Reasons to be cheerful

[Serial_Apologist]

My renewed Freedom Pass has arrived: yippee!!! With all the worries over possible subsidies withdrawals for those in my age group this should at least permit me free travel for the next five years, by which time I will either be 84 or no longer here.

[Roger Webb]

Just saw the following signage on a Texas ranch gate: 'Due to the increase in ammunition prices, I can no longer provide a warning shot'!

[Pulcinella]

This raised a smile: Schadenfreude perhaps?

President Donald Trump took to social media to whine about who negotiated a deal allowing Canada to supply energy to the U.S. — but, it turns out, he made the deal.

[Old Grumpy]

My renewed Freedom Pass has arrived: yippee!!! With all the worries over possible subsidies withdrawals for those in my age group this should at least permit me free travel for the next five years, by which time I will either be 84 or no longer here.

Just keep off the sherry, S_A...

...any of the others should do the trick!

[cloughie]

My renewed Freedom Pass has arrived: yippee!!! With all the worries over possible subsidies withdrawals for those in my age group this should at least permit me free travel for the next five years, by which time I will either be 84 or no longer here.

I hope you Londoners are duely grateful for the fantastic public transport you have compared to the rest of England!

[Serial_Apologist]

I hope you Londoners are duely grateful for the fantastic public transport you have compared to the rest of England!

Oh we are! We truly, definitely are!

[smittims]

I'm not usually a fan of today's musicians when compared with yesterdary's, but I was 'cheerful ' on Tuesday with Daria Stasevska's BBC S.O. performances of Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande and Rachmaninov's Third Symphony, both absolutely top-notch and worthy to be put alongside classic recordings of the past. Strongly recommended on BBC Sounds. I was very pleased with her Sib 5 at last year's Proms. This is clearly a conductor to listen out for, I think.

[gurnemanz]

I hope you Londoners are duely grateful for the fantastic public transport you have compared to the rest of England!

On the other hand, as an exiled Londoner living in N Wilts for the last 40 years one reason to be cheerful is that we do have bus passes and live one minute's walk away from a bus stop where Stagecoach 55 arrives three times an hour. This bus goes to local towns and to nearby Swindon Station which has several trains an hour to the great metropolis.

[kernelbogey]

On the other hand, as an exiled Londoner living in N Wilts for the last 40 years one reason to be cheerful is that we do have bus passes and live one minute's walk away from a bus stop where Stagecoach 55 arrives three times an hour. This bus goes to local towns and to nearby Swindon Station which has several trains an hour to the great metropolis.

A year ago I had to scrap my elderly car as it had become uneconomical to repair. I tried for 5 months to live without a car but found relying on buses, from my village to nearby shopping towns and railway stations, depressingly tedious. The buses don't run beyond c1830, except a couple of late services on Friday and Saturday nights. Journeys to London involved a lot of sitting around waiting for trains. I reluctantly bought another (used) car - a reason to be cheerful, now I own it .

[cloughie]

On the other hand, as an exiled Londoner living in N Wilts for the last 40 years one reason to be cheerful is that we do have bus passes and live one minute's walk away from a bus stop where Stagecoach 55 arrives three times an hour. This bus goes to local towns and to nearby Swindon Station which has several trains an hour to the great metropolis.

Indeed gurn, the bus pass is a very handy thing eg as parking in St Ives is always difficult o being able to park en route and catching the bus is useful. We have a local 2 hourly bus service in the village.

[gradus]

I'm not usually a fan of today's musicians when compared with yesterdary's, but I was 'cheerful ' on Tuesday with Daria Stasevska's BBC S.O. performances of Sibelius Pelleas et Melisande and Rachmaninov's Third Symphony, both absolutely top-notch and worthy to be put alongside classic recordings of the past. Strongly recommended on BBC Sounds. I was very pleased with her Sib 5 at last year's Proms. This is clearly a conductor to listen out for, I think.

Thanks for the pointer. I think she's a fine conductor and the Sibelius is a rare find in a programme these days. My favourite performance is the ancient recording by Beecham and the NYPO, the sound of which matches Maeterlinck's story to a tee, especially in the poignant portrait of Melisande..

[Quarky]

I hope you Londoners are duely grateful for the fantastic public transport you have compared to the rest of England!

For many years, I have travelled into Maida Vale via Finchley Road, from the wilds to the north of London. However the journey has become insufferable: Finchley Road is now 20mph limit, resulting in the many traffic lights being on red when I get to them, and parking is impossible because of all the new apartment blocks built in that area.

Plan B is to get a bus pass for my area, and then use it on London Buses. I drive to a Thameslink station,catch a train to West Hampstead, which is something of a transport hub, and then get a free bus ride to within 300 yards of my destination. A civilised and relaxing way to travel, albeit the journey now take twice as long.

[kernelbogey]

Potential retaliatory US 200% tariff on European wines & spirits. Could result in greater supply and lower prices for Europeans...?

[vinteuil]

Potential retaliatory US 200% tariff on European wines & spirits. Could result in greater supply and lower prices for Europeans...?

... the laws of supply and demand might lead one to think so. On the other hand, the wine producers are going to need to recoup some of their losses on lost sales to the USA, and might be tempted to stiffen their pricing here...

.

[smittims]

I hope you know, gradus,that Sir Thomas made a longer 1955 stereo recording of Pelleas, which has always had glowing reviews. I think it was this version of At the Castle Gate that was used for The Sky at Night. I think Karajan;s 1983 recording is also superb.