School's out for crepeys

[lalsy]

Ooops, sorry, I didn't mean to finish the thread.

Stropps where will you be staying? Youre camping, arent you? May be one we have stayed at!

Had a lovely but very early evening last night and after 2 bottles of Tona I was asleep at 8.30! So now awake (4am), but as we have a double bed each in a big room, its not a problem!

We are in a small beach place which is very chilled and lovely, but I fear our 3 days here will be gone way too fast.

Herbs, we have had many twin boys who have been diagnosed asd whilst the twin is nt. Thing is, they need and want routine and order... ! Hope the Imodium works!

MI fingers crossed!

I have been trying to do some work, but house currently being transformed into dodgy copper's lair for this tv series that starts shooting on Monday and there's a lot of drilling and banging going on. Am going to take kids swimming now.

Herbs - sorry about your upset stomach, that's grim in hot weather. Does sound like your friend needs help of some kind.

at all those with houses to themselves. I have literally no idea what that is like.

Fell asleep again, now 7.30am - DC were asleep at 9 and are now awake wanting to go for breakfast! Who'd have thunk it

Wilbur, hope they are making props rather than dismantling your house!

Hello Magi, nice to have another newbie. I am so sorry about the pier and I know exactly how you feel about feeling emotional about the damage to your 'hood. I remember the riots 3 years ago - a few shops on the local high street were damaged (as well as lots of regular haunts in Clapham) and I was so sad. I am glad the damage is not as bad as feared.

Hi Molly. Which part of the S London massive are you from? I am very near Belair Park if that rings any bells.

Herbs, that is very sad about your friend and the twins. IS she depressed, do you think? Could she get to the GP? Sorry about your tummy. Hope you are on the road to recovery and don't have to make a run for it this afternoon.

QQ, do you go to Norfolk or Suffolk? We have spent many a happy time on the North Norfolk coast. I remember it fondly from childhood, even though it is very smart now and wearing disproportionate amounts of F and B paint. Are you off again over the summer?

Stropps, I am glad DD has chosen to come with you but at the camping equipment. Could you ebay the bits you don't think you would need? Someone must need a reinforced bucket, especially if going for a song. I love your holiday visit priorities too. Only fair to sample local produce and boost their economy.

BTM, glad you are reunited with luggage and hope your holiday carries on going well. The hotel sounds great.

Rose, there seems to be a lot of stressful things going on for you right now. Be kind to yourself with your challenges. I am glad DS's return is not too far away.

BD, very envious of the peace and quiet of an empty house. Glad the interview was OK.

Wilbur, can you say which TV show this is for? I am always very impressed by a film set. Have you had your house used before? Will they restore everything to pre filming glory as well?

I was feeling quite upbeat for once about my body etc as I have lost a bit of tummy (still plenty left, though) and my Sainsbury's trousers do up without incident. I bought a pair of shorts on Ebay in the same size and they are clearly a lot smaller as in the struggle to get them done up the button flew off and hit DS in the eye! I also look like Billy Bunter in them anyway as they have a flared rather than a tapered leg. Oh dear. I was bought a fitbit a couple of weeks ago and have done loads of steps but it is hard to exercise in the holidays as I have the children when I am not at work and, whilst they can come out for a walk, it is very slow and I can't leave them to do anything more substantial. MI, I am going to start ladyjogging again on Sunday as I can, in theory, get up and conduct a ladyjog before DH goes to work at 7,30am. At least, that's the idea. Did you do a C25K programme? I did the NHS one and it was dire, so any recommendations gratefully received.

Right, time now to turn off the TV and get the punters out for a scoot down to Herne Hill. A mooch round the (well stocked, but spenny) Oxfam and a run in the park beckon.

It was indeed sodding Laura, the person who moves one to homicidal hatred.

Norfolk....I have had great fun with my Great Unpublished Book talking about the isolation of Norwich in the 1970s and how you could only get out of it with huge difficulty to bleakly un-chic places like Cromer and Yarmouth. I find it bizarre to think of it as an upmarket holiday destination now, I have to say.

Have just realised tonight's party is a birthday one and requested DP to purchase chocolates for the lovely hostess. However have finished the nightmare project (now commissioning the next issue) and am starting to bang out another piece. Appear to have quite a few commissions in to keep me busy when my fellow-inmates depart to do hippy t'ai chi; so much for my fantasies of sitting around sipping nice wine in the sunshine. Not that there will be much sunshine either.

MC youre in ma hood! Have forgotten what you have in the way of DC - mine are 15 and 13 1/2 and go to the comp in WD!

Montserrat, our closest riots were the Tandem Centre Retail Park, Colliers Wood...we tried to shop there, found it desolate with a sole PC guarding it, and jokingly said "They must be expecting riots, hahahaha". Only they were; and there were.

monty sadly , we're used to it. It's just the one stressful thing....otherwise I am chilling in a lovely back water of West Sussex, wandering from the beach to the tea rooms interspersed with the daily fitness challenge. Not doing much for my belly but good on you for making some impact on yours !!
tilly sounds idyllic. Enjoy
herbs aargh! Are you feeling better?
Mi any luck with the passport angst? Have they called back?
Well, am sitting in tea room next to Dd who is prolifically weaving loom band friendship bracelets for her mates. Looks a bit like plastic crochet to me. dH is on the train down from Victoria. Tomorrow we've got tix for Amadeus at Chichester. Looking forward to my annual spa day with BFF next week. Anything to stop me watching the bloody news channel.
I am also trying to stop myself contacting co scriptwriter to see if there is any news from the artistic management board about putting on our play. We should have heard by now...not looking good maybe.... [ hmm]

Ooh spa day! There are never enough spa days in the year

BTM, is that EG or K? My children may well go to one of them. Currently at the primary school on R Road. Eldest about to start y5 and oscillates between EG, D in Streatham and Sydenham. We live too far from D really as it is v v popular.

Rose, I hope Amadeus will be suitably diverting. It's hot Rupeer Everett in it I think? He was such a hottie in his youth but looks too surgeried now.

Molly, is the tandem centre the one with the big sainsburys? We nearly ended up living near there but went East in the end.

5.45, too early for a sherry?

Nah. It's Friday. A sherry would be v ladylike I am researching monks. Again. I really ought to get a life.

My oldest goes to one of the schools you've mentioned and my younger will be starting there too in Sept.

Ah, so we must be local ish too. How lovely. Why you looking up monks? Sounds fascinating but could be heavy going.

No sherry but there was a bottle of what I thought was rose but turns out yo be some fruit based drink. I don't know who bought that. I am on the fizzy water til Mr tesco arrives, like a trusty St Bernard, about 7pm. He will bring gin. Hurray.

Short story. According to some translations of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles King Alfred sent some bishops to India. But they are probably a misprint and went to Judea instead. Bugger. I've written the story. They can go to India and like it, dammit.

Wow! Do you get your stories published or do you write simply for pleasure?

Dd1 now c

dd1 now come in moaning because she wants to make a cake. I said too late and we could make one tomorrow morning before we go to the cricket. She has stormed off in a huff. Mr tesco cannot come quickly enough....

Day job is a journalist. This sort of hooks in with something else I am trying to write.

Monty - can't give you details of tv show but it's a new series, crime thing, and sounds like an excellent premise. When it's on, I will be SHOUTING - "look at the shelf, that's MY hip flask". It's quite disconcerting as this is supposed to be the home of a policeman and it's now all decked out with pics of Met police events and there's a photo of Maggie Thatcher in my study . They will return it to pristine when they're done, and they have done some of the excellent repairs to some dodgy bits along the way (bonus). I love my house very much, but it does have a habit of breaking down a lot - new problems this week are a leaking wastepipe from the toilet in the main bathroom, bleeurgh, and a chunk of ceiling paper coming loose over the front door following the leak we had last winter. If you've seen the film The Money Pit, that's us. I'm also pretty close to you, up the hill from W Norwood towards Streatham.

Right need to finish packing overnight bag to go to BIL's tomorrow. The village fete is on and everything, so we are going the full rural.

Monty, yes! Near the big Sainsbo, which now has a big M&S flagship store incorporated. the latter is still crap for clothes though

Oooh, I love a crime show. Will there be dismemberment?

I've had enough of bashing the keys pointlessly and, in truth, have managed to achieve remarkably little today. Am going to go and produce fishcakes and peas (the glamour) attend to the needs of Mr Ocado and find a frock to go out in.

Molly, that big sainsburys is so fab for clothes. I tend yo go to the local e Dulwich one or the huuuuuge one in Sydenham but used to nip to that one on the tube when I lived in Kennington. I do like many of Sainsbo'a clothes but I find you have to buy when you see as if you go back a few days later the fab stuff is often sold out.

MI, have a lovely time at the party

Yay! Another Sainsbury's clothes fan. I am usually clad head-to-to in designer Tu. In fact only today, someone fingered my two-year-old Sainsbury's t-shirt and asked if I got it from Hobbs!

It's a long time since anyone fingered my T-shirt. Fnar.

MC they are at K.

Wilbur you must be so much more laid back and tolerant than me and mine, or is it worth a bomb?!

Not sure which Sainsbos you are all on about

Which big Sainsbury's is that, that you can nip to on the Northern Line? Tell me, quick, I am tired of Tesco, and the Little Waitrose at Vauxhall is Insufficient.

I am now on leave and am utterly exhausted - even breathing is an effort. We have an early start tomorrow to go up to Scotland, but I guess we can sleep on the train.

DD1 got two really nice skirts in the charity shop where she is working.

I have bought a swimsuit for my holidays. I am resigned to looking fat in a swimsuit (because I am - no end of "tummy control" is going to make me look like Twiggy), but I thought sod it, why not look fat in something other than black? So I have bought a very loud and patterned red one. Quite cheering, I thought.