From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Greying_Pilgrim

kayannie - you've had in some weather haven't you??  And more strong gusts to come this evening.   I'm glad in a way our store has got consistent in not having green boxes.  On the several occasions I have seen boxes this past year, they've been so pants, they've hardly warranted the energy to walk over and peruse the contents.  Makes the box I had the other week so more enjoyable, as it's contents were pretty much all useable and it offered good value for money 😁 

Apropos of nothing I was just looking at Sir Lenny's gaff in a town we've visited before, and I'm glad that I spotted that they have now introduced a third party parking company to look after their car parks and you have to pay a daily charge.  I'm fully aware that chargeable parking is not new - for this hotel chain, or others, but it led me to wonder if this will become universal.  This particular PI hotel wasn't 'city centre', and in someways, it isn't particularly convenient for tourists/city centre workers to use the carpark.  Although the 'in town' parking is expensive, so maybe things have changed.  When we last used the hotel, it was in the school holidays and the rooms were expensive, but the location enabled us to access a couple of attractions we wanted to see, so needs must.  I couldn't check similar dates, but the room charges later in the year did seem a little lower than the rates we paid - I don't think there were any nights where you would be charged 3 figures, for a start.  But of course, you now have to add in a daily parking charge to the room cost.  Interesting.  I know they are primarily business orientated and that the expense account picks up most stay costs, but given the location is also very much a touristy/holiday/leisure/coastal location too, I wonder if this is the beginning of the end of us being able to afford to use this chain for our overnight stays.  Maybe LG's lounge-based den building is signalling the future of our holiday accommodation ....... 😕

Greying X

kayannie

Yes GP,  very windy & rain overnight. Not much rain since about 9 am & wind died down too. Just back with blackberries but not as many as I picked 2 weeks ago as a lot of them now are full of grubs, although most of the berries have still not ripened. It's all to do with the weather - if we have some sun then we could get a bumper crop.  No apple trees unfortunately - before we moved here, I knew where all the accessible apples could be found + plums!

KA x

Cherryfudge

We always used to use the same chain, GP, but when we looked up the cost of staying overnight in Edinburgh with them, we quickly decided it needed to be a day trip! Mind you, other hotels were similarly priced.

If you end up staying on the lounge floor in a den, do at least order breakfast. That's the highlight of hotel stays, of course - and funnily, it might be cheaper in your home hotel.  

Greying_Pilgrim

Ha ha Cherryfudge - I wonder if I could proffer better than microwaved hash-browns and re-warmed frozen omlette 🤔🤣  I re-looked at dates still in the (English) summer holidays for that hotel chain, in that particular location and the one night was already 3 figures, and the average for a 2 night stay (with parking) was 3 figures for both nights, which is a heck of a chunk of change before breakfast costs were factored in (that particular hotel did still have the ability to offer meals at the attached pub when we were there last).  I can only assume that this location - which is not city centre - has been having parking issues, and has brought in charging to deter general parking.  I hope that is what it is anyway. Otherwise it's day trips for us too - which limits the range you can travel 😕

It's a fair bit breezy here with us.  I have just had the biggest chuckle provided by a dear little Wagtail.  It's not a bird we see frequently around here, but this one did look a bit discombobulated, so whether the poor thing was bussed in on a gust of wind.  Anyhoo, it was doing it's usual bobbing and running hither and yon, and then it plucked up the courage to jump up on our next door neighbour's car (which is something of a boat sized limousine), I've never seen a wagtail do anything other than be on the floor before, so that was something of a new experience to see it do that.  But then, having flown up onto the boot, it decided to run up the back window, which a) was wet with rain and b) a very sloped profile.  Much like a wannabee gladiator, the little bird started running and then was still moving it's legs and going nowhere, as it started slipping down, you could see the confusion in it's 'face'.  It bravely battled on - which I called DH to come see - all the while, the wind was whipping around.  It made it to the top of the car - DH was still nowhere near - and was clearly thinking 'now what?' when unfortunately, another car came past and spooked it to fly off.  My word, Mother Nature is wonderful - I'm still thinking 'WHY????' - but I'm awfully glad that the Wagtail 'did', and that I got to see it.  Free Summer entertainment 🤣

Speaking of free entertainment, if the weather calms down, there may well be some free entertainment going on around Greying Town today, so may be well worth checking out.  I've got to get out of the house today - cabin fever is beginning to hit me.

The strawberries I bought yesterday were lovely for pud for tea.  There were some left over - so DH and LG have had some on their porridge for breakfast (I think I'm making this hotel's breakfast offering far too luxurious 🤔🤣) and there are still a few left over to accompany lunch.  A bargainacious £1.10.

Right, I need to check the weather forecast for here to see about putting a wash on.  

Ta for popping in.  Greying X

kayannie

Somewhere I worked years ago had wagtails that perched on the wing mirrors of the cars in the car park, dancing around at their reflection. It was spring & the birds thought their reflection was another bird that they were eyeing up as a potential mate! The solution was to put a glove over the mirrors - used to make us laugh to see a row of cars with gloves on!
KA

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

kayannie - I remember being at a nature reserve where Chaffinches did that - and to the car windows as well where there was reflection.  It started to get a bit creepy in the end, so we left during a lull 🤣

Well, I for one wish the blessed weather would make it's mind up and that weather forecasts by expensive computer modelling would be a darn sight more accurate.  It was supposed to rain through the night here, and on into this morning.  The ground looked bone dry when I woke up over an hour ago, and we've just had about 15 and a half blots of rain just now......  Planning to do anything is a pain.

DH might as well go off to that event with LG.  He reckons adults pay, and kids go free (possibly because it's not going to be too exciting for kids, potentially 😬).  But there is no shade, no shelter........ 😕  Don't know what to do about it.  

Our walk into Greying Town was quite nice yesterday.  It wasn't too hot to walk, and it kept dry.  Although there were no free shows/events on in town, town was buzzing with people (boosted by visitors to several events locally) and we went to several places we don't normally go to/haven't been for a long time.  It was interesting to see a turnover in several independent shops - good (of course) that people have been willing to give their dreams a go, but I wasn't surprised that one or two have gone.  

In the afternoon we popped over the other side of town to get a replacement flask, as a Farmers mercantile type store had the best price I had seen anywhere for these flasks.  After the fandango with the poorly designed lid of the one I got from TK M's, I decided to go with a tried and trusted brand.  The size of the original flask (that failed due to use/age) was just right to be taken on bike rides/trips, so I thought I had better replace it, as we can't trust the new one with hot drinks.  We got to our destination quite quickly, but as we were travelling, you could see the build up of traffic, for the way we would return.  So I took the decision to take the long route home, doing a bit arc out into rural roads, and then come back over to our side of Greying Town.  I'm glad I took the punt, as traffic was far lighter, and we got to see several things that we wouldn't have spotted on a town centric drive.  

Tea last night was pizza and wedges.  I decided to use one of the YS'd pizzas I had bought from MrT.  It was a thin base (not my favourite), chargrilled veg one.  It wasn't very big, and I have to say, I am glad I only spent £1.26 on it, as it wasn't worth any more.  I also warmed up a couple of slices of our HM black olive pizza, as I didn't think LG would like the vegetable one.  But of course, they wanted to try it, so everything was portioned out, and LG claimed they liked the veg one......  The wedges were OK, but the tatties I got from MrL were 'Lamorna' which were a bit too waxy/salady to make nice chips/wedges.  But everything was edible, so.....  We had a choc-ice for pud.  Not very balanced, but there was veg in there, and we don't eat out really, so a bought pizza, once in a while, shouldn't harm.  We'd finally finished off the rest of the YS'd strawberries at lunchtime - they were nom! and I cooked up the YS'd mushies with onion and garlic, so they are now in the freezer ready to top a future HM pizza or go into a risotto or whatever.

Right, my coffee cup is empty, so I better go get a refill and see what the troops are doing.  Ta for popping by.  

Greying X

Cherryfudge

LOL over the wagtails and chaffinches: we don't get many of either round here, the best amusing bird activity has been the bewilderment of collared doves and pigeons when they discover a favourite perch at the top of a (pruned) tree is no longer there. Just like humans, they can't adapt mid flight, so they perch anyway, looking disconcerted, then work out eventually that they are going to have to find another parking space.

Talking of parking spaces, we used that hotel chain before catching a flight and paid to leave the car while we had a few days away. It felt safer to leave it in sight of reception and the price was comparable to parking at the airport, even with taxis included. However, hotels are pricing themselves out of our reach at the moment so I'm glad we live in a beautiful area and have holiday things within reach. I've not given up on exploring, but it will be more limited now.

Greying_Pilgrim

Cherryfudge - our resident pigeons are doing a far more **ahem** "earthy" activity on our garden fences... seems like the sap has finally risen by teatime each evening.........  But I did laugh at the thought of the "cargo planes" of the bird world trying to do a mid flight U-turn in your garden and just not being able to stop momentum 🤣

You've hit the nail on the head Cherryfudge - pricing themselves out of our budgetary orbit is entirely right.  I agree about 'longer term' parking sometimes being convenient - I know one or two of our local supermarkets have time limits for shoppers, but it is possible for people working in the vicinity to park at the supermarket, if they pay a daily rate - I have no idea if it compares favourably to public car parks (which the council operate, and have just hiked the rates upwards), but again, it's a bit of a schlep into town etc  Although i think they are battling an issue with students from the local tertiary college swamping any free parking areas now that a new annexe has opened, slightly out of town.  You did make me recall a thought that I had yesterday - because we went to bits of Greying Town that we've not been to in a while, and because there were more 'visitors' around, I did think to myself "we'll be visitors in our own home town" - which is often a good thing to do.  Like any other town, we've had our fair share of unsociable behaviour and the place looking down at heel, with boarded up premises and litter and grime everywhere.  But the town has some historic attractions, and goes through cycles of prosperity, or activity or energy, and when those factors align, it is an interesting place to be.  Even yesterday we saw some art in a location and we were able to get up close and view it, all for free.  I've already given up hope of taking LG on holiday to Cornwall/Devon or even the Lake District - those places are saturated, and way out of our affordability levels.  But I suppose I didn't go to those places as a child either, so perhaps concentrating on just "getting out and about", and enjoying your time, and the company of who you are with are more important factors to hand down?  

Having said that 2/3rds of Team Greying have gone off on an adventure.  The weather isn't as bad as was forecast here, so I encouraged DH go to the event he suggested if he wanted to, and LG has of course accompanied their beloved papa.  It's costing slightly more, as DH didn't get an advance ticket, but I whipped up a batch of snap, and hopefully there will be plenty to see and it'll keep them occupied for a while.  Potentially it could be most of the day, but I still have my reservations about LG not getting bored after a very short time - happy to be proved wrong tho.  

I'm going to risk washing DH's work stuff.  The weather was supposed to be worse this morning, getting better as the day wore on, so given it's bright at the mo, it may start to dry.  

Right, best shift-a-tail feather.

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Hope the adventurers have had a successful day! 😊

Greying_Pilgrim

I think they have Cheery.  i've had a couple of pics and a video call and they seemed to be enjoying themselves.  Ice-cream has been partaken of 😁They are not back yet, so either DH is intent on getting his money's worth, or they are interested enough to stay to the end of the event.  Or perhaps they are just stuck in traffic.

Greying X