Unexpected visitors

meant to say this weekend...we also going out to Maldon for afternoon tea with champagne....she is driving so have to have hers as well

stick a straw in for me..or just wipe the top....am an Essex girl too petra and by coincidence be staying with my friend in Essex and doing just that..drinking Baileys ..we have had that conversation this morning...I am in Norfolk now ..bottoms up

That's ok, I'm an Essex girl. We know how to drink in style.

I'm running out of clean glasses, just drink out of the bottle

I'll have one too just to be matey.

We always open the Christmas Baileys early and then need another bottle ( and another!)

Right, I shall line them up for you, don't be long.

Roses. Having a virtual Baileys with you. That is a drink that I SERIOUSLY like. Chin chin.

Bicardi and Coke, 4 ice roses

We always have biscuits! sometimes even scones or cake.
We are having Happy Hour right now POGS, pop round? we are having a large Baileys.

Haha no sadly not

We've had conversations with people and when we e mentioned what our plans are for the weekend for example they've said, oh, we were going to pop in on Saturday.

I agree about the length of the visit, Deffo short but sweet. It's always nice to have visitors, I'm not a total grouch, I just think it's a modern courtisy to call/text first is all.

Anya - we never have biscuits as my husband can't leave them, he has to eat them all haha

'I think I like people dropping in because because they actually want to see you'

Precisely. If it's Happy Hour time all the better

I think I like people dropping in because it means they actually want to see you, rather than being asked round,or feeling it's their turn to visit you and a duty thing.There is a caveat to this popping in thing though, it should be for a shortish time, an hour and a half say.

Curious to know mummyagain why you think people plan to 'drop-in' on you days in advance? Isn't 'dropping-in' a very spontaneous thing - or do you live on a small island with limited ferry access perhaps

Why stress about tea and biscuits? Just ask if they'd rather take tea black or do without and whoever has biscuits in anyway? I certainly don't buy them. And no one who knows me would say yes to anything I'd baked myself.

I can see why some people hate droppers-in if they feel they need to 'look after' them. You are probably very kind and caring, nurturing people, unlike me, who quite happy to send them away hungry and thirsty if I've nothing in.

But very happy to catch up with the latest gossip their lives.

I think the annoying thing about it is that the 'popper rounders' have probably known all day - in our case sometimes days that they were planning on popping round on such and such a day - our serial popper rounders do this - it's just rude. Pop a quick text/call in at least - nowt worse than someone popping round expecting tea and Biscuits when you have no milk in - or biscuits - at least you can be prepared then.

It's something I miss - people just popping in. When we lived 'up north' we had lots of friends in the area and knew the neighbours really well and people often just dropped by, for a chat and a brew, especially after I retired. When we went away someone would always have the dog, feed the cat, water the plants/garden etc.. and vice versa.

Since we moved here, I miss that and love it when the few people I do know drop in. Now, because we're nearly three hours drive away people tend to come and stay for a few days, and of course they always check beforehand. I'm quite excited as we have visiters staying this weekend.

I think it's extremely discourteous to pop in without giving notice. Even if it's only 20 minutes, at least you can take your curlers out, put all the laundry in the bin, take off the sweatshirt with a tea stain on it, and as Rosesarered wisely observed, you can do something with an errant bosom!

rosesarered I just want time to get a decent bra on!

Well, I must say, I'm disappointed at you Gransnetters. Surely friends popping in don't arrive expecting a pristine house, sparkling silver and a 3 course meal etc. they've popped in to see you. Personally I love people popping in just because they don't expect amazing hospitality, just a cuppa & biscuit and a warm welcome. As long as they do just pop in & not expect to stay too long.

I think it depends... If it's just a neighbour popping for a cup of tea and a chat, then it's fine (as long as I'm not just getting ready to go out).
But if it's long lost friend or relative and they obviously intend to stay all day, or longer, then I would really have an enormous inward struggle to stay polite as I think it's very rude and inconsiderate of them.
It happened to me once. My ex-husband's sister and husband who lived in Canada turned up on our doorstep one Sunday morning! Oh calamity!
We didn't even know they were in this country. My husband had planned to go fishing,and guess what? He still went, and left me to entertain them all day!!!
I should have won the Oscar for my acting that day. I don't think they detected my inner rage and turmoil....

So many women feel the house has to be clean and tidy and themselves looking good, that it detracts from the visitor experience.Although if they turn up at 7 am may get short shrift from me until vast quantities of tea and a bit of toast and marmalade has been consumed.

Albangirl I agree, good thought.
Wilma that's cheating!

I just want to say I don't mind visitors one bit, just not those who turn up unexpectedly.