Sheffield

FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY

ER....
As The Pickler has pointed out in his comment on yesterday’s blog, I seem to have made a veritable dog’s breakfast - a pig’s ear - of correctly identifying who took the picture of the Highland cow, and , in doing so, have inadvertently given credit where none is due. My apologies to both parties.

I need a holiday. Speaking of which....

A DIRTY PICTURE IN A GOLDEN FRAME
The Nightshifts for Saturday and Sunday morning have already been pre-recorded. So, when you hear my effete tones warbling at you over the next two nights, I will, in fact, be on my holidays and many miles away. Well, about 120 miles away, to be exact - in Sheffield. It may seem something of an odd destination to choose for a few days away but - as many of you probably know - I lived there for 11 years until 1994 and have many friends there to ‘catch up with’. But there are many other reasons for visiting the city....

When I was growing up in East Durham it wasn’t the land of rural calm that it is now. It was in many ways a terrifying industrial landscape of pithead gear, pit heaps, steam trains, industry, poverty and ugliness. But my family - especially my Aunty Mill, a doughty lady from Chester-le-Street - brought me up to realise that whatever pleases or displeases the eye is only skin-deep; that the heart and spirit of local people were there to be found in bucketfuls. I also learned a lifelong lesson about the ‘built environment’, too; East Durham may not have won any beauty contests at the time, but that only meant that its gems were hidden from general view and had to be sought out. And this made them all the more valuable when they were found. My head is still full of such places, often unheeded by passers-by. I hope to return to this aspect of County Durham in a later posting.

And the lesson was brought home to me in a big way when I moved to Sheffield from London in 1983. Local people told me that it was Dr Johnson who made the ‘dirty picture’ remark about Sheffield, no doubt accurately for the times. The fearful magnificence of the town’s steelworks concealed extraordinarily dangerous work that bred the same community spirit with which I was familiar in East Durham. Sheffielders share few of the stereotypical Yorkshire characteristics of dourness, self-satisfaction and suspicion of outsiders. I found them warm, responsive, down-to-earth (OK - that IS a Yorkshire trait!) and caring - with a huge wodge of good-hearted humour thrown in for good measure. They were also as proud of their city as many Novocastrians or Sunderlanders are of theirs.

And there is much to be proud of. The city ‘buzzes’ day and night; like its people, it’s full of vibrant life whilst retaining the ‘homeliness’ that makes many of its citizens call it ‘the world’s largest village’. Its socialist credentials are impeccable and it was one of the cities which pioneered the return of the tram to England’s streets - a public transport policy that every urban area in the north-east lags far behind.

The ‘golden frame’ in which Sheffield stands is truly lovely. I lived within two miles of the city centre and yet had views of deep-cut green valleys, open moors, bilberry fields and the encroaching hills of Derbyshire and south-west Yorkshire. Within five minutes of our front door, me and my dog Taxi - a Sheffield mutt - could be strolling in the hidden deeps of the Rivelin Valley. Believe me, it’s quite a city! If you’ve spent any time there, you won’t need me to tell you that.

Interestingly, it shares a very important characteristic with Tyneside and the north-east. Many of the friends I’ll be visiting are only ‘adoptive’ Sheffielders. They moved there to study or work - and couldn’t bear to leave. Just like many of my friends and colleagues in Newcastle.

BOB’S YER UNCLE, FANNY’S YER AUNT
The only genuine north-east place-name in this list - Dragon Town, Shacklehouse, Wham, Hoppywood - is Wham. It’s a small settlement south-west of Bishop Auckland. If you got all the answers right - apples, Deepdale, Yazoo, Rain Man, Kentucky, Amble, Lanford, West Cornforth and Wham - you’ll find that the only possible anagram is AWKWARDLY. This must surely be the only English word with -wkw- in the middle!

THIS BLOG.....
I’m next on-air on Tuesday 26 February - which is also therefore the date of the next blog-posting. Until then, take care and tread softly.

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
ianstuartrobinson@googlemail.com
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN

NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.

148 comments:

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

Hi Ian "sheffield" a place close to my own heart, but i would never want a piece of its ware in my heart , i refer of course to the steel which in the past has made sheffield so famous,
i can just about remember as a young lad nee high to a grasshopper seeing the steelworks at consett circa early sixties and being confronted by the shear stench of the smelting works,
but at the same time my first pocket knife was bought for my at consett and i remember the "made in sheffield" stamp/etching on the blade.

many years have passed since then but the interest in steel in the forms of blades has never gone away.

unfortunatly sheffield seems to have lost some of its prestige name for one reason or another.

continued later please folow

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

further to my last comment please see
http://www.sheffield-cutlery.com/pocketknife.html

i have 2 of the lambs foot knives and before anyone gets squimish over this
its the type of blade and "not what it does"
if you dont believe me do a search for blade types and see what is produced.

the design of the lambs foot knife lend its self to being good for working with wires in all their forms.

when Ian gets back i will send some photos to him of blades at the ends of the spectrum.

please follow for further info

Sid said...

Hello Pickler, your item about steel and the smell of its process brought fond and also harsh memories back to me.I left school in 1959 and went straight into the foundry of CA Parsons in Walkergate, serving my time as an apprentice moulder.It was a busy foundry, it always seemed to be full of noise,fumes and dust.It was hot most days, and everybody was skint well before payday.Yet no matter how hard the day had been we were always able to run for the trolley bus that would get us home.
Are our grandchildren lucky not to have to face some of the awful jobs that we had to do, yes I think they are. But I do miss the hustle and bustle of the big ships in the Tyne.
With Ian being away wouldn't it be nice if we kept ourselves amused here with his blog until he gets back,it would be a great surprise for him and we could learn so much about each other. What do you think?.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

Hi sid , i am all for that! perhaps other "truckshunters" might like to join in!

by the way you have a good 15 years on me i left wallbottle school in 1973-4.

i was certainly working as an apprentice at "ADAMS & GIBBON" in 1974.
my how things have changed.

Sid said...

Hi pickler, you're right, we need the other truckshunters to join in to make this work.I'd love to see Ian's face if this blog was bursting with stories and tales from all our fellow truckshunters, wherever in the world they are!

gillian said...

I think some of us truckshunters are missing something cos i for one havent a clue whats going on above,but it,ll be interesting trying to figure it out,
passing a few hours till ian gets back.. as i sit here in my miss marple hat..........
no clues that,ll spoil it..

Sid said...

Hi Gilly, just a thought I had. I for one will miss Ian's tales and thoughts on this blog when he's away on his hols. So why don't we keep it going with our own thoughts and story's. That way when the boss gets back he'll see we haven't been idle. So go on Gilly...centre stage is yours!

Hildie said...

While the cat's away,the mice will play - is that what the game is?!
I like it! I first of all hope Ian enjoys his few days away.He, unknowingly,came to my rescue the other night, you know.It's all about an ear infection and a perforated ear drum ..... does anyone know what I'm talking about? It was the night of February 14th. - I'd had some ear-ache during the day, but when I went to bed the pain was horrendous. Sleep was not forthcoming,and I didn't know till the next day(when I consulted the doctor) that I was busy perforating an ear-drum. I tossed and turned and squealed a bit, I must admit, and then I thought of Ian on The Nightshift. I searched for my mobile phone, plugged in my enhancement and listened to Ian's dulcid tones in my poorly ear.It didn't stop the pain but it blocked out the horrid noises that were going on inside the ear itself. So, thank you ,Ian, for getting me through that night!

Hildie said...

I forgot to say that I went on your web-site,Pickler,and I tried to sign your guestbook - but I don't have much success with technical things - so I may not have managed to sign in. However, top marks for trying!

gillian said...

very good idea to keep the blog going.
ive gone blank.
no doubt i,ll think of something,... tick tock thats my brain ticking over...

Lawrence said...

Hi gang,

Yeah keeping the blog active is a top idea, and if we're starting with us, then here's my personal history.

Born 1964 in the general and living in Sidney Grove for 15 years whence I was educated at Wingrove Infants and Junior before moving up to Rutherford in 1976 where I remained an inmate till '82.

In March that year I started to learn the family business and tune pianos, a trade associated with us since my Grandfather, Jack, became apprenticed to Alderson and Brentnalls in Northumberland Street in the early 20's before going on to work for and manage other piano shops of note in the North East before going out as a solo tuner in 1929. He also had his own band, under his name of Jack Heppell playing all the dance halls such as the Milvain, the Wallsend Mem etc...etc...

My father, Cliff having returned from the Ranks of ther Royal artillery in Dulali India (yes... as part of the real concert party that "It ain't 'arf hot mum" was based) at the end of the war took up the art of piano tuning too as well as playing trombone at such places as the Oxford Galleries for Don Smith and Co as well as Les Feeney and many more.

I have been tuning from Kelso to Thirsk and everywhere in between for 26 years now and probably will for another 26 and more to come.

It's fun and you never get 2 days the same, Warkworth one day, Gateshead the next followed by Hexham, Berwick, Durham, Waterhouses, Ferry Hill, Felton, Alnham, Amble Lesbury.... and everywhere else.... it's heavenly to drive round the North East every working day.

As for Sheffield, it's a place I have been to on a number of occasuions, but usually only around the Owlerton area as that's where the Sheffield Tigers race speedway and I visit in persuit of the Newcastle Diamonds and Berwick Bandits as they again fail to make a mark at that track... mind you there's a cracking real ale pub not far from there too, The Cask and Cutler (or The Wellington as I think it's called now) is a magnificent olde worlde pub filled with the finest real ales available, then there's the Fat Cat too.... Sheffield's a canny place like.

Ian's probably very well known to these places as pf course he's a former brewer of fine real ales himself and his Sheffield connection is there too.

Keep the blog rollin... back soon

Lawrence

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

Hi folks and our mascot, Grosvenor the Black Rat.

Loz you brought up the subject of "skidding about on shale" otherwise known as "speedway" , if you were following the sport about 12 years or more ago .

you might just remeber "BOB GRANT" captain of berwick bandits in his latter years.

well if you do i went to wallbottle school with him and have worked in the same workshop as him since 1974 until DEC 17 2k7 , we now work on different site but for the same company.

did you also know that the farm that he was brought up on was paid for by the procedes of his fathers speedway endeavours his knick name was "bomber grant" after his perhaps ruthless tactics.

and my input into this relationship is that "BOB" is a chip off the old block :-) lol.


HILDIE
i am sorry to hear about your unrestfull nights due to ear problems.

IAN we need to get together and talk about "WORT" you know that stuff you get after the "MASH"!

GILLY
hows the sleuthing going miss marple ?
have you worked out what the first 3-4 post were about yet?


SID
i think perhaps miss marple may need few clues about our first posts , that is if plot has not been uncoverd before IAN gets back!

Sid said...

Morning Pickler and other truckshunters, I'm hoping that Gilly Marples will come up with several tales from her full and interesting life. If nothing else is gained from this blog she might have given herself a new title...Gilly Marples. What will Ian make of that?

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

to those of you who have needed or wanted an online feature such as a calendar , i have now set one up!
it can be accessed here http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/TRUCKSHUNTERS?Date=2008-02-17;KW=truckshunters;Op=ShowIt
but please bear in mind it is open to the world .

morning sid , yes there might be a book somewhere here and who knows gilly might rise to the dissy heights of "chief inspector of the truckshunters" i am thinking here about "inspector clusso of the suretie" you know ju-doo
we have nice little group here.

all punns intended , but not any insults thats if there are any!!

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

the address i have just posted for the calendar is incompleat
the correct address is posted below

http://freecal.brownbearsw.com
/TRUCKSHUNTERS?Date=2008-02-26;
KW=truckshunters;Op=ShowIt

please copy and paste into browser URL window.

gillian said...

well hey you "funny" lot,
thats the only name that springs to mind cos i,m totally bamboozled now.
I,m no further forward in coming up with a decent ? what is it when a detective comes to a conclusion.?

I,m thinking this blogs took on a life of its own and how good is that? awesome. only word for it.


where,ve i been to miss all this weird stuff,these weird n wonderful tales.
where have you all been hiding.?

farms in places that sound to me like heaven up near hadrians wall where wildebeests stand posing for pictures,very beautiful they are too, all gods creatures, hope im correct in assuming this.

lions that sit together cosied up looking like they,ve just ate a full sunday lunch.
ditties about sheffield steel, eye openers, hazy school days,inmates,

piano tunings and trombone musicians and descriptions of trips around the north east that open out my world. gobsmacked so im just gonna take it in for a while ..no sense in over dosing myself.

ps the wildebeest? our tara the sprocker is its double without the horns, needs to be on a diet sshh incase r.s.p.c.a are about..

i apologise if ive missed anyone out. its not meant.

i,m gonna read through again. try n make sense of it all.
toodle pip.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

HI there Gilly i had thought wrongly as it is that you had gone into "HIBERNATION" us the small mice as it were will not let nor tolerate this .

we want all the input from all areas .

this looks like i am takeing on the role of papa cat and i dont want that to be the case .

and i dont think "IAN " would want that either .

however ian is not hear why not have a ball of a time.

you can all blame it on me i will
from now on promote myself as an unstable influence.

is that sounding good?

Hildie said...

Don't worry, Pickler, I'm sure it will be fine with Ian - as long as we tidy up and look all innocent for when he gets back - he's really nice, as I'm sure you know - that John's a lucky guy! I was just thinking it must be very odd to be a Radio Presenter - in particular I was thinking it must be odd to be Ian. People recognise him and feel they know him well - and almost expect him to recognise them, from his days on the Blue Bus, but most of the time he won't have a clue who they are. I have met him more than half a dozen times and can say with certainty that he won't know me. Going back to how nice he is .... one day my friend, Chris, and I got a bus up to Castleside when he was there with the bus. We got ourselves involved in the programme a bit and in the end went rushing off to catch the bus home - we tried to scramble up this wall on The Smelters' Arms car park (not a pretty sight, us clambering up a wall) - anyway, by the time we managed it , we had missed the bus to Dipton. Consequently, and merely as an effort to cheer ourselves up, we went into the pub, bought two halves of lager and sat on a wooden picnic bench outside the pub. We watched Ian finish broadcasting the programme as we whiled away the time for the next bus to arrive. Well, you have probably guessed the ending of my tale by now - and yes, he did .... when Ian came off-air, he gave us a lift. I doubt he will even remember, but Chris and I have often sung his praises because of it. If we keep talking about him when he's away he might not go again!

Lawrence said...

Evening all,

Great story about Ian's kind heart, Hildie, he's a good 'un alright and one of the most realistic and down to Earth radio presenters I think I've come accross.

Now Mr. Pickler, Bob Grant, or Rob as he was (still is) known in Speedway circles is a bloke I've known for about 20 years and ran his fan club at Berwick for his testimonial season.

Rob is still seen regularly at Berwick and Newcastle Speedways.

I should have twigged you worked at the same place as he.... you're overalls are the same as his.

His dad, I thought, went under the name of Farmer Grant I had believed, but stand to be corrected and was as wild as they come, as was Rob in his career which was never dull. I hadn't realised the farm had been funded from the speedway earnings though.

Big Rob's son, Rob junior also rides speedway. making his debut for Newcastle at Stoke Potters on his 16th birthday about 8 years ago, and he's still looking to continue his racing this season too.... so the Grant dynasty roars on.

I've been kicking around Speedway (Both Berwick and Newcastle) since 1973 and am currently press officer for the Bandits and press associate for Newcastle, as well as match day DJ and presentation controller for both clubs too and I write for both club;s match day programmes.

This is developing into a very fine blog-thread.

Keep it up

Lawrence

gillian said...

I remember the first time i texted the blue bus prog about 3 years ago, i thought ian a really nice man, down to earth, no airs and graces.

when he mentioned johnston school and langley moor salerooms near me i thought fancy that?

He knows i love durham cathedral too,everything about durham really, a truly awesome place.

I worked in the market place when i first left school didnt like going to work but loved being in the midst of it all, the big green horse,the castle, ect.

when ians on air at night i just laugh, not always good at 2am..
but he has an infectious laugh. you just can,t help laughing.

a tonic..i counted a few laughs there but better than being miserable..

gillian said...

Isnt it strange...
when you have free rein and can write whatever you fancy you can,t think of a thing...hobbies?
at the risk of repeating myself i love mine it gets me up on a morning,
crafting cardmaking,reading ec,

i,m houseboound,have been for eons......
low energy syndrome, but there are people worse off thane me....

Sid said...

Hello everyone...
Gilly, I remember you explaining to Ian about Highland Toffee, it might interest you to know that it is still available. If you type "old fashioned sweets" into any search engine you will get a list of websites that sell lots of memory jerking sweets,ie swizzels,treacle toffee in slabs and Dolly Mixtures etc.
I wonder how many of us here remember sweets being rationed. Coupons were needed to allow you to buy any kind of sweets.Mind you that wouldn't be a problem nowadays,kids would just copy the coupons via their pc, but in those days we played by the rules.
Just as a matter of interest I searched the meaning of our leaders name.....
IAN, Scottish origin, means "God Is Gracious". How apt.

gillian said...

hiya everyone, thanks sid i did love the toffee, loved midget gems too in fact addicted to them to the point i went into different shops just like an addict so they wouldnt suss how many i was consuming. any guesses..?

this was not too long ago so its not just kids who demand "ket" thats the name for it round here.

traffic light lollies, sherburt, bubbly,spanish, butterkist ive just bought a bag, i can pretend i,m at the "flix"...

Thats a lovely snippet about ians name....

I went on a fairy name site and found his fairy name,
lichen goblinwitch,
think i posted it further back..
it mentions ian coming out only at night which i thought very apt too....too entertain the world..

ive wished for ages that the blog would grow cos at the beginning i think there was lawrence, theres a fairy story there too ??

I thought ian deserves ,s to do well with t.s,and hoped it would take off...........

gillian said...

and ive gotta book, 1001 practical uses for vinegar.
does anyone have a goat?

some goat owners add apple cider vinegar to their goats water all year round,
it seems to repel flies in summer and stops water freezing in winter.

2 tablespoons to a 5 gallon bucket,
and it doesnt seem to give the milk an off flavour..

books full of tips of all kinds..health, laundry, pets ect.

its worth buying a goat just to see if it works....

if ian logs on while away i bet he posts "behave" well i,m not to blame this time..........

Sid said...

Thanks Gilly, I have never laughed so much at myself for ages. It was the Goats water that did it. I wondered why anybody would want to add apple vinegar to their Goats water, and also claim that it would keep flies away in the summer & stop water freezing in winter.Then the penny dropped...its the Goats DRINKING water. Not the er,other stuff.
Thanks Gilly, I'm still laughing.

gillian said...

see what you mean sid..
yes big mixup again,
reminds me of the tigers..... ..
i,m laughing too..
i do try to get it right but sometimes getting it wrong is best,

I couldnt for the life of me see why ian was laughing, i,m still not quite sure, when i began to explain why i just got myself in deeper,

I had to delete myself over the ginkgo too, ...digging n hole...

theres a vinegar tip for cleaning your pets ears, to stop chickens from pecking,and training your dog to behave,
itd have to be miracle stuff to make my 2 twizzles behave.

delinqueints the pair of them.. meg the collie, tara the sprocker,
both crosses 50 pound out of the adverts in the newspaper,
but bargains, maybe crosses are best..

Anonymous said...

I've noticed while Ian's away, Truckshunters have come out to play,
So lovely to hear, the things you hold dear,
From Lawrence, and Gilly, and Sid.

And Pickler. as he's sometimes known, for reasons I'm sure are his own,
You're taking me back, to time on the track,
With my brother, when he was at home.

Hildie, I know what you mean, I've also watched Ian unseen,
I just didn't dare, tell him I was there,
And regretted it after I'd been!


Each night it's the first thing I do, to catch up what I've missed from the crew,
Just wanted to say, you brighten my day,
Without Ian what else could we do?

I hope that you don't mind, that I have joined in with the 'crack'
and hope you keep it going 'til the Gaffer has come back!
Cheers!

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

hi maureen

you are ofcours 100% correct in your
sleuthing.

i could never spell thats perhaps why i did not pass the 11 plus when i sat it at "warkworth school"

taking you back on the track i need to know more !

pray tell us

or if not

please mail me at

john@hind-marsh.co.uk
circa 1968

but to be truthfull i cant remember.

Hildie said...

Hello you busy bees! You'll not believe me but I was thinking of goats today. One time when Ian came to Dipton he (and possibly Steve Drayton) had photographs taken with goats. I just thought that - as we have had a picture of the beautiful Highland cow and those lovely, 'docile' tigers - then why not some gorgeous goats? I wonder if Ian ever got copies of the photographs? Those very goats are in the field ajoining our school.On three occasions last Summer, a kid goat squashed through the fence onto the playground when the children were having their play-time! They never came when the playground was empty!
And finally, another thought I had, was about you people - what time do you all go to bed?! I've never managed to stay up and listen to a whole Nightshift programme yet - so how do you do it?!!

Lawrence said...

Hi All,

Old sweets..... try a place the Blue Bus went to many times in Heaton.

On Heaton Road in fact, and it's Clough's where you can float around retro sweetie heaven and put on stone after stone with the magnificent choice.

Hmmmm.

Lawrence

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

howdy folks
gilly
cider vinigar is supposed to be good to counteract gout.

whats a sprocker ?
or am i just thick !

sid
your next mission should you choose to accept it ,is to find out what happend to the "AZTEC" bar and where did i get that phraze from i suspect it was "mission impossible".

loz
young "rob grant" has been over the last year or 2 been involved with the 4 wheeled version of motorsport in the form of "autocross" i keep getting these phone call,s

"how do i get the fuel pump to run without the engine running"


this is just an example
his father BOB is better at "mechanical problems"

my strength lies in the understanding of "command and control systems"


do any of you know that the latest cars work on a similar system to the internet .


its called "CAN-BUS"

BUS just means a connected system

but CAN means
"controler area network"

and the reason of using this "network topology" is to


wait for it guess what

save money.

but i cant teach BOB GRANT he dont want to know.

so i will still get funny phone calls :-) lol

gillian said...

hiya a sprocker? a cross between a cocker and a springer spaniel.
nutty as a fruit cake.
they are working dogs best suited to outside, if you don,t give them a job they make one up for themselves.

she tries to empty the washer, carries slippers and cushions about.

hates the postman with a passion tha worries him and me,
barks the house down when the letterbox rattles,
if she can get there before me the mails ripped to shreds.

I got up one morning she,d tried to eat the cushions, foam all over. but she,s much better now.

meg the collie s a cross too, between a collie and spaniel.

when she arrived 6 weeks old (her owners were off to disneyland) she smelled of strawberry shampoo, from very early on she,d let us know she wanted to go into the garden (doggy stuff) by sitting next to the radiator looking at me.. such a beauty,

weve always had dogs my dad kept greyhounds as a hobby. they were treat like lords.

lawrence... my dad had a lovely pianola...

I,ll tell dad about the cider vinegar he has gout..

Sid said...

Afternoon everybody, hope you're all keeping warm.
Hello pickler, the information re Can-Bus was just what I needed.I had been puzzled for a while as to how one of Newcastle's newer buses had to be started by a chap in Holland (I think), while the bus was in Dene Street. Maybe you gave me the answer.Cheers.
The task you set me was "Mission Impossible". The Aztec bar sort of faded away, then brought back in 2000 for a limited time, but it didn't do much for me, not like Bandit and the Bar Six.
Hello Hildie, this is a sort of confession...I never hear all of Ian's show either.But when I am up during the night his voice is a great comfort, even though the program is recorded.
Gilly, those Midget Gems, furtive shopping, several disguises of course....I reckon you must have been getting through about half a pound a day. How many times did you tell the shopkeeper that the dogs stole the last lot.
Does anybody think Ian's checking on us. We could all end up with detention yet!

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

evening all, yes gilly i twigged on this morning on the way to work as to what a sprocker is a right bundle of fun if i know spaniels.

i am a lab man you can see him on my website .


yes sid this new technology is good until in wont work then its a nightmare.

functions such as you have stated remote starting etc its done by mobile phone signals along with "gps locating system"

the name for this is called "telematics"

Anonymous said...

Evening All, Hope everyone's well. Sorry Pickler, I don't understand the comments about sleuthing and your spelling...have I missed something? Also, I'm afraid that there wasn't anything more exciting than my brother took me to the Newcastle Speedway a couple of times...although I suspect it was more of a treat for him than me, and he got my mother to pay half, including the chips on the way home!
Reading the comments about old-fashioned sweets I thought some of you might be interested in a website called http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/ it's a real trip down memory lane. Paul talked to the guy who runs it one day on the morning programme. At the moment they're discussing strawberry Mivvis, remember? Lovely ice cream covered with strawberry ice lolly...much better than the 'Splits' that followed. My favourites were Midnight Mint, a really dark choc ice with mint ice cream (naturally...doh!)
I've been to Cloughs on a mission for someone at work who has hunted all over for coconut mushrooms. The REAL ones with a peanut in, they've changed them for a white marshmallow stalk for some reason, maybe because they may contain nuts!
I keep thinking we might all 'get wrong' for taking over Ians' blog while he's away, or maybe he's having a chuckle and seeing how far we'll go!
Hildie, I've told Ian, I listen in secret, with the radio and ear plugs under the pillow! These days I'm actually pleased if I wake up during the night. I quietly put the plugs in and drift in and out to Ians' voice. I'm most disappointed if I wake up to find I've had a full nights sleep!

Hildie said...

Hello you lovely lot...
SO! having extracted confessions from Sid and Maureen, I now won't feel quite so guilty about being a part-time listener.
Sid and Maureen - it's true what you both say - if you wake up in the night it's not half so bad, is it?
I mostly hear the first part of the programme, using the ear-phone trick. I still have my son at home, so it wouldn't do to be blasting out the radio at that time of night. Then, if I'm lucky, I sometimes catch the last part when Ian is live on-air. I wonder about Gilly, Loz and Pickler. Do you think they're just night hawks?

Lawrence said...

Hi All,

Pickler.... never knew the young Robert was into 4 wheels thanks for the info, and old Rob / Bob (delete as approprate) taking advice and learning... lol... nooooo not at all, there would be a novelty indeed.

Gilly.... Pianolas are wonderful things and the rolls are still being made too! I was working at Waterhouses the other day, going on to Ferry Hill after, driving through Meadowfiled on the way... I waved in all directions .... so I would have waved at you at some point.

Maureen... Cloughs is a dream of a shop, unless you're on a diet as I am, but the thought of beer bottles and sparklers andcola cubes is almost too much. As for the speedway and chips... ones on the way home were always better to me too.

Sid.... I reckon Ian will adore this huge use of "our" blog this week as this is what he envisaged it's for I think.... a platform for truckshunters to get to know one another and exchange thoughts ideas and info... he'll love this!

Hildie..... I listen as long as I can when doing paper work on a night time, but usually last till 3.30 to 4 am before admitting defeat. I've caught his live portions on 4 occasions, which is quite a sence of achievement.

Any one fancy an unofficial Brahms and Liszt??

Try this one.... answer tomorrow night.....

Newcastle upon Tyne - Berwick upon Tweed - Perth, and ??????.

What is the missing item from the list and what's the overall connection of the 4 locations??

Have fun.....

Lawrence

gillian said...

hildie, you mentioned goats, i believe in coincidences.
that they are gods signposts that we are on our correct lifepath.
I usually manage to stay up till about 2am then if i can,t sleep which is often while not well i get back up and listen some more, ians so cheery.

lawrence, dad had many "rolls"
i played my charmaine often,
how lovely you went through meadowfield waving in all directions.

sid, I think you are correct about half a pound a day,i wished id thought to use the dogs as an excuse save me trailing round meadowfield to different shops.



pickler aka.
i,ll have a look at the lab which i take is a labrador.

loz..is the answer just simply ????

Kev said...

Hi Folks
Sorry I've not been able to take part in this blog until now - I've been 'under the weather'
I could never resist a challenge; so, Loz, the fourth place is Stirling (although some would claim Dundee). The list are the places where the four body quarters of Sir William Wallace were sent after he was found guilty of treason in 1305.
Must get back to work now, there's a class eagerly waiting to be taught (not!)

gillian said...

hiya i loved the film braveheart, but very very sad when he died and his love was in the crowd watching and waiting for him...
....id never have got the answer in a month of sundays..

gillian said...

hiya gang its freezing here, hard frost white out this morning. talking of sweets? i gotta email from a sweet shop, can you believe they are selling chocolate cow pats and sheep droppings, soz if anyones having a sandwich i wasnt gonna mention it but as we were on about sweets thought aaww just this once..they might not mind, thanks maureen for the kind words about our tales...

gillian said...

ps i think we should just go bonkers on here with tales, we may never get another chance,
lets go for the record eh.
but i,m still not to blame...thats the understanding
i still dont understand what the boys are on about half the time,
i think its a secret language, speaking in tongues or code.
reminds me, isnt ians address strange ? spittle tongues, where did that name originate from i wonder? bye gilly marples

Hildie said...

Hi Kev... it's nice to see you back, hope you are a bit better.
Gilly ... I shall try and do an Ian for you, but remember I haven't written a book on the subject -
Spittal means hospital,
Tongues means a piece of land.
Apparently, Edward 1 gave two pieces of land to the St. Mary Magdalene Hospital - and that's how Spittal Tongues came about.
And, while I'm doing an Ian,does anyone fancy an anagram of a North East Placename? Try this one -
VILE SPRINKLE.

Sid said...

Hi everybody,
Like you Gilly I would never have got the answer to Loz's question. I must have been absent or asleep on the day that was taught.
Talking of school....I had forgotten my PE kit one day,I must have been about 12, and was sent to the caretaker to see if he had a job for me. I ended up helping to stoke the school boilers. The shovel was enormous. I had great fun, but did end up looking like one of those little emblem's you used to get on the marmalade jar!
On a more serious note, does anyone know how much space we are likely to have left on this blog.
The bit that goes up and down on the right hand side of this page seems to be getting awfully small.

Anonymous said...

Hi Everyone,
Thinking of Sids' warning that we may run out of space...(How dare Ian go away and leave us 'spaceless?'!) I'll try to keep this brief. Been thinking of the other people who are reading this blog and wondering what they have to say? Particularly that American gent ...Mr Stokes Schwartz, what does he make of us? Please join in...we'd love to hear from you all.
Gilly, I've had Springers and you are right, absolutely crackers! Mine used to eat anything plastic you left within her reach, hairbrushes, dustpans etc. I also had a lovely Collie, they are such good company.
I hope we don't run out...don't know how these things work...how will we manage until Ian comes back? !!!
Hildie, I love anagrams and quizzes but I can't get that one ...will keep trying, in fact I won't rest until I see the answer!

Sid said...

I suppose if we do fill up this page we could always use the spare space on the blog featuring the Highland Cow.Phew "crisis" averted.

Hildie said...

Maureen - It's in Co. Durham, forgot to tell you that for, this week only, we are playing Paul and Ian's rules ... you know - the one who gets the answer sets the next anagram.
However, if we happen to run out of space before you arrive at the answer then just email me hildaflood@hotmail.com
I don't know how the boys are going to get the Highland cow to budge out of the way, do you?!

Anonymous said...

Hi Hildie, I think I've got it! Is it Perkinsville? Thought I'd check if any one had the answer so that I could sleep, then it just came in a flash! Tried to think of a new one...how about 'A Night Snow'? also local. Now I can go to bed. Laughed at the idea of a 'shoveable' highland cow!
Night, Night.

Lawrence said...

Hi All, and well done Kev, Brahms and Liszt absolutly spot on. The places where Sir William Wallace's limbs were displayed in order to disuade the rebellious Scots from continuing their offencives on the English.

Kev, ummm, fancy setting another Brahms and Liszt??

Cheers

Lawrence

gillian said...

hiya i,m not very good with puzzles so i,ll leave them to the experts,
i thought we could go onto posts further back and just fill them up,
this all reminds me of the toys in the film tom thumb that came out every night when everyone was asleep,
a film i loved when young along with wizard of oz and mary poppins,
sound of music? saw it so many times at the palladium in durham i could act it.

maureen, lovely to hear you had dogs like me,my cousin had a boxer, when they were at work it got into the kitchen cupboards and ate all sorts, boxes of soap powder included,it even ate cupboard doors, it had to go to a good home with people able to occupy it.night.

Kev said...

Loz, challenge accepted
One Brahm's and Liszt it is.
What number is missing from the following? (It could be anywhere in the sequence)
20 1 18 13
I guarantee that all of you have seen this list at some time or other
Hope to hear from you soon

Hildie said...

Gilly,that's a brilliant idea - it saves the boys having to shove that nice cow out of the way - you notice I wasn't going to attempt it!
Maureen, well done, but we've run out of ice-scrapers, I'm afraid! I reckon today's is Washington.
Now here's a place I love, on the beautiful,Northumberland coast -
READY BID RUG - anyone can have a go.
Talking anagrams and things, you will have noticed on the local ITV weather map they always do one, but have you noticed that, if you look at the placenames on the daily map, going from top to bottom - if you look at the first letter of each place - it makes a word. Have a look tonight.
Kev, the missing number is 4. The list should read 20 1 18 4 13. They are numbers from a dartboard starting at the top. Well maybe.

Kev said...

Hildie
There's no maybe about it. Got it in one!

How about this then?
What comes next:
A E F H

gillian said...

hiya everyone, I love to watch how you all solve puzzles but my brain won,t work well with them,
so i sit them out if this is ok.

did anyone see the eclipse?
too dark here but id have loved to see it, im into astology,

been looking out at durham cathedral lovely view..priceless.

coincidence, ive gotta new craft cd for cardmaking theres a lovely image of the robertson advert emblem,
sid ? reminded me of it when talking of helping the caretaker.

pickler? id like to know what the
g8x thingy stands for and the lab is really beautiful the only color i didnt think of, black.
name? or did i miss it.

gillian said...

hiya again if i go back and change my pic for the marmalade advert i could post it so i,ll try im not up on computers ive a set of earphones i still havent figured out where they go.

Hildie said...

Hi Kev, give in about that one - but, funnily enough, they are my initials all mixed up! I have Elizabeth Ann in the middle of my name. Maybe Loz can do that one.I've had a go at making up a Brahm's and Liszt if you want to try it: A B AB _
Hi Sid, you know that contingency plan of yours? The one about where we are going if we run out of space - do you mean the page with the picture of the Highland cow, or the page with the tub of iced-cream that has a picture of the cow on it?

gillian said...

changed my mind cos i might mix it all up..ians back monday it,ll be lovely but i,ll be in hiding...
under the bed...

I listen on my mobile earpiece in.
my sons still at home, do they ever leave?
he complains about my music..
it was always the other way round.. role reversal now....
i said "i,m just getting my own back"
plus ive had the computer since may mainly for shopping but he,s taken it over .. so im twisting face,

kev? nice to have you back, take care...

gillian said...

ps if we go back onto an older post way back we could even play about while ians here cos no one will know . jiggery pokery afoot.

Kev said...

Hildie
A clue for A E F H
It's what you are seeing that is the important part.
If no-one gets it, I'll let slip the answer tomorrow

And I've been in hospital too many times to forget the sequence
A B AB O
the commonest blood groups

Hildie said...

Kev, I'm having a guess - is it K?
Yes, it was the four best known human blood types. A and O are the most common. Type AB is the rarest. Blood type, like eye colour is inherited. Educational, this blog at times,ain't it? The Japanese believe blood types reflect personalities, much as some people believe in star signs. A = calm and trustworthy,
B = creative and excitable, AB = thoughtful and emotional, O = confident and leaderly. The Japanese ask "What's your blood type?" as other people ask "What's your star sign?" Sorry about all that, went off at a tangent,didn't I?!!

Sid said...

Hildie you little tinker, its the Highland Cow on the tub of toffee's I was thinking of using. (should we need to)
Kev, is the answer an opticians chart for testing eyes.
Those anagrams...I must be dyslexic.I never get them.
(or should I not say that?)

Kev said...

This is the point where you would probably throw something at me if I was close enough.

The next letter in the sequence
A E F H is I

It's just the next letter that is made up with straight lines (Sorry. I told Ian, from day one, that I had a somewhat twisted sense of humour)

gillian said...

ive remembered the name of the "animal" cow , bull, baby,thingy,
when ian visited the highland cattle center, "dougal" think dougals mam was having a shampoo n set, i enjoyed listening that day,it just opens the world out.

i,m expecting this blog coming up to the surface in australia,

gillian said...

so thats it, im naming the highland cattle pic "dougal"

i cant call it a cow and dont know wether its a bull.

my blood groups ab neg. i think. its fascinating stuff on here.
learn something new every day.

Anonymous said...

Hi Everyone,
Yes you're right with Washington Hildie, well done. I was just relieved to get a full nights' sleep...making the most of it, while Ian's away. Thinking we'll all be sitting bolt upright with matchsticks to keep our eyes open on Tuesday! I for one don't want to miss a thing!Interesting about that weather map, will watch out for it tomorrow. As you say Gilly, you learn something every day. Not getting any where with that anagram ..will keep at it.

Lawrence said...

Hi Truckshunters,

I managed to get the darts B and L Kev, but have to admit the blood group scuppered me, as did the A E F H one too.

Hildie I think your anagram is Druridge Bay?? And yes a beautiful place indeed.

Try this one for size and it's the same County as Hildie's.

GO MANN FLIRT LONG

Lawrence

Kev said...

Morning All
Lawrence, could it be Longframlington?
So, I suppose it's my go:
a place in Northumberland -

WHY BINGING BEES EAT

Hildie said...

Kev, just how did you know?! Newbiggin by the Sea is my most favourite place on earth! I've seen Ian there a couple of times - broadcasting the B.B. programme - one of the times Paul was there too. It was a glorious day, they were sat outside Bertorelli's, enjoying the iced- cream, laughing their socks off, then were hanging over the wall, near The Promenade, looking out to sea. An awful job, but somebody had to do it!

gillian said...

hiya it amazes me how you all work these puzzles out. its just good to watch, i,m learning but my brain won,t work well with complicated stuff a symptom of m.e.
so i,ll just witter on about frivolous stuff.
as usual.

one of my dogs the "twizzles" i call them, tara the sprocker was spotted chewing behind the sofa,
a big nail, it had dropped out of the bissell carpet cleaner.
caught it just in time, reminded me my son had been sorting out his fishing gear and noticed a weight missing, it turned up weeks later. the upshot is she,d swallowed it, in the days when it was allowed to use lead weights. how she survived i,ll never know, cast iron stomach maybe.

I,ll keep trying maureen ta.

hildie? enjoyed hearing about your day out,sounded a lovely sunny day, obviously the lads were having a nightmare.......

I cant wait for the warm weather, ive a nice garden, we let the trees grow tall, lovely for when i sit out, privacy,
the back gardens too small to sit in
and filled up with fruit trees, apple, plum n pear,i made apple chutney last year,

mam said "gillian chuck it in the bin its not nice" so i did, cant argue with my mam,
bought labels n everything from ebay did the job right didnt improve the contents.

I,ll try again this summer i cant wait, its been a long drawn out winter........

its like being on holiday in my garden esp with the view out front,so you don,t have to venture far really to enjoy yourself i sat out all last year listened to all the shows, grand,


ps im useless at giving directions if anyone stopped me in the street i felt compelled to just say let me in i,ll take you it,ll be quicker n easier, of course i never would.

the photo of my clouds ian kindly posted, the shape in the blue sky part ?it looks like a warlock, hooked nose, heading a football...

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

hi folks of the "truckshunters"

first of all apologies for not being on parade during the week , my brain has been pooped on a can-bus related problem.

Maureen
forgive me , i might have read more into your post about "tracks"
the reason for this and LOZ might get bemused at this , i have never been to a "speedway meeting", i have been to tracks but not on meeting days .

now LOZ is going to tell me a meeting is called a "match" and i say boo-hoo to that.

i spent all my early days roving around the various motor racing curcits looking after a single seater, then in the mid 70,s i got involved in "speacial stage rallying" and have been most if not all the uk forrests at some stage ,


gilly

i must say you are not living up to your reputation "miss marple"

did you try searching the internet for "g8xgs"?

it might show things like "radio ham"

no i am not like TONY HANCOCK

but you get the gist.

as to my trusty hound he is called max or mac-max when he was younger , he is a rescue dog and can smell a banana skin at 100 yards yes he eats them, and apples have no chance what so ever.


if i have forget any questions from other truckshunters -please ask again , i am off work this next week maybe my brain will have rest and recover.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

come on admit it who is it that is wanting the so called better weather?

i for one prefer temps below at least -5 call me strange well possibly,
mad i would say not.

unsociable, now thats an other story i would always prefer to be out on my own in temps well into the negative region but i would alway have my hound with me, and he goes mad for ice and snow .

i can remember circa mid eighties

ICEBERGS on the TYNE

it just so happend that i was on a 3 day week at the same time.

COLD these young pups dont know the word.

gillian said...

sids memory about school reminded me, how is it i can,t remember many subjects from school yet i can remember with clarity every hymn we sang in assembly word for word onward christian soldiers,
fight the good fight, all things bright and beautiful... the list goes on..and on.
I actually prefer cold weather but cant sit out if its snowing, well i can but id look very silly.

radio ham ? think thats where they have an ariel on the roof, like calling calling breaker breaker thats all i know,

pickler, max sounds lovely,good company,
banana skins ? apples? must be a very fit dog.
meg the collie i think is veggie loves carrots, onions, not much of a meat eater in fact some days its difficult to get her to eat at all the other, tara, eats anything insight.

were there really icebergs on the tyne? any pics anyone.

gillian said...

ps, searching the internet? takes me all my time to find tesco,
bamboozled by it all..

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Sorry if I confused you with the wrong terminology Pickler, as I said, it was my brother who was the fan!
I'm with you on the weather although I love the sunshine as well. It annoys me when they say on the forecast 'it's going to be an awful day' No it isn't!, it's just going to rain/ snow etc. We'd be in trouble if it didn't rain sometimes. I love a good thunderstorm actually, although I'd rather be in, looking out at it!
When Ian was talking about Miserable Monday or whatever they were calling it, I sent him a load of reasons to be cheerful (!) I love walking in the snow and spotting the new plants peeping through, and getting the beach to myself. That's when he used my pic, taken on a bright January day.
Funny you mentioned radio, I was just thinking today how this reminds me of the days of CB, when we used to talk to total strangers into the early hours of the morning! As they say...it's good to talk!

Hildie said...

Sid, forgot to mention earlier that I've got it now - we'll be all be meeting up at the Highland cow that's on the tub of toffees..... if need be. Hello Everyone ( as well as Sid) I saw some Highland cows (like our one) on T.V.last night, on the Carcraft ad. Finding out how much space is on this blog page is like finding out how long is a piece of string! It's quite long, isn't it?! Just leaving a little anagram ONE WET SHANTY ELBOW - we are still at the coast. Hope Ian is still enjoying his hols!

Lawrence said...

Hiya all,

You're a quick one Kev and yes it was Longframlington, and Hildie seems equally quick with her newbiggin one.

Pickler..... I am bemused - how can you be associated with the Grants and not been to Speedway before..... they usually string you up in ropes and drag you there if thou dost protest.

As for what a speedway event is called, rest well in your bed, we still call them Speedway Meeting, although the authorities a few seasons back did try to get us fans to call them matches..... but tradition lives long and hard in speedway so meetings they are.

Never been to a rally live.... but I bet it gets the heart pumping hard.

Hi Gilly,

Funny you mentioning the school hymns, theo ners you recal are the ones I do to from my Wingrove days, although I'm sure we used "Fight the good fight" at my wedding, and boy have we ever since

:-)

Another I likes was "There is a Green Hill Far away" for one reason only..... it was an easter hymn we at Wingrove sang to the tune of "The house of the rising sun" and the tune got me going more than the words.

Here's another anagram of a local placename.... but not Northumberland this time.....

I HUG QUO'S SNAKE

all the best have a great Saturday....

Lawrence

Lawrence said...

Morning Hildie,

I think i've got that wet elbow one..... it's another former Blue Bus location with a beautiful village green and a crackin real ale pub at the green's corner.... ill say no more for now.... but it amazes me how P.Diddy doddy doody wotsit got the blue bus in that teeny place.

Lawrence

gillian said...

lawrence i,ll try that one day singing there is a green hill, to house of the rising sun.
has anyone seen sid? shall i put on my m/s marple hat?

I think we should just carry on regardless when ian comes back,
we can only be sent to the back of class...

picklers to blame.
he admits it, its down in black n white....ive enjoyed it.

have a good weekend all.

Lawrence said...

Yeah Gilly..... Carry On Posting - we should manage over 100 posts before the return of the Kilted one.

Lawrence

Sid said...

Am I glad to see this page again!
Sorry, hello everybody...I have a bit less hair than the last time we chatted. I have had a bit of a problem with internet security,then made matters a lot worse by fiddleing with things I knew very little about. But that's life isn't it, us chaps are famous for it.
Gilly, what can I say, you lived up to your Miss Marple title spotting that I was absent without leave.
Now if my computer will only turn off now then I've cracked it!

gillian said...

sid? nice to see youre ok, what a nightmare probs with net security id be of no help i know nothing bout computers.
I pressed summat and mine had to go into clinic, £45 quid to undo all the mess i.d made.
Ive bought earphones and cant hear anything through them.
I darent press anything else.
yesterday i couldnt do my net tesco shop and i felt like chucking the lot of the window.
bye.

Hildie said...

Hello there everyone,
I would sincerely say that the blame or,in fact,the accolade (whichever way you may look at it!) for what we secret seven have been getting up to, lies firmly at the feet of Sid. On the 16th. of February at approximately 12:58 the said person was known to say, and I quote: "With Ian being away wouldn't it be nice if we kept ourselves amused here with his blog ....etc. etc."
So, Sid, it's thanks to you!
LOZ - It has to be Quaking Houses that one. Ahh, you remember P. Diddy Doddy as well - he brought the flask of soup every day, didn't he? Here's an anagram of a place-name in Durham LET HER SCAN. 'Bye for now.

Sid said...

Hildie, I can't deny any of your "statement of facts". But I just know Ian will be proud of us.We may be small in number, but we're big in heart.

gillian said...

hiya hildie, yes 3 cheers for sid.
then pickler said he would be an unstable influence. were they in cahoots,?

either way its been enlightening, heartwarming, id never have dared do it cos some times i felt i was just too much esp on days ian was away, i seemed to see my name all the time alone.
i tried to make an anagram out of durham cathedral im just no good at it, but it might be something i can improve on.
bye

gillian said...

please is there a special way to work anagrams out,?
i havent found a technique yet,
i tried with durham cathedral.
i got, a drum lard hatch,
see, no good, but suppose its like anything, practice.

my grandad did them every day in the northern echo i should have took notice.
he looked after me while off school, mam worked, we played dominos all day.
he did teach me spellings too, in between.

he,d sprinkle "vim" on the fireplace it had a coal oven,
leave it for an hour then he,d have me cleaning it off with a wet cloth, sounds like something out of victorian times like chimney sweeps,but it was fun really.

bye from 1 of the secret 7.

gillian said...

me mentioning chimney sweeps reminds me anyone remember listening to ian n p. one day they mentioned mick jagger,
listeners had to finish off a sentence,starting with " when i met mick in 63 we............. is that correct?

i remember i texted something along the line of
" i met mick in 63 when he worked as a chimney sweep n part time durham cathedral bell ringer... it just made me laugh that day......

also what about the teddy bear with a token around its neck granting 3 wishes,floating down river under framwellgate bridge,? we had to finish the sentence saying what happened next......
bye.
as you can see i dont watch much t,v too boring. which is why im always here..

are you all out...? where?

Sid said...

Gilly, I doubt if there is a secret in being able to do anagrams, if there was I would tell you straightaway. Any more than six letters in the puzzle and I give up soon as look at it.
Now something you are good at is these snippets of your younger days. Next you'll be telling me you remember folks using a "donkey stone" on their doorstep, and "blackleading" the cast iron fireplace. Did you ever use a newspaper as a "bleazer" for the fire....and then it caught alight.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

hi all and you gilly marples , but do you not mean the "magnificent seven"

just playing with words something our head honcho AKA TOMCAT is so good at ,i have always thought of the "KILTED ONE" as either a wordaholic or someone who likes to play with words , i an sure there will be a name for it but due to my lack of academic/interlectual .

see i know i cant spell and i think the word is training .

however please be advised that there will be a "teach in"
about "non comercial radio" so to speak.

this will be done in perhaps 2 posts over this weekend .

before the " CAT " returns.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

SID
you have cought my attention

newspapers and blezers , wow rock on , i remember in the sixties (early)

our rayburn/arga never did know the difference

it was a sod of a thing to get started when it went out but ran most of the time on wood ,only to be started on coal as first choice and coke as second choice .

i can remember scrounging through the left-overs at "RAF-OUSTON" looking for the best coke after there burn.

gillian said...

sid ?? ive laughed a lot about anything with more than 6 letters, and the donkey stone,
yes my mam would put the shovel up against the fire with newspaper and set it alight.. cheers ..for the laugh honestly.

pickler ?? look forward to learning about radio hams.
breaker breaker. over n out.


magnficent 7 very good.
it was a good film.
yul brynner.
I like the music.do do do do do doo do do

Ive just been looking through my quote book.
joan rivers.
the first time i see a jogger smiling i,ll give it a go.
my sentiments exactly.

tried it once or twice mam was stood sentry at the gate, looking for me, i ran down to croxdale ok then nearly needed a winch to get me back up the bank, i walked ...took me ages.

lawrence will know the very bank having travelled from waterhouses to ferryhill,


bye.
1 of the mag 7.

gillian said...

we fished with a small net,
in the river browney at the bottom of croxdale bank for "tiddlers" lovely down there in summer,
not allowed now its private owned,
ferryhill fishing club i think.

there was a nunnery down there, burn hall, its converted into private apartments now.

I saw sound of music at the palladium in durham and thought if i could be a nun too id get out of going to school, course it didnt work, i hated school,
caught shingles age 13,
doc said "are you worrying about anything"?
i said " yes needle work" the teacher was a right old pill,

lovely big house down croxdale too by the river but ive often thought,
i bet its flooded out when the river rises especially with the huge downpours we have now a days the weathers gone to pot.

lawrence? waterhouses was always a lovely pretty place,
green, trees, edge of the countryside,
don,t know what its like now.

as kids we,d mooch about the graveyard, weird i know but we just liked to read the names and such like.
suppose it was better than knocky nine doors...

bye.
1 of the mag 7.

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
You've all been busy (91 postings as I enter this one!) Had a couple of busy days, but I manage to read you at work if I get a quiet moment.(Erasing the history...so it's my secret!) Seems to make it more exciting, probably all stored on the hard disc for my boss to read at his leisure, don't know enough about it to be sure. Would anyone else know?
Gilly when you asked about how to do anagrams...I think I do it the hard way, noticed in one of Hildies there was a 'v', which is unusual, so then tried to think of a place name in Durham with a v, eventually got to Perkinsville! Yes, definitely the hard way! The next morning, I woke up and just thought Druridge Bay, when I checked, that was right. Funny, how your mind works sometimes isn't? well, funny how mine does!
I often find that I remember something as soon as I stop trying, if you see what I mean!
Phew! looks like we are going to get through the week. I'm sure Ian will have checked by now, if not, he's in for a shock, and a good laugh I hope!

Anonymous said...

By the way, Gilly and Sid, your conversation about black leaded stoves reminds me that our neighbour used to have a big black and brass one, with a bread oven. I was allowed(!) to polish the brass with Brasso while my mother and the old lady chatted over a cuppa. She had a tortoise, which lived in the hearth which she blackleaded along with the stove! First time I saw it I thought it was an ornament. Don't know what the RSPCA would have made of it, but it musn't hae done any harm as apparently it was over 21!
I also remember that she had a pianola (I think thats what it was) When she died it was put out in the back lane and we kids had great fun with it until the council took it away. Shame really, it was probably her pride and joy and Beamish could have put it to good use.
Happy Days!

Hildie said...

Hi Gilly, that was an excellent attempt an an anagram - don't give up! Like Sid says - there's no special way of doing them , you know as much as the rest of us - it's just trial and error. Like Maureen said, sometimes you can spot the unusual - Loz set one that had a 'Q' in it - that's really how I solved it. There can't be many places with a 'Q' in the name - but Quaking Houses came to mind. Another tip is to use an atlas or a local map and compare the letters in the anagram to the place- names on the map.
Hi Pickler, you're right about Ian, he is quite a linguist, isn't he? I love reading his written pieces. He writes with such eloquence and precision, dotting in so much rich vocabulary along the way. He's a bit of an etymologist on the quiet, maybe he should be writing more books, now that he has given up the day job!
Hope he had fun meeting up with his friends this week. He has an amazing friend called Sue, who he has interviewed on the programme a couple of times. I'm always intending to tell him that I find her inspiring. Mind you, doubt he's seen her, as I'm sure it's not Sheffield where she lives.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I will never forget what Sheffield looks like - the number of times I have seen that picture at the top of this blog this week!!
It will stay in my mind forever!

Lawrence said...

Hi Mystical gang of 7,

Gilly, yeah I know that hill to which you refer, and Waterhouses is still a pretty little tree-lined place with a decent pub at the end of the village too. As for anagrams, the Q in Quaking houses was the lead in, but it's all hit and miss really.

Hildie, your anagram's fooling me other than it also anagramises into REAL STENCH. I will keep looking into it.

As a city born lad, when I lived in Ashington for 7 years we had a solid fuel system which we just couldn't control.... it was either off or on.... swealteringly ON.

Now, LET HER SCAN.... back to the drawing board.

Lawrence

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Had a thought during the night (again!) Thought of requesting something on Ians' first programme back on the lines of 'welcome back we've missed you' then I thought no, how about 'games people play' or even 'if you go away' Any other suggestions?
Hildie, I know what you mean about that picture of Sheffield. As I know Derbyshire quite well and have just passed through Sheffield I suggested to my partner that we did a mini break there sometime ...now I'm not so sure!
Wondering how many entries would make the Guiness book of Records?
Keep on truckin' everyone...that dates me!

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

right now for my "preachings" :-) LOL

the difference between so called CB radio and amateur radio (ham radio) is so vast its untrue.

cb is limited to frequencies around 27mhz and to voice only transmissions legaly that is, and of course you need or at least did need a licence to opperate.

ham radio on the other hand is somewhat different when i got my licence way back in 1980 i had to sit a city & guilds exam.
comprising of 2 sections
transmitter theory
licence conditions and opperating practice.

so after gaining a pass with distinction in both sections i then applied to the authorising body which at that time happend to be the "home office" and was granted a class b (vhf & above only) licence.

a few years later i got involved with "RAYNET" putting something back in the form of public service so to speak.

ham radio is a very technical interest and when the CB bunch get bitten by the bug a large quantity the go on to become radio hams.

but as cb is restricted to 27mhz and phone(thats voice).
the amateur bands are not so restricted at least for us full licence holders.

please see :-
http://www.cmccord.co.uk/Radio/
band_plans.htm




for the uk band plans , dont forget this is only a list of frequencies


and unlike CB we radio hams can transmit the following modes:-

morse code
phone
data of all types and variations
television both fast scan and slow scan

we can use split frequeny working as long as we stay within the confines of our bands there is not a lot we cant do but there are regulations .the link below is on the ofcom site please by all means have a good look around we all are paying for it.


http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/
mofaq/rcomms/amateur/


now then many of the developements within "utility radio services" as opposed to broadcast radio were invented by radio hams such as

SITOR simplex telex over radio was invented by G3PLX AKA peter martinez

please see this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SITOR

something else that peter is up to

http://www.jcoppens.com/radio/prop/
g3plx/index.en.php


Now then up until cica 2006 the home office and its contractors were responsible for maintaining
police and fire service radios througout the uk in some of the most remote areas you could think of i am talking about the "hill top sites" in 2k6 the police switched over to a digital system called airwaves supplied by MMO2, now this is real radio nostalgia from my point of view a website at the following address has been setup to document the comings and goings of the
DIRECTORATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS
a large quantity of these ex home office radio engineers are also radio hams and i think for one they have all been so privalaged

jelous ,you bet your next cup of tea i am .
please see :-

http://www.dtels.org/

i am stopping now before i start preaching to you all about the loss of all our coastal radio stations

you know "CULLERCOATS RADIO" etc
i think that most of my fellow truckshunters will have been educated to a higher standard with respect to ham radio now .

please note the web addresses can be copied and pasted into any browser URL window .

gillian said...

hiya everyone,, we are nearly up to 1 hundred so i,ll just keep going till i hit us the centenary..

lawrence and hildie.? im starting to understand about anagrams but if i sit out its cos brain work hurts sometimes, i can do much more ...thing is i love to watch them unfold.

maureen? i enjoyed hearing about the black leaded stove and the tortoise just a lovely tale.
i had a tortoise at home, my mam gave it away for some ungodly reason and the lad who became its new owner sprayed it silver,,,i had nightmares for ages.

bye form 1 of the mag 7.

its amazing isnt it how people can come together.?

gillian said...

im off to read pickler g8x post i may be some time...
it looks fascinating and interesting. thankyou pickler.

Hildie said...

Hi Maureen, I love that idea you've had for Ian's play-list, the first one that came to mind was "Right Here Waiting"- Richard Marx. Will try and think of some more.

Lawrence said...

Morning all... makes a change me on during daylight.... see my middle name is not Vlad at all.

With regard to the various radio formats, I've had little experience, but wasn't aware the "Ham" sector was still up and active.

Whilst very funny, I think Tony Hancock's Radio Ham probably didn't do the public image of "Hamming" a great deal of good with it's "It is are not raining here also" and games of global chess and weather reports.

What do the Ham broadcasters spend their on-air time doing and talking about Pickler? As an outsider I'm interested.

The oly experience of CB came around 12-13 years ago at the start of mobile technology and the set I was listening to (with a massive ariel on their roof) picked up a phone chat with a bloke on his way home from the girlfriend.... going back to his WIFE!

I shall now settle in to cooking Sunday lunch and have a think for suitable songs.

Lawrence

gillian said...

pickler.very interesting.amazing stuff, i can see how you passed the tests id be bottom of the class cos its gobble de gook to me.
over n out.

songs for us? schools out, alice cooper, which it has been.
bye from 1 of the mag 7

Lawrence said...

How's about Helen Shapiro.... Walkin' Back to Happiness?

Lawrence

gillian said...

maureens post about reasons to be cheerful.? there are a lot of things to be thankful for, today the suns shining in through the kitchen window as i blog at the brekkie bar. daffs are coming up.

we have 2 little blue tits hovering in the garden, been around all over xmas, do they not fly south?
they nest every year in my bird house,wether the same pair ive no idea, would like to think they are,
i sit glued to the window, watching all the activity then when the babies are fleeing the nest i,m on tenter hooks.

last year we also had a blackbird nest in our holly bush of all places,, the mother sqeezed in and out all day, thats dedication for you, produced 2 babies again on tenterhooks.
off for a seista.. bye ..

gillian said...

ps squeezed should have had a u in...more haste less speed..
no sign of sid again, bunking off?

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Hildie, just got it, is it Lanchester? I like guessing them but I'm hopeless at making them up.
How about BARMAN HACKS REF? Sorry for the violent tone but it's a place near to our hearts.
Thanks for the info about ham radio Pickler, like I said, learning something every day.
Gilly, your description of the blue tits had me thinking of Uncle someone (was it Remus?) singing Zip A Dee Doo Dah in Song Of The South, then I remembered they were blue birds! Silly Me!
Song titles...how about Rod Stewarts' People Get Ready?

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

well now young Mr hepple and other truckshunters and not forgettting our "mascot"
if i were to tell you that it is an offense to "broadcast" under the terms and conditions of the amateur licence what would you then say ?


we can however begin to establish communications with other stations using a "CQ" call this dates well back to when morse code then ruled the airwaves this is a general call to all stations.

and it might follow the following format:-
CQ CQ CQ THIS IS G8XGS CALLING CQ ON 80 HELLO CQ 80 CQ 80 CQ 80 THIS IS G8XGS CALLING CQ ON EIGHTY METERS STANDING BY FOR ANY REPLIES/CONTACTS.

once 2 people are in communiaction it may not be long before others wish to join in at that time it becomes a net (short for network) and someone will end up being the" net controller" that is unless "breakin rules" are then setup but on a large net this can lead to unruly behaviour. and what is classed as doubling double sending. ie 2 at the same time.

and the net control will resume .or we could just call someone by their callsign and work that way


this is true of all non broadcast services for instance in the days of "police vhf"
you may have heard something in northumberland akin to the following

m2lb to all cars channel 2 observations requested for a red triumph vrm xxx xxx on sighting please report to area control room.

and they would then go on to a repeat of this but this time it would include a reference date /time group.

and then m2lb out
until the next contact on that channel.


i hope this has perhaps made thing more clear , but if its true you will not be any the wiser , and there is a reason for this
to make sense of this you need to be "inducted"

so i hereby extend any help that may be needed.







as to the "content" of hams tranmisions it could be about technical problems
observations

it cant be about
politics
or national security.


but please dont get the idea that everyone is "active" all at the same time far from it, there are more than 63,000 radio hams but some are just licenced listeners.

i know of one group of radio users called "autotyne" who run the safety network for all(wide area) motorsport within northumberland .

and their leader called "mike austin" only took the exam to be in the know as it were by the way the national motorsport frequency is 81.575 mhz fm with various ctcss enabled.

ctcss= continuious tone coded signal squelch in laymans terms that means "sub audable squelch"

your brain cant work it out because you cant hear it .

Hildie said...

Hi there you people!
Gilly, it's Kev , as well as Sid, on the missing list. Hope all is well.
Maureen, it's Fenham Barracks, the clue helped tremendously! I like your suggestions for the play list -mine are a bit soppy but I'm going to insist on MISS YOU NIGHTS!
I should have told Gilly how I did that anagram ...... I cut out some pieces of card (about a centimetre square) and I wrote each letter on one of the squares, then I shuffled them around.

Sid said...

Hello everybody, I'm a bit late today, been to my allotment.
Its one of my many reasons to be cheerful, I'm keeping an eye on a couple of Robins at the minute. They are building a nest in a pals shed, only stopping for me to turn a bit of soil over so they can get at the grub's etc.
Who was it that decided words had to be spelled in such a way, I'm never far from a dictionary, I like to make sure that I'm spelling the words correctly. Trouble is you have to have some idea how to spell the word in the first place.....so you can look them up.
Pickler, the radio ham stuff was fascinating, much more to it than I thought.

Lawrence said...

Hi all..... Hi Pickler - you've really opened my eyes to the Ham scene, and have to agree there's an awful lot more to this subject than I had dared to imagine.

Have another North East place name anagram....

RUNS WILL GIVE BACK

I'll not give a county this time.... It's meany-Sunday.

Lawrence

gillian said...

hiya,everyone,
maureen? I had a lovely pic in my head about zippi di doo da.
I had a dream about a bluebird too.

hildie? yes i hope kev is ok thanks for the anagram tip too.

sid? enjoyed reading about the robins and the day at the allotment.

we had one with hens.
before the hens arrived,
my son, unbeknown to me age about 10 took his pocket money, bought rabbits £1.50p each from a schoolfriend and kept them in the shed,
we didnt notice for a week, (long story), he sneaked down and looked after them every day. at the last count there must have been 7.
youngsters are rich these days esp. with kind grandparents.

pickler? the radio ham stuff amazing,i couldnt even keep that amount of info in my head.
university degree stuff.

lawrence? i,ll give the anagram a go but it,ll have to be tomorrow, by then ian will be back.
night all.

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Yes Hildie you were right with Fenham Barracks. Liked your tip about the squares. I sometimes write them in the form of a circle and tick the letters off as I use them. That way, the brain doesn't make them into words ahead of you. Oh dear, I didn't explain that very well...
Sid, you might find a thesaurus handy, you can look up words of a similar meaning and the one you want might be in that list. I like to write little poems and I find it useful when I just can't find a word that rhymes.
Glad you liked the blue birds Gilly. I imagined you sitting in that lovely garden in Meadowfield with them twittering above your head!
Glad you're liking the song titles suggestion. How about Power To The People?
It's been great fun. Now come on everyone, back to your desks, sit up straight, altogether now... "Good Morning Mr. Robinson"

Kev said...

Hi people
Just me again, back in the land of truckshunters.
Maureen - Fenham Barracks
Loz - I'm still trying

Sid said...

Hang on am not ready, me dinner money is a penny short, the sixpence for the savings stamp has fallen through a hole in me pocket lining. Thankfully the exercise book down the back of me trousers is safely in place. Oh no...I can see the nit nurse in the hall.

Kev said...

Loz - Got it!
Brunswick Village

Now I can get on with my life.
Be in contact soon

gillian said...

hi everyone nice to see you back kev,
maureen? thanks for sending me the bluebirds to think of.

amid all these posts i see sid a little kid jumping up and down in class,miss? miss? can i clean the backboard or summat similar...
i liked the nit nurse. i never had any, honestly.

and the bottles of orange, loved them,
sitting cross legged in the hall watching films, nodding off,
i can still remember the soothing voice of the fella narrator.

loved the school xmas tree,
always a real one strung with pretty lights, lovely smell of fresh pine.
school xmas parties we had to take our own cup saucer and plate...

could go on forever about schooldays...i,m on a roll now sids fault,

then there was browney chapel, every sunday,
chapel anniversarys, we had to stand up and recite a poem for which we recieved a book,
ive still got mine hiedi and uncle toms cabin.

mam bought me an enid blyton book every week 2/6p i still have those too, book of fairies emilia jane, ect,
reading is escapism,
another world. love it.

every easter at chapel we,d be given a daffodill to take home for mam,...
she just said the other day, "gillian, ? it,ll soon be time for daffs",
i love spring, new beginnings, new growth, everything waking up from winters slumber, lambs,

for what we are about to recieve may the lord make us truly thankful amen..
bye.

gillian said...

Im behaving maureen. morning mr robinson. do you think he,s looking now.?

Anonymous said...

Sorry Gilly,
Can't reply now...hiding in the broom cupboard!

gillian said...

aye maureen thats where i,m going too, or maybe the cellar every schools got one, or the air raid shelter browney school had one in the yard, stood there till
the 80,s,
looks like everyone else is under cover too..
bye

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Do you think it's safe to come out?
This silence is killing me.
Gilly are you there? Loved Sid's 'going to school description' and I'm with you Gilly, we can get nostalgic about school now that there's no chance of going back! How about the smells? School dinners (always fish on a Friday, gym shoes in the changing rooms, and we had a teacher who smoked a pipe with Holland House tobacco, he used to light it as soon as he left the class. (Maybe we drove him to that) You could follow his trail all the way down the corridors...wouldn't be allowed now.Another teacher who used Yardleys Lavender, still think of her when I smell it....
Is there anybody there....?

Sid said...

Psst, I'm here, under the bed.
Because you have all been so good I'll tell you a true story...just to ease the tension.
I was a taxi driver during the 1970's. Me and my mate used to take crew members from the Norwegian ferry's to wherever they wanted to be. During a quiet period one day we were invited onboard to have something to eat in the ships galley. The food was there, you just helped yourself. My mate Joe had a good appetite, and was keen to try some of the Norwegian food.
He hesitated at a container that looked like it had extra creamy mashed potato in it. He gave me a questioning look, and I just shrugged my shoulders.Other crew members were paying great attention. Not wishing to be seen as ignorant, he scooped some up and put it next to his grilled chop, chips, peas and gravy.
Many eyes were upon him as we sat down to eat our meal.
It didn't take long before he paused eating.He looked at me with a sideays glance, and from the corner of his mouth he said, " I know why they are looking.That creamy stuff.... it's Blancmange" Then in true Geordie manner he cleared the plate.

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

hi everyone , i gather you have all been keeping a low profile , i suspect that the TIGGER aka ian will perhaps scold us all on air na /i jest i think he he will have had a hard job getting anything done today ,i think he will have been roling around on the floor with laughter.

anyway thats not the reason for this post .

i have just found out about an event this coming weekend please see http://www.avfestival.co.uk/


however unless you do a true miss marples(sorry gilly)
you might not come up with this


Waygood's Amateur Radio Rally Event
Waygood’s Amateur Radio Rally
29 February & 1 March 2008 10am-5pm
Grainger Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 SQG



please see:-

http://waygood.org/blog/
radioclub.html


its a so called electronics art event

and its just blown my mind
however i have it on good authority that the RSGB thats the
RADIO SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN

will have their teachin bus available under the bus,s callsign
GB4FUN


and that means that anyone (and i mean virtualy anyone) can get first hand knowledge of what is and what it takes to become an registerd radio ham.

but please do a search on the net for "gb4fun" and see the results.


ps i may be up before our "tigger" at the end of the week but hey its been a ball of a time

gillian said...

yes maureen or m/s m. gilly gilly ossenfeffer reporting for duty,
we could all give ourselves playground codenames,

yardleys lavender was a fave of mine,along with tweed, charlie,
weird ones too from a weird shop in durham eons ago,
musk,jasmine, and patchoulli,
brut for the boys,

sid? lovely tale about being onboard a norwegian ferry,
i loved blancmange.
havent had any for years im putting it on this weeks shpping list.

pickler? what can i say, my brain would just catch fire with all that info inside....fascinating.

think tigger will aready have looked at all this..
if i,m not seen its cos i,m way back on a far back post out of the way.. hiding.

gillian said...

toodlepip i havent struck a bat today.
i dont intend to either.

well i may have to later,
i catch up late at night.
a true and proper "nighthawk"

anyone collect anything?
matchbox cars, lilliput lane houses.
i do, teapots, have about over 25
scattered all over the house..

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

ps i am also sorry not to have told you that the "bbc radiophonic" workshop will also be avaialable


and at this time i must lodge a
complaint

ian i forgive you , why did you not tell us about this ?

THE BBC RADIOPHONICS WORKSHOP
wow man this is a cult you need to be in on


wacky i mean wow man
shame on you IAN

Ian Robinson said...

Er....

Lawrence said...

Hi All and welcome back Ian.... I take it from the "Er" comment that the amount of truckshunterism contained in 125 postings has gobsmacked you. Well we've had some fun and hope you enjoy reading it back.

Grosvenor sends his love and can't wait to meet you.

Sid.... Oh thr nit nurse... you got me all hot and bothered now.... didn't you not find her gently running her fingers through your curley locks a delightfully memorable experience? Or is that just my sickly mind?

Kev - well done, Brunswick Village was a really tough one..... good mental gymnastics!

Gilly... love your posts, and I collect (shock horror) speedway programmes.... of which I have over 10,000 much to the families annoyance. Oh I also collect rats.... Grosvenor being the king of the pack, and the biggest too.

All the best.... lets knuckle down for the boss-man's return in about 45 minutes from now.

I think theses discussions and exchange of information should continue.... up for it gang?

Lawrence

gillian said...

well i,m listening to ian, i feel thrilled, happy and just proud.
isnt it grand that ians happy that we blogged? eeehh...speechless..

lawrence ? thankyou too for your kind words about my "waffling", cos thats all it is but i do so love it...

10,000 progs where do you keep them all? garden shed.. under the bed, shoe cupboard.
do you bring them out every now and again.? read, dust then put them back?
i think its a very good idea, one day some speedway museum might be glad of them.
or ... open your own.

ive a confession, i,m a snitch.. thats all i,m saying..
oh go on then..i emailed ian sunday, saying, have you looked on the blog? vey sorry.

gilly gilly ossenfeffer signing out..

gillian said...

ps lawrence,? i hear you every day mentioned, how do you find time to tune pianos too, drive all over the northeast plus be up all night ..it mystifies me,
well done..
kind regards to grosvenor and all his pals, cousins aunties brothers ect. can,t remember all the names..

wheres everyone? howay out the woodwork..ians not playing war...

Lawrence said...

Hi Gilly et al,

No prob with commenting on your posts, there's a delightful ethereal charm about them. Pleasure to read.

10,000 programmes, where are they kept you ask and suggest.... Garden shed.... yes, under the bed... yes, shoe cupboard..... yes and everywhere else you may think of. I do get them out now and again and read some with nostagia.

There are actually 3 speedway museums already, one near Edinburgh, one at High Beech and a new one in the south.

As for my ability to do all I do in 24 hours, sleep seems such a boring waste of time. it may not be good for me but I rarely sleep longer than 4 hours a day. I like being awake.

You'll learn more about Groovy Grosvenor and co very soon .... stay tuned.

And wasn't it lovely to hear Ian's reaction to this amazing blog-thread? I'm delighted he's so moved by it all - his reaction moved me too I must admit.

We 7 really have started something now... and it will roll on and on...... here's hoping more truckshunters join the party...... from all over the planet.

Lawrence

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

welcome back to land of truckshunters as LOZ has indicated we have had a whale of a time , trying to get to know one and other .
i rather suspect that you have been blown off your seat back into last week.

Anonymous said...

Hi All,
Couldn't wait, had to get out of bed to check if they were any 'Last Posts' Went to bed early, setting alarm for one o'clock so I didn't miss anything! Managed to stay awake until about three, awake again for 6. Hope I didn't miss too much! Will be half asleep at work later. So what's new?! Thanks to Ian for his very kind comments, it was great fun and down to Sid really, Thanks everyone, I feel like Ian...where do we go from here? As I said in my text Ian, you're a very special person and we love you. (That me being soppy, I promise not to do it again!

pickler AKA G8XGS said...

hi folks , i have found video on you tube about ham radio contesting in america the yanks never do things by halfs its always megger,humungus,enormus. Ian you need to carry on with this wordology for american largeness.

anyway have a shufty its at :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ph59zQ8CEjA

Kev said...

Hi People
Welcome back, Ian
Here's the info on the child in the oven that you mentioned earlier. How on earth could any sane person do this to their own child? It makes me physically sick just to think about it. Don't read any further if you wish

AIRMONT, N.Y. — Police arrested a woman Friday after her 7-year-old son told authorities she burned him in an oven, and a day-care worker was arrested for not reporting the attack, authorities said.

The mother, 26-year-old Tiffany Fraser of Tallman, was charged with assault and endangering a child, authorities said.

Police began investigating after the boy was spotted alone at a shopping center and told officers he had run away because "his mother had put him in an oven and burned him as a punishment," according to police reports.

The day-care worker, 37-year-old Joelle Lherisson, was charged with failure to report child abuse. Both Fraser and Lherisson were arraigned in Airmont Village Court and released until their next court dates.

Lherisson told WCBS-TV that the boy showed no signs of abuse, and she had taken good care of him.

"There was nothing wrong with the child," she said.

Fraser's lawyer, Edward Cigna, declined to comment. There was no phone listing for Fraser.

Lt. Brad Weidel of the Town of Ramapo police force, which covers Airmont, said the boy's burns — on his nose, arm, hand and left leg — were noticed at a daycare center owned by Lherisson in July, but Lherisson did not report them.

When the boy reported the oven incident at the shopping center, he and a sibling were removed from their home by the Rockland County children's agency and police began an investigation that led to both arrests, Weidel said.

gillian said...

hiya everyone.
just to say its been "grand" getting to know each and everyone of you.
loved reading each and every post too, theyve taken me places and openend the world out.

thankyou all..for including me in what became something quite awesome.....
count yourselves very special folk....
love from meadowfield..x
gilly gilly ossenfeffer signing out.

gillian said...

ian mentioned something truly awful that happened in the world, i listened, came away thankful i don,t know any people as wicked as that,..
crimes against children must be the worst crimes imaginable,
lock them up and throw away the keys my advice.(the perpertrators).

kev? i read your post down to the part where you said "dont read any further if you wish" i heeded the warning cos some things are best left out of my head some days.
but i applaud you for taking the trouble to look into this gruesome act,
and then post it cos the world should know of these horrors,
ian too.for bringing it to attention.

thats what these acts of cruelty are, horrors,
insanity comes into it too...how could some one do it?

it hammers home also,
the news recently about the childrens homes and all the other bad stuff, but very sadly it goes on...what a world..
.
no words really..
bye..




on a lighter note if its possible after that,
ive left a big gap between for good reason..
ian?? did you do as i suggested and bring back unusual postcards while on your jolly holidays ??

ian?? as you can see im carrying on regardless until told otherwise.x
welcome back..ive gotta pic. of dougal..?

Sid said...

Morning folks, I think we got away with that quite nicely.Ian was almost lost for words....now that would be a first.
Nice to see you so chirpy this morning Gilly, keep up the good work.
I'm off to my allotment now, need to see that the Robins are ok.

gillian said...

sid? itd be nice if you could take some pics of the allotment and robins then send them in.
take a muffler, its gusty.
digging will keep you warm.

what kinda veg.? we grew leeks cabbage spinach,all kinds, my hubby can,t garden anymore. health.
i bought him one of those electric tillers 50 quid, he seems happy with it.
i preach to him put lawn down its like talking to the wall.

bye. 1 of the mag 7.

gillian said...

lawrence? how did grosvenor like radio newcastle and did he bite anyone, i wouldnt think so for a minute. what did he think of ian?

gillian said...

hey now listen truckshunters,.. ive been back looking through earlier posts. im bamboozled.
some one please explain are there 2 sids? and who took the pic of dougal the highland toffee cow.
and you said you,d send some more where are they.my miss marple hats on its not working..
bye.
i,ll make this the last for a while. give some one else a chance.
where are the girls.?

Hildie said...

Hi Everyone,

Ian, Hello! It was great to hear you again. I enjoyed the story of the man who went into the cafe and gave those people a big cheque. You don't often hear of that happening - it's the stuff of Fairy Tales!
I was absent from the blog yesterday as I was at school. My son was just telling me, last night, that his friends never fail to laugh when he tells them, "I've just got to go and pick my mam up from school." It is an amusing thought!
I was with four and five year olds yesterday .... they are always bursting with news to tell. One little boy, eyes widening, stood up and announced proudly, "My grandad was once ten years old". Sometimes you can't keep your laugh in, you know! I just looked at him in wonder and said "Was he?"

And p.s. Ta ever so, about what you said about us - we are all the richer for knowing you.

Hildie said...

What a pickle!

Gilly, I'm not absolutely sure, but I think it went something like this .....
Pickler sent Ian the picture of the Highland cow.
Ian thought Sid had sent it and thanked him.
Sid was confused, he knew he hadn't sent the photo, and he began to think there was another Sid.
Pickler, meanwhile, realising what had happened, informed Ian.
Ian apologised and acknowledged that Pickler had been the sender of the picture.
And they all lived happily ever after.

Sid said...

But thankfully not all in the same house!

gillian said...

hildie? thanks.
and thank heavens ive been put straight. so...
is pickler not a sid too...?
ian asked why?? the name pickler.
picklers answer. "i simply like pickles".
i take it pickled onions.

sid? witty retort.
short and sweet. made me laugh.
no update on the robins yet.

i see we are still getting away with it... how long for?
bye..

Anonymous said...

Evening All,
Hope everyone's well. Feel like we're a gang of schoolkids waiting in the yard for the bell to ring!
Wondering when our illustrious leader is going to post the new blog? He's making us sweat for this one, isn't he? Hope he hasn't decided to leave us to it ....please Ian, we didn't mean it...it was all Sids' fault! (Just kidding, Sid) Wasn't it brilliant how he reacted? I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive! It really brightened my day, I'm sure you all felt the same.
Came across this question today...If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
Altogether now...where is our blog, where is our blog?

gillian said...

maureen? if our car could travel at the speed of light would the headlights work? ive thought anout it, firstly i don,t have a car, which is good cos some people shouldnt be let loose on roads,
but
i don,t think we,d need headlights if the world had advanced as much as that..

can we have the answer please?

ian, if you are reading this you,ll notice from my posts i don,t really care about grammer and punctuation frivolous stuff as it is, cos i write as i speak.
if i start worrying about grammer i couldnt do it, i should try harder but i,d sound stilted and not me.
bye..
i really only know kelsey...

gillian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gillian said...

soz its grammar, i don,t pay enough attention in class,
i,m thinking more of content.
my school report used to read. works well when not distracted from her work by others.
i still scribble..