Roll up, Ladies and Gentlecreatures, the Bluestocking has been redecorated

[DeanElderberry]

Here for your delight and delectation is the hostelry by, for, and about wise, intelligent, creative and kind women, their assorted avatars including (but not limited to) a remarkable beetle, an astute android, a wise cake, and an assembly of companion creatures and animal assistants.

Food and drink available in abundance, all with remarkable non-damaging qualities.

Males may congregate in the nearby Staunch Ally and sometimes visit the stableyard to view outdoor performances by the gerbil waitstaff (who need to be distracted after the moment after that terrible 'misunderstanding' about the meaning of safe sex).

last thread here if you need to know why the Quokkas need some extra cuddles, and why the Cabybaras are being particularly efficient just now

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5273255-the-bluestocking-all-gerbils-welcome-must-have-own-frou-frou-skirt?

I too will raise a glass to Margaret.
I was born in a pit village and lived in South Yorkshire in the early 80s when it all kicked off. I was utterly moved then, by the plight and the strength of the miners families and I know I'm still affected by it now.

God bless you Margaret, and all your ilk.

Jane I'm glad you're feeling a bit better.

Yes, do the Plymouth Gin Distillery tour. Lots of guided tasting and a mighty great G&T at the end. And I don't normally drink gin!

To Margaret! 🍺

23 down in this week's Times Jumbo Cryptic: 'First of larvae fed to gasping chick' (8)

The Bluestocking raises a glass with you to Margaret, Banned.

Belatedly, to Margaret 🍻

Can I come, too? Plymouth is quite a way away from the Moose Hoose but I'm sure it would be worth it.

AI only shows me moose with antlers. I am fed up with arguing with it. It says here is a lovely image of a female moose with no antlers standing in the distillery next to her friend fuzzy puffin and then it shows me a whacking great male moose and an enormous big bloated puffin <sigh>

Ha ha...we have overdosed on the gin to the extent we are about to explode, and I am a "fumzy pufffin".

Hic!

Gemini has clearly also been on the gin, in its first attempt it turned Inky into a deer!

Missed that last night, so I'm raising a mug of tea to Margaret, well-networked woman.

It's making me think about the thing a friend is proposing about recognition of under-recorded women in (local) history. The 'Margarets' are some of the most important people for society, and it's so easy to take them for granted. I think a close scrutiny of the local newspaper archive will be needed.

That sounds like a wonderful project, Deano.

As for Inky...I think we're just going to accept she's a gender-nonconforming moose who likes to sport prosthetic antlers most of the time.

(Talk about from the sublime to the ridiculous... )

@DeanElderberry wrote
It's making me think about the thing a friend is proposing about recognition of under-recorded women in (local) history. The 'Margarets' are some of the most important people for society, and it's so easy to take them for granted. I think a close scrutiny of the local newspaper archive will be needed.

Yes, an excellent project, indeed.

In the Discworld novels, there is a communication system called the Clacks - a semaphore signalling system, where you can enter a code - GNU - which ensures a message stays on the system, going backwards and forwards forever - so, on the basis that as long as a person's name is spoken, they are not forgotten, you can put a person on the Clacks, to be remembered forever. Apologies if people already know this.

GNU Margaret, and enjoy your pint of mild.

@DeanElderberry - that sounds like an amazing project! How difficult is it to get to these resources online? Because I'd be happy to do some reading for you, if I can help.

Did nobody fancy having a go at this? It brought a smile to my face when I realised the answer is 'puffling'!

L is the first of larvae, which you 'feed' into the word puffing (gasping) to get our dear friend. Or I'm completely wrong, but it fitted all the other answers. I still have one answer to get if anyone here does cryptics: it's 4 letters & I've got 2 of them & I still can't see it.

I am rubbish at cryptic crosswords. Thanks for coming back with the answer. 'Puffling', perfect.

Both of those four-legged plant-eating creatures look like deer. Also, the biiig puffffin .... nice moody atmosphere in that dungeon museum olde pub though

Go on then Android... Can't guarantee anything!

Margaret shall be remembered, and thank you for sharing some of her story, Banned.

As for me, I am a gender nonconforming moose, but I fail to conform in my own way and not by wearing bloody antlers < stomps off to tell the AI to put those antlers in its pipe and smoke them>

When I fire up my laptop, a photo automatically appears on the screen.

Last week it was.. capybaras.

This week it is ... a moose.

If it's a gerbil next week, I think we can safely conclude that somebody at Meta is a Stockinger

That's a bit creepy Marie ... like they are watching you ... like they are listening (well they are listening aren't they? Otherwise why would I get all those adverts for support stockings and nursing homes strong drink?) ... let's talk about chinchillas! Chin chin chin Chinchilla, crack a little nut for me 🎶

let's talk about chinchillas! Chin chin chin Chinchilla, crack a little nut for me 🎶

Sorry, the line should go "nibble on a date" not "crack a little nut"

'What? did someone say chinchilla? I was just resting my eyes....'

Chinchillax😄

I do the times quick cryptic most days but don't usually have time to try the proper harder ones. And also if I open the puzzles in my browser periodically they get reset and what I've filled in so far nuked which puts me off.

Go on, give us the clue android

DH does crosswords. When you share the clue may I mention it in The Staunch Ally?