SimonM

There were still 6 ducklings there when I passed the lake yesterday.....Have also seen blue dragonflies!

>>Are they not the same park, albeit with a short, jump-overable fence around the former?<< No

The Rye and the Rye park are vastly different propositions! Don't know the official closing time of the latter though, sorry.

Clearly the only honourable course of action will be for you to resign!B)

They will soon catch the murderer with such a razor-sharp cop as this on the job:- 'Wichita police captain Brent Allred said: "It's an unfortunate incident to happen on a Sunday morning. "These things should not occur at any time."' Right....

Don't wish to upset David Carnell (much!) or the other Leeds fans hereabouts, but there's a rumour going round that Beckford is off to Sheffield United in part exchange for Bill Sharp....This is just so ridiculous, and such a bad deal for Leeds (no matter how low Sharp is valued), it may just be true...:))

I think giving him a "stiff talking to" would be a bit tactless under the circumstances....but am glad he is home anyway! :))

The septuplet ducklings - are they the very small fluffy ones living on the island? We were there today but could not see how many there were..It's really busy on the lake just now! Lots of coot and moorchicks. the three surving goslings...

Everton....I still feel benevolently inclined towards Phil Jagielka and am sorry he will be missing the game

>>She's a Treasure, a veritable one, like a Stradivarius...<< You are suggesting she is the old fiddle on which many a good tune can be played?! B)B)B)

A little postscript to Burnley v Sheffield United, related by another fellow-sufferer elsewhere - Walking back to Wembley Central a Burnley fan with his rather porquine swamp donkey girlfriend were walking the other way towards us. They must have just watched it in a pub or something. Anyway the banter went like this Burnley swamp donkey to blades fans "You're crap we stuffed you today" Burnley boyfriend to swamp donkey "Shut up there's more of them than us" Burnley swamp donkey "Why they're not going to hit me are they ?" Voice from Blades contingent "Well they are certainly not going to shag you love" Much guffawing from crowd and I am sure I saw a smirk come across the boyfriends face It's not just about silverware tha nuz (probably just as well really...)

Seconded!!!

>>I was always a Wednesday fan. :D

Never thought I'd be able to feel sympathy or fellow-feeling for Man Utd supporters, but after tonight, following on from my own team's defeat on Monday.....nope, I still don't - at least not for those that cannot accept defeat gracefully. Of course we Sheffield United fans have had decades to hone and perfect our stiff upper lips... I am still trying to work out how "5 foot 7 inches tall" (as we were repeatedly told by the typically crap commentators) Messi managed to find so much space between the two world-class defenders and then leap so high to make that perfect header. I wish my team was blessed with ordinariness.....I'd settle for a bit of Barcelona's mediocrity in fact.

I hope Blackwell stays....he's only had about a season and a third so far....and it's too easy dumping the manager at the first sign of stress. But there's already fans wanting rid - and some of them have attended three play-off finals and not yet seen United score a goal in any of them! McCabe extended KB's contract a matter of months ago, and it's easy to forget that for a good chunk of last season we were struggling to make even the top 6. I am hoping Blackwell's initial gloomy and pessimistic reaction is short-lived. I think you may be right about Beckford...a bit like Billy Sharp in some ways, who got 30-odd goals in the first division but was out of his depth in the Championship. I think Sharp will be on his way now, as Jamie Ward fills that role so much better.

Was quietly sitting watching TV this evening when a young fox jumped on to the window box and looked in! He looked quite thin but otherwise ok...

>>kate jackson - lead singer of The Long Blondes 9also famed for calling the killers shi** on never mind the buzzcocks << Liked her in "Charlie's Angels" too!:))

>>Best of luck for next season<< Same to you - but how do you feel about Beckford going already?? Blackwell is already talking about throwing in the towel, which I think would be a pity. We had a lot of bad luck with injuries - especially to strikers - and his record since Robson got booted is pretty formidable. I am not at all sure who McCabe would settle for...

My "charming" comment was a reaction to your "northern monkeys" phrase, which I thought pretty offensive. I'm not going to get drawn into yet another online spitting match about all the other stuff.

Alan Sunderland (who might ring a bell with older Arsenal followers!) went to the same primary as me as well as the same grammar Ted Hughes (deceased Poet Laureate) - around 15 years before but we still had the same English teacher...

Charming.... And you forgot the most unjust red card.....I had a better view of that "offence" than the referee - who totally justified Blackwell's pre-match criticisms of his selection - and it was no sending-off offence. Anyway well done Burnley....it was a fine goal.

It's repeated late tonight

I doubt anyone will be eating Babybels in a hurry anyway...>:D

>>Charming.<< Sorry...I am impish and giddy just now...:))

>>I need these..... << Three of them?? Hmmm...Are you Jake the Peg's sister??? :-S