Reasons to be cheerful

[Pulcinella]

DON taking on AMcG in a twofer BaL.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Historian has sent me a very helpful PM, and I'm sure he'd be pleased to advise you on how to proceed depending on what you've managed to find out so far. In my experience, the more one discovers, the more addictive the process becomes - but, again, that's an observation rather than a complaint.
My paternal grandfather was in the 6th Btn.. As far as I know, he never returned to Ireland, but I do have two photos - one taken at my mother's wedding in Ipswich and one of his headstone in a cemetery in Grimsby. On my mother's wedding certificate he gives his profession as 'Chief Clerk, Corporation', but as far as I can tell he was a storekeeper!

Thanks. Having been a morse signaller in WW1 Grandad worked for Cable and Wireless as a Telegraph engineer postwar , was in the RAF in WW2 - Radar and then retired to the Curragh in Co Kildare which is where the modern Irish Army is still based . I think he used to go to Regimental reunions at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. We went there once as children and I have a vivid image of him drinking pink gins in an immaculate blue blazer in a beautiful oak panelled bar.
Dublin , even the Georgian squares , was very run down then (mind you ‘60’s London wasn’t much better ) I couldn’t believe the difference when I went back 55 years later. Another reason to be cheerful!

[LMcD]

Thanks. Having been a morse signaller in WW1 Grandad worked for Cable and Wireless as a Telegraph engineer postwar , was in the RAF in WW2 - Radar and then retired to the Curragh in Co Kildare which is where the modern Irish Army is still based . I think he used to go to Regimental reunions at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. We went there once as children and I have a vivid image of him drinking pink gins in an immaculate blue blazer in a beautiful oak panelled bar.
Dublin , even the Georgian squares , was very run down then (mind you ‘60’s London wasn’t much better ) I couldn’t believe the difference when I went back 55 years later. Another reason to be cheerful!

Funny you should mention radar, as Bawdsey Manor is just a couple of miles away across the river.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Funny you should mention radar, as Bawdsey Manor is just a couple of miles away across the river.

Haven’t managed to get hold of his RAF records either but we know he was at Weymouth and Duxford. Might well have been at Bawdsey as I think it might have been a training establishment.

[LMcD]

Haven’t managed to get hold of his RAF records either but we know he was at Weymouth and Duxford. Might well have been at Bawdsey as I think it might have been a training establishment.

You can 'find a Bawdsey radar connection' via bawdseyradar.org.uk. I really must get round to visiting the their museum.

[Barbirollians]

Beautifully played though.

that Tosca was weird
Tomasso magnificent - a big star in the making.
Scarpia had a beautiful voice . Lise Davidsen has a wonderful voice but the role doesn’t suit it.
Bur Yannick Nezet-Seguin’s tempi were so slow it was painful . What was going on ?

Sums up my feelings . Lise Davidsen was no Birgit Nilsson in this role . She has a splendid but rather plummy ,matronly voice . Vissi d’Arte could have been her singing a shopping list . No Callas here !

[Forget It (U2079353)]

Makes me cheerful to know Bill Nighy's back today:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027bnv

[LMcD]

Makes me cheerful to know Bill Nighy's back today:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027bnv

'Loveably louche' is spot on!

[Dance Band Spiv]

Many thanks for the heads-up about a brand new 'Charles Paris Mystery' ... a reason to be cheerful, indeed!!

[gradus]

I realised that diluted citric acid dabbed into each of the many calcium blocked steam holes in the sole plate of our steam iron might restore full steam ahead and so it does.

[smittims]

Good idea. Vinegar is undergoing a revival as a cleaning substance, in bathrooms etc. But please use the clear version. Malt vinegar stinks for days afterwards!

[vinteuil]

Good idea. Vinegar is undergoing a revival as a cleaning substance, in bathrooms etc. But please use the clear version. Malt vinegar stinks for days afterwards!

... and balsamic vinegar might be de trop -

https://www.thegiftofoil.co.uk/products/extra-vecchio-25-year-old-balsamic-vinegar-d-o-p?variant=41029156962366&currency=GBP&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA-ty8BhA_EiwAkyoa31yiAKKVbdgjTiJv75tcCy35UopCnh2g-4u_5Y6YkxumMlF9sKt2UBoCiWQQAvD_BwE

.

[oddoneout]

I realised that diluted citric acid dabbed into each of the many calcium blocked steam holes in the sole plate of our steam iron might restore full steam ahead and so it does.

I use citric acid crystals to descale the kettle - very quick and no aftertaste or smell. The water is so hard here that it has to be done frequently so the speed and lack of faff makes it much less of a chore. It only needs one tsp as I only put in enough water at a time to make one cup of tea so the scale only gets about 1" up the side. When the boiling water has cooled a little I use an old toothbrush to get the solution round the spout and so-called scale filter.
Now that interest in alternative(erroneously called non-chemical - ha) cleaning methods has taken off it is easier to get the citric acid in general shops. For several years I had to go through the rigmarole of telling the chemist that I was wanting it for kettle cleaning (ie no I wasn't going to use it for cutting drugs) and then be grudgingly sold a small packet.

[Serial_Apologist]

... and balsamic vinegar might be de trop -

https://www.thegiftofoil.co.uk/products/extra-vecchio-25-year-old-balsamic-vinegar-d-o-p?variant=41029156962366&currency=GBP&gad_source=1 &gclid=CjwKCAiA-ty8BhA_EiwAkyoa31yiAKKVbdgjTiJv75tcCy35UopCnh2g-4u_5Y6YkxumMlF9sKt2UBoCiWQQAvD_BwE

.

Balsamic vinegar mixed with baking powder proved extremely useful a few years ago for cleaning up and clearing a horrendous carpet smell, the result of an upset bucket of urine a year previous to that. The application needed applying a couple of times to compete the job, and it seemed that the two stinks - the urine and the vinegar, acted in tandem to cancel each other out. I found this tip by Google!-searching for a solution, and this was the very one it turned out to be!

My good news story of today is that I appear to be free of a mouse infestation which has affected the upper flats in this block - the friendly investigator checked all around my possibly suspect areas and found no evidence. I am indeed relieved, and intend contributing to the costs of the flat holder who called him in, though I'm betting she'll say not to worry about all that.

[vinteuil]

Balsamic vinegar mixed with baking powder proved extremely useful a few years ago for cleaning up and clearing a horrendous carpet smell, the result of an upset bucket of urine a year previous to that. The application needed applying a couple of times to compete the job, and it seemed that the two stinks - the urine and the vinegar, acted in tandem to cancel each other out.

... but I hope you weren't forking out £80 for 100ml for this...