Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

So sorry to hear your sad news Polly.

 

Dry start here 1^oC and slightly frosty windscreen at 5.00am. A dry day with sunny spells is forecast.

Off to the doctor at 9.00 to discuss last week's blood tests. I'm guessing there must be some sort of problem otherwise I wouldn't need to be seen.

Joe had another day off school but is now back to normal.

New point seems to be OK although I had to tweak the B2B on one tender which didn't like reversing over it. Now just got to finish off the siding. Trouble is every time I go to work on the layout I just end up playing with the trains. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited March 17, 2016 by grandadbob

[roundhouse]

Poly

 

Sorry to hear the sad news. My condolences.

 

Ian

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

First of all, sorry to hear about your Mum, Polly.

 

We have a nice sunny morning in this part of the world.  Rather cold (below freezing), but definitely preferable to the grey weather we had yesterday, and there didn't appear to be much of a frost.

 

Yet another day of testing awaits!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all.  Polly, may I too proffer condolences.  There is never a good time.

 

Whilst out for petrol yesterday I took the opportunity to grab a few groceries.  A supermarket before 7 am is a strange place, with lots of staff and few customers, but I now have sufficient fresh fruit to see me through the weekend.  Munch, slurp.  At the petrol station there were fewer motorists than I had expected.  Perhaps they knew something that I did not until the Chancellor announced it.  Later I watched some of the Budget coverage on TV and cannot help wondering whether the parliaments of other countries are better behaved than ours.  It would not be difficult.  In the days to come the commentators and correspondents will no doubt find much important stuff that somehow did not make it to the speech.  Oh joy.

 

Overnight it has been announced that Cliff Michelmore has died at 96.  I had not realised that he was still with us.  I remember him fondly in black and white on Tonight as a genial yet incisive host.

 

What does today hold?  More flipping ironing and, probably, a rummage through the TfL website to find out how difficult it will be to get to Ally Pally on Saturday.  I hope not to miss the ERs meet!

 

Best wishes to all, especially the ailing

 

Chris

[Barry O]

Slept like a log. Just needed some more sleep.

Busy day posting things today followed by more weathering.

 

Enjoy your day wherever you are.

 

Baz

[Debs.]

Sincere condolences, Polly.

You and yours are all in our thoughts today.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Condolences to Polly. We only get one mum, and your trips to Kew indicate you remained close. Be proud that you made those dates with her, because not everyone maintains such contact when living far apart. You were a dutiful daughter, for sure.

 

Cliff Michelmore gone? It's more than 50 years since I caddied for him at Betchworth Park, and even longer since I watched him, and Guy, meeting Jean Metcalfe off a Sunday afternoon train at Redhill. She was returning after the live broadcast of Two-way Family Favourites. He was exactly the man you saw on tv - easy company even for a teenage boy as I was.

 

Jock continues to stand at the wicket and knock the balls in every direction. Amazing man.

 

Mad McCann and Leopard taking great and positive steps (sorry) in recovery, too, while Mal comes to terms with a difficult past. Some determined folk about here.

 

Weather likely to be a little warmer today, with less breeze. Alison wiil be here and will be encouraged to do some tidying of the flowerbed.

 

Hope your week going well.

[Barry O]

Just before she left this morning on her Thursday trip to schools the other side of Leeds her indoors let slip why she was a bit tetch last night.

One of the schools she visits to provide music support to had moved her teaching location. Normally she does this in a small room set up for the cleaners. They had a special needs helper in school yesterday so they bumped her from the cupboard to a corridor. The children are paying for her teaching. The teaching staff had "forgotten" she would be there (after 5 years of visits) they won't let her use the staff room as she isn't a full time teacher. Ofsted think they are an outstanding school. In that school organisation seems poor My rating would be not as high as the Ofsted one!

Grump over.

 

Back to parcels.

Baz

[Jock67B]

' Evening all.

 

Just popped in to let you know Mum passed away in her sleep last night. 

So many mixed up feelings at the moment so I'll just leave you with

a few pics from our outings to Kew Gardens (where she always loved to go)

in thanksgiving for her life and love.

 

IMG_0888 Palm House.JPG

 

IMG_0889 Glory of the Snow.jpg

 

IMG_7695 Lake.JPG

 

 

' Night all, nos da and God bless.

Good Morning Polly,

I have no time to catch up as I am off to hospital soon, but I felt I had to commiserate with you over the passing of Mum! I re-call your visits to Kew, and how much she loved them. No matter how quiet was her passing, you only have one Mum and she will doubtless be missed, the depth of your loss being measured only by the intensity of your love! Joanna and I shall think of you throughout the day,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[roundhouse]

We still occasionally get a news presenter at Redhill station who is also a railway enthusiast.

 

Morning all.

 

Another good nights sleep but took some herbal stuff my other half had rather than beer to make me sleep.

 

It will be back on the beer tonight in the Rake as they are having an Irish beer festival. Just hope it's not too crowded being St Patrics day. The beer fest has a great name 'My Goodness no Guinness'. So no Guinness but no doubt some alternative stouts will be available along with other small Irish brews.

 

I have been searching EBay for our late friends Czech TT that was sold at auction mixed up in lots amongst other scales. This morning I found his Australian HO parcels driving cab and other items which were probably his, so have got in touch with the seller just in case he has the Czech items. They were items that he did a lot of work to, hence our interest I finding them again. It's difficult when families do not have any interest in a relatives hobby as they wont know what these items are either scale or country.

 

We have been asked to help clear his books and thousands of slides plus a fixed layout in his loft as his house is in the process of being sold. Going to be difficult going through his house for the first time since he went into hospital.

[Mike Bellamy]

In other news, at the Nuffield Hospital, Derby:

 

In stark contrast to Monday and Tuesday night, some of the care(?) Staff on duty tonight , I would not want to leave my fish tank with. Talk about feeling like I'm a bloody inconvenience against something they'd rather be doing!

 

So that explains why I didn't see you trying to escape from The Royal - you were in the posh hospital in the 'other Over'  (for anyone reading this who's not from Derby, the Royal is in Mickleover, the Nuffield is in Littleover)

 

I'll get the wife to wave when she goes to Littleover School later . . . .

 

Sorry to hear that the staff last night were not at their best - hopefully things will improve (or get back to normal) today.

 

Mike

 

.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the village where I'm girding my loins ready for dismantling and moving a set of bunk beds that we have been given for the French House. (I hope that the mental image is not too much for those of a nervous disposition at this hour of the morning.)

Polly, many commiserations on the death of your Mum.   I hope that the coming days are not too much of a whirlwind of 'arrangements' for you to have time to grieve properly.   By chance Beth and I are going out tonight for what we call our Absent friends meal.  Both our Mum's and my Dad died with dates within a week of each other over a period of 14 years. This is that time of year so we always go out and raise a glass of wine or two to absent friends.   It's no longer a sad occasion but rather poignant.  It is always fairly close to Mothers day, as your anniversary will be.

Anyway as we tuck into our Chateaubriand I will raise my glass to you and your Mum.

Jock, I hope that your day goes well and that Andy continues to recover in the 'other Over'.

 

Regards to all

 

Jamie

[Purley Oaks]

So sorry to hear about your mum, Polly. The pictures of Kew are beautiful; you can tell why she liked it there so much.

 

Andy, hope you're getting better every day!

 

Mal

[trisonic]

Just before she left this morning on her Thursday trip to schools the other side of Leeds her indoors let slip why she was a bit tetch last night.

One of the schools she visits to provide music support to had moved her teaching location. Normally she does this in a small room set up for the cleaners. They had a special needs helper in school yesterday so they bumped her from the cupboard to a corridor. The children are paying for her teaching. The teaching staff had "forgotten" she would be there (after 5 years of visits) they won't let her use the staff room as she isn't a full time teacher. Ofsted think they are an outstanding school. In that school organisation seems poor My rating would be not as high as the Ofsted one!

Grump over.

 

Back to parcels.

Baz

 

Where’s my “Angry” button? 

 

Pete.

[big jim]

Finally a job with a Decent start time, got coaching stock training today, best thing only 2 miles from home too, hopefully I'll get back in decent time to do a bit of modelling later as well, got to top coat a couple of network rail coaches I primed last night

[AndyB]

Morning all, and it's a sunny one here.

 

First of all, condolences to Polly for her loss. I remember how excited you were to take your mum to Kew only last year. I hope that this happy memory will help you in some small way.

 

Baz, what can I say. Many would be tempted to tell them where to shove their music support, but at the end of the day it would be the children that suffered. Or she could let the parents who pay know that the school aren't able to provide even a broom cupboard for their children.

 

Jock, I hope that all goes well for you today and that you can report some positive progress later. Fingers crossed for you, as ever.

 

I still nurse some small ambition one day to develop a layout that might be exhibited. At the same time I really hate throwing stuff away as when I was a youngster I'd have killed for the amount of railway modelling stuff I have now. Hence some time ago I decided to re-use a baseboard that was "sitting idle". No great surprise that my frugality has clashed with the practicalities/ambitions and that there is no way the 6' x 18" baseboard would fit in the back of the Picasso.

 

For this reason I'm thinking that the sensible thing to do may be to strip it of track and offer it to a local railway club who might have a use for it.  Layout for a beginner, possibly.  

[AndrewC]

Mornin' all from the borough of boring.

 

Polly, so sorry to hear about your mum. Keep the memories of your Kew visits close to you.

 

Jock, once again you amaze me with your strength. Or are you just that stubborn. Either way keep it up. Thanks for the concern about the knee. My experience with the GP and the NHS around these parts is so predictable that I fear it will be at least 6 months before any proper course of action occurs. I'm still waiting for my specialist appt (pushed out to May now) for the colon problem that landed me in A&E back in January. I think the 2 are inter-related as I've had few gastric problems since stopping the co-codimal, but that has meant to no pain relief for the knee.

 

Pete / Baz, after reading Baz's school comment I feel we have the need for a "that boils my p!ss" button. I'd be looking for a tuba then inserting said instrument sideways into the people responsible.

 

Although I refer to the boring borough, it appears that Crossrail (aka the Lizzie Line) is starting to have a bit of an impact here. Things are afoot. Down the hill in Abbey Wood (Shabby Wood, Scabby Wood, etc) housing prices are shooting through the roof. No real gentrification yet but things down there are picking up. That is having a knock on effect for us with the parasitic estate agents starting to circle. We've had at least a dozen "personalised" flyers through the door in the past couple of months. If we cash in now we will have made nearly 45% profit on our dung heap in 8 years. This despite buying literally days before the housing crash of 2008. Yikes, and people wonder why they are being priced out of the market.

Our 70's time warp of a high street is morphing as well. We've still got a hell of a lot of charity shops and home improvement places but in the past while 3 pawn brokers and 2 betting shops have closed. In their place we have a new posh Mary Barry style bakery, a very good Turkish Meze place, a fancy desert bar, and now a fancy looking Tapas bar to open. Both of the big chain pubs have recently been renovated and fixed up. In the case of the 'spoons its a total high end rebuild after the fire last August. Sadly, the really nice tea room couldn't compete with the existing coffee shops and cafes.

 

The soap opera of the renters next door is seemingly turning into a mystery. The screaming harpie and the 2 small kids have vanished. The constant stream of noisy visitors has stopped. The husband shows up once or twice a day, bangs around the house for a bit then vanishes. There is now a blonde amazon that appears on a regular basis and there is someone staying in the house but not the family that is renting it. Curiouser and curiouser.

Well enough idle gossip for one day.

 

Back to work, everybody enjoy their day.

[newbryford]

Condolences Polly.

 

My thoughts are with you and yours.

 

Mick

[southern42]

' Morning all from red dragon land.

 

Many many thanks for all your ratings and condolences.  I don't know whether to cry or smile.  Best do both!

What is also of help is having to be 'strong', especially for younger members of the family.  I remember losing grandparents, the first big loss in my life, and I was heartbroken. This morning began with answering text messages, hopefully being of support.  The benefits of being a Mum and Auntie, eh?

 

Just come up against our ratings buttons...I can't use more than one! 

So for your other news and comments, here are the ones I would have also given.  Mostly and a few .

Thank you again for all your kind thoughts and hope your day goes well.

 

 

.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Just been announced that Paul Daniels has just died. I was never a great fan but 77 seems too early nowadays. Hope the postman delivers some more parcels today so waiting in till lunchtime. Good luck Jock, hope everything goes OK at the hospital. Have a good day all, be back later.

[lightengine]

R.I.P. Paul Daniels, but I was never a fan.

[Killybegs]

Sorry for your loss Polly, sincere condolences.

[bbishop]

Polly,

 

Sorry about your loss. You will miss her, but will have lovely memories to treasure.

 

Bill

[BoD]

Where’s my “Angry” button? 

 

Pete.

Why should they put themselves out for music tuition? After all, it doesn't contribute to their position in the league tables does it?

[Tony_S]

Barry's post about how his wife was treated at a school reminded me about how those of us who worked in schools in a support/advisory capacity were treated. Some places were terrible and to be honest I probably preferred not to spend anytime in their staffroom even if invited. Other places were great, very welcoming. Pre Ofsted reputations were often based on prejudice due to a schools location and bore no relation to reality. One of my colleagues was very possessive about his IT support for home economics/food technology teachers. While he was recovering from an operation I was asked to look after the food curriculum area. It seemed his meetings involved a lot of cake!

Tony