Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Word of warning about the cake recipe I posted yesterday - I ate a rather large piece today and felt very sick or about an hour afterwards. It might be the richest thing I've ever tasted. Just remembered why I never make Nigella Lawson recipes :lol:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Merry Christmas everyone, we are lucky enough to have spent the day with our large family in London, we must have been mad to move away, we miss them so much. We have loved having our three grandchildren around us, we hadn't seen them since July. Here's hoping those of us waiting to sell our homes find a buyer soon. We have enjoyed watching some great TV this evening, we watched the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special and a great musical version of A Christmas Carol yesterday afternoon. If anyone remembers Upstairs Downstairs, the life of domestic servants and their employers Lord and Lady Bellamy in Eaton Square before the first world war, it is being updated to the 30's for a new series starring Dame Eileen Aitkins and Rose will be housekeeper. Sounds good, watch out for it. We travel back on 27th I am so looking forward to spending a whole day tomorrow with our kids and grandkids. Take care all.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Well Christmas night in my house, hubby snoring on the settee, kids gone to see friends.....I could be thousands of miles away, i dont think anyone would notice, spent hours shopping wrapping preparing cooking and all over in an hour or less........Skyped my family in the UK, highlight of my day.
Pam sounds wonderful. so happy for you.....
Sally sorry about the cake, but 6 eggs......sugar... clementines.....
Tanto hope you are doing okay tonight
Windsong, hope you feel better soon.
Jackie, glad your parents are okay. How long til you go home?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

A thing I read about the production of the original Upstairs, Downstairs was how the characters or actors were treated off set, by the production crew, because they were treated according to their station on set. This I think is a real kick because some of the better actors had parts that were downstairs. Can you believe that Lady Bellamy was treated like royalty while Rose was treated like a pauper.
Rose to wardrobe, "will you fix my dress?" answer " fix it 'yerself"

Some of the original actors have passed away. For example the head butler, Hudson, who was also Scottish, was one who died of bone cancer at the age of 66 in 1990.

I finished the cra'b' and all the time I was eating it I was thinking I hope I don't get poisoned. Maybe thats because I had something happen in the past when I had bad rashes over my skin.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Aww sounds like my house.
Dh went off to play guitar and Ds is engrossed in his new Christmas Lap top. Dd will be off to bed soon enough, and it'll be just me and some Mr Kipling Christmas slices and a bottle of Baileys :o

My Mum is feeling the same way in UK, bored silly, my older Ds is not big on celebrations etc, and went off to watch a movie, so usually she's here and we keep each other company with the bottle of Baileys :lol:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Giving up wine?

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1...d1fc39f091ad62

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

I leave on January 25th Charley..cant wait..:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

I can't wait for this new series!!! I absolutely LOVED Upstairs Downstairs!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Thanks, Charleygirl. I still feel dreadful but I will mend now that I have Mucinex. Every time I get a cough I can hardly breathe because I am asthmatic. An ex-boyfriend came over today and cooked dinner for me, changed the cat litter, etc. Made my life much easier.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

I don't know what link is supposed to be, but it just takes me to my own Gmail inbox.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Merry Christmas everyone. I am feeling very tired. Had a really nice day although I miss the extended family. My oldest son came and daughter came with her three legged dog. Dinner was good but ate too much. I know my family in the UK are having a Boxing Day get together one of these days I will be there. The theme of my Christmas Cards was "have you sold the house and when are you coming home".:(

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Still Christmas day here! Thank you Charleygirl for your concern......I visited a very sick friend today - spoke to her son and then came home and swept leaves and stuff from pavement and side of house. It's taken me 2 sessions of clearing and it's raining again (LA)!!!! You must be exhausted from all your Christmas preparations...........
Happy Boxing Day to you and everyone else who knows what it is!!!
Tanto

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Very interesting to hear about the 'backstage' of Upstairs Downstairs. Can't wait to see the new series - it sounds like a wonderful cast.
Perhaps you are allergic to shellfish, Cheers? Many people are, I think! Hope you are feeling okay......

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

I didn't know Hudson had passed away. He was one of my favorite characters in the show. Rose was another.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Feeling much better today - still not quite myself but at least I can breathe. Thank goodness for Mucinex. That is miracle medication!

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Would have been lovely to be back in Britain for it but I wouldn't have noticed either way - I was too sick yesterday.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Trotty - Isn't it nice to know how much they want you to go home :)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

The first broadcast will be this evening, Boxing Day. Thats the good news. The bad news to some, the broadcast will be in the UK.
It will be broadcast in the US in April 2011.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Giving Up Wine


I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of pounds for dinner.

I took out my purse, got out ten pounds and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy wine with it instead of dinner?'

'No, I had to stop drinking years ago', the homeless woman told me.

'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.

'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'

'Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.
'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!'

'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'

The homeless Woman was shocked . 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting...'

I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine!!'


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Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Oh Cheers.. my first laugh today......thank you!!
Windsong glad to hear you are on the mend, Jackie not long then!?
Tanto hope you are doing okay today.. still early for you. Sorry about your very sick friend:(
Don you must be getting very excited.........
Trotty I ate too much too........but hey nothing else to do haha.
I worked til 12 today but got out early because of the expected 20 inches of snow coming our way...........are your ready friend!?
Want me to come pick you up and take you for a drive after..........:eek:

Stay warm and happy everyone.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Love it, Cheers. That was funny :D

I have a question - a trivial one - but one to which I would love to find an answer. What teabags available in the U.S. most closely resemble good British teabags? Lipton teabags seem full of dye or tannin (not sure how you spell that) and Red Rose are as weak as water. Loose tea seems the best but is messy to make. (Can you tell I have been away from Britain a while and forgotten how to make a good cup of tea?)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

windsong, not sure you have these stores but they are called and Fresh and Easy. they have their own brand cost $1.98 for 100. and honestly they are not bad at all. i hate lipton have to put 2 teabags in to get any decent strength in my tea. i let teabags sit for 3-4 mins and honestly I think a pretty decent cuppa. they sell pg tips or typhoo but like $7 for 48. bit much for my budget. i could send you some at my cost...

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Just make it easy on yourself and order PG Tips from Amazon.com. A bit expensive, but well, well worth it. There are no American teabags at all that equal British tea.

Alternatively, Google your nearest British food shop; most of them sell online.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

That's why I lug a six month supply down here with me !

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Even the British exports are not the same here. I think they make tea bags for export to America using a different formula than they sell in the UK. Every time we have visitors over, they complain about our tea bags, which are imported Typhoo, PG Tips or Yorkshire Tea.

When we went back in September, I realized they were right. We gave in and bought a teapot, and we can get loose Twinings at our local grocery store. Finally a decent cup of tea!

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Charleygirl...Are in Insane I would rather stand out in this blizzard for half an hour than have you pick me up and drive me anywhere:rofl::rofl: Its really bad at them moment, my daughter lives close to the ocean and she said the wind is even worse were she is. Still work was cancelled for her tomorrow. The snow plow just came down the road. One thing you can say about New Hampshire is they are very efficient were clearing the snow is concerned.:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Thats coz they are owned by Tesco..:)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

yep i shop there quite a bit..

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Go to the nearest Cost Plus World market they have everything. We buy Ty-Phoo cheaper than PG tips but just as nice to us.
Lipton and red rose are Orange pekoe and Black tea. PG Tips and Ty-phoo are black tea only. theres the difference.:thumbup:

If theres no World Market, then look in Wal Mart for Tetley British blend, not quite as strong but better than Lipton water.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

YES! We have Cost Plus World Market. We don't have Fresh and Easy in my state. Thanks to all who responded. I have put up with all these weak and willing teabags ever since I have been here. The loose tea is pretty good but once in a while a teabag is quicker, especially for one person or one cup. I will be at Cost Plus tomorrow! Why didn't I think of them! Thank you :) :) :)

By the way, which is better - Typhoo or PG Tips?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Charley Girl,
Thank you for thinking of me , but between now and Feb, a new 'friend' arrived from UK, courting a lovely lady friend of Tim's , and he has proposed and been accepted- so the Monks will be at her home on Saturday 1st, and do the Blessing service - at which time, I said I would do the photographs for free.(the service is at 8 am, and since they are located about 30 kms from here, we shall be early up). Then on the 5th Feb, Tim's eldest daughter, (Cake) goes into Hospital for a Caesarean Section, and as she lives with her husband in Khon Kaen, some four hours Coach journey from here, Tim will go to her, for some days.So, Excited? I am getting high! love dontheturner

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

PG Tips is stronger, but both taste good, your choice, I go by price :o
If you are going to be in the country a while longer, sign up with them for the rewards program. I punch my phone number in before every transaction and they send me coupons, I got a $10 off if you spend $10 or more the other week and a $10 of when you spend $30 as well. Defiantly worth it. and all the Christmas Chocolate will be on sale, I got Cadburys tin of biscuits for half off the other day.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Thank you, Mummy. I may go there tomorrow :)

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Well Charleygirl Got that all wrong. it is Not Feb , It is January 5 th. Sorry, dontheturner

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

So will this be Tim's first grandchild? We want to see the baby pictures :D
Congratulations Grandad :thumbup:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

No not the first, But unfortunately, Cake has a big problem, with her lymph glands, in the neck, so has had very extended sickness while carrying.( so is dying to ''expel@' .

Her youngest daughter, (Chompoo) married to Chaichad and running a small supermarket, which they own, has a little boy, now 2+ (totally uncontrolled, as they all are here) his name is Cheetah.

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Hello Philip, I have just looked at the history of your past posts and you don't seem to have English as your first language. What is your interest in Tanto's idea?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Hello to everybody on here. I had a very nice HOT Christmas with my daughter, her fiance and my grand-kids. It was about 90 degrees F too hot to eat until about 6pm.

Well that was my last HOT Aussie Christmas over thank you very much. :thumbup:

Got all kinds of mosquito bites, ate too much, drank too much.......hic....but still alive to tell the tale. :thumbsup:

I managed to convert my daughter's fiance's niece to Mr Kipling Mince Pies, so that was a winner. :thumbsup:

We set up the kid's laptops on Christmas morning our end with the Brit Christmas Eve at my sisters place and they all 10 of them watched the grand-kids open their Christmas presents with lots of oohs and aahs.....it was such a laugh, praise be to Skype. :lol:

Have had a really nice weekend here in Australia, but am so looking forward to my next Christmas in the UK. Still having mixed feelings and collywobbles but I am sure I will be OK. :D

I have Corrie'd myself out today since I came home (Windsong some great episodes, Tracy Barlow!!!! :thumbsup:), watched The Royle Family Christmas Special, an old Freddie Starr special (I love him, he is so crackers LOL!!) and am off now to watch whatever Brit TV Christmas stuff I can, there is supposed to be a really funny Ronnie Corbett special, talking of Two Fat Ladies and Nigella cookery shows as you have been these past few days............what about the Two Hairy Bikers..........some good UK TV going on on my laptop as sadly to say Aussie Christmas TV is as abysmal as ever............

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Orange pekoe isn't a type of tea but a grade of tea leaves based upon the size/characteristic of the leaves themselves.

Within whole leaf grades the quality ranges from ordinary (OP=Orange Pekoe) to extraordinary (SFTGFOP(1) - Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe).

The real fun begins, when people say how much they love their orange-flavoured Orange Pekoe tea :lol: especially since the word "orange" in this instance has nothing to do with flavour.

Thank you all for attending this mini Tea 101 class. :rofl:

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

Thank you for that, so Orange pekoe and pekoe cut black mean it's not as high a quality/grade?

Re: OVER 50's & 60's MOVING BACK TO THE UK.
 

:thumbsup: Congratulations.
We have a kitty that will need to be re homed too. She's an odd cat so set in her ways and no way will she like the move never mind an attempt to move countries. My friend said she'd take her and keep her locked in for a month or so, before allowing her to be in and out but she has other cats and ours is Mrs Antisocial.