Stormy Weather

[Nick Armstrong]

We should be on the 'Food' thread but who cares?

She's such a rebel.

I love it!

[mangerton]

Speaking to my sister in County Durham just now, she has snow and as we talked further big flakes were falling. She was in Edinburgh on Thursday and the highlight of her visit was the purchase of six dried limes from a Middle Eastern shop for 65p. Each to their own I guess but she's excited about that and the possibilities it opens up. <rolls eyes emoticon> She also thought a visit to The Castle was vastly overpriced, which, compared to dried limes, it would be.

Evidently 2.7° here, feels like about 3 degrees below that

Oh dear. I've just checked and it costs £14.50 to get into the castle, and it goes up to £16 in April. That's a scandalous price. There was always an admission charge to see the crown jewels and a few other bits, but otherwise it was free. The castle contains the Scottish National War Memorial, and I really don't think it's right to charge any admission fee to visit that.

Dry here today, but overcast and cold, c 2°C. There were a few snow flurries yesterday afternoon.

[Serial_Apologist]

I recall offering a boiler inspection man a mug of tea on one visit and he said that he hadn't got time because he was being monitored at HQ - some device in his van - so no slackening of pace went unnoticed

That is precisely what mine told me this morning!

[salymap]

Oh dear. I've just checked and it costs £14.50 to get into the castle, and it goes up to £16 in April. That's a scandalous price. There was always an admission charge to see the crown jewels and a few other bits, but otherwise it was free. The castle contains the Scottish National War Memorial, and I really don't think it's right to charge any admission fee to visit that.

Dry here today, but overcast and cold, c 2°C. There were a few snow flurries yesterday afternoon.

When friends and I visitedthe Edinburgh Festival many years ago Ithink the castle was free, orvery little.
Ihave an ancient photo ofself standing by'Mons Meg', ifI'vegot the name right.

[salymap]

She's such a rebel.

I love it!

Morning Cali, well Ihave a friend,or ex-friend [never quite sure] on these MBs who cares very much. about being off- topic

[Nick Armstrong]

Morning Cali, well Ihave a friend,or ex-friend [never quite sure] on these MBs who cares very much. about being off- topic

I'm sure it's all in fun...

When WILL this dark dank cold weather change?!

[mangerton]

When friends and I visitedthe Edinburgh Festival many years ago Ithink the castle was free, orvery little.
Ihave an ancient photo ofself standing by'Mons Meg', ifI'vegot the name right.

You have the name quite correctly, and as you say you could, once upon a day, go and stand beside Mons Meg and admire the view of Edinburgh free of charge.

Point of interest: Mons Meg is not used as the one o'clock gun; a more modern weapon is used. I understand that tourists still ask what time the one o'clock gun is fired.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm sure it's all in fun...

When WILL this dark dank cold weather change?!

Not for some while (he says, having perused the usual weather sites ). But, on the when-you-stop-banging-your-head-against-that-wall principle that the longer pain and discomfort is prolonged, the greater the feeling of subsequent relief, I think it is safe to say that when temperatures, rainfall and sunshine amounts here return to, er, normal, the general experience will prove almost orgasmic.

[Nick Armstrong]

Not for some while (he says, having perused the usual weather sites ). But, on the when-you-stop-banging-your-head-against-that-wall principle that the longer pain and discomfort is prolonged, the greater the feeling of subsequent relief, I think it is safe to say that when temperatures, rainfall and sunshine amounts here return to, er, normal, the general experience will prove almost orgasmic.

Well, something to look forward to !

In fact cycling in today, the edge on the wind is a bit less and even though there was a very slight misty, drizzly dampness about things, it wasn't quite so damned unpleasant as a week ago...

[Serial_Apologist]

On an altogether unrelated topic - - I have now received an automated phone call at least ten times over the past three weeks, stating, "This is an urgent call regarding your refund. Please press #5 on your telephone for details". No mention of what refund, or the caller's identity, but as I found from dialling 1471, there is a phone number I could ring back - question is, do I dare?

I had thought of starting yet another thread on phone scams, but don't want to be thought of as the usual culprit. It would be nice to know I was owed some money, but tbh I can't think for what. What would you do?

[Nick Armstrong]

On an altogether unrelated topic - - I have now received an automated phone call at least ten times over the past three weeks, stating, "This is an urgent call regarding your refund. Please press #5 on your telephone for details". No mention of what refund, or the caller's identity, but as I found from dialling 1471, there is a phone number I could ring back - question is, do I dare?

I had thought of starting yet another thread on phone scams, but don't want to be thought of as the usual culprit. It would be nice to know I was owed some money, but tbh I can't think for what. What would you do?

Ignore. It's about 'payment protection'. I got just such a call on my mobile about 90 seconds ago

[Serial_Apologist]

Ignore. It's about 'payment protection'. I got just such a call on my mobile about 90 seconds ago

Cali

I haven't managed to fall down any potholes lately. Great to hear things aren't quite so bad on the cycle - returning home with a backpack of groceries from the nearest shopping centre a mile away, yesterday, I was surprised to discover that the air temperature was only 1.5 degrees Celsius, and came to the conclusion that I must be getting used to this cold weather, at last!

[salymap]

Re your phone calls, there are a lotof weird things happening atm. Relative in Hampshire and I have both received emails purporting to come from another relative but full of clues thatit was a fake/virus. Whatdo people getout ofit ? They are sick

[Serial_Apologist]

Re your phone calls, there are a lotof weird things happening atm. Relative in Hampshire and I have both received emails purporting to come from another relative but full of clues thatit was a fake/virus. Whatdo people getout ofit ? They are sick

Indeed saly. While so-called "social media" have some advantages - how otherwise could we have met?? - they do allow strange previously hidden elements to emerge out of the woodwork - which doesn't help either us or them.

Edit - rather glib of me to have written the above, because it really is tragic that there are people out there, or in probably unkempt accommodation all over the place, whom society has forgotten or overlooked, who feel forced to act out in this way. If one thinks of it in proportion in that way, I suppose at least they are not like the case of that woman in N London, who tried to get herself sectioned when she heard voices in her head telling her to go out and kill someone, and who, because she was ignored, went out into the street and stabbed to death a woman who was a complete stranger. Of course, now, she's inside. It's like the traffic lights that no one will instal at a notorious junction until someone gets killed is always the guiding principle of what gets prioritised in this society, while someone wastes time removing a wall with a Banksy on it and hopes to make a lot of money out of it.

[BBMmk2]

A very cold and windy day today! I think I might be hgetting a cold to! I hope not! I have a lot of orchestra to go through!!

(Have had a large glass of whisky!)