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

Is this Darrell Lea's licorice then?

I'm very fond of it, if it is..

Good evening all

Good to hear from you Achilles. I think MJ will be munching on Lucky Country licorice as per the link in my message 131. According to Douglas, we can get Darrell Lea’s in Sainsbury’s. I looked today and couldn’t find any; but it was a small branch and I didn’t have time to go to Customer Services and make enquiries.

Our HB doesn’t quote RRPs, MJ. I’m not even sure that such things still exist officially; but don’t forget that Tesbury’s prices are almost always lower than the manufacturer’s ‘recommended’. Did I tell you about the shopkeeper who showed me his wholesale price list when I mentioned how much cheaper something was in Sainsbury’s. Such is the puchasing power of the big supermarkets that smaller shops often can’t BUY stuff for the price at which Tesbury’s SELL it. This poor chap had actually been banned from the local Sainsbury’s for buying stuff there to re-sell in his shop! You are right to question whether something is really a bargain, though. These ‘discount shops’ often depend on people assuming their prices will be cheap – and it’s not always the case!

I must dash now. Back later with concert report.

H

HELLO H!

Sorry, had to shout that - hey, it's been a bit busy here since my last visit (69 posts to be precise) - sorry, I didn't mean to be away so long, there are various reasons, some rather stress-inducing (you DON'T want to know!!) but everything is ok now. I also went through my usual pre-Christmas depression, which for the last few years has hit me 2-3 weeks beforehand ... I wouldn't be surprised if we talked about it around this time last year! Still no cards written but I have bought one or two pressies!

Anyway, I'm back now ... and I saw your message to MJ saying you were worried about me (not surprised, I don't think I've ever been away that long before, even when I went to Cyprus ... btw, sister M is there at the moment, AGAIN! ). But I'm very touched by your thinking/worrying about me.

Well, I won't make this message too long. I missed WoM this week and will have to listen online - I also missed the last of the Howard Goodall series on C4 which I'm rather miffed about because it's not repeated - perhaps the whole series will turn up elsewhere (Channel 5?) at some point.

'Bye for now,
Back soon (promise!)|

Mimi

Hello again

Interesting concert last night. There wasn’t a single work I’d heard of . The programme was:

Schumann: Three Romances for oboe and piano, Op. 94
Weber: Trio for flute, cello & piano, J259
Ginastera: Duo for flute and oboe, Op. 13
Brahms: Trio for horn, violin and piano in E flat, Op. 40

This caused an amusing misunderstanding when I said to the bloke next to me “Should be interesting – I haven’t heard of any of these” and got the reply “Robert Schumann…he’s quite well known..” I put him right before he informed me that Johannes Brahms wasn’t really an undiscovered talent! Anyway, it was interesting and the Weber piece in particular was most enjoyable.

I paid my usual visit to the CD stall and picked up, among other things, a recording of Nielsen’s violin concerto (the very existence of which was news to me) and another recording for my ‘Duke Bluebeard’s Castle’ collection (Walter Berry, Christa Ludwig, LSO, Kertesz).

All in all a pleasant trip made even more satisfying by the fact that I’ve done my December trip to London without running into the usual Christmas transport chaos.

To answer your question, MJ, there are hundreds of different liquorices in The Netherlands ranging from soft and inedibly sweet to barely pliable and quite savoury. The Old Timers in the blue box is very much saltier than the Lucky Country stuff; there’s a hint of sweetness but salt is the dominant taste. I also like Katjes Salzige Heringe which are on sale in most German supermarkets. But you wouldn’t be able to try this because of your strict no-gelatine policy. Katjes do make gelatine-free products, though:

http://www.katjes.com/en/verserv_ernaehr_gelatine.php

Lakritz means liquorice in case you hadn’t guessed.

bye for now

H

Hi Mimi

I was writing while you were posting 163. Good to see you back. I didn't know about your pre-Christmas depression but it doesn't surprise me. It's probably a sign of sanity. I deal with it by ignoring Christmas as much as possible but I realise that's not an option open to everyone. Anyway, try not to let it get to you. Ask yourself what's the worst thing that can realistically happen; that usually puts things in perspective for me.

Howard Goodall will probably be repeated on one of the C4 digital channels: More4 would be my best guess but E4 is another possibility. I wouldn't count on it being soon, though. His '20th Century Greats' was recently repeated after a couple of years.

Anyway, I'm going to listen to 'Doon Your Way' on BBC7. She is so funny - but MJ won't like it 'cos it's a spoof pirate radio station.

Goodnight

H

Good afternoon all

Urgent message for those of you who have too full a life to scour the TV Listings! Howard Goodall's 'How Music Works' is being repeated on More4. Episodes 1 & 2 are going out at 2100 TODAY with episodes 3 & 4 on next Thursday at the same time.

H

Posted: Thursday 14 December 2006 15:18:00

The Horn Trio is one of my favourite bits of Brahms chamber music (along with the op 25 piano quartet and op 34 piano quintet), so much better than the really rather tedious op 51 string quartets. Don't know the other pieces in your concert tho H.

Went to a very avant-garde concert last night: http://www.barber.org.uk/cele131206.html but I'm afraid it was a bit too experimental even for me. The new Jonty Harrison piece might as well have been all electro-acoustic and not bothered with the musicians. They only had 12 "real" notes to play in 25 minutes (according to the programme notes) - the rest of the time they were making noises with their instruments eg scraping body/strings (strings) or breathing heavily into them/tapping the keys (wind) - don't know what the pianist contributed, couldn't see her that well so no idea what she was doing! The first half had some good pieces in it however.

Evening all

The Brahms was good, Andy; but if I had to find fault I’d say it was bit long. I’d still buy a recording if I saw one at a competitive price. If your concert was too experimental for you I don’t think it would have appealed much to me. I’m afraid that if I see ‘Köln’ in a musical context without ‘Keith Jarrett’ attached I tend to switch off! I’ve always been a bit concerned about people who don’t use instruments in the way in which they were made to be used – I even prefer Jimi Hendrix playing with his fingers rather than his teeth!

Hello H,

THANKS for the message re Howard Goodall on More 4 - I also missed a bit of part 3 so I must now write a note to myself to watch next Thurs. - I quite often forget we have got digital channels as this is a recent addition so it's more than likely I would not have noticed! I meant to mention that in part 3 about harmony, it took me back to the piano lessons I had 20-odd years ago - I had a good teacher but it put me off when, after getting past the technicalities, he only wanted to teach me to play classical pieces and I wanted to play pop choons!! I subsequently had more lessons in a class with others - very pop/rock orientated, we learnt songs like "House of The Rising Sun" and "Imagine" (MUCH easier for the novice!!) - sadly, that course finished early due to dwindling numbers.

Now, WoM - I have checked out the 'Prostitutes' thread, which has been pretty active since I last visited. I saw that exchange between yourself and teds733 (formerly teds73 - whom I once ticked off for being extremely rude to Toby Field, thankfully no repercussions that time). He now seems to have transmogrified into ronnie corbett!! I believe what he is doing is termed as 'flaming' ... or is it 'trolling' ... is there a difference? There are many things I could add to what others have said on this thread but I think it's best I keep out of it .

'Bye for now,

Love
Mimi
xxxx

Hi Mimi, saw your eyes not long ago but you seem to have gone now. Enjoy your weekend. H - you may like to put in an enthusiastic word for your salty Dutch stuff here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbarchers/F2693943?thread=3743843&post=43925876#p43925876 Someone comments on it in msg23 but so far no one else has said they like it. (Yes I know dear Mrs Pedant that they should be a he or she but it just didn't sound right!) Beginning to panic I'm nowhere near ready for Christmas - I've written about 988* cards so far but haven't actually got around to posting any yet. Last year I was more organised and bought the stamps before the mega-queues...and there aren't many little post offices left round here so the queues are even longer than ever.SAVE OUR POST OFFICES!!!Don't think those petitions we all sign make the slightest difference do they? * Slip of the finger! About 50 of those were for staff and children at school! MJ

Good evening all

Just been watching BBC 1 for an hour – ‘HIGNFY’ (Boris really is turning into Rowley Birkin isn’t he?) and ‘Jam and Jerusalem’. That bit about the dogging and cottaging had me in stitches – on a par with the watersports discussion in ‘I’m Alan Partridge’. Telly’s off now but it’s going back on for me to record ‘The Dark Side of the Moon Live’; I trust you noticed that, Mimi. I’d forgotten about ted whatever he calls himself, Mimi. One of the drawbacks of giving people the benefit of the doubt is that you run into idiots like that now and then. I just hope the board doesn’t get overrun by that type. One of the reasons I never go near the ‘Today’ board is that it seems (or seemed – I haven’t been there since the recent restructuring) unable to defend itself from people with more hours to spare than brain cells.

Don’t talk to me about Post Offices, MJ. I recorded the ‘Dead Enders’ omnibus to DVD for my brother & sis-in-law in Dallas. You’re supposed to take the envelope to the counter and make a customs declaration but the queue was literally out into the street so I just put a couple of quid’s worth of stamps on the envelope and dropped it in the pillar box. Christmas cards, though: I’m sending a nice round number again this year. I don’t get presents for adults (though I shall be distributing booze & fags bought on my trips to Spain). Children get money coz that’s what I appreciated most when I was a kid; but there will also be selection boxes for under 10s. I was going to buy my father a jumper with a hideous pattern as a gesture of revenge for all the ones he bought me but that would just be petty. So my shopping is finished; though I still have to buy some humbugs to fill my seasonal sweet jar that I bought in the RFH shop in 2001 and which bears the label, you’ve guessed it, ‘Bah! Humbug’

Bye for now

H

Evening All.

The shop in Cheadle High Street is called 'Quality Save'.

I bought some 'Panda' there this afternoon, also 99p for 240g, but haven't tried it yet.

It doesn't say where it is made but, as the maker has a Finnish name and address, I don't expect it is made anywhere else. There's no mention of any salt in it.

Hello All,

Are you ready for Christmas then??? Aaaargh ... I'm going to hit the next person who asks me that (NO, not really! ). I should be, all things considered, but it wouldn't BE Christmas if I wasn't running around at the last minute. I didn't mention it before but my school broke up for the holidays last Friday - usually it's only a few days before the 25th - dance school was the previous week, so it's a real luxury to have this week to poodle around at my leisure. I was pretty sure that MJ's school would still be operative this week so I didn't want to rub it in but MAYBE now we're halfway through it, she'll have reached her end of term or, if not, be indulging in many festive frivolities.

WoM seems to be back on form - lots of input from messageboarders too, GREAT! I cannot listen to it at 11 p.m. on a Monday, though (it just doesn't seem the right time for it) - managed to catch yesterday's repeat whilst making chocolate chocolate muffins though!
Might just be starting a new thread as well ... now that's a bit of a rarity!!

Back later,

Love,
Mimi
xxxx

Hi Mimi

I break up tomorrow but my own kids not till Friday hee hee Indulging in festive frivolities is a lot more exhausting than just plain hard work! The Nativity went with an "Ahhhh!" last week; the Class Party went with an "Aaargh!" yesterday afternoon. I'm so behind with my assessments that I'm planning to do some tomorrow morning!!! But I think they'll enjoy a bit of quiet writing for a change - it's been simply too riotous lately! And I am NOT doing any more cutting and sticking and glittering and sequining of Christmas cards and baubles!!!

{Interested to see that you "poodle" around at your leisure - must be a regional thing - up here we pootle!!!}

Chocolate chocolate muffins sound really good...

Love MJ
xxx

PS H - still rotting my teeth on your licorice - yes, you'll have to take the blame.

Good evening all

You seem to have broken up early Mimi. Our local kids were still at school today though, judging by the number of them in the shopping centre early afternoon, it must have been the last (half) day.

<>

Are you getting your OH a bottle of ‘Hackney’ for Xmas, then? Are you planning to see your mum and sisters over the hols, Mimi? I trust the family is well – you haven’t mentioned them for a while apart from saying one sister is in Cyprus again. I’ve just got two more deliveries to make – booze & fags to brother & girlfriend and cash to niece – then Xmas is over for me. With a bit of luck a load of work will come in that I can do at my leisure over the hols and bank enough hours credit to do my February trip to Amsterdam without eating into my holiday entitlement.

<>

Well, MJ, you might not have to put up with it for much longer. My local HB sold out in a couple of days and hasn’t yet restocked so it might be a once-only stock item. I see our store does have rrp on the price tags in tiny type. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it; I never take rrp seriously anyway. By the way, now you’ve find your Home Bargains could you make discreet enquiries to find out what it’s called in local parlance. I’m interested in whether they call it ‘Home and Bargain’ in other areas. It does trip off the tongue much better than ‘Home Bargains’, doesn’t it? But I always wonder how such inaccuracies get established. Got my humbugs yesterday, btw; two bags – enough to offer the jar to all visitors without running out over the holiday!

bye for now

H

Good afternoon all

There's a rumour that boards will be closing over the holiday so I thought I'd get my greetings in early. I'll still be around if the boards are open.

Today (Xmas Eve) is a good one on R3, MJ. At 1400 Stephen Hough, who played for our society last season, is playing a programme including Schumann's C Major Fantasy - one of my favourite pieces for solo piano. Then there's a feature at 1745 about Bert Brecht and his musical collaborators. 'Carmen' on Boxing Day looks good, too. Do I remember Mimi mentioning that was one of her favourites?

I hope you've all completed your Xmas preparations without too much stress. I'm just about finished - just need to set the recorder going for the 'Dead Enders' omnibus so I can send it to Dallas after the holiday and nip out for fresh milk & bread to last the next couple of days. Then I can sit down, unwrap a well-deserved humbug, and listen to Sunday Gala.

Here's hoping you all have a great holiday.

bye for now

H

Posted: Sunday 24 December 2006 19:33:43

Hi H

Don't think h2g2 is closing down. R3 MBs are already shut and R4 boards appear to be closing later for 2 days.

Must look to see what's on R3 over next couple of days but I've got such a backlog of recorded stuff that I'm never going to run out of things to listen to.

I have an extra large bag of bah-humbugs to enjoy over the holiday.

Best wishes to everyone,
Andy

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!
MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYONE!!!

MJ

I can't top MJ's message but Merry Christmas everyone. I meant to pop in last night but didn't quite make it, not quite sure why (except that my daughter seems to prefer using my computer to her own ... possibly because it is in the front room and she can watch tv including digital channels at the same time).

Anyway, hope you're all having fun - it's past 1 o'clock and we still haven't had breakfast (brunch) yet - it takes a long time to open presents and speak to various family members and that doesn't even include mine yet! You've guessed it, we'll be having a VERY late Christmas dinner - the traditional vegetable pie with creamy cheese sauce and a steamed pineapple pudding for afters!!

I'll be back later.

(that's for later, not to go with brunch!)

LOVE,

Mimi
xxxx

Mmmm veggie pie with a creamy cheese sauce...might just pop down to sample that! Steamed pineapple pudding sounds pretty good too. We've just had a veggie lasagna made yesterday by my Italian s-i-l with help from our kids - she makes the pasta herself - it takes hours! I'll do a roasty veg meal later on. I'm on the at the mo so I'll join your in your later.

Little R's parading round in all her lovely new clothes and her brothers are wearing theirs too - Santa's selection seems to have been a great success. There are empty gold chocolate coin cases scattered all around the house - yes it's Christmas! Can't hide in here for much longer - bye for now.

MJ