Palaisglide

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OK Jeannie, next time I am in Inverness I will call in and sort it. Put a small tree there a couple of bushes there and there, already you are splitting the garden into windows with differing views, a 90 degree angle of low hedge just short sections will put a corner in enclosing yet not doing so. A small bed there with tall flowers at the back with support against the stiffish breeze and lower planting there, a small section of pave enough for a couple of seats in the warmest area and you have rooms, views, less of an open area, more a continuation from the outside in. sorted.
The bill is in the post.

Frank.

MOB rants

Fairygirl /Daughter, your Dad and I had the same experience then so I understand his hiding things form you although at first some of mine were thinking it was all imagination on my part,
Joan is still in this house to me, I never would have believed it, I do now.

Frank.

MOB rants

Derek, I learned as a very young soldier that difficult decisions have to be made constantly, after a while you harden and the skin toughens.
As I went up through the ranks, promotion boards I had to sit on taught me that sentiment has no place in the room.
ICI took me on for what I was and from the start they groomed me obviously for the job they knew was coming and when I did not apply I was not a graduate, I was told to have the application on the managers desk that day. It meant a huge step up the ladder and an easy comfortable retirement.
The men and women said I had no parents but that I was totally fair. Some do, some do not, I had friends who could not do it and lost out in many ways.
Visiting T----'s supermarket which is full of retired ICI men working to supplement their pensions I am greeted as a friend so I did something right.
Not a rant Derek just trained by circumstances beyond my control as a lad to get on and do the job and not shed tears.

Frank.

MOB rants

Hi Brother Derek we are both members of Unite, a long story.
As a lad I joined the Boilermakers led by the ear to the meeting by my mentor and tutor a Boilermaker brought out of retirement for the war. His Son in Law owned the firm but  he told me they are all tarred with the same brush and will do you down.
Many years later at ICI I was asked if I was union and because my Dad had for years gone to the branch and paid the forces dues I was still a member. I was told by the convener I would need to join the Staff section which I did.
I was then promoted rapidly and put in charge with the instruction break the union hold that keeps ICI from improving.
A couple of years hard graft with the union's, job done and well rewarded, the men were happy a lot more money the unions curbed.
On retirement I was asked if I wished to remain on the books at a much reduced fee and I did. So for years I have had a Union pension, most of the conveners and lads dropped out hence no pension I smile every Christmas when that cheque comes.

Frank.

MOB rants

Fairygirl /Daughter, I am quite worried about you, if I had been a child bride I would have been your Mum and believe it there is no danger of me being taken for a female of any description, even the Bear as my lads called me (behind my back I may say).
Are you having a gender crisis I ask.
Tina we do not all have the same chances in life and I salute anyone who pulls themselves up by the boot straps, you fought you succeeded well done.
When I got leave in the Army I would have a day off then it would be up on the farm if they were busy or a part time job, in a time of full employment they always wanted drivers to cover for sickness. I drove some rattletraps as well as good trucks and always brought them back home it meant I was always good for more next time I got leave and the money came in handy. Lazing about was not in my genes and still is not, apart from today when I appear to have been on all day, my excuse is it is freezing the Mexican chili's out there.
Fish was always part of my diet we lived on a fishing coast, the man would come round with his horse and cart calling Callour Herrin and mother would buy a bucket full caught that morning and clean dress then bake them. Hot for the evening meal and cold there after, I thought that nicer and would stuff them down with lots of bread and butter, "butter you ask with rationing" we made our own and did deals, keeping pigs a few slices of bacon got you anything.

Frank.

MOB rants

Fairygirl/ Daughter, Hang about, you remember it being green fields??? "Err" am I old enough to be your Dad?
At the last election three very well dressed young men arrived at my door, we can rely on your vote then Sir or was that meant as Cur? It is rather posh around here.
"And whom may you be" quoth me, we are the representatives of the XXX party. "Oh yes and what will you do for me should I be stupid enough oops sorry should I give you my vote. A pile of leaflets and a load of spiel later ( had time on my hands so let them educate me) I told them I heard that in the fifties the sixties the seventies and so on and it all got worse never better. Their faces said "we have a right one here" too B@##@# true you have, when I had told them I would never vote for them if they had feather dusters in various orifices of their bodies and dusted my house from top to bottom whilst waggling around, I think they got the point.
Like your Dad, I have never had anything from them, the thing that makes me spit shrapnel is the fact my government pension is classed as "Unearned Income" for tax purposes and I will pay taxes until the day i wander off to Valhalla, governments I have shot them or something like that.

Frank.

MOB rants

Pentille, where ever carrot cake was invented it is still a blot on the landscape, Mr Wooltons pie a once a week delicacy in the Wartime School Canteen I was forced to frequent was often the best meal of the week all Vegetable and not masquerading as pudding, followed by Tapioca, how come we got so much of that back then. Fish every Friday boiled to bits then a very weak sauce thrown on and mashed potato, the whole tasteless but still better than carrot cake.

I am with you on the inter-net, I refuse to put any detail on this machine, renew my insurance by post and much to my daughters frustration actually go to a shop to buy the things I want, "I can do that on line dad" maybe so but how will you pay, "your card" not on your Nelly I have no trust in those on line thin-gees. I was reading about security and apparently some of the big online firms have been broken into but say nothing, it is cheaper to compensate irate customers than broadcast the fact.

Frank.

Forum names

If we are named for our gardens then I would be "ad hoc" with a few standard bushes the style changes by the year or even the season. When I planted red white and blue borders, lots of them, for an anniversary my minimalist Daughter went "ugh" people passing stopped and commented mostly favourable and the same borders appeared around the estate.
I love looking at gardens although trying to copy them to me is silly, I have my own style and likes, Christopher Lloyd was a one off who took many years to get the form and planting of his garden to his tastes and now the Gardener tries to keep the style but admitted it is very hard to do.
Jeannie, what ever you have is yours, if it annoyed you you would not still be planning it, it would be done, I moved into a new build detached 30 years ago and worked until I ached to change it from the lawn back front and sides to a garden i could live with. That has had many make overs as the years rolled on and that is what we gardeners do, we complete a project sit down with a glass in our hands look at it and see how it could be done differently and so away we go spade and fork flying plants being moved so many times they do not unpack their suit cases.
As long as we are reasonable pleased with our efforts then that is success.

Random ad hoc Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

Stockton, for thirty seconds the sun shone, it lit up the house the garden and my face then it vanished, we are now getting quick flashes and even as I type it is creeping across the carpet and lighting up the room, will wonders never cease?

Frank.

MOB rants

Pentille, yes London is a place you can eat any of the worlds cuisines and the street food is wonderful, who said we Brits cannot cook, we just cannot cook our own food is all and when we do it is something weird like carrot cake???
As to politics I am neutral, each being as bad as the other all with their trotters in the feeding trough and having seen a variation of Governments each worse than the other have lost the will to vote.
I did think Green until a woman said it was mine and my parents fault we were in the state we were in, it appears we were wasteful???
Remembering unwrapped food, Milk from Churns in your own jugs, then Milk Bottles washed and returned to be used a million times, four page newspapers which were promptly collected by the Scouts along with cardboard tins and anything else, the fire ashes used on the garden and Vegetables all locally grown. Add food being used to the last crumb due to shortages and poor pay, I do think she was a bit over the top and withdrew any thoughts of voting for Windmills that don't work in the cold, I can imagine the people who have had the misfortune to know what the future holds as they lost all power would have something to say about all that.
Oh well that turned into another rant I was never like that before Gardening Grandma invented rants I blame her.

Frank.

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