Diary > Wednesday 14th April

[Roobarb]

Tried to have a more restful day today. I like to watch This Morning as I'm pottering about, this week there are stand ins for the usual hosts. I think Dermot O'Leary is a good presenter but his co presenter Alison Hammond has to be the worst in TV history. She spoils the show for me so I wasn't settling down to watch that. It seems I'm not alone in that, her blunders about the death of Prince Philip have gone down very badly.

Off out for a walk in the sunshine, the bottles and cans were still there, I kicked a couple more into the hollow so if the culprits try to set another bonfire at the weekend they'll have to do it around their own rubbish. There was even a pair of gloves there - DNA  test anyone?

In the afternoon I went to the nurseries via the bypass again so I could give the car a blast. It was quite busy, I had to stand in a socially very distanced queue to pay, two people ahead of me! There was no topsoil left, I bought some trailing pansies that are apparently ok for planting out now, also two diascia plants. I have lots of them in pink, they climb up the fence, these are orange. When I went to pay the owner told me that they were still tender, I should have realised that as they were in the greenhouse. They need to be protected from the frosts we've been having. Got a trolley to take the two bags of compost I'd bought to the car, someone had left a walking stick in there so I took it to the counter. How on earth does someone forget an item like that?

Back home I unloaded the car then sat in the garden reading for some time. Eventually I planted the pansies in a hanging basket, also dug some out from one of my containers, they have become shaded by the tulips and looked like they were dying but I put them in pots with some new compost, trimmed and watered them, will see what happens.

Found out today that I hadn't been getting any WhatsApp notifications, there were a number of unread messages and a missed call. This seems to be since the last phone update, it changed so many things, I had to reset several settings. Had a look at the settings for this, managed to rectify it. Why can't they leave things alone?

Forgot to watch or record the Sewing Bee, will have to catch up on iPlayer.

[Mowsehowse]

I'm not sure you need to waste much time catching up on the first episode of the Sewing Bee Roobarb, might be more entertaining to watch your trailing pansies settle in, though the dresses in the last 5 minutes were fairly impressive.
Took a fairly peaceful walk around the lakes before lunch, and almost persuaded a robin to take a meal worm from my hand, but he had already picked up some I scattered, so he wasn't hungry enough I guess.
During the afternoon I met a widowed friend for a stroll along the sea front.  The anniversary is this week so I left some daffodils in her car. Tried to avoid the large groups of holiday makers congregated around the pier area, who appear to have forgotten all about the virus risk.

[Caw1]

Roobarb - your day didn’t sound very restful! Still good to get out and give the car and yourself a trip... I’m sure under your expert hands the plants will thrive...
I’m sure you feel like setting fire to the woodland rubbish yourself... thoughtless idiots that they are...
It’s very annoying when phone updates create more problems than they solve!

MH - you’re such a thoughtful person where your friends are concerned.. I’m sure the bunch of daffs were much appreciated...
Yes, the less said re The Sewing Bee the better I think!

Once again the sun was shining when I got up... after breakfast I decided I needed to do some yogalates so went into the conservatory where it was pleasantly warm.... I was quite pleased to have done over an hour and felt quite relaxed afterwards...
OH out planting pots,onions,beetroot and pricking out tomatoes...
After a shower I popped up to C’s to drop off a couple of books for her, they were admiring a new bbq they’d just had delivered very cleaver as it folds flat and you can wheel and store it like a sack barrow...
Popped into local town to the bakers and hardware store...
Not sure what I did after lunch....
Late afternoon had a couple of games of scrabble...lost both almost at the end very close contest 😤😤.
Dinner was chicken casserole...
Spent half the evening trying to sort out the fact I’d lost all my emails from my inbox apart from today’s and from October last year.... they were all there earlier... phoned sky... they couldn’t help so then contacted yahoo... had to fill in a form and keep 🤞they can restore them!
Watched final if Masterchef... all three finalists were excellent and I didn’t mind who won but pleased for the young chap who did, they certainly come up with some great ideas...
Watched the Sewing Bee... oh dear, they need to change the presenter and some of the contestants leave a lot to be desired... it’s turning into a freak show not a sewing competition.... as MH says the last dresses were ok... first challenge so easy and I hate the remake from bits of clothing! I’m surprised the judges can find so much to comment on!
Retired after that....

Caroline

[Roobarb]

Oh dear, the sewing bee sounds pretty dreadful. What a shame that they spoil programmes like this, you would expect them to choose contestants with a decent level of capability but even in the last series some of them couldn't even sew a seam properly.

I'm sure you will have brought some happiness to your friend MH, and to the robin too. Hope the holidaymakers are not an example of what's to come although I fear they may be.

Well done with the yogalates Caroline, hope you get the email problem sorted soon. It's so frustrating, quite apart from the inconvenience.

[rosie99]

Hope the holidaymakers are not an example of what's to come although I fear they may be.

I am due to visit that area in September,  I had holidays in Goodrington as a child, we did visit again a few years ago.   Hopefully it will be quieter as the children should be back at school.

That is one of the problems of living in an area where people take their holidays, I was born on the south coast though we moved inland when I was small.  My parents retired to the coast but did not stay long as like MH they could not enjoy it as they wanted.  I think the problem this year will be the  large numbers of people who would previously gone abroad.  My holiday is just a replacement by the travel company of a cancelled one in the UK last year.

[River Tyne Lass]

On my way to the bus stop to work I came across my nephew who was just on the way home from a walk.  He tells me that his wife's boss has told her that when furlough finishes there will no longer be a job for her as he will not be able to afford to keep her on.
Later, when I reach Newcastle and cross the top of Northumberland Street on the way to the bus station I slow up, pause and can't help gawping at what I see.  The street is so filled with people bustling about, walking up and down.  It is like pre-lockdown.  Round the corner there are people sitting about in the sunshine eating and drinking.  After the early days of lockdown I used to keep hoping I might wake up and find it had all just been a bad dream.  Now with the scenes before me I almost feel like I have just woken up.  It is so busy here you can almost wonder if there is such a thing as corona virus and lockdown.  I do feel a bit concerned about all this busyness and wonder what the outcome of it all might be in a few weeks.  I just hope this vaccine programme will continue to protect us.
After work I go on RootsChat briefly to respond to a post, on my return home.  At the bus station, a skateboarder comes rattling noisily through at speed.  I am not sure if skateboarding is really allowed here but it is not uncommon at night. 
Two young men and a young woman come to the stand where I am.  It is apparent from their conversation that they are together. The two young men appear as if they have had a drink and are a bit raucous and loud.  The young woman appears to be all dolled up for a night out.  I try to appear preoccupied with something else as I don't wish to attract their attention but I am keeping an eye on them.  One of the men goes and urinates in a nearby doorway  which I think is quite a disgusting thing to do and to witness.  Thankfully, this is not the doorway where the rough sleepers stay but I have seen people sitting begging in this spot.
When the bus comes I hurry to board first.  Well, I was first there after all.  The bus driver has a frown on his face and looks quite tired and fed up.
One of the young men gets on and I can hardly believe what I hear when I hear him ask for a child single to where he is going!  The young woman gets on next and says "Can I have the same, please?". I am even more astounded when the bus driver accepts this.  I know some youngsters can look quite mature these days, but I really feel they are adults and not kids.  And anyway, if they were kids why had they seemingly been out drinking and out and about after 11 pm at night.  I thought, shame on them!  They ought to have paid what was due.  Don't they realise or care that loss of revenue is going to lead to more people losing their jobs all over the place and that are contributing to this!
After a minute, the young child/man goes back to the front of the bus and asks the driver "Have I got time to go for a pee?"
The bus driver says the bus is going to leave in thirty seconds.  The young man utters an expletive and charges off the bus to the doorway.  He does his business and then charges back.
I reach my home area and it is all very still and quiet and I feel glad to get safely back in the house again.  I have a quick cup of tea with some biscuits and fall asleep very quickly after settling down in bed.

PS I am just having to write very quickly as I will be setting off to work soon.

[Viktoria]

Yes,RTL.
I feel very apprehensive there will be another rise in cases,OK many have had their second vaccination ,but young parents like FH’s will not get their’s until later in the year.
They do their utmost to be responsible yet no guarantee that will be enough to protect them.
I can’t understand the idiocy of places like Primark giving goody bags full of presents and £ 75 in vouchers to the first hundred or so customers.
Police having to marshal the crowds outside M&S!

Well into the second box room and for the life of me I cannot find a box labelled “Treasures to keep”.
It contained my hair from donkey’s years ago, so thick .
All the children’s milk teeth plus a puppy’s my daughter mixed in!
Ornaments from my wedding cake .
The gloves Mum wore on that day.
Empty perfume bottles my OH brought back ,from trips abroad ,from the Duty Free shop.
Little things my daughter made, such as notes in minuscule handwriting after we had visited Haworth Parsonage and seen the Bronte sisters little books.
Brooches bought by my sons for me when I was so ill with nausea when expecting their sister.
I surely won’t have thrown them away but no sign of the box at all.
Also a chocolate box,Terry’s of York, the one with a date 1747 or something in which the cake ornaments were kept ,was in the larger box labelled “Treasures” .
It may turn up .
Second son is 62 tomorrow.
I can’t believe it!
Oldest is 64 in June and daughter 54 in November.
Where have the years gone?
Flash Harry’s daddy is 30 and his mummy too.

What an unpleasant set of incidents for you RTL after a gruelling shift and a long journey home to face.
I am starting to be ashamed of some young and not so young people in our country.
Called to see how a friend is after bowel surgery and now with a stoma , not to go in but just a chat ,if she was up to it at the door .
However the stoma nurse was there so I phoned later .
She was very down as is to be expected but we had over an hour’s chat and a few laughs .
I must now catch up on eye drops and other medication .
Thanks again for all your news , hope everyone is well ,I don’t comment on every point as others  do that so well ,but I read them with interest, and admiration for your industry .
So cheerio for now .
Viktoria .

[Mowsehowse]

I am horrified you have to witness such vile behaviour RTL, though of course it does happen all over the world, as my nose often tells me.
The stairways into Oldway Mansion's grounds usually reek, and at the height of the cliff walk, opposite my balcony is a stretch of land with a wall to prevent traffic driving off the cliff.  If I had one pound for every individual who emerges from that area still doing up their trousers I would be a rich woman!! 
Despite neighbouring councils offering beautiful and free facilities, there are no free public toilets in Torbay anymore, so no doubt this behaviour will escalate, here, as elsewhere.
(There is the hope that people will stop coming to Torbay because it is no longer tourist friendly in that respect.)
As to the holiday crowds, I don't mind them in an average year.
What does worry me is the droves of people who have been visiting incessantly throughout the year of covid and lockdowns.  Probably just testing their eye sight!!

[BushInn1746]

Roobarb, Water, the occasional Guinness and tea is all I can drink, due to some weird (possibly immune) reaction I've been experiencing for a year.

Yes, an occasional Guinness Stout is hopefully good for me.

Disgusting, this leaving litter behind and so selfish to the people who also want to enjoy these places afterward.

Nice to see that sun though    but chilly inland without a fleece or jacket. Still going for local walks.

MH, we are still avoiding people, as a few seem to be forgetting the rules on keeping safe now. One of the Scientists had said that only public behaviour will determine our outcome.

Caroline, lost emails is a right nuisance, when I worked in local government our systems were backed up and saved each night by computer staff.

Goodrington. Rosie that takes me back to when my late Great Aunt took us on holiday there 1970s. A visit a few years back and the row of Guest Houses with the Park opposite seem to be Flats and Bedsits.

Oh RTL such a shame her job will be gone after furlough.

Viktoria, I struggle to find items, I've put safely away, but obviously too safely put away and I'm around the age of your children, so try not to worry.

Take care all, Mark