The Night Mail

[polybear]

3 hours ago, rockershovel said:

One would assume, on the basis that he is a billionaire and therefore (presumably) knows how to make a shilling or three, that he knows something the other directors don't .... quite possibly, how to let a business decline so that it can be bought cheaply?

 

Whatever the reason, I've a fair idea that it won't benefit the employees nor the British Public.

 

 

 

[rockershovel]

Just now, polybear said:

 

Whatever the reason, I've a fair idea that it won't benefit the employees nor the British Public.

 

 

 

I'd say that could be regarded as a given. 

[TheQ]

6 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Whatever the reason, I've a fair idea that it won't benefit the employees nor the British Public.

 

 

 

But will give the senior manager managers lots of money.

[Adam88]

I thought RM was mine, after all I recently invested heavily in half a dozen second class stamps.

[SM42]

Would you trust this building company

 

 

Andy

[New Haven Neil]

TUPE was a pile of *&^% from the moment it appeared!  No sooner in force and it was in trouble, luckily as I practiced HR in the NHS it wasn't really an issue I had to deal with, but the area meetings of the IPD (Institute of Personnel and Development, as it was then - before it became chartered) were obsessed with it for quite some time.  

 

@Dave Hunt Your little Barclay puts me in mind of my bestie friend Trackshack John's first loco, 'Annie', which IIRC was a 12".   He was still just a teenager when he bought it, not quite sure how he managed that, it steamed at the East Lancs in the early days before he moved on to bigger things - first to buying S&L 'Ugly' 62 from Keighley, when went to the NYMR, then a quarter share in Taw Valley.  All those little industrials are really lovely work, and have such a natural look to them. Lushy!

[polybear]

5 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

TUPE was a pile of *&^% from the moment it appeared!  No sooner in force and it was in trouble, luckily as I practiced HR in the NHS it wasn't really an issue I had to deal with, but the area meetings of the IPD (Institute of Personnel and Development, as it was then - before it became chartered) were obsessed with it for quite some time.  

 

 

When the Real Great Empire at Hatfield was closed in the late 80's the staff in the Canteen had the choice of taking a rather nice redundancy deal (up to 52 weeks money, depending on age and years of service) or going to the (laughable) Mk. 2 Great Empire but working for a different company on the same T's & C's - which a fair few did.

And what happens?  After a year (IIRC) the different company got rid of many (all?) of them on legal minimum redundancy.  What total and utter 'sterds.  

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, Adam88 said:

I thought RM was mine, after all I recently invested heavily in half a dozen second class stamps.

Where the real stamps though? or some cheap Chinese ones. We need to know?

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

Would you trust this building company

Andy

Somewhere in my stamped envelope collection I have an envelope from a railroad construction/maintenance company named "KLUTTS". Same question!

BTW, I acquired it from the trashcan in the office of the railroad where a friend worked.

[Tony_S]

This afternoon I discovered that that 009 locos with tiny wheels and outside cranks won’t work on my rolling road. I also found that if you incline track sufficiently the Bachmann Quarry Hunslet (Alice) will slide elegantly down the track. I did find out some more useful things though. 

[SM42]

What a fine day today was. 

 

Me, sunshine, the open road ( reasonably empty) the Polish countryside, storks and the air con on full blast. 

 

Add in some trains, stations  with unmodernised character ( almost derelict) and some semaphore signals. 

 

Heaven

 

This evening was spent at a free concert in the place we had our wedding reception. 

 

The concert wasn't free, but as it was outdoors, we just sat next door with a beer or two. 

 

 

Andy

Edited May 29 by SM42
Auto text that has no idea

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

When the Real Great Empire at Hatfield was closed in the late 80's the staff in the Canteen had the choice of taking a rather nice redundancy deal (up to 52 weeks money, depending on age and years of service) or going to the (laughable) Mk. 2 Great Empire but working for a different company on the same T's & C's - which a fair few did.

And what happens?  After a year (IIRC) the different company got rid of many (all?) of them on legal minimum redundancy.  What total and utter 'sterds.  

ISTR my Dad left the water industry at 50 on the legacy (pre-privatisation) redundancy terms.  Within about 18 months, all his former colleagues still working were offered relocation to the Swansea office 50 miles away (so too far for most to commute daily) or redundancy - on new terms nothing like the former public service ones.  Never mind, thank goodness the directors of the water companies didn't have to worry about this sort of thing as after privatisation, their remuneration, pensions etc. improved stratospherically.

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, SM42 said:

 ...snip... The concert wasn't free, but as it was outdoors, we just sat next door with a beer or two.

Andy

That reminded me of a Fourth of July fireworks celebration in downtown Baltimore, MD 's Inner Harbor sponsored by a local radio station broadcasting live from the pier. It was to start around 2100 and last about a half hour. At 2115, the announcer told of some technical difficulties and it would start about 2130. Well, 2130 rolled right by with no fireworks. around 2145 the announcer came on and said that, as a lot of folks had come by public transport (most of the bus service's last downtown departures was around 2215 to 2230), the show would be somewhat condensed. It sure was; a half-hour show was condensed into about five minutes!! It all went off almost together; there is only one description of that show: WOW!  I think my ears are still ringing!

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[SM42]

Yesterday's concert was one of 3 nights of concerts sponsored by the eletricity company. 

 

The location is about 10km out of the city in a forest, so the local transport operator had a fleet of buses waiting to take people back into the city. 

 

It was all very well organised. 

 

The restaurant is lakeside, by the beach, alongside popular forest trails, but just off the main road. 

 

Public open space and amenities are well catered for, with beaches, well maintained pathways around lakes and through the forest, public gym equipment, pedalo hire, restaurants of typical beachside fair ( plus beer obviously) and good bicycle parking provision.  

 

Those travelling by car have ample free parking roadside  although there are some car parks that charge a fee

 

During the day lifeguards are on duty at the lake and a pontoon encloses tje immediate shoreline for those less confident and the paddlers. 

 

Yesterday's venue really is a lovely spot to spend some time, all year round ( although it is very quiet and mostly closed in winter)  and just 20 minutes on foot from here. 

 

Sunset over the lake was worth the trip alone

 

 

Andy

[jamie92208]

I once attended a 'free' mc&ly concert, standing g in the car park at the back of the exhibition halat Telford whilst exhibiting at Guildex. My daughter was most impressed, 

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

I once attended a 'free' mc&ly concert, standing g in the car park at the back of the exhibition halat Telford whilst exhibiting at Guildex. My daughter was most impressed, 

 

Jamie

I too would be impressed to know you went to Guildex as an exhibitor.

[SM42]

Today is Corpus Christi ( or on Polish, Boza Cialo)

 

It is therefore a public holiday. 

Tomorrow being Friday, then stuff it, let's have that day off too, so we have Dlugi Weekend ( long weekend) 

 

I can't think why the Poles have lots of public holidays on Thursdays.

 

It also marks 16 years of me and Mrs SM42, (officially, in writing and signed, ) tolerating each other. 

 

To this end we are off to the SiL's for  breakfast and then lunch out to celebrate with the family, which will also form an early birthday celebration for the FiL

 

It's going to be quite cake heavy today. 

 

The weather is glorious with scattered  storms forecast later this afternoon ( probably just in time for the procession following the church service.)

 

 

Andy

Edited May 30 by SM42

[Happy Hippo]

Congratulations.

 

I was up early ensuring that the Bara Brith was prepared in advance of the Huntmeister's triumphal arrival later on this morning.

 

 

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

Congratulations.

 

I was up early ensuring that the Bara Brith was prepared in advance of the Huntmeister's triumphal arrival later on this morning.

 

 

 

As teachers at primary schools are wont to say, "I hope you have enough for EVERYONE"...

 

[Dave Hunt]

4 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I was up early ensuring that the Bara Brith was prepared in advance of the Huntmeister's triumphal arrival later on this morning.

4 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Excellent! I’ll be there shortly.

 

(And yes, I’ll stop calling you shortly.)

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

39 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Excellent! I’ll be there shortly.

 

(And yes, I’ll stop calling you shortly.)

 

Dave

Don't rush...

 

Give it a chance to cool down.

[Winslow Boy]

26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Don't rush...

 

Give it a chance to cool down.

Will grand kids get a piece or is restricted to 'grownups' - I use that term in the widest possible sense.

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Will grand kids get a piece or is restricted to 'grownups' - I use that term in the widest possible sense.

After Dave left, I went in and found that apart from a few crumbs it had vanished.

[SM42]

Cake has similarly been reduced to crumbs in Poznan. 

 

Didn't see DH here though.

 

More weather warnings issued but the airport weather ray is doing its thing at the moment

 

Andy