Today I shall be Mainly...

[Marilyn]

Bless you for your efforts (!) but I would be binning it and putting my £10 buttons on a new creation. That shirt is possessed and working against you in all directions as well as draining your energy!
( shirt from hell...)

[Sue]

Bless you for your efforts (!) but I would be binning it and putting my £10 buttons on a new creation. That shirt is possessed and working against you in all directions as well as draining your energy!
( shirt from hell...)

I am well known for my determination in adversity

[Marilyn]

...otherwise known as a dead horse flogger...

[Sue]

...otherwise known as a dead horse flogger...

Ha ha, just wait till I have done Bobs shirt, excluding the collar which must wait till my next lesson with Maxine in January. Great progress today

[Marilyn]

I may pick up some fabric today. It is hubby's work Christmas Lunch in the heart of the city. So we have booked into a hotel for the night and I am tramping the shops working off last night's Cheeseburger...got a few lists of things to do and get. I shall meet him back at the hotel when he toddles back ( no doubt complaining he ate too much!)
It will be a good afternoon, because I hate shopping for anything with him in tow. He hates shopping and it's like taking a sullen teenager with you.

[Stanley]

I shan't be doing a lot today. A bit of shed and shopping after exercising my democratic right at 07:00 when the polls open. Main event is keeping an eye on the vote overnight. (This is my 18th General Election and I have voted in all of them, good and bad!)

[Marilyn]

Excellent. It may not go your way but you have had a say. Very important and it should be compulsory ( especially with the enormous gap between rich and poor in UK).
And those that don't vote, shouldn't grumble about the result.

[Stanley]

Exactly Maz.

[Sue]

I shall be voting later on my over to Todmorden for U3A Christmas lunch. I have made my decision , a tactical vote rather than the protest outsider I was going to vote for. Whatever happens I hope life starts to move away from politics ruling every conversation, every TV programme, and hope it stops the constant playground bickering and lies between the politicians. If there was TRUTH party, now that would be different.

As I said voting and U3A lunch, and perhaps a few practice runs on making a mans shirt placket. I doubt there will be any yoga. It looks like it is going to be cancelled until the New Year when Camille's elbow should be on the mend sufficiently to teach a class.

[Sue]

Excellent. It may not go your way but you have had a say. Very important and it should be compulsory ( especially with the enormous gap between rich and poor in UK).
And those that don't vote, shouldn't grumble about the result.

Unfortunately there are many Brexit voters who think it is a waste of time to vote as the outcome is not implemented. Not me, but there are those who think this way. Ie a democratic decision was ignored.

[Stanley]

Sounds like a sensible voting decision Sue and I agree with you about the aftermath but there's a lot of mileage in Brexit I fear. Can you remember three years ago we were asking how long it would dominate?
Shed has been damaged by a myriad of little jobs, some essential shopping, voting, posting my repeat prescription at the surgery and sorting out today's meals, than washing up as I have one more judged it well and finished the stew. The jobs just add up don't they and nibble into your time. Now I need a sit down and a pot of tea not more punishment in the shed.....

[Stanley]

Usual Friday activities overlaid by the news..... Not one of my happiest days.

[Sue]

As it happens my vote would not have made any difference whichever decision I had made. The public have made their choices, time not to dwell on the result, it won’t change anything. The public have also made a point if not two, their opinion on the leaders of certain parties and the constant bickering, and their opinion on not carrying through the result of a democratic decision.

Today will involve a little cleaning, and washing then hanging the Christmas cards so I don’t have to keep moving them to dust. This afternoon we are helping set up the school Christmas Fayre at Erins school, and this evening its yet another meal out ( but an ordinary one, being Friday not a Christmas one) before the U3A wine tasting evening, which Bob is organising this month.

[Marilyn]

(Oh dear...I see..you are not part of "the public", Sue? None of my business either way (truly!) but I struggle to see why you would not vote if you have an opinion. You fit so many other things in to your day...I am interested to know why you didn't vote (believe me I have no particular interest in your country's politics and don't give a hoot either way)...just wondered (casually) why you wouldn't bother voting.)
Have I put enough brackets into my question

[Marilyn]

I have found the UK election quite volatile in the individual areas of UK. Obviously, people in particular areas are aware of trends. It is interesting....and I think one of the things "outsiders" are interested in is WHY. Why have things changed? Why are you unhappy? ( I mean, some areas have done a complete about-face.

[Sue]

(Oh dear...I see..you are not part of "the public", Sue? None of my business either way (truly!) but I struggle to see why you would not vote if you have an opinion. You fit so many other things in to your day...I am interested to know why you didn't vote (believe me I have no particular interest in your country's politics and don't give a hoot either way)...just wondered (casually) why you wouldn't bother voting.)
Have I put enough brackets into my question

Oh I voted,( and always have ) see yesterday, I just struggled with who to vote for. I backed a loser, I knew they would lose, because of other issues. My other choice was also a loser, hence my comment about I could have chosen either and the result would be the same. I have battled with my choice for weeks.i live in an area where my vote will never make a difference but I would NEVER EVER not vote

[Marilyn]

I apologise Sue. I took your words to mean you didn't vote. I meant no offence.
I am struggling to grasp why things in certain electorates are so volatile in UK ( having stuff all knowledge about these areas).
I just feel people are struggling everywhere....

[Marilyn]

Australia has been considering leaving the Commonwealth, though we would never do it under the reign of the Queen, out of respect.

[Tizer]

Maz, there are several reasons. As well as the usual loyalties many people have to a political party this election is also affected by the EU Remain/Leave differences. There are Tory leavers, Tory remainers, Labour leavers, Labour remainers. Then there are the splits in the parties and each major party has moderates and extremists. That is always the case but the divisions have become more stark in recent years as all the Brexit wrangling has gone on. I've never known such division and its dispiriting to see such extremism. On top of it all we're faced with the drive for independence in Scotland (well established) and now in Northern Ireland (due to Brexit). Possibly even in Wales. And there is still the old North/South divide with more money going into the south-east. I could go on...but I won't!

[Marilyn]

Blimey!
Bet you lot have interesting discussion around your dinner tables!

[Sue]

I have found the UK election quite volatile in the individual areas of UK. Obviously, people in particular areas are aware of trends. It is interesting....and I think one of the things "outsiders" are interested in is WHY. Why have things changed? Why are you unhappy? ( I mean, some areas have done a complete about-face.

Many Labour voting areas voted to leave Europe but only The Tories seem to want to carry that through. By voting Tory, quite against their deep founded beliefs , they feel that they were getting their wish. Labour wanted another referendum on any plan, some parties wanted to block it completely or even stop it however undemocratic that was. Also Jeremy Corbyn is not well liked by many Labour voters. So the vote was really still about Brexit rather than many of the other issues that mattered. Even in firm Labour strongholds , if the area voted leave and they haven’t , (often blocked by Labour but also some Tories and other parties) then the majority has reduced. Under Jeremy Corbyn, it was seen that whatever the Tories did or said Labour would contradict and what should have been a discussion was like kids arguing in the playground. Being a supporter of neither parties left me with a huge dilemma on who to vote for. I researched it thoroughly and I am sorry if you though my comment this morning implied I hadn’t voted, it merely meant that whichever OTHER party I voted for it would have no impact, i was torn between a protest vote or voting tactically on an outsider who possibly had a chance to win in my area.i was going to vote Green as I strongly support their views but that would not have had any effect locally so WHEN I voted, like I said to Stanley yesterday, I voted hoping it would have an impact. It did not . The long and short of it is this country has become those that have and those that have not fighting each other and those in the middle are more or less ignored. Oh and I agree there is still a strong north south divide.

[Sue]

Blimey!
Bet you lot have interesting discussion around your dinner tables!

I never talk politics with friends, it could ruin a long lasting friendship. I have some friends with very extreme views in both directions. They would never be swayed away from their views, I prefer to remain friends

[Marilyn]

I never discuss politics either, especially at the dinner table. My son does, when he has had a few drinks, but we all ignore him until he changes the subject!

[Tripps]

Sgt's Mess unofficial convention - no politics no religion. Worked OK.

[Marilyn]

...and no Sex either...