Canny lass

Nr 12 could be a young John Carr. He played for the Mechanics.

"printed and published by G Robinson, 10 Front Street West" - would that be the newsagents at the top end?

Sorry you've had to wait. It's been a hectic week! Here are the answers to the Christmas quiz: 1. 1. 1920s 2. 7 swans a swimming 3. 221 feet 4. No number is mentioned. The book of Matthew, the only gospel to mention the Kings, doesn’t say how many there were only that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We just assume that they were three because of the three gifts. 5. Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s so popular you have to order several months in advance or join queues that have started to build on Christmas Eve. 6. Iceland. They’re a canny bunch of lads but if you’ve been badly behaved you’ll just get a rotten potato. They ‘ve got some great names too: Sausage -swiper, Door-sniffer and Window-peeper, to name just a few. 7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 8. Donald Duck 9. Light Emitting Diode 10. Newcastle-upon-Tyne 11. A 50-pence piece. 12. Isaac Newton 13. Capricorn 14. The Indian Ocean 15. December 26 16. Jolly careful 17. c) making a noise. (It’s no wonder that baby was awake!) 18. Paris 19. Donner 20. False. The average gain is 1 lb. I'll take the opportunity of wishing each and everyone of you a happy, prosperous year in 2024. May it be filled with health, wealth and happiness. I'm off tomorrow morning to celebrate an 80th birthday in Scotland. New Year's Eve and a birthday rolled into one. It's bound to be a good one! I remember (just about) the 70th birthday party and if it's half as good it'll be great. Take good care of yourselves and we'll meet again next year.

Well spotted Vic! 3 pm it is - or to be really correct 3.05 pm. 3pm is another 'must' - the lighting of the Christmas candle! We do have an exciting time here, don't we!

Well, it is Friday and it is Christmas (almost) so here's something to keep you busy! Christmas special: 1. In which decade did Coca-Cola start using Santa in their advertisements? 2. In the song Twelve Days of Christmas what is given on the 7th day? 3. How tall, plus or minus 25 feet, was the tallest cut Christmas tree? 4. How many Kings/wise-men does the bible say visited the baby Jesus? 5. What is the most popular meal for Christmas in Japan? 6. In which European country might you receive gifts from a different ‘Yule Lad’ each night if you leave your shoes on the window-sill on each of the 13 days before Christmas? 7. “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” is the opening line in which classic British novel? 8. Christmas won’t be Christmas in most Swedish households if the family don’t drop everything they are doing and gather around the TV at 2pm to watch who? 9. What does the acronym LED mean on ‘fairy lights’? 10. For almost 70 years, which British city has received a gift of a Christmas tree from the Norwegian city of Bergen to show gratitude for its friendship during WW2? 11. What Christmas gift did Harry Potter receive from the Dursleys in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’? 12. Which famous scientist was born 25 December 1642? 13. Under which sign of the Zodiac was he born? 14. In which ocean can you find Christmas island? 15. Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen. On what date did he look out? 16. In 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Christmas as a season to be jolly and ….. what else? 17. In the Christmas song ‘Away in a Manger’, the cattle are lowing. Does this mean that they are: a) lying down? b) chewing the cud? Or c) making a noise? 18. In the film ‘Home Alone’, where did Kevin’s family travel to for Christmas? 19. In the song ‘Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’, what is the name of Rudolph’s dad? 20. Studies show that the average American gains 3 lbs in weight between December 24 and January 6. True or false? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. The origins of the word ‘mistletoe’ are two Anglo-Saxon words: mistel meaning dung and tan meaning stick or branch. So, mistletoe literally means dung on a stick. Answers on Friday 29 December. Merry Christmas everybody!

A well-deserved award indeed! Like Vic I also greatly appreciate the hard work that these girls do. It's a great comfort to ex-pats like myself who can't visit often and have no relatives left in the area who are willing or able to do so. I know that my parents and my brothers are well looked after. Thank you.

.... and the same from me! Merry Christmas to everybody. Take really, really, REALLY good care of yourselves and we'll meet again in the new year.

It feels a bit odd to give that horrendous account of pit-life a 'like'. There's nothing 'likeable about the life they had and yet they were a lovely bunch of people. What I 'liked' was you bringing this up to the surface (literally) so that other's may know about it. Thanks HPW!

What Pete said!

Trying to reply to your posts, Synptoms and HPW, but after entering ypour names I'm unable to write anything else. Nothing is accepted so I'll try a new post instead. I read with interest your posts above. What a vivid picture you paint! Horrendous to say the least. It was actually half in jest that I said what I said about the pit not having to pay 2/6 so I wasn't really prepared for your replies. How could the mine owners be so cold and callous? The old phrase 'adding insult to injury' takes on a whole new meaning!

@Symptoms @HIGH PIT WILMA

Thanks Maggie!

100% behind the nomination of Friends of Westlea Cemetery for this year's Piper Award.

Why not put it on the internet as do the war cemeteries abroad, after all we do have war graves in West Lea. These cemetery plans are a great help to researchers.

I wonder why a doctor or an ambulance couldn't attend to the injured at the pit? I mean, moving a back injury isn't the most sensible thing to do. Would it perhaps be because the pit would have to pay the 2/6d.

it probably had 350% less equipment on board as well.

Found this little bit of information today, dated 8th November 1920:

Wheyhey! now it's official! Mince pie baking tomorrow.

New scarf! Or, the old one's been trimmed with a white edging - but let's not pick hairs. All we need now is for Wilf to put in an appearance and it'll be all systems go.

Johnson's! I wouldn't know about the fags but you could get a quarter of Jelly babies for 6d in the late 50s and early 60s.

Thanks Eggy! I'm sure I'll manage the Thursdays and Sundays but I think I'll give Tuesdays a miss!

I'd be very happy if anybody can tell me the dates when these programmes are about to go on air.