Sunday, 11 October 2020

Autumn Blues #2

Last week has been about trying to rest and still get all the housework done which was a bit of an ordeal. It seems like the minute I finish cleaning the bathroom, dust is already creeping back! What doesn't help is that the water people are digging around the pipes again and dirty water is coming into the toilet. It makes it hell to have to clean that daily. We're also having a few issues with the electrics in the house-we haven't had a bathroom light for about three weeks now but can't get a tradesman because of the virus. Thankfully I had battery operated lamps just for this kind of scenario so we're using them for nightly visits! We discovered this week that our neighbour is a fully certified electrician and he sorted the light for us yesterday! The security light outside is also out of operation which needs fixing for winter and he has offered to do that as soon as we get a dry day. He refused to take financial payment so we gave gave my uncle's fishing gear which he was delighted with. A good deal all round! The fence replacement is also on hold as the guy can't get supplies of wood-either the places selling it are shut or are charging crazy prices. It's all a bit annoying but it isn't his fault. It's nearly a year since the storm that brought it down.

The latest list of Blogger complaints for last week is that it kept sticking on Paragraph instead of Normal and I had to fight to get it back every time. There seemed to be a ten second delay on everything I was changing-colour, text, spacing, EVERYTHING. Weird numbers and letters keep appearing through the post as I'm doing it, and things just keep sticking or moving when I don't want it to, and the text colour keeps changing as well without me doing it. I'm getting really sick of it. Honestly I just don't WANT to do blog posts anymore and during the week I just can't be bothered dealing with it at all. I had to force myself to blog all week, when I should be doing lots of fun spooky booky posts! 


Hi, Dave here! I decided to give part of my post over to mum to complain about her week as it's good therapy! Me, I'm hanging around the house in my snazzy Hufflepuff hat, watching Harry Potter films and those mad squirrel things running around out in our garden. They are cute but not in my league of course!

I'm taking charge of getting my mum back into reading this week. She kind of has to as she discovered a small pile of books she hadn't registered on Goodreads which did not improve her mood I can tell you! I pointed out that her next Tackling The TBR update is due in a few days and she might want to panic about her pure slothery so I hope that gets her shifted a bit! Honestly, what is a pumpkin to do??? 

With winter coming, I'm trying to get my humans to get the house tidied up a bit. Mum needs to sort that pit of hers out as she trips over piles of stuff on the ever decreasing floor space, leading to frequent face plants on the bed. I told her to get moving and sort the mess but she moans about the room being cold or she's tired. I says to her 'it won't do itself you know!' She needs to stick on some 80's cds, wear a sweatshirt and get that stuff moved! As for my grampa, well he leaves a trail of destruction in his wake and thinks the floor beside his chair is an acceptable substitute for walking to the kitchen bin! There is all kinds of stuff lying around-half finished projects that he never puts away, tools, paperwork...then he moans that he can't find owt! Humans! They drive me mad! I can't help as I have no arms or legs but I am good at nagging!

I hope you are all doing ok out there in the world and I'll talk to you soon.

love, Dave

Saturday, 10 October 2020

60 Years Of Coronation Street-1984/85

This image is my own and I use it to promote my favourite TV series. I make no money from this. Coronation Street is the property of ITV.

In December this year, serial drama/soap Coronation Street will celebrate 60 years on British TV. I have been watching it from the late 70's and remain a big fan. Between now and December I will be looking at the best bits from the Corrie years. This time I'm looking at my ten favourite storylines/episodes from 1984 and 1985.

1984
1) Billy blackmails Emily
Billy Walker tries it on with Deirdre while Ken is away and she has to throw him out. She tells Mike, who cancels any plans of a deal with Billy. Suspecting they had an affair and knowing Emily got a pay out for Ernie's death, Billy blackmails Emily to keep quiet about Mike and Deirdre. Mike steps in to put an end to Billy's tricks.
 
2) Three Street deaths
Ivy is distraught when Bert dies in hospital. Ken and Deirdre mourn as Uncle Albert dies while staying with his daughter. Hilda stays strong after the news that Stan has died in hospital until she weeps over his glasses when the hospital return his things. All three deaths happened off screen as the three actors had died but I cried buckets anyway.
 
3) Street Humour
Mike becomes interested in Japanese work ethics so Ivy and the girls have fun bowing to their Master. That was funny. The Pub Olympics (including welly throwing) with the usual cheating by Bet and Vera was entertaining but the dreadful Talent Contest featuring Percy's farmyard noises and Alf's dreadful jokes cracked me up.
 
4) Mavis and Derek's non wedding
Rita is shocked when Mavis refuses to get married to Derek on her wedding day. Rita has to go and tell Derek that Mavis isn't coming but is stunned to discover that Derek has also failed to show! I must admit I was amused to see how Mavis reacted to it all-guilty for hurting Derek and then offended that he stood her up!
 
5) Man Trouble 
Deirdre is getting suspicious of Ken and his assistant Sally, after Ken puts her off seeing Billy, though Ken and Sally only share a kiss. Audrey's new boyfriend tries it on with Gail, causing Brian to threaten him, and Audrey to eventually dump him. Rita is dumped by her new man after she finds it too soon after Len to consider sleeping with another man.
 
1985
1) Alf marries Audrey
After a few ups and downs, and Alf proposing to and being turned down by Rita, Alf and Audrey finally go out again and get married at the end of the year. Trouble brews at the reception when Ken spots Susan getting cozy while dancing with Mike Baldwin. He and Deirdre are upset when she goes away with Mike at Christmas.
 
2) Ivy and George
Ivy's hopes of a new start with a second husband end when she discovers that George lied about being a widow. Her Catholic faith won't allow her to marry a divorced man and she has to break it off. When she makes up her mind to go out with him again, Ivy discovers he has a new girlfriend at the factory.
 
3) Gail leaves Brian
Gail is tired of Brian making no effort to give them a proper home and is tired of the rows. She briefly moves in with Audrey and to Ivy's fury, Brian refuses to go and see Gail and Nicky. By the time he does, Gail has moved out. Brian goes clubbing
 
4) Dulcie
Dulcie is a sex mad client on Jack's window round and start seeing each other behind the backs of Vera and Dulcie's psycho husband who is away a lot. There are lots of funny moments with Jack and Dulcie with a suspicious Vera on the warpath.
 
5) Tracy runs away to Newcastle
When her parents refuse to get her a dog, Tracy decides to go on the train to Newcastle to see Susan, but when she gets there, she has no idea what to do. Luckily an employee manages to get to her and keep her safe after seeing a man take an interest in her. Susan brings Tracy home to a relieved Ken and Deirdre.

 

 

 

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

 


We all enjoy snooping and lurking on other people's blogs right? Why not share those entertaining things you found with other readers and bloggers too! Welcome to Around the Blogs with Chuckles, where I take time out to show you some of my favourite blog posts from the previous seven days and link you up so you can check them out. 

It is vital that we all stick together online at this time. Do what you can to show some love to other blogs, to books and authors and let us all know that you are staying safe and well. Hearing from our friends will make it easier to deal with whatever is coming in the next few months. Stay safe everyone.

This week...
 
1) Falling Apart A Little
Jenny shares what a bad mental health week feels like.
 
2) Helpful Blogging Hints For New Blogger Interface
Mary shares the fixes that worked for her.

3) Anticapated Winter Releases In SF
Mogsy shares her list.
 
4) Book Review-Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne
Carole's review.

5) Words Matter More Than Stars
Bark explains star ratings and reviews.
 
6) Books With Fall Vibes 
AJ's list.

7) Book Review-Watch Her Vanish by Ellery Kane
Heather's review.

Chuckles Weekend Roundup

Welcome to my feature Chuckles Weekend Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of like The Sunday Post that some of you do!

Please note that I'll be visiting your STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes, I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!
 
Well another week has gone by and the weather has turned colder where I live. The winter chill is already in the air so maybe it is coming early this year. I have no great plans to venture out in the coming months so the weather can do what it wants. I just hope we can avoid those really bad storms we had last year that set my nerves on edge. I know our storms are not the hurricanes that our US friends get but I still find them scary enough. The squirrels seem happy enough as long as they are being fed and we have two big sacks of nuts to feed them.
 
At the moment my dad and I are trying to gradually order in plastic storage boxes to replace all the cardboard boxes full of things we need to keep-they need replaced because spiders love them! I do need to get on with sorting that disaster of a room out and I need to try and get it done this coming week and get it over with. I just don't want to do it though! I just want to sloth around watching TV every night! We've got over the viral infections which is good but my dad is suffering from ongoing trouble with his knee. He was waiting for a knee replacement which was cancelled due to Covid. Who knows when he'll get it now.
 
I bought myself something to cheer myself up this week, a nice bookmark to use when I get reading my next book. If you are offended by the language, sorry, but it amused me and I needed something to smile at this week.
 

It kind of suits my mood even though I'm NOT actually reading yet! I'm showing intent though, charging up the ereaders today and getting reading for a novella splurge! 
 
Chuckles Blogging World
I'm fully caught up on comments as I enter the weekend (for a change!) but I still have some blog visiting which I'll be doing through today so I can finish my Around The Blogs post! I've been working on deleting and sorting computer files all week and battling with Blogger. I've had no interest in doing book reviews recently but I do really need to get caught up at some point.
 
Book Reviews
none this week
 
Regular Posts 
 
Around The Blogs With Chuckles
 
Top Ten Tuesday
 
#6Degrees Of Separation
 
Discussion Posts
 
60 Years Of Coronation Street-1982/83
 
Reading Challenges
 
Tackling The TBR
 
Films & TV & Music
I haven't been doing much other than watching some old favourite films during the day and watching favourite episodes of Coronation Street at night.
 
Book Tags/Blog Awards
none this week
 
The Week Ahead
In the ideal world I'd get my bedroom straightened out, start reading again and Blogger's issues will all be resolved so I can happily go about my blogging business. But I doubt it'll be that good a week so I'd settle for one out of three!
 

Friday, 9 October 2020

60 Years Of Coronation Street-1982/83

This image is my own and I use it to promote my favourite TV series. I make no money from this. Coronation Street is the property of ITV.

In December this year, serial drama/soap Coronation Street will celebrate 60 years on British TV. I have been watching it from the late 70's and remain a big fan. Between now and December I will be looking at the best bits from the Corrie years. This time I'm looking at my ten favourite storylines/episodes from 1982 and 1983.

1982  
1) Sharon stalks Brian
Rita and Len's foster daughter Sharon becomes obsessed by Brian when she starts babysitting for him and Gail. When Brian drives her home, she takes the chance to kiss him and the dumb Brian is too flattered by the attention to put her of. It's only when Gail gets angry about Sharon's fantasy of Brian loving her that the adults intervene and Sharon takes a job away from Weatherfield to avoid seeing Brian again.
 
2) Mike and Maggie
Did you ever think you'd feel sorry for Mike Baldwin? I felt he was badly treated by Maggie. He took her in when she needed somewhere to stay, then offers to marry her as soon as she gets pregnant...but she refuses to marry him, rejects any thought of him being in his kid's life until he's 18 and goes off to marry a man who loaned her money when Mike wouldn't. She was a real hardfaced bitch!
 
3) Fred goes to the ball and other stories
Fred is so funny! He pulls a con by claiming he did his back in a fall to get treatment from a local Swedish masseuse-who turns out to be a bloke from the rugby club. He takes Annie to a Brewery dance, gets drunk and makes a fool of himself, losing Annie's car in the process and throwing himself at poor Sarah Ridley, a Brewery director. It was so funny. His nuptials to Eunice end too.
 
4) Bet and Jack
The unlikely relationship between Bet Lynch and idle Jack Duckworth behind wife Vera's back was a bit of a surprise and was strangely interesting! Vera is having a fling with Vic and uses Bet as an alibi, unaware he is bedding Bet! It was quite a surprise to see Bet and Jack together but they worked quite well-until Vera found out...
 
5) Elsie goes to Coventry
Elsie has a fling with Wilf, a married client of Mike's but when his raging wife Dot finds out about it, she makes sure that the order is cancelled. It leads to a revolt by the factory girls who blame Elsie and decide to stop speaking to her. Elsie uses it to her advantage to give out insults, knowing they can't answer her back. 
 
1983
1) Mike and Deirdre and Ken
The classic love triangle saw Ken taking Deirdre for granted and putting his own wishes first. Deirdre got bored and lonely, turning to old flame Mike for support, which became a brief affair. When Mike got Deirdre to agree to leave with him, she told Ken. It led to a great piece of TV as Ken and Deirdre had a row then decided to try again, starting a lifelong vendetta between Ken and Mike.
 
2) Vince and Carole
Bet decides to join a video dating agency and is shocked to see Jack Duckworth on the tape pretending to be a singer called Vince St Clair. She gets Vera signed up to it and Vera is furious to see Jack on screen. Bet convinces her to arrange a date with Vince to teach Jack a lesson. Only Jack would be muppet enough to agree to a date in his local with another woman. He is horrified to find that Carole is actually Vera! Very very funny!
 
3) Len Fairclough death
I never got what Rita saw in Len but my heart broke for her when Len was killed in a car crash while she sang at the Ogden's 40th anniversary bash in the Rovers, which was a farewell party too for Eddie and Marion. To rub salt into the wound, Rita discovers that Len was having an affair and was driving home from his mistress when he crashed. Rita becomes obsessed with tracking her down to hear her story. It was sad and well acted.
 
4) The trials of Bet Lynch
Oh dear what a year. Bet thinks she has found a great catch in Rovers decorator Des Foster and launches into a steamy relationship but of course he turns out to be married. A day out with Fred and Betty ends up with the car in the lake and the rescued Bet sitting on a cow pat! Fights with Vera and Fred are just another day at the office for Bet!
 
5) Departures
On screen we see the departure of Eddie and Marion to look after her mother and have her baby. Off screen we get the death of Len after the actor is sacked for selling Coronation Street stories to the newspapers. The continued ill health of another actor saw the decline of Bert Tilsley on screen as he suffers a broken arm and potentially could have a stoke at any time He is injured in an accident at Brian's garage and is put into a psychiatric hospital.