The Night Mail

[newbryford]

1 minute ago, SM42 said:

Has @newbryfordgot yellow tinted specs?

 

Andy

 

I can neither confirm or deny......

[jjb1970]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

That's why I chose the Spec Aircrew route. Once I was a Sqn Ldr that was as far along the path to full time desk bound politico that I wanted to go. And, of course, I got to fly until the end of my career.

 

Dave

 

I think the opportunities are very different for engineers in the navy, as whereas transferring to a desk is probably not what many aviators want or operations officers in the RN, for engineers it is a much more consistent career progression. Many RN engineers spend more time at a desk than at sea but that's not such a bad thing. They learn how a ship works at sea and then go onto addressing systemic issues in a shore-based job, working in procurement, as technical authorities etc. The RN is different to the commercial maritime world as in the mercantile marine the career pathway for engineers is much more heavily biased towards remaining at sea, working up to chief engineer and then being chief for the long haul, but the mercantile marine also relies on a percentage of sea going people going ashore as superintendents, working in class or for government regulators (the MCA in Britain), insurance, ship design and construction etc. where they use the core knowledge gained at sea and build on it to develop in different but consistent directions.

[Happy Hippo]

5 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

I think the opportunities are very different for engineers in the navy, as whereas transferring to a desk is probably not what many aviators want or operations officers in the RN, for engineers it is a much more consistent career progression. Many RN engineers spend more time at a desk than at sea but that's not such a bad thing. They learn how a ship works at sea and then go onto addressing systemic issues in a shore-based job, working in procurement, as technical authorities etc. The RN is different to the commercial maritime world as in the mercantile marine the career pathway for engineers is much more heavily biased towards remaining at sea, working up to chief engineer and then being chief for the long haul, but the mercantile marine also relies on a percentage of sea going people going ashore as superintendents, working in class or for government regulators (the MCA in Britain), insurance, ship design and construction etc. where they use the core knowledge gained at sea and build on it to develop in different but consistent directions.

A friend of mine has a son who is an engineering officer on a Vanguard class Submarine.

 

The RN is so short of suitably qualified engineers in this field that all the poor lad seems to do is spend lots of time underwater in undisclosed locations.  

 

Getting a desk job, which I'm sure he'd relish, as would his family, has not appeared over the horizon

[SM42]

Another busy day ahead at SM42 Towers. 

Mrs SM42 has invited people over on Sunday 😯

 

The contents of the utility room currently reside in the lounge, a pile of yet to be built and installed  kitchen units live in the dining room and items of furniture are stil enjoying their holidays in parts of the Towers they don't normally live in. 

 

Today is a standby shift and I have been called in this afternoon, so only a few hours to move things along. 

 

My coping saw is AWOL, which is holding up getting furniture to fit over skirting and flush to the wall and I have to buy more paint 

 

I'm worn out just thinking about it. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

16 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Another busy day ahead at SM42 Towers. 

Mrs SM42 has invited people over on Sunday 😯

 

The contents of the utility room currently reside in the lounge, a pile of yet to be built and installed  kitchen units live in the dining room and items of furniture are stil enjoying their holidays in parts of the Towers they don't normally live in. 

 

Today is a standby shift and I have been called in this afternoon, so only a few hours to move things along. 

 

My coping saw is AWOL, which is holding up getting furniture to fit over skirting and flush to the wall and I have to buy more paint 

 

I'm worn out just thinking about it. 

 

Andy

 

Look on the bright side Andy at least your not painting.

[SM42]

16 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Look on the bright side Andy at least your not painting.

 

It's only a matter of time.

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

I've just looked out of the window to find it's cloudless, windless and sunny.

 

Just the sort of day to spend in the garden, albeit a bit soggy underfoot.

[pH]

27 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I've just looked out of the window to find it's cloudless, windless and sunny.

 

Just the sort of day to spend in the garden, albeit a bit soggy underfoot.

I would have thought you would have counted that as a plus!

[SM42]

I think I have a problem

 

I've just spent half an hour at our local indie DIY shed and felt like a kid in a sweet shop in the paint aisle.  

 

Anyone need  15 litres of  Pink Starburst matt emulsion?

 

Andy

[polybear]

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

A friend of mine has a son who is an engineering officer on a Vanguard class Submarine.

 

The RN is so short of suitably qualified engineers in this field that all the poor lad seems to do is spend lots of time underwater in undisclosed locations.  

 

Getting a desk job, which I'm sure he'd relish, as would his family, has not appeared over the horizon

 

Bear plus Boss had a tour of a Type 45 several years ago; the Officer showing us round said that not so long ago the RN (and other Forces?) had a big clear out of staff.  Unfortunately he said it was carried out (for the most part) as a numbers game, with not enough thought for what specialities were going out the door....

I suspect that in the current climate (Pootin n' all that) his chances of flying a desk are pretty shaking for the foreseeable.

 

4 hours ago, SM42 said:

Another busy day ahead at SM42 Towers. 

Mrs SM42 has invited people over on Sunday 😯

 

The contents of the utility room currently reside in the lounge, a pile of yet to be built and installed  kitchen units live in the dining room and items of furniture are stil enjoying their holidays in parts of the Towers they don't normally live in. 

 

Today is a standby shift and I have been called in this afternoon, so only a few hours to move things along. 

 

My coping saw is AWOL, which is holding up getting furniture to fit over skirting and flush to the wall and I have to buy more paint 

 

I'm worn out just thinking about it. 

 

Andy

 

Bear feels your pain - book, play etc.

Though I did cheat and bought ready-made kitchen units, which was a very good move indeed.

 

50 minutes ago, SM42 said:

I think I have a problem

 

I've just spent half an hour at our local indie DIY shed and felt like a kid in a sweet shop in the paint aisle.  

 

Anyone need  15 litres of  Pink Starburst matt emulsion?

 

Andy

 

Most definitely - it sounds like you're a Paintaholic. 😲

As for pink starburst......just what sort of establishment are you creating??

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

Just off this afternoon to stay for a couple of days with a great friend with whom I have spent many a happy hour working on his layout and exhibiting it at most, if not all, of the major shows but whom I have only seen twice since the wuflu hit. Sadly his wife thinks that he is showing signs of dementia and is getting reluctant to go out so we are going to try to persuade him to venture forth if we can. I'm also going to try to persuade him to come with me to visit another old railway modelling friend to see whether a bit of playing with trains may be beneficial. Here's hoping.....

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

I went this morning to see my solicitor to ask how things were progressing with getting the financial side of Dad's will sorted out since probate was granted a while ago. It seems that the banks are playing silly bu**ers and delaying everything as best they can. For instance, one of them has twice asked for proof of probate despite having received a copy over a month ago and another is saying that it is complicated by the fact that I was already authorised to deal with Dad's accounts for him (WTF???). Why don't they just admit that they want to hang on to the money as long as possible without the inconvenience of letting go? It would appear that I will be lucky to see it this side of Christmas. I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised given the greed of UK banks but I can sniff a complaint to the banking ombudsman looming. 

 

Dave

[polybear]

16 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I went this morning to see my solicitor to ask how things were progressing with getting the financial side of Dad's will sorted out since probate was granted a while ago. It seems that the banks are playing silly bu**ers and delaying everything as best they can. For instance, one of them has twice asked for proof of probate despite having received a copy over a month ago and another is saying that it is complicated by the fact that I was already authorised to deal with Dad's accounts for him (WTF???). Why don't they just admit that they want to hang on to the money as long as possible without the inconvenience of letting go? It would appear that I will be lucky to see it this side of Christmas. I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised given the greed of UK banks but I can sniff a complaint to the banking ombudsman looming. 

 

Dave

 

Sounds to this Bear like a snottogram asking for a copy of their internal complaints procedure is called for, and also pointing out that if their own procedure doesn't resolve the issues then escalating it to the Ombudsman will be happening.

That may well light a sufficiently large fire under their ar5es to scare them into action.

[ian@stenochs]

16 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 I can sniff a complaint to the banking ombudsman looming. 

 

Dave

 

Go for it Dave.  Our little railway society has has made a few complaints about banking problems/incompetance with the result that our income from compensation far outweighs the interest we get from our savings!

 

Ian.

[bbishop]

8 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

A friend of mine has a son who is an engineering officer on a Vanguard class Submarine.

 

The RN is so short of suitably qualified engineers in this field that all the poor lad seems to do is spend lots of time underwater in undisclosed locations.  

 

Getting a desk job, which I'm sure he'd relish, as would his family, has not appeared over the horizon

Does a horizon appear in a submarine?

[Canal Digger]

50 minutes ago, bbishop said:

Does a horizon appear in a submarine?

Only for the Captain/ Executive Officer through the periscope

[jamie92208]

 

2 hours ago, Canal Digger said:

Only for the Captain/ Executive Officer through the periscope

Or when you take a pretty girl to a submarine open day and they let you have a look.  Mind you the crew were more interested in watching the young lady come down the conning tower ladder.

 

Jamie

[AndyID]

Oh goody! 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight and another 3 to 5 inches tomorrow. Winter is off to a flying start this year and it doesn't even start officially (in the US) until December 21. I think I prefer snow rather than rain. When the snow stops the Sun usually comes out and it looks like a Christmas Card here.

 

Fortunately the tractor is all set with snow-blades on both ends 😀

[Canal Digger]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Or when you take a pretty girl to a submarine open day and they let you have a look.  Mind you the crew were more interested in watching the young lady come down the conning tower ladder.

In a short skirt by any chance?

I used to know the electrician (yes!) on HMS Victory, he had a terrible place for a desk by a window under the Gangplank, especially bad on a breezy day

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, Canal Digger said:

In a short skirt by any chance?

I used to know the electrician (yes!) on HMS Victory, he had a terrible place for a desk by a window under the Gangplank, especially bad on a breezy day

As a matter of fact she was wearing a rather short dress.  At least that's what my memory of an afternoon in Stornoway over  50 years ago tells me.  That night at a Caeligh in a tin tabernacle just north of the town, the subs crew sang a marvellous song called "Nobody washes in a Submarine".

Jamie

Edited November 30, 2022 by jamie92208

[PhilJ W]

54 minutes ago, AndyID said:

Oh goody! 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight and another 3 to 5 inches tomorrow. Winter is off to a flying start this year and it doesn't even start officially (in the US) until December 21. I think I prefer snow rather than rain. When the snow stops the Sun usually comes out and it looks like a Christmas Card here.

 

Fortunately the tractor is all set with snow-blades on both ends 😀

Snow is predicted for the UK next weekend. A blast of cold air is expected from the Arctic.

[Happy Hippo]

Fortunately Soccer is to HH as rugby is to br2975.

[newbryford]

11 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Fortunately Soccer is to HH as rugby is to br2975.

 

Soccer?

I know you have western tendencies, but didn't realise that also included the west side of the Atlantic Ocean

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, newbryford said:

 

Soccer?

I know you have western tendencies, but didn't realise that also included the west side of the Atlantic Ocean

It was always known as soccer when I was at skool.  When I moved up to 'big skool' it was known as kiss ball.

 

It was played by the lanky twigs who snapped if you blew too hard at them.

 

Rugby football was played by those of superior bulk.  Some of whom could be seen with broken noses, or ruptured ears, or very few teeth. A small elite squad had all the above disfigurations.

 

Fortunately none of them had gone to the Klinsmann School of Acting, otherwise we'd have never finished a match.

[Northmoor]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

It was always known as soccer when I was at skool.  When I moved up to 'big skool' it was known as kiss ball.

 

It was played by the lanky twigs who snapped if you blew too hard at them.

 

Rugby football was played by those of superior bulk.  Some of whom could be seen with broken noses, or ruptured ears, or very few teeth. A small elite squad had all the above disfigurations.

 

Fortunately none of them had gone to the Klinsmann School of Acting, otherwise we'd have never finished a match.

Hence the saying, "Football is 90 minutes pretending you're hurt; rugby is 80 minutes pretending you're not".

 

I would enjoy rugby more though if I had the feintest idea what any of the commentators were talking about.