Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

The forecast said rain at seven; then heave rain at eight; then rain at nine.

 

We think it's saving it up for a deluge later.

 

But the eating is selective - sausages seem favourite, along with bacon. The carefully cooked chicken was picked over for the best bits. Dog food Is definitely a no-no.

 

She has us just where she wants us, it seems.

[Oldddudders]

My new garden shredder was delivered half an hour ago - by the Chronopost white-van lady. Late 20s, fleshy, not overdressed, delicious! Ahem!

 

Don't worry - Sherry is used to all this sort of stuff from me! Off to Sheena's now for a restorative cup of coffee.

[DDolfelin]

Something strange is happening!

After a prolonged period of stress and misery with deaths, illness and scumbag BiL, we seem to be entering some sort of purple patch.

Mostly financial but other things too.

Even the lottery paid out £25 last weekend.

So - nothing much to moan about today.

[southern42]

Debs., on 31 Jul 2014 - 18:30, said:

Jeyes fluid must be like Marmite; `folks either love it or hate it ...........................I quite like its scent (like the carbolic soap we had at Prep. School) and evidently it`s also very good for treating Dropsy!

 

 

Polly ...Just try a cheese, ham and marmite toastie... scrumdacious!

 

........

 

Baz

 

 

Baz. So long as it IS Marmite and not Jeyes Fluid.

 

Morning all.

Wet here. Sums up the day so far.

Have a good un.

Polly

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Ah, now then Mr Trisonic - Ladies Only compartments.  Well they did exist on the Western but those I can really remember were paper labelled but I'm fairly sure there were permanently labelled ones in non-corridor stock.  There was a comprehensive Instruction in the 1960 Regional Appendix saying 'one or more such compartment in each class should be provided in trains formed with non-corridor stock; also on express night trains' - the latter being the ones I recall as being definitely paper labelled.

 

Hope the day goes well for the Hippo offspring and her parents, especially dad's wallet.

 

I am on vacuum cleaning duty this morning so I'm told, but asa  consolation prize I'm told we are eating out tonight (at the Plowden Arms - I'm wondering if their 'exchange your vegetables for a drink' scheme extends to include meals - we are taking a large bag of cucumbers).

 

Real rain promised for tomorrow and the garden definitely needs it as do the water butts.

 

Have a good day one & all.

[DonBradley]

It's rather cloudy and cooler than yesterday but no rain forecast.

Tuna bake with cold salads for lunch. I have given up commenting on the cold salads with hot meals!

 

Yesterday's corned beef  was accompanied by both cabbage and carrots, so whichever way you remember the song, it was correct. We do not get Jeyes Fluid sandwiches.

 

Good Lord, six new replies since I have been typing this. I had better have a look. 

 

DD My colour coordination suggests purple for mourning.

I hope yours is more cheerful.

Edited August 1, 2014 by DonBradley

[BoD]

Baz. So long as it IS Marmite and not Jeyes Fluid.

 

How can you tell the difference.

[BoD]

Something strange is happening!

After a prolonged period of stress and misery with deaths, illness and scumbag BiL, we seem to be entering some sort of purple patch.

Mostly financial but other things too.

Even the lottery paid out £25 last weekend.

So - nothing much to moan about today.

Good to hear some positive news from the Welsh hillside.

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

Weather here looks uncertain but at least it's dry for now. All we have on the roster today is shopping (love it on a Friday when all the weekenders from London and around pour in!) and of course continue with the patio set painting which was interrupted by two of my favourite girls if you saw last night's post!

I know poor Debs, Neil's wife, along with others, has suffered at the hands of certain elements of the NHS. I have to speak as I find - following on from Monday's consultation, the specialist nurse rang as arranged yesterday to confirm that I was happy to have the op. having had time to think it over at her insistence. When I confirmed, she explained that there would be a regular meeting next Tuesday where all the specialists concerned would discuss my case to ensure that for instance, the remaining kidney looks healthy enough to keep me going on its own. They will also involve an anaesthetist. She explained that, given the go-ahead, the 31 day target time begins then and so if all goes well, it will all be done soon. This morning I received a copy of a lengthy letter from the consultant which has gone to my oncologist and my GP to inform them of the outcome of the consultation and the plan for my future! I really appreciate the way that I have been treated like an intelligent(?) human being and that they have been so open and informative - the supportiveness and candour of the whole team does them credit. I seem to be very lucky.

Strange that we should have a strimmer discussion recently - the cacophony of noise on the railway embankments behind my house signals that Network Rail have decided to tidy up either side of the tracks. They appear to be using several petrol driven and poorly silenced devices and Archie the Westie is not particularly amused by the noise!

Richard, hope the great event turns out well and I look forward to several humorous posts outlining your teaching methods for the education of new SiL!

Ian, you must struggle at times to avoid being embroiled in the pathetic goings on in the Alison/Ben soap opera. Well done - only 15 more days but I don't suppose you're counting! Perhaps a cold shower after the encounter with the delivery girl?

For those who are interested (my grand daughter certainly is), MTV debuted today in 1981 and have been pumping out noise/music(choose your own description) ever since. Some of the videos that I've noticed in passing have become almost 'soft-core', not that I looked much!

Hope your week ends well and yes, predictably, Joanna's first words this morning were 'White rabbits'!

Kind regards Jock.

PS DD, good news mate, let's hope the good things come in spadefuls and not just threes!

Edited August 1, 2014 by Jock67B

[AndyB]

Morning all, again!

Awake again and back on the decaff. 

Next week looks busy with me commuting between Shrewsbury and this neck of the woods, then heading up to Aberdeenshire. Holiday? Doesn't sound like it.

 

Facing a raft of psychometric tests at some point - frankly I'd rather re-take my driving test. I'm trying to see how the ability to do times tables instantly predicts my 30 years of experience on the job. Clearly it doesn't, but it gives HR people more power in a company no doubt. I'm tempted to aim for a 100% wrong answers to make the point! LOL  

 

I have been practicing these tests and found that I am simultaneously below average, average and perfect score. I should confess that the perfect score test was from a university specialising in sport and exercise; the "Hopskipunjump University" as we used to refer to it at work.   

 

I don't know about ladies only compartments but in the mid-70s on the LTS there were two types of compartment. Smoking and SYHOOTWIYDLI (Stick Your Head Out Of The Window If You Don't Like It). 

[Coombe Barton]

My new garden shredder was delivered half an hour ago - by the Chronopost white-van lady. Late 20s, fleshy, not overdressed, delicious! Ahem!

 

Don't worry - Sherry is used to all this sort of stuff from me! Off to Sheena's now for a restorative cup of coffee.

Has it taken you that long to recover so that you can post on here? Edited August 1, 2014 by Coombe Barton

[PhilJ W]

If the shell is empty, I expect it`s fallen victim to a molluscan-downturn, been evicted and "hit the `pike" in a new life as a slug.

Definitely still in occupation, perhaps its just taking a rest.

[southern42]

DDolfelin, on 01 Aug 2014 - 10:00, said:

Something strange is happening!
After a prolonged period of stress and misery with deaths, illness and scumbag BiL, we seem to be entering some sort of purple patch.
Mostly financial but other things too.
Even the lottery paid out £25 last weekend.
So - nothing much to moan about today.

 

Good to hear some positive news from the Welsh hillside.

 

That'll be the heather, then.

 

Polly

Edited August 1, 2014 by southern42

[Two_sugars]

 

Definitely still in occupation, perhaps its just taking a rest.

Maybe has arthritis in its foot . . . .

Edited August 1, 2014 by Two_sugars

[Two_sugars]

How can you tell the difference.

Jeyes tastes better . . DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

[The Stationmaster]

 

I don't know about ladies only compartments but in the mid-70s on the LTS there were two types of compartment. Smoking and SYHOOTWIYDLI (Stick Your Head Out Of The Window If You Don't Like It). 

That reminds me of a pr*t who got into my train to Waterloo at Richmond one morning.  There's me puffing away (this was back in my days as a professional smoker) and this goon had the temerity to complain that I was smoking - I duly pointed out to him that the train had a total of 12 1st Class seats where smoking was permitted and many more where it wasn't and if he didn't like sitting in a compartment where smoking was permitted he had far better chance than me of finding an alternative seat.

 

I decided not to add 'if you happen to have a 1st Class ticket'.  Following his bit of nonsense I chain smoked all the way to Waterloo and he looked a bit of an odd colour when he got out, I was not sympathetic!

[DDolfelin]

he looked a bit of an odd colour when he got out, I was not sympathetic!

 

Yellow?

[Steve Williams]

D’oh that’s how the question started, Steve. Were they on other regions apart from Liverpool St ex GER suburban.........

 

Best, Pete.

Oops! I missed that one :-)

[Rugd1022]

Morning all

 

Stop knocking Neasden! It was a borough that obviously interested Willie Rushton et al, since, in the pre-Troubles era, I recall That Was The Week That Was making references to Neasden IRA. The song was written specially, I think, for Betjeman's film Metroland, a most enjoyable production, populist enough for mainstream tv, yet with a few anoraky things in it. I had hoped to play it for Sherry on her last visit, but the DVD oyster proved empty! It'll turn up. Oh, and in blatant defiance of our Lady of the North West, while sneaking round Neasden engine shed circa 1961, I saw a B1 4-6-0 passing on a down Great Central express. 61028 Umseke.

 

 

 

Sorry Ian, it's become a bit of an in joke between a workmate (Chief Freightliner Heavyhaul Test Pilot J.Harper Esquire, 3rd Duke of Coventryshire, DFC, OBE, BBC, ITV etc) and I, it's the most dreaded job at the depot! It's not so much for the location itslef, it's the early booking on time, the hassle of getting there on time and getting the train unloaded and back out again. It is one of those place names which conjures up images of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore trying not to laugh whilst doing one of their sketches and always has us chuckling like silly school boys. It's a bit like that Monty Python sketch where a team of crack mountaineers take on the north face of the Uxbridge Road, all rather silly and very English. Imagine my joy when I was just going to bed last night and the text came through from Crewe Control telling me the job was caped at the last minute.... it appears the mighty Vulcan managed to drop a few twenty pounders on the fair borough afterall! The fact that the train was cancelled due to a TPWS fault on the booked loco may or may not have had something to do with it. And the fact that a certain small but perfectly formed train driver of this parish may or may not have been seen running away from the scene of the crime with a big of Class 66 fuses tucked under his hairy arm pit is merely incidental. Ahem, cough, etc....

 

Weekend ahoy - have a good one all!

Edited August 1, 2014 by Rugd1022

[The Stationmaster]

Yellow?

Nearer your avatar colour think

[AndyB]

That reminds me of a pr*t who got into my train to Waterloo at Richmond one morning.  There's me puffing away (this was back in my days as a professional smoker) and this goon had the temerity to complain that I was smoking - I duly pointed out to him that the train had a total of 12 1st Class seats where smoking was permitted and many more where it wasn't and if he didn't like sitting in a compartment where smoking was permitted he had far better chance than me of finding an alternative seat.

 

I decided not to add 'if you happen to have a 1st Class ticket'.  Following his bit of nonsense I chain smoked all the way to Waterloo and he looked a bit of an odd colour when he got out, I was not sympathetic!

 

Quite right too. Sadly the boot was on the other foot on the LTS. 4 carriages and only perhaps 3 compartments within the set which had the oft-ignored "NO SMOKING" triangle. As an eleven year old commuter I didn't smoke, well only passively thanks to BR. 

[New Haven Neil]

Jock, I'm very pleased the NHS is working well with you!  Before moving to Fraggle Rock 12 years ago I was the administration manager of a large outpatients department, and I like to think we provided a good service to our users too, with care and consideration.  However Debs recent experience in Scouserpool proves not everyone is singing from the same songsheet, despite efforts of many it only takes on miserable *&^%$£" to make the whole experience rather unpleasant.  People aren't in hosptial for fun, they are ill and probably frightened, certainly stressed, and the inability of some (usually medical, it has to be said) staff to take this on board is a sad disappointment to me. Still.

[Oldddudders]

Jock, I'm very pleased the NHS is working well with you!  Before moving to Fraggle Rock 12 years ago I was the administration manager of a large outpatients department, and I like to think we provided a good service to our users too, with care and consideration.  However Debs recent experience in Scouserpool proves not everyone is singing from the same songsheet, despite efforts of many it only takes on miserable *&^%$£" to make the whole experience rather unpleasant.  People aren't in hosptial for fun, they are ill and probably frightened, certainly stressed, and the inability of some (usually medical, it has to be said) staff to take this on board is a sad disappointment to me. Still.

In 1978, colleagues panicked a bit when I had some chest pains, and I was taken by ambulance to St Thomas's hospital. [No fault found, no recurrence, TVM.] I was x-rayed, and had the chance to listen to others being interrogated on arrival at x-ray. The chap, probably a radiographer, was very straight-faced, and asked an important question : "Have you had an x-ray at this hospital before?" Clearly a majority of respondents were confused by this question, which, however simple it is to those of us feeling good, does, to those confused people as described by NHN, actually contain two questions. "Have you had an x-ray before, and if so, was it here?" Or maybe "Have you been here before, and if so, did you have an x-ray?" No doubt he got confused and unhelpful responses day after day. But kept asking the question, which he knew was right, of course.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Oldddudders

[New Haven Neil]

I suspect this fellow's problem was boredom, I think he wanted to be delving into complex neurosurgery, but has to do a morning clinic once each week electrocuting people to see how quickly/high they jump. Routine. But only for him, not the person on the end of the electrodes, it's not a particularly pleasant experience.  At least Debs can rest assured any subsequent surgery won't be undertaken there.

[grandadbob]

 I had no fixed plans for today but apparently "there are lots of things that need doing". That's me sorted then!

.

 Well blow me down & tickle me sideways!

Things that needed doing were done (almost cheerfully) and after that whilst I was sitting in front of my screen drooling over the Bachmann/Locomotion Ivatt C1 I must have said out loud "that's rather nice" or words to that effect. On hearing about the latest object of my desire and discovering that it won't be ready for a few months she uttered the magic words "Would you like it for Christmas?"    

My flabber was well & truly gasted but with no further ado the order was placed and I am a happy Bobby.

 

Gobsmacked of Sutton.