Early Risers.

[eldavo]

Morning All, Grey in these parts so expect to get wet playing golf this afternoon. That'll be the 4th game in a row requiring waterproof gear. Don't think I've ever seen the like before.

 

29 years ago I had just moved to sunny(?) Hampshire to work for Big Blue (IBM). 46 years ago I was still at Raans County Secondary in Amersham. They've demolished it since I left.

 

Have a good one all.

 

Cheers

Dave

[gordon s]

46 years ago would be 1968.  I would have been living in digs in Weybridge and working on contract on the flight manual 'carpet graphs' for the ill fated BAC 311 at British Aerospace.  For someone who scraped through maths, carpet graphs were really pushing my envelope...

 

29 years ago, I was Sales Manager at a US company producing pressfit, multi layer backplanes for computer and telecomms companies.

 

Now, if only I could remember what I did yesterday.

 

For Eldavo's benefit, I've become a fair weather golfer…..

[Tony_S]

I have just had a phone call from Aditi's sister who was sitting in MiL's flat. MiL had sent her passport off for an Indian Visa. Her grandson (not Matthew) had helped and I suppose because he is a maths graduate he had sent it to the wrong address, and fortunately Royal Mail returned it. I know that the Indian Visa form was designed by Vogons but about the only clear thing is the address to send it to! MiL doesn't actually know that her visa hasn't arrived. I suspect she isn't going to be happy when she returns from morning bridge game.

Tony

[gordon s]

One for Jock.  I loved my Renault 25.  I'd had a succession of Cortina's and Carlton's and the 25 really broke that mould.  Front seats were like armchairs and that was my first car with air conditioning.  Having driven to the South of France the previous year with all the family on board, we were given the choice of no wind noise and hot air from outside blasting in or deafening noise and windows open.  Seeing the BMW's and Mercs purring past with all the windows shut convinced me that air con was a real priority.  

 

That was it and my next company car was a metallic maroon 25 with a cream interior.  Felt like the dogs danglies…..

[eldavo]

...Now, if only I could remember what I did yesterday.

 

For Eldavo's benefit, I've become a fair weather golfer…..

Who are you? Or probably more to the point, who am I!

 

Cheers

Dave

[Tony_S]

My first car with air con was also a Renault. A Megane Scenic. I think they dropped the Megane bit from the name shortly afterwards. So much easier driving round France in that than the 340 Volvo we had been using for a couple of years. The air con in the Land Rover is very good for dealing with damp dog generated condensation whatever the weather.

Aditi was really fond of her Clio but transferred her allegiance to her Fiesta. So much so that she no longer wants the little sports car she was promising herself when she retires. 

Tony

[Tony_S]

  Or probably more to the point, who am I!

 

Cheers

Dave

Look on the dog's collar. It may contain the information you need.

[AndrewC]

The Lurker, on 15 Oct 2014 - 11:05, said:

Looking forward to discovering the new beer. I see they've been chatting to the local Wetherspoons pubs. Maybe I'll find it there.

 

And as for Thamesmead, my only exposure has been sitting with my mrs while she did driving practice. As you say, what a hole!

Tonight's launch is via the 4 borough 'spoons. Starting at the Turnpike in Welling and finishing @ Tailor's Chalk in Sidcup. Lucky for me the "Pikey" is in walking distance.

[eldavo]

Look on the dog's collar. It may contain the information you need.

Thanks Cyril, that's really helpful. Now I know my name is Archie and where I live.

 

Cheers

Dave (I've just been told)

[45156]

Morning All

 

I'm not caught up, just having a quick dip in between three hours of being a domestic god, and going out to get the bus to my stained glass class.  Main complication is that I've just had a phone call to say that my special shoe has arrived from Leeds at the hospital, and can I come in today to collect BEFORE FOUR O'CLOCK - class starts at 1 and ends at 3.45.  Hospital is about ten minutes walk, and the Orthotics unit is a good ten minutes away from the main doors.  Seems a bit tight to me.

 

Meantime, 46 years ago, I spent most of the summer in the garden listening to 1960s pop music, then back to secondary school for my Higher year (Scottish for A Level - sort of).  26 years ago I was working in a boring clerical job in the CIty of London trying to work my way up the pensions industry, which I did until I was made redundant in 1992.

 

Be back later

Regards to All

Stewart

[trisonic]

46 years ago I was with Decca Records. 29 years ago with EMI Music (Europe) and Capitol Records (USA) working on the mysteries of Compact Disc.

That was when we actually had record companies (in the UK) and everyone actually made money and pretended to know what we were doing.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited October 15, 2014 by trisonic

[DonBradley]

Good day all its Tim,

My apologies for the long delay in post but I have been busy with exams etc.

Don is back at the home and is mobile in a wheel chair for short periods of time, ie meals.

He finds it uncomfortable to be sitting so he chooses to lie on his bed and watch TV.

Hopefully shortly he will be more comfortable with sitting and will then be back to regular activities.

His wounds are looking better but he will still take a while too completely heal.

 

Hope all are well.

Tim

[trisonic]

Thanks Tim give him our regards for a speedy recovery...

Best, Pete.

[Barry O]

Bangalore Telecom.... do they know what they are doing...... I doubt it!  the "new" Mail is Outlook in disguise but so slow...................... and erroneous...................

 

So I have filled in their feedback form ... no chance it will make any difference but ..one can try..  sorry for the rant(!)

 

Still raining here.. good to here from Tim  - hope all goes well!

 

Off for lunch.. and .. 20 years ago I was involved in

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEIIBCjAjxc

 

Eventually managed to get a "free" lunch from the company having not originally been invited.. but one of my senior Army  and a senior Civil Servant soon sorted that out....

 

Baz

[Jock67B]

My first car with air con was also a Renault. A Megane Scenic. I think they dropped the Megane bit from the name shortly afterwards. So much easier driving round France in that than the 340 Volvo we had been using for a couple of years. The air con in the Land Rover is very good for dealing with damp dog generated condensation whatever the weather.

Aditi was really fond of her Clio but transferred her allegiance to her Fiesta. So much so that she no longer wants the little sports car she was promising herself when she retires. 

Tony

Tony, not a lot of people realised that the Volvo 340 had a Renault 1.4 engine, the 360 using the 1.7 from the same stable. Remember a great friend of mine parking his brand new Volvo company car next to my 2.0L Renault 25 in the pub car park and announcing loudly to the assembled company that there was 'none of that Frech cr*p for me!'. Took him out to the car park and we opened both bonnets whereupon I said 'spot the difference!' His face was an absolute picture, especially as a few of the other 'bar flies' had joined us and we're rolling with laughter!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Jock67B]

Good day all its Tim,

My apologies for the long delay in post but I have been busy with exams etc.

Don is back at the home and is mobile in a wheel chair for short periods of time, ie meals.

He finds it uncomfortable to be sitting so he chooses to lie on his bed and watch TV.

Hopefully shortly he will be more comfortable with sitting and will then be back to regular activities.

His wounds are looking better but he will still take a while too completely heal.

Hope all are well.

Tim

Great news, thanks for the update Tim, great newsagent! Please tell Don that Joanna and I often think of him, as do many others on this site.

Kind regards,

Jock.

[NGT6 1315]

Tim, many thanks for the update. Do keep us posted and please extend our best wishes to Don.

[The Lurker]

Tim

 

thanks for updating us.

 

As others have said, hope Don continues to mend

[Tony_S]

Tony, not a lot of people realised that the Volvo 340 had a Renault 1.4 engine, the 360 using the 1.7 from the same stable. Remember a great friend of mine parking his brand new Volvo company car next to my 2.0L Renault 25 in the pub car park and announcing loudly to the assembled company that there was 'none of that Frech cr*p for me!'. Took him out to the car park and we opened both bonnets whereupon I said 'spot the difference!' His face was an absolute picture, especially as a few of the other 'bar flies' had joined us and we're rolling with laughter!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Our Volvo 340 GLE was one of the ones fitted with the 1.7 L Renault engine. It was a horrible car. I liked the Scenic. It had a very reliable 8 valve 2.0L petrol engine. We had lots of holidays driving over Europe in it. I did try one of the newer Scenics but didn't like it as much. I tried various other manufacturers MPVs but once I'd tried the Freelander 2 I much preferred it. As Land Rover is a Tata group company now I tease Aditi about having an "Indian" car.

Tony

[AndyB]

At least when you drive off in your car you can say.....

 

 

wait for it.....

 

 

"Tata for now!" 

 

 

Oh, I already seem to have my coat on. 

[Robert]

Interestingly enough, I was just thinking that we haven't heard from Don (or Tim) for a while.

 

That's very good news - Keep getting well Don!

[Ian Abel]

Morning all, 

 

Mrs B was very touched to get a "Happy birthday" wish from so many of you.

 

Happy Birthday MrsB..I was waiting until "the day" to offer my wishes, but noticed everyone else gave theirs yesterday <sigh>... sorry for being late (well, on time)!

 

46 years ago would be 1968.  I would have been living in digs in Weybridge and working on contract on the flight manual 'carpet graphs' for the ill fated BAC 311 at British Aerospace.  For someone who scraped through maths, carpet graphs were really pushing my envelope...

Bloody hell Gordon, "where" were your digs? We probably passed each other back then, I went to the station daily commuting to Waterloo, and often taken to the station in the morning by my dad who worked at Vickers and drove past the station to work...small world! Did you ever shop at WH Smiths in town on Saturdays?? I worked there to earn some extra cash as I'd delivered papers from there prior to starting full-time work at Shell.

 

Good day all its Tim,

My apologies for the long delay in post but I have been busy with exams etc.

Don is back at the home and is mobile in a wheel chair for short periods of time, ie meals.

He finds it uncomfortable to be sitting so he chooses to lie on his bed and watch TV.

Hopefully shortly he will be more comfortable with sitting and will then be back to regular activities.

His wounds are looking better but he will still take a while too completely heal.

 

Hope all are well.

Tim

Thanks for the update Tim, wish Don well, and continued recovery...

 

 

 

Tracking packages has to be the weirdest "science" ever...

Usually, especially from US or even UK tracked deliveries, I can get/see almost a daily update, my latest acquisition however, coming from Canada has been a source of wonder;

i) Left Toronto Oct. 11 at 6AM

ii) travelled 500 miles to Chicago and arrived Oct. 11 at 11PM

iii) Mysterously was NOT heard from until Oct. 15th. at 1AM when it arrived in Minneapolis - 400 miles

iv) Supposedly out for delivery at 6AM - yahoo, hopefully I'll see it today

Begs the question though - where the hell was it for four days between Chicago and here??? Definately a silly process

 

So, HUMP day and a 4C start driving in to the office, bright sun and JUST early enough to avoid the "arrgghhh, I can't see the sun, is blinding me" crowd. Expecting maybe 17 for the high, and 19 possibly tomorrow, not quite Indian Summer, but definately temperate Autumn

 

Work calls, as always, so will check in later...

Edited October 15, 2014 by Ian Abel

[The Stationmaster]

Good to hear about Don, hope progress continues.

 

And there's another blast from the past Jock - mentioning the Bren.  I loved shooting with the Bren gun - superbly accurate (albeit only at 200 yards) and we were officially allowed 5 rounds on repetition firing but as we loaded our own magazines the counting sometimes seemed to go awry, but never anything like enough to really heat up teh barrel.

 

We used to do our .303 shooting at Churn on the Berkshire Downs - lovely location although not so nice on a cold or wet day and right by the DN&S which had lost its passenger service by the time I started going down there (but as the trains were so infrequent that made no difference) although Churn Halt was still in one piece.  There was some freight traffic and we had a year or two of 9Fs on Fawley - Bromford Bridge oil trains before the route shut south of Newbury.  Good old days and very near maximum marks every time I shot the Empire Test, as it then was, on .303.

[bluebottle]

Good to hear about Don, hope progress continues.

 

And there's another blast from the past Jock - mentioning the Bren.  I loved shooting with the Bren gun - superbly accurate (albeit only at 200 yards) and we were officially allowed 5 rounds on repetition firing but as we loaded our own magazines the counting sometimes seemed to go awry, but never anything like enough to really heat up teh barrel.

 

As an ATC cadet I was shown how to strip and reassemble a Bren, but (probably wisely) was never given an opportunity of shooting with it. My instructor had been an RAF Regiment sergeant in Malaya during WWII, and, reminiscing about those days, mentioned that he had only once shot from the hip: "But that was because some other bu99er was shooting at me at the time ..."  our man's shooting was accurate ...

 

P.S.: ATC 218 (Rotherham) Squadron

 

Edit: added P.S.

Edited October 15, 2014 by bluebottle

[PhilJ W]

Great to hear about Don, hope to hear from you soon Don. You've got a hell of a lot of catching up to do on ER's.