[Raccoon Dog Escape]

Some of them are quite attractive, not my cup of tea though. I think there has been another stand off with the goat, it’s owners and one of the dogs which has lasted 2 hours unless it is the other days stand off being re-reported.

[Anything Political]

I don’t think you can blame everything on the tories, the NHS has been in a mess for a long time lurching from one crisis to another and education has suffered from implementation of the latest fad incessantly by various governments. I am not defending them just it an easy “given” to blame them for everything. 

 

I have no love for Thatcher (my husband was a Yorkshire miner at the time of the strike and I saw the damage it did first hand) but she enabled us to get on the property ladder by buying our council house, something we would probably never have achieved otherwise. (No doubt adding to the housing crisis)

 

 

[Raccoon Dog Escape]

I have never heard of a raccoon dog, but apparently there are 2 that have escaped in the village of Clarborough (never heard of that either). I looked up pictures of them and they do look like a cross between a raccoon and a dog surprisingly, but in the pictures of the two escapees they look more like untidy sheep with big ears who need shearing. They have tried to attack a goat but his pony friend defended him until the owners arrived to try and shoo them off (with planks of wood) which apparently made them hiss a lot (the raccoon dogs not the owners of the goat/pony). Someone was walking nearby with a puppy so the raccoon dogs then went after that only for the male owner of the goat to come to the rescue allowing dog owner and dog to escape unharmed. The news report says they are potentially dangerous, the owners say no more dangerous than a fox. (it has even made CNN news!)

 

Whilst some of this sounds like a cartoon it raises some issues, not least how did they manage to dig out of their pen and didn’t the owners know they do this and take the necessary precautions to prevent it. I have seen a programme on a wildlife park which has a pack of wolves and they keep a check on their digging, filling in tunnels when they need to. If they are a pair, and it doesn’t specify in the articles I have seen, and they cant be caught will they end up being shot or could we end up with a breeding population here (as in the wallabies) of another foreign species. (There are breeding populations of raccoon dogs in some European countries from escaped animals apparently.) What qualifications did the owners have to keep exotic animals ( wonder this about the guy that has the puma in Strelley, liking animals isn’t a qualification). If a person/pet is injured by them who is liable, I presume it will be the owners? 

 

Lastly why why would you want to keep them, (I presume it is a private owner the articles don’t specify), they are hardly “pets” and they smell according to the RSPCA who advise people not to keep them. 

 

 

 

[Dogs and other family pets]

I checked my boys documents yesterday to see when their boosters were due, thought it was June but to my horror it was May. So this morning got up early to get them to vets (their walk in session starts at 8). 

 

Took Wolf, he enjoyed the short walk there, made a friend, even got on the scales okay which was a bonus as I normally end up having to manhandle him onto them which isn’t easy with a 40kg dog when they plant their feet. Everything okay with check up, injection given no problem and a nice walk back.

 

I was just going to take Kai for a walk, do the vets later this week but decided I might as well take him and get it over with. Once again walk down enjoyed, lots of fussing of ladies behind reception desk and friends made. The dreaded scales again, he kept dropping one foot off of them, eventually managed to get him on them without putting my back out. Glad to say he has put 4kg on, he was a bit light last time he went for initial check up at new vet just after we moved here. Check up okay although his teeth have a bit of tartar, injection done no problem and a nice walk back. 

 

Got back, goats milk and digestives (McVities - only the best, tried Asda/Co-op ones but not up to scratch) for boys, tea and dark choc hobnobs for me. Done for another year.

[How's your day?]

The lad I am invigilating for does have issues, but then who doesn’t. Just letting him go at his own pace, stopping the clock and letting him have a break if he wants to, been told all about his various pets (he almost has a zoo!). He is taking a lot of exams, more than I can remember taking at that age (but then I am fairly old so could be wrong), so he is obviously stressed out and I am trying to lessen that if at all possible within the rules of course. It isn’t an easy balance trying to be friendly but being in charge at the same time, don’t want to be his best friend but want to make him feel comfortable.

 

Must say it was nice to sshhhh kids being let out of exam while others were taking a longer one. They actually did with a “Sorry Miss”, a pleasing moment of power

[How's your day?]

I have done my first week of exam invigilating, I was supposed to be off from today until Tuesday but they rang me yesterday and asked me to do an exam this afternoon, only for an hour so I said yes, wasn’t doing anything until later. It has been quite an experience, especially being called “Miss”!

 

I didn’t realise just how much noise school kids generate, they are standing next to each other but still shout at the top of their voices (I am sure we didn’t make that much noise when we were that age). Also just how tall most of them are, from what I can remember most of the boys in my year were quite small and weedy with the odd exception, the girls were taller, but it was a very long time ago so I might have it wrong. 

 

The invigilating over a room full of kids taking exams is quite boring, just sitting with nothing really to do. I am usually on bag locking away and escorting to toilet duties as I am not the senior invigilator only being partially trained on this. I won’t be doing much of this thankfully as I am a scribe so I do one to ones, reading or writing or doing both for the person taking the exam.

 

I now have a young man who I will be with through all of his exams. The first exam was a bit rocky at first, but we seemed to make a connection later on. (Had to read an extract from a Shakespeare play, I hated those at school, not the easiest thing to read.) On the second exam when I collected him I did the “eyes” thing, pointing at mine and then at his and actually got a smile out of him, this broke the ice with him and he was more relaxed with me and also me with him. It isn’t easy to sit there when they are struggling with a question, you get the urge to help but obviously you can’t. 

 

I wasn’t sure about doing it but I must say I have enjoyed it so far (apart from trying to find the exam room, the place is like a rabbit warren). I just hope I can get him through all of his exams with as little stress (to both of us) as possible. I must say my hat goes off to teachers from what I have seen so far, not a job I would like to have done.

[How's your day?]

I am this afternoon finally starting my casual job as a scribe (sounds posh). It hasn’t been an easy process. Feels like I have filled in hundreds of forms (the application form was a nightmare and as soon as I filled in one form it seemed another 2, 3 or even 4 popped up, can understand why they are desperate for people to do this) making it a very stressful experience and one I do not want to go through again. In fact over the weekend I went into meltdown and nearly didn’t finish the last 4 forms, enough seemed enough.

 

I understand they have to be careful as you are working with young people but it did seem a bit over the top to be honest. I had to do everything by email (which I hate, might be old fashioned but would rather have paper forms), a lot of the information was duplicated, think they know more about me than I do about myself. Anyway it is done now and will be on their “list” so won’t have to jump through the same hoops next year. 

 

Now on all I have to do is remember all the rules and regulations, not get writers cramp and not lose my voice (have to read as well as write for some of them or just read).  Hopefully it will be an enjoyable experience after all this, if not I will have to grit my teeth and think of the money!

 

 

 

[How's your day?]

Second leg ... SG 2 - BlackBerry Bush/Triffid 0.

 Overall aggregate SG 2  -Blackberry Bush/Triffid 1

 

Cut down to size with excellent scissor work and very thick gloves. Slight injury to jumper and jeans but will recover in a few days. Celebratory vodka or two this evening

[Royal baby]

Sorry to show my ignorance but what is gender fluid? It sounds like something nasty.

[Bilborough Grammar School]

I got my ‘O’ level English language which was what I needed for my job in Boots offices on Station Street, they trained me to be an audio typist the “new thing” at that time, shows how long ago it was! From what I can remember if you didn’t stay on in the 6th form/go to college the girls were funnelled to Boots, not sure about the boys. I think William Sharp (as it was then) tended to end up at Players. There was a boy in my year who wanted to train as a chef, his parents had to fight to get him into the cookery class as he needed the exam qualification. I can remember a cake he did it was amazing. I think his name was Michael Bowen but could be wrong, it was a long time ago.

[Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)]

Got up this morning and my leg seemed okay. One of my boys was being taken on the full walk we usually do but thought I would take the other one to the nearby park. Waited half an hour after the first one went out and then decided to try half the usual walk just to see if everything was okay (if it was no trip to physio). Did that, sat down on bench and felt okay so have done full walk, Wolf met his brother in the woods, lots of greeting and silliness, would think they hadn’t seen each other for days. The bluebells looked amazing, glad I did it. I am back home now and so far so good, no pain or ache as yet. Just have to wait to see what tomorrow will bring. However on the way back came across dog owners with 2 yappy snappy small dogs, one of which was muzzled. They seemed to think it was okay for their dogs to run up to my two big boys who were both on short leads barking aggressively and the muzzled one would have bitten if it could. It really annoys me, if my boys had reacted and bitten they could have been badly hurt. They didn’t know how my boys were going to react and got narky when we fended them off. Dog owners like that really p**s me off.

[How's your day?]

I like weeping willows, there is a magnificent one in a garden which we pass when walking my boys. I also always wanted a monkey puzzle tree, where I lived before in Doncaster we knew someone who grew them on from saplings. Very expensive though. Something else for my lottery jackpot win list.

[How's your day?]

That is a beautiful tree Rog, I just love the ruby colour of the leaves. Afraid mine will have to stay about the size it is now about two & a half feet don’t have a big enough garden for anything bigger. They also had the one you have DJ, but the leaves were just green so I presumed they didn’t change, will have another look at them when I go back to supermarket. I have never bought plants for outside before, my last house had a paved back garden and my husband thought it was a waste of money buying them, the front was open plan which the Council owned and looked after (not that well) so this is a whole new experience for me. An exciting world of sheds and plants lies before me, my cup runner over. 

 

(Just a footnote I voted no in the referendum for us to join the common market as it was then called. We were told it would never become the “United States of Europe” but was just a free trading block, perhaps if we had known then what we know now we might not have joined in the first place?)

[How's your day?]

Nice to see normal people having a reasonable discussion about such a touchy subject. Pity it doesnt extend to our mps in the London bubble.

 

Windy today again can hear it whistling round the chimney. Could be a pj/watch c**p on tv day I think. At least I don’t have to brave the weather to get the dreaded ciggies (I wish). Treated myself to an acer plant yesterday, liked the red foliage, might bring in it today as it is getting battered by the wind a bit. I can kill plants off quick enough without help from the weather.

[How's your day?]

Sorry had a referendum, one side won, not trying to be rude or argumentative but get over it. You can’t keep having votes until you get the result you want (which is what usually happens with other eu referendum votes).  Wasn’t the result people expected but people from where I was living finally had a voice. Please don’t take offence at this none meant.

[Old Park Farm, Bilborough]

Spent many happy waterlogged times there, think I caught sticklebacks there as well or that could have been the canal down the cut through to Wollaton Hall from Glaisdale Drive. Shame so many of these green places are being built over by, often quite ugly and cramped, housing developments.

[Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)]

Bit the bullet today and went to doctor as my leg is still a bit uncomfortable (nearly put went to doctor with my leg but that sounded wrong it sounded like I was accompanying it!) Nothing nasty lurking there (blood clot) he says it is muscle damage. Must say he found exactly where it was painful nearly hit the ceiling. I am wondering if it is a muscle tear as it seems to be going on for a while. I will give it another couple of days and then a possible visit to a physio could be looming to see what they say. Bit miffed about it as the wood we visit with my boys has all the bluebells out now, like a blue carpet apparently, and I have missed them as I am stuck in the house. Oh well, will have to think up a outrageous reason why I have done it to tell my great great (that is the right amount of greats, makes me feel about 100 especially when they come running up to me calling me great great aunt) neices when they come down next week with my great niece. I know a teacher who fell off her bike in the school holidays and when back at school told the kids she did it tackling a burgular. They were well impressed for a bit..

[Old Park Farm, Bilborough]

I can remember Old Park Farm We used to go to the library there and my brother went to the cubs/scouts there I think. We used to play in the grounds. Weren’t there foxes there as well? I was surprised that the Council were allowed to sell it, wasn’t it “willed”  to be used for the people of Bilborough? I noticed houses are being built where Martins Pond was, went there tadpoling as well. Is the pond still there?

[Query...]

A couple of weeks ago my tv blew up, quite literally went out with a bang and puff of smoke. Had a ‘spare” upstairs but needed a stand for it so borrowed one (12” - bit like a postage stamp!) which only had BBC1, ITV etc on it. I don’t watch soaps or reality shows so there didn’t seem much else left so hardly had it on, reading or listening to podcasts instead. It was a relief to get my Sky up and running although I tend to record what I am interested in and watch it at my leisure. If a box set comes on that I am interested in (silent witness, waking the dead etc,) I will have an afternoon watching it, especially if the weather isn’t good. Summertime tv always seems to go downhill, most of the good series seem to be on during winter perhaps they think people are out more if we get a good summer.

[Cats !]

I have a cat who has started sitting on my back fence watching the birds since I put my bird feeder up. Didn’t notice him/her first time and let my boys out who chased it off, didn’t think it would be back but still is occasionally after first scoping the garden for dogs. I always check to see if it is there before I let them out now, don’t like it hunting the birds but wouldn’t want either the cat or my boys to get hurt. I have a water pistol that I got when we had our last cat. When he was getting on there was a younger cat that used to come into our garden and attack him. After a vet visit to have his wounds treated the vet said to get a water pistol, keep it in the fridge and when the rogue cat appeared zap it with it. I did get it once or twice, the last time I chased it down the service road at the back of our houses in my pjs and dressing gown and got Quite a few times, it never came back. So am thinking of doing the same again, no harm to the cat just a loss of dignity.

[Query...]

Same on Sky, so many channels so little to watch. Usually end up with box sets or old films.

[Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)]

Sounds a bit like what I am suffering with at the moment. The fall didn’t help, think that tweaked it a bit as well. It is definitely feeling better than it did, I can walk without hobbling now so hopefully in the next couple of days it will have gone.

[Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)]

It hasnt been swollen or red at all and is just a slight dull ache now. I think it could have been either a strain, slight muscle tear or just the cramp was extreme. If it hasn’t gone in next couple of days I will ring but it seems to be easing now even after I have walked on it for a while. Just annoying to miss all the nice weather we have had as rain is forecast for this week when it breaks.

[Ailments, Aches & Pains. (Let's hear them here)]

I did my usual 4/5 mile walk with boys on Wednesday felt fine after legs have stopped aching so much as I have got used to doing it, wait for it, but when I woke up on Thursday I was in agony thought it was just cramp in my right calf. The pain eased and left me with a “dull” ache in the muscle. Carried on as usual and then decided to walk down to shops (about 5 minutes away) to see if that would help ease it. Not too bad at first but then started getting a sharp stabbing pain every so often. Limped back and decided to rest the leg for the rest of the day. Got up Friday and it was still quite painful so didn’t do much just rested it, seemed a bit better on Saturday so walked boys down to pub which isn’t far away. On the way back a small dog suddenly appeared at a gate we were passing, hurling itself at the gate barking furiously, my boys immediately reacted and went to gate. I wasnt expecting it to happen and Kai caught the back of my legs as he was turning and I ended up on the ground with my knee hitting the pavement just before my hand. Of course it was the knee of the leg I was having trouble with (sod’s law). Limped back (again) with pain in calf and a bruised knee with a lump on it. It had eased a bit yesterday (knee is a bit purple) so took Kai to park while my friend took Wolf for a walk. Back to dull ache in calf again today so will probably do a “rest” day today. I was going to finish off washing the blinds in my conservatory while the weather is so good but the way things are going have decided against it as I have to use my 2 step stool, nit tempting fate! Hope everyone else has had a good Easter and enjoyed the good weather, after all this could be our summer

[Black Boy Hotel]

My mum told me a couple of stories about the Black Boy from when she was nursing during the war. From what she said it was a bit unsavoury then. One was that she was asked out by someone to meet him at the Black Boy but she decided not to go. One of her friends went instead and he had got a private room there, apparently he ended up chasing her around the table until she could make her escape!