polite and not here just to argue" did work! There have been posts from people that would generally disagree with each other but none of the usual 'fighting talk'. I know there have been some posts deleted and I appreciate the efforts of the moderation team in doing that. I think it just goes to show that most of us can get on with each other and I would like to thank all the contributors for keeping to the spirit of the thread. I would have liked some posts from a couple of other people but I guess they had nothing to add really. All we need to do now is see if we can keep this up on other threads :-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 18 Sep 17 - 08:59 AM

Saw Harebells for the first time this year, just a while ago. Such beautiful and delicate flowers.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 18 Sep 17 - 06:15 PM

My first post on this thread, which I have followed with interest. I hope I am always polite in my postings. Just been having such a nice time with Linlithgow Folk Festival the weekend before last, then the regular monthly session just yesterday, and a wee gig fir German visitors the night before in the most beautiful location in West Lothian: only sheep and cows for neighbours, so we could "gie it laldy". My Tuesday am music class re-started after the summer break last week, and have had practices for other events coming up tomorrow, so music all the way......Keep calm and play music!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Sep 17 - 10:50 AM

Sounds like you have a lot to be happy with, Tattie, and it shows in your posts! The very epitome of politeness:-)

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 20 Sep 17 - 09:05 PM

Might go pear-shaped, bow I'm getting into raspberries and telescopes, though!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 05:45 AM

pears, raspberries and a telescope?
Funny thing to stir the crumble with!
Does it go a long way?

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 10:56 AM

This thread seems to be tootling along fine Tattie. It is the 'not welcome' one that looks to be destined for the bin.

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 05:45 PM

Just got in from seeing the Northern Ballet on "The Little Mermaid." Some astonishing dancing and highly recommended, but I miss when they were Northern Ballet Theatre, when they paid more attention to the theatrical aspects. Their versions of "A Christmas Carol", "Cinderella" and "The Nutcracker" all had a depth that I have rarely seen elsewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 06:53 PM

Feeling good about the gig we did at our wee folk club in West Lothian on Tuesday: raised over £250 for Alzheimer Scotland. Small room full to busting, and all musicians, club members donated their songs and tunes and put money into the fund.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Donuel
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 09:39 PM

Celebrate every say you can. We all come with an expiration date.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: frogprince
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 10:03 PM

Tatie Bogle: as a caregiver for a loved one with increasing symptoms...bless you.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 09:25 AM

I see the counterpart of this thread has died a death. Not sure what that proves, if anything, but it is interesting all the same.

And, yes, well done Tattie. I was never good enough to perform for charity. I think I would have drained money from them! But I have been active in helping to fundraise for a number of causes in the past and I can confirm that there is no better way to pay back into the community.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 10:11 AM

This week one of the pubs I play in presented a cheque for 5000 euro to the Galway Hospice.

On a Tuesday night we play and sing for the assembled people in the pub and sell a CD, a compilation of various singers and musicians. Any monies raised go to the fund for the Galway Hospice.

The added bonus is that's it's always a great night too!!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 10:41 AM

i still say, mudgeon your curs.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 10:45 AM

Depending on your browser - dangerous ads are appearing on Mudcat. Deleting cookies may solve the problem but if you accidentally touch some ads on a touch screen the fix will require some offline repair.

Which ads? the most outrageous sounding Russian Facebook type ads.

Example ; Obama dead, Rush Confesses, Bill O'Reilly dead!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 23 Sep 17 - 07:51 AM

Birthday celebrations now drawing to a close, with a visit by my son and his wife, who is from Mauritius. As reported elsewhere, we flew out there a few years back to celebrate their Hindu wedding. Sso their birthday present was 'a taste of Mauritus': lots of small foodstuffs that are difficult to obtain here, but they got her family to bring over when they visited a month ago. Very much looking forward to having "Madeleine moments".

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Sep 17 - 10:00 AM

Donuel,

There are some ad distributors that for the life if me I can't manage to block, even with browser settings or tweaking the adware. Tabooli or Taboola, something like that, and Outbrain. They're just clickbait.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Sep 17 - 07:06 PM

Raspberries! I grew up hearing them called Bronx cheers.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 Sep 17 - 02:18 PM

don't let this thread down / drown

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 24 Sep 17 - 02:22 PM

Had a great night (early morning) with Betty and the Baby Boomers in a favourite bar last night. Got home about 4am though !!!!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 05:20 AM

Had a great weekend at the Stroud Folk Weekend did the sessions but on Saturday night I skived off to Stroud French Dance.

A couple who always turn up late came in and the guy looked a bit haggard. He never had a problem dancing before but on Saturday he apparently was struggling. Only after they shot away was I informed he had developed Alzheimer's.

Had I known I might have suggested they went to singing venues, he would know some of the songs at least. Apparently the brain is wired differently for music than speech, and sufferers can often sing songs they used to, where they struggle remembering other things. She is such a very keen dancer.

One confirmation for why I will dance till my legs wear out. You never know when it will be taken from you. Pass the Ibuprofen gel please.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: JHW
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:36 AM

Lots of Sheeps Bit Scabious on the S bank of the Tees nr Newbiggin in Teesdale Sunday. Think it was Sheeps Bit, Devil probably has bigger bits. Also an enormous red Bull which had wandered across from another thread. Had some change ready but he didn't charge me.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:46 AM

Looking forward to our regular Tuesday night session. At least one Melodeon, one banjo, two guitars, One bodhran and 3 vocalists plus whoever walks through the door to join us. All this in a fantastic pub, great Guinness, wonderful bar staff ........ and I do really mean wonderful, what more could you wish for.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 02:11 PM

Easy come, easy go! Booked a holiday on a cruise ship on Friday evening, which was a music festival and we were going with my sister in law and her husband. Come this morning, the company has sold the ship and the whole caboodle is cancelled.


About the shortest booked holiday i have had, except when we have had off the cuff breaks.

Oh well, not really enough time to get excited about it!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 02:47 PM

Well last night was not quite as expected, one melodeon, one banjo and myself and my good lady on Guitar, Bodhran and vocals. However it was a great night wejust had to do a lot more singing than we usually do. I think we got home about 3am!!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 05:18 PM

I'll come clean. I've been in Funchal, Madeira, for a week. I'm in love with Madeira. I'm especially in love with Strelitzia reginae which grows everywhere, which is Madeira's national flower and which I'm going to grow at home. Today was International Tourism Day. How naff does that sound. But Funchal, a lovely city, put on some brilliant traditional dance events in the streets that, er, kind of put Morris slightly in the shade...(ducks)...I have videos... anyway, back to Blighty now and a miserable, long winter...

Funchal is of the nicest places to hang out. Jayz, I'm enamoured...

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 05:21 PM

Ah, bollocks, let's try that again!

I'll come clean. I've been in Funchal, Madeira, for a week. I'm in love with Madeira. I'm especially in love with Strelitzia reginae which grows everywhere, which is Madeira's national flower and which I'm going to grow at home. Today was International Tourism Day. How naff does that sound. But Funchal, a lovely city, put on some brilliant traditional dance events in the streets that, er, kind of put Morris slightly in the shade...(ducks)...I have videos... anyway, back to Blighty now and a miserable, long winter...

Funchal is of the nicest places to hang out. Jayz, I'm enamoured...

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 06:11 PM

Good Times Mr. Red.

Here in Bilge Bay, Maria brought a southerly wind which cleared the stench of the Delmarva pig farm waste detention ponds for almost 2 days. Woo Hoo

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: JHW
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 05:40 AM

Always fancied going to Madeira but never have. Maybe one day.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 07:12 AM

I have only had a few days in Madeira and it has been on my list of places to visit for longer ever since.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 11:10 AM

Have some Madeira, m' dear. . .

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 07:22 PM

We came home laden with six bottles of Bual 5-y-o Madeira. We visited the Blandy winery and found that, not only was the Bual on special offer at 20% off, but also that they would arrange for your order to be at the airport, post-security, for no extra cost. A damn fine drop that lots of our rellies will now be quaffing at Christmas! But we also discovered what we regarded as Portugal/Madeira's finest achievement, the custard tart. Forget yer Marks and Sparks four-pack jobs, tasty though those buggers are. These are a masterpiece, a dense culinary delight. With an afternoon coffee in a sunshiny Madeiran bar they are just what you need to lift the spirits and sustain the inner human until the evening meal (I can tell you about an amazing fish restaurant...) We had one every day. Quite frankly, it simply had to be done.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 01:46 PM

DMcG,charming to be reminded of the Mauritius nuptials in your family a while ago. Those were some delightful posts to Mudcat.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 01 Oct 17 - 06:10 PM

Most kind.

I can't remember if I said, but the couple were married in the UK first, with a wedding in her home town originally planned for about a year later, but eventually it took place two years later. So my wife and I went over to meet all the relatives when it was originally scheduled anyway.

On arriving at the airport we were all waved through as residents, because we were in-laws and that was close enough as far as the immigration desk was concerned. Much to the chagrin of all the tourists who were in great long queues ....

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 08:30 AM

I have juat checked the saga I wrote before and had mentioned the way we were treated as residents even though we had not set foot pn the island before.


But what I didnt seem to mention, because of the focus on the wedding was "What Katy did next". As it was just round the corner, relatively speaking, my daughter and I abandoned the rest of the family and flew off for four days trekking through Madagascar (ok, trekking is a bitn of an exaggeration, but we did spend several days walking through the forest). That's another tale ...

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 05:34 PM

Nice to see the thread still going :-) I am just back from Normandy. Three nights in Bayeux, one of the prettiest cities I know, followed by a night in Bella Riva, Ouistreham before the early ferry today. We followed the potential route of my Sister in Law's (my wife's half-sister) Father on route from Arramanches to Grainville sur Odon. He fell just before the latter on the 27th June 1944 in his 21st year. He is now buried in the British cemetery in Bayeux where we lay my Mother in Law's ashes to rest some years back. We had a wonderful, if very emotional, time and I would recommend a visit to Normandy to anyone. Not just to experience the amazing achievements of the Allies in 1944 but it is also beautiful part of the world. Check out the story of the Number 4 Commando Kieffer as well. It is an amazing tale of the courage and fortitude of the free French.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Oct 17 - 05:45 PM

Last week my sister visited what is now known to be the grave of my grandfather who was killed at Neuve Chapelle. Athough I have visited it several times over the years it has always been listed as "believed to be" his grave. I have no idea what has changed but they are now certain his remains are there.

For many people, and I include myself, it needs a visit to somewhere like Tyne Cot to begin to grasp the scale of the killings on both sides.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Oct 17 - 12:48 PM

Brilliant yellow ragweed in bloom here.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 03:18 AM

Just remembered to look this up. For obvious reasons it was running round my head all the time we were in Normandy. Hope you enjoy it and apologies to those who don't YouTube.

Normandy orchards. Lovely version by Cupola Ward.

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Oct 17 - 11:39 AM

Raggytash, has your Ireland cat claimed you again during your visit?

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Oct 17 - 04:35 PM

Does anyone else listen to
the Delilah show on the radio?

As for me, only when driving the car, on the car radio.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Oct 17 - 05:02 PM

Not heard of the Delilah show I'm afraid keberoxu. Is it a US thing? I do listen to Chris Evans in the mornings of radio 2 and that will probabley get me in a lot of trouble with the UKers.

:D tG

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: DMcG
Date: 08 Oct 17 - 05:34 PM

I've not heard of that show either, though I only really listen to the radio to and from work.

A very disorganised day today. I was supposed to be going to a Playford dance session all afternoon. Drove over to Twyford (40mins) and about 10 minutes before I get there started to wonder if it is in Sorberton. Reach Twyford Village Hall and it looks small and dark and on my phone a reminder has popped up: it is in Sorbeton. So I drive there (30mins) expecting to be half an hour late, turn into the car park and all is deserted. Search for the website - yes, it is in Twyford.

At that point it was be an hour or more late, or abandon the whole thing, which I am afraid I did. On getting home I discovered it was in Twyford Parish Hall, not Twyford Villiage Hall.


Still next time is in Sorberton, so I know where that is!

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Raggytash
Date: 08 Oct 17 - 06:04 PM

Yes she has kerouboux, though not as frequently as on previous visits. This, however, I take as a good sign that she is being well fed elsewhere.

She is a VERY pretty little darling and very affectionate when she does visit.

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 17 - 04:00 AM

I am sure we can get to

Subject: RE: BS: All welcome on this thread
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Oct 17 - 04:01 AM

200!

:D