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Original poster

Hot town, Crepes in the city

998 replies

bigTillyMint · 15/08/2016 12:31

I think Jamie Bells ears are bigger! And DSs hair is lighter (though he is sporting a 1980s barnet!), and his jaw a teeny bit widea, but he looks a bit like him in the pics of JB aged about 18 which I am incapable of linking to

Scuppered on sundowner front as it is raining Sad Though still hot Wink However no we get to try the huge complimentary umbrellas! Not sure how we'll fit them down the street with the mad traffic/pedestrians Grin

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motherinferior · 21/08/2016 11:43

Dishwasher slightly broken. Just enough to make DP huffy. In his defence he's been out shopping and put the washing on etc etc while I was asleep and hasn't had a particularly nice last week either and is also dreading work tomorrow but frankly I don't care.

I am really a bit pissed off at not having had a break and therefore not even having had the recuperation to plan a proper one iyswim.

Lalsy · 21/08/2016 13:16

MI, all a bit meh by the sound of it. I hope you can get a bit of R and R sorted.

On train with dh to fringe! This is so weird - mini break without dc - think we have managed about five nights without them in lat 20 years....Both shattered after stupidly early start to get ds off on sports trip.

CV welcome home. Crem when you asked the other day about Iceland was it a a holiday? We went a few years ago, strange a wonderful place. You have to shower naked with vigorous and ostentatious rubbing of parts in front of swimming pool prison guards. And there are birds that may try and scalp you and hot rivers to swim in. You meet people who know that one day, perhaps soon, they will lose their homes, land, livestock, pets when the big one blows.

motherinferior · 21/08/2016 13:21

That sounds...amazing, Lalsy. Molly loved it too.

Flora, how are the specs?

Collymollypuff · 21/08/2016 16:07

The best thing about Iceland is the horses - they are The Best. Although the people are very friendly as well.

Lalsy · 21/08/2016 16:32

We stayed on a farm that bred them, Molly. Sooooo gorgeous. I want to go back - dc too young to go far into the interior

MrsSchadenfreude · 21/08/2016 17:06

I am really pissed off with DD1's school. It's her final year of her IB, and having been assured by the head of year that, of course they try and give them the same teacher for the final year, know how important this is, blah, blah, blah, out of her seven subjects, she has FOUR new teachers. I'm particularly worried about her maths, as she made fantastic progress with her maths teacher last year, and I emailed to request that she have the same teacher again. I am fuming. And she is disappointed.

Collymollypuff · 21/08/2016 17:06

Oh, you must give me the name of the farm if you recommend them. I would go back and stay in one place this time - we tried to do far, far too much in two weeks. I could happily stay for 2 weeks on a horse breeding farm, just looking at the horses and lolling about.

Original poster
bigTillyMint · 21/08/2016 17:49

MrsS, do you think some of her teachers have left? Just asking because turnover in state schools is pretty high.
DD would be ecstatic if she had a replacement for one of her History teachers - she is probably going to drop it because of him Angry

MI, how can a dishwasher be slightly brokenConfused!

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motherinferior · 21/08/2016 17:59

It's a Small Part (snigger, good thing it doesn't live in Iceland, fnar). Yep, DD1 has quite a few new teachers this year too. I have to say I am resigned to this.

I have been writing this afternoon AT LAST and am trying to work out what happens when my Yearning Lovers first meet. Smile

MrsSchadenfreude · 21/08/2016 18:07

BTM - her English teacher has left (she's not sorry to see her go), her History teacher isn't teaching seniors this year, the TOK teacher is still there, as is the maths teacher, but not teaching DD1. The maths teacher doesn't appear to have taught the IB before, which I think is a bit worrying.

Original poster
bigTillyMint · 21/08/2016 18:11

MrsS, do you mean the new maths teacher or the one from last year? Surely they wouldn't put someone who wasn't capable in to teaching final year IB students?

Talking of small parts, MI, we (DH and I and BFF's) sat down to watch Naked Attraction when we got in last nightShockGrinGrinGrin Then the girls came down and joined us. It was very, erm, educational. And funny!

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motherinferior · 21/08/2016 18:28

Argh, I have another 50th... On the same day as Cremo's! I may need to leave in time to put in an appearance...

MrsSchadenfreude · 21/08/2016 18:30

Yes, the new maths teacher has never taught IB. (I did a little google of her.) Which is really, really annoying me - final year IB students should surely have someone who has taught it and knows the syllabus before. It is completely different from what she has taught before. I know that maths is maths is maths, but I'm still not happy with it. She may be very capable - she gets very good scores on "ratemyteacher" Grin but why start her off with FINAL YEAR IB STUDENTS? Why can't she cut her teeth on a different group?

hattymattie · 21/08/2016 20:01

Mrs S you have my sympathies re teacher. This sort of thing drives me wild. Of course the final year should have the best and most experienced teacher.

Here, remarkably no rain so we went hiking up a thing called the Cat's Bells for those of you in the know. All went well until DS decided rain was imminent so we tried to hike down a smaller bridleway, took a wrong turn and ended up scrambling down a ravine. We were not the only ones who made this mistake. The loose, near vertical scree was quite hairy. DD2 who is a total townie started to cry but DS was brilliant and went and talked his sister down. I didn't know he had it in him. Anyway, the result was that our "short cut" took marginally longer than the actual walk!

NUFC69 · 21/08/2016 20:29

Welcome home, CV and MI. Much sympathy re the teachers, MrsS; that's really not on.

Hatty, your story has reminded me of an incident in the Lakes many years ago concerning a neighbour's family. They used to take black plastic sacks with them and slide on them down the slopes - fine until the 15 yo hit a plank, I think it was, and slit open the inside of his thigh almost from knee to groin. Poor lad had to be airlifted to hospital where he spent a long time. I think you all did very well, particularly DS.

By the way, CV, I assume you had a hire car n the US? Last year DH had to contact the DVLA just before we travelled, supposedly for some code that the hire company needed, about points on your licence. Is this still applicable, do you know? It had just been introduced when we went to Canada last year.

motherinferior · 21/08/2016 22:13

I have cracked a tricky chapter and feel a million times better GrinGrinGrinGrin

florascotianew · 22/08/2016 00:14

Many thanks for asking, MI, but alas specs not yet here because eye test and indeed rest of everyday life has had to be put on hold because of sudden aged parent crisis. Internet connectivity also not ideal while travelling so have only been following thread intermittently, but many congratulations to exam passers (and to Stropps for heroic intervention) and commiserations to Crepeys facing work/teacher/unsatisfactory holiday problems. California sounds great, however.

Am embarassed to admit that years and years ago I once got lost on Helvellyn. Not with dramatic consequences like Hattie's family or NU's neighbour, but we mistook the route down from the top and ended up on the opposite side of the mountain from the point where we had started. It was a very, very long way back - fortunately, we were able to hitch a lift for part of the way (those were the days). The B&B where we were staying remarked - with whatever the Lakeland version of schadenfreude is - that this happened 'quite a lot'.

Auriga · 22/08/2016 07:52

Lost two posts yeterday: flaky wifi here.

MrsS that's a worry about Maths teacher, hope you get some decent answers. BTM, DD has given up history because of her teacher even though he was leaving and despite getting an A in the AS. That's how much he sapped her enthusiasm Angry Her C was in Drama and the HOD is recalling her paper, as they've had some anomalies. But it could be real, she thinks she may have crashed and burned in one essay question.

Hattie, I love Cat Bells but I don't do the scrambly bit at the top, I admire the view with DDog while DD and DH do the top without me. Glad you all got down with ankles intact. If it's raining, the Dog and Gun is a great place to while away some time and there's also a wonderful independent coffee shop with wifi in the market place, half way down on the left. Upstairs sitting room with squashy sofas Smile And the theatre organises things so you can fit in up to six shows in a week Grin Grin

DD mentioned a sore throat yesterday morning-said it's been sore for a few days. When I checked, she had raging tonsillitis Shock. So she had a day of rest, sleep & Netflix. Meanwhile I had an almost perfect day. There's a beautiful little (heated) pool here, where I swam cautiously for the first time since injuring my back. It felt wonderful. Also walked DDog for miles in the wood by the river, wandered around the town a bit, read the whole of the Observer and cooked Roman-style chicken whilst sipping wine.

That reminds me: www.spillingcocoa.com/the-tweetres-tale-by-joanne-harris/

MrsSchadenfreude · 22/08/2016 07:57

Auriga, can recommend painting sore throat with Manuka honey. (Use a long, thin paintbrush.) I used to live near a honey pharmacy in Romania - you used to go in, describe your symptoms, they would have a look and you would leave with a pot of honey!

Auriga · 22/08/2016 07:58

MI, well done on chapter Star and Flora, sorry to here about aged P crisis putting everything on hold. Many of us have been there, and/or are there now Flowers

Blackduck · 22/08/2016 08:03

I am at the Uni of Kent and woke to rabbits outside my window :). Unis are very weird places outside term time, very very quiet! I have had cooked breakfast watching the Moor hens and ducks..... Now going to spend the day locked in a room!

Feeling very weird re DMum and all that. I guess this is 'normal'

Lalsy · 22/08/2016 08:04

MI, that is great news!

Flora, hope the AP crisis is sorted, at least for now.

Ed fringe great fun so far. Makes me feel young(ish) except for dc not being here.

MrsS hope they get back you with some sensible answers.

motherinferior · 22/08/2016 08:09

Auriga, a friend of DD1 got a B rather than her predicted A in drama - and it was her sure thing and she lost both uni places...

Lalsy · 22/08/2016 08:11

BD, I think so yes Flowers. it is not just the loss of a parent but loss of a role (as carer as well as daughter). Flowers. But aren't you due to be on holiday not locked up in another university?

Hatty, we have done that! It is easier to get lost coming down I think as going up the paths tend to converge. I led ds into a massive bog in snowdonia (coming down y garn, Devils kitchen of anyone knows it). Absolutely exhausting!

motherinferior · 22/08/2016 08:12

DP and I both embarking on extremely crowded work days after crappy sleep (I heard the rain and decided to skip the Ladyjog and get a few more Zs with a huge sigh of relief) while DD1 is at a sleepover and DD2 is out for the count....Smile