@ Henrietta Scholtz!!!! And your BOAT. Amid the banter that often erupts on these forums for reasons that are never really clear to me...(and in which I enjoy particepating just for the fun of it), I've been wondering what if an colour scheme you have decided on for the decor of your boat! Any ideas from among those we suggested? Somehow your poll got hijacked with the non- boat decorating banter but I've had your boat in mind most of the time...wishing that I could be maybe a little hook or a rope so I could come on your adventures undetected and enjoy the decor with which you have embellished your seafaring craft and home. I'd not considered it at all because it was a bit "off the wall"...but...that PINK that came up for discussion on another subject led me to consider a colour scheme of Mustard, Beige, and Mint...with little splashes of an unexpected colour...like that Lipstick Pink...or maybe other groups of colours that are 'accepting' of each other but with a little "wild" splash of the unexpected...a bit like when the sunlight reflects through a splash of water ahd just for an instant you see something brilliant and magical. I've even got my palette and paints out intrigued by the "splash colour" that should not fit with traditional combinations but somehow does.....just a thought. It would be lovely to see any ideas you liked put into practise according to your individual interpretation. I am sure I echo the sentiments of other artistic contributors to your project - Will you tell us and maybe send Pics of any developments? Anyone else who has the good fortune to have a boat would also be welcome here, I am sure, to put forward any creative ideas. How about it Henrietta?

You know, Alipetecampbell, I think a lot of good could be done by simply not allowing houses to be built unless they're designed by a qualified architect and signed off by a qualified engineer, and built to minimum standards that ensure proper passive climate control (insulation, glazing, orientation etc.) and social linkage issues - let's ban the food desert and the nappy valley. Developers have a vested interest in building cheap, and those rubbish houses sell because (a) there's not much else on the market and (b) superficially they look okay. You'd argue that what I'm proposing would raise housing costs, but let's stop making billionaires of developers, let's stop councils from charging silly money for planning fees (eminently doable if housing is professionally designed) and, as I have said above, use less land for more housing AND more greenspace too, and the cuts in cost these measures would create could go towards making all houses better.

Mince pies, pudding, christmas cake are old fashioned, cold weather inherited traditions in my personal opinion, so when I started my own family I threw out these particular 'old' ways and invented our new family traditions. If anyone comes to my house during christmas and I know they love these things, I buy individual puddings etc just for them. Its just puzzling to me why the new settlers didn't embrace our island culture and extreme heat, my grandmother had no electricity but they would light up the old fuel stove and she would slavingly cook for 15 or more - Wow that is commitment! LOL - and here I am, a real individual but I've had to adapt as I am gluten intolerant and I have MS - so there you go - I think the universe is trying to tell me something LOL...

We are non-drinkers in our house so we just use peaches and jelly with jam roll and topped with custard and cream. This photo shows Amaretti biscuits crushed on top with white chocolate and raspberries. Who cares if its a sloppy mess in the bowl, the flavour combinations are to die for!