30th April 1980

really were did it go....??

Today is my 2nd anniversary of blogging as 70steen ... I am glad to say my typos have improved slightly but not that much .. I have met some wonderful folk and have belly laughed oh so many times at the posts I have read and the comments that have been left on here. You are all fabby.

Thank you to every one who have wandered aimlessly in here since my first post back in 2007.

It is also Olga's 2nd Anniversary too .... that means we must be related ... surely if not through blogging then through our Irish ancestry lol

So cheers everyone help yourself to a drop of bubbly and try not to knock it over DP.... you may have to get one from the top as you can't bend just now!!!

p.s. if any one wishes to drink champers from my shoe just let me know & I will give it a rinse under the tap first ;-)

28th April 1980

Monday 28
Sam's grand dad's funeral
Held at Thornton
Very upsetting (mmm of course it was, it was a funeral???)
Eats afterwards (well that made it better!)
Got home at 5.00
Miss Sam
Fi came round at 9.30
Phoned Sam
********************
Well that is the last full entry in my 1980 diary
There are dates surrounding when I took my A' levels in June and some later in the year but nothing outstanding I don't think... so I must think what to write here??

Have I mentioned I have a new mobile phone? Well I have. It is an LG Cookie which my daughter said was 'poo' until she saw it came with a Wii & Wii Fit... suddenly it was the best phone on the planet .. strange that??


Yes of course I got a pink one !!

Must say I looooove the Wii particularly as it gave my age as 13 years younger than I really am.
Needless to say I am rubbish at most of the sports bar the tennis... the down hill slalom ....oh come on knocking down the flags is so much fun .... & the jogging just had me in fits of laughter as I wasn't wearing the right bra (I will leave that comment to the imagination!!)

Anyway back to the phone. I have actually discovered that you can make phone calls on it (it took a while) and I tried out the camera this weekend ... mmm I am way impressed!!

pup did not like this statue with his yellow painted on undies despite Teens attempts to say 'there there it is a lovely statue'! Pup never even noticed the other ones we passed.. how strange?

So where were we???

27th April 1980

Sunday 27
Went to Sam's grandma's for dinner (must have been a bit tense after her husband had just died!)
Left there at 3.30
Went to the Snooty Fox with Sam & Mike
Spoke to MH from Paris 9 (ooo Paris 9 were a local band whose members went to school with Sam .. MH was the most gorgeous man I have ever seen wearing eyeliner... hey it was the 80s !)

Watched 'Clockwork Orange' til 1.30
********************************
Funnily enough this weekend I popped into my bro house as he was getting rid of DVD as he now has 'Blue Ray' what ever that is ?? so Teen and I came home with around 20 DVDs one of which was 'Clockwork Orange'.

I have had a pretty S**tty week last week and weekend .. my cat was sick, I had to put her to sleep, then I got the Mother of all tooth abscesses which caused my face to look like Joseph Merrick, then my other cat started peeing blood ... so off to the vets again today (thankfully it is cat cystitis which is caused through stress... so a couple of quick jabs and a course of antibiotics and all will be well), with all this I forgot to pay my cc bill so got hammered with interest and late payment ... so with vet bills of £200 plus my dental care I now pronounce myself seriously without any shopping funds !!

As it is still Monday I feel I need to to 'Mellow Yellow'
This image is from a card I picked up from a dumper basket for 10p


Loving Bananas in Pyjamas




Back at work tomorrow so all will be back to normal:-)

24th, 25th & 26th April 1980

Thursday 24 ~ blank
Friday 25 ~blank

Saturday 26
Worked 9 - 6
Got a 70p pay rise (lets not get excited that wasn't per hour it was per day)
Quite busy all day
Sam was at Donnington Park watching 'Pro Cars'
Baby say 9pm - 3am (I bet I only got a couple of quid for it too)
Sam arrived at 11.00

*******************
Had a lovely day out yesterday I and my friend H went to a craft fair thingy at Aintree Racecourse. Tickets kindly sourced and delivered by Annie Mouse.
Got there just after 9.45 am and it busy already. Spent a fortune on craft stuff... ribbons, papers, beads indeed all sorts of interesting stuff ... not to mention bits and bobs for Teens GCSE Textiles practical exam tomorrow and Tuesday ..... She is making a corset ..... Nurse Myra will be so pleased.

Oh and did I mention ... two small paper cupped Cappuchinos were £5.... 5 QUID!!!!

However, the more I go to these things the more I am convincing myself I need to pack up work and do art stuff .... now where did I put that rich sugardaddy ?????

Oh talking of 'daddy's' DP you would have loved this display .... a knitted picnic ... superb...
The detail is so cool

I got a bit carried away when visiting the knitting bit ... I said I would send them my knitting patterns that I liberated from a charity shop e.g these 80s classics......

mmm I am not sure if I can part with them ?????

[reminder to self .... sort out rock competition!!! ]

21st, 22nd &23rd April 1980

Monday 21
Got home from Northampton at 5.50

Tuesday 22
......'blank'.......

Wednesday 23
St.George's Day
Mar & her boyfriends birthdays
Bought Mar a cardy
& her boyfriend a tool box
Went to Manchester for the day
Bought a purple tube dress for £8.99 from Miss Selfridges
(ahh a 'tube dress' yes it is what it says on the tin.. a tube of material that touched every lump and bump... I was way skinnier in them days )
this is not me but this is
Today I would probably look like this is a purple tube dress


Sam's Grandad died. (He was such a lovely kind & gentle man)
*********************
Wishing my Mum a very Happy 78th Birthday on St. Georges Day :-)

Well I have done the dreaded decision thing......took poorly Wallis to the vets last night and he diagnosed kidney problems and recommended we could do this or that ... put her on a drip ... do tests ... she may last another few months with treatment ... or she may be too sick to recover etc etc !

She was horribly dehydrated despite the huge amounts of water she was drinking.

He injected loads of fluids in her and I brought her home.
She didn't perk up and I gave her milk which she drank with a passion ... this morning she threw it all up with some awful looking bile... I took her tonight at 6.10 back to the vets... held her and said goodbye...... she is now at peace and no longer in that awful distressed place ...she even looked happy. I know we made the right decision as she was not going to get better.

Her sister misses her and is looking for her around the house.... before I took her the pup was barking at her to play as they did play but she couldn't get up ..... Ok no more pets for me (but you know I lie!!)

19th & 20th April 1980

Saturday 19
Went into town (Northampton)
Disco in th p.m

Sunday 20
Marlborough Daily Express International Aurora Championship at Silverstone =
freezing cold & quite boring
(ahh how racing has changed when cigarettes monopolised the sponsorship of motor racing now it it is 'high caffeine blow your socks off bouncing off the walls drink'(non -alcoholic of course) )

***************
Just watched Ashes to Ashes ... superb . Based in 1982. An Audi Quattro. Bad Fashion. And so un PC but verging on getting PC. Plus everyone smoked every where........

By 1982 I had ceased to be a teen and was back to 'learning' after 18 months of being the lowest of the low in civil servant terms (I was a casual administrative assistant who just did stacks of filing all day .. it was indescribably boring.. despite me having my transistor radio with an ear piece so I could listen to Radio One all day (oh you could say I was listening to my 'tranny today' back then without fear of upsetting someone!!)... ipods eat your heart out lol)
I announced to my Mum I wanted to go to Uni/Poly and was met with ... 'neither of your brothers did that, sp what do you want to do that for?'
That was the biggest spur I needed and in 1982 I signed up for a Business and Finance course with Marketing. I actually wanted to do European Studies with a language but I think I was the only person that signed up for it and the course didn't run (How un-forward thinking were we then??)

On a sad note today I think that one of my cats is dying. Dear Wallis. She has gone from being very active to losing weight in a week and not eating today although she has been eating ok up to now. She is 13.
I found her on the bathroom floor earlier flat out and dribbling. I picked her up and she purred for me, I have brought her down stairs and have made her comfortable.
Wally is really Teen's cat and her sister Jess is mine. She has wanted a lot to do with me as she is a one person (so I was happy she purred earlier when I gently lifted her up and cuddled her) but adores Teen as she does her.
When I got the 2 cats it was when ex & I were parting and we still had an old cat Rocky at home.
Wally adored him as he did her and she would follow him everywhere, when he died she was distraught ... unlike Jess who loved human company& didn't notice Rocky's demise at all.
Dark days ahead I feel .... many tears from Teen & I.....


Taken this weekend (pets chilling in the sunshine)
I have made a really comfy bed for her in the kitchen tonight ...

18th April 1980

Friday 18
Went to Northampton with Sam = great

(and that was it!!!!???)

****************************
I can't believe how quickly my 10 days off work have gone.
But I have done a lot.
Spent time with my Mum in Southport, had my niece and children to stay and had a fabulous day out yesterday in Liverpool with Annie Mouse & my cuz CKX. (not to mention the painting of the hall and half the dining room)
We shopped, had a tour of the Conservation Museum by my cuz (it is fabulous... I so wish I had become a conservator!), we sat in the new gardens at Liverpool One in the sunshine drinking coffee and had a most excellent meal in La Tasca.

This lady is the Pride of Liverpool. She sat on top of the Walker Art Gallery from 1877 to 1993. But as you can see she has worn a little up there and now lives safely in the Conservation Museum.
Loving her reflection on the wall
looking across the Mersey. I am wanting some B&W prints of my photos to transfer onto small canvasses to hang in my newly painted hall.... this may be an contender.
Liverpool One
us 3

After dropping my teen off with her dad, taking the pup on an epic walk, cutting down next doors tree..... I decided to build an IKEA buy that I got in bargain corner for 15 quid.

I undid the packaging and poured the contents onto the dining room floor... found the instructions and ......these were they

check have the tools, check have only me, check have a rug & a phone.... but that was it... the last picture shows how to attach the unit to another piece of furniture.... the building instructions were missing !!! damn

I checked all the pieces and sat figuring it all out (50 odd screwy bits and numerous pieces of wood!!)
Then set to work. I now know why it was reduced from £50 to £15... the guy who had the dowel drill had too big a drill bit and the other guys that did the rest of it had a too small a drill bit ... it must have been a Friday afternoon lot!!
Anyway after an hour I DID IT .. feeling very smug :-)



oh I do have to fess to this blonde moment .... always align the drawer grooves before screwing the draw tight oh and put the drawer bottom in before attaching all 4 sides of the drawer Doh!!!

16th & 17th April 1980

Wednesday 16 & Tuesday 17 ... both blank I'm afraid !!

Looking at the number one hits in the UK at this time we had had a change ... on the 12th April the Jam were knocked off their top slot with 'Going Underground' by a classic dance track.

The Detroit Spinners ... 'Working My Way Back to You'

Oh how I have danced my way through this track over the past 29 years. It appears at every disco, nightclub, wedding, 21st, 18th, 40th etc I have been to


I have already featured a piece about the Detroit Spinners here in May 1979 do take a peek ... superb tracks to get your toes tapping.


Well all of day today I have been up and down a ladder finishing painting my hall (yep more paint on me than the walls!)... I just need a plumber now to fix on the new radiator, then I can fix on new skirting and get the carpet fitters in. The hall is looking great .. my house is 100 years old and to have freshly plastered walls that are straight is a luxury.

As I had some paint left I thought I would carry on through to the dining room but alas I ran out ... but I am looking at a plain white wall in the dining room with nothing on the walls & I am loving that look.......B&Q is beckoning on Saturday

Tomorrow I am having a chilling day with my mate Annie Mouse (whose blog has mysteriously disappeared??) and my cuz CKX in my home town of Liverpool can't wait to catch up with them both

Blogger doesn't seem to want to load any photos today .. hey ho !!

14th & 15th April 1980

Monday 14
Sad Cafe Concert
Got home from Stafford a 1.30
Sad Cafe concert = excellent
Paul Young is so sexy !!
Phoned Sam at 11.15

Tuesday 15
'blank'
*******************
This was the 2nd time I had been to see Sad Cafe. I originally saw them on 2nd May 1978.
They were brilliant then and excellent the 2nd time around.
Sad Cafe were a North West band from Manchester and later Paul Young joined up with Mike Rutherford & Paul Carrack to form Mike and the Mechanics.

Sadly Paul died suddenly from a heart attack in 2000 aged 53


It has been an eventful Easter break for my family.
Firstly my Teen was in Rome when the earthquake struck 50 odd miles away.... then there was my brother who is in Bangkok whilst the riots went on and last night my other brother was stranded dockside at Calais when the French fishermen barricaded the ports ... (I spent a lot of last evening trying to find alternative routes home for him I dread to think what my mobile phone bill will like??)thankfully he was one of the 3000 people that managed to get home during an avenue of grace last night and got back to Kent around midnight.
mmmmm a handy hint if you are travelling anywhere just check with me to see if any of my family are going to the same place!!!

As you can see I have had another image change due to a secret message from GitWizard... he didn't like the 'non colour' in the last template... it was a bit grown up I must admit!!

Dear Frac has made a sterling suggestion for the competition to win sticks of Southport rock... a knitting compo. I think it is a great idea but I think I need to refine the rules .... 'watch this space' as they say ...

Meanwhile, I have been working on the photo album for my mum and did another page earlier

My mother is on the front row aged 14 (the one with the elastic leg lol)
This is a working page where all her grand & gt grandchildren will post a post card

I am waiting another 4 before I can complete

& finally my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones at Hillsborough in 1989.
It is like people asking 'where were you when John Lennon was killed' or 'JFK' or 'Princess Di' .. where were you when Hillsborough happened?

I remember the day so well. My husband & I were gardening on a warm April day listening to the Liverpool match on the radio. We both stopped still listening to what was going on and ended up in the lounge in deep silent disbelief and grief at what we were seeing on the TV.

Huge hugz and warm love to all of those who lost loved ones that day and those that had loved ones who have sufffered terribly since, because of that awful day .. I know for me as Liverpool supporter (more strongly then than now) ... it was a most awful place to be in history .. to take your kids/loved ones to an innocent football game and to return home a widow[er] and /or childless I can only feel a nano second of their eternity of grief.

God bless x

11th, 12th & 13th April 1980

Friday 11
Stayed in all day
Went up to a party in Bingley
It was crap
We all went back to Sam's for drink
Loads stayed over

Saturday 12
At Woolpack all 'avo
Took Afghan for a long walk
Went to the Wagon & Horses for drink
We all dossed around the village green and had chips

Sunday 13
'blank'

*****************
well I am back home after a couple of days spent with my Mum on the glorious NW coast of England. I love going home and smelling the sea air albeit it does zonk me out. It is so true what they say about a change of air .. believe me! (mm must get it together and look at how much a property will cost me there ??)

On Saturday we went to the sea front at Southport. It was a beautiful clear day and you could see Blackpool .. beautiful sky

Today we went to Liverpool, visited the new landing stages on the Mersey, Sefton Park where we went as small kids, and Crosby beach to see Gormleys sculptures (the tide was in so we only saw a head)


Yesterday morning I walked the pup around the village where I grew up. Passing houses were my best friends used to lived .. 'J' would be mortified at number 25 the current owners have left it go to rack and ruin...Number 43 'L's' house, number 67 were Mrs C lived has new PVC windows and looks really posh...number 71 with its own private drive where we were threatened if we kicked the stones up the drive (hey we were kids and we kicked).

Number 85 was my home from the age of 3.. it has new PVC windows that my brother put in after he bought it from my mother 25 years ago.. it still looks how I remember it.. Across the road the 'new houses' that were built in the 70s (there were trees and railway sidings there before the houses.. I know coz we used to play in the train carriages and trees) they look so established now 30 years on.. my either side next door neighbours were Mrs G & Mr & Mrs B (I only know Mr & Mrs first names (as we would call them Aunty M & Uncle B) ... I still don't know Mrs G's name!! My next doors kids called me 'aunty' and still do even though the youngest are 19)
The village has changed a lot .. the 'Outer Limits' shop is now a laundrette, Tesco is a restaurant but the chocolate Box' is still a newsagents that sells kiddy sweets and cheap toys ... superb I wil be adding more photos of my Easter break on Flickr later ... so you can click on the Flickr image in my side bar to view or if you are too lazy click here.... it certainly isn't 'grim up North' ;-)

thinking of running a competition as I have bars of Southport Rock to give away ... haven't decided on the game yet??

10th April 1980

Thursday 10
Went to Birmingham for the day
It was great
Didn't buy anything as I had no money
Went to Hawkins Wine Bar for lunch
Phoned home
My brother is back from Saudi
Went into Stafford in the evening
****************************

Birmingham is one of those cities that has changed out of all proportion. I used to go once a week in the late 80s as I had staff in the Lewis's store and Topman (ahh those were the days when I did around 60,000 business miles a year, no stuck behind a desk in those days... just the open road and my own timetable... bliss! Oh and one of the first mobile phones that was the size & weight of a house brick with a HUGE ariel... the phone lost its charge in about 1/2 after being unplugged (result as I hated it). I even had a handsfree kit in the car & my phone bills were in the £100's.)

Brum is only 80 miles from here but used to take an age to get there (mind you Oxford was so much worse with only the A40 back then!). Such a bottle neck in the middle of England. It is a bit easier now with the M6 toll road but it still fills my heart with dread when I have to drive South through that part. A few years ago I was on a weeks training course in Birmingham and wow how impressed was I with the changes. The 'Bullring' used to be a no go area now it has fancy shops and is a pleasure to visit ... well done Birmingham (do visit the link to Wikipedia.. I had no idea abouts its historic roots).

Well today has been spent painting my hall.

In December 2007 I had a lovely porch put on the front of my house. Shortly after I had an accident and damaged my shoulder (it involved a window ledge, snagged curtains, Take That and no alcohol) so nothing could be done.
I had an operation onmy shoulder in October 2008 and whilst I was off I had the old front door and frame taken out and the hall and porch area plastered. So today, almost 6 months after the op (which is a 9 - 12 month recovery time) I tested out the surgeons work. Yahooo!!! that man knows his stuff & has done a fine job.... the bionic shoulder is rebuilt and working well ... look out the rest of the house 70s is back with her roller :-)

p.s. I am off into non internet land til Sunday night ... have a great Easter everyone :-)

p.p.s. Happy Birthday to my Great nephew 'E'..... bad Gt Aunt 70s failed to send you a card (I have it here ready to go but I am seeing your Mum next week so it will have a special pressy attached !)... will make it up to you and search for fossils and dead things with you soon plus I promise to play computer games which involve shooting and fast cars with you x (note to self just send the card with money in future !!)

9th April 1980

'blank page' boo hoo

*********************

Yip yip yipeeeee I have finished for Easter. So looking forward to 10 days away from the office.
Have got a pretty full diary on my return though. I even had an invite to a meeting in December today ... DECEMBER!!!??? What has happened to my life it is becoming booked up before I can live it??? .... (mmm note to self start looking for a new job!)

Summer is approaching and I am looking to buy a gas barbeque...I said I never would but I am fed up with trying to get lighters to fire and having the temperature is all over the place .........

I saw this advertisement in my Advantgarde mag from 1980 the other day

click on the photo and check out the prices !!!

29 years later for just over £100 I could have this & for almost £700 you can buy this
My how dear were they in 1980 ??

It feels like a Friday night & I am surfing and chilling.

Indulging some brilliant 'Talking Heads' from the late 70s /early 80s ... superb

8th April 1980

*******************

So Fi passed her driving test. How envious was I back then. There was never any prospect then of me even attempting to take a driving test at 18. I had to wait for my 21st.

I so remember us zipping about in her Mums Citroen 2CV Dolly

Love cars and have just fallen in love with my next 'must have' vehicle... I have always had a soft spot for Volvos ... but this baby is a must
*********************************
Just watched a programme on ITV about Super sized kids......very interesting you would expect children of very tall parents to have tall children... then there where those who had abnormlly tall kids due to a growth hormone inbalance.

My teen has been plagued with being taller than the average child. She has through out her younger years been put on the back row with the boys on school photos because she was tall. Also when she had tantrums as a real young 'un I had 'tuts' from folk who thought she was a lot older and shouldn't do that type of thing.

I am 5ft 4" & her father skirts 6ft..... thankfully she seems to have stopped growing at almost 16 and measures a gorgeous 5ft 9".

It got me to thinking that I used to plot her height and weight when she was younger... and at the age of 6 she was the height (and weight) of a 10 year old... she was always off the chart from day 1!!!!


I have now become a 'minimum' ;-)

7th April 1980

*********************

mmmm? not a lot to go on! But I reckon I must have gone to Stafford to see Sam for Easter.
In those days shops etc didn't open on an Easter Monday.
So being in a village the only thing was to go to the 'local'. The 'local' there was very much the heart of the village and 'everyone' went there ....had lunch and chilled out playing pub games such as darts, bar skittles, domino's .. it was a great atmosphere. I do miss that social bit living where I do.

I am pleased to think that there maybe still one bastion of an embargo on shopping in the UK on Easter Sunday?

I do remember in my younger married days in the late 80s that we had invited the in-laws over for Easter Sunday dinner. I (being so unprepared.. no nothing has changed) thought I will nip up to the supermarket and buy all the gubbins for a Sunday lunch that morning.... rolled up to my local supermarket and it was shut!!! I drove 5 miles to the next supermarket .. and that was shut too... then the penny dropped!!

We ended up having pizza out of the freezer!

Only 2 half days left for me to work before the Easter break in 2009.. can't wait (mmmm note to self ... buy 'the gubbins' in early)

It is Tuesday so that means 'sticking and gluing' .. the night class has finished but I am still a woman on a mission to finish the album for my Mum's Birthday (only 15 days to go!!)

Here are the latest 'tings' ... whoops things


I have added a bit of colour to open up the photos from the 40s


this is an interactive page where you can flip through photos


then I had this idea to get all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to write on a postcard and their image is a stamp.......

6th April 1980

Sunday 6

***********************
Yes a big FAT nothing!!!
But quite like the Snoopy post of the day though.

So 29 years ago it was Easter Sunday ... 29 years on it is an ordinary Monday .. yuk!
As there was blank diary entry back then I will tell you about my 'none' Easter Sunday in 2009

Got up at 6.45 am
Fed the cats and walked the pup
Had a shower
Whilst getting ready for work flicked on the TV in my bedroom
Heard 'blar blar blar... Rome ....' blar blar blar'
Did they say Rome ?? My Teen is in Rome !
I turned around to look at the TV screen and saw the guardia and rubble
My heart stopped.. there had been an earthquake in Italy

I texted my teen 'R U ok?'
reply 'yes, why?'
I texted 'there has been an earthquake'
reply 'yes I know I felt the tremor.. it was fun'

My heart started beating again... but felt such sadness for those who who were not so fortunate
(of all the places around the world that my teen had decided to visit without me, on her first ever flight it had to be somewhere that had an earthquake... note to self must do seismic research before she jets off in the future!)

Set off for work at 9
20 minutes door to door .. everyone must be on holiday!
Had 3 Telephone conferences today.. about 3 different subjects .. I know now how Worzel Gummige must have felt!!
All in all I have done business with 40 people 'virtually' today
Home at 5.30
Walked the pup
Ex rang re Teen
Rang Mum
Hel rang
Scanned stuff
Blogged

FuelMyBlog have decided they want a T-shirt designing .. my old boy PC is pretty poor at graphic stuff so had to use pencil and pad (not exactly the back of a fag packet but close)


the words could be substituted by ....

'Everyone is a mad fuel scientist, and life is their lab'
or
'If I don't blog to empty my mind, I go mad' ... a slant on Lord Byron
or
'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FUEL' .. a slant on Aldous Huxley
or
' Better Fuel with the rest of the world than to be wise alone'.. slant on Baltasar Gracian

31st March 1980

Monday 31
Got up at 8.10
At work for 9.00 (how did I do that then? I love a leisurely get up and off to work these days .. saying that we didn't have the internet that draws you before work.. saying that too it was not until recently that I used to log in before work .. I do it even more so now as we are barred from looking at our external e mail accounts .. plus I shower and hair wash daily now .......)

The manageress & one of the staff were ill today
Quite busy with orders coming in
Phoned Sam at 12.35 but no body answered the phone
Home at 6.15
Fi phoned
She came round with Hels for 1/2 hour
Got my photos from my birthday back = good (erm my birthday was in January!! .. my how times have changed with digital and not having to send to Truprint.. can't believe they have survived the digital age )
Phoned Sam
He has been promoted at work
Watched the 'Fox'
Bed at 10.10
*********************
Disaster!
Just turned the page onto April and there is nothing there ...... skipped through more pages and the 1980 diary is not complete .. just sporadic ramblings here and there through 1980 !!
Dam and blast what am I going to do???

Considered for this post what change there had been in the top spot in the UK music charts but
The Jam was still number one with 'Going Underground'.
I need to get on and do some serious 1980s research ......

Meanwhile I found my A'level Cookery display photo

The theme was 'The use of citrus fruits' and the menu was....(it all sounds so yuk!!)
Orange & date tea-ring
Grapefruit and orange cheesecake gateau
Mackerel with orange stuffing
Lemon curd

Pissaladière & tomato stuffing (hee hee I remember making this and I had no idea what anchovies were at the time. I bought a tin of them and laid them on top thinking eeeeeww!!)

(sorry can't alter the font on this bit so it is in your face slightly!!)

I showed the photo to my Mum .. she reminded me that it was my Grannies bowls that I used and the coffee set she had in the 70s ... that coffee set is in a box in my shed just now)

Nowadays I am wondering about what was the wine on offer on the photo ??? lol

oh as an aside it is my dad's 88th Birthday today... however, he only got half way through to the age of 44 ...

Iffyton High Street .. in a town near you!!!

In March FuelMyBlog asked its viewers if they would like a free t-shirt. A free T-shirt? Erm of course I would.
The T-shirt was to come from Uncle Iffy at Iffyton High Street.

I followed the links and came across a virtual high street with great graphics. It looked so exciting.

Imagine then my deep disappointment because of having a severe internet headache and a connection slower than the slowest snail ever ....I could only view the 'Street' but couldn't interact with it all.

All 'seems' to be Bill Whizz at the moment but the connection is not constant (grrr Sir Branston Pickle) ... however, I have been able to have a good fossick around the site now and it is tremendous.
I have even met Uncle Iffy (ok virtually) and oh how he reminds of me of certain other bloggers .. barking mad in true British eccentric style ... wonderful :-)

Due to my blip on the internet I was allowed another chance to order a free T-Shirt (thank you so much FMB and Uncle Iffy x)

With the help of my teen we studied the site and we selected the one we both liked ... ordered it in a size that would fit us both & off the order went.

Yesterday I got home from work. Teen was out and on the dining room table was this


HuH???

ArHHH! I know what was innit oops in it

The T-shirt had arrived (in spiffing clickity quick time I must say) and had been claimed (so much for getting one that fits us both. I have no chance !!)

I texted teen 'where are you? luxx'
Reply '@ trfrd cntr. T-shirt is ace. CU l8r. Lu loads xx'

A quick translation..... she was at the Trafford Centre.

She bounced through the door at 9 pm and was so excited.

'you'll never guess Mum!'
'I expect not! What?' I replied

'I got asked twice where I had got my T-shirt from. Firstly some 'randomer' girl stopped me and said' I love your T-shirt. Where did you get it from?' I told her my Mum got it off the internet. She asked what site but I told her I didn't know' she said

'Iffyton High Street' I replied

' Like I would remember that??... Then I went into Republic and the girl behind the till said 'cool T-shirt it is so individual, I would love one like that, where did you get it from?'

I butted in 'ermm My Mum got it off the internet'
'yeah that is what I said and I didn't know from where from!!' she added

Kids hey !!

But be proud indeed Uncle Iffy your t-shirts have hit the streets of Manchester and have not gone unnoticed... it really is a great product and if this one is anything to go on I will be ordering more ... but could you do me a favour? Could you send me some business cards and I will make sure Teen hands them out with each enquiry.

She is off to Rome on Sunday and the now 'fav' T-shirt is off to Italy with her .. I will give her a note as to where she got it from should some one say 'Amo la vostra camicia in cui lo avete comprato' (not that she would have a clue what they actually said lol







Iffyton T Shirt

Fanzine IX... OFFICIAL 'DP' DAY April 1st

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Welcome back to the long awaited Fanzine ...

& Happy Daddy Papersurfer DAY !!!!!

I can only apologise on behalf of my IS provider Sir Branston Pickle for this huge 'hump' in publishing anything....... Fanzine Editor has had both hands tied behind her back and struggles daily (Harry Houdini would be proud as would Nurse Myra ;-) ) to publish the simplest of posts.

However, not being one to dwell on the negatives of life..... here is Fanzine IX (9)

A quick reminder of past issues of the Fanzine for your perusal....
Issue 8 November 2008 ~ DP has a significant event
Issue 7 June 2008 ~ an insight into DPs life
Issue 6 May 2008 ~ the Papersurfer family tree
Issue 5 April 2008 ~ the secret laboratory & long lost family members
Issue 4 April 2008 ~ Official DP day & celebration memorabilia
Issue 3 March 2008 ~ the Oscars & Gertrude
Issue 2 March 2008 ~ DP runs for Presidency
Issue 1 February 2008 ~ Introducing the phenomenon that is Daddy Papersurfer

As editor of your favorite Fanzine I do have a responsibility to find out just what the 'phenomenon that is Daddy Papersurfer' has been up to.

Last year to escape the heat of the papersurferazzi he took refuge in Surfugal.....this time he has tried to avoid the publicity (& escape the secure gated community) by moving to a remote cliff top residence somewhere in a secret location on the South Coast of England.

It didn't take me long to track him down though ... Phyllis from his previous local woolshop was very helpful indeed, after I had the inspiration to tempt her to loosen her tongue by offering her some jellied eels and liquor.

I followed her directions and stumbled across the man himself. I managed to capture this photo whilst lurking in the hedgerow ( DP will you cut down that bloody Hawthorn bush I am still picking out the thorns)


Surely he is not doing domestic chores readers & 'WHAT IS HE WEARING'?

However, I suppose it is a slight improvement on some of his past wardrobe choices

or this when he stole the lovely Sylvie's identity!!!



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Whilst surfing the 'safety net' last week I came across a reference for

I'd never heard of Joke 90? Intrigued I had to investigate as it surely had DP's DNA all over it ... I paid my money and today I received an annual through the post.
It looks a bit 'doctored' but what does one expect when paying only 99p for a vintage 70s annual?


Inside it indeed has information about DP and a chap that guides him .. I wonder who Ian really is? .. could it be John C, GitWizard, Kevin or is it Dear Frac in disguise.. maybe it is Diane as there is a reference to Dorset?? (fantabulously great disguises gals if it is either of you)



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DP has become a man of letters of late. I suppose this is symptomatic of being a little more mature in dog years.. your Fanzine editor has letters formulated in her head about things that upset/bug her (I have a great one for Sir Branston Pickle) but she still prefers the verbal explanations to date ... just give me time... there is a lot... ok there is a little you can learn from his rants

For those of you who have missed out on the marvellous ramblings contained in DPs letters.....the links are here
day 1...Dear Old Lady
day 2...Dear Young Man
day 3...Dear Young Mum
day 4...Dear Local Council
day 5...Dear Car Park Attendant,
day 6.....very silent!!! mmmm yes DP can't count... & yes fanzine readers you heard it here first !!!!!
day 7..Dear Market Stall holder
day 8...Dear Boy Scout
day 9...Dear Packaging Companies
Day 10 ... Dear 10 items or less Cashier

In response to DPs letters and the fact he is who he is, the Fanzine office floor has been stacked with mail, these past few months.

I even found this poor lost soul hidden beneath the weight of mail ...
She had posted herself over from across the pond in the hope to meet the phenomenon. She looked very pale and her cups were flat when I dragged her out ... but after a beer and a chocolate brownie she soon perked up.

I am not entirely convinced that DP hasn't sent a few of these letters himself because of his recent furtive flurryings with his quill.....time will tell but to date I have not had time to wade through the bulk.

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Fanzine Letter Page

[If your letter doesn't appear here please feel free to publish them in the comments section of the Fanzine or send them freepost to me so I can feature them in the next exciting edition]

Dear Fanzine Ed

Long ago I managed to unearth the identity of Daddypapersurfer, through no fault of his.

That was some time after I had gone through a number of situations in which the 'Ol Git' had been there for me. Bearing his sage words with total lack of knowing what he meant, he always knew what to say to create a feeling of empathic caring.

If there would be one thing that someone could teach me that would be the strongest tool in my life in dealing with other people, it would be his wisdom.

Since wisdom can't be taught, I guess I'm stuck with reading the guy's stuff. It's either that or go cannibal chopping him into cutlets for dinner.

He's really the only person I know online I would ever aspire to be more like in certain qualities I want to develop more in myself.

...should a chocolate covered DP be sprinkled with confectionary sugar...or cinnamon?


Love D.E. Ranged

Dear D.E.
WB to the Fanzine. I do declare it was your vision that actually sparked off this wonderful Fanzine ... way back here in Fanzine I.
Us fans of DP (scattered widely across the globe) thank you from the bottom of our ... bottoms ;-)
DP really is an ..... ermm?? what is the word??? oh yes an example to all of us.
Where would we all be now without his daily Old Git words of wisdom and flimflam? .... lying on a sandy beach in the Bahamas perhaps or drinking fruity cocktails on a balcony soaking up the warm Mediterranean sun or sat at our PC's wondering what was missing?

oh in answer to your culinary question... anything that is chocolate covered just yells for both icing sugar & cinnamon ... oh and topped with hundreds and thousands

Love from your Fanzine Ed x
>^<^>^<^>^,^>

Dear Fanzine Ed
I intend to keep this short and sweat (strike through sweat) - sweet.
I have been a fan for many weeks now. I have been following evereee steps and movements (mainly wind) Daddy P has made since he set his first steps in the blogosphere. watching his progress slowly and cringing many times along the way.
I think I deserve his daily attention - slaughter...(strike through attention)
I will forgive his allusions to Uma...he will soon grow tired of her (she is not even using Twitter)- she is NO contender...
He has been the prey of many highly influential bloggers but I know deep down that I will be the one he will run away with on Technorati ... has to be...I should know...I am a highly influential Uma look alike (in a streched way) with almost perrrrfect English.
If you know who I am - please keep quiet for as long as you can ... he has no IDEAS and that is better that way. sincerely a seriously deluded yet commited follower/ lover on twatter ( euh I mean T-witter)
shuuuush....



Dear shuuuush

Your English is fabulous don't let the fact English isn't your first language put you off influencing the fact we realise here at the Fanzine, you are one ardent fan of the 'phenomenon that is DP'.
As Fanzine Ed I am bitterly disappointed at the lack of response from Uma. She has had a high profile on this 'fab mag' and have we had a hint of twatter? (strike through... and replace with Twitter) no we haven't!

Stay steadfast dear shuuush I am sure it won't be long before he scoops you up and carries you off into his cupboard telling you tales of his adventures of Technotari and the wonders it can bring ...

Love Fanzine Ed x
>^<^>^<^>^,^>

Oi you ... yes you Mr Phenomenonamon!!
I know where you live Guv
The Market Stall Holder

Dear Market Stall Holder
That is so ticketty boo that you know where Daddy Papersurfer lives.
I am with out doubt sure he would love you to pop along to his residence and have a laugh or two over the jolly japes you both shared recently.
Indeed I do believe that he would make you a lovely cup of afternoon tea and bake a few scones which you could enjoy in his English Country garden.
If you do have any trouble locating the exclusive residence please don't hesitate in contacting me.... oh when you do get there do watch out for the Hawthorn bush

signed Fanzine Ed
>^<^>^<^>^,^>

Dearest dearest daddy pee pee poopoo
Why are you not answering my letters, texts, e mails, phone calls?
I have even changed my name by deed poll in the hope you will respond.
You know you can't deny me for ever.
Love and kissy poo poo chuckles xxxxxxx
Uma T Hurman
(formerly known as Arthur Smith, lorry driver from Dagenham)


Dear Arthur ... sorry Uma
I can only apologise as some of your letters may well be in the huge pile on the office floor. Uma I hate to break the news to you and there is no easy way to tell you this but ........................ DP is 'taken' and has been for many years.
I know just now your heart will be breaking but you will find some one who is equally inspiring to you ... someone else that can fill your head endlessly full of drivel and diatribe ... who will tra la la and #tee hee....but only if you just give it some time.

If, however, the pain does not subside in 24 hours I have his address and you can share a nice cup of tea with him and the market stall holder whilst sitting on the cliff edge admiring the view of France (on a clear day)

yours Fanzine Ed


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Fanzine free gift for DP DAY ... yes Fanzine readers it is free.
Using the power of ScissorShop developed by the man himself you can wear with pride your Daddy Papersurfer badge ... just follow the simple instructions below






Step 5 ... now you have a sparkling button badge to impress your friends with. We have seen examples at the Oscars as worn by the stars of stage and screen.


Now you to can wear that very same badge with pride.
Expect to be stopped in the street and asked 'where have you have acquired such an amazing product?' ........... just point them over to DPs Fanzine ;-)



Fanzine X (10) due out ... 'when ever' ;-)