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Hello, Elle!
It is a bit less cold now although I got caught in hail showers when I was out.
I think it is Dougie Egbert coffee my daughter-in-law has.
I like that.
Just one mackerel to go, thank Heavens!
I am sick looking at it!
The things I do to keep my nurse happy!
Willie's horse got as far as the third fence, just.
Eurosport cover all the athletics meetings including the Diamond League. Same with tennis.
I am not a fan but I always watch the tennis at Roland Garros (I never knew he was an airman in WW1? He shot down several planes.)
I recently watched the Paris Marathon on Eurosport, and they show the Boston, Chicago, Berlin, and all the big city marathons, too.
BBC have lost a great deal of sport.
Next time at Pine Cone I am going to have a big slice of apple pie. It looked great!

Hi, Rusty!
It is growing even colder here!
I had turned the central heating down very low after last weekend's high temperatures, but had to turn it back up again today as we were felling very chilled!
And I had thought that Summer had come to stay!
We were even beginning remedial work in the garden!
My daughter should find out on Monday which school BB will attend.
She was telling me yesterday that her local Council will email parents in the evening (?) to notify them of the decision.
Why, evening, I wonder?
Unless it is because the offices will be closed, and there will be no -one there to deal with the numerous complaints from parents who are annoyed that their child has not been allocated the school of their choice?
The powers-that-be perhaps think that time (overnight!) will help defuse the parents' wrath!
All we can do at this stage is hope for the best!
I think that if you do not get your first choice, you can go on a waiting list.
I can see troubled times ahead!
Still...fingers crossed ......

Good evening, Elle!
I do not think we have that system here.
Why evening?
No idea, but your idea seems reasonable about calming down overnight.
It is 3 degrees here.
Quite cold.
Well, I have finished my crossword. Not too hard.
Rose was dealing with another complaint, about the Jumbo crossword (I think it was).
Was something to do with Oscar Wilde.
Setter referred to him as "English writer", I think it was.
It is well known Oscar was Irish, but the setter said he meant he wrote in English. Wriggle, wriggle!
The jumbo has a different editor from the Times crossword.
It is not Richard Rogan.
I have recycled my paper and forgotten who he is.
Is that the one you do?

Hi, Rusty!
I had forgotten about Rose! A nice lady - we had quite a 'chat'!
I do the Jumbo General Knowledge crossword, not usually the giant Cryptic one.
I wonder which one referred to Oscar Wilde?
I have tried casting my mind back but cannot remember such a clue....but it could have been a while ago - and there again, I could have just forgotten! (one of those senior moments?)
I don't know who the editor of the Jumbo is....usually I am doing that crossword from my friend's screen prints that he sends, and so have no paper to look up the reference.
I have been reading this evening.
I am now about half way through "The Divide" - the book by Nicholas Evans (he who wrote "The Smoke Jumper - we were talking about that the other day)
A good read!
I recorded "Casualty", so couldn't do the same for BGT as the programmes overlapped.
You can tell me if there are any outstanding acts!
Now time for a coffee - I shall have a cappuccino for a change!

Hello, Elle!
I have gone to The Times website to read Rose Wild's column again.
Apparently the clue was in a Times Jumbo Book.
"Oscar.... English writer (5)"
The editor, John Grimshaw, said he meant that Wilde wrote in the English language. But, that he could see how it could be misconstrued.
However, he said that if the book is to be republished, he will ask Harper Collins to change "English" to "Irish".
Why can not he say the clue was a nonsense and be done with it!
So it was in a book, that excludes your "senior moment"!
I will look at BGT in the morning and appraise you of the acts.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, definitely a nonsense! He should 'be a man' and admit it!
Thank you for your reassurance excluding a possible "senior moment"!
I can now go bed with no worries about immediate oncoming senility!
Talk tomorrow........Good night!

Good morning, Elle!
Cherry updated the blog yesterday.
She was chuffed to see a brambling!
Lovely morning here and I am heading out for a dander.
Just watched BGT.
Some good acts. Great juggler. Good magician.
Smashing gospel choir.
But my favourite was what appeared to be a man and a woman dancing way up high. I can not describe their act properly, other than to say I have never seen anything like it before.
It was superb!

Is there a male equivalent of "ballerina"?
I can not think of one?

For Rusty, Elle and anyone else who doesn't see or do the Sunday Times Cryptic, here's a couple of treats...

5 D. Poser hearing how to amuse girl in Bow? (7)

27 A. Vow to improve lout's pronunciation (4).

I thought the first was pretty feeble and the second pretty awful!

i haven't worked out the first but is the second one OATH (oaf)?

Miss Terri ?