Early Risers.

[travelintrev]

Good morning all,  especially our own Debs - good to see you back!   (Though now do where to I post pics of my modelling efforts?) Spent a lot of last evening making a 1:24 scale gauge glass.

 

Dull and overcast and cool here - only 25c!  

 

Whatever you're up to today try to make the most of it! 

 

Trev.

[Ashcombe]

What? That Lot? That was the Teignmouth Theatre Group who did Calender Girls....at the Carlton Theatre. 

 

 

 

Best, Pete.

Yes, indeedy!

[DDolfelin]

Pleased to see you're back, Debs.

Your front is OK too.

[trisonic]

Very brave of them!

 

Btw I see professional “Scotsman” Rod Stewart sang at the Glasgow opening. Consider he was born in London and lives in Essex and LA......

 

OK off to bed....

 

Best, Pete.

Edited July 24, 2014 by trisonic

[DDolfelin]

On to other matters: DD2, having for the moment laid aside her big sulk re Mum and Dad separating, has decided to descend on us from today for six nights along with her entourage of five! They are saving hard to visit DD1 in Australia next summer so a holiday in Devon is seen as a cheap option (for whom?!)

 

I'm not bitter (Ahem!) and this will probably be the last chance for them to stay with us in this house as it will be going on the market soon. We've already begun divorce proceedings using an online service.

 

 

Your tolerance does you great credit.

Considering the great damage that could have been caused, the other side of the front door would have been the limit of my welcome.

[Pete 75C]

Well, having successfully avoided saying ONE WORD in the wailing-and-gnashing-of-teeth (Bachmann..) thread, I just stuck my foot in my mouth in the "modular" thread. Expecting flak so will be hiding in the treches for a while I'm sure, and racking up those valuable "DISAGREE" points - wonder where they can be redeemed 

 

Yeah, me too. I really should just keep my mouth shut. If we rack up enough points, Ian, try taking them to Walmart. I shall try and exchange mine for a cutlery set at Argos.

In other news, absolutely nothing is happening in Norfolk right now. Pete.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, a cool (!!) 18c here, with 25c just like Trev's forecast again for later.  Yesterday certainly made26, bloomin hot for here.

 

Photogenic?  Oh no, not NHN.  Donk is though, he does calendars for his friends.

 

 

 

[Debs.]

Nice to see Debs back.

 

...........it`s my best side!

[AndyB]

...........it`s my best side!

 

As everyone was saying whilst you were away.....

 

"It's good to see the back of her!"    

[Simon G]

By the way Price Andrew married 'Fergie' today in 1986 - probably wishes he hadn't now?

 

 

Jock, I nearly put a disagree on this!  While he may regret his choice of wife, I would be pretty certain that he doesnt regret the two daughters they had together!

 

22 degrees in West Cumbria at 08.00 - I think this is pretty unprecedented.  It is going to be a hot one here today (or mildly warm by Don Bradley standards!).  I just wish I wasnt at work in a sun-facing office without aircon.  However, I will escape to my Model Railway Club tonight, so something to look forward to.

[AndyB]

Morning all, and it's the first day of the summer hols.

Top priority according to my eldest is "FUN!" Today I'm going to set up some water colour activity for them. Last night was a marathon Monopoly session. 

 

Re calendars: It's been a while since I featured on a billboard - in fact the last time it happened swmbo drove over a mini roundabout at the surprise of seeing me staring down at her! 

 

Re the modular layout and Bachmann debates: I wonder, if we had our real names displayed would people be so trigger happy at the keyboard? I suspect not. 

 

Meanwhile, the still, hot, humid air has led to mildew on my sweet peas.    

OK, ok, I'll re-phrase that. The local climate has not done any favours to my Lathyrus odoratus collection. Shame to dig them out whilst they are flowering but it may be for the best. 

 

Have a nice day everyone. Andy  

[The Lurker]

Connex got thrown out of their franchise for Southeastern just after they ordered the 376 Electrostar units. Quite simply they are the worst thing on rails in the UK besides the 141-142 units. Few seats, massive open spaces around the doors but no provision for sufficient handles. 2+2 seating but instead of being able to have 6 abreast with a 2+2 +2 standing it was 2+2+1 so effectively reducing the capacity of each coach by 25 bodies or 250 per pair of 5 car units. No air con, even though they are designed for it. The moron that designed the supposed bum rests thinks there is space for 12 at each door but in reality because they are at 90 degree angles to each other there is only space for 8 providing you are very comfortable with the other person sharing the bum rest. The pressure ventilation doesn't work properly and never has. The heat seems permanently stuck on full. No bogie yaw dampeners like the sister 375 and 377 units have so if you are standing while the unit is bashing about through the point work outside London Bridge its an adventure just to stay upright. No toilets either. Every heat related "passenger ill on train" delay I've encountered has been on a 376 unit. Basically the cheapest bit of crap that Connex could get.

 

A government run franchise replaced Connex and went from the worst to near first in customer satisfaction in only 2 years. Since then Southeastern (Govia) has taking things back to worse than Connex was. New carriages and stock promised, 0 delivered. The 465/466 units are hanging on with spit and duct tape it seems. The 376 units are subject to far more failures even though they are 20 years younger. These seem to be mostly related to their pocket doors. Southeastern are just a bunch of assclown douchebag cockwombles hell bent on sucking as much cash as possible out of the franchise as they can. The vitriol on Twitter against them on a daily basis is legendary. Not fit for purpose.

 

And breathe in.........

 

almost forgot to welcome back the punatrix!

I can certainly echo most of this. I am  pleased if a 465/466 unit makes up my train rather than a 376. There's more chance of a seat, and more room to hang on. The "bum rests" are useless because they are designed for someone who is about 4 foot 10, and the attempt at aircon makes the whole carriage throb with an almost unbearable intensity in the hot weather, right into your head, like listening to the bass of car radio system inside your house.

 

But the punctuality of the service has increased enourmously in the past 6 or 7 years (at least on my line)

[jamie92208]

Morning all, nice and sunny here this morning so it's out with the lycra and off on a bike ride before it gets too hot.  I've a cheque to drop off a few miles away so that gives me the excuse for a few miles and hills.  All in all sounds like a good plan to me.   Courtesy of BBC Look North i discovered that I am now a MAMIL (Middle Aged Man I Lycra)  At least SWMBO hasn't said that I'm an Old MIL.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Morning all. Can the school holidays finish now please as her indoors keeps giving me more things to do in my modelling time...

Baz

[southern42]

Polly,

It got up to 32C here today but felt hotter due to the humidity. Big T-Storms have passed through and the next week looks gorgeous - in fact forecasters say it will be unusually below average in both temperature and humidity. At least on the East Coast (I always forget about the sheer size of this place compared to the UK.

 

Did I tell you that when I first came to the US to live I was working on a special project for EMI Music and they sent me to North Carolina, Greensboro (lovely town) for peace. I knew no one.

I remember watching the afternoon news from the local ABC affiliate and when the weather for the next day came up on the map it said: “PMT - Storms” (it was an error) but I thought: "Jeez - I’m not leaving the house!” - and wondering just how smart their forecasters were...............

 

Best, Pete.

 

Yes, Pete.  Humidity makes it dead uncomfortable (note the above stories of ERs "dead dogs") with warm winds blowing down from the NORTH.  What's the world (UK) coming to?  And, last week, at Kew Gardens, it was great in the morning with sun and cool breeze.  In the afternoon, it clouded over and became suffocatingly hot and sticky.  Anyway, enjoy the below average weather (climate?  I've groan up with the notion that it's only the British Isles - let's be inclusive here so as not to upset NHN and any other rock in the middle of the briny dwellers   -  has weather) next week, Pete.

 

Enjoy your day all.

 

Polly

 

PS Possibly add ER's wildlife pics to the list of calendar options.or sunsets or .... (no, I won't say it.  Oh go on. Oh alright ...) Tr**ns.  There! Said it.

 

Quick exit.

[AndyB]

 

PS Possibly add ER's wildlife pics to the list of calendar options.or sunsets or .... (no, I won't say it.  Oh go on. Oh alright ...) Tr**ns.  There! Said it.

 

Quick exit.

Tr**ns.  There! Said it.

Edited July 24, 2014 by AndyB

[gordon s]

Played golf along with this guy last night.  A humbling and inspiring time was had by all….

 

He parred three of the first four holes in a nine hole competition.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8695000/8695919.stm

[bluebottle]

Pete refers to the 'professional “Scotsman”' Rod Stewart being born in London and living in Essex and LA......

 

I note that Stewart's father was a fellow Leither, who took Samuel Johnson's “high road to England” while Leith Central was still open, and, according to my Da, it was your father's nationality that decided which country you should play fitba for, rather than your birthplace. I enjoyed Stewart's autobiography, and looking at his Wikipedia page I find a few other points of commonality: model railways, of course; pictures of Hibs' Gordon Smith on the walls of the family home (Da always denied that I was baptised after Smith, though nobody ever believed him); first song learned (Woody Guthrie's “Worried Man Blues”), etc.

However, I cannot abide Stewart's singing voice, and so if we can trade him for someone actually born in Scotland, can we have Nigel Gresley, please?

 

Edit: formatting.

Edited July 24, 2014 by bluebottle

[Smiffy2]

Morning all.

Woken at 6 by the Magpies. Again.

 

Read all the news, but can't comment as off to see the Bank - apparently we can get a better rate of interest on our current account on some new thingy. 

 

It really doesn't make a lot of difference, and it means being in a stuffy office with a child in a suit wittering on about stuff I don't want to understand. I don't enjoy it!

 

Then Julie's off to Poundland for more stock and I'm recceing Smiths for West Countries and Jinties. I don't really want one, I definitely don't need one, but...

 

Then I've been promised the tapas place for lunch, so I'd better be amenable.

 

Back home, quick shower then out for a political curry, 

 

It's different from yesterday, anyway.

[grandadbob]

Oh well, the shed beckons. "I am just going outside and may be some time."

Edited July 24, 2014 by grandadbob

[PhilJ W]

Laughing out loud.......!

 

Let's break with tradition and include a few guys - I'm sure some of you are photogenic?!

Not among the railway modellers you see at most shows (I include myself in there as well).

[New Haven Neil]

S'OK Polly, we are in the British Isles - just not the UK or the EU!

 

23c now and breathless out.  I predict motorcycling.

[AndrewC]

I can certainly echo most of this. I am  pleased if a 465/466 unit makes up my train rather than a 376. There's more chance of a seat, and more room to hang on. The "bum rests" are useless because they are designed for someone who is about 4 foot 10, and the attempt at aircon makes the whole carriage throb with an almost unbearable intensity in the hot weather, right into your head, like listening to the bass of car radio system inside your house.

 

But the punctuality of the service has increased enourmously in the past 6 or 7 years (at least on my line)

Definitely not on the Woolwich or Bexleyheath lines. Its worse than ever.  Agree about the 376 vent throbbing. Its not even aircon, its supposedly pressure ventilation. The units don't work properly and never have done. Free migraine with every season ticket! May not be fair blaming the manufacturer but every company has its Austin Marina, and for Bombardier the 376 is just that.

 

SWMBO is currently sitting outside of London Bridge on a train that was supposed to arrive @ CST 21 minutes ago. She averages 2 cancellations a week inbound and at least one outbound. That's a 30% failure rate. Not to mention their little trick of cancelling intermediate stops in order to gain time and fudge their statistics. Sometimes they will forget to announce these changes until after leaving London Bridge. Been caught going to Slade Green or Dartford non-stop before with no notice. A train is only deemed late or cancelled based on its final destination and not intermediate calling points.

 

Looking at Trains.im this morning. SE have 15 cancelled or more than 30 min late services so far, and 17 running between 5 and 30 late. Compared to FCC which has had 6 services between 5 and 30 late and 0 cancellations.

 

Enough bitching about the rail service voted worst in Britain by Which.

 

Morning all from a sweltering boring borough. The house is in full pizza oven mode and I'm slowly melting. Blergh. Work is annoying at the moment. A couple of asshats that need shooting but nothing serious.

 

New project starts next week so no more work from home for a few months. Back to the sterile wastelands of Canary Wharf for me. Reminds me of Houston but without the gun crime.

 

Have a good one all.

[bluebottle]

Played golf along with this guy last night.  A humbling and inspiring time was had by all….

 

He parred three of the first four holes in a nine hole competition.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8695000/8695919.stm

 

It's chaps like that that make me think that perhaps H. Sapiens deserves to survive after all.

 

Edit: goddam Mrs Grundy censorship program. 

Edited July 24, 2014 by bluebottle

[skipepsi]

Morning all, first day of freedom weather hot and muggy, must escape the kittens..... tidying up in the garden sounds good but my solar panel needs protection....