The Night Mail

[monkeysarefun]

1 minute ago, polybear said:

 

Maison Bear (a highly respected, up n' coming Restaurant of impeccable quality) just happens to have an opening for a highly qualified, hard-working Chimp to join the team as a Sous Chef.....

Thanks but I'm more an ideas man.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Canal Digger said:

I may be unusual but provided that it is not offensive or on historic building etc or too extensive and is well done, then I quite like some graffiti as an art form. It takes a certain skill to do a painting from a few feet away which is designed too be seen 30 - 40 feet away*. One recent one locally was of the characters from the 50's/ 60's cartoon Top Cat. Graffiti that is just a mess or on a bridge (that I helped to restore) over a canal then flogging is too good for the culprits.  

 

 

I do like some graffiti IF the quality is very high (and the owner of the "canvas" is agreeable)  - though when some scrote then comes along afterwards and b*ggers up someone's hard work it really does p1ss me off.  I must admit to being a little disappointed (other words are available) when "Give Peas a Chance"** on a bridge over the M25 was subsequently screwed up by someone else some years later.

 

**On the clockwise carriageway, north of Heathrow; whoever did it must've had a death wish.

[PupCam]

8 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Wouldn't that have been historically accurate? The Buccaneer at the RAF museum Hendon site has a raunchy lady painted on it. 

 

For goodness sake don't mention it.   There will be a campaign by the perpetually offended who'll superglue themselves to the nose wheel until it's brought into line with "todays" standards.   

 

I'm sure it's not only me that's sick and tired of all this nonsense!        The world needs a full reset on common sense IMHO.

 

[monkeysarefun]

38 minutes ago, PupCam said:

There will be a campaign by the perpetually offended who'll superglue themselves to the nose wheel until it's brought into line with "todays" standards.   

CAn you imagine it!

 

[Craigw]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

I do like some graffiti IF the quality is very high (and the owner of the "canvas" is agreeable)  - though when some scrote then comes along afterwards and b*ggers up someone's hard work it really does p1ss me off.  I must admit to being a little disappointed (other words are available) when "Give Peas a Chance"** on a bridge over the M25 was subsequently screwed up by someone else some years later.

 

**On the clockwise carriageway, north of Heathrow; whoever did it must've had a death wish.

 

One of the major Australian cigarette brand is (was? - I am not a smoker) is Winfield. For many years in the 1980s a bridge on the North Shore rail line (Sydney) had "binfield for bankers" in large letters across it. Probably long gone.

[PupCam]

Sorry, these might be out of sync but TNM has been way too productive!

 

On 09/07/2024 at 16:47, Willie Whizz said:

I haven’t been to the NRM for many years, but this discussion is familiar from other contexts. I think what the organisations AND their potential customers need to get their heads around is that these days it’s almost impossible to reconcile the two extremes. 
 

Which do you want?

- A “railway-themed Visitor Experience” which will attract a wide (but shallow) audience, and at best hopefully stimulate some interest in learning more; OR

 

- A “traditional-style Museum” which will be of interest and educational value to those who already have that desire and want to further it in greater depth, but who are likely to be uninterested and perhaps even put off by “interactive displays” aimed at the young and by attempts to show relevance to … shall we say, visitors with little or no knowledge or appreciation of British history and culture, whether railway-related or otherwise. 
 

I don’t think it’s easy, and sometimes may not even be possible, to cater for both.  But from the organisational perspective, which is more likely to bring the greater number of ‘paying customers’ (including paying for the catering and its cross-subsidy of the exhibits), and which is more likely to be an acceptable to grant-giving organisations which  themselves may have little direct interest in the subject, but do have - or a required to have - a ‘politically correct’ agenda?

 

Sadly, it may become a choice between an NRM you don’t particularly like but can survive and thrive, or no NRM at all. 

 

Some years ago I thought there was a set of very strict (some might say over-zealous eg, climate controlled aircraft hangars, subdued lighting cabinets, no human access to prevent humidity blah blah) rules that museums had to comply with for the purposes of accreditation and woe betide you if your merry band of well informed, amateur volunteer run jewels of good intention (and results)  flunked it.   That seems to have gone completely out of the window now as long as there's a Junior Adventure Experience Area where little Tarquin and Eliza can run around shouting their heads off everything is fine and dandy.        The primary purpose of a museum is to CONSERVE & PRESERVE artifacts & information and I would add MAKE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL whatever the subject  of the museum is.    If little Tarquin and Eliza want to run around like demented demons take them down the blxxdy park!

 

As I think @iL Dottore said somewhere, a number of museums are funded not by the visitors but by Government (and also other sources).   Their reason for being is as I suggested, it is not to provide a Government funded theme park for the ankle biters.

 

Last year when I visited RAF Cosford for the first time in ages I was shocked to see the historic SR53 and Prone Meteor parked outside and other small, unique research aircraft actually displayed outside (they were nailed to the ground and had faded information boards stuck in the ground.    So much for an accredited museum preserving it's most valuable assets its exhibits.

 

Oh yes, remind me not to race to RAF Hendon to see this during the summer.  Don't follow the link  @Dave Hunt you'll come over all peculiar.

 

23 hours ago, bbishop said:

The website shows this as closed 8 - 15 July.  It really is the only part worth visiting.

 

A group of us used to do research at the NRM.  Stopped because we weren't professionals.  So nowadays there ain't no research.

 

Disgusting, plain and simple.

 

22 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A couple of recollections of events concerning the NRM.  First is that years ago Bob Essery, Fred James and I spent a lot of our spare time cataloguing the Derby LDO drawings collection - at the NRM's request. We did the job quite assiduously and went to a great deal of trouble identifying wherever possible which locomotives the individual drawings pertained to and adding the relevant information to the lists. At first the museum seemed quite satisfied with what we were doing and one positive spinoff was the start of the Wild Swan books in the Midland Engines and LMS Locomotive Profile series that used many of the drawings we had worked on and for which I did the writing. But then when the drawings appeared in the NRM's catalogue all the references to the subject matter that we had added was missing and when l queried this I was told that since none of us was a qualified librarian or curator our additions were not acceptable. My second experience of note was when I was writing a book about the LMS twin diesels 10000 and 10001 and found out that the NRM had been given a complete set of English Electric operating and servicing manuals so naturally I set about trying to get access to them. In that I was frustrated by NRM personnel telling me that although they most probably had the volumes in question they hadn't been catalogued and since I wasn't a qualified librarian or curator I couldn't be given access. I make no comment on these instances except to say that they occurred after nearly all the 'old gang' of ex-railwaymen and others with a great deal of railway knowledge had left to be replaced by 'professional' librarians and curators. 

 

Dave

 

I'll say it on yours and every-bodies behalf;    Disgusting, plain and simple particularly considering the contribution to the museum you have made

 

13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

On the subject of trains too rarely modelled (sort of), I wonder why there is little, if anything, available for those LNER/BR ER services out of Liverpool St Station or Fenchurch St Station.

 

OK you can get models of some of the DfT approved modern railway stock that can be refinished as TOC trains serving Essex and East Anglia, but if you want to model some of what I would arguably claim are some of the best looking EMUs ever - the Class 302s, 304, 305s, 306s and 309s - you’re stuffed.

 

There used to be a small manufacturer that made kits of these (and others), but they seem to have dropped off the radar horizon. So scratch-building seems the only way ☹️ 

 

One also wonders why there aren’t any models of Class 378 (London Overground) or more models of the various London Underground units. Presumably “lack of interest” (which is - sometimes - bizness speak for “can’t be bothered about those customers”). The Japanese manage to produce models of the myriad and almost countless different types of rolling stock used on the Tokyo Metro without much problem. But there again, in matters railway, the student (Japan) has long surpassed the master (the UK)..

 

I know nothing really of such things but years ago I would have thought Charlie Pettitt of DC Kits would have been your man.    Half of his stand (e.g. at St Albans)  used to be stacked full of his kits and the other half used to be videos and books.   Having just had a quick squint at his website it appears that his emphasis has switched almost completely to DCC stuff and box shifting.    Put me right if I'm wrong but it's a shame although totally understandable if that's where the money is now.

 

10 hours ago, polybear said:

Who?  Oh yes, that lot that are no longer in the kickball.....🤣

 

If my professional experience is anything to go by I'm surprised they haven't demanded a rule change to say this now the way we are doing it and miraculously been re-positioned to the top of the leader board.   

 

9 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Lack of resources, I should think.

 

No, it's far more than that IMHO

 

3 hours ago, polybear said:

See?  Bear's signature "custard on baked beans" is right up there after all

 

I told you that was a perversion.   I still think it is 🤣

 

 

[PupCam]

40 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

CAn you imagine it!

 

 

No I think it would be more like this .....

 

    You can't have those mission markings!

 

    You can't call Pauline a Guiness Girl; she probably identifies as a male ferret or a beech tree these days

 

    You can't display any form of under garment

 

    You can't show those provocative access panels!

 

There, that's much more acceptable:

 

 

 

It's a good job I'm not checking my blood pressure tonight, I might have blown a gasket on TNM 🤣   

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

The primary purpose of a museum is to CONSERVE & PRESERVE artifacts & information and I would add MAKE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL whatever the subject  of the museum is.    If little Tarquin and Eliza want to run around like demented demons take them down the blxxdy park!

 

I'll add EDUCATE

 

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Oh yes, remind me not to race to RAF Hendon to see this during the summer.  Don't follow the link  @Dave Hunt you'll come over all peculiar.

 

 

WTF??

 

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

I know nothing really of such things but years ago I would have thought Charlie Pettitt of DC Kits would have been your man.    Half of his stand (e.g. at St Albans)  used to be stacked full of his kits and the other half used to be videos and books.   Having just had a quick squint at his website it appears that his emphasis has switched almost completely to DCC stuff and box shifting.    Put me right if I'm wrong but it's a shame although totally understandable if that's where the money is now.

 

ISTR DC Kits had some sort of disaster at their premises a few years back (flood?  fire?) that damaged or destroyed a lot of the tooling; also the RTR boys gradually releasing stuff that was only previously available from him meant I suspect he's had to re-invent himself.

 

13 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

I told you that was a perversion.   I still think it is 🤣

 

I sense a Beary Challenge (#2) approaching.....

[monkeysarefun]

33 minutes ago, Craigw said:

 

One of the major Australian cigarette brand is (was? - I am not a smoker) is Winfield. For many years in the 1980s a bridge on the North Shore rail line (Sydney) had "binfield for bankers" in large letters across it. Probably long gone.

 

 

There was a group in Sydney in  the eighties called BUGAUP (Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions)  who went around defacing cigarette and alcohol billboards, it was probably their work.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10 by monkeysarefun

[jamie92208]

Yes Charlie's house suffered a quite serious explosion.  I can't remember the details. 

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

14 minutes ago, PupCam said:

It's a good job I'm not checking my blood pressure tonight,

Aditi is having to record hers twice a day for a couple of weeks. She took it this evening while she was watching the England v Netherlands football. I did try to suggest it wasn’t really a good idea. 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

No I think it would be more like this .....

 

    You can't have those mission markings!

 

    You can't call Pauline a Guiness Girl; she probably identifies as a male ferret or a beech tree these days

 

    You can't display any form of under garment

 

    You can't show those provocative access panels!

 

There, that's much more acceptable:

 

Meanwhile in another land, girls in gold bikinis walk the streets and top up expiring parking meters, rendering parking free.

 

 

 

At least they did until cashless machines took over.  

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

WTF??

 

 

How about the interpretive dance version of D-Day, then...

 

Edited July 10 by monkeysarefun

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

At least they did until cashless machines took over.  

 

So, cashless machines, patrolling the streets, topping up the parking meters by contactless payment. But do they, too, wear gold bikinis? 

[J. S. Bach]

16 hours ago, Canal Digger said:

As someone said I like visiting London, I like leaving it even better!

I have been to places like that.

[J. S. Bach]

15 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

As for cult status Emu's the only one that I can think of are the 4 COR's on the Southern, fantastic things.   ...snip...

Jamie

Maybe the Brighton Belle also? I do have a Hornby set with one "extra" car, DORIS. I just wish that they were in 1/48 O scale.

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Craigw]

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

There was a group in Sydney in  the eighties called BUGAUP (Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions)  who went around defacing cigarette and alcohol billboards, it was probably their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reviving my memories of bugaup. That was vandalism done with style!

 

I don't think the Binfield was there work, though it could have been a startup project for them I guess.

 

Some good memories of the bugaup stuff there, you brought a smile to my face

 

Regards,

 

Craig

 

[Craigw]

3 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have been to places like that.

 

 

That is on par with the classic NSW line that the best thing to come out of Victoria is the Hume Highway. (Australian context)

 

Regards,

 

Craig

[monkeysarefun]

13 minutes ago, Craigw said:

 

 

That is on par with the classic NSW line that the best thing to come out of Victoria is the Hume Highway. (Australian context)

 

Regards,

 

Craig

 

 

"The Deadly Hume"  as it was known back in the day before the dual carriageway went in...

 

At around 900km it was not too long that you couldn't do the trip in one go, but long enough that sleep overtook many, and nighttime roos and wombats accounted for many more!

Edited July 11 by monkeysarefun

[Craigw]

30 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

"The Deadly Hume"  as it was known back in the day before the dual carriageway went in...

 

At around 900km it was not too long that you couldn't do the trip in one go, but long enough that sleep overtook many, and nighttime roos and wombats accounted for many more!

 

I was an Army Apprentice and was at the Army Apprentice School at Balcombe (near Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula) We drove from Sydney to Balcombe in 1980 on the old Hume. There was usually stops at Goulburn, Yass and Albury and somewhere in Victoria too. The first of the dual carriage way from Liverpool to Campbelltown opened in 1981 (I think) as I remember going via razorback and through Picton - Bargo - Mittagong on at least one trip. That was fun (not) Pre air conditioning too and it was usual to do the trip with the windows down in summer.

[iL Dottore]

17 hours ago, Willie Whizz said:

Political correctness always trumps historical accuracy. That’s why they’ve recently had to shelve a proposed monument to the Royal Navy’s work in suppressing the slave trade. 

 

14 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Abolitionists did not exist, by definition..... 

There’s nothing wrong in revisiting history and developing a better and more rounded historical narrative, but if we do so, let’s not do it selectively.

 

All nations have done great things and terrible things, done things - acceptable in the past, but which are not acceptable now and things that were certainly not acceptable even back then when they were being done.

 

Anyone with even the merest iota of historical understanding grasps that. And yet there is a vocal minority - usually from the same academic, social and political milieu (no names, no pack drill. Don’t want the prodnoses to get agitated) who are determined to, if not obsessed by, depicting Western Civilisation in the worst possible light, especially the UK.

 

If Britain fielded, say, a fleet of 60 ships to hunt down slavers, they would twist things so that they can claim that Britain only used 3% of its naval forces to this end, whilst Slobbovia dedicated a full 25% of its naval forces to the same task…. Carefully neglecting to clarify that the entire Slobbovian navy consists of 4 boats, two of which being borrowed pedalos that needed to be returned at the start of the summer holidays.

 

I am, quite frankly, rather fed up with this constant denigration of Western European achievement. Since the enlightenment, when God was removed from daily life and people encouraged to think for themselves, Western Europe has been in the vanguard of scientific and social progress (sometimes reluctantly in the latter case). And unlike other great civilisations that became sclerotic, stuck in the middle ages, or simply fossilised and deliberately cut-off from the rest of the world, European civilisation (in which I include N America, Oz and NZ) has been like a shark: always hungry, always hunting, always moving forward…

[monkeysarefun]

8 minutes ago, Craigw said:

 

I was an Army Apprentice and was at the Army Apprentice School at Balcombe (near Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula) We drove from Sydney to Balcombe in 1980 on the old Hume. There was usually stops at Goulburn, Yass and Albury and somewhere in Victoria too. The first of the dual carriage way from Liverpool to Campbelltown opened in 1981 (I think) as I remember going via razorback and through Picton - Bargo - Mittagong on at least one trip. That was fun (not) Pre air conditioning too and it was usual to do the trip with the windows down in summer.

 

And getting stuck 100th in line behind a family caravan with no where to overtake until they eventually pulled over because they'd overheated -  as they always did

 

The main road from  Sydney to Melbourne up until the early 80's at least:

 

[iL Dottore]

12 hours ago, GMKAT7 said:

Good evening folks,

 

A food-related tale from me.

 

Some ten years ago, whilst our son was on a week-long school trip, the Boss (SWMBO) and I went to Sat Bains restaurant in Nottingham for a ten-course taster menu meal.

 

After the welcome chocolates and a cup of tea we went off to the meal (we were staying overnight so had a room).

 

The first course was a horse radish ice cream.

Normally horse radish gives me the ab dabs, so I politely put the portion (a small cube) on a side plate.

Equally politely the waitress said it was ice cream, so I better get on with eating it.

 

Wow! What a surprise.

Sure, it tasted of horse radish but not overly so and the contradiction between fiery horse radish and cold ice cream was a very pleasant surprise.

 

Spendy? Yes.

Wonderful food? Yes.

 

Looking forward to going again next year when the boy has finished uni and he can look after the dog for the night.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

 

 

A wonderful tale of the joys (and benefits) of going beyond the usual meat ‘n’ two veg and of eating food made by one of the best in the business (which Sat Bains is).

I’ve eaten at Heston Blumenthal’s “Dinner” (in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London), it wasn’t inexpensive, but the whole meal was fabulous and the experience amazing.

 

What I find intriguing about the British psyche is how so many would be horrified about spending £150 or so on a meal, but would happily spend that amount on a top-level sporting event or pop concert.

 

But there again, unsurprising - as there is a lot of inverse snobbery around food in the UK

[iL Dottore]

11 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Maison Bear (a highly respected, up n' coming Restaurant of impeccable quality) just happens to have an opening for a highly qualified, hard-working Chimp to join the team as a Sous Chef.....

Yes, I’ve read about that restaurant in the UPF Gazetteer in the article entitled “unsung heroes of food chemistry”.

 

The article also claims that any restaurant leftovers from Maison Bear have to be disposed of by people specially trained in hazardous waste disposal wearing HazMat suits.

 

The UPF Gazetteer is not known for hyperbole or exaggeration