The Night Mail

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I noticed!
 

Forgive me, if I only implied my appreciation, the compliment was appreciated, doubly so given the high standards you have for issuing such things.

 

You do realise, Winnie Dear Boy, that you and I are (perhaps reluctantly?) “comrades in arms” - being both shedless, sans hangar if you will; looked down upon by those mega-shed toffs who model in the “expensive scale”.

 

So, Comrade WB, let’s not forget there will come a day when the scythes will be sharpened, the pitchforks polished and the tumbrils will once again take the avec de très grands hangars to their appointment with Madame Guillotine!

 

Courage mon brave!

Perhaps Andy  and I should borrow a spare guillotine and bring it to Basel so that you can meet and experience her embrace. 

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

33 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Perhaps Andy  and I should borrow a spare guillotine and bring it to Basel so that you can meet and experience her embrace. 

 

Jamie

Right!

 

You and whose army?

Don’t forget the Baslers have been able to p**-off both the French and the Germans in equal measure over the centuries whilst keeping them at arms length. Not for nothing does the Basel fassnacht carnival heavily feature fifes and drums playing British marching tunes accompanied by drumming in the tradition of Napoleon’s Grande Armée - thus irritating the Germans and the French in one fell swoop. So a couple of pseudo-frogs are going to get very short shrift.

 

And may I remind you that the Swiss Police are not the nice, cuddly “can I get you a nice cup of tea Mr protester” coppers like the Metropolitan Police. Nor does Switzerland have the equivalent of the “say you’re really sorry and we’ll let you go” CPS. So anyone turning up, waving sharp edged items in a menacing way, will soon learn why nobody messes with the Swiss.

 

Switzerland may be a neutral country, but it has supplied mercenaries to Europe over many centuries and remains armed to the teeth.

 

Madame Guillotine vs Swiss Army issue Sturmgewehr 90?

 

Just thought I’d bring your attention to the realpolitik of entering Switzerland “with intent”

 

Edited August 28 by iL Dottore

[jamie92208]

5 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Right!

 

You and whose army?

Don’t forget the Baslers have been able to p**-off both the French and the Germans in equal measure over the centuries whilst keeping them at arms length. Not for nothing does the Basel fassnacht carnival heavily feature fifes and drums playing British marching tunes accompanied by drumming in the tradition of Napoleon’s Grande Armée - thus irritating the Germans and the French in one fell swoop. So a couple of pseudo-frogs are going to get very short shrift.

 

And may I remind you that the Swiss Police are not the nice, cuddly “can I get you a nice cup of tea Mr protester” coppers like the Metropolitan Police. Nor does Switzerland have the equivalent of the “say you’re really sorry and we’ll let you go” CPS. So anyone turning up, waving sharp edged items in a menacing way, will soon learn why nobody messes with the Swiss.

 

Switzerland may be a neutral country, but it has supplied mercenaries to Europe over many centuries and remains armed to the teeth.

 

Madame Guillotine vs Swiss Army issue Sturmgewehr 90?

 

Just thought I’d bring your attention to the realpolitik of entering Switzerland “with intent”

 

But we're coming in a train, not in a tent. 

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Your on the special, special list.

 

 

All my neighbours say I'm special.

[iL Dottore]

10 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

But we're coming in a train, not in a tent. 

 

Jamie

SIGH!
 

I think I just might have to have a few quiet words with my friends in the Grenzpolizei

[Erichill16]

14 hours ago, Hroth said:

There's nowt wrong with real malt vinegar!

 

 

Unless you have any allergy to gluten. 
Cider vinegar for me.

 

[jjb1970]

On condiments, Indonesian sambal is worth a try. It's a chilli sauce/paste, chillies, peppers garlic and fermented shrimp paste. The latter gives it a very distinct taste which puts some off (Uncle Roger describes it as white people kryptonite.....) but it's worth a try. As with many strong and distinctive flavours it can be initially offputting but those who like it love it.

Edited August 28 by jjb1970

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

All my neighbours say I'm special.

Yes but are you on there lists - please that that's plural not singular.

[iL Dottore]

And now for something completely different.......

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/27/the-guardian-view-on-heritage-railways-where-the-british-summertime-gets-steamy

 

Very superficial but, surprisingly for the Guardian, not at all sneering!

[J. S. Bach]

I just got back in from harvesting the hay, er, mowing the lawn. I had let it go too long and had a mower problem got fixed yesterday so today was M-Day.

 

 

Edited August 29 by J. S. Bach
To edit the post

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Unless you have any allergy to gluten. 
Cider vinegar for me.

 

 

TBH I hadn't thought of that!

Thanks for the info.

 

[Tony_S]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I think I just might have to have a few quiet words with my friends in the Grenzpolizei

Some years ago we were crossing into Switzerland. We stopped at the border and Aditi went into the border control building to buy a motorway vignette. She was a while. I asked if there had been a problem, she said not after she had woken them up from their midday nap.  

[PhilJ W]

On 27/08/2024 at 14:02, jjb1970 said:

If people want more rabbit food and vinegar in their diet and wonder whether it is possible to make cucumber a tasty treat I recommend acar. Splendid stuff, acar is Indonesian pickled cucumber, it's pickled with shallots and lots of birds eye or similar chilli. 

Recipe here:-

https://turnonthestove.com/indonesian-pickled-vegetables-no-heat-required-easy-fast-acar/

[Northmoor]

12 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I make no bones about having wide interests and of being (moderately) well read. I read voraciously about anything and everything that fascinates me.

I have often said to people that while I loved my time at Poly/Uni and made some lasting friendships, during those four years I came across more ignorant people in higher education than almost anywhere else before or since.  I found it surprising how a significant number of students knew almost nothing about the City of Liverpool, its history (including events like the Toxteth riots which were still recent history at that time) and took little or no interest in current affairs.  They were there to get a degree* and have a good time; nothing else got mentioned.

 

* It often seemed to not really matter what the degree was, it was just a way of deferring making any sort of decision about their lives, for three years.  "Business Studies" seemed to be a common choice for such people, as "It'll be useful", although they apparently took no interest in the world of business.

 

12 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Yesterday, I partially watched an episode of 'Bargain Hunt'.

Always turned over in this house before I start shouting at the TV.  Why is anyone surprised when the contestants buy from dealers (who certainly wouldn't be so polite when asked for discounts if the cameras weren't running), sell where dealers buy their stock, that they fail to make any money?

[Tony_S]

8 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

On condiments, Indonesian sambal is worth a try. It's a chilli sauce/paste, chillies, peppers garlic and fermented shrimp paste. The latter gives it a very distinct taste which puts some off (Uncle Roger describes it as white people kryptonite.....) but it's worth a try. As with many strong and distinctive flavours it can be initially offputting but those who like it love it.

I have eaten (once) the South Indian Sambar and wondered if it was the same as sambal. It would appear not, apart from being ferociously hot. 

[Winslow Boy]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

And now for something completely different.......

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/27/the-guardian-view-on-heritage-railways-where-the-british-summertime-gets-steamy

 

Very superficial but, surprisingly for the Guardian, not at all sneering!

I think the core of it was about volunteering and the railways were just an example. As you said very lightweight as otherwise it would have mentioned the National Trust, RHS and so. Still nice to get a mention in dispatches for once.

[polybear]

14 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

I found it surprising how a significant number of students knew almost nothing about the City of Liverpool, its history (including events like the Toxteth riots which were still recent history at that time) and took little or no interest in current affairs. 

 

In fairness does that actually matter?  They may well be there to do a degree in Engineering (other subjects are available...) and have no interest in such matters.

[Winslow Boy]

Just now, polybear said:

 

In fairness does that actually matter?  They may well be there to do a degree in Engineering (other subjects are available...) and have no interest in such matters.

What's a degree. Is it like a shed?

[polybear]

5 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

What's a degree. Is it like a shed?

 

1/360th of a circle, apparently (so a diddy bit)

[Northmoor]

6 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

In fairness does that actually matter?  They may well be there to do a degree in Engineering (other subjects are available...) and have no interest in such matters.

That's the degree I was doing, but taking an interest in the city I lived, well why wouldn't I do that? 

 

Unlike one or two extreme examples of tone-deaf students I came across, I didn't complain that the locals seemed miserable and that we didn't get discounts on the buses or whatever.  Yep, the same discount that none of the many locals on benefits or in low-wage jobs got either.

[Winslow Boy]

I don't know about anybody else- sorry forgot to say Rant Alert, but I'm getting a little bit annoyed with people who should know better about the lack of information being conveyed.

 

How's that WB I hear you all cry. Well to give an example.

 

Me and the Boss were out today at one of our regular haunts and we came across a contractor doing an underwater survey of the sites infrastructure aka a reservoirs discharge chute.

 

So what I hear you all say. Well there was a sign up from the council and having done a few in my time I paused to read it.

 

Did it tell me what was going on? Did it say why it was being carried out? Did it say who to contact? No. It was a complete waste of paper.

 

What is it with people that they treat others like they are eight year olds and not 'worthy' of being told. Do they give out awards for being dumb? If so it's becoming ubiquitous and I worry about how long it's going to be before we're all led out into a field and shot.

 

Anyway that's me done can someone tell me how to turn this damned thing off as I've lost the will to live.

[Winslow Boy]

11 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

1/360th of a circle, apparently (so a diddy bit)

So not like a shed then. Perhaps a garage?

[polybear]

17 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

That's the degree I was doing, but taking an interest in the city I lived, well why wouldn't I do that? 

 

Unlike one or two extreme examples of tone-deaf students I came across, I didn't complain that the locals seemed miserable and that we didn't get discounts on the buses or whatever.  Yep, the same discount that none of the many locals on benefits or in low-wage jobs got either.

 

Possibly because none of us are capable of taking an interest in literally everything (such as things that plainly don't interest us) because there just isn't enough hours in a day (or years in our lives) so we spend our spare time on those things we consider to be of interest to us (which may well be of diddly squat interest to others - such as muddle railways).

 

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

28 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

1/360th of a circle, apparently (so a diddy bit)

Aditi has 3 degrees, does that mean she is more rounded?

[Dave Hunt]

On 24/08/2024 at 09:39, jjb1970 said:

. And dengue fever is no fun.

 

Having had it in 1969 I can vouch for that. I've never been so ill in my life and the bedding and mattress had to be burnt by the time I got over it.

 

Dave