Tea Room the Twelfth

[RacingSnake]

Come in, come in, to Tea Room the Twelfth! We now inhabit a rambling log cabin, surrounded by mysterious pine forests and mist-covered mountains (but also, strangely) easily accessible by regulars, new-comers and passing bishops, ferried in by Mellors driving the troika. All the usual rules apply and all are welcome!

Beer is just home from work with news that MN was in his French paper today !!!

Nor do I ride a horse in RL (although I have always wanted to). Wriggle has a friend (Extremely Gifted Child of SmugMummy) who has two shetland ponies and Wriggle will be invited to ride regularly when they move closer at Easter. So far they live a train journey away and we only do it very occasionally. Wriggle and I missed the whole of Pony Day due to excessively trying day in RL.

Rather like the idea of the 'swim leggings', but would that draw even more attention to me when I want to be sylph like and stunning disappear into the background?

TW - am agonising about moving 10 miles - well impressed with your very intrepid move.
Thoughts are with you and your friend.

I think it is something that could suck up vast amounts of money. But the stables we go to is very reasonable 10 quid for DS's lesson, 15 for mine, 20 for an hours hacking. DS and I have our own hats, but you can borrow, and you don't really need any other special stuff. I have bought him jods and boots on ebay where they are v v reasonable though

TW - also finger crossing here, sorry, should have put it in earlier.

I USED to ride whenever possible - I started out 'helping' at the riding stables - then they stopped doing lessons, but kept the ponies and 'leased' them out - I shared one for about a year (as close as I got to having my own really) then I started riding with my friend and helping out someone else with their horses in the same stables - I'd do at least one of the days at the weekend - she had a lovely horse, although he used to nap with her and sometimes cart her home, he didn't do it with me. Oh - and in the middle of all of that I borrowed someone's pony in the village - I learned a good 'seat' as he would shy (3m to one or other side at speed) at nothing up on the downs - miles to walk home! And also rode an ex-racehorse (in racing leathers - scary), although it wasn't safe to take her onto grass!!!!

[completely overwhelmed with awe and wonder]

hi all

just in work at the mo i could do with some brandy for my tea

i have fresh fruit and honey and lemon (sore throat today) tea if anyone fancies it

i would LOVE to try out a bit of horse riding but with the sheer volume of arse in my posession means that would be nigh on impossible PandaCub does love a good pony ride though

Cmot - One Bolly coming right up!

Racing - Is a house move afoot?

MBBaby would like to learn to ride and we have a stables nearby. But as it is plum in the middle of yummy mummy territory (we are only maginally yummy here but very close to some uber-yummy areas) it is mind-bogglingly ££££. Would be worth driving to Cmotland to learn there, I think!

Cheers!

I didn't have a social life - it got to the stage where I was doing homework, music or horse riding!

I really want to find someone nearby with a bombproof pony that I can teach mistlechick with - its so expensive any other way, but there's no way we'd get a pony! Huge commitment, let alone the money side of things!

Exactly Tea!!! And given where you are, you'd probably have to start getting expensive riding clothes too to keep up with the other parents!

this lot are fairly near me. Love the logo. maybe I'll give it a whirl one day.
last time I got on a horse i was about 11. I managed to nag my parents to let me have a day pony trekking on a family hol in scotland, then managed to nag till I was given 4 lessons as a birthday pressie. then couldn't afford to continue.
been strictly cycles since then , with brief flirtations with windsurfing and canoeing and dingy sailing - not all at same time.

Ooo, Eastlake don't appear to be Approved by anyone (British Horse Society etc), and there's not a lot online to say if they're any good.

Don't ask how much a horse/pony costs. Do expect not to have change from around 400-700 quid a month once you factor in vets, food, shoes, broken equipment, transport, sundries, competition fees, riding school fees, etc etc.

Cor this is a good cup of tea. Anyone else for tea/coffee/other?

Coffee at this time of the morning please.

I had a trial gliding lesson, and would have loved to take that up. Also won a helicopter lesson in a raffle, which was great, but too many handles to handle at once!

Once flew a light aircraft, and there was the Incident with the boss's 65ft yacht in the Med...but best not go into that

My mother thought I'd 'grow out' of the interest in ponies when I started, age 6 (Amber, bottom of gravel hill, Mrs Stokes. Probably no longer there due to expansion of town) but I didn't! All my pocked money went on riding lessons.

Also have done dingy sailing in the Thames - and during a Uni course, my horse riding skills came into their own - instructors couldn't believe how quickly I got onto the centre-board, then managed to climb into the boat as I righted the purposefully overturned boat (gravel pit off the Thames - lovely!!!)

Cup of tea would be lovely. Met lots of other mothers all REALLY pleased that school was open today after another day of closure yesterday. Dh is particularly thankful as I left him to be in charge yesterday!

school open this morning with planned closure this afternoon as forecast is for a lot of something to fall from sky. What exactly is not so sure, could be snow. Or rain, or sleet.

Preschool numbers very low yesterday and today. yesterday it was 6 kids and 3 staff.

Hello all!!! x x x

Oh RS - I am sorry about your trying day. You seem to be having more than your share of them lately... grrrrrrr!!!!

Bah, MN is playing up for me - whenever I click on amberlight's name to see MrT, I get a page with my own name on it but no details!

Still, I'm sure he's lovely.
FYI Tea - I rode regularly from the age of 7 to 15, when I asked about a Saturday job there and was told that they didn't pay, but you got a free ride. Sadly, my need for money (never got pocket money, parents couldn't afford it) outweighed my love of horses, so I got a Saturday job elswhere. Never owned a pony but would like to now we're out here - it seems to be fairly common round our way, so whenever we move to our ranch-style property (some time in the next few years when Mr Thumb has made lots osf money flogging gas detector machines) we'll be getting one then.

CMOTD - I am STUNNED at the prices you are paying! Are those people living in the 20th C still?? You have an excellent deal there.

RS - so sorry to hear you are still having trying days
Moving 10 miles? Is this a definite or just a thought?

PandaEis - I don't know how large your behind is, but I have seen some very commodious bottoms encased in jodhpurs in my time! Big horses are very strong you know..

I'd love to fly something - have been in a microlight and a 4-seater plane but not in charge of the controls - one day........

TW - apparently some sort of problem with MN at the moment - no one's profiles are working properly, and everyone's has reverted back to an old version....

Yes, they are very reasonable - it's not a posh yard by any means, and no indoor school or anything, but since their overheads are low, living on site etc, I suppose thats reflected in the price. I like the individual attention, and their easygoing nature too.

Living in a more rural area, which isn't populated by holiday/second homes really does have it's advantages at times

mistle, I have posted on Site stuff threads about it and found out that NikitaTech is apparently on the case, so I shall await developments!

Mrs Stokes! Oh yes indeed - that's where my dsis learned to ride and I spent many happy hours down there. Really is a small world.

Anyone for a slice of Interesting Surprise Cake with their afternoon beverage? Mellors, DO put that riding crop down and give me a hand with your buns, will you

No, not those buns, Mellors

Amber - do you remember Twinkle - she was my favourite then - small chestnut pony (rather Thelwell-esqe). Sorry about reminiscences all - its just I know that Amber and I grew up in a similar place ish!

Oh - and the Alsatian dog that used to sit outside the extractor fan for the dairy and catch (and eat) the wasps that accidently got caught in the draft as they exited from their nest in the dairy!