When we used to hang out in French supermarkets on holiday, we discovered sirop, which is their version of fruit squash. The blackcurrant one was pretty authentic according to my kids, might be worth seeing if someone could supply it?
Sorry, I wasn't aware.......My grandma used to sometimes rhyme at me: "My mother said, I never should, play with the gypsies in the wood ..." .. offensive slang term these days is usually 'Pikeys' so don't use that term. I've met a few over the years as well as living on a 'traveller' (the term most prefer) site or two. I've had them threaten to trash a café I was cooking in in Skegness, saved a couple of 6 year old traveller girls from getting in trouble because they were shoplifting prawns from us (I caught them and handed them over to their Dad instead of security lol) and dodged a bar work shift when about 60 or so of the f*****s tried to storm a pub I worked in.
Having said that, I've also lived with them, got pissed up and stoned with them at Hatfield Court when the old school hippy author Jeremy Sandford let us live at his crumbling mansion and I'll buy whatever crap they're peddling when they come into town ... so I now own two 'lucky' stones and apparently I'll one day be the father of 4 children .. and the key ring attached to my back door key is a gypsy made wooden clothes peg. I bought 5 of those for about £3 off an old traveller woman in Cromer. Half of them will try to rob you though. Their kids are the worst for that... they're little bastards.
The English authorities crack down pretty hard on travellers since the mid 80's at least (Google The Battle Of The Beanfields) so most of them have relocated to France and other parts of Europe these days. Glastonbury Festival '92 saw the travellers knock down the fence keeping them out which is partly why there's a patrolled double fence around the festival these days. I was there and it was epic. A group of them bought a field next door to the festival. They refused to move their vehicles at a different illegal rave so the department that deals with unemployment benefit moved their tables to the sites to pay the travellers that way instead. The Criminal Justice Act came out not long after to clamp down on traveller's movements.
Why are you saying sorry?.. this wasn't your fault X
Or just stick with creme de cassis. It’s alcoholic but, to be honest, sometimes you need a bit of cheering up. They make some in the UK at twice the price of the French stuff if you prefer.
Ronnie's always polite. My Skegness café experience wasn't that exciting, just a small family of travellers with Grandad trying to blag a free pastry off me:
I was saying sorry for bringing it up, I had no idea.
Too bloody right & donchoo forget it.
Thanks.
Now that's an idea!
Where is it, I don't see a video or photo?Hey, @Ronnie - here's Techy cycling along a typical green Cheshire lane towards our much-beloved Beeston castle.
Beeston stands out on the mainly flat Cheshire plain, facing south. You can navigate by it.
I can recommend having a look at Beeston Castle online. If you go to Google Earth there's drone footage of it.
Note the skilful topiary to Techy's right.
Oh my God - do you know how lucky you are? To be living with such beauty all around you, I would never leave!Hey, @Ronnie - here's Techy cycling along a typical green Cheshire lane towards our much-beloved Beeston castle.
Beeston stands out on the mainly flat Cheshire plain, facing south. You can navigate by it.
I can recommend having a look at Beeston Castle online. If you go to Google Earth there's drone footage of it.
Note the skilful topiary to Techy's right.
View attachment 51687
And it's so Clean there!!Hey, @Ronnie - here's Techy cycling along a typical green Cheshire lane towards our much-beloved Beeston castle.
Beeston stands out on the mainly flat Cheshire plain, facing south. You can navigate by it.
I can recommend having a look at Beeston Castle online. If you go to Google Earth there's drone footage of it.
Note the skilful topiary to Techy's right.
View attachment 51687
Every time I hear "O, to be in England", I can't help thinking of that tune by The Art Of Noise that says that. Sorry Ronnie but I've got to get this out of my system .. skip to 3:20
Wow - I've got to tell you I showed hubby your photo of your husband biking to Beeston Castle, he couldn't get over it!This is the Peckforton Elephant. It was carved in the 19th century and stands in someone's garden in a village where we sometimes cycle.
If you look at the Cycling thread you'll see us posing in lovely English and Welsh surroundings.
View attachment 51688
Always good to see a nicely trimmed bush.
Come about 10 miles south to Whitchurch. We've got plenty of dog mess and broken glass if it will make you feel better.
Years ago (decades ago) when I was pre-marriage (and divorced 2003), which would have been around....ooh...probably sometime between 1992-95, we were visiting the (soon to be) mother-in-law, up in Wrexham, and for some reason we decided to go on a day visit to Beeston Castle.
Where I was brought up and now live, the only prominent geographical landmarks were Beeston Hill and Mow Cop. I'd get up either one as often as possible and however I could. Dragged assorted friends and partners and later my own children along. Happy days.
Correct: The road about 200m west of the village called 'Shire Lane' marks the the Herts-Bucks boundary, and theres a spot height of 244m on the OS map. That's the highest point in Hertfordshire, just about 800 feet. Confusingly, one source I have gives the highest point a little further west and 4 metres higher but that looks to me to be definitely in Bucks.
Reminiscent of..
