General Chat

Good evening all

I’m not a fan of this freezing weather. I hope you are all managing to keep warm. It’s good of your bil to check that you have enough heating Mel.

I hope your garden group meeting went well AnnG. Thank you for your card which arrived this afternoon. We’ve had 15 in the last 2 days so post is gradually getting through. I posted mine on Monday and just about managed to get them into the letter box which was choc-a-bloc. The last gift I ordered online arrived on Tuesday afternoon via Royal Mail. I was at the Ladies Club but OH was here and found it just by chance on the ground by the back door. No-one had rung the bell which is working and is loud so he would have heard it. If he hadn’t gone out of the back door to go to the garage it could have been there for days.

In today’s post there was an invoice for £57 annual charge for the garden waste bin. I am sure it was £50 last year so an increase of 14%.

We had a lovely day yesterday. These coach trips we go on usually leave town at 8.30 am but this didn’t go till 9.30 which gave us a slightly more leisurely start. I had gone wearing several layers as I know I do get cold but the coach was just comfortably warm. On the way the two ladies who run the trips came round with a bag of Lindor chocolates for each of us which was a nice gesture. We got to Holt about 11.45 am and were free till 2 pm It seemed to be warmer there than at home and we didn’t feel cold. If you don’t know it, Holt is a lovely little town full of independent shops, although some of them are a bit pricey. It is quite an affluent area. With our friends M & V we had a wander around and then looked for somewhere to get lunch. Most of the coach made for the main pub/hotel on the High Street but we found a “local” and asked her where she would suggest. She directed us down a narrow road, then another alley to a café called Nelson’s. When we got there it turned out to be called Horatio’s but she was close, lol. We had a good meal at a reasonable price and then it was back to the coach and on to Holkham.

When we arrived we were all given timed tickets for our tour. It takes about 45 mins and small groups go round with a guide every 15 minutes. We were allocated 3.45 pm for ours which was great as the rooms are candlelit so you really want it to be nearly dark for the atmosphere. While you are waiting for your tour you get a glass of prosecco and a mince pie and can wander about the grounds or look round the shop or just sit in the warm.

The decorations were lovely and some were very original. One was a large tree shape made with old wooden wine boxes stood on end and each box contained a plant, among them 70 poinsettias with the creamy coloured leaves. Every 2 days, someone has to go with a ladder and get them all down to water them. You could take photos but no flash. OH had taken his camera but for some reason couldn’t get the flash to turn off so couldn’t use it. He did take a few with his phone but they won’t be as good. There is going to be a programme about the decorations at |Holkham Hall and how it all gets made and set up on Channel 4 on 22nd December. We won’t be able to see it so I shall have to remember to set up a recording

We got back to town about 7.45 pm and boy, it was cold then. The car was white with frost but the blowers defrosted it fairly quickly and we were in just after 8 pm.

Today I have been to a very belated birthday lunch with a few lady friends. The birthday was in October but the birthday girl is the carer for her 80 year old partner who has MS and is rapidly worsening so she can’t get out with us much. However he is in respite care for a week. He is happy to go and give her a break but she feels guilty, which is understandable, but she really does need rest and relaxation herself.

This is getting overlong again so I had better stop. I hope you all have a good night free of aches and pains. Stay warm.

Ah that is good Mandy, I posted about 70 and your is the first notification of arrival I have had but at least I know they were collected. With the strikes I was not sure. I posted them Friday they would have gone at 4.30pm.

Mel, good that BiL is looking out for you I am trying to put an extra layer on and only turn the heating up when I am sitting down for the evening.

Morning All,

Hard frost here too again this morning and it was last night before I went to bed. Pc says 2 degrees and snow. The car is still frozen out the front but the sun has been out inthe back. We have blue sky with grey and white clouds here and there.

BIL rang last night to make sure I was warm enough as he knows the heating is'nt working properly. He said he could bring down an oil filled rad if I needed it but I have one of those so I told him not to bother.

Have some bills to pay today and I must have a hoover and do some ironing so another busy day.

Hope the frost clears so you can get out Mandy and Anng enjoy your gathering today with your friends.

Hope all slept well and aches and pains are getting easier.

Morning Anng, morning all,

Oh sharp frost here this morning everywhere is sparkling in the sunshine ,we wanted to shop again today but we're going to wait a while and hope the frost lifts a little .

Thank you Anng for your Christmas card my first one ,I posted mine on Monday.

Sounds as if you enjoyed your trip to the garden centre Mel shame they were so busy so you couldn't stay for a drink .

I wonder how Vera got on at Holkham looking at the Christmas decorations and lights I bet it was cold there as its so near to the coast.

Good morning all. Beautiful full moon last night but looks a bit cloudy now (still almost dark) so can't see a moon at all. -2 degrees so very likely a frost. so glad I don't have to go to work, I would be walking down the road in five minutes if I did.

This afternoon we have our garden group meeting here, mince pies with our tea instead of biscuits. Not much on in the garden so this is more of a social meeting.

Just looked it up it is a family owned independent garden centre. Not many of those around you are lucky.

Thanks re GW Mel.

Merry Harriers is that the name of the garden centre. It must be an individual private one.

You probably know but Garden's World have a winter special on Friday on BBC.

No it was Merry Harriers.

Sounds like you enjoyed it Mel. Was it one of the bigger chains? Dobbies? Blue Diamond? Although not sure they are down in Devon.

Looks like just you and me so far mel!!

My neighbours took me to a new to me garden centre this morning aand I did'nt manage to do it all as there was so much to see. I did get a couple of pressies and we were going to go and have a coffee but they were serving Christmas dinners and it was very crowded so we came home. Got in abiout 1.02pm and hav'nt done anything since except feed the girls and muck up the painting of a miniture which I had to wash off.

Better get the washing in as it won't dry anymore out there.

Tired now. I have hoovered and dusted downstairs and cleaned the cloakroom. Finished off the Christmas decorations, cleaned a shamefully tarnished large silver tray that sits on the sideboard and done two loads of washing. The second of which is bath and toilet mats

Ah I was wrong, when the sun came up and shone on the roofs I can see there is a light air frost, nothing on the ground though. still -1

Busy busy Mel!

morning Anng and all,

There was a frost here earlier yesterday evening and then when I went out much later it had all gone off the wood around the ponds but was still on the car roof.

Its 4 degrees here and cloudy so the pc says.

Busy today with all sorts so see you all later on.

Good morning all Might be a light frost out there as it is minus one but It doesn't look like there is now The cars are not frosted. I think a bit of housework is on the menu for today as I have nothing else on. Definitely need to dust downstairs as I have the garden group here tomorrow.

Thanks Vera it was a great garden centre, had grown since I last saw it about four years ago. It is now part of the British garden centre group. Quite a nice garden centre, plants looked good but the main thing was the huge marque area where they had the most fantastic display of Christmas decorations, many of which I had not seen anywhere else. It was not expensive either. I just bought small ornament, a gnome who sits on the edge of furniture and his long skinny legs with big boots hang down. There were some beautiful Christmas ornaments but pointless when going away for Christmas and just me here. But the main reason I wanted to go was to get a couple of garden gift vouchers and I did that. Then we called in to my friends to see her decs, she has over 60 Father Christmas ornaments from about two inches high to quite big. She also has a collection of penguins and another of snowmen.. then we came here so she could see my cottages. We didn’t go until three and we’re back at 4.45 but it was a good trip out, Inenjoyed it.

My friend in Suffolk has a cottage in Holt Vera.

I was thinking we hav'nt had Our Yorkshire Farm lately and tonight there was Beyiond The Yorkshire Farm With Ruben and clive.

Afternoon all

It’s been very cold today but dry and we even saw a gleam or two of sun.

That was nice of your friend to offer to take you to that garden centre AnnG. I hope you enjoyed it.

That’s sensible to order new lights Mel rather than take a chance with a broken wire. OH bought a couple of strings of tiny lights to hang along the gutter the other day but forgot to get batteries and we had just used the last of that size so I must remember to get some.

That’s good that you’ve got more online courses booked Ann. I know you enjoy them.

Yes, Island, it’s sometimes hard to get motivated but try and get back to your machine embroidery. All these hobbies help to pass the time and it will probably give you a lot of pleasure once you get going.

I did find my scarf Mandy. I knew I had been in the house when I took it off so I tried to visualise it and remembered I was in the bedroom upstairs. Then I remembered that while I was there the doorbell rang and I got a picture in my mind of me throwing the scarf onto the trouser press. Of course it had slipped down the back but not right down where I would have seen it. It had caught half way down on the arm that supports the jacket hanger bit. It’s back in its drawer now.

This afternoon I’ve been to the Ladies Club Christmas tea. At the last meeting we all put our name down to take a food item on the list and I opted for a few sandwiches to make life easy for myself. There was more than enough food and the committee provided mulled wine, tea and coffee. You wouldn’t think a group of older ladies could make so much noise! We also had a secret Santa and I got a nice set of 3 hand creams.

Tomorrow we are going on a coach trip to Holkham Hall. We have been there a couple of times before but never for their Christmas decorations and lights. We have a longish stop in Holt first and will probably have lunch there. The weather is promising to be very cold and there is a yellow warning of ice so I think I’m going to need lots of warm layers.

Morning all,

We have sunshine at the mo and its dry but cold and 5 degrees and pc says cloudy so I suppose the sun won't last long before it decides to go behind some clouds.

I ordered new lights on Amazon. They are only battery lights and the little tiny rice lights as anything else would be to heavy to go up there.Its looking rather bald at the mo but I will put the red berries on it today and my lovely rose hips.

Good morning all 3 degrees, very cloudy, no frost though as far as I can see.

a free morning but friend realised I was feeling 'down' because of change of plans, she knows how we oldies look forward to family visits (OK I know it is only postponed a few days) so is taking me this afternoon, to a local garden centre that I have not been to for about 5 years. It is a smaller one but, since I went, under different management I think so will be interesting to see what they do. No cafe unfortunately. and then to her house to see her Christmas decs (she collects Father christmas ornaments, and then to mine for her to see my tree. She was widowed the February before me.

Island that sounds really frustrating. I am assuming you tried the shut down completely and restart cure? I don't have Hotmail so can't help. I will check among my friends to see if anyone else has the problem.