Early Risers.

[station cat]

The Princess that nearly ran me and Glynn Jones down in Willesden Shed in 1961 was definitely maroon. We didn't spend much time checking out the lining, though...

 

Probably Crimson. Bright and very fresh looking.

 

Anyhow, pictures of the show. Unfortunately I forgot to photograph our efforts but I dId manage a reasonable variety of everything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

Mike (S/master), read your post after posting mine#72674! Really jealous as I was unable to go to the show but both Jaz (Arboretum Valley) and AndyP (Bitton) promise lots of pics. I'm sure that Debs would forgive you for showing some, if indeed you took any, in the circumstances. I'm glad it sounds like it was a great success, although there has already been one very negative post on the show thread - you can't please them all!

Ian(Oldudders), thanks for the heads up on the Hastings Demu, it finally left Clacton at 4.55pm. Couldn't get a clear shot of it though, the weeds on the bank are very high and Joanna certainly wouldn't allow me to balance atop my step-ladders at the moment! ( My usual trick when something interesting is on the tracks. Saw a glimpse of it in passing from the rear bedroom window upstairs though - what a different sound. The exhaust from the turbos on both engines appear to be virtually straight through the roof without silencers and the driver gave it a squirt just as it passed us! It is easy to forget just how historic they are, starting out in 1957!

How strange, in view of next Thurday's vote, that today in 122, the Romans started building Hadrians Wall!!

Dick, as Debs said, hope your journey tomorrow goes without incident. That applies to all RMwebbers going to Coventry or Swindon as well!

John (Killybegs), another couple of superb images mate! Hope your daughter is OK, at least we are protected here, the weasel is one of the species that Archie the Westie's breed was trained to despatch!

Have a great Sunday whatever you are doing,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

Mike (S/master), read your post after posting mine#72674! Really jealous as I was unable to go to the show but both Jaz (Arboretum Valley) and AndyP (Bitton) promise lots of pics. I'm sure that Debs would forgive you for showing some, if indeed you took any, in the circumstances. I'm glad it sounds like it was a great success, although there has already been one very negative post on the show thread - you can't please them all!

 

Kind regards,

Jock.

I think that in many respects shows can be what you make them Jock.  Obviously people go for different reasons and that can affect their perceptions and reaction but this one was very much what it said on the tin - RMweb Live.  So we saw in the flesh things we see on RMweb, we spoke to people we know through RMweb putting faces to names of those we hadn't met before, and so on.  For me it wasn't a shopping expedition - I only had one thing in mind and the chap I tried (who used to sell it) can't get any more from the USA and I had no need to spend any more with him today.

 

But I had a great time talking to folk including several luminaries from our little corner of RMweb who it is always nice to meet and have a natter with, this was a good gathering for that sort of thing.  To me railway modelling is about a lot more than having the right trade stand (there are other shows in the calendar) and a lot is down to the atmosphere and today at the Ricoh the atmosphere was 'embracing' - notwithstanding plenty of room to move around.

[Jock67B]

Mike,

Thanks for that, really sorry I couldn't make it. Perhaps if my op. pans out as I hope and funds allow, I can use it as a target point for next year. I'm looking forward to the images tomorrow although Jaz has already got several up on AV. Really glad you enjoyed it (don't know if you've looked at the show thread yet) and I just new from the interplay on this site that most folk you met would be like minded. I believe the meeting of fellow modellers is if anything more important than the exhibits. Can I add that I'm proud to see so many of the late Dave's items being sold, I'm only sad that I wasn't in a position to bid on them!

Kind regards,

Jock.

PS Just seen your pics on the show thread - very nice! J.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Jock67B

[trisonic]

I think that in many respects shows can be what you make them Jock.  Obviously people go for different reasons and that can affect their perceptions and reaction but this one was very much what it said on the tin - RMweb Live.  So we saw in the flesh things we see on RMweb, we spoke to people we know through RMweb putting faces to names of those we hadn't met before, and so on.  For me it wasn't a shopping expedition - I only had one thing in mind and the chap I tried (who used to sell it) can't get any more from the USA and I had no need to spend any more with him today.

 

But I had a great time talking to folk including several luminaries from our little corner of RMweb who it is always nice to meet and have a natter with, this was a good gathering for that sort of thing.  To me railway modelling is about a lot more than having the right trade stand (there are other shows in the calendar) and a lot is down to the atmosphere and today at the Ricoh the atmosphere was 'embracing' - notwithstanding plenty of room to move around.

I appreciated your comments on the other thread Mike (cos I know we think alike) about Hornby’s tts. I’m afraid I don’t like any of the US steam locos I’ve heard either (not heard them all, obviously),

It is odd that model US diesels can sound really beautiful - and accurate but not steam locos. Diesels have just as much complexity in their sound signature whereas a lot of model steam locos sound to me like a match being struck on a Swan Vesta’s box.....(the “chuff”).

I don’t have a sound set - up yet but am interested to try out subtle reverberation which may improve the sound. Personally I believe that certain locos have been too closely miced but certainly appreciate the difficulties - hence the idea of distancing by electronic means, probably worth a try.

By the way the other thing that has annoyed me about loco speakers is the insistence on “bass reflex” - I have not seen any example of a boxed speaker (for models) that is actually truly bass reflex, I've seen quite a few that are actually simply “ported” - there appears to be some confusion over what real “bass reflex” means.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited September 14, 2014 by trisonic

[SouthernRegionSteam]

Looking at the photos of the agricultural show reminds me of when I helped my granddad with his cattle - I used to lead them around the judging rings. Seems really odd now I look back on it!

 

Well I finally told the boss that i'm leaving, she was really nice about it - said she wasn't surprised considering how bad my job is, and that she wishes me all the luck for the future. She also mentioned I'd be welcomed back at any time, even if it was just the occasional shift for some money. Thank you for all your tips - it helped a lot. Couldn't have gone any better! At the moment I'm gonna hold out until October (then it will be the 2 year mark), and take it from there. I feel relieved - like its a huge weight off of my mind.

 

P.s. I look forward to hearing about the RMweb live event this weekend  - wish I could've been there.

Edited September 14, 2014 by SouthernRegionSteam

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Just starting to get light and should be some bright and sunny spells today.

Had a great time & meal at the anniversary do we went to last night. 

Up earlyish for a Sunday because we're off to Swindon in a couple of hours.  

Have a good one,

Bob.

[edcayton]

Morning all.  Off to Coventry soon, I'll see how the foot lasts. I can always sit in the theatre all day!

 

Ed

[skipepsi]

Morning all, so far so good, the weather looks dull and cool ideal for loading up. Herding kittens time!

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. Still wet outside. Off to Berlin after brekkie for a wedding do, which means preparing defensive measures for the war zone that German autobahns can become is on the agenda.

[big jim]

Sunny morning in hackney, just off to new cross gate to act as site driver for the london bridge blockade

 

Went to see wicked in the victoria apollo last night, very good show indeed, didnt know what i'd make of it but it was better than i thought, also saw dirty rotten scoundrels yesterday, of the two i'd recommend scoundrels over wicked, but neither over book of mormon!

[Smiffy2]

Up. Which is about all that can be said for today. Cooler, duller and more autumnal than ideal.

My damaged foot seems to be a little better - which is good because last time it was 9 months... so wishing Ed well.

 

Coventry sounds to have been good on Saturday and presumably will be better today. I haven't been to a show for about 30 years - I'm keeping an eye on the calendar!

 

Absolutely nothing planned for today, yet, apart from some creative work with salmon, French packet sauces and pasta this evening.

 

On the food front, why can't I buy small cartons of UHT cream in the UK? They're ubiquitous in France (I've got a stock in the fridge) but it looks like an obvious one to me. Very useful for soups and sauces as well as strawberries. Odd. A bit like proper potatoes for making chips.

 

 I expect I'll be checking in a few times today and there may be some mangling of metal later on.

 

Have a great day, everyone, especially those heading for Coventry.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Sunny here and quite warm.

I think apart from a trip to the park with Robbie I'll be at home today.

Tony

[AndrewC]

Morning all from the boring borough. The back continues to recover. I did learn a very valuable lesson on Friday night. Naproxen + Diverticulitis don't mix. Spent yesterday morning in the out of hours care @ Queen Mary hospital. Now pumped full of antibiotics. What fun!

 

Needless to day this has f**ked my weekend plans once again. No doubt next week I'll come down with bubonic plague or similar.

 

Dick: can't stand UHT milk or cream. Something in the smell that just turns me right off. To me they all have a strange chemical taste that takes me back to a fake milkshake drink we used to have as kids. Revolting.

 

Jim: glad you are enjoying the sites and sounds of ye olde London Towne. Make sure you try some of the local popup cuisine. The markets around Brick Lane are a good start. Or Wapping market on a Sunday. Much better than most restaurants.

 

Have a good day everyone.

 

Peace, Love, and Gravy.

[Smiffy2]

Andrew - I share your feelings about UHT milk - but the cream is different, possibly because it's creamier! I like Le President (it's our local big dairy in Normandy), their butter and cheese is good too. We'd been in France for a good 5 years before we discovered that the supermarket sold fresh milk. That was a great day! 

 

Sorry to hear about the Naproxen/diverticulitis problem. I take Naproxen for gout and general inflammation (plantar fasciitis due to slipping off a railway sleeper, then again after slipping down some wet and damaged steps in France last month) and it does worry me a bit, especially as I take it with Colchicine, a medicine made from crocuses (proper medicine, not woo) that I can only take for 3 days or it has the direst consequences. 

[Purley Oaks]

Morning all

 

France was wonderful and we all (wife Gabe, daughter, mum and myself) had a fab time, very relaxing. We were near Mirepoix, south of Toulouse, and stayed at Engravies where there was a pool, perfect for those 28C days. Good to see a real town with many small independent shops and no usual suspects (OK, there was a SuperU and an Aldi on the outskirts of Mirepoix).

 

Saw the incredible cave paintings at Niaux, took a fabulous day trip to Andorra for the scenery and duty-free (try to avoid El Pas De Las Casa, though, unless you like Boxng Day sales crowds). €30 for a litre of Laphroaig, and €20 for a litre of Glenlivet can't be all bad, just remember to pack it well in your hold bag.  Mirepoix market day on Monday was great, too.

 

So we all felt really relaxed by the time of our return flight from Toulouse, spoiled by check-in. Most passengers had a hold bag; for the first 30 mins there was just one person manning check-in. All we need is a bag drop because all passengers had printed out boarding passes in advance. For some reason it was felt necessary to print new boarding passes for all passengers. Waiting to check-in for an hour with someone in a wheelchair is tiring; and just as the three wheelchair passengers were boarding the plane, regular passengers were let loose from the gate and barged passed the elderly ladies on the plane steps. Bonkers!

 

At Edinburgh airport on our return our pre-paid parking ticket didn't work. As well as causing a long queue of cars they tried to charge us a further £160. Don't think so! We laugh now, but stressful at the time.

 

The Jet2 flights were all good, likewise check-in at Edinburgh which was fast, smooth, and they did all they could to help with the wheelchair boarding.

 

Sorry I can't be in Coventry, but have a good weekend everyone

 

Mal

Edited September 14, 2014 by Purley Oaks

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Shopping (at Tesco) before Swindon today - a sort of pennance I'm led to believe!

 

So might miss GDB at Swindon as it will be getting towards early afternoon before I arrive I expect and Ed - if you're still looking here - plenty of seating scattered about teh place but no bereakfast to compare with Stoke Mandeville as far as I could see.

 

Have a good day one & all.

[DDolfelin]

 

 

 

 

 

Would be interested to know if this chap won anything for exhibiting.

[Ashcombe]

Would be interested to know if this chap won anything for exhibiting.

 

Exactly what I thought! Put me in mind of that Mr. Bean sketch when he was in a line up to meet the Queen and his shirt tail became entangled in his zip............!

 

I shouldn't really be on here as I have a list in my head of a few tasks to complete before I pack up to drive to our mobile home near Lassay les Chateaux. We've survived a month together - our  longest time ever and we have plenty more good times ahead, with Ian coming to the UK next month and me returning here for Christmas and New Year. Within the next few weeks, I shall be moving into an apartment which will be easy to leave for my visits to France.

 

Hope you are all having a good weekend and looking forward to hearing some news of Don B.

 

If you live in the Midlands, you might have heard of the tragic death of a young man called Paul Averill in Ilkeston at the end of last week. He was a pupil of mine in Rugeley in the 90's and his family was involved with our theatre company there. A thoroughly decent guy - so sad to read of his demise.

[travelintrev]

Morning all,   

 

First flight ( 9 + hours)  0ver now sat drinking coffee at Schiphol   - 10 mins  before they start boarding the next  flight  back to the dark continent ---  enjoy the day as best you can, 

 

Trev.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

A bit cloudy here, but still bright and warm. An Indian Summer here, compared to dreary July and much of August.

 

A brief shopping trip yesterday yielded the horsefeed the shop had lacked on Thursday - and provided Sherry with a pair of purple (her colour of choice in nearly all things!) wellies with a tartan top. They look a lot nicer than my description implies - and as loyalty card holder I got 15% off on special promo deal. I know the way to a girl's heart - last week a ring, this week wellies!

 

Jock - those DEMUs were a triumph of engineering determination over design, really. ISTR the prime movers were originally intended for an aborted sale to Egypt, where sound levels in the '50s may not have been an environmental issue. I do recall one sitting in the platform at Orpington in the '80s, the engine roaring away after the governor had failed. That was impressive! The maintenance staff at St Leonards West Marina Depot performed miracles keeping them in play for so long. Someone suggested St Leonard was Patron Saint of DEMUs! The climb from Charing X to Polhill Tunnel on the Down, and from Tonbridge to the same point on the Up, meant they spent a lot of time on full throttle, yet still used an extra path compared with the EMUs on the same route. I don't think the operators missed them when they went.... 

 

Sherry is doing her final tidying before packing up to leave for Parc Mayenne this afternoon. Still insisting on completing my ironing and picking up windfall apples. A more willing guest you could not imagine. I think I'll marry her!

 

The Scotland issue that intrigues me is if an Independent Scotland opted to sign the Schengen Convention, meaning no passports and open borders within Europe. The UK has not signed - so Hadrian's Wall would indeed need to be rebuilt by England to keep foreigners out!

 

Hope your day of rest delivers, while those out and about have a good day, too.

[Jock67B]

Morning all from what is a sunny Clacton at the moment. Took quite a while to get off to sleep last night and that set me wondering about my post mentioning the building of Hadrian's wall - now that power crazed Mr Salmon(d) (definitely something fishy there?) seems to want to rebuild it from the other side! Although I'm fiercely proud of my Scottish upbringing, I can see the little xenophobe leading that beautiful part of Britain headlong into a disastrous position from which it might never recover! Bizarre to continue a war which I thought was over some 300 years ago. I am very worried indeed that it looks to be such a close run affair at the moment!

Mal, sounds like you've all had a great holiday (normal airport dramas excepted) and that, on top of the 'Festival' must mean that returning to normal is going to be a bit of a let-down!

Hope AndrewC and Dick get their relative health problems resolved soon, those medications sound scary.

I'm slowly mending and have my next appointment with the oncologist on Thursday after which I should be able to post an update. I hope to go back on the chemo then, sooner the better! One plus of being off it for some time is that the side effects have dropped to negligible and my appetite has returned - I've even eaten a couple of curries and a chilli without hurting my mouth! I do want to start again soon though as I'm told that it will inhibit the advance of the bone tumours!

The chores list has been re-presented now I'm on the mend but I've managed to defer it until at least Thursday's appointment!

Good move Jam, never does to burn bridges in my experience - my son in law was recently head hunted and now has a much advanced career because of a friendly comment to the CEO of his new company from the boss of a previous one! Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Have a good Sunday all,

Kind regards, Jock.

[Jock67B]

Thanks for the comments in your post Ian - another item of engineering history that I spent time researching yesterday thanks to your good self! My family sometimes find it difficult to understand what joy I get from all things mechanical as well as the myriad other topics that I find interesting - a legacy from my father who had a most enquiring mind and appears to have passed the inquisitiveness to me in the genes! Saw the governor apparatus you mention on the technical area of their web-site and funnily enough thought then that it looks a bit vulnerable!!

Sherry, I am so pleased to hear how your relationship has progressed, one of the truly upbeat stories on ERs this year and a great counter-balance to all the bad things around! Safe journey back and good luck with getting the UK nest in order on your return.

You might guess that both your posts came in at the time I was typing mine!

All the best for the future to the pair of you,

Kind regards,

Jock.

PS not certain that purple wellies with a tartan top will feature in my next erotic dream but whatever turns .............J.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Jock67B

[shortliner]

Re the Scotland "In or Out" debate - as far as the BBC news is concerned, Scotland appears to consist almost entirely of the Oil Capital, and the Central Belt - They seem not to realise (or maybe, care) that there are another 250-300 miles of this beautiful country that lie further north, including one of the UKs newest cities!

Edited September 14, 2014 by shortliner

[bluebottle]

 

The Scotland issue that intrigues me is if an Independent Scotland opted to sign the Schengen Convention, meaning no passports and open borders within Europe. The UK has not signed - so Hadrian's Wall would indeed need to be rebuilt by England to keep foreigners out!

 

 

 

So you'd support most of Northumberland and some of Cumberland being returned to Scotland?