P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Josy1953]

18 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

@Josy1953 did you do your volunteer training today?

I hope the family are doing ok after such a tragic week for you all.

x

My training is next week fortunately because I don't think that I would have gone.

It has definitely been one of the worst weeks ever.  My niece's husband is taking the children into school tomorrow because he wants to try to get them back into a more normal routine.

He has an appointment to see the Head Mistress because he wants to make sure that she has my sister's and my phone numbers as emergency contacts, we have both told him that they do have our contact information and even if they didn't the children do but he still wants to check because he has a lot to do and would hate that the children needed something and there was no-one available for them.

I have been put back onto dog walking duties because DH and  are the only ones with the time to do it.  I suspect this may become my job indefinitely because he will have to go back to work.  We love the dog so it is no hardship.

[Splice the mainbrace]

40 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

One of my Grandads was a desert rat and did the whole North Africa, Sicily and up through Italy campaign, unfortunately I never met him as in the early 50s he and my Grandma divorced and my mum completely distanced herself from him, it would have been great to talk to him. My other Grandad was in an essential service supplying fuels to the merchant shipping in Southampton so didn't go to war.

 

My mum was evacuated to Bournemouth from Southampton and I'm glad that she was. In a blitz on Southampton her previous school class was visiting Southampton Art Gallery and were sheltering in the basement after the air raid siren went off, there was a direct hit and 15 of her class mates were killed. Even more tragic was that this was over a year after the original evacuation in 1939 and there had been little incident so many parents had brought their children back from being evacuated😪

 

The Gallery in Wartime: A Commemoration – Southampton City Art Gallery

 

I looked up some photos, one of my grandad on the North Africa, Sicily and Italy campaign and the other of my mums class in 1939 a year before 15 of them would be killed together during a Southampton blitz😪

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Splice the mainbrace

[Presto2]

I always find that today and the week leading up to it so moving and we make sure that we have times of remembrance at school. It is important that the present and future generations never forget ...

 

My family were relatively 'fortunate'. My mum's bother was sent home from the army for medical reasons and my dad was I think too young to be called up, but worked on a farm anyway. 

 

My dad's eldest brother was in Burma, - my dad told me it was the Chindits. My Uncle spoke about it very rarely and after getting home would only talk about his experiences on very rare occasions. 

 

I don't think we can even imagine what these young men and women lived through - and the nation as a whole - during those times. 

 

Lest we forget ........

[Snow Hill]

My father was conscripted in 1942 when he was 18, I know this from my cousin, however that is all I know, my parents separated when I was 10, and have not seen him since Christmas Day 1963, no idea where he is or whether still alive, he would be 99, but I have not found any death registration for him in England & Wales. One of my cousins thinks he may have emigrated but we don’t know where.

 

My paternal grandfather was a sergeant in the Machine Gun Corps and given the high rate of casualties was lucky to survive the war, he died in 1956 in his early 70s, I was 4 at the time..

 

My maternal great grandfather was in theory too old to join up he was 40 at the outbreak of WW1, a husband and father to 7 children, yet he joined up saying he was 36. He was a miner and thus exempt from conscription, however he volunteered saying he was a groom, he worked with the pit ponies in the mine. After training he was quickly assigned to groom duties in loading horses on to ships for the front in France and unloading at the other end. His war record shows numerous cross channel trips. All this came to an end in 1917 when he was kicked by a horse and sent back home for treatment, where they then found out he was 43, he was then discharged as physically unfit and over age. 
 

 

[pete14]

I do find it gratifying when the goodness in the majority shows through at this time of year. I was in Aldi this morning just before 11:00 am and the 2 minute silence was well observed. I have attended two football matches this month and at each, the last post and silence was observed perfectly by the thousands of people present. It just makes me wonder why people can’t be so respectful at all times and how much better things may be if they were. 

[lincslady]

I was sorry to see Krishnan go at the dance-off;  it did look a bit like a fix for Angela and the BBC.  I though he danced better this time, and actually better than Angela.  It has been good to see that he is not the rather stuffy news person he appears on Channel 4  news, but an engaging personality.  Angela would have been livid if she had been voted off!   To me she is the least attractive personality of the celebs. in this year's series, very much the Grande Dame.

[brian1]

In 1968 when I started my apprenticeship with the gas board one of the fitters I worked with was a Japanese POW.He was very bitter and when anything went wrong he'd say bloody Japanese blah blah.It's a shame he also resented the blokes that stayed home due to essential work duties.It was a sad world even then.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I was sorry to see Krishnan go at the dance-off;  it did look a bit like a fix for Angela and the BBC.  I though he danced better this time, and actually better than Angela.  It has been good to see that he is not the rather stuffy news person he appears on Channel 4  news, but an engaging personality.  Angela would have been livid if she had been voted off!   To me she is the least attractive personality of the celebs. in this year's series, very much the Grande Dame.

No point in me watching it now then

[Splice the mainbrace]

15 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I was sorry to see Krishnan go at the dance-off;  it did look a bit like a fix for Angela and the BBC.  I though he danced better this time, and actually better than Angela.  It has been good to see that he is not the rather stuffy news person he appears on Channel 4  news, but an engaging personality.  Angela would have been livid if she had been voted off!   To me she is the least attractive personality of the celebs. in this year's series, very much the Grande Dame.

When I saw the leaked result last night I thought that it was the correct decision because of their judges position on the night. However after watching the dance off tonight where he dances better and Angela was worse with mistakes I think that she should have gone.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Splice the mainbrace

[Josy1953]

I was disappointed when Angela Rippon survived again.  The worst 2 were in the dance off but I thought that Krishnan was slightly better.  DH said that he thinks that the judges are frightened of Angela and daren't put her out.

I wish that they would get rid of Anton as a judge, he waffles too much so I grabbed the remote tonight and silenced the tv every time that he started to speak.

[kalos]

Morning 8.c here this morning and calm at the moment .

I hope all goes well today for @P&O SUE  thoughts are with you .

 

Seems weird going away in October avoiding Halloween and bonfire night,coming home switching on the tv only  to be bombarded with Christmas tv adverts and not very good ones at that .

Things like a Venus fly trap, that we all love and buy presents for it .

In the words of Catharine Tate as Nan , what a load of old ... Was the script writer on 

some sort of medication ? 

Is it just me or is Christmas getting lost in the advertising world these days ?

 

Take care and have a good day .🙂

[brian1]

10 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

I was disappointed when Angela Rippon survived again.  The worst 2 were in the dance off but I thought that Krishnan was slightly better.  DH said that he thinks that the judges are frightened of Angela and daren't put her out.

I wish that they would get rid of Anton as a judge, he waffles too much so I grabbed the remote tonight and silenced the tv every time that he started to speak.

Don't for get Anton replaced Bruno who was quite eccentric.I think he's just building up to be the same,lol.

[purplesea]

Morning, hope everyone is keeping well.

 

Still mild down here at 13c, no rain forecast for today but windy.

 

A trip to Tesco is on the cards this morning and then I'll call in at Mum's on my way back, but other than that nothing planned.

 

My thoughts are with you @P&O SUE on this sad day. Hope all goes to plan.

 

 

[Josy1953]

40 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Don't for get Anton replaced Bruno who was quite eccentric.I think he's just building up to be the same,lol.

Bruno was funny but Anton, in my opinion, is not and his pretending to be eccentric is just awful.

[Caullkhead]

Thinking of you today @P&O SUE x

[lincslady]

The Christmas supermarket ads are weird and not any encouragement to buy , IMO.

 

I have always quite liked Anton du Beke, but agree he is definitely behaving peculiarly on Strictly - almost unintelligible.  Sadly, the whole thing does begin to look very false.

 

Well, got that off my chest!

[Josy1953]

@P&O SUE Thinking of you and your family today.

[twotravellersLondon]

13 hours ago, brian1 said:

In 1968 when I started my apprenticeship with the gas board one of the fitters I worked with was a Japanese POW.He was very bitter and when anything went wrong he'd say bloody Japanese blah blah.It's a shame he also resented the blokes that stayed home due to essential work duties.It was a sad world even then.

 

I had an uncle who was a Japanese POW... much the same story.

 

But I'm not so sure about the "sad" world. I remember long sunny summer days, playing in the fields, chasing butterflies, making dens, creating "phones" out of syrup cans and bits of string, crabbing in the rock pools... drying out before going home after falling into the sea!

 

These days with instant high-definition "news" where the entire world seem to be into spinning and we all carry little hand-sets that will ping us with every unpleasantness and horror on this Earth... it seems at times that we're being asked to bear the entire weight of the world on our shoulders. But ... as folk did say again and again and again 70-80 years ago... we can only just "do our bit." 

 

An act of kindness, a cherry "hello" and welcome post from a well known name... even a slice of perfect toast and the smell of freshly brewed coffee... a walk up the road for a mile or two, a cheerful face... are all things to like, to enjoy and to savour. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by twotravellersLondon

[brian1]

5 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

I had an uncle who was a Japanese POW... much the same story.

 

But I'm not so sure about the "sad" world. I remember long sunny summer days, playing in the fields, chasing butterflies, making dens, creating "phones" out of syrup cans and bits of string, crabbing in the rock pools... drying out before going home after falling into the sea!

 

These days with instant high-definition "news" where the entire world seem to be into spinning and we all carry little hand-sets that will ping us with every unpleasantness and horror on this Earth... it seems at times that we're being asked to bear the entire weight of the world on our shoulders. But ... as folk did say again and again and again 70-80 years ago... we can only just "do our bit." 

 

An at of kindness, a cherry "hello" and welcome post from a well known name... even a slice of perfect toast and the smell of freshly brewed coffee... a walk up the road for a mile or two, a cheerful face... are all things to like, to enjoy and to savour. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry you're right,when I posted that I thought that might sound OTT.Probably meant from his point of view..Anything that went wrong or broke was Japanese even if it was made in Britain.

[Beckett]

9 minutes ago, lincslady said:

The Christmas supermarket ads are weird and not any encouragement to buy , IMO.

 

I have always quite liked Anton du Beke, but agree he is definitely behaving peculiarly on Strictly - almost unintelligible.  Sadly, the whole thing does begin to look very false.

 

Well, got that off my chest!

Agreed Lincslady. He is turning into Bruno Tonioli before our eyes. I wonder if he's being encouraged (or told) to be more flamboyant. 

 

Anyway, as you said in a previous post, what a high standard the dancing is this year. I'm really enjoying the programmes and after Angela Rippon gets voted out I feel they will all deserve their places. My choice to win is Ellie- just because she's improved week on week - and I like her!

 

Have a good day. Jane xx

[lincslady]

29 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

 

An act of kindness, a cherry "hello" and welcome post from a well known name... even a slice of perfect toast and the smell of freshly brewed coffee... a walk up the road for a mile or two, a cheerful face... are all things to like, to enjoy and to savour. 

 

 

 

 

 

This attitude is one I have got into more and more as I have got older - we all need to appreciate the small things which are lovely, and which help to mitigate the personal and general problems which beset us.  Not easy, when life gives you lots of lemons at once, but after the initial anger or sorrow it certainly helps a lot.  I have found this more and more over the past few years, which for me have had some sadness and serious problems.  Right now, at this moment, if everything is going well, we should live in it and enjoy it.

 

[kalos]

39 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

, creating "phones" out of syrup cans and bits of string,

 

If you've still got one can @grapau27  Graham borrow it whilst his phone gets sorted 😉

 

Should you be reading this Graham I hope your phone is soon mended so we get your

posts again .🙂

 

@twotravellersLondon you got me thinking back to when we were kids ,like making 

dens in a little hawthorn woodland we had near to our homes. Going down to the 

ponds catching sticklebacks or tadpoles in our jam jars , admiring the markings of the

newts. All of this is gone now nothing to show our grand kids as the woods were 

turned into a ploughed field and the ponds drained too.

Even the cow fields lay empty as does the pit pony fields ,such happy times  sad to

say are just memories now. 

 

[brian1]

Just watching the circus lion wandering around Lazio.At least they darted it,over here the police would probably shoot it.Animal circuses in parts of the world are one of my pet hates.I'll always remember sitting outside a bar in Italy when this African boat person dressed as a Zulu went past hanging on for dear life to a life size plastic tiger.This was on a flat bed trailer towed by a 4x4 at 50mph.Great circus in town PR.TIGER-AFRICA derrh.

[bobstheboy]

Never say never. Hope for me yet,  I might be invited to return to police duties 😁

[Eddie99]

Thinking of @P&O SUE 

Hope today goes well, and that your Mum will be OK