What are you all up to

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  • DEBSC
    DEBSC Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited September 4 #60572

    I have to agree with you there David, I believe money is wasted by diverting to other possible therapies. I know that there are times when other things should be tried but I also think this is often a waste of time and money and possibly a way of keeping the waiting lists/times looking better than they are. Our daughter diagnosed herself, she saw specialists who disagreed, they said physio first, the physiotherapists wouldn’t touch her. Almost 3 years of going round and round she went private, we are not well off but paying was one of the best things we could ever do. The private specialist took one look and agreed with her diagnosis and operated a month later. She has gone from almost bed bound, a wheelchair and doped up on morphine to being back in a full time job but best of all she has her life and her smile back. Our granddaughter was in hospital for a week with Drs in regular attendance, only when they realised they couldn’t even feed her without her going into anaphylaxis, only then did they manage to get her onto a drugs trial, which we are so thankful for each day. My OH never goes to the GP but a recent visit put so much in motion and nobody could complain about the care he has had. So I’ve come to realise it’s about what you are suffering from, how complex it is, if you are lucky, if you see the right specialist and most of all it really is a postcode lottery. But having said this, we are so, so lucky to have it. It just needs more Drs, fewer pen pushers, fewer patient time wasters in A&E and, as someone else said more tax to pay for it, as long as that extra tax goes straight to the NHS.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60573

    DEBSC, Looking back there was a sort of logic to everything but its came back to bite us. Initially Margaret was sent for a scan on her hip which is a bit unusual as x-rays tend to be better for that sort of problem. At the time even the doctor suggested she pay privately for the scan to speed things up! I think things were done with the best of intentions as the place she was initially referred was about giving her an injection that would have eased the pain. It was the doctors there that said it was not beneficial, so that started the process all over again. Two years ago there was no indication of a problem and it is sad to see her struggling and she hates using a stick!

    David

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60574

    Garden Lovers Alert…..

    Great deal on Bulbs from MSE at the moment, link here

    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/thompson-and-morgan/#55778

    I have used one of these deals previously, and bulb quality/ growing was excellent. Nice mix of bulbs to fill in any spaces.

    Put here as thought it might get more attention👍

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60575

    Moles……you could try a pickled onion down each hole, or coffee grinds, Moles hate strong smells, so they might go away.🤞 on the plus side, the tilth you get from the hole is the best potting soil ever🤩 We used to collect it at Brodsworth for planting seedlings. Every cloud………🌈😁

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60576

    I always forget where my bulbs are! I keep meaning to take photos of them when they are out so I can see what I need. I do plant a few in pots so I can transplant them into any gaps. Also the Garden Centres sell them in pots and they usually reduce them as the flower go over. Morrisons have packs of bulbs for £2 at the moment. Dobbies have a wide selection but even with the multi pack discount they still quite expensive.

    David

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60577

    I have to agree as well David and DEBSC. NHS time wasting, lack of planning, and possible ‘helpful’ therapies quite apart from all the extra paperwork that must entail. My BIL is having hip issues and in a lot of discomfort, he has recently had a X-ray (eventually!) and they have said bursitis, conspiracy theory or not this is getting a bit of a common problem it seems. My OH saw a specialist recently after a MRI scan and other tests, fortunately all ok’ish but the consultant recommended another medication that he thought would help more and he would advise our GP. After hearing nothing for a couple of months OH contacted our GP, apparently they have the report and the information but GP would have to see him first before prescribing the medication, one has to ask why? The consultant recommended the medication who must know more than a GP as it’s his specialty, he tried to arrange an appointment with GP which will be in about 6 weeks and they will contact him nearer the time! All he wants is a prescription!!!! Self perpetuating problem for GP’s?

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60578

    I dropped into our local nursery yesterday and hit the jackpot. Lots of plants past their best (to casual gardeners, who like to buy things in full bloom) and big pot perennials all for £1. Should have been between £6.99- 8.99 per pot. So for £10 I got a Chocolate Cosmos, 3 x Heleniums, 2 x Lavenders, 1 x Dianthus Sweet Williams,, 1 x some sort of big Daisy, 1 x Verbascum, 1 x Geum. Absolute bargains.

    Not too sure where they are going to go though

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60579

    A woman after my own heart, plant wise. I love the challenge. 

    Can I ask are you planning to overwinter the cosmos? How? I saved seeds last year and sowed this year. Decided I don't like that! I have a couple of beauties this year. One still in a pot. I have an unheated greenhouse which is used to protect some plants. It's has plenty of sun and I'm happy to wrap for further protection.

    All good here,new gate fitted today,postponed from yesterday. Wet. Very pleased. Very pleasant day today.

    Hope those awaiting NHS things are not waiting too long. Dinner us almost ready, so I must give it some attention.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60580

    I have two Cosmos now, they appear to be slightly different, one has darker leaves and smaller flowers, the other what I think of as an ordinary Chocolate Cosmos. Both of mine are in pots, and I will cut back foliage once they have done flowering, and then let the pots nearly dry out, and put them into unheated greenhouse, and leave there, just barely watering over Winter. Around March, or before if I see new shoots, I will then water a little bit more. It’s a bit of a balance between getting them growing again, but not ending up with leggy growth. Up at Mum’s, we have a big one, possibly around six, seven years old, in a big pot, and this has survived being left out last Winter. I did wonder about it, but back it came🤩 It is in a sheltered spot, out of winds and up against house wall. Our Winters frequently get down to -10c, but I’ve never wrapped mine at all, just put into greenhouse

    I’ve planted the Verbascum, the Sweet Williams are in a pot, scratching my head over where to find space for Heleniums, Lavenders are going up to Mum’s, the Leucanthemum might have to take its chances along with the Geum🤔🤔🤣

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60581

    Bakers, I collect seed from my garden each year, Hollyhocks, Delphiniums, Cosmos, Black Ball Scabious, Lychnis, etc……. If you want any I can post, just ask Rowena for my email address, or Milliehull has it, happy for you to have it👍

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60582

    Takethedogalong thank you. That's what I had in mind for overwintering cosmos. I'll give it a go this year.

    Thanks for the offer of seeds, but no thanks. Messing about with tiny seedlings is my idea of a nightmare.

    This beauty has finally come out today.

    Edit the 2nd photo is from seed last year, I wasn't successful myself but I gave some to a dig walking fried who was. She gave me this one, still in the pot so going to try overwintering it 🤞

    Happy to save seeds. Not sure Rowena has our new address, but we can sort somehow. I can post to you.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60583

    I would love some of those seeds. I will email Ro to give you my email and address, many thanks.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,668 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60584

    DD’s flat is finally ready to go on the market, just hope it does sell, and quickly.  DD and I spent Saturday and Sunday there, finishing off, and even Callum and Nathan came along to do some litter picking to make the place look better.

    Being in town, and near shops, a fair bit of litter gets dropped and blows around, accumulating in sheltered spots.  Council does not seem very interested in removing litter, or in providing sufficient bins, despite the  Council Tax  being high.  We picked up a lot around the front of the building, and in the back garden where it had got stuck under bushes, looks much better now.

    DD washed down the front steps and door, cleaned all her windows, and those of the neighbouring  flat as they were really filthy, and cleaned out the bin store, so it all looks very tidy now.  Hope the agents get the photos taken before it gets in a mess again!

    On Monday we dropped off a set of keys with them as they have agreed to do the viewings, so hopefully the required Home Report and EPC are now being prepared.

    Today we started getting the van ready for our trip, some cleaning inside plus  cleaning the water system as it has not been used since April.   Then we need to load up clothes, bedding etc, and food.    Only away for a week so will not need too much stuff.   We will visit our friend in Wales in a few weeks, rather than continuing south at the moment, just in case DD needs any help with the flat.

    Weather looks reasonable for the weekend.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited September 4 #60585

    We set off this morning in fine weather, ran into a bit of rain on the M6 but it was dry when we got to th he CL. Started to rain again just before finishing setting up, and that continued on and off for a while. A friend of ours, who is heading home after a 6 week trip to Ireland, has also stopped here for a night so we had a good chat over coffee this afternoon before our daughter arrived for a meal. It was grand to see them both, and hopefully we will meet up with our friend later in our trip, but not sure where or when yet. It could well be the last time we meet our daughter this year as she a very busy time with work abroad but she may be about when we head  back this way at the end of our trip. Off to sunny Wales tomorrow.

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant Posts: 4,755 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 4 #60586

    tda I have let Bakers2 know your email address. I hope this is OK.

  • vbfg
    vbfg Forum Participant Posts: 504
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    edited September 5 #60587

    Council's usually provide enough bins, but wherever you live in the UK, many people simply don't bother to use them or sometimes the birds raid them, especially if there are food wrappings in the bin. 

    One of my late lamented dogs used to pick up bottles and carry them. Nearly every day he would carry one home on our way back from our walk, so it just goes to show how many people simply throw them into the street, even if bins are available to put them in.

     

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 5 #60588

    Thank you milliehull. I have sent an email to establish contact 🙃

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 5 #60589

    Well done KjellNN have a fabulous well deserved break. Sadly people drop rubbish everywhere. I often pick up empty wrappers and bottles on my dog walk. Most of which are off road circular and walked regularly. It definitely isn't the always the wind! A local farmer had a nasty incident with a calf and balloon recently. Luckily a good outcome but only because the panicking calf was spotted and reported of fb, it does have its uses 😉. 

    Happy travels nelliethehooker.

    Have a lovely day folks

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,668 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 5 #60590

    Yes, people are indeed the biggest part of the problem, but the lack of bins in the area does not help.  

    There are quite a few food outlets nearby, a large student population as the university is only a 5 minute walk away, and a couple of large secondary schools nearby.  The pupils think it fine to use the steps up to the building as seating and leave their wrappers lying as there is no nearby bin.  

    There used to be, but a lot of them have been removed.  Also little provided in terms of recycling possibilities for the public, DD collected about 50 empty vodka bottles and took them to the single recycling point some 100 metres along the road.

    Her flat is in an area of 3-4 storey tenament buildings, so locations for disposing of waste and recycling are limited, and even the residential bins are often overflowing.  Fast Food waste adds to the problem, and as most of the properties are not owner occupied any more, the residents have little interest in keeping the place tidy.  It was very different when she bought the flat back in 2003.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited September 5 #60591

    Even when there are few of no bins about part of the problem is that some council are very slow in emptying them. We had that problem at home around Covid time, when it seemed every other person was out walking a dog and sensibly using the bins to disposed of their "poo" bags. Yesterday when taking Flyte for his walks around a rather smart housing estate the waste bin, close to a kiddies play park, was full to overflowing, obviously not having been emptied for quite a long time, whereas the one outside a Co-op store on the main road, about 1/4 ml away, was nearly empty.

    Thsnks, B2, we will try our best. We had some rain overnight but it was dry as we were packing up and all during our 2hr run down into Wales. We are on a THS near Colwyn Bay, the busiest that we have stopped on so far with roughly 90 units at the moment and many more expected for the weekend. There are lots of space between the units, certainly more than on many a club site, with more caravans than M/Hs, and even a commercial site adjacent & with this number of units it is very quiet. A real bargain at £9:50 pn!

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited September 5 #60592

    Driving wind and rain, all day long. What were we all up to? Nothing 😕

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 5 #60593

    Just back from Norfolk Broads CAMC site.  Internet on 3 network was generally not good - kept getting error messages!!  Hope all are well.  I'll try and catch up tomorrow!  🙂

    David

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60594

    Left Gloucestershire yesterday, packed up in the dry.  On the M5 heading South and it bucketed down and that was the case at our Dorset destination.  Got soaked setting up. Stopped raining about midnight.  Forecast not brilliant for the rest of our stay. Still we will make the best of it smile

  • DEBSC
    DEBSC Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited September 6 #60595

    We were travelling the other way on the M5 Oneputt, it was heavy rain and very busy going that way we found, had to park in the overflow car park at Sedgemoor as the main one was so busy. Maybe all the silver haired crowd heading off now that the kids are back to school.

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60596

    We must have been lucky travelling from Norfolk to N Warks.  It was certainly dull, with one or two spots of rain as we were travelling up tbe A14, M1 and M42, but fortunately it kept off for us to park the van back in storeage.  Seems OK this morning.... so far!!  😀

    David

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60597

    Beautiful sunny day here in the North West with temperatures around 22 degrees. I've just noticed the test match in London has stopped play due to bad light! Oh the irony. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60598

    We had a great day out yesterday at the Tof B, have posted in Sport with some photos. The weather was a shocker🫣 14c, it started raining after we left start at Sheffield, and up out in the hills it was like a Winters day🥶😱 Today is back to blue skies and sunshine, you couldn’t make it up.🤣

    Millie and Bakers, thank you👍

    Loving the bargain prices Nellie, will be in touch👍

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60599

    Another exciting start to the day, yes it was raining, but we run out of gas.  For those in the Bridport area, we went to: The Grove Petrol Station, Dorchester, DT1 1XU.  Telephone 01305 259663

    We filled our Safefill bottle

     

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60600

    Oneputt

    Might be an idea to also post this in the Caravan and Motorhome Chat section?

    David

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 6 #60601

    Now we're back home, today we've had the best weather since before we started our 'travels'...   😀

    David