The Night Mail

[AndyID]

I'm pleased to be able to report that the battery operated reading lamp I cooked up for MrsID is a success (so far at least).

 

It runs off a 12 volt LIFEPO4 battery that keeps it going for about eight hours. A full recharge takes about three hours. I'm tempted to make a couple more. It's nice to be able to put a lamp for reading etc. anywhere without running power cords on the floor and they could also come in handy during a power outage.

[SM42]

Steel has arrived. 

 

Yay!

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

For all further queries about sheep, their colouring, habits and preferences I would refer the honorable gentlemen to NHY 581,  aka Sheep Bloke, who is the absolute and final authority on matters ovine.

[AndyID]

22 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

For all further queries about sheep, their colouring, habits and preferences I would refer the honorable gentlemen to NHY 581,  aka Sheep Bloke, who is the absolute and final authority on matters ovine.

 

Yes, we need someone with wellies.

[PhilJ W]

You want decorated sheep?

[br2975]

Gurkhas.

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I have no association, or first hand experience of this fine breed of fighting men, saveas , when a PC,  facing a kukri wielding member of the public.

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Around 1997/1998 a  colleague and I were asked to assist hospital mental health staff and social workers in 'sectioining' an elderly lady who lived in sheltered accomodation, in the  grounds of a now closed Cardiff 'mental health' hospital.

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I should have realised something was amiss, as her lounge was full of dolls, on ciountless shelves, all appearing to stare at yours truly.

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The lady was sat on her sofa, as I stood in front of her, trying to reassure her........and I noticed her hand moving under a cushion.

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Suddenly this sweet, disturbed lady in her late 70s lunged forward screaming   'get outta my f****ing flat !"   and swinging a kukri from side to side,  which came within a gnats whisker of my stomach (the exposed bit below my stab vest).

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Still screaming obscenities, and waving the kukri at me 'nanna'  was eventually disarmed by a blow to the wrist with a side-handled baton - not a good advert, but pre-CS, and pre-Taser, the only viable option.

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In 30yrs service, that was the closest I came to being disembowelled.

[br2975]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

For all further queries about sheep, their colouring, habits and preferences I would refer the honorable gentlemen to NHY 581,  aka Sheep Bloke, who is the absolute and final authority on matters ovine.

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And almost as 'barking' as a shepherd's collie !

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😉 😉

Edited June 10, 2022 by br2975

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, br2975 said:

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And almost as 'barking' as a shepherd's collie !

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😉 😉

I have tried to have the appropriate livery for any cattle on my layout. 

[polybear]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Yes, we need someone with wellies.

 

There was the guy arrested on a sheep farm not 2 miles from Bear Towers at 3am with what was described in court as a "wire noose and various surgical appliances".  Apparently "he had a part-share in a sheep farm in Wales and was inspecting the sheep for foot rot" 🤣.  His various, er, "aids" were confiscated and he was bound over (IIRC).  His name & address appeared in the local rag....

[br2975]

42 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

There was the guy arrested on a sheep farm not 2 miles from Bear Towers at 3am with what was described in court as a "wire noose and various surgical appliances".  Apparently "he had a part-share in a sheep farm in Wales and was inspecting the sheep for foot rot" 🤣.  His various, er, "aids" were confiscated and he was bound over (IIRC).  His name & address appeared in the local rag....

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My all time 'strangest customer' was arrested at 6:00am one summer Saturday morning, in one of the stalls at a Cardiff equestrian centre,  whilst engaged in a compromising act with a horse..

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The full story can / will only be told 'off line' - but, suffice to say, depite strenuous and diligent enquiries and much poring over 'legal tomes' we were unable to identify any offence.

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The male had been detained in exactly the same circumstances, with the self same horse, several years earlier.

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I followed this chap's subsequent  'career' closely, and finally lost track after he was again arrested, pleasuring himself in the back row of a Cardiff cinema, whilst watching the movie........"March of the Penguins'.

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Such folk are also allowed to vote !

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Edited June 10, 2022 by br2975

[BoD]

10 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I have acquired a lot of undecorated sheep.  Any suggestions for a colour (or range of colours) to paint them?

 

 

Take the easy option and say you are discouraging rustlers

 

https://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/14764718.farmer-dyes-his-sheep-orange-to-deter-sheep-rustling/

 

 

[Tony_S]

19 minutes ago, BoD said:

Take the easy option and say you are discouraging rustlers

When we used to get regional BBC from Sky they had decided our default was BBC East. It seemed to feature a lot of agricultural crime, including cabbage rustling. There used to be quite a few sheep round here but I haven’t seen many since the last major foot and mouth outbreak. It took ages for cattle to reappear. 

Edited June 10, 2022 by Tony_S

[BoD]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

When we used to get regional BBC from Sky they had decided our default was BBC East. It seemed to feature a lot of agricultural crime, including cabbage rustling. There used to be quite a few sheep round here but I haven’t seen many since the last major foot and mouth outbreak. It took ages for cattle to reappear. 

 

I first saw 'orange' sheep a good few years ago now when travelling through Galloway and Ayrshire.  I thought I was seeing things.

[bbishop]

Yesterday was the pink team against the blue team, in other words Middlesex v. Surrey in a 20/20 game.  My patrol was positioned behind a bunch of Chelsea yuppies.  We had to move, they talk absolute tommyrot in very loud voices.

 

This evening I'm out and about in South East London.  Bill

[jamie92208]

7 hours ago, br2975 said:

.

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My all time 'strangest customer' was arrested at 6:00am one summer Saturday morning, in one of the stalls at a Cardiff equestrian centre,  whilst engaged in a compromising act with a horse..

.

The full story can / will only be told 'off line' - but, suffice to say, depite strenuous and diligent enquiries and much poring over 'legal tomes' we were unable to identify any offence.

.

The male had been detained in exactly the same circumstances, with the self same horse, several years earlier.

.

I followed this chap's subsequent  'career' closely, and finally lost track after he was again arrested, pleasuring himself in the back row of a Cardiff cinema, whilst watching the movie........"March of the Penguins'.

.

Such folk are also allowed to vote !

.

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.

 

I once had to arrest a young man for shoplifting.  When we got the drunken litlle oaf back to the nick I was very tempted to tell him that his father had been arrested for nefarious activities with a cow. 

 

Jamie

Edited June 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[PhilJ W]

If you cross a sheep with a kangaroo will you get a woolly jumper?

Hat and coat already on.

[Tony_S]

I have been modifying the landscape on my railway. I have made quite a few items of rolling stock and wanted to check they coupled together. At one point (literally!) I realised that no amount of tweaking was going to cure frequent derailments. I think the ancient point had started to warp or something after many years of having solder and adhesives near it. So I cut it all out, removed all the ballast and other scenic stuff and have found the items to re-lay the track. Hopefully it will be better.

Tony

[Happy Hippo]

A rather busy day that involved a car journey that took a lot longer than expected. A road closure between Much Wenlock and Ludlow saw us diverted to Bridgnorth getting there an hour after we left the Hippodrome.

 

A very quick visit to drop some stuff of at Brian's was followed by a long delay at St Fagans. Normally being stopped at the level crossing was a joyous event, but today it was a very slow freight train that rumbled past when I would have preferred to have been driving.

 

Every time we got free of one jam or holdup we arrived at another.   

 

Arriving at the Jubilee party we were attending with 10 minutes to spare was too close for comfort especially as I'd programmed 90 minutes of slack time into the journey.

 

After the party which was rather strange, especially as the very good pianist was assisted by an out of tune piano that transformed him into a modern version of Led Dawson.

 

We rounded off the day on a much better footing with a walk along Aberavon beach and a fish and chip supper at a shore side emporium.

 

Tomorrow it seems we are going back to St Fagans.

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I have been modifying the landscape on my railway. I have made quite a few items of rolling stock and wanted to check they coupled together. At one point (literally!) I realised that no amount of tweaking was going to cure frequent derailments. I think the ancient point had started to warp or something after many years of having solder and adhesives near it. So I cut it all out, removed all the ballast and other scenic stuff and have found the items to re-lay the track. Hopefully it will be better.

Tony

 

So Tony "no-points" then?

[br2975]

57 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

A rather busy day that involved a car journey that took a lot longer than expected. A road closure between Much Wenlock and Ludlow saw us diverted to Bridgnorth getting there an hour after we left the Hippodrome.

 

A very quick visit to drop some stuff of at Brian's was followed by a long delay at St Fagans. Normally being stopped at the level crossing was a joyous event, but today it was a very slow freight train that rumbled past when I would have preferred to have been driving.

 

Tomorrow it seems we are going back to St Fagans.

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Good to see you Hippo, shame the visit was so brief, but needs must.

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Thank you for the goodies; which reminded me on my return to the 'man cave' - I also had some items you may have found useful for PN, and which we'll discuss again.

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Enjoy St. Fagans tomorrow -  I'll be at Norchard.

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I once had to arrest a young man for shoplifting.  When we got the drunken litlle oaf back to the nick I was very tempted to tell him that his father had been arrested for nefarious activities with a cow. 

 

Jamie

 

I was tempted to ask if he went on to take up a career in US politics but I thought better of it.

[BR60103]

This is my current presentable sheep collection :

 

 

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, BR60103 said:

This is my current presentable sheep collection :

 

 

 

 A bit of JSB that might be appropriate particularly in these troubled times.

 

 

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

I was tempted to ask if he went on to take up a career in US politics but I thought better of it.

Not as far as I know but his IQ was certainly low enough. My main memory of the arrest is that in the days before quick cuffs. 2 off us were struggling to get the second cuff on him and as we were in a shop, felt that a severe "whispering of sweet nothings" might not be appropriate.  We therefore decided to sit on him till help arrived.  We ended up under a rack of childrens dresses and were sitting on him for about 10 minutes. Every so often he would eff and jeff and a leg or arm would get loose.  Half way through this performance a woman with a 6 yr old daughter stood next to us trying dresses against her daughter for size, totally oblivious to the mass of writhing humanity on the floor beside her.  The other fact is that the presiding magistrate at the subsequent court hearing later told me that she had gone through primary school with the oaf's father, he with the bovine fantasies.

 

Jamie

Edited June 11, 2022 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

8 hours ago, br2975 said:

 

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Enjoy St. Fagans tomorrow -  I'll be at Norchard.

That's right, just rub it in you rotter!

Edited June 11, 2022 by Happy Hippo