banjo48

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Posts posted by banjo48

  1. I upgraded to a MacBook Air last July and have never looked back, I would never have another windows device ever again.

    Catfan, all my previous programs run easily and faster on the mac, and I have not found any yet that I would use that don't, not saying there is none, but not what I've needed.

    I even use Firefox on the mac as I prefer it to apples safari browser. I don't use many Apps either, only maybe Google maps and a few travel type things.

    I have friends in the IT business and they tell me that win10 is the most invasive OS ever developed, it reports back to home (microsoft) giving them heaps of your personal info, re your browsing history etc. and to do this uses your bandwidth ! so you are paying to give them your information.

    It does this automatically from basic setup, so most don't have a clue its happening in the background.

    There are ways to stop this, but not using win now I haven't followed it or needed to, lots of info on the net though.

    I never thought I would say this but I love my macbook/Ipad/Iphone, but yes expensive, but I'm a firm believer you get what you pay for.

  2. HG

    I have lost 6 teeth to abscesses, the pain and swelling can be awful, I have a real dental phobia because of this, so usually leave it till too late and have tooth removed.

    Anti antibiotics are the way to go to get the infection under control, then sort the tooth out one way or another, I prefer to get rid of the offending tooth rather than root canals etc. the less time they spend in my mouth the better, and far cheaper !

    Root canals can work but sometimes don't, so for me get the damn thing out. One less to bother me.

    I have genuinely considered going into hospital and have the rest of mine out under a general anesthetic and have dentures, so much easier and no more tooth ache or dentists, ever.

  3. My first actual purchase of an alcoholic beverage would have been at the Gedling miners welfare, but my first pub would have to be the Crystal Palace round the corner from Colemans in maypole yard, we used to nip in there for a shandy in between doing the rounds of the dance floor.

  4. My dad was a brickie, his standard work attire was khaki bib and brace overalls, and in winter included a donkey jacket and cap.

    The overalls had a ruler pocket on one side where he kept his folding Stanley wooden ruler, with inset brass hinges !

    Still got most of my dads tools of the trade, which I used to use when we had a permanent home. One of his old trowels is so worn it's of little use but I would never throw it out as i know how it became so worn and by whom. Suppose I'm just a sentimental old fart.

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  5. Dad used to have one of those tall upright paraffin heaters in his shed, then years later mum bought one of those latest and greatest heaters with the fuel tank in a lift up lid at the back, I think from memory it was called a Paul Warmer, or something similar.

    When dad built our house at Mapperley he didn't have the extra money for central heating at first, so it was open fires and the portable paraffin heater which was used extensively.

    Mentioning it here I can smell that smell in my head now !

    When I cleared mums house in 2005 the old heater and fuel can was still in the basement, it went in the skip(s) with just about everything else. Mum was a bit of a hoarder and hated throwing anything out, maybe that's where I get it from Mnnn !

  6. Carni

    What ever gets you through it, as most know I suffer the dreaded dental phobia, I would rather have have an arm removed with no anesthetic, than let them in my mouth with a drill, probe or pliers ! so will get my doc to get me some, as a dreaded visit is becoming ominously closer methinks, maybe I'll bite the bullet (excuse the pun) and have what I have left, removed in one fell swoop, falsies can't be that bad, and no more dentists ever !

    As an aside, they are very addictive tablets if taken long term, as any benzodiazapam is, my mums drug of not her choice, Ativan,

    She suffered chronic anxiety, so was hooked for years on them, but in her early 70's she went cold turkey and beat them. But that's another story.

    • Upvote 1
  7. I make a pea and ham soup in the pressure cooker, soak ham hock to remove the salt or wash under running water for a while, place in pressure cooker with onion, carrot, potato a liter of water or chicken stock and a cup of split green peas.

    You can adjust the quantities according to how much you require, I blast it up to full pressure then give it 15mins and switch off and allow to cool with lid on.

    When cool remove meat from bones and grisle etc. adjust seasoning according to saltiness of hock and bring back to simmer then serve, if too thin, thicken with a little flour or corn flour and serve with crusty bread. If too stodgy add a little more water.

    Our hocks here in oz are generally smoked so give a nice smokey flavour.

    • Upvote 1
  8. #13 Oh yes Carni please do that.

    I have so many brilliant memories "down the Keller," As mentioned above, Chris Ashley (the mouth) but underneath that exterior a great bloke, Karl, just the perfect "showman", and the rest of the crew. Great times never to be repeated.

  9. My maternal great aunt lived near the top of Ransom road on Caunton avenue, she had a piece of shrapnel in her cupboard at side of her fireplace, I used to play with it as a kid and she always said she picked it up when they bombed Nottm.

    Haven't a clue where it came from maybe where she lived or somewhere further down towards St Annes Well road, but always remember the story.

  10. #4

    Yes not just pensioners anyone is treated free in the public system but if you have private cover you can chose your doctor/surgeon and accommodation to a private room etc.

    Two of my daughters are Nurses/midwifes, last year they both worked in the same large hospital, one was in the private sector, one in the public, only difference was the room choice and food in the private sector, same theaters, same general services same doctors.

    The thing with private cover is you can get virtual instant treatment for non life threatening issues like hips and knees replacement, whereas public you may wait a month or so according to where you live, some people here go rural and get work done immediately as they are less busy in country type hospitals, but only the bigger country towns.

    In Perth you can wait a year for a hip or Knee op, in Mandurah which is only 100klms south my mate just got his appointment for a new knee after 3 months wait only.

    When my knee finally gave in i couldn't walk more than 50m so was classed as urgent and waited 6 weeks only.

  11. Same here in oz, last July I had a TIA like a mini stroke, had full blood work, heart tests (several), stress echo, brain scan mri and saw a specialist, no cost at all as a public patient.

    4 years ago had a full knee reconstruction as day surgery, including MRI and all tests free. Only medical costs we pay for is dental and being pensioners we get some discount but if we elect to use a dental hospital where they train new dentists it's free too.

    When I need my new knees (not that far away) they will be done free too. We do have the option to purchase private medical cover but most pensioners now just use our medicare public system.

    If you guys visit oz you too get free treatment if needed, as we have a reciprocal agreement with the uk gov.

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  12. As a child I grew up with depression and anxiety as my mum was a chronic depressive and spent many periods in hospital having electric shock therapy, she would come home completely out of it with memory loss and other side effects.

    During these episodes I was shunted off to a great aunts or grans for a week or so till mum felt she could cope again. Over her lifetime she became addicted to prescribed drugs like librium and other benzodiazepine type of drugs. But still suffered badly although not as bad as when she was younger.

    It must be a genetic thing, as over the years I too have suffered with it but not as bad as mum did, a round of modern antidepressants occasionally helped me but left me feeling empty and just plain odd.

    I still get episodes and now have anxious feelings too, especially in the early sleepless hours but try to not get down the "black hole" too far, I am a member of a couple of online help groups here and talking about it with other sufferers does help.

    As a final to this our youngest daughter is a chronic depressive too, she went through a bad relationship which seems to have triggered it several years ago and now takes regular meds to cope, she is a midwife and holds down a good job. But we dread the midnight phone calls where mum sits talking to her sometimes for a couple of hours or more to get her through the worst times. She has no partner so suffers alone.

    She tried once to end it all so she is our biggest worry in life.

    Depression is a bitch and anyone who has never suffered will just never understand just what it is, as mentioned above, down "the black hole" is a fair representation of the feelings of despair one can get.

    Writing this on a public forum I feel I have exposed my sole, but so be it , help is out there and it does pass, and half the battle is understanding the illness.

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  13. When I first came to Oz I lost my first job because when all my colleagues, the smokers, went outside to do their thing I got a bit fed up with it, being a non smoker, so decided I would grab a cuppa while they wasted the time chuffing, I got the bullet but the lazy barsteward smokers got away with it.

    My wife used to be a supermarket manager here and regularly had "disagreemants" with staff as they assumed it was their right as smokers to go outside every hour or so to indulge in their horrible habit.

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  14. I was born in Lenton Abbey and I remember the coal delivery coming in a horse and cart ! mum used to send me out to pick up the horse poo and any dropped coal after he had left.

    Dad had a big garden and an allotment with lots of veggies so the poo was always welcome.

  15. Gedling miners welfare I suppose was my incarnation from a boy to a man really, I had my first shandy there, met my wife, had some really great nights, played the old "one armed bandits" for a few quid but won little.

    I used to walk my future wife home down to Valley road miners estate then back up to Mapperley tops to my home, no wonder I was fit in them days !

    My wifes dad was a part time help there and occasional compere and bingo caller. Her mum did the snack bar sometimes, and kept a wary eye on me with her 14 year old daughter ! Great memories from the 60's.

    My brother used to take me and my mates to Calverton miners on sunday lunchtimes sometimes, Amber Vandella comes to mind !

    Again lots of good time memories stirred.

  16. One of my twin daughters spent a few months back in the old country, couple of years ago, and came back to Oz with an English lolly addiction !

    She regularly seeks out the lolly shops specializing in this stuff here, and spends a bomb ! mind she usually gets dad a few packets of Angel Delight too, and mum her favorite Jelly Babies or Flying Saucers.

    I was also partial to the Fruit Pastiles or whatever they were called. I still love Maltesers as well, but readily available anywhere.

    I know they're all crap and are full of colors and garbage but it's nice.

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