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Early Risers.


Mr.S.corn78
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Morning all!

 

Whistle stop tour of the world yesterday as forecast, and now a million things to do in the office today.  I have this horrible feeling I may be coming back to my desk tonight after dinner...

 

Belated Happy Birthday to Station Cat!  Particularly enjoyed the layout pics.  As a (nominal) Sunderland supporter, I'm sad that we won't be playing Boro next year. I didn't get my wish in either the Newcastle or the Boro game at the weekend...

 

Many thanks for all the birthday wishes. Yesterday made it a very happy birthday indeed. So 2 days worth of picspam coming up.

 

Railex (CAUTION: TRAINS)

 

Aberbeeg

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Loch Tat, whoever did the scenery and back scene on this is a talented artist

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Black Country Blues, looking a bit misty on this may morning

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Frecclesham was the layout I enjoyed most

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Perhaps it was the communication between the operators

 

 

Moving onto Wembley...

 

Walking down Wembley Way

 

 

The view from the nosebleed section

 

 

Post match pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry about the quality of this one, apparently cameras don't work so well when you're jumping up and down

 

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Crikey Dom, I've often thought that one or two members of our family were a bit strange but that takes the biscuit!

Never any relative that strange but I had an aunt who went through several husbands/divorces in succession but it was never mentioned in front of us kids. A great grandfather had a reputation as a bit of a ladies man, as evidenced in the records as he married my great grandmother only three months before my great uncle was born. (Her dad was a gamekeeper so he had a shotgun ready.)

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Crikey Dom, I've often thought that one or two members of our family were a bit strange but that takes the biscuit!

 

Her aunt also gained notoriety when she made similarly weird presents to her nephew (which may or may not have been influenced by her not being on the best of terms with her daughter), such as a rag doll apparently obtained in a jumble sale, or, after he had entered elementary school, a pre-spelling reform spelling and grammar guide. Or by, on at least one occasion, wrapping such presents in bin bags.

 

Needless to say, these had been major WTF moments for me, too!

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On the subject of Lands End.  I was incredibly disappointed when I went there.  I had only seen the pictures my Grandfather took back in the 60s, and so you can imagine the let down when I finally arrived at what is little more than a gaudy (and very expensive) fairground attraction.  Having said that, the scenery itself hasn't changed.  I have never got as far "up" as John O'Groats.- so can't comment.

 

Twenty or so years ago John O'Groats was bleak; just a tatty old pub there, peeling paint, torn vinyl seating and bog-standard beer.

 

I think things have changed a bit since, they've realised that it's a place people want to visit just because it's the northernmost tip of mainland UK/Scotland. Looks like it's been made into a place tourists will want to visit and return to judging by this website:  http://www.visitjohnogroats.com/

rebranded as the end of the road, the start of your adventure

 

Mal

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Morning all. Reading some of these recent postings about weird relatives I think we need a "Lost for words" button.

Stay safe all.

And a 'Congratulations' button as sometimes IMHO 'Like' seems inadequate.

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When I was asked what present I would like for my recent birthday, I told SWMBO "anything in N".

She came back with a WWII battle tank.

It was meant to be a joke but I looked at it this morning and the detail in the plastic is very good indeed.

Can't quite see how it will fit on Wittering Moor but if anyone is interested I'll take a picture.

 

That's an easy one, DD.  A Vintage/WII Rally!  What else? It could be on the moor, somewhere out of sight, even, so vehicles moving along the roads would be quite acceptable with appropriate sign posts in the usual DD manor manner.  We watched a load of traction engines go past during the recent Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza with people dressed the part so why not your tank?

 

And on that happy note, may I wish you all a very good morning.

 

I can't believe it's been so busy lately so do excuse my absence though I have managed to pop in occasionally and catch up a little so congratulations, commiserations and condolences plus the odd button clicked here and there.

 

Ray's just returned with the car fixed after a breakdown not far from home.  The really good news is that I now have some photos for a little scene holding up the traffic on top of Station Bridge on my (to-be) layout (as opposed to half way up a village hill).  Does anyone do a 1:76 Ford Fiesta silver (c.2010)?  I can only find Mk 1s!  That or I'll have to downsize to a Corsa! I've sourced a mechanic and the AA Transit Van.  I just need the car!   :senile: 

 

Hope your day goes well.

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Cararama produce a late model Ford Fiesta, but its in 1/72 scale and is not generally available here. It can be obtained via E-bay but at a price + postage (from Italy).

 

Thanks, Phil.  Yes, I found that one and was disappointed it's in the "wrong" scale as I've bought Cararama vehicles before.  Maybe that's why I can't find a 1:76 version - licensing rules and all that, maybe.

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Just had a quick catch up.

 

Ian - I don't know about large building / refurbishment housing projects, but I carry all the power tools that I need for my job.

 

John - Although I spend a fair bit of my holiday time less than 12 miles from Sidmouth, I haven't been to the donkey sanctuary for 4 years

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That's an easy one, DD.  A Vintage/WII Rally!  What else? It could be on the moor, somewhere out of sight, even, so vehicles moving along the roads would be quite acceptable with appropriate sign posts in the usual DD manor manner.  We watched a load of traction engines go past during the recent Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza with people dressed the part so why not your tank?

 

..........................

 

Even on the railway itself!

 

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G'day all,

 

Finally arrived after attending Dracula's daughter - very efficient Russian lady but my arm has gone a bit red where she put the needle in.  

 

Then to the usual admin nonsense at which our surgery seems to excel -after last week's session with the diabetes nurse I had to make an appointment to see the Doctor for the next stage, the receptionist said she couldn't make an appointment as there was a new 'on the day' appointment system coming in from the 8th of June and I would have to use that.  I had to thenm ask her if there were any appointments before then (i.e. on the old system) and she said 'no'.  So today I thought it might be worth asking in case of cancellations etc only to be told the Doctor I need to see is fully booked up to 19th June, so I asked if they could pre-book under the new system? 'Yes, but at the moment we can't book beyond 19 June and there are bno appointments available with him before then.  So it will be at least a month between the two appointments and a letter will be going off this evening to the Practice (non)Manager with comments about lack of staff training and asking them to offer me a time & date (any day of the week as far as I'm concerned).  They really are an absolute shower in that surgery and I find it concerning that what are basicallya  good bunch of Doctors, nurses etc are continually let down by incompetent magament of the booking etc functions - and in my view that is down to abysmal management and nothing more.

 

Anyway time for RMweb and no doubt, hopefully, a bit of lunch at some stage.

 

Have a  good day one & all

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Afternoon all. I'm off on holiday for 11 days tomorrow so have spent the morning doing the packing. Just a few minor details to look up now, such as whether one gets to Cologne airport by U-bahn or S-bahn.

 

Commiserations to Sherry, good luck to Jock.

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Afternoon all. I'm off on holiday for 11 days tomorrow so have spent the morning doing the packing. Just a few minor details to look up now, such as whether one gets to Cologne airport by U-bahn or S-bahn.

 

You have a choice of Line RE 8 "Rhein-Erft-Express" or Line S 13 suburban services, plus Line S 19 during peak hours. Note that RE services in Westphalia are generally named, and therefore usually signed and often announced under these names, too.

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You have a choice of Line RE 8 "Rhein-Erft-Express" or Line S 13 suburban services, plus Line S 19 during peak hours. Note that RE services in Westphalia are generally named, and therefore usually signed and often announced under these names, too.

Anything is better than that blinkin' 'bus that used to run from the area outside the 'wrong' side of Koln Hbf.  And the airport used to be rather peculiar when you got there with the air side part firmly closed until about 30 minutes before a group of flights was due to board - all rather odd.  No wonder the first time I flew there a (German) colleague advised flying to Dusseldorf as the best air route from London to Koln - and once was enough via Koln airport.  After that it was always use the train - which offered about the same journey time from the middle of London to the centre of Koln as the journey by air, it's problem quicker now with CTRL/HS1 in operation.

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Morning all - fine here so far, but forecast rain later, so I might get wet out on the Ratty today.

 

My blood was boiling yesterday when I received an email from my old company pension administrators saying that they had not had 'sufficient time' to process my details in order to start paying me my pension in May.  Given the fact I handed in my retirement letter mid January, how much time do they need???  Angry email duly dispatched enquiring about it and asking what I am expected to live on just now, and at least I got a reply from the company HR manager saying he would see what they could do - no reply yet from pension administrators!  I guess on current form that they require at least a month to be able to send an email!

Well after yesterday's post, I had mixed fortunes!  I did indeed get wet on the ratty - very wet!!  Three round trips, and the latter two were both wet.  I would have sat in the inside guard's compartment, but the trains were so full that we sat in the outside area instead - only getting inside when things emptied a bit.  I was still wet & cold when I got home - better waterproofs needed.  Still it was an experience.

 

While out on the Ratty, I got an email, from the pension administrators, saying that they would after all be starting to pay me my pension this month.  Duly checked using on-line banking today, and a pension payment has indeed gone into the account. Result!  :sungum:

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Anything is better than that blinkin' 'bus that used to run from the area outside the 'wrong' side of Koln Hbf.  And the airport used to be rather peculiar when you got there with the air side part firmly closed until about 30 minutes before a group of flights was due to board - all rather odd.  No wonder the first time I flew there a (German) colleague advised flying to Dusseldorf as the best air route from London to Koln - and once was enough via Koln airport.  After that it was always use the train - which offered about the same journey time from the middle of London to the centre of Koln as the journey by air, it's problem quicker now with CTRL/HS1 in operation.

 

I've never flown out of Cologne myself, but this does sound like an odd practice indeed. Not sure how they do things there today, though. On our London trip last summer, the leg from Cologne to London (with changing trains in Brussels) was indeed faster than the one from Leipzig to Cologne. Go figure!

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Oh, and one more thing… You might remember how my current job has been a repeated source of suffering for me during the last several months in particular, so in order to protect my health and sanity, I eventually concluded that doing something completely different (and, if possible, something clearly related to my personal interests) would be wiser. Not that this had been an easy or even a quick decision for me, of course...

So, beginning next Monday, these will become my working materials, so to speak:

 

lvb_4xnookq.jpg

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Entry charges. We were paying to go onto "the" bridge at Avignon. The cashier and Aditi were chatting. I asked Aditi what was all that about and the cashier had asked her if her husband was over 60. Aditi had replied yes and I got reduced entry. Aditi didn't tell her that she was also over 60.

When I went there in 1987, the bridge was under repair and fenced off! Mutter, mutter, mutter! :nono:

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Then to the usual admin nonsense at which our surgery seems to excel -after last week's session with the diabetes nurse I had to make an appointment to see the Doctor for the next stage, the receptionist said she couldn't make an appointment as there was a new 'on the day' appointment system coming in from the 8th of June and I would have to use that.  I had to thenm ask her if there were any appointments before then (i.e. on the old system) and she said 'no'.  So today I thought it might be worth asking in case of cancellations etc only to be told the Doctor I need to see is fully booked up to 19th June, so I asked if they could pre-book under the new system? 'Yes, but at the moment we can't book beyond 19 June and there are bno appointments available with him before then.  So it will be at least a month between the two appointments and a letter will be going off this evening to the Practice (non)Manager with comments about lack of staff training and asking them to offer me a time & date (any day of the week as far as I'm concerned).  They really are an absolute shower in that surgery and I find it concerning that what are basicallya  good bunch of Doctors, nurses etc are continually let down by incompetent magament of the booking etc functions - and in my view that is down to abysmal management and nothing more.

 

 

I think you misunderstood the situation, Mike.

Doctors' Receptionists, many Library assistants, some Social Workers, many Post Office Counter Clerks and others on application go to a special school to be trained in the complexities of rudeness and ignorance useful for devout Nazis.

Surely you didn't think they were born like that?

Of course, if ERs have friends or relatives in those posts, they are the ones that prove the rule.

 

It's not an excuse but it could be that there is a disconnection between the Practice Manager dealing with medical necessities and the reception staff.

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