The Nordic Tearoom (Number 31)

[beanandspud]

We have moored the barge for the winter and have moved to a beautiful, cosy log cabin in deepest Scandinavia overlooking a frozen lake and surrounded by pine trees.

Mellors has lit the log fires and candles, it is snowing outside and there are comfortable seats for everyone and fleecy blankets to snuggle up in. For the more active tearoomers there are skis and sledges outside as well as a steaming hot tub for winding down after a busy day.

So pull up a chair. The kettle is on for and there is always plenty of depending on your mood and time zone. (Alternatively there is schnapps, smorgasbord and smoked fish).

Everybody is welcome ? share as much or as little as you like ? but no fisticuffs please!

Evening lovellies, yes. I would mind if the Beloved George was binned, but I have moved him up so there's plenty of room for the rather lovely Steve

I have no blanket or scout badge conversation to contribute

Who was your recipient UniS - does she know?

Over and out

Maybe I'm older/more out of touch than I thought -- what is soooo enticing at a launderette on a Wednesdsay night to a dozen or so teenagers? Why aren't they home doing coursework or playing computer games or talking to their families?

Ha! I knew Oxeye would unite with me, to keep Beloved George in his rightful place, just behind my our end of the distressed chintz sofa.

Scout - Because it's warm, costs nothing and they're less likely to be moved on by the police than if they were hanging around on the street would be my guess.

I had to Google to find out what Mr Backshall looks like.

But it wasn't warm in there and they all spent at least a large portion of the time I was there outside thinking they're cool smoking like chimneys so were constantly in-and-out making it colder.

He's the one on teh left in that pic.

75 in 85.... what memories...
The ill-fated London and South East region Crystal palace big day out, I was in the Pagent at the end of the day. It snowed! A number of girls ended up hypothermic. Those who's costumes featured capes were sheltering/ snuggling up with those who represented guides from warmer climes with skimpy costumes. I blessed my unit guider who had given me firm instructions to keep my T-shirt AND cardi on under my light weight costume. She also had the small girls in our group sat on the laps of the bigger girls( keeping both parties warmer) while they were freezing their buts off watching the wretched pageant. They all had to wait it out as we were all travelling together and 2 of us were in the thing.

I did make two hard middle aged men smile when I took Bunny out of the washer and inspected him before putting him in the dryer. The teens were too busy effin' and blindin' to notice.

Poor Bunny was covered. I told TS that Bunny was poorly, too, and couldn't go to bed with him that night but that he'd see him in the morning. Bless him, he looked for him at bedtime, settled for Dopple and within half-an-hour was sound asleep cuddling Creamy the way he does with Bunny in his sleep. Bunny's having a final warm-up on the radiator, staring at MrScout and I as we eat.

oxeye, I can make you a tea room camp blanket, so you don't feel left out around the campfire.

I went to a Guiding event at Crystal Palace but it can't have been in '85. ::geriatric:: We weren't allowed to wear coats over our Brownie uniform - although our Brown owl had instructed us to wear a jumper underneath - and girls were being carted away with hypothermia then too. In hindsight, it was appalling neglect to set more store by uniform than by the girls' well-being and it's awful to think the same thing happened in '85 - were no lessons learnt?

seemingly not, if you were a brownie at this event and are are over 40, then yes it must have been pre 85.

in 85 it was rather freaky weather conditions, not like the event was in feb or anything daft like that.

If .... you are over 40

UniS, I think I love you! I think it might have been in 1970.

Hello!

Sorry I haven't been around much. Just very busy in these couple of weeks up until Christmas with meetings all over the place and racing back for Small Bean.

Scout - yay to TS for ducklings badge. I vote for his own camp blanket. I feel a bit deprived having never had a blanket (or indeed been to camp!). I do remember going on Brownie pack holiday to 'Last of the Summer Wine' country and being snowed in in April - cue 20 girls all sobbing that they would never get home - ever!

Lemon, honey and hot toddies coming your way TW. I hope you get your voice back for Saturday.

CMOT - welcome home!

at the radiologists falling off the wall Amber. Not long to go.

We took Small Bean to see Santa on Saturday. He was so polite we were very proud of him. And although he is very excited he has asked for very little in the way of presents which feels kind of nice.

It's going to be a loooonnnnggggggg winter....

I left guides when I was 14.5 having obtained my Queens' Guide badge - I think I left at the end of the year. The issue was that music and horse riding were taking up so much time that I really didn't have Friday evenings for guides available... and had sort of run out of interesting things to do with them by then too. So... I wasn't still in guides in '85.

There must be other guides out there that weren't allowed to wear coats for the Rememberance Sunday parade in November????

TW - I'm wondering whether I'll be doing any singing before Christmas at the rate I'm going...

No coats for us either Mistle - and I remember that as a guide you could get a jumper under your blouse, but as a young leader in the v neck aquamarine blouse you couldn't.

It is windy and horrid here today. all round ? I will be making mincemeat cupcakes later, which I am looking forward to

Yes please CMot - its miserable here. Been raining solidly since am - except its a bit sleety in places. And its windy. Still have light on in office which is very unusual for me.

Current guide uniform seems much better thought out than the old blouses, and as for those little brown cotton frocks that brownies wore back in the day!!! Brown trackie trews and a sweat shirt are FAR better.
Do you remember the old guide hat that always fell off when I was flag carrier in church parade, I'd glance up to check I had the flag pole right way round ( emblem at top facing forward) and plop, off would fall my hat AGAIN.

You mean its changed???

Uniforms are almost fashionable now.

changed at least twice since teh days of blouses. I was a ranger when the 1st change happened- to Ts and Polos with GUIDE or RANGER emblazoned across teh chest. current uniform is rather subtler, and IIRC even includes pink as an option.

OH dear- looks like being a wet play lunch time.... best go grid my lions.

Miserable day here, too. Postman with a parcel delivery was wearing shorts!

Current Senior Section/Ranger uniform is a sweatshirt/hoodie with a thumbhole. No where does it say Senior Section on it. Pink was just the Centenary gear. Even leaders have hoodies now.

Today is the one year anniversary of the death of one of the girls at our village college and the friend of several girls in my Senior Section. The FB tributes that are flowing are making me well up and I didn't even know the girl. My Seniors, and their friends, have done amazing things in her honor this past year and I'm impressed and awed by their grace and courage.

teenagers can be quite sweet children when they try can't they.

SO can yr 3.. I managed to give some "good play" stickers out at lunch time for inventiveness in wet play, loved the lego gun that " fires vegetables at the bad guys" so much more interesting than the normal - its a gun,it fires bullets, bang.

MrScout left my camera in the bloody carpark at Heathrow! THE CARPARK!!!

I'm so grateful to the person that turned it in instead of drove home with it.