The Night Mail

[bbishop]

On duty last night.  We only treated one patient, our other shouts were either out of remit or quicker units (well they do have blue lights).  Interesting, but unlike Jamie and Brian's ancient history ... better not discuss.   

 

Today, after a late start, involved shopping and working on the layout.  Bill

[Dave Hunt]

A day of mixed parts hereabouts. After shopping this morning (yucky thing) I had some rather toothsome kippers for lunch (enjoyable thing) then went to visit Dad in the care home (depressing thing even though I tried to be cheerful) followed by finishing off the yard crane kit that Jill bought me for my birthday (enjoyable thing) before my rugby team (Leicester Tigers) won a big game (good thing) and I was treated to a nice roast beef dinner (yummy thing) whilst watching TT highlights (also enjoyable thing). So, on balance not a bad day.

 

Another recent plus is that my efforts to reduce the presence of blanket weed in our new (made last September) wildlife pond seem finally to be paying off, probably due to the small bale of barley straw that I put in about 3 weeks ago. And the tadpoles are beginning to sprout legs. 

 

Dave 

 

[Dave Hunt]

22 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

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.

 

Did he play with Led Zeppelin?

 

Dave

[SM42]

I was rather surprised and confused this morning as to why my alarm was going off at 0425hrs. 

 

It took a couple of minutes to realise that I had to go to work. (Very bothersome)

 

Several more days of feeling like I've done 10 rounds ( of what or with whom, I'll let you decide)  to come

 

Bah!

 

Andy

Too young to retire

Edited June 11, 2022 by SM42

[AndyID]

In other news (15 miles up the road)

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/31-members-white-supremacist-group-010628648.html

 

Did I mention we have considered returning to the UK?

 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a cliff top Eyrie in sunny Bournemouth where we arrived yesterday afternoon.  A very smooth crossing of the Channel and very safe.  French Marines were conducting some sort of security exercise onboard the ship.  As we drove off at Portsmouth there was a group of them, heavily armed guarding the exit ramp.  Not a sight I expected to see in a rather large RN naval base.  I wonder what their rules of engagement were.   90 minutes later we were in Bournemouth and are now installed in our timeshare.  It's a lovely sunny morning.   

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A day of mixed parts hereabouts. After shopping this morning (yucky thing) …

I really don’t understand why so many “blokes“ loathe shopping. I quite enjoy a good bit of “retail therapy“ and that includes shopping for food.

 

Mind you, I am what they call a “Hobby Koch” so shopping for food is a little bit more involved (and dare I say it  more interesting/sophisticated) then picking up the weekly Weetabix and baked beans (not that the latter is ever seen in Schloss iD).
 

Shopping is also a way of maintaining and improving one’s life skills. For example: negotiating with the butcher so that he provides me with exactly the precise cut of meat I want is a way of keeping up my professional negotiating skills.

 

The other thing, I think, that sets me aside from a standard issue “bloke“ is I really like shopping for presents. I find it most enjoyable matching recipient to present. Often times, a successful gift is based not on what the recipient wants, but what the recipient needs.

 

The only sort of shopping I refuse to do is to go clothes shopping with Mrs iD. Not because I have any objections to looking for clothes, but simply because I have learnt my lesson on the futility of the exercise.  Basically, whenever Mrs iD asked me for an opinion on what she has chosen, no matter what the reply was, the reply was wrong. 

Having said that, I can say that – in the absence of Mrs iD – I can come up with some pretty inspired ideas for clothing.  A recent example being a long waterproof duster type of coat with loads of pockets which is ideal for walking the doggies in the pouring rain. A clothing gift that was much appreciated by Mrs iD.

finally, did you know that for the well-heeled “bloke“ there are gift buying services where you can hire someone to do all your present shopping for you? Obviously, for a suitable premium on top of the cost of the present itself (and we are talking Harrods and not Lidl shopping here)

[TheQ]

On 10/06/2022 at 03:24, BR60103 said:

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

 

 

 

[AndyID]

3 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 

 

Makes me wonder if sheep are color blind. I seem to remember that dogs only have limited color vision.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

French Marines were conducting some sort of security exercise onboard the ship.  As we drove off at Portsmouth there was a group of them, heavily armed guarding the exit ramp.  Not a sight I expected to see in a rather large RN naval base. 

 

Are you sure you weren't being deported?

[AndyID]

7 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Are you sure you weren't being deported?

 

Watch it laddie. I'm sure Jamie still knows how to make intelligent use of his truncheon.

[TheQ]

As I remember the sheep in the Hebrides they were generally a smelly light grey, with dirtier undersides.

You could tell the children  that had been sheep handling before school.

 

As for the sheep on the Tiree layout, I'll be painting them as the blackfaced variety, with a very light grey wash.

Other details such as feet and eyes, will not be painted as most of the sheep will be an N scale 600+ yards from the viewers position. 

[br2975]

22 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

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

.

In my street - twice, in two days - I'm beginning to worry !

[Happy Hippo]

Just about to make the trek back to Hippodromia.  My preferred route is currently clear of roadworks and excessive traffic.

[Happy Hippo]

A much better journey back.

 

We unpacked and then cooked fish and chips.

 

I'm wondering whether I deserve a glass of whisky this evening?

 

What I am looking forward to is a decent night's sleep!

[BoD]

17 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'm wondering whether I deserve a glass of whisky this evening?

 

What I am looking forward to is a decent night's sleep!

I’m led to understand that these aren’t mutually exclusive events.

[Tony_S]

On 10/06/2022 at 23:53, AndyID said:

 

So Tony "no-points" then?

The (in best Eurovision style) nul points are now back to trois points. The replacement works but the layout looks like a nasty storm has blown in as all the trees,sheep and vehicles had to be removed. The new point is one of the more recent 009 Peco points that has snippable  links to make it easier to isolate the frog. For the first time (because I had one) I used one of the Gaugemaster auto frog switches. Seems to work as does all my wiring. Best of all, the rolling stock rolls along the track now instead of falling off. As some of the track isn’t where it was before the landscape will need modification but not much.  

Edited June 12, 2022 by Tony_S

[Dave Hunt]

14 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

French Marines were conducting some sort of security exercise onboard the ship.  As we drove off at Portsmouth there was a group of them, heavily armed guarding the exit ramp.  Not a sight I expected to see in a rather large RN naval base.  I wonder what their rules of engagement were. 

 

You are assuming, of course, that they are on our side. Mind you, as a very senior American said at the start of Gulf 1 after being asked if the French refusal to get involved would have a detrimental effect, "Let's face it gentlemen, going to war without the French on you side is like going duck shooting without an accordion"

 

57 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'm wondering whether I deserve a glass of whisky this evening?

 

There's something different about this evening?

 

Dave

[br2975]

22 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A day of mixed parts hereabouts. After shopping this morning (yucky thing) I had some rather toothsome kippers for lunch

 

.

Kippers - a wonderful meal, you'll never go hungry.

.

Eat kippers for breakfast, and you'll keep 'eating' them all day.........................

[New Haven Neil]

7 minutes ago, br2975 said:

.

Kippers - a wonderful meal, you'll never go hungry.

.

Eat kippers for breakfast, and you'll keep 'eating' them all day.........................

 

Eat something very sweet afterwards - ie jam butty - no indigestion.  Sorted.

 

Manx Kipper Eater.

[Dave Hunt]

I was once in an hotel that featured kippers on the breakfast menu so I ordered some.  The waiter then brought me A kipper so I politely pointed out that the menu stated kipperS, whereupon he apologised and went to fetch another one.  A couple of days later I again ordered kippers and received three!

 

Dave 

[Dave Hunt]

2 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Manx Kipper Eater.

 

Manx kippers - simply the best. The fishmonger at our market gets them and they are superb.

 

Yet another reason for visiting Fraggle Rock.

 

Dave 

[polybear]

2 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I was once in an hotel that featured kippers on the breakfast menu so I ordered some.  The waiter then brought me A kipper so I politely pointed out that the menu stated kipperS, whereupon he apologised and went to fetch another one.  A couple of days later I again ordered kippers and received three!

 

Dave 

 

Many moons ago (late 80's) a certain (much younger) Bear worked with another couple of guys - the job involved regular jollies to WHL Yeovil.  So far, so good.....

Only these two jokers were chain smokers......not so good......

By the time we arrived the inside of the hire car was like sitting in the London smog.  I even had to pack all clothes inside dustbin bags before packing my case, otherwise they'd stink of it too.  Looking back I should've said that either they didn't smoke or I'll have a separate car - neither of which would've gone down well at all.

What's this gotta do with kippers?  Well the more senior one ordered kippers at Hotel brekkies one morning (having apparently been promised by the manager the night before they had them), only to be told the next morning they hadn't by a young & innocent waiter.  He went absolutely f. berserk - really throwing his toys out of his cot.  The other guy said to me "that's all we need - he'll have a right f. monk-on all day now".  It seems they did indeed have kippers after all.....

And yes, he was a right m.o.b for the rest of the day.

[AndyID]

19 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Manx kippers - simply the best. The fishmonger at our market gets them and they are superb.

 

Yet another reason for visiting Fraggle Rock.

 

Dave 

My uncle George (not to be confused with my other uncle George, brother George, my dad George or my cousins George) would pick up a box of Loch Fyne kippers for my mum on his drive up from Campbeltown. They were very good too.

[Tony_S]

36 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

… I again ordered kippers and received three!

 

 Aditi once helped a former neighbour sort out a car problem. He had bought a French registered vehicle seized by Customs, He needed copies of the original registration documents. So he needed to talk to the original Opel dealer in France. So he asked Aditi to speak for him. She spent half an hour chatting on the phone to a nice admin person in France who sent everything and was very helpful.  Aditi asked Dave ( the neighbour) how he had known she spoke French. He thought she was French and that Aditi was how French people pronounced Edith! She was amused, he had clearly never heard of Edith Piaf. Anyway afterwards he mentioned he was going over to Ireland and would be bringing back some kippers and did she like them. She said yes and was,looking forward to some. She was given one kipper about a week later. 
 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Tony_S