Early Risers.

[roundhouse]

Morning all. Sunny here on our way into London.

 

Just a quick post due to rmweb bent off line for a while and now nearly at Blackfriars.

 

On Thameslnk today and just a couple of minutes down. Visiting site in Covent Garden Area.

 

Beer tonight hopefully with Andrew C

Edited February 3, 2016 by roundhouse

[skipepsi]

Morning all, Snake pass closed due to snow and the M1 down a lane due to debris it must be winter after all. I feel tired today but it is hump day. I came home last night to see all the miniature Daffodils had blossomed about a month earlier than normal. I had best drink tea and get off to Shirebrook before this drivel gets longer.  

[Barry O]

The people who invented spell checkers and predictive text didn't fully think through the way they can mangle words.

 

Good morning all (and good evening Rick)!

 

Her indoors still coughing so no teaching today. I need to earn a crust so will be heading to my work area after breakfast.

 

Baz

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all.  I would have been here earlier but for the dreaded 'bad gateway' message.  Isn't IT fragile?  I was without BT e-mail for much of yesterday afternoon and now I learn that Virgin has been in trouble.

 

It is timely that we have been talking about funerals as they cane up in conversation over the steak and kidney on Sunday.  My mother's funeral, over 30 years ago now, was quite awful.  A nonconformist minister was drafted in and amid all the usual mumbo-jumbo kept getting Mum's name wrong.   Where is the comfort in that to those left behind?  For my father's funeral, a little over 10 years ago, I wanted something better.  A humanist celebrant was found and she was tremendous, speaking of Pa as if she had known him for ever.  She was well briefed of course.  No hymns were murdered.  Instead, there were three pieces of music - 'Over the Rainbow' by Eva Cassidy, 'You'll Never Walk Alone', played by an organist only because I could not lay my hands on an instrumental recording, and the main theme from Riverdance.  My late cousin was there and clearly took inspiration for his own celebration, which ended with Jake Thackray's 'Last Will and Testament'.  When my time comes I do not want a funeral and would be rather cross if it were ordained that I had to have one.  Should that situation prevail, no unimaginative hymns for me, thank you very much.  Rather, I would have my cardboard box taken away for processing to the sound of 'Telstar'.  I could make all sorts of impish suggestions but if I will not be there in person there seems no point.

 

On the other hand, perhaps we should not be thinking too much about funerals for where there is life there is hope.  That said, I join others in praising Jock for the way he is dealing with his ordeal and hope that I can muster a fraction of his courage when the need arises.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris 

[NGT6 1315]

Mawnin' awl. Must have slept like a rock as I'm feeling stiff. No sniggering there at the back! I'm curious as to today's shift due to the engineering work going on at Landsberger Straße and my first half ending with returning to Angerbrücke.

 

Have a good one, everyone…

[Tony_S]

Morning again

Still chilly.

I was awake early to give Matthew an early morning wake up call. He is off to Lisbon today, not for a holiday though!

I will be off soon for a blood test, so no breakfast until later.

Tony

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a bright village.  House still quiet, breakfast consumed, Cats asleep after their breakfast.   Now waiting for a call from an alarm engineer who is coming to service the church fire alarm.   I only live 100 yards away so will go up when he rings.  

 

What a set of posts in the last 24 hours about funerals and some inspiring choices.  Gordon's story was very moving.   It puts a lot of other things into perspective.  You never know what is in store.   I still haven't decided what music to choose for my farewell but Beth and I bought a grave plot nearby some years ago.  It's under a tree in the village churchyard and when we bought it was in an unused piece of land but is now surrounded by graves so we at least know who our neighbours are going to be.   As to music I will ensure that the congregation have to sing for their supper with some good rousing hymns to tunes that I know and love, probably Be Thou My Vision, taken at a good pace and 'O Jesus I have promised' to the tune Thornbury, with Psalm 121 as a reading.   (Look it up).

 

Anyway regards to all.

 

Jamie

[runs as required]

Morning all,

 there is something to watch out for (at any sort of 'service' especially at a crematorium).  I was invited to speak at the Humanist service for one my retired Drivers who had become a firm friend during his working years and his funeral was Humanist ...the Humanist service leader was getting very edgy as I'd over-run my allotted speech time although Bill's wife was effectively stopping hime from saying anything.  

 

The message - don't forget that at any sort of 'service', including Humanist, or a crematorium there will be a time constraint which might not help folk say as much as they would have wished - you might need to add something at the wake to take account of that.  Sorry to be awfully practical but it can be a worry to those who thought they were only trying to meet the wishes of the departed - and that is not fair on them.  .

Bonjo all

In the night I reflected on SM's post above - especially about the 'dead hand' of Crematoria propriety.

My sister in law was very upset that in Norwich they flatly refused to countenance her stepfather's oft repeated request for his favourite music to be played.

Owd Tom, Wormhill born, had been a Peak Forest signalman all his life from the early war years till his retirement when they'd moved to be near her in Norwich.

 

An avid Speedway enthusiast was Owd Tom. We are still all upset that at Norwich they refused to play his old Belle Vue Manchester Speedway signature tune 'Blaze Away'.

dh

Edit

I meant to say that this post got delayed by listening to an inspiring interview with Jimmy Carter on Today. At 91 he is still utterly on the ball, has succeeded in virtually eliminating Guinea Worm as a disease and has similar hopes also for River Blindness.

Oh! - And he himself has also been coping with cancer of the brain.

mmm

Edited February 3, 2016 by runs as required

[bluebottle]

Helen says I can't have the donut song* as one of my music choices for my funeral!

 

*AKA the theme for "High Noon" as sung by Tex Ritter - no substitutes accepted.

[Smiffy2]

Morning all. Bright and chill, here.

 

I didn't post yesterday as I was thinking - mostly about Jock and his admirable attitude and presence of mind. I'm certain that I wouldn't be as logical and thoughtful in his position. My hat is off.

 

As it happened there were two things that concerned such matters which came in yesterday.

 

My cousin Chris found a newspaper report of the inquest into the death of my grandfather, one Hans Oskar Hansen, in Grimsby in 1927. This is it:

 

BULLET IN BODY NINE YEARS.

 

New Cleethorpes Man’s Death From War Wound.

 

Wounded in the war when serving with the 4^th South Staffs Regiment, Hans Oscar Hansen (32), a married man, lately living [illegible] New Clee, died on Monday from the effects from a shrapnel bullet.

 

At the inquest to-day, held by Mr E Ben Chapman, Annie Hansen identified the body as that of her son, who she said, was a blacksmith.

 

He served in the war, first in the South Staffs Labour Division, afterwards in the Engineers, and then in the line with the 4^th South Staffs Regiment.

 

He was wounded in 1918, being hit in the back below the shoulder by a piece of shrapnel which penetrated the chest. He was discharged from the army in February 1919 and from then until May this year he was at work. He was taken in on May 26^th when he was treated by Dr. McKercher.

 

Mrs. Lilly Hansen, the widow, said that they were married in March 1919. She confirmed the evidence of the last witness.

 

Dr John McKercher said that in 1923 he had the deceased man X-Rayed and found a shrapnel bullet in the right [illegible] . Witness advised him not to undergo an operation on account of the difficulty of getting at the bullet which was not doing any harm at the time.

 

On May 27^th he was summoned to the deceased man, who was spitting large quantities of blood. He developed pneumonia on about May 31^st, and died on Monday. In witness’s opinion the cause of death was the old bullet wound, complicated by pneumonia.

 

The coroner said the evidence was quite conclusive. The deceased man was one more added to the long list of war victims. He was wounded in 1918 and although his death did not take place until 1927, the fact that he had been free from illness in the meantime did not affect the cause of death. His verdict would be that death was caused by a bullet wound in accordance with the medical evidence.

 

The deceased man leaves three children, the youngest being three months old.

His father was killed by a mine explosion and his brother was killed at the front in the early days of the war.

 

What a terrible, tragic story. The three-month-old was my mother.

 

The other thing I found was something which might seem mawkish, but I think on reflection is a charming idea. An ageing grandad donates his favourite shirt, usually the one he wears when playing with his grandkids, and it is made into a cushion. It has an embroidered label attached:

 

This is a shirt I used to wear

Whenever you hold it, know I am there.

 

As I say, corny, but I can see that a grandchild would like that and it may make the inevitable easier to bear.

 

In other news my weight is down (by 0.2kg) and my blood glucose too, though that had peaked at worrying levels. I'm off to Boots in a minute to get the new regime.

 

Sorry for the long and rambling post...

[Donw]

Pete the Mole. That sounds like a cat who knows his place

 

Two Sugars - Who knows where the time goes. That track always moves me. A lovely choice.

 

Bluebottle - A early death is hard to take it feels like being cheated.

 

Regards All

Don

[NGT6 1315]

Sorry for the long and rambling post...

 

Not at all, Dick. I for one found both of its key elements, if I may call them that, thought-provoking.

 

The last funeral I attended was MiL's in 2013, who had asked for this to be played as the final piece of music:

 

 

It did take me a bit of time to be able to recognise how it could have a cathartic function, I admit.

[HeeleyBridge]

Jock certainly has got us all thinking about important things hasn't he?

 

My Dad's funeral was interesting. First of all it had to be moved from the small chapel to the larger one because of the sheer numbers that turned up. Secondly, the vicar was late, my brother in law found him sitting in his car as "I was expecting a small funeral and thought I'd got the wrong time". Dad was a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes and a good friend of his for over 30 years read their funeral service for him. He was also a member of the Fellowship, so they did their bit too. He went out, as I know he would have wanted, to the last in the book and standing room only in the chapel.

 

By contrast, my father in law went out to Marty Robbins' White Sports Coat. A friend who had a bikers funeral had Hawkwind's Silver Machine played as he arrived. His hearse was a BSA 650 with a custom built sidecar.

 

All moving funerals, real celebrations of life, sad occasions as they may be.

 

I'm sure that thinking about how we go out of this world is more practical than morbid. I've told mine to get my friend the undertaker to take me away and do the necessaries and to get on with their lives. No service, no fuss. Whether they will do as I ask will of course be beyond my control.

 

Moving along ...

 

A glass was raised last night in memory of Buddy Holly, RItchie Valens, J.P. RIchardson and Roger Peterson.  

 

 

Today I will mainly be going to Adsa, at least the weather is fine and the wind has dropped.

 

Have a good day all.

[45156]

Morning All

 

I've had to skip a couple of pages for now, but I will hopefully get back to them later.  Just a brief visit, as yesterday's was truncated by the arrival of the shopping etc, then my broadband was so flaky that I couldn't even get on to any site for more than a minute or two, then it all went into a bad gateway mode.  My ISP is also BT. 

 

This is a quick visit which is punctuated by a series of bangs and thumps from upstairs as our seven month old bed costing well over a grand is having the attentions (again) of a furniture repairer as it is still not as it should be.  This time, he's rebonding all the joints in the top divan, and strenghtening them with screws - in other words, returning to traditional construction techniques as the entire frame appears to be held together with Pritt and Blu-tack!   One wonders what the inside of a cheap foreign made bed must be like, if this carp is the inside of a British made bed. 

 

Rant over - probably back later, as a cup of coffee beckons, and I then need to go to Kendal for a fresh supply of the stuff.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

 

ps - 30747's late uncle was a biker all his life, and was one of the earliest owners (if not the first) of a BMW bike in the UK.  His funeral included a large collection of  bikers, all in their full leathers, some of whom were still active at the age of 70+.  We didn't have any input into the funeral, otherwise, we'd have suggested some sort of biker's anthem for the final music.  Also, we'd have arranged for him to have his final ride in one of these motor bike hearses, he'd have liked that.

Edited February 3, 2016 by 45156

[Killybegs]

I got up early this morning to catch up on ER's but couldn't get on, something to do with a gateway. Did a bit of work on the 9F instead before walking the dogs.

 

One of my Aunts had a humanist 'service' and was buried in a wicker coffin above which we planted a tree. I missed my mother's funeral as I was in the Middle East and had just handed over my passport to get my residents visa. I did get back a couple of weeks later for her memorial service. Steph and I were touring in Scotland when my father died but my brothers postponed the funeral until after they had been able to contact me. My Aunt had Lark Arising and my Dad had the Bruch violin concerto. I can't make up my mind as to what I want, maybe Barbers Adagio or the barcarole from Tales of Hoffman. What I don't want is an Irish wake, I find them rather morbid and tend not to go so it would be a bit hypocritical to have one myself. This will of course confirm the locals' suspicions that I'm a bit odd. Steph has donated her body to Galway University but has opted to have the remains returned to us. No one gets cremated here (I think our nearest crematorium is either Belfast or Dublin), so I'm not sure what's planned for me although Steph knows where I want my ashes scattered. It's also more complicated because all my family and friends are in the UK!

 

Storm Henry was brutal, the worst winds we have had in a long time, odd to see labradors blown of their feet! Much quieter now, sunshine and showers.

 

Keep smiling.

[Smiffy2]

On a lighter note...

 

Bob - 'my' Yvonne is a tallish, black woman with short hair and a very competent mien. Is that the same one?

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. E-mail is still down, almost 24 hours now, I'm wondering if something similar is the reason we have not heard from Pete (Trisonic). Fortunately I can still access RMweb and social media such as Facebook although I found myself signed out of Facebook last night and was fortunate to remember my password. Facebook does not let you re-use a password whereas I use the same password for most other 'social' media, saves having to remember too many passwords or using the wrong one. I haven't really given much thought to music at my funeral so I think a revisit to the classical music thread to get some ideas is in order. I would prefer the cheapest funeral possible, not because I am tight but to save my family any extra expense. I find funeral practices in other cultures fascinating although the one in Papua New Guinea where the deceased is the main course at the funeral meal is going a bit to far (I was going to say 'hard to swallow' but thought better not). Have a good 'hump' day all, be back later.

[lightengine]

Everybody is listing their preferred music for their departure lounge but is anyone leaving instructions for their dearly beloved to make a post onto RM?

[PhilJ W]

Everybody is listing their preferred music for their departure lounge but is anyone leaving instructions for their dearly beloved to make a post onto RM?

I intend to leave an envelope with any instructions for my relatives as suggested by Rick and will include instructions to pass on goodby's to all my social media friends (and details of the funeral for those who may wish to attend).

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Late here but I was up early as usual to take Chris to work. This time I went back to bed and to sleep and then unusually for me didn't get up until 8.00  Lazy s#d!

Dick - that sounds rather like Joe's Yvonne except for one rather important difference. I found out last night that her name is actually Theresa!  

I was a bit miffed last night because I pick up Gemma from school after gym club and they were half an hour late coming out for the second week running.  Monday night she was sent out about 20 minutes early so then had to wait for me to arrive. Last week I was standing in pouring rain and got soaked, yesterday it was rather cold. Nicki will be contacting the teacher involved to express her thoughts on the matter!      (Along with a couple of other parents I was talking to outside the school)

 

I've not had any email or broadband problems (Virgin & BT Infinity respectively) but my secondary (back up) laptop is showing signs of its age so is probably not long for this world. Luckily my IT dept (Son Steve) has got a 3 yo desktop that has hardly been used and is surplus to his requirements so I have offered to re-home it.

 

Off to Sainsbury's now - oh joy!

 

Have a good one,

Bob.

[iL Dottore]

Morning all,

 

Some very moving and interesting posts over the last few days. Whilst I subscribe to Woody Allen's philosophy ("I don't want to achieve immortality through my works, I want to achieve immortality by not dying"), I realise death (unlike taxes) truly is inevitable. It's interesting to note how death has been removed from our daily lives. Just over a hundred years ago death was part and parcel of our daily lives, not only was death - through illness, disease and accident - more prevalent (especially amongst the poor) but frequently the deceased was laid out in the front parlour (or similar) for all to come and pay their respects to the individual and his/her family. Familiarity and greater (and deeper?) religious belief taking the sting out of death, perhaps.

 

Someone once wrote, with some perspicacity, that nowadays death has achieved the status that sex & pornography had in Victorian times: for most people, out of sight, out of mind and referred to with euphemisms.  Some of which are, perhaps, the equivalent of bravado in face of the enemy (pushing up daisies, snuffed it, bought the farm, joined the choir invisible). Why not say that a person is dead, or has died? "Passed On" suggests he/she didn't want to stop and has continued his/her walk.

 

Having worked (albeit briefly) in the clinical and paramedical environments, I have seen death more times than most (but certainly not as much as clinicians and nursing/paramedical staff) and I have observed that death sometimes comes as a thief, sometimes comes as an adversary and sometimes - and this I hope will be the case for me - as a friend. The final chapter in a long life well lived.

 

It was the Egyptians, I believe, that first put forward the philosophy that no person is truly gone when his/her name continues to be said and (if you subscribe to that philosophy) the best way to do that is by leaving behind the greatest legacy of all: a happy family, contented friends and good deeds done well.

 

Anyway, moving on from such terminal thoughts, a bit of a shaggy dog story (so to speak). Mrs iD and I take Lucy and Schotty to Sunday dog school (and they are making adequate progress) and as the school and the trainers are quite good there is quite a crowd (pack) of dogs at the lessons. Last Sunday we were joined by 3 new dogs (all large Labrador Retrievers) all "tough guy" young males. Poor Lucy was somewhat intimidated at first during the play breaks, but as soon as she realised that these three were typical teenage males: "all mouth and no trousers" (or more accurately "all bark and no bite") she went after the three lads like an avenging Amazon Warrior. She's quite a tough little cookie. It was most endearing to see her at first chased, then doing the chasing after 3 large males. Truly Kipling was right "the female of the species is more deadly than the male" Interestingly, as all the owners (and trainers) were pretty relaxed about the barking, occasional snarling and the "give and take" chases, it was all very good natured. The only time there have been any problems was when we had a Boxer bitch attending the lessons. The owners of this dog were clearly more interested in using the dog as a status symbol (SUV? check. iPhone? check, expensive pet? check...) than in the dog's welfare (poor thing), making for an unpredictable animal. Poor Schotty (my "Hairy Monster"), who like all young males is more bark than bite, was set upon by the Boxer bitch. The trainers quickly stepped in and little harm was done although Schotty did receive a small nip or two from the Boxer. After which the trainers informed the owner's of several hard, but fair and humane, steps to take with the dog to get her better behaved with other dogs and people, the Boxer and her owners did not return to the dog school (I feel sorry for the dog...)

 

There seems to be one or two new possibilities for work emerging, so we'll see what happens. Ironic really. Mrs iD would like to take early retirement but has to work, whilst I want to keep working until they lay me out in the pine box - but I am currently unemployed. Life, alas, is not fair.

 

Anyway off to walk the Amazon Princess and the Hairy Monster, have a great afternoon

 

iD

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Really I don't think I should get started on funeral tales - I attended many (it seemed like far too many) during my big railway years and I think went through the gamut of just about all variants except a Jewish one; the most interesting and colourful was a West Indian one with the burial at Kensal Green - a lovely celebration of the chap's life and the only funeral I've ever attended where all the male attendees back filled the grave while having a whip round for the gravediggers.  And, not unusually in some of my past jobs, I've even done a bit of ash scattering on railway lines in order to meet someone's last wishes - althoughoddly none of them were railway staff.

 

Anyway back to the more immediate world and spending a bit of time wandering round the delights of RMweb I think - not that the Peco 'not really bullhead' track thread is likely to hold my attention lest I fall asleep.

 

Have a  good day everybody

[Happy Hippo]

Everybody is listing their preferred music for their departure lounge but is anyone leaving instructions for their dearly beloved to make a post onto RM?

The thought of the Obergrumpenfuhrer (think Helga but with the menace of Herr Flik) addressing the genteel ranks of ERs leaves me with the dilemma of whether to smile or cringe.

 

Although I'm sure that if she ever found out about her nickname, it would be the Last Post for me in more ways than one!

 

Rather than a piece of music, as the curtain drops, I'd much prefer a recording of a departing steam train. Whistle, spirited get away  noise of train fades away.

[edcayton]

Good morning all. I'm afraid I'm finding all the talk of funerals upsetting. I don't really want to dictate what goes on at mine (like Chris I'd rather not have one), but I think they are for them as is left rather than them as is gone and I know that my sons feel differently.

 

Anyway, talking of death my kettle has just died. It had just boiled me water for a cup of coffee, and started emitting a series of loud bangs from around the base. I grabbed the kettle and pulled it off the base. There were a couple more bangs with some smoke coming out of the plug in the base which goes in to the kettle. It looked like a little volcano. My hopes of a shopping-free day have gone up in smoke.

 

Because of the RMweb outage I actually got on with stuff earlier. Washing taken out of the machine and put up to dry before I have to put a new load in. A couple of other trivial tasks accomplished too. I wonder what I used to do before I discovered this place.

 

Ed

[Danemouth]

All these posts about funerals have been most interesting.

 

I once read in a novel by IIRC Morris West that a "Funeral was man's oldest theatre".

 

I will now shock you all - as a practising Catholic nothing less than a Requiem Mass will do - I've told the family anything less will result in me returning to haunt them!

 

However I am greatly impressed that those of you without religious convictions have thought of appropriate ways to celebrate your lives.

 

On a happier note there's a big bright yellow thing in the sky above the southern part of the Principality, does anybody know what it is please?

 

Cheers,

 

Dave