The Night Mail

[SM42]

4 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

No one noticed the mis-spelled word? 🙃 And the handle that seems to end at the guy's arm?

 

Au contraire mon brave. 

 

I did point out it was the wrong colour. 

 

23 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

(This is from a man who was reduced to raiding the DIY sheds to make up shortfalls in certain equipment for the first Gulf War)

 

This is not peculiar to the MOD alone

 

Andy

[SM42]

26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

(This is from a man who was reduced to raiding the DIY sheds to make up shortfalls in certain equipment for the first Gulf War)

 

A sudden image of squaddies putting up floating shelves and laying laminate flooring in their tents has come to mind.  

 

Then it is just after 9, so I'm still asleep really. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

13 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

A sudden image of squaddies putting up floating shelves and laying laminate flooring in their tents has come to mind.  

 

Then it is just after 9, so I'm still asleep really. 

 

Andy

Just so long as don't start painting everything Fresh flower you'll be alright.

 

Nothing quite like the smell of Fresh Flower - other epithets are available, first thing in the morning. Says Andy as he picks up his roller and paint brush.

Edited January 26 by Winslow Boy

[Happy Hippo]

7 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Probably more than the Army but not the combined Armed Forces.  However while this sort of stat is thrown out by newspapers to show how we are dominated by non-active people, I believe that even in WW2 only about 10% of military personnel saw combat,  Putting the frontline fighting force in place requires a long logistics trail (I often think of it as a triangle beneath the single soldier), but they are all contributing to that fighting force..

When I was involved in logistic planning, we worked out that to keep a single soldier battle ready, took nine others in a direct support role  That did not include the civilian staff at depots that initially sorted, picked and got equipment ready for despatch.

 

Loggies and Techs are the most important elements of any branch of the armed forces.  Without them the fighting elements get no combat supplies, so sit there unable to function properly.  The same on the tech side:  Nothing gets fixed and you lose all your comms and early warning capabilities. (Apart from the flags, loud voices and strings of empty cans dangling in the undergrowth.

 

I couldn't really comment on the number of civil servants that work for the MoD, as it has been changing over the years.  Most certainly, the large UK depots have more civilian staff than military personnel. They fulfil the same role as the military, but at a lower cost due to the fact the do not require accommodating and feeding.  This policy freed up troops to work further down the logistic chain.  Which, with the diminishing army has been shrinking.

 

 

[SM42]

2 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Just so long as don't start painting everything Fresh flower you'll be alright.

 

If SM42 Towers is the battlefield, perfect camouflage. 

 

This is why I have a lot of paint on me after a job. 

 

I can hide from Mrs SM42 when she gets angry. 

 

You wouldn't like her when she gets angry. 

 

Andy

[PhilJ W]

11 hours ago, SM42 said:

 

Do what they did for the RAF in 1939

 

Give em tents. 

 

I'm not so sure any buying back would go on, but there will need to be a lot new  cars moved off runways and the strategic reserve will be called back from Hendon and Duxford. 

 

I think the plan for the army is to WFH in a guerilla style campaign 

 

The Navy? 

 

Well there's HMS Belfast and what they can find lying around Chatham. 

 

I'm sure the new recruits will soon get the hang of it

 

Andy

That's exactly what the Ukrainian army is doing, soldiers sitting at home operating drones.

[PhilJ W]

19 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

For those of you who haven't seen Polish Andy in action....

 

 

6 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

No one noticed the mis-spelled word? 🙃 And the handle that seems to end at the guy's arm?

Not only that, the handle starts at the top of the can near the guy's shoulder, goes through the flower symbol on the can before it disappears behind the guy's hand.

[Happy Hippo]

This morning I have mainly been pruning Apple trees.

 

It is one of those pleasant mornings where the sun is out, there is a breeze blowing and I didn't fall off the scaffolding platform.

 

More lower level stuff this afternoon.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

This morning I have mainly been pruning Apple trees.

 

It is one of those pleasant mornings where the sun is out, there is a breeze blowing and I didn't fall off the scaffolding platform.

 

More lower level stuff this afternoon.

One dreads to think what you might be pruning at lower level for a hippo.

[SM42]

I'm still tidying. 

 

Trying  to do several jobs at once as it saves on the running up and down stairs. 

 

Problem is, there are too many distractions

 

Andy

[SM42]

Right. 

 

Can't put it off any longer. 

 

The Christmas tree needs to go back in the loft

 

 

Andy

[TheQ]

My RAF stations accommodation.

RAF Swinderby, sold off /demolished.

RAF Locking, sold off /demolished,

RAF West Drayton, demolished,

RAF Coltishall, prison , asylum seekers, and Married Quarters sold off.

RAF Staxton Wold , abandoned in ruins , MQs sold off.

RAF Benbecula , MQs sold off, single accommodation, being reduced / knocked down.

RAF Boulmer, many MQs sold off.

 

There's not a lot left.

Edited January 26 by TheQ

[Dave Hunt]

My refusal yesterday to put the fridge back into its recess until the skirting issue has been sorted has received the SWMBO veto so since I am quite fond of eating and sleeping indoors I have acquiesced to Jill's requirement. Fortunately it is reasonably easy to move and should only have taken a few minutes but so that I can gain a few brownie points I made it a bit of a drama issue and deployed a handful of swear words, stretching the process out about tenfold. Sadly it doesn't seem to have caused much in the way of admiration so my hopes for an easy rest of the day have fallen on stony ground. Sigghhhhh......

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

Re my last post, my reward for the fridge moving was to spend two hours fettling the pond as, "It's a nice day for doing outside jobs." To be honest, it really needed sorting out as there is a lot of dead leaf gunk in the bottom and the dead lily pads need getting out. After the two hours plus a bit it is a lot better but there is still work to be done. Sigghhhh.....

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

39 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Re my last post, my reward for the fridge moving was to spend two hours fettling the pond as, "It's a nice day for doing outside jobs." To be honest, it really needed sorting out as there is a lot of dead leaf gunk in the bottom and the dead lily pads need getting out. After the two hours plus a bit it is a lot better but there is still work to be done. Sigghhhh.....

 

Dave

What is the point of having a bad back if you cannot exploit it.

 

Moving the fridge out should have been accompanied with a grimace, some groans and very stoic admission that the old back was now in bits.

 

I mean, Jill is such a nice and trusting person, she'd never expect such low cunning...

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

In other news, I saw this in a facebook advert.

 

 

Yes they are right I would not understand why anyone would admit to being a Telf!

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

What is the point of having a bad back if you cannot exploit it.

 

Moving the fridge out should have been accompanied with a grimace, some groans and very stoic admission that the old back was now in bits.

 

I mean, Jill is such a nice and trusting person, she'd never expect such low cunning...

 

Sadly, HH, after 54 years of wedded bliss (other phrases are available) that's exactly what she would expect.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

The first sign of spring being just around the corner has arrived - the snowdrops are in flower in the front garden. I look forward to this event every year to relieve the gloom that is winter. I've also just heard from a friend that the carpets of them at Attingham Park are appearing and looking good so we may well pay a visit there in the next week or so.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

A quick bit of shopping in the latest round of sales saw me getting hold of suitable attire for next Halloween:

 

 

 

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

A quick bit of shopping in the latest round of sales saw me getting hold of suitable attire for next Halloween:

 

 

 

 

I'm sure Mr Hunt will be able to confirm that you won't get off the ground with those wings...

 

[Tony_S]

11 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

look forward to this event every year to relieve the gloom that is winter

I do like seeing the snowdrops appear. We brought a few clumps down from Nottingham last century. They appear in quite a few places,in our garden as I think the tiny bulbs get moved about when we move shrubs. It always used to be snowdrops first but everything seems confused now. 

Edited January 27 by Tony_S

[Dave Hunt]

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I do like seeing the snowdrops appear. We brought a few clumps down from Nottingham. They appear I quite a few places,in our garden as I think the tiny bulbs get moved about when we move shrubs. It always used to be snowdrops first but everything seems confused now. 

Over the years the snowdrops in our front garden, which were once in relatively discreet clumps, have moved around and now crop up all over the place. While some of that could well be due to human gardening activities, from observation I think that there is an element of squirrel involvement as they sometimes appear to dig the bulbs up and rebury them elsewhere.

 

Dave

[Northmoor]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

In other news, I saw this in a facebook advert.

 

 

Yes they are right I would not understand why anyone would admit to being a Telf!

I assume the "you wouldn't understand" is because they communicate using a form of primeval grunts and pointing which only them and their immediate mates understand?

Where I grew up a similar affliction seemed to apply to people from Neyland.

[Dave Hunt]

1 minute ago, Northmoor said:

I assume the "you wouldn't understand" is because they communicate using a form of primeval grunts and pointing which only them and their immediate mates understand?

Where I grew up a similar affliction seemed to apply to people from Neyland.

 

There is that but it also indicates that normal people wouldn't understand their behaviour.

 

Dave 

[PhilJ W]