24 Dec 2025 11:30:48
I entered one of those competitions where you have to eat 6 crackers in 60 seconds. I failed because on the third one I started to choke on a little plastic moustache………. ????
I’ll be a bit busy tomorrow so I’ll take this opportunity to wish everyone connected with this site a Merry Christmas and a Preposterous New Year!
Stay safe comrades and all the best ?????.
{Ed001's Note - merry Christmas Stokey, hope you have a good un.}
24 Dec 2025 12:59:02
Have a good one stokey. And please let your new years resolution be. i must not put more than 10 words in a comment. on the banter site ?.
24 Dec 2025 13:13:42
Thanks Ed and you too …. and thanks for all your work on here.
{Ed001's Note - I would like to say it is not really work on here, but on this site it very much is bloody hard work at times!!}
24 Dec 2025 13:56:25
????.
24 Dec 2025 14:30:04
Reading “The Watchers” by Stephen Alford about the Elizabethan spy network……
Skegs, curses mate, that was 11 words
Oh no, it’s gone up to 18 ???????
I’m out of control again ….
{Ed001's Note - any good? Sounds interesting.}
24 Dec 2025 14:37:03
I'm a Atheist so happy midwinter feast and keep your Yulelog burning Have a good one to all ?????.
24 Dec 2025 15:29:57
How bad is it ed are we no1 site on the naughty list. I blame stokey ?.
{Ed001's Note - there is certainly a lot of blame to go round!}
24 Dec 2025 16:29:38
Hey Jester, as Groucho Marx once said “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member “……
Also, one of my senior Officers ( turned out to be a great boss) welcomed me to his unit with the words “I believe you are a very responsible Officer. Anything that goes wrong, I will hold you responsible “ …. ????.
24 Dec 2025 16:48:11
Ed1 It’s very interesting indeed. It centres around Sir William Cecil ( Lord Burghley) and his protege Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary’s and spymasters. I think Lego with his Intelligence background would recognise the methods used ( apart from torture and the rack to extort confessions of course). Incredibly sophisticated for Tudor times. Walsingham’s famous dictum is still followed by MI5 and MI 6 to this day “there is less danger in fearing too much than too little”
Surrounded by powerful Catholic countries like France and Spain ( with the Papacy itself exhorting “true believers “ to assassinate the “heretic Queen”) their success in keeping her alive stabilised the Kingdom and prevented Civil War.
It’s why we have the Church of England.
It’s a fascinating read mate.
{Ed001's Note - I will keep a look out for it.}
24 Dec 2025 17:07:22
Yes I'm cancelling my night out to the pub. and going to try and find a library open so I can miss my dull night out and get into a really good read with my cocoa and slippers. ?.
24 Dec 2025 17:59:16
Sounds wonderful Skeggs mate……. ??.
24 Dec 2025 18:55:26
Read it Stokey. Brilliant book.
24 Dec 2025 19:23:06
I'm the member of a club where you know where you go at the end of your membership ??.
24 Dec 2025 19:44:32
Yes jester to hell I'm looking forward to meeting the owner so I can tell him how to run it properly ?.
24 Dec 2025 21:02:00
Cracking stuff isn’t it Gazzi. Near Uttoxeter ( about 10 miles away are the ( still recognisable) ruins of Checkley Castle, one of several places in the Midlands were Mary Queen of Scots was incarcerated. One of her followers managed to smuggle notes out wrapped around bungs in the ale barrels to and from Burton on Trent brewery. Unfortunately for her, Walsingham knew and read them, took copies and replaced the bungs, collecting evidence which would later get her beheaded.
The Castle is on private land ( clearly visible a hundred yards off the A519) but with no public access. When I worked as a driver for Tesco during Covid I delivered to the landowner who was kind enough to let me have a wander around the place. A treat and very interesting.
24 Dec 2025 21:03:14
Will there be 00 beer or 666 beer??.