Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning!  Interweb connection at the campsite was upgraded to fibre optic yesterday, hence my ability now to post at will.

 

Never mind the pavements cracking, the ground is too, here in tthe isle of Swamp Sheppey.  Stewart, we're a bit too far south for the railway I'm afraid!  Off to Derbyshire/Staffordshire border tomorrow for a few days.  We have really enjoyed being down here, but have only achieved a fraction of what we set out to do, driving has been an issue for me.  We have been loaned a car down here by friends to save moving the campervan every day, but discovered too late that Deb's insurance (the camper is in her name) doesn't cover her, only my car insurance covers me, so I had to do all the driving here.  My hip has cried enough (clutch leg) so today we're off out in a boat with the friends, Swale, Medway and Thames beckons.

 

Edit for speeling as usual!

Edited July 13, 2013 by New Haven Neil

[Gruffalo]

Sorry I should have made that clear it was electricity consumption I have both from British Gas...... dual fuel savings or one less direct debit to track. 

Then there must be a fault Mick. Are you sure your neighbours aren't growing certain weeds and using your power?

[New Haven Neil]

25c and rising - I'm going to melt soon.  Us northerners aren't used to this!  Don would think it's cold I suppose!

[Coombe Barton]

Just come up on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23298374 - Loose rail connector 'caused' France train crash

[Danemouth]

Sorry I should have made that clear it was electricity consumption I have both from British Gas...... dual fuel savings or one less direct debit to track. 

Mick,

 

I did wonder!

 

My annual consumption in a 4 bed semi is 5,835 kwh electricity and 27,000 kwh Gas. It was a bad winter and the gas the previous year was 20,600 kwh. I keep a spreadsheet summary of my quarterly bills to monitor things. The central heating boiler is 25 years old.

 

I don't know the current regulations but at the time I left BG in 1995 gas meters had to be changed every 20 years. IIRC Electricity meters need to be recertified every 15 years.

 

HTH

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

In between dentist and hair visits Aditi has found her RHS card and has booked a couple of tickets (sent by email) so it does look as if we are going to Hampton Court to look at flowers tomorrow. Is there a tweed and wellies dress code?

[martin1]

afternoon all,hometime soon.....30 inside and combined with hot engines not much fun !! beautifull outside,hope everyone has a good weekend!

[trisonic]

In between dentist and hair visits Aditi has found her RHS card and has booked a couple of tickets (sent by email) so it does look as if we are going to Hampton Court to look at flowers tomorrow. Is there a tweed and wellies dress code?

Don't forget the Horsewhip! They have designated peasants to beat.

 

Best, Pete.

[Tony_S]

Don't forget the Horsewhip! They have designated peasants to beat.

 

Best, Pete.

As an Essex resident originally from Birmingham sounds as if I need to keep quiet to avoid being beaten!

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

Son duly despatched trainwards at Reading this a.m. and no doubt well enroute by now; Mrs Stationmaster despatched to shop for something (new) to wear when we go to see Station Cat rise to the doctorate - she's home now; self and Dr Station Cat attended the Woodcote Rally -n a very hot field but extra worth it for the B0fB flight at low level -also saw Missy from RMweb there.

 

Now to electricity and gas - our standing order is c.£75 per month for each of them and just about in balance (one is slightly over and the other is slightly under that amount) and that is for a modern built 4 bed house with two bathrooms and with insulation testing well above required level back in 2005.  But we have had solar panels for hot water since Day 1 and we are now getting a separate premium payment for generating electricity.  Most of the 4 members of the household have a bath or shower daily so hot water use is quite high but usually the (condensing) boiler is only one fir a maximum of 1 hour daily, cold weather dies increase boiler use but the wood burning stove in the living room radiates heat into the rest of the house so that also keeps boiler time down.

[BoD]

/rant mode on

 

Yesterday Mrs BoD received a missive from HMRC explaining that due to an error she owed them a (very) small amount of tax. Today she received a second letter explaining how they intended to collect this money.

 

Why on earth two letters? Either they are totally incompetent or perhaps it is part of a Government plot to make the Royal Mail seem profitable before they sell it off?

 

Given that this error affected all employees at her place of work (a supermarket whose name starts and ends with the first letter of the alphabet) the cost would not be small.

 

I'm sorely tempted to suggest to her that she takes up their offer of paying it back over three years.

 

/ rant mode off

[pH]

BoD - we heard from a friend in the UK yesterday that HMRC are chasing her husband for 1p in unpaid tax! There have already been several letters sent about this - the saying about stopping digging when you're already in a hole comes to mind.

[Tony_S]

In the days when gas came from the regional gas board my parents got a bill for zero pence. They ignored it until they got a red reminder so went into the local gas showroom where bills could be paid. They said they would deal with it. They didn't. The next letter was a threat of legal action. My father was all in favour of this but my mother lived in fear of "having her name in the paper" so Dad relented. They replied to his letter blaming "the computer".

[Donw]

Now on a site with Wifi but do I read serveral days of messages. Perhaps I should just say if a disaster has fallen you or you have been unwell you have my heartfelt condolences. I do hope that sentance was not needed. It is not that I am lazy but wifi is charged by the hour.

Don

[45156]

Evening All

 

Just popped back to see who's here and what's what. 

 

30747's course over-ran by about half an hour, and then we had to go to that well known supermarket beginning with M and gained an acute pain in the plastic (again) - food certainly seems to be going up - and in some cases by stealth, as many of the packs that we got are getting smaller.  The sun was blazing down when a call to the garden issued - and a command to get out there can't be ignored - though I've got to say that the drive WAS gettng a bit weed infested.

 

Ah well, tomorrow's another day.

 

Night All

Stewart

[grandadbob]

Good evening all,

 

I believe I have melted,

 

Farewell until I solidify again,

 

Bob.

[Coombe Barton]

Went to the camping shop for a couple of things, ended up spending  hundred and seventy quid! Fortunately we have some PPP compensation, and the stuff we bought is going to make out lives just that little bit better. But then again i annoy people by saying a coffee in our University is 33 bob, so  maybe my values are a little ancient - maybe.

 

Have also recovered caravan from storage and have washed it - large area - so am now knackered.

 

Too hot to cook inside, so having it later and barbecuing a couple of bits of cow. Or bull. Dogs in attendance. SWMBO is watching the Mick Aston Time Team tribute - which reminds me - we're leading a field trip to Geevor a fortnight tomorrow and we've done **** all about it.

[New Haven Neil]

This may be the last NHN bulletin for a while, we move campsites tomorrow and the next stop off is a farm job - unlikely to have interweb.  This odd and quirky site (caravan, not RMWeb) has provided 9 days of super weather and very good company, wish we had booked to stay longer.  Boat trip on the Swale today was a bonus, saw what passes for a train too (460?), and the bridge lifted afterwards, showing how they do their baseboard joints!  no third rail over the bridge, but the lifting section isn't large.

 

Be good.

 

NHN

[beast66606]

Evening / Afternoon all.

 

After another day at work I am finally relaxing, off to Wallys in a minute to get some supplies for tomorrows outing.

 

Not much to report, went to a fantastic Irish "pub" last night to watch my colleague and his brother - The Oxymormons (yes) - they were good ! a few beers, a walk to see the Pacific (or is that sea ?) - we are going again during the week and apparently we may see dolphins, or even blue whales - I thought these only existed on TV.

 

A very hot day today.

 

Enjoy - my next report will be after my Cajon visit .... (sounds of trepidation)

[DonBradley]

HELLO. Happy Sunday.

Still dark and according to the forecast, overcast and cold! 17C

 

Someone commented yesterday that I would find their temperature cold. To me anything under 25C is cool getting cold as the teens are entered.

25 is a minimum comfortable temperature and 30C is just about 'right'

Happy modelling, exhibiting or just thinking trains or whatever you choose (or are required) to do today.

[NGT6 1315]

Yesterday Mrs BoD received a missive from HMRC explaining that due to an error she owed them a (very) small amount of tax. Today she received a second letter explaining how they intended to collect this money.

 

Why on earth two letters? Either they are totally incompetent or perhaps it is part of a Government plot to make the Royal Mail seem profitable before they sell it off?

 

As I needed to change my health insurance scheme for my new job, I can relate to this kind of story. You wouldn't believe how much of an endeavour this appears to be, given the number of calls, e-mails and letters having been required thus far! Part of this has to do with the Western and Eastern states of Germany being separate jurisdictions for such purposes.

 

Morning all.

[BoD]

A happy Sunday too you too Don, our leading ray of sunshine.

 

Enjoy you train photography up on the Cajon Pass Dave.

Have safe journeys if you are travelling and a relaxing day if you are not

For those at work or with onerous tasks, I hope your day isn't too bad.

 

Well I think that's all the bases covered, as Beast would now say.

[Tony_S]

Morning.

We are off to to the flower show today. This means a train journey to West Ham, Jubilee Line tube to Waterloo, and then another train from Waterloo. I don't ever recall travelling from Waterloo before.

Hope everyone else has a pleasant day.

Tony

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

 

Dry, sunny, 20^oC and getting hotter.

 

I have partially solidified so am able to tap the keyboard at the moment.

 

Before yesterday's meltdown I managed to get out & buy the timber for my new baseboard extension.

 

There will not be anything involving major physical effort happening here today, The most strenuous thing we are doing is a gentle walk to Abbie's school to wave her off on a trip to Spain. After this we will probably stop in the adjacent hostelry for a drink or several & a bite to eat.

 

Have a good one,

 

Bob.

 

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Bastille Day, commemorating the storming of that building in 1789, the key early event of the French Revolution. ISTR when the revolting peasants got inside there was a distinct shortage of inmates - and the handful there were not oppressed, just guilty! There were fireworks and parties last night, even in rural places like this.

 

Hope to see something of the preserved railway today, but expect it to be busy.

 

Neil - the Swale Liftbridge, built I think by Sir William Arrol in about 1960 when the railway was electrified, has a tunnel under the river channel, which I have walked through.

 

Warm and getting warmer here. Hope your day is sunny, too.