What are you all up to
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Oh HELLO Everybody !! Brian has been suffering the loss of B/Band for a couple of days this week. Decided to see if the Christmas Fairy had given BT an early present of a new 13amp fuse. Lo and Behold It came up glowing with some 25 E-Mails all in a row
today so I spent a few minutes bunging my monthly stores request in for the surgery to handle before the seasonal break 
.many different posts around but never an apology from the company which provides my pension ~~ just the regular " We are very busy, could you try again tomorrow afternoon, please ! Thank you from the BT Tech BOT "
Hope nobody else has been suffering withdrawal symptoms like wot I have
Keep warm n dry n preparing for some celebration or other. Now I must go and see what the Postie has left me ~~ bills and late Birthday cards probably
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Good to have you back ABM👍
Brue, Middleham Castle is very interesting, well worth a visit. There is actually a much older castle there as well, now reduced to a motte. We love the area because it’s full of War of the Roses history. Plus Middleham probably has as many horses residing there as humans, all quietly tucked away behind big gates. The annual Open Day (I think it is still Good Friday) is well worth visiting, when the little town opens all the stables and studs, trips up to other yards up on moors, and all sorts of related events. Done for Charity as well👍
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We have noticed that the majority of the new houses being built in our area have got solar water heating panels, but not PV panels.
A few owners have installed PV panels themselves, but these days there are no FIT payments for new installations, so, unless your roof faces more or less south, and you also invest in battery storage so you never export to the grid, the break even point takes a long time to reach.
Not as long as a couple of years back though, at present electricity prices!
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Oh yes, nothing on strike days obviously but afterwards the postie smiles and waves as he drops Bills and catalogues in with a clatter and rattle fit to wake me from my snoozing
I do so hope that any furthur comments you are thinking of making are not toooo hurtful to little old me
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If anyone is interested in the Middleham Open Day, here is the link….
https://www.middlehamopenday.co.uk/
In the past it was a very big event, with Channel 4 Racing team involved, and lots of special equine and human celebrities. We saw Red Rum, watched Desert Orchid still going crackers in his late teens up on the gallops, and their are shuttle buses to visit all the stable yards, where you get the chance to meet the current Northern racing stars, perhaps get to see them swimming in the water training pools. Lots of other things on as well.
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We seem to be getting an increasing number of people saying they won't sending Christmas Cards in future, they say they will give the money to charity instead. I wonder if they get tired of writing them or recoil a bit at the cost of postage? We had a message today from someone we know who lives in Spain saying that he is stopping sending them. Shame that message didn't arrive a few days earlier, it would have saved me spending £1.80 in postage!!! Is the next thing not to send birthday cards? We find its a way of keeping in touch, an opportunity to maybe get a little news once a year from people you don't see that often. I appreciate that Social Media can be a good alternative but not everyone wants that?
David
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To be honest, I find writing Xmas cards a chore. OH’s family love sending cards, and there are just so many of them, scattered all over. OH has never written a single Xmas card in all our nearly 40 years together😡 So, I am opting for sending just a few local ones this year, the rest will get an e-card. You get a generous allowance to leave a message on the e-cards as well.
They are just so expensive, along with postage. I buy mine in New Year when they are practically giving them away. We send money to a couple of charities every Xmas, so I’d rather do this than spend a lot of money on cards and postage.
On the plus side, they do make good fire starters for stove🤣
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I sent my cards to the UK last month they arrived within about three days but postage is expensive here, a friend of ours who lives 2 villages from us has been sending a Christmas poem via email as she does not do social media at all and we have received it yesterday.
Still recovering from this awful cold/cough but and both of us the only place I have been to is the post box outside the gate so exciting not but still we are improving, thankfully we are stocked up with food for awhile longer although I do not have much appetite yet still could do with some weight loss before Xmas ha ha.
Take care folks.
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OH has just said that we need to do our cards this weekend. We have stopped sending abroad, I do a Christmas e mail instead, and we are sending far fewer in UK too, the cost of the postage is off-putting.
I have been down at DD's since breakfast time as Callum has not been well and had to stay home from nursery. I think he has this Strep A bug, the GP prescribed antibiotics, but they are proving very difficult to get at the pharmacies around here. I will be down there again tomorrow as she has to go into the office first thing and will stay on for the Christmas meal, OH has to stay home as the builders will still be working on the bathroom.
Another very cold day, nice inside in the sun though.
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Did our cards early, I always forget someone so have still had some extras to do and ran out of cards this year, like TDA I buy them early from various charities in the sales. It is a bit expensive for the stamps but I like having bits of news from people and sending a few words too. Sadly this year three friends have lost husbands so it's sad just putting one name on the cards and knowing Christmas won't be easy for them this year.
I have a few to send abroad, £4 for Canada this year, thought I'd be clever and put two in together.
Hope you both feel better soon Redkite.
Also Callum Kj.
OH has nearly finished tiling daughter's bathroom floor....and it's nearly finished him too! Going to do the last bit next week and rest his knees.
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I have just received a card from a friend who lives near Hartlepool however it was posted 7 days ago in Bangkok! He's there visiting friends and relatives and it's actually cheaper to post the out there than here and does it every year to everyone!
He's going to have a temperature shock when he lands tomorrow in Newcastle.
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Thanks for the offer of sending info but we don't have tanks. Ours is a combi boiler, had the tanks removed years ago.
Yes this year has been a good one for the panels. Batteries aren't cheap you're right. Now that panels are cheaper having a couple of batteries installed at the same time seems to be the way some are going. Some of the electric companies are paying folk to store energy overnight to then export it back into the grid the next day.
Very cold here today but no snow and frost all gone by mid morning.
PS all the new builds round here have 2 water panels on them and several solar ones. The council give tenants a choice when they do their properties, almost all done now. I understood all new builds had to have them on.
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Just checking my 'work' email for tomorrow and found this one from today. I've taken out the names and addresses. Needless to say I've already signed up.
From:
Sent: 08 December 2022 14:36
To:
Subject: Xmas GiftingHi all,
In the spirit of Christmas and to support our families most in need, each year group have put forward names of students that are, sadly, unlikely to receive gifts this Christmas.
We would like to appeal to your generous nature and ask that while Xmas shopping over the weekend you consider buying a present that can be gifted to one of these children.
This link Xmas List.xlsx will take you to a list of children with their gender and ages added to support what to buy. Children that have been nominated have also had their siblings included in the lists (hence some older ages) Pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity of the children.
If you would like to support there are three ways to do so:
Add your name to the list, next to the child that you are buying for, wrap the gift and add a tag with the name.
Buy a gift for a parent. Indicate on your gift tag whether it is for a Mam or Dad
If there are no children left on the list to buy for - buy a gift for a child and add a tag with gender and age. The pastoral team will ensure it gets to a child in need.Leave the wrapped and tagged gift at student reception by Wednesday 14th December.
Gift guidance:
Avoid toys with batteries – they cost money to replace
No alcohol
No perishable goodsThere may be a couple more names added, so please check the list again tomorrow.
I’d like to thank Karen and Paul C for suggesting this idea, one that will undoubtedly give some of our children a bit of sparkle and festivity this holiday.
Thanks in advance
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Good news about your OH's operation goldie. I hope all goes well.
your trip sounds wonderful so far Nellie. We love the Middleham area as well. We went on some great walks up there in our younger and fitter days.
Sorry to hear that Callum is not well Kj. Impedigo is a strep A bug so there might be a connection there. I hope he improves soon.
We are now home from our trip to NI. Had a such a lovely time with them all. It was great to be over there again, although the temperature dropped considerably while we were there.
I spent yesterday afternoon with my friend whose husband died last week. We shared many memories with a few tears but quite a few laughs as well. It would have been their 60th wedding anniversary on the 22nd so my friend has decided to have a gathering for family and close friends to celebrate her husband's life.
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A couple of photos of Strangford in NI.
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Not quite as sunny today but still fine and chilly after a hard frost last night. We went for a short drive today before a walk and below is where we headed for. The other photo is from my afternoon walk from the site, taken at 3.45 yesterday.
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Corners, I find it both very sad that families are in this situation with their children going without at Christmas and also heartwarming that the staff care so much.
Some of us should count our blessings and I hope it turns out to be a good Christmas for all the children, their families and the staff at the school. 👍🏻
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RK
Just out of interest how much does it cost to send a single card to the UK. I ask because a few days ago I ordered postage online, two cards for Spain, one for Italy and one for Brazil. The ones for Spain and Italy cost £1.80 each and interestingly the one to Brazil was only £1.60? Technically we should also attach customs declarations to each card as we are now outside of the EU. Don't know if that happens if you take the card to a post office?
David
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Bolton Castle Nellie, 👍
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We’ve cut down on sending Christmas cards. Don’t see the point of sending/handing to someone you see regularly. So now just to family and friends who live away. I’ve just posted one to my cousin in Australia - created the label online, paid and printed. Normally it would be an email, but I wanted to send an actual physical photograph.
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Hi DK we only sent a small amount of cards which was dearer if they are upto 100g euro 3.30 and upto 20g euro 1.60 as ours were thicker cards they were over 20g, so will be a change of plan next year and we did not have to fill in the customs paperwork although we have done before, we have a few friends that do not use computers or mobile phones so usually do cards. We can do our own postage labels here on the computer much easier so may do that next year.
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We've decided this year not to send Christmas cards to those we know that have a mobile phone, use FB and WhatsApp.
Last year I took out an account with Jacquie Lawson online cards, after a CT member sent me one to me.
My children and gKids love receiving them as they can view them time and again + keep them on their phones to show others. The cards are animated.
With the cost of cards and postage + the strikes by post office this year, I'm going all environmental and sending ecards where I can.
Cold here today but frost went fairly early on, still no snow.
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Thanks RK, it seems fairly similar. I inherited from my work days a load of sticky labels, four to an A4 sheet and they are ideal for printing the postage and customs dec as they are the right size. The only issue I have found with adding the customs declaration to the back of the envelope is that you sometimes get it back to your own address because someone at the post office has looked at the wrong side!!!
David
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Hi TG we used to have Jackie Lawson e cards sent to us it might be something we do we have done some by moonpig this year to family and a couple of friends as that has worked in the past, we do not do FB Whatsapp or Instragram, glad you are back home and finding it a bit cooler than Spain. Have got a yellow warning this weekend and next weekend for snow so will wait and see what happens, will need to do some shopping soon just hoping this cold/cough improves as we can only do click and collect here no home deliveries here yet.
A damp dull day here yet and birds are busy at the feeders.
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What a beautiful start to the day.
I was sitting at the table with my breakfast looking at the trees in the woods with the sun on them and no wind and then all of a sudden the trees began crying Golden teardrops as cascade after cascade of leaves began falling. It was both beautiful yet somehow sad at the same time. 10 minutes later they suddenly stopped. I was quite moved. Trees are wonderful.
Had a busy schedule this week. Poor old Mrs.WN even busier.
Hope all are well.
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Very slow internet today and now the 1600 traffic jam is on it is slower than a snail everything is buffering
Also very cold here frost still on hedges and grass in many areas ,tried not to go out but needed to visit co op for some butter, quite slippery on footpath so safer to walk on the road
Even though post strike had OHs medication delivered by our reg postie , thank you
Our club membership card runs out end of month but no new card contacted EGH membership will get two sent to home address before end of dec
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