MOB rants - Page 28

Cilmeri, my tongue was firmly in my cheek when i wrote the last rant.

Enjoyed your rant, Derek, and I'm surprised that car are more expensive in France, since we all have the idea they are cheaper. You live and learn. I have found that, in general, France is quite expensive - the more so, of course, since the fall in the value of the pound.

Lizzie, I sympathise deeply. You made me shed a tear or two. My heart is in Wales, too. Just love those mountains and the ride over the Beacons to Brecon is breathtaking. (Some people walk - I ride ).

Lizzie, having travelled, endured, had homesickness (definitely not a nice thing to have) my heart always lifted to see the green fields of England again and started singing when I reached Thirsk in Yorkshire by train car or plane as I was thirty minutes from home.
I was telling my Daughter Stockton is born into us not us born in Stockton, I am now settled for good, my passport ran out, my travel insurance ran out, my Visas are scrap and none will be renewed, seen it done it home is best.
Joan was not a lover of France the French or the Food, she did love the small shops full of drawers and cupboards full of sewing cottons and material, she once talked for nearly an hour to a French Lady shop owner about tapestry sewing knitting and came out with all the things she could not get in England, she could not speak French the lady could not speak English and I just listened to the animated conversation and paid at the end.
We both loved Austria and saw it from all angles but two weeks and Joan was hankering for home. I once did suggest going somewhere warm for the winter and she told me two weeks only which we did, left here in a snowstorm had two weeks sun came back in a snowstorm but she was happy.
My rant then is people run down this little "septic Isle" OK I know not as written, yet once we leave its shores we find there is nowhere better, plus what on earth do you talk about when it is constant sunshine, dull dull dull.

Frank.

I love Thirsk and all the surrounding area. I have friends in Ripon and an uncle near York. My heart always lifts when I get back to England too. But I grew up in Surrey and lived in Kent when married.

I only know of one shop here where they sell cottons and tapestry things, but they hadn't got the right canvas so I bought it in Battle, East Sussex!

The English don't know how to praise themselves. The French think the only English cheese is Cheddar and that English food is like school dinners after the war. English sparkling wine won a world prize, beating French Champagne, but the French think that wine isn't made in England. English fashion is way above French, the French are just beginning to realise it. But all they see are retired English women on holiday wearing baggy Tshirts with baggy shorts. English architecture is wonderful - look at the Houses of Parliament, Lincoln Cathedral, thatched cottages and Cotswold stone houses. French men have a reputation for being good lovers, but they can be bossy and rude, the English men I know are far more considerate. And so on ..............

I've just read the recent posts and I've got a lump in my throat. Travelling to other countries is wonderful but it often makes us happy to come back, and what comes across here is that whether we're from Scotland, England,Ireland or Wales, underneath we have a great sense of belonging to this little island we all call home. As we say here in Scotland 'wha's like us'. I have a foot in both camps as my dad was English. He came up here, met and married my Scottish mum, and never went back. He loved it up here- the scenery, the peace and- yes -even the rain! I lost them both a few years ago and I miss them but they had good long lives and were together 60 years in all. I scattered their ashes up in Ullapool where we spent many childhood holidays. A beautiful quiet place. They can spend forever looking out across the little bay. I've had a troubled few years but I know how lucky I am here and, like most people, guilty of not appreciating it often enough.  Sorry but tears coming now so in the spirit of this thread I'll finish with a rant! Those *%$"* ing call centres!!!!

I know this seems strange but for years every time we went up and down the M5 and saw the Malvern Hills I had a hankering, then with caravan we used them or this area as a weekend retreat. We began to dislike where we lived and in the last few years there never felt settled although OH had lived there all his life and me most of it. With a serious health scare wirth OH we made adecision to put house up for sale (we lived in Staffs) and move south. Did not know where. Then evrything fitted into place. OH was made redundant so being near B'rum was no longer necessary, Daughter met someone from Worcs who she now lives with and loves dearly, and then someone stopped me in the street when walking the dog and offered me a cash sale on the house, Didn't believe them at first, they wanted a 6 week turn around. We potentially were going to be homeless. I contacted estate agent on S. Worcs and one phoned up and said we have these ex-MOD houses, last open day is Saturday, bids for them to be in by Mid day on Monday. Malvern. Came down, loved the houses despite the amount of work they needed and especially what looked as if it may be a large garden. the house seemed full of light. Faxed bid through with 20 mns to go for the dead line. Next day we found we had a house. Love it. The trips up and down the M5 still stir my soul when I see the hills. It feels like coming home and yet no connection to area. Or so I thought until in an old wartime address book of M's I found the address of my grandfather and yes it was in Malvern.

Everyhting fitted into place so quickly, right down to getting caravan storage in a very secure place.

Love it here. Not a rant but it fits with lizzie and like GG said it's where your heart is

And to add now the garden is cleared we have the most amazing views of the hills and every morning I lay in bed looking at the ever changing picture before me.

Alas my M moved with us but never really was able to enjoy it. She became ill, which set off a rapid dementia and is now in a home, fortunately within walkng distance.

I live a mile from where I was born. When I married lived in Surrey but always felt homesick.  Silly really but just could not settle.  Have lived in present house for 47 years and have never wanted to move.  In the suburbs, but a 5 minute drive or 30 minute walk and you have open spaces, woodland and, best of all, the place I spent most of my Summer holidays when a child, paddling in the stream or swinging on a tyre hanging from a tree. Never hankered to go abroad, much to the amazement of anyone I mention it to.  Furthest I have ever been is Land's End.  I don't mind if people think we odd or tell me how much I am/have missed as I don't feel I have missed a thing.

Tina - I understand you totally. My mum never went abroad. We have family in Vancouver, Canada (on my Dad's side) and they were always asking my parents to visit but they never did. It's a stunning place too - like Scotland but on a bigger scale! When you love where you are what else do you need? I'm lucky to have visited some beautiful places but I love my home country more and more. Maybe it's my age!

Rosa I just re read your post. I visited Malvern a very long time ago and those hills are just stunning. When you can wake up every day to a view like that you can count yourself very lucky indeed. When you're young these things don't matter but a bit of life experience makes a huge difference to your take on life. As I mentioned, I've done a lot of hillwalking and no amount of money or possessions can replace fine views. Is there anything finer than sitting in your garden on a warm day admiring a great view and listening to the birds singing?

I sense a bit of flag waving coming on! I think we're lucky to have so much history here in Britain- whichever part we live in. Was never interested when I went to school but find it fascinating now. Age again! Anyway - must go and get some exercise then make soup. Another simple pleasure. Adios and ciao til later! I'll think of something to rant about while I'm out.

Lizzie, we are lucky to live where we do, the seashore is minutes away in one direction and only thirty minutes the other, Whitby 50 minutes over rolling hills and moors. The other way or West Darlington 20 minutes then rolling Dales Teasdale views out to the Pennines, North, it is woodlands more dales and on up to Northumberland who could wish for more.
Well Fairy girl in my many visits to Scotland, Army and Holiday I had never made it to John O Groats so when my Daughter said they were taking me on holiday where did I want to go (expecting me to say the continent) they got a shock when I told them. They had to admit it was a wonderful holiday staying in Inverness and touring then on the banks of Loch Lomond via Fort William and Ben Nevis. Glorious weather wonderful people and scenery beyond belief.
I ask why travel outside of this wonderful Kingdom of Scotland Ireland Wales and England.

Frank.

When we get the weather Frank - there's no place on earth to beat it! Spectacular in the snow and glorious in the sun.  I'll just go and get me saltire hoisted now!  

Fairygirl, I can understand how your Mum felt.  I do love my home, garden and surroundings and have always been very content.  There was a time though when I had two children working abroad, one in USA and the other in Australia.  I knew then that if anything should happen to them, I would have to make the journey.  Fortunately, they both returned unscathed even though son hired a motor bike and came off doing a 'wheely'.  Had gone out to Australia on crutches, clutching x-rays of his leg for when he needed pins removed at hospital over there!  Of course, I didn't know about it until he got back home some months later when it appeared to be a huge joke.  He wasn't too old to slap!

I agree with the sentiments about home, im from Scotland i have traveled a lot in my time from all over Europe to Africa and America, i have a sister who lives in Toronto, when i was in my twenties i went over to Toronto with a view to staying there permanently, when i got there it was a different standard of life altogether, so much higher than mine, it had everything you could wish for apart from one thing, the people, the people i loved were all back home, i knew there and then i'd never settle anywhere but Scotland, don't get me wrong i love what Scotland has to offer im only twenty minutes from loch lomond and the west highlands with beautiful mountains and lochs, but it's the people around me that make this wee bit hill and glen my home. Sorry i can't rant about call centers as Mrs Grower works in one, i constantly get stories about people who call her and the daft things they say and do usually when I'm trying to watch something on tv do you know how hard it is to look interested when you are not, please don't tell Mrs grower i said that..

Davie-S

We spend quite a few holidays in the Malvern area and have tramped those hills many times. You have the advantage of the Malvern spring and autumn shows, which we often attend. We pay for one day there - enough to see most things. Then, every day, after a jaunt somewhere else, we go in free of charge half and hour or so before the end (cheapskates that we are) and on the last day, nab some auction bargains and pick up the plants left abandoned on the ground by traders. I've had some lovely named crocosmias that way, just a single bulb to a pot, but lots of pots. Shameless but pleasurable foraging!

I have enjoyed these contributions and don't want to interrupt their flow so please continue with them.

With my unerring instinct for getting myself into trouble, here's a new rant. I thought of it while reading Brumbull's thread on gardening shows.

Once, when sharing my enjoyment of the Shrewsbury flower show, someone said to me, 'That's not a proper flower show. THIS [actually the Malvern Spring Show] is a proper flower show.' Conversation over and me in disgrace! There is a gardening snobbery though I, relative ignoramus that I am, do not qualify to exercise it. Of course, some garden shows are patronised by royalty and the aristocracy and also by the new aristocracy of the media world, while others are not. However, I once overheard a conversation at the Shrewsbury show (I could not help it - it was intended to be overheard) about who she knew and who had lunched at her house and admired her garden. My OH , a gentle and inoffensive man, asked her to be quiet! There's also a snobbery about which plants you grow. I haven't seen it on this forum, I hasten to add. Perhaps every human activity is prone to this from people who need to feel superior, but it seems pretty hollow to me.

Once there was a snobbery about dahlias and they went right out of fashion. I'm glad they're back, I love them.

GG, I too enjoy the Shrewsbury and Malvern Shows..will look out for you ...

Lizzie, me too, dalhias are stunning in their own right....

...reminds me of grandads allotment.

ahem ... I use as a filler (should I say that!)   when this pesky weather spoils my regular borders and save the tubers (as a novice said with ptide)

Ooops! this should be a rant!     erm,  no rantings to be found...I'll bow out.

Have to agree about the snobbery thing- it's in every area of life. I'd like to think gardening folk have a different view than most but unfortunately a love of the outdoors doesn't make us immune. I felt a rant coming on earlier about people going hillwalking completely unprepared so here it is - 2 people rescued from Snowdon on news earlier. Please please please DON'T go up hills at this time of year thinking it'll be a breeze. Our rescue services must have the patience of saints. I've seen lots of daft people going up our scottish hills in jeans and no jackets etc assuming that it'll be lovely 3500 feet up just cos it's mild at the bottom. It's not. Even in July!! Right that's me off my soap box. I need a cup of tea now then I might brave the easterly wind and go to the shed for some compost and sow some seeds!