I have a folding set of steps that I use mostly for reaching the top shelf of cupboards. I find as time goes on the cupboards are getting higher and so I am glad to have them. It handily folds away and lives either in a cupboard or in a gap next to the freezer.
I do hope that all you people using these step-stools, ladders, etc. have duly been on the mandatory three-day training courses, and acquired the necessary Elf and Safe Tea bits of paper - wot My Old Dad used to refer to as sustifikits.
I do indeed have a current Working at Height certificate, though I was rarely allowed to put it to use in the college department I worked in where it was a requirement.
What I have to help with the stuff higher than I can reach, being a 5' 2" Japes who lives alone. is a stepladder that fits in the cupboard under the stairs, and a student-made incredibly sturdy step-stool of which I am inordinately fond.
The student who made it as part of that year's course work, (then didn't want to take it home) gifted it to me just as I was looking for such a thing. The student was diagnosed with a brain tumour the year after I changed jobs and died within 6 months of diagnosis, aged 18. I remember that student every time I use the stool.
It also does duty as a footstool, spare side table when I'm able to have visitors, and homework table for my 2 piano students. (Siblings who are delivered to me at the same time, and the one who's not having the lesson does homework in term time and projects of their own in holiday time.) No, I have no idea why they prefer to sit on the floor and use this stool as a table, but they've always done it since their mum no longer waits with them, in these Times of Plague. We're in Tier 2, so we can continue with the lessons, as it's Educational, but Mum forgoes her hour of chilling and using the stool as a footstool!
I do hope that all you people using these step-stools, ladders, etc. have duly been on the mandatory three-day training courses, and acquired the necessary Elf and Safe Tea bits of paper - wot My Old Dad used to refer to as sustifikits.
... husband en rouge is off at the wine cellar liberating the bottles in case we can't get at them anymore.
Is your lockdown so fierce that you can't even go to your own wine-cellar???
Hope you manage to have as nice a birthday as possible.
I think Daisydaisy's stepladder looks like the most likely candidate - it folds flat and is cheap. And there's a branch of Argos opening in our local Sainsbury's quite soon.
I had a half-hearted attempt at nailing a picture-hook to the wall earlier, but even with my small fingers, I couldn't grasp the nail at the right angle; I'm going to have to wait until someone who's (a) more dexterous; and (b) less of an idiot than I am comes to visit (assuming anyone's allowed to visit).
(Some of) our bottles being rather excellent, and we having no suitable underground cellar in which to keep them, we hire cellar space in a private facility in the old chalk quarries, reconverted for the purpose. Several companies offer this service, including one that keeps the President of the Republic's wine. A lot of high end restaurants also use this kind of service, having more bottles than they can keep on site.
Anyway, wine cellaring is not considered an essential service, and full lockdown is back. Good job husband en rouge got the bottles before it started.
La Vie - I misunderstood - for some reason I'd got the idea that your cellar was part of the complex where your flat is, and had come with it. Glad to hear H-en-R got the essentials out in time - hope your lockdown won't be for too long.
As the Ship seems to be more-or-less the only bit of the interweb that works until I get Wi-fi for the flat, I'm probably a bit behind with whatever new depredations our rulers have imposed on us - when I ambled this morning people still seemed to be going about their business as usual.
I do hope that all you people using these step-stools, ladders, etc. have duly been on the mandatory three-day training courses, and acquired the necessary Elf and Safe Tea bits of paper - wot My Old Dad used to refer to as sustifikits.
My son works at height. He has a sustifikit.
My son took a Health & Safety NEBOSH exam yesterday. Won't know the result for some weeks, but hopefully he will become suitably Certified Certificated.
@Piglet I think we will hear today about who will be in what tier of the new restrictions. I don't think that Linlithgow is likely to be in an area which has any easing up of them, from the preliminary noises we have been getting. Here, though, the pubs might be allowed to serve some drinks indoors again.
Anyway, wine cellaring is not considered an essential service, and full lockdown is back. Good job husband en rouge got the bottles before it started.
Indeed. I thought of you and the birthday and the wine when we heard the news about France this morning. The news was generally pretty depressing (as seems to be usual at the moment) and I think it's only a matter of time before tighter restrictions are imposed. My area is currently on the lowest tier but our numbers are climbing fast.
I've just come back from Tesco's, and today I bought TWO bottles of my favourite claret - for medicinal porpoises, you understand...also some more MEAT PUDS, and SOUP.
Lunch is being cooked by The Dragon - PIE and ROASTY SPUDS. Comfort food is so...comforting , no?
I have a feeling the Sustifikits of which BF speaks don't quite reach your son's giddy heights!
Cathscats - I had a feeling that might be the case. It's a total pain, as I want to show off the new château to my friends and relations! Also, what's the point of cooking nice food* and having no-one to share it with?
As it was p*ssing with rain today, I attempted a spot of picture hanging (including deployment of Hammer and Nails) - just the ones that are at Piglet height, obviously.
If my brother or nephews (who are all just shy of 6ft and consequently Useful) came to hang pictures, they'd count as tradesmen, wouldn't they?
* Tonight's effort was bacon and mushroom risotto, since you ask.
We had homemade venison steak and kidney pudding tonight. It turned out quite well.
There are no laws against employing relatives carrying on a trade in their professional capacity, unless the activity itself is prohibited, which handymen are not.
Tier 3 looms at midnight. Realistically it won't make difference to us, except we're not supposed to travel outside the area, and any pre-closing trips to the supermarket can't have gin or wine on the shopping list. (thankfully I stocked up on Tuesday, and we have just had a beer delivery from a local brewery.) If we go to the pub it is for a meal anyway these days.
Guides was already slated for Zoom until Christmas once we went into Tier 2, as the church where we meet was going to re-open at that point but didn't do so. (I am not expected to do much more than turn up at the moment, but being around gives us the opportunity to split the group and still have two adults with each breakout room.
Venison steak and kidney pudding sounds delicious. And I’m a fan of bacon and mushroom risotto too.
We had quarter pounders and cheese with roasted potatoes and carrots. I’m now having a Parma violet gin and tonic.
Today was my studying day, so after checking on my students I caught up with my research admin and planning, and then I had a good long phone call with my study buddy, who also teaches on one of my modules.
I must get out of the house tomorrow before the weather worsens. I had two days inside earlier in the week as I was not well, and am beginning to feel shut in. No idea where to go, as I am tired of local walks, and want to avoid people.
I haven't been over the door today; I was all set to go and do some grocery shopping, but when I looked outside it was tipping it down, so I thought, "stuff that for a game of soldiers".
I hope it's a bit better tomorrow though - there's a few bits and bobs I could do with getting.
I went to the supermarket for my usual weekly shop yesterday - forgetting that it was the day before lockdown. It was horrible. People dawdling slowly, two people on crutches, loads of people stockpiling, and pushing past others, pensioners on their weekly shop going round with a basket on wheels...I couldn't even enter the pasta/rice aisle and people were snatching loo rolls out of the shelf stackers hands! I tried to smile (below my mask) and "excusez-moi" and "je vous en prie" to everyone, keeping the situation polite, but it got difficult!!
The restaurant next door had a 5 course Hallowe'en meal planned, for which we had booked...of course, that's off the table now, so we went with a couple of friends last night before the 6 pm curfew started today. Pizza and chocolate tart. Miam-miam.
I'm now contacting all my students to see if they are willing to go back online for their lessons. I'm glad it's possible, but it's not the same. I will still be travelling into school on Fridays, but it's tricky teaching English while wearing a mask!
We’re having a family day today (my husband has a lot of annual leave to use up). What this means in practice for this morning is that everyone else will spend most of the morning in bed while I go for a walk, then check up on students.
We’re having lunch in Loch Fyne before going for a walk by the river if the rain holds off (heading North as we live South so already know that bit well).
Wait, you live in Cambridge, right? Loch Fyne is a long way to go for lunch (as well as sounding very wet to be lunching in a loch). Seriously, is there a Loch Fyne in the flatlands of the south?
Loch Fyne is a fish restaurant, originally in Loch Fyne I believe https://www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk/
Apparently associated with Loch Fyne oysters, which they sell.
First day of lockdown on my birthday is a bit of a bugger, but such is life. It was also mayhem in the supermarkets here last night, which strikes me as odd. Why stockpile when buying food a bit at a time gives you an excuse for going outside?
Husband en rouge went out to the market this morning to get some additional items for the celebratory dinner. He came back with two cakes - one for lunch and one for dinner. Double birthday cake is a compensation, I suppose.
I shall go for my permitted exercise this afternoon. If husband en rouge and I go out separately it means Captain Pyjamas can be outside for longer (he liketh not being shut up in the house).
Double birthday cake is eminently sensible in the circumstances, I think. Hope it's a happy birthday even if it's a lockdown one. @la vie en rouge
I am totally with Captain Pyjamas on the matter of not liking being shut up in the house.
I've noticed an increasing amount of poor behaviour in local supermarkets similar to that experienced in February/March. Possibly as we are likely to end up in Tier 3 and it hit the news in a poor way yesterday. Luckily, as I've always kept my own domestic supplies at a level that suits me for many years in case of emergencies, I've not really altered my shopping quantity habits at all. The only different thing I've done this week is buy some tinned and frozen vegetables which I don't really like, but accept it's better than no veg if I can't go out. Plus, I can send the tins on to the food bank if there's a call for that. (That's if they are well within date. I have hellish thoughts about those who donate out of date food to food banks.)
I went and got the shopping - Mrs Feet still on doctor's orders not to drive while recovering from surgery so I cycled. All was fine except the first hail shower of the season decided to deposit itself on me when I was halfway home. Oh and I forgot to get milk.
Maybe not too early though - if H-en-R isn't going to be allowed back to the cellar, they'll need to ration it!
It being a much nicer day than it was yesterday, I ambled along the street to Tesco's, stopping en route at a nice little cafe for brunch of eggs Benedict and coffee, which I had outside! In late October!!!
I really ought to be wary when pushing a supermarket trolley that when I'm transporting its contents home, I don't have the advantage of wheels.
Once I get proper interweb installed, I'll check out buses: there are bus stops near the flat, but I don't know yet where they lead. If there was a bus that went either to the Tesco's end of the street or to the little shopping centre just outside the town the other way (which has Sainsbury's, Aldi's and a few others) that would be perfect.
It looks like West Lothian is going into Tier 3 from Monday, meaning I can't go to see the family in Edinburgh and they can't come to see me.
While I understand the reasons, I don't have to like it: I wonder if a balance needs to be struck between people's
physical and mental health. I just hope they can keep their promise of Tier 3 being a short-term thing, and that it works.
@Piglet there is wee bus that does a loop of most of the town. The L1. Runs once an hour, I think
I can't remember exactly where it goes and think it doubles back on itself in certain places and the side of the street you get on might seem counterintuitive to where you want to go.
Maybe you could just getvon for a jolly and stay on for a whole loop to get your BEARings of the town
Sorry about the visiting restrictions @piglet, let's hope you get out of it soon. At least Mrs Sturgeon seems to know what's she doing.
I approve of double cake @la vie en rouge , I hope they were both yummy, that the wine is much enjoyed and that Captain Pyjamas lets the two of you have a peaceful evening celebrating.
Have you considered a shopping trolley? You can get some nice trendy ones these days. I don’t drive and have used a shopping trolley for the weekly shop at Waitrose for the last 13 years. Obviously this only works if you have a supermarket a reasonable distance away but it is far more pleasant than taking a bus.
One of those tartan wheelie bags with a spike at the bottom, definitely.
Or what I used in the early weeks when we could neither drive to supermarkets nor easily get deliveries - a backpack. I found I could carry a lot more, a lot more comfortably, and still have hands free for additional purchases.
I do struggle to manage my shopping trolley around the supermarket as well as theirs, so I rarely use it. We have a fortnightly delivery, so I just pop to Aldi at 8am Tuesday and 8.50pm Thursday, mainly for milk and a few bits and pieces, not too much to carry.
Last night I added a bottle of wine. Aldi had only 3 customers in the shop and I had to wait a while for someone to come and man the checkout, by which time it was past 9 pm, which from today is the official deadline for buying alcohol from a supermarket in these parts.
The shopping I put in one of the small shopping trolleys available my supermarket usually fits very nicely in my own shopping trolley and my small everyday backpack. Then I can usually walk home the mile and a half quite comfortably. With a few short stops up the hill to admire the view...
I have a Clax trolley, which is fab for transporting Stuff around in and folds up quite flat when not in use...basically it has a lower and an upper tier, onto which can be fitted those very useful collapsing plastic crates. (Some people laugh at me when I push all my stuff for church on it, but I don't care as it saves my back from further damage...) I got it from A*****n but Im sure you could get one from elsewhere.
I have a shopping trolley, although I am back to using the pram now for the walk to the local Asda. (I have a travel system with pram and pushchair attachments, that was deliberately chosen partly for having a decent sized basket underneath.)
Someone appears to be having trouble with their calendar and is setting a battery of fireworks off. Thankfully our cats don't mind them too much.
Thanks, BT - much appreciated - and thanks to everyone for advice re shopping trolleys.
I confess I see them as a bit of an Old Lady thing, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet! At least the High Street doesn't go up and down too much - but if I wanted to get bulkier things like bags of potatoes or multi-packs of loo roll, I reckon motorised transport would be necessary!
Just out of curiosity, do the locals know if there's any sort of bulk shop or Scoop shop in the area? We used to find the Bulk Barn in Canada very useful, but I don't know if you still have anything like that here.
Today I am going to a free online conference about grieving called Good Grief https://goodgrieffest.com/ The talks and seminars are free over the weekend but I’ve also paid £20 to have access to everything afterwards as I teach on a module on Death, dying and bereavement. This afternoon I get to listen to one of my favourite people, Dr Alice Roberts, talk about death.
I’ll probably get my spinning wheel out while I’m listening.
Why are the shops always at the bottom of the hill?
It's a devious and cunning plan. I have a current choice of three shopping places and they are all at the bottom of the respective hills I have to use. I do have one possibility which does not involve a hill but it's in the neighbouring Local Authority which is in a different tier. Though who knows from next week....
Why are the shops always at the bottom of the hill?
It's a devious and cunning plan. I have a current choice of three shopping places and they are all at the bottom of the respective hills I have to use.
One of the reasons for choosing this house was because it is on level land. There is just a very slight uphill on the way back from the town centre and if I have heavy bags I take the bus, free with my bus pass.
For the past three years though, we have Aldi about 300 yds away, so I can avoid buses, uphills and crowds too by choosing my time. This morning the car park is packed out. Stockpiling?
Comments
What I have to help with the stuff higher than I can reach, being a 5' 2" Japes who lives alone. is a stepladder that fits in the cupboard under the stairs, and a student-made incredibly sturdy step-stool of which I am inordinately fond.
The student who made it as part of that year's course work, (then didn't want to take it home) gifted it to me just as I was looking for such a thing. The student was diagnosed with a brain tumour the year after I changed jobs and died within 6 months of diagnosis, aged 18. I remember that student every time I use the stool.
It also does duty as a footstool, spare side table when I'm able to have visitors, and homework table for my 2 piano students. (Siblings who are delivered to me at the same time, and the one who's not having the lesson does homework in term time and projects of their own in holiday time.) No, I have no idea why they prefer to sit on the floor and use this stool as a table, but they've always done it since their mum no longer waits with them, in these Times of Plague. We're in Tier 2, so we can continue with the lessons, as it's Educational, but Mum forgoes her hour of chilling and using the stool as a footstool!
My son works at height. He has a sustifikit.
Hope you manage to have as nice a birthday as possible.
I think Daisydaisy's stepladder looks like the most likely candidate - it folds flat and is cheap. And there's a branch of Argos opening in our local Sainsbury's quite soon.
I had a half-hearted attempt at nailing a picture-hook to the wall earlier, but even with my small fingers, I couldn't grasp the nail at the right angle; I'm going to have to wait until someone who's (a) more dexterous; and (b) less of an idiot than I am comes to visit (assuming anyone's allowed to visit).
I solve the problem by wearing odd socks.
I have a traditional kick step which is fabulous for helping reach the cupboards https://tinyurl.com/yyx7v83m
Anyway, wine cellaring is not considered an essential service, and full lockdown is back. Good job husband en rouge got the bottles before it started.
I wonder how it all affects my sister, who lives near Narbonne? She and my b-in-l are both now retired (young pensioners, as she puts it - she's 62).
Take care of those bottles - although surely, in dire need, you'll be able to get some not-quite-so-excellent WINE from the shops?
As the Ship seems to be more-or-less the only bit of the interweb that works until I get Wi-fi for the flat, I'm probably a bit behind with whatever new depredations our rulers have imposed on us - when I ambled this morning people still seemed to be going about their business as usual.
My son took a Health & Safety NEBOSH exam yesterday. Won't know the result for some weeks, but hopefully he will become suitably Certified Certificated.
I've just come back from Tesco's, and today I bought TWO bottles of my favourite claret - for medicinal porpoises, you understand...also some more MEAT PUDS, and SOUP.
Lunch is being cooked by The Dragon - PIE and ROASTY SPUDS. Comfort food is so...comforting , no?
Cathscats - I had a feeling that might be the case. It's a total pain, as I want to show off the new château to my friends and relations! Also, what's the point of cooking nice food* and having no-one to share it with?
As it was p*ssing with rain today, I attempted a spot of picture hanging (including deployment of Hammer and Nails) - just the ones that are at Piglet height, obviously.
If my brother or nephews (who are all just shy of 6ft and consequently Useful) came to hang pictures, they'd count as tradesmen, wouldn't they?
* Tonight's effort was bacon and mushroom risotto, since you ask.
There are no laws against employing relatives carrying on a trade in their professional capacity, unless the activity itself is prohibited, which handymen are not.
Tier 3 looms at midnight. Realistically it won't make difference to us, except we're not supposed to travel outside the area, and any pre-closing trips to the supermarket can't have gin or wine on the shopping list. (thankfully I stocked up on Tuesday, and we have just had a beer delivery from a local brewery.) If we go to the pub it is for a meal anyway these days.
Guides was already slated for Zoom until Christmas once we went into Tier 2, as the church where we meet was going to re-open at that point but didn't do so. (I am not expected to do much more than turn up at the moment, but being around gives us the opportunity to split the group and still have two adults with each breakout room.
We had quarter pounders and cheese with roasted potatoes and carrots. I’m now having a Parma violet gin and tonic.
Today was my studying day, so after checking on my students I caught up with my research admin and planning, and then I had a good long phone call with my study buddy, who also teaches on one of my modules.
I hope it's a bit better tomorrow though - there's a few bits and bobs I could do with getting.
The restaurant next door had a 5 course Hallowe'en meal planned, for which we had booked...of course, that's off the table now, so we went with a couple of friends last night before the 6 pm curfew started today. Pizza and chocolate tart. Miam-miam.
I'm now contacting all my students to see if they are willing to go back online for their lessons. I'm glad it's possible, but it's not the same. I will still be travelling into school on Fridays, but it's tricky teaching English while wearing a mask!
We’re having lunch in Loch Fyne before going for a walk by the river if the rain holds off (heading North as we live South so already know that bit well).
Apparently associated with Loch Fyne oysters, which they sell.
Husband en rouge went out to the market this morning to get some additional items for the celebratory dinner. He came back with two cakes - one for lunch and one for dinner. Double birthday cake is a compensation, I suppose.
I shall go for my permitted exercise this afternoon. If husband en rouge and I go out separately it means Captain Pyjamas can be outside for longer (he liketh not being shut up in the house).
I am totally with Captain Pyjamas on the matter of not liking being shut up in the house.
I've noticed an increasing amount of poor behaviour in local supermarkets similar to that experienced in February/March. Possibly as we are likely to end up in Tier 3 and it hit the news in a poor way yesterday. Luckily, as I've always kept my own domestic supplies at a level that suits me for many years in case of emergencies, I've not really altered my shopping quantity habits at all. The only different thing I've done this week is buy some tinned and frozen vegetables which I don't really like, but accept it's better than no veg if I can't go out. Plus, I can send the tins on to the food bank if there's a call for that. (That's if they are well within date. I have hellish thoughts about those who donate out of date food to food banks.)
It being a much nicer day than it was yesterday, I ambled along the street to Tesco's, stopping en route at a nice little cafe for brunch of eggs Benedict and coffee, which I had outside! In late October!!!
I really ought to be wary when pushing a supermarket trolley that when I'm transporting its contents home, I don't have the advantage of wheels.
Once I get proper interweb installed, I'll check out buses: there are bus stops near the flat, but I don't know yet where they lead. If there was a bus that went either to the Tesco's end of the street or to the little shopping centre just outside the town the other way (which has Sainsbury's, Aldi's and a few others) that would be perfect.
It looks like West Lothian is going into Tier 3 from Monday, meaning I can't go to see the family in Edinburgh and they can't come to see me.
While I understand the reasons, I don't have to like it: I wonder if a balance needs to be struck between people's
physical and mental health. I just hope they can keep their promise of Tier 3 being a short-term thing, and that it works.
Sorry - that was a bit of a sermon ...
I can't remember exactly where it goes and think it doubles back on itself in certain places and the side of the street you get on might seem counterintuitive to where you want to go.
Maybe you could just getvon for a jolly and stay on for a whole loop to get your BEARings of the town
I approve of double cake @la vie en rouge , I hope they were both yummy, that the wine is much enjoyed and that Captain Pyjamas lets the two of you have a peaceful evening celebrating.
I've just come back from an Exercise which strangely took me to the chocolate aisle at Aldi!
Or what I used in the early weeks when we could neither drive to supermarkets nor easily get deliveries - a backpack. I found I could carry a lot more, a lot more comfortably, and still have hands free for additional purchases.
Last night I added a bottle of wine. Aldi had only 3 customers in the shop and I had to wait a while for someone to come and man the checkout, by which time it was past 9 pm, which from today is the official deadline for buying alcohol from a supermarket in these parts.
(((Hugs)))
Someone appears to be having trouble with their calendar and is setting a battery of fireworks off. Thankfully our cats don't mind them too much.
I confess I see them as a bit of an Old Lady thing, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet! At least the High Street doesn't go up and down too much - but if I wanted to get bulkier things like bags of potatoes or multi-packs of loo roll, I reckon motorised transport would be necessary!
Just out of curiosity, do the locals know if there's any sort of bulk shop or Scoop shop in the area? We used to find the Bulk Barn in Canada very useful, but I don't know if you still have anything like that here.
I’ll probably get my spinning wheel out while I’m listening.
It's a devious and cunning plan. I have a current choice of three shopping places and they are all at the bottom of the respective hills I have to use. I do have one possibility which does not involve a hill but it's in the neighbouring Local Authority which is in a different tier. Though who knows from next week....
I’ve just noticed a new l***d**n may be announced on Monday... which is when I’d hoped to tow my tin tent for a week away. Ho hum.
For the past three years though, we have Aldi about 300 yds away, so I can avoid buses, uphills and crowds too by choosing my time. This morning the car park is packed out. Stockpiling?