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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly competition June 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week ago
<h3>Prior to the magic going black</h3>
<h3>June 23rd, Caithness</h3>
Pre-dawn on a midsummer morning, Tait Duncan, drove south-east along an A1 empty of all but Highlands-bound supermarket wagons, conscience similarly uncluttered by the lie he’d last night told his wife as to the reason for his early morning departure. (In what had become th…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 2 days ago
Congratulations, Jill. A lovely story – and the song which inspired it is lovely too. I’ll be singing it all day 🙂
Thanks for setting the comp, Sandra. Congratulations also to Ath and Terrie.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 2 days ago
Well done Jill. A bittersweet story, beautifully told. And well done the rest of us!
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Terrie replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 2 days ago
Congrats, Jill.
Looking forward to seeing the prompt for June .
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 3 days ago
A fascinating quartet of music-generated memories resulting in stories that couldn’t help but provide  their own soundtracks.  Ath’s tale fully matched  the discordant challenging streetwise vibes  of the music chosen. Libby’s rich  musical pot-pourri connected brilliantly with the warmth of disparate family interactions. Terrie’s combining ne…[Read more]
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Terrie replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 3 days ago
 Songs from the charts 31st October  1998 –Â
Aerosmith  ‘I don’t want to miss a thing’
Bachman Turner Overdrive – ‘You aint seen nothing yet.’
Contains one, bleeped, swear word.
True   story
This story involves my youngest daughter, who’s the sassy, won’t give an inch if she thinks she is in the right, type, and the anniversar…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 5 days ago
MONTHLY COMP ALERT – I was hoping for earworms, from songs I remember but despite two excellent entries, I feel a little disappointed so more Top Ten memories by Sunday night would be much appreciated.
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Athelstone replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 1 week, 6 days ago
Thanks, Kate. I’m trying hard to get better.
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Kate replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 2 weeks ago
I managed to miss this post- Ath. I’m so pleased you are feeling better and hope you can get the rest of the problems sorted. It sounds like a terrifying ordeal, but your story telling still managed to bring the occasional smile. Keep getting better!
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition May 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 weeks, 4 days ago
My Birthdays, My Parents’ Wedding Anniversaries
‘Got to get you into my life!’ sings Mum. She and Dad have brought me, newborn, from the hospital. She sits at the kitchen table, cradling me, delivering the loud lullaby.
Or so she tells me, when I’m seven. We’re at the table again. I say, ‘I was already in your life. In your tummy and then ou…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic The Sheep Detectives film/Three Bags Full novel in the forum Coffee Shop 2 weeks, 5 days ago
Thanks, Ath. I haven’t read Charlotte’s Web. It sounds rather traumatic and I’m a wimp about animals. Animal Farm was so long ago at school (did we even read the whole thing?) that I was thinking I should read it again. Beasts of England by Adam Biles, a recent version of Animal Farm, was interesting, worth reading.
I hope you’re able to enjoy…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic The Sheep Detectives film/Three Bags Full novel in the forum Coffee Shop 2 weeks, 6 days ago
I’m not a huge fan of cosy crime, and I think that the television series of TTMC is rather better than the books, although only because the acting is good. However, there are many variations within that genre and I wouldn’t dismiss everything. The same goes for anthropomorphised animal stories. For instance, Charlotte’s Web and Animal Farm spring…[Read more]
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Libby started the topic The Sheep Detectives film/Three Bags Full novel in the forum Coffee Shop 3 weeks ago
Recently released, The Sheep Detectives is a cosy crime film for children about a flock of sheep who set out to discover the murderer of their shepherd. Fair enough. I’ve seen the trailer and probably won’t see the the movie.
But there’s another option. Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann is the German bestselling novel for adults which the film is…[Read more]
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Thea replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 3 weeks, 5 days ago
I’m glad to hear that you have treats lined up. The trip to Pompeii sounds especially fabulous! It should be a little quieter and cooler in the autumn so may be pleasanter to wait until then.
The iron tablets should make a big difference, and they tend to take effect within a few days. I do hope all goes well with your referral. Do please keep u…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 3 weeks, 6 days ago
On a small scale, my daughter gave me a voucher for a foraging/cooking day for 2, for my birthday last year, and I’d just booked a day in March when I got ill. When the company heard I was in hospital, they gave me a six month extension on the voucher for free, so that I could book when I was completely recovered. I thought that was really…[Read more]
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Thea replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 3 weeks, 6 days ago
This is such good news, Ath! The relief must be a huge weight off your shoulders and hopefully that has boosted your energy levels. The iron tablets should make a big difference too.
I do hope you are able to resolve the outstanding issues swiftly and then make some plans to do something special after all you’ve been through 🙂
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RichardB replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 4 weeks ago
<p class=”western”>So glad to hear this, Ath, and let me add my hopes to those already expressed about the resolution of your remaining issues.</p>
<p class=”western”>I have been on blood thinners for several years as I have atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular pulse, or as my GP put it with her customary no-nonsense bluntness, ‘a hoppitty…[Read more] -
Athelstone replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 4 weeks ago
Hi Libby, a very big relief. And thank you. I had another read through my discharge notes. I don’t think they’d seen somebody so ill with such a mixed bag of symptoms before (who hadn’t been in an accident). They took advice from the teams at Guildford, Reading, and Kings. There was a consensus to deal with the immediate emergency which was the…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 4 weeks ago
Thanks Jill. Yes, it is a big relief.
I’ve been on blood thinners (apixaban) since I was admitted to hospital. My problem is that the hospital doctors didn’t share any plan for dealing with the existing clots which have blocked two major veins to the liver. I strongly suspect that they were anticipating a worse outcome from the endoscopy and…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic A bit "poorly" in the forum Blogs 4 weeks ago
Hi Ath, this is great good news. What a relief it must be. I hope you’re able to resolve the remain issues. I hope you can get out and about a bit too, especially now the weather is improving.
Take care.
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