Nice people thread part 8 - worth the wait

LydiaJ

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Well we've found somewhere new to live. Moving up the road to Mortlake. I am very excited as we will no longer be on the opposite side of the level crossing to the entrance to the train station. It will be a life changing experience. £200/less a month as well. Now we need to start looking for somewhere to buy again!

Sounds great!

I remember the relief when I moved of no longer having a level crossing on the school run, so I can understand your excitement.

SingleSue

PasturesNew wrote: »

When I was about 18/19 and wanted to go to London I was told/scared off by my parents who told me "people wait at the stations looking for people who look lost.... you'd be kidnapped and taken away". And then there are the robberts/muggers - they look for them too.

It was the beggers round here my parents didn't trust. Anywhere in London and it was ok but not round here.

I was travelling with friends to London by the time I was 12 with no parents and was doing it solo by 16.

SingleSue

I need help!

Can anyone come up with birthday present ideas? The person involved will be 43, doesn't like girly things like handbags or shoes, loves books but is very choosy which ones and is not at all materialistic.

Yep, my birthday next week and everyone keeps asking me what I want...beggered if I know!

GDB2222

SingleSue wrote: »

I need help!

Can anyone come up with birthday present ideas? The person involved will be 43, doesn't like girly things like handbags or shoes, loves books but is very choosy which ones and is not at all materialistic.

Yep, my birthday next week and everyone keeps asking me what I want...beggered if I know!

Plants for the garden?

SingleSue

Good suggestion but I am not a garden person. My family have given up giving me plants as I have a nasty habit of killing them (the plants, not my family!). Sister even gave me what she called an unkillable plant....it was dead within a month.

zagubov

SingleSue wrote: »

I need help!

Can anyone come up with birthday present ideas? The person involved will be 43, doesn't like girly things like handbags or shoes, loves books but is very choosy which ones and is not at all materialistic.

Yep, my birthday next week and everyone keeps asking me what I want...beggered if I know!

It's easy to think of good gifts if the budget's high but most people buying for me are as poor as church mice like m'good self.

I gather you like music.
I don't know what budget but if it's your boys that are buying for you; how about asking for some of the albums on the facebook 100 influential albums. They can enjoy it too (hmmm just realised that may not be so smart)
Or a Spotify account.
An mp3 player ? (but they're a bit pricey). But if you've already got one how about an adapter for playing your mp3 player in your car (cost a couple of quid but brilliant).

Humorous books? Dara O'Broin/ Frankie Boyle/Russell Brand etc all have autobiographical books that are funny to read (if you can stand their humour - I know lots of people don't like some of them). How about talking books?
Sorry, I genuinely suffer from having a hole in my brain where the gift-choosing centre's meant to be.:D

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Does anyone have any recommendations about what I should do.

Yes, but it would help if you told us the sort of thing you like to do.

But as a random place to start...

Go to Skye.

The distilleries are worth visiting and well signposted, the scenery is immense. You'll need a car, and watch out for the sheep.

Portree is almost worth an overnight if you can find one of the pubs on or around the main square with live Scottish music on that night. There's a white painted one right on Summerled square, can't remember the name, but google it and check in advance if they've got anything on. Cask Ales and single malts are their specialty, with a real fire and a bar made of stone with a thatched roof. Interesting place, and the locals drink there too which adds "character" to the experience.

If you like seafood, there's a really nice restaurant on the shorefront in the Rosedale Hotel in Portree, huge windows overlooking the water and they do a great Lobster, or did last time I was there anyway. The restaurant is hidden away upstairs and the bar is nice for pre-dinner drinks. Rooms there are good as well for an overnight.

http://www.rosedalehotelskye.co.uk/index.html

You'll probably pass Eilean Donan castle at Kyle of Lochalsh on the way into Plockton. It's well worth visiting as the token "touristy" thing to do.

https://www.eileandonancastle.com

Just watch out for the herds of feral goats on the coast roads around Kyle. Easily spotted as they resemble large sheep, but shaggier, darker in colour, and with horns, and probably to be found walking straight out in front of your car.

Suicidal creatures.

If you've got a day to kill, head up Loch Ness. From Plockton go a few miles south and take the A87. You'll be on the shores of Loch Ness in an hour and can spend the day driving up the Loch. Loads of touristy things to do, some of which are (surprisingly) actually worth doing.

Plockton you've already mentioned, nice palm trees, good pubs.

There's loads more, but just ask me if you've got any questions.

NB I've already got "drink a bit too much single malt and argue about Aberdeen house prices" on the list.

LOL

I see you booked with "Hamish's Highland Tour Guides" then.

zagubov

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Yes, but it would help if you told us the sort of thing you like to do.

But as a random place to start...

Go to Skye.

The distilleries are worth visiting and well signposted, the scenery is immense. You'll need a car, and watch out for the sheep.

Portree is almost worth an overnight if you can find one of the pubs on or around the main square with live Scottish music on that night. There's a white painted one right on Summerled square, can't remember the name, but google it and check in advance if they've got anything on. Cask Ales and single malts are their specialty, with a real fire and a bar made of stone with a thatched roof. Interesting place, and the locals drink there too which adds "character" to the experience.

If you like seafood, there's a really nice restaurant on the shorefront in the Rosedale Hotel in Portree, huge windows overlooking the water and they do a great Lobster, or did last time I was there anyway. The restaurant is hidden away upstairs and the bar is nice for pre-dinner drinks. Rooms there are good as well for an overnight.

http://www.rosedalehotelskye.co.uk/index.html

You'll probably pass Eilean Donan castle at Kyle of Lochalsh on the way into Plockton. It's well worth visiting as the token "touristy" thing to do.

www.eileandonancastle.com

Just watch out for the herds of feral goats on the coast roads around Kyle. Easily spotted as they resemble large sheep, but shaggier, darker in colour, and with horns, and probably to be found walking straight out in front of your car.

Suicidal creatures.

If you've got a day to kill, head up Loch Ness. From Plockton go a few miles south and take the A87. You'll be on the shores of Loch Ness in an hour and can spend the day driving up the Loch. Loads of touristy things to do, some of which are (surprisingly) actually worth doing.

Plockton you've already mentioned, nice palm trees, good pubs.

There's loads more, but just ask me if you've got any questions.



LOL

I see you booked with "Hamish's Highland Tour Guides" then.

My knowledge of the highlands is rubbish but I gather there's at least one island that has at least eight distilleries and whose local pubs therefore stock about 300 brands of single malt whiskies they don't sell anywhere else in the world as they're primarily used for blends.:beer:
I don't know Aberdeen at all. As there's only four cities (as in real cities) in Scotland that's a hell of an admission on my part.:(

SingleSue

zagubov wrote: »

It's easy to think of good gifts if the budget's high but most people buying for me are as poor as church mice like m'good self.

I gather you like music.
I don't know what budget but if it's your boys that are buying for you; how about asking for some of the albums on the facebook 100 influential albums. They can enjoy it too (hmmm just realised that may not be so smart)
Or a Spotify account.
An mp3 player ? (but they're a bit pricey). But if you've already got one how about an adapter for playing your mp3 player in your car (cost a couple of quid but brilliant).

Humorous books? Dara O'Broin/ Frankie Boyle/Russell Brand etc all have autobiographical books that are funny to read (if you can stand their humour - I know lots of people don't like some of them). How about talking books?
Sorry, I genuinely suffer from having a hole in my brain where the gift-choosing centre's meant to be.:D

Budget would be fairly small by most peoples standards.

I'll have a look at that list tomorrow, there is bound to be something on there I don't have.

I'm not really a humorous book person really (although Bruce Dickinson's attempt was pretty decent, albeit slightly teenage boy rude). Talking books are def out...might be a way of falling asleep though!:rotfl:

I wouldn't really have a use for an MP3 player, I rarely listen to music whilst walking and my car has MP3/WMA capability. For home music, I use the laptop...although an idea would be a decent set of speakers as youngest 'borrowed' the clip on one I bought.

Spotify is an interesting idea though.....

Told you I was awkward to buy for! :rotfl:

Generali

Spotify is brilliant if you like that sort of thing. I use the free version with adverts but they'll let you do a trial for a month without the ads. As the ads are basically all for Spotify and so much the same, I just tune them out after the first couple and don't even notice them.