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Good evening, Elle!
Lovely evening here.
I don't like high heights, but my roof does not come into that category.
Well, so much for me getting my free TV licence, now BBC are announcing they are doing away with it!
Ah, well!

Hi, Rusty!
That was a coincidence!
Just as I was reading your message , my husband told me that he was hearing on the radio about the free TV licences being rescinded!
I only hope that the powers-that-be do not take away our Freedom Passes!
I can see that being the next step.......
I do not drive...and public transport costs in London are prohibitive!
One cannot even catch a bus without requiring an Oyster card!
Gone on are the days when one simply handed over one's cash to the driver!
A lot of elderly folk might well be housebound should the withdrawal of free transport ever be implemented.
Imagine......nowhere to go..... and no TV to watch....... some elderly people may be in for a rough future.

Hi elle
If you think public transport costs in London are high, you should try travelling outside London! I was reading a couple of days ago that a bus trip from Stockport into Manchester costs more than three times the equivalent distance in London.
Of course, transport costs on the continent - train in particualr - are far cheaper than here.

Hello, Elle!
I have a Bus Pass for free travel.
Is that like your Freedom Pass?
I am not at all sure what an Oyster Card is, though I have heard of them?
My old Mother lived alone and her TV was a great companion for her.
She loved the "soaps"!
There will be thousands of old ones like that.
I am not a great TV fan (very fussy what I watch!) and I already pay Sky for TV channels, including the BBC channels.
I think I would miss broadband more.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, a Freedom Pass will be similar to your free bus pass, I think.
Although the Freedom Pass is a lot more extensive, as it covers not only free travel on the buses, but also on mainline trains , the Tube and the Overground, the DLR and the trams.
One can also get discounted travel on river boats, I believe , although I have never tried that.
We can use our Freedom Pass outside of London anywhere in the UK, but only on the buses, just as you, too, can use your bus pass elsewhere.
Can you pay in cash on the bus?
We can no longer do that here.....only a prepaid Oyster card is accepted, from which the fare is deducted.
Like you , I am not very keen on watching television, only viewing isolated programmes....except for my daily dose of Eggheads!




Hello, Chris!
Well, it's a long time since I tried travelling anywhere in Manchester!
Can you still pay cash on the buses in Blackburn and surrounds?
You are not allowed to do so here...you must have an Oyster card.
One poor woman was refused entry on a bus.....her car had broken down, and she was trying to return home.
The driver wouldn't let her on the bus, because she didn't have the required Oyster card and he didn't except cash!
And I think they call that "progress"!

Good morning, Elle!
A fine day here, so far!
I have not been on a bus for a year or two, and cash was acceptable then, but no change was given.
One thing I remember was that the vast majority of folk said "thank you" to the driver, when alighting from the bus.
These chicks at the loch are getting big!

A Very Good morning to you, Rusty!
A glorious day here, too!
Wonderful out in the park.
After yesterday's persistent heavy rain, all is glistening and fresh!
I still say thank you to the bus driver!
Both Lassie and Laddie were in the nest with the two (yes, quite large!) chicks when I just looked.
I hadn't seen Laddie for a while.
How soon will the chicks try to fly?



Oops, Chris!
Typo in my previous post.... it should have read "accept" rather than "except."
I have only just noticed.

Hi elle
I was waiting until you noticed - I was sure that you would!
I've not been very successful with buses since moving to Lancashire - in fact I've only managed to catch one, and that was with my daughter's help (and even then we were 30 minutes out because we didn't realise that Bank Holiday times were different). But yes, you could then still use actual money.

Good afternoon, Elle!
It's turned cloudy here, now!
The rain seems to be down your way?
I liked seeing everyone say "thank you" to the bus driver!
A nice friendly touch.
One or two on this forum could do with learning to say "thank you".
But, I am being mischievous!
Be a wee while before the young birds will fly.
Then they have to learn how to catch fish and fend for themselves.
Mind you, they do that fairly quickly.

Good afternoon, Rusty!
Well, we have no rain here as yet?
I have just returned from a two hour walk...and the sun has been shining brightly, and the temperature is in the lower twenties.
A lovely afternoon.
I think rain is forecast for tomorrow and Thursday, though.
My daughter was giving a lecture this morning.......
I wonder how she got on?
I haven't had the time yet to look at today's crossword!