malumbu

a (clean) nappy/pamper, it was like it had snowed in the garden. The absorbent stuff inside spread everywhere. Can I have my gardening gloves back please.

From memory foxes only became a regular sight in the 90s, the attached article says they first appeared in the 30s becoming far more common in the 80s. Apparently, whilst we think that urban foxes live longer than rural due to their 'easy' life few will make it over the age of two. In towns they are far more crowded than their natural habitat where they are more territorial. I've never seen foxes and cats fighting but once saw two cats squaring up to each other and a watching fox went up and butted its head against one of the cats. There's a video on youtube of a cat and fox facing off when the cat is eating outside, but it wont let me embed on this post. Get too close and I'll scratch you. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/15/urban-foxes-are-they-fantastic-or-a-growing-menace My main issue is leaving things out like gardening gloves and they go or are shredded. One stole a bag of bird food in front of me, took it next door, shredded the bag and then left it.

Did Xmas in Southern India years ago, odd having piped carols when there was no actual celebration. Cuba was nice and chilled. Viet Nam before mass tourism on a very quiet beach. Mexico/ Oaxaca was lovely and sunny with a radish festival too. Iceland was exactly that - cold and very icy and we got snowed in. My favourite in Spain was Granada and going down to the beach (and swimming) on Xmas day. Did the same in Morocco. Central Nigeria was a different one with lots of singing and dancing at a three hour church service and all the bright colours. Two times in small resorts in France skiing, once with an absolute bucket full of snow on Xmas evening. Mountain restaurants open. London dull in comparison. Not that I am competing of course.

As Spartacus is paying you can share with me and I can tell you in great depth everything that you need to know. About everything. There's a Christmas offer.

There's probably a bigger discussion on why we celebrate Christmas (pagan/religious festival) and why everything has to shut down. I've enjoyed Xmas days in Spain, Mexico and France where some businesses and restaurants are open, and in a number of non-Christrian countries. In both sets of occasions it has been festive, but not over the top and the Spanish seem to have a more relaxed attitude in a country where the church is probably more important than the UK. A Lounge conversation. I'll no doubt be popping into the Forest Hill Road supermarket on Xmas day for things we have forgotten, with many others in a similar situation who grew up in the Christian faith (I've long since been an atheist).

I'd be far more interested in a discussion on whether small children should be a on a lead. I do see this with childminders and nurseries sometimes. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5100346-to-think-theres-nothing-wrong-with-toddlers-on-leads

I may be a she, or they, an alien or a bot. Or all of them.

Probably best if you keep small children on a lead. Certainly in pub gardens. That is an amusing comment, not aimed at any tragedy. Although as times move on and many parents are too busy looking at their phones, leads may be useful where small children running around can annoy others.

What's Gails? Is that the global hamburger chain? Never been. And not likely to either.

My nominations are the Goblin Band at the Goose, and the Errol Linton Trio at the Dulwich Folk Club. I'm not sure what other venues we have in the immediate area. I rarely do the big (1000 plus) places any more. Your nominations? And a special mention to Truthpaste, at least one member is local and their video was recorded around here. But I caught them in North London. And please see the link to the BBCs recording of the Copper Family at the Castle a few weeks ago~: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ng53

You paying! 👍

This is all worthy of a separate thread as it is not necessarily black and white. Profanities are fairly obvious and some (not in any of this and other recent threads) have been quite direct with me. Oddly enough this is easier to deal with than other issues, if you swear you have lost any moral high ground and it hardly warrants a response. However the subject of winding people up is a difficult one, in part as this may not have been the intention as in prose it is often not clear the tone in which the comments are being made - as opposed to face to face, or when you know someone personally (and in the latter case things quickly become 'normalised' often when they shouldn't be). The question here is would you use this language to a colleague? Light hearted comments can be construed by some as offensive/passive aggressive by others. And there are some things that really wind me up but I usually refrain from comment. Emojis could be used to like or dislike comments. Smileys should be for when there is a fun conversation. If someone posts a smiley after I have made a serious comment what am I supposed to feel? Similarly if you find my post confusing tell me why don't post a confused face. I find terms like the "usual suspects", "lobby" or "hee hee" unnecessary and this comes across as puerile/playground stuff. Similarly being accused of being a troll. But not sure if any of these are specifically covered in the forum rules. In all of this we should be more aware of our own behaviour. There are some that I try to avoid anything that sounds personal as it may be misconstrued. Others you can joust with. I've made mistakes, at times though feel I've been criticised unfairly, but rarely feel that it is worth challenging. @Sue I know you have had your ding dongs too on other threads. Hopefully not too many with me 😃 (meant in a self deprecating/jolly manor as I have a smile on my face).

Malumbu did not make a joke about the slippy surface. It was a facetious comment aimed at those who, on this thread, were constantly complaining about the square (and across numerous threads across this site where complaints about LTNs can be shoehorned in like the closure of Poundland). Why is that difficult to understand?

Nope it is just repetitive stuff that has all been said before and is not any sort of discussion.

Do you have view on the article? Like Christmas round robins I generally can't be bothered to read attachments unless there is something of particular interest.