h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks me old colonial type!

I'll see if I can find any of their work and the tracks you mentioned.

Jolly good.

Not that i'm expecting you to like any of it...

Now what made you think that I wouldn't like any of it? Was it my advance age per chance?

I downloaded an MP3 track via the Internet and as it happens, I didn't like it! I must be getting old! Oh well, back to 60's and 70's with me!

my taste in music varies somewhat from the norm, so don't feel too bad (or old)

It's too late me old colonial type! I'm already both (bad and old) I'm pleased to say...

I was only saying to my long-suffering better half last night whilst we were in bed that I fully intend to be dragged over my old-age hill, kicking and screaming the whole way and will grow old quite disgracefully!

Just wait until I get to 60 (only just over 15 years to go now) and get my buss pass! All those nice young men using the busses will have to watch out! Heh! Heh!

so nothing much will change then...

Nope! My Internet Gwennie persona is taking over my meek and mild real-life Gwen that's all...

I suppose I should feel sorry for John, my kids and the punters down the Red Cross shop...

probably best i don't answer that

probably best i don't answer that

I had a "nose-to-nose" confrontation with a disgruntled punter in the Red Cross shop only last week, shortly after posting my last message.

The New Deal girl who was working with me thought that it was going to come to blows!

The punter in question had gone out to the stock room behind the counter and picked up two items that were quite old and collectable and weren't being put out until they'd been valued and was complaining because she wanted them. I had to put her in her place and she wasn't to happy about it.

One good thing about being a volunteer is that I don't have to be polite to the punters when they're rude to the volunteers/staff in the shop...

one small benefit i suppose. I don't suppose you told her it was a locals store for local people

Err......Actually, I'm hardly local myself as I originate from just outside London, so I couldn't exactly mention anything about locals only. I still have trouble following the Geordie accent although my family say that I'm picking up the lingo and accent and keep correcting me on it!

Last week we had a punter swindle the young lad on the till out of £10 by confusing him with change etc. It's an old ruse and this chap is well known for working the charity shops in the area and if the Manageress had been around, she would have recognised him.

The lad on the till and who has learning difficulties did well to know that something wasn't right and he confronted the chap about it but then had to cope with him becoming aggressive and storming out of the shop. The poor lad was so upset that when his mum came to collect him, he burst into tears. It's knocked his confidence for six and he's now frightened to use the till although we're slowly encouraging him to use it again as long as someone is there to help him.

Enough of the goings on in County Durham...What about yourself? How are your family and new venture?

Family is all well. Rebecca is a funny little thing. She will be 2 in a couple of months and is already constructing sentences such as telling her mother to 'leave 'becca alone' which is similar to my first ever sentence 'leave it alone'

Work is progressing slowly, but surely. I may even make some money soon, which would be nice

Children, especially girls are so sweet at that age. I find myself looking at old pictures of Mair and coming over all and sentimental.

Mair's first word was "More!"

It must be very difficult for you business-wise at the moment, especially with a young family to support too and I certainly don't envy you. (Well perhaps I envy your climate, etc...)

John felt very inadequate the other week when an old friend of his from London who was passing during a business trip dropped in on us. His friend is currently the very well paid managing director of the UK branch of a US firm and has a fantastic company car! I tried to cheer John up by reminding him that he has me but somehow that just made him even more depressed...

Money isn't everything, although a little bit of it wouldn't go astray. Deb earns quite good money and i will actually get my first commission payment in the next month

Congratulations Linus!

I tried to cheer John up and told him that I wouldn't swap him for anyone else, no matter how much money they had (that is apart from Keith Hamilton-Cob, the guy that plays Try in Andromeda or Antonio Banderas!) but it didn't seem to work...

John's much better now as one of his old school friends, Andy recently got in touch with us via the Friends Reunited website and paid us a visit with his wife the other weekend. John and Andy had lost contact with each other and hadn't spoken for over ten years and so had a lot of catching up to do.

Andy is recovering from an accident at work where he fell onto a piece of metal and split himself open from his anus to his testicles. Apparently he passed out from the pain and had to have stitches...

Linus?

*Looks down at the floor where Linus has passed out*

Thanks for telling me that

T'was my pleasure..."Share & enjoy!"

perhaps only share the things that i will enjoy...

That would be highly expensive me old fruit...Those beers in my fridge would cost a mint to ship to Australia!