Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

I've not had gout before but I hope it's not gout. Mind you I've never had chilblains before either so it could be perhaps (?) What do I know. The authority over the road pronounced them as chilblains that I daren't have questioned her! Mum used to get gout - she'd soak her feet in a bowl of warm water with mustard powder in it. I remember her doing it often enough so it must have helped.

I've just had a shower (I know, it's nearly lunchtime ) and the warmth of the water made 'em sting. So hopefully that means not gout.

Lots of General Lurgy and 'flu round here too, I think the news said there's a lot of it everywhere now. T'is the season and all that.....

Farway at least the cough shows progress... with a bit of luck you'll have it shifted for Christmas

Speaking of foreign climes, one thing father always reminisced about was the lager he used to drink in Egypt in the 50's. It was called Stellar/Stellah (?) and it truly was Nectar apparently. I've never seen it anywhere or met anyone else that even knows what I'm talking about, much less has drunk it. Lucky I'm a cider drinker really cos I've had a long wait looking for it ha haa! 

Rambling post.... just making use of my fingers before my hands turn into ladles

Back OT, it's bladdy cold with a blue sky here too.

Woolsery

YoungBlueEyes said:
Speaking of foreign climes, one thing father always reminisced about was the lager he used to drink in Egypt in the 50's. It was called Stellar/Stellah (?) and it truly was Nectar apparently.

I think he was talking about this brand:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/307755374

Apparently, it's a bit tame nowadays, but nothing's the same as it was. I wouldn't know, anyway, 'cos I'd be drinking the copy one from Lidl.

Back in the 50s, few people in the UK had tasted continental beers. Even by 1970, when I want on a study trip to Germany, my mates and I had no concept of what the real thing was like. It was so good, when we got back, we learned how to make it ourselves, which was hard because sourcing the right yeasts was tricky and keeping the wild ones out, also very difficult. We succeeded, but only by using wine fermentation equipment and air locks, which was a right faff for something consumed by the pint. In the end, we went back to doing 80 pints at a time in a dustbin and to hell with the pedigree of the yeasts!

YoungBlueEyes

No not Stella ha haa! It was all he drank out there and all he asked for for many years after, it was beyond delicious apparently. 

He did settle for Lidl’s jobber tho 🙄

twopenny

Blue, chilblain cream is a wonderful thing.
Couldn't find it on a quick search except online.
I wonder if it's available in stores now as theres not so much call for it but worth getting.

Farway

Hard overnight frost again, seems I was lied to about the thaw

YoungBlueEyes said:

Rambling post.... just making use of my fingers before my hands turn into ladles

That made me laugh, and I can relate to ladle hands, hope yours remain just teaspoons

My cough has settled a bit, eyes still itch, nose still drips but looking on the bright side my gout has subsided, and I have returned to identical sized feet

A spot of gardening, yay, I spied some green while dashing into the cold conservatory, closer inspection showed the salvia Hot Lips cuttings I had taken in Autumn had taken and were romping away in their pots under the polythene bags. This surprised me because the cutting were no more than spindly twigs TBH

Anyway, now given them a drink & on the window sill to give them a bit more care before I get them sorted, and untangled, come the Spring, picture is one pot of them, and you can see how spindly the twigs were

Woolsery

YoungBlueEyes said:

No not Stella ha haa! It was all he drank out there and all he asked for for many years after, it was beyond delicious apparently. 

He did settle for Lidl’s jobber tho 🙄

There were many small breweries on the continent that were swallowed up by the big boys. I looked up the one we were so keen on, only to find the brewery was bought-up and subsequently demolished in the 80s. There are people who still collect the beer mats and these are part of the historical record now.

No gardening here; I'm off to the local market, then decorating the tree.

EDIT: Hot Lips is a doer, Farway!

Farway

Woolsery said:

EDIT: Hot Lips is a doer, Farway!

Yep, I've always admired it since spotting it at Wisley a few years back, and we have two in large tubs near the volunteer place entrance, these were from cuttings by another volunteer and my twiggy cuttings came from there when I was trimming  / tidying a month or so ago

All being well, I hope to spread them into my son's neglected front garden which should be ideal, never watered or tended so may provide a bit of colour & bee food

Ganga

Farway said:

Hard overnight frost again, seems I was lied to about the thaw

YoungBlueEyes said:

Rambling post.... just making use of my fingers before my hands turn into ladles

That made me laugh, and I can relate to ladle hands, hope yours remain just teaspoons

My cough has settled a bit, eyes still itch, nose still drips but looking on the bright side my gout has subsided, and I have returned to identical sized feet

A spot of gardening, yay, I spied some green while dashing into the cold conservatory, closer inspection showed the salvia Hot Lips cuttings I had taken in Autumn had taken and were romping away in their pots under the polythene bags. This surprised me because the cutting were no more than spindly twigs TBH

Anyway, now given them a drink & on the window sill to give them a bit more care before I get them sorted, and untangled, come the Spring, picture is one pot of them, and you can see how spindly the twigs were

Can you tell me how to grow the 50pence piece please ,would come in handy for the winter fuel bills

Woolsery

With inflation so rampant,I'd not invest too much time in growing 50 pence pieces, especially with their tendency to go hexagonal just before harvest. It takes a little longer, and you need good parent stock, but mine always told me grafting brings good results in the longer term. As you can see, I took note of their advice.

YoungBlueEyes

Hot Lips… wasn’t that her from M*A*S*H..? 

This won’t be a rambling post. Chilblains have taken over my left hand, toes are hot and itchy so I guess that’s progress. Hand is nearly a ladle, the fingers aren’t v flexible at all 😣 

Topping up my bird feeder this morning I slipped on the icy-slimy decking and came down on a fence post, so now I’ve bruised ribs too 🙄

Himself is starting with lurgy and has therefore relegated himself to the spare room. I told him if I caught that on top of everything else I’d throat-punch him in his sleep.  I think I meant it too. 

I’ll look for chilblain cream tomorrow, lucky we have a couple of proper chemists here. Anything to shorten the duration - they’re bladdy painful and dispiriting actually. Please keep warm and wear gloves people. Please.