The Bluestocking Women's Pub, in which we wait excitedly for the next instalment of Gosie's adventures. Gosie, Glass and the Gerbils' Dilemma.

[AsWithGlad]

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5559589-the-bluestocking-womens-pub-in-which-gosie-returns-to-the-trail?page=1

Welcome to The Bluestocking, the best (perhaps only) online women's pub. Nothing in the food or drink can harm you, everything is served by a very enthusiastic crew of gerbils, and any curious menfolk are welcome at the Staunch Ally down the road.

I’m listening to The Place of Tides by James Rebanks - thanks @PastaAllaNorma @ @DauntlessDamson!

I can’t warm to him but the book itself is riveting. It’s about his time with Anna Måsøy, one of the last of Norwegian ‘duck women’ who lived on remote islands & built nests for eider ducks, protected them from predators & then made money by selling the valuable eider down that the ducks left behind.

This is a whole other kind of Serious Scandinavian.

Yes I did miss that - I had a couple of days when I lost track of the Bluey, this must have been one of them.
I'm glad Hedgey and Girdle and me made it all OK over a cuppa
Thank you💙

See y'all in Pedantry Corner to discuss why it's not
'I'm glad Hedgey and Girdle and I made it all OK over a cuppa'

My defence is 'informal style', and I'm sticking to it

We'll let you off, Marie. Just because it's you.

@AsWithGlad you’ve made think i should take myself to Cam for a visit. Last time i went was 30odd years ago for DH’s MA upgrade (automatic uplift from the BA 3years after graduation if you have not brought yourself or the university into any disrepute, if I remember rightly.) It was so beautiful!

And only 15 mins from Ely by train…

Managed to dig out the Joe Browns boots that I’ve never worn… because they are sooo pretty! Going to make myself wear them this autumn… on dry days!

I feel a weekend trip coming up …

They’re beautiful but are they comfortable?

I bought a pair of jeans on Vinted for £7 Inc postage and they actually fit. My bargain jeans are making up for overspending at IKEA this morning.

On the other hand, I will have no tea towels or cloths with burn marks, holes or stains on and that will be practically POSH.

(I also got giddy that I was in Gosie episodes, asking questions. I've yet to be any use, but it was exciting anyway!)

You were the perfect person to soothe Girdle and rebuke Hedgehog 💙

Oh, Pasta! Do not underestimate your worth!

I needed someone to ask questions who is not a Gerbil and you are perfect. From my Character List document:

PastaAllaNorma: A Bluestocking patron. In Book Two, present for Gosie's debrief, asking the questions that let the room state the Durham, Ripon and Norwich connection and Gemma Glasswing's situation outright, in chapters 19 and 20. In chapter 24 she asks why the older mark wasn't hidden on the frame of The Visitation, the way it was everywhere else, and afterwards asks the room outright where they go from here.

Character traits in Gosie do not always reflect real life character traits as it's fiction, so if your character does things you don't like and wouldn't do, please forgive me. But some things I do notice, like Marie being such a lovely person and checking on all of us, do make it into the book.

I have serious shoe envy!

I don’t know 🤣 haven’t dared wear them in case I ruin the suede! I just take them out and look at them from time to time. I am officially nuts…

Last year I bought a coat with cats on. I enjoyed looking at it & almost wore it a couple of times but could never actually bring myself to leave home in it, so it’s gone to the local charity shop.

I’ll be watching with interest to see if anyone else appears in it.

Now I'm very envious. I'd have worn it.

They are so pretty, @AnonyMumAuDHD! I wish I could wear lovely shoes and boots, but I live in ballet flats and Hush Puppy slip on sandals.

Also, sanity is overrated, in my view, @AnonyMumAuDHD. I embrace my insanity.

@AnonyMumAuDHD and anyone else contemplating a visit to Ely and Cambridge - may I suggest visiting during Open Cambridge next month? The link takes you to events you don’t have to book for, here’s one many more with booking. If they have sold out it can be worth going on the waiting list. Unless it’s a concert etc most events are free.

I’d particularly recommend All Saint’s Church for its stained glass and painted walls, opening times here. It’s also very close to the bus station, from where you can get a bus to Ely.

If September is too soon, consider a visit later to the William Morris and pre-Raphelite exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

@MyrtleLion , I am just delighted to take part! It's fun to be in An Adventure.

Anony, I'd have those on a display shelf to admire, although I don't think I could cram my feet i to such beautiful boots. I'm a Doc Martens and wellies sort of women.

And clogs. I do have a couple of pairs of clogs.

The £7 jeans have a double row of diamante down the side seams. This is very much not my usual thing, but I'm pretending that makes me practically Dolly Parton, and who doesn't love Dolly?

I have been tempted. I can be a bit weirdly Gollum-like and ‘ooh, my preciousssss’ about shoes…

Next thread here.

I’ll be eating lunch before I join in with supervising the packing. Is there a spare Tunnocks product I can have for pudding, please, Boily?

We've had some proper rain this evening, but only for about 10 minutes. I noticed on my short walk earlier that the leaves are already starting to fall from the trees. I guess they've been stressed too much over the past two months. I did see a Red Admiral butterfly on a buddleja, but that was the extent of my wildlife observations today.

After half-filling the water butts overnight it's just rained again and we have PUDDLES! I'd forgotten what they look like.

The trees in what was our hedge along the riverbank, until we stopped cutting it back years ago, have been showing signs of stress for weeks. The silver birch leaves have turned completely browns, the field maple leaves are turning gold and individual yellowing leaves can be seen here, there and everywhere, while there is already a distinct covering of fallen leaves on what passes for our back garden grass. Unfortunately for the squirrels a lot of hazelnuts are also starting to fall too soon. It's going to be an odd autumn. 😟

A fortnight ago, if there’s the slightest breeze here, drifts of brown dry leaves are blown from some of the trees.
Not right for early August, nor now.

It’s been bucketing down here for about 15 mins so far.