Early Risers.

[roundhouse]

Here we go again.

 

Our train cancelled due to signalling problems at Horsham plus many others affected.

 

A colleague got caught up in the Waterloo issue this morning. Advised him to catch the LBG to Guildford train but that has also been cancelled tonight due to no available stock.

 

So our plan is to get the Tattenham a Corner train to Coulsdon Town and bus it from there but we will be later home so less time to work on the layout outside.

 

Southern announcing staff shortages again for tomorrow but luckily we won't be travelling on them. Just hope GWR out of Exeter to Exmouth are running OK tomorrow afternoon.

[leopardml2341]

So reminded me of my three JRTs (all long gone).

 

Bill

My little fella is only 2yrs so using the law of averages, some time left in him yet.  

[AndyB]

Afternoon all,

The sun continues to shine and at some point I shall go and cast my vote. I did ask a retired detective which would be the best candidate.

He recommended the woman.

All the candidates are men.

So, (1) either he knows something we don't, or (2) it's best that he's retired.

As it happens, he was referring to his own county, not mine. Option 2, then.

 

Meanwhile the MiL has been and gone, leaving some suspicious culinary items that she picked up in Asia (Sri Lanka, Goa).

I managed to identify most of them, principally by reading the labels on the packets.  

However, one of them has left me stumped. Dessicated, brittle and orange colour, Any clues? 

(Ok, I'm going to rule out dried orange peel, before anyone chimes in!)

 

 

To preserve its freshness I'm going to leave it sealed in it's packet for now. *

Interestingly when she went on a cruise to the Bahamas she brought me back packets of spice, including a large packet of saffron. All I will say is that, generous as she is, the size of packet and the cost of saffron didn't quite add up. And neither did the taste. I watched a program recently where they analysed saffron samples (did I mention that I suffer from insomnia?) and the results ranged as follows:

1. Yep, it's saffron alright

2. Yep, it's got saffron in it

3. No idea, but I wouldn't eat it, mate. 

 

 

* ok, the real reason is that one of the crime commissioner candidates is a "zero tolerance" chappie.

Me guv? Never opened it, no idea! 

Edited May 5, 2016 by AndyB

[45156]

Evening All

 

Back from having a needle prodded into my hip, and it was nowhere near as unpleasant as it has been in the past - our GP practice has four Drs who can do these, and I have had three of these in the past, with varying degrees of pain.  but I haven't been under the needle with this guy before - and I was lying there waiting for the hurt, when he said I could get up - I asked if there was a problem, and he said no, I was done and finished.  Many thanks doc.

 

Lily's decided that her limp is back, and is booked into the vet tomorrow late morning.

 

Other than that, not a great deal more to say tonight - just dropped in as I've got a spare few minutes and managed to get caught up.

 

Nighty Night

Stewart

[bbishop]

My little fella is only 2yrs so using the law of averages, some time left in him yet.

From my sample - 15 years.

 

Bill

[bbishop]

Evening all. Well I've gone and done it, and bought a Yeti.

 

Bill

[Sasquatch]

Thought I'd share this on here as it's not something you come across every morning.

This black widow male (a rare sight in itself) is having scorpion for his breakfast.

 

 

Shaun.

[lightengine]

P1020097fbsmall2.png

 

Bingley on the Talyllyn

 

Is this what is known as 'training the dog' ?

Good to see he is wearing a hi-vis jacket of sorts.

[Sidecar Racer]

Good to see he is wearing a hi-vis jacket of sorts.

 

 That's so you can see him as he runs away .    

[emt_911]

A long and hot day at Shooters Hill and still not completed. This now means an even earlier start than normal to go to Twickenham first and then on to Shooters Hill again.

 

There were certainly more than the normal amount of cockwomble drivers this evening along with motorcyclists dressed as organ donors.

 

I've now cast my votes, all 4 of them.

[JohnDMJ]

Good evening all!

 

 

G'day

POETS Day tomorrow for those who are free to POE.  Make the most of it.

 

Just POTS day here, nothing early about it!

 

P1020097fbsmall2.png

 

Bingley on the Talyllyn

 

Is this what is known as 'training the dog' ?

 

More like a well trained dog!

 

Here we go again.

Our train cancelled due to signalling problems at Horsham plus many others affected.

A colleague got caught up in the Waterloo issue this morning. Advised him to catch the LBG to Guildford train but that has also been cancelled tonight due to no available stock.

So our plan is to get the Tattenham a Corner train to Coulsdon Town and bus it from there but we will be later home so less time to work on the layout outside.

Southern announcing staff shortages again for tomorrow but luckily we won't be travelling on them. Just hope GWR out of Exeter to Exmouth are running OK tomorrow afternoon.

 

With staff (understandably) working to rule (no overtime, no working on rest days, etc.), this may be prolonged. Officially, I'm hearing that a higher level of sickness is being quoted in the station announcements. It has had a different effect today compared to yesterday. Await tomorrow's outcome! I have heard that the dispute is only with Southern and that the majority of staff believe that it is a constructive effort by their franchise holder to rid themselves of this burden. Although this is only hear-say, it is, nonetheless, plausible!

 

Usual wishes to all

 

Good night

[Coombe Barton]

Various responses:

 

Cameras - Sandy and I are Fuji fans - we're on our third and fourth - upgrades not problems.

 

Saffron - £8125.00 per kilo - probably the most expensive thing found in a supermarket - http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/schwartz-saffron-jar-04g

 

Jack Russells - ours was eighteen when she died.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Coombe Barton

[roundhouse]

Good evening all!

 

 

 

Just POTS day here, nothing early about it!

 

 

More like a well trained dog!

 

 

With staff (understandably) working to rule (no overtime, no working on rest days, etc.), this may be prolonged. Officially, I'm hearing that a higher level of sickness is being quoted in the station announcements. It has had a different effect today compared to yesterday. Await tomorrow's outcome! I have heard that the dispute is only with Southern and that the majority of staff believe that it is a constructive effort by their franchise holder to rid themselves of this burden. Although this is only hear-say, it is, nonetheless, plausible!

 

Usual wishes to all

 

Good night

Yes I have heard the rumours. Also heard that the drivers may well be taking action in the near future.

 

The way I see it is that once Southern have changed the roles of the guard to a non criritcal role as train hosts then they will run trains without this person on board and by stealth slowly get rid of these people altogether.

[bluebottle]

Went to vote this morning; six votes on offer, but only used five as I didn't see the point of picking a second choice for police and crime commissioner when the present incumbent's doing a good job.

Then over to Helen's and off to the Pugney's Country Park on the outskirts of Wakefield. A good plateful of ham and eggs and a pint of Marston's Pedigree in the Swan and Cygnet, then a leisurely stroll around the lake with Emily dog-spotting from her pushchair.

Not a spectacular place for photography, but here's a couple of snaps; first the motte of the ruined Sandal castle louring over the scene; then a swan adding the finishing touches to her nest.

 

 

[Barry O]

Despite a quick forty winks earlier I am a bit tired!

 

So .. sleep well all.

 

Baz

[emt_911]

Time to get ready for my earlier start tomorrow.

 

Thinking of the ailing, recovering, missing and grieving.

 

Night all

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

Well we duly voted for someone to commission crimes on our behalf, and brought the total number of those who had voted in our section of the ward up to 33 - in something over 8 hours.

 

The evening nosh at The Plowden Arms has gone down well with Mrs Stationmaster enjoying some nicely cooked trout, laddo and the Good Doctor both on steaks, while I had lamb rump - the accompaniments of which included some delectable pease pudding and they even decorated herself's pudding course with a candle and appropriate message spelt out on the plate with chocolate sauce.  Fortunately Mrs Stationmaster duly enjoyed it all which was good as their menus tend to be rather 'meaty' which has put her off a  bit in the past.

 

Another highlight, from which many most other hostelries should learn was a half pint of proper job cider - cloudy enough to barely let light pass through and with a nice sour taste to it - when you can get stuff like that I'm surprised folk drink the over-sweet, heavily filtered, stuff which many charlatans pass off as 'cider' nowadays.

 

G'night all

[andyram]

Evening all. I hope today finds you well. What a beautiful sunny day, I wonder if our dearly departed friend has had a word with the man himself to send us some decent weather!

Today has been a frustrating day. So much to do, but very little achieved due to other people piling more stuff my way. I should have had my non contact time this afternoon. Usually, as a senior member of staff, I can take it at home. By the time I had dealt with everyone else's issues and escaped I had little time to do anything productive.

I am not going to complain too much though. The children produced some pleasing Science work this morning, identifying and describing the differences between various flowering plants. They also worked hard on the art work linked to Van Gogh's painting of Sunflowers.

The hay fever season has kicked in. We have a number of nearby fields of rape seed in full yellow bloom. It always sets my nose running. I was not alone, several other members of staff were also suffering.

The good weather has helped the running of our various sports activities. I run a lunch time football competition. The children are split into mixed aged five a side teams, invent team names and compete in a league competition over the course of the year. This competition has proved so popular that over half the school compete. It has also spawned its own blog on the school's website with match reports and pictures. The teams were picked by the eldest children during a secret U.S style "draft" meeting. A few of the less capable footballers were left out. So, rather than omitting them, I formed a team so they got to play. To give them a chance I ended up playing in goal. Despite my best efforts I was unable to avoid the roving cameramen this lunchtime!

 

 

[pH]

How about the first named 2P - they were, for years, numerous and well used round Hurlford, and of course Jock's dad drove them. On that tack, I read in an autobiograpical book by a Lancashire engineman of an experience where he fired a 2P piloting a Duchess on one of the Anglo Scottish expresses - and I thought then, that this combination would really have tickled Jock.

I'm not sure about 'the first named 2P', Stewart. I have a commercial photograph (which, of course, I can't find at the moment) which shows a 2P with the name "CLAN MCCARGILL" on the splasher. It looks like a real plate, in the style of the GNOSR D40s, rather than a painted name. There are no details of place or date on the picture.

 

I believe Carlisle Upperby used to use 2Ps as pilots on Anglo-Scottish trains, so they would have piloted Duchesses on occasion. Here's a picture of that combination - http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?october03/10-12-03/40679+46228_on_the_down_mid-day_scot.7_august_1958_big4rem.jpg . (Though not with an Upperby 2P.)

Edited May 5, 2016 by pH

[Donw]

Evening all,

 

Another highlight, from which many most other hostelries should learn was a half pint of proper job cider - cloudy enough to barely let light pass through and with a nice sour taste to it - when you can get stuff like that I'm surprised folk drink the over-sweet, heavily filtered, stuff which many charlatans pass off as 'cider' nowadays.

 

G'night all

 

That sounds more like scrumpy to me the last I had in Lyme R was rather strong not really stuff to go with a meal.

Don

[lightengine]

That sounds more like scrumpy to me the last I had in Lyme R was rather strong not really stuff to go with a meal.

Don

If it's cloudy and got bits in it it's Scrumpy.  We had a pub in town that only sold it in half pints if the landlord didn't know the drinker.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone. The meeting that our neighbour (did I say she was young, tall and blonde) and I went to with our councillor (not MP as I said earlier) went well. Although I'll be very surprised if we win, as she said its all planning applications are about ticking boxes and if all the right boxes get ticked, it's passed. Of the 16 or so houses effected by the fence, only one is in support of it, so that may be in our favour. But then the BIG BULLYING TORY councils usually get there own way, but at least we will have put up a bit of a fight.

 

Anyway, I may decide to make my bit bl00dy difficult for the contracting firm, by installing a fence right next to the one that is being replaced. They've assumed that because there is an alleyway at the back of all the houses, the land is public, it's not, we all own our own little bit between our garden and the fence. And as there are lots of trees and shrubs on the school field, so it'll be quite onerous for them. They'd have to trespass onto our land to complete the work, and we are all (bar one, there's always one) denying them access to our land.

He he ;-)

 

I enjoyed my swimming session tonight, it was nice to get back into open water, it wasn't as busy as I thought it would be, maybe the water temperature put some off, it was a cool 10.8C, so bl00dy cold really! It'll take a bit to get used to the restrictions of swimming in the wetsuit and it does slow me down a little, but once I get used to it, and the water warms up I'll soon improve. But it was great, honest!

 

I wasn't very busy!

 

Pete, I've been in a few pubs like that.

 

Goodnight all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Two_sugars]

It has been a beautifull day today, with a high of about 19 deg. . . .  And NO sea fret!!!.

 

My mate and his Mrs hit there polling station , at the other end of the village, shortly after 5.00pm. He reported that he was number 45 through the door.

 

 

Thoughts for the sick, recovering, and hurting.

 

 

Goodnight Everyone . . .Sleep well.

 

 

 

John

Edited May 5, 2016 by Two_sugars

[trisonic]

Lost my Internet/Landline/ TV when a lightning strike hit a transformer nearby and blew it up!   Three nights ago.

 

Lots of catching up to do - it always goes when you need it most, wife is in Atlanta...

 

Best, Pete.