The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

savingqueen

DH has just come to find me! He has offered to buy some chips from the chippy for a treat. I have frozen fish and peas in the freezer to cook whilst he is out to make it much cheaper. DS6 is excited he is getting chippy chips as we don't do it often and usually just for us adults as DS9 doesn't like chips (he will have waffles). Simple pleasures eh? Must get back on track with meal planning tomorrow though, been terrible this week. I am no good in the heat and my hayfever is bad too... not that I am wishing the sun away...it's lovely.

sq:)

Mrs_Chip

Afternoon All

Welcome to the gang Gintot!

Weather now lovely here, getting hotter by the hour. We just took the van up to the camp site and the sea looks so weird - totally still and swirling with sea mist. The view from the site is amazing, my jaw drops every time we go up there. We will sit and have our tea at a picnic table after service tomorrow, looking at the beautiful scenery. Our new friends who have also moved here from the SE (Mrs works at the camp) will wander down from their house up the lane and join us. We are very lucky!

My family's only claim to fame (well one of three :rotfl:) is that my dad used to be fireman on the Flying Scotsman, and brought it into Kings X on the last steam service, and took the first diesel service out. He has been up to the Railway Museum several times as one of their guests. It was terribly hard work keeping the fire up, and he would have shifted tons of coal on the run up to Newcastle (where they changed crew) and he would then drink pints of Newcastle Brown to slake his thirst - what an excuse! He was a very fit and handsome young man, you would never guess it now!.

Glad the trip is going well Kidcat - hope Cardiff was good, we love it there. I was amazed when you said you are only 5ft - I have always imagined you as some sort of statuesque warrior queen, keeping all about you safe! Not that us shorter girls can't do that,!

I really get annoyed when people are selfish and do not consider their neighbours, really the height of rudeness. I have been known to retaliate with a very loud blast of classical music, childish I know, but it made me feel better!

VJsmum

I met my OH indirectly through a railway preservation society (one of the great little trains of wales) and so have had involvement with steam railways through the whole of our lives together. They aren't my thing, but have taken me to some lovely places - including Zimbabwe and South Africa, USA, Europe as well as the UK.

My kids have grown up volunteering on the railway and DS has just started his training to eventually become an engine driver. DD has given it up now but did some navvying for a few years, FN (Favourite Niece) does a stint in the shop once a year.

I have lentils on the go for cheese and lentil loaf for tea - been fancying it for weeks. Leftovers can be eaten cold tomorrow. While the oven is on I am going to pop in a lemon drizzle. DD and I are off to aquarobics later - it'll be refreshing on this warm day.

Just realised that this Settled spell goes over St Swithins - do you think it means.....?

Popperwell

I've probably said that my family and this area is connected to the railways but I not travelled by rail until recently for perhaps 30 years. A mixture of not having a reason to and the cost.

I love steam trains, I will have to see if I can arrange a trip some time to one of those rainways that still offer such rides.

Yes Mrs L, that's the reason for me suddenly deciding to go and yet two of the trains(at least)were only approx 3 miles from my home until recently and were restored here. But the museum in York is larger, more spacious and they are altogether in one place but only until July 12th.

Hot air balloons? This goes over my house/town every year around the same time, or it has the past 3-4 years that I know of. This was approx 11 days ago.




Someone I know is having a ride on the Mallard and a meal on board. After the exhibition at least two of the trains go back to the US/Canada. I believe some are coming back to the museum on my doorstep in February next year.

How disappointing for your other half Gintot, I hope there is a way to visit. Especially as the museum is free. I'll try and post videos and photo's on the internet/my blog but its not like being there. I bet others are already putting footage on the net.

That's quite some connection to steam railways Mrs Chip, Ivisited the local railway museum on my birthday in May and I think two of these trains were there but what took me by surprise was...a radio detective series called Paul Temple had a theme tune called Coronation Scot and...some the train was there, it has the same name. Its a piece of music my father and myself always liked and it really invokes the feel of a steam locomotive going through the countryside.

Lovely to see your connection to the railways too VJ'sMum.

Bigjenny

Mallard is coming to Grantham on 7th and 8th September as the record was set near here, will definitely be going to see her.

Popperwell

This is great...
Some short videos to watch about the trains via the BBC

[Deleted User]

I now have very, extreme, huge, enormous, BIGGGGGGG steamtrain envy!!!!!!! POPS enjoy every second of your visit, and if you should just happen to take a few piccies, maybe, just maybe you'd think of posting a couple, please, pretty please???

MRS CHIP not only do you have what is probably the best described sea view I've ever heard but you also have a Dad who was fireman on the Flying Scotsman????? It doesn't get much better than that, wow, brilliant!!!

My memories are of being at junior school in Kent in the 1950s and dashing down Station Road to stand on the bridge over the railway line for the 8.35 steamer to go through, it was messy, smelly, soot laden and got us into all sorts of trouble when we arrived at school filthy but more than worth it, I've never lost the thrill, I'm sad I know, Cheers Lyn xxx.

My hot air balloon flight was out of Bath at 7ish in the evening and truly the most exciting and amazing thing I've ever done in my life, I loved every second of it, Lyn xxx.

GreyQueen

Evening all

Welcome to the [STRIKE]naughty [/STRIKE] oops, I meant to say Welcome to the Old Style Doorstep. You don;t have to be cracked to post here but it sometimes helps.

I've had the day off work and the sun shone and it was actually hot. I've eaten strabs on the lottie and weeded the tatties and the onions and did a few other bits and bobs. Lovely to be up on a weekday and saw some folks whom I normally miss.

Tatties are starting to go over a bit, so hopefully if I give them about a fortnight the tops will have died back and they should be ready to harvest. Onions are starting to heave themselves up out of the ground, too, but the tops are still green.

I've grown bigger onions but it's been a funny old year so we gets what we gets, and count ourselves fortunate. Be interested to see how the tatties are underground, as the tops never did grow big enough to meet across the baulks.

Right, suppose I ought to get the supper on. Real OS stylee; some of last summer's HG broad beans from the freezer, a few tatties from a stray which grew in the beetroot row (how very dare it) which I hauled out in annoyance and found it was loaded. And the YS pork loin chip.

I reckon I should get some kind of OS prize. Oh, and a washload has just gone thru which might just involve ironing in a few hours. Work blouses. I wouldn't bother on my own account but the employer requires certain standards.

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather. I don't do suncream myself as I have an irrational detestation of creams on my skin, but I do hide my lilywhite hide under long sleeves and trews and a wide-brimmed hat.

Goshdarnit, I should have lived in an era where milky skin was prized not reviled, I coulda been a contender......or mebbe not.

MrsLW, I've been up in a hot air balloon and it was brilliant. We were near Christchurch New Zealand and went up to 7,000 feet. The balloon pilot was talking to air traffic control at one point! One image that stuck in my memory was a grown man, his face alight with childlike wonder, reaching out to touch the clouds. You're in them, they're milky white and look sold, it's truly incredible to realise they're not solid but vapour.

The landing was big fun, too. We came down on a farm about 6 am and a couple of women from the farm came out to see what was going on. So we sang them a Christmas carol (it was Dec) and gave them a couple of bottles of champagne. You could see them smiling and shaking their heads in disbelief at the whole thing...........

Hardup_Hester

I had an exciting assortment of deliveries, so don't read this if you are squeamish!

1st was emergency (as in nurses running down the corridor pushing the trolley towards theater) sun roof delivery, placent previa, baby weighed 5.5lbs.

2nd, normal delivery, 18 hours lots of pethidine baby weighed 6.3lb

3rd, normal delivery 3 hours, no pain relief, just lots of bad language, baby weighed 8.5lb

4th normal delivery, gas and air, clip broke off the cord & I had postpartum hemorrhage, baby weighed 8.5.

shegar

My first child was due on 18 december , but decided to come at 11.40 pm christmas eve,weighed...7 1B 6 oz....12 hours labour.....

My second was due september 30 , and my waters went at 6 months pregnant , so had to spend the next 3 month in hospital laying on my back, he was born August 7, so 6 weeks early ,low birth rate , stayed in hospital for 3 weeks after the birth, so I had 4 months in hospital.......weighed 4 1b.2oz.......2 hours labour.....

Definately didnt want anymore children after the second one was born........Could never go through spending that much time again laying on my back.........

Weather has been super , still warm now with all the doors open.......Missing eastenders cos the tennis is running late :mad:..............Sheila