The Night Mail

[Winslow Boy]

23 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Buses won't  run ,  work places will shut down as everyone is snowed in and schools will be closed ( I bet they won't give the parents £60 each per day)

 

What will we do?

 

Andy

 

No that's just a normal day in the big metropolis. This is really serious we are being told precisely to the minute when the first snowflake will hit the ground so we can all scream its the end and then rush to the supermarkets and buy all the bog roll and pasta and........ You get the idea. Roll on summer with the water rationing melting roads etc.

[The Johnster]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

Should ewe be interested, Idaho has a lot in common with Welsh Wales.

 

 

 

Harmlessly passing your time in the grasslands away...

 

Which made me look at some photos online of Idahoan sheeps.  Fine, healthy, fat, fluffy characters, immaculate wool coats gleaming in the sunshine, lanolin everywhere, everything a sheep should be; I couldn't help wondering what the scrawny, ragged, bony, ill-kempt, semi-feral, criminally-minded underclass ovine thugs of Dowlais Top, which learned how to lift the flaps on coal wagon axleboxes to help themselves to the lovely, tasty, grease, would make of them.  Have 'em for breakfast they would, aye...

 

Story I was told in Tafarn y Garreg, upper Swansea Valley pub of renown, many years ago by a local sheep farmer.  A Texan tourist came in one day, and engaged this farmer in converstation, which went along the lines of:-

 

.Usual pleasantries, then

 

Texan, 'say, bud, what line of business are you in, then?'.

Sheep farmer, 'well, nawr te, I got a few sheep up on Fan Gyhirych there (points out of window at 2,300 foot mountain), and I get by lovely on that'.

T, 'That's great, where's your spread, then'?

SF, 'Oh, you mean the farm.  Well, there's the house up there just by those trees (about half a mile away on the mountainside).  Mine is from there across to the lane coming down from the quarry, down along that side of the lane to the bridge, then along the river to the footbridge over there (back of the pub), back up the bank to that old sheep pen just where the power line goes over where the railway (N&B) was, then back along that stone wall, what's left of it, to the house'.

T, 'Gee, bud, you should see my ranch in Texas.  I've got a racing stables, 4,000 head of cattle, and nigh on 15,000 head of sheep.  Why, it's so big, it takes me three days in my Cadillac SUV to check the perimeter fence'!

SF, 'Oh, aye, I 'ad a car like that once as well...'.

 

If it's not true, it should be!

 

The other story I can vouch for as true, because, as they used to say in the old rugby stories, 'I know, cos I was there!'.  A tale from my hillwalking days, about 1972, when I'd gone on a bit of a wander in the Cambrians with some chums for a week, but had to break off early because I was working on the Saturday (Canton goods guard).  So, on the Friday, while the lads set about Plymlimon, I set off from Ponterwyd along the A44 hitching down into Aberyswyth to get a bus to Carmarthen for the up Milford Haven TPO that evening.  It was a pleasant enough day, and I had plenty of time, so was enjoying the walk along the road, when a car stopped to pick me up. 

 

First, let me describe the driver.  I have never seen anybody in my life before or since who was so obviously a working Welsh sheep farmer; everything about him confirmed this suspicion.  Now, let me describe the car.  Brand new, that year's model Volvo estate, 23 miles on the clock and 20 of those were on his way home from the dealer.  'Where you goin', bwt', he says, as if there is more than one destination heading west on the A44 from Ponterwyd, I have an important conferece to attend in the seething metropolis of Capel Bangor.  'Down into Aber if you're going that way', I responded.  'Op in, then, bwtti bach', and away we went. 

 

Conversation as follows:-

Me, 'Nice new car'.

SF, 'Oh, indeed, yes, you can't beat a Volvo, now, can you, only picked it up on Wednesday',

Me, 'Lovely.  Sheep farming going well, then, is it'.  You will never get a sheep farmer to admit he is doing anything more than hanging desperately on by his fingernails with the wolves at the door, even the Collie in the back looked up as if I'd farted in church.  He recovered magnificently, chwarae teg nawr, innit, 'Well, the way this government's shafting us, I thought I'd better get this before they completely bankrupted me, look you now'.

Me, 'Fair enough, sounds like the best thing to do', and we both nodded agreement in the way that blokes who don't really know each other and don't want to rock the boat do sometimes.  

Me, and don't forget it was a hot day, 'You've got it in a bit of a mess already though, by the looks'.

SF, 'Yes, well, you see, on the farm, of course the vehicle has to work for it's living, that's why I bought the estate.  The wife had her heart set on the saloon'!

Me, without a clue that I was being skilfully, indeed masterfully, set up, 'Yes, I suppose, but it looks as if you've had the sheep in here'.

SF, 'I 'ave'!

Me, 'Yeah, but, I mean, 'aven't you got a Land Rover or something for that'?

SF, the reveal, the moment he'd been building me up for, dead straight face, not a glimmer of humour 'Yes, but that's no good when you want to impress her!!!'.

 

Magnificent.  I'd walked straight into it of course, if you want to find an idiot in the country you've got to fetch him from the town.  I exploded, was in tears laughing, and he had a good old chuckle himself.  Ice broken we got on famously for the rest of the journey and I had a couple of beers with him in the pub over the road from the station, the one that's now a Wetherspoons.  Quite a character; told me about a month or so before, when the King, then Prince Charles and a student at Aber in those days, had visited his neighbour's rough old marginal hill farm, and when the slightly culture-shocked Prince asked the farmer 'what sort of stock could you possibly hope to breed in these conditions', he answered firmly with a dead-on look that alarmed the Special Branch man, 'MEN!'.  Great stuff!

Edited March 5, 2023 by The Johnster

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather cool part of the Charente.   It's a lot colder here than it was on the volcanic rock.  We arrived not long before midnight and the house was cold.   I've now lit the fire and it is slowly warming up, the market beckons.   

 

Jamie

[jjb1970]

I think British people find the idea of 'making a scene' abhorrent, and associate criticism with rude and/or aggressive behaviour. If criticism is delivered politely and is objective then good businesses and service providers should welcome it. View it as an opportunity to learn what they need to improve.

 

That said I also share the view that if you have something to say, say it directly. There's something very British about saying 'yes, everything is fine' and then going on social media or a review site with a freshly sharpened axe. I have nothing against negative reviews where they are a fair reflection of service, but people should have the nerve to be honest with the business directly.

 

I find review sites are largely polarizes between 5* shill reviews and 1* hatchet jobs. A 5* review is fine if deserved but I expect a decent explanation in support other than gushing wonderfulness to take it seriously. I normally look for the 3* reviews which tends to be where you find feedback on the good and bad, and  treat the 1* and 5* stuff with a lot of scepticism (though all reviews need some scepticism or a high degree of familiarity with, and confidence in, the reviewer).

[Erichill16]

On modeling, I feel Im Mr Average and have spent most of my time building industrial loco’s as they are one of my areas of interest and they weren’t available rtr. Over the last couple of years all that has changed and my ‘best’ attempts look rather poor in comparison to the latest RTR examples which coincidentally are models of the same prototypes. (Hunslet 16in, Kerr Stewart Victory and Barclay saddle tank) I’ve still got about four or five to make but I think I’d better off spending my time building a layout. 
When I built the kits they were to an acceptable, to me, standard and very few people had them as models. 
Anyway onwards.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Erichill16
Add last couple of lines

[iL Dottore]

As a “perfidious continental” I’ve never been reticent about politely asking for something amiss to be rectified. Once, I was in a pub having lunch with some friends and my pie arrived with stone cold vegetables. When I raised a hand to wave for the waitress*, my English friend quite literally hissed at me to “stop making a fuss” (mind you, she was a bit odd…).

 

Interestingly enough, I’ve found that a bit of self-deprecating humour together with a polite explanation of the problem (and an acknowledgment that “yes, s*** sometimes happens”), without pointing fingers nearly always gets a satisfactory outcome. 
 

I remember that at one hotel I stayed, the bathroom in my room hadn’t been properly cleaned. So I went to reception and said something along the lines of “I’m afraid I’m going to be the guest from hell… unfortunately, your busy housekeeping staff missed the bathroom. Could you send someone to sort it out, please” After a phone call and a rapid thrashing of the computer keyboard, the receptionist replied “sorry sir, housekeeping has left for the day. I’ll just change your room” - she then proceeded to give me the key to a suite…

 

I certainly would not have had such a satisfactory outcome had I screamed and shouted and did the whole “you’re here to serve ME you pitiful minion” b0ll0cks.

 

* this was pre-historic times so we had waiters and waitresses not “servers”

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by iL Dottore
Forgot line

[jjb1970]

Mrs JJB does the complaining for us.......

 

It's funny, people associate East/Southeast Asian people with politeness and an aversion to confrontation, there's a lot in that but my experience is also that people in those regions expect (demand) good service in hotels, restaurants etc and aren't shy about complaining if things aren't up to scratch.

 

As Il Dottore say's, it's not just the 'what' but the 'how' when complaining. Keep it polite, use a bit of humour and it's usually quite productive. 

[Oldddudders]

22 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I remember that at one hotel I stayed, the bathroom in my room hadn’t been properly cleaned. So I went to reception and said something along the lines of “I’m afraid I’m going to be the guest from hell… unfortunately, your busy housekeeping staff missed the bathroom. Could you send someone to sort it out, please” After a phone call and a rapid thrashing of the computer keyboard, the receptionist replied “sorry sir, housekeeping has left for the day. I’ll just change your room” - she then proceeded to give me the key to a suite…

Even humble Travelodge (if it's a one-nighter before or after the ferry, why pay more just to sleep?) has been known to step up when they had got it wrong. Late night, check in, get key, find room unserviced - bedclothes askew , cold tea on bedside cabinet etc. etc. Back to reception, new room immediately offered, and records being searched to find which concierge had not done her job. Tick.

 

Sadly, the same hotel a couple of months later fell off that perch.  Again a late Sunday night arrival - no room, despite being booked many weeks before. Rather dismissive cow said a room was available at the City Centre hotel, only 5 mins away. Ages later in an unfamiliar city we found it. Staff there fell over themselves to help - free breakfasts were appreciated. 

[SM42]

We the reverse  experience in a hotel in Warsaw. 

 

We were the only guests not to complain about the noise from the trains ( near a station ) and the planes ( it's a city with an airport) and other general city noises. 

 

When we went to check out, the reception said they would need to speak to the manager and called him. 

 

He had gone out to buy us a gift for not moaning about the noises one would expect to hear in a capital city  

 

We left with a bottle of vodka on  the house. 

 

Andy

[Northmoor]

I may have told this story before on here but it reinforces the value of honesty.

 

A friend of ours worked on ticketing at Heathrow and frequently had to re-book complaining passengers when flights were delayed/cancelled.  A common sob-story was that there was a dying relative they had to get home to so really need to get on the next flight and in the privacy of business class.  When she was unable to offer them more than business class on the next available flight for £500 extra each, 95% of them would moan, groan and swear at the injustice of it all, deciding that they didn't like their dying relative that much anyway and storm off to the duty free to buy some expensive booze instead.  The other 5%, Lorna could spot easily as they were the ones who quietly shrugged and produced their wallets; for these  people she would tell them to hold on a minute while she had an idea and pretended to search for an alternative on her system.  These were the ones who got on the next available flight and at no extra cost. 

 

It turns out she demonstrated the importance of not doing things right (Lorna hadn't always followed the correct process) but doing the right thing.  Her manager once came to show her a letter and gift he'd got from a customer, thanking them - it mentioned Lorna by name - for the help he'd received from the airline which it had made a very difficult period of time a little bit easier.  The letter came from one of the 5%, a regular customer and worth £000s a year to the airline. 

 

Such stories are why the only response to "influencers" - people who tell you that's what they are and demand free stuff from you - should be some brief advice on sex and travel.

[jamie92208]

The comments about hotels are correct.   There are ways to complain and a gentle but honest approach usually pays dividends.  As to trains, I arrived in Greeley. Colorado on my cycling tour and the receptionist was most apologetic that my room would be overlooking the Union  Pacific line from Denver to Cheyenne.   I didn't tell her that I would gladly have paid a premium for that view.   Despite the rather large train I had a great nights sleep.   For some reason the sound of trains in the night never disturbs me.   At home I fell asleep t the sound of 8F's and 9F' pounding up the Long Drag.

 

In Sidney, I had asked for a room with a Harbour view but had been told that there were none available in an email.   When we checked in I chatted to the receptionist and mentioned that it was our first trip down under and our Ruby Wedding trip.   By magic we ended up with a view of the harbour bridge.

 

Jamie

[jjb1970]

The funniest experience I had in a hotel was in Ashdod, Israel. For a while I was on a ship based in Ashdod to support offshore gas drilling. When I joined the ship I usually had a night in a hotel so I could join first thing in the morning and let the off-signers get away quickly. Maersk paid for a single room, but the hotel rooms were all double bed, so in order not to let customers get one over the hotel used to make the beds with single bedding, leaving a strip of exposed mattrass either side of the sheet and duvet. It was comical really.

[Happy Hippo]

31 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

The funniest experience I had in a hotel was in Ashdod, Israel. For a while I was on a ship based in Ashdod to support offshore gas drilling. When I joined the ship I usually had a night in a hotel so I could join first thing in the morning and let the off-signers get away quickly. Maersk paid for a single room, but the hotel rooms were all double bed, so in order not to let customers get one over the hotel used to make the beds with single bedding, leaving a strip of exposed mattrass either side of the sheet and duvet. It was comical really.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11819657/Man-sex-wife-bollard-erected-stop-parking-campervan.html

 

Who needs a bed!

[Oldddudders]

13 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11819657/Man-sex-wife-bollard-erected-stop-parking-campervan.html

 

Who needs a bed!

A well-padded wife might make this more comfortable for the chap, but it would be no fun for her. 

[SM42]

I just completed the task of cleaning up Mrs SM42's e mails. 

 

She now has 15 unread e mails ( that may be important  I don't know) rather than 1200+. 

 

She really needs to unsubscribe  from some things and perhaps delete stuff as she goes. 

 

Andy 

Slightly cross eyed now

[Happy Hippo]

Rodding:

 

The facing point.

 

It still needs the cover to be made up and a locking bar fitted, as well as a representation of the detector rods and signal wires through them.

 

 

 

The gap is where the cranks that turn the rodding run into the signal box.  They may not get fitted as the whole are may be covered with a timber rodding guard/walkway.

 

 

 

The longer run from the other end of the crossover needed a compensator:  and yes, it is half way down the run🤣.

 

Finally, we have the cross rod to operate the other half of the crosover

 

I now need to get busy with a paint brush to tone the rodding down.

 

The closeups are a bit cruel as they highlight every blemish and slight misalignment.  From normal viewing distances, it looks quite acceptable.

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[The Johnster]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11819657/Man-sex-wife-bollard-erected-stop-parking-campervan.html

 

Who needs a bed!

 

At my age, I do, and not just for sex (actually, that part of my life is over following the destruction of my by radiotherapy (successful, happily) for prostate cancer, which turned me into a PSA test evangelist.  Get yourselves looked at, guys, saved my life!).

 

4 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

A well-padded wife might make this more comfortable for the chap, but it would be no fun for her. 

 

It must be said, back in the day, I was a great fan of well padded wives, though not other peoples', I was strict about that sort of thing.  Well padded single ladies up for it were fair game, though, after my divorce.  Likes a bit of berdonkadonk. I does, or did once, more to love.  And my opinion that skinny girls are psychos was borne out several times...

[Erichill16]

8 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

 

Sadly, the same hotel a couple of months later fell off that perch.  Again a late Sunday night arrival - no room, despite being booked many weeks before. Rather dismissive cow said a room was available at the City Centre hotel, only 5 mins away. Ages later in an unfamiliar city we found it. Staff there fell over themselves to help - free breakfasts were appreciated. 

Similar thing happened to me in Dortmund.

Arrived at hotel at about 10.00pm and was told ‘sorry we’re fully booked’ in a not particularly helpful manner.
Eventually they found another hotel with a vacancy and booked a taxi for us. When we arrived at the second hotel the taxi driver indicated that it would be 10Euros. I said I wasn’t paying as it wasn’t my fault and the second hotel said they weren’t paying either. In the end the second hotel phoned the first and arranged payment by them. 
We were only booked into the second hotel for one (out of three) nights so next morning we had to upsticks and make our way back to the first hotel. It wasn’t far and I know Dortmund quite well so thought it was easy just to walk round. We did get a bowl of fruit in the bedroom but that particular day was my designated InterModelbau  day so could have done without the added hassle.

I regularly go to InterModelbau and usually use the second hotel now.

[Erichill16]

8 hours ago, SM42 said:

We the reverse  experience in a hotel in Warsaw. 

 

We were the only guests not to complain about the noise from the trains ( near a station ) and the planes ( it's a city with an airport) and other general city noises. 

 

When we went to check out, the reception said they would need to speak to the manager and called him. 

 

He had gone out to buy us a gift for not moaning about the noises one would expect to hear in a capital city  

 

We left with a bottle of vodka on  the house. 

 

Andy

Does sound a bit like one of the Faulty Towers episodes, what do you expect from a Torquay hotel bedroom window. 
 

I did once read a hotel review and the particular reviewer’s only complaint was the lifts were too slow!

I can’t remember if I ever stayed so can’t comment on its validity.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Erichill16

[Winslow Boy]

Well you'll pleased to learn that there was no snow when I woke up this morning, which I must admit I was a bit disappointed about as I was quite looking forward to building a snowman. There was no snow in fact all day, which I suppose your not surprised about.

 

The seaweed twirlers are now saying it's going to be Thursday before we get smothered with the white stuff. To say I'm cynical would be a bit of an understatement but you never know.

 

Anyway grass cutting season is upon us with a vengeance so time to get the mower out and hit the green sward with a vigour. Tally Ho!

[New Haven Neil]

24 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Anyway grass cutting season is upon us with a vengeance so time to get the mower out and hit the green sward with a vigour. Tally Ho!

 

In the dark?  Leigh Light fitted mower?

 

I think it looks like the north-east will get the snaa not our side, with the Pennines guarding us.  Then again, Fraggle Rock often manufactures its own weather systems, so you may be sunbathing while we dig out the police vans again.

 

 

 

 

[SM42]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

 

At my age, I do, and not just for sex (actually, that part of my life is over following the destruction of my by radiotherapy (successful, happily) for prostate cancer, which turned me into a PSA test evangelist.  Get yourselves looked at, guys, saved my life

 

It was one of those things declared normal the other day by the doctor. 

 

Having lost my father to it 20 years ago it is an annual test for me, which is tagged onto the diabetes screening test. ( he had that too)

 

I still can't understand why there is not a national prostate cancer screening program like there is for the various cancers our female friends get. 

 

It all relies on us fellas getting out there and asking and we know how good we are at that 

 

Andy

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

that part of my life is over following the destruction of my by radiotherapy (successful, happily) for prostate cancer

Penile in my case but otherwise what he said.

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Get yourselves looked at, guys, saved my life!

And yes.  I did.  And it did.  

[Winslow Boy]

35 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

In the dark?  Leigh Light fitted mower?

 

I think it looks like the north-east will get the snaa not our side, with the Pennines guarding us.  Then again, Fraggle Rock often manufactures its own weather systems, so you may be sunbathing while we dig out the police vans again.

 

 

 

 

 

There's dedication and then THERE'S DEDICATION, I'm more of the - oh well the grass is growing so sod it I'll cut it.

 

Roll on summer.

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

There's dedication and then THERE'S DEDICATION, I'm more of the - oh well the grass is growing so sod it I'll cut it.

 

Roll on summer.

Sleety showers are forecast here in about 30 minutes time. I am not going out to cut the grass though. That was done about 10 days ago.