Early Risers.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Good to be alive blue sky sunny start in The Moorlands.....a few beer calories burnt around the short anticlockwise.....a kindly neighbour sits Is for an hour at sun up to give me an exercise opportunity.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biggest drama to rectify just now is the commode....she has kidney bags for the urine but a bowel movement is a different matter. Is was too traumatised by the handling onto the wheeled commode yesterday and is still recovering. The district nurses will be looking more to suppositories/enemas now.

 

Managed to wash her hair yesterday which all helps to improve someones outlook. Classic FM and fresh flowers are the current favourites.

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited June 21, 2016 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Robatron86]

Good morning everyone.

 

Overcast with occasional bursts of sunshine in Surrey this morning.

 

After being woken up by my organic alarm clock (21 month old son) at ten past six, getting him downstairs, a challenge as he wants to investigate everything on route, fed and a nappy change (we use cloth nappies). In front of cBeebies as he munches on a banana so I can get ready for work.

 

Parental unit number 1 (mummy) comes in from her nighshift looking absolutely shattered (sadly we cannot afford childcare). So I jump in the car and now in slow moving traffic near Horsell (ironic as I am listening to Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds).

 

Brake pads are making a noise that sounds expensive.

 

Edit: Happy belated anniversary to Mr and Mrs Simon and happy anniversary to Robert and Mercedes.

 

Hope you all have a good day.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Robatron86

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone from a grey, but currently dry North West. Today starts of with a trip to the orifice for our usual monthly team meeting. After the meeting I'll have a quiet word with my boss and inform him that I will definitely be retiring next July (2017) or maybe early if I feel that I can't carry on until then.

 

Happy Anniversary Robert and Mercedes.

 

Back later.

[AndrewC]

Morning all from a mostly sunny for the moment, boring borough.

 

Happy Anniversary Robert & Mercedes.

 

All quiet here. Brekkie consumed, off to the shed to "work" as its too nice to stay indoors. Corporate laptop will be setup on the bistro table on the decking in front of said shed. One of the few nice things about my job. I can do 90% of it anywhere I can get a wifi signal.

 

 

Have a good day everyone.

 

Peace, Love, and gravy.

[Simon G]

Happy anniversary to Robert and Mercedes.

 

Thanks to everyone for our anniversary comments. Very nice walk around Buttermere in the afternoon, with sunshine most of the time so we were just in T-shirts, although the drive there is a bit tedious with all the cockwombles who seem to want to travel at motorway speeds along narrow lanes.

 

After the walk, SWMBO decided that she didn't actually want a meal out in a pub or restaurant, so we stopped at Morereasons on the way home, and she delightedly found some reduced scallops in cheesy sauce, some reduced prime rump steak, so these were our anniversary dinner back home, followed by home grown strawberries and ice cream. All subsequently washed down with a very nice malt!

 

Today looks fine weather wise, so it should be OK for the two rounds trips on the Ratty today.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Simon G

[Tony_S]

Morning.

Robert & Mercedes, Happy Anniversary.

Simon, it sounds as if you had a lovely walk/day to celebrate yours.

I painted a summerhouse on ours, finishing the wood treatment on Father's Day!

 

It would seem that the summerhouse looks so nice that I should really do the two small sheds.

 

Tony

[laurenceb]

Happy anniversary to Robert & Mercedes

[AndyB]

AndyB asked for more about my model railway!

20160619_181456_resized.jpg

No trains so probably safe to post!

 

I see Tony has tried to implicate me in his transgressions! 

I have visions of being hauled up on an incitement charge before a Collie Court! 

 

Anyway, it's a dry start to the day, albeit overcast. 

 

Congrats and commiserations to one and all. 

 

Just two days of nonsense left. I have a dream! I'm looking forward to a world where social media is no longer bombarded with internet memes telling me the world is about to end whichever way I vote. 

 

Have a nice day everyone. 

[Happy Hippo]

Gordon Bennett!

 

The punter reading his paper needs a lesson in sartorial acceptability. Tan shoes and a blue suit? Talk about gauche.

Damned Cad.

 

It's not Friday yet, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Still, that is obviously the product of an education that did not involve boarding in an all male environment, where cold showers were compulsory, and where manners, etiquette and how to dress correctly were thrashed into you by the finest bamboo.

 

It's all this PC stuff and enforcement of arcane liberal rules by the EU that have led to this appalling decline in standards for those working in the city.

 

The bounder probably wears spanx!

[Happy Hippo]

 I have a dream! I'm looking forward to a world where social media is no longer bombarded with internet memes telling me the world is about to end whichever way I vote. 

 

 

To put a historical end to the garbage we have been quoted by various media outlets:

 

The world actually ended when they abolished Brunel's broad gauge railway.

 

It has been a downward ever decreasing spiral since that fateful weekend in 1892.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. First of all anniversary wishes to Robert and Mercedes and belated wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Simon. All I can do is offer my best wishes to Dave and Is. I was wondering as to whether or not Dave would be able to continue his morning exercise whilst caring for Is, thanks for all the good friends and neighbours. A toddle into town today if the pollen doesn't affect me to badly. NHN you are not the worlds untidiest man, I claim that honour, one of these days 'Scruffy Chic' will be in.

[petethemole]

The suit looks grey to me but even so....shiny black shoes please, and where are your bowler hat and umbrella? I remember when all commuters looked  the same. People knew their place. Blah, blah, etc. After a short spell in the Civil Service I'm glad I spent my working life in a field (sometimes literally) where nobody cared what you looked like (odd and weird were normal and scruffy was unavoidable).

 

The outlook seems fair; well it's not raining. Shopping today will include a new single air bed; Martyn's best friend sometimes stays over and the old one sprung a leak so it would deflate overnight. Oswald Bailey have some reduced to £5.

 

Have a good day.

 

Pete

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

First of all kudos to Dave for having to deal with the most unpleasant of daily tasks. I had a much more trivial version of that in Deb's early recovery from the accident - and it takes real love to be doing it every day.

 

Then belated congrats to Simon and more timely ones to Robert. Given our ages, I think Sherry and I will be pleased to get to double figures! But I suppose we had about 40 years each the first time around. Clearly we regard marriage as an honourable institution.

 

I had posted some Le Mans stuff on the F1 thread, which several ER's make contributions to, but will give the briefest resumé here, too, as well as some later news. Toyota, often an LM bridesmaid, had it in the bag. So, less than 5 minutes from the end, their leading car, well ahead of the Porsche, set off on its penultimate lap - of 384. Sadly it suffered some sort of power failure, and collapsed completely just before the line, two minutes short of 24 hrs. Porsche thus won, effectively by default, of which they were in no doubt, commiserating with Toyota at senior level. Not for the first time, when it was clear (haha) that the race was won, I elected to skip off 20 minutes before the flag, thus ensuring we got home within the hour, rather than 3 hours, while listening to John Hindhaugh on Radio Le Mans. Thus we were some way down the road when the astonishing failure of the Toyota occurred, and I found a lay-by to sit and hear the final drama before we got too far thus allowing the local transmission to fade out. It pays to stay!

 

The other last-hour drama involved the GTE Pro category, where a techincal infringement by the second-placed Ferrari led to it being required to pit, which it declined to do. Ford protested, whereupon Ferrari protested that the Ford car's specification was outwith the LM rules. A dreadful way to end a race, and I still not know the outcome. If the Ferrari is thrown out, Ford get all the podium positions, being first, third and fourth on the road.

 

My Nissan is in for service today. It needs a new windscreen, new front tyres, so will not be a cheap event, even though I expect to get the windscreen reimbursed.

 

I hope your week is on track.

[southern42]

Morning all from red dragon land.  Sunny ish.

A Belated Happy Anniversary to Simon and Mrs Simon.

 

Looking forward to Southern Failways' service tomorrow; if they live up to their previous strike days, down here at least it will be a better service than normal!
 
All they need is a Southampton to Three Bridges service and a Bognor to Brighton. Change at Havant for Portsmouth. Swap routes at Barnham and provide a Brighton - London service connecting at Three Bridges! Seemples!
 
Night all!

 

I had planned a "longest day" trip to Brighton a year ago with a  mind to travel on the Tuesday.  How things have turned out this year at home has saved me from booking it.  Plans are still afoot but NOT today!  PHEW! 

 

Foot ball?  I prefer the small hard kind that gets hit for six...or...the small soft one that gets lobbed and smashed.  Never got into balls that strike though even though it was popular in my school days. 

But...having said that...

Didn't Wales do well?    :fan: :fan:   

 

Take care all.  Hope your day runs well and doesn't get disrupted by delays and cancellations.

 

 

Edit typo!

 

Edit 2 after another catch up:  Happy Anniversary to Robert and Mercedes.

Edited June 21, 2016 by southern42

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Happy anniversary Robert & Mercedes.

 

The sun has just reappeared but its presence will no doubt be as brief as its previous visit about an hour ago, it might rain later - the seaweed twiddlers are hedging their bets it would seem, to make sure they aren't wrong.  In the meanwhile we intend to stroll down to the town to visit the Post Office, or rather what passes for a Post Office nowadays, and to hopefully get a pedicure as it's wrinklies' cheapo day and they were too busy last week when we tried to get in.

 

Have a good day one & all and with any luck I shall continue to avoid the spoutings of nonsense by one lot of politicos busily arguing with another lot spouting their version of nonsense.

[Purley Oaks]

Yes, many congrats to Wales, Polly. England seemed to do everything but score yesterday. Good luck to NI tonight!

 

Anniversary congratulations to Mr & Mrs Simon, and to Robert and Mercedes.

 

Good to hear that you're able to get away for your bike ride, Dave, and that Is is home and comfortable.

 

Busy morning inasmuch as I've spent just under an hour hanging on the phone to book tickets for the Edinburgh Book Festival. Booking office opened at 0830, and was chatting to someone by 0920. Managed to book everything that we wanted (which includes a load for Gabe's book group), except one ticket for actor Alan Cumming. Won't bore you with ticket details but following on about bikes, will be seeing Chris Boardman and Mark Beaumont, separately, on 26 August. Managed tix also to see Jackie Kay (Makar, or Scottish Poet Laureate) with Nicola Sturgeon (you don't see Dave C chatting with Carol Ann Duffy!), and Kenny MacAskill chatting about Lockerbie, and quite a few more.

 

The R word - there are some politicians that I won't mind not listening to for a long time after tomorrow, whose name mainly starts with F, in both senses.

 

Hope you all have a great day - wow, Ian, that Le Mans finish sounds very exciting!

 

Mal

[Donw]

I see Tony has tried to implicate me in his transgressions! 

I have visions of being hauled up on an incitement charge before a Collie Court! 

 

Anyway, it's a dry start to the day, albeit overcast. 

 

Congrats and commiserations to one and all. 

 

Just two days of nonsense left. I have a dream! I'm looking forward to a world where social media is no longer bombarded with internet memes telling me the world is about to end whichever way I vote. 

 

Have a nice day everyone. 

 

I am sure they will find something else about which to harry everyone.

 

The collie court will probably give you woof justice.

Don 

[jamie92208]

Afternoon all from Charente Maritime.   After 6 months our phone/internet line is finally working.   I had been assured many times that it was and at my insistence an engineer was despatched for which I was to be charge 69 Euros.  He arrived, told me that the line was fine.  I showed him that it wasn't so he started testing things, then got the ladders and finally, after Beth had provided him with a cup of coffee he told me the line was 'kaput' and then ran a new line back to the terminal box near the Marie.   We now have something that works and I will be making an interesting call to Orange Customer Service this afternoon.

 

In the meantime the TV Freesat box has decided not to work so we have had 3 days with a flaky mobile, no TV and no internet or landline.  Despite this we have achieved a lot and I even felled a 40' fir tree that was blocking the satellite dish, with a bow saw.  It fell exactly where I wanted it to.  This afternoon I'll be cutting up the remains of the tree and no doubt doing other minor tasks.

 

I have managed to sort out and set up my modelling bench in the shed but as yet haven't been granted any free time.

 

Anyway enough of that. I haven't had time for a full catch up but am very pleased Dave that Is is home and wish you all the best coping with not very pleasant tasks.  

Congratulations to Simon and to Robert and Mercedes.   Also Baz, I hope that you do get the card in time.  I forgot my 37th earlier this month till Farcebook reminded my at 0700. I have survived relatively unscathed.

 

Anyway regards to all. It's lunchtime to be taken alfresco, or so I'm informed.

 

Jamie

[Donw]

Lovely pictures as usual Dave. The toilet issues can be a problem when caring for someone it helps if they can eat enough roughage.

 

Don

[Ian Abel]

Morning all from a sunny Surrey. This morning my other half has dropped me at Caterham station due to guards strike on Southern. First train off is the one to Vic then the one I am catching to LBG

OK, I HAVE to ask, is that abomination piece of carp on the tracks in two of the pictures possibly the ugliest, most awful looking item of machinery ever provided for commuter transportation or what?

Not seen that before and I hope to hell I never do, if anyone ever makes one in OO I'll have to buy it so I can put at least one copy out of its misery, possibly burned at the stake, and to think some folks disliked the 4-COR units <gasp> (actually one of my FAVOURITES and I wish someone would produce one).

 

Congratulations on the anniversary Robert and Mercedes.

 

Have no idea what happened, or why, but we were actually 45 minutes EARLY into JFK last night. I think perhaps the crew were going on vacation today or something

Lovely sunset arrival though, as seen below;

 

 

So, back to the dungeon for another 4 days, we'll see what the cockwombles have managed to screw up this week.

 

25 and partly sunny this morning, but at least not humid so far. Expected to reach 29 for a high.

 

Hope Tuesday proceeds as planned for everyone.

[Tony_S]

I see Tony has tried to implicate me in his transgressions! 

I have visions of being hauled up on an incitement charge before a Collie Court! 

 

 

 

I am sure the collie photo Debs sent to me in reply to a comment elsewhere wasn't a warning!

[Ian Abel]

To put a historical end to the garbage we have been quoted by various media outlets:

 

The world actually ended when they abolished Brunel's broad gauge railway.

 

It has been a downward ever decreasing spiral since that fateful weekend in 1892.

Richard,

  This is where we will have to respectfully (or NOT as the case may be  ) disagree.

I think the world actually BEGAN with the GWREXIT (see how I did that folks, can't say I'm not up on current cock-ups events    ) that got rid of that ghastly colour scheme and we actually got the lovely BR/SR green livery to exist.

Brings up a related question, how come the ex-GWR engines never got "sensible" re-numbering, instead of those silly 4-digit things??  <ducking>

 

Coat, hat, on me bike...

[Tony_S]

Sheds treated, and the summerhouse wall that is near the neighbour's fence has been done. The latter task required some thinning of shrubbery, much of which was full of ivy. I am somewhat sensitive to ivy but seem to have survived. I asked Aditi to find something to do in the garden in case I got stuck. She said I would just have to stay stuck like Pooh Bear until I could slim enough to escape. I was expecting Robbie to appear to see what I was doing as he had been the only household member to venture behind the summerhouse for many a year.

[roundhouse]

Richard,

  This is where we will have to respectfully (or NOT as the case may be  ) disagree.

I think the world actually BEGAN with the GWREXIT (see how I did that folks, can't say I'm not up on current cock-ups events    ) that got rid of that ghastly colour scheme and we actually got the lovely BR/SR green livery to exist.

Brings up a related question, how come the ex-GWR engines never got "sensible" re-numbering, instead of those silly 4-digit things??  <ducking>

 

Coat, hat, on me bike...

Would have been much easier to go DCC with the GWR numbering

[roundhouse]

OK, I HAVE to ask, is that abomination piece of carp on the tracks in two of the pictures possibly the ugliest, most awful looking item of machinery ever provided for commuter transportation or what?

Not seen that before and I hope to hell I never do, if anyone ever makes one in OO I'll have to buy it so I can put at least one copy out of its misery, possibly burned at the stake, and to think some folks disliked the 4-COR units <gasp> (actually one of my FAVOURITES and I wish someone would produce one).

 

You havent seen class 455's??

 

SW Trains have a lot of them all built in the 80's by BR.

 

Yes a 4 COR would be nice to run on Star Lane