The Night Mail

[polybear]

11 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

You may be right. How about, "Mmm, me want blue string pudding said Zebedee" ?

 

Dave

 

 

Even colder.....

[Dave Hunt]

5 minutes ago, polybear said:

That is actually one of Bear's great worries, having no family close enough to take care of such matters when I'm in the Great Cake Shop in the Sky.

The "junk" I'm not worried about (though I like to think there's very little of that) - it's the "good stuff" (to me at least) that I most definitely wouldn't want to end up in a skip or being lifted by some dishonest scrote.

Sleepless nights over it?  Oh yes, plenty.

Poo.

 

If there's no-one to whom you want to leave your good stuff, what about putting in your will that you want it to go to a charity? I gave a lot of my parents' stuff to the British Heart Foundation and after contacting them they took it in very short order then let us know at regular intervals how much it had fetched. For a very reasonable sum they will also take the 'junk' and dispose of it. Your model stuff is more problematic but if you chose someone to receive it (with their prior permission of course) you could put that in your will as well with contact details for your executor(s).

 

Just a thought to keep the sleepless nights at bay.

 

Dave

[TheQ]

Family important stuff to remaining family. Model railway stuff to the MRC, sailing stuff to the SC. Etc

 

Moved 26 times in my life, Dad was in the RAF too, but not moved in the last 22 years and don't intend to again.

Inherited with the house, a few bits of furniture, a garden roller,  there was a grass tennis court in the garden at one time.

We've still a couple of boxes of stuff from our move here and another couple from my return from my move from Saudi. Though the two from Saudi are in immanent threat of opening. One has a Tornado ADV in it .. 

 

well the very poor revell 1/32 model of an F2 which when rescued will need a lot of work to turn it into a proper F3 model.

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

52 minutes ago, TheQ said:

One has a Tornado ADV in it .. 

 

well the very poor revell 1/32 model of an F2 which when rescued will need a lot of work to turn it into a proper F3 model.

 

Is this any help?

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heritage-aviation-models-tornado-f3-conversion--206236

[TheQ]

18 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Is this any help?

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heritage-aviation-models-tornado-f3-conversion--206236

I'd love that conversion kit, there a couple that were designed. But so far I've not found a conversion kit in stock anywhere.

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, TheQ said:

I'd love that conversion kit, there a couple that were designed. But so far I've not found a conversion kit in stock anywhere.

 

It seems that HAM are no longer trading - some moulds went to another company, but they've shut down as well :)

 

Note sure if this will be of any help:

 

https://designer.home.xs4all.nl/models/tornado-resin/tor-resin-1.htm

[Happy Hippo]

Inspired by Dave's herculean effort with his fence, I decided to try my hand at a bit of fencing.  In the model world, they are supposed to represent a contrete post and steel tube type barrier intended to stop passengers falling down the bank.  In reality they are wooden posts with 'stretch magic' posing as the tube.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[Dave Hunt]

I have finally finished the fencing on my layout - all 51 feet of it (not 100 yards as I thought) and never want to do another inch. It consists of some Slaters lineside fencing, which needs a fair amount of fettling, some wire in post using spruce strip and fuse wire, some board fencing using individual posts and planks and some post and rail wooden fencing using spruce posts and rails. All except the Slaters in hand made. 

 

Dave

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

It seems that HAM are no longer trading - some moulds went to another company, but they've shut down as well :)

 

Note sure if this will be of any help:

 

https://designer.home.xs4all.nl/models/tornado-resin/tor-resin-1.htm

It's certainly got useful information thanks.

This site is interesting as well

https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/scale-model-parts-148-panavia-tornado-engines

Edited August 19, 2023 by TheQ

[AndyID]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

 

That is actually one of Bear's great worries, having no family close enough to take care of such matters when I'm in the Great Cake Shop in the Sky.

The "junk" I'm not worried about (though I like to think there's very little of that) - it's the "good stuff" (to me at least) that I most definitely wouldn't want to end up in a skip or being lifted by some dishonest scrote.

Sleepless nights over it?  Oh yes, plenty.

Poo.

 

Why worry and lose sleep over it? Do you think you'll still be hanging around to see what happens?

 

Come to think of it, if you are you'll be able to scare them sh!tless 🤣

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by AndyID
more info

[DaveF]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

 

That is actually one of Bear's great worries, having no family close enough to take care of such matters when I'm in the Great Cake Shop in the Sky.

The "junk" I'm not worried about (though I like to think there's very little of that) - it's the "good stuff" (to me at least) that I most definitely wouldn't want to end up in a skip or being lifted by some dishonest scrote.

Sleepless nights over it?  Oh yes, plenty.

Poo.

 

I sometimes have the same thoughts.  

 

After I got Mum's estate sorted out I made a new will, I have made sure that only I and my solicitor know what is in it.  My solicitor's firm is my executor. 

 

At some point,  I will write a letter in which I will suggest ways of disposing of things when the time comes so that anything worth selling might be sold not junked.  A copy will go to the solicitor to be filed with the will and a copy will go to a trusted friend who will talk to the solicitor at the appropriate time.

 

In the same way I am going to plan and pay for my funeral and make sure the funeral firm and my solicitor along with the same friend each have a copy of exactly how I want it done - hopefully a burial with some form of service.

 

It may sound morbid but Mum did much the same, it was a great help to me when I had to sort things out, though in her case I was the executor.

 

To me it is no different from making sure that a friend and neighbour has a key in case my curtains are not open one morning - or perhaps more likely in case I ever lose my keys.

 

David

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

My father lived in his house just short of 50 years. When we cleaned it out, we found medicine for my mother from the druggist in the previous town they'd lived in.

We lived in our previous house for 20 years. This is the longest I stayed anywhere, but they keep getting longer so I have hopes of being in this one to about age 90.

 

 

[polybear]

8 hours ago, DaveF said:

I sometimes have the same thoughts.  

After I got Mum's estate sorted out I made a new will, I have made sure that only I and my solicitor know what is in it.  My solicitor's firm is my executor. 

At some point,  I will write a letter in which I will suggest ways of disposing of things when the time comes so that anything worth selling might be sold not junked.  A copy will go to the solicitor to be filed with the will and a copy will go to a trusted friend who will talk to the solicitor at the appropriate time.

 

Bear has a reminder on the Lappy to write such a list - the reminder has been there "for some time".  Must get it sorted....

I'm not big on the idea of Solicitors as Executors if avoidable - their fees can are very high for what is often a very straightforward task (not always); Bear has done it three times now.  I'd not touch anything involving a business though - it'd have to be straightforward.

However, I am faced with the prospect that for some aspects it'll probably be necessary - my plan at present is to name trusted people as Executors and ask them to sort personal items (such as the details of the SCR.....) and leave the financial stuff to a Solicitor as required.

As for Will storage, well I always have a copy deposited with the Probate Registry in London (twenty quid IIRC) as it's then pretty difficult for some scrote to claim "Bear didn't make a Will"; unfortunately they don't (IIRC) accept accompanying letters, only the Will.

 

8 hours ago, DaveF said:

In the same way I am going to plan and pay for my funeral and make sure the funeral firm and my solicitor along with the same friend each have a copy of exactly how I want it done - hopefully a burial with some form of service.

 

Bear has paid for his, though I do need to make some notes for the Executor.  I suspect that going up the chimney of a Hush Hush on the KX-Waverly run could be "problematic", however.....

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by polybear

[jamie92208]

Here we have the slight complication of French inheritance laws.  However we are still allowed to make wills that use English inheritance law. They have to be handwritten.  A copy is filed with the Notaire.  Fortunate as we have kids our wishes coincide with the French regime anyway. 

 

Disposing of Model Railway equipment us tricky as there is nomarket in France for British stuff.  A friend from our MRC died receand fortunately after one of the members catalogued his stuff it's albern collected by a UK dealer using A courier.  All 80 kilos of it.

 

Jamie

[Winslow Boy]

53 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Here we have the slight complication of French inheritance laws.  However we are still allowed to make wills that use English inheritance law. They have to be handwritten.  A copy is filed with the Notaire.  Fortunate as we have kids our wishes coincide with the French regime anyway. 

 

Disposing of Model Railway equipment us tricky as there is nomarket in France for British stuff.  A friend from our MRC died receand fortunately after one of the members catalogued his stuff it's albern collected by a UK dealer using A courier.  All 80 kilos of it.

 

Jamie

When I initially read this I thought why is a drug dealer being used to get rid of a layout. My confusion wasn't helped when he said it weighed 80 kg. I definitely need my eyes checking.😁

[DaveF]

A quick note about executors.  I ended up using a solicitor as executor as my nearest relatives live about 200 miles away.  A couple of friends did offer but they are a bit older than me which might cause problems as to who dies first.  A friend along the road is the executor for his neighbour and is getting quite worried about what it involves as he is getting older.

 

David

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 I suspect that going up the chimney of a Hush Hush on the KX-Waverly run could be "problematic", however.....

 

I was told that a friend had his ashes put into the firebox of 6233 going up Camden Bank about ten years ago but I don’t know how it was arranged.

 

Dave

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

When I initially read this I thought why is a drug dealer being used to get rid of a layout. My confusion wasn't helped when he said it weighed 80 kg. I definitely need my eyes checking.😁

 

Though model railways should perhaps classed as a drug. They're highly addictive and expensive to buy.  In addition, when buying, you either have to go direct to a dealer, or to a dodgy character online, selling stuff of highly variable quality....

 

 

[Tony_S]

58 minutes ago, DaveF said:

couple of friends did offer but they are a bit older than me which might cause problems

When we last did our wills, the solicitor did ask us if we knew anyone rather younger than ourselves. Fortunately Aditi’s brother is 10 years younger so he gets used a lot for such things in the family and for our lasting power thingies his wife (younger still) is on the list. 

[Tony_S]

11 minutes ago, Hroth said:

you either have to go direct to a dealer,

When she was still working my neighbour said she was flying to Miami to meet with her Central American dealers. I suggested that when she went through US immigration she rephrased it. She worked for a bank and it was a meeting with her foreign currency traders.  

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Here we have the slight complication of French inheritance laws.  However we are still allowed to make wills that use English inheritance law. They have to be handwritten.  A copy is filed with the Notaire.  Fortunate as we have kids our wishes coincide with the French regime anyway. 

 

Disposing of Model Railway equipment us tricky as there is nomarket in France for British stuff.  

Nor for US HO prototype, of which I have tons, long unused, as well as a huge amount of modernish-UK stuff, plus about 20 French railcars, which would sell easily, I suppose. Then there is the photographic stuff, w a dozen digital/mirrorless bodies, some 20+ years old, and several ancient film cameras. As for lenses, there cannot be fewer than 50 in at least 5 fittings, but some have fungus due to storage downstairs in a house that had a damp problem, and are worth little.....

 

Deb (d. 2012) and I were deliberately childless. We agreed to divide whatever was left after the French State had had its share among the three sons of some not-very-rich friends. I believe one son is now estranged from his parents (his wife and his mother never did get on) and I haven't seen or heard from any of them in a dozen years, although the parents are still in touch.

 

Some years ago, Sherry and I agreed that if she sorted out her tax affairs, I would update my will - which is still in first scruffy handwritten draft from about 16 years ago. HMRC were pleased to help Sherry straighten things out, but I have yet to keep my side of the bargain. I do need to square the deal with Sherry, as she worries about all the issues others have raised - and of course doesn't even live here! Alison would help, and Sherry suggested she be given a 25% share in return - she is very reliant upon money from me to keep body, soul and three boys together. Two are now at uni. 

 

With an operation on my thyroid imminent, and no certainty that all the news will be good, the time is about right for me to do something. It's just that the peripatetic lifestyle, with several visits to the UK per annum, does bog me down where setting a date for talking to a lawyer is concerned. And I'm afraid I ought to be losing more sleep about it than I am.....

[Happy Hippo]

I am afraid that I find the suggestion that one downsizes once the children have left home, and you are then expected to move into a retirement complex a complete myth, and somewhat a big joke.

 

If anything, I would be moving into a larger house with a slightly smaller garden.

 

Those who promote this 'idyllic' lifestyle for the retired have no concept of those who have any hobbies and pastimes greater than reading the paper, eating quinoa and drinking soda water.  They never take into account those that might like a bit more space for gardening:  Anything that takes up more space than a folded up 1st class stamp.

 

Some time ago, I realised that I have far too much stuff and projects that will never get used of finished, so I've been making a concerted effort to get rid of the surplus.

 

Since the shooting training dried up, another Covid casualty, and despite concerted efforts has not picked up since, most of my airguns will go. I'm also minded to get rid of Sieg X2 milling machine and the Chester Conquest Lathe.  I rarely use them, and much of the work I do with the Conquest could easily be done on the Baby C0 lathe (completely unused at present).  Likewise my 7.25" gauge loco will join the queue for disposals.

 

I continue to thin out my 4 mm stuff, very slowly I would add, although I still hanker after a 00 model railway based on Iain Rice's 'Tai Bach'.

 

As they say, Time waits for no man, and I would like to be reasonably sorted out before I end up inverted in the muddy hollow:

 

 

 

 

[Canal Digger]

Several charities advertise a Will Writing Service done by Lawyers, presumably in the hope that the charity will get a percentage. Like everyone else is saying we (SWMBO & myself) must do something about writing a proper Will. I know at first hand the problems of not leaving a will, my Mother left a non-witnessed Will. I couldn't even prove that it was her writing, so literally not worth the paper it was written on!  

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by Canal Digger
addition

[SR71]

I sometimes read this thread as a window into where my Dad is as he's not the chatty sort. Can I add another thought to the recent mentions of preparedness list for those left behind;

 

- Yes power of eternity.

- Yes a clear will (and details of who holds it easily accessible. I had to call repeatedly to get a solicitor to check their archives as they denied having them). Without that note we'd have been lost.

- But also what sort of service do you want? Doesn't have to be much, just a few key pointers. Having recently lost my Mum the hardest part immediately after was going through hours of her music to select appropriate songs to play and decide what else would be done.