Just wondered if anyone on here is waiting for a hip replacement. If so, how long have you been waiting?
With the current situation I wondered how long the wait is.
Has anyone gone private? and any idea of the cost?

Are we heading for a national lockdown? Will London be next? Have the majority given up wearing masks and self distancing? Will closing pubs at 10pm make a difference? If London commuters are given a free day of public transport, under a plan being considered to help revive the city economy, will this make the situation worse?
Picture is Camden on Saturday. I was in Orpington on Saturday evening, restaurants were packed with all tables close together and staff not wearing masks or sheilds, customers entering take aways without masks and no one walking in the high street wearing a mask or self distancing. Friends say it is the same all over London. Have you given up?

Edward and Pip checking out their first ever attempt at growing tomatoes. They take so long to go from green to red, they are getting impatient now, lol

We just took on this company for pet insurance as one review site was 4.7 out of 5 & good reviews but just now read a different site and a lot of bad reviews has anyone else used this company? & had to claim & has the monthly premiums shot up?

In the last few days there's been three articles in the papers about food and drink at extortionate prices.
Firstly there was Gordon Ramsay's Full English at the Savoy Grill. For only £19 you get a rasher of bacon, a sausage, a mushroom, a tomato and an egg. You can add other items for £5 each.
Then there was his Steak et Frites at his gastropub in Camden for £23. Not bad except the steak was about quarter the size of a normal 8oz. with a Mcdonalds size portion of fries.
Finally there was the £50 cup of coffee at a Mayfair coffee shop. The owners paid over £2000 for some Ethiopian coffee beans that are the best in the world, so the salesperson said. If you order a cup, the beans are ground by hand and the coffee is dripped through a cone shaped filter. Then you have to stare at your cup for 90 seconds as the coffee reduces to optimum temperature.
The good thing is that the Ethiopian growers will get most of the £2000 under the Fairtrade scheme.

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Did anyone watch this on Sunday?
I read that some viewers gave up on it already because they kept moving back and forth in the timeline. But that only happened once at the start when Matthew (Luke Treadaway) is caught up in the Japanese attack on Singapore. Then they go back to 6 months earlier. The episode follows a normal timeline from then.
It's historically accurate as well which upsets certain people.

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Was in the High Street yesterday at around 3pm. Saw a bus pull up with the notice "School Bus". The driver let schoolkids and adults on the bus.

If you wondered, as I did, why ministers and others have been a wearing a wheat sheaf badge on the lapel, Wednesday 9th September was Back British Farming Day.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-wearing-wheat-sheaf-badge-lapel-today-keir-starmer-british-farmers-campaign-explained-641045

This one almost caught me out as the email is , confirmation @ tvlicensing.co.uk
Also because I have just had to buy a tv licence and the yearly DD payment was only last week. The body of the email says this
Dear michael@email.addy
Today is your last chance to remain licensed.

You won't be covered if you let your licence expire.

As we couldn't take the latest payment from your bank account, this amount will also need to be paid when you set up your new Direct Debit.
Here is a button to "setup your new Direct Debit".
Renew your TV Licence before it expires on 11/09/2020 to remain legally licensed.

It's only when you hover the mouse over that button you see www. jiax. isp. com/ veri and realise its a phishing email.
The other giveaway is a genuine email would start, Dear My Name.

Just so you all know ...as not like it’s confusing !

So funny but also true , just read this ..what you think !

Let's clear all this Bullshit up 🤣🤣🤣

If anyone is having difficulty working out these new Covid rules, I’ve broken them down for you...

You can meet hundreds of people at work🏢or school🏫 you can brush shoulders🙎‍♀️, pick their noses👃and lick their face👅 if you wish?!But don’t meet more than 6 of these people in leisure time as the virus has mutated🤷‍♀️

It now only infects you if there’s 7 or more people in a group and you’re chilling out🧖‍♀️ It can not infect you at school or work, because it’s scared of the huge crowds of people🤔

You can still go to a pub🍻 where you are in an enclosed building breathing in everyone’s germs🧫 because Covid doesn’t drink🚫 so it doesn’t go to the pub of course🤷‍♀️

But scientists have discovered that Covid is quite partial to your parents👫 or friends👯‍♀️garden⚘🌱or house🏠 or in the open air🏞 where social distancing is very easy!

In fact, this is so risky😷that councillors are probably sat🪑 round a table in the local pub, discussing the closure of them right now!

It’s still ok for you to cram into tourists spots🗽🎡🎢🎠 as long as only 6 of you come at once, because 7 might tip it over the edge and make Covid sad🥺

But you are alright until Monday because the Virus must be still on Holiday🥳

Think that should clear things up! 😁

We NEED your help

Following the recent police operation in Orpington, a series of dogs have been found & confirmed or suspected to be stolen, if you know any of these 4 legged friends please get in contact & share,share,share please. Call 101 @MetCC and quote Op Medusa

Just this last hour or so every time I go to groups I get ads come up before the group.

We could all learn from this. What does love means to 4-8 year old kids??

Slow down for three minutes to read this.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined !

'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8 💗

'When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'

Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume

and a boy puts on shaving cologne

and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)💗

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.' Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still

friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him

alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross..' Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his

wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old

gentleman's yard , climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

Now, take 60 seconds and Post this for other to see. And then be a child again today!

Cake Walk
Nitty Gritty
Blackburn Rovers
Sold Down The River
Whiter Than White
Uppity
Power and Pace
What connects all the phrases, and which is the odd one out.

I can't believe this. Just saw that President Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Can anyone think of a reason why?

Why are the media and protest groups so obsessed with what are happening in the US?

IMO we need to concentrate on the UK and let the USA sort there own problems.

Here in the UK knife and gun crime is escalating and very little hits the headlines.

Not only the Birmingham stabbings also four boys arrested after stabbing in Corby (yesterday), man rushed to the hospital with life-threatening stab wounds and four more men also suffered injuries in the stabbing attack in Bexleyheath (2 days ago), young man stabbed to death in Burnt Oak on Saturday, Stockwell, murder investigation launched after fatal stabbing in Lewisham, victim of fatal stabbing in Barnet (8th), 79-year-old slashed and man stabbed in Nunhead bus attack (5th Sept).

A Year 11 pupil was shot in Ipswich on the way to school, a man has been rushed to hospital after being gunned down in Sheffield on Monday, a 24 year old was gun downed and killed in Kentish Town, on 8 September. In July, there were 40 shootings in London.

The above are only a small snap shot and I’m sure there have been many more.

More needs to be done although on 26 Aug - Fourteen members of a London organised crime gang following dawn raids targeting 'drug gang linked to knife murders' in Camden. Last night several hundred officers raided a travellers' site in Orpington.

https://news.sky.com/story/armed-police-in-high-risk-raid-of-suspected-gun-supply-gang-in-london-12067036

Hi
I'm looking for somewhere to get some good quality pierogi - These are small Polish savoury dumplings that look like small Cornish pasties - Poland's equivalent of ravioli.
My favourite types are the ones with minced meat, sauerkraut or mushrooms and the like. I'm slightly lactose intolerant so the Russian style cheese and potato variety would be off the menu.
The commercially available ones I've tried are nowhere near as good as the home made variety. Making them from scratch is a lot of hassle and I don't have a good recipe.
Any suggestions would be welcome - Ideally somewhere around the Stoneleigh/Epsom/Ewell/Cheam/Tolworth/Chessington/New Malden/Sutton sort of area.

Edward feeling very special today and Pip and friend Liz paying homage to him, lol
It's all gone a bit to his head, hence the crown, he's feeling very 'Royal' and hopes all his 'friends' on Scooploop will give him a bow today, lol

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There's been plenty of advertising for the new Disney + streaming service for which they charge £5.99 a month. Doesn't interest me as no kids here and all the shows are available for free on other channels.
Then the other night there was an advert for the full length Disney film, Mulan. Available soon on Disney +, but only if you pay another £20.
So they are making parents pay twice

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Has this plumber got OCD

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/white-professor-pretended-black-admits-faking-identity-200904065935857.html

What do people think of this

@FranW appears to have found a way of generating threads in one group by linking it to another group.

Could I suggest that if you want to discuss anything then by all means raise the subject. But what individuals write in one group may not be what they want people in another group to see.

I doubt that any permission was given by either group owner to allow this to happen and I would hope that Scooploop would not allow access to a group by individuals who are not members (open or private), otherwise we may as well not have groups and just let this individual show us what to read wherever she finds it!

I will be putting up a post for Scooploop to investigate and hopefully prevent this.

Daylight robbery.. & If you want a yearly visitor permit a mere £680!! Wtf this is crazy money.. just because my car is a certain emission due to its age I have to pay this ridiculous fee.. don’t they realise you only have an older car because you can’t afford a newer one..so how are people who are struggling to make ends meet already manage to pay this & they have a car for work reasons so can’t just get rid or buy a new one... grrrr.. I’m fuming as it’s not a small amount & it’s only going to affect people with little money.. the rich with new cars will only pay £150.. obviously a scheme devised by someone earning a large wage & a new car. 😡😡😡😡

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/a-new-nadir-for-johnson

RULE BRITANNIA

Here is something you are unlikely to learn via the BBC.

In the 17th century the seas around Britain were ruled by North African Muslim Slavers. They stopped British ships and carried off the crews to be sold as slaves in Algiers and Tripoli.

The situation became so bad that fishermen from Devon and Cornwall wouldn’t put out to sea in case they were captured by North African Slave Traders.

Between 1609 and 1616, 466 British ships were captured by Slave Traders in the English Channel, Irish Sea and North Atlantic, and the crews were sold into slavery.

In 1625 a raiding party landed at Mount’s Bay in Cornwall and 60 people who had taken refuge in a local church were dragged out, loaded up and taken off to Africa to be sold as slaves.

On 12 August 1625 the Mayor of Plymouth wrote to London for military help after 27 ships had been seized by North African Muslim Slave Traders in just 10 days. In 1645, 240 people were seized as slaves in Cornwall.

The situation only began to change after the end of the English Civil War when the Royal Navy was built up under Oliver Cromwell. By 1700, North African Slavers generally knew better than to bother the British Isles in the search for slaves because of the Royal Navy.

It was a triumph that Britain was finally able to control its own coastal waters. And it was in commemoration of this that in 1740, James Thompson wrote ‘Rule Britannia’. It is a hymn of thanksgiving rather than a proclamation of aggressive Nationalism.

If you read this far and are interested to learn more, read "White Gold" by Giles Milton.

He was asked to attend a cemetery of US war dead from WW1. He said, "why should I go there, it's full of losers. It's also raining and it will mess with my hair". He also called US soldeirs that fell in one battle, "suckers" for dying.

Buses have notices on the doors saying, "maximum 12 passengers but driver may allow up to 15 if part of family". Does this no longer apply as I was on a single decker bus today at 11.30am, so not rush hour or school time, and all seats were taken and three people were standing. One person was standing in that drivers safety zone.

Thinking of getting a house cleaner.
Never having had anyone to do this for me before, I wonder what would be the going rate for a couple of hours every fortnight and what light housework they would cover.
Any advice would be most welcome.

.

.

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/something-to-think-about

Strictly have caved in to the Wokes and there will be a same sex dancing couple on this years series.
Olympic boxer Nicola Adams will be dancing with a female professional dancer.

Other strictly rumours inclued Katie Price being lined up. Like to see her dance with two broken ankles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNiL9Hv2V5Q

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Hi

I recently had my back garden rebuilt with a couple of raised flower beds, each about 5 metres long and 1 metre wide.

I've added a wide selection of plants but I think I probably need to protect them from frost when the winter arrives.

Do any of you gardeners out there have any suggestions about good ways to do this?

I've seen fleece type blankets on the web but I'd be concerned about these soaking up water and loosing their effectiveness.

Are they effective and if so which one should I buy?

If I was to put some large garden canes around the edge of the flowerbeds and then cover the whole flowerbed with a large sheet of transparent plastic, to make a sort of temporary greenhouse, would that work as a frost protector?

I'd need to allow some gaps for air to circulate and water the plants as they wouldn't get rained on.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Cheers

Tony

Morning all. I'm thinking about buying a sited caravan. Do you own, or have owned, a sited caravan? If so, what is the sort of amount per year for all the fixed costs? Did you have any unexpected charges? Did you regret buying it? I'm thinking of the Hunstanton area of Norfolk.

Ten years ago a mailboat was launched from St Kilda to commemorate 80 years since the island was evacuated. It finally ran aground on a beach in Norway this week.
https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/st-kilda-mailboat-found-by-children-in-norway-a-decade-later?top

Morning all. I'm thinking about buying a sited caravan. Do you own, or have owned, a sited caravan? If so, what is the sort of amount per year for all the fixed costs? Did you have any unexpected charges? Did you regret buying it? I'm thinking of the Hunstanton area of Norfolk.

I have just been reading on FB in a local group that school children are not allowed to go to the toilet during class time, I'm shocked, have never heard of this before but apparently has been the rule for some time.
Absolutely ridiculous.

Was going to say it's about time this came to an end, but now the US police have shot another black man in the back with 7 shots. So now I'm not sure.

Notice on bus stops about how the buses will operate when the schools go back in September.
Between 7.30 to 9.30 and 14.30 to 16.30 every other bus will be either a schoolchilden only bus or an adults only bus. No requirement to socially distance on the schoolchildren buses.

In Sainsburys yesterday all the self checkouts were being used and there was a queue of about a dozen people waiting. They were stopping other shoppers safely getting to the loose vegetables.
I went to one of the personed checkouts and only had to wait for one shopper to move forward.
Surelly the idea of self checkouts is to get out faster and not have to wait

Would anybody care to hazard a guess whether or not this is load-bearing. I'm thinking of getting this removed - it's the 'wall' between the landing and the eaves which seems to be just a thick hardboard (probably when built in 60s) and had filthy loft lagging attached which has been removed today. Before and after photos attached. I might add it's been difficult enough getting the lagging removed before I start trying to get someone to do the rest. I could try and remove (some of) the hardboard and leave the frame up. I basically just want a sense of space, not looking for an extra room. The other side is the landing.

Or should I get a surveyor in - I don't really want to spend a couple of hundred pounds for one, to be honest, for just a yes or no.

Yesterday I emptied out, cleaned and refilled all feeders - still not seen any birds there atall, even the pigeons haven't come for the spilled seeds.

9 times out of 10 I don't get results from this,
just tried finding one of my posts on my profile - it's not there, searched a friends comments and it says she last commented 2 years ago but she has been on here and commented more than once within the last week.