Anon2

54 minutes ago, JohnS said:

St George’s Day was always the day we heard the cuckoo in Kent and we very occasionally saw the cuckoo sitting on the telegraph wires. It’s tending to be early May in Cumbria before hearing the cuckoo. But is there any cuckoo news from Forum members this year?

Not yet in Suffolk. 
Just sat in garden listening to all the bird song. 

ENBS is a school with funded places under the DaDA scheme. I can’t see any information on the ENBS site about DaDA but if you search Dance and Drama Awards there is plenty of information on the government website. 

1 hour ago, daughtersdance said:

Please could anyone explain what this means from our Dada application 2020/21?

Does it mean you can't have a Dada and a student loan at the SAME TIME? 

So, therefore it would make sense that students can get the student loan after the Dada?

I have youngest DD on MDS and about to have oldest DD on Dada (yes, people do feel sorry for me😂)   I am so interested in what happens if they change their minds!

"If you hold a DaDA, you cannot apply for a Higher Education (HE) student loan. Students who 
may also be enrolled on a HE degree programme alongside the TCL diploma course are not 
permitted to access HE student support as well as being in receipt of Dada funding."

We understood that to mean at institutes that offered different level courses eg Laines offer a degree or Trinity diploma,  you couldn’t apply for funding for both courses. 

Because of information I’d read on the forum regarding Student Finance not being available if you have had a DaDA or have a Trinity Level 6 I have been anxiously waiting to see what would happen when Dd applied for finance. Within a week of applying she had her student finance confirmed for her course (hopefully) starting this autumn.  
 

Dd was in the second year group that were in the new means tested DaDA so I don’t know if the rules have changed with the new scheme. 
 

Anyway big sigh of relief

My Dd did a number of these courses but a few years ago. The director of the course did a lot of the teaching alongside another teacher from a well known non vocational school. Most of the guest teachers were from the big London ballet companies and I imagine are freelancing, they occasionally cancelled at the last moment and another well known dancer would take their place. 
The premises used when dd attended were ROH, RAD and Rambert. As all of these buildings are currently closed I can’t imagine he is being charged for his booking, unless I am being naive. 

I had the pleasure of meeting him in the 1980’s at a British Lung Foundation event. He was an absolute delight and so kind to the young boy I was accompanying. 
RIP 

Nationwide letter was in my post today. Along with the covid -19 letter from Downing St. No fun mail at all. 

1 hour ago, taxi4ballet said:

I reckon you can't beat a bowlful of scalding hot bubbly water and a clean cloth.

😂 It’s normally my work mug. Sometimes the tea stands in it for a few hours and the cloth looks anything but clean. I won’t touch it! 

54 minutes ago, Anna C said:

Well I’m glad I’m not the only one having trouble buying flour!  Like you good folk, I shop for flour when the flour canister is almost empty. I mainly use plain flour for yorkshire puddings, birthday cakes or thickening sauces and casseroles and Waitrose/Ocado/Tesco are all out of stock.  Mr C managed to get two tiny bags in Asda the other day.  

 

Eggs and Cauliflower are also in very short supply.  Why would you stockpile either of those? 🤔

Eggs I was managing to get from the end of people’s drives on daily walk but noticed the huts have been empty over last few days but their chickens must still be laying 🤷‍♀️
Funnily enough cauliflower was substituted for broccoli  in my online shop the other day. 

I’ve baked own bread for ever and can’t find flour either. I usually have an unopened bag of each type of flour in pantry as reserve but that now nearly gone too. 

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I saw part of a programme ages ago that said the only 3 things you need to clean and sterilise your house are white vinegar, Milton's baby sterilising solution (or equivalent) and I can't remember what the third one was.

 

An author I follow, who started his career as a Vet, said the best thing they found for swabbing their examination tables down was bog standard toilet bleach.

 

I know some people may not be able to cope with the aromas but it may be of some help if you can't get what you usually use.  

 

BTW the clear Dettol surface spray looks very similar to a Tesco ownbrand one I was looking at for a friend the other day.  (There were plenty of sprays and other cleaning product available but not a single Dettol one.)

I think the third one is probably washing up liquid. I watched a programme where they were making differing solutions in spray bottles depending on what they were wanting to clean. 
 

I use Milton to clean cups etc that are stained and use left over solution to wipe kitchen sides. It too will bleach clothes though if not careful. 

4 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

Well that's opened up a whole new world for me!!!  Do I need one - of course not - do I want one - of course I do (cabin fever setting in!)

 

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/s?k=monitor+riser+stand&qid=1586253397&ref=sr_pg_1

😂😂

If you search ‘monitor riser stand’ there are a few on Amazon - wood, Perspex and glass. 
For some reason can’t do links from phone and computer in use for husband working from home. 

26 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Not on its side - it might not be stable enough - but slice the top section off, take out one of the long sides and invert what's left, and that might work, I suppose  

 

 

I was thinking of those angled laptop riser stands, and couldn't quite work out what you meant, but now I look at it, something like this is not a bad idea:

https://displaypro.co.uk/products/acrylic-monitor-stand?variant=7441121804335&currency=GBP&utm_campaign=gs-2019-12-11&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uS2yMLU6AIVFuDtCh009gaNEAQYECABEgKvBvD_BwE

 

My concern remains that something with such thin "feet" would end up making serious dents in the pine when bearing a heavy load, though ...

I found wooden ones when I googled that are similar to the Perspex one. I’ll look again later and try to post a link. 
Did wonder if you could make your own. Most timber merchants will cut to size and can’t imagine it would take much to construct something simple. 
 

Edited to add: Could you get plastic dots to pad the ‘foot’ to stop it marking pine? 

Computer/LCD riser stand? No idea if they would be big enough but assume same principle 
 

Where you given a set of terms and conditions when you signed up to the course? 
Citizen’s Advice or Trading Standards may be a source of help. 

We get a good mix of birds in our garden being rural and surrounded by woods but what I’ve enjoyed the last couple of days is watching the blackbirds going about their business. They’ve been amusing to watch as they hop along the fence in groups all keeping an equal distance from each other and then one leaving the line to rummage through the grass cuttings. Once he’s done rejoins the line up, bit more moving up and down the fence and another has a turn to rummage. It looks so well choreographed. 
 

The woodpeckers are very active already, can hear them early every morning. We’re also seeing the tree bumblebees back this year, they’ve returned to last years nest in the loft. 

@Beryl H on the British Heart Foundation website it states all shielding letters will arrive by 2nd April. So if you think you are in that group still time to receive one. 
 

2 hours ago, Beryl H said:

I'm don't think I've been officially told to self isolate as I haven't received a letter from the NHS to "shield" myself , suppose I'm just an ordinary 70+ able to use the supermarket special hours, managed to get some Paracetamol yesterday in Tesco, was so happy, but it has to be diluted and has a funny flavour

 

The categories for shielding are very specific and include those post transplant, people who are immunosuppressed etc. They have very detailed advice about what they should and shouldn’t do for at least the next 12 weeks. These people are more likely to become infected if exposed to the virus and as already compromised will be very ill and have  a poor outcome. 

Those of us that are in the vulnerable category as identified on Monday 16th March are those over 70 and those with a specific health condition including diabetes, heart conditions, Parkinson’s etc. The advise is to observe rigorously social distancing guidelines. This group are no more likely to become infected than anybody else but are more likely to suffer serious consequences from the virus should they catch it, that is more likely to end up in an intensive care bed with a poor outcome. 
 

Since then the lockdown is to try to ensure all are observing social distancing. 

At these increasingly difficult times I just want to say that I’m thinking of this community and hope all stay safe.
Keep washing your hands as you or your family/housemates could be carrying the virus. 
To the key workers, especially NHS on the frontline I can’t find the words to express my gratitude. 
Best wishes to all x 

1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I know!  I sometimes get the impression he would rather live there and visit me occasionally.  The people who run the kennels are real dog people and all the dogs are fussed over.

I use a cattery that I think my cat prefers to home 😂 Think he knows he’s totally secure but can see the outside without worrying about neighbouring cats or ducks harassing him. Also they pander to his need for a constant supply of food. 

@Jan McNulty his little tail is going ten to the dozen 

We are so rural Alison, real trek to supermarkets. Local Coop hoping for supplies tomorrow, sadly I’m working. Hoping husband can find some on way home from work. 
Luckily no shortage on eggs, we don’t have hens but easy to pick up at end of people’s drives around here. 

20 minutes ago, Fonty said:

Those people who have cleared the shelves of flour.  I cannot get any anywhere locally.  I just wonder what people are doing, buying all these bags.  We make all our own bread and cakes, and it would never occur to me to buy more than one bag of whatever I need at any time, and then replace it when it has run out.

 

Of course, Sod's Law dictates I run out right now, not two weeks ago. 😒

I had the same problem. Make own bread and couldn’t get yeast or flour. 

Something that feels a little light hearted in view of what is happening internationally. 
 

I live in the middle of nowhere with no near neighbours. January 2019 a workman knocked on door to ask if I was going out that day. Asked him why he needed to know. Because he was from Openreach and they were digging a trench across the drive to lay cable. Hang on what? After a lot of negotiations and visits from the powers that be we gave permission for openreach to dig trench across our land including drive as long as all was made good. If we refused the other homes in our village would remain without cable. 
 

Over a year later with no connection to any properties we realise the last few water bills have all been estimates. Husband decides to read meter, can’t find it. Out on verge trying to make guesses as to where it was and pocking deep into soil trying to hear something metallic. Kept hitting flints and realise verge is a good few inches higher than it was before openreach got there hands on it. Going to be interesting getting Openreach back to find the water meter.