What are you all up to

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  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 5 #60842

    Maybe surgery should have been more organised. 

    DEBSC, never a truer word "spoken". We took MiL down to her surgery this morning just before 10am. The surgery is a small one, has about 15 car parking spaces. Chaos. Cars parked on the busy entrance road, queues of elderly patients snaking around the building outside. In this part of Wales the health board "organise" the appointments. They make them, you don't, and they start with the eldest first. I dropped the ladies off and nipped to Tesco for 3 items and found a convenient road space not far from the surgery when I got back 20 minutes later. They still hadn't got into the surgery. 

    It was a good job the weather was dry and sunny if cool. I counted over 100 80y.o.+ waiting in a queue, quite a few with walking aids just like MiL. When she did get in it was quick but I was fuming. I intend writing to both the health board and the Surgery. This number of elderly people should not have to wait outside for over 30 minutes. As OH said all of the ones around them were within 5 minutes of MiLs appointed time so it wasn't queue jumping. Goodness knows what would have happened if it had been raining.surprised Last year it was held at the Rugby Club with ample inside room to accommodate everyone. MiL has had 3 jabs this week so deserved her Rhubarb and Ginger Gin tonight.

    As mere youngsterslaughing we'll have to wait for our appointments but our surgery has far more space.

    Hope your GD improves quickly.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 5 #60843

    We lost a lovely couple who were neighbours and who we have known for over 40 years early this year, both passing away within 6 months of each other. They have 2 lovely daughters and one of them called in today to say she and her husband are moving into the house which delighted us. 

    She stayed for quite a while having a chat. She's the spitting image of her mother.

    Nice to have someone we know.

    Hope you enjoyed the Anderson Boat Lift Kj. Have a safe trip up to the Lakes tomorrow.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 5 #60844

    Two thirds of the way through our vaccination season. RSV jab on Monday, Flu jab today. Next Wednesday it will be our Covid vaccination. This is the only one not done at the surgery but at the Open University. It's not Margaret's year medically speaking. Back during Covid she had to see the doctor regarding a strange mark on her head. At the time he said that he didn't think it was sinister. Last week we noticed that the mark had changed so she managed to get an appointment and the same doctor has now referred her to the hospital on a fast track appointment. I think he is still fairly confident it is not something to worry about but better safe than sorry. The hospital appointment has already come through for the 15th October which is pretty quick. Fingers crossed!

    David

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 5 #60845

    Nice sunny day here today but a little cool.  Off out in the van tomorrow, just for a short break.  Looking at where we can escape most of the rain... so Bridlington looks a good bet! 

    We do have a slight problem though... one of our front seats have gone back to Belfield - a warranty issue..... so we've used a couple of seats from the IKEA furniture we have in the conservatory....  😀😀

    David

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 5 #60846

    We had booked our flu jabs together for when we return from our current trip, and when I had my RVS injection before we came away I enquired about our Covid ones and was informed that they would be given at the same time as our flu jabs, so no need to arrange another appointment.

    Hope you have a safe journey up to Kendal on Monday, Kjell. BTW which CL have you been staying on when in Wales? Hope your friend's op goes without mishap.

    Sorry to read that your granddaughter is again back in hospital, Debs, fingers crossed she will only be there for a few days.

    It has been another fine sunny and warm day, good enough for the washing to dry outside once more. We spent the day in Dunbar today, with a walk around by the harbour and what remains of the castle, and the after lunch along the esplanade above the cliffs.

     

  • Rufs
    Rufs Forum Participant Posts: 4,072
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    edited October 6 #60847

    You are lucky to have car parking spaces, our surgery has just 2, and like yours chaos is the order of the day with ederly people queuing outside in the rain sometimes for 30 mins or more and yet, on Friday i had an appointment at the local pharmacy 1715 hrs for flu and covid, pharmacy is just 5 minutes walk from the surgery, i arrived at 1705 hrs and was out at 1710 hrs having had both jabs, our pharmacy is now the place to go, they have a new biometric machine which is currently free to use, you stand on the plate press start and it automatically measures your height, weight, BMI, you stick your wrist in a sleeve and it does your blood pressure and then gives you a print out of the results all within 5 minutes. They say a lot of pharmacy are closing, ours seems to go from strength to strength

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Forum Participant Posts: 3,579
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    edited October 6 #60848

    Our surgery has far more parking than it needs. Pity you cannot get to see a doctor, they seem to work from home and use the phone. 

    My wife has had her appointment for flu and covid but not me despite the act that I am the eldest.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60849

    Surgery parking is a particular bone of contention here in Hornsea, WN. Our surgery is next door to the Cottage / Community Hospital - with a shared driveway between them. The surgery car park has about 10 spaces for patients - the remainder being used by staff.  The hospital has a huge car park and given the sporadic nature of visits to that sort of hospital, is empty most of the time.  For years, that parking space was shared between patients of both the surgery and the hospital and as far as I'm aware, worked OK. No doubt someone will argue otherwise.

    About 9 months ago, the NHS Trust decided to fit ANPR cameras in the hospital car park which is now designated for hospital patients' use only - and they are dishing out £100 fines to those that fail to comply.

    So - yesterday - we had the ridiculous situation of hospital closed and car park empty - yet scores of cars turning up at the surgery with people arriving for their flu jabs and nowhere to park - other than on the fairly narrow road outside - it was chaos.

    Smacks of petty squabbles between NHS managers!

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,031 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60850

    Perfect fit🤣

    I’m just catching up as well, so commiserations to Bakers, may everyone else’s jabs go as smoothly and well as ours, hope your GD picks up quickly Debsc.

    Some nice trip photos. I spotted Bass Rock Nellie, we love it round there. Isn’t the John Muir CP at Dunbar? Think it’s where he was born🤔

    We have had rather nice weather these last few days, so I have spent most of my time in between jabs out in the garden. Seed collecting time, and I have planted around 300 bulbs so far. We did a night out at our local theatre as well, saw The Dad’s Army Radio Show, brilliant little show featuring 3 episodes, all the characters played by just two actors. They had the voices and mannerisms off to a tee🤣

     

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60851

    Hope you get some apologies and answers about the organisation of MIL flu jabs, really bad to expect elderly patients to stand in a queue for that long!  Our Surgery is doing flu and, hopefully, Covid together BUT they can’t guarantee that the Covid one will be there, it depends on supply, and they won’t know until a couple of days before.   Due to that we have booked our Covid jab using the NHS app at a local pharmacy just to make sure!  I agree that the wording/and organisation could be better here too.  OH has been invited for the RSV and they would be in touch.  We heard no more, so I enquired about it when I was down for my annual review- ‘oh we are fully booked now and have no more appointments available’.  I said that the text message never mentioned that we had to book it just that the Surgery would be in touch.  The receptionist made a note and he now has an appointment in two weeks, so not that fully booked then!!  

  • DEBSC
    DEBSC Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited October 6 #60852

    Strange how lots of these Dr surgery and NHS problems seem similar, I wonder. Can’t get to see a Dr at out surgery for love nor money, maybe a telephone call in a few weeks and if it’s something they need to look at then it’s, ‘send a photo’. 

    Thanks for the good wishes for our granddaughter, she phoned this morning to say she is being let out, they took her off some medication after concerns about it damaging her heart but without it she couldn’t keep any food or water down, or any of her medication. She has now been put back on it for a week and then has to go back in for many tests next week. They struggle to feed her in hospital, due to her anaphylaxis and all the food being prepared in one kitchen so she has to have food brought in or bought. I asked her if she had spoken to anyone else in her busy ward, ‘oh yes I’ve been chatting to all of them’ was her response, which, knowing her, wasn’t a surprise. She just wanted to get home for some sleep but fortunately will now be able to spend a bit of time with her sister this afternoon.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60853

    We had a good visit to the Anderton Boat Lift yesterday, weather was dry and sunny, though the wind was a little chilly, and we were even lucky enough to see a boat using it.   There is a small, free, visitor centre, with a nice cafe, we had a soup and sandwich lunch which was very tasty.  Parking is nearby, £2 for up to 3 hours, so very reasonable.

    Later on we had our final visit to my friend, and another soup and sandwich meal in the evening, also very tasty!

     

    We are staying at the Crab Mill Farm CL Nellie, not far from Broughton but just inside the Welsh border.  Hardstanding with EHU and own water supply, grey waste into hedge.  Shower and WC also available.  Now £20 per night.

    Having been alone on site until Friday, we now have 2 neighbours, one with an awning up, so must be staying for a bit.  We generally do not bother with the awning when just the 2 of us, we did bring our outside chairs, but they have not made it out of the car so far.

    We are heading up to Kendal tomorrow, so today went over to the retail park at Broughton to fill fuel and get a few essentials.  The place was mobbed!  Very few empty parking spaces near Tesco, store looked busy.

    Went along to Aldi, looked like there had been a raid…..lots of empty spaces in the fruit and veg aisles and the stock elsewhere very untidy.  Very busy when we arrived at 13.00, but by 13.30 both shop and car park were much emptier.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60854

    Poor old Mrs M is currently sporting a very swollen and bruised jaw - and I'm getting some very funny looks on our dog walks! But, no, it's nothing to do with me! When she had her wisdom tooth removed on Thursday they found they could only take it out by cutting round her gum and then stitching it ... ouch! She is being very brave about it though ... what a man! surprised

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,754 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60855

    Just catching up on here after a busy few days making the most of the recent good weather doing lots of gardening and also washing.

    bakers2 I am so sorry to hear about your aunt. A difficult time for you. However you must be pleased that you and also your brother managed to see her. I expect you will have another trip to Essex in the next few weeks for the funeral. Best wishes.

    Lovely photos nellie. It looks like a great trip.

    DEBSC I am so sorry to hear that your grandaughter has been back in hospital again.

    It is our 2nd eldest grandson's 17th birthday today so we have had a lovely family afternoon at our daughter's. More appointments this week. I have my annual eye test tomorrow morning and then we have our covid jabs at the pharmacy on Wednesday morning and our flu jabs at our GP's in 10 days. It would be a bonus if the pharmacy offers to do our flu jabs also on Wednesday.

    Dreadful treatment when your MIL went for her covid jab WN. I cant believe they expected elderly people to stand outside for so long. I hope you get a response to your complaint.

     

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 6 #60856

    Some nice trip photos. I spotted Bass Rock Nellie, we love it round there. Isn’t the John Muir CP at Dunbar? Think it’s where he was born🤔

    Tda, yes it is and he was!!laughing Hope most of your chosen seeds bear fruit, as it were! 

    Thanks, millie, it has been another good trip so far.

    Hope Mrs M is not in any pain for long following the extraction, Moulesy. 

    I forgot to mention that we had a phone call yesterday from our doctor's offering us an earier appointment for our jab as they had some spare spots due to cancellation. We can't complain about our clinic whatsoever. 

    It has been not such a fine day with some rain during our visit to Tantallon Castle, but it has stayed dry since 12:00 until a short while ago. After lunch we had a walk through Binning Wood, past Bruce's Circle before visiting NTS's Preston Mill.

    Another photo with the Bass Rock in the background, for tda!laughing

     

     

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 6 #60857

    We are staying at the Crab Mill Farm CL Nellie, not far from Broughton but just inside the Welsh border. Hardstanding with EHU and own water supply, grey waste into hedge. Shower and WC also available. Now £20 per night.

    Thanks, Kjell, we stayed quite a while ago when it needed a bit of TLC. Glad you had a good day at the Anderton Lift, a fine piece of engineering. We had a good day out there a while ago with the WNs.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 6 #60858

    Sitting in the caravan at Bridlington, listening to the rain....!!!  The good thing is we managed to get to Aldi in time to buy a 'duel zone' air fryer.  Haven't switched on the gas yet!  😀😀

    David

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 7 #60859

    Hope the weather clears up for the rest of your stay, David. We have an air fryer which we use frequently in the van as we try to save our gas for when we go off grid.

    It turned out better than forecast, after a wet night and a dull start to the day. We managed to fit in a couple of dry walk along by the coast today. However we have had a couple of short showers this evening.

    Following the heavy evening rain it was dryish when I took Flyte out for our last walk around 22:00 last night. There were more single frogs and toads out on the paths than I have ever seen, and I also spotted a tiny newt making its way over the tarmac.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 7 #60860

    We have had one of the dual drawer air fryers at home for almost 2 years, but in the van we have been using a small fan oven purchased from Lidl about 18 years back..  Unfortunately it is now showing its age, one knob is in a delicate condition, and the power cable really needs replaced, which will be a “complete dismantle” job.

    At DD’s suggestion, we recently invested in an inexpensive large single drawer air fryer at Lidl which may well replace the oven, and be useful at home when we have something larger to cook, or want to cook for more than just ourselves.   It is becoming rather crowded on our kitchen worktop now!  OH says we need a good clear out, and a reorganisation of appliances.

    Arrived at CCC Kendal just after 13.00 today, no hold-ups on the motorway, though there were some ongoing roadworks. Took us just over 2 hours.


     Lovely weather all day, we have a nice big, level pitch near a service point as requested,  but also near the facilities block, and the wi-fi is good. The site seems quite busy, lots of MHs and camper vans, but also a good number of caravans, and even a few tents.

     

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60861

    If you are looking for something to do when it rains - you could visit this exhibition in Kendal. I may be biassed.

     https://lakelandarts.org.uk/events/johannes-pretorius/

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,031 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60862

    Hi Nellie. We are just in the process of buying an air fryer. We know what we want for home, but like you, fancy using one when on hook up in the MH. Can you recommend what you have, and give approximate size? Thank you 

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60863

    This model is great for both home and in the van. We mainly use it outside under the wind out canopy but will sit nicely on the glass hob top. So versatile and has 5 functions. We have the six function model but that’s a bit more expensive. Easy to store in van locker.
    Here

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60864

    Well over the past week or so I've had a very painful (as I found out) in-growing toe nail with every step or putting shoes, or even socks, on making it worse. I'm not sure how it happened and it's my first and hopefully last.

    I went to see a podiatrist this afternoon and wow, what a difference! She cut out the offending slithers that were, to quote Basil, still burrowing thier way down to the bone? Still macheteing their way through the nerve, and while it was 'somewhat' (to say the least) painful at the time what a relief now. 

    I'm not sure if £55 is cheap or expensive but worth every penny!

    To anyone else who suffers one of these get it seen to as quickly as possible. I'd wish I'd gone sooner. 

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60865

    TTDA……..we have the same dual drawer one as DEBSC, a Salter.  We bought DD a similar one from Lakeland, it was on special offer and we had an extra 20% off.  They then bought her husband’s parents a similar one from Lidl, they all work well.

    The single drawer one we got from Lidl also works well,  but if you have the space to carry it, you could get one of those ones ( look on Lakeland for examples) that have either one larger and one smaller drawer, or have one very large drawer with a moveable divider.

    Or just take  the house one with you.

    We only bought a second one as we did not want to be left without one at home when DD borrows the caravan.

    The single drawer one we got from Lidl is quite tall, considerably taller than our dual drawer Salter one, but not as heavy.

    The Ninja one Micky linked too looks ideal for travelling, spacious but compact, however it was more than we wanted to spend.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60866

    Weather a bit showery today in East Yorkshire.  A trip up to Scarborough for some lunch and later on to Filey to Tescos before returning to Bridlington.  Off home tomorrow..

    David

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,031 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60867

    Thank all for posting re AirFryers. We know what we want for home, it’s a Ninja, dual drawer, 7.6litre. I bought my sister one for her birthday, and she says it’s great for her, so should suit us as well.

    I asked Nellie because I wondered how he went on at CLs with less than 16 amps, plus we don’t want a huge one in MH. We won’t be doing things like roasting chickens or any kind of meat, so it doesn’t have to be too big.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 8 #60868

     Tda, ours is a Tower 4 litre Digital Vortex Model No.T17067, operating at 1400W, which we got from Argos. It is big enough for the two of us, and have had no problems, so far with using it on CLs. We do only operate one main electrical heating item at a time in the van

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60869

    We bought a cheap one from Aldi, last Sunday..... just getting used to it.  It's a duel draw... each draw is 4.5 litres.  We've used it in the caravan this week, but we've really bought it for home.....  £59.99 and it seems to work fine.  We've done chips, chicken, burgers and sausage so far.  Apparently we have to buy a seperate metal container for eggs....  😀  Carol wants to try and do a cake....

    David

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 8 #60870

    CS

    You have my sympathy. Had a similar situation about 13 years ago. Fortunately I was able to use an NHS facility (don't even know if it still exists?) Don't know about you but its a fairly brutal experience but the upside has been that I am now more relaxed about going to the dentistsurprised Unfortunately the problem kept coming back so they eventually decided that I should have both big toe nails surgically removed. Once the healing was complete, not always straightforward, I can't say that I have missed the toenails, doesn't feel any different walking around but just looks a bit odd!

    David

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 8 #60871

    Carol wants to try and do a cake....

    David, OH has had great success with cakes in the air fryer, even baking one in the caravan. There are lots of recipes out there on the web for them. I would recommend getting a couple of silicon liners to cook in as it makes cleaning out the trays much easier. 

    We too have had a mixed day weather wise but has been rather wet since mid afternoon, starting as I was out for my pre-dinner walk! Had to go to North Berwick to stock up with food at Tesco and Aldi  before we head on to our next site. We had a walk through the woods at Billings Wood again, where there is a "natural"  burial site, and then another on the shore near the golf course.