Amazon exiles discussion

Welcome to your brand new Home on Goodreads ... ENJOY!!! ;o>

SUZY! How did you create a thread? Thank you so much. We were there waiting for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be released. We became friends young and old. We discussed the wonders of the Potter-verse and JKR's other works. All were and are welcome as we're book fiends.
''
\\@~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm still very new here myself, but I discovered by trial and error how to do it a couple of days ago, and have now transferred several Threads over from other Forums that I used to post on.

Gordon is our friendly Moderator and he will decide on where would be best to put this Thread tomorrow - so please don't worry if it suddenly moves to somewhere else in the Group Discussions listing - and in the meantime just keep on posting and I hope that you enjoy settling in to your new Group Home ;o>

Suzy - can you give us a clue what happens on this thread? Mowing down old wives' tales? Advice to gardeners? Animal activism? Buddhist mantras?

Here we natter on about Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, mystery books/films, travel, proper toasting of bread, tea, knitting, and many other topics. welcome!

Aaah! I've only now just caught up with the Amazon Exiles thread that explains all. (I'm still getting used to the new format and I tend to start on the "Amazon exiles > Discussion Topics " page at the bottom and scroll up.) It's for Harry Potter aficionados of which I am not one. I read the first two and enjoyed them but never felt the need to pursue the series any further. Haven't read any of J.K. Rowling's other books either. I can understand the fan kingdom, I don't think I am that passionate about anything/anyone. I suppose it's much like Doctor Who, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, etc. - I am in awe of people with encyclopaedic knowledge of their subject. I only know a very little about a lot of things.

Hi Granny, I'm in Australia so it's early afternoon here. I'm all for the proper toasting of bread and knitting (Lez is the resident knitting expert from the late music forums on 'Zon). So she may join in. I'm about to start on a pair of these for my daughter...

(picture me going away and pondering how to insert a picture!)

I obviously failed all Gordon's instructions on how to post a picture. You may be able to see them here:

https://www.spotlightstores.com/proje...

suzysunshine7 wrote: "Gordon is our friendly Moderator and he will decide on where would be best to put this Thread tomorrow"

Suzy, is it okay if I move this to the TV, Radio, Cinema, books, etc. folder? I'm not sure I completely understand what the thread is about but if it's generally Harry Potter-related I guess that's the most sensible place for it.

EDIT: Alternatively, if you just want to have a home for a particular group to carry on a general chat I can move it into the trackless wastes.

"the trackless wastes"

that a bit like the cursed earth, which lies to the west of mega city one? :)

Tech wrote: ""the trackless wastes"

that a bit like the cursed earth, which lies to the west of mega city one? :)"

Being despatched to the trackless wastes is the highest honour that this forum may bestow. That be where the bo**ocks tribe doth wander.

so i was right? :)

Val wrote: "Hi Granny, I'm in Australia so it's early afternoon here. I'm all for the proper toasting of bread and knitting (Lez is the resident knitting expert from the late music forums on 'Zon). So she may ..."

You are knitting a pair of these, Val?!! ...



They look fantastic but maybe not for going shopping in?!! - LOL!!! ;o>

Suzy: thank you for creating a home for snails.

Gordon: put us wherever, so long as we can find our way.

Grach: I'm in! It already feels like a home-from-home. Wonder if we have to mind our ps and qs in here with avoiding words that are mistaken in USA? Do we still have to talk of 'Blue Tuts' or 'Crockerels'? ;0)

Patti and Marion: where are you?

Hi Paul & Grach .... I appear to have found my way here by some very devious track. I seem to have linked in from FB, but would rather keep them separate
Will add this site to Bookmarks , but would like to know how to unlink it from FB
At the minute the little grey cells are finding difficulty in coping!! :-)
,,
\\@.......................................

Just to amuse you from the old "Tabloids"

Magical Motorcycle Monthly

Classified Ads.

STAN SHUNSPIKE`S SKYFLIER SCOOTERS

Fling away the old Firebolt --- Join the Scooter Set

With our 150cc. Model, the SHUNSPIKE SUPERSPELL you can have fun in the Muggles Motorway Mayhem or Soar off into the Stratosphere with your 
Witch on Pillion when you get frustrated in the queue.

I have also produced the 50cc SHUNSPIKE SHOPPER for the discerning witch. Colour optional ... it will change according to your mood...
Large volume carriers for ALL the family shopping. Much more practical than the old broom.
Send owls for brochures to: STAN SHUNSPIKE SCOOTERS LTD.
or visit my showrooms at:
SHUNSPIKE SHOWROOMS, SMOG ST., SHOREDITCH, LONDON, (under the railway arches)
** We also supply helmets for muggle adventures, these are a MUST otherwise the Pleasemen fine you! **

MA! You're here! With 'bloids! Deffo not a "trackless waste". I believe we can adapt to our new shell with time. Perhaps some new folks will come 'round. Patti has another knitter to chat with. Val has made some spectacular socks!

I just looked and the Harry Potter forum is gone. Now there is some type of community page. But we're here in a new snaily holding pen, furthermore, our new shell is bigger and maybe new folks will join us.

I rather like Gordon creating mini Group Forums within a much larger overall Group Forum that we all still belong to - and I especially like this one that he calls the 'Holding Pen' - to put Group Threads into that don't quite fit into any of the other mini Forum categories that have already been created on here.

Some Group Threads are just so clear cut and so obvious as to where they should fit in alongside much similar ones - and yet others are a little more obscure and far more individual as well as being utterly unique. Everyone is always extremely welcome to wander anywhere they like across the whole of the Group Forum and all of the Threads that interest them the most - and is also completely free to make their very own special 'Home' place into whatever it is that they wish most for it to be ;o>

Maybe it is just me being my usual fanciful self? - but the 'Holding Pen' keeps on bringing to mind the lovely image of a warm, cosy and very welcoming Group Hug of a Forum to me ;o>
,,
\\@ ; ; ; ; ; ; ;~

......or of course, prodding the newcomers with sharpened sticks thru' barbed wire fences..............ah, i'm only kidding!........................................or am I?

Suzy, you are so correct. This is a grand place for everyone to gather. It's for books, movies, music, knitting Dobby's socks :-), crocheting for charity-Patti I mean you, pet stories, allsorts. Chocolate against the dementors.

Get thee back forthwith to the desolate despair of the Forum Folder that is the Trackless Wastes that Gordon consigned you to - or I'll put your entire C selection of Nick Cave, The Cramps, Culture, The Clash, and Leonard Cohen CD Collection up on eBay for just 99p for the whole lot!!! ;o>

please don't sell my cheeky girls records, i'll be a good boy, honest!............................................................or will I?

You will ! - or you will also find your entire Reggae collection is only just a few clicks away from being an eBay bargain to someone as well ;o>

Hi folks! I was put off at first by the mention of H.P. but I see some mates are here 😀
Any other knitters/crochet-ers might enjoy Knitting Paradise - it has many thousands of members, mostly American but plenty of Brits, Aussies and allovertheplacers! It has lots of general subjects too including food, gardening, nostalgia etc. A bit like the old Deals. You get an email link to the latest digest every morning and I’ve become addicted, though I mainly just read. You can Private Message people too. Unbelievably I’ve met someone who was at school with me on there!

http://www.knittingparadise.com/diges...

'Uglybug', or Lovebug as I prefer to call her because she genuinely is just such a lovely Girl - is really into her Knitting and Crochet and so I will point her in the direction of the Snails when she next comes online ;o>

Harry potter and knitting ,just the place for me..I hadn't seen this on Amazon before ,I might pop over and have a look at the knitting paradise.

Anita wrote: "Harry potter and knitting ,just the place for me..I hadn't seen this on Amazon before ,I might pop over and have a look at the knitting paradise."

Anita, I post as ‘Owlet’ on there.

Hello everyone, thanks be to blessed Suzysunshine7 sent to us from choccy Brazil nut heaven derected me here.
Yay yay all hail our sunny one,
Suzy... hip hip hooray...

Lez wrote: "Anita wrote: "Harry potter and knitting ,just the place for me..I hadn't seen this on Amazon before ,I might pop over and have a look at the knitting paradise."

Anita, I post as ‘Owlet’ on there."
Hello Lez, I've just added knitting paradise to me home screen so I shall pop in later hopefully.
:-)

YAYYY!!! - we have more enthusiastic Snails all turning up and waiting to ... ERRR? ... slither! - LOL!!!

,,
\\@ ; ; ; ; ; ; ;~

Shluuuppss shluuppss,
I am starting to really love this place!
"Nah nah nah nah nar amazon 😛 "

Uglybug wrote: "Shluuuppss shluuppss,
I am starting to really love this place!
"Nah nah nah nah nar amazon 😛 ""

Fantastic! Newsnails! (Insert happy dance...ouch my knees...happy dance in mind then)
'' ''
\@~~~~

More from the archive Grach ... :-)

Granny Rachel says:
Magical Entertainment Weekly:
Cardiff Local Happenings~

Retired Aurors, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, have opened a sports-pub and Quidditch pitch called the Bludger and Snitch. Their wives, Hermione Granger-Weasley and Ginevra Weasley-Potter, will be staying on at the M.O.M. for the time being.
The Bludger and Snitch will be serving simple breakfast fare for the guests staying in one of the twelve well-appointed guest rooms. Each room has a private bath and sitting room. Luncheon hours will be from eleven til two, supper will be served from four until nine. Sandwiches will be available until eleven at night on Quidditch league nights.
Reservations for lengthy overnight stays must be received at least two days in advance. However, three rooms will be held open for spontaneous drop-in guests. Only the main common room fireplace will be Floo-connected. Portkey connections will be allowed only in the courtyard or Quidditch pitch when games are not scheduled. Rates available upon request.
A large meeting room will be available for local clubs having food service needs and must be requested one week in advance with member lists and menu requests provided at the time of the request. 
All who wish to join either the B.&S. Quidditch team or Gobstone team may submit their names prior to November fifteenth. League play begins on the twenty-first. 
Hogwarts graduates will be pleased as food service will be provided by Dobby, Winky-now retired from her stint in the Wizengamot, and their nieces and nephew, Tippy, Trixy, and Kreaky. Aberforth Dumbledore will be tending bar along with Harry, Ron, and Nigel Longbottom, son of Hogwarts' Headmaster Neville Longbottom. Nigel will also be in charge of the extensive gardens which will provide fresh produce for Dobby's excellent cooking.
We are looking forward to enjoying fine food, company, and sporting events provided by the Bludger and Snitch. The Grand Opening will be on October twenty-fifth from noon until seven pm. Children's games and ice cream will be provided, as well as the full menu. The festivities will conclude with a fireworks display by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes at dusk.
Hope to see you there!

Great we can still stay in touch...
Grandchildren , menagerie, & family are all OK
I got POA illustrated version for Toby`s Christmas present from Amazon last week ... it`s really good ... I mustn`t make it look too used.!!!
Away next w/e for a canal holiday on the Brecon Canal with the family (it`s half term) ... hope the weather is good - well not too bad anyway .... being as Wales is often wet !
TTFN
,,
\\@.......................................

Mary-Ann-of-the-Islands wrote: "More from the archive Grach ... :-)
Holey buckets! MA you are brill! Glad you've snuggled into the new shell. Dress for the weather and all will be well. Extra rain-repelling charm on the mac wouldn't go amiss. Over here we dress in layers. Seeing a Sconnie in hooded sweatshirt with windbreaker and shorts with hiking boots in spring/fall/winter is common.

Granny Rachel says:
Magical Entertainment Weekly:
Cardiff Local Happenings~

Retired Aurors, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, have opened a sports-pub and Quidd..."

I've now finished A is for Alibi. It wasn't bad. I may start down the alphabet. I wonder what happens when Grafton hits "Z"? I wonder if she could solve the case of the missing dairy products? Dobby and the house-elves knocked off the DuPont dairy and creamery outside of Marion, WI...AGAIN. It coincides with the fall cheesecake festival and cook-off between Hogwarts and Ilvermorney. I guess Dobby's crew didn't want to haul over all their supplies.

I love Sue Grafton's books. Some wonderful descriptive passages of the California coast. And it's rather nice to remember an era sans mobile phones, internet, etc. I think I got as far as S. Might have to revisit them sometime soon.

Grach, LMA, Patti, Suzi et al: I am back from a long weekend away for wifey's birthday. West Country, so we were on the fringe of Hurricane Ophelia's anger yesterday. Visited Dawlish and Teignmouth to see the rough seas and high dancing spray. Certainly wouldn't have liked to venture out in a boat!

Yup, have checked the Amazon Snails and Fiction Fora and all gone. Everything we put into them over 10ish years has been lost. Would still love to know the reasons for not wanting to support Fora any longer, Amazon. This has not gone down well with many. Hope this new home quickly replaces it - looking promising so far.

Now, for those none-too enamoured with all things HP, a little background. Yes a common interest in HP is what brought us together initially, and the last HP Forum was based around Book 7, HP and the Deathly Hallows, giving people somewhere to chat while eagerly awaiting the release of said book.

The different thread topics were often fun items, consisting of silly made-up Tabloid articles, or 'Lines that would never be seen in HP Books' or my favourite, a fun version of 'How HP might be better translated for different countries around the world,' Then, those threads apart, the 'Snails' thread was started as an out and out chat site for all the various members (of which there were many at first, but this dwindled to just 4 diehards). On snails, certainly there would be some HP chat (eg heads up - the series of HP movies is being shown on ITV again, starting this Saturday, I visited HP Studios last week, superb insight into the props used, etc etc), but most of the chat was anything but. Rather it would be updates on family matters, holidays, pets progress, hobbies and the British obsession with the weather - in fact anything and everything, and all free from trolling as any trolls would have died of boredom! If the chat is to be steered in the direction of knitting and crochet, then so be it. I can always steer it back to discuss cake, tea and biscuits if necessary. In short, if HP is NOT your bag, don't let Snails' origins put you off, you are still welcome (so long as we are welcome to still occasionally mention the taboo subject! ;0))

Welcome all, like the idea of an injection of fresh blood into Snails (as Fenrir Greyback might have said!)

' '
\\@___________________________________________________

BTW, if anyone wonders why our snails only slither from right to left (like reading Arabic/Urdu), that's because it usually doesn't work as well the other way round! ie

,,
________________________________________@//

;0)

Glad you and family came through the storm unscathed, Paul. The westher here in Dairyland has remained uneventful. It's been mild. The yellow jackets are their usual nasty selves getting ready for winter. Japanese beetles are swarming buildings trying to get in. Birds don't eat either.
MA has archived some of the writings from Amz. I was unable to do so. We have our memories.

WoW? - I had to Google Japanese Beetles, Granny. They look rather pretty but the terrible damage that they cause really doesn't look pretty at all.

We have some very irate Yellow Jackets (Wasps as we call them) at the moment as they are starting to die off with the Winter coming and they are either making their last stand and fighting their last fight by deliberately divebombing at people in their way or inconveniently dying in places that mean you are guaranteed to still get yourself stung if you grab something without checking that there are no Wasps already there first. My Mum pulled a Curtain back in the Lounge the other day and made contact with a dying one and is now nursing a very badly stung and swollen Hand ;o<

Yeouch, SS7. Hope she dispatched the little blighter for that.

Yeah, Ophelia weren't nowt for us, Grach, other than it blowing wifie's hair about a bit. Now, over the Oirish Sea they had it pretty rough there.. Most we had to endure was driving over bits of tree branches, avoiding the swirling fallen leaves and negotiating the odd refuse bin lying in the road.
By late afternoon Ophelia had moved on up the country. No 2 son is at Liverpool Uni and he said it was blowing a hoolie up there. Also I read that traffic had come to a standstill on the northbound M6 (the motorway that connects the Midlands to the North West) as a tree had been blown down onto the carriageway.

My memories of the HP Tabloids revolves around the Gargantuan Gazette and stories of Giant Beardy Bandylegs. Mind you, reading Marion's repostings yesterday, I love the House Elf name 'Kreaky' - I could just imagine JKR using that one!

Hi Paul ... glad you had a good break ... apart from the wind the orange sky was amazing... we didn`t get much wind here but it was really warm, & the birds were behaving & singing really oddly, both gulls & the small birds
Glad you liked my blasts from the past... here`s another

Daily Prophet 14th April 1999
FLOREANS ICE CREAM VENTURE LEADS TO MUGGLE MAYHEM
The new venture for Daigon Alley ice cream parlour owner, Florean Fortescue has been curtailed by intervention from the Wizgamot.
Florean, 42, obtained an ice cream van being sold on the muggle internet site Ebay & had it converted by the production team of Magic Motors, manufacturers of the Knight Bus.
It was subsequently operated by his new temporary employee, Ron Weasley, on a gap year prior to signing up for Auror training.
The venture proved too successful, causing much unrest in the realms of the muggle competition.
The Ministry of Magic have now put a restraining order on Mr Fortescue & his employee, allowing them only to apperate, sorry operate, within wizarding domains. Mr. Fortescue would not be interviewed, but was said to be extremely peeved, as the muggle income had considerably increased his profits in the present financial climate.
Mr. Weasleys` comments were more pointed,& to the effect that b****y Percy (his brother) should keep his extremely long proboscis out of other peoples affairs. 

Kent & Sussex Weekly Gazette Friday 13th April 1999

NEW ICE CREAM WARS
The independent ice cream traders in the south of England, working under licence to Mr. Softee, & Mr. Whippy are up in arms against a rogue trader who apparently persists in arriving just ahead of them at their most lucrative destinations. The van, bearing the sign "Mr. Fortescues Frozen Fancies" is manned by a ginger haired youth.
We sent our roving reporter to investigate.
He was unable to come up with a sighting of the van, himself, but interviews with some of the children in the targeted areas were extremely interesting. 
The van apparently "appears round the corner as if by magic when the tunes from the ordinary ice cream vans are playing".
"People in the little adverts on the sides run about & talk to you". The ice creams are "out of this world"
When I asked what flavours were their favourites I found the answers most disconcerting, they apparently "taste of what you want them to taste of". One young lady went into a little more detail , " you can get Ever changing rainbow lollies. Hopping frog choc ices & almost- everlasting black cornets where the ice cream keeps filling up `til midnight, they`re really good if you can buy one first thing in the morning", she said.
I personally feel that a sample these confections should be sent to the department of food for analysis of suspected narcotic content, but so far no adult has been able to get hold of one.

I hadn't read that one before, LMA. I remember that the vehicle of showing a report as seen from 'both' sides was done on other occasions to great effect.

"Hopping frog choc ices" - great. :0)

I think I initiated the "2 sides to a story" Paul ... the muggle aspect appealed to my sense of the ludicrous... :-D .... I`m pretty sure I got the notion from JKR`s 1st chapter of Half Blood Prince!
Off to the Brecon Canal on Saturday ... if they run the Ferry !!.... we`re there for a week with the family & 2 dogs. Hope the wind & rain ease up a bit some of the time , I know Wales is notorious. Anyway I`m going armed with a book & plenty of kids games. so I won`t be around for a while as I can only find this page from my "Bookmarks" at present

,,
\\@.............................................

I am due to start this year's elections street trudging canvass Saturday - and have just watched the weather forecast on BBC news - I'm gonna be one huge drowned rat.

Enjoy Wales. Suggest you take wellies, raincoat and maybe something to bale out the houseboat!

Make sure you have the wooly pullies and warm socks with your wellies and raingear. Hypothermia can set in quickly, every Sconnie knows this and that's why we dress in layers. :-)
Be careful out there, Paul. You shared some hair-raising tales last time.

Thanks, Grach. Yes, I have had some dubious areas of Brum to trudge. Still drive past the tree the motorcyclist was propelled against to get to this current round - the relatives are maintaining it as a memorial with flowers attached.

I requested my favourite area this time (where I grew up) which is now a massive student area. It seems to have backfired on me! One is never happy, or so it would seem ;0(
Basically, there are 2 canvasses, the first establishes the no of people in a property who are eligible to vote. Once that is returned to the elections office, they send out a separate form to each name so that each individual can register themselves to prevent fraud.
The 2nd canvass is to appeal to those people who have ignored that request to register, and they supply individually addressed cards as a reminder.
I love the second one in this student area as the properties are multi occupancy - ie one call often means passing over 4, 5, 6, 8 or even 10 cards in one visit!
However, I am doing the first canvass and it means knocking, asking if any of the names recorded are still there. As student properties usually change tenants annually, the answer is 95% 'No'.
"How many eligible people are here this year?"
"8."
"Ah, can I have the names, then, please?"
This entails a wait while all names are written down. Call on house next door, rinse and repeat all along the street! This is required because they have ignored all mailed reminders. Non student houses might have 1 or 2 names max. Today's intended road will be around 80% student properties so I anticipate it being a slow crawl. However, I feel infinitely safer walking those streets than other areas.

Despite the weather forecast, windy it was and entails chasing after forms down the street if you don't hold on firmly enough! But I was VERY fortunate with the rain, or lack of it. 111 calls on sat and sun. The biggest problem, Grach? The real bugbear of the street trudger?

Needing the loo! I drink little before going out, but there is only so long anyone can keep their legs crossed. This is another reason for requesting an area you know - you will have made a note of any care homes that have loos, pubs you can sneak into, etc. Until last year, my father's house was nearby so I could call in there to prolong canvassing time. Don't think the new owners would appreciate my calling round now ;0(

Hope LMA is still afloat. It's a picturesque part of Wales.

No 1 son and new wifie flew to NYC yesterday for a few days to visit an old Uni friend. 5 hours behind so they did well yesterday to keep going, especially as it meant a start at silly o'clock to get to the airport.

Wish clocks weren't going back this weekend as it then drastically shortens the daylight hours for my evening trudging.

As there are other general chat threads on this Exiles forum, I note that already we are being left to it once more! So basically it is home from home!!!

Other visitors are more than welcome!

My thanks to Suzy once again for creating this for us.

All of the initial fevered excitement and rather frantic Forum activity has now settled down to the more usual and more easy and laidback coming and going that was the Amazon Music Forum ;o>

It's a very odd feeling indeed going back to shop on Amazon knowing that all of the Forums with all of their regular contributors are no longer there anymore. It feels quite a lonely and echo'y empty place now - and I felt just like I was standing there clutching my Shopping Basket in the middle of the biggest Supermarket in the world and being the only Customer in there?! I did my shopping in record time just so that I could log out again as soon as possible ... which is not all that easy when you have decided to become a Snail!
,,
\\@ ; ; ; ; ; ; ;~

Ha, a laid-back Suzy Sunshine!

Guess what will be telling is if their actual customer base has reduced as a result of their decision to close the Fora/Forums. I suppose that nigh on all, like yourself, will go back there when there is a need to purchase something.

My need for a daily fix of Amazon has evaporated, though. And no cold turkey because of this new home!

Have you chosen to decorate your new shell, SS7?