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

Jazee

Thanks Possession, just got that free book. I need to keep focussed on this money saving business.

Nargleblast

Boooger it! I bought that book some time ago - should have waited till it was free. Good book, though, lots of sense in there.

Floss

Thanks Possesion - will make interesting reading I'm sure.

monnagran

Hi everyone.

I've had a quick skim through and it seems as though Easter has been enjoyed by most. The weather here has been great with the exception of Sunday when the rain came down in stair rods.

We were supposed to be spending the weekend in Winchester. Oh! What a performance that turned out to be.
The Rev had booked a B&B online that sounded great so it was quite a surprise when we drew up outside a decidedly seedy looking pub. Rotting windowsills, huge weeds growing in cracks in the concrete outside and inside was grimmer. We were shown into a dingy room that contained a few tables and chairs, two or three plastic containers of cereals, a coffee dispenser and a toaster. And a microwave. We were told that we could help ourselves to the cereals and make some toast for breakfast. If we wanted someting hot we could buy it and warm it up in the MW.
We were then shown to our room, passing a loo and a couple of shower rooms on the way. Everything smelt strongly of cigarette smoke. Our room was over the bar and next to a busy road. I won't attempt to describe it - it was indescribable. I have seen some of the rooms our friends from the drop-in are inhabiting and I think even they would be taken aback. The carpet looked sort of sticky and the smell of smoke was even stronger. When the Rev said, (and I think she was in shock) "Would it be possible to have another pillow each?" We were told that Primark was not far away and we could get a pillow there for a quid!
When the girl had gone we perched ourselves gingerly on the ends of the beds and the Rev got out her phone and said grimly, "We're not staying here."

40 minutes later, after a great deal of phoning around we picked up our cases, crept down the back outside stone steps and made our escape.

OH! Lovely, lovely Pr*mi**r *nn. Clean, comfortable, quiet and good food - and as many pillows as we wanted.

I know we did it all wrong. We should have confronted the owner- whoever that was, we only met a woman who didn't introduce herself - and explained why we found it impossible to stay there. I did leave a note in the room but we were so appalled that we could only think about getting out as fast as possible.

However, the rest of the holiday was superb, we went to Chichester Cathedral on Easter Sunday morning. It was packed to the doors and the service was moving and uplifting so all was well in the end.

Back to reality and more packing now.

x

burtha

Hi...good day today and it was sunny,back from work at 4 ,kids and hubbie happy,popped to Mr m 's and bought pitza and ready prepped salad for tea,not very os but did buy salad for 19p so not so bad:D
Real job tomorrow and mil is looking after kids till dh gets back 12 30 finish,then picking up 2extra kids as friend back on nights tomorrow night ,so just childcare to sort for Wednesday ....stressed... Still need to go and take back D's 10 shoes back to posh shoe shop as he has worn them for 4 school days and the stitching is falling apart ..god knows when that can be fitted in lol ...sick of headache now ,think I need to go back to drs ,ho hum......
Hope anyone with kids going back tomorrow has a nice easy morning,with not to many pre school stresses...
X

[Deleted User]

MONNA you're not alone in running away, when DD1 and I had our holiday in the Orkneys we'd booked a couple of nights on Sanday which was 1 and a half hours by ferry from anywhere else. We got to the island and the mini bus we'd booked which was the only transport hadn't got us on the list as passengers??? squished us in and dropped us the 9 miles to our accommodation. A woman waiting outside said oh you're late, the owners are away and I'm supposed to be looking after you but you're on your own tonight as I'm hung over so I'm going home. By the way, don't go into the kitchen or the dogs will go for you, cue ferocious barking from the kitchen!!! and away she drove. We found the room, the whole house was damp, smelly, dark and sinister and we were on our own yes? No as it happened to turn out, at about 11.30 that night someone walked along the corridor outside our room and turned off all the lights!!! Oh my goodness we were very concerned as when we called out no one answered and we couldn't find anyone anywhere in the house. We spent a very difficult night barricaded in the room with all the moveable furniture and at 5 next morning decided to scarper back to the ferry and walked the first 8 miles when a local farmer called out to us would you like a lift as the ferry's in early today and took us to the harbour in his car, we were so grateful. We made the ferry and got back to the mainland and were lucky enough to get an extra night at the hotel we'd booked into before flying home. We did leave the payment for our night there but never heard back from the owners, despite a couple of letters, probably just as well!!!

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

OH has packed himself off to work this morning, so the kitty and I have had a quiet morning. Started off with a barrage of work e-mails answered from the laptop in bed since kitty decided to be affectionate and curl up for a nap. She is now making up for it with mischief.

What B&B horror stories! Lyn, are you sure it wasn't an 'experience' B&B, it almost sounds haunted!

I had a nice Easter as well. A bit of sewing--have finished covering cushions for a chest that is also a bench in the lounge, a bit of charity shops, and a bit of gardening. Oh, and of course a bit of work. None of my holidays would be complete without it! I had loads of marking due in today but managed to finish it off yesterday.

Its off to the dentist for me this afternoon, just a general check although I've been having a few unusual aches and bleeding gums so a bit nervous.

Made a lovely leek quiche for tea last night and have quite a bit leftover for my lunch today--looking forward to it. OH gets cooked dinners at school which I'm sometimes jealous of, depends on how nice our leftovers are!:rotfl:

Possession

That sounds very creepy Lyn!
Just received a cheque for £45 for a payment protection compensation claim. We didn't have to do anything but put an envelope in the post box, so well worth doing.

Pooky

Morning all


Sorry, think I jinxed the weather by daring to get the summer clothes out of the loft.


Need to get my meal planning head back on, it's all been very hit and miss over the holidays as to who's here and who needs feeding so I've tended to just make up a pasta salad, a quiche or frittata and let everyone help themselves when they see fit but I need to get back into a better routine (will be better for my purse too)


Got some papercutting work to crack on with this afternoon, been running around like a loon all morning doing the washing hokey-cokey, ironing and picking up after DH....I swear he worse that a toddler the mess he makes.


Possession - I like cheques like that - sometimes the amount of paperwork and phone calls involved in some money seems pointless.

[Deleted User]

It sounded real enough, if it was paranormal it was wearing clomping great boots and not being very subtle about walking around in the corridor late at night. Never mind, all part of lifes (or afterlifes?) rich little tapestry eh?