Monday, April 03, 2006

I really must have something better to do with my time


I always thought gaffer tape was a made-up secret that DIYers and builders used when talking to impress listeners. 'A bit of gaffer tape will do the trick.' 'What you need there is a bit of gaffer tape.' But it seems I was wrong: it actually exists. I found this evidence lying around.

Course I didn't actually see any tape so it could still all be a plot.

I wonder if you can buy a Gaffer's Best Boy too.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

We went to see Martyn Joseph and Stewart Henderson last night. An excellent and very entertaining show but one thing that was just dropped into the conversation disturbed me. Martyn said he'd read in the paper that, because of the fear of bird flu, people are stopping putting food on their bird-tables and experts fear that, as a result, some native birds could become endangered. I don't think it was an April fool's joke: no-one would joke about something as serious as that, would they? So, as Mary Poppins would say, 'Feed the birds!'

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I saw all about it on Breakfast tv as I languished through a lie-in last week - it's true apparently. We cannot feed them here - communal gardens, not allowed.

I saw Martyn Joseph in Swindon years ago. He's still going strong, is he? I had a tape at that point - can you get CDs - must look it up. Narnia's out on DVD today too - oh dear, poor debit card.

Jon said...

I bet it cost a little more than tuppance a bag these days.

MaryB said...

Gaffer's tape = duct tape, which - of course - holds the world together. Why, give me a roll o' that stuff, plus a little velcro and a glue gun, and baby - watch out! (The only time we called it gaffer's tape was when I was working in television - real people call it duct tape.)

Anonymous said...

When my dad was in RAF, we knew it as black tape - most unimaginative but that's what it was, the panacea to all kind's of problems. If it needed fixing, dad stuck on black tape. Then they invented Araldite - he was a whizz with that too. Still is but he's moved on to Super Glue. Now has to buy his black tape in B&Q. Buy it!

Writing prompt: take a roll of gaffer tape and... we've done quite well so far, Liz.

Anna said...

I think it was the Bird Lady who said that.

Shirley said...

I thought it was duck tape and wondered what our feathered friends did with it? Kidnapped other birds? fixed random electrical problems?

I feed the birdies as long as it's not yucky pigeons!