Hot but enjoyable trail ride yesterday from Coronet to Arrowtown.

A40986EE-0E5D-4851-AB5A-ABA82331B49F.jpeg

On a family holiday to Oz when I was 10 a visitor turned up to our Sydney hotel.

He was quite chatty and knew some really keen card tricks which my Mum wasn't keen on us learning.

It turned out that my mums Dad dies when she was six. The four kids were farmed out for a few years to various rellies - my Mum lived with her grandparents.

Then my grandmother got the family back together again in a new home complete with a boarder. This was quite the sensation back in the 1930's especially as the 'boarder' was a Jew.

Our visitor was my Uncle David, the result of the boarder and my grandmothers 'flatting arrangement'.

David had fled to Oz in the early 60's to escape the NZ Police. Obviously not serious enough to be extradited, but he was a definitely a wide boy. Very flashy. lots of cash. Most interesting for a young lad the model for the nude model at the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains was his girlfriend.

He was shot dead two years later in a gang related incident in west Sydney, so that was the only time I met the guy.

@Catogrande It's OK I only had the one day in the office - coz ol Corona was indeed back with a vengeance so spent 6 days confined to my house - no visitors , energy or excitement.

Back at work now as it's Financial Yr End, but feel like shit.

Happy 2023 one and all.

@broughie 😁 Does look a tad uncomfortable doesn't it.

Former Pope Benedict XVI

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64107731

@Machpants but my coffee machine is purty ....

@MajorRage said in Christmas songs:

Never thought I'd say this but really enjoy the Elton / Sheerhan song Merry Christmas.

Nice to hear something a bit more modern in amongst the Christmas monotony.

I’ve changed my mind, maybe “Fairytale of New York” isn’t that bad after all.

This thread is making me really want a curry

Not a movie but bloody funny.

@MajorRage get an amex if you haven't already. Priority booking plus cheaper food and drink... and you can get your face painted purty.

Some great advice in here

All of the above

@TeWaio said in GOT - there will be spoilers:

@Machpants said in GOT - there will be spoilers:

@Frye said in GOT - there will be spoilers:

In the book bits of Arrax washes up on the shores a few days later.

Also that the clash could be seen from the walls of Storms End. So there were witnesses.

Yeah in the books, on the TV it would be impossible to see through that storm. For me, that was a teleporting travel in late GoT scenario. It annoys me, maybe I'm the only one but I hate that sort of laziness.

The actual coup de grace dragon chomp happened in a brief bit of clear sky outside the storm. All it needed was one orientating shot that showed people watching from Storm's End battlements and gasping. I also hate the laziness; this was so easily fixed.

It's basically what happened in the book

@Crucial said in Online Shopping - Clobber:

@Bones said in Online Shopping - Clobber:

@Crucial said in Online Shopping - Clobber:

I’m curious how one of those caps will fit over your dreads.

Snapback innit. So my man bun fits through the gap.

Oh you’re one of those.

Just back away slowly, and smile politely.

@MN5 my mistake

@mariner4life said in Old TV Shows:

@booboo i absolutely loved all those shows. Thunderbirds was probably my least favourite but was still cool. Stingray. Joe 90. Captain Scarlet. All very cool

Fireball XL5 was an early one. Probably the first TV series I can remember watching

@Kiwiwomble said in Iconic rugby moment for tshirt design:

@Nevorian said in Iconic rugby moment for tshirt design:

145CF7BE-E732-4CBF-B825-6973296CFE3B.jpeg

This one

not sure i get this

Is it that league player that leaked a dodgy video?

@MajorRage said in Cringy New Zealand TV moments……:

@Frank said in Cringy New Zealand TV moments……:

@MN5 said in Cringy New Zealand TV moments……:

@Frank said in Cringy New Zealand TV moments……:

Worst NZ TV I have ever seen was the last few minutes of the Covid fundraiser where they made a train and did the "Thank you very much" dance.
So contrived, so awful.
But, luckily, I can't find it on YouTube,

That sounds absolutely horrific.

Found it. Go to 7hours 58 minutes.

Christ on a bike.

Cringeworthy doesn't even begin to cover it.

It's got it all.

@MajorRage said in Passing of Queen Elizabeth:

I think the ultimate tribute came from, oddly, Macron.

“To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen”.

You can’t top that.

That's brilliant

@Frank said in London Fires:

@Crucial said in London Fires:

When I first arrived in London a few years ago I did some contract chef work as an on call emergency/troubleshooter. Basically when places were screwed for a night/week through absences or needed someone to clean up and sort out a kitchen after someone else's mess.

Crucial Ramsay.

The language used was often similar. 🙂

Mostly it was emergency fill ins at 'gastro pubs' and the like. Just needed to be able to get in there and run the kitchen on short notice. I had one or two where I refused to work there unless the kitchen was shut for a complete clean and decontamination as there was no way I was going to serve food to people from such cesspits. Funnily enough they all had 3 star health safety ratings and I'm not super fussy.
Punters really do not want to know what the average kitchen is like.