Early Risers.

[AndyID]

 

I suppose they'll get it right eventually.

 

On your Nellie, perhaps not. Similarly I note that Paisley is making a bid to be UK City of Culture 2021.

 

Night-night, y'all.

[AndrewC]

 

Another day of fun and excitement. Or not. Pinched nerve in the shoulder is the chiropractor's diagnosis. A couple of adjustments later and I'm in a lot less discomfort. Tonight we are supposed to be meeting up with one of SWMBO's former work colleagues. I'm not in the mood but as she is only in London for a couple of days, I'll have to obey and tag along. 

 

With talk of Frexit, Brexit, Nexit, Gexit, pretty soon there will be 28 countries all leaving the EU, trying to create new trade deals with one another. I have the perfect solution. Perhaps they could all get together and form some sort of common market. 

 

Got the design for my next project. Looks like half of it was a copy/paste job and is wrong. Going to take longer to unravel than develop. Oh well. Beats working on government accounts. At least this customer provided a design that was more detailed than "like for like with the old system", which is what we got on the last one. 

[DDolfelin]

I've received emails from contacts in France and especially Germany stating a groundswell of opinion is forming in favour of various Exits.

[andyram]

Good morning all. Best wishes to Ian (OD), I hope the back improves soon - rest it as much as you can. I hope Sherry's son finds a solution to his employment situation. He has my sympathy. Chrisf, I am pleased the cooking went well and you found the talk interesting. I hope you enjoy the concert today.

I certainly enjoyed the garden railway pictures posted by Don. It certainly looks an impressive layout. I hope one day my humble offering will provide plenty of operating enjoyment. It just needs "finishing" first.

Yesterday proved to be quite busy again. The morning ended up being spent at the church coffee morning helping Sarah deliver her Avon orders. We were warmly welcomed and, whilst there, enjoyed a coffee and a toasted hot cross bun. A couple of members of our informal model railway group were present so it was nice to catch up.

After lunch I attempted to sort out more of the mess in the spare bedroom. Amber helped with most of the paper shredding and also assisted with the Avon book posting later. Sarah was out with a friend in the evening so, after putting Amber to bed, I settled for a night in front of the television. Peter Kay's Car Share and the Victoria Wood programme were both very watchable and a light hearted distraction from the terrors of the world. Thoughts are with those linked to the Dortmund football team whose team coach suffered explosions last night.

 

Today I am having to endure our regular holiday trip to the MacArthur Glen shopping outlet. A few hours to face of being dragged around endless clothes shops whilst Sarah looks at countless items, rejects most, then goes back for one of the things she first saw. I suppose it is better than being at work!

[shortliner]

I couldn't resist!

 

 

 

[bbishop]

Morning all.

 

Very little to report from two boroughs in.  We may be inheriting the boring label.

 

Bill

 

PS I initially put a greengrocer's apostrophe into "boroughs".  Worrying, as I almost commented on "railbus's".

[Happy Hippo]

What I would like to do this morning is have another woodworking fest.

 

After Monday evening's OFMG woodcutting marathon, there is much timber to be screwed and glued to make the trestle tops that lock baseboard into place.

 

Yesterday was an away day with the Obergrumpenfuhrer and myself travelling up to LLandudno and returning in the evening, so no beneficial work (from my perspective) was achieved.

 

However, I believe that a jet wash+greenhouse+ jetwash+conservatory interface might be a better option in the household harmony consortium.

 

Since this afternoon will see the Obergrumpenfuhrer away with her cronies at the craft club, I've got some clear time free of interruption, so my travels on the timber trail can continue.

 

Andyram's comments about finishing off his garden line certainly ring true here.  

 

The oval I have laid certainly needs converting into something a little more operationally satisfying.  I'll just add it to the list of projects that need my personal attention..

 

I suppose the problem is having laid in the turnouts for each end of the passing loop, a more sensible scheme regarding positioning of track has leapt out and smacked me in the eye.  This involves the removal of a bridge and replacing it with a solid track bed plus the rejigging of some pointwork and re slewing the mainline to suit. (This also eases a sharp curve).

 

Meanwhile in the workshop, Project 'C', remains untouched.

 

Edit to remove spurious words!

Edited April 12, 2017 by Happy Hippo

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a slightly cool village. I had a good day yesterday. I got a lot of relay bases re wired, 12 installed 6 to go for the fiddle yard panel. Then a visit to the Library at Leeds University where my late father had deposited the letters and various items relating to his cousin who was killed in France in 1917. It was a real privilege to be able to read the letters that he had written to his two sisters, Dorothy and Jessie, that I remember well. I even found the handwritten letter of condolence to his parents from the Colonel of the battalion. I was brought back to reality by the letter to his father from the war office a month after he was killed. This sent on his arrears of pay and allowances with a careful deduction for the last 6 days of April after his death. Some things never change. I was just grateful that Aunt Dorothy, who had been training as a doctor at the time, had kept all these items safe so that they cold be conserved and studied. The reason for this research is that I plan to be at his graveside in France on the centenary of his death a week on Sunday, with a wreath of red roses (He was in the Manchester regiment) and a recording of the Last Post.

 

Anyway today has dawned, another load of washing has been put in, yesterdays is dry and the cats have been fed. It's now 3 days since I was last told that I transgressed. I suspect that this state of affairs will come to a grinding and shuddering halt on Friday when SWMBO returns.

 

Regards to all and fingers crossed that there are no reports of casualties in the Sutton area.

 

Jamie

[bbishop]

I forgot to mention - I spent some time yesterday, working on wagons for LGA.

 

Bill

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit grey and cooler this morning, not surprising perhaps with a bank holiday coming up. On the 'Driving standards' thread I seem to have got the cyclists and car drivers agreeing with each other, over cycle lanes. Not to worry though as I expect warfare to resume shortly.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

Another dull start to the day, one which will see us either go to the Trafford Centre this afternoon and Sainsbury's this evening, or the order could be switched, oooh the excitement of it all.

 

Other than that, it will be a little pottering about until Sheila makes up her mind on the order of things.

 

Back later.

[grandadbob]

One lot of booze purchased this morning but I think we need more - just in case! 

Now that's done it's time to "Fix bayonets paint brushes and prepare to advance!"

 

I may be gone for a while.

[Shedman5]

Morning, grey with a light drizzle of rain at the moment, enough in my opinion to abandon any outside jobs today. A lazy day planned after yesterdays countryside ramble which featured a very nice pub lunch along with a couple of pints.

We wont be venturing far over the weekend which means some good modeling time is in the offing, kids around here go back to school on Tuesday so normality resumes shortly.

 

Enjoy your day folks

[jamie92208]

One lot of booze purchased this morning but I think we need more - just in case! 

Now that's done it's time to "Fix bayonets paint brushes and prepare to advance!"

 

I may be gone for a while.

Is the casualty clearing station fully prepared.

 

Jamie

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Don, that first picture is of quite a famous line, IIRC.

 

Garden railways are indeed a very social branch of the hobby, we have an informal group over here (although I think all are also 16mm scale soc. members) of about 8 or 9 folk, some come and go of course, including a famous late TV personality's son who still appears occasionally when on island.  Get-togethers tend to run on into the evening when patio heaters (wood burning in our case) and drinks take over from running trains.  We then just talk rubbish about trains.....love it.

[BoD]

Today I am having to endure our regular holiday trip to the MacArthur Glen shopping outlet. A few hours to face of being dragged around endless clothes shops whilst Sarah looks at countless items, rejects most, then goes back for one of the things she first saw. I suppose it is better than being at work!

 

Take her to McArthur Glen in York this weekend.

You can drop her off and head up to the racecourse where there just happens to be ......

[bbishop]

Is the casualty clearing station fully prepared.

 

Jamie

Yes, my first aid kit is on standby.

 

Bill

[TheQ]

Oh H**L, I've just discovered a building I worked in, for it's orginal purpose, is one of these.

 

"This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979"

 

Am I that old?

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Talking about misdirected members of the constabulary I think our local bunch can claim the prize.  Some years ago while a bank was being robbed in the town somebody managed to activate the silent alarm, duly alerted the local constabulary leapt into various vehicles and amid the blaring sirens and numerous flashing blue lights headed off to the bank.  Unfortunately they went to the branch in Pangbourne, 12 miles away, instead of the branch here - 2 minutes walk from the police station and visible from their mess room.

 

Recycling-on-Sutt leaves me in stitches at its total complexity - here all the recycling, except food waste, goes into a single wheelie bin and then a common lorry and is sorted at the recycling depot.  This saves time on the bin rounds, saves on the complexity of putting stuff in the correct bin or basket, and achieves a higher recycling rate at, reputedly, a lower overall cost.  That - as it happens - gave our District Council the highest recycling rate (66.6%) in the country in 2015/16 and the Council with which they share the facility (Vale of The White Horse) came 4th with 64.8%.  All so very simple.  We put out a food waste bin every week but even then the total capacity of 2 bins full amounts to probably no more than 20-25% of the capacity of the fortnightly recycling bin.

 

Home made cauliflower soup is on the way - cashing in on those cheap English grown cauliflowers currently inhabiting Tesco's shelves in vast numbers.

 

Have a good day one and all

 

PS

 

One thing your building becoming an 'Ancient Monument' - my final big railway job (or rather its current nearest equivalent) has been shifted to France.

Edited April 12, 2017 by The Stationmaster

[New Haven Neil]

Funny doesn't seem appropriate for the police running the wrong way, Mike!

[grandadbob]

Mike, up until last week we had 2 wheelie bins, brown for landfill and green for recycling that was sorted at a depot.. An optional extra (charged for ) was a bin for garden waste (green with brown lid) which we have shared and split the cost with our next door neighbour. (Only small gardens here) This system worked perfectly well but as usual that is not good enough for some people ie The Council who claim that 40% of the landfill is food waste.

I refuse to believe that! (see what I did there?)

 

 

PS short break to take on water and biscuits between assaults.

Edited April 12, 2017 by grandadbob

[Horsetan]

Households in my street currently average 1 grey bin (general waste), 1 blue bin (paper, cardboard and plastics), one green bin (garden waste), and one brown caddy (food/kitchen waste). Apart from the caddy, all bins are full-size.

 

Already Barnet has been saving money by only getting its contractor to empty the green bin once every two weeks. Sometimes the contractors can't be bothered, or get blocked from driving the dustcart down the street by builders' vans and lorries (there are plenty of building / refurbishment projects underway at the moment, and there'll be a massive extra one starting soon as the hotly-opposed new block of flats has now been given planning permission despite parking facilities being inadequate), so even more money is saved by not collecting. I think Barnet will eventually be tempted to bring in fortnightly collections for everything across the board, and then using that as a justification to do it only once a month.

 

However, because we are in an Orthodox religious district, we do get a Passover collection service - you've got to get rid of all those empty matzos boxes somehow.

[Donw]

Morning.

 

Don, that first picture is of quite a famous line, IIRC.

 

Garden railways are indeed a very social branch of the hobby, we have an informal group over here (although I think all are also 16mm scale soc. members) of about 8 or 9 folk, some come and go of course, including a famous late TV personality's son who still appears occasionally when on island.  Get-togethers tend to run on into the evening when patio heaters (wood burning in our case) and drinks take over from running trains.  We then just talk rubbish about trains.....love it.

 

I don't know if the first line is well known but it's owner is widely respected as a professional painter. When I first knew it it was single track but was later doubled including doubling the width of the viaduct.

On the Isle of Wight the group had a number of weekend meetings when the wives would sit in deckchairs and natter and tea would be provided but we also had a number of weekday morning steam ups simple to arrange if the weather looked good.  It helped that no one lived that far away so two or three hours of a morning were plenty.

Don

[The Lurker]

Greetings all, from a colder and greyer London Bridge.

 

Yesterday's car viewing trip apparently went well. Visits were made to both the Aston Martin and a Ferrari showroom, and both were very welcoming. And a Lamborghini was spotted in one of the mews streets, along with plenty of Bentleys and Rollers and a number of BMW i8s. Result = one happy Younger Lurker, one exhausted Mrs Lurker.

 

We already have the multiplicity of bins that Sutton has although the Bexley have catered better in that glass is in a separate bin from tin and plastic, so nearly enough room for the empty red wine bottles when FiL visits...

 

Have a good day all

[Tony_S]

Afternoon.

Bins bags and waste food caddy (just gristle and bones really) deposited at 7am. Central heating chaps arrived at 8am as I was moving cars for them to have use of our drive. All the missing parts like the boiler and hot tank are now here and being installed.

 

Since then the force (of stupid) has been strong in me. Aditi needs to take along a device that will play someone's home recordings of French songs. I think they are on CD R discs. Anyway I tried various cds and all seemed well. However iTunes wasn't happy and wouldn't play nicely until upgraded. It insisted on telling me I was trying to authorise a device near London and sent a message to my IPod, which I fortunately knew where it was. So then Aditi asked what the flashing light on her ancient Samsung laser printer meant. It meant very low toner. This is where the stupidity began. I removed the old toner , opened up the new toner and returned to the printer to install it. It wouldn't fit. We have had this replacement for a few years in anticipation of needing it one day. I got very confused as I was sure it was the right one. So I decided to put the old one back. Not having left the room I couldn't find it. I looked to see if it had fallen down behind anything. The study is a bit untidy at present due to all the temporary storage in there but a laser cartridge is quite difficult to hide. Aditi looked too. She asked if I were sure that I had removed it. I said yes as I had noticed the design of the removal handle was different.

After a cup of tea I went back up and discovered that the old one was still installed which of course prevented the new one from fitting. I really don't recall putting the old one back in before unpacking the new one.

I tried to say it was all Apple's fault for making the iTunes upgrade so irritating but I think it was a good example of Real Stupidity beating Artifical Intelligence.

Tony

Edited April 12, 2017 by Tony_S