YnysMon

Most probably the ‘going up to’ in those cases preceded the invention of the railways.

Dont start...I'm easily confused!

Definitely down (and up the Chet)!

Really extended Christmas then…not looking forward to Boxing Day?

I suppose there are some compensations for being an only child. I just went along with what I thought my Mam would have wanted, with no one to question it. On the other hand, you do have to sort out everything. End of life arrangements can often cause rifts, which I’m sure is the last thing our parents would want. Sam’s post struck me. I guess some people think it would be better to take all that stress away, and not put the family through a funeral, but for Graham and I, we felt that the funerals of our mothers really helped to give us solace. I was going to say closure, but having been so close to my Mam, as Graham was to his Mum, I don’t think that’s an accurate expression.

Oh Kate, I hope you manage to sort things out. If not, try not to worry to much. I’m sure your Mum wouldn’t have wanted her ‘arrangements’ to get between you and your siblings. One thing I keep stressing to my sons is not to argue about ‘things’ when we are gone, but to take care of each other.

Coo, you must have been some of the first incomers to Milton Keynes. We didn’t get there until 1983, the year we got married. 1977 was the year Graham and I started dating.

Sorry, I can’t help with whether this is a good machine, except to say I’ve been pondering whether to buy a multifunction cooker too. Wondering if the investment would eventually pay for itself in fuel costs. At the moment I have a (1970s vintage…but none the worse for that) pressure cooker, a slow cooker and a steamer. I use the three tier steamer the most often, followed by the slow cooker. I need to use the latter more to save energy costs. Haven’t used the pressure cooker for ages. I have been wondering whether to get a thermal cooker though. The ultimate in fuel saving.

When I was growing up in Holyhead (a railway town) I could never work out why people said they were going up to London. they were going south…for goodness sake! I didn’t even figure it out when I worked for Sealink (then part of the public-owned BR). It wasn’t until I moved to MK and worked in Watford and then Bletchley stations that it dawned on me that there were up slow and fast lines to Euston and corresponding down slow and fast lines. The penny finally dropped!

That’s a good idea! I had been hoping to post a few more photos and a video from yesterday. Sons Harry and Alec took the dogs out, but Harry went off to work today without sharing them with me.

This thread is making me look forward to our next trip even more! Roll on 30th December. Yes, I know I’m wishing away Christmas…can’t help it!

Grumpy Helen here. One thing that slightly irritates me is when people say they are going upriver when (for example) they are settling out from Beccles in the direction of Great Yarmouth. It seems quite prevalent. I’ve always thought that upriver was away from the sea and downriver toward the sea. Have I been mistaken all this time? My cousin did comment the other night, when we were having a ‘putting the world to rights’ sort of phone conversation, that we are turning into a couple of female Victor Meldrews. I guess is an age thing. On the other hand.

Is this thread drift?

That’s good news. As you know, I kept losing sight of Seren in all the growth in September.

I hope I’m wrong, but…

I loved the gesture of scattering the flowers brought from your Mum’s garden. What a lovely way to tie the memory of your Mum with your love of the Broads. Also, I’m so glad for you that you had that last holiday with your Mum on board Springer’s Retreat.

We’ve had fairly mild winters recently. I know rivers (including the mighty Thames) have frozen over in the past, but I haven’t heard of the rivers freezing over in recent years. Broads yes, as they are shallow, so we are cautious about where we moor up in winter. The weather can turn though, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on weather forecasts when we are next out and about at the beginning of the year.

Go into Aldi and ask if they have a token for the trolley. We have a blue plastic trolley token that we got from either Lidl or Aldi and keep in the car for such eventualities.

Thanks so much for sharing your holiday. We stayed in Minehead a couple of years ago and walked along the coast over to Porlock. We didn’t manage to get down to Porlock Wier though, which I would love to have visited. We were just too exhausted and needed food by the the time we got to the village. I’d love to visit the area again as there was so much to see and do.

I've been wondering how we'll get on with both of them on Moonlight Shadow. I'm comforted by the thought that if Warren (Tempest) and his wife can cope on board with two Newfies, then we should be okay with Seren and Pozzick. I'm expecting that she'll be at her usual outlook point by the windscreen and he'll just chill somewhere, probably on the sofa next to Graham.

This morning when Graham brought me up a mug of tea the dogs came up to say good morning too (our morning ritual). Seren kept pawing Pozzick's backside until he turned and chased her downstairs. They are starting to have a really good time together. Seren is certainly reliving her puppyhood!

Seren is getting way too excited play fighting with Pozzick. Tried calming her down so peace reigns again, but should I just let them get on with it? He seems to be taking it all in his stride.

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

Congratulations Ian and Marina. It certainly sounds like you made the right move!

It does look very spartan at present and with the lack of any soft furnishings, not even curtains, must be terribly echoey. It doesn't look very appealing I'm afraid. I hope 'not finished' means that they will soften the look a bit.