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

fuddle

We got word on Friday to prepare for possible strike action on 17th October but nothing for tomorrow. In my mind not all schools will be closed tomorrow.

No wonder you're green Mar. I think I would like a Rayburn Lyn

ill add that one to the list Molly, thanks

[Deleted User]

Hi MOLLY how's Little Miss Molly doing at uni? is she settling in now and starting to find her feet? Hope she's feeling a lot happier and as a consequence so are you. My little grandson to be now has his very own name and he is Ezra Peter Oskar and is 21 weeks big now so only another 19 to go, I'm so excited, doesn't show does it? Hope you and dad are feeling better, love Lyn xxx and Docky sends a slurp for both the puppies xxx.

katieowl_2

Ha ha ha Mrs Lurchurwalker...will you still be drooling over the Rayburn when you know I pay £100 a MONTH :eek: by direct debit ALL THROUGH THE YEAR, to pay towards the oil??? We switch it OFF the minute we thing we can survive without the lovely background heat, and we had the heat sink rad re-situated to serve the bathroom and our bedroom which is lovely when it's really chilly, but when it goes off for the summer I have to use the immersion heater for hot water! But it's how we survive without central heating, so I guess it's worth it.

I used to have an Aga in London, which was an old recon Gas one and I did love it, Aga makes best bread ever (mind you can't eat bread now) Rayburn has to be turned up to cook- Aga is ready all the time, but most of the time for us is just a great big glorified slow cooker - it's running at about 100c today. I try to make use of it for cooking over the winter...but one needs to be organised!!! I think the Aga was costing me £60 a month to run (gas) when we left London, five years ago. Shudder to think what that would be now?

Fourth batch of cake, nearly done, fifth batch ready to be mixed :j

Kate

[Deleted User]

KATE It's all in that rosy image isn't it? If I was ever (not going to happen!!!)lucky enough to a) own a house with a big enough kitchen, b) be able to afford a range cooker I think I'd opt to have a solid fuel one like the Esse Ironheart which is basically a big woodburner with an oven and hot plates or hope for an in situ real victorian range cooker as I grew up with one of those, one that had the hot water tank on one side and the oven on the other. I'm certain I'd not be able to afford an oil run one. I envy you the cooker but not the fuel price pet!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

kidcat

lillibet_dripping wrote: »

Teachers are on strike tomorrow!

Not all schools are closed for strike action tomorrow, some are in October and some have not announced yet, its going by area this time it seems, our area is an undisclosed - the cynic in me says our lot will declare nearer Christmas;) but Jem says the high school is closed today and tomorrow, so I was assuming tomorrow was strikes (as she knew her unit was closed tomorrow) but for some other reason today.
I seem to think that the strikes are all one day only.

I have achieved nothing at all today and am feeling rubbish because of it, Oh stayed home from work as he had been up so much during the night, and one of my group is having school issues so I sat and talked her through some strategies this morning.

katieowl_2

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

KATE It's all in that rosy image isn't it? If I was ever (not going to happen!!!)lucky enough to a) own a house with a big enough kitchen, b) be able to afford a range cooker I think I'd opt to have a solid fuel one like the Esse Ironheart which is basically a big woodburner with an oven and hot plates or hope for an in situ real victorian range cooker as I grew up with one of those, one that had the hot water tank on one side and the oven on the other. I'm certain I'd not be able to afford an oil run one. I envy you the cooker but not the fuel price pet!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

Actually the kitchen here is pretty small...in London we had the dining table in the kitchen so we pretty much lived in there. Here the kitchen is a bit of a corridor between the front door/upstairs, and the living room/garden. Hence me threatening to shut OH in his workshop. I can't cope with anyone standing about in there, as they are always blocking something I need to get to. Not really sure why they installed the rayburn, but it does keep the damp out of the house for sure.

Don't think I could cope with solid fuel, you'd have to really be on top of it, and stoking before bed etc to make sure you came down to something warm enough to boil the breakfast kettle on.

I keep being on OH's case as he was offered some timber for the woodburner, but he needs to organise borrowing a trailer, and getting it here, chopped etc. If the thinks there's going to be any cash to BUY wood this winter - apart from his winter fuel allowance - he's sorely mistaken. The guy was charging £90 a load last year, and we could easily get through 3-4 loads, plus 20+ bags of coal in a cold winter!The local farmers co-operative sell coal cheaper than anywhere else.

Kate

Possession

I think it depends which union the majority of teachers are in at each particular school. TAs etc have been told not to cover classes, so if enough teachers are out the school has to close. Lots of schools near us will be closed tomorrow but my two are open. Schools which have lots of NQTs are likely to be closed as the NUT has been quite crafty about attracting students, offering a fee-free membership period. Or so I understand.

elona

MrsL

Have you read Anne McC 's other books like "Crystalsinger" and Lyon'sPride etc?

We are now half way through DH's radiotherapy - yippee :j and going to take dd into York this afternoon to see if we can get a flu jab - riotous living or what?

Did a big shop of fruit, veg, milk butter and frozen bits and bobs so I can always have things in if events get too busy.

Planning chicken curry for tonight once we get home again.

Hugs to all

fuddle

That's an awful lot in oil. Definitely a romantic image. For me it's the kitchen being the hub and I like the idea of all the heat/eat jobs coming from that one source.

We've had a little good news. DH job offer has come through the post. He has had a little pay rise to account for the higher cost of renting in Dorset. It's not masses and we will still be looking at flats but what it does is brings it more into the ball park of what our finances are a the moment. I'm very relieved.

[Deleted User]

Yes I have Elona and the Doona books and the Dinasoaur Planet series and the Acorna series and the ones about the kelpie whose titles I can't remember. I'm sad that there will be no more books from her alone as I love her style of writing but I guess she's getting older along with all the rest of us so is entitled to her retirement. One other fantasy writer I like is David Eddings and the 5 book Belgariad followed by the 5 book Malloriad series and there are other books from him that I've not been able to get into, I guess it's hard to enjoy everything published by one person, no matter who?

Look after yourselves, Cheers Lyn xxx

Glad Mr. E's radiotherapy is half done, it's a downward slope from here on in isn't it?

FUDDLE pet, wonderful news about the pay rise, every little helps as the ad says doesn't it? Really pleased for you xxx.