Lottie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Just waiting for the blackbird to start up now. Not a whisper at the moment! Often you can hear them warming up,their song in a hedge first before they go to singing perches. Usually start singing first just in the evening ....but by end of April you almost want them to shut up!!! Especially at 5 in the morning! Anyway nothing so far this year! Well I was wide awake this morning at 2.30am so after an hour of trying to get back to sleep and with no success I went downstairs to make a cup of tea and then go and sit outside to look at the stars & moon while having my tea, as this is what I do when I can't sleep and the blackbirds and other birds were singing away at 3.30am. I wonder if the bright moon made them think it was nearly dawn? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Hmm might try this when I can't sleep next time....if it's warm enough....a nice thing to do! When I first moved here .....after living in London for thirty years with no outside space I used to go out around midnight before going to bed as it was so nice to be able to do this in ones own garden!! Because you can see the sea in the distance(bay of Saltdean) when the moon is in a certain position.....low in the sky.... at certain points in the year and it is very calm....it looks like Swan Lake out there with the silvery moon reflecting on the sea. The irony is when I was staying up in London last week first a blackbird woke me up singing right outside the window at about 5.30!! And then a fox started barking very close.....he looked in good nick too!! This is just off Liverpool Road in the middle of Islington!! There were a few blackbirds singing on the allotment this evening but still nothing in our garden this year yet.......though lots of other birds are singing now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 LinMM, it's very peaceful, usually, to sit out in the dark wrapped up warm when needed. Glad it's dark so no one can see me! In a few weeks time the dawn chorus is usually a very noisy time especially as I like to have the bedroom window open. Do you know that it's usually the blackbird, robin and wren who starts singing first. At dusk it can get quite loud again then occasionally we see the bats fly about at dusk. I live in a small town in Wiltshire and am lucky to have lots of bird life around us all year. Swifts should be hear at the end of April. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Dh and I saw our first swallow on Monday whilst sitting in a pub garden. There were also 3 red kites circling around but we were more excited about the swallow! And we hadnt finished our drinks then.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pud Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I have just been for a walk in our stunning local woods - just me, my badly behaved dog and a huge beautiful Stag watching us from the other side of the stream! I have returned home with mud up to my knees thankful for what would have been my old Gran's (born 1890 and died aged 102) Room 202 item - the automatic washing machine!! I think I have to agree with her! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The cherry blossom are in bloom! Always a big deal in the Washington DC area. There's an annual festival downtown, and today is the last day of it, so the flowers are out just in time (I think they've been out a bit longer down there than here in the suburbs). A few years ago they were out in late March, but the last couple of years we've had a major cold snap in February and March so they've been later. Some nice pics here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/04/08/cherry-blossoms-are-bursting-toward-peak-bloom-in-d-c-photos/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Lovely Piccies. Cherry blossom just coming out here....but some still in bud still. My next door neighbour has that huge cherry with the double pink blossom which is still in bud but most years is at its best around last week in April. After that it looks like we've had a wedding in the garden for a couple of weeks! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Blossom is a big deal where I live too as there is a Blossom trail through the county which is 40 miles long and a cycle trail too for the adventurous. It runs from late March approx. into May and is blossom from plums and damsons, followed by pear trees and lastly the apple trees. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Finally a blackbird singing its head off in our garden today!! When I moved here nearly 15 years ago now there was a lot of blackbird song in all the local gardens however it has slowly got less and less. I think it is because as houses have changed hands people have pulled down quite a lot of bushes and trees ......mostly to concrete over their front drives or make more or most of front garden into car ports. So there are just not the number of nesting sites around here that there used to be. So now you just hear one or two singing rather than one singing in almost every garden. About ten years ago I recorded this blackbird song so at least I have that but it's a bit sad really. Also in this time the thrushes have completely disappeared. There hasn't been one single one in my garden for about five years now though luckily we do have an allotment adjoining a more wooded area down in Rottingdean and there are still plenty of blackbirds and thrushes singing there. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 A big shout out for our paramedics! In the last few years I have had cause to have contact with these wonderful people, and today I had to use this service again for a very poorly father. Every time I see them they are professional, friendly, knowledgable and make you feel completely safe and that they are in control of a very scary situation. Amazing people. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 First raspberries from garden! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Went to see Wayne McGregor's L' Anatomie de la Sensation at the Opera Bastille on Saturday and was delighted when just before curtain up an usherette moved everyone in my row nine rows forward to an empty one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Having booked a much needed holiday abroad for October half term, I was upset to get an email informing me that the hotel I had carefully chosen was closing early and would not be available. Wrong thread you may think, but the lovely surprise is that the holiday company have not only upgraded us to a 5 star hotel, but also from a twin room to a junior suite. Bonus! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I had a big problem with the hotel I'd booked for my last holiday, mainly to do with the facilities failing to match what had been advertised on the website. I rang the booking site, Low cost holidays, and they solved the problem and paid the extra for us to stay in a superior room. They were brilliant! I'd picked the hotel after reading the reviews on Trip Advisor and it was the first time I'd felt let down by them. One of the posters had described the hotel as 'a little gem' when it wasn't even a rhinestone. Some people must have very low standard I suppose, but there was no way I'd describe a hotel where when you sat on the toilet your feet were in the shower tray in those terms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I'm putting The Bridge series three into room 202! what a b*****y brilliant series this has been!! I literally don't move off the spot for two hours! I just love Saga and totally believe in her....all credit to the actress Sofia Helin Even if the story line is a bit over the top sometimes it's done in such a way as to draw you in so you believe it's all possible. Dark but beautiful somehow. Even Emil caught my sympathy. And saga and Hendrik are right for each other somehow ....so a very moving ending. Well people are talking about wanting a fourth series and indeed all I want for Christmas is another series of The Bridge!! But in another way it's also a final ending in itself......Saga is finding love .....and it's returned.... what more can you want!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 Well it's Christmas Day so has to be something positive!! Only the two of us but eating chestnuts and drinking The yearly bottle of Baileys so had to have a quick look at some ballet and found this gem of a young dancer Beatriz Stix Brunell who I am looking forward to seeing in Two Pigeons in January in rehearsal with Wayne Magregor. Surprisingly although he is often not that highly approved of for his choreography if I was a dancer I think I would love to work with him he comes across well in this video anyway. Hope the link works and cheers everybody!http://youtu.be/4wMxjfZ9Eq0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 When you get to your hotel room on tour & the receptionist says "Well we don't have many clients staying tonight so I'll give you a free upgrade" ahhhh luxury 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 to balance my Room 101 moan about gym machine hoggers, last night at the gym brought a smile.... a guy was shoulder-pressing his girlfriend! They must have been dancers - he span her across his chest and hip then up across his shoulders, then lifted her overhead twice. Not something you see every day in an East End gym... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 SP you are clearly having a glamorous existence!! I bet you wouldn't have thought it a year ago!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 SP you are clearly having a glamorous existence!! I bet you wouldn't have thought it a year ago!! Haha touring isn't all glamorous though- the bus can't get up the BW driveway which is about a mile long so we have to walk up at 3am when we get back after a show lol 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Hee hee - yes not a driveway I'd choose at that time of day! Worth it for the views though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 If you've read my post on the RB/Wheeldon thread you will realise that I had 2 pretty horrendous journeys on Saturday. The problem with the outward journey was not, I must add, a problem with Virgin Trains but an incident on the line south of Runcorn. As a result, I wasn't even going to try and complain. And I didn't even realise we got cash back these days rather than vouchers. I have just received this email: It's made my morning! We're sorry that your journey on 13th February arrived late. Some slightly better news is that you're entitled to £13.20 in compensation through our Delay Repay scheme, as you booked your tickets at virgintrains.com. You don't need to lift a finger and we'll credit it back to the card you paid with. We're sorting this out for you now and it should be with you soon. We'll be in touch again once the money has reached you. To find out more about Automatic Delay Repay click here. We hope this experience hasn't discouraged you from travelling with us in future. Rest assured, we're working hard with our colleagues at Network Rail to improve our service. We look forward to welcoming you back onboard soon, Virgin Trains 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Excellent! Would that more train companies would do that. I'm still trying to get a small amount of money out of Southeastern, and they are making it ridiculously hard: I sent them all the proof they needed, and they returned it, asking for the very proof I'd given them. I think I may just give up - I really only put that claim in to make a point, and am not sure I can be bothered to waste the time and energy on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 I know what you mean Alison. I started work on a project based in Bath and was commuting by train between Liverpool and Bath on a weekly basis for 2 years. I started 3 weeks before the Hatfield crash so for most of that time we were on the emergency (much longer lasting journeys) timetable. Virgin Trains could not manage to achieve that and I made a point of claiming every time the train was terminated at Crewe and I had no idea how long it was going to take to get the rest of the way home. I was entitled to £7 in vouchers for every qualifying delay. At one stage I had over £200 in vouchers! After 2 years, I was officially based back in Liverpool but was able to drive to Bath several times a month as I could claim the parking back. I had some unbelievably horrendous road journeys too! Over the years I have come to believe that the worst journey you can do in this country is from the North West of England to the South West of England. I have to say that Virgin Trains have greatly improved their service since the Pendolino trains were introduced and the staff are usually very helpful and courteous. (To finish on a positive note!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porthesia Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 You may remember two years ago when DD broke her foot and was left on the train at Euston when the service I had booked failed. Virgin sent a cheque - still waiting for Euston to acknowledge my email!! As far as I am concerned Euston were at fault and any recompense should have come from them. The stations all receive money from Virgin and the other rail companies to offer this service, it was Euston's staff at fault, not Virgin's. I do think that Virgin are one of the best companies around and I would vote for Branson as PM anytime. I keep hoping Virgin will get the contract for Southern Rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Getting a phonecall from DD overseas - had not expected her to get hold of some free wifi for at least a week. Very daunting waving your 19 year old off at the airport and other than a text saying 'landed' and another saying 'arrived & unpacking' having no news. Now I've heard her voice I know she is happy! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) I am amused by that ad for a car breakdown/rescue company. The kids are ready to go when dad finds he can't get the car started. He says something along the lines of he won't be able to get them to school and the look of pure delight on their faces from the back seats is so funny. It brings back memories! The boy in the front seat is completely uninterested. The rescue people come and get the car started however, and so off they go to school after all. The look of utter disappointment on that little girl's face as the car moves away is priceless. It just makes me laugh when so many ads are otherwise completely lacking in any originality or wit nowadays, particularly some of those aimed at 'older' people which can be horribly patronising as though we have lost the plot and have to be spoken to v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w-l-y-&-l-o-u-d-l-y. I think it is the same breakdown company with the three gormless lads dressed as cheerleaders which is also funny. Edited February 26, 2016 by Jacqueline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 many ads are otherwise completely lacking in any originality or wit nowadays, particularly some of those aimed at 'older' people which can be horribly patronising as though we have lost the plot and have to be spoken to v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w-l-y-&-l-o-u-d-l-y. They do talk like that in all those ads for funeral plans, stairlifts, cholesterol-reducing gunge and the like, don't they! Are they assuming that increase in age = decrease in IQ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 They do talk like that in all those ads for funeral plans, stairlifts, cholesterol-reducing gunge and the like, don't they! Are they assuming that increase in age = decrease in IQ? The worst current offender for me is the series of ads for a child free holiday destination, where the guests are all behaving in a manner that would make me run a mile. It comes across more like a maximum security twilight home than a top class holiday destination. As for the stairlifts, the only good one was where the old lady switched the chair on and G.L. shot up the stairs and out through the window. Although the ad was actually for crisps! Otherwise, they all seem to portray 'old folk' as helpless and stupid, but hopefully willing to spend their money. What's that one about that says you can pay in until you are 90, but you may get less out than you pay in, due to inflation. Sounds like a cracking deal. And if you die before you are 90, you'll get nowt. Moving along, I like that price comparison site ad with the body popping(?) security guard. I can't imagine being that flexible, with my creaky old knees ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Otherwise, they all seem to portray 'old folk' as helpless and stupid, but hopefully willing to spend their money. What's that one about that says you can pay in until you are 90, but you may get less out than you pay in, due to inflation. Sounds like a cracking deal. And if you die before you are 90, you'll get nowt. You get nowt if you decide to stop paying the premiums as well. Might as well spend the lot on riotous living instead 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've seen these "child free" holidays in the holiday brochures and although as a retired teacher thought I'd be tempted by them eventually .....in reality I realised that when I'm on holiday in "normal hotels" I actually enjoy the general noise of the children around and what would I do if I couldn't keep up my child watch on the pool just in case any hard working parents have fallen asleep and forgotten their three year old might suddenly decide to get adventurous!! Well exaggerating a bit here as I'm just as likely to fall asleep....but teachers often do find it difficult on the whole to switch off from monitoring what's going on! And I never get tired of seeing babies introduced to the water for the first time!! So no leave the "child free" holidays well alone I say .....it's easy enough to become an old fogey as it is! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 I'm putting Icelandic accents in Room 202, as exemplified here by a young and borderline-elf Bjork : https://www.nowness.com/picks/bjork-the-sugarcubes-television-talk-1988?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=SM&utm_campaign=FB280316 It's a charming intonation, and those split vowels and voiceless aspirants (like the 'h' she manages to get into the middle of 'not') suggests it's the original language is one that likes to take its time. Delightful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqueline Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Spring is here! I know this because the young-ish man who walks past my house to and from his place of work, has changed his hair do. Today he is sporting a mohican, green on the sides and purple on top. He looks a little like a Scottish thistle, I don't know if it is intentional. He has been walking by for about two years now and I have never seen anyone move so slowly. He carries a can of what I think is some sort of energy drink, otherwise he might not make it at all. Once I was passing him on the pavement and he accepted a lift from his boss, who I know. I wondered if the sudden rush of speed might make his head hurt. His hair will grow from now on, into an asymmetrical shape, rather like Phil Oakey of Human League, only without the high gloss finish. It will go through several colour changes until we reach next spring, when he will have it cut again. He sometimes walks with another young man who is currently sporting what I think is an extremely unfortunate do, short and flesh coloured round the sides and with a top knot/man bun dyed bright pink. I hardly need say what that looks like from a distance. Does he not realise? Should I tell him? I think not. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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