Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, work. 

 

I see Grandadbob's avatar has changed from an upside down maroon bathtub to a King painted in LNER Garter Blue......  ....Olddudders has transmogrified into Bill Oddie, and I'm 44 days from retirement.

 

Other news is available.

 

Heavens above, there was a robbery on Friday, could you believe it, a robbery on Fraggle Rock - that'll ruin the Chief's crime figures!  Hope it wasn't a juvenile, that would ruin my last days in this job!

[laurenceb]

Morning, work. 

 

I see Grandadbob's avatar has changed from an upside down maroon bathtub to a King painted in LNER Garter Blue......  ....Olddudders has transmogrified into Bill Oddie, and I'm 44 days from retirement.

 

Other news is available.

 

Heavens above, there was a robbery on Friday, could you believe it, a robbery on Fraggle Rock - that'll ruin the Chief's crime figures!  Hope it wasn't a juvenile, that would ruin my last days in this job!

And your not counting . Morning all.

Laurence

[beast66606]

Morning all,

 

A dull morning down 'ere but I've already been out and photographed a 47 on a light engine move to Toton.

 

The stone is on it's way so the usual, will it, won't it (take the chord and/or get an early path) morning awaits - it's 66155, so nothing special, but in my pursuit of "every DBS 66 on the stone" it's a new one.

 

I'm off to Mikes place this weekend, Jill's sister is having a retirement / 25th wedding (2nd time) do in Henley, I think I'll be the designated driver, not sure her wider family is ready for me sober, never mind drunk !

 

Have a good day all.

[Oldddudders]

Olddudders has transmogrified into Bill Oddie,

ISTR him doing a DJ slot on Jazz FM some years ago - and he was pretty good at that, too. I wish I was half as funny as he is. Indeed I'd be smug if I thought I was. But then you thought I was smug already!

 

Another iffy day ahead weatherwise, with threats of hail this afternoon. Yesterday didn't quite manage the promised hail, but there was a very nasty squall during the F1 warm-up lap which bulgared the sat dish - so I thought I'd miss the start. Fortunately all was calm a couple of minutes later. Thought Vettel had to be driver of the day, really. We know he's won a lot of races from the front row, but his climb through the field yesterday was not about luck.

 

I'm sure I haven't been on a Cross-Channel ferry in 10 years. Deb and I found the Tunnel easy from our home in Cranbrook, have never looked back. Folk in the SW like Sherry would have a much longer drive both sides, though. Baie de la Somme is worth finding, Smiffy. We visited it a decade ago, as a pal was celebrating his 60th and his OH had booked it. OK - except they (& we) were staying a very long way south of there, and she had no idea it was most of the way back to Calais....

 

Need to find some sugarbeet today for the horses. A 40kg bag lasts about a year - but does not improve your back getting it into the barn!

 

Hope your week goes well.

[AndyB]

Safely on board 'Mont St Michel' sailing out of Ouistreham. More blue sky than we've seen for a few days. Au revoir au France!

 

I'd avoid cabin 9205, we were in 9204 last night and the chap next door (like many) obviously wasn't enjoying the rough crossing! 

I tried to keep his spirits up by whistling "A life on the ocean wave..." but it seemed to make matters worse!

Andy

[Coombe Barton]

Following Neil's counting tradition, just calculated mine

 

• As of today it's 500 days until my 65th when I officially become an old git (so far I'm just practising)
• I've been asked to stay on to get the move of campuses done, so that's more like 1150 days.
• Or if I retire at the same time as Sandy that's about 1500 days.

Unless

• a significant lottery win steps our way, in which case all counts will immediately descend to zero!

Edited May 12, 2014 by Coombe Barton

[Oldddudders]

I'd avoid cabin 9205, we were in 9204 last night and the chap next door (like many) obviously wasn't enjoying the rough crossing! 

I tried to keep his spirits up by whistling "A life on the ocean wave..." but it seemed to make matters worse!

Andy

Eurotunnel doesn't seem to have that problem.....

[Shedman5]

Morning, journey down to Thornham on Saturday was a breeze, think the weather kept many off the roads.

Nice and sunny but breezy which is fine by me, internet connection a bit mishap but never mind.

 

North Norfolk railway on the cards for Wed fingers crossed!

 

Enjoy your day

[DDolfelin]

Eurotunnel doesn't seem to have that problem.....

 

Let's hope not.

[AndyB]

So, back from the family wedding down in the Loire valley. A lovely trip with a stop off to the south west of Rennes to see an old colleague who has renovated a farm house. Rebuilt may be a better word for it. 

 

Then dinner in Angers - again another nice city. Why can't we have underground car parks beneath town squares with nice cafes and restaurants? Perhaps we do - just seemed very pleasant.

 

Apparently I haven't changed a bit in the 16 years since I saw the family and it was a mystery to them how I'd kept all my own hair and could still speak French. Cheeky.

Saturday was the day of the wedding on a small island in the Loire. Quite emotional seeing the kid all growed up and now a married woman. My daughter acted as bridesmaid and my son was the ring bearer. A situation that no-one would have expected or predicted 16 years ago. Funny how life works out. The bride's mother and Mrs B got on like a house on fire. 

 

Had an opportunity to take the children on to Sword Beach yesterday afternoon and tell them some of the history of the place. 

 

And seeing a post from Ashers I see we were both on "Mont St Michel" - the crossing was a tad rough and it seems I was the only one up for the disco! Couldn't persuade my daughter to join in for some reason! "Dad dancing" is universally recognised as uncool, but "Dad dancing" tout seul is beyond the pale!    

[AndyB]

Eurotunnel doesn't seem to have that problem.....

True enough and when heading to Paris it's always seemed a natural choice. 

But Portsmouth is well under and hour away, no M25, and the 5 hour crossing doesn't actually feel like a waste of time as it gave everyone a chance to rest. My boy fell asleep for a couple of hours and after 3 successive nights up till gone 11 he needed it. 

St Malo and Ouistreham also give the children a chance to play on the beach which for them is a huge bonus. 

i don't know how the prices compare once you've taken account of petrol and peage. but I have to say the road up from Angers - Le Mans to Ouistreham was uncrowded and well maintained. This seemed the case in Brittany also - no potholes, even when we went on relatively minor roads.   

[beast66606]

Weather update : The stone must be ready to leave, it's absolutely pi down raining heavily

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

Still happy from yesterday but awaiting news from the hospital understandably! I'll almost certainly post a little later but before bubbly consumption makes the fingers even clumsier!! Best wishes for a good week, and mind that back Ian.

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[Oldddudders]

True enough and when heading to Paris it's always seemed a natural choice. 

But Portsmouth is well under and hour away, no M25, and the 5 hour crossing doesn't actually feel like a waste of time as it gave everyone a chance to rest. My boy fell asleep for a couple of hours and after 3 successive nights up till gone 11 he needed it. 

St Malo and Ouistreham also give the children a chance to play on the beach which for them is a huge bonus. 

i don't know how the prices compare once you've taken account of petrol and peage. but I have to say the road up from Angers - Le Mans to Ouistreham was uncrowded and well maintained. This seemed the case in Brittany also - no potholes, even when we went on relatively minor roads.   

The autoroutes that I have used (not many, not very often) have all been well-maintained. The A28 south of Rouen to Le Mans is quite new, having been completed (and on down to Tours) in the last 10 years. But French people make their cars last - a higher average age of vehicle here than the UK, I feel, so good roads help that. In contrast, Belgium, where it seems everyone has a new car, has dreadful roads, even the main trunks often having ghastly surfaces and drainage.

 

The best bit about the peages is having a "Motorway doofer" which means you cream through the auto toll, while all those (often Brits and Dutch) who roared past you in the preceding couple of miles sit at the pay-booths! My doofer was free, and they just send me a bill when I've incurred a charge.

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

Then dinner in Angers - again another nice city. Why can't we have underground car parks beneath town squares with nice cafes and restaurants? Perhaps we do - just seemed very pleasant.

 

 

 

 

 

Andy,

 

Are you telling me that the French have underground car parks complete with cafes/bars/bistros/restaurants all under ground leaving the town square completely free apart from the French version of Ty Bach?

 

Or does the placement of such vehicular storage enable c/b/b/r topsides?

 

There are places in the UK, and no doubt elsewhere in the world, where burying the whole caboodle underground and forgetting about it would be  wonderful.

[Smiffy2]

We were travelling in the school holidays - we were both still working - and it went over £400 for a crossing in the summer, compared to £150 through the tunnel. Less than a tank of petrol each way even in the Volvo. The drive isn't bad - we didn't get a doofer, we just pay with the credit card at the booths because we wouldn't be using it all that often and it would cost extra. I love the autoroutes - cruise control on and listen to the CD du jour. We're only an hour from the tunnel on the English side (though it does mean a bit of M25) and not much more from Portsmouth down the A3, but the tunnel puts about 3 hours on the trip on the French side, though the crossing is about 6 hours shorter!

 

We keep mooting a few days stay in the Baie de Somme area, so that I can show Julie some of the WW1 battlefields and go to the little train, take the photo opportunity. The services at Baie de Somme are good, and interesting if you like ducks. But we never manage it. Perhaps after our pleasant experience at an Ibis Style in Bourges (on our way to the Indian wedding up an alp) we'll do that instead of our usual B&B.

[trisonic]

I always used to visit Vimy Ridge - if I was passing through - as a section of the trench system (on both sides) is well preserved (or was - I haven’t been since the early nineties).

 

Best, Pete.

[petethemole]

A bright and breezy start here in northern Southampton but it's now clouding over. Martyn went to school without his coat and I hadn't seen the forecast, so I expect he'll get soaked on the walk home. He actually likes rain so won't be that bothered, just wet. Recently I've been hearing mice in the stud walls and ceiling/upstairs floor recently. Their access to these spaces seems to be via boxed in pipe runs, one of which feeds the kitchen so I put a trap under the cooker and some poison down. The trap scored quickly but a few days ago we noticed a dead thing smell upstairs. I thought the source was under the floor but last night was glad to find with a torch the offending carcass in the small gap between the end of Martyn's bookcase and the wall. I haven't heard any noises for about 5 days so I hope I've accounted for all of them. I'm no sure how they get in the house but just walking in the back door when it's open is possible; I found one doing just that a few years ago. The cat is another possible; he is known to bring mice in and let them go to re-catch; I've already had to kill one he lost indoors!

 

Apparently today is St Pancras' Day.

 

Pete

[Debs.]

Apparently today is St Pancras' Day.

 

One of the stations of the cross?

[Oldddudders]

 

Apparently today is St Pancras' Day.

 

 

France thinks it's St Achille today.

 

Yes, cats bringing vermin indoors and losing interest can be tiresome. I once found a large dead rat under the dining table, obviously the triumphal hunter's entrance had given way to boredom!

One of the stations of the cross?

Quite right - Kings X St Pancras!

[Smiffy2]

We had a fouine (sort of pine marten, a beautiful if annoying creature) in the loft in France. Made a terrible racket and cr*apped everywhere. It stank. We put chicken wire over every possible entrance, cut down ivy and tried to deny it entry but nothing worked. We eventually found it dead in the pump cupboard - our neighbour had offered to kill it for us, apparently the chasse (his uncle is the president) use hens' eggs injected with cyanide to kill them - that may have been what got this one - because they eat the eggs of the birds the chasse raise in order to shoot. That's when they're not shooting cats, cows or each other.

[trisonic]

Jeez, Radio 4 has a programme on about the problems of the disabled whilst in Prison. That’s what they have to worry about?

What a crock of....................

 

Best, Pete.

[Oldddudders]

 

Are you telling me that the French have underground car parks complete with cafes/bars/bistros/restaurants all under ground leaving the town square completely free apart from the French version of Ty Bach?

 

Or does the placement of such vehicular storage enable c/b/b/r topsides?

 

There are places in the UK, and no doubt elsewhere in the world, where burying the whole caboodle underground and forgetting about it would be  wonderful.

The whole idea of a square is that it should be empty, presumably. Thus bunging the motor car underneath it - and providing disabled lifts etc - does meet that need. Then the c/b/b/r are housed in the perimeter buildings, while funfairs, promotions and even tramways can be run across the innocent square. La Rochelle, Chartres and Le Mans all have such squares with some or all of these "attractions" therein.

[travelintrev]

Morning all,  

 

Late on parade this morning, just been struggling to "validate" new debit cards as I couldnt  remember all the "memorable" words.... 

 

Then going to meet my Mum and brother for lunch just outside Swindon on Thursday, which means a train ride (or two) ... sixteen quid return seems like quite a good deal... (plus a tenner for the cab at the Swindon end!)

 

Then trying to start deciding what I'm going to do with all the modelling bits & pieces I've been collecting for the last several decades.....theres even the frames, wheels and cylinder castings for a 3 1/2" gauge Kerr Stuart Wren...(started when I was 16 and but away when I started work - to be "Finished when I retire" )  Cant see that coming with me to Canada some how!  

 

Lets try to make the best  of what life throws at us today,

 

Trev 

[trisonic]

I tended to base myself at Angers (for Le Mans) - in the modern hotel just to the north of the main drag but still within walking distance of the square - I learnt that from Ford who invited me along with them one year, many, many, years ago. I had my best ever Hamburger in one of the Cafe’s there......

Then halfway to Le Mans we’d stop for lunch at a small town on the Loire (who’s name escapes me) at a Hotel/restaurant right by the river downtown - where Walter Brun’s Repsol team were based (before they concentrated on motorbike racing).

I must get back - but to be honest - Le Mans lost a lot of it’s appeal to me when they introduced chicanes (or Bus Stops!) on the Mulsanne.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited May 12, 2014 by trisonic