The Night Mail

[Tony_S]

We are somewhere between Suffolk and the Netherlands. Things have changed in boarding ships at Southampton. We had been granted an early arrival time and priority boarding. In the past, a man with a barrow would meet you and take your luggage away, while the car was handed over to the driver. Now you load your bags into airport type trollies and are supposed to determine which bag drop by psychic means. Though once you interview a man in hi vis they seem to know everything.

I think the queue chaos was caused by people turning up early. We joined our correct queue and proceeded steadily. After that checking in was easy, security was interesting as we had to have our bags searched for a knife like object which turned out to be a zip. The security officer was so polite and thanked us for our cooperation. We were on board in time for lunch in the self service restaurant, which is on this ship called Artisan’s Foodhall. There is a dedicated pizza station.  
We unpacked and did not a lot until dinner. Which was pleasant. Aditi was keen to,watch the football but not keen to go to the theatre or pub to watch it but it was on a UEFA channel on the cabin TV. 
Off to breakfast soon. 
Then for a walk to find where everything is in this ship. Traditional Cunard passengers on the internet claim to be horrified at this ship but we think it is rather nice on board even if the outside isn’t as ship like as the Queen Mary2

[Oldddudders]

29 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Make certain your ties straight and you've got clean underwear on.

Surely clean undies are only essential for a de-briefing?

 

As one who has hardly ever flown anywhere, I think my last flight was to/from Orlando. At the time I was wearing a Swatch, which was unreliable, so seeing a Swatch shop at Gatwick - airside, I think - I asked if she could change the battery. No - she took one look, said that's this year's model, shouldn't misbehave, and gave me a brand new one in free exchange. Hard to fault!

 

I think Alison worked at Gatwick on tenancy lettings many years ago. But then she's also a part-qualified architect and has a Masters in IT. And now cleans my house (allegedly). 

[polybear]

17 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We were on board in time for lunch in the self service restaurant, which is on this ship called Artisan’s Foodhall. There is a dedicated pizza station.  
 

 

Bear may have been wrong about cruise ships after all.....

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

LGW has an M&S in the Terminal, just outside arrivals; I find it dead useful for essentials such as milk, bread, nanas, LDC etc. when returning from a Hols.

Grab a granny?

[Happy Hippo]

Judging by the papers this morning, anyone would think that there had been a national catastrophe.

 

Over hyped headlines such as 'Crushing defeat' 

 

Really? A crushing defeat would have been 8-0, not 2-1.

 

In any other sport, it's a case of shrugging your shoulders and getting on with life.

 

Can you imagine the England XV bursting into tears because Wales beat them 6-3.

 

No, they wouldn't be weeping and wailing into their boots, they'd be fuming.

Edited July 15 by Happy Hippo

[Oldddudders]

43 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Judging by the papers this morning, anyone would think that there had been a national catastrophe.

 

Over hyped headlines such as 'Crushing defeat' 

 

Really? A crushing defeat would have been 8-0, not 2-1.

 

In any other sport, it's a case of shrugging your shoulders and getting on with life.

 

Can you imagine the England XV bursting into tears because Wales beat them 6-3.

 

No, they wouldn't be weeping and wailing into their boots, they'd be fuming.

At least we will be spared the jingoist loutishness, on and off the pitch, that followed 1966 by several years, and spawned the whole "Ingerland" craze among knuckleheads. 

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Make certain your ties straight and you've got clean underwear on.

 

Chocks away Squiffy.

 

And of course be prepared to produce your appointments for inspection. 

 

Jamie 

[SM42]

As the rain has set in, outdoor jobs are now abandoned for the duration. 

 

Plenty to do inside though. 

 

Andy

[Oldddudders]

7 minutes ago, SM42 said:

As the rain has set in, outdoor jobs are now abandoned for the duration. 

I was fortunate to get my remaining mowing done by 9.30, and after a coffee did some snipping of brambles here and there. A few showers since then, but now some sunshine. 

[SM42]

29 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I was fortunate to get my remaining mowing done by 9.30, and after a coffee did some snipping of brambles here and there. A few showers since then, but now some sunshine. 

 

Mowing is scheduled for Friday. 

 

The deluge promised has yet to arrive here. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

 

And of course be prepared to produce your appointments for inspection. 

 

Jamie 

And have the ointment to hand in case she wishes to apply it for you.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

And have the ointment to hand in case she wishes to apply it for you.

Wilwait tsee if anyone gets their minds out of the gutter and gets near a correct interpretation. Perhaps @br2975Might have a clue.

 

Jamie

[br2975]

10 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Wilwait tsee if anyone gets their minds out of the gutter and gets near a correct interpretation. Perhaps @br2975Might have a clue.

 

Jamie

.

"No comment"

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, br2975 said:

.

"No comment"

Hell's teeth Brian, are you unwell?

[jamie92208]

26 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Hell's teeth Brian, are you unwell?

He probably got a rollicking once for not having his appointments. 

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Surely clean undies are only essential for a de-briefing?

 

A mate of mine once got the kokinelli quicksteps when halfway back to UK from Cyprus in a Phantom. When he taxied in there was a customs man there to ask about declarable goods but after one sniff as mate came down the ladder he sent him on his way without further ado. Matey then went straight to the back door of the flying clothing section and when it was opened said, "Sergeant, where do I burn my immersion suit?" The Sergeant took one sniff. "Follow me Sir," he said.  

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Bear may have been wrong about cruise ships after all.....

 

Ah, but is there a curly fries station?"

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

10 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

At least we will be spared the jingoist loutishness, on and off the pitch, that followed 1966 by several years, and spawned the whole "Ingerland" craze among knuckleheads. 

 

I once way back in the late '70s had the grave misfortune to be on a night train that was conveying large numbers of knucklehead kickball fans who had just seen Ingerland win at Wembley and it was appalling. I went through the train looking for somewhere that wasn't infested with them and when I met the guard (remember them?) asked him if there was anywhere relatively quiet whereupon he took me to a first class  carriage and said I could sit there despite not having a first class ticket. As he left he said that it was lucky that so far the knuckle draggers hadn't decide to annex the carriage and with luck it would stay that way, which thank the Lord it did.

 

Dave

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 has been reading about some of the crazy ways people got to Berlin and back. 

 

One apparently catching a train to Hanover, flying to Milan  fly to Corfu and then fly to Manchester. 

 

Personally I would catch a train to Koln, then one to Brussels and then one to London and then travel onward by train or coach to Manchester. 

 

Not sure on the logic of their chosen route, perhaps it was cheaper, but 36hrs on the road rather than maybe 16 or so.

 

Andy

[polybear]

On the Warehouse Whatsapp Group one of the Hospice Staff posted video taken in a nearby town last night showing mass fighting; apparently two people were stabbed.

If that's fun you can keep it.

[bbishop]

My preferred route to Berlin is St Pancras - Amsterdam, then an IC to Berlin Ostbahnhof.  Not quick but avoids the sprint in Brussel Zuid and there is time to stock up on food and drink in Amsterdam Centraal.  However the Eurostars will stop short of Amsterdam for a time, whilst they rebuild Centraal.

[Dave Hunt]

Berlin?  's easy - take off, head about 100 degrees for an hour or so and bingo! There you are.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

Bit of a busy day today. Jill has developed a stinking cold so I have been chief (and only) shopper, cook, fetcher and carrier so little or no time for much else except dropping into TNM a couple of times. Unfortunately we are meant to be going to see Bob Essery's widow Wynne on Wednesday so unless there is a very rapid recovery by tomorrow afternoon we'll have to cancel.

 

As they say in France, there's allus bluddy summat.

 

Dave 

[Northmoor]

18 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Berlin?  's easy - take off, head about 100 degrees for an hour or so and bingo! There you are.

 

Dave

You've reminded me of the BoBMF re-enacting the Dambusters raid flight some years ago, when present day crews flew the flight profile at a similar time of year.  The general consensus was a disbelief that anyone could have tolerated the noise, vibration and cold for so many hours, then still being able to concentrate on your job over the target.  Oh and then after a matter of days, do it again.  And again, with about 10% of them not coming back each time.

 

Whatever we might think now of the ethics of what was done by Bomber Command, the men who flew those aircraft were (IMO) amongst the very bravest of all who served in WW2.

[skipepsi]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

Berlin?  's easy - take off, head about 100 degrees for an hour or so and bingo! There you are.

 

Dave

I would be interested in your take on going through immigration.