jonab

On the subject of aggressive insects, the hornets are very active here at present and I understand they are moving northwards - high enough to cross la Manche into Sussex and presenting a risk. I have already recited my experiences with hornets on NS. Take care hornet stings can easily be fatal.

The farcical goings-on in UK politics at the moment puts me in mind of the1980s sitcom Yes Minister. What is going on there in Westminster? Isn't it time that British politicos sorted themselves out and got back to running the (albeit broken) country without the potentially fatal distractions of that execrable snot ball? The people down here are almost wetting themselves with laughter at the public relations disaster which now seems interminable. Why doesn't the person responsible just go - either voluntarily or by force?

philmayfield - touché but, I don't think a direct comparison can be made. A watch is a very private item whereas my residence is (generously) needed to accommodate four people and a dog plus any guests and visitors that come by (when they are permitted to do that).

I've never seen the point in expensive watches. I consider a watch as a convenient device to indicate the time so, as long as it can do that reliably and fit comfortably on the wrist, that's all I require.

Don't shoot the messenger. I was merely passing on information which is circulating in the British press and on the Internet. I have no direct involvement in any of this.

Another report: "Article by Dominic Lawson in UK Daily Mail 11/05/2020 Here's a question:- How many doctors or nurses working in intensive care in the NHS have died from Covid-19? The answer is: None. This remarkable finding comes from a lengthy report by the Health Service Journal (HSJ). Three of its researchers conducted an exhaustive investigation into 'deaths of NHS staff from Covid-19'. They looked into all of the 119 deaths of N

I picked this up on a UK website/group. It might be of interest. Things are obviously different here but the general attitude of the media is pretty much similar: "This is a message aimed at our Negative UK Press - including Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC, Robert Peston of ITV, Beth Rigby of Sky, Piers Morgan of ITV, James O'Brien - LBC, BBC News in general and all the other negative UK press and social media. Journalism is missing the general "mood" in this great country of ours. We do not want or need blame to be constantly apportioned. We do not want daily criticism of our Go

I also saw Little Richard at the Odeon - must have been the same 1963 performance. His music wasn't part of my usual choice or selection but, I must say I really enjoyed it. He was a great showman.

I think the new Banksy is in the foyer of Southampton General Hospital https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52561722

nonnaB, this virus is said to exclusively attack humans. As Trump appears to ignore all advice regarding all precautionary measures and protective gear, that might indicate that he is not of this planet.

Five or so years ago I was advised to invest in rhodium metal. At the time it was about €900/ozt. In that time the price has been up in the €10,000/ozt and is currently (even amongst all of this world turmoil) €6,000/ozt. In a similar time period, gold ("the" standard) had gone up from about the same starting level €900/ozt to €1,586/ozt (this morning's price on the Paris metals market).

A collection of books is supposed to show some sort of intelligence! The thing that is irritating me about these "home visit" interviews (especially bad on UK television but similar here as well) is having to look up into the interviewee's nostrils. Why can't they position their webcam (or whatever they're using) a touch higher to make their face on a similar level as the camera?

I'm wondering if the term "going viral" is appropriate in these times

Beekay, you might like to know that producing a vanilla fragranced soap is one of the creat challenges of the perfume industry. If that bar of soap is anything other than dark brown and really does smell of vanilla, the challenge has been met!

mary, It was my dad who was the gardener and, despite all the faults I might have thought about him, a good gardener. I don't remember anything about giant onion growers on Central Avenue but I do remember my uncle Jack (of Croft Avenue - opposite the prefabs) bringing us some pretty sizeable leeks which he'd grown himself. Regarding Barlows. That's a new one to me. The only Barlows I recall were (I think) Barlow's Roses. They had a stall on Central Market in Nottingham.

It used to be the tradition in Hucknall to plant beans on May 12th. Before or after that date and the plants didn't grow nearly as well. All the people with allottments near ours (Wigwam Lane) diligently planted beans on that date. I know it's a load of rubbish but I wonder if any Hucknallites still maintain that notion?

Very worrying for you, Brenda . I really hope things work out OK for you and your mother. I often think of her being cooped up like that and not being able to understand the language or what is going on - I am reminded of my very early days being here when my knowledge of the language was 'forgotten "O" level standard' although I did know mainly what was going on. I still have very odd feelings about this current situation. Even though the virus is rampant in a lot of France, there are no reported cases in the area where I live, none in Cannes and only fifteen in Nice, six in Anti

Benjamin's mention of the Criterion in Bulwell reminded me of the Criterion Men's Hairdressing "Salon" on Watnall Road, Hucknall - located between Hedley Wright's fish shop and the Council Offices. I went there a couple of times it always smelled of rotting fish - at least I thought it was fish until someone told me that Hucknall mortuary was in the yard at the Council Offices.

Think of the damage all that coal dust was doing to their lungs. No face masks in those days at the pit.

This thread is expanding in a way I didn't intend. My primary point was that the child was being bullied for beng named Corona - with all the negative connotations that word has at present.

There's already some poor child named Corona https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/24/entertainment/tom-hanks-letter-gift-corona-scli-intl/index.html Even without these current virus associations, why don't parents think about the names they give to their children and how it might impact on their lives?

I'm surprised there doesn't seem to be any comments here on the idiot Trump's cure for the virus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52407177 (or have I just missed them?) No need for all of this expensive research, everything is already waiting on the supermarket shelves - until, of course, the panic buyers get there. I understand that there have been numerous enquiries to the authorities across the US regarding the recommended dose.

Brenda, I do hope that things remain OK with your mother. I just couldn't imagine what it must be like for her at the moment, not being able to communicate with anyone must be absolutely devastating, especially in her condition.

Talking of jackering off, one of the jobs at Gerards Soap Works was the Blower Man. One day, a tannoy announcement was made to the whole site: "Will the Blow Job man please ring - - - "

BeeKay, our method of poaching trout allows the skin to be slipped away very easily and the fillets to fall away from the bones. Salt baking achieves the same thing - the skin comes away with the salt crust. Descaling isn't necessary. Regarding serving trout with cheese. In my view doing this would spoil both the cheese and the trout.