Open wide.

 

UK Prime Minister

@10DowningStreet

We’re rolling out an extra 700,000 urgent NHS dental appointments across the country, ending the misery faced by hundreds of thousands of people unable to access care. As part of our Plan for Change, we will get NHS dentistry back on its feet.

UK Prime Minister

@10DowningStreet

Official page for Prime Minister

@Keir_Starmer

’s office, based at 10 Downing Street.

So, who gets first choice of these extra appointments? 

What is the waiting time to get an appointment? 

Where are you going to find all these new dentists? 

How much will I have to pay for treatments? 

Read comments on tweeeeter. 

I went to the dentist to get a filling. The young lady who did the job looked about 12 years old. She took ages to do one simple filling. Now it has fallen out and needs re filling. I have an appointment for the 27th February. I have to go private because my dentist has no NHS appointments available. 

Mr Starmer I don't believe a word you say. You are not understanding the needs of the ordinary British citizen. Your only concerns are following orders from globalists. You are dragging this country down in pursuit of  ridiculous ideologies dictated by the richest people on earth. With every breath you take, Mr Starmer, you lie. 

Time to go out for a walk. It clears my head. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Save The Local Pub

Good evening. I've just been to the pub, or should I say, the pub has been to me. There was a lot of singing and dancing going on. Everyone was having a jolly time. 

The Stag and Hen at Coventry has been brought back to life, after lying empty for five years. Terry Miles, the piano bashing king went along to entertain the customers. It soon turned into a party. 

I'm not keen on going into pubs, but it's good to see people enjoying themselves in this great British pub. Well done, Paul for getting it going again. And thanks to Terry for making the journey from London to Coventry to provide the entertainment. Grab yourself a beer and join in with the singsong. And if you are ever in Coventry, why not pop in and support the landlord. 

Goodnight, catch ya tomorrow. ilona. 

Farm Shopping - not frugal. Plus edit

Good morning. Whacking the videos out now. The weather is still miserable but not to worry, I have plenty to do indoors. Here is a video about what I bought from the Farm Shop on Tuesday. The price I mentioned for the honey was incorrect. I didn't get a receipt. I said £3 per jar, it was £5. 

It's only now that I can afford to spend a little bit more on nice food. No more yellow sticker shopping. Remember that? Tesco at 7pm waiting for the trolley to appear with all the food that was about to go out of date. It must have saved me mega £'s over the years. It was well worth the effort to join the scrum. Now I can leave it to others who need to shop for reductions. 

A good move to swap sugar in my coffee for honey. Not that I have any health problems associated with excess sugar. I just think I need to keep my consumption in check. I'm not going to say no more, because I believe you can eat anything in moderation. Just be sensible about it. Know your body, know what your stomach can tolerate, and stop taking the Gaviscon. 

That's all for now. Catch you later. Toodle pip.   ilona

EDIT

Just found this on our village facebook page. A local bee keeper reports the loss of his bees. 

Well, following the very long cold winter, we finally got a mild enough day to open up the bees for a very quick inspection. Its as I feared, I'm afraid - all dead. Plenty of honey stores still there to keep them fed through the winter, but with no opportunities for them to fly at all since Christmas, I'm afraid its been too much for them. Its been a long time since I lost bees like this.

😭😨😢

Interference.

 This is maddening. My videos are being littered with an A I generated explanation, inserted underneath the brief description which I put under the title. What is the reason for this? Probably to gather material for the biggest database in the world. It's called harvesting. Everything we say or do will be stored electronically. It can be dragged up months and years into the future. This is the way it's going folks. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

AI-generated video summary 

Quality and accuracy may vary. 

The speaker is having a coffee and reflecting on the day's mail, including a car tax bill and a letter from HMRC about their tax code. They are also dealing with a text from Tesco Mobile about their 3G network being switched off, which they find frustrating. They are feeling overwhelmed by the constant push towards digital and are considering a simpler lifestyle.

Frugal sewing and frugal soup

Good morning. Here's a video I knocked up yesterday. Redesigning old clothes, making a new gilet. How to make a quick soup with half a tin of peas. 

This is what I did with the other half tin of peas. The green deal. A piece of toasted seeded bread, a chopped up avocado, warm up the peas with some spinach. Pile it all on top of the toast. Everything gets eaten here. 

Now I must get on. Thanks for popping in. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

A mans best friend.

 Good morning. In 2009 I wrote this blog post about a man and his horse. I came across him one day while out on a walk. I asked what is it's name. I am no good remembering names so have long forgotten it, I also don't know the man's name. He lives here in the village and I see him about sometimes. I always ask about his horse. 

He tends to walk to the shop in the morning to buy a newspaper. The man, not the horse. He used to stable it in a paddock on the edge of the village, then he moved it to a farm about two miles away. I sometimes walk that way and used to see him drive to and from the farm. He once stopped to ask if I wanted a lift. When I explained that I was walking for exercise he didn't stop again, just gave me a toot and a cheery wave as he went by. 

I saw the man yesterday as I walked to Crafty Club. He had been to the shop for his paper. I asked how his horse was. He struggled to answer. I could see he was holding back the tears. Slowly he explained to me what happened. Horse died in October last year. It was ill with a couple of problems. I know very little about equine ailments so I listened to his story. One ailment was treatable and it was on medication. Then it had another illness. The vet tried to treat it but it was not successful. The horse died during the night, so at least the man was spared the trauma of it being humanely dispatched. 

I asked the age of the horse. It was just coming up to it's 30th birthday. He bought it as an ex racehorse when it was four hears old. It didn't want to run races so it was no good to it's previous owners. I would say that horse couldn't have had a better retirement. What a beautiful animal he was. 

A sunny start to the day. I did a village walk yesterday afternoon but it was so cold I cut it short. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Monday morning musings.

Good morning. I've had to close the back curtain because the SUN 🌞 is shining and I can't see the computer screen. The Breakfast Club were waiting for me when I got up at 7am. Oh dear, best get the bird seed scattered then. 20 minutes later after a good scoff they took flight over the tops of the nearby houses. 

I see they have got the landtrain out again at the park yesterday. It has been in the shed all winter getting spruced up for the forthcoming summer season. It is half term holiday this week for the kiddywinks so it will be out every day. It cost £2 for the round trip, tickets available at the shop. 

A quick flit around the internet this morning. What is happening, what is everybody doing. I have to say that Cro is putting some interesting posts out. His Sunday Newsround seems to be stirring things up a bit. I see he is being monitored by Traveller who is keen to point out Cro's misinformation. That makes me laugh. Bloody misinformation. Seems like the whole world is ready to pounce on anyone who dares to voice their own thoughts on anything out in the public domain. 

I still haven't figured out how to activate my goooogle account. Truth be known I have stopped going around in circles trying to sort it out. It does mean that I can't comment on blogs which ask you to sign in with your account. Some might say that's a blessing because they don't want to hear from me. Perhaps it's not a bad thing for me, because it keeps me from getting drawn in to some of the bickering I see going on. I prefer be on the outside looking in rather than in the thick of things. I can comment on other blogs which allow a name to be inserted into the pop up box.  

I've been watching some videos on re using old clothes and turning them into something more modern and fashionable. The Japanese are particularly good at this. It has given me an idea for a sewing project. I like patchwork, small pieces of colourful fabric sewn together. Maybe I could make a garment that I could wear using this method. 

Must go now. I need to wash my hair before I go to Crafty Club. Thanks for popping in. The sun is out here, whooooppeeeee. Toodle pip.   ilona

Breakfast club

What was it that Tammy said? 

The ducks are telling their family and friends where the buffet is located.

They most certainly are, Tammy. 

On time as usual. They landed in next doors garden at 8am. 

Nothing much happening here, lads and lassies. Let's go next door. Now where is that hole in the hedge. 

Cue me rushing out with a bag of seed and scattering it on the grass. Then I watch through the window and see them playing follow the leader, the serfs waddling behind. They appear on my side. Seems that we have a foreigner in the camp. 

Their behaviour pretty much mirror humans. If you can't find what you want close to home, you go and look elsewhere. Life is often better on the other side of the fence. 

I think there is a hierarchy among ducks. Two of them were fighting. The male had the female by the throat and wouldn't let go. A sharp bang on the window interrupted their shenanigans and he let go. 

As for the rest of the day. I've watched a Dan and Steve Come along Dear video. There will be a gap now while they get on with their work. I've just scoffed a fantastic lunch. My fave, avocado on brown seeded bread, an egg, and grated cheese. Now I need a coffee. If I stop faffing about I should get a couple of hours walk to the park.

Thanks for popping in. I hope your Sunday is good. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Hellish hospital

Good morning. 15 ducks 🐦for breakfast this morning. No, I didn't eat them. 😁😝😵 This is now getting a bit silly. I will have to cut down on the bird seed. The garden is getting very messy. I only hope the grass starts growing after it has been trampled to death. 

So, I came across this video from The Woodlander. Worth a listen I thought. Woody lives in a wood, novel eh 🌲🌳🌴 He has 190 videos on yooootooob, 15.9k subscribers, and joined in 2020. 

Woody has been having a bad time just lately. In this video he talks about the failures of the NHS to sort his health problems out. He says it's been hellish trying to get help, and feels he has been let down. But, he is fighting back and hoping for a recovery. In the first ten minutes of this video he talks about getting treatment. A similar story seems to be happening all too frequently, so I hear. 

Woody has a web site if you are interested. It's about taking back our land, freedom, and future. 

I think we should all be aware of the situation in the NHS. They are not coping well, and maybe it's best to take care of ourselves because there may not be help available for much longer. A strategy for a long term plan would be to eat the right food and get enough exercise. Fresh air outdoors is your tonic.

A day or two ago I had an email from a blog reader. I will post some of it here because it ties in with what Woody is saying. Thank you for sending it to me.

My Dad is seriously ill in hospital after suffering a major stroke 10 days ago. He has no quality of life left and is unlikely to recover to any significant degree. The care has and communication from staff has been abysmal. I haven’t been able to visit for two days because they’ve closed the ward to visitors. The first occasion was because they thought they had a case of Norovirus and RSV on the ward - completely unfounded. Yesterday it was because they thought they had a case of Covid. They are still swabbing patients so these fake vaccines definitely don’t work. I’m absolutely livid. Apparently they closed the ward to visitors over the Christmas period because of a case of C. You really wouldn’t want to end up in hospital. I know I’d definitely refuse an admission.  

This is not me telling you what to do, everyone has a choice. Don't wait until you become ill, try and get  healthy now. 

It's raining here. I have an idea for a new sewing project so I will get on with that. 

Thanks for popping in. Have a good weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

The bus was late. I need an app.

I was waiting at the bus stop for the 1.09 bus. It was late. Becky was also waiting, she checked her phone and said it will be here in a few minutes. Then a young man arrived. He also checked his phone and said the bus will be here shortly. I laughed and said oh that's what you need an app for, to check bus times. I haven't got any of those. He was a very nice young man. Said he was going to the station to catch a train to Newcastle to watch a football match with his friend who lives there. We had a great conversation all the way to Scunthorpe. He had sustained an injury to his shoulder while playing rugby, and his arm was in a sling. He looked very fit, wearing shorts, showing off his muscly legs. 

I called in to say hello to Nicky at the Arts centre before I set off walking back. It was a bit chilly so I had my hood up on the big jacket. This tree blew down in high winds ages ago and no one has bothered to clear it away. I'll take a photo. I have tweaked the saturation on it a lot. The wood now looks as if it could be a jagged rock. 

I thought I had spotted my ducks, but I could be mistaken. There are hundreds of them around the park area. They wander all over the village. 

Now it's time for dinner. I made a stir fry earlier for lunch. I made extra which I will now heat up and serve it on a couple of pieces of garlic bread. A glass of Chardonnay will go very nicely with that. 

Thanks for popping in. Have a good weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Breakfast at Fanny's

More guests for breakfast this morning. Word seems to be getting around. The first seven landed in the garden next door at about 8am. 

Then there were nine. Come on chaps, much better food selection on this side of the hedge. And there is water. Fill your boots. My lawn is in a right state with all the tiny feet scurrying about, pecking and scraping looking for tasty morsels. After the ducks left, the pigeons came down out of the trees, then the blackbirds and the sparrows. Swooping overhead were several seagulls. Come back later, lunch and dinner might appear if I am around. 

My breakfast? Porridge and blueberries. 

Yesterday I defrosted the fridge freezer. Later in the afternoon I went to Aldi and filled it all back up again. 

Thanks for popping in. I must get some walking in today. It's looking dry but dull so I think the bus to town and walk back will work well. Best stay on tarmac. Toodle pip.   ilona

Munich mourns,

 

Diversity is our weakness. That's all. ilona

Ballade Pour Adeline

Have to put this out there. My most favourite piece of music ever. 

Years ago I had it on an LP. I recorded this one track onto a 60 minute tape, over and over again, filled the whole side with it. I have just found the tape, and it is playing now as I type. I bought the stereo when I moved here, but hardly use it. I have a few vinyl records left, a few cd's, and some tapes. Just out of curiosity I might start playing music again. 

I seem to remember I have posted about Richard Clayderman before. Just checked, and so I did. Blog post for 3rd September 2019. Five and a half years ago.

I am now going to let the tape play through to the end. Never tire of it. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

PS. Just checked. This video has had 93 million views, and 23,088 comments. Richard has 661k subscribers. It was posted 12 years ago. A nice little earner he has there. 

They have no shame

 Press release

Government announces COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025

A UK-wide Day of Reflection will take place on Sunday 9 March 2025

Mike Yeadon was right all along. 

Some comments.

Time to start banging those pots and pans again

My reflection is why no one has been prosecuted for the propaganda, lockdowns, school closures, inhumane treatment of bereaved, elderly, those who lived alone and died alone those who gave birth alone misinformation about j*a*b*s and the trashing economy

Why did so many alleged "nurses" perform dances during the "pandemic"?

I'm still traumatised by it all.

During the pandemic, both my parents were in a care home, so restrictions meant that I rarely saw them. They both died during that time.

Does the Government, Labour and Conservative, really think they did a good job? Unbelievable!

Catch ya later. Toodle pip. ilona

Tuesday titter

Good evening. Another one which took a long time to upload. I really must try harder to get them under ten minutes. This is a thankyou to the new subscribers, and everyone else, who watch my videos. 

It's been another miserable day outside today. I've had to put the lights on inside the house because it has been so dark. Ridiculous really. I did manage to get a dog walk in this afternoon. Billy didn't get one yesterday because it never stopped raining, so today he was raring to go. For a ten year old dog he has lots of energy. 

I rang my garage about getting my car booked in for an inspection of the clutch. They are busy and could only offer me the 25th. I took the car to another local garage to see if they had any appointments. The earliest they could offer me was the 25th. They are also busy. So no luck there. The clutch might not be a bigger problem as I first thought. It is not likely to fail and leave me stranded, so if I am gentle with the gear changes it hopefully won't break down before the 25th. 

Time get this post done and chill for the evening. Mayze is wanting her cuddle. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona