General Chat

[sidcow]

11 hours ago, Paddywhack said:

Are lava lamps cool again yet?

I want a lava lamp.

They're great.  I had one of the big proper Mathmos ones bought for me years ago.  I could watch them for hours. 

Unfortunately the wax eventually broke down, but even the replacement bottles cost a bomb.  I might look at it again. 

[sidcow]

10 hours ago, El Zen said:

Nope. 

[Mark Albrighton]

Just to clarify, I like lava lamps. But I don’t think they’re perceived as “cool”. 

However, they are exactly the sort of item that would arbitrarily become cool again at some point.
 

[bickster]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

but even the replacement bottles cost a bomb. 

That is pretty much the expensive bit though, the rest is just a plug, a wire and a bulb

Yeah mine effed up eventually. Can't say I rushed out to buy another one though

[tonyh29]

Sent an email as i was going out the door on Friday to book a courier for Monday morning .... so far so boring thread 

However just double checking the address details and have now noticed that instead of writing " please can you ring her  ..... " 

I've written " please can you rim her " 

guess I'd better send another email before the driver gets too excited 

 

[sidcow]

First day working in the office today since March 2020. 

I remember walking out of there and thinking it would be 2 - 3 months, 18 + months wasn't even in my thinking.  We were so ignorant back then about what was to follow. 

It was brilliant to see (some) of everyone again and really genuinely refreshing to be working elsewhere other than your own 4 walls. 

The trains were really quiet but Town itself was really quite busy. 

I had a lunchtime stroll round Paradise Circus and and Broad Street to have a look at all the building work and it's amazing how the city has transformed in just 18 months. 

After work I took the longer walk to Moor Street instead of Snow Hill.  I was really pleased to see how many bars, shops and cafes were open and trading.  Those with outside seating were visibly busy even on a Monday night. 

I actually feel really optimistic, it really felt like life was getting back to normal and businesses were pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. 

With the falling Covid numbers I really hope we're able to return to near normal. Feel good today. 

The forecast of the demise of the City Centre was premature. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by sidcow

[villa4europe]

Thought this for a long time now and said a couple of times before but going through the grealish thread just reaffirms it

There are some fans, not just on here, who are way too emotionally attached to Aston Villa, there's so much emotion in that thread, posters who are no doubt grown men being childish, being noticeably upset and I think at worst a lot of anger, the amount of anger surrounding football is getting worse 

Some posts give the impression that getting divorced would be easier for some people, it's a life changing potential transfer 

Football can't be that, it's not healthy, I wonder when the first football fan mental health charity will be set up? It needs one, the stats around domestic abuse and England playing at the euros were horrific, it needs to change 

[mottaloo]

33 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Thought this for a long time now and said a couple of times before but going through the grealish thread just reaffirms it

There are some fans, not just on here, who are way too emotionally attached to Aston Villa, there's so much emotion in that thread, posters who are no doubt grown men being childish, being noticeably upset and I think at worst a lot of anger, the amount of anger surrounding football is getting worse 

Some posts give the impression that getting divorced would be easier for some people, it's a life changing potential transfer 

Football can't be that, it's not healthy, I wonder when the first football fan mental health charity will be set up? It needs one, the stats around domestic abuse and England playing at the euros were horrific, it needs to change 

The worst it ever got for me if we lost was when i was at school, spent all my week's pocket money to stand on the holte only to see us lose to stoke or norwich.

On my way home from the sat 3pm kick off (how old fashioned !) I then remembered i had all my homework to do on Sunday, but that was as bad as it got for me. 

Some have said it's their religion, their drug of choice and it's so bloody hard to break the habit. Things like getting a villa tattoo of a player, the club badge etc, just doesn't appeal to me either but each to their own.

[Davkaus]

I've been there, with a Villa loss ruining the whole weekend, and really, it's like having a tantrum because you don't like how an episode of a soap opera turns out. It took a while for me to come to terms with the fact it's entertainment, it doesn't matter, and some millionaires losing at a game doesn't need to negatively impact my happiness. I still get a bit frustrated when we lose, but I'm working on it.

I don't think it's new, but the constant bombardment of rumours and news online mean it's a passion that can dominate people's entire lives rather than just the day of the game and any news so big it's in the papers

[villa4europe]

I only really noticed how detrimental it can be once I'd paired alcohol with it 

I was drinking absurd amounts whilst watching bruces villa and it took me a while to realise its because I wasn't enjoying it, I was enjoying the piss up not the football 

[Stevo985]

2 hours ago, villa4europe said:

Thought this for a long time now and said a couple of times before but going through the grealish thread just reaffirms it

There are some fans, not just on here, who are way too emotionally attached to Aston Villa, there's so much emotion in that thread, posters who are no doubt grown men being childish, being noticeably upset and I think at worst a lot of anger, the amount of anger surrounding football is getting worse 

Some posts give the impression that getting divorced would be easier for some people, it's a life changing potential transfer 

Football can't be that, it's not healthy, I wonder when the first football fan mental health charity will be set up? It needs one, the stats around domestic abuse and England playing at the euros were horrific, it needs to change 

It's definitely not healthy. I was close to that once, back in the MON days. Villa losing would ruin my weekend. But to be fair I was in a place where I hated my job and had very little money so basically all I looked forward to all week was the football.

 

What I would say is I am more emotionally attached to Jack Grealish than I have ever been to a Villa player. And I will genuinely be gutted when he leaves, more so than any other player before. At least since Dwight Yorke when I was too young to realise he wasn't going to play for us forever. So I can understand the emotion to a degree.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Stevo985

[Xela]

22 hours ago, sidcow said:

First day working in the office today since March 2020. 

I remember walking out of there and thinking it would be 2 - 3 months, 18 + months wasn't even in my thinking.  We were so ignorant back then about what was to follow. 

It was brilliant to see (some) of everyone again and really genuinely refreshing to be working elsewhere other than your own 4 walls. 

The trains were really quiet but Town itself was really quite busy. 

I had a lunchtime stroll round Paradise Circus and and Broad Street to have a look at all the building work and it's amazing how the city has transformed in just 18 months. 

After work I took the longer walk to Moor Street instead of Snow Hill.  I was really pleased to see how many bars, shops and cafes were open and trading.  Those with outside seating were visibly busy even on a Monday night. 

I actually feel really optimistic, it really felt like life was getting back to normal and businesses were pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. 

With the falling Covid numbers I really hope we're able to return to near normal. Feel good today. 

The forecast of the demise of the City Centre was premature. 

Our place has started to make noises about people going back in regularly. Nothing major yet, but certainly around September time. 

You can go in now if you want to (nobody does). 

I'm in no rush to go back... need to check if my trousers fit me! 

[Xela]

18 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

It's definitely not healthy. I was close to that once, back in the MON days. Villa losing would ruin my weekend. But to be fair I was in a place where I hated my job and had very little money so basically all I looked forward to all week was the football.

 

What I would say is I am more emotionally attached to Jack Grealish than I have ever been to a Villa player. And I will genuinely be gutted when he leaves, more so than any other player before. At least since Dwight Yorke when I was too young to realise he wasn't going to play for us forever. So I can understand the emotion to a degree.

My time was more the Little/Gregory era. I was distraught if we lost... I was an awkward teenager though. Never really been that passionate about in recent times, but i do agree with you about Jack. I'd be gutted to see him in a Citeh shirt. It would be everything that is wrong with modern football! 

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, Xela said:

Our place has started to make noises about people going back in regularly. Nothing major yet, but certainly around September time. 

You can go in now if you want to (nobody does). 

I'm in no rush to go back... need to check if my trousers fit me! 

I went into Solihull at the weekend to buy some black leather brogues for work as my shoes have fallen to bits.

None to be found anywhere.

Edited July 27, 2021 by sidcow

[trekka]

46 minutes ago, sidcow said:

I went into Solihull at the weekend to buy some black leather brogues for work as my shoes have fallen to bit.

None to be found anywhere.

I've been conducting virtual interviews over the past few weeks.  Nobody has yet noticed that I wear the same shirt as either no other bugger will fit me or the ones that do are all scrunched up at the back of the big dark hole that I call a wardrobe .

(even then I reckon they're going to be a bit tight). 

[Rugeley Villa]

@chrisp65 we are off to Porthcawl on Saturday for 7 nights. Bit OTT I know, but it’s an holiday. Any good around there? 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Rugeley Villa

[bickster]

26 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

@chrisp65 we are off to Porthcawl on Saturday for 7 nights. Bit OTT I know, but it’s an holiday. Any good around there? 

Trecco Bay?

[chrisp65]

17 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

@chrisp65 we are off to Porthcawl on Saturday for 7 nights. Bit OTT I know, but it’s an holiday. Any good around there? 

They had a tarmac beach.

But it broke up due to tidal action.

But don’t worry.

The new one is sand coloured concrete.

 

But seriously, its not somewhere I’ve been for a good few years so not much of an idea what’s hot and what’s not there to be honest, sorry.

For just a nice beach, Rest Bay which is a long walk / short car trip west along the coast is really nice as an actually sandy beach when the tide is out. Invest £20 in a polystyrene body board for the nipper. We used to go there when the kids were doing surf competitions and we never really went in to the town. Just sat on the rocks for a day and watched 9 year olds have near death experiences fighting waves three times their size.

To the east of Porthcawl (15 minute car drive) is a place called Southerndown, that’s worth a look. A smallish beach, but if you walk up through the walled garden there are some amazing cliff top views.

Swansea seafront is surprisingly nice, get yourself up The Mumbles for a pizza or an icecream and a really long beach walk. The LC in Swansea is a swimming pool / water park that’s indoors. It’s also walking distance to the Marina and the beach.

 

 

[tomav84]

4 hours ago, Xela said:

Our place has started to make noises about people going back in regularly. Nothing major yet, but certainly around September time. 

You can go in now if you want to (nobody does). 

I'm in no rush to go back... need to check if my trousers fit me! 

i've been back in the office for a while...totally by choice. i'm just more productive and the air con lately has been bliss.

also i've noticed the general atmosphere is happier, because the only people there are those that WANT to be there. random people chatting at the coffee machine etc. i wonder what things will be like once people are forced back, because there's a good number that really don't want to come back.

[Rugeley Villa]

8 hours ago, bickster said:

Trecco Bay?

That’s the place , yeah