Dita, reading it is far from a challenge for me, 'cos I was in it too in the 60s!! I read about the penfriends-club-magazine idea and joined. Mine was started by a Geordie lady living in Low Fell in the North East. It began 1967 when my son was born and kept going for a few years and oh! how I looked forward to it dropping through the letterbox each month. There were 7 of us to start with and one lady was near enough (Oxford) to have an occasional day out together. She would get the Greenline and, my town being halfway between Oxford and London, I would get on the same coach, arriving in London for an early lunch! Two of the other ladies left and our leader had some trauma in her life; I think a marital breakdown. I offered to take over but the others lost interest by then, so it dwindled off, in the early 70s.
How strange if we had been members of the same group! I never found anyone else who had heard of them. I suppose they were the forerunner of forums.

Morning all, not too bright but no rain yet. No news re hubby, seems he is still having trouble with bloodpressure, he spoke to son last night and as per, he kept praising the food. Giving me a rest from the kitchen. ha ha. Had message and pictures from Grandson. Renting a very nice house, just as well, he is not allowed out or in class yet. plus he will not be allowed to leave and come home for Xmas.Will be so pleased to hear a remedy for this virus has been found. I hope everyone is keeping warm and well. Take care and keep posting. cheers Penny

Penny wrote:Morning all, not too bright but no rain yet. No news re hubby, seems he is still having trouble with bloodpressure, he spoke to son last night and as per, he kept praising the food. Giving me a rest from the kitchen. ha ha. Had message and pictures from Grandson. Renting a very nice house, just as well, he is not allowed out or in class yet. plus he will not be allowed to leave and come home for Xmas.Will be so pleased to hear a remedy for this virus has been found. I hope everyone is keeping warm and well. Take care and keep posting. cheers Penny

Re the vaccine, there is vaccinating being done in Russia, but it has not been fully tested. There is a vaccine ready for testing in the UK (yesterday's news) which could be hastened to be ready around Christmas.

Hi everyone, hope you are all as well as possible especially Penny and her anxiety waiting for her husband to improve.
Vannin a Dorothy Long's name comes to mind she was from Gateshead and a Geordie too, infact one or two names are still alive in my head and it was in the same time as you remarked on. The friend I was telling you about is Beryl and years ago lived at Rotherham. Another was called Olive and came from London. It would be funny if this managed to jogged your mind enough to recall anything I have written. Love and Hugs from Dolly and me xxx

dita wrote:Hi everyone, hope you are all as well as possible especially Penny and her anxiety waiting for her husband to improve.
Vannin a Dorothy Long's name comes to mind she was from Gateshead and a Geordie too, infact one or two names are still alive in my head and it was in the same time as you remarked on. The friend I was telling you about is Beryl and years ago lived at Rotherham. Another was called Olive and came from London. It would be funny if this managed to jogged your mind enough to recall anything I have written. Love and Hugs from Dolly and me xxx

Hi Dita,
Well, we have a coincidence and a new history in common! But my lady from near Gateshead was not a Dorothy, my memory shakey but it was a J name and short like Jill, June or Judy. We had a Helen in Essex but no Beryl or Olive, in fact no Londoners. If we had, they would have perhaps made up a quartet by meeting up with Janet and myself! But it would have been lovely to find you and I were once in the same group.
In later times when computers were found to be useful for the interests of folk like us, what was later called social networking, my very first venture was one called iVillage, quite a while before Age Net then Seniority. Later there was a small group called Thelma and Louise (honest!) for ladies seeking a holiday companion and I made a friend to spend a week in Austria, very successfully. We had both lost a son and a husband and have stayed friends. She is in Surrey.
This has been bringing back good memories, wonder what we will discover next! Trixie and I send hugs and love to you and Dolly.xx
Just looked up iVillage (founded 1996 in USA) and found it attracted big takeover offers ....?NBC!!!!

Morning all, Simply teeming down with rain. My cleaner just gone. When she came a couple of hours ago she was drenched and had only walked from the drive to the front door. It is also very dull and cold.

Hubby still in main hospial, they have been having trouble trying to settle his bloodpressure and yesterday he had an Xray on his legs as he said his knees were painful. As no one is allowed visitors we have to use a gadget like two way TV screen. We can see him and he can see us. Looking out it is only fine rain now, I fear we have this weather for a week or more, so make sure you all wrap up well and keep warm.

cheers Penny

Hi everyone, What a day---and it is wet but not the weather that has caused it. Before my first cuppa I decided to look in the freezer -----don't know why, but a good job I did----- the door was not fastened properly and the ice was all over the place, couldn't get the draws out or anything, this meant only one thing to do and I guess we all know what that was. YUK!
I was hoping for an easy day, took me quite a while to clear up.
Vannin I do not recall any names that you recalled either, I only did the one Magazine and there was a couple of Dorothy's in it, why I mentioned that name was because you mentioned Geordie and I thought it could ring a bell if that was the case. However I spent some very happy times communicating that way, and obviously you did too.
Love and hugs from Dolly and me xxxxx

Dita, Poor You Accidental defrosting is the worst household nightmare I can think of, and I have had a few occasions when I left the freezer door open. Such an upheaval. I hope you are resting now.

When you said the name Dorothy Long, it reminded me I once had a boss named Gladys Long who was a big character for a small woman. She had designs on a delivery driver (Alf) who fainted one day in the doorway. As the lunch break was stirring staff to go out by the door, she stood there saying 'Just step over him'. Not dialling 999....but a colleague was a First Aider and her ministrations had Alf on his feet, none the worse for being walked on. I don't think passion overwhelmed him, he was terrified of her.

The lovely neighbour opposite rang to ask if she could bring a date and walnut cake over! Wow yes please.
Very tasty! Love and hugs from Trixie and me xx

Good Afternoon Everyone. Oh! Vannin you have caused me to have the giggles over your description and actions of your Boss Gladys, not a bit anything like the Dorothy I knew, she was small and very slim with a very quiet personality, I met her a couple of times and we remained in touch for quite a while after the Magazine finished. I often wonder what happened to her. I think poor Alf was a lucky guy to escape from Glady's clutches-------so funny. Thanks for making me upbeat today, my ordeal from yesterday which was totally my own fault is now a thing of the past (nearly) You could have share your cake with me Grrr! Love and Hugs to You Both xxxxx

Dita, I am not sharing cake with anyone and claim this is to ensure they stay safe!
I hope you had a less eventful day today, in a nice way!
As Christmas catalogues arrive in the post, I tut-tut about this still being October, but then can't help having a peek and next thing I know, some dastardly good 'special offers' get me tempted to order.

Up till yesterday I may not have given Gladys and Alf a thought since the seventies. Sounds like one of those TV comedy series we used to have! Fred and Mabel or similar names. It's good to have a laugh, not enough of it around. I have re-started my short walks, when it is not a town day for bussing once or twice a week. Trixie was on my lap for three hours which is usual in the mixed weather; two or three hrs.
She and I send love and hugs to you both xxx.

Hi Vannin, felt a bit sad cos I didn't get a slice of cake but guess I'll get over it. When I do look back at the 70's they were good times to be had in those days, life was less difficult in many ways, more freedom, people in general being easier to get on with and trustworthy to a certain extent.
Christmas is not very exciting, I used to have fun choosing folk pressies but it seems to have all changed, and now this virus is on the rise and goodness knows what is round the corner, may finish up buying everyone a Christmas dinner-----did hear though that working with the rearing of Turkeys is causing a problem.
Gonna have a game of footy while its still dry. Love and Hugs to Yourself and Trixie from Dolly and me xxxx

We, as a family, enjoyed the seventies. A moment ago looking at Penny's quiz for the day, a question about The Fonz 'took me back' . My pair thought the series and lead guy were wonderful - this would be the late 70s into 80s. I could never see it myself, he had a fifties hairstyle, leather jacket, and said 'Hey' a lot.
I know there was a recession and job losses all around, but we managed by making-do, as folk did. They rallied round too. I am preparing for possibility of Christmas alone, as nobody can foretell.

Both my immediate family (London) and extended England branch of family (SouthYorks/Gainsborough, their village is on the border so not sure) are in the High level of Covid restriction, numerous 'extendeds' in Ireland have been shocked by how the second spike has hit, because when one cousin phoned at Easter, he said there was no problem at all in the midlands, only in the North and East (Dublin). My Americans say many States are on high level, but so far not California, which has had a year of tragedy already.
Pets are a joy, and the footy is good for both of you! Trixie and I send love to you and Dolly xxxxx

Morning all, what a cold and miserable day. Rather breezy too. This virus thing is really getting out of hand, Just heard from friends in USA and like lots of places here they cannot get to see relatives oe have them visit. I keep praying that 'He' above will soon show us the way. I hope everyone is keeping dry and warm. Don't forget clocks go back tomorrow. cheers Penny

Gainsborough is about 13 miles away from here Vannin and in Lincs the same as me. My Mum was brought up in Gainsborough, think I have mentioned it before to Lacey, because we met there years ago when she was in the UK for a while. My Xmas will be the same as last year----a lonely one.
Its gloomy and rainy here too, Dolly will not be happy, she will be sulking later, it will be my fault. Take care everyone, hope your husband is feeling better Penny.
Love and hugs to yourself and Trixie Vannin xxxxx

Hi Dita, I knew you and Lacey had the Gainsborough background and we chatted before about it. I was there many times when we spent weekends, and both my cousins were married in the town in a very old-looking RC church, quite central. Our last visit was to the funeral there of my youngest uncle whose 25th anniversary of passing was recently. My son tomorrow, they were close in life too.
My aunt-by-marriage (only 87 and with 8 great-grandchildren) lives close to one of her daughters, both in the village of Beckingham. The puzzlement I always have over their location is the postal address: Doncaster, South Yorks which is nowhere near, while they are walking distance from Gainsborough which is in Lincs. The village is also referred to as being in North Notts as the three counties meet! See this caption from Google. . "Beckingham North Notts (population c. 2,000) lies within the Parish Council of Beckingham cum Saundby and is situated in the county of North Nottinghamshire and borders onto Lincolnshire to the East and South Yorkshire to the North"

Trixie sometimes sulks about the rain being my fault too! She is enjoying the marathon sleep non-lap.
Love and hugs to you and Dolly xxx