Early Risers.

[AndyID]

Andy ID . . You're just showing off now, aren't you?

 

 

Yup!

 

Not really. The printer does all the hard work. I'm interested in pushing the limits to see just what it can do. When I started with 3-D printing didn't think it would be possible to print a lattice like that. Now I've come to expect it!

[Gwiwer]

 

 

Runrig count as folk

 

I wasn't going to press the issue but I, who has no connection to the Isle of Skye beyond having visited on occasions, consider them to be very much Skye's folk-band export to the world.  Ditto Lindisfarne for the north east of England.  Back in the relatively innocent days of the mid-70s who else dared to sing that "We can swing together, we can have a wee-wee, we can have a wet on the wall"? and not get banned by Auntie Beeb.  And for that matter I'm sure Lindisfarne did no end of good for the 

 

 

Bottle, Gwiwer, never saw it as a draught beer.

when it came to sinking Dog.

 

​Jock - thank you as always for the ongoing support and personalised mention in your despatches.  The past two days have been somewhat hard with no appetite for Attendance (and with the risk that a wandering mind might have its eyes diverted from the ball long enough that something safety-critical might be missed) so we shall see tonight, when we are finally together at a civilised hour, how things settle now the house is no longer empty.  

 

With possums wandering over the roof at night - as they always have done - it's still a bit strange to not then have the patter of paws followed by the pink sandpaper licking the face!  For those unfamiliar with our resident marsupials please Google "Brush-tail possum".  They're about the size of a badger and can be as silent as a mouse or as clumpity as a heffalump.

 

Night all.  Sleep as well as your circumstances allow.

[emt_911]

Morning all. Another warm start to the day but fortunately it won't be as hot as yesterday.

 

It looks like it will be a late finish today which I'm not impressed with. Plenty of coffee to consume.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

This morning seemed particularly dark somehow - making it even more difficult than usual to get out of bed!

 

Weather wise, we still have the mild weather, but the wind has picked up a little bit, meaning that the trees are now loosing their leaves rapidly.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry here at the moment and with a bit of luck will stay that way.

Had a great time with the kids and grandkids here yesterday. As I suspected there was a lot of noise but we enjoyed every moment. This house is far too quiet sometimes.  

The car is going in for an MOT and service today so all digits will be crossed hoping that the bill is not too heavy. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Barry O]

Morning all. Still mild here and not wet....yet.

 

Anyone else go to one of the Lindisfarne Christmas gigs in Newcastle? A wall of beer cans, broon being the usual beer on stage which was shared with the audience.

I drank draught Newkie Brown once in Orlando USA. The bar staff were sending people to see the mad Englishman drinking pints of it. Has a little hangover next day.

 

Have a good Wednesday.

 

Off to do more weathering and house work.

Baz

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. No driving today, just a three-hour information briefing. It's been quite autumnal here, too, but it's still fairly balmy. I suppose our point cleaning truck (a Unimog with heavy duty high pressure washer equipment) is very busy these days, in two cases yesterday as a result of my having had to report severely dirty points to Control, which I'd had to set manually as I could not otherwise obtain a lit point signal.

 

Have a good one, troops…

[big jim]

Another early one but a lie in for me!, train over to derby before working a test train to bangor, llandudno and blaenau ffestiniog later, thankfully the job finishes in crewe so no drive home from derby today

 

Lots of miles driving, 350 miles plus, of that only 50 is recording

[Smiffy2]

Good morning everybody.

 

Not much to say, as Bob says it's dry. I would like to thank personally the motorcyclist who went up the road at full throttle and open exhausts at 5.30. I'd like to thank him with a brick.

 

Tidying up this am, then over to El Nido for lunch with golden oldie pals. Then a visit to see Rose, Daisy being back at school. Then - who knows? I may have had a little too much food and wine for the airbrushing...

 

So I hope all have a good day, that ailments are ameliorated and woes diminished.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, with apologies for lateness.

 

It's a Stevenage day today, with a bit of modelling in the shed and the RCTS meeting at Hitchin in the evening.  The car is not yet loaded but nearly all of what has to be taken is in the hall and will not take long to chuck in the boot.

 

Yesterday's postings bring evidence of it being a small world, especially among our music lovers.  Stewart 45156, I recall Pete Twitchett at the Angel and in all probability would have been there on the night in question.  Someone had to sell raffle tickets in the bar during the floor spots and it might have been me.  The Angel is no longer there, replaced as is the way of the world by housing.  Jock, I saw Strawhead at Banbury at least twice so we too may have been in the same place at the same time.  The end of Strawhead came about because Malcolm Gibbons decided that he no longer liked the music.  He was already cultivating a solo career and may by now have issued more than the two CDs that I have.  It appears that, instead of taking the other two lads to the pub and breaking it to them gently, the job was done by e-mail after he had cancelled the remaining bookings.  I cannot say whether diplomatic relations have been restored but I am still heartbroken [sort of].  Polly, I love Calan too and already have a ticket for their gig in St Pancras Church in a couple of weeks - must play the new CD before then.  Bluebottle, talk of the late Tony Capstick reminds me of the Dingles hit singles.  Tony had a chart hit with 'Sheffield Grinder' but we all know that it was the B side, a parody of the Hovis advert, that sold it.  The other Dingles hit was of course 'Day Trip to Bangor' by Fiddlers Dram, by then virtually moribund but later to transmute into the Oyster Band.  The third Dingles hit single should by rights have been 'Jogging Along with me Reindeer'  by John Kirkpatrick, which Terry Wogan played almost to death.  This is fine until the pressing plant lets you down.  I have a copy of the single but know of no others!   Lurker, I first came across Seth Lakeman in 1992 when he and his brothers played Sidmouth.  Then came the calamity that was Equation and a flirtation with a major label which does tend not to work too well with folk acts.  Fortunately his CD was nominated for the Mercury prize and the rest, as we know, is history.  Finally for now, John Peel played a lot of good stuff.  There is a book on the Peel sessions which is very revealing. 

 

I need my breakfast.  Au revoir and may your day be as you would wish.

 

Chris

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Overcast, still quite warm for November though.

I think I will be doing some shopping today. We are supposed to be going over to Enfield to see MiL as it is Diwali but Aditi has a sore throat and high temperature.

Tony

[AndyID]

Can't find those drivers you need for that kit you bought in 1978? With a printer you can always roll your own

 

 

Not quite astidy as the Romford I copied, but with a little clean-up and some paint, I doubt anyone would know the difference (they will need tyres of course).

Edited November 11, 2015 by AndyID

[Gwiwer]

 

 

Finally for now, John Peel played a lot of good stuff.  There is a book on the Peel sessions which is very revealing. 

 

He also made a quiet, thoughtful, witty and enlightening drinking companion on the only occasion I was lucky enough to be present.

 

There was a TV series, not apparently well-regarded in the event, called "Sounds of the Suburbs" which took JP to the regions and the rural areas of the country to present bands in performance and interview them.  One show included a feature on the Camborne-based band In Watermelon Sugar for which the interview was filmed in the White Hart, Camborne and the live gig at the Copperhouse, Hayle.  At the time I was the 75 in the 75:25 partnership which produced Cornwall's monthly gig guide and was tipped off by Helen Whitthread, vocalist with the band, as to events.   I greatly enjoyed a couple of pints in conversation - my contribution to which was not recorded - with JP and Helen; I am just and very briefly in shot at the Copperhouse gig.  Helen remains a friend to this day.  John Peel sadly passed away while recording more sounds unfamiliar to British ears in Peru and ostensibly on holiday.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

I ask you.....a lit Christmas tree on remembrance day. Seen on a calorie burn around the short anticlockwise and in commercial premises.

 

 

Is is booked in for an MRI scan this morning and I take her to the consultant tomorrow for the results of the chemo

 

Feathered ones provided for...another feeder stripped down for cleaning and disinfecting.

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited November 11, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the village that despite our absence is still north of Ikea.     The cats are telling us of their displeasure at our absence and Minnie is demanding lots of attention.  In fact if I break off from rubbing her face she gently paws me and if I don't restart the tips of her claws emerge a little to remind me of what I should be doing.

 

I can't comment too much on all the Folk music stuff.  I enjoyed some of it and saw Lindisfarne twice as well as Steeleye Span in my college days.   I also had a great evening in a small tin tabernacle north of Stornaway at a Ceilidh that started at midnight with a local band.  That was fabulous especially a lament that they played about the Iolaire disaster which had affected at least one of the band's families.

 

Today is shopping and sorting out day.  We are rested after the long drive and I've got various bits of admin to sort out to do with the French House.   Hopefully there will be a bit of modelling time later.

 

Jock, I'll try and post some photos in due course. 

 

Rick, hope that you feel better soon.

 

Jamie

[AndyB]

Morning all,

Dull and overcast here today.

Early morning spelling test with my youngest - 15 out of 16. He describes this as "average"; he seems to have an ability to put himself down!  

Off to church shortly with the school. Always incredibly moving seeing the young children stepping forward and laying their poppies on the war memorial. 

 

Have a good one everyone. Andy

[roundhouse]

morning from an overcast London Bridge.

 

Back in work this morning - boss didn't receive my txt so he wondered where I was (although I bet he did know form other who did get my message).

 

Still awaiting my 02 but there is no rush after the time its taken to get it to an actual physical product. I even have spare figures and decal sheets awaiting renumbering so I can run it alongside Phatbobs factory numbered one on Appledore at Warley.

 

However tomorrow we load 'Roundhouse' into the car ready for the trip to Spalding on Friday.

 

Have a good day all.

[Purley Oaks]

Morning all

 

Not quite so dreich here as yesterday.

 

Do John Martyn and Martyn Bennett count as folkies? Saw John several times a decade from the early-70s on, but I imagine that his journey to electric guitar and echoplex will not please purists. Saw Martyn Bennett in a small Edinburgh club, La Belle Angele, a few years ago (it burnt down sadly) for an amazingly intimate gig - he's a piper but adds beats; his album Bothy Culture is a good place to start.

 

When it comes to the poppy I'm concerned about poppy fascists demanding that John Snow, C4 newsreader, for instance, wear a poppy. So long as you remember in your heart, and so long as we learn from history, and so long as we donate something to help those injured in wars.

 

Promised that I'd let you know how the first session of chemo went in my drugs-free week. The intravenous on day 1 took around 6 hours - they said it would be closer to 4 hours next time; then I take 10 pills a day for 2 weeks. Side effects have been minimal. I felt tired in the first week, more energized last, and the same this. The intravenous gave me peripheral neuropathy in my fingertips and where the canula was situated on the back of my right hand. That feeling of numbness spread up my right forearm for the first day but wore off. The numb, continually tingling feeling in my fingertips, very noticeable when getting a cold beer from the fridge! - can't go to the freezer without gloves, or in a  cold wind, is unpleasant but nothing that you can't deal with. It wore off after 12 days.

 

The effects may get more noticeable as the drugs have a cumulative affect, but I won't bore you any more apart from letting you know when another session starts. So, session 2 of 8, starts next Monday.

 

Good luck to Is, Dave.

 

Have a good day

 

Mal

[edcayton]

Morning all. No driving today, just a three-hour information briefing. It's been quite autumnal here, too, but it's still fairly balmy. I suppose our point cleaning truck (a Unimog with heavy duty high pressure washer equipment) is very busy these days, in two cases yesterday as a result of my having had to report severely dirty points to Control, which I'd had to set manually as I could not otherwise obtain a lit point signal.

 

Have a good one, troops…

 

Morning all.  I love Unimogs! First saw one in Holland on a trip with Mum and Dad when I was 9 or 10, and didn't stop nagging until they found me a model of one. ISTR it was a "Euro"-Dinky and that Father was not too impressed by the price. I trained my sons to shout "Unimog" whenever we saw one, but for some reason their enthusiasm for this practice declined.

 

Ed

[Happy Hippo]

This evening some cretinous pre-pondlife pointed a laser pen at out bus driver, to say he was not happy was an understatement! 

I think an interesting legal case would arise if the bus driver, blinded by the laser, had run over the cretin who pointed it at him.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The sun made a short appearance a few minutes ago but decided it was too windy and promply went inside again. Thanks for the tips on the teapot Polly, I shall certainly take care of it. I think that the filter is going to be the part that will require the most cleaning being stainless steel, a weekly boil in washing soda will be most likely. I use a water filter/softener when making tea anyway as the local water is so heavily chlorinated its like drinking a swimming pool. Condolences and congratulations where neccessary, have a good day all.

[petethemole]

Mornin' all.

 

Sadly Martyn Bennett  died of cancer in 2005. I was fortunate to have seen him at The Brook, Southampton a few years earlier. Bothy Culture is a great album.

 

I went out to two auction houses yesterday to arrange the sale of some paintings that Mrs mole inherited. They weren't worth enough for Bonhams in Winchester to be interested although they have sold the same artist in the past. Apparently their cut-off point value for selling items has recently been raised. They recommended an auction house near Alresford so we took them there with more success, via lunch at the MHR café. Mrs m dropped me off in Winchester so I could visit the s/h bookshop. I came away with a copy of A Great Western Gallery (Great Western Society, 1974), which is rather nice.

 

Have a good day

 

Pete

[Happy Hippo]

Morning all.  I love Unimogs! First saw one in Holland on a trip with Mum and Dad when I was 9 or 10, and didn't stop nagging until they found me a model of one. ISTR it was a "Euro"-Dinky and that Father was not too impressed by the price. I trained my sons to shout "Unimog" whenever we saw one, but for some reason their enthusiasm for this practice declined.

 

Ed

In the hippodrome, or any other place we inhabit, should a hippo appear on television, there is a cry of 'Thumbs up Hippo!'  This is immediately followed by both hands being used to give the thumbs up sign.

 

Go on....give it a go you'll enjoy it.............................

 

[Smiffy2]

A story for you, Richard:

 

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/13930859.Hippo_spotted_in_Bushy_Park_s_boating_pond/

[Happy Hippo]

A story for you, Richard:

 

 

What the press don't tell you is that it been trained to swallow model boats, which are then held to ransom by the Stationmaster.

 

He naturally, is stroking a cat!