Early Risers.

[Metr0Land]

 

Christmas Day drifted by, but it is many years since I really looked forward to it. I got the first of two volumes about Southern Electric - the other is still in the post - and a dash-cam. The latter is as much about capturing the visual aspects of the lovely villages around here, with potential to model buildings, as the need to record poor driving. But if I miss a 'Priorite a droit' junction and someone drives into me they may be interested in my evidence against me!

 

 Possibly OT but when driving in France I never understood the difference between 'Cedez Le Passage' and 'vous n'avez pas la priorite' signs (apols for mis-spelling).  Don't they both mean Give Way?

[newbryford]

, their son in law ended up in hospital after screwing his hand to the floor putting up a Christmas tree.

 

 

That sounds like the sort of thing Grandadbob would do....................................

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Tony_S]

That sounds like the sort of thing Grandadbob would do....................................

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

The person who screwed his own hand to the floor works in health and safety.

[grandadbob]

Sounds about right. In my former working life I too was the person responsible for ensuring the Health and Safety of my staff and customers. Forgot about myself though.

[newbryford]

Very wet here in Lancs. But probably not as wet as Wales. Hope the waters continue to recede DD.

I doesn't seem to have stopped raining all night and this morning until now. (And as I type this, it starts again). The field opposite my house on the other side of the railway has small streams running down it - streams that are not normally there. Thankfully, the field slopes away from us and the railway.

 

The intended lie-in didn't happen because of the noise of the rain bouncing on the roof keeping me awake. Mrs NB has gone to work and threatened to come home in the early afternoon and go Boxing Day shopping. The main road in the distance looks very quiet, so I'm hopeful of low traffic levels as the inclement weather has dissuaded others from venturing out.

 

In the meantime, The recently stripped hallway and stairwell walls confirmed our thoughts that there was a large quantity of loose plaster, so it's out with the hammer and chisel and two hours on, I've completely chipped off the offending loose plaster. It was VERY loose and came away in large chunks.

 

 

 

Mrs NB will be home soon and I'm hoping for a serious boost to my brownie points total when she sees my handiwork. After the shopping, she may let me out to the modelling shed!

 

Tomorrow is a trip to Colchester to pick up Junior, with a minor detour on the return via Solihull Ice Rink.

 

Have the rest of a good Boxing Day folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

 

[45156]

Afternoon All from a red weather warning area.

 

Caught up again, and sorry to hear of Dd's possible flooding, and I join with the others in wishing you well.  Also generic greetings are offered to all fellow ERs who reside in and abide by the unofficial rules of this pleasant little online world.  Good to know how many ERs had a pleasant Chistmas, and our quiet day scored a 9.5/10 and would have been 10/10 except for the gifting of several noisy toys to Lily.  Here she is protecting one yesterday.

 

 

Leftovers curry now in the oven for Boxing Day dinner - again a 45156 specialty made while (and this is true, and happens every year) 30747 sorts out next year's Christmas presents from the stock that we keep, as we buy gifts with individuals in mind as we see them during the year - normally at half price or less - means that our recipients get a decent gift of a much better standard than if we'd bought in the manic run up to the festive season. 

 

As 30747 works with the under 5s, she gets Christmas pushed down her throat from the beginning of October, so we put the tree up quite early, and do the outside lights, then on Boxing Day, our first job is to get the outside lights in, and sitting on a towel, then the inside lights come down, as does the tree, and most of the decorations.  My Bah Humbug jumper goes back in the drawer for another year, along with my snowflake one, and we start to get back to normality.  The Christmas CDs are put away, and replaced with some of the eclectic mix which is our musical taste.  Currently back with Chris F's suggested Twangin' n' a Traddin'.  The all is put under the eaves until next December.  It's odd, but even as a teenager, I couldn't understand going to people's houses to celebrate New Year, with all the Christmas paraphernalia still in place, so the fact that 30747 shares my philosophy is great.

 

Just consumed another small glass of the Welsh malt, and by all that is distilled, it is light, and not really to my taste (heavy, peaty, strong, intense) though it makes a pleasant change.

 

Oddly, though we are under a red warning, the rain doesn't seem as bad as it did when the last storm struck, and the Lune is nowhere near as high, as much of the rain appears to be a bit South of us as Simon has also observed in Cumbria.  We took the warnings at face value as they came from both local and national radio, and opted not to travel today, but I think we would have got away with it for a short journey, but I don't really want to risk damaging the car.  Last time we just about managed to get through the floodwaters, but on the A65 we nearly came a cropper, more because of the activites of other inconsiderate cockwombles, who would not give way on a flooded section, when the obvious solution was to take the centre line where the water was less deep, but opted instead to push through in the deeper bits at the side, forcing us into the left, then drenching the car up to roof level with their bow wave.  WIth that experience, I do not want to have a repeat, so fire will be lit, beer poured, TV on and watching some recorded episodes of Lewis, etc....

 

Off now, so

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited December 26, 2015 by 45156

[BSW01]

Afternoon every one, very, very late on parade today, but we had a well earned lie in this morning, we both must have needed the rest.

I'm now on day 4 of my new meds and I've already noticed the difference, my cough as all but gone and I feel so much brighter too. Who'd have thought that acid reflux could cause such a severe cough?

First task this more was to get everything out of the freezer ready for tomorrow's family gathering/buffet and to start the cheesecake by preparing the base, I'll make the filling later today, I might even experiment with peppermint and chocolate flavourings too.

Just about to have a late lunch whilst listening to Rattle that Lock by Dave Gilmore again! Love it!

Hate to say this, but the weather here in Manchester is calm and dry, although it did rain very heavily during the night.

Stewart (45156) I know what you mean about people driving like idiots in the rain. I experienced some very heavy rain whilst driving North on the M61 on my way to the office on Thursday, which resulted in some very large puddles of standing water as well as a few streams that crossed the carriageway. So I decided to keep my speed down to about 60 and to keep to the inside lane. When out of nowhere appeared some fecking ejit in his BIG BMW who obviously thought he could drive fast in the very heavy rain! He had obviously completely lost control of his car and I assumed he had aquaplaned across 3 lanes of the motorway as I had noticed a large puddle that straddled the outside lane and half of the middle lane a few moments earlier, he narrowly missed removing the front end of my car. I can't repeat the words I uttered in his general direction, but I'm sure you can all guess, I did question his parentage.

DD I hope the water stay outside.

Take care if you have to go out.

[Coombe Barton]

This morning we avoided the local hunt meet and took the dogs for a woodland walk where they proceeded to change colour from the bottom up. And we did some "change of plan" grocery shopping in the new Sainsbury's on the way to the woods. 

 

Hoping that people remain safe - the weather isn't down this way this time.

 

Dogs are now asleep (and snoring) in basket and chair. Fortunately bits of furniture both are of a construction that the mud wipes off.

 

Now for clearing up, stripping the turkey and cooking the carcass to make more meals and then on with other stuff. Sandy's birthday tomorrow and she's requested a chocolate log (which I'd planned to make anyway). 

[45156]

Hate to say this, but the weather here in Manchester is calm and dry, although it did rain very heavily during the night.

 

And good luck to you as well - you appear to be in a wather warning area also, though not of the red variety, but I'm starting to wonder if they've got this one quite right, or whether they're just running scared of anything marginally adverse just to be on the safe side - I know that the red warning for North and West Lancs, together with continual do not travel messages on TV radio and internet have put our day's plans well awry (but possibly to the benefit of the wallet as it was a trip to the sales).

[DDolfelin]

One set of neighbours are spending Christmas near you. They are in a forest. We had an email this morning as the landline has been repaired after a few days. I don't think it will be a relaxing holiday, our neighbours daughter has had serious abdominal surgery recently, their son in law ended up in hospital after screwing his hand to the floor putting up a Christmas tree.

Tony

 

Lots of forested bits and pieces but I suspect they will be at a better known area like the Delamere Forest or even in the pine forests on the moors.

Not the first places that come to mind for convalescence.

[45156]

This morning we avoided the local hunt meet and took the dogs for a woodland walk

Best thing to do with that activity, and another reason for stopping at home today, as they'll be out in force up in Hornby where there is still a stron "Country Pursuits" following.

At least they do stick to the letter of the law and now follow a drag, using bloodhounds.

[The Stationmaster]

Interesting contrast between your Christmas decs etc and ours Stewart.  Because it suited the Good Doctor's shift pattern our main tree and various other bits & pieces were installed rather early this year - 11 days before Christmas Day.  However much nearer to normal time with the tree in the dining room, it went up on Christmas Eve.  Everything will remain in place until Twelfth Night nothing if not traditional we are here.

 

As for elf and safety well our previous house gradually revealed a number of interesting, although fortunately not too dangerous, bits of d-i-y electric wiring no doubt installed by the previous owner or maybe an electrician from his place of work.  He was a safety officer in a major nuclear plant  - which happens to produce fissile material.

[DDolfelin]

As for elf and safety well our previous house gradually revealed a number of interesting, although fortunately not too dangerous, bits of d-i-y electric wiring no doubt installed by the previous owner or maybe an electrician from his place of work.  He was a safety officer in a major nuclear plant  - which happens to produce fissile material.

 

I was asked to do some photographs for BNF which showed the method of cropping used fuel rods into huge stainless steel cylinders full of acid.

For the purpose, water was used instead of acid and dummy rods.

At the word 'go' the water was poured into the 25 feet high cylinders and promptly poured out of the open drain taps at the bottom.

In theory, most of those present would have been ankle deep in acid.

[Judge Dread]

  He was a safety officer in a major nuclear plant 

I remember him, his name was Homer something!   

[Donw]

Thanks, Don.

Solid floors here.

 

The fields are now so saturated that the water is forming new streams into ours.

Still pischucking it down.

 

Why do you have airbricks if you have solid floors? Or have I misread something.

Don

[Donw]

Very wet here in Lancs. But probably not as wet as Wales. Hope the waters continue to recede DD.

I doesn't seem to have stopped raining all night and this morning until now. (And as I type this, it starts again). The field opposite my house on the other side of the railway has small streams running down it - streams that are not normally there. Thankfully, the field slopes away from us and the railway.

 

The intended lie-in didn't happen because of the noise of the rain bouncing on the roof keeping me awake. Mrs NB has gone to work and threatened to come home in the early afternoon and go Boxing Day shopping. The main road in the distance looks very quiet, so I'm hopeful of low traffic levels as the inclement weather has dissuaded others from venturing out.

 

In the meantime, The recently stripped hallway and stairwell walls confirmed our thoughts that there was a large quantity of loose plaster, so it's out with the hammer and chisel and two hours on, I've completely chipped off the offending loose plaster. It was VERY loose and came away in large chunks.

 

20151226_105059.jpg

 

20151226_115114.jpg

 

Mrs NB will be home soon and I'm hoping for a serious boost to my brownie points total when she sees my handiwork. After the shopping, she may let me out to the modelling shed!

 

Tomorrow is a trip to Colchester to pick up Junior, with a minor detour on the return via Solihull Ice Rink.

 

Have the rest of a good Boxing Day folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

I would lose Brownie points for not having totally covered the above carpet!!

Don

[newbryford]

I would lose Brownie points for not having totally covered the above carpet!!

Don

 

 I was as careful as I could be and then vacuumed up the little bits afterwards. Mrs NB has returned home and is suitably impressed with my handiwork.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[newbryford]

Just seen pics of the flooding in Whalley and Ribchester villages. 2 and 4 miles away respectively. Thoughts go out to all those affected. My mate's bike shop *may* be under water.

A couple of families have already been re-located at wife's work due to flooding. Mrs NB is due to go back to work to cover for staff who can't get in due to flooding affecting their journey.

 

This is taken from the local A59 and is a good advert for where NOT to build houses in the future.

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DDolfelin]

Why do you have airbricks if you have solid floors? Or have I misread something.

Don

 

Airbricks to stop condensation in the walls I expect.

The solid floors also were probably installed after initial construction.

[The Stationmaster]

Why do you have airbricks if you have solid floors? Or have I misread something.

Don

We have air gaps in the bricks in the 'pedestal' of our outside wall thus they are well over a foot above ground level.  they are designed to ventilate the cavity (which is full off insulation in any case).  One of our schoolmasters lived in a cottage with solid floors and that had gaps in the brickwork (with those metal grids instead of air bricks) and they simply let floodwater in (in most late winter/spring times) but mor importantly allowed it to drain out and the floors to then be scrubbed down easily.

 

I do wonder how many of the flooding problems are due to reduced levels of watercourse management for 'green' reasons excuses.  We know the Somerset Levels have been grossly mismanaged (in reality not managed at all) since the EA took over and we know that a lot of former river dredging has ceased due, allegedly, to EU edicts (which seems to me to really be a load of 'let's blame the EU' type excuses from inadequate managers).  Building on flood plains of course also has the double edged impact of both flooding the homes built on them and preventing them acting in their proper role as 'sponges' to absorb floodwater.   Mismanagement exacerbating the impact of really severe wet weather (which we were warned by scientists was more than likely to happen as global temperatures rose) says little for those responsible for looking after public safety.

[Judge Dread]

I live in an end terrace house and have had far too many offers of cavity wall isolation.  These houses were built in 1875 or thereabouts and mine does not have a cavity in the end wall which unfortunately is against the street !

Also I have two air bricks in my rear extension wall and a concrete floor in the kitchen. The air bricks lead to two pipes embedded into that floor carrying air to the adjacent floor under our stairs and to our neighbours under-stairs also.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Judge Dread

[AndyB]

Evening all.

Just resurfaced after Christmas Day and a relaxed one it was, too.

Having cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve and prepped the veg it was only necessary to roast the veg and plate up. All done and washed up by 13:30.

 

Father Christmas was very generous to me and provided a number of Metcalfe kits, one of which, a station shelter, is already done. Footbridge kit next, methinks.

Another really lovely present was a Humbrol workstation and cutting mat. So, now I can be "self contained" at the dining room table and be working at a kit in a matter of moments. 

 

Hope you all had a pleasant couple of days - I'm now being called away to do board games! 

Andy

[DDolfelin]

 I'm now being called away to do board games! 

Andy

 

I get board with them too.

[PhilJ W]

Just seen pics of the flooding in Whalley and Ribchester villages. 2 and 4 miles away respectively. Thoughts go out to all those affected. My mate's bike shop *may* be under water.

A couple of families have already been re-located at wife's work due to flooding. Mrs NB is due to go back to work to cover for staff who can't get in due to flooding affecting their journey.

 

This is taken from the local A59 and is a good advert for where NOT to build houses in the future.

 

Billington.JPG

 

Cheers,

Mick

Hope you put that one on the forum jokes page.

[lightengine]

Hope you put that one on the forum jokes page.

I hope that local estate agents will use the photo in their advertising of the new residences.