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Woke up this morning to the urgent buzz of water bombers overhead. The fire has turned south now and is endangering numerous towns and suburbs. The wind is erratic and I cannot begin to imagine just what hell it must be for the firefighters on the ground. From looking at the maps it appears to have got within a kilometre of Patrick’s friend’s place before it turned so hopefully their house has survived but plenty of others not so lucky. As I said on the Guardian, I just wish all those world leaders who are sitting on their bums doing nothing about Global Warming and the denialists could be dumped down into South Australia today, given CFS uniforms and put to work with hoses, right on the front line. Let them experience the heat.

@blenkinsopthebrave and @arbutus Canada sounds very appealing right now.  Better stockpile the Jammy Dodgers. Soon S.A’ population will be turned into climate refugees.

@barbaralefty Give me snow any day over 44+ temperatures. I can even drive on snow. Kids can put on snow suits and go tabogganing or build snow men. Here one sits in front of the air con watching the garden shrivel outside, powerless to save it, listening to the buzzing of water bomb planes overheard.

@purofilion thanks. We are about as safe as it is possible to be. Makes me grateful for not having a pretty view out of the windows. It is nice to be a few minutes drive from the country, close enough to enjoy without the dangers.

Cheers

Janette

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Well what a start to the year. 44c in the city which means 46c here. No wonder the garden looks as though it has been blasted. Clear blue sky with an ominious billowing grey white cloud south east of here and no not potential rain but smoke. One of our son’s friends lives in the danger zone and has been evacuated but his Dad stayed so we are a little anxious tonight. Now it is getting dark we can see the red glow from the attic windows.

Cheers

Janette

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@purofilion I have issues with spelling as well as punctuation, especially before coffee, so don’t worry.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@XADA what @lisa just said. Also seeing Anna Chancellor on the cast reminded me of that heart wrenching scene in the final episode of  The Hour which is well worth including if we do a P.C. retrospective.

Green wooden sheep? Well at least it is memorable. (luckily my youngest doesn’t have any sheep in his wooden animal collection or I would be seriously tempted to paint one green.)

Cheers

Janette

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@purofilion everything is better with garlic (except jam sandwiches) but not so sure about the 1812. (I was momentarily confused there.)

It was probably one of the best new year’s eves ever. Last year we spent three hours on public transport. Can’t get much worse than that.

cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Happy New Year to all. I would like to echo @blenkinsopthebrave‘s toast.

Our New Year’s Eve really summed up 2014. We were heading down to the Sister in law’s for a fun evening, ample booze in the boot and the kids eager to try out the new uncle’s PS4. Half way the car overheated and we had to pull over. Called the RAA. Waited two hours. The first mechanic they sent couldn’t find us even though we were on the side of a main road. Luckily there was an oval nearby for the kids to run about on and a tree for the youngest to climb, SO had his phone and I had my book. The RAA finally arrived, patched up the car sufficiently to get us home, and yes sticky tape was involved, by which time the bubbly was warm, the kids were starving and the local pubs had stopped serving food. The bubbly went into the freezer to chill, we whipped up some emergency pasta and then we passed the night playing Munchkin. At midnight SO played the end of 1812 while the boys popped balloons wearing the masks which their aunt and partner gave them for Chrismas. In the end it was hilarious fun and I am not thinking about the car until Monday.

Best wishes to all for 2015.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

I will third @blenkinsopthebrave‘s top two items; an appearance for Ian and the return of River. I also want an appearance of Unit and the Paternoster Gang. I also want Orson Pink to be explained and to find out what became of the Toy Soldier. (Would rather like Orson to become a Tardis traveller too, at least for the odd episode.) I also second the suggestion of a special featuring Doctor Eight.

On the topic of gap viewing I really liked @rob‘s suggestion that we discuss one of the Who books as well. It might be interesting to read both older and newer books to compare. (I was tempted to buy the compilation of short stories over christmas so would welcome an excuse to do so.)

Also if we are going to do a Capaldi retrospective we might include some non Who. (Crow Road? Local Hero?)

@craig thanks for sorting our unwanted spammer. They pick their times don’t they?

Happy New Year @all and best wishes for 2015

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip Whenever in the UK I get the feeling that the island is sinking under the weight of humanity which is not entirely untrue as the south is sinking but not because of humans. I do understand the ban on fires. Overpopulation impacts upon quality of life, something which I think more governments need to consider. (Even in an underpopulated country like ours.)

@blenkinsopthebrave. I am happy to watch Hartnell and Troughton stories as they were “before my time”. We do have all the reconstructions or at least one version of and our youngest has watched some of them but I have not done so which is why I welcomed the suggestion. Maybe watching only reconstructions all year would be a bit much however so perhaps we should start with two reconstructed stories then watch several from later series. We do have a long gap to fill.

Cheers

Janette

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I agree that the companions have become surrogate “family” for the Doctor and I like that development a lot. I also really hope we get River back at least once more. I really hoped that she would cross multiple regenerations also the recurrance of side characters like River, Vastra and Unit gives the Doctor universe more depth and reinforces the sense that each regeneration, though different, is the same person and I agree with you the Doctor needs “family” on occasions, (and most likely in small doses)  just as all lonely travellers do.

Cheers

Janette

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I would vote for more BG Who. (provided it wasn’t 6th Doctor. Watching one story was quite enough.) I agree with @blenkinsopthebrave ‘re Torchwood. It would be equally as much a slog as watching 6th Doctor. I do like the suggestion that we watch some of the incomplete stories, more hard work than the complete ones so the added incentive is useful but so much worth the effort. (I hope anyway.)

@miapatrick the house sounds lovely. Nothing is as good as an open fire. We have a combustion heater in the living room which is essentially scrap metal taking up space. I plan to get rid of it at some stage and replace it with a grate so we can have the occasional open fire.

I was wrong about the open fire thing then but what is the situation in regard to camp fires? when I camped in the UK we weren’t told we couldn’t have camp fires but the owner of at least one camp ground was bemused to find that we didn’t use gas cookers, “like everybody else”.

Cheers

Janette

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Thank-you @lisa for the link. Some exciting rumours there. I was pleased that Ian Chesterton got a mention also happy that Jenna referred to unresolved issues or threads with her character. Hopefuly Orson and the toy soldier is one of those.

Sorry but I think the theory regarding Rory being Clara’s Dad would somewhat tarnish his character and I just don’t think the series would go there. I think the hint of rivarly over the Doctor was more current verses ex, akin to the Rose’s reaction to Sarah Jane Smith. Every companion likes to think they are special, the one and only and River was understandably miffed to find that her “husband” had not informed his current pretty young travelling companion that he had a wife. Thank you though for bringing up the link between River and Clara. I keep forgetting about that. I do hope we get an explanation for it, along with Dan the Soldier Man. (I can’t think of any explanation for it myself and it is always fun to toss ideas into the ring. The more bonkers the better. 🙂

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@bluesqueakpip @juniperfish and @purofilion

I also am in the Doctor as “space Dad” not actual DNA Dad camp. I suspect that Moffat and PC are aiming to establish a father/daughter type relationship for the Doctor and companion in the upcoming series. Acutally I think they should model the Doctor/Clara relationship on that of Hartnell and Lambert in “An Adventure in Time and Space” which was in turns, caring, supportive, paternal and maternal.

Cheers

Janette

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@bluesqueakpip I actually thought open fires in the UK were a thing of the past, (like orphanges) which reinforced to me anyway the dream like nature of those scenes. Whenever I travelled in the UK I only ever encountered the fake, gas variety which put out no heat at all. I was surprised in my youth to discover that camp fires are not the done thing either. So much for playing out “the Famous Five” then.

Cheers

Janette

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@purofilion yes we saw the Hobbit on Saturday. It was very good. I am hoping to go back and see it again while it is still in cinemas but this time in 2d. (I find 3d distracting and often distorting.)

I too love the scene when the Doctor is flying the sleigh. I am certain that PC was really enjoying himself in that one. I felt that not only has this incarnation of the Doctor finally found his “skin” but that PC is really comfortable in the role.

@rob. Good to hear from you.

@mudlark  I am glad that you got to watch the episode and hope the cat enjoyed it. Most important.

@nerys I was too distracted with the “discussion” to say how much I like your idea that “Santa/Father Christmas orchestrated the entire dream thing in order to get the Doctor and Clara back together in the Tardis.

The question as to whether JC intended to leave or not is really not relevant to the story that we have. I doubt she ever was thinking of leaving but even if she were it is the story that we have now that matters not what might have been. Like any TV script writer Moffat knows that at any time an actor might pull out and scripts must be changed accordingly. No writer has absolute control over the story in tv.

 

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@barbaralefty

On the other hand, what *are* we going to do now till after summer? Xx

Now that is a very important question. I think we need to discuss this over on The Sofa as I am not sure if our wondeful mods have anything planned for 2015 and as you say, it is going to be a very long wait, after our summer and your summer. 🙂

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@nerys Perfectly clear. Hopefully we have put the troll to rest. I no longer have steam ejecting from my ears after a couple of glasses of excellent Barossa Alicante. I too will now go and watch Extra. It sounds as though from your comment and @pedant‘s that our “fantasy hating friend” didn’t expect us to either be willing or able to watch it.

In the end however there is no “right or wrong” in this discussion. Moffat very deliberately wrote this story in such as way as to leave that to the viewer to choose. Having opposing views as to whether a being to can traverse the world in a single night in vessel that defys the laws of time and space exists within the world of Dr Who or not is fine as long as we respect each other’s views, as we all do, on this wonderful site. Personally I am happy to believe in Santa just as much as I believe in the Doctor. (And I have long been of the opinion that Santa/Father Christmas is a time lord and longing for the tv series to explain that.) Also in the first AG series Rose does at one point make a comment the like of “you are not Santa”. He responds with a reference to the bike she received when she was nine(I think) implying that the Doctor himself is Santa/Father Christmas. RTD implied also that the patriachial solstice saint was real and if not the Doctor was at the least a time lord.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@nine9 There is a difference between believing in something and enjoying the suspension of disbelief. I for one would have been very disappointed has this episode not allowed for that but this is a Moffat story and you can read it differently to me because Moffat’s writing allows for that.

cheers

Janette

 

so it is our fault that we haven’t seen Extra is it and not just you being rude?

[janetteB @replies]

sorry (mods please delete this post.)

[janetteB @replies]

@nine9 Not all cultures have access to Dr Who either and I think you will find that most cultures are aware of Santa/Father Christmas even if they don’t celebrate Christmas. (I saw plenty of Santa images in Istanbul for instance.) Secondly if JC confirmed that she was intending to leave then I am wrong but you forget that not all of us have acess to “Extra” (maybe) including @nerys. In future don’t make assumptions about either what other people think or what they know and you will find your comments are generally more apprecaited here.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nine9 That is speculation not fact. One dubious news source claimed that JC was quitting and they may have simply been wrong.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

or as @blenkinsopthebrave said

But then we realise (perhaps because we become parents and see the wonder of Santa though the children’s eyes, or perhaps because we re-connect with the small child lurking inside of us all) that Santa (and the Doctor) is something worth believing in again. Even though we know it isn’t “real”.

Cheers

Janette

 

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@nine9 I said that we like to occasionally suspend disbelief, after all isn’t that what we do whenever we sit in front of a TV screen or pick up a book, and what parents wouldn’t want there to be a kindly person who delivers presents to our children every Christmas. Think of the savings!! (not to mention an early night on Christmas eve.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@nine9 It is left to the veiwer to read that as they will, after all no rational explanation is given for the moving chalk. Moffat ensures that we can never be entirely certain one way or the other.

Cheers

Janette

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@nine9 I think you are forgetting that the series is not written for aging fans who have been watching since Hartnell but for fans ranging from age four to 104. The existance of Santa must at least be presented as a possibility and not least for the older fans too because at Christmas we all, regardless of age, want to believe in the existance of a person who has a vehicle that is bigger on the inside and defies the nomal laws of time.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I think the house is just an idealised house, the kind of house Clara would like to live in and not necessarily any particular house. I really must watch again to see that final scene again, if it is the same house but  I don’t think it was clear at the time because I was on the lookout for that. Likewise the presents under the tree are part of her dream and of course one would dream a lot of presents, or at least, I would. Likewise there is an open fire; an emblem of warmth and comfort rather than the more prosaic, dreary central heating unit. The open fire was one of the motifs of the dream. I am not sure that Clara’s step-mother would tolerate an open fire, “smoky, messy things.” Christmas being about family it is fairly natural that she would think of her father, hoping to see him but without the annoying step-mother and of course that sets up the Doctor as father figure which I think will define their relationship in the next series.

@bluesqueakpip

This means that we can’t be sure whether or not Santa is real – in fact, even by the end of the episode, we’re still not sure whether Santa is somehow real, since Shona, Fiona and Ashley were all in the dreams and yet were also real.

Moffat was never going to outright say that Santa was or wasn’t real just as we never will know, (I suspect) if the monster in Listen was real. Ambiguity is one of the strengths, pleasures or torments, (depending upon personal preference I suppose) of his writing.

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@blenkinsopthebrave

But if that is too straight-forward an explanation, then you could also see Clara as the audience. In fact, all the companions, in their own way, are representitive of the audience for the show–they have their Doctor, who they travel with, until they wake up from the dream, and find other interests. Sort of like when we become too sophisticated to believe in Santa. But then we realise (perhaps because we become parents and see the wonder of Santa though the children’s eyes, or perhaps because we re-connect with the small child lurking inside of us all) that Santa (and the Doctor) is something worth believing in again. Even though we know it isn’t “real”.

I think this may be Moffat’s best Christmas special yet. He really is a brilliant writer.

 

Very well said indeed. I think ‘re discussion of the significance of the tangerine on the window sill at the end, it is not a plot device but a direct nod to the audience, a meta comment. This is a family show after all. That tangerine is there for the viewers who do still believe in Santa (ie the younger members of the family) and those who have re-connected with “the small child lurking inside of us all). It is there to remind us that when we watch fiction we suspend disbelief and for a moment we can believe in Santa again. (because deep down we all want to just as much as the people in the dream state did.)

Cheers

Janette

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I do indeed like a bit of snow @phaseshift and I am suitably envious.

Happy Christmas, Still many days to go and if I hadn’t been celebrating with a bottle of very good Alicante I would be capable of counting. (I am of the opinion that Christmas is too important to be relegated to one solitary square in the calendar.)

Cheers

Janette

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Sorry @Purofilion Rimmer is a Red Dwarf character. I probably wasn’t very clear in my post. Trouble with posting before coffee.

@macphisto sorry don’t recall exactly when Rimmer makes that remark to Dave.  My SO once watched an entire series of Red Dwarf in a night when in the U.S. The reason for the, (suspected) Red Dwarf reference was because the episode featuring the despair squid also nests dreams within dreams so all those comments in other places of Dr Who ripping the idea from Inception are rather behind the times. Red Dwarf and numerous other stories did it before. No idea is entirely original it is what one does with the idea that matters.

Also some excellent posts.

I suspect that some time has passed between the Doctor and Clara’s last parting and the reunion in this episode. I also think if Clara was pregnant as someone (sorry I have forgotten whom) suggested then she would not have wanted to stay in the sleigh with Santa. Fun though it would be to have a single mum and child travelling in the Tardis I don’t think it would be feasible from a production view point. I think there fore that we can now safely assume that Orson is not Danny and Clara’s descendant.

Cheers

Janette

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Woke up thinking about the episode and was struck by the obvious the Dave on the list is Lister. Shona is the girl whom at one stage Rimmer tells his is “his type” as opposed to Kochanski. Apologies if someone else has posted this. I couldn’t wait to read through the work of the night shift. Now have got that out, time to drink coffee and catch us. 🙂

Cheers

Janette

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Given that the scene with aging Clara is shot in the same house as the other dream scenes with the signatory open fire I suspect that it was always part of the dream sequence. I would not put it past Moffat to seed a few red herrings just to tease us poor gullible fans.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@purofilion The inlaws like to keep it traditional, roast turkey, glazed ham, plum pud etc. SO’s aunt brings a lovely bowl of mixed berries in keeping with a family tradition. I think I manage as head cook rather well for a vegie that is. The SO helps a lot as did the new BBQ. Even the boys were useful this year, setting the table etc. We follow the full Christmas Day lunch with curry on Boxing Day but the Hobbit was deferred until tomorrow when we celebrate our “second Christmas”. Greedy aren’t we? 🙂

Cheers

Janette

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@geoffers

it could still simply be the amount of time that passed in danny’s and clara’s relationship, in which he believed she had quit travelling with the doctor, and she had really been lying to him, instead? that’s how i look at it, now…

I think you are right.

Good spot @fatmaninabox re’ Clara’s flat. I assumed that the house was her imaginary “dream house” and she is still living in the cramped little flat but I wasn’t entirely sure though if the final scene was back in her flat or in the dream house. Will have to watch again to be certain. Thus far attention has been given to keeping the flat sets consistent. This was potentially a very open ended story as dreams exist within dreams and we are left wondering as to when it both began and ended. Excellent stuff and classic Moffat.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

Wow. Have just finished watching and the big question being asked here is, when did the dream state begin? The youngest pointed out that the fiery planet looked very like the place where Clara threw the keys in “Dark Water” hinting that everything since might have been a dream. I doubt  that will be the case but interesting idea. SO is curious as to just when the Doctor does go into the dream state given that Santa first appears after he and Clara part. I really don’t think MOffat would erase the events of the previous two episodes like that but it would mean that “scarf girl” is still alive which would please many fans, our Blenkinsop amongst them. 🙂

Nice to see Danny again but I was caught unprepared, no tissues. I wondered if old Clara was referring to Orson as the one who was impossible but guess that was just the Doctor’s ego shaping the dream.

In terms of scoring, if I was to, which I don’t, I think I would be hovering between  a nine or a ten. It really was a super Christmas Special. Now only how many months to the next series? Urgh it has to be a nightmare, I must have a face hugger. I need to wake up!!

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Merry Christmas all.

Have been too busy to post for the past two days, enslaved in the kitchen brewing up a feast. Now relaxing and looking foward to watching Dr Who tonight and of course joining in the discussion here afterwards. 🙂

Cheers

Janette

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Happy solstice to all, be it summer or winter.

Down here we celebrate the return of the rain or at least the possiblity of.. and indeed it did almost rain upon the summer solstice party we were at tonight, but alas not so will have to pay son2 to water the garden tomorrow after all.

Cheers

Janette

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My SO also got Eleventh so we get to travel together with the Doctor. 🙂

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I got the Eleventh Doctor. Yay. Now I want the adventures to begin. Actually most were good questions for that kind of quiz. Usually I have trouble answering any honestly.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

On the subject of terrible Christmas pressies I think we just won the contest. Our sons are giving us a shower curtain this year. (actually we bought it, gave to them to give to us.) Only it is a Tardis shower curtain. Yes I confess to being the most hopeless merchandising victim and we really did need a new shower curtain and I was going to paint the bathroom blue. Maybe instead of an Egyptian theme we should do a Who theme with Gallifreyan writing stencilled on the walls. (having trouble selling this idea to my SO. Might have to ply him with more port.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@purofilion one hard drive isn’t plugged in at the moment, another has died and we have not yet attempted to recover what is on it as we don’t have enough hard drive space left to back up the contents. We decided that hard drives are too pragmatic for Xmas pressies and haven’t had time to really consider just what we need anyway so after Christmas the family entertainment set up will hopefully be fully restored.

Jonathan Strange .. is a novel which has finally been adapted for TV by the BBC. It is set in an alternate Regency England where magic is real drawing upon British fairy lore. (Pre the prettification of Spencer and Shakespeare) One of my favourite books hence my excitement about the adaptation.

On seasonal viewing I forgot to mention that we recently watched “Hogfather” which was lots of fun. I have only read one Terry Pratchet so didn’t know what to expect. I wondered if the story will in any way provide some inspiration for this year’s Christmas special. Certainly some of the roof top scenes reminded me of some of the promo images.

Cheers

Janette

 

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My Christmas watch list mostly consists of Dr Who. Have rewatched The Christmas Invasion, the Widow and Wardrobe and Snowmen,( still the best), specials in the past week. (I can’t actually find any of the others) I also just rewatched the Stewart version of A Christmas Carol. We have the 1977 Michael Hordorn version as well which is well worth watching but alas it is on the same hard drive as most of ‘Who’ which is currently inaccessible.

I have also indulged in some of my favourite dramas as I don’t tend to watch TV much during the hols when everybody is home. (Or not “my’ shows at least.)

Christmas is associated for us with LOTR as the films open on Boxing Day so, though the Hobbit suffers a little from being hte lesser tale, we will be lining up at the local cinema on Boxing Day in keeping with family tradition. But the Tv series that I am really excited about, and still awaiting news of is Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I was expecting that it would air over Christmas but clearly not which is a pity as I think it would make for excellent Christmas viewing. I am still hoping for January as images from the series are now beginning to circulate.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@phaseshift those goldfish appeal to me for just the same reason. I almost bought a self stirring coffee mug today. Another Red Dwarf inspired invention? When it comes to silly presents, apart from merchandising, mostly of a Dr Who nature, I buy myself Playmobil to add to my medieval display. I used to use the boys as a pretext but now they are getting too old I just shamelessly ask for it for myself.

Thus far Dr Who related purchases are limited to micro figures for the stockings but will be venturing back into the ABC Shop on Friday so that might well change. I think there is at least one Dr Who Tee Shirt on its way here too.

Cheers

Janette

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@scaryb Item 2 was having Ian make an appearance in the series. I’m still hoping that will happen as I suspect we are not finished with Clara and Coal Hill School yet. I am not familiar with “What Culture”. Clearly I’m culturally lacking then. 🙂 All the other points were utter nonsense, the usual Moff’ bashing, as others have pointed out. I feel sorry for him. Even knowing that those Arse Fans scraped up from the bottom end of the gene pool represent only a small fraction of fandom, the abuse must be disheartening. No wonder he is no friend of social media.

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@botheyesshut I am glad that you will be the coolest kid in town, along with wife and kid of course. 🙂  (my emoticons are rather like my son’s internet responses when he was four. All he could type was “hello”, so someone in the game would be saying, “you are about to be attacked by orcs” and in response he would type “hello”. ) Oh and welcome to the forum.

@barbaralefty Great new avatar. (I liked the old one too.)

@Purofilion. You comment apparantly sparked a shower here though oddly enough the sun is still shining but there are huge splats of rain on our tiles. Unfortunately though dramatic, it won’t suffice for the garden.

Cheers

Janette

 

 

[janetteB @replies]

Re’ @avpr212 link I skimmed through dismissing every point as either minor or outright incorrect, (having just rewatched LIsten last night I was outraged by their criticism of what in my view is one of the highlights of a good season) until  I got to point 2 which which I agree 101% . The article was worth it after all, but purely for point 2.

@Barbara Lefty. I love that question. I think we could have a lovely discussion about that but I think my conclusion would be, if they don’t have a Santa then they need one or at the very least, A Doctor.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

I wonder where it is filmed. We were going out to Silverton on Tuesday to see the pub and the car, still on display out in front, from one of the earliest movies but ran out of time. Still I have been there before, taken the photos etc. (I think I would prefer to visit the Silverton pub than watch the movie myself.)

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@Purofilion and @arbutus. WE have the car for you. A fiat 128 It was a gift for the boys from an old family friend who is a motoring enthusiast. (That gene skipped my partner and our offspring too). Drove it home today from the and half way home the muffler fell off. We managed to get it safely into the drive where it will stay until the boys are able to fix it or pay to get it fixed. We are now calming down over a few glasses of McClaren Vale sav’ blanc and leftover nibbles from the picnic which we organised today.

Sorry to hear about the flood Puro. I hope it is all fixed now.

@blenkinsopthebrave. I did not know that Canada also has a state monopoly on wine sales. In Sweden all alcoholic bevvies were sold by System Bologet. That took us some time to get used to, especially the limited hours.

I have always been more of a cognac girl myself. I think it is my Mum’s fault. When we were kids she would leave the fruit for cakes to soak overnight in brandy. Naturally we would pick out the cherries in the morning so when I was working in English pubs and not sure what to drink I opted for brandy. For some time I wondered why it always tasted better on Sundays. I thought it must just have been because it was the end of the week, etc until I caught my fellow waiters puring the drinks. The bar was shut by then and the owners over the road so I was getting cognac. The owners wouldn’t even give us staff discount. Little did they know…

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

9/10 for me and time for another coffee.

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

@scaryb and @pedant. I would vote for the Leaky Couldron too though maybe that is unfair as I am not familiar with Wetherspoons but I think the Doctor would feel quite at home in the “Couldron” relaxing over a pint or two of pumpkin ale and reminiscing about times past. Well actually, Does the Doctor ever relax or reminsce?

Cheers

Janette

[janetteB @replies]

Happy Birthday @phaseshift. (if belated) I insidious spread of “Black Friday” is a inevitability in the age of the internet. I fear it is only a matter of time before it spreads here which will make me grateful for living in a town almost entirely bereft of shops. I find that shopping becomes increasingly less appealing as all the interesting little shops, the small businesses drown under the corporate wave and all we are left with is the big, anodyne stores which all sell same old mass produced, made by slave labour crap.

Still I am going to put up the Christmas tree this afternoon, get the boys decorating and play Christmas music. I will have fun and I am looking forward to Christmas, not least because there will be Dr Who, Battle of the Five Armies, (comes out Boxing Day here) and maybe, fingers tripple crossed, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. (I think the later may screen in January.)

Cheers

Janette

 

[janetteB @replies]

@pedant. Well said. (especially the line about the technical term for climate change denialists.) I would add a smilie but it is not a topic to smile about. I am dreading this summer. 47c is no fun at all, especially when I watch my garden is withering.

Cheers

Janette

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