I'm having a bad day...

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

Ask any gardener, I did a lot of watering in London, next to none in my part of the lush Périgord Vert where the rainfall is 1150 compared with 650ish.

[Maddie]

"(Is this off-topic, or what?)"

GAWD you lot!  Good job I was not feeling suicidal!!!!!!

[zeb]

Wel I can sympathise with MrsMDW - I've been trying to buy new underwear and have spent hours peering at and trying to decipher labels to find my size!! Really miss the shops, the pictures and Weatherspoons, but NOT the weather!! Am going back in March for a break but know when I get there I'll want to be back here in our little patch of sunny France.

Not all bad though. I'm house sitting for friends this week and they have huge plasma telly and Sky - wow, what a treat. Have been zapping through the crap every evening and have found programmes I used to watch years ago.

Spring isn't far away Mrs MDW - just think of the sunshine, the green fields, the flowers and why you came to France.

 

[Iceni]

Britain is reputed to be the greyest country in Europe getting less sunny days and more cloudy days than any other.

When we moved up to our hill in the Lot we were warned that the winters were triste - well today may be a day for all the lights on as we are in the clouds but Sunday was so sunny we needed the old Raybans when we went out for our walk - blinding. That is the difference, when it is dull it is very very dull but the number of uplifting sunny days are far far more. We also get loads more rain than the part of East Anglia we used to live in (which made London seem monsoon like - lowest rainfall in UK but still grey and cold).

Now, reasons to be glad. We have gone past the most depressing day of the year, each day brings more hours of daylight than the one before, it is nice to stay in and be warm, you are in France while your poor OH is in London, when he comes home you can make up for all the time apart, I think I saw Swissbarry's name in the credits .

I suffer from SAD and get into a lethargic hole, very hard to do anything, I blame my spring laziness on hayfever, summer laziness on the heat and in the autumn I am too busy looking at the wonderful trees to do anything - Ah if only all this were true.

[Deby]

If you mean Kingston upon Thames, then you have made the Mrs very unhappy.

She would love to be there, sales time at John Lewis, Bentalls and all the small fashion shops rather than being here in the dark, cold, wet and gloom of a typical Breton winter

Kempton just up the road, some decent restaurants around Kingston, Hampton, Twickenham and Richmond, some lovely boozers, what more do you want ? Or have I got the wrong town ?

Oh stop it please!  I am frozen solid here in this draughty building. I am sick of chopping wood, my hands are dry as sandpaper.  You might mock and laugh but I dream of Richmond on T. Customer service and my daughter's school teacher has enraged me yet again! My poor 5 year old was punished because mummy forgot to read aloud to her the list of rules that had been placed in her Cahier de Vie.  I hate Winter!!!!

Spring please come soon.  Off to the Alpes shortlly for some warmth!

Deby

[Teamedup]

Deby, sorry it is brass monkey weather here at  the moment, in fact the coldest winter we have had for several years.

[Maddie]

[quote]Deby, sorry it is brass money weather here at the moment, in fact the coldest winter we have had for several years.[/quote]

It's "exceptionnel" so all my neighbours keep saying.  But then when it rains it's the same, when it's windy it's the same!  Been here since last March and still have no idea what is normal!

I know what you mean about SAD and have resorted to the old St Johns Wort which helps a bit.  It's bit warmer here today and I'm off to Spain to top up of cheap petrol (and maybe a bottle or two of brandy for medicinal purposes only, I hasten to add!).

Swissbarry, we're all bitches in this household (with the exception of Mr MDW...Mmmm maybe not!) so would sadly not easily manage your excellent recommendation re car tyres (much as we'd like to some times!)

[opas]

Where abouts are you MDW, we popped over the boarder on Sun for our deisel and with the savings filled the lader with some very tasty olives , salami and Cadbury chocs(for the children ..of course¬) Mrs O

[Maddie]

[quote]Where abouts are you MDW, we popped over the boarder on Sun for our deisel and with the savings filled the lader with some very tasty olives , salami and Cadbury chocs(for the children ..of course¬) M...[/quote]

Whoopee - just got back from Spain. Lots and lots of snow.  Dogs enjoyed the ride in the car. Petrol 0.89c per litre (compared to E1.11 at our local leclerc). Laden with 5 bottles of Armagnac, a bottle of gin and a bottle of good old Floc de Gascogne, oh and a tub of Haribo (for me I'm afraid). Should keep me going until Mr MDW gets back on Thursday!

BTW I'm near St Gaudens in the Haute Garonne.  My nearest Spanish towns are Les and Bossost (sp?).  Takes me about 45 minutes on a good day (a bit longer today as the roads looked a bit dodgy).

[Teamedup]

It isn't exceptionally cold here, but it is cold. It is just that it hasn't been quite so cold for the last few winters. And last year was quite mild really and we didn't have any snow at all in the village at all.

And certainly this year isn't as cold as some winters I've known. And the worst, 20 years ago when it was -30 and whole of the estates water pipes froze, even though we'd all left taps running to avoid that happening. Even the waste pipes out to our septic tank froze..... ah it was all great fun. Husband cut the frozen bit of pipe out and replaced it, it was easier. It has to be noted that there is no smell when cutting into the pipe that is frozen, a little different when it warms up a bit though. 

 

And Mrs MDW, you mentioned E1.11, so did you take your E111 to Spain with you?

Incidental trivia, the french don't "          .        " (dot) they "            ,             " (comma). I still prefer to do a           .     myself, but I just have to go with how it is here.

[Renaud]

Selective memory...

12 years or so ago we took a family easter holiday in Cornwall. We stayed in a wonderful house at the top of some cliffs. For the first few days there was fog that at best let you see 40 yards. We could take a picnic and climb a cliff path down to a small out of the way beach. We built sandcastles and dams, we explored rockpools. Only the dog swam as the sea was quite cold.

At the end of the second day on the beach our 5 year old daughter asked my wife "Is it going to be another lovely sunny day tomorrow"?

[Maddie]

[quote]It isn't exceptionally cold here, but it is cold. It is just that it hasn't been quite so cold for the last few winters. And last year was quite mild really and we didn't have any snow at all in the v...[/quote]

Ok TU - very funny! 

I meant 1,11 euros (haven't figured out the euros sign yet on my blooming keyboard thingy). 

---

[Teamedup]

Here is what comes up when I try and euro sign on my keyboard, ¬  and that is since I changed my mother board. I used to be able to get a euro sign.

Also I have no idea as to why in math the french use 'vergule' rather than  'point'. They just do.

 

[Catalpa]

Quote

** Incidentally, I heard on the radio the other day (Radio 4 so it must be true) that London is technically a desert. Although Britain gets lots of rainfall, London is in the 'rain-shadow' of the hills to the west. London gets less rain than Madrid and other cities I have forgotten. Who'd have thought it? **

It’s true. Years ago I lived in London (Earls Court) and walked to work (Westminster). If it rained, I took the tube. Over a year, I took the tube on maybe half a dozen occasions. It’s an incredibly dry city. Usually incredibly cloudy and humid too.

I wish Normandy was a bit brighter. Ratio sun to grey is roughly 1:10 this winter. But I know it'll reverse soon. Always the optimist! Oh... potential for another name change I think.

[Janey]

Mrs MDW,cheer up, snuggle up around that fire and think of Mr MDW coming home again. As Elaine says there are quite a few of us wifes here by ourselves. What keeps me going is knowing that hubby,s coming home soon. It,s winter and it,s horrible and cold out so that,s depressing anyway but Spring is on it,s way and things will seem brighter and more cheerful, you,ll be able to go out and talk to people.Things will get easier.Spring and sunshine and warmth on it,s way soon and Mr MDW.

Janey

[Dick Smith]

[quote]Yep, I'll drink to that[/quote]

Pint of Fuller's in the Pope's Grotto? No, that's a Young's pub. Or Pride in the Cardinal Wolsey? Not now, it's a Shepherd Neame pub, apparently. You can still get a good lunch at Frère Jacques down by the river, though.

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

Is that brother jacks in france?Does one have to have a bad day in france to join in on this topic,if so will go now,we have had a good day here in france could go on,get it right if one moves to france and it is a good kind of life,get it wrong and well it can be bad.

[Miki]

[quote]Pint of Fuller's in the Pope's Grotto? No, that's a Young's pub. Or Pride in the Cardinal Wolsey? Not now, it's a Shepherd Neame pub, apparently. You can still get a good lunch at Frère Jacques down b...[/quote]

Dick,

Popes Grotto, big pub,  I think that is Strawberry Hill isn't it ?

Cardinal Wolsey, was always good for a decent pint and next to the Royal horse stables I think ? But what was the name of the one outside the gates of Bushey Park and on the Court maze side ? Frankie Bradley had one of his******es and whelk stalls, jellieds for me though, all washed down with a good pint.

You have me with Frère Jacques though, is that now in the spot where some other big resto was and down by the river on the Hampton Court side (not too far from the station) or opposite (Molesey side)where one of the TV wrestlers (Steve Veidor?) had the Valiant Knight ?

Wish you wouldn't bring these places up, you are giving me and the Duchess apoplexy (big word eh, just back from a lunch in Lanvallay and must have picked it up from someone there !)

Have a butchers at this site for some wonderful paintings of trips down the old Thames.

The one looking down on to the Thames from Richmond Hill, is the one Mick Jagger enjoys from his home.

http://www.dougmyers.co.uk/home.htm

 

 

[Miki]

Spring please come soon.  Off to the Alpes shortlly for some warmth!

Duchess,

Do you want the name of a friends hotel in the Alps at Alpe D'Huez, he will give you a good deal, no fears  ? Need to be quick as the vacances scolaire is probably when you are going away ?

 

 

[Paolo]

"But what was the name of the one outside the gates of Bushey Park and on the Court maze side"

I think that is called the Kings Arms.

Frere Jacques is a 'French' chain restaurant just after Kingston Bridge on the Kingston side. That whole area is now concrete, apartments and restaurants/pubs/cafes - all curiously soulless, like the rest of Kingston (in my humble opinion).

So there you are MDW: it never rains in England, it isn't freezing, but it's always overcast and that certain je ne sais quoi is missing.

Paolo

[Miki]

Thanks Paolo,

Yes, it is the Kings Arms I believe.

Frère Jacques eh, so another competitor for those genuine Café Rouge gaffs then

We used to frequent a resto called Café Flo in Kew, which was pretty good but that was yonks ago now and even our old favourite Le Provence, by Kew Station and owned by Jean from Avignon, a chap we knew well, has long gone. I am told that little area has all changed as well now, c'est la vie.

Soulless Kingston ? What about that row of red telephone boxes, that's art Paolo

 

 

[Dick Smith]

Café Flo was there a year or so back, had a nice meal there. I don't think Kingston is soulless - the 1-way is pretty abysmal but the Apple Market area is still there. When we were kids we used to wait there for the trolley bus poles to come off the wires and the conductors put them on again with long bamboo poles. We knew how to have a good time in those days!

Am I right that the Wolsey used to be a Fullers pub?

[Paolo]

Dick,

As there are rows on this forum about most things, how about a stand-up barney on the soulfulness of Kingston?

Kingston is a mass of chain shops, chain pubs, chain restaurants, chain people all filing into one of the two great cathedrals in the town - Bentall's and John Lewis. This is a place where you know that bad weather days are best for venturing in, because on beautiful sunny days most of the surrounding populace celebrates the fact by going shopping.There isn't a single decent restaurant in Kingston, unless you like kebabs and pizza. The river is now walled in with 'luxury' apartment buildings. And, not that I have anything against them, but it seems to be some sort of mecca for 'chavs'.

On the other hand, the Market Place is alright. I have a book of photos showing Kingston as it was in the olden days and it does look very nice. My father-in-law assures me it was all very different back then. I suppose my real problem with Kingston is that it is not Richmond, where we can't afford to live.

Anyway, I will fight you to the death over this - Kingston is not soulful!

Paolo

[Dick Smith]

But Paolo - compare it to Croydon!

There are still a few bits of Kingston left, there is the church by the bridge, there are still some walks along the riverbank.

I agree it used to be MUCH better.

Have you seen the new homes being built on the old Brunel site in Richmond - £1.6 million a pop!

[Will]

Dick - please don't start me on Croydon. I think everything bad that has happened to me has had some connection with Croydon. A bit more than just a bad day.

If England had piles, they would be in Croydon...