Early Risers.

[martin1]

morning all,early start here as second born wanted a drink then didant then did.........this went on for a while then dropped off back to sleep......tea drunk and looking at a v40 that is also under the weather.....I wonder if calpol would work like redex used to?? I think we have consumed large ammounts of this recently.....hope everyone stays safe and has a good day.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Damp, drear, & dismal in The Moorlands at the kick off....head down calorie burn around the short anticlockwise.

 

Is has her Demosamab injection for her bones today, then the PIC line removed tomorrow....she regards that as a real milestone. Her consultant is thinking of reconstruction once all has healed following the mastectomy....it won't happen....Is is disturbing nothing if all heals well.

 

Arrangements under way for next year's fundraising coach trips....a trip on a horse drawn narrowboat and a visit to a working windmill feature

 

Now music by Frankie goes to Hollywood....Welcome to the Pleasuredome

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited November 17, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Not raining at the moment but more is promised later although there may be "some brightness" before that according to the forecast.

We had a pleasant surprise yesterday when Abbie visited for lunch as she had a free afternoon from school. She's really enjoying 6th Form even though it's hard work.

She'll be back later today with the rest of the family for a meal as they are still upside down with decorating at home.

Great news from under the layout is that no injuries were sustained by yours truly. I think that's a first for me. I believe I have now put right the major lash up so can now continue track laying with just my usual minor lash ups. I was getting to the give it up and chuck it all away stage. I really don't understand how some people can do it so quickly and easily. One day I might actually get some trains running round a full circuit. Possibly.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited November 17, 2015 by grandadbob

[big jim]

Early start as usual to get the kids up for school, rest day today but just had a call to possibly go to barrow hill to collect a couple of 37s, just waiting for conformation

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a brightening village.   A good night at the clubroom doing various last minute tasks then got back and finally had time to read the family letter that comes around every 3 months (approx.)  I think I've mentioned it before but it started in the 1930's when my mother's generation were bringing themselves up after the death of my grandparents in the 1920's. As the eldest left home they started to write to the rest and a round robin letter called the budget developed.   It's still going amongst my generation and 14 of us circulate it.  We write a letter to "Dear Family" and when it comes back there are a dozen new ones.  I then take my old one out and write a new one and pass it on again.  It's always a pleasure to read the dozen or so letters about all sorts of subjects.   

 

The mention of Capel Curing brings back many happy memories for me as I did my Mountain Leadership Certificate there at Plas y Brenin in 1977 and 78.  We had two great weeks climbing in Snowdonia., good company and brilliant slide shows each evening. These were of such varied subjects as climbing Everest, canoeing round Cape Horn and climbing El Capitan.  I can still remember them nearly 40 years later but can't remember what Beth asks me to buy when I go shopping.

 

Chris, I also have to write the Round Robin Letter as I am being nagged to start the Christmas Card treadmill though I am also of the humbug variety. 

 

Anyway enough rambling as the day and it's various tasks rush towards me and the coffee cup empties.  I've got a few odds and ends to buy before some carpentry to finish the crate ends for the lighting pelmet for Green Ayre. They will then have to be fitted this evening.

 

The boss has not risen yet but I've every confidence that other tasks will be added to my list ere long.

 

Jamie

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Early start as usual to get the kids up for school, rest day today but just had a call to possibly go to barrow hill to collect a couple of 37s, just waiting for conformation

 

....one careful lady owner...never raced or rallied Jim, so be gentle with them.

 

Dave

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Cloudy but less blustery so far today.

Not a lot planned for today.

Tony

[45156]

Talking of Christmas - here's a jumper that 30747 brought home for me yesterday

 

[Smiffy2]

G'Morning pop pickers.

 

Weather in Carshalton-sur-Mer is dull but otherwise OK. Whelkmen are staying abed this morning as it is the Feast Day of Saint Helix of the Winkles. It's said that in 416AD Helix, a Roman whelkman, was trapped in a cave by the rising tide, but because he had led a blameless life the winkles formed a living, crusty carpet on which he was able to walk to freedom. Not sure if that's true, to be honest.

 

Having a quiet one after a busy day yesterday. Julie is at Bourne Hall this morning, and I'm airbrushing anything that doesn't run away. As I just received over 100 Preiser figures, that's a lot of stuff. A number of business-type emails to be sent.

 

Have had two small wins. You may recall (who am I kidding) the scam I was subjected to over a nuisance call filter? Said we didn't want it, got it anyway, worth £4.55, charged £78? We got a good response from West Sussex Trading Standards, and I sent the device back with menaces of legal action including a report to the rozzers. Got an apology from the company and a cheque to cover postage. Also, had a Sainsbury's delivery which included a weeny roasting bird (I like to do a roast on Sundays and then act all old fashioned by making sandwiches, cold meat and chips and so on). This was a chicken, but the use-by date was the day after delivery so had a moan at S on line. Got an apology, a promise to 'look at practices' and a £15 voucher (the chicken had only cost a few quid). So pleased with customer service there.

 

Have a nice day, everyone. It's only Tuesday, the neglected runt of the weekly litter, but give it some love.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Woken early this morning by the arthritis, not unusual this time of year but seemingly getting worse year by year but by the time I'd got up it had eased enough that the paracetamol was not needed (aspirin is a no-no due to other medication, and nearly all anti-inflamatories are aspirin based.) I am also of the Bah Bumhug persuasion, a few years before I retired the office made a joint decision not to send Christmas cards to each other and make a charitable donation instead its got to the situation now that I don't send out any and only receive one or two, close relatives I speak to on the phone.

Edited November 17, 2015 by PhilJ W

[lightengine]

Depressingly grey and wet underfoot here in sunny Teignmouth. I think it also determines the amount of Hah Bumhug that develops. This doesnt seem like its 'run up to Christmas' type weather.

Of course the other thing that gives me Hah Bumhug is those silly people across the pond that promote 'Happy Holidays' instead of Happy Christmas. What is that about? We are pc enough toward other creeds without downgrading Christmas to holidat status, I can have one of those any time of year!

[trisonic]

Actually (and I don’t like the term either) “Holiday” is an old abbreviation of “Holy Day”. I can understand the use of Happy Holidays if you don’t know the religion of the person you are saying it to. There are a number of different religious observances around Christmas time.

Officially the USA is not a Christian country... hence most people in work only get one day off for Christmas.

 

There are some daft things being credited on the BBC and in British papers yesterday and today - if I get time later I’ll refute some of the ideas on how to shoot fanatical terrorists.........

 

Best, Pete.

Edited November 17, 2015 by trisonic

[The Stationmaster]

....one careful lady owner...never raced or rallied Jim, so be gentle with them.

 

Dave

They'd better not be any of my old fleet with comments like that going round here    I await Jim's pics (in the appropriate place of course - don't worry Debs).

 

And a good morning to one & all.  the dread words 'Christmas shopping' have been mentioned although in reality I think that translates as 'watch out Amazon' apart from looking for little pressies for the god-daughter's children etc as most of the things for older relatives have long since been procured.  It will probably pay to be attentive in such matters as it's the Wycombe club open day this Saturday and the warley show a week later so pass outs need to be kept up to scratch.

 

More serious is the fact that I believe we have exhausted Sunday's making of Mrs Stationmaster's pasties although there might be the last one lurking in the fridge if the offspring haven't snaffled it - fingers crossed although a bowl of soup at lunch time is not a worry if the pasty has vanished but as pasties are not a weekly treat it is nice when they are around.  And of course being Mrs Stationmaster's they are 'proper job' and in my opinion are even better than Ivor Dewdney's in Plymouth - which is saying a lot - so are always welcomed with raptures when they do appear.

 

Have a  good day one & all

[45156]

hence most people in work only get one day off for Christmas.

 

So Pete - how do the celebrations actually work there - what I've seen on TV dramas, much of the celebration happens on Christmas Eve, like the dinner, presents etc, with Christmas Day being a bit less of a day than it is here?

 

30747 asked me to put this to our US friends as she's very curious about it.

[lightengine]

Just been to the seafront. Though the wind is pretty gusty its only about 5 or 6. The rollers are pretty frequent but not breaking into huge surf on the beach and out to sea there are hardly any white horses to see, just a rough swell of a couple of metres.

Maybe later .........

[lightengine]

Actually (and I don’t like the term either) “Holiday” is an old abbreviation of “Holy Day”. I can understand the use of Happy Holidays if you don’t know the religion of the person you are saying it to. There are a number of different religious observances around Christmas time.

Officially the USA is not a Christian country... hence most people in work only get one day off for Christmas.

 

There are some daft things being credited on the BBC and in British papers yesterday and today - if I get time later I’ll refute some of the ideas on how to shoot fanatical terrorists.........

 

Best, Pete.

Mothering Sunday has fallen the same fate. It was traditionally the day that you visited your 'mother' church for the service. Now it has become the day when when card shops, florists and chocolatiers receive abundant funds to be followed by grandmothers day, grandfathers day, aunts day, nieces day, step brothers day, 2nd cousins twice removed ..........

(In no way am I suggesting Mothers arent welcome to this ritual)

 

Regarding shooting terrorists. The present system seems pretty effective. Knowing that Jihadi Freddie will at sometime want to update Facebook with his latest selfie or that Jihadi Ali will want to say he is having a coffee outside Wetherspoons in distant Syria, the US seems to be doing the right thing. Mr Jihadi Johnnie taken out in a pretty sparse country seems to indicate that the US can deliver a missile far more accurately than Currys can deliver stuff to me even with my postode. Touch wood, Jihadi Johnnie seems to be lying low lately, if there is anything un-vaporated In the old days the US detectives on tv could only trace your call after 2 minutes (yes, only fiction maybe) but the intelligence these days seems very accurate.

Edited November 17, 2015 by lightengine

[petethemole]

Barney appears to have got close enough to spit at the windows. He's hidden in the clouds though. I always thought he was a happy, well meaning sort of dinosaur but you never can tell.

 

Pete (trisonic), no doubt you are aware of Mr Puckle's gun; square bullets are the answer. I saw it at the then RUSI museum at the Whitehall Banqueting Hall. That closed in '62 so I was just a lad.

 

We had a Santa hat with Bah Humbug on it. It doesn't appear to exist now.

 

Have a good day and keep dry.

 

Pete

[Killybegs]

Yuk! It's cold and very wet. Just back from splashing my way over to Letterkenny and back so that the new car could have its 5000km ckeck. 

 

Coming back through town I noticed that we have our first visitor for a while, presumably filling up with frozen fish.

 

Third poor night in a row. I don't know how you cope Jock as I feel completely knackered.

 

Hope the storms with you aren't as bad as threatened. I think the South and East coasts are copping it here.

 

[lightengine]

Yuk! It's cold and very wet. Just back from splashing my way over to Letterkenny and back so that the new car could have its 5000km ckeck. 

 

Coming back through town I noticed that we have our first visitor for a while, presumably filling up with frozen fish.

 

Third poor night in a row. I don't know how you cope Jock as I feel completely knackered.

 

Hope the storms with you aren't as bad as threatened. I think the South and East coasts are copping it here.

 

ZEFYROS.jpg

What an elegant looking ship and well photographed by Pinky Palinko.

[Tony_S]

Long before the Christians invaded at Ebbsfleet there were midwinter festivities. North Europeans used to call the month before what is now Christmas "Before Yule" and the one after surprisingly "After Yule". Not sure how grumpy humbug fans would cope with 2 months of being cheerful.

[trisonic]

So Pete - how do the celebrations actually work there - what I've seen on TV dramas, much of the celebration happens on Christmas Eve, like the dinner, presents etc, with Christmas Day being a bit less of a day than it is here?

 

30747 asked me to put this to our US friends as she's very curious about it.

Christmas Eve (as in evening) and Christmas Day is it - then it’s over - in fact on Christmas Day itself there are no special Christmas TV programs (all the “specials” have already been shown in the run up) ......conceptually Boxing Day does not exist (except north of the border).

 

I like the lack of a long drawn out Christmas holiday - it gets depressing to me in the UK.

 

Best, Pete. (Hi Ho Time)

[petethemole]

In my case the Humbug*ery relates to the modern commercial marketing fest. The midwinter festival can be enjoyed without all that carp, although gifts, food and alcohol are usually involved. Starting at Solstice/Yule, it can go on as long as you want, really. The idea was to stay indoors as warm as possible and keep cheerful during the darkest, coldest part of the year when work on the land was almost impossible.

 

"Waes hael"

 

Pete

[sixoh8sixoh]

Afternoon all from a dry Scottish HQ (that's about the best I can say about it!). (Or at least it was when I started writing this!)

 

I'm having a Christmas dinner with friends on 3rd December and we're all supplying a course. I've volunteered the dessert, so started making Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. Slightly miscalculated my timings last night (unfortunately I rarely have 7 waking hours at home these days) so the Christmas pudding had to cook overnight, with me having to wake up twice to add water to the pans where it was simmering.

 

We received a welcome bit of good news this morning at work. The court case we were involved in has found in our favour, which means we've been doing the right thing for the past few years!

[edcayton]

My father felt that in the US the "build-up" to an event-be it a live show or Christmas-was always such that the actual event was an anti-climax. Of course that is happening here now, together with the commercially based Halloween and others. Surely Christmas Day plus a day for the staff is enough?

 

Ed

[Tony_S]

Matthew thinks he is most likely to be travelling back on 23rd December. He asked if we were having all the relatives over for Christmas Day. I said nothing had been mentioned yet and what would he like? He said he really wants to see everyone while he is home but he felt that the big lunch was a lot of work for me, all the guests eat too much, fall asleep and fart all afternoon. So I am not sure what he wants to do! We will take him to see his new baby cousin after Christmas. Matthew was going to Brno for the new year but had decided not to as he has too much work(studying) to do.