Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

I'm told that we are going out and doing something' as the weather is nice and sunny (and freezing cold so forget those norty thoughts).  I suppose I should explain to herself at some time that next Saturday is already planned as I shall be exercising my 'Former Resident's Visa' in order to visit the Principality.

 

Have a  good day everybody

[petethemole]

Frost again, but the CH behaved itself. Saturday is always a slow start, nothing happens until Sounds of the Sixties is over. Today produced this gem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wKRLLlpIc

 

Today will include supervision of homework and revision. Possibly a dash out to a local shop for essentials I forgot yesterday.

 

Better get the laundry in the machine now.

 

Have a good day.

 

Pete

[New Haven Neil]

Hmm, cold out in the garage, 3c to be exact!  The 24 is superb - fantastic running qualities, even compared to my fleet of yank diesels with twin flywheels and fancy motor drives - the 24 is better, I would actually say perfect in fact, I cannot see how this could be bettered.  Silent gears, smooth, starts and stops can be imperceptible.  Sound is out of this world, I think many of the folk that don't like DCC sound would actually like this one, it makes the right sounds at the right times, and the brake function is a load of fun - have to drive it properly using power and brakes.

 

Now I just have to sneak the bank statement past Mrs NHN. - like that could happen!  It is my Non-denominational holiday period present after all though, plus some other funds from elsewhere to top it up.

 

Lets hope those unwell are having a better day, and the sun shines on a few lives that could do with it currently.

[brianthesnail96]

Hoping to see one of those in action NHN- I'm pretty pleased with the sound on my little Ixion Fowler but by all accounts the 24 is setting new standards. Still unconvinced by most steam sounds though (despite now being up to 3 steam sound locos, I said I was going to concentrate on diesels... oops).

[skipepsi]

Up and moving actually feel old this morning my joints are grumbling etc but I have woken up and moved myself so that's a win. SIL who is more than 10 years younger than me is in hospital for the third day having had a stroke.  I shall seize as much of the day as I can grasp after shopping for food for us and assorted beasties and making sure DD1 is ready for her trip back to Derby.

[BoD]

Morning all.

Light smattering of snow this morning. Not enough to cover a Hobbit's toes though. Living near the coast has its advantages. There can be vey little here, yet if I go even just half a mile inland there could be a few inches. Being an attentive husband I did clear snow and scrape the windows on the car earlier so Mrs BoD could go to work.

 

Whilst she is out earning I'm waiting for a parcel from Fraggle Rock.

Edited January 16, 2016 by BoD

[Smiffy2]

Morning all - up early, out and now back. Boots for medications and Sainsbury's for a sautée pan from their sales. Pan now tried out for a breakfast of a fried egg and a slice of sourdough...

 

Not a huge amount to do today. Julie's shop move seems to be going ahead, so woodwork to be done when the shed workshop warms up a bit.

 

Jock - the 'gallery' is the Craft Gallery at Merton Abbey. It's a co-operative of crafters and artists, Julie mostly works in decoupage and painted wood. The new place will have space for the organisers (Julie and Janet) to sell more of their own stuff, and they can branch out a bit, so I'm doing simple woodwork, like coatracks and shelves, and some recycling of old brown tat. Julie has just started stencilling onto painted 'up-cycled' stuff, and it looks like we are going to have to learn how to use the Silhouette cutter I bought for her and she has never used! Exciting, but a financial risk.

 

Some modelling on the horizon. Fitting Kadees to weird wagons. Interesting.

 

So, have a good weekend, all.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a cool but bright village.   Was up in good time and then had a leisurely breakfast as the boss departed to run a  book stall at church.  I then had to drink my coffee quickly as I was summonsed to walk up and see why the kitchen boiler wasn't working. I've gained many brownie points by diagnosing and curing the problem before the coffee morning started.  Someone must have switched it on when it was empty so fortunately all it needed was to press the reset button.   Anyway after that a quick trip to the Transport bookfair at Pudsey and now back home for a coffee. However I've now got to go fetch herself a prescription so more brownie points will be earned.

To everyone else have a good day.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

Matthew just rang. Being a geographer he checked that what looked like a good flight from Brussels to Seville was actually arriving/departing from said places. Seville was but Brussels was Charleroi. Not quite as easy so he is going KLM from Schipol to Madrid and has booked a train to Seville. He said the Spanish railway website was impossible and wouldn't let him pay so he found some other ticket booking website.

I asked if he could have gone by train all the way, he looked and said he didn't like trains enough to do a journey with so many changes!

Aditi has been talking about going on some train journey in Switzerland. Whatever she is looking at is heavy on scenery and light on steam trains. I don't really care what pulls the coaches though I must admit it is nice to see some old trains too.

Tony

Edited January 16, 2016 by Tony_S

[trisonic]

Frankly, I never understood the attraction of Thurber.

 

Best, Pete.

[gordon s]

Morning all....Saw the Peco track thread was locked last night.  I'm not surprised as tempers were getting frayed and I was spending more and more time trying to keep the peace, but also having to present an alternative view to some of the comments/accustaions being made.  It ended up getting personal which was a shame.  I don't know if I'm disappointed or relieved it was locked.  Either way it will give me some time to get on with things rather than having to take keyboard to web page....What is it about model railways that ignites such passions?

 

Just when I thought all was well and was beavering away on ET, there was a plaintive call from the kitchen.  "Gordon, the pond has gone down more than a foot in the last few minutes".  Thinking another exaggeration, I wandered downstairs to be greeted with a 4" pipe spewing out water at 3000 gallons per hour.  At that rate the pond would have been empty in 45 minutes and all my fish would have perished.  The cold temperature had played havoc with some of the joints between the plastic of the filter and the rubber/silicone pipes connecting all the plumbing and one had simply come adrift.

 

Thankfully we were here and the pond is refilling.  Had it been last night or we'd gone out all would have been lost.  What a bummer!

 

 

 

 

[AndyB]

 

 The cold temperature had played havoc with some of the joints between the plastic of the filter and the rubber/silicone pipes connecting all the plumbing and one had simply come adrift.

 

 

 

Sue NASA !  

[bluebottle]

Frankly, I never understood the attraction of Thurber.

 

Best, Pete.

 

Just a random thought, or have I missed something, Pete?

[Purley Oaks]

Wow! Just finished reading/skimming the last 30 pages, almost 1,000 posts.

 

My thoughts go to Ed and 28XX.

 

Whilst any form of copy is useful Solicitors prefer a certified copy which means another Solicitor has certified that it is a true copy of an original. These are sometimes provided when say a property is split and sold as separate parts. Obviously the original deeds cannot be split so certified copies may be provided.

 

 

Under probate rules only 'professionals' such as solicitors or banks are allowed to charge for their time. As an executor you can claim expenses but not your time. For that reason if you have asked someone not a main beneficiary to act as executor ( for example your brother or sister to act when the estate is left in trust to children) it is curtsey to include a legacy to the executor as a thankyou.  

I would also warn against naming solicitors or a bank as executor. If they act as executor there is little control over how long they take and what they charge. Better to name someone who then employs a solicitor to do the task for them.

When my wife Uncle died on the Isle of Man he had named his solicitor as executor. The solicitor ignored the main beneficiary of the estate a friend who had nursed him through his last years. Although current addresses of family members were available he wrote to the long out of date ones in Uncles will. This would justify charges based on having to locate beneficiaries. As he was taking a long time I contacted the probate office in the Isle of Man and obtained for a few pounds a copy of the will then wrote to him advising I knew the contents of the will and supplying the address of the named beneficiaries. He had little option but to then settle the estate.

Don

 

 

 

When my mother died the solicitor who held the will advised me to go in for d-i-y probate as it would save several hundred £s and as there was a will shouldn't be too difficult - it wasn't.  So I did the same when my father died and to simplify matters even arranged, with his agreement, for my co-Executor to be discharged (a very simple procedure but it makes things a lot easier when there's only one of you making appointments etc).  When my wife's uncle died she and her co-executor handed the work (apart from house clearance, which we did) over to a solicitor and it took forever notwithstanding sitting on the solicitor's case with ever increasing frequency and cost a lot of money, in some cases to do some very simple things although parts were not so simple.  My advice is that if there is a will and everything is traceable and to hand then do the job yourself - it can be quicker, is definitely cathartic in a different sort of way, and of course it will save a lot of money.

 

As for house clearance then always take care - the most unexpected things can sometimes turn out to be worth a lot of money.

 

 

Mal, not sure if you've found a wi-fi connection yet, but from my own experience, as Don wisely counselled, you are entitled to request 'reasonable expenses' but not recompense for the valuable time you will doubtless spend on the task.
 

Many thanks Don, Mike & Jock

 

We have found some unexpected things amongst the dross - mostly for the lawyers, though. Listed a load of share certificates yesterday alongside a list of Building Soc accounts , which took around 3 hours, then posted off to them Special D (as Elvis would sing). Also found where the house deeds are in list found a brown envelope stuffed in the midst of supermarket receipts kept from 1980-odd. They're in the Deed Box at HSBC about which the bank should have informed the lawyers. There should be other things in there including an MBE awarded to my paternal grandfather for doing his civil service job (most of us just get a pension...)

 

His car, which I've been left is a 14-year old MG/Rover from just before they went bust. Battery flat, some minor crash damage, worth around £100 if that. Why couldn't it have been a small Beemer instead?

 

Received a grubby little letter from the lawyers yesterday stating that they would no longer pay my travel expenses re the clearance. Given that I get a good deal if I book early, and also that I have to clear the house before they can get their hands on it, something has to give. Cheeses me off that the will gives two lawyers all expenses connected with a trust (not mine, btw). And the will was drawn up by said lawyers.

 

Sad news about David Bowie. I remember seeing him at the first Glastonbury festival. He was somewhat unknown then and came on in the early hours of the morning. If you bothered to listen you could tell he was special.

Don

Don, do you have that triple LP set of the festival (original, of course!) - truly wonderful stuff, including Marc Bolan, Gong, Grateful Dead. Saw it pirated onto CD a few years ago but don't have that one, just the original vinyl, complete with inserts and plastic cover...

 

 
Mal, good to read that you have returned safely. I'm glad you discovered some useful items amidst the carp as it makes your presence there worthwhile. Who knows what upstairs and the loft will hold - when I think of my own loft, it makes me shudder. When is your next treatment due? I re-start my chemo on the 14th, having paused to promote healing of the wound from my recent operation. I then have a consultation with the oncologist on the 21st. to check if I can continue the treatment for a further month as well as discuss the results of my recent scan. I hope they can pinpoint the source of the intense pain in my pelvis which at the moment requires an increased morphine intake!

 

Jock

 

My next chemo intravenous is on Monday, fifth of eight. Saw my oncologist last Thursday who's pleased with my progress; she did mention, though, that this particular mix can lead to increased side-effects after the 6th iv (almost wish she hadn't told me!) and that they either reduce or stop the intravenous Oxalyplatin but continue with the oral pills if that happens. The main side-effects experienced so far are feeling tired for 2/3 days after the iv, then peripheral neuropathy in hands and forearms for 12 days following iv; that is really an intense feeling of pins and needles, but on the first couple of days feels like burning, so hard to get dressed/undressed as the sleeves pass over your arms. So, we'll wait and see. Have put on weight instead of lost any, shame!

 

And just before my 6th, there's the little matter of watching the Scotland-England Calcutta Cup live in three weeks - the kids bought us to tix for Murrayfield, so am really looking forward to it. England are favourites to win at the bookies with odds of 7/4, and Scotland at 15/8 - so I put a tenner on Scotland!

 

Glad to hear that Is is doing well, Dave.

 

Anyway, I may not be online for a few days early next week.

 

Mal

Edited January 16, 2016 by Purley Oaks

[gordon s]

Calm down, BoD.....It's only a game.

[gordon s]

Told you....:-)

[Happy Hippo]

Morning all,

 

I'm told that we are going out and doing something' as the weather is nice and sunny (and freezing cold so forget those norty thoughts).  I suppose I should explain to herself at some time that next Saturday is already planned as I shall be exercising my 'Former Resident's Visa' in order to visit the Principality.

 

Have a  good day everybody

Apparently the Rolley boys have a contact at Principality HQ whom is reputed to jump visa applications of their cronies to the front of the queue and rubber stamp them:  No questions asked.

 

Although my visa is valid, I'll just sneak through the rather porous border between Three Cocks and Hay an Wye.

[Happy Hippo]

Yesterday saw the Obergrumpenfuhrer and I make the big trip.

 

It was the day the The Obergrumpenfuhrer's mother moved permanently into residential care.

 

The complication was that The Obergrumpenfuhrer also had to go to Broneirion  near Caersws in the evening as she was attending a Girl Guide training weekend.

 

The weather was rubbish for the whole day, with the trip up to Colwyn Bay (where mil was in temporary residential care) a continual onslaught of rain or hail.

 

The new residential home is delightful, with a magnificent view of the whole of the bay all the way from the Great Orme to the Little Orme on the eastern side.

 

Mil also has a nice view from her room of Nant Y Gamar Hill and the South end of Llandudno.

 

With deteriorating weather we were advised against using the direct route from Llandudno to Broneirion (all A470) as the Crimea Pass just north of Blaenau Ffestiniog was blocked with snow and un-passable.  The first alternate of the A5 and then cutting down to Bala and thence to Dollgellau was also cautioned against.

 

So we ended up tracking back along the A55 almost to Chester then travelling to Oswestry, Welshpool and Newtown before getting to Caersws.

 

In order for the Obergrumpenfuhrer to have some form of transport to get home tomorrow evening, and to save the trip there and back for me, I had agreed to be dropped at Caersws where I would pick up an eastbound train back to Wellington (Salop).

 

I was not too worried about having to wait, as there was bound to be  a pub in Caersws in which I could shelter form the storm.

 

In fact I was not the only person in the Red Lion who was waiting for the train!  It's only a two or three minute walk from the station with a fine selection of ale at sensible prices (Three Tuns £2.60 a pint: In our local. the Doombar at £3.20).

 

At about 18:20, a large crowd went to the toilets then decamped across the road for the train, which was spot on time (1828).

 

My good fortune continued with an on time arrival at Wellington and immediate collection by the PH in his little tank.

 

In all my years of living in Wales, I've never travelled on that section of the Cambrian main line, so I have made a note that a day trip to Aberystwyth  would be quite a pleasant trip in the summer.

 

So despite the weather, a very good day.

 

Mil is now ensconced in very pleasant surroundings, where she will get the care she needs.  And it is only a few minutes walk from her home, so come the warmer months trips back to have tea or see the garden are possible.

 

The strain of mil being at home alone has gone, so a lot of the pressures on life in both homes has now diminished, although the Obergrumpenfuhrer will still be visiting on a weekly basis.

 

I think every one concerned will be much happier.  I know i am.

 

Plus I have a day trip or two to plan.

 

Then there is a sudden resurgence of interest in the Cambrian line which may prompt me to bite the bullet and get a Class 24 like NHN has.

 

2016 definitely looking up already!

Edited January 16, 2016 by Happy Hippo

[BoD]

Just when I thought all was well and was beavering away on ET, there was a plaintive call from the kitchen. "Gordon, the pond has gone down more than a foot in the last few minutes". Thinking another exaggeration, I wandered downstairs to be greeted with a 4" pipe spewing out water at 3000 gallons per hour. At that rate the pond would have been empty in 45 minutes and all my fish would have perished. The cold temperature had played havoc with some of the joints between the plastic of the filter and the rubber/silicone pipes connecting all the plumbing and one had simply come adrift.

 

Thankfully we were here and the pond is refilling. Had it been last night or we'd gone out all would have been lost. What a bummer

Instead of taking the mains directly to the pump why don't you lake the live wire to the pond, cut it, bare the ends and fix them near the surface of the water. That way if the water level falls below the wires the pump will stop and your fish will be saved.

 

Just a game? Pah!!

Edited January 16, 2016 by BoD

[gordon s]

Funnily enough I was sitting watching the game and thought about a float switch on the pump.  A little less dangerous than the one you suggest....

 

Look on the bright side, you were winning for 90 seconds....

[Ohmisterporter]

Afternoon all. It is snowing here at the moment and my wife is at a supermarket. Hope the roads have been gritted. My daughter's Citroen Picasso was serviced and mot'd yesterday. The chap who does our cars is a former workmate of mine, he is an ex-mechanic who does another job but keeps himself busy evenings and weekends by doing servicing for his old customers. On Thursday he took the car to his mate's garage to service and MOT because they have the equipment for the diagnostic testing. The computer told him there were two faults, which he put right. On completion of this the car could not be driven faster than eight mph. None of them could find the fault, even after they had undone the "repairs" so he had to drive the car ten miles back to my daughter's at that speed. Yesterday our man took the car to another garage. No idea what occurred there but he drove the car back normally and had an MOT certificate too. Sounds to me that there is a fault in the first garage's diagnostic equipment, I doubt that this is a unique happening and wonder how many "faulty" parts are needlessly replaced. Hope the weather is being kind to you and stay safe all.

[BoD]

At least England are doing well.

What an afternoon session.

[Shedman5]

Afternoon, a quick pop in to catch up, first day up after being stuck in bed for a couple of days with a viral infection which  had an effect on my balance and induced  dizziness.

 

Not pleasant at all but fingers crossed things are back to normal.

 

What is not normal is the fact that its snowing here and its sticking!

 

Banned from the shed till Monday, hmm one of the downsides of having an ex Nurse Practitoner as your other half!

 

Oh well time to catch up with events  in the warm by the woodburner

 

Alan

[gordon s]

Wives have little or no sense of humour.  

 

I was out checking my pond filter and ensuring there were no leaks when I noticed a continual drip from one of the pipes.  Undid a few connections and all was well.  Bloomin' freezing out there so I was well wrapped up.  Finished what I was doing, came in locked the back door and disappeared off for a wee.  I thought I heard a muffled shout, but thought no more of it.  Finished my business and wandered back into the kitchen to be faced with my dear lady banging for all she was worth on the back door.....

 

Unknown to me she had slipped out to the shed to get a pot for a plant.  She wasn't dressed for the cold and was a bit miffed at being locked out and me nowhere to be seen...

 

I suspect she may talk to me again by Wednesday....

[28XX]

OhMrP, A genuinely good car mechanic is worth riches beyond the dreams of avarice. Our guy Mike popped Mrs28xx's less-old-than-the-old-one Merc on the diagnostic a few days after we bought it, in case we had bought a dud. He gave it a clean bill of health at no charge. He also spent a whole day searching for an electrical fault on the old-old Merc which turned out to be a faulty camshaft position sensor. We were only charged for the parts an labour to replace, not the hours of investigation. A true gent and a true engineer, with a scientist's discipline. And you could eat your lunch off his workshop floor.

Stevo

Edited January 17, 2016 by 28XX