RMweb Gold Hroth Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 52 minutes ago, Tony_S said: Happy Birthday Andy. According to YouTube birthdays in Poland seem to be celebrated with an enormous cake and people chanting “Sto Lat, Sto Lat”. Is that true? The cries of "Sto Lat" are merely railway porters announcing the destination of the next departure... 🤪 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, Hroth said: @SteveyDee68 the van might have been a Bedford Rascal, which was a badge-engineered Suzuki Carry. Or possibly a Honda TN Acty? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Hroth said: The cries of "Sto Lat" are merely railway porters announcing the destination of the next departure... 🤪 Not as daft as it seems With city and town names that translate as boat, helmet, rotten, often hidden, circle and so on. It's possible Andy Edited February 14 by SM42 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Tony_S Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted February 14 12 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: Or possibly a Honda TN Acty? I had a friend and colleague who was seriously considering becoming a nun. She drove a Lada. Whenever she departed from her family home in Burton her Mum used to walk round the “godless communist car” sprinkling it with holy water to protect her on the journey south. 1 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Hunt Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, Hroth said: The time to start thinking about slip-on shoes? Sadly, following a major foot rebuild operation some years ago, the consultant insisted that I only wear lace up shoes. I’m still doomed! Dave 1 1 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 I still insist on putting undies and socks on while standing up. If the sock is being awkward this can lead to some lurching about, though! 2 12 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 2 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said: Mention of handbrakes and lane guidance systems makes me think of a van I was briefly acquainted with - thankfully only as a passenger - in the late 1990s… My brass ensemble had starting performing regularly at Salford Catholic Cathedral, but we needed to borrow timpani (kettle drums) and transport them there. The Musical Director at the cathedral arranged to borrow the van that belonged to the nuns resident at the cathedral… I’m not sure if it was a Suzuki, but it was relatively tiny and blue! The first time it rolled up to be loaded, I remember thinking there was no way three timpani were going to fit inside. They did - just. Jumping into the passenger seat, I remember Martin turning to me and saying - with a dead pan face - that he thought the nun’s van might be possessed! I think (but I may be remembering this wrong) that the handbrake came out from the dashboard like an umbrella handle (someone more familiar with small commercial vans in the 1980s/90s may be able to correct me) but I do remember that Martin needed two hands to release it! We then set off in the van, and it was a while before I realised that the side to side motion was nothing to do with Martin’s driving - we’d be driving down a straight piece of road and the van weaved back and forth like it had partaken of one too many communion wines a little beforehand. However, worse was turning corners at junctions - Martin would swing the wheel over many times (no power steering) and we would set off more or less in a straight line. He’d then apply several more turns and the van would suddenly lurch the way he wanted. Once that happened, he would be rapidly turning the wheel the opposite way before we’d even got halfway around the turn - invariably as we completed the turn we would continue turning into the curve before suddenly lurching the opposite way and driving straight again. Finishing that first journey, Martin took at least a dozen attempts to get the van into reverse and finally parked by putting the hand brake on with two hands once again. He was a very cool customer indeed, and over time I’d watched him direct the music for a live TV broadcast, for an international choir festival service and any number of grand occasions and never look in the slightest bit ruffled. But when he turned the engine off, there was sweat on his brow. He repeated his thought that it was possessed, and we got out to unload but before we had finished doing so there was a loud ‘crack’ and the gear stick leapt into the middle of the gate from wherever he had left it, making us both jump. The return journey was equally hair-raising, and every time we made use of the van it was as if it was going out of its way to scare the living daylights out of anyone riding in it! On one occasion, I couldn’t assist and Dr Dave - a tall, strapping chap of immense intellect and a phenomenal trombonist to boot - took my place. Never again, he swore when I arrived for the concert. Martin told me he had brought up the issue of the nun’s van behaving erratically with the Cathedral administrator, suggesting maybe it needed a major overhaul; he was duly presented with full service records and MOTs where it never mentioned any issues. Likewise when he asked the nuns, they said it drove perfectly. Spooooooky!!! Thankfully, we found a percussionist who had her own timpani, and we no longer had to use the nun’s van. I’m sure it was a Suzuki but am happy to be corrected - but it was small, narrow, had a side door on runners, and passenger and driver almost rubbed shoulders when sat in their respective seats (it was that narrow). Steve S I once had a Vauxhall Rascal and IIRC it had a conventional handbrake. It also had a side loading door on both sides. I've also driven a Honda Acty, as I remember the gear lever was like that of a Citroen 2CV but instead of coming out of the dashboard came from beneath the seats. 2 2 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 Happy birthday Andy @SM42 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal Digger Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 A 2-seat smart car that we had a few years ago had a conventional looking, central between the seats, handbrake, however instead of pivoting/ rotating the driver lifted the lever so that it was still at the same angle but higher. For such a small difference it took some getting used to 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 Note to self Don't go to a model shop on your birthday. Andy Who bought himself a present 6 1 1 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Hroth Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, SM42 said: Note to self Don't go to a model shop on your birthday. Andy Who bought himself a present Or at Christmas! The one advantage is that you get a present that you really want. 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 45 minutes ago, Hroth said: Or at Christmas! The one advantage is that you get a present that you really want. True, but too many goodies to choose from so one has to be careful how many presents you buy yourself. Andy 8 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winslow Boy Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 22 minutes ago, SM42 said: True, but too many goodies to choose from so one has to be careful how many presents you buy yourself. Andy Well your only twenty one once so go on treat yourself. My birthday yesterday. But I'm not telling you lot how old I was, but suffice to say I'm older than our polish correspondent at twenty one. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 29 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said: Well your only twenty one once so go on treat yourself. My birthday yesterday. But I'm not telling you lot how old I was, but suffice to say I'm older than our polish correspondent at twenty one. Belated happy birthday. For my birthdays now I just seem to find I am eligible for another vaccine or scan. 1 2 3 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 @SM42, spóźnione wszystkiego najlepszego! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 40 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said: @SM42, spóźnione wszystkiego najlepszego! Dziekuje bardzo. Andy 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said: Well your only twenty one once so go on treat yourself. My birthday yesterday. But I'm not telling you lot how old I was, but suffice to say I'm older than our polish correspondent at twenty one. If I'd treated myself to all the shiny things I liked today, I would have work till I'm 80 to pay off the credit card bill. The upcoming releases are bad enough without looking at what's already out. Must resist, must resist. Andy 1 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 Mrs SM42 has just informed me that as well as a day pass on Friday, I also have Saturday as well. Just have to be back by 5pm It just gets better. Friday I'm thinking of heading to Konin again to see if I can find the coal railway in action. If I get time I may pop over to Gniezno on the way back to see what I can find hanging around on the narrow gauge railway and do a recce for summer visit Saturday, who knows. I may head north towards Pila and eastwards from there. Hopefully I won't get held up by the trend for protest amongst farmers. Andy 9 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 12 minutes ago, SM42 said: Just have to be back by 5pm Is that when you leave for the airport? 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SM42 Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 2 minutes ago, Tony_S said: Is that when you leave for the airport? No that's Monday We have to collect our travelling companion from the station in the day so I can only stay local. Luckily we are only 10 minutes from the airport If the terminal was built on this side of the airfield, we could walk it in 15 minutes. Andy 9 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northmoor Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 32 minutes ago, SM42 said: If I get time I may pop over to Gniezno on the way back to see what I can find hanging around on the narrow gauge railway and do a recce for summer visit Just done some Google Streetview surfing; do post some photos of the NG railway (what gauge is that?) and the double roundhouses if you can..... 6 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted February 14 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 (edited) Back to Telfland tomorrow. Next building task is a Hedgehog house. The one I designed from bricks and slabs has been rejected. Looks like the large wooden pallet, at the side of the garage, will be stripped down, run through the new thicknesser and repurposed. Edited February 14 by Happy Hippo 8 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 I wish I was there. 3 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Hroth Posted February 14 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14 (edited) 41 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: I wish I was there. No thanks. Too hot, too sunny and all those wet naked buttocks flapping about.... The epitome is an alluring air of mystery, not having it all on display! It was bad enough at the shops this afternoon with people* wearing inappropriate jeggings, jiggling about. * Yes, not just the women! Remember Phil Wang on Taskmaster? Yes that's the sort of thing I mean... Edited February 14 by Hroth missed out a few letters.... 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium pgcroc Posted February 14 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 14 36 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: I wish I was there. Yes, so do I. That apartment block looks amazing! Nice architecture. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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