EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

foxgloves

Lol, you are quite right, @ EH. We are very close to the borders with "Bomber County". 
We are sitting tight with our energy provider.....partly because we have a lot of credit which built up when we were over-paying between 2020 & the beginning of this year due to usage patterns on our new system being very different to our old Economy 7 storage heaters. I can see how you wouldn't want to miss a fluke good deal though.
Our fave campsite in Norfolk is Burnham Deepdale - fab pizzas at a nearby pub & great walks across the marshes looking for wildlife. Also stayed at the one in Darsham, Sffk which we really enjoyed, especially the owls flying around at dusk.
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leftatthetrafficlights

Glad you enjoyed your holiday in Norfolk! 😁

I'm lucky that it's the county I live in and I adore it! Not sure about the camping though - I've always believed that it's basically paying money to live like a homeless person!! 😉😂

savingholmes

Great that you have a surplus.

Good luck with the energy issue. I have managed to fix my elec but not my gas. 

EssexHebridean

Afternoon all - and thanks to the visitors for popping by! 

It's been a funny day weather wise here today - mostly grey and cloudy - then just before lunch one absolute downpour, followed by an hour or so of bright sunshine that left everything feeling revoltingly humid, and now it's gone back to grey and cloudy again! Oh well - with luck the downpour happened as well and will save me watering the tomatoes tonight - I bet it won't have though!

I'm hovering over a spend. I checked the price on heated blankets yesterday - my thinking being that chances are they would be cheaper bought now than waiting until it gets cold, and sure enough, the prices have very definitely dropped. Allowing that there is a definite imbalance between MrEH's usual core temperature and mine, it feels as though a heated blanket might be a good way of me staying warm in the winter without needing to have the heating quite as high. My reservations are mainly around the risk of buying now, then finding an issue with it later as obviously with luck it will be sitting unused for the next 4 months or so... I've not bought yet - I do think I'll keep an eye on the pricing though.

I have remembered to send an enquiry for the accommodation for the first couple of nights of our next Hebrides trip - and a "perhaps" for the final night of the stay too - although my gut feeling is we'll need to get straight on the ferry on the Saturday this time to get back. Hoping our usual place will have space for us as we do like it there and it works well for those first couple of days so fingers crossed. Really must sort the ferries out as well - and come to that the travelodges for the journey up and back too - I've got my eye off the ball at the moment, and I'm well aware of it, but the trip is definitely creeping up on us now! Just emailed MrEH to get things moving on that front anyway. 

Also on the holiday note I need to sort out and transfer the balance of the money that paid the plasterer back to the holiday account - better do it before I forget I think otherwise we'll get to closer the time and I'll be worrying about why we're short! (Although actually we probably wouldn't be short thanks to the period of time between last year's main trip and this year's!) 

Foody stuff is in hand - I made pesto last night as the basil plant in the kitchen was beginning to look as though it was desperate for a hairdo. Far from authentic - in fact the basil was the only "proper" thing in it as I also used padano cheese, sunflower seeds and rapeseed oil - but very tasty indeed, and made enough for a dollop to be used last night and two more for freezing. I should probably add sowing another pot of basil on to my list of things to do really - I'd really like to keep a flow of it going. Tonight will be our planned sausage and mash using the remaining lamb, rosemary & garlic sausages that were all cooked last night. Tomorrow I do still need to think about but we're not short on options judging by the state of the freezer! It'll most likely be couscous though.

EssexHebridean

@greent apologies I mean to pick up on and thank you for your note about the Wild refills - I'll have to have a look and see if our local one has them! I'd already decided if I had to order direct I'd be holding out for a 20% off code! 

Elisheba

I have been reluctant to buy a heated blanket for myself @EssexHebridean as my dog seems determined to chew and rip all my throws and blankets, especially fleecy ones.  However, I have seen some with sleeves on Am@zon which appear to be more like robes, so I am thinking about getting one of those.  It would keep my arms and hand's warmer and has a front pouch as well, and hopefully my dog wouldn't be likely to try and chew it as he doesn't seem to have a problem with things I am wearing. They are a bit more expensive than normal heated blankets though.

RosaBernicia

Do you definitely want a heated one?  I look out for the sale prices on proper woollen ones - they're really toasty but not too hot and sweaty iyswim.  Not so much that can go wrong with them either! 

savingholmes

I love mine - but despite it saying it's currently 20% lower than it's highest price - it's £7 dearer than January!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B075GY4XBF/

foxgloves

My very traditional 'go to' is a warm blanket & a hot water bottle, which I tuck up behind my back. Toasty warm. Do I feel like a cross between my Nana & my 1980s student self when I lived in a freezing cold dive? I do, but it works & I like it.
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RelievedSheff

We have said we are going to get some blankets for the living room this year.

We have one nice wool one that used to be on the boat so we only need to get one more.