RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 31, 2015 Not quite right - a little rock in the Irish Sea also has no upper limit in de-restricted zones. And no dual carriageways. But at least your towns aren't six hours driving time apart Despite being forewarned I was still a little surprised that it took half a day to drive between Alice Springs and another little rock which most people think of as nearby. In Australian terms it is quite near. But driving the camper van at a steady 175kph (legally at the time) it still took over five hours including a 20 minute rest and refuel break at the metropolis of Erldunda ..... population 46 and that's spread over a very wide area of largely Aboriginal land and settlements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 31, 2015 But driving the camper van at a steady 175kph (legally at the time) That must have been exciting, I suspect! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Abel Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 I vividly remember having seen someone driving whilst reading a newspaper laid out on the steering wheel some years ago! The mind boggles at what might have happened if they had lost hold of the paper and the pages spread all around them... See that and people reading books regularly...during rush hour I often see women putting on makeup using the visor mirror, and men shaving with rechargeable razor.. <sigh> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 We seem to have unintentionally acquired a cat. They choose you mate, not the other way around. You do not have a say in the matter. A little face under the leylandii 18 years ago decided that I looked a better prospect than his previous home next door and it was only a matter of time. I didn't even particularly like cats! The fond memories are beginning to overcome the sadness now - thanks for prompting that memory of my first meeting with coolie as a kitten 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all. This raining here too will cease shortly (her indoors has made a decision that she needs it to dry out as she has some gardening to do). Rick next time you are in the UK come up to Leeds and meet our private hire drivers. One is still driving with 37 points on his licence. No indicators, high speed u-turns and no stopping at road junctions are a must. Speed limits don't count. Worst one have a company name starting in A and a new world wide one starting in U. Have a calm and peaceful day everyone! Baz 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 SWMBO secretly giving it half a tin of tuna and a saucer of cream Cream not recommended for cats. They can't process it I'm told. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 Cream not recommended for cats. They can't process it I'm told. However, ice cream, cheese, butter, buttercream icing, milk, crisps, cake, carrot peelings, chips and of course all forms of fresh meat and fish (cooked or raw) were recommended by my cat for his own consumption! He also liked to lick clean the paper casings after one had eaten a cupcake. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 It's been throwing it down for much of the night in Devon. Grateful that we changed from tent to caravan a few years back. Apologies for that. It was our mistake to believe that hanging washing out late yesterday afternoon would dry it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Veteran bus and motorbike day today in Teignmouth. Probably a damp start. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt_911 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all. Another damp day. Well, what do you expect, it's the weekend I think I've seen virtually all examples of bad driving and lack of control over the years. The worst one was being overtaken on a motorway with the driver eating a burger, using the phone and reading something placed on his steering wheel all at the same time. Polly - One of these days I'll get up to there. I might even manage to get paid for it as well if I'm lucky A few chores today but nothing too taxing. Have a good day everyone Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 This may be of interest to folk owned by cats: http://www.sciencefocus.com/feature/life/seven-incredible-myths-about-cats 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Dom, Currently overcast here in Dawlish, though not raining, yet! Not sure what we're up to today, weather dependent, possibly go into Torquay... Use the 11 bus for Torquay. Like Ashers said previously the coastal ride is great and the bus ends in the town. Torquay station is a reasonable yomp from the town. Torre station is also a yomp. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) Morning all, Cats and milk/cream do not mix as they are lactose intolerant and it can upset (severely and messily) their very sensitive (ha!!) little tums - however some cats are not aware of this. Chocolate is also not on for cats but equally some cats are also unaware of that and seem to survive the encounter. However curried chicken or lamb is perfectly acceptable according to our experience. And yes - you don't adopt cats (except from a rescue place) - they visit and decide whether or not they want to stay, they are extremely bright at knowing a right mug who will serve them for the rest of their lives and keep them in the style to which they would like to be accustomed. The precipitation has eased off but it looks like more of a lull than a retreat. I'm not sure which bits of the UK Rick has visited but it clearly doesn't include ours when exceeding speed limits is de rigeur (although generally the 30 limit seems to be obeyed; the ludicrous and usually pointless 50 limit on many roads around here is treated with the contempt it often deserves and little seems to be done to enforce it). I'm not sure of the situation now but on the M4 many police forces didn't used to bother as long as you weren't exceeding 80 mph (Wiltshire tended to be rather more insistent than others I believe) but it might have changed where there are cameras and it has definitely changed where there are variable limits on motorways. Have a good day one & all - the rain is supposed to cease later I believe think. Edited May 31, 2015 by The Stationmaster 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all from a dull and overcast Estuary-Land. I must have left the Benfleet show not long before Tony arrived, being such a small show with half a dozen or so layouts means that you only stay for an hour/hour and a half at best. The Canvey bus museum is open to visitors today, I might pop along there if I can find the time. A lot of road accidents involving visitors to the UK involve those from countries where driving on the right is the rule. There was a spate of accidents near to the US air base a few years ago, a few of them fatal, mostly down to drivers simply looking the wrong way. I have sometimes done the same myself when driving on the continent and in the US, extra concentration is required. Having driven on the German Autobahns the speeds can be alarming countered a bit by the high standard of driving (higher than in the UK IMHO). I put this down to the tougher German driving test, but high speed of course makes accidents when they do happen far more severe. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dread Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all from a dull and overcast Estuary-Land. I must have left the Benfleet show not long before Tony arrived, being such a small show with half a dozen or so layouts means that you only stay for an hour/hour and a half at best. The Canvey bus museum is open to visitors today, I might pop along there if I can find the time. A lot of road accidents involving visitors to the UK involve those from countries where driving on the right is the rule. There was a spate of accidents near to the US air base a few years ago, a few of them fatal, mostly down to drivers simply looking the wrong way. I have sometimes done the same myself when driving on the continent and in the US, extra concentration is required. Having driven on the German Autobahns the speeds can be alarming countered a bit by the high standard of driving (higher than in the UK IMHO). I put this down to the tougher German driving test, but high speed of course makes accidents when they do happen far more severe. I found the art of overtaking in Germany was not as bad as I thought it would be. Having to look into the mirror across the other side of my van became an art. Judging the speed of an approaching vehicle had to be done carefully and a long signal helped before pulling out. If I caused anyone to have to wait behind me whilst I completed my manoeuvres that did not bring forth horn blowing and or headlight flashing as in the UK could. The only time anyone flashed their lights at me was in Holland when a lorry driver must have thought I was a little close as I pulled back into the righthand lane in front of him. I don't think he realised my one advantage in driving a right hand drive vehicle in a right hand drive country. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock67B Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all, Dismal here as forecast so no garden duties other than, if there is a break in the weather, replace the cover on our large gas barbecue as the old one has been shredded by the gusting wind! Pete(trisonic), your mention of 'road trips' and the quality of major roads in the U.S. Reminded me of a journey Joanna and I took many years ago. My late brother often invited us to stay with him in Boston, I think so he could flaunt his ill-gotten wealth, and during one such visit I got tired of his company and decided to do some sightseeing. I chose a historic Ford Thunderbird with the big block engine from his stable and set out for Niagara Falls. Now this doesn't look far on a map but bear in mind that this was the era of the 55mph speed limit which, with seven and a quarter litres of V8 under the bonnet meant feathering the brake on tick-over to keep anywhere near the limit! We were lucky that, when taking a break at one of the Howard Johnson's services, we had a truck driver drooling all over what he said was his dream car. When I grumbled about the speed limit, he taught me to get 'in the convoy'! Apparently the trucks were all on CB and ignored the limit with warnings broadcast on the CB when a patrol was spotted, a coded flashing of the brake lights meant slow down! We proceeded then at nearer seventy and watching the truck in front very closely helped stop me getting drowsy from what seemed like a crawl on those vast wide open routes with hundreds of miles of nothing but pine trees either side. The only worry was Joanna's fear that a giant 'Mack' rig was running close behind us and the sheer size of it was very daunting! We only got to Albany on the first day, and made it to Buffalo the next evening. Well worth the trip though as we did the usual touristy things - 'Maid of the Mist' at the Falls, CNN tower, and madam was happy to get a Canadian stamp in her passport! Nice end to the visit was when we got back to the UK, the Best Western Hotel in Buffalo had failed to charge our three night stay to our card, despite having run it through the machine on arrival! After that experience, I chose flying as the best method to get to the various places we visited over the years. Particularly to New York from Boston which runs more like a bus service! We have a truly amazing number of drivers being cautioned for the use of mobile phones in this area, and the local council make quite a killing from the speed cameras, especially on the Clacton sea front which is dead straight for a couple of miles and they frequently park a van with cameras along there, catching hundreds of unwary tourists, and a few sleepy locals, every summer! Another deadly device IMHO is the SatNav, I was nearly taken out by a 'white van man' last week, who veered across the white line towards me while staring at the device on the dash, presumably looking for his drop off point! My No1 grandson did in fact have his 'pride and joy' first car written off by a bathroom fitting company truck which did the same thing to him - knocked his confidence for a while and of course the insurance company (of the truck driver) paid out a derisory amount based solely on the age of the car, ignoring the condition and history of it! Modern cars have much better braking systems, superb grip and lots more power compared to those that were around when the speed limits were set, but what hasn't changed that much is the perception and reaction performance of the human behind the wheel, especially in a largely 'retirement area' like ours! I won't start on the seeming invincibility in the minds of the 'Chelsea Tractor' vast 4WD vehicles that now abound as I will probably be opening a 'can of worms'! Hope the rest of your Sunday goes well, especially our holidaymakers, and John(CB), look on the bright side, at least you are on the way home although I guess you'd prefer another week! Kind regards, Jock. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 31, 2015 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/229-early-risers/?p=1906906 May I thank everyone - not just here but across the site - for their support over the years I have been around. The reason for linking the post above is that Jock's "Like" on that marked my 10,000th which is a notable milestone rather few of us have achieved. Thank you, Sir, for allowing me to reach that illustrious mark and I trust that I shall continue in the same manner in times to come. I'm not sure which parts of the UK ..... Most of them, Mike. I have cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End and driven almost the same span of the UK though not north of Helmsdale. I stand by my remarks and am well aware that there are places where both local mentality and lax enforcement have given rise to something akin to road anarchy. But compared with other countries the UK remains one of the safest and most predictable to drive in and has better-than-average (not to mention fairly consistent) enforcement. Try cheating the trip-time cameras for example. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 My 4x4 is a Liverpool Tractor. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 The 'Chelsea tractor' drivers round here are hilarious in their own peculiar way - unlike the vast majority of white van drivers they don't give a 'thank you' wave if you give way to them where there are parked cars. And in what I've observed over several years they seem to have a mortal fear of driving through puddles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 Morning all, Dismal here as forecast so no garden duties other than, if there is a break in the weather, replace the cover on our large gas barbecue as the old one has been shredded by the gusting wind! Pete(trisonic), your mention of 'road trips' and the quality of major roads in the U.S. Reminded me of a journey Joanna and I took many years ago. My late brother often invited us to stay with him in Boston, I think so he could flaunt his ill-gotten wealth, and during one such visit I got tired of his company and decided to do some sightseeing. I chose a historic Ford Thunderbird with the big block engine from his stable and set out for Niagara Falls. Now this doesn't look far on a map but bear in mind that this was the era of the 55mph speed limit which, with seven and a quarter litres of V8 under the bonnet meant feathering the brake on tick-over to keep anywhere near the limit! We were lucky that, when taking a break at one of the Howard Johnson's services, we had a truck driver drooling all over what he said was his dream car. When I grumbled about the speed limit, he taught me to get 'in the convoy'! Apparently the trucks were all on CB and ignored the limit with warnings broadcast on the CB when a patrol was spotted, a coded flashing of the brake lights meant slow down! We proceeded then at nearer seventy and watching the truck in front very closely helped stop me getting drowsy from what seemed like a crawl on those vast wide open routes with hundreds of miles of nothing but pine trees either side. The only worry was Joanna's fear that a giant 'Mack' rig was running close behind us and the sheer size of it was very daunting! We only got to Albany on the first day, and made it to Buffalo the next evening. Well worth the trip though as we did the usual touristy things - 'Maid of the Mist' at the Falls, CNN tower, and madam was happy to get a Canadian stamp in her passport! Nice end to the visit was when we got back to the UK, the Best Western Hotel in Buffalo had failed to charge our three night stay to our card, despite having run it through the machine on arrival! After that experience, I chose flying as the best method to get to the various places we visited over the years. Particularly to New York from Boston which runs more like a bus service! We have a truly amazing number of drivers being cautioned for the use of mobile phones in this area, and the local council make quite a killing from the speed cameras, especially on the Clacton sea front which is dead straight for a couple of miles and they frequently park a van with cameras along there, catching hundreds of unwary tourists, and a few sleepy locals, every summer! Another deadly device IMHO is the SatNav, I was nearly taken out by a 'white van man' last week, who veered across the white line towards me while staring at the device on the dash, presumably looking for his drop off point! My No1 grandson did in fact have his 'pride and joy' first car written off by a bathroom fitting company truck which did the same thing to him - knocked his confidence for a while and of course the insurance company (of the truck driver) paid out a derisory amount based solely on the age of the car, ignoring the condition and history of it! Modern cars have much better braking systems, superb grip and lots more power compared to those that were around when the speed limits were set, but what hasn't changed that much is the perception and reaction performance of the human behind the wheel, especially in a largely 'retirement area' like ours! I won't start on the seeming invincibility in the minds of the 'Chelsea Tractor' vast 4WD vehicles that now abound as I will probably be opening a 'can of worms'! Hope the rest of your Sunday goes well, especially our holidaymakers, and John(CB), look on the bright side, at least you are on the way home although I guess you'd prefer another week! Kind regards, Jock. A lot of sensible comments in there Jock. My one and only speeding ticket happened one morning when I was just follwing in a string of traffic. If I had been trying to go fast I would have noticed my speed and the waiting cops. Possibly my worst driving has been when the in laws were in the car with us. A few times I have nearly fallen asleep at the wheel as their droning on was causing my brain to go into shutdown. The worst moment was overtaking a truck on a straight road when a tractor pulled out of a gateway he was obviously looking the other way. The Truck driver was a star pulling over as far as possible for me to squeeze through. Don 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Found another series to watch on Netflix, Taxi Brooklyn. Police series with a sense of humour (humor). Slightly unfeasible as the main character rides around in a taxi and the driver gets involved in every investigation but hey we have Midsummer Murders! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Veteran bus and motorbike day today in Teignmouth. Probably a damp start. Quite a few buses (I am not into them) but still nice to see. Plenty of cars varying in age but none of the really old sit up and beg types. Motorbikes further along the promenade but again not much interest so a brief walk along the chilly windswept beach. For once I was the sole beach walker which meant that I didn't get hassled by free running dogs wanting to sniff every bodily part. Why dog owners cannot control their dogs better is beyond me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 31, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 31, 2015 Why some dog owners permit their dogs to be irritating to other people is annoying to some other dog owners too. The alleged reasons why dogs sniff at humans makes for interesting reading but not possibly suitable for RMweb! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
station cat Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) Evening all. I can report that there is some downright scary driving in Bosnia. I went on a tour today and we went up a mountain to see the bobsled track. For most of the journey we were following somebody who was apparently oblivious to the fact that he was about to part company with one of his wheels. Luckily our tour guide was a safe driver in a well maintained vehicle. Edited May 31, 2015 by station cat 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 The reason for linking the post above is that Jock's "Like" on that marked my 10,000th which is a notable milestone rather few of us have achieved. Ah! ... but have you clocked up 34 hit by mistakes, Rick? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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