Jill Sparrow

He was here yesterday, Rog! I even ran outside to see the brush. 5 years old again! Chim chiminee, chim chiminee, chim chim cheroo Good luck will rub off when he shakes hands with you! They know how to charge these days!

I agree that food banks should not be necessary but, having said that, I've met people who use them who also have the latest smartphone, not to mention other expensive IT devices. Slight anomaly there, methinks?

Women of the world stand by! Ben's about to be let loose!

Hope your new voice still tells funny stories and tall tales!

Similar memories of being persuaded to go on the parachutes one lunchtime in the very early 70s, Mess. Manning girls were forbidden to enter the fair when in uniform. Four of us went on the parachutes which promptly jammed whilst we were at the top, in full view of the deputy head, watching through binoculars! My best friend lost one of her shoes and was sick. I've never felt so ill and turned green when I reached terra firma. Never again.

Sorry to hear of your problems, nonna. Last year at this time, I was getting ready for the new bathroom and boiler. That would have been followed by a new kitchen if it hadn't been for the serious illness of a friend who came here for 9 weeks to convalesce. Kitchen still waiting. I've reupholstered two Victorian chairs and a footstool...for the moggies. I usually end up sitting on the floor! You can tell who rules in this house.

Chimney sweep due at 0800. Time to think about winter fires! Comes round too quickly but fires are popular with the moggies.

Told you, they can't resist a chap in a liberty bodice!

I predict the mental health services of the future are going to be stretched to the limit. What's that saying? Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. World's gone barmy! Glad I'm sane....miaaaw!

My uncle George and great uncle Jack Ward could also be among them. My grandads were not in The Sherwood Foresters but KRRC and RA.

Blood test, no doubt!

Or be breathalyzed? It won't keep you out of Wethers, Ben. Looking forward to seeing you there when they let you out! I'm not familiar with the hospital you're in but I expect it has a Costa outlet on the ground floor? Most do.

I never take milk in coffee...ruins the drink. When I worked at Warren & Allen on Low Pavement, we had tea ladies, sisters in law Janet Woodiwiss and Marian Woodiwiss. One drink at 11 am and another at 3pm! More often than not the first one was undrinkable due to a metallic or chemical taste in the water.

When I worked in the offices of Rotheras on Friar Lane, many years ago now, there was no kitchen so we had vending machines on each landing which provided free drinks. The coffee was horrible and, so I'm told, was the tea but it dispensed a very good hot chocolate and a lemon tea which was really nice cold as well. Free drinks is an unusual perk for a solicitors' office but I enjoyed working there. Nice folk.

So pleased he's come back, PP. Nothing more worrying than a missing moggie.

Auntie Emily of Garden Street had a tea strainer and a slop bowl with her China tea service. She wouldn't entertain tea bags. Newfangled nonsense!

Ticky tacky boxes these days. No character and no sense of style. Wouldn't have one as a gift.

I hope he's not driving!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-suffolk-45438493/sup-water-cat-on-river-stour-and-north-sea-adventures This cheered me up today. Don't think mine would like it though!

Don't touch it with a barge pole, Carni. I wouldn't. It's a rip off.

I used to tease my father about his spelling. His retort was that Milton couldn't spell either...and he was right. Spelling wasn't standardized until much closer to our own times. I do agree, though, about a decline in the use of our wonderful language. I love words, have been fascinated by them all my life, and it saddens me .

Oh, I don't know. Ovid's poetry was interesting to 16 year old girls!

I thought his heart was buried in the parish church at mucky uckna?

Wouldn't feel too upset about JFK. Like most in his position, he was not what he seemed, the good Catholic, squeaky clean, American boy. His father's attitude made the present ruckus around Jeremy Corbyn's alleged anti semitism look almost politically correct. What goes round, comes round...whether it came from the grassy knoll or elsewhere!

Nice handbags! 50 years ago today, I commenced my final year at Berridge with Mr Williams, one of my favourite teachers. Really enjoyed that year. 49 years ago tomorrow, I commenced The Manning Grammar School for Girls who were too dim to flunk their 11plus!