How's your day?

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

Jonab the like is for your sound advice not your problems......

[nonnaB 4,895]

Same here

 

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Old timers advice with hornets, if you disturb them,just don't panic, stand perfectly still until they fly away, I doubted it too, but put it into practice, worked!! Running away will only encourage them to take after you, and as they fly at a higher speed than we can run, it's pointless.

We have two kinds around here, and both are VERY aggressive, too  many stings are highly dangerous. Used to look funny in the cartoons years back, but it's not funny when they attack and sting.

I got the hot spoon tip on mozzies bites from a nurse, works every time, only problem is, I'm not always near a hot spoon...LOL

[jonab 1,644]

The hornet that attacked me just flew up to my hand, landed, stung and flew off - just giving me time to identify what it was. There was no opportunity to stay still, it was all over in a couple of seconds.

 

It is the height of the lavender season here - lavender plants as far as you can see in some places. This brings gazillions of honey bees which I don't mind too much. They are too intent on their proper job - collecting nectar - to be concerned with warfare. Miel de Lavande de Provence is quite the best honey you can get and definitely worth the trouble of getting it (if you like honey, that is!). I think you can buy it in England.

[nonnaB 4,895]

I can vouch for that Jonab. My neice gave me a jar of it along with a square of lavender soap. The honey is nearly all gone. I'm not that fond of honey but this is delicious, light in colour and in taste. We find these flavoured honeys in country produce fayres. Our local one is chestnut honey and its too strong for me.

Went to Drs this morning as I was worried about the wasp sting. Its so swollen and still burns and itches a bit. I know it wont get better in a few days but it was so swollen that my shoe got too tight and was leaving a mark. However hes given me some antibiotics as he thinks theres an infection. Dont know how as it has been kept clean and disinfected.

Just remebered a few years ago we had 9 lavender bushes at the front in front of the above ground pool. We were dive bombed by wasps so spent the rest of the summer swimming earl or late. The following year we dug them up

[jonab 1,644]

I understand that, at this time of year, wasps aren't too particular where they put their feet (or stingers) and I can easily imagine that they've been paddling in something nasty - hence the propensity for them passing on infections.

I'm pleased you didn't have anaphylaxis.

 

[nonnaB 4,895]

So am I.

[Brew 5,408]

Jack and Jill vinegar and brown paper style home remedies are a quick local treatment and I would not suggest it as a replacement for proper medical advice.

Her indoors is very sensitive and required medical intervention in Cyprus for an insect bite on her shin, (still carries the scars seven years later) but in the meantime Jack and Jill served to make her more comfortable.

[Gem 1,430]

All sorted to drive to Gateshead tomorrow to celebrate Mums birthday by going to Newcastle races for ladies day. We have done this for many years and it's always been a family day this year its myself Mum and Aunty first for me since losing Alan. Mum didn't say much about it but as she will be 101 i wanted her birthday to be as special as always, i will leave a lot poorer as usual can't pick a winner "for love nor money" as the saying goes. Bought a big hat this year as it going to be sunny.......

[jonab 1,644]

Brew, anaphylaxis is an emergency life threatening condition which can occur within minutes of an insect sting happening.

Folkloric remedies would be of zero help to me.

[Brew 5,408]

Jonab i'm well aware of the fact that analphylaxis is a serious and potentially life threatening condition. I do not claim that home made remedies give anything other thansome relief for what is a rather painful but relatively minor injury for those who like myself do not have a violent reaction.

I sincerly hope you never need to use your Epipen for real.

[DJ360 6,721]

Well I know I'm going to regret saying this. but I haven't had any insect probs, since a single Horsefly bite a couple of weeks ago....

 

My day today ( OK.. yesterday... Weds) was OK.  In the morning I had a 'Driving Assessment'.  This was free and I found out about it from a leaflet which came with my new Bus Pass.  Are they trying to tell me something?

 

Seriously, I passed my test almost 50 years ago and much has happened since.. so I thought it worth checking.

 

Anyway.  A young lady who, as it happens, lives in our village,, turned up and actually volunteered to get in my car with me and go for a drive.  Best offer I've had in years!

 

After an hour driving about and chatting, she gave me her verdict.  (On my driving...  obviously...)  It seems it is pretty much OK.  She only picked me up on the 'tyres and tarmac' thing when behind other traffic at junctions.. lights etc.  I was too close it seems.  I'll have that. It wasn't mentioned when I learned to drive, and in fact 'closing up' seemed to make sense. but the thinking now is to leave space in case the vehicle in front rolls back ( The idiot!!!), or breaks down ( The even bigger idiot!!!)

 

So. .. apart from having to make even more allowances for idiots.. I am a fantastic driver worthy of great praise and admiration!!

 

I'm sure that's what she said.... 

 

 

[Brew 5,408]

Bravo Col    I think driving tests should mandatory every few years or so, especially for.... err... the more mature drivers....

[philmayfield 6,115]

I totally agree about mandatory tests for more mature drivers. I enjoy cars and driving and consider driving to be a skill to which you should give you total attention. Most people seem to use a car as a means of getting from A to B and seem to be lost in a dream world when on the roads. I am now actively looking for someone to give me a professional assessment. It would probably end up in an argument though because I would probably have more driving skills and experience than they have! .

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I don't know about the UK,but this side of the pond I think we should introduce mandatory annual tests for the under 30 crowd, they seem to have the bad driving records, most seem to run off the road, have trees jump out at them and run into stationary objects at increasingly alarmingly rates. It's rare to hear of elderly drivers having accidents, maybe we should get into texting everyone while driving??  It's  scary sharing the roads these days with youngsters,you never know when you're going to end up in a head on on collision.

 

[Brew 5,408]

Phil I have experience of both the IAM and RoSPA courses and would suggest you look at the free assessment both offer. Yes you will have a different view (all the new 'associates' do) but it's well worth doing even if you don't carry on with the advanced training.

Of the two I found the RoSPA better but that's just a personal view.

[philmayfield 6,115]

Our last vicar used to have an ‘Advanced Motorist’ badge on his car. I think it demonstrated a ‘holier than thou’ attitude! The only other person I know with an IAM badge is a total pillock - also a regular church attender. Perhaps I should avoid the qualification. I don’t want to be associated with a religious cult! 

[Brew 5,408]

Oh dear........ creeps away to hide IAM badge...

[philmayfield 6,115]

Don’t hide it. Spread the word of the Lord throughout Derbyshire!

[Oztalgian 3,271]

I was lucky, the company I worked for put us through a defensive driving course and then an advanced driving course.

Amazing how many bad habits you pick up over the years but do not notice.

 

One of the tips - when you were in a traffic queue and pull up behind another car always stop far enough behind them so you can see the tread on his tyres, then if you get hit from behind you are unlikely to be pushed into the car in front and your car most likely will still be driveable.

[philmayfield 6,115]

I think ‘defensive driving’ is the best system to adopt on the roads. I’ve studied the police driver’s handbook carefully and it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. It’s basically a statement of practical common sense which few seem to have unfortunately. The IAM seem to adopt a very dogmatic stance on driving styles including using brakes and not gears to slow down and insisting on a rigid adherence to the speed limit as indicated by the car’s overreading speedo. Whilst keeping to the limit is a legal requirement I think that primarily keeping ones eyes on the road is more important. I will not be taking the IAM test as I cannot wholly agree with their stance and prefer my style of driving where I am always in the right gear at the right time. I do drive an auto but the gears can be changed on the flappy paddles. Why would the car makers fit them if they weren’t meant to be used? I have done many track days at Caldwell, Blyton Park and Donnington and know how a car handles in the extremes. I would not, of course, transfer this practice to the road but with modern cars, in an extreme situation, you will chicken out well before the car does! I recollect one exciting track day with Porsche on the Millbrook circuit where I was able to go round their circular banked track at over 130mph. Driving back up the M1 at 70 felt very mundane!

[jonab 1,644]

I went down to Grasse yesterday to do a bit of shopping and came across a small group of English tourists. I said "Good morning", as you do, and was greeted in return by "Thank God, someone who speaks English".

This may seem a bit incongruous to them but, what do they expect in a foreign country?

I've met this sort of thing before but, what made this particularly notable, well two things actually, first was that being in a wheelchair with my "minder" there was an assumption that I was some sort of half-wit. The second assumption was that I was French and had to be spoken to very slowly and, for some very strange reason, spoken to in English with a French accent with a few "Frenchisms" like oui and d'accord scattered around – mostly inappropriately.

This speaking English with a French accent seems to have taken over the habit of the Englishman abroad of speaking more and more loudly to foreigners in their own country assuming that Johnnie foreigner will eventually understand.

These people had it doubly bad, not only English with a French accent but with the loudness factor in addition.

At this stage, they had no idea I was English as I continued to speak to Thierry (my “minder”) in his native tongue (I find it easier and his English is not all that good). After some time and some very stilted conversation, I revealed that I was English and told them something of my history.

We parted as friends and with an invitation to dine with them tonight in Cannes as they want to try un assiette de fruites de mer but are too scared/shy to attempt it on their own. As I know the owner of a restaurant on Le Croisette, I have managed to wangle a table for us tonight.

There may be more of this!

[philmayfield 6,115]

The last time I ate a ‘proper’ assiette de fruits de mer was in Dieppe some years ago. I was on a factory visit nearby and we stopped at a cafe for that magnificent lunch. It was a quick trip  involving driving down from Nottingham early that morning to catch the hovercraft, visiting the factory, having lunch and returning home the same day. The return trip on the hovercraft was dog rough and the pilot should never have attempted it. We  were strapped in our seats and they refused to serve drinks. You can imagine how the fruits de mer were churning round in my stomach! We did make it back home though, just in time for a pint in my local before bedtime. What a day!

[Brew 5,408]

I agree with most of the things you say Phil and have argued the same point about gears v brakes ("gears to go, brakes to slow") with the IAM. Block changing in some circumstances, fine, but it's not really necessary most of the time. As you say why would you have a box full of gears and not use them? The right gear at the right time is absolutley right in my opinion.

My car is also an auto with  flappy paddles but virtually the only time I used them is to stop 'speed creep' downhill. They seem a bit like tits on a boar to me.

Track days........ fun innit...

[philmayfield 6,115]

I don’t have a manual now Brew. The last one I had was a Lotus Elise a couple of years ago. It was always a delight to go up and down through the gears matching the revs! Some years ago, before ‘health and safety gone mad’ kicked in, a group of us Morgan owners hired Cadwell Park track for a whole day with just ourselves to run it. That was a day to remember with only one car leaving on the back of a truck! Last time I drove there it was fun but a bit clinical. I haven’t got a car I would risk on a track day at the moment but I keep looking at Caterham 7’s with longing. Perhaps I should just grow old gracefully now. After all I’ve given up on most of the other pleasures of life.