Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

Our new Skytrain (rapid transit) line is such a success, the local wildlife is checking it out. It's a pity they can't read the timetable, though. Some of the comments are pretty good.

 

http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cougar-commute-big-cats-caught-strolling-through-skytrain-station-with-video

I bet the PWay people are glad they weren't on the tracks at that time.

 

 

. The reason for not doing it now is that we are thinking of moving next year so I'd have to pull it apart then anyway so I might as well wait.[/size][/size]

Have a good one,

Bob.

I presume a spec for the new residence is being discussed and that the location of the nearest A&E is prominent in the list....

 

 

Julie and I are getting to need our next trip out to France. It builds up, and we need a bit of time out in the wilds of la France profonde (which seems to have taken a turn for the sensible over the weekend - though our area went for Fillon, not Macron).

I know how you feel Dick, I've only been back 36 hours and want to be back out there. I'll have to find out how my area voted.

 

Anyway good morning to all from a very sunny village, though that is all due to change shortly according to the lovely Lisa on Look North. Yesterday went reasonably well as I sorted things out from the French trip. The Boss pointed out various sins of omission and commission to me, I think she'd been saving them up, then I attended the club AGM.

 

A baking day has been planned by the boss today and a friend is arriving to partake. I may offer to do quality control but am planning to try and clear half the floor in the modelling room and do some more sorting. I may discover all sorts of things.

 

On the subject of Anzac day, I had not been aware of the date until Saturday night when a group of Australian servicemen supplied an honour guard at the Menin gate last post ceremony. Dave and I chatted to two of them afterwards and found out that they were over there for Anzac day and were doing various ceremonies every day. The Warrant Officer, who was very imposing with lots of presence, told us that they were due to do 5 events on the 26th in total. By chance during our battlefield excursion on Sunday we came across 3 Australian graves in one of the isolated small cemeteries that we visited. Rather poignant.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Jamie, the most important thing on MY new spec is a bigger room for me to put a railway!  This has been accepted by other parties involved. Also, bearing in mind our advancing years, we will be looking for somewhere not too far away from all medical facilities including those that sell liquid anaesthetic over the counter

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

The sun is shining but it's very cool. Today I'm off to Coniston and Ambleside to do some more information gathering, well somebody's got to do it. I'm hoping for a little more success than yesterday, as I do have company names, so that should make things a lot easier.

 

Back later.

[TheQ]

Those who saw my pictures of the motor boat being carried over the Potter Heigham bridge, will note how big that was..

Now they are moving a 38 Ton 5.4m wide and 27.4m long yacht between two sites about 5 miles apart near me for final fit out. Once done that will need to go over that same bridge,

that is going to be interesting....

Edited April 25, 2017 by TheQ

[81C]

Jamie, the most important thing on MY new spec is a bigger room for me to put a railway!  This has been accepted by other parties involved. Also, bearing in mind our advancing years, we will be looking for somewhere not too far away from all medical facilities including those that sell liquid anaesthetic over the counter

Is that Sainsburys by any chance. 

[grandadbob]

No Bob, I was thinking of establishments with names like "The Red Lion" or "The Dog & Fox" etc.  

[jamie92208]

Jamie, the most important thing on MY new spec is a bigger room for me to put a railway!  This has been accepted by other parties involved. Also, bearing in mind our advancing years, we will be looking for somewhere not too far away from all medical facilities including those that sell liquid anaesthetic over the counter

I can go along with all that. The large shed (railway room) ws the major part of our French spec. Liquid anaesthetic is grown/distilled 4 miles away.

 

Jamie

[The Lurker]

Morning all. There are beautiful blue skies over London bridge this morning, but a distinct chill to the air.

 

My Dad has his hip op today after months of waiting and finally going private. Hopefully it will go well. The plan is for him to be home by Friday, assuming he can deal with stairs by then. He was out fairly quickly when he had the other hip done, but that must be 10 years back.

 

I guess I have a good chance of similar joy in later life...

 

I see Baz has picked the perfect time of year to get his roof done; a pity no one told the weather, with chances of Scandanavian snow at any place over the country today...still it is the cricket season, so what did we expect?

 

Have a good day all

[Happy Hippo]

 The tradition is that children (and grand-children) may march in the ANZAC Day parade wearing their father / grandfather's service medals to the right.  I do not intend to cause offence as that has become an Australian tradition.  It doesn't sit at all comfortably with me, that's all.  War widows also parade (though again few survive) wearing their late husband's medals to the right; I have no issue with that as they are adults and have been up close and personal with the conflict.

I totally agree with your sentiments.

 

This is the RBL's view of it: 

 

The official position is that they should not be worn. However, it was generally accepted soon after the Great War that widows of the fallen wore their late husband's medals on the right breast on suitable occasions.

 

More recently it has become the custom for any family member to wear medals of deceased relations in this way, sometimes trying to give a complete family military history by wearing several groups. *('Several groups' refer to one person wearing all of Uncle Sid's, Great Uncle Bert's and Auntie  Ethel's medals as a combined collection.)

 

Although understandable, it is officially incorrect. When several groups are worn, it does little for the dignity of the original owners.

 

The Legion takes a pragmatic view, and our Ceremonial Rules state:

 

'The official rules for wearing medals allow only official awards to be worn. Unofficial purchased medals and foreign medals which do not have the Sovereign's permission to be worn are not allowed. Standard Bearers, Parade Marshals and other officials on Legion duty are bound by this ruling and unofficial medals must not be worn when on Legion duty. The medals awarded to a deceased Service/ex-Service person may be worn on the right breast by a near relative (mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, daughter and son). Not more than one group should be worn by any individual'.

No action will be taken officially if anyone wears a relation's medals. In the Legion, this is banned for:

 

• Standard Bearers
• parade officials, and
• as stated above for other members.

 

An alternative is to have the medals framed.

 

*  My insertion to clarify groups

Edited April 25, 2017 by Happy Hippo

[bbishop]

Morning all,

 

A pompous prat once told off my mother for wearing an Active Service medal on the left. Long silence as she looked him up and down, then told him that it was her medal. Collapse of pompous prat.

 

I've just booked up for cricket at Lord's on Thursday. Thermals will be worn.

 

A went to the DfT presentation on the South-eastern franchise yesterday. The lad was berated by a pompous idiot DEMANDING that all South-eastern trains call at Blackheath. Then the station staff closed the meeting, because it was blocking the concourse!

 

Today will be sent sorting out a diocesan problem

 

Keep well all,

 

Bill

Edited April 25, 2017 by bbishop

[trisonic]

Morning all,

 

A pompous prat once told off my mother for wearing an Active Service medal on the left. Long silence as she looked him up and down, then told him that it was her medal. Collapse of pompous prat.

 

 

 

Bill

 

Luckily my Mother never suffered from a “pompous prat” she’d possibly would have laid him out.  She had her own too.

We’d do well to remember them...

 

Thanks, Bill.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited April 25, 2017 by trisonic

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a sunny and windy FR.

 

I'm with GDB, we chose a bungalow on the grounds of Debs having a dodgy knee since her teens, not knowing my future of hip issues and foot destroying walks at that time.  A village shop and a pub in close-ish walking distance were also a requirement.  The choice of this village (no Ikea, but a village shop/posite/off licence and pub) was by chance but the inclusion of a large garden able to have a good sized garage for bikes/layout was a must too.  We knew we couldn't afford a bigger house with an internal railway room, house prices here are eye-watering compared to the North-east from whence we came.  The garden railway was a bonus as space for it wasn't on the tick list.  Only thing we don't have from the original list is a view, as the end of the garden is a stand of mature trees and a derelict farm which is full of trees, and the land is flat.

 

Pete, Iagree Japan is a 'different planet', I think that is the appeal.  Other far Eastern countries just didn't fell quite as other-worldly for some reason, and I've been to a few.  Probably the years of isolationism retained more of the original culture?

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I'm sure that my mum must have had some medal or medals from the war, she did serve as an auxilary nurse during the war. Its possible of course that if she was entitled to any she may have had to claim them but didn't. Both my grandfathers served in WW1 and their medals are in possession of cousins, my brother has my fathers medals. Eventually events such as ANZAC day will, just like old soldiers fade away. Trafalgar day is no longer marked yet I have seen mention of it being celebrated into the 1930's. Though I cleaned up the shed I have now found that the old emulsion is flaking off the walls, it looks as though the dirt was the only thing holding it on, so out with the wire brush, at least the old vacumn cleaner can still pick the mess up. Thats it for now, be back later.

[TheQ]

Whilst I've not seen parades for Trafalgar day, I'm sure the Royal Navy remembers it somehow,  One of My sailing clubs has a dinner for Trafalgar day on the nearest Saturday night.

[AndyB]

Talk of medals reminds me of dad's funeral a few years ago.

A close relative wore full uniform and medals. 

At the wake he gave my youngest (HH's new apprentice) a chance to try his jacket on. 

The little lad nearly collapsed under the weight of egg yolk and medals.

Shame I can't share that photo! 

[Gwiwer]

Trafalgar Day is, I am assured, still marked at the various Yacht Squadrons (some of them Royal) around the country.  

 

As time passes and more conflicts occur so we find ourselves under some pressure to decide which to mark and how.  11/11 to me has always been the one catch-all which I am comfortable acknowledging.  I lost a friend in the Falklands and there have been family members (before my days) lost on active service.  

 

To each their own however and I certainly don't wish to deny anyone or any nation its right to mark its fallen when and how it reasonably chooses to do so.  So long as I am not forced to join in against my personal preference.

[Horsetan]

.... Japan is a 'different planet', I think that is the appeal.  Other far Eastern countries just didn't fell quite as other-worldly for some reason, and I've been to a few.  Probably the years of isolationism retained more of the original culture?

 

Isolationism was a factor in Japan's homogeneous society, and even now I think we would struggle to identify a foreign resident in Japan (although there is at least one on this Forum!). There are just over 2 million foreign residents in Japan, out of a total population of about 127 million. There might be a bit more immigration allowed in future as Japan tries to alleviate the effects of its ageing population, but it has historically kept immigration of all kinds under very strict control.

 

As the country is also a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, I had a quick look at a few basic statistics in respect of asylum applications, and was not exactly surprised to find that they have a very low recognition rate - typically no more than 0.5% out of all such applications result in the granting of refugee status. You might find it interesting to compare these rates to other developed nations.

[Judge Dread]

I'm only surprised that "Captain Kernow" hasn't invited himself to your place already.

I'm told CK can smell sausage at 1,500 yards. I wonder if this type will trigger his radar. Purchased in Bremen and scheduled for lunch today. 

[Horsetan]

I'm told CK can smell sausage at 1,500 yards. I wonder if this type will trigger his radar. Purchased in Bremen and scheduled for lunch today. 

Lunch 001.jpg

 

You do know that's just asking for trouble, don't you?

[Tony_S]

Morning.

The trip to Stansted started well but a broken down post van on the roundabout where we had to join the A12 caused a considerable delay making the journey 30 minutes longer. However I assume we were early enough for them to join the flight. I got home quite quickly.

Aditi is going swimming later with her Mum, not in the Estuary though! I think I will be given a shopping list.

Sunny here but cold.

We made our move to somewhere suitable for retirement about 25 years ago when we moved to this house. It isn't a bungalow but is otherwise fine. The local pubs are not anything I am bothered about so that wasn't an issue. I don't think Matthew feels any real connection to this area other than it is where we live. He does ask if he settled in [insert latest place of interest] would we move there? My answer depends on where "there" is.

Tony

[Horsetan]

.....I don't think Matthew feels any real connection to this area other than it is where we live. He does ask if he settled in [insert latest place of interest] would we move there? My answer depends on where "there" is.

 

Presumably he has a list of suitable counties in Ireland.

[AndyB]

Whilst I've not seen parades for Trafalgar day, I'm sure the Royal Navy remembers it somehow,  One of My sailing clubs has a dinner for Trafalgar day on the nearest Saturday night.

 

Trafalgar night dinners in the mess are indeed a sight to behold.

Rules include: no getting up from table until the after the speeches - and following a couple of pints in the bar first means 30 seconds before everyone sits down to eat, the gents is crammed with folk trying to empty out the last dribble.

From experience you might expect a contingent of the RM band to provide entertainment and perhaps a drumming display in the mess garden. 

A good deal of alcohol may also be expected. 

[TheQ]

Trafalgar night dinners in the mess are indeed a sight to behold.

Rules include: no getting up from table until the after the speeches - and following a couple of pints in the bar first means 30 seconds before everyone sits down to eat, the gents is crammed with folk trying to empty out the last dribble.

From experience you might expect a contingent of the RM band to provide entertainment and perhaps a drumming display in the mess garden. 

A good deal of alcohol may also be expected. 

As may of us are in excess / well in  excess of the age for service in Her Majerties Armed forces, I'm very glad we can leave the table......

Edited April 25, 2017 by TheQ

[The Lurker]

Isolationism was a factor in Japan's homogeneous society, .

and of course the enforced assimilation of the Ainu.

[The Stationmaster]

G'day all,

 

Mrs Stationmaster now has a right shiner of a  black eye as the bruise has spread downwards.  Our forthcoming trip to Tesco could therefore be full of interest (in us) as hen-pecked hubbies look at me in admiration while those of the female gender will either treat me with disdain or hit me (or fall at my feet in wonder - some hope).

 

Enjoy the rest of your day - I might report later should I escape unscathed.