hi from Cheap Charlie

[Cheap Charlie]

Greetings from Hogtown (aka Toronto).  I know the spring has arrived as I've just caught a cold.
Sometime resident of Lewes in Sussex, where this BBS is hosted, I am now the official Ontario correspondent (self-appointed).  If you are wondering where I got my handle - I've spent a fair amount of time in the Far East fending off the attentions of young ladies and one sure way to get them to leave you alone is to assure them you are Cheap Charlie - it stuck.
I've just been up in Ottawa for a week - I'm writing a book and was doing research in the National Archives.  Note to Molly and Howard   - can we have a £ sign for use when composing messages - we are deprived of this vital symbol on keyboards here in the North America and I have to cut and paste from elsewhere and risk losing the entire message searching for this endangered species.  Maybe someone can say the symbol is at  crtl-alt-! or similar?
Stayed at the Radisson in Ottawa for $114 per night Internet rate - less than £50 per night for two, not incl. breakfast.  Free internet on PC in foyer.  Room had coffeemaker and fridge so Cheap Charlie breakfast possible on some mornings - especially if you had bothered to purchase croissants from Tim Horton's - which are surprisingly good for a chain restaurant.  Now running the annual "roll-up-the-rim to win" contest where paper coffee cups have spot prizes - I once won a prize a few years back in a place called Nobel, Ontario, up north of Parry Sound - hence I can claim to be a Nobel Prize winner.
Ottawa at Easter is damn cold and mostly closed over the easter w/e so you would not go there for a rave-up, but Eric Egglestonwww.eeband.com was playing at the Lower Deck pub on Parent Street for three nights which certainly livened things up a bit.  He is a regular babe magnet.
I've just been talking with Benidorm correspondent Paul Watts on the phone, now working for the Round Town News, a Costa free sheet.  He has been waiting all his life for a paid gig in journalism and lapping it up - beats both driving the car park bus at Gatwick and heavy lorries between the UK and Spain. http://www.roundtownnews.com
If anybody is reading this in the UK please send Garibaldi biscuits - urgent.
RGDS Rupert

[Molly Mockford]

Hi, Rupert - great to hear from you!

Other members of this forum should not be surprised when Rupert leaps up to report not only from Toronto but also from Lewes, Le Mans, Macao - in fact, anywhere where they have motor-racing!  (Not that they have motor-racing in Lewes any more, although they used to, many decades ago - Malcolm Campbell and people of that vintage whizzed up our aptly-named "Motor Road".)  Oh, and the Paul Watts that Rupert refers to is not a lurker in this forum (yet!) but a mutual friend - involved, like Rupert, me, Howard and others, in our local radio station, Rocket FM <http://www.rocketfm.org.uk>.

In order to get a £ sign without a UK keyboard, Rupert, you can type ALT 156 (with your Num Lock on, and using the numeric keypad rather than the other set of numbers).  Don't ask for a Euro symbol, though - the ISO-8859-1 encoding of this site doesn't support it, unfortunately.

Unless, of course, our techie Wilf knows different!

[Howard]

Rupert, how utterly splendid to hear from you!  We knew that you had joined, and were waiting with baited breath for your first post - though we did realize how busy you were in the intervening period!

It's really good to hear your news, and great for someone to give us a sideways look at life for the Brit expat in Canada.  Personally, I've got lots of questions about Canada, and just to get you working hard for your board right away, here are two:

1.  Do the Canadians use Brit or American spelling?
2.  Do they do that strange single-right-handed fork eating thing that their southern neighbours do (and which for some reason the Americans, bless 'em, regard as being the world norm, with the Brits excluded?)

Okay, now I know that Canadians drive on the right, but please reassure our American friends here, from your experience in many travels, that driving on the left side of the road is not confined to Britain!

Again, a real pleasure to have you on this board, Rupert,

Howard

[Howard]

I suspect that Rupert is too modest to mention his blog in open forum, so I am going to do it, and s0d his blushes!:

http://punchbuggy.blogspot.com/

(Rupert was kind enough to mention this forum on his blog [so go and have a look!] , and to credit Molly and me, but of course the major kudos really goes to the Forummeister [may the sweet April showers cause his thinning locks to glisten attractively!] and the frighteningly competent Wilfred)

It gives me pleasure to say also that Rupert's Canadian wife has a website too, which deals delightfully with her long-held interest in one of our local Sussex eccentrics from the Regency (roughly) times - John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, Squire of Brightling.  See:
 
http://johnmadjackfuller.homestead.com/

- for a site that is a true labour of love, represents an historical passion brought to life and shared, and, in my opinion, enshrines the very best of the original spirit of the Whirl Wild Web - enthusiasms and interests communicated!  Drop by her site, and sign the guestbook; and if you mention that you came thither via 'Yookus', I am sure she will take it very kindly!

Howard

[rhia66]

  Hiya Rupert and welcome:)

  Rhia

[Cait]

Hiya Cheap Charlie! 

[Cheap Charlie]

Tuesday lunchtime in TO (that's Toronto for new readers).  I've just been IMing with my good buddy Steve Taylor in Nepal.  See http://punchbuggy.blogspot.com/

Last Saturday morning I was out gathering rubbish in one of the ravines north-east of here with about fifteen other folk who are interested in keeping the place look tidy.  About the first thing I found was a purse full of credit cards.  We found a couple more handbags plus a cash register - all handed in to the police.  Good to find a bunch of citizens who are interested in keeping their neighbourhood clean.  We shifted a huge amount of rubbish for collection by the city - now it is a clean ravine!

Sunday morning rode the Brompton folding bicycle to Dimpflmeier's bakery outlet - first short trip of the year in warm still sunshine. Spotted this 1941 Plymouth (I think) for sale on the way - definitely a fixer-upper.


Howard: I think we use a mixture of UK/US spelling here.  Plenty of right hand fork thing too - even indulge myself sometimes.  Delighted to get the £ sign sorted out - now moving on to ½ etc.  I should post a selection on my blog homepage - who can memorise, or is it memorize, all those alt-codes?

Eric Eggleston is on a national tour here in Canada - he called me from Regina, Saskatchewan yesterday.  Tour going well.  www.eeband.com

[Molly Mockford]

Last Saturday morning I was out gathering rubbish in one of the ravines north-east of here with about fifteen other folk who are interested in keeping the place look tidy.  About the first thing I found was a purse full of credit cards.  We found a couple more handbags plus a cash register - all handed in to the police.  Good to find a bunch of citizens who are interested in keeping their neighbourhood clean.  We shifted a huge amount of rubbish for collection by the city - now it is a clean ravine!

For some reason, this reminds me irresistably of Alice's Restaurant!

We got up there, we found all the garbage in there, and we decided it'd be
a friendly gesture for us to take the garbage down to the city dump.  So
we took the half a ton of garbage, put it in the back of a red VW
microbus, took shovels and rakes and implements of destruction and headed
on toward the city dump.

Well we got there and there was a big sign and a chain across across the
dump saying, "Closed on Thanksgiving."  And we had never heard of a dump
closed on Thanksgiving before, and with tears in our eyes we drove off
into the sunset looking for another place to put the garbage.

We didn't find one. Until we came to a side road, and off the side of the
side road there was another fifteen foot cliff and at the bottom of the
cliff there was another pile of garbage. And we decided that one big pile
is better than two little piles, and rather than bring that one up we
decided to throw ours down.

That's what we did, and drove back to the church, had a Thanksgiving
dinner that couldn't be beat, went to sleep and didn't get up until the
next morning, when we got a phone call from officer Obie.  He said, "Kid,
we found your name on an envelope at the bottom of a half a ton of
garbage, and just wanted to know if you had any information about it." And
I said, "Yes, sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie, I put that envelope
under that garbage."

So, Rupert, the big question is - did you find an envelope??

[Howard]

who can memorise, or is it memorize

Indeed, Rupert, we have to remember that the '-ise' spelling is not the only Britenglish spelling there is:  there is also the Brit '-ize' spelling, favoured by the older publishers such as the OUP.  But this probably should have gone into the 'Language thread'!

[Cheap Charlie]

Saturday morning in Hogtown.  Waking up slowly after a night at Billy Bobs/The Fan in Bloor West Village.  This is a bar restaurant place on four floors - had supper in Billy Bob's upstairs then went gargling in The Fan bar downstairs.  The Fan is very popular for pool players and also smokers.  Smoking is banned in bars and restaurants in Ontario but you can have a smoker's bar up to 25% of the total floorspace.  In this place the other floors were sparsely populated with the smoker's bar humming - not very PC in straight-laced TO.  I don't smoke myself - never have - but this place is an interesting social phenomenon.  Makes a change from downtown where hordes of folk lurk outside office buildings having a furtive smoke.   I'm told Russell Crowe made a beeline for the bar when in town filming.  Back home in a taxi at 00:30.
I'm becoming intrigued by the high-rise buildings in northern North America - they are totally unsuited to the climate, creating freezing cold canyons in cities where the sun never shines.  The effect was particularly noticeable in Ottawa, which is a small town not short of space, that doesn't need to be high-rise and needs every ray of sunshine it can get.  A good example of folk failing to adapt to their surroundings.
Molly:  Thanks for the Arlo Guthrie piece from Alice's Restaurant - my sister was a big fan of his back in the day.  His fifteen minutes was fairly brief but no doubt he is playing Casino Rama or similar.  One hit record and you are set for life.
Dare I mention the word Kyoto - beware of politicians offering to change the weather say I.  Endless angst here about climate change but a bit of a tough sell in a freezing cold country where a couple of degrees to the good would be most welcome.  Anyway the government here has announced a $10 billion plan to modify the world's atmosphere, but it is probably going nowhere as the current Liberal administration is sinking in a sea of corruption and another general election is on the cards.  Don't get me wrong I'm all in favour of sensible conservation measures - I've done most things I reasonably can to save energy at home - efficient appliances, light bulbs, insulation, composting, rain barrel etc.  Also I'm buying my second smart car for 70 mpg performance.  What I can't understand is why don't the government just get on with it rather than grandiose plans and empty rhetoric.  In my case they are pushing at an open door.

[Cheap Charlie]

I'm replying to myself now which is it a bit of a worry.  Anyway I forgot to mention that emergency supplies of Garibaldi biscuits, Fyers Original Sussex Blend tea, and Marmite have arrived from the UK courtesy of my nephew Owen and his good lady Julija.  A big thanks to them.  As an old acquaintance from Vietnam days used to say "They are doing missionary work."  BTW Marmite is obtainable here in TO but supplies cannot be relied upon.
I'm looking forward to afternoon tea with the world's finest biscuit, unobtainable in Upper Canada or indeed anywhere in Her Majesty's provinces from Newfoundland to British Columbia.  If anybody knows anything different do tell.

[Cheap Charlie]

More trash talk

Pictures reach me of the Mount Dennis Residents Association ravine clean-up on 9 April. This is Chaplain Clive on the left joining me in bringing the rubbish back to base.

[Molly Mockford]

Looks like you've collected quite a lot between the two of you!  How often does this clean-up take place?  Is anyone putting up signs saying "No Dumping" for the locals to dump down the ravine?

[Cheap Charlie]

Re: Trash Talk.  I don't want to make out that Clive and I collected the rubbish all by ourselves.  There were about twenty folk on the case.  This sort of activity goes on mainly in the spring as Canada wakes up from the long hibernation of winter and when the snow melts to reveal a horrid mess.  However I do make a year round effort to keep my street looking nice.  If you want to live in a nice neighbourhood it requires an effort.  The press endlessly lament that Canada isn't as clean as it used to be, so more power to the elbow of folk who instead of forming committees and studying the problem actually go out and pick the damn stuff up.
Molly:  No amount of notices seem to stop folk from fly tipping.
Favourable Forex:  On a lighter note the British £ is motoring up against the Canadian $.  Not far south of $2.40 to the £.  So if you are thinking of having a Cheap Charlie holiday here in the frozen north now is the time.
Today we are expecting a high of 27 degrees Centigrade here in TO, that is a real 80 degrees in Fahrenheit - which I still operate in.
I guess most folk in the UK don't think of Canada as a holiday destination but they are missing a bargain.  Hint:  If you are looking for a fun destination without a hideously long flight try the Maritime Provinces flying into Halifax, Nova Scotia.

[Cheap Charlie]

Etobicoke days

To Bloor Street on the Brompton bicycle.  Handed in a book at Brentwood Library, all duly barcoded these days.  The bike always attracts attention - one guy advised me not to pick up any hitchhikers and another biker-type with ponytail said "That's the bike for me" - I was glad he didn't mean it literally.  Stop off at Tim Horton's for a coffee, $1.20, that's 50p for Limey readers - peruse the National Post, cost zero.  Then to Hy & Zel's on Islington Avenue - 4 litres of milk for $4.29, 1 dozen XL eggs 2.09 - wondering how that compares with the UK?  Thank goodness there is no metric dozen as they would have ruined that by now.   Back home through the side streets before the heat of the day in time to greet Tony the Postman.

[Molly Mockford]

So, working on the basis that if $1.20Canadian = 50p, those eggs would be 87p - a real bargain for a dozen XL, even if they are battery rather than free-range!  I don't know about the milk - I can't imagine buying 4 litres - why, that's about a gallon!  One pint lasts me a couple of weeks, because all I do is cook with it and offer occasional cuppas to visitors.

[Cheap Charlie]

UK small fridge scandal shock

"Do the math" as they say this side of the pond [rather annoyingly].  I reckon the milk is about 46p per litre - how does that compare?  What was wrong with pints? Still works for beer.

BTW the milk comes in plastic bags that you 'insert' into a specially made jug.  Then you have to snip the corner with a scissors - if you lose the kitchen scissors you've had it.  The bags are 1.33 litres in size - go figure!
 
Molly:   I could not find a one third symbol anywhere - it is driving me crazy that the keyboard does not address the most basic requirements.  We've been hijacked by the metric gnomes.

Anyway let me trigger the small fridge debate - anyone in North America regards the British fridge as risible - a tiny pathetic device suitable only for a six-pack or a lunchbox - not both.  No wonder you don't buy anything at the shops as you have nowhere to put it when you get home. 

[Wilfred]

Molly: I could not find a one third symbol anywhere - it is driving me crazy that the keyboard does not address the most basic requirements. We've been hijacked by the metric gnomes.

OK I saw this when I was tidying the board and I think I've fixed it, look at http://www.ukusforum.com/index.php/topic,153.0.html