Early Risers.

[Barry O]

Mystified of New York.

Best, Pete.

 

Yer what?... get some dehumidifiers then... or is it fatchy pog??

 

Morning all from the boring borough. Its Friday thank feck.

 

MISSING: modelling mojo, last seen several weeks ago, answers to the name of "what the hell were you thinking", if found etc etc etc.

 

Not much to say really. After all I do reside in the boring borough where nothing of note ever happens. Have a good weekend all.

 

Andrew, perhaps its time to up sticks and move t'up North... lots happening up here .....and the beer is a little bit cheaper... and the modelling mojo might just be here!

 

Baz of a very sunny and pleasant Leeds

[travelintrev]

Well after much searching ('cause I couldnt remember were I'd hid them!)  

 

Here's a  few photos I took  late June / Early July  either 1971 or 2 of the M.E.R.    (Camera was Petri 7s,  film probably Ilford, )

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Bright and sunny, as Smiffy indicated, here in Western France, with temperatures expected to reach higher 20s. But it really won't last.

 

Alison (cleaner/gardener) and I went plant-shopping yesterday, and she's planted most of them, so things look even prettier round the terrasse. It does mean I have to do more watering, though. Life is tough.

 

Sheena here for coffee shortly.

 

Hope your weekend - be it 2 or 3 days long - is relaxing.

[shortliner]

I'm sure Matthew will love Melbourne (pronounced Melburn, by the way!). It has a real buzz about it and we preferred it to Sydney.

 

I might not be on here much in the next few days as we're visiting friends in Colton, near Rugeley, Staffs., then to family in Crewe.

 

Hope you all enjoy whatever the w/e brings.

 

You could have called in to TVNAM  if you were in Rugeley a week tomorrow!

[Jock67B]

Good morning from sunny Clacton - could get used to this!

Like most, my thoughts today turn to those who endured the D-Day landings. I had two uncles who went in that day (one had been wounded at Dunkirk!) and neither of them really liked to talk about their experiences other than the sea sickness! One of our old Renault mechanics had if anything a worse task - he was an engineer on an LCT and as the only sailor other than the chap driving, the buck stopped with him when it came to any issues with the boat such as a stuck bow door. When dad went to sign up he was turned down, as an engine driver was a reserved occupation! He felt he did his bit however pulling regular munitions trains from the Nobel site at Ardeer as well as one near Hurlford where his mum worked making shells. Grannie also didn't like to talk much about such work other than the long walk to what was,of necessity, a remote location! We owe them all a debt and must never allow the next generations to remain ignorant of such events. I shall raise tonight's whiskey glass to the memory of all who perished.

Sherry I hope your journey North is without incident, enjoy the break.

Ian, as a matter of curiosity, does your 24heures ticket allow you to get up close to the exotic machinery? If so perhaps we can look forward to some nice images!

Still no word from South Africa which is becoming a concern - unless there is something like a funding issue, it's been a heck of a long time to be off air! I thought the SiL was going to contact us if anything was amiss?

Enjoy POETS day folks,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Donw]

I have posted some railway pictures in the Lunster Lounge but thought these three might be better here.

 

 

 

The first is a buzzard over wareham forest. The second is Corfe Castle viewed from the train. It would make an impressive scenic feature. The third is Rhododenrons which seems to have taken over a big area of Wareham forest. These plants are sort of non PC in ecological terms. I can see the problems but they are rather beautiful en masse. I also know from Exmoor the ponies there found it provided good shelter from both sun and rain. When considering invasive species we are probably the worst of all and man was not  native to the UK. Man also has probably destroyed more habitat than any other.

Don

[Oldddudders]

You could have called in to TVNAM  if you were in Rugeley a week tomorrow!

10 mins drive from Sherry's previous abode in Little Haywood!

[DDolfelin]

Sounds like Ashers is heading for the storms at the weekend.

I'm sure Crewe is within the brightly coloured weather warning area.

[AndrewC]

 

Andrew, perhaps its time to up sticks and move t'up North... lots happening up here .....and the beer is a little bit cheaper... and the modelling mojo might just be here!

 

Baz of a very sunny and pleasant Leeds

North? as in Brent or Barnet? No thanks. Too far beyond civilisation.

[trisonic]

Morning all,

 

A lovely sunny morning here. A complete contrast to the rough weather in the channel 70 years  ago. 

I hope this doesn't sound trite but a few weeks ago we came home on the Mont St Michel - a large car ferry and fair to say the weather was rough. Goodness only knows how much worse it would have felt in a smaller landing craft with the fear of battle ahead. Total respect! 

 

Best. Andy

70 years ago it was clear, sunny, few clouds, 15 mph winds in Channel, good visibility. More importantly the tides were right. Hardly rough. 

Check out the BBC Weather site.

 

Best, Pete.

[Tony_S]

I'm sure Matthew will love Melbourne (pronounced Melburn, by the way!). It has a real buzz about it and we preferred it to Sydney.

 

Thank you. Aditi said Matthew has been talking to so many Australians recently he has started to acquire the accent. We have already noticed his pronunciation of Melbourne! He  has booked an outgoing flight with Singapore Airlines. There is a stopover of 12 hours in Singapore but he has friends there (and of course Aditi has cousins there if all else fails!) and apparently you can leave the airport.

He hasn't sorted out his flight home yet but he wants to visit New Zealand (Auckland area) 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Bright sunshine here and at the remembrance ceremony at Bayeux which is currently on tv.  Oddly no family connection at all with D Day - my dad was a medical reject for military service but was in the AFS so spent a lot of time in 1940 in places like Coventry, Birmingham, Southampton, and London as his local unit were used as a national reserve within those boundaries while my two close uncles were either too young or already invalided out.  Much more connection with the previous one.

 

That apart its Friday so we'll be off to Waitrose later - probably Oxford Road in Tilehurst as at least we can usually park there without problems as here it's awful on a Friday if you go after about 09.30.  And then probably some garden trimming if it's not too hot as we're promised heavy rain overnight & tomorrow.

 

Have a good day one & all.  Now where are our IoM pics from 1962 I wonder - there are even a couple of the Manx Grand Prix practice I think!

[PhilJ W]

North? as in Brent or Barnet? No thanks. Too far beyond civilisation.

Has Brent ever been civilised?

[The Stationmaster]

70 years ago it was clear, sunny, few clouds, 15 mph winds in Channel, good visibility. More importantly the tides were right. Hardly rough. 

Check out the BBC Weather site.

 

Best, Pete.

Agree Pete - that's why D day was postponed by 24 hours, it was roughish the previous day and of course as the depressions moved in it got a lot worse not long after wrecking the US Mulberry Harbour totally and badly damaging the British one.

 

 

Thank you. Aditi said Matthew has been talking to so many Australians recently he has started to acquire the accent. We have already noticed his pronunciation of Melbourne! He  has booked an outgoing flight with Singapore Airlines. There is a stopover of 12 hours in Singapore but he has friends there (and of course Aditi has cousins there if all else fails!) and apparently you can leave the airport.

He hasn't sorted out his flight home yet but he wants to visit New Zealand (Auckland area) 

Perhaps you also ought to warn him Tony that, contrary to what one might think in certain areas of Sydney, Melbourne is known as the gay capital of Aus!  When I was working in Sydney a the chap from our Seoul office used to fly in every now & then to see the 'region manager' but oddly it was always on a Thursday or Friday and he always went to Melbourne for the weekend - which seemed really to be the main point of his visit.

[Tony_S]

  One of our old Renault mechanics had if anything a worse task - he was an engineer on an LCT and as the only sailor other than the chap driving, the buck stopped with him when it came to any issues with the boat such as a stuck bow door. 

The one Dad was on had a faulty door (It didn't want to stay shut). He said strangely enough they were worried they would have to go back.

[Barry O]

North? as in Brent or Barnet? No thanks. Too far beyond civilisation.

no civilisation starts as you enter Yorkshire... you live in France!!

[Tony_S]

 

Perhaps you also ought to warn him Tony that, contrary to what one might think in certain areas of Sydney, Melbourne is known as the gay capital of Aus!  When I was working in Sydney a the chap from our Seoul office used to fly in every now & then to see the 'region manager' but oddly it was always on a Thursday or Friday and he always went to Melbourne for the weekend - which seemed really to be the main point of his visit.

I suspect Matthew is aware of all the cultural offerings of Melbourne. His Human Geography course had modules on why some cities become gay friendly/tolerant and others don't. Also he met lots of Australians while he was in Calgary. 

[trisonic]

no civilisation starts as you enter Yorkshire... you live in France!!

You forgot to mention that it is an island of civilization up there.....   I’ve never met an unfriendly one, either. The next island is Glasgow.

Oh, dear, everyone else will hate me north of the Wash.

 

Best, Pete.

[Oldddudders]

Ian, as a matter of curiosity, does your 24heures ticket allow you to get up close to the exotic machinery? If so perhaps we can look forward to some nice images!

 

This pic in the pitlane should show how close people were last weekend, and will be on Sunday and Monday coming, in Place de la Republique, in the centre of Le Mans. The chap on the tractor is Dominik Farnbacher, who has driven multiple times at LM, and this year seems to be engineering on behalf of another entrant and their Ferrari 458. He was waiting in the queue for scrutineering.

 

Sounds like Ashers is heading for the storms at the weekend.

I'm sure Crewe is within the brightly coloured weather warning area.

I believe stormy times may indeed be ahead about there!

Edited June 6, 2014 by Oldddudders

[bbishop]

My father spend D Day at the far end of Europe, a guest of Herr Hitler in Auschwitz concentration camp. He had been captured at Knightsbridge, and spent two years in Italy before being transported to Czechoslovakia. His father was stationmaster at Totton, and every night he walked up the line to check on the bridge over the River Test. My mother, meanwhile, was on a searchlight near Warlingham.

 

Bill

[iL Dottore]

I'm rather sad that iLDottore felt he had to issue a disagree when all I posted was an idea to help someone who obviously doesn't have the culinary skills that the good doctor has! I actually don't use a microwave and am renowned within my dinner club for my light and fluffy rice and so forgive me if I feel rather miffed at the de-merit which I feel to be completely un-justified when as I said, all I was trying to do was smooth someone's path!

Regards,

Jock.

Consider me duly chastened

[The Lurker]

Late to ER today - something to do with actually working.....!

 

Blue skies with somehigh white cloud over Borough Market Junction today. It's getting quite warm out there.

 

I'm not sure whether my grandfathers had any direct involvement in D Day - one I wonder whether he was some kind of conscientious objector as he joined the MN (having been a printer before the war). He died when I was very little - I have no memories of him

 

The other was killed in the Netherlands in November 1944. He was a Greandier Guardsman. Other than that, I know nothing of his war record.

[AndrewC]

Seems to be the day for reminiscing about parents and other ancestor's wartime activities.

 

Mum's dad was gassed while serving during the first war. Held on for 13 years afterwards though.

Dad's dad died in 42 nobody knows the circumstances. The family were in the US from 1912-20. Sailed from Liverpool 2 weeks before the Titanic sank.

Dad couldn't serve due to polio as a child. Worked for A V Rowe as a machinist and mechanic.

Mum and her sister were in the WAF and stationed at Biggin Hill.

[Ian Abel]

D-Day provides no stories from me/parents either.

Dad was in the 8th. Army and by then far as I recall had moved through the Holy Land and on into Italy. Mum worked at a factory in Weybridge called The Airscrew making a variety of items for the war effort. Proximity to the Vickers factory in Weybridge was an asset, except for the liability of being an additional target in the area.

 

Happy POETS day all. We have 18 going for 28 today under clear skies, almost calm wind. Front moving in and expecting thunderstorms late evening and much of the weekend.

 

Off to document some more, have a great day...

[AndyB]

Agree Pete - that's why D day was postponed by 24 hours, it was roughish the previous day and of course as the depressions moved in it got a lot worse not long after wrecking the US Mulberry Harbour totally and badly damaging the British one.

 

 

 

 

Indeed there was a weather window, hence the delay.

My original point was that 3-4 foot waves off UTAH beach wouldn't have been much fun in a small landing craft. We didn't enjoy one little bit +10 foot waves in a large car ferry.  

There's an interesting short report compiled from historical sources that goes into a lot of detail about the forecasting and the people behind it here for anyone interested.

Andy