The Bluestocking: it's the season of mulled wine, conversations about pineapple and, of course, gerbils. Confused? You will be...

[EdithStourton]

Welcome to the anarchic and marvellous women-only on-line pub, the Bluestocking. The booze won't give you a hangover, the cakes won't make you fat, and the conversations are fascinating, covering knitting, health and safety, the Muppets and anything else that comes to mind.

Climb Peak Woo, have a cuddle with Rosie the Red Panda, and watch out for capybaras busy with any necessary building works.

Welcome in (and name change at the door if you need too).

I have a soft spot for the Little Grey Fergie.

That may be a clue to my age.

I stumbled across this on YouTube. It's so stupid. Reminds me of something. Lipstick is so powerful

Hello @ShinyBlueTractor hope you got your hot drink and pastry.

I struggle to see the point of audible alarms. They just seem to be a nuisance to the wider community. The police won't attend unless there's actual evidence of a break in and often not even then. I hope the things been switched off. When we had a car actually smashed into, on our drive, the feckin' alarm didn't even go off. It did though at 2 am one time when a soddin' moth, a small one, got in the vehicle. I dunno, perhaps the moth was trying to steal it!

Thank you for the lovely welcome!

@Chersfrozenface I was required to pick a side very early in my school life - Massey Ferguson vs John Deere - so I'm sorry to have to tell you I'm JD for life

I may go back and read the relevant thread now with my almond croissant... (all sorted in that regard, thanks team crepuscular)

And car alarms are the worst

Genius!
I already have one.
No one will ever know...

Hi & Welcome @ShinyBlueTractor

<waves>

Ha! You beat me to it!

I was going to make comments about made in Basildon.

(Sorry, @ShinyBlueTractor, there are several tractor aficionados in this pub. You're very welcome. Do please chug up to the bar!)

Ha! Chugging bar direction as we speak. Slow but I always get there!

Hello @ShinyBlueTractor <waves>

Glad you've had your pastry needs met. In case you missed it, there are no calories in our pastries and any gluten tastes scrumptious but won't upset your digestion.

I feel as if the tractor discussion summoned you. But as we know, tractors can't travel at great speed, so you've probably arrived in the appropriate timescale.

I have booked the Walrus (my DH for newcomers) on a Thai cooking masterclass as a Christmas present. I had to choose a date so picked a Sunday in February. There is some jeopardy in this so I hope he likes it. And I can't print the details because we don't have a printer. Any suggestions on how to wrap this up under the tree?

Wrap him a Vesta ready meal with a note hoping he'll do better?

I’d dispute the slowness of tractors. Until ‘traffic calming’ measures and then a 20 limit were introduced, they used to thunder through our village. I blame them for the phobia my first dog had, he absolutely refused to walk along roads after being scared by them.

Hello. Everything is breaking today and I still haven't bought any Christmas presents. I never do this but have turned into a rabbit in the headlights. Any chance of a stiff drink, Gerbils?

Or a spice hamper with a note?

I'm very boring and use a vaguely-suitable postcard or greetings card...

Just got back after a very nice birthday lunch. I will be sitting in the corner digesting for the rest of the day!
Myrtle, do you have any empty shoeboxes to hand? I'd be tempted to put a small handwritten note in a large box, and wrap the box. Maximum befuddlement for the recipient of a large but extremely light present!

Somebody else's birthday, I take it, Magpie?

Hello and welcome, ShinyBlueTractor, you will fit nicely into the tractor subculture here in the Bluestocking. We do extremes - the cutest, cuddliest, sweetest little furry animals AND ..tractors😄
It's lovely and quite here, and the gerbils are always on hand to serve whatever you fancy, in whatever quantity you need - swimming pool size G&Ts are not unheard of, after a really bad day.
As Myrtle pointed out, food and drink here is all delicious, but magically free from calories, the troublesome aspects of alcohol, gluten etc.

I loved the lipstick story, Cake. I liked the onomatopoeia when the dragon was eating people, I'm sure 'homch omh gub' is exactly the sound Errol makes when eating Tunnocks, 😂

Myrtle, what about wrapping an empty plate onto which you have written [with a marker, permanent or not depending on the availability of spare plates chez Myrtle-Walrus!] your fave Thai dishes?

My birthday, Marie. Although if someone else would like to adopt about ten of the years, that would be nice.

I've occasionally bought 2nd hand books, hollowed them out with a craft knife and stuck gifts inside, like CDs, that would otherwise be too predictable. I still treasure the look on fella's face when he unwrapped 'Exercises for Ballet'.

I copied Beetle's written piece into copilot and after a bit of wrangling it made a picture.
The AI likes to have more than one of things you've asked for. It put in several thermometers instead of one and when I asked it to take them out and to put in the piano playing gerbil, it produced two lots of keyboards on the piano

Um ... perhaps great minds think alike tho?

knittedsloth · 01/12/2025 18:24

YouTube audio of the song "Come into the Garden, Maud"

followed by a discussion about the black backed night or the black bat of night

Yes this is the link I posted at 18. whatever on 1st Dec

👀

If we're able to do images now, here's the one ChatGPT produced for me.

As you said, lots of thermometers...

Gigi is looking very glam though I’m not sure drinking martinis in front of someone poorly is very good form.

Brilliant! So true

🄷🅰🄿🅿🅈 🄱🅸🅁🆃🄷🅳🄰🆈 🅼🄰🅶🄿🅸🄴

@Magpiecomplex Hope you've been having a wonderful day xx

I see you're in the birthday snug! what a lot of shiny things.

@ShinyBlueTractor did Gloria ask if she could have a ride? or did she hotwire you?

Obviously the piano gerbil in mine is taking a break to straighten the bedding.