Alt.Mustardland

Good morning and White Rabbits .

Here briefly to open the new thread before, commencing a very busy week. I must get a job! It has to result in a quieter life than this!

I hope that everyone is well or, at least heading that away!

Enjoy your days all.

Good Morrow...

I rather like September ... At the risk of stating the B...... Obvious, I was on a Bus Saturday through Stock (an ancient unspoiled Village) and Galleywood Common; and finding it so restful how the Autumn Light perfectly sets up the Autumn colours...

30th Sept would have been Dad's Birthday, and the next few weeks are anniversary of deaths of family members that one cannot help but think about ... One of my (long deceased - also October) Uncle ran a car hire business. He was the owner/driver working for several undertakers. I was present when He exchanged pleasantries with another owner, speaking of a a new undertaker who had inhertted a business. It seemed so weird to me that they berated the new undertaker .. "THIS Time of year, and He is only doing two funrals a day"... Still its a busuness like any other. Always needed, not exactly a dying business...

Good Morning. Nice here today. My cleaners are coming later so I have to rush round tidying up. Oops! The road is closed and they've put very unhelpful signs up. I rang the County Council and they were very helpful. They promised to sort it out if possible. It was the roadworks diversion that had been closed.

I'm finally having my ABS control box replaced today. It worked OK but the lights on the dashboard are an MOT failure. I may have to find a Volvo specialist if lovely Nigel can't sort out the ignition light. Sorry to talk dirty, but I feel I'm among friends.

OH died on 28 September, Our anniversary is on 5 October, Blunders went into hospital on 1 October and died on 12th. I had my cancer op on 28 September, and came out of hospital after surgery last year on 28 September.

It's a lovely time of year. My witch hazel is turning red, and the colours are beautiful. I particularly like swishing my feet through fallen and dry leaves, just because of the sound it makes.

My wife loves this time of year. I'm a little more ambivalent. Yes, I can appreciate the colours, the 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' etc but, to me it is the start of the inexorable decline into winter. It holds portents of freezing cold mornings, long dark nights. As such, I find it a depressing time of year.

It's my birthday next month but that, is sandwiched between the anniversary of the deaths of my parents who passed away less than a year apart. The fact that I was born on my Mother's birthday doesn't help. I do try really hard to buoy my birthday.


I was due to serve on and education appeal on Thursday this week. Concerned that I had yet to receive the papers for this led me to e-mail the admin dept concerned to enquire where the papers were. It's worth recalling that we can see upwards of fifteen appeals in a day and that, each appeal generates an average of ten sides of A4. I prefer to get the papers at least a week ahead. This allows me to read through them at least twice, making my own notes, formulating possible questions and, highlighting crucial passages.

It's fortunate that I did send the e-mail for, by mid morning I received the response that the admin assistant in question had decided that I had refused to sit on the panel for the 5th October and, had recruited another panel member. I had declined the 12th October only because of another appeal elsewhere in the region.

Sadly, the (ahem!) party in the brewery is as badly run as forecast!


I need to say something that may resonate with one poster in particular and perhaps others who lurk here from time to time, hoping to discover some nasty secret. I am not a great church-goer and, when I do attend I don't make a huge song and dance about the fact that I attend. I do however, believe strongly in the principle of Forgiveness. As far as I can where a wrong is done to me, I try really hard to ''forgive and forget". I don't always succeed but I try nevertheless. I firmly believe that those who trumpet their faith but, are so filled with bitterness at some perceived wrong that they cannot forgive are nothing short of the worst kind of hypocrite,

That said, what I find really difficult to forgive are wrongs done to people that I care about my family and, my friends. Where a friend has always tried to be helpful and is criticised for that, I find that unforgiveable. I cannot and will not forgive a wrong committed on a friend of mine. I hope that is clear.

Goodnight and enjoy your evenings.

It can be really irritating when you give someone the right information and they cancel everything. Quite often it is just a quick message that has flashed up on the screen "Do you want to change this occasion or the whole series" you hit a key and it's gone, but you don't know what you did.

I've had my ABS control unit fitted but the track control arm link is dodgy so I have to go back again tomorrow. I was trying to say this earlier, but my keyboard went on strike and I had to switch off and then on again and I'm back in all my glory.

I can forgive anything done in haste or under provocation, but when it is part of a long campaign of spite, I'm just glad I'm not built that way and will pass by on the other side. Unfortunately, remarks made in general are often taken personally and repeated in a different context. Some won't trouble to read the original comment and will believe what someone else tells them.

I seem to have been promoted to getting access here. .. but still at the stage where I have to "Log in" MKanually so to speak. I needs the next stage of progress but I really needs to experiment with a different pooter - NO, I cannot use the Library pooter.. The Council changed my address and I have no Library Membership in the current admin - Oh, am I going off on a tandem? It seems that The High Court (after several Lower courts) have decried the Councils right to change House number (Only to allocate numbers in a new road), but seem able to change a road name (Tecnically only if the road was thus far UNnamed.. but thats a later stage). Now I've gone off-message again. I'll start again....

Brian seems tohave attracted hanger on - reminds me of days working in local Gov..
Yes, Rwth - I get the same problem - if I had learned to type at least I'd be less likely to strike he wrong key.
I wonder why that trac rod was not discovered ealier? I know Power-assisted Steering has necessitated more frequent TRE's (and front tyres), but thin about running a 1953 car.. There must have been an A1 track-rod-end salesman in Coventry. SIX TRE's, four balljoints, and one kingpin... Prabably the Grease salesman was also involved.

I'm orf for a bresh of freth air...

I have noticed the rattle before, but on the way to the garage yesterday the soft tyre made it obvious . I think the local contractor who put the humps in our unadopted Park road is to blame for my grounding on one of them. Anything more than 2mph and a slightly soft tyre, and a bit of a bang results. I've had the rim and valve sorted out now. I try to keep ahead of any MOT work so that it isn't too much of a nasty shock when it's done. There is a garage near me (which I have used for computer diagnostics and to change plug leads) that has replaced batteries for the same car more than 3 times in 3 years. I get mine from the RAC who guarantee them for a long time.

If you can't use the Library, maybe that also means you don't have to pay Council Tax? Or can the Council direct you to a Library that they support ? I hope your MP can help. If not, maybe "You and Yours" will give it a fresh gale of Publicity. A lot of businesses are very twitchy about publicity on Twitter.

At least you now have Thursday off Brian. The Autumn is a good time to curl up with a good book, make plans for the garden, and go to sunny climes to escape the winter. I do like winter, and my mouse mat shows the Secret Pool at Warren's Hall Park on Christmas Eve 2010, covered in ice, then snow.

You are touching on a nerve, Rwth... The Counciller (The one covering this area) is quite helpful.. Two things of note.. one is that his Politics might not be ones th at i'm seen associated with .. and secondly that my Poliing address was the False address that (If I were a Presiding Occifer) I might well have taken against any Poll Clerk of mine (as I once was, and may be again a Presiding Occifer). So no voting this year... His Help is to get Legal advice re witholding Council Tax that may have been illegally adressed to a house that does not exist... Deep in thought......

Rwth of Cornovii wrote:
At least you now have Thursday off Brian. The Autumn is a good time to curl up with a good book, make plans for the garden, and go to sunny climes to escape the winter. I do like winter, and my mouse mat shows the Secret Pool at Warren's Hall Park on Christmas Eve 2010, covered in ice, then snow.

Not sure about 'Thursday off', 'curl up', 'good book', 'plans', 'garden', 'sunny climes' etc, Rwth. The day is already filled:1. Make my annual Christmas Cake, 2. Prep work on my contribution to the Art Group's Christmas Tree for the festival at the local church in early December.

The former at least has a (Now dog-eared.) recipe by the sainted Mary Berry. Needs to be done pronto if I am to infuse in with sufficient brandy before decorating it prior to the Festive Season. The second task is rather more of a 'seat of the pants' affair. The subject matter is 'Nursery Rhymes' and I have selected 'Incey Wincey Spider'. I am contemplating going for an 'installation piece, rather than a watercolour! I have a tube for the water spout, cling film for the rainwater. My decision rests on the spider. Do I make one, or go for the full Damien Hirst and, kill a spider before preserving it in formaldehyde.

GLO, from my political experience I can say that your local councillor(s) should respond to your need for their support, irrespective of you personal political leanings. Lean on the b*gg*r(s)! You cannot be cut off from services supplied by your council because of their utter intransigence and rank stupidity. Kick some backsides.

Rwth, my annoyance (For which read, seething anger!) at the bad treatment that I wrote about was that it was thoughtless. I really don't want to say any more about it.

Enjoy what's left of the evening.

Exactly my thoughts, Brian.. But I'm looking at a bigger picture ... e.g., I have mail delivered here to two addresses, and some I don't get at all - My Mortgagors got snotty about me not pauying them - Their change of bank (directing me to pay a different bank) never arrived here - Phone advises were that The Post Office "wouldn't let them" address to my real address... i.e., The House they are Mortgaging....
Several directions to fire at, and raising different subtle points. One of my last jobs pre-stroke was with Royal Mail concerned with auto address reading/sorting. I needs to find what rules has changed (Royal Mail was sold off to an EU delivery firm). I don't want to go off "Half-cocked".

PS, I also think that my Hospital mesages are also AWOL, to some other address.

You know your own mind GLO but, I'd be in there with all guns blazing. I wouldn't have budged until I spoke to the person who could do something. Hey-ho, that's my style. Anger doesn't make me irrational rather, I get very cold and determined.

I'm having a bit of trouble either with Windows 10 or this laptop. Every now and then it highlights everything I've written so far and deletes it all on the next keystroke, so I'm a bit irritated.

I do hope your Councillor accepts that the lack of joined-up services don't merit payment. As for the Mortgagors, If they can't give you the correct details to pay into their new account, they can hardly complain about you continuing with their old account, or saving the arrears against payment on a future occasion. Tell them to come in person and you'll give them a cheque.

Maybe you can ring the Hospital and get them to tell you when your next appointment will be.

Since my stroke I can't always find the words I need, so I am Leaning on the CAB re sorting Mortgagors all paid now, but they seem to think I should pay interest on the delay... Oh Dear, I didn't meant to bring all this petty ness into here. Just to mention that there are a few petty thinngs needs soring before I can look into moving somewhere a bit more isolateed.. I don't need to be this near to Transport to/from/via London anymore.. No .. I'm going off on another Tangent. I wont tell you of the complications of the High Court only Half-resolving addressing problems..

I wish I could help you re Window 10. I have had to use later editions than Window 7 when I was working, and I can't remember which problem was which, - I think it was Window 8 that had a very short existence, so I'm assuming that current designs must be better. I think I mentioned the other day that (some) libraries have days to help people with techie operational problems. At my great age, I can also pester the age concern/age matters/or anything local (or County) bods can teach me things or introduce me to someone helpful.

I'm too tired to concentrate on this.. I promised myself 2 hours ago that I should be abed... I'll find my pm pills and retire .. Goodnight each.

Lost a long post again. I've fended off a fair number of 'undo' screens which seem to be the key, so Im making progress. Embracing new technology seems to be a good idea in between Parish magazines

It's not a tangent GLO. I'm glad you are using CAB and AGE UK. Not that you are realy all that old, just a little shy of a year older than me, but a stroke can make things very difficult.

Can't help with your compootering, Rwth... But I have been wading through my de-cluttering, and if its any use, I have an ancient welding torch, and some Nuclear Medicine tools (Unused, I only had them to find a more affordable design).

The stroke is managable, but its loss of cofident when it takes a while (or abandon) what one really wants to say ... but I wish I could type - when I find the rightwords...

Sorry but, I’m no computer whizz either. I really around thirty years ago, when computers in business were still a new thing, I wanted to undertake an OU degree. I asked my then MD if the company would contribute to the costs. He said that it would, providing I did a course that included computer programming. I had little interest in the subject matter. Then, as now I just wanted computers to do what I wanted them to do. How they do it is not something that I needed to know.

My Christmas Cake is the priority for today. My dried fruit has been immersed in brandy overnight so, all is ready to go.

Looking forward to the ballet on Saturday. Also have something interesting for Monday. Not sure if anyone on these boards still listens to ‘The Archers’ but, we’re off to Bewdley Festival to see the actor who played the awful ‘Rob Tichenor’ talking about ‘Playing the Villain’.

Enjoy your Thursday everyone.

Well I do hear The Archers, But in hope rather than anticipation... I read Yesterday that another Editor is replacing the short-lived "Here for the Long Haul" incumbent.

No Christmas Cakery Here. ... but isn't "Stir-up Sunday" an important date for Pud-Making. I remenber my Ol' Mum making Pudding weeks in advance.

Hope every body is well, and that 3Wells is safely home .

GLO, traditionally 'Stir up Sunday' is identified man the Anglican Church as the last Sunday before Advent. I believe that it has something to do with the collect for the day in question the first line of which is, "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord" Further, it is the day upon which those make Christmas puddings set about the task.

I tend to make my Christmas Cake around this time of year as, it requires 'feeding' with a few tablespoonfuls of brandy in the run up to the festive season.

I'm about to have a last moment practice before going to the community hospital for their Harvest Festival. Then I can think about soaking my Christmas cake fruit in Sherry or port to swell it up. once it's cooked I'll dose it with the brandy to preserve it. I should be well preserved after my breakfast of melon with rather more ginger than I intended.

Enjoy your encounter with the terrible Rob, Brian. He's quite a nice chap, and not one hopes as narcissistic as the character. I fear he will be offered only villainous roles in the near future. Pity they haven't got "The Plane Makers/Trouble shooters" running any more. There would have been lots of thrusting roles for him there. But maybe Petruchio would be the way back.