addicted

Great news that your Grandson has arrived and now you're in for a real treat, having grandkids is a whole new ball game and one you'll enjoy I'm sure. Warmest congratulations. Carole

We. for many years always had the boat lifted and stored on hard standing between November and March. these days recognising it is in fact warmer in the water than out of it during very cold spells.we leave a tube heater on a thermostat in the engine bay. also an oil filled radiator in the both the saloon and aft cabin, We have her lifted during the Summer and antifouled this usually takes a couple of days maximum. We much prefer this way of doing things. It means if we decide to use her during clement weather we can do so. Carole

Just keep your mind focused on your next planned boat visit and you will feel better by default. We're hoping to get back to the boat next Thursday, Can't wait. Carole

I think it's without doubt a management problem. Can't say I've found O'Leary amusing and just now the Ryan Air Pilots are not laughing either it seems. They want rid of him. Carole

What a great shame to see the demise of Monarch airlines. Flown with them many times never had a cause to complain, wish the same could be said for BA, flew with them to Cape Town. The seats were so crammed in together that after putting my handbag on the floor between my feet I was unable to bend down to retrieve it without getting out of my seat and actually standing up. Without an aisle seat that wouldn't have been an option either. On the return flight they left us for 4 hours without offering any form of refreshment. Complaints elicited the response that turbulence made it too difficult for the cabin crew to get round , absolute tosh it had been a really smooth flight, the flight out had been much bumpier but we got service during that. I wouldn't even consider flying with Ryan Air their attitude and reputation precludes that. The best service I 've ever had was with Varig on a flight to Lisbon and KLM Stansted to Edinburgh was pretty good too. Carole

Now there's a creepy thought. I find it a bit tricky to climb out of the bath these days ,but that thought would have me out faster than the speed of light! CarolE

personally I favour Garfield the cartoon cat's method. CarolE

Your friendly house spider has probably gone out into the garden to seek a mate and when it finds one if asked the question "Your place or mine" will no doubt reply "mine" which will in effect be your house. Good luck with that! CarolE

Carol that's really very funny,I choked on my tea! Nice one! CarolE

despite what has been said to the contrary I find conkers really do work Carole

When we put the boat to bed for the winter, we cover the cockpit upholstery with polythene dustbin bags torn open to cover a bigger area or polythene dust sheets make a good job of it as well and are easy to tuck in for a good "fit". Carole

Did anyone else read in the papers over the weekend that we are going to be subjected to a mass invasion of large brown house spiders? Apparently tens of thousands of the oversized blighters are heading for our houses on the back of a year full of ideal conditions for their breeding and survival. As if the approaching winter was not fun enough to look forward to now we have this little joy to anticipate. CarolE (confirmed, card carrying arachniphobic)

Sorry to hear about your mishap. You do look cheesed off in your photo and with very good reason. To have to wait that long for an appointment at the fracture clinic is a disgrace Let's hope you can get it sorted in time to get some boating in before the season grinds to a halt Carole

We used to live fairly close to a big exclusive girls' boarding school so could see their impressive display from our house. I once attended a fireworks display held at a boarding school near Woodford in Essex apparently the whole week prior to the event the headmaster had subjected the boys to numerous safety lectures regarding the use of fireworks. Hevwas in charge of the whole event dealing personally with the setting off of all the fireworks. Shortly after the display began a firework went off that was without doubt the most spectacular we had ever seen. Well it would be really as the idiot had allowed a spark to get into the box and the who!e planned display went off in one go! Carole

This is a horrible time of year for animals wouldn't it be better if one could only buy fireworks if licenced to to so? This preventing those who buy them for nefarious reasons from doing do? And also stopping a lot of accidents as well? Carole

As usual Tim your post is hysterical! In truth when I posted my original post it was never my intention to open such a fierce "can of worms" I was just thoroughly p***ed off at having my little sortee ruined. And wanted to share my pique. Incidently , I believe that it is in Denmark that round hay bales are known as tractor eggs! Carole

I find it so depressing at this time of the year knowing the time to "winterize" is looming ever closer. We've mooted the idea of spending New Year on board this year, I think we probably will. I 'm hoping if this is on the horizon I won't be quite so downhearted when we "clear off" for the winter as I'll have that to look forward to fairly soon. Having said that I've just had a call from the surgery to say the quack isn't happy with one of the blood tests I had last week so have to hope there is nothing going on that will thwart my plans. Carole

We had the same problem in Brundall Bay it went on for practically the who! Season I contacted the council who did make an attempt to find the yard but went to the wrong place! However they were prepared to do something about it as commercial outfits are not allowed to do this apparently because of damaging the air quality. The problem stopped, but I don't know if it came to a natural halt or was prompted by the council. Carole

There was not the possibility of approaching the person responsible for the bonfire it was when I saw it unattended, neither was there any part of Brammerton that was unaffected by the fumes, so moving would have achieved nothing. Had I seen the person responsible I would have no hesitation in pointing out how polluted he had made the air and asked him to extinguish it. The fact remains that no one ought to be obliged to move because of someone else's thoughtless inconsideration. While the fire was on someone' s own land the smell and ash fall out was not, that was in the public domain where it had no place. I wonder if on the back of the growing popularity of wood burners etc. The repealing of the 1956 Clean Air Act in 1964 may be rescinded, there could certainly be a case for that I believe.

I was delighted when the law put paid to the awful practice of burning stubble. The poor creatures who were living in the habitat died a horrible death.Charlie, just because something has been done habitually for a long time doesn't automatically give it credance. Lots of thing have gone out of use because modern society recognised that they were flawed. Did you know that the practice of referring to a woman as a wench is no longer considered acceptable and indeed frowned on by some? There you go you live and learn!

T Thanks for the support. What sane person wants all that sooty smutty residue in thei soft furnishings, carpets etc. Who wants to be deprived of the p!easure of throwing open French doors and windows on a lovely day becausesome selfish person wants to burn some rubbish.Rather than take that route we pay the council to take it away. Carole

Because it's what democracy is all about. It's not about "bowing down" its 'about recognising that minority rule is unfair. Carole

Presumably laws were brought in because people in general couldn't be relied on to live their lives without doing things that were detrimental to other folk. I really don't believe that anyone has the right to create a situation where a popular area used for recreation and by people on holiday is made unpleasant. I don't believe that it's being fussy to object to being given a sore throat by acrid smoke or intolerant to object to my boat being covered with black greasy smuts simply because folk have had bonfires for centuries. There is is a multitude of practices that were carried on for centuries that today's civilised society now recognize as unacceptable and inappropriate in a civilised world. To adopt the attitude "I want to do such and such because it's been done for centuries so you'll just have adjust your preferred way of life to accommodate me" is arrogant in the extreme. Carole

I think if you do that there's a very good chance that Jill will decide to donate you! CarolE

At one time it was an offence to light a bonfire during the day and in fact it still is for business es to do it (builders etc.) It was a good law I wish it was still in effect. The smoke yesterday was really unpleasant and anyone with respiritory problems wouldn't have been able to stay Carole