Saturday, March 03, 2012
Eavesdropping and other Saturday activities.
We said almost not a word as we ate breakfast in Littlehampton this morning.
We were busy - eavesdropping.
Terrible habit, of course; but I bet that we all love to do it.
We were in The Balaton.
George is the owner - a cockney Cypriot. George was deep in conversation with a cockney Italian. Deep in conversation - but across the cafe.
Impossible not to hear - or listen.
Our cockney Italian has a finger in many pies - and clearly makes quite a bit of money from those pies.
At first they were discussing his removal business and George was promising to come to him when the time came. It seems like an offer has come in for The Balaton. George wonders if they could be off and away within 3 months.
Our Italian knows about buying property. he owns 8 houses, which he collects rent from.
He knows where to get the cheapest materials for renovation.
We could have learned a lot about managing a property portfolio this morning.
It really sounded strange hearing the words "I had a meeting with my architect" from the mouth of a man who may not have been immersed in school education.
Yes - I snatched a picture!
I loved the chat most when he talked of his wives and of his family in Sicily - Guiseppe and Co.
Could be the Mafia!
I think what we should have learned from our eaves dropping is to have confidence and grasp opportunities.
This guy hadn't a notion that something might not be possible - and anyway, if things go wrong you just make the best of things.
We hesitate to invest small amounts of money on things to sell. He worried not about investing thousands on property.
I had spent some money at Ford. We didn't have long there. The Met Office had promised rain for 9 o'clock. And almost as the last chimes would have been ringing the hour, the heavens opened and people were scurrying for cover.
Everybody scurried. It took an age to actually get away from Ford as the exit routes all seemed to be jammed.
Here is some of what I bought. I am happy to have got another 3 tiered cake plate in. And I love the 8 little vases too - from an Exmoor Pottery best known for novelty pie funnels.
Bill bought this Nigel Mansell set.
Before going into Littlehampton we called in at the farm shop. Huh! Out of stock of the beef and ginger sausages!
The butchers there are working on their entries for the National sausage Champs and are a bit low on their range of sausages.
I also bought some jams at half price - just because they looked so posh and tasty.
The labels are torn where I removed the bright orange half price labels.
After breakfast we took a brief walk along the beach. The rain had stopped, but it was very blustery.
On the way home from the coast we called in on my friend Marion - it is her birthday today. We took a cauldron filled with dwarf daffodils which looks superb by her fireplace.
The afternoon passed in gentle relaxation - Bill in front of the TV watching Goldfinger, again. I fiddled and played computer games.
I have written up most of my purchases - and have a box ready to take to the shop on Monday.
Tomorrow I really must get some more things on EBay - we are promised more rain, so indoor activities will be most suitable. There is talk of wet snow for a while.
We were busy - eavesdropping.
Terrible habit, of course; but I bet that we all love to do it.
We were in The Balaton.
George is the owner - a cockney Cypriot. George was deep in conversation with a cockney Italian. Deep in conversation - but across the cafe.
Impossible not to hear - or listen.
Our cockney Italian has a finger in many pies - and clearly makes quite a bit of money from those pies.
At first they were discussing his removal business and George was promising to come to him when the time came. It seems like an offer has come in for The Balaton. George wonders if they could be off and away within 3 months.
Our Italian knows about buying property. he owns 8 houses, which he collects rent from.
He knows where to get the cheapest materials for renovation.
We could have learned a lot about managing a property portfolio this morning.
It really sounded strange hearing the words "I had a meeting with my architect" from the mouth of a man who may not have been immersed in school education.
Yes - I snatched a picture!
I loved the chat most when he talked of his wives and of his family in Sicily - Guiseppe and Co.
Could be the Mafia!
I think what we should have learned from our eaves dropping is to have confidence and grasp opportunities.
This guy hadn't a notion that something might not be possible - and anyway, if things go wrong you just make the best of things.
We hesitate to invest small amounts of money on things to sell. He worried not about investing thousands on property.
I had spent some money at Ford. We didn't have long there. The Met Office had promised rain for 9 o'clock. And almost as the last chimes would have been ringing the hour, the heavens opened and people were scurrying for cover.
Everybody scurried. It took an age to actually get away from Ford as the exit routes all seemed to be jammed.
Bill bought this Nigel Mansell set.
Before going into Littlehampton we called in at the farm shop. Huh! Out of stock of the beef and ginger sausages!
The butchers there are working on their entries for the National sausage Champs and are a bit low on their range of sausages.
I also bought some jams at half price - just because they looked so posh and tasty.
The labels are torn where I removed the bright orange half price labels.
After breakfast we took a brief walk along the beach. The rain had stopped, but it was very blustery.
On the way home from the coast we called in on my friend Marion - it is her birthday today. We took a cauldron filled with dwarf daffodils which looks superb by her fireplace.
The afternoon passed in gentle relaxation - Bill in front of the TV watching Goldfinger, again. I fiddled and played computer games.
I have written up most of my purchases - and have a box ready to take to the shop on Monday.
Tomorrow I really must get some more things on EBay - we are promised more rain, so indoor activities will be most suitable. There is talk of wet snow for a while.
