Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

As far as rail navigation by nostrils....

That notion takes me back.

 

I've posted this before, but it reminds me of the Brisbane suburban Lota/Cleveland line in days of old - long before the electric, air-conditioned stock.

 

The up line had a nasty stretch starting in Hemmant where there was a poultry processing plant, (mmm, chicken poo) then the bridge crossing the mangrove flats around Doboy Creek (which can be smelly at low tide), followed by the K.R. Darling Downs ham and bacon factory, redolent with pig excrement in the hog vans sitting in the sun on a siding and in the chutes and stock yards at Doboy Station (now removed without a trace) then passing the tannery in it's open shed, and the Inghams poultry processing plant (more chicken poo) before reaching the Bulimba B power station junction (once electrified with a small DC steeple cab locomotive) and Murarrie Station.

 

The abattoirs weren't far away from any of this, (they were reached by a short branch line between Murarrie and Cannon Hill so they were just far enough away to not obviously add to the olfactory symphony of this area).

 

I remember a passenger I saw often. She used to hold a vial, of what I presume was perfume, to her nose as the train passed through this stretch. In the southeast Queensland heat, unless it was raining heavily, the drop light windows of the old Evans swing-door suburban coaching stock were almost always open.

[lightengine]

Schools here broke up last Friday, quite a few days ahead of other parts of the country.

[DDolfelin]

I was in a store today.

I wanted to 'wash my hands'.

Trying the door, it was locked.

I captured a passing assistant.

'Would you kindly open the door to the cloakroom for me?'

'Certainly, sir!' he said agreeably.

... and opened the door adjacent to the one I had tried.

 

"I'll take it from here" I said with dignity.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone.

 

POETS day was achieved, but only just, as I had a phone call from my manager, asking me to call into the office to gave a new ID photo taken. Mind you, whilst I was in the orifice I bumped one of my former apprentices, she was promoted a couple of years ago and I've not seen her for a while so it was nice to be able to catch with her, we had an awful lot to catch up about too!

 

Whilst out working I had an email from the colleague that I'm doing all this data collection work for, asking if I'd mind going back Carnforth, to the site I visited the other day. The site is closed and practically derelict with no one on site and no contact details posted either. Anyway, I did a google search on the building and found out who owns it, there phone number and sent that all off to her. If she still wants me to go back, it'll have to wait until after Easter, because as of this afternoon, I'm on holiday until then.

 

The local primary schools around here closed last Friday, but the secondary schools were still open this morning.

 

Ooooh, goody, it's wine o'clock.

 

Mal. Enjoy your weekend on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

 

Pete. That chocolate is very popular here at BSW01 towers. It goes down a real treat.

[Tony_S]

Some of my last holidays accompanying my parents on holiday were to the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Before that we had been to Cornwall but Mum didn't like how crowded it was getting. By crowded she ,want another family on the beach.

Aditi and I had a day trip there in 1991. We were staying on. The Black Isle and had intended to spend some time on the west coast. However midges and blackfly made the idea of camping there not a nice idea. So we just set off early and returned late.

Tony

[Smiffy2]

Schools here broke up last Friday, quite a few days ahead of other parts of the country.

Here too. The holiday starts on Monday, Friday will have been a training day.

[Coombe Barton]

Don't mention "archers" it remains 1-1 after success at Azincourt and defeat at Hastings.

 

Crecy makes it 2-1.

[NGT6 1315]

Cheers all. Sorry for a somewhat prolonged absence, and I hope you've all been well.

 

Had an upset stomach this morning and stayed at home in order to be on the mend for tomorrow's footy match and associated traffic. I think I'll call it a day in a while, too.

 

Best wishes, everyone…

[Coombe Barton]

Apparently, in our place, if you say "thassaloadsbolloxinint" enough times (over four years) to enough people someone listens and you get to meet the people who wrote the loadabollox in the first place and get them to put it right. After FOUR YEARS the problem was solved in twenty four hours.

 

But POETS wasn't achieved.

[emt_911]

Finally home at 20:00 after just over 4.5 hours from Northampton. The vast tribes of people who shouldn't hold a driving licence who descended on the road networks today would probably challenge AndrewC for expletives.

 

Other than that, it was a good day.

 

I may be back later

[tetsudofan]

Evening all, been another warm and sunny day down here in the far southeast corner. Been busy in the garden weeding and dead-heading etc. whilst a friend of mine continues to build a replacement shed for me down the side of the house.

 

Whilst deciding which part of the garden to attack I realised that where I thought I had messed things  up has, in reality, turned out to be  ok.

 

 

In the flower bed in the picture I thought I had cleared that bed of daffodils early last so late last year I planted some tulips in the bed. Seeing the daffodils make a return appearance earlier this year I thought I had messed things up well and proper but, looking at the flower bed today, I realised that the tulips that have appeared in the last few days actually complement the daffodils and make the flower bed much more colourful and interesting.

 

Think I'll plant some more tulip bulbs later this year to make it look even better next year.

 

Keith

Edited April 7, 2017 by tetsudofan

[New Haven Neil]

A lovely spot it is! And you can pick up some strontium at Strontian.

 

We camped there last year, on the way to Mull.  Funny little place.

 

[JohnDMJ]

Mike, Essex schools started their holiday last Monday. They return to school on the day after the Easter Monday Bank Holiday.

 

So Tuesday 18th then!

[lightengine]

Here too. The holiday starts on Monday, Friday will have been a training day.

Think Andyram was at school this week

[Smiffy2]

Think Andyram was at school this week

 

It varies by education authority. Or did, when we still had education authorities. The aim has always been that all the schools in an authority are on holiday at the same time, but the Easter holiday is always problematic because the variable timing means that the lengths of the terms immediately before and after can be skewed. For example, if an authority takes the two weeks with Easter Monday at the end it gives a reasonably even half-term immediately after (6 weeks, second half 7 weeks). If they put the Easter weekend in the middle it makes it shorter and less balanced. This is also an issue when we are coming up to the exam season.

 

In 2016 Easter Monday was April 28th, this year eleven days earlier.

 

France has a much more sensible system: the country is divided into 3 zones, each of which have synchronised holidays within the zone. Feast days and national holidays happen as a separate event, and school holidays are not timed to suit.

[emt_911]

Working again tomorrow and I'm absolutely shattered, so, night all.

[Barry O]

Had a good night catching up with some friends. As Dave and I once worked together on Synthetic Environments we have a reasonable idea of how defence procurement should work.

 

Sleep well (or in Rick's location .)..have a nice day!

 

Baz

[TheQ]

we have a reasonable idea of how defence procurement should work.

Sleep well (or in Rick's location .)..have a nice day!

 

Baz

Can you tell defence procurement itself that, they don't seem so sure.

[laurenceb]

Night all

[lightengine]

Been reading online where parents have children at schools with varying different holiday dates, making it hard to arrange travel etc.

Seems strange they decide to punish parents for a 2 week holiday but it's perfectly ok to home school kids.

This years geology field trip will be 2 weeks on the Costa Brava. We will investigate beach deposits, berms and the tidal influence on the beach. We will compare the tidal influence of the Med against last years two field trips to Faro and discuss the rock formations of the 2 coasts. This will be done by you two whilst Mum and I relax on loungers.

A 2nd field trip will be held in Scotland in October when we will visit distilleries and the surrounding areas to determine whether the various geologic formations affect the water.

Edited April 7, 2017 by lightengine

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

Well this evenings teatime with the grandkids was really good. They were all very well behaved and it was so nice to hear so much laughter. Particularly Ava, who has such an infectious laugh, that you can't help but join in. She is really enjoying her new school and the difference in her behaviour is incredible.

 

This evening, by contrast, was very quiet after they'd all gone home. The wine and company were good too, it's a great start to a week at home.

 

Goodnight all

[PeterBB]

 

And why start a two week school holiday today when they could break up next Thursday and have two weeks off plus the two extra days of Good Friday and Spring Bank Holiday all in one hit (or take Maundy Thursday as a day in lieu of the BH on Easter Monday)?  Presumably down to unimaginative pen-pushers in various Council offices.  

Meanwhile here on RMweb ... ...

 

Perhaps inconvenient but necessary - Easter can come at any time from late March to mid+ April.  When Easter is 'late' like this year they break up 'early', but still have a 'longer' spring term,  and go back immediately after Easter to make the summer term of reasonable length.  It is really nothing to do with 'pen-pushers.  The other problem is that some areas decide differently depending on how long a 'half-term' will be so, most  do tend to go straight back after a late Easter but the odd county has its own rules which makes it inconvenient for many teacher parents.  

 

This holiday in term time business is a perennial problem not least because the difference in price between non school holiday/holiday times is huge wand therefore for many children the summer holiday destination is Stopathome and boredom as parents are probably at work.

 

Edit spelling and another sentence ... just like a long spring term!

Edited April 7, 2017 by PeterBB

[Tony_S]

My niece's school doesn't have 3 terms with half terms. They have 6 terms a year. She isn't five yet. I am sure she will see quite a few different schemes during her education.

[Smiffy2]

Peter - don't forget the exam board timetables that affect secondary schools and colleges. And seem to bear no relationship to anything else.

 

If you look here you will see that the variation across the country is actually quite small.

 

https://www.schoolholidayseurope.eu/school-holidays-2017-uk.html

 

>edited for URL<

Edited April 7, 2017 by Smiffy2