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Hi, Rusty!
I may just catch you before your son arrives......?
I can understand your concern and frustration if you do not have confidence in your hospital Consultant.
You were very wise to ask for a referral.
My husband was very fortunate in all his doctors - physicians and surgeons - including the Oncologist - being extremely kind and helpful, as well as very proficient.
I cannot praise the NHS enough over his treatment.
I think I shall order that book that both Ros, and my friend in the park, recommended....
Hope your tea was good....haven't decided what we shall eat yet......?




Hello, Jigjag!
Yes, that was my viewpoint.... I have lived both in Lancashire and London/ Kent borders, and have never pronounced either word any differently.
You specifically mentioned Lancashire.......
Are you from there?

Hello Elle

Yes I am from Lancs in the sense that I was born there - Liverpool in the County of Lancaster on my birth cert. Well before County re-orgs!

I have lived almost all my life in Cheshire though, although there is a trace of a Scouse accent, picked up from my first 2 years there.

I love the rich accent from around the Blackburn area, not so much the Manchester one. Where did you live in Lancs?

Good evening, Elle!
I have a very high opinion of the NHS.
I just could not be doing with a very arrogant, Ill-mannered, know-all of a neuro, and told him so.
Saw my GP and he arranged for me to see my present neuro.
I was very pleased at the outcome.
Well, the "Rabbit-Proof" film was good, and I am sure the book will be, too.
I had a Pink Lady and half a bar of chocolate for my tea.


Hello, Jigjag!
Noah and Knower are pronounced very differently where I live.
The "r" rolls!
I think it's good to hear a variety of accents.
There is another alleged homothingy in today's Times.
"Fiver" and "favour".
I can not remember the clue but the setter mentioned Cockney in it.
A Cockney would say "fiver" for "favour", was the gist of it.

Hi, Rusty!
I hope you and your son had a good chat?
He would also be very pleased to hear how well you got on at the hospital.
It is always a relief all round, when getting the 'all clear'!
You mentioned the homophone (for a Cockney) of "fiver" sounding like "favour" in today's puzzle .......
I can well endorse this ...certainly with regard to my two Cockney friends!
They both say "piper" when they mean "paper", and "plite" when aiming for "plate"......so I can happily accept "fiver" for "favour"!!
A pink lady and a slab of chocolate do not sound very substantial?
Did you have a "good" lunch?
We had spaghetti bolognese this evening.
Yes, I shall order that book if I can find a good offer.




Hello, Jigjag!
I was born and bred in Bolton, and worked for a few years in Manchester, before moving down South.
I am going to disappoint you, though, as regards regional accents!
I'm afraid I don't have one......
I suppose if I had to define how I speak, it would have to be the "Queen's English" as the nearest description?
I've always spoken as I do now, even from a child.

Hello, Elle!
My son and me had a fine time.
I did not get an "all clear", but we did agree to discharge me.
Not everyone doing the puzzle knows or can be expected to know how Cockneys speak, surely?
That's why I think these are unfair.
But at least the setter put it was only a certain part of the country who spoke thus, so I'll let him and his homothingy, off!
My tea was fine, thank you.
"Rabbit Proof" is a fairly short book, just over 140 pages, according to Amazon.

Hi, Rusty!
Uhm...I just went back to Amazon, intending to order my book.......but the earlier cheapish offers that I had found are gone.....only very dear prices showing at the moment!
I know that this does sometimes happen , doesn't it?
So I shall leave it until tomorrow, and try again then.
A pity the book is so short.....
I meant to ask if you'd finished today's puzzle?
I feel sure that you have !
I found it very difficult, and have about ten outstanding clues!
I am afraid that I have conceded defeat........
It is far too hard for me.

My copy of the book is actually just called "Rabbit -Proof Fence", though it is by Doris Pilkington. I found more than one version on amazon. I'd have liked to know more about afterwards but It's a very affecting story.

I think you need bread with poached eggs, elle! Oatcakes wouldn't be the same at all. And I wouldn't dream of making them, Mr Nairn does an excellent job and I buy in quantity when reduced as they quite often are. Another student at Edinburgh really did the age old thing of bringing a bag of oatmeal from home and making her own once a week! It looked a real fiddle. I could think of better things to do with the time. Like studying, obviously! (Though not drinking, as it happens. Couldn't afford to even if I'd wanted to).

Good morning elle and rusty!

I have always been fascinated by accents. It is amazing that within a 40 mile radius of Manchester there are so many different ones, each quite different. Very pleased you have not got a Manchester one, Elle.

The Lancashire one I like the most is where they really roll the r, as in "farmer". Even in Liverpool, where it is generally thought that there is one accent, there are at least four, quite clear in the pronunciation of words like fair and skirt.

I dont know anything about Southern accents, except Cockney which stands out, so I think the clue Rusty mentions re favour/fiver is fair as it is well-known. I dont know how they distinguish paper from piper (if they ever need to )

Good morning, Elle!
Cracker of a day here, but cold!
I had a look on Amazon for "the book"!
Seems to be a lot of the books coming from USA?
Some on eBay, too.
I am sure you will find a copy at a reasonable price.
Yes, I finished yesterdays puzzle, and have started today's.
Done the top half and put it aside until later.
Have the papers to read etc, etc.
Pine Cone postponed until tomorra.


Hello, Rosalind,
I am with you regarding Mr Nairn.
He makes a fine oatcake!
I thought I came across something yesterday stating that there was a follow up book to "Rabbit Proof Fence", though whether it is the same author I don't know?

Hello, Jigjag!
The other day, The Times Crossword Champion, Mark Goodliffe, said on his vlog, that to him, one of the clues was unfair, unless you lived in the South of England.
It was an alleged "homonym".
If the Champ thinks that it is unfair, that's good enough for me.
On the other hand, the Times Crossword Editor is not English, but he thinks the clues are fair!
End of rant!