Bits and Bobs No 15.

[oldherbaceous]

You can pick up some nice bits from them there womens institute jumble sales.
And you won't go short of jam ever again.

[peter]

OH was it you that passed me on the M11 this evening in a barbie-pink tuned up Ford Mondeo from "Faster-Fords"?

Yes, the car details are absolutely genuine, as seen this evening, but I could not tell if the driver was wearing accessorised skirt and wellies.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Peter, no it wasn't me.

[alan refail]

Morning Peter, no it wasn't me.

He'd more likely have been pushing his barrow

[Shallot Man]

alan refail. Cant see the turbocharger.

[Geoff]

Trust you've enjoyed your lie in OH.

[oldherbaceous]

It is a bit late for my first posting i must admit, was taking delivery of another new mattress first thing this morning, so run short of time to compose something.

Love the pink wheelbarrow by the way, quite eye catching.

[alan refail]

was taking delivery of another new mattress first thing this morning, so run short of time to compose something.

Getting rid of the old pink one?

[oldherbaceous]

I thought it was a good idea but, they took the board and left the mattress.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Completely changing the subject, I've heard on the radio a few times recently and read in a magazine that you should never use boiling water to make tea. I just wondered where exactly this daft idea had come from.

I know you should use water just below boiling for white and green teas as they taste bitter if you use boiling water as it cooks them, but for black tea, fruit and herb teas etc I'm sure the water should be boiling to extract the flavour.

Has anyone any sensible information or ideas?

[Geoff]

Don't high mountain explorers complain that they can't make tea because boiling water isn't hot enough at high altitudes?

[oldherbaceous]

Now what's that old saying, take the teapot to the kettle.
Says it all really.

[glallotments]

The only thing I have heard is not to use boiling water on coffee!

[Elaine]

Morning everyone....and what a beautiful morning!

This talk of boiling water for tea reminds me of when I bought a new teapot some years ago. I bought it from the china department of a well known department store and the teapot was made by Denby, so it wasn't cheap by any means. The first time I used it, it cracked from top to bottom, so off I went to return it for a replacement. I was utterly lost for words (for once ) when the rather snooty assistant examined the teapot, looked at me suspiciously, and told me that the water must have been too hot.......erm...pardon me?

When I eventually managed to speak ( all of 5 seconds later) I pointed out that teapots were made to withstand boiling water....how else can you make tea? To cut a long and ridiculous story short, I ended up asking to see the department manager, who immediately exchanged the teapot with profuse apologies. He was very pleasant when I suggested a little staff training session might be arranged to help this assistant in Stock knowledge and tea making......
....and I still have the replacement teapot,15 years on.
Cheers!

[oldherbaceous]

And that proves another point, being rude and bolshy gets you everywhere.

Only joking Elaine, just in case you were thinking of laying another one of those man-traps outside my front door again!.... it was you who put the last one there, wasn't it?