Early Risers.

[BoD]

After stockpiling a load of modelling mags I decided to throw them out at the start of this year.

Most of them hadn't been touched for at least a couple of years, some even longer.

About a fortnight after I'd slung the lot someone asked if I had any old mags that I didn't want.

Edited December 30, 2014 by BoD

[newbryford]

The planned bike ride on Monday didn't happen because I had too much work to do.

However, Plan B tomorrow is to ride before work.

 

So it's off to Gisburn Forest at 8.20am and work after about 1130

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Tony_S]

A couple of the cars that we have achieved over 100000 miles in wouldn't have done so if we could have afforded to replace them! I don't think I could do the repair jobs now which is why a classic car doesn't appeal. The Clio went because the air con failed and Aditi didn't really want a car without it. The person who bought it wasn't bothered so it is probably at considerably more than the 100000+ miles we put on it.

[southern42]

Evening all.

Family visitors.  They went home after lunch and I fell asleep on the sofa for a good couple of hours.

Woke up in time for the next clue of the RMweb Christmas Quiz.

I fiirst thought the answer was a lump of cheese (probably because we had it for lunch), so a bit off course.

 

Sprouts.  Its a different world when you make bubble and squeak.

Last of the Christmas meat devoured tonight.

Biscuits almost gone but at least a few chocolates left and still plenty of satsumas.

 

Magazines.  We started going through them before Christmas to make room in the bookcase for another year's accumulation of books.  While Ray created PDFs of interesting stuff, I filed away some of the cut out articles. I find it easier to work from a paper copy than a computer screen.  Besides, you get some great double page pics of your favourite layouts which don't look quite the same on a tiddly screen that sits on my lap.

 

Modelling.  Mr I K Brunel wanted a cigar for Christmas so I thought I'd give him one, but he seems to have disappeared.  This pre-Christmas tidying up has a lot to answer for - now I can't find him.  This is worse than working out the clues in AndyY's quiz.

  :banghead:

 

Listening to Smooth Radio.

Yesterday, daughter directed us to Seth Lakeman's Folk Special on Radio 2 as an introduction to one of his CDs she gave Ray for Christmas. You can listen to the programme here for up to 4 weeks:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04v674p

 

 

Edit out surplus word

Edited December 30, 2014 by southern42

[DDolfelin]

 

 

Edit out surplus word

 

If I did that my posts would be blank.

[pH]

If I did that my posts would be blank.

Thereby proving yourself wrong!

[railsquid]

Morning, frostiest one of the year so far.

 

I used to buy a lot of computer/technical magazines, and every now and again cut out any articles which might be useful and put them in a thematically sorted ring-binder. I also have a couple of boxes with random issues of old newspapers and magazines of all kinds as a sort of historical mini-museum. I got rid of all my railway-related magazines before I thought of either idea, alas.

[NGT6 1315]

Red alert headache building, so off to bed I am. Night, troops!

[andyram]

Evening all. I hope you have had a good day.

 

Still a very gradual thaw here and the side roads remain like ice rinks. We had a run out to Masson Mills shopping village in Cromford - they were advertising (via their Facebook page) a sale which includes discounts on Hornby. Sadly this did not amount to much - not up to their usual standards.

On the way back we called in at Toys R Us so Amber could spend her Christmas money. So much choice she didn't seem to want anything so much of the money was saved. She did get treated to some more track for her Trackmaster Thomas set. This has rather taken over the living room at present. With that, her plastic push along Postman Pat train and track, a wooden Brio set, the battery operated Santa Express and Hornby version under the tree there is plenty of opportunity for Daddy to play trains - even if I am not getting much modelling time at the moment.

 DIY job number one was completed yesterday with Sarah's Christmas aquarium cabinet built - now there is just a chest of drawers to complete - and Amber's new bed which is due for delivery tomorrow. Can I get both completed before the end of 2014?

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

The penultimate day of 2014 grows to a close with as usual, some sad/disturbing news on the BBC news channel. Oddest has to be a woman shot dead, with her own legally owned loaded handgun, by her two year old son who was sitting in the shopping trolley next to the handbag that contained it!! All this in an Idaho Wallmart store.

Sherry, I've always thought of Alison as an important player in the soap opera of Le Mans as related by Ian - if it wasn't real, you would have difficulty believing it. I guess that you two are really looking forward to 2015, and New Years Eve this time around will hold a special meaning for you - best wishes for the New Year from a heathen Scot and his wife Joanna. We both truly hope it all goes to plan.

As to ancestry, Jock senior had ours professionally traced and I've probably bored you with Norse descent, border rievejrs, appearance at Flodden and the granting of our own coat of arms and tartan. The motto 'Sero Sed Serio', which I am sure Debs would agree, loosely translates as 'Late but in deadly earnest'. Joanna certainly thinks this fits after over thirty years with me. Colourful history but without the Royal connection of our Pete from the 'Big Apple'!

I've got around 300 railway modelling magazines (lots are RM) and a few fairly early manufacturer catalogues that I really need to clear out so as not to leave them as a future burden for my good lady. I'm really loth to just dump them as they are full of articles by such luminaries of our hobby as Larry Goddard, Alan Downes, Iain Rice, Bob Barlow and many more. I've copied lots from them but they would make a fantastic resource for anyone starting out in the hobby. I would like to earn a little from them but don't expect much - just like to see them go to a good home!

Hope you all have a good and safe New Years Eve, and raise a glass to Robert Burns whose work will be sung throughout the world - not bad for a simple Ayrshireman!

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night Pete!

[skipepsi]

It looks like you are feeling a bit better, certainly I hope you are Jock. G'Night all.

[Jock67B]

Thanks Mick,

Perhaps the vintage Calvados is disguising the symptoms! G'night Mick.

Kind regards,

Jock.

[travelintrev]

Good morning all,  

 

As Marilyn promised I was "forced" to endure another train trip today...to  San Diego old town. There I had my first Mexican lunch..... then as the weather has turned cold and rain was  coming caught the next train back. 

 

I'll open a thread on the trains in the US section when I get back to Lagos....only another full day here. 

 

Hope your N.Y.E goes well, 

 

Trev.

[Tony_S]

Morning greetings from the frosty Thames Riviera.

After breakfast (waffles, fruit, maple syrup) I will be taking Matthew to Heathrow so he can catch his flight to Malta.

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. Slowly getting light outside where it's still snowy but just above 1°C, so I expect things to turn slushy soon enough… Some foodstuffs for tomorrow still need to be purchased, but otherwise, I think we got everything settled for the departure of 2014.

 

Have a good day, troops!

[Barry O]

Morning all!

Hope everyone's travel plans go well over the rest of this week. I also hope all of you with ailments of any kind have respite from them.

 

New Year's Eve is a time for a bit of reflection but also a time for looking at the opportunities available in the New Year.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Baz

[Smiffy2]

G'morning all.

Very frosty outside. Not all that tropical inside, for that matter.

Man flu has returned as a ghost of its former self, but still naff.

 

Blondie with us for the day today, and if anyone feels like it, a photo-expedition; if not then something else...

 

Have a good day. If you're going to make 2014 even more memorable you haven't got much time left.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, quick look in before leaving for work.

 

Wet, 10c and windy here, but the good news is the UK has been re-connected to Fraggle Rock as the Ben-My-Chree is returned to service, with a working rudder now.  How did you all manage without us?

 

OK, off to stock take - ugh.

[martin1]

morning all,cold and very frosty here,had a few cars over the 100,000 mark,moggy,143000,landrover 108000,2 xantias 176000,173000,all still going when I sold them,funny we are doing decokes again,and on diesels now thanks to the emmisions regulations!! have a good day all

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

More frost and should stay dry with some sunny spells.

Nothing much planned for today except for an emergency shopping trip. Somebody has stolen all the beer.   Well that's what I told Chris anyway. Don't think she believed me.

We don't bother much about New Year's celebrations these days after many years of partying so a quiet evening (with a beer or two) is on the cards.

Have a good one and a Happy New Year to you all,

Bob.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Grey, misty/overcast morning in the Moorlands with visibility around one mile and mild compared with yesterday but still with a good frost both air & ground. The sound of increased water flow in the roadside gullies along the constitutional suggests that a steady thaw is still under way. The trees and walls at lower levels have lost their white decoration whilst many of those at higher levels still have it. Easy cycling along most of the side road route now with one unsalted exception which was white with frost along its length. Reservoir views were pure greyscale, nothing pure white or black but just about every shade of grey from the semi-frozen water surface to the sky above.

 

We have dad calling for lunch today and a party planned later.

 

Feathered friends fed

 

Tomorrow 50-60 of us walk together in annual support of a village in Nepal, to help bring it close to the 21st century. We then eat together in the village hall with proceeds going to the fund.

 

Seasonal peace and joy to all

 

Dave 

Edited December 31, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Killybegs]

Our weather this morning is much the same as on Fraggle Rock, except that Neil is now enjoying the rain that passed here through last night!

 

The dogs are walked, the recycling bin is out and dogs, birds and self have been fed. The birds have reverted to eating more seeds than nuts, in the run up to Christmas the nuts were going a lot quicker.

 

Steph has the day off tomorrow (which is great), not out of goodwill but because her Director of Nursing doesn't like paying the extra cost of bank holiday working to senior staff (for the same reason, no senior staff do night duty). However, it does mean another day's lost pay to add to those lost over Christmas. I don't know how the NHS works, but here nursing staff receive X number of days annual leave and public holidays have to come out of that. Unfortunately, our trip down under used up all of Steph's allowance! On the good side, because of staff shortages, Steph has been able to work in the main hospital for most of the four weeks of the year that the day hospital (which she runs) is closed in the summer and Christmas/New Year. If that wasn't the case we would have to take our holidays at that time. I know, teachers do it all the time, but their holidays are longer!

 

Definitely my last rant of the year (but next year is not far away)!

 

Try not to overdo your New Year's celebrations.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Killybegs

[bbishop]

 

 

I used to buy a lot of computer/technical magazines, and every now and again cut out any articles which might be useful and put them in a thematically sorted ring-binder.

Read that as "thermatically".  Must find the glasses.

Bill

 

Glasses found - post edited.  Have a good one everybody.

Edited December 31, 2014 by bbishop

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Since I've retired my car mileage has dropped considerably, 14,000 miles in 61/2 years. The previous car did over 50,000 in 2 years! Both cars were purchased brand new but before that the car used for the daily commute was a cheap banger with a longish MoT, if it broke down or the MoT was due to expire I traded it in or sold it and got another. Most were quite reliable but I never bothered keeping a record of the mileage. Only a bit of shopping to do today so only a few more miles to go on the clock.

[skipepsi]

Morning all, thinking about a trip to Preston today but at the moment the black ice on the drive is slightly off putting.... A trip to the bottom of the drive with the bin last night was risky but the bin men have emptied it so it needs recovering I may be gone for a while.....

Edited December 31, 2014 by skipepsi