The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

Afraid election talk is an occupational hazard for both OH and I.

My clothes are all ready for my exam, but I've still plenty of revision to do next week. I've also got a selection of doctors and dentists appointments, and months ago OH got us tickets to a gig on Monday night. Not like us on a school night, but it will be nice distraction.

I had excellent luck in a CS on Friday--a silk blouse by a high end company in a nice lavender, and a huge cashmere wrap in navy. I looked it up as it looked brand new and it currently sells for £195:eek: I got both the blouse and wrap for £2.99 each so very pleased with myself.

Today I've unpicked the wool skirt mum sent and I think it will become a semi-full knee length number. It is a nice Chr!stma$$ green, so will look nice with many of my current clothes. Its current incarnation is some bizarre lower calf skirt, straight in the back and pleated in the front. At least there is plenty of fabric to work with.:rotfl: I've also made a bit more progress on hand stitching a few bits on the dress, but I'd need to get out the iron to start the sleeves, which have pleats and darts no less so haven't started those yet.

Tonight's tea is Cuban black beans with rice with extras to make a variation on enchiladas tomorrow night.

Oh, and I've had to frog my knitting back two rows. Not exactly sure what I did wrong on the third row of shaping, but wrong it is.

Hope all are well.x

Popperwell

Hiya :-)
I'm stunned by the election result. I've never felt miserable or scared as I do after this one. I do wonder what the future holds for many. End of...I won't get into such matters here.


I had to get out on Friday night just to get some peace of mind and I found by chance an event approx. 5 miles away associated with VE Day...the lighting of a beacon(nothing seems to be happening in my town)I found out approx. 30mins before my only bus that could get me there in time was leaving(they only run hourly)being slow I arrived at the bus stop 4 mins late.


I was going to give up but decided to wait just a little longer...my bus was late :-)


I arrived at the destination(Ferryhill)perhaps ten minutes later and found everywhere deserted. And torrential rain fell from the skies. I popped into the Coop and purchased some Jersey Potatoes and Clover(and thought I'll catch the return bus)


I headed to the bus stop and per chance saw a few little lights at the town hall and found a small crowd under umbrellas in the garden. The town band and a vicar doing a small service and at 9.30pm a beacon was lit. Afterwards those who stayed behind were served tea/coffee and biscuits. Good for me because my next bus was not due until 10.30pm and I would've been sat in a bus shelter.


However a kind official who worked there gave me a lift home as he lives in my town.


What a pity the weather had to turn as it did. I was like a drowned rat when I made it back home.


Tomorrow I would've liked to attend an evening service at a church approx. 4 miles away which my Father used to attend when he was a child. But the buses end by 7pm(even the local train service finishes early)I haven't decided whether to spend £7 and get a taxi home(go by bus)Bishop of Durham is conducting the service. So I am tempted. I'll decide later.


Many places are out of bounds when you don't have your own transport, can't find someone to share their car.

ArthriticOldThing

Oooh Pops, I grew up in Ferryhill and still have relatives there, but haven't visited much since parents died.
Hope you got dried out quickly.

nursemaggie

I have to agree I too am stunned and worried. I think one thing they will do is cut JSA to nothing for under 26 years and cut housing benefit again. I have been trying to figure out if they are paying housing benefit 4 weekly or we are both paying the bedroom tax on each others bedrooms. It seems to be that we are both paying bedroom tax on each others bedrooms. It ads up to 14% less each. I am having to pay the difference for us both.

Why is it when the government can get out of paying DS he is my dependent and when it comes to paying me he is not. either way we pay twice.

We would have been OK if DSs degree course had gone ahead he would have had grants and loans. He has been trying to get on a linguistics course for 3 years but they are not exactly popular. He has had the same problems with getting a formal course in Japanese so he has a qualification. They always get canceled at the last minute for lack of people wanting to do it.

Hopefully in October he should get on the computer engineering course he has now decided to do. It is the follow up to what he did at collage.

I think I know one reason why the polls were so wrong they all just kept sampling the same people. I have been doing at least 5 a day for the last six weeks and have done about 20 in the last two days. That is partly why I have not posted. They have kept me very busy.

Popperwell

Good Sunday Morning to all, May you find peace and courage for now and the what is thrown your way. I went to bed feeling low but awake in a much happier frame of mind so I take it whilst its there and for the days to come X

ArthriticOldThing Can't say Ferryhill has changed, I do know its amazingly bigger than a quick bus ride through it suggests(Bus routes do pass through its centre and miss out a lot of the town)


I'm thinking of having a look an exhibition in Town Hall on Thursday or Friday all about mining and its history/connections to the town.


A big pub closed but has reopened and is named after the Dean and Chapter Colliery. Not that I have been in any of them myself.


nursemaggie Hoping for better news for you and your family. Esp when you have a son who is doing(like many)what he can aspiring in the very way we keep hearing we are supposed to.

ivyleaf

mardatha wrote: »

I'm not stunned Ivy, I'm deliriously happy (with the Scotland result, not the UK one!) and to celebrate I had a very rare day oot up in Edinburgh and even (gasp) went on a tram! lol living it up here

That's great Mar, so glad you're happy with the result in Scotland and had a lovely day Sounds as if it's really cheered you up!

Jazee how did the match go? Hope you enjoyed it whatever the result

Maggie If you and your son are sharing a two-bedroom home I can't see that you should be paying the bedroom tax at all! I'm sure that can't be right. If you are both under the same roof there isn't a spare room, or if there is (i.e. you have a three-bedroomed home)s, you shouldn't both be paying for it. In fact why would you both be getting housing benefit at the same address anyway? Perhaps I've misunderstood somewhere.

Nargleblast

Can't see why England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can't all be independent countries in their own right, with their own parliaments, but all form part of the United Kingdom. Or is that too simple a concept to put into practice?

ivyleaf

That sounds good to me nargleblast!

Jazee

Morning fencers.
Ivyleaf - thanks for asking. It's bowls and I don't understand all the rules yet, but we won and apparently I played a part in that.

I am not even dressed yet but I have done an hour's work out in the gym, made sure to use all the equipment today. Sometimes I am lazy and just go on the bike.

A nice bath is in order next once I finish my cuppa and mooch about on here for a bit.

Have a great day everyone.

nursemaggie

No Ivyleaf we get half each we are joint tenants the law says we have to be. I assure you we don't get double we get 14% less each. The two claims are treated separately so I think that is how they have done it even thought they know there are only two bedrooms, one each. If they can find a way to pay you less they will.

It does look as if we may get some sort of devolution to the regions. They are trialing it in Greater Manchester.