philmayfield

Let's hope they can fill the hole in the City Council's finances.

When I go to the fishing tackle shop in Lochgilphead and ask the owner for ‘what are they rising to at the moment?’, I’m sure he thinks ‘bloody English’ and he sells me something he can’t get rid of. I rarely catch anything!

I’ve probably mentioned this before but one of the first places the police came to look for Lord Lucan was at the old vicarage on our lane. The occupant at that time was know for his gaming parties and Lucan was a regular attendee. The story was recounted at his funeral in the Minster a few a years ago. I didn’t see him on the checkout in Waitrose this morning but I did see a Tesla with the registration W18REV in the carpark. Does the Archbishop of Canterbury shop there?

After the overnight rain the Trent’s spilling over the river bank at Fiskerton and it’s well over the fields at Kelham bridge. After the previous heavy rains the ground’s saturated and puddles are appearing in the fields. The lake at the end of our field is starting to form again. The gentle brook by Hockerton Farm Shop had turned into a muddy brown raging torrent. The snowdrops are prolific though!

They might as well raze the whole of central Nottingham to the ground and turn it all into student flats. There’s not much left of it now anyway. Why trek into town when it can be delivered to your door. Do people still take pleasure in shopping? Why are there so many dimbos around when everyone goes to university these days?

Opposite the library and the undertaker’s.

Atkeys had the place on the corner of Union Rd. and then it became Sytners who moved from Mapperley. I’ve bought BMW’s from both places.

It became Nottingham Autocar and then Chris Variava. I bought Shoguns from there when they were Mitsubishi agents.

I’ve not been to the Sagar for 25 years. It was good back then. The Dorchester, long gone, was on Hamilton Rd. I think it was once the Conservative club. Not been for 25 years, it’s no longer there.

Yes, I’ve been to World Service long ago. I think that was the Services Club restaurant. I never come into Nottingham anymore. It’s just not my scene! I don’t have any smart clothes. We used to use the Dorchester just off Sherwood Rise and the Sagar in Sherwood.

It was started by Tim Hart who ran a rather upmarket hotel/restaurant, Hambleton Hall at Rutland Water. I’ve never been there but I have been to Harts in Nottingham many times (as a guest thankfully!) It was an excellent place to eat, probably the best in Nottingham since the demise of the Black Boy hotel. I haven’t eaten out in Nottingham in years so I wouldn’t know where to go now.

The last time I dined there, when it was Harts, I had the Lord Lieutenant on one side of me and the High Sheriff on the other. I felt somewhat outranked! I’ll mix with anyone.

That’s value!

I think I cried out something like Janus!

We know neither the time nor the hour when the son of man cometh (or words to that effect). I think I’m becoming a born again Christian! There’s a happy clappy meeting in Southwell every Sunday. Not in the Minster of course - those people wouldn’t want that jolly lot in their midst!

Funny thing this afternoon. I went out without my mobile phone. I realised at the bottom of the drive and reversed back up forgetting I’d closed the gate. It wasn’t a big bang and I got out of the car saying ‘please God let there be no damage!’ Fortunately neither the car nor the gate was marked. Perhaps there is a God after all!

When I see the expression ‘unforgettable dining experience’ I know a rip off is on the horizon!

I do turn it off and listen to Times Radio instead. I’m of the generation that was indoctrinated with religion at school and didn’t realise what a lot of nonsense it all was until I was 17 and was inveigled into going to confirmation classes by a rather ‘churchy’ girl I was going out with. One class was enough when I realised that I was neither a sinner nor a ‘miserable offender’. I wrote to the vicar on those lines and have lived an honest, decent and respectable life ever since without having to talk to someone who ‘lives up in the sky’. If it makes some people happy, so be it. All the so ca

Not me. Eating out these days is a rip off. Give me good home cooking!

Sorry, ‘spell check’ wouldn’t have spotted that! I was looking on the Ratcliffe College website and, although it’s essentially a Roman Catholic establishment, the monks seem to have disappeared from the teaching staff. Even at non Catholic schools there were some sadists amongst the staff in the 50’s/60’s. Maybe they thought they were still in the armed forces.

Catholic schools used perform regular beatings. It’s to assuage their soles apparently. I had a friend who went to Ratcliffe College in Leics. and he said the monks could be real bastards!

51.8% in favour to leave was hardly an overwhelming majority. In theory it could have been decided on by one vote. Too late now of course but at least a substantial majority should have been required.

What's your secret of eternal youth then Barrie? Mine's 'clean living!'

According to published date the current average motor insurance cost is £627.