The Night Mail

[Hroth]

I live a mile from the sea, but the gulls can't be arsed coming so far inland.  All I get is ruddy pigeons!

 

[SM42]

53 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

 

 

I bet most people have forgotten that programme or weren't watching kids TV in the 1980s!

 

Remember it well. 

 

Part of the Postman Pat children's TV craze about people with everyday jobs. 

 

 

Postman, builder, fireman, er lighthouse keeper. 

 

Andy

[Steamport Southport]

We do occasionally get gulls. But usually it's a sign that the weather is going to get bad.

 

As for pigeons, it's only wood pigeons. The others tend to stay in the very built up areas where they get free food. These just like sitting in trees or on the fence (a bit like some politicians or football pundits I can mention, but not as boring).

[Willie Whizz]

19 hours ago, rockershovel said:

…

 

The French, being notionally allies courtesy of the Vichy regime in France, were largely left to their own devices in Indo-China (Viet Nam). I found an interesting account a while ago, of British merchant seamen interned there by the French. 

 

A British accomodation with the Nazis would have left the door open for a similar accomodation in places like Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Only until the Japanese felt they needed to exert authority over Indo-China and Thailand. The Japanese de facto takeover of French colonies and Thailand greatly then facilitated naval, air and military operations against the Dutch East Indies (which they wanted for fuel) and Singapore and Malaya. The aircraft which sank the Prince of Wales and Repulse were forward-based in the Saigon area. 
 

I have wondered how History might have been different if, before or in response to the US oil embargoes in the months before the outbreak of War, the Japanese had had the sense to come to an accommodation with the Colonial Dutch for the supply of oil. 

Edited June 8 by Willie Whizz

[Steamport Southport]

1 minute ago, SM42 said:

 

Remember it well. 

 

Part of the Postman Pat children's TV craze about people with everyday jobs. 

 

 

Postman, builder, fireman, er lighthouse keeper. 

 

Andy

 

There was a craze for lighthouse keeper programmes.

 

On the British version of Fraggle Rock they had a lighthouse keeper played by Fulton MacKay from Porridge. In the other versions it was an inventor like Doc* from Back To The Future which confused me as when they repeated it a few years ago it was the American version.

 

*Even named Doc

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

I live a mile from the sea, but the gulls can't be arsed coming so far inland.  All I get is ruddy pigeons!

 

Pigeons are on the General Licence.

 

Gulls are not.

 

Desmond Tu-Tu and Juan Seven-Seven prefer the former.

[Dave Hunt]

Currently sitting in the Co-op Live arena waiting for the Eagles to do their thing and nothing has yet fallen off the ceiling. Could be a good night.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

37 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Currently sitting in the Co-op Live arena waiting for the Eagles to do their thing and nothing has yet fallen off the ceiling. Could be a good night.

 

Dave

I was in the Co-op earlier on: I must have missed you.

 

No Eagles though, only loads of  Shy talkers.

[SM42]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Pigeons are on the General Licence.

 

Gulls are not.

 

Desmond Tu-Tu and Juan Seven-Seven prefer the former.

 

One species used to be. 

 

I blame Chris Packham  for being kept up all night by non stop squawking gulls. 

 

If I made that much noise at 3 am the council would be round

 

Andy

[rockershovel]

3 hours ago, Willie Whizz said:

Only until the Japanese felt they needed to exert authority over Indo-China and Thailand. The Japanese de facto takeover of French colonies and Thailand greatly then facilitated naval, air and military operations against the Dutch East Indies (which they wanted for fuel) and Singapore and Malaya. The aircraft which sank the Prince of Wales and Repulse were forward-based in the Saigon area. 
 

I have wondered how History might have been different if, before or in response to the US oil embargoes in the months before the outbreak of War, the Japanese had had the sense to come to an accommodation with the Colonial Dutch for the supply of oil. 

A complex, difficult period with various different agendas in play simultaneously. 

 

The Dutch, remember were notionally an occupied nation, courtesy of the Japanese/German Axis. The French were actively collaborationist whereas the Dutch had one eye on the government in exile in UK.

 

The Japanese also needed rubber, tin and rice. 

 

I don't believe such a cooperation would have been viable. 

[br2975]

Today was the "Beating of The Bounds" at Llantrisant.

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An event held every seven years whereby the Freemen of the Borough lead a large crowd around the borough boundary, stopping at certain points to give young lads 'the bumps' in order that they will rememeber where the boundaries are. 

.

Mrs. "br2975" and I never undertook the full seven mile walk, behind the South Wales Police band, but chose instead to re-visit the three pubs, for the first time since Christmas night 1978 and then the concert on the castle green.

.

Having lived nearby during 1978/1979 I also returned to the (long closed) local police station to which I had hoped to be posted when I joined South Wales Police in 1979.

On my first afternoon in 'the job' I was ushered into the office of the  Deputy Chief Constable who handled postings, and who was sat behind an untidy desk, sans tie and wearing an old, unbuttoned cardigan with huge holes in the elbows.

Our conversation went as follows.....

"Where would you like to go ?"

"Llantrisant, Sir"

"Don't be so f****ng silly, you have to go to a sub-division, that place is only open from eight to four ! How about Ton Pentre ?"

"Where's that Sir ?"

"Tonypandy, Treorchy - but being a Cardiff boy you'd no doubt be b*ggered anywhere north of Taffs Well"

There was a pause, then he said

"I see you're living in Beddau (pronounced locally as  'bather'), so when you drive into Cardiff which way do you go ?"

"Sir ?"

"Well if you drive down the motorway, I have vacancies in Llanishen"

"Well actually,  I use the A4119, Llantrisant Road, Sir"

"Oh there we are then, there are two vacancies in Ely, that's settled then"

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From then on every copper I met asked "what did you do wrong to get Ely ?"

.

.

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For the benefit of a certain pachyderm, the bridge in the one photo is at Cross Inn, and away on the left was Cross Inn station, and Common Branch Junction.

Edited June 8 by br2975

[AndyID]

5 hours ago, Hroth said:

I live a mile from the sea, but the gulls can't be arsed coming so far inland.

 

 

That's because all the nice gulls love a sailor.

 

A considerable embuggerment has arisen. I had a bit of a grand mal seizure on Thursday. I had one about a month ago while in bed but this time I konked out in the bathroom and beat myself up a bit so a visit to the ER was required (they were very good there too).

 

I suppose you can't get to my age (75) without stuff starting to happen. I've been pretty lucky up to now although I have always been prone to migraines and it turns out that means a certain predisposition to seizures.

[Northmoor]

On 08/06/2024 at 12:23, Tony_S said:

Fortunately all of them are attracting people who are prepared to cross oceans and continents to join them. 

Germany and Italy yes.  Japan is one of the least ethnically diverse advanced economies in the world.  It has terrible demographics but refuses - supported by most of that ageing public - to allow more than very limited immigration. 

Edited June 9 by Northmoor

[Northmoor]

5 hours ago, SM42 said:

Remember it well. 

Part of the Postman Pat children's TV craze about people with everyday jobs. 

Postman, builder, fireman, er lighthouse keeper. 

If The Village People had been a British band.....

[Tony_S]

31 minutes ago, AndyID said:

considerable embuggerment has arisen. I had a bit of a grand mal seizure on Thursday.

When Matthew was diagnosed someone medical tried to make him feel better by saying Julius Caesar had epilepsy. Matthew said he didn’t have an urge to invade Gaul so it wasn’t relevant.Aditi hasn’t had a seizure since she was 10 but none of the modern anti seizure medications worked for her so she still takes phenobarbital which is a controlled drug so if I collect it for her I have to sign and state my relationship to her.  

[DenysW]

2 hours ago, br2975 said:

Today was the "Beating of The Bounds" at Llantrisant.

According to my daughter that's known by the locals as "the Hole with a Mint". But as a resident of Pontyprydd she could be biased.

[skipepsi]

3 hours ago, Tony_S said:

When Matthew was diagnosed someone medical tried to make him feel better by saying Julius Caesar had epilepsy. Matthew said he didn’t have an urge to invade Gaul so it wasn’t relevant.Aditi hasn’t had a seizure since she was 10 but none of the modern anti seizure medications worked for her so she still takes phenobarbital which is a controlled drug so if I collect it for her I have to sign and state my relationship to her.  

Me too for Gabapentin but they don't always ask...

[Dave Hunt]

Now back at Hunt Towers after the Eagles concert. I have been asked to write a detailed and unbiased report on their performance so it is included below.

 

They were bluddy marvellous.

 

Dave

[polybear]

8 hours ago, AndyID said:

A considerable embuggerment has arisen. I had a bit of a grand mal seizure on Thursday. I had one about a month ago while in bed but this time I konked out in the bathroom and beat myself up a bit so a visit to the ER was required (they were very good there too).

 

I suppose you can't get to my age (75) without stuff starting to happen. I've been pretty lucky up to now although I have always been prone to migraines and it turns out that means a certain predisposition to seizures.

 

VSBT's; the last time Bear fell over in a bathroom (1991) I busted my spine - not great places to have a fall.

 

Will your situation stop you driving, at least until the quacks/driving authorities give you the ok?

 

4 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Now back at Hunt Towers after the Eagles concert. I have been asked to write a detailed and unbiased report on their performance so it is included below.

 

They were bluddy marvellous.

 

Dave

 

But did you get the T-shirt?

Edited June 9 by polybear

[AndyID]

"Will your situation stop you driving, at least until the quacks/driving authorities give you the ok?"

 

It's not exactly forbidden but I won't until I see how it goes after being on the meds for a while. I also seem to get a visual aura before the onset which gives me a fair bit of warning.

[br2975]

9 hours ago, DenysW said:

According to my daughter that's known by the locals as "the Hole with a Mint". But as a resident of Pontyprydd she could be biased.

.

The Llantrisant / Talbot Green / Pontyclun area has become a popular residential area for commuting into Cardiff, being but 10 miles from the capital.

.

I moved back to Cardiff in 1979.

 

Showing due respect to one's daughter, (as a commuter) I'd prefer to live in the general Llantrisant area, primarily due to Wales' largest car park being the A470 south of Ponty.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

"Will your situation stop you driving, at least until the quacks/driving authorities give you the ok?"

 

It's not exactly forbidden but I won't until I see how it goes after being on the meds for a while. I also seem to get a visual aura before the onset which gives me a fair bit of warning.

A relative has had to report to the DVLA that he has had some work done on his eyes. The fact that his eyesight is now better than what it was and that he'd been driving for thirty years with the previous condition couldn't dissay the medical professional. If the computer says you do it...... Officialdom lives.

[Northmoor]

In an world where all too often it's the a-holes who get all the attention, everything about this news story seems to be about the goodness of people:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c722j5gp65jo

Will have to see tomorrow if colleague and friend Chris joined and completed the ride.

[PhilJ W]

Want to buy a station?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147548858?utm_source=ianvisits#/&channel=COM_BUY

[Tony_S]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

Want to buy a station?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147548858?utm_source=ianvisits#/&channel=COM_BUY

Dead centre of London too.