General Chat

Morning all,

Still a cloudy morning and its 10 degrees and gloomy. There's one deer up the garden wondering whether to go into the top garden or not.

Wonder if BIL will come this weekend? Better have a c;lear up I think of my craft stuff as its all over the table.

You lead a busy life Anng.

Good morning all, back down to 7 degrees here now, heat wave finished then!! :-D

Took ages to get to sleep last night eventually had about 5 hours so not too bad.

Nothing planned for today. It looks quite bright so maybe a potter in the garden. I have to be careful as where I am getting rid of rose dead wood is where the 'trip hazard' to be re-done by Jake is. I caught my foot on it twice yesterday.
I realised that, even if Jake is suddenly fit I can't possibly fit him in this coming week as I have appointments and meetings on every day except Monday.

Mel she has time to send them off it was extended from January.

Oh dear Vera,m was your meal a bit too heavy the reason for a sleepless night? Although with me there never seems an answer as to why. I had a half good half not so good night and was up early.

Nice to have a good number of friends for your coffee meet.

It seems like we were lucky with the weather and temperature. Here.

The day started a bit grey and gloomy but then the sun came out and it really warmed up. It got to 15 degrees here this afternoon though it is starting to cool down a bit now.

I had a dreadful night again. In the end I got up and sat downstairs reading, eventually going back up to bed at around 6 am This meant I didn't get up till 9.15 which is late for me so I've been "on the drag" all day.

Were the snowdrops looking pretty when you had your walk Gwyn? It sounds as though it was a bit squelchy if you needed your wellies. The snowdrops we bought at Anglesey Abbey look as though they are doing well and all my February Gold daffs in a bed are about to burst into flower. I have later daffs in pots but they won't be blooming for a few weeks yet.

Mandy, I couldn't survive without the library. I read all the time and couldn't afford to buy all the books I get through in a year. However I seldom go into the library. I use the Libby app. You do need a library card but once you register it everything works just the same as the physical library but remotely. Books are downloaded to my iPad to read. It does mean I can use the library at times convenient to me and not have to go when the actual building is open.

We enjoyed our visit to the fish place in town last night. We got there about 6.15 pm and it was a good job we went early as it was very busy by 7 pm. OH had a large cod with chips and salad and it really was large. It was hanging over the edge of the plate. I had my favourite there which is grilled salmon and it comes with mixed, pan-fried vegetables and a choice of baby potatoes, mash, chips or salad. I had baby potatoes. My salmon was also a large piece and the veg comes in generous helpings too. We had a glass of wine each and were too full up for desserts or even coffee.

This morning we had our usual Thursday coffee with the group - 7 of us today and this afternoon I've washed some cushion covers and paid some bills and prepared tonight's meal. I found a nice sounding recipe for lemon and garlic chicken tray bake which I've adapted to suit the ingredients I had to hand. I hope it tastes as good as it sounds. I'd better go and put the oven on to heat up as I don't want to eat too late tonight.

Here's hoping for a better night for me and a good night for all of you.

No need for SIL to throw the stamps away, as they can be exchanged FREE via the swop system and might represent a lot of money. You send them FREE too.
They send you one for one regardless of what the cost was, when you bought them.
ie. If you send 20 non barcode stamps, they will send 20 valid stamps even though the cost to actually purchase them would be different.

Yes stamps need a bar code unless they are special issue pictorial ones, eg. Christmas stamps, then these can be still used still without the bar code.

Our new stamps, received by the swop service all bear the Queen's head, but also have a bar code.

The suns gone here today and it has rained but now its clouded over and its 12 degrees and saying heavy rain in about an hour.

So let me get this right....stamps with the queens head on and the bar code can be used but not stamps without the bar code?

The July date was last year and then the 6 months on the top.

I have rung my SIL whose sister sent the card as I don't have her phone number. The SIL I did ring told mne she has a lot of the stamps without the bar code on them so will throw those away.

I thought it was warm out when I went in to town. It is 17 degrees here. I have had to open a window to let some air in. We also have full sun and blue sky. :-)

You can certainly use stamps with the Queen's head on BUT they must also have the bar code.
Just this week, my daughter received back stamps from the Post Office which had been swapped in their exchange service.
All the new stamps received have the Queen's head plus bar code.
Envelopes to send off stamps for swapping can be obtained free at Post Office counters.
Daughter had many £ worth as she had taken Martin Lewis' advice to beat the price increase :-0

I had a Christmas card with a non valid stamp on it, but it was just delivered with the rest of my post.
Perhaps the posties couldn't be bothered with the hassle then...... :-S

Mel

Can you still use stamps with the Queen on?

No, the deadline for using stamps with the Queen’s image on them was 31 July, rendering non-barcoded stamps invalid.

Don’t worry though, because you can get them swapped for new ones, for free.

The initial deadline was 31 January but Royal Mail gave six months’ leeway to allow customers time to adjust to the new rules.

Iv'e got it its a card from my SIL and there's a 2nd class large stamp on it so why have I had to pay 2.50 . OOOOO I have just realised it has a stamp with the queens head on it !!!!!!! Stamp no longer valid for postage. Well I did'nt know that. I shall now have to look at the stamps I have in stock.

Morning all,

No sun here just lots of cloud not cold though its 13 degrees and could get to 16 degrees today .
Oh just got a bit brighter so the suns trying its best to peep through.
We were going shopping but have decided to go tomorrow now .
I can't remember the last time I went in our library, probably when I went in to get the covid tests , I was given a temporary card years ago and I never used it or applied for a new card .
I can remember going with mum and picking my books you handed your books in and there was all the little envelope cards with the tickets in from the books in a great big round tray and she would spin it round to find your tickets I think I was allowed three books and I'd always look for the Enid Blyton ones first ,then it was over to the desk were they stamped your book

Morning girls,

At the mo I have sunshine allbeit a bit waterery looking ang grey clouds out the front and the temp is 14 degrees, certainly a heatwave.

Angela rang this morning to remind me its the last day of our mobile library so to get all my books together. We shall have to go to either Holsworthy or Torrington and if we are late with our books we will have to pay a fine.

Good morning all.
12 degrees here too. Wet underfoot, but I'm hoping the rain holds off, when I go walking with a friend later, to a country park to see the snowdrops there.
Just going to check the time of the buses home, as I have a busy day today, so need to fit everything in.

good morning all. already 12 degrees here but very grey and gloomy looking, dry at the moment but it doesn't look as though that will last which is a nuisance as I need to get to town this morning to make sure son in law's card catches a decent post time at the main PO. could be getting wet then.

Ah with T being away on HMS Eagle for six months I did have some letters from him. Yes they were love letters. I think I kept just one. I always had birthday, anniversary and Christmas cards from him and he always chose one with nice words.

Before we were married when he went home on leave he sent post cards. Probably gave the postman a good read.

How nice that Em brought you those lovely flowers Mel. I bet they look really uplifting and pretty in the vase.

Yes, I did get a chocolate trifle! I was surprised there were any left but there were at least four. OH has saved his half for tomorrow as he has only just got back from his meeting.

Your vanilla, decorated birthday cake sounded nice Mandy and I expect it soon disappeared! lol :-) OH thought your idea to get a large fish between us was brilliant, so thank you for suggesting it and we will try that next time! :-D

Vera my OH has never bought just one card for me whatever the occasion. However, I've never had a romantic love letter from him, which is strange considering he has spent and still spends a lot of time with a pen in his hand!! Early in our relationship he would send me chatty letters if he was staying away on a course for a week in his job. I did say to him once that if he wrote me a letter it would probably start 'Dear Sir or Madam' after writing that in his job for so many years! :-D We have to remember their other virtues like you say and be thankful they have some. I hope your fish tonight will be bigger than our tiddlers we had and we have found eating places here are closing some days, particularly Mondays. I suppose with less customers in the week it doesn't cover the cost of opening. You got some trips to look forward to booked today that I would enjoy too.

Em came round just before 5pm with a big bunch of pink and white flowers. there's alstomeria, white chrysants lovely pink chrysant and two deep pink roses and a bit of leafy thing. So the jug I used to use for my roses came in handy and thye are now in that.. The postman had been with another card but I had'nt heard him come today but spotted the post when I went round to do the chickens.

I had a huge salad fr lunch and now don't want much so I think its going to be nice multi seed bread toasted with honey from the man up the road, the honey is from Black Torrington and its lovely.

That was a nice present from your neighbour Mel. With all your craftwork those new brushes are bound to come in handy.

Did you get a chocolate trifle Ann? It's a pity that your F & C was disappointing.

Reading of Valentine cards tucked away in drawers and odd presents received I can only think my OH is the least romantic man on earth. In all the years I've known him (around 63 years) he's only sent one card and that was when we were engaged. Even then I really believe that his mother sent it. Well, you can't have everything and he does have other virtues.

I'm glad the sun came out for you Mandy. We haven't seen any all day. It's not really cold but feels it because it's so grey and drizzly-mizzly. Our day hasn't gone entirely to plan. We were going to do some housework between us this morning and then go to a pub about 6 miles away for lunch. We wanted to check out the food there as OH is thinking of taking a friend there next week.. First, a couple of phone calls put me a bit behind but I managed to dust and hoover upstairs while OH did the same downstairs. Then it struck me that the pub might be doing a set Valentine's meal which I didn't want so I checked online to discover it doesn't do lunchtime food and anyway doesn't open till 4 pm on Tuesday-Thursday.

After a quick rethink we decided on a lunchtime snack here and a meal tonight in a local fish place. We'll go about 6 pm before it gets too busy.

Then I spent a while online booking tickets to things. Mel, you might remember the church at the top of the market place from when you lived in the area. That is now an arts centre and they have various things on, including a light show of some kind. It lasts 45 minutes and is on 4 times an evening over 4 or 5 nights. I've got tickets for 6 pm on Sunday. They are supposedly free with a suggested £2 per head donation but you have to opt out of it and it is a bit of a faff. I'm happy to pay but if it's a donation I feel I should opt in rather than out. After that I booked tickets at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester for The Carpenters Story in May. This is only on for one night and it's during OH's birthday week. We used to like the Carpenters back in the day so I thought he would enjoy that. Then I noticed that the 70th Anniversary Tour of The Mousetrap was going to be at the theatre in July so I got a booking for that. By the time I had finished I had said goodbye to nearly £150 but, hey, it's only money.

Right, I have a couple of birthday cards to write and then I had better tidy myself up if we are going out to eat. Enjoy the rest of your birthday Mel and don't eat too much of that chocolate. "See" you all tomorrow.

That was a nice present Mel those brushes will come in handy and you'll be able to eat a little of the marzipan as you paint .

Hope you got the trifle Ann ,shame about the F&C 's we haven't had any for a while now as we didn't enjoy the last lot we had ,could you get a large fish and have half each as I always think you get nice flakes of fish with a large piece .
You asked if my birthday cake was chocolate, no it was a nice vanilla sponge cake with little stars and chocolate buttons on, it was very tasty .

We managed to go shopping in the dry as we did had a little drizzle first thing and now the suns out .

Hope you got your trifle Ann and they were'nt sold out.

Its got a bit chillier this afternoon well in the house but not outside as its still 12 degrees by the pc.