Canny lass

Happy birthday youngun! Hope it's a good one.

That's very good! Just as I remember it!

Happy to have been able to help!

You are clearly a man of many talents! Nice drawings.

It'll be a big improvement on what we've got though Andy does make a fair point regarding to 'the cut'. I particularly like the idea of many small retail units - that their use is flexible gets a tick in the margin. I think it could encourage visitors to the area.

Any idea when he lived, Mercury? The name is familiar to me but maybe it's just something I've heard in my childhood.

Thanks HPW. A thowt it had been a bit quiet roond heor lately. Hope ya on the mend noo.

Me neither but Dougie was a master of the art of story-telling (I mean that in the nicest possible way). He could keep us amused - and sometimes terrified - at birthday parties with tales of all sorts. I remember once, blindfold, putting my finger in the long-since dead 'King Tut's eye'. Turned out to be a teaspoon full of strawberry jam when I'd stopped screaming and got the blindfold off!

Lovely man! My next door neighbour throughout my childhood. He acted almost as the colliery 'doctor'. Everybody sent for Dougie whenever a bit of plastering was needed. Netherton pit kept the colliery workers and their families going with elastoplasts and Dettol through the kindness of Dougie.

My only claim to football fame was a Sunday afternoon in Green Lane, Stobhil - early 60's -l when i got one past Wor Jackie (Milburn)! He was a really nice guy who kicked a ball around on the cenral green area with the local kids whenever he got the opportunity.

Sounds lovely! Would that be granary-, white, or rye bread?

Thanks Brian. Not feeling too bad this morning - or what's left of it - apart from Iron Maiden thrashing about in my head. Eggy, thanks for the hangover cures! I've already done: a lie in tea AND coffee AND water a hair of the cat (haven't got a dog) chocolate banana I'll have the fresh air after the roast dinner and the fry up. Definitely going to make some of those glow-stick thingummies when we shovel snow tomorrow. I missed today's shovelling - ashamed face.

Thank you one and all for your very kind wishes! The day is going well. Started with breakfast in bed accompanied by a 5 man band of grandchildren outside the window giving Iron Maiden, and my lugs, a good thrashing! Then we had the usual morning chore of shovelling snow followed by a sauna and a roll in the snow (not a euphemism - honest)! We required hot coffee and something stronger to warm up - purely for medicinal purposes. One can't be too careful at my age. Now whiling away the last hour before my guests arrive and the serious partying begins. Hangover cures welcome tomorrow. Thanks again to everyone ... and Eggy 'Tack ska du ha' ... and Moe - yes they do, don't they. ... Foxy - I'll deal with you later!

No you didn't! In the middle of it right now.

Wishing you every success with that venture, Samuel. This kind of cinema is very popular here in Sweden, where villages are scattered and often far from 'real' cinemas. Village halls are put to maximum use and film-going is a very informal affair. You don't have to sit on a hard chair either. You can bring your own cushions and lie on the floor - as kids often do at home. Local clubs make and serve refreshments for the interval and earn a bit of money for their club and some clubs provide a transport service for older people. Works fine! PS. Welcome to the forum.

A little boy went up to his mother and asked: Mum, where did my intelligence come from?' His mother replied. 'Well, son, you must have got it from your father, cause I still have mine.'

I can confirm that. My sister worked there for a while. There was another factory that made Christmas cake decorations and silver coloured cake boards to put the cakes on. I had a sister who worked there as well but I was probably too small to ever visit the factory at that time. However, I used to get loads of off-cuts from the silver paper used to cover the cake boards and other bits and pieces to play with. Can anybody remember where the factory was?

Your right there, Malcolm. There's far too much 'reporting' of all things negative. I hadn't heard of half of those positive happenings.

... and I personally would like to add to that list ... Ukraine walloped Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest!

Received this yesterday. It certainly made me think So you think 2016 was terrible? Think again. It wasn’t all bad. Sure, some famous people we liked are no longer with us but some good – even fantastic – things happened: Ebola vaccine now available Child Mortality - Down across the globe Survival rate in pancreatic cancer sufferers is up 9% Gene responsible for ALS found Volunteers in India planted 50 Million trees in 24 hours Suicide rates down globally The Ozone layer is repairing itself The Rabbinical assembly issued a resolution affirming the rights of trans and non conforming individuals Mind controlled robot arms available Wild tigers numbers up - for the first time in 100 years! Giant Pandas - No longer endangered A solar powered plane did a world trip Global Malaria down by 60% Measles eradicated from the Americas 93% of the world's children learned to read and write - the highest percentage in human history China plans to be completely renewable by 2020 and has a global plan for by 2050 Huge global push in renewable energy Norway committed to 0 deforestation Every major grocer and fast food chain in the U.S pledged to use only cage free eggs by 2025 Manatees - No longer endangered Wild Wolves - Back in Europe Wild Salmon spawning in the Connecticut river for the first time since the American revolution Columbian white tailed deer - no longer endangered Green Sea Turtles - no longer endangered Sea World no longer breeding captive killer whales Humpback Whales - no longer endangered Global aid - up by 7% Americas most generous year ever in charity and aid China's most generous year ever in charity and aid at $15 Billion Take some time to look at the good and beauty in this world, good things are happening, support them, be part of them.

DO NOT DISTURB UNTIL 2017! Merrymakers, make merry quietly. Revellers, revel softly. First Footers, please enter in your slippers. See in the New Year for me please, and bid it wait until breakfast, when I shall be ready to greet it. Tummy bug stopped play for me but Happy New Year to Bedders' revellers whereever you may be!

Very popular here as well, Pilgrim. The youngest son has one and, as you rightly say, a bigger, dafter, more affable dog you couldn't find. Unfortunately, their life span isn't much longer here - 8 years.

All over bar the shouting here! Christmas dinner eaten and just watched the 'traditiona'l Donald Duck cartoons (true - it's a must here, bit like the Queen's speech in the UK). Now waiting patiently for Santa to knock on the door. He must be coming soon because my old man has just gone out to buy a newspaper. He always misses Santa, poor soul. I had thought of adding a picture of a typical Christmas dinner here but my mission failed.

Can't help I'm afraid. I wasn't living in the North East most of the time she worked for Fenwick.

And for the language lovers among us ...