A WET Sunday morning as I write this. Puts a stop to most outdoor pursuits. Still, the water barrel needed topping up so all is not lost.

- Last week I mentioned 'goodgobs', and Linda our front office lady tells me she'd never heard of it, and that she had always known it as 'goosegogs'. Now that was a new one on me, for, as children I'm sure we used the former in this area, unless I'd never heard it right. Of course I can't find a reference to this in any book I have, but then, someone will know.

- I did however, whilst looking in the 'Gs' come across, "Got out of bed on the wrong side", which told me something I didn't know. Long ago it was thought that the forces of evil prevailed on the left side of the body and that one shouldn't get out of bed from the left side, or put one's left foot on the floor first, and innkeepers sometimes put the bed with the left side against the wall in order to protect guests from this danger. I always get out of bed on the left side. I wonder.....!

- Operators of 'old worlde establishments' tend to try and keep everything within that image, especially in signing outside. The Old Lodge had always gone in for regal purple signs with gold lettering to maintain the impression of style and antiquity, until recently a glaring bizarre A-board appeared, in dazzling colours - rather like the 'Ghost Walk' adverts one sees in York. Difficult to read from a moving vehicle, but perhaps designed to attract a different clientele. Unique, I thought, until going to Scarborough last week via the A170, an equally olden hotel in one of the villages was sporting one very similar in style. It must be catching on.

- Golden Hill at Malton claimed another victim the other day, about which I haven't yet heard the details, and I wondered how, after all the safety measures recently taken, crashes could continue to happen. That was until last evening, returning from York and we nearly became just another statistic too. Rounding the corner at the hill top at early evening time, some idiot decided to overtake a car and caravan by taking to the red hatched 'No go' centre markings, so that the three of us were all side by side. Well, we all got away with it. Fortunately we were well over to our left, as was the caravan, so the fool in the middle was lucky this time, but it made me realise, that despite the efforts of the road engineers, they can never cater for those who just won't conform.

- Now that I do a bit of so-called cooking myself, I'm more of a user of kitchen gadgets than ever, although I have always had a liking for such things. Years ago, when the Y-type potato peelers first arrived, I tried one or two different ones, finding these a wonderful advantage over the old traditional type peeler, be it a fixed or 'swing' blade pattern. Used for any root crop, or for apples, one can whistle through the job ten times faster and easier than before, and I eventually settled for a small one bearing the name Kuhn Rikon, of Switzerland, and costing around £1, for its blade seemed more efficient than the others. I was delighted, therefore, to read a survey of these in a magazine, and believe it or not, the 'experts' had come up with the same one as 'best buy'. I was quite chuffed!

- And, still in the kitchen. For a lifetime, the family had struggled with conventional tin-openers, finding the operation difficult and hard work on the fingers. Then I used one at a friend's and thought, 'This is for me', and all of a sudden opening a tin wasn't a nightmare any more. I'd even earlier tried an electric one, by a reputable maker, but even it was a hit-and-miss affair. However, it did have a knife grinder part to it, so that was a saving grace for a while until the grinding wheel came loose, and now it's awaiting my attention in the workshop. Whatever happened to quality? As for tin-openers, when buying one you must look for the number of teeth on the milled edge of the driving wheel which rotates the tin. These should be numerous and fine, almost like the edge of a milled coin. Bigger (and cheaper to manufacture), and they become hard work, especially for the ladies. Like being in top gear in the car when you should be in a low one is the nearest analogy. Cost you twice as much as the standard oldie, but less than a fiver in any case, and for a lifetime without a sore thumb, a boon for us folk in the tin-opening fraternity. Brabantia sounds foreign, but it works nevertheless.

- Think on it. "Telling the truth to people who misunderstand you is generally promoting falsehood". Anthony H. Hopkins. Author. (1863-1933).

Updated: 12:07 Thursday, August 23, 2001