Thanks for the info re the Artists Challenge. Will watch it. We don't have Sky so didn't see the programme.

Friend coming for tonight and tomorrow morning. Haven't seen her in quite a while - she is going to be working in Oxford for a week.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

More later.

hi everyone, its an odd day weather wise, but I shall take advantage of the brief sunny spell,

I saw the painting programme last night and was disappointed. The quality of painting from the sky portrait programme was so so much better. I know they said they are championing amateur artists, but did they have to be quite so amateur?

If you go to a school art class you will see more interesting paintings, they are almost trying to cover too much. I would prefer maybe a masterclass beforehand to explore different styles and techniques, and then to see their interpretation of that skill that they had learnt. As I have no idea what criteria they are using to say which paintings are better than others? Are they looking for technical ability, imagination, an artistic eye? its almost impossible to tell...

There was an art competition a few years ago, where artists were asked to explore different media to produce different kinds of art works, they had no particular time restraints and could produce anything. The competition was being judged by satcchi and co and the winner was eventually the girl who noticed a tree growing around a fence and submitted this as her final art work. she did almost nothing herself to produce the art work, but the idea was fantastic, and a worthy winner, as it was totally unique.

I don't think I liked any of the painting produced yesterday, which is pretty unusual for me, I usually see something about some of them to like.


And we saw fifty shades of grey on Saturday night. It was ok, but not really a film I would recommend. it didn't really have enough depth !!

Morning all

i was also very disappointed with the BBC art show, for all the same reasons Augusta......... did see sky is also making a landscape painting show...... like the portrait one......... will look out for it

i know what you mean about the strange weather ........ we woke up to snow on Sat Morn,
it was a bit of a surprise, to say the least

as for the fifty shades, could not bring myself to read the book...... let alone go to the cinema...... from your review........ it sounds like i haven't missed much lol

watched the oscar's sunday night, and the red carpet , some of the dresses were so beautiful, with a few horrors in the mix , fairly happy with the winners ..... but the show presenter was awful, much better last year

hope all have a good day

Hi
I too was disappointed with the art show - if that is the best of British amateur artists - I despair.

Just made some cauliflower soup for my friend next door who has had an operation. Will deliver it when her husband is home. If she doesn't like it, she can throw it out.

Going to London tomorrow but will have an early night tonight. Want to relax as much as I can.

Hope everyone is well - see you all later.

evening all,

wow its so nice some evenings to just sit down and relax and look forwards to watching Wolf Hall on TV.

I love the dresses from the Oscars some of them are lovely.......and its interesting to see which films are recommended! I now would like to watch Birdman!!

I'd like to go to the cinema full stop. O/H doesn't like the cinema - I think if I wasn't around he'd turn into a hermit!!!! Having said this I'm going to see 2nd Exotic Marigold Hotel next week with a friend.

Lovely and sunny today - will have a walk this morning. Shopping this afternoon - will do shopping for my friend next door who is making good progress. She does have to be careful though.

Having friends for dinner tomorrow night. We have a starter and a pudding but no main course - they've had my husband's repertoire - he doesn't like to try many new things. Ah. ,. . .

I think we are due to have a quiet weekend, apparently its rugby on this weekend?
I think my OH is planning to watch on sunday.

sad to see Leonard Nimmoy has died, a face from my childhood.

But at least its the weekend.....yay.....


what did everyone else think of Wolf Hall? I loved it....

Hello

Watched the France/Wales rugby - France just wasn't aggressive enough.

I loved Mark Rylance's performance but wasn't that crazy about the series of Wolf Hall. Thought the last 20 minutes of the last episode was very good though.

Had friends in for dinner last night so must get going - need to clean up.

SOME GOOD NEWS!!!! O/H has agreed to get a new washer/dryer. Guess my threats of taking it to serviced laundromat have done the trick - it has only taken 7 months!!!!!

yes its rugby weekend and we have just lost ....... ill discipline being the cause......
well thats what i think

but liverpool won........ a good result for us against Man city

been very busy with youngest son....... he lost all hearing in one ear......... bad ear ache ....
which ends up meaning sleepless nights for both of us
not sure if there is a infection because the doctor can,t see due to ear being blocked.

so olive oil is being used every night to see if we can loosen the wax for the ear to be drained ...... so a wait and see, but the hearing is coming back.

we know this, due to his tv sound is slowing coming down, it was so loud we thought we were in the footie stadium

hope all have had a good weekend........

p.s i am completely ignoring the cricket....... a very embarrassing England performance

excuse my language........ about bl**dy time
and quick get that order in, before he changes his mind

Sorry georgy - he has changed his mind!!!!! Now he is going to try a new pump before he spends any money.

I hate not having a dryer - laundry all over the house and towels and some sheets dry like cardboard which means having to iron towels!!!!

I agree - let's not talk about cricket or rugby.

On the plus side, Federer beat Djokovic in Dubai!!!

oh no......sad news about the washer dryer.....how do you persuade him that you are going to spend more on trying to repair the stupid thing, than you would if you went out and bought a cheap one on special offer or something.

I had a lovely day out in Norwich yesterday, it was a beautiful sunny day and Norwich is a lovely city. There was a girl singing in the market square, from an upstairs window to advertise a new restaurant up there, strange sensation to hear the singing, and trying to work out where it was coming from.

Glad your sons ear is getting better, Georgy, hearing loss can feel so disorienting,

Morning all

Supposed to have a friend over for coffee but her daughter is ill. Very frustrating - think I will go to the village today for the gym.

There is so much sickness and unhappiness around at the moment. Despite the lovely weather. Planted some of my bulbs yesterday and did an account of how much I can spend.

Busy month - 60th birthday party on Saturday evening and next week lunch with friends then I meet someone from my high school and a Day School in Oxford. Roll on April!

Hope all is well with everyone - I am off to do another load of laundry - house will continue to look like a real laundry - at least I don't have to do anything by hand!!!

Have a good day all

well it is a beautiful day,

just back from vets for annual boosters, it was lovely to sit in the waiting room chatting, although they had managed to get pretty behind on time. So I was just in time for my 10 am appointment to have the solar panels unit read! IT was meant to be done on Monday, but they didn't turn up, hence the specific time arrangements!!!

I am busy as well, but mostly doing pretty mundane kinds of things!!!
like food shopping!!!

wow he really is being very silly over this
how much has he now spent on trying to mend the thing
surely it would of been cheaper to just buy one........ errrrrr men

Evening all
busy week all went to the dentist today, and youngest had to have a filling, first time with the injection to.......... he did very well, but is still feeling very sorry for himself

he also has a appointment to have his ears drained tomorrow, so i think a few more
rough nights for me.

really feel for him at the moment, ear ache is nasty.

did hear the weather is going to improve and get warm by the end of the week, might go
to the coast at the weekend if he feels better, it will be a bit of a treat

take care all xxx

sorry your plans got cancelled today, how disappointing, but it sound
as if you have some nice things to look forward to, i do love a party

the bulb planting sounds relaxing, its nice to see the sun out, just some warmth would
now be lovely

i now check when i buy clothes, that it doesn't need hand washing, because it just ends up staying in the bottom of the laundry basket, with very little chance of it ever coming out

enjoy your week

its very annoying when people don,t turn up, especially when you make plans to stay in
for them

pleased the vets went well, did they all behave,
thats the pets not the people lol

Morning

Hope the solar panel men show up augusta. I just hate it when repairmen say they will come in the morning and then don't show up until 3 pm. Waste of a day.

Had a lovely day yesterday - saw Second Exotic Hotel Marigold. 10.30 am show. It was terrific - real blues chaser and thoroughly recommended.

Anyone see Banished on BBC? Very good.

Off to the gym and then off to get my hair done. Will ask for top to be shorter as it looks absolutely awful. Been trying to find Plantur caffeine shampoo but nowhere seems to have it locally.

so where has this week disappeared to?

went singing this morning for comic relief, which was fun, but I managed to hide in the middle and not notice anyone watching me!

we saw the last episode of breaking bad, wow what an amazing series , its taken weeks to watch in its entireity , but well worth it. so emotional and so clever,

The papers seem full of Green issues, and being worried about global warming....which is a bit scary. maybe we should all move to Australia, although it might be harder to achieve than I think.

I think we have an evening watching, The Voice, which should be interesting, !

have a lovely weekend everyone xx

Morning

Believe it or not the washer/dryer is fixed!!!! Turns out it was a pump (cost £11). Don't know how long it will last but I'm washing everything in sight!!!

Marigold Hotel was really good - so colourful and a real blues chaser although it was sad in a couple of places.

Garden sprouting!!!!

Saw Poldark last night - glad to hear BBC is making an effort at pronounciation. Sad to see Warren Clarke who passed away after filming was complete.

Busy week so best go. Have a great day everyone.

I loved watching Poldark , the scenery was wonderful, and I liked the cast.

I didn't watch the first series, so to me its all new and exciting, although I can sort of guess the story!

The back is the best hiding place Augusta
but that sounds like fun, hope you raised a tidy little sum

i,m enjoying the voice like that emmanuel with the deep voice

and i agree global warming is a real worry, i try to be more green, don,t think i really succeed, i think i would get a D....... with a should try harder

yes i,m so pleased, but don,t wash to much, you will end up with a ironing mountain

spring flowers are my fav, and sprouting is a wonderful way of putting it, everything just
popping up.

hope you had a great day to

well it was a busy weekend for me,
son's ear is still not right, they managed to unblock one, have to go back on Thursday
and they will try again with the other one.

the cricket was appalling and we are out of the world cup
they were also bloody boring to watch
very mad.

need to go out this week and get my mum's mothers day gift....... have no idea
what to get her..... all idea's appreciated

This thread is so lovely.....

with stories of the washer dryer etc, its a strange phenomenon isn't it, message boards!

I think nothing beats flowers for mothers day, simple but so pretty, daughter no 2 has gone out to buy me something and im almost dreading it, she can spend a lot of money on something I have absolutely no interest in ! and then I have to pretend to be highly delighted!

My OH bought me a thing to sit my laptop on for my lap, at Christmas, I haven't used it once! Im so shortsighted, I use the computer like a book, and hold it on the arm of my chair so I can see it without my glasses, why would I want or need a lap thing!

I hate sounding ungrateful but honestly!!!