Toast

I've always loved that one.

No, it's really old, 80s vintage I think. The thermostat went ages ago, so it was OK for cooking anything that didn't need to be in there long, like pizza. I did ask our local electrician about replacing it, and he said, not worth it because of its age, as something else would go next. And sure enough, it's given up altogether now.

My ancient oven has finally conked out. Now I'm in a bit of a predicament because it's a built-in oven, and being so old, it's quite a lot bigger (top to bottom) than today's standard sizes. So it's not going to be as simple as taking old one out and sticking new one in. I will probably need to get a chippie to, I dunno, make a little cupboard or drawer out of the extra space and make sure the aperture is the right size for a new oven. But I will need to get the old oven disconnected and taken out first, won't I? So we can measure the space. This is all going to take weeks, innit. And I liked my old oven. It's a decent size, and it has a proper separate grill. Now you have to have two ovens to get a separate grill. I don't need two fucking ovens. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put the grill inside the oven?

So, New Order albumed and toured this year. I stand corrected on my poor predicting a few years back. I'll now confidently predict ABBA for the 2016 Hell Freezes Over award, albeit probably more of an event than proper reunion. Not with Hooky though. That does still seem to tick the Hell Freezes Over box.

Please, no.

I heard the bombs had "with love from Paris" written on them. They were American bombs, not French. They could have still put that note on the bombs,just becuase it's not France dropping the bombs doesn't mean vengeance isn't possible.I think the French would write avec l'amour de Paris on their bombs.Can I like this one twice? Best response this month. Well played.SC Expect they'd write Je t'embrasse. "Bisous de Paris", shurely.

I don't think Sheerness is a particularly desirable place to live, from what I gather. http://www.ilivehere.co.uk/isle-of-sheppey-guide.html A good read, including the comments! My grandfather (who died long before I was born, alas) came from Sheerness, but my only personal acquaintance with the place is passing through to catch the ferry to Vlissingen en route to Amsterdam. Good times.

It wouldn't be the first ship to explode off Sheerness. HMS Princess Irene or even the second HMS Bulwark

Then you saved yourself some embarrassment, because they were not mistaken. From the O.E.D: madam, n. c. colloq. A conceited or precocious girl or young woman; a hussy, a minx; also applied to a female child, esp. in little madam. In quot. 1787, prob. condescending rather than derisive or opprobrious. 1787 W. Beckford Portuguese Jrnl. 1 June (1954) 54 Spouse goes a-pilgrimaging to Nossa Senhora do Cabo; little madam whisks round the Botanic Garden. 1802 ‘P. Pindar’ Middlesex Election ii. 31 I'd make the Madams squall. 1874 ‘S. Beauchamp’ Grantley Grange I. 68 ‘I do not think they [sc. hop-pickers] are troubled with much shyness’. ‘O, not a bit of it, Sir Charles..they're brazen madams, and quite above my hands’. 1903 Eng. Dial. Dict. IV. 3/2 [s. Notts.] Come heär, madam, or ah'll smack yer. She's a mardy little madam. 1975 J. Hitchman Such Strange Lady ii. 23 She was always something of a little madam, spoiled, but not over-indulged. 1982 M. Binchy Light Penny Candle ii. xii. 279 She was a proper little madam that one.

My daughter (Edmonton trip) has a seasonal job at Lush. The training was intense (her words) and she really is enjoying it. Her shop is in a prime location near the food court. I went to visit her last Friday and the shop had about eight staff on duty and they were all busy with customers. Tried and true business model ? Of course they were all busy with customers. They're obviously under orders to harass them continuously. I realise this, so I am always pleasant to them, but it does get a bit wearing when you are approached for the sixth or seventh time. If I didn't want something specific I would avoid the place like the plague. Toastie, you old curmudgeon!! Oi, less of the 'old'. Disclaimer: I don't really look like this

I feel really stupid now. I've been using mine to clean the carpets.

My daughter (Edmonton trip) has a seasonal job at Lush. The training was intense (her words) and she really is enjoying it. Her shop is in a prime location near the food court. I went to visit her last Friday and the shop had about eight staff on duty and they were all busy with customers. Tried and true business model ? Of course they were all busy with customers. They're obviously under orders to harass them continuously. I realise this, so I am always pleasant to them, but it does get a bit wearing when you are approached for the sixth or seventh time. If I didn't want something specific I would avoid the place like the plague.

Lush. Why, in a shop approximately the size of a shoebox, do they need to employ 120 sales assistants? I went in there today to buy a couple of bathbombs, and had to fend off countless chirpy teenagers wanting to give me advice. There was barely any room for the customers in there. While across the road in John Lewis there was absolutely nobody at all on the entire vast shop floor to answer a simple question like "does this come in any other colours?"

I likes me a bit of Serge too ....

So, he was 20 when they got married and she was 12? That may well have been legal when they married. The legal minimum age for marriage in England was 14 for boys and 12 for girls until well into the 20th century. It was raised to 16 for both some time in the 1920s, I believe. Yes, 1929! here you are - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Marriage_Act_1929 They were born and married in India. Then I guess it was legal there, too. Point is, most people don't realise how recently such marriages were perfectly legal in England. Even more recent in Ireland, I think.

So, he was 20 when they got married and she was 12? That may well have been legal when they married. The legal minimum age for marriage in England was 14 for boys and 12 for girls until well into the 20th century. It was raised to 16 for both some time in the 1920s, I believe. Yes, 1929! here you are - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Marriage_Act_1929

He doesn't necessarily have Ebola. The text says that this ward is for any highly contagious disease, not just Ebola. He doesn't necessarily have any other highly-contagious disease either. The text also says "He was taken to the Lyme Building where there is a less public entrance than the main ones", probably for security reasons. Though of course, he may be seriously ill. Carelessly dropped the soap a few too many times...that'll teach him to use a less public entrance. "Overdosed on chocolate" according to Vince Hill. Shouldn't these be in the Rolf Harris thread btw? If it was a choccie binge, is that a cry for help/suicide attempt, then? Hmmm Might be a better 2016 bet than I figured. I'd actually agree with that. Apparently, he's diabetic, so he "overdosed" on purpose to get out of prison. I think he's beginning to realize that he might never be free again. So, was this a cry for help or seriouis bit, I mean, can we tell what it is yet? Death By Chocolate? I can think of worse ways to go.

Steady on, Zorders never mentioned the Death List committee. The heading is DI Committee, not DL. I've no idea what that is, except that it seemingly includes a Welsh chap.

Hmmm, twin jockeys. Michael and Richard Hills?

Were they twins? I didn't know that. Anyway, twas the drink that got Pat, sadly. PAT EDDERY'S daughter Natasha has posted a heartbreaking Instagram post mourning the loss of her father after his battle with alcohol. Former champion Flat jockey Pat Eddery died on Tuesday aged 63 and his daughter wrote on Wednesday about the pain and sadness that surrounded her following his death. 'His addiction was too strong' She wrote: "Filled with grief this morning that my dad Pat Eddery is no longer here. It's been five years since I last saw [him], we stayed in touch and spoke on the phone, I never missed a birthday etc and not a day went by when I didn't think about him. "The last time I saw him face to face was when I brought him home from rehab and he drank straight away. I turned to him and said 'dad if you choose to drink over health and family, I can't be part of that life for you.' "Sadly his addiction was too strong and he couldn't overcome it. My siblings and his close friends did all we could to help him battle his illness, but we lost in the end. It has been so sad to witness his decline and my siblings and I knew that we would loose him to his demon drink. "But that said, I loved him so much and I had probably the best childhood anyone could ask for. I was so proud and still am so proud to be his daughter, he was an amazing jockey, father and husband, but in the end he was taken over by a terrible disease."

Vera Lynn for me again. No particular reason.

I like what you did there.

What's 2.69m in real (old fashioned) money? 8 feet and 8.25459 inches. Unverified?!? He's dead, bust out a tape measure and get to it. He won't complain. SC Yes, no excuse for such laziness.