Monday 6 October 2008

Friends and Relations...


When I was small and I mean really small, my sister used to have a full set of the books by Alison Uttley. She would read them to me and as she was a sweet and lovely lady - still is, she'd remind me of all the sorts of yarns which went into the books.


Just as I've been poking around in the blog tonight, I've remembered why I call my Bloglist 'Friends and relations'.


In the above book, much loved by 'J'. and me, Hare is a skater (not very good), and he always referred to anyone who was in his circle of friends as his 'Friends and Relations'.


And so you are 'Chums' - true isn't it...

29 comments:

Electro-Kevin said...

Chumps more like, Scrobs.

I got into a drunken row with someone on Saturday night.

I suppose it was the rowing do after all.(Got a bit too chummy with Mrs E-K)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Good Man Elecs!

I'd do the same, although I wonder if the other bloke knew that you could have taken him out with a single flick of the finger...

lilith said...

My Mum still talks about "all Rabbit's friends and relations" when describing who was at an event. Very familiar phrase, so we must be Scrobs :-)

lilith said...

I loved the books by My Girl didn't like them a bit, so they didn't get revisited.

idle said...

I loved Hare when I was a nipper.

The Old Tarf said...

Well Scrobs- thought I would pop by for a visit. Love those books. Mrs Tarf collects the animals and the bits and pieces.

they do have some profound thoughts and sentiment.

Philipa said...

Indeed. Books look good scrobs. I was a Mr Pinkwhistle girl and the classics like What Katy Did and No Boats on Bannermere. Lashings of ginger beer. I've always liked fantasy/SciFi too and old tales of wolves and witches in the woods.

*cackles*

lilith said...

Ohh Pip, two books I discovered with My Girl, Juniper and Wise Child, both by Monica Furlong..excellent witchy stuff great for the inner adolescent...

I can remember being read Treasure Island when too small to read it for myself and being infuriated when the chapters ended...cliff hangers every one..

Philipa said...

Thanks, Lil. I've got Treasure Island. I think I'll give up trying to get my boy to read it and encourage my girl.

Old BE said...

I'll be your dawwwwg!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Lils - its easy on the tongue isn't it - 'Friends and relations'. I use it in business too and occasionally get a few odd looks...

Sorry Kilod said boo to them, but that's what famous girls do isn't it! ;0)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Hare was a wag Iders!

He used to skate round the outside edge and terrify all the others...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Tarfers - I'd forgotten about the little models, I wonder if 'J' still has any of them, they'll be worth a few bob now...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Pips - Mrs S swears by the 'Milly Molly Mandy' books too!

We've been racking our brains recently since Miliband got a thick ear, and Mandy reappeared looking older...

Who could be 'Molly' then?

Answers on an Icelandic IOU please...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Actually Lils and Pips, it took me years to understand why Ben Gunn liked toasted cheese...

I'd always imagined a chunk of cheese on a stick in front of the fire which seemed pointless!

Cheese on toast is marvellous after a small grilling eh? Mrs S put me straight very soon after we got our first proper grill... (i.e. which didn't set fire to everything...)

lilith said...

I found this definition for Molly which may answer your question..."Molly McBender"

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Molly%20McBender

or could the fact that Molly O Morgan is cockney rhyming slang for "organ" be a clue?

I thought a "molly" meant the object of a sailor's desire, if you know what I mean...

I think there are lots of clues here Scrobs.

lilith said...

The toasted cheese must have boggled you completely Scrobbers! Ha ha ha. Kinda like marshmallows..

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

I knew a chap whose surname was 'Moll' Lils - great guy too - wonder where he fits in then...

I always put the word 'moll' into the American comic gangster category, where 'de goil' was the gunman's 'moll'...

I'm now going to turn down the lights and look at the Urban Dictionary...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Clues R Us Lils...

Like the link to Urbers Dic; as usual, rude and inexplicable, but always fun to read!

Sobering thought in recalling a character out of the Grapes of Wrath (I think), where 'Moley' became apparent as one of those guys who survive on nothing...

"The narrative begins from Tom Joad's point of view just after he is paroled from prison for homicide. On his journey home, he meets a now-former preacher, Jim Casy, whom he remembers from his childhood, and the two travel together. When they arrive at his childhood farm home, they find it deserted. Disconcerted and confused, he and Casy go to his Uncle John's home nearby where he finds his family loading a Hudson truck with what remains of their possessions; the crops were destroyed in the Dust Bowl and as a result, the family had to default on their loans. With their farm repossessed, the Joads seek solace in hope; hope inscribed on the handbills which are distributed everywhere in Oklahoma, describing the beautiful and fruitful country of California and high pay to be had in that state. The Joads, along with Jim Casy, are seduced by this advertising and invest everything they have into the journey. Although leaving Oklahoma would be breaking parole, Tom decides that it is a risk, albeit minimal, that he has to take."

Shades of that song by Levon Helm which you gave me - frightening...

UBERMOUTH said...

LOL@ flick of a finger.

Anonymous said...

From Alison Uttley to the Grapes of Wrath in one easy step...

lilith said...

You'll be alright Scrobs. You can extend your veg patch and make your own beer. JRT will defend the Turrets :-)

It gets well profound and hip innit Mutley, from time to time. Scrobs is "safe" as the yout say.

Daisy said...

scrobs...i have learned through my travels that you make your family from people you love...sometimes they are relatives...sometimes dear friends...

Trubes said...

I had the Alison Utley books Scrobs and loved them too. my big sister used to read them to me also...I like your slant on Bloggists being 'friends and relations'.

Hope all are well in the immediate Scrobs family....we're expecting another grandchild in February...can't wait...that'll be four !

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Lils and Muts - actually, I'm still trying to confirm it was Moley in The Grapes of Wrath; but I've lost my copy...

You'd think that a quick Google would give an answer, which it hasn;t so far, but I did find an incredible book describing the Depression in the 1930s, which has some incredible premoitions in it for today's political unhingement from reality

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Ubers - welcome back to the rounds - flick of WHICH finger please?

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Hiya Trubes, good news that; you'll have four more than we've got, but how can anyone plan ahead these days - one lost salary + catastrophe!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers - too right that, but you can't choose your parents, which could explain an awful lot...

lilith said...

My Girl has pointed out that "All rabbit's friends and relations" comes from Pooh too..