Living in a 1950's world

It has been a busy couple of days! Last night we went to the Bistro with Aunt Judy and had a lovely meal. Nice Crayfish salad,tender beef and a great chardoney was leaps ahead of the bloody awful Chinese I had to suffer on Friday night. It was a real treat and a very relaxed and confortable evening was had by all.

Today I was up at 7am repositioning the chicken runs, then later in the morning we drove to Rhos-on-sea to have coffee and lunch at Forte's cafe on the sea front.

Re-vamped in the 1980's the cafe has an old fashioned feel to it and Chris especiallly enjoys its "Miss Marple" type ambiance.(the tomatos and radish in the salads are fashioned into miniture flowers...and the staff all have neat uniforms with pad and pencils to take your orders- if you get my drift?)

Chris actually believes that the world we saw in the likes of Brief Encounter (1945),Gosford Park (2001) and "Cranford" can exist in 2008. In fact he believes that this sort of chocolate box reality actually existed in 1930-1950's Britain!, and I guess it is a nice fantasy to have ! even though it can leave you wide open for disappointment when the harshness of real life encroaches on St Mary Mead!

Duffy - Mercy -

I love this record. Sounds a bit like a healthy and clean Amy Winehouse don't you think? Duffy is a local girl and her concert in Wrexham is sold out!(Hazel tried to get tickets)

You get what you pay for

Last night I went on another ward night out to a Chinese in Rhyl, and I can honestly say that It is a long time since I have been somewhere so bad. The service was......shall we say....somewhat eclectic (The waitress sorted out coffee by pointing at each of the diners saying sharply "do YOU want coffee???"), the food was synthetic and the decor was lack lustre to say the least (a non smoking sign was selotaped at the wrong angle to the wall behind my head) I can't believe that I or anyone else would put up with this slap dash approach

I found myself thinking, what the hell did I go for? The bill was 14£ a head, which is cheap by anyone's standards but I guess I am getting too old for bad services! Tonight Judy is treating us to a meal in Prestatyn's Bistro, which is light years away from anything Rhyl could provide...message to self.....no more nights out in Rhyl.

Today I have set up Nell, Maude, Walter and Harold in their own pen(pic) and have hoed the vegetable plots ready for planting next week! Chris is enjoying time away from Pippa, and has gone to relax and shop!

Friday after nights

The duck enclosure has arrived and is now erected on the top of the field. The infra red bulb for the chicks, feeders and electric transducer came too, so I have only got to erect the new small hen house as soon as it is delivered and we are up and running. The incubator looks very retro in the kitchen,(pic) and the paperwork from the estate agents FINALLY arrived so the field is now totally mine...well at least for a year!
Feel very spaced today as all I managed to sleep is 30 minutes after night shift. Going on a chinese meal in Rhyl of all places with work later.

Sad day

The day is wet and cold and the village looks and feels rather sad. There is a funeral at the church, so the Church bell ringing on and on adds to the gloom of the day.

I went to the post office to post Maisie's birthday pressie and chatted to a group of old ladies about the funeral and about the work on the memorial hall (pic). It looks like the building won't be ready for the flower show and the gossip is that the cost of holding the show at the school may be just too much to be viable.We need another meeting to thrash out these financial problems and I suspect my lone voice in support of the show whatever the cost will be overuled.
Another sad thing happened today, and that is Janet has decieded to return lercher Ruby to the dog kennels. It has been a difficult decision but a correct one as she is just too big and difficult with other dogs and Janet's cat.
In some ways Ruby has been trained extremely well ! she walks to heel, she sits and stays on command, but her innate hunter instinct just cannot be tamed and I think a smaller terrier type dog would suit her lifestyle so much better. I took Janet and Ruby back to the kennels then did the weeks shop and other jobs before getting ready for night shift.Going to have a look at the chicken coop in the garden of a house up the gop tomorrow! The owner rang me yesterday saying she wants rid...I was a bit miffed as I have just bought a new house for Stanley which should be delivered this week....another "spare" house may be useful through.
Turned on the incubator this afternoon...

Yawn

There is nothing sadder than A bad play full of has-beens and with best intentions Chris dragged me to what only could be described as a car crash of a bad play at the highly unsuitable Venue Cymru at Llandudno! A Touch of Danger (a so called thriller by Francis Dunbridge) is in a word.......crap. Boring,lifeless and dull we left at half time after a rather lumbering Simon Ward embarrassed himself one too many times infront of a matronly Sandra Dickinson!

Next time he has promised to discuss any booking with me first before getting swayed by headlines such as "Excellent Thriller!" and "All Star Cast".

In future we will stick to the slightly more up market Theatre Clwyd in Mold.

A male world and the eternal flame of love

I don't do well in all male environments; they make me feel uncomfortable and ill at ease.Male psychiatric wards (staffed by an all male staff) and bastions of testosterone -the quick-fit garage, are just two examples, so this morning's job of changing the tyres on the car was a bit of a chore. Mind you driving over the hill to get the work done was a laugh this morning as I was reminded of a couple of former friends after listening to the radio.
The Bangles and Eternal Flame was playing on Coast Radio and suddenly I remembered being at this rather "intense" couple's house on the outskirts of Sheffield in the early 1990s. It was an early evening "do", and I was chattiing with a few friends in the kitchen (probably huddled over the nibbles and white wine) The hosts-This unnamed couple were always very demonstrative with each other, and their intensity sometimes became a little nauseating at times. In the corner of the room was a candle in a fancy bowl and we are all informed that this was an eternal flame that signified their love for one another!. I thought the group was supportive and polite when we all admired the "altar", but inside I had to stifle a hearty laugh.
A bit later in the evening I did laugh....long and loud when another friend ( a down-to-earth Yorkshire girl) took me to one side and whispered guiltily
"I am going straight to hell.......I have just lit me fag on the flame of love and I have just put it out!!!"

Things.......

It is 5pm and I am having my first sit down with a coffee.It has been another lovely day, but I haven't seen a great deal of it outside as it has been a errend sort of Tuesday.

Dogs have all had their boosters (100£ in total!!!) and we have a new Polish vet who is all fingers and thumbs. Bless! very nervous and very BAD English ( which willl go down here like a pork chop at Barmitzvah) I kind of liked her as she wanted to know all about the psychology of each dog, but I guess she didn't quite understand my explainations as she looked blank as a piece of paper for most of the time I was talking.

Took Meg for her haircut at the dog groomers(pic),popped into work for a case conference on "my" spinal patient, then off to Sainsbury's and the farm shop for food and chicken food shopping. Just had time to clear out the car of rubbish,set up the new feed bin (pic) in the field and round up Duncan and a couple of girls who had escaped before taking the dogs for their walk and then go to the cinema.

Tommorrow I am getting the new tyres on the belingo sorted and will buy another 12 volt battery for the new hen fencing.

Its all go