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Hi, Rusty!
I don't think a supermarket or local newsagent would be likely to stock as many stamps as I require?
I need about 90 second class stamps - plus the ones for my Overseas cards.
So I 'm afraid that a visit to the P.O is unavoidable. Tomorrow's chore!
I had a quick shifty at "willy- nilly" - it appears to be quite innocuous a saying .....unless someone else's Brewers has a different meaning? After all, it was quite surprising how many different slants we all had the other day!
I've just been talking to my elder daughter and the boys - they rang up to report on their parts in the school Christmas play!
A good time seems to have been had by all!
The next event is their Christmas party next Wednesday. After which they break up till the first week in January!
Time to go sort out some food.......

Pigale and Seamus....
To me, the word "demolish" conjurors up a demolition site where they use one of those massive cranes swinging a huge lump of lead (?) to knock down buildings.......whatever do they call it now?
It must have a specific name?

"Wrecking ball" elle (as in the Emmy-Lou Harris album - best ever C&W - a genre I don't generally like).

Thank you, Chris!
I couldn't remember that!
(Rusty will say it's another senior moment!)

Hello, Elle and Pigale.
I have just received an email from The Times crossword editor, Richard Rogan.
It is a very nice email, he notes my points, and will, in future try to cut down on the Londonisms!
Only 4 of his setters are Londoners, 4 are Irish!
Others are from New Zealand (1), and the North of England.
So, it was very nice of Mr Rogan to respond.
I shall reply, I think.

Emmylou is super, Chris!

Hi, Rusty!
Great! What a fantastic response! And so nice a gesture, too, for the crossword editor to reply to you in person.
Yes, I think you should definitely reply to him!
I cannot help feeling a little but miffed, though, that my personal letter to him was presumably not passed on? I did ask ever so nicely that it might be forwarded to the appropriate quarters.
Ah well, the main thing is that YOU got a positive response, and the promise of cutting down on the "Londonisms" in future.
Well done!

Hi rusty
I have all her Daniel Lanois produced albums (all great), and a couple of later ones. She is the exception to the rule that I don't like C&W.

Elle,
It is beginning to look like your email did not get to either Rose or Mr Rogan. Pigale got an acknowledgement, wonder if she got an email? Was a very friendly email, Elle. He even said he would try and get a Scottish setter!
To stop me moaning probably. But he was jesting, I think.
He said he could not say if there were too many Londonisms but would try to ensure there were not "too" many in future.
For interest, the geographical breakdown in setters is,

4 from Ireland,
2 From Manchester,
3 from Yorkshire,
1 from Newcastle (a Londoner),
1 from Hampshire,
1 from Brighton,
1 from North Wales,
1 from Darlington (lives in NZ)
4 from London (one is a New Zealander)
So, a good mix I would say.
Mr Rogan explained that London was a major city and many people living outside London knew quite a bit about it.
So, that is all my news.
I shall reply, and remind him to get a Scottish setter so he can tease the public with words like "forfoughten" and "dreich" etc!

Hey Rusty and Elle,

I have just this minute received a very nice letter (mail) from R. Rogan who first said that he was always very pleased to know of people from abroad tackling the Times xwords; he then said that it was quite an achievement in itself and he appreciated that to a non-British person, clues with reference to Cockney or to too many places around London could be an added difficulty.

the rest is similar to Rusty's letter and to finish his letter, he made an anagram of my name in the last sentence - a nice humorous gesture.

Wonder if Feedback will get published (even if somewhat edited)