The Night Mail

[pH]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have just mentioned to Nyda that, with a bit of longevity, I may live to see three different Monarchs.  My grandchildren could possibly see four.

I had been thinking. My grandmothers were both born in 1881; one died in 1968, the other one year later. They both saw six monarchs in their lifetime.

[Dave Hunt]

Jamie has just reminded me about the Cubs so I must be going back to about 1953.

 

Dave

[br2975]

To raise the mood slightly on this most sombre of days, a royal related tale.

.

Having retired after 30 years as a police officer, I was drawn back to undertake a specialist civilian role, based at Cardiff Central Police Station.

.

One morning,  my office 'phone rang, and a railway friend's voice said "1X01 arrives Platform 4 at 11:05, you never got it from me"

.

Deciding to slope off for an hour or two, I snatched my camera, and caught a local train from Cardiff Queen Street, to Central to circumvent the obvious security blanket imposed by both my former colleagues, and the BTP.

.

I took up position on Platform 6, there were no other 'bods' about, and set my camera .

.

On the opposite platform a large group of dignitaries were gathering, to greet Her Majesty, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall......... when from the official party I heard someone calling my name "Brian ! Brian !"

.

I peered towards the dignitaries, and a uniformed police officer was waving vigorously at me, still calling my name.

.

It was my Chief Constable...................

Well, if you're going to get caught skiving off, get caught by the big boss.

.

When I got back to the office, my then boss looked at her watch and asked "where have you been ?"

.

"Talking to the Chief Constable" wasn't the answer she expected.

.

I never did manage a photo of HM on that occasion.....but H.M. later appointed my Chief Constable as one of her Lords Lieutenant.

.

Edited September 8, 2022 by br2975

[newbryford]

This was my duty at the golf club tonight.

 

 

I carried out the same process last year for Prince Philip.

 

Long Live The King, Duke of Lancaster.

[simontaylor484]

10 minutes ago, newbryford said:

This was my duty at the golf club tonight.

 

 

I carried out the same process last year for Prince Philip.

 

Long Live The King, Duke of Lancaster.

Technically as the Duke of Lancaster he is a neighbour of Mine, He still owns Pontefract Castle although it would be a little draught to live there

[Northmoor]

9 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have a Cornish connection and have enjoyed going there on holiday in the past.  But I prefer West Wales which is not dissimilar, but is without as much moaning and groaning from the locals about various issues. 

 

However, I know what tends to happen along the North Wales coast, or any other region frequented by lots of tourists in the summer months, the area shuts down.

 

All those who've been running touristy attractions or accomodation goes off on holiday to somewhere nice and warm. (And packed full of other tourists doing the same🤣.)

Growing up there in the 70s-80s, there was plenty of moaning and groaning, complaining that "Nothing ever happens round here" and in the next breath, "Why do the English keep coming here and changing things?".  The loudest complainers, like anywhere, were those who didn't seem to be contributing much to their community either.

 

We never had any problems as an incoming family - although I got no end of grief at school, having a "provocative" surname didn't help - and my Dad is still in regular contact with our neighbours from the village in Pembs, despite moving away 25 years ago. I think "white settlers" have now reached a critical mass in Pembrokeshire; 30 years ago, I would have had some sympathy with locals who felt that too many moved there to retire early (with the proceeds of a house sale in SE England) and paint watercolours.  Now many more seem to move there with young families and set up small businesses.  There are the same problems of too many second homes as in Cornwall, at least one village I used to know well is about 40% occupied in the winter.

[newbryford]

12 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Technically as the Duke of Lancaster he is a neighbour of Mine, He still owns Pontefract Castle although it would be a little draught to live there

 

The Queen also carried the same title "Duke of Lancaster".

 

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, br2975 said:

To raise the mood slightly on this most sombre of days, a royal related tale.

.

Having retired after 30 years as a police officer, I was drawn back to undertake a specialist civilian role, based at Cardiff Central Police Station.

.

One morning,  my office 'phone rang, and a railway friend's voice said "1X01 arrives Platform 4 at 11:05, you never got it from me"

.

Deciding to slope off for an hour or two, I snatched my camera, and caught a local train from Cardiff Queen Street, to Central to circumvent the obvious security blanket imposed by both my former colleagues, and the BTP.

.

I took up position on Platform 6, there were no other 'bods' about, and set my camera .

.

On the opposite platform a large group of dignitaries were gathering, to greet Her Majesty, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall......... when from the official party I heard someone calling my name "Brian ! Brian !"

.

I peered towards the dignitaries, and a uniformed police officer was waving vigorously at me, still calling my name.

.

It was my Chief Constable...................

Well, if you're going to get caught skiving off, get caught by the big boss.

.

When I got back to the office, my then boss looked at her watch and asked "where have you been ?"

.

"Talking to the Chief Constable" wasn't the answer she expected.

.

I never did manage a photo of HM on that occasion.....but H.M. later appointed my Chief Constable as one of her Lords Lieutenant.

.

That Chief Officer would have been Peter Vaughan if I'm not mistaken.

 

He in due course appointed my younger brother to one of his Deputy Lieutenant posts.

[Dave Hunt]

The loyal toast at RAF formal mess dinners is always proposed by the junior officer present, called 'Mister Vice', with the words, "(Ladies and) Gentlemen, the Queen." The response is simply, "The Queen," but there are always some officers who follow it with, "The Duke of Lancaster," sotto voce. 

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, pH said:

I had been thinking. My grandmothers were both born in 1881; one died in 1968, the other one year later. They both saw six monarchs in their lifetime.

My grandmother (born 1895) was proud of the fact that she had lived  under six monarchs.

Edited September 8, 2022 by PhilJ W

[Florence Locomotive Works]

The King.

 

 

Douglas

[AndyID]

Former Cub and Boy Scout here. One of my earliest memories is the death of George VI. I was a couple of months shy of three at the time.

 

"Scenes from the kitchen sink."

 

 

This white-tail and her twins were keeping an eye on me when I was loading the dishwasher. That's an old grape vine they are chomping on. It has little green grapes but they are not at all sweet.

[rockershovel]

My grandparents and their siblings would all have lived under six monarchs; my mother's elder brother, five - I remember him being described at his funeral as "the last Edwardian in the family".

 

One of my great-aunts lived in a tiny terraced house in Cambridge, with a huge picture of "the old Queen" gazing morosely across the parlour at a print of the Annigonni portrait of the late Monarch.

 

 

[AndyID]

I finally managed to take some reasonable pix with my reflector telescope.

 

I'm fairly sure everyone knows what this is 😀

 

 

 

This is Jupiter and four of its many moons. One is an extremely faint smudge in the top right of the frame. The planet itself is bleached out to make the moons more visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by AndyID

[br2975]

8 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

That Chief Officer would have been Peter Vaughan if I'm not mistaken.

 

He in due course appointed my younger brother to one of his Deputy Lieutenant posts.

.

South Wales' last home grown chief officer, and easily the best I worked for in a total of forty years.

.

Very proud of his roots (Treharris).

.

I  was at an RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association)  anniversary event held at  Pencoed College and attended by HRH The Princess Royal, Peter was there in his new role and recognising yours truly made a beeline for me, and remembered my daughter from her 'passing out' several years earlier.

.

Coincidentally, the policing operation that day swas under the command of "Superintendent Hippo (minor)" - who also came over for a chat.

.

I must have created an impression during my service ?

Edited September 9, 2022 by br2975

[Happy Hippo]

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

The loyal toast at RAF formal mess dinners is always proposed by the junior officer present, called 'Mister Vice', with the words, "(Ladies and) Gentlemen, the Queen." The response is simply, "The Queen," but there are always some officers who follow it with, "The Duke of Lancaster," sotto voce. 

 

Dave

I enjoyed being Mr Vice.

 

You sat at the end of the table with huge amounts of elbow room and were nearest the kitchen door which boded well for  illicit second helpings

[Winslow Boy]

9 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I enjoyed being Mr Vice.

 

You sat at the end of the table with huge amounts of elbow room and were nearest the kitchen door which boded well for  illicit second helpings

 

I'm having difficultly imagining you as a junior Hippo. I take it you werent the runt then.

[Dave Hunt]

HH was very useful in the Army as he could be seconded to an armoured or a bomb disposal unit without being issued with a tank or protective equipment.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

I can't help thinking that the royal family are missing a PR opportunity by flying the late Queen back to London. A train proceeding down the ECML would probably attract a lot of people wanting to pay respects and would, I think, make a good media event.

 

Dave

[pH]

30 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I can't help thinking that the royal family are missing a PR opportunity by flying the late Queen back to London. A train proceeding down the ECML would probably attract a lot of people wanting to pay respects and would, I think, make a good media event.

 

Dave

I agree - look at the turnout for the funeral train of George HW Bush at a small town in Texas:

 

https://youtu.be/AkImUfIhHh8

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by pH

[jamie92208]

15 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I can't help thinking that the royal family are missing a PR opportunity by flying the late Queen back to London. A train proceeding down the ECML would probably attract a lot of people wanting to pay respects and would, I think, make a good media event.

 

Dave

Hauled of course by Princess Elizabeth if available.  At some point yesterday someone said that she would lie in State in Edinburgh before going back to London. Perhaps plans have changed.

 

Jamie

[BoD]

12 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have just mentioned to Nyda that, with a bit of longevity, I may live to see three different Monarchs.  My grandchildren could possibly see four

It is unlikely that many will live to see another queen though.

[TheQ]

There are several villages around here in coastal Norfolk, with 30 to 40% second homers or holiday  homes.

Technically one village I can see from my repose on the sofa, has about 80% holiday homes, 15% second homes, and 5 % full time homes, which number 5

That's because the holiday homes are all caravans, most of the second homes are old time chalets including old railway carriages, and there are just the 5 brick built houses, though one of those is a brick clad former all wood chalet.

 

My parents have seen three crowns, as with any luck so should I, being 10 years younger than the King.

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Hauled of course by Princess Elizabeth if available.  At some point yesterday someone said that she would lie in State in Edinburgh before going back to London. Perhaps plans have changed.

 

Jamie

That was the plan published Yesterday so called Operation Unicorn. 

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

I can't help thinking that the royal family are missing a PR opportunity by flying the late Queen back to London. A train proceeding down the ECML would probably attract a lot of people wanting to pay respects and would, I think, make a good media event.

Queen Vic got exactly that, albeit without publicity. Her train from Gosport to Victoria (where else?) also contained all sorts of dignitaries including the Kaiser. Despite secrecy, the word got around somehow, and there are pics of people in fields watching the train pass. 

 

A mate lived by the LBSCR Mid-Sussex mainline, albeit in Surrey. In the '60s I recall standing looking up at the embankment and thinking how the train might have looked as it romped down Holmwood Bank. Hamilton Ellis records that someone estimated 80 mph there. No wonder the Kaiser congratulated the footplate crew on arrival!