A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

[Serial_Apologist]

Conservator is the term for conservation work in arts and historical fields, such as paintings, archives, textiles, buildings. A conservationist works in the filed of the natural environment. Admittedly there is a certain amount of crossover when it comes to the workspace - with a conservation lab being where conservators often work...
I don't know at what point the distinction was made in terminology but the differentiation has its uses, especially if the two activities exist on the same site.

Thanks for the clarification. It may just be that whenever I hear the word spoken, it is always pronounced "conservAtor", whereas to me the stress sounds best on the second syllable, even if it makes him or her sound like a conservative!

[Serial_Apologist]

There's a new private dental practice on the Upper Norwood triangle, "Mindfulness Dentists". I looked, but nowhere did it state "Full qualified toothsayers".

[Old Grumpy]

There's a new private dental practice on the Upper Norwood triangle, "Mindfulness Dentists". I looked, but nowhere did it state "Full qualified toothsayers".

[oddoneout]

Thanks for the clarification. It may just be that whenever I hear the word spoken, it is always pronounced "conservAtor", whereas to me the stress sounds best on the second syllable, even if it makes him or her sound like a conservative!

Yes that makes it sound rather like a machine doesn't it? I've only ever heard it/ used it with the emphasis on the second syllable - conservator.

[cloughie]

There's a new private dental practice on the Upper Norwood triangle, "Mindfulness Dentists". I looked, but nowhere did it state "Full qualified toothsayers".

surely you mean tooth savers.

[Old Grumpy]

surely you mean tooth savers.

Should've gone there!

[french frank]

Yes that makes it sound rather like a machine doesn't it? I've only ever heard it/ used it with the emphasis on the second syllable - conservator.

Apparently British English recognises the stress on the first or second syllable, so it's a secondary stress on the third if the stress is on the first (which also affects the pronunciation of the a). American English prefers the stress on the second. The French would stress it on the fourth - conservaTEUR

[DracoM]

Listened to R5 interviewing Brit teens - counted use of 'like', so in a two minute exchange with BBC presenter - kid used 'like' EVERY FOUR words - after one min, 16 'likes'...........crumbs!

[french frank]

Listened to R5 interviewing Brit teens - counted use of 'like', so in a two minute exchange with BBC presenter - kid used 'like' EVERY FOUR words - after one min, 16 'likes'...........crumbs!

I was censured at school for using 'um' every four words when I had to stand up and speak. 'Like' is the new 'um'.

[Pulcinella]

Not sure which is the best thread, but this one seems appropriate enough.

LNER have just sent an alert:

Due to road closures, rail replacement is not available.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not sure which is the best thread, but this one seems appropriate enough.

LNER have just sent an alert:

Due to road closures, rail replacement is not available.

Like, "Well, I wouldn't be starting from here"!

[Serial_Apologist]

Whoever saw me coming held the door open for me at the pharmacy this afternoon, probably thinking, "Poor old bloke - looks so dischevelled, must've got caught in the rain". "Thank you", I said, "I'm glad to see there are still SOME gentlemen around today". "Oh don't worry, I get called all sorts of things" she replied.

Men working on a roof extension at the end of the block had erected a shelter out of old timbers and a tarpaulin looking like something knocked up in the ruins of Gaza City. Becky, the flat holder, had emailed all the other residents apologising and explaining that it was there to serve as a temporary workshop due to there being insufficient space to undertake the work in their flat. I emailed back saying it would probably be OK, providing Suella Braverman did not get sight of it.

[Old Grumpy]

Whoever saw me coming held the door open for me at the pharmacy this afternoon, probably thinking, "Poor old bloke - looks so dischevelled, must've got caught in the rain". "Thank you", I said, "I'm glad to see there are still SOME gentlemen around today". "Oh don't worry, I get called all sorts of things" she replied.

[oddoneout]

I visited the library yesterday and on the way out picked up this winter's list of warm places in town. All the usuals were there but a new participant caught my eye - a local funeral service's premises. "If there are no clients" a warm room and hot drinks are available...
Not sure how much interest there'll be, but I can see there might be fuel for the local rumour mongers and sticky beaks if it is used.

[Serial_Apologist]

I visited the library yesterday and on the way out picked up this winter's list of warm places in town. All the usuals were there but a new participant caught my eye - a local funeral service's premises. "If there are no clients" a warm room and hot drinks are available...
Not sure how much interest there'll be, but I can see there might be fuel for the local rumour mongers and sticky beaks if it is used.

Anyone going in there asking "How's business?" can expect to be told "Pretty dead these days".

Having just returned from the local shopping centre (just under a mile away) it never ceases to amaze me how shopping patterns can vary so widely at this time of year with regards to everyday needs. Midway through yesterday afternoon I popped into the local Sainsbury's, just to see if they were stocking my usual brand of vapes. The place was absolutely crammed - so much so that the queue for the self-service checkouts was snaking all around the isles and back to the entrance so you could hardly get into the premises; the outside shopping trolley area was bare. I then made an unsuccessful circular trip to different outlets normally stocking the vapes which included West Norwood, Herne Hill and Sydenham. Ten minutes after that first stop, the Sainsbury's branch in W Norwood had just four people queuing; similarly Tescos in Herne Hill ten minutes later, and Sydenham mini Tescos, where I found what I was looking for, twenty minutes after that. Today, similar: Upper Norwood Sainsbury's once again crammed full. So I went round the corner to Iceland. I really should have the sense to use Iceland more often: they are cheaper than Sainsbury's or Tescos, have almost everything I usually get apart from the brown bread I like best, including a wider and in some respects more interesting range of deep frozen produce, particularly fish. Today there were only four other customers present, and just the one checkout person needed - a friendly middle-aged woman; none of the fiddly self-check nonesense. The bill, which included 5 single convenience microwaveable items, double choc digestive package, half pint of milk and some Greggs pastries, amounted to a mere £20.20, including for the 10% over-60s discount I don't think other firms offer. I don't normally make comparisons between retailers, but I reckon I would have paid at least 10% more for my usual Sainsbury's and Tescos foodstuffs. Why the place isn't attracting the numbers going to the Sainsburys five minutes' walk away, goodness only knows.