The Bluestocking, a unique location for daughters and sisters of earth, frost, feathers, fur, scales and spines

[AsWithGlad]

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, who enjoy doing this, and any curious menfolk are welcome at the Staunch Ally down the road.

Previous thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/feminism/5568996-the-bluestocking-pub-where-we-continue-to-read-about-gerbils-nobly-and-bravely-working-undercover-in-the-fen?page=1

The Fat Controller would be an accurate description.

I wondered why, as they have good availability for every day but Saturday, and then realised it's the wrong week. 😪

Finally in Barcelona. Cream crackered. 3 1/2 hours late.

The size of those monstrosities puts me off the idea of a cruise, even in Norway. Those bastards are enormous. My parents loved them but they give me the heebie-jeebies somehow.

Operation Mincemeat the stage show is far better than the film, especially as it doesn't make poor Charles into a jealous petty arse getting in the way of the imaginary romance between Monty and Jean. I rather resented that narrative fabrication and it is definitely not because I have a bit of a thing for Matthew McFadyen.

I'm sorry the timings don't quite work, Chickadee.

Glad you finally made it Pasta, hope you have a wonderful time.

Yes, I’m not keen on those huge cruise ships either.

If you'll be in That London over the weekend at any point (preferably a Sunday, my calendar is looking quite busy on Saturdays), I'm within easy striking distance and will happily pop in to say hello.

We went with Fred Olsen - the Balmoral still looks more like a ship than a floating block of flats, with a wooden deck all the way round. And had the advantage of sailing from Rosyth.

I was taught about machinery by someone with a strong local accent. It took me a while to work out that a paar arra was a power harrow.
Loved that, Magpie, it made me laugh!

I know what you mean - I saw a bit of a speech by Tommy Robinson on telly yesterday, and it took me a while to work out what he meant when he called someone a maw-ah.
From context I worked out that it was martyr!
I don't think that's how a real Eastender would say it, I think they'd keep the T because it's not an everyday word, I can 'hear' my old neighbours saying maw-tah, but not maw-ah.

Aren't accents wonderful?

It's 'Bluestocking On Tour' time, isn't it?😁
Edinburgh, Norway, Barcelona - and soon... High Wycombe!

Hope you're all having lovely hols, and thank you for sharing the photos and descriptions with us💙

I shall be in Wiltshire this weekend. Any tractor sightings will be reported, obviously.

Bore da! Thanks again to Kitty for the beautiful Norway pictures, as well as the trip arrangement website, which I think I may need to try one day soon!
I'm sure I made a bunch of posts yesterday, none of which appeared...? It must be this other phone I'm using, can't seem to get it to do what I want 🙄 Anyway, I'll be around, just can't find anything interesting to say these days...😄HAGADAPA!

One of the fun things about using the website was that of course other people were using it too, so the couple from York who I travelled up to the Stegastein viewpoint with were also on the cruise, & the Australian woman I talked to while queuing for the boat was also looking round the Viking village.

EXCITING machinery sightings today. I’ll write it all up tonight.

Hello! I'm lurking. Waiting for my prescription to be filled. Its a controlled drug so I have to wait for the pharmacist. It's much easier when the Walrus collects my other prescriptions, but I have to be present with ID for this.

I have lost a stone (14lb, 6.35kg) in six weeks because it's a stimulant, meaning I am 11lb from my target weight. For reference I weighed 230lb on January 2022.

That’s hugely impressive Myrtle, congratulations!

Wow @MyrtleLion! I’m losing weight on the Wegovy, but basically at about a pound a week. Down 30lb since March, about another 20 to go but I’m fairly relaxed about it.

@Magpiecomplex- I’m going to be based in either Herts or Bucks at the weekends depending which week, but weekends are the only time I can get to see my children and grandchildren because they all work in the week. I’m in Bucks from the 19th to the 22nd if you have any time then - happy to come and meet up for lunch or a coffee somewhere in ThatLondon. DM me if you want to discuss details!

Well done @MyrtleLion! Dh tells me I have carried on losing weight - slowly - but I haven’t jumped on the scales so I am taking his word for it. Plus my arse used not to fit in ds1’s dining chairs, and now it does.

And we are off to Australia in a fortnight, for ds2’s wedding, @MarieDeGournay. I am excited and scared in equal measure.

No no no
That has negative connotations ... I can't think of you like that @AsWithGlad
for a start, it's a MAN!
How about "wise" or brilliant" or "actively engaged in feminist discussions and thinking" - Controller instead?

DH does all our travel planning, I’ve sent him that Norway link - it looks like it may be very useful. Thanks!

Curvaceous controller ?

Today’s tourism included the castle, the John Knox house and the Museum of Edinburgh. The latter had some interesting displays but one point of specific interest here might be that an exhibition labelled “Past Shelves: Histories of Queer reading” had a note about disputed language on its door. The backstory and outcome is here. Another example of women who won’t wheesht!

https://www.lesbianpersistence.scot/post/museum-of-edinburgh-erases-lesbian-culture-and-community-in-new-exhibition

https://www.lesbianpersistence.scot/post/update-past-shelves-will-queering-language-is-contested

I was the one who posted about pyracantha, Hedgey, and I couldn't agree more about its evil spikes, only surpassed by the even worse spikes of the berberis. We didn't plant either, they were here when we moved in years ago. The only reason I haven't insisted on removing it already is the vast number of berries it produces in a good year. I couldn't deprive the birds.

That’s highly encouraging, Errol.

Ah bum... No, unfortunately I can only do weekends. You'll have to wave in the direction of Kent!

Too kind - I’ll go with the last one.

Glad, the actively engaged in feminist discussions and thinking Controller instead.

Glad, the AEIFAT Controller.

Correction: ✨⭐️Glad, the AEIFDAT Controller. ⭐️✨

Just popping in to say I’m popping out.
Work has been very busy this week and today has felt a bit frantic.

No great travel tales here, but I’ve booked annual leave tomorrow and have decided to take myself to the secret fishermen tonight. Apparently there’s some sort of special secret fishermen event on this evening so I may as well decompress there.

Of course I’m hoping for smuggled goods, freshly caught lobsters in nets and glowing lanterns along the secret alleyway to the hidden door. But am realistically preparing myself for a few bowls of crisps, potted meat sandwiches and just some different people inside. Still, no work tomorrow so it’s only right and proper that I attend…