Early Risers.

[trisonic]

Good morning! -10C here this morning. Less cold than yesterday. More traffic duty this am and pm.

 

ChrisF must have a bloody good local paper - I’m as riveted to his adventures as I am to the Southern Region epic fail.

 

Best, Pete.

[TheQ]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Chris, tapioca isn't tapioca if it isn't served up school dinner style, with all the dry bits from the corners of the saucepan served up with it. Personally I hate the stuff and those of a similar age to me where it was a case of 'Eat it or go without' it was one of the few things I happily went without. I am so glad that I don't have to commute any more, on the local news the A13 was closed for a while between Rainham and Barking and the A12 was closed between Gants Hill and Redbridge. GDB, the online diet sounds interesting, can you please pass on the details. My GP is always on to me about losing weight and other health issues mean that losing some weight will help. Thats it for now, be back later.

For us in primary school, it wasn't a case or eat or go without, it was eat, or you're not moving till you do, and if you still don't (by the end of lunch time), you're getting the cane...

 

 SWMBO isn't amused, yesterday she got a letter from the doc's claiming she is heading for diabetes and would she come in for advise on diet and excercise....

 

She is officially classed as 50% disabled and is almost the same weight as she was in the RAF 30 years ago, when they tried to throw her out for being UNDER weight ( even though she was the same weight as she joined up).

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Nice bit of high cloud with sunny patches but more cloud moving in alas.  The Daily Wail is getting even more hysterical about the weather and is now predicting temperatures as low as -10 (wow!!!, it's January) and 8 inches of snow;  presumably the Met Office don't follow such amusement as they're predicting occasional wintry showers in some places (and not so wintry ones elsewhere).  The daft thing is some people actually believe the nonsense written (badly) in the Daily Wail and other 'papers actually copy some of it - which presumably saves on having reporters.

 

I quite like tapioca although I much prefer semolina - but it was always good when we had things like that at school dinners as lot of folk couldn't stand either so all the more for those of us who enjoyed such delicacies.

 

Today I really must replenish the ready use log stack - not done yesterday as the wood would have got rather wet.

 

Have a good day one and all.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Morning all from a now-sunny Scottish HQ. Lots going on here, Ministers are back today. Not much interesting to report otherwise...

 

Regards to all.

[TheQ]

I'm still waiting for a 1963 or 1947 winter, the Milankovitch cycles indicate we are now on a 30year down turn in temperature. It will come some time in the next 20 years.

All those supermarkets with just in Time delivery, will run out of food, if you can get to one, there will be many struggling to find food and petrol.... then they'll have something to worry about...

Edited January 10, 2017 by TheQ

[emt_911]

I like tapioca but not out of a tin. I prefer the dry stuff and make a proper tapioca pudding. The only problem is that I can't find any shops selling it not in the tin.

[jonny777]

For us in primary school, it wasn't a case or eat or go without, it was eat, or you're not moving till you do, and if you still don't (by the end of lunch time), you're getting the cane...

 

 

It was the same at our school, until the deputy head force fed me tapioca and kept clamping my mouth shut until I swallowed each spoonful.

 

She seemed well satisfied with her efforts for a few seconds until I projectile vomited over her, and the girl sitting next to me.

 

I escaped the cane, but the 'news' spread round the village like wildfire. My mother was not amused, marched to the school and gave the teachers within earshot both barrels (or so she told me). From that point on I was excused tapioca, and have never had it since.

[Horsetan]

I'm still waiting for a 1963 or 1947 winter, the Milankovitch cycles indicate we are now on a 30year down turn in temperature. It will come some time in the next 20 years.

All those supermarkets with just in Time delivery, will run out of food, if you can get to one, there will be many struggling to find food and petrol.... then they'll have something to worry about...

 

As a great fan of snow, I hope I live to experience this just the once. You'll be able to spot me, as I'll be the one out there manically building snowmen.

[grandadbob]

I like tapioca but not out of a tin. I prefer the dry stuff and make a proper tapioca pudding. The only problem is that I can't find any shops selling it not in the tin.

 

Duncan, according to The Boss, who works for Sainsbury's, they sell it in her branch and it's in packets but is in the same aisle as pudding rice, semolina, tinned rice and custard etc. Other branches may differ.

Edited January 10, 2017 by grandadbob

[grandadbob]

Get yourself one of those really nasty tummy bugs! I got one last October, lost over a stone in a week and only put on a couple of pounds afterwards. Still one kilo (11 pounds) lighter, even after seasonal excesses.

 

 

Er thanks John, I think I'll pass on that.

[Horsetan]

Get yourself one of those really nasty tummy bugs! I got one last October, lost over a stone in a week and only put on a couple of pounds afterwards. Still one kilo (11 pounds) lighter, even after seasonal excesses....

 

In school, I once developed glandular fever. I was unable to swallow anything solid for about a week. This led to me losing about a stone as well (9 down to 8). Best unintended diet plan I've ever experienced. Nothing has ever been quite as effective since.

[emt_911]

Duncan, according to The Boss, who works for Sainsbury's, they sell it in her branch and it's in packets but is in the same aisle as pudding rice, semolina, tinned rice and custard etc. Other branches may differ.

Thanks. I'll have to have another look although I have looked in these aisles before

[jonny777]

As a great fan of snow, I hope I live to experience this just the once. You'll be able to spot me, as I'll be the one out there manically building snowmen.

 

Well, things are looking a little more promising for a blocked weather pattern in about a weeks time.

 

Although, nothing like 1947 or 1962/3; or even 1978/9 at the moment.

[grandadbob]

 GDB, the online diet sounds interesting, can you please pass on the details. My GP is always on to me about losing weight and other health issues mean that losing some weight will help. Thats it for now, be back later.

 

Phil, PM sent.

[Tony_S]

When I was small and had school dinners (as they were called then!) there was a noticeable difference between those who cooked and served the food and those who patrolled the dining hall forcing children to eat their stewed kale or whatever delicacy was being served. Really nasty people. Secondary school meals were excellent.

Matthew went to primary school in the mid to late 1990s. The bossy lunchtime assistant had returned from whatever cupboard they had been lurking in for half a century. However now they were concerned with forbidden foodstuffs and making spurious comments on the healthiness of the lunchbox contents.

[Horsetan]

Well, things are looking a little more promising for a blocked weather pattern in about a weeks time.

Trouble is, London and the South East are so heavily developed that snow seems to pass us by now. The last proper, long-lasting, covering I remember was in 1981/2.

 

Although, nothing like 1947 or 1962/3; or even 1978/9 at the moment.

Pity.

[grandadbob]

I must have been very lucky indeed with my school dinner experiences in three schools from 1952-1966. The meals were cooked on the premises, were hot and in the main quite edible. You were encouraged to eat everything but were certainly not forced into it. If that had happened the perpetrators would most certainly have experienced the wrath of one or other of my parents who as publicans were more than capable of dealing the culprits. Dad used to say that if anyone upset Mum in the pub they'd regret it. Some did but never

repeated the offence.

 

At grandson Joe's school the food police were informed that when he takes packed lunches (he varies that with school dinners) whatever is in his box is allowed whether they like it or not as he is Type 1 diabetic and every thing he eats is there for a reason. To be fair to them they have been extremely supportive and he is allowed to be first in the queue at lunch times (and take a friend) This has made him very popular!

Edited January 10, 2017 by grandadbob

[jamie92208]

It was the same at our school, until the deputy head force fed me tapioca and kept clamping my mouth shut until I swallowed each spoonful.

 

She seemed well satisfied with her efforts for a few seconds until I projectile vomited over her, and the girl sitting next to me.

 

I escaped the cane, but the 'news' spread round the village like wildfire. My mother was not amused, marched to the school and gave the teachers within earshot both barrels (or so she told me). From that point on I was excused tapioca, and have never had it since.

 

I used to like Rice pudding and the other variants that my mother made me.  However the school stuff was appalling and often tasted of boiled milk which I detest.   Our sadistic housemaster used to serve the puddings and refused to give smaller size portions.  We got punished if we didn't leave clean plates.   As a result I often deposited my Wednesday dinners in the loo afterwards.  To this day I still cannot bring myself to eat any of the milk puddings.   I was later asked to contribute to the said housemasters memorial fund. My reply was unprintable and the teacher I gave it to looked rather shocked.   I wasn't in a mood to be bullied again that day. I quite enjoyed that encounter.

 

Jamie

[BSW01]

I have always detested tapioca and semolina, but don't mind rice pudding.

Nothing has happened to make me change my mind since leaving school.

[Ian Abel]

As a great fan of snow, I hope I live to experience this just the once. You'll be able to spot me, as I'll be the one out there manically building snowmen.

You could always visit here (Minnesota) or AndyID - I, for one, am happy to share You'll have to also like the "real" cold though!

 

 

Morning all...

Trip to JFK uneventful yesterday evening, and surprisingly was 1 degree COLDER at JFK (-4) than in Minneapolis when I left!. That, only a result of our warming trend due to getting snow yesterday and today though. Returning to highs in the -teens after today back home.

 

Always an amusement to arrive somewhere other than the frigid upper-Midwest and discover that even at routine - for us - winter temperatures it seems like you've arrived in the Arctic judging by the way people are dressed! This morning, folks leaving the hotel were wrapped in heavy HEAVY winter coats, scarves that went around them about ten times, boots, arctic-protection level gloves and ski hats that would protect you at the top of the Matterhorn!

 

Also, it's winter cockwomble time here it seems, most folks apparently unused to the weird stuff that obscures your windshield on cold somewhat moist days, are driving about with barely enough cleared area to see their faces through! ONE such bumblecluck in what appeared to be a brand new 7-series BWM had the entire screen obscured and was driving looking out the SIDE WINDOW almost causing an accident as he made a left turn across traffic at a red light!

Using defrosters and actually waiting until they've done their job, isn't on the list of things that prevent you from killing yourself or others here, apparently  

 

In the dungeon now and looking forward to a day devoid of interaction, it'll be a day or two before the client staff realize/remember/care that I'm here!

 

-7 (AMAZINGLY COLD FOR HERE!!) driving in, but forecast to be +6 for a high and the low only +4, so not actually cold or even below zero until Saturday here, I'll be back in real winter weather by then

 

How your Tuesday is fit for purpose.

[Horsetan]

....I'll be the one out there manically building snowmen.

...and if not snowmen, then snow sculptures of a rude nature. (Other snow sculptures are available.)

[TheQ]

The second primary school I attended, which is the one mentioned above, had it's food delivered in "Hot" boxes from the cookhouse half a mile away, so it was mildly warm. Especially if you were one of the older pupils who had to walk down from the school buildings up there. The younger pupils were in the old school , across the road from the Scouts hall where we had the dinners, so we queued up behind them. (although I did start at the orignial school ) The scouts hall was in a poor state of repair so you could get added paint flakes with the dinner.

 The meals were so bad a representitive of the PTA appeared on Southern TV with the complaints. The representitive of the PTA was my Dad.

 Things were done to improve the situation, eventually they built a cook house alongside the Scout hall. Meanwhile I'd moved on to my first Secondary school. So I attended all but the first year of primary at the school.

 

The Worst meals I've had since were RAF Swinderby, being a basic training camp, you weren't allowed away at all so the amount paid for the food was spread very thinly.

 The Best food in the RAF I had was at RAF Boulmer, where being almost on the A1, most went away on their days off, but still had to pay for meals on days off, so the money was spread somewhat thicker making the meals.

[Purley Oaks]

Yep, winter clothing is funny - out in Edinburgh yesterday it wasn't too chilly, but there were some people wrapped up as though they were in north Norway.

 

Used to love rice pudding and tapioca, especially the skin on top. White semolina was fine with skool (©Ian OD and Molesworth) jam, but not too keen when on its own; the chocolate semolina was great! We were never forced to eat food unless we'd taken it onto the plate when they would try to get us to eat up.

 

Love the skin on custard (thanks, Nana!), too, but those who don't often call it the scum! Used to enjoy Brown and Polson's chocolate blancmange but can't find it anymore ;-(

 

The only skool foods I didn't like were broad beans and butter beans which were both served up in a dry congealed mass. They're great in stews today but as a veg on their own, not for me.

 

Didn't, and still don't, like dessicated coconut and wondered why they put it on top of skool jam tarts so used to scrape it off. Now coconut in curries and stews is just great to eat.

 

60mph winds expected later tonight - as ever tmrw's the day to put out the lightish paper/plastic/metal recycling bin so will probably be all over the street later - hope not!

 

Have a good day

 

Mal

[Happy Hippo]

 You can't keep upsetting the people who pay your wages...the unions and management need their heads knocking together but is there anyone left who could do that?

 

One would imagine that putting the union chiefs and the respective CEOs in a medium sized room with about 40 irate commuters might result in a rapid end to the strike.................and a number of CEO and Union chief jobs being advertised pdq (Well, at least soon after after the funerals)

[Killybegs]

Our primary schools 'dinners' were disgusting, cooked off the premises and delivered in huge aluminium containers. However, as we only lived 5 minutes walk from school, we came home for lunch most days. Grammar school food was cooked on the premises and most of it was OK but how they could make potatoes taste so bad was beyond me. Puds were very good. Supervision was by masters or prefects but there was rarely a lot of pressure to eat everything. You had to get special dispensation to bring a packed lunch. We had a good canteen at college but it was too expensive, especially if you were saving up for Friday and Saturday night 'outings'.