He is a photo of the cCrawleys in Scotland for the Christmas Special.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...-to-watch.html

See photo #6

I like it! Though I prefer obscure and rambling conversations in the kitchen at parties - always the best place to be.

Oh yum, stop it. But thanks for the welcome

One thing that annoys me is that it seems to most people in these islands "Coffee" means those insyant granules. You cannot get decent coffee enywhere - except in my kitchen where I brew it "alla turca".

And for most people "Tea" means those vile American teabags.

I will be back in a day or two with more gripes

Dawlish, Devon,

Bev

I have to guess you are in the US of A then? For loose tea, and ground coffee abound here in the UK. (most supermarkets sell it!)

In Scotland

Shame! I assumed there were Supermarkets in Scotland, such as Morrisons - who sell loose tea and of course Ground Coffee.

Silly me.

For good coffee you really need beans - pre-ground coffee loses its flavour very quickly.

(Edited to say that if you're brewing turkish, Scot47, you're hard core - I thought I was a coffee addict but that stuff has me on the ceiling!)

Since you are over 50 can I ask you if you think people in the UK are much better off today than 50 years ago?

My response is yes. I think the standard of living has increase considerably over the 70 years that I have been around.

Cheers

(off to Las Vegas today for a family get together)

Scot47 If you want any particular kind of coffee the internet is your friend and everywhere delivers it seems.
Try Amazon UK lots of varietyYou can grind your own//
Hey Cheers you seem to travel an awful lot, you must really rack up the miles.

Decent coffee and tea is available - but 90 percent of the populace seem to be happy with Instant and Teabags. Sodding savages !

Where did I put my Turkish coffee-pot ? (To the aficionado it is called a "jezbeh"!)

I may have been a Janissary in a previous life. I certainly miss Istanbul ! And all the finer things of the Ottoman Empire !

The Bimbashi

I have had my car 6 months and I've only put 4,773 miles on it. Today's trip is only 143 miles one way. Back tomorrow.
Gas is down to $2.999 per gallon.
Cheers

cheers, ----- 50 years ago huh? well let me see ------ well 50 years ago I was 17 and already working at my 10th job since leaving school at 15, couldn't settle down for the life of me, everyone I worked with knew at least a few people who were married with a couple of kids, on the dole for years, getting child support, council rent paid, and planning to have a brood of kids in the future, those who went on this course for there life ended up receiving much more money and benefits from the government then they could ever earn if they were to get off there lazy ass and get a Job,

And now that brings us to today ---- 50 years on ------- and in looking around and listening to conversations since Ive been back home in this last two years ------ well nothing much really seems to have changed too darn much ------ only difference I can see really is these days there are many more benefits that one can apply for, and still free rent, and more dole money, and child support, ------ so are people any better off today then 50 years ago?

Well the lucky people in work are, they get more vacation pay like 4 to 6 paid weeks per year and a lot of public holidays, and a good 6 months paid sick leave in many jobs, and pretty darn good pay checks for most,

And for the scroungers, the people that have made a very profitable business out of being full time welfare recipients for all there lives, and lots are in to there 60,s already and third generation ----- well those of course are much better off now ------ more taxpayers money going into there comfortable households, and there laughing all the way to the bank,

And now these people are looking around all confused and complaining that all of a sudden the government is cracking down on a lot of benefits, I say about time isn't it, why did it take 50 years?

I know a lot of you will be saying well thats just a small minority who take advantage, but you know that really isn't the case is it,
And yes there are a whole lot of people here that really need and deserve there benefits, and they are going to be hurt a lot by all the cuts, and I really feel so sorry for these people I really do,

I do find it strange, especially that many say they prefer instant coffee. Mind you, I think pressed coffee is pretty disgusting and most people here use a press because they don't want to buy a machine. I like drip coffee made with freshly ground beans, and use a Melitta jug and cone. I think I'm beginning to turn my relatives onto real coffee that way. They're always happy to have a cappuchino or latte, of course.

Good British tea bags are better than any I found in Canada, and I do use them most of the time. Have loose tea for when I'm in the mood for it.

Bev