Early Risers.

[Ashcombe]

Sail always thinks itself more important. Hence open to tall sailing ships. 

 

It is good to see Sherry out and about.

 

Don

Thanks, Don.

 

Apparently, said bridge is being opened for routine maintenance, according to the local rag.

[TheQ]

Thanks, Don.

 

Apparently, said bridge is being opened for routine maintenance, according to the local rag.

if it's anything like the Lowestoft Bascule Bridge, it's at that point they promtly break it and leave it raised for days.....

[Coombe Barton]

 I just put a huge dent in three 500 foot spools of wire in the shop/shed, and it's only 20 by 36 feet.

 

 

Which is bigger than each floor of our house.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Coombe Barton

[Oldddudders]

Americans have a different perception of space

They would say they conquered it!

[Coombe Barton]

In a few months we are going all out with 4 nights inBirmingham for just over 300 quid. It also includes breakfast but will have to make our own way there. Good for pubs is the West Midlands!

And this is before you've had any.

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Coombe Barton

[Coombe Barton]

... but you can't so much as f*rt around here without the village knowing all about it!  

 

 

Is that experience speaking?

[AndyB]

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

 

Listening to the "Local Hero" soundtrack album.  A classic film that never seems to date, imho.

 

swmbo was up and working at 04:45 on her day off - a consequence of taking a day off poorly earlier in the week. 

TOIL accumulated, Annual Leave replaced by spending TOIL.

I do hope they realise she's on a 7-day notice period if one day she goes "wibble"!

I'm working on a solution to ensure she doesn't. Fingers crossed.

 

In light of the above, mentioning modelling may seem somewhat crass.

Nevertheless, after I'd finished work yesterday* I kit bashed some old Grafar card models.

 

* Work followed by homework. I seem to be filling in gaps in my eldest's education; one of her teachers struggles with discipline, so not much teaching gets done. 

Her response to poor behaviour by other pupils is quite mature. "Why do they do that? They have the chance of a brilliant education handed to them on a plate, a chance other children around the world might not get...and they throw it away." 

[Northroader]

You haven't smelled them.

[Tony_S]

Morning.

Cloudy with occasional sunny spells.

I plan to spend the day resurrecting a vacuum cleaner I found in the garage. It will do for keeping the garage tidier. It used to be the one that couldn't cope with dog hair and then some bits broke. I repaired the broken bits yesterday with epoxy putty. So I will see if I can get to to clean effectively today. I have been excused shopping duties.

Tony

Edited February 17, 2017 by Tony_S

[iL Dottore]

Morning All,

 

Interesting the comment about Tony Blair. Regardless of one's politics, he - and his ilk - are exactly why the vote was for Brexit and Trump was elected: a huge swathe of the population - regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or even [in many cases] previous political affiliation - decided that the "usual suspects" were no longer to be heeded or trusted and bingo... Looking from the outside in, it seems that the UK and the US are facing a unique opportunity to junk last century's dogmas currently dominating the political establishment and create a new politic. To my eyes it is evident that a huge number of people are tired of the various stale "-isms" hanging around from the last century (if not from before then), but unfortunately I very much doubt we will see much more than a few cosmetic changes...

 

Interesting the comments about "all you can eat" restaurants and "all inclusive" holidays. I have had one experience of both and have been less than impressed. In the "all you can eat" restaurant a former girlfriend insisted on going to (and she was thin as a rail!), the food was - at very best - mediocre. Certainly, most of it looked (and tasted) as though it came from the very cheap end of the wholesalers "ready-mades" deep freeze and either reheated or dumped in the deep fat fryer. In the "all inclusive" holiday, so many people were shoehorned into the property that relaxation was damn near impossible, canned music was blaring from outdoor loudspeakers hidden throughout the property and it was only the absence of khaki uniforms that prevented the beach from being a doppelgänger for Dunkirk. Plus the food - kept warm on a large "serve yourself" hot table - was vile and the "all you can drink" drink was just about one step up from industrial alcohol, if not propylene glycol. In fact, Mrs iD and I had consistent very low grade diarrhea for the duration of the holiday - except for the 2 days or so following our visit to a local village and lunch at a local cafe, shunned by tourists. Whilst it is easy for me to be snobbish about such places ("Darling, what ghastly people..."), I believe that the problem with such places is that such utter cheapness demands the cheapest food and the cheapest staff - all impacting on things like staff getting a decent wage, food being sourced from farmers getting paid a fair price and meat from humanely treated food animals (which I suspect is not the case, even given the lower costs of food and staff in such locales). I would argue that a huge part of the problem of these "all inclusive" holiday places is that guests expect Western Style food, drink and amenities. "Go native" and you can eat and drink like kings, stay at a comfortable hotel (or B&B) and still not bust the budget.

 

In Thailand and Malaysia you can eat amazingly well from the street hawkers at very little cost. However, many westerners shun eating at such places for fear of getting diarrhea (or worse), yet research has shown that tourists are more likely to suffer stomach troubles from the food in a hotel buffet (made earlier and allowed to sit around on the hot table) than from a street stall that cooks the food in front of your eyes.

 

Now, I know that ERs are a diverse and (frequently) much traveled bunch. What (and where) was your best street food/local food experience? For me it has to be either the Tempura Udon I ate in a little hole-in-the-wall place in the Ginza in Tokyo or the Curry Mee I ate from a hawker stall next to a KL Sheraton.

 

Aaah, memories of exotic places and food...

 

Have a good one

 

iD

[BlackRat]

Well good news, hospital appointment has actually all been confirmed, in writing so it's off to the Nuffield in March, and all paid for by the NHS.

 

Doesn't make a lot of sense, but hey ho, I'm past caring.

 

Alcoholic mother has got the message and has stopped ringing numerous times a day having had a skinful ............ and the weather is the sort of weather that makes you want to sit inside and do some spraying.

 

I've got a huge backlog of weathering to do, including a lot of the 7mm stuff, including 2 locos!

 

The original idea for the 7mil clay branch was a dilapidated 08 and a private steam loco, so I've no idea how I've ended up with more!

 

There's also a stack of wagons to do, numerous 00 wagons and about 10 locos, some bought on a whim when prices were such we could do such things.

 

Better get on then!

[AndyB]

Morning All,

...

 

Now, I know that ERs are a diverse and (frequently) much traveled bunch. What (and where) was your best street food/local food experience? For me it has to be either the Tempura Udon I ate in a little hole-in-the-wall place in the Ginza in Tokyo or the Curry Mee I ate from a hawker stall next to a KL Sheraton.

 

Aaah, memories of exotic places and food...

 

Have a good one

 

iD

 

Interestingly the deep-fried ball of octapus tentacles  had not so far from the Ginza was the worst. Much to the hilarity of the former swmbo. Unpleasant, unlike the raw sea uchin delicacy that was more explosive than unpleasant.

As for the best, genuinely I can't think of any recently. 

But going back a few decades, a pint of prawns whilst sat watching the world go by is a fond memory. 

[andyram]

Morning all. Thanks to NHN for another great picture. I must admit all this talk of Blair and Brexit has passed me by - the positive side of watching snooker instead of the news!

I am pleased to say I managed a much better night's sleep last night and feel much better as a result. That means that I can head to the beer festival with my friend this afternoon. Sarah, having had a late meeting last night, is off to visit her mum until tomorrow. It is a planned arrangement around tomorrow's Nottingham Forest game. Logistically, since her mum moved, it is easier for Sarah to go up the night before the game and stay over than rush around on a Saturday morning. The result is a bit more quiet time for me! That will be time to get stuck into the school work as well as visit the beer festival this afternoon and the model railway show at Sileby tomorrow morning. If all works out I should have tonight, tomorrow afternoon and Sunday afternoon to complete the work.

Had a nice bit of testing (playing?) on the layouts this morning. There is something strangely satisfying about starting a train at one station and then running it round the corner to the next.

 

Have a good day.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land.  Chris, as I have found many useful items in skips, I say grab whatever you can when you can. Amongst the items I have rescued from skips is a solid oak table and enough timber to frame a couple of baseboards. I was thinking of turning the table into a work bench but it was simply too good for that. Builders seem to be the worst offenders, probably because its not cost effective to return everything that is left over after work has finished. However I always ask permission before I remove something from a skip and have never been refused.

[Ohmisterporter]

Our boiler has just had its annual service and the engineer said what good condition it was in, so it should be, he only installed it in 2009. From talking to him in previous visits I knew he had been a keen runner so asked if he was still doing it. He said he had stopped running following a work related shoulder injury that made running uncomfortable and now went on regular walks that he enjoyed more. It keeps him just as fit and the aches and pains in his knees have reduced. Which confirms what I have thought for years. I contemplated taking up jogging many years ago, for about a millisecond, and decided that I was built for comfort not speed. Didn't the chap who started the jogging craze drop dead whilst out jogging? 

[RhBBob]

Greetings to all !  A dull day, weather wise, but rain so far.

 

Friday is steam cleaning of  the kitchen floor tiles which I have completed, whilst Mrs RhBBob is buying up Asda and possibly ice cream(s) from Tesco as well!  

 

My next task is to book an MOT at our regular garage, some 25 miles* distant, for Daughter's DS3, preferably before 9th March and including a small amount of welding on a silencer bracket. Not due 'til 25th March but the Olly Murrs Concert arrives on 10th !  I shall be taking the car for the MOT, of course !   *just down the road in this area.

 

Have a great day !!

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all.

 

Talk of Manx sycamores reminds me that I really must spend a small fortune with the tree surgeon and get ours well and truly trimmed plus get the apple tree topped and the cherry severely reduced, I think the Good Doctor and I can hopefully tackle the small oak tree in the front garden and I really ought to tackle the jungle down the south side of the house before this year's growth gets, hmm, growing.  In the meanwhile various other duties such as tax the car (fortunately usually a simple process online) book its MoT and renew the travel insurance - I need an admin clerk please!

 

But the food shopping was done yesterday - apart from what was probably forgotten or overlooked and there's Risex to visit tomorrow so it isn't all 'work' but a day out as well.

 

Have a good day folks.

[BoD]

And this is before you've had any.

 

 

Ah, so my scratch builds are prototypical.

[lightengine]

I don't know how they are reporting current US events in the UK, but from this end any reasonable person might conclude that DJT has completely lost his marbles. Not a good situation at all.

I have stuff about him and his actions from my several of my cousins in CA and on the east coast via Facebook. It matches up with our news content. Edited February 17, 2017 by lightengine

[shortliner]

The amazing I-Pad magician - my gast is completely flabbered! You need sound on

 

http://videos2view.net/iPad-Magician.htm

[lightengine]

Thanks, Don.

Apparently, said bridge is being opened for routine maintenance, according to the local rag.

I imagine any sailing ship that requires the bridge to be opened would have to have a fairly shallow draft although I am not sure of the high water level of the Teign after the bridge.

[lightengine]

They would say they conquered it!

The space between his ears will take some conquering!

[Barry O]

Good morning all,

Seems to be dry and mild at the moment with some light wind (pardon me)   and sunshine forecast.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with my new toy fitting a decoder. This was the most difficult and frustrating I've attempted so far. The model in question is a Hornby Sentinel and I would like to publicly state that in the unlikely event I ever meet the person who designed the innards I might be very rude to him. I eventually got the thing back together and it works but still have to refit two handrails which pinged off while I was working on it. These ended up on the carpet but were eventually found with the aid of my trusty Maplins telescopic magnet. If and it's a big IF I ever get another one of these I think I'll rip out everything and hardwire it.

Oops sorry, I'm talking about that which is not supposed to be mentioned.

In other news I'm off to the dental mechanic shortly as I have a minor issue with a molar. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

Bob

 

easier to build a Sentinel from a Judith Edge kit.. oops.. talking trains.....

[Oldddudders]

I had a colleague whose lunch-hours were often spent cycling around Central London. He peered into skips to such an extent that he was able to create a working large-format dot-matrix printer from others' junk.

 

My most memorable meals, as one of the least-travelled ERs, are two. The first was in the Turkish quarter of Mostar in 1966, following which we slept under the stars. I had the Galloping Rangoon Squitters for days, and missed the Princip Museum in Sarajevo, as I couldn't stray too far from the squat loo. The second was my first Eurostar trip, before public service began, and being served free fillet steak and champers as we left Brussels on a sunny evening did feel kinda nice. No tummy upset that time!

[Donw]

Morning.  ER as it's Friiidaaaay!  Bike club at 10, might even go on a bike - it looks a touch damp but not wet.  My old trailbike will probably do, don't mind that getting dirty.

 

Trees...#sigh#.  We want to keep the trees, as there is the possibility the land over the back may get built on in our lifetime.  We just wish they weren't sycamores!  There is one ash immediately next door, and we planted one in the sod bank where there is a gap but it is very slow growing. We put two beech in also, again slow to get going.  They'll just be about nice when we croak.  You need planning permission here to cut down a tree with a trunk over 12cm diameter, so not very big as trees go.  Only the rich and builders (both with access to brown envelopes) get such permission.....allegedly.

 

One of the problems councils face in the UK is the developers if refused permission then launch an appeal which is going to cost money  something the councils are a bit short of. So they have to weigh up whether it is worth fighting. It may not be corruption just the unfair balance. Why should council tax payers have to fund the legal costs of fighting planning appeals with rich developers and why should ordinary folk not be able to afford to go to appeal.

 

Don