[janetteB @replies]

thank you for the link @wolfweed that brought a much needed smile to my face. How well that is put together, to include all the companions as well as Madam Vastra, River Song and Rory all in thirty seconds is impressive.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ichabod I echo @pedant‘s applause.

@winston Yes the helplessness is the worst especially when watching fools vote for political parties that not only don’t care about the environment but actively go out of their way to sabotage anyone who does. (We just lost the State Government that has worked for years to make this the “greenest” state in the country)

I made a comment a while ago about farmers not believing in Global Warming and I think it was Pedant who disagreed with me. I was talking about Aussie farmers who vote for the Liberal/Country party buffoons who are all pro coal and adamantly in the climate change denialist camp. (Liberal party in Australia is opposite of liberal. The name is a lie.) I discussed this with a friend who lives in the country. Apparently the younger generation of farmers are more aware so there is some hope but will probably be a case of “too little too late.” I have met well informed farmers who plant trees on their property but they are unfortunately the exception. A few years ago a farmer acquaintance informed us that the rainfall records for the property showed a steady decline since the 1920 when his family bought the land. He still denied that climate change was happening. We even have a friend who is a keen gardener and he refused to believe that Climate Change is happening. Meanwhile I look at my own poor garden and think, “well at least I have something else to blame it on rather than my abysmal gardening skills.

It is not just climate change that worries me. The next generation face a lot of challenges, disappearing jobs, increasing inequality, governments hell bent on protecting their rich friends at the cost of the general population and people so deluded by dishonest media that they start voting for idiots like Trump or our own bunch of bullying clowns. I have listened to the later talk at events and wondered why anyone would ever trust them with the running of a country.

Ahh Sorry for the rant. Been a tough week. Boys doing exams, boys not doing as well as they should because they are so terribly disorganised missing deadlines etc etc. REally wish I could go back to school/uni and do it for them, except for the Maths. No desire to do maths ever again.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@missy yes indeed. Am still grumpy that it was cancelled while shows like Poldark just go on and on. (I enjoyed the first series for what it was, lightweight sunny entertainment but by series 2 the plot was getting a bit frayed. Season three it started snapping.)

Hugh Grant, is capable of acting. He just got badly type cast after Four Weddings and fell into a rut. He was a fine Doctor, for the two or so minutes he had in the role. (Curse of Fatal Death) Good to see him demonstrating what he is capable of again. Agree Ben is an amazing actor.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

We just (re)watched Deep Breath two nights ago. We have been working through all of AG Who, with a few exceptions. I have enjoyed every Doctor and wish they had all done at least one more season but I don’t think any burst onto the screen with quite the same “Doctorishness” that Capaldi does and that is no mean feat. Capaldi “owns” the role from the offset. I don’t think I would ever tire of watching him as the Doctor. The more often I watch his episodes the better he is.

@gamergirlavatar and @kharis Good luck with finding those episodes. I wish it were possible to help. We have the collection, though not all in best quality. Years ago we found a video of a Shada reconstruction at our local Video hire place. It was not badly done and showed that it would have been a fun story had it been completed. I have not seen the recent version yet.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@gamergirlavatar We had several of those books. There is a model K.9 on a bookshelf but the Dalek one proved too difficult for the boys and thus sadly was never completed. I relate to the need to have Who related things about the house to make it feel like home. When we went to Sweden for a year we took a few items which for us defined “home” and the two pewter Daleks were very much part of that “kit”. (they sit on our mantle over the fireplace and every December get Christmas hats. Changing my avatar image in December to include them in the background is one of those “must do” items on my list that never gets crossed off.)

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I am thinking of painting the bathroom to match with Gallifreyan symbols on the walls. (I have been thinking this for about two years now. It is on my “one day” list)

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston Our neighbour’s dog went missing last night. She messaged this morning to say dog was found, don’t yet know the hows and whys. A few years ago our dog escaped and vanished. After about two hours a vets called. She was apprehended in the meat department of the supermarket in town, approx 2k away. We were baffled as to why she ran off as usually if she gets out she goes to the front door and tries to attract our attention. We finally worked out that it was because she was frightened of an advertising blimp (hot air balloon) going over.

I love the idea of a Tardis garden light. I have several mini tardis on various bookshelves and a Tardis shower curtain but no outdoor ones and it is certainly not tacky. (I rather suspect the shower curtain is but I don’t care at all.)

@thane16 We suspect that our 17 yr old is suffering from low iron so will be marching him off to the Doctor’s this week for a blood test, between essay writing. We have three all in the throes of exam, essays and major projects. Fun times. (not) I am convinced that education has become far more stressful than it used to be.

Meanwhile we are consoling ourselves with Dr Who.

cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

News at last.. I am glad you are here @wolfweed as your ability to sniff out Who news is unrivaled. I went searching for news and rumours just last night and found nothing at all. I did find some info on other series I am interested in, War of the Worlds which sounds promising and the series I am most excited about, Northern lights trilogy but nothing at all about the next series of Who.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Hi Puro, (@thane16) It is good to hear from you. I hope all is going well with you and with Thane. I’m guessing he is doing yr 11 now. Hope he is enjoying it. Not sure my recalcitrant is.

It has been so quiet around here of late. We are all going into Dr Who withdrawal I think. Here we have been trying to get by watching though old AG Who. Tonight we finish series 5. It surprised us both how long it is since Matt since leapt out of the Tardis, all wide eyed and floppy haired.

I also realise just how much I am going to miss Moffat’s richly layered writing. Interestingly I suspect my S/O might prefer the more factual style of Chibnell. And all of winter stretches interminably between us and the next series. Even a S.A. winter is too long in such circumstances.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip thanks again for the fascinating run down on the commentary. Friends who help at conventions got to know John Levine from his guest appearances and speak very highly of him. (They recorded an interview with him for their blog) Sounds like he would have been fun to work with. Can imaging how sickly those jelly babies would be.

@jimthefish did not even think you were 🙂 R.L is annoying most of the time. Scripts were often dashed off at the last minute because the original script did not work, often because the script writer’s concepts were simply impossible to convey with the special effects available and budget.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@jimthefish I think Craig has been distracted by that annoying R.L stuff. Hopefully he will find time to put up the next episode soon. Otherwise we could just watch it and start the discussion about Ep 2 here.

Difference of opinion is always good. I am currently setting up a Cult TV classics club locally with the aim of getting people expressing differing opinions on old shows for the purpose of podcasting. If everyone agrees then it will make for a very boring recording. Early Dr Who will of course be featured.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

thanks @wolfweed for the image. Good to see Bessie again. She had wandered hasn’t she!

cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@brunebonaassi Hi. I think you are knew here so welcome.

The issue with the regeneration limit was dealt with in Time of the Doctor. The time lords give him what appears to be unlimited regeneration energy, bending the laws of the universe a little. (Mostly because the BBC did not want a limit to one of their most popular and profitable shows.)

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Urgh those accents!! (Eastern Staters..) thanks for the link @wolfweed. We don’t watch free to air, with good reason so would not have caught this otherwise. I would love to let Capaldi/tucker loose on our incompetents in Canberra though I suspect even his invective would be inadequate.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston my garden is a sorry sight today. We have just experienced the hottest three April days on record and everything is parched. Fingers crossed we will get rain today. It is long long overdue. Normally fire restrictions are lifted on April 15 and then the farmers burn the stubble. The town in ringed with plumes of smoke. I suspect that the burn off won’t start until May this year but the farmers will continue to deny that Global warming is real and happening and just blame it all on seasonal weather variations.

Ont the subject of food and bad Australian cooking an amusing story has just emerged about the origins of chicken salt. (an abomination that chip shops sprinkle liberally over chips if not instructed otherwise) It turns out that our town has the dubious claim to being the home of chicken Salt. Not sure that the council will be keen to broadcast that as one of the town’s great achievements when they do the grand opening of the renovated civic centre next year.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Oh. Going to the city on Friday and have a couple of birthdays to provide an excuse to venture into the bookshop. It has been many many years since I last read a Target Dr Who book. I still have some up in the top room bookcase. But reading the above comments sounds as though it is time to start again. (and I have only got about two chapters of Colour of Magic left and am still waiting for the local bookshop to get the Light Fantastic in. Might have to pop in one day and remind the owner as I suspect she had forgotten. She did find another book I inquired about but it was over $80.00 Au and so I think I will persuade R.1 to borrow it from the Uni library for me instead.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I cannot eat out any more due to food additives. For the same reason i now have to cook everything myself, which is not something I really enjoy. This year I had to start making my own hot cross buns with mixed results. I love lebanese and Indian cuisine. Lately I started making my own Lime Pickle and there are a few excellent Indian groceries which stock lots of things like Samosas which are mostly additive free so every so often we go for a shopping trip and replenish the freezer and pantry. The local fruit and veg shop sells additive free hummus with chili.

@winston I am vegetarian too, but none of my family are and as I don’t eat much I rarely cook vegetarian dishes but I do make sure that vegetable dishes are interesting. I love gardening but it is not one of my skills so I can manage flowers and herbs but vegetables are beyond me. I do have some very loaded chili plants at the moment which I watch over jealously. Right now I have a huge yellow and read hibiscus flowering just outside the window. I have taken a lot of macro shots of the blooms.

@thane16 try roasting spouts with garlic, leek and fresh thyme. They are really good when roasted.

@missy Mashed pumpkin, really sums up Australian fifties cooking. Pumpkin is edible when roasted, otherwise I agree with the Polish, it is pig food.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Ah. This is “my Doctor Who”, the stories I watched as they were screened in Oz. The first story I watched was the Zygon one but I am not sure whether I was watching repeats or not. ABC used to show the new series then run repeats of previous series for about six months. Hence we got to watch and rewatch the same stories every year. I think I watched this when it was first shown or the following year on repeat. I started watching Dr Who in my mid teens when my brother was at Uni and watching it during Uni breaks. Thus I have a deep affection for these stories as they lightened the dreariness of my teenage years.
So while I agree that this story is deeply flawed I still love it. Leela is one of my favourite companions.I enjoyed the relationship between her and K.9 I would argue that Baker is in his prime here, really chewing the scenery and relishing every line. He is larger than life, bonkers and brilliant he is also very much the rebel, poking fun at the pomposity of the time lords.
Yes the sets are notoriously bad, from those blow up plastic seats to, well spoilers..
So, as to mystery, I rather liked the invisible enemies, it sets up a sense that they are going to be extremely bad when we do see them. (I don’t recall how far this episode goes into the story)
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip I rather like the Star Trek solution to the old gender representation problem. I think, personally that despite being so advanced in many ways Gallifrey is still very backwards in terms of social equality. There is clearly a very regressive class system and so it is not unlikely that they also have a degree of old fashioned gender bias. Indeed Rodan implies that. She has been relegated to a minor position because of sexist attitudes. It is also probable that Time Lords chose to regenerate as males, if indeed they were capable of doing so, which is still debatable, for reasons of social advancement.

I enjoyed your commentary as always. I have not been posting because we watched the entire story in one sitting and I could not recall what happened in which episode. The Aztecs is one of my favourite Hartnell stories, Barbara is one of my favourite companions and she is really the star in this story. The Doctor is at his playful best. Hartnell has really embraced the character by this time and is in his prime. And I do love the historical episodes. I only wish they had not lost Marco POlo and The Crusades.

This is an excellent example of so many of the things which arse-fans tend to grumble about, strong female companion taking the lead and the Doctor falling in love for instance and the Doctor not being entirely ethical either. So all in all for many reasons an excellent choice for watching. Now what next??

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ddoherty95 Yes nice profile pic. We are currently watching through some of our favourite TEnnant stories. Last night we watched Family of Blood and Blink. I think we will skip into the Doctor/Donna stories now.
He is such a fine Doctor but so was Chris E as is Matt and Peter Capaldi. They are all brilliant. We have been fortunate indeed to have so many fine actors in the role since the re boot.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@cathannabel You are doing good work. I hope it is a success.
cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave I think Australian cooks of the fifties inherited all that was bad about English cooking with none of the redeeming qualities. Everything boiled to a pulp, no garnishes. Researching into S.A. history I am beginning to understand why. Mutton was the only meat available and it would have gone off so quickly that options were limited, very few vegetables could survive the climate and thin soil, so the staples were limited and cooking in 40c could not have been an appealing prospect. When immigrants arrived in Aus’ post war they could not even find garlic let alone such exotic things as Zucchini, capsicum, eggplant, or even broccoli. I think there is no better illustration of the benefits of multiculturalism than a study of Australian cuisine.

cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Amusing indeed and so of its time. Spag” was an alien food to most Australians in the fifties and no doubt to most Brits as well. My parents never cooked or ate spaghetti. Indeed the limitations of Australian fifties cuisine, (if you could even call it that) is a theme of a cooking column I write for a friend’s newsletter. (I am no cook either but it is for a rural community and could not think of anything else I could contribute that would be of interest to the readers and the evolution of Australian cooking, thanks to immigration is worth reminding people of.)

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Yes and??
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@pedant that is indeed brilliant. A few years ago I customised a Playmobil Port a loo into a Tardis. Someone suggested I call it the Turdis. That might apply there too.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Like @winston I can’t pin down a single favourite either. Though it is a contradiction in terms I have a lot of “favourites”. A lot depends upon mood too. Some days I enjoy a particular episode because it better resonate with my state of mine, with the state of the world. Right now I am in need of reassurance, of something bright to block out reality. (We have just suffered a most unwelcome change of government and lost one of the finest Premiers ever.) So I would not be choosing to watch Heaven Sent, though it is also one of my favourites. I think something with a happier feel is required.
Still making lists is fun but my favouite episode = about twenty episodes and we are heading out to lunch so I will work on it and post it later.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@ddoherty95 They are all the best. Each actor of AG Who (otherwise known as “nu who”) has brought something different to the role, has different strengths and should be appreciated for what they have achieved. I don’t ever feel the need to compare and say one is better than the other. We are currently re watching some Ecclestone Doctor episodes and really enjoying his Doctor. Previously we were watching some Smith episodes and he was equally good but very different. Tennant lights up the screen with his Doctor. They are all exceptional. What however I find truely remarkable is that I can believe that Smith and Ecclestone are the same character. Their acting styles are so different. Capaldi manages to incorporate a little of all three previous Doctors into his characterisation which perhaps makes him feel like the most complete Doctor. “Complete isn’t quite the right word but I can’t think of a closer term to describe what I mean)
Oh and by the way, thanks for keeping the discussion going. We are all feeling the lack of Who at the moment I think and it has been very quiet around here of late.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Interesting commentary as always @bluesqueakpip I always wondered just what age Susan is supposed to be. At times it seems she is a child, at other times the script writers seem to be depicting her as an adult. No wonder Carol Ann Ford struggled to develop the character.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@winston I would be inclined to agree that the angry doctors are the best but then I recall Tom Baker and would have to add, the angry and funny doctors are the best.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@toinfinityandbeyond Well not really Dr Who but the BBC. From what I heard he left due to ethical issues but was honourable enough not to mention it to the press so the BBC should have been grateful to him for that. Would love to see his take on Macbeth.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I think it likely that the Master will return as Master not Missy now that the Doctor is female. The gender tension between them worked so well. Keeping the accent would be nice.
cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

It is possible that the James ! & VIth story deals with witchcraft and the supernatural forces of the Daemonologie. Whatever aspect of his rule is the focus of the story it sounds promising. I love history stories and the period is an interesting one.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I hope he does get to make Masterplan. That design looks fantastic.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Welcome @wibbly-wobbly good name. Oh how often do we quote those words..
I am also rather enthused about the new logo. It think the colour scheme is what won me over. Won’t be so easy to 3d print though.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave I first watched Aztecs when I was in my forties and had a history degree “under my belt” and so no doubt was not “woowed” by the episode as a 12 year old would be but I still enjoyed it. It is one of the better of the extant First Doctor series in my view. It raises the moral question of what to do when confronted with cultural practices that are abhorrent to us. Despite the glaring cultural differences the Aztecs are essentially “people like us”. But enough of general comments. I can’t really comment on the individual episodes unfortunately without another rewatch as I suggested watching this last week on our new (2nd hand) projector and the family not being inclined to wait a week between episodes binge watched.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@thane16 I didn’t even know Dire Straights were Brits and I saw them in concert in Israel of all places but then my knowledge of music is somewhat limited. Knoffler’s evocative music now for me signifies Local Hero.
cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip The doctor has already discovered that wedding dresses don’t have pockets. The subject of pockets in women’s clothes is about as inflammatory as that of kettles. There is simply no reason at all why jackets and coats can’t have good pockets and as for those fake pockets, well they are just insulting. Interestingly Victorian women’s clothing had neatly tailored in pockets though I don’t think they would have accommodated a sonic screwdriver. Which does lead to another thought, will the Doctor stick to her costume when visiting past times. The Doctor has tended to modify what he wears according to the time period to a degree but for a woman that is going to be far more of an issue. She would be rather more conspicuous than desirable running about Victorian London in culottes. She would probably be arrested for indecency.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@craig, my partner is in the process of retiring, (opting for poor and happy rather than well off and hating every second of the day), and considering all the possibilities now that he has time to do things again. We have so many grand plans will need at least two more lifetimes to achieve them all.
I was thinking of doing the episode a day with one of the later series, probably a Tom Baker but that is only because it was the Pertwee and Baker years that I grew up with but whatever is easiest for you is just fine as you are the one doing the work.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip I really like the suggestion. Seems a shame to omit “the Aztecs though. Rather than skip over susan and Romana II can we actually watch at least one series the Australian way, ie Monday to Thursday, just so we can fit it all in. We were actually lucky down here, getting Dr Who four nights a week and when the new series ended they ran repeats, every year which meant seeing some episodes at least once a year which was just fine.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Oh and a note on the Star Wars film, what annoyed me most, even more than the cutesy Disney critters on the island which were so clearly “photoshopped” in, the scenes that were purely designed for 3d effect, or the pointless script, was Ray’s makeup. There she is, a “tomboy” character type on a remote island with perfect makeup of the “spend an hour in front of a mirror” category. It didn’t match the character or the situation, just the Hollywood ideal of what a woman should be. Grrrr
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Finally got to see the film on Boxing Day. Boys spent the next two days ranting about how bad it was. Next year we are going to see Mortal Engines on Boxing Day rather than the next Star Wars film. Hope that doesn’t end up so badly. It is an adaptation of R.3s favourite book which makes it risky however Peter Jackson is the producer so have hope it will be as good as the source material, and I think Steam Punk is a long missed opportunity in cinema. To date only two mainstream films have touched upon it, Golden Compass and Hugo so fingers crossed.
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I feel as though it is a futile gesture, what with the most powerful nation on earth being run by a fruit posing as a human and failing badly in the attempt and so many other nations, like our own being run by witless fools, the planet beginning to fry and those who have the power to deal with it sticking their fingers in their ears and humming so loudly it is deafening but I am going to say it all the same;

HAPPY NEW YEAR. May 2018 be the year it all starts to get better.

From 2018 best wishes to all..

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

On the subject of wild seas of all the channel crossings I did back in my travelling days I only once encountered rough seas. I was reading Brideshead Revisited, the storm on the Atlantic chapter at the time which was apt. I felt as though I was on the same ship as the characters. Had a rough voyage from Le Harve to Ireland once but the worst crossing was from the Lofotons back to mainland Norway. A few weeks later I read a novel about characters making the same crossing in similiar conditions, only they were do it in a boat made of skins the story being set in the stone age.

@mudlark sounds as though you had a lovely Christmas even if there was insufficient time to devote to the most import thing, Dr Who. You are fortunate to have lots of family. Ours is rapidly diminishing. I have not yet had time for a re watch but I think this might become my favourite of all the Christmas Specials, especially as it touches on the Christmas Truce.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave Yes I wish I was there, but not on the cruise ship. I don’t need converting to the wonder of islands either. Various islands and they feature very highly on my “go to” wish list; Hebrides, Shetlands, Lofotons, (Norway). @bluesqueakpip It was perfectly calm when we took the ferry to Iona. The boys feed crisps to the seagulls while I was photographing the shore, the seagulls feasting on crisps and more shoreline. good memories, (better than the photographs sadly)

@karenmarie welcome. Those are two of my favourite episodes. I really like Chris E. too. It was a pity he only left after one series but having heard why I respect his reasons. So like him. but had he not been so good we would not now be looking forward to another series of Dr Who. His performance was crucial to ensuring the success or failure of the “revival”.

cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@blenkinsopthebrave and @thane16 Received a history of S.A today which was aptly titled, “Under the Burning Sun”. We consider mid thirties to be fairly average summer temperature. It don’t get hot until the mercury gets over forty. Oh for snow.. and islands are wonderful. I often wish I could relocate to one of the remote Hebrides especially when the overnight low is over twenty but I suspect I handle the heat better than I would the cold.

@lynn Welcome. No cybermen about. I found the MOndasian version pretty scary, more nightmarish than the more recent, metal iterations.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Hi @scaryb Good to hear from you and @blenkinsopthebrave over in icy cold Canada. Mid thirties here and the upstairs air-con isn’t working so the boys are sweltering at the mo. @thane16 I hope you Mum is better soon. Not fun being ill over Christmas. Please pass on my regards to her and I hope you all get to watch the special together.
@phaseshift, I hope you and partner enjoyed the special screening. Having finally seen the episode I am certain you did. I thought it was near to perfection myself.
We are about to embark upon Christmas Day mk II which is when we exchange gifts between us, the immediate family that is, eat all the left overs, though there was not much left of the Turkey this year so an emergency run to the Supermarket will be required which breaks our house rule of no shopping over the Christmas period, other than on line, Steam sales of course.
Anyways boys are crawling down stairs, or more melting down the stairs so I must away. The day starts with cooked breakfast, though it is certainly more in the late brunch terrain now.

Cheers to all
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Moffat is always at his best when writing the small, intimate stories, not the flash bang wallop end of the universe type script and so I was really glad that he chose to show his strength in the final episode. There have not been many stories that have pleased every member of this family, this was one. R.3, the youngest “recalcitrant” was not going to stay to watch from fear of disappointment but did so and really appreciated the episode.

The highlights were the riffing of Doc’ 1 and Capdoc, meeting up with Rusty again, (I wondered what became of him), meeting the Brig’s grandfather, and of course the Christmas Truce, a story/histoical event/myth so perfectly suited to a Dr Who Christmas Special. The Doctor had to be there. Oh and meeting up with Bill, Nardole and Clara were “icing on the cake”. I would have liked a nod to River and Missy as well but one can’t have everything. And the Moffat years ended as they began, with a burning Tardis.

It was a sombre ending though, not surprising as the theme was death, something much on MOffat’s mind perhaps after the loss of his mother. Perhaps also there is a sense that the world is falling apart and we need the Doctor and his values more than ever.

Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Happy Christmas all and best wishes for 2018. We host the family Christmas lunch here. Sadly we are a diminishing family, now down to ten as the aunt is not well enough to travel. Still the house is decorated within an inch of it’s existence, the pantry is overflowing with seasonal delicacies, mince pies, pepperkaken, Stollen, fruit cake, pudding, and the fridge would bulge if it were physically possible. I am sitting for a few minutes to consult my “to do” list before returning to the fray.
We will be watching Dr Who on “Second Christmas” in two days time when we have our own household celebration, a tradition that began when my father-in-law insisted that there would be no more presents exchanged. Boxing Day is cinema day in keeping with another household tradition, so I would prefer to leave Dr Who until the next day so the enjoyment of it is not clouded by the memories of the film we have just watched, (Not sure that would be a problem this year, the film in question being the latest Star Wars installment), and to spread out the treats. Santa is delivering English jelly babies in honour of that event.
so I hope that everyone here is relaxing, preparing for the big event tomorrow and has tissues on standby for the real event of this season, the Dr Who Christmas Special.
Regards
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@missy and @Everyone Merry Yuletide and best wishes for 2018. May the world begin to improve,
Cheers
Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@fatmaninabox Nice to see you about again. We have missed you.

@craig, We have indeed been honoured. Seems like you might be needing a very big stick,, I noticed that a dodgy post was quickly disappeared recently, maybe the one in question.

Cheers
Janette

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