Early Risers.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Chris F again sets the tone for the day, building on what Lightengine and BlackRat have already notified, the deaths in London SE1 last night. One is baffled by the perpetrators' wish to appear more than they were, wearing fake bomb-vests. Copycat nutters abound, it seems. Their motivation is not yet clear to me. One has to be impressed by the rapid police response - 8 minutes from alert to suspects dead - but in a way it just tells us how far down the slope from civilisation we have already come that they need to be equipped to so do. Glad B Bishop was not there, of course. President Macron says his country "is more than ever at the side of the UK".

 

Delighted Andyram has pulled the plug. I hope better things await soonest.

 

We spent a slightly weird evening in a theatre watching youngsters in performing arts. It didn't start until 20.30, presumably because of an adjoining facility hosting a watersports gala of some sort, but thus finished afer 11, somewhat late for the youngest visitors, we felt.

 

Today is Test Day at Le Mans, so we shall be off shortly.

 

I hope your day is tranquil, while others are sorting out theirs after last night.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a sunny and fortunately peaceful village.   Enough good words have been said about London.  All I can add is that those events will be on our minds and in our prayers at church this morning.     Andyram, I wish you well.

 

Nuff said.

 

Jamie

[roundhouse]

Good morning all.

 

Sad news about London Bridge incident. We had just got back to the hot l in Derby when we first found out something was going on but didn't find out what had happened till we woke up. Lucky for us that we don't tend to be in that area late at night but it could happen at any time. I regularly pass the Wheatsheaf where the photo of one of the attackers was shot on my way to either the Market Porter or the Rake.

 

Homeward bound in a couple of hours via Birmingham and Reading.

[Donw]

I hope all are well. Chit chat seems inappropriate after yesterdays events.

Take care.

Don

[Horsetan]

.....One is baffled by the perpetrators' wish to appear more than they were, wearing fake bomb-vests. Copycat nutters abound, it seems. Their motivation is not yet clear to me. One has to be impressed by the rapid police response - 8 minutes from alert to suspects dead - but in a way it just tells us how far down the slope from civilisation we have already come that they need to be equipped to so do. .....

If anyone managed to read the lengthy interview in The Times of Nazir Afzal, former chief prosecutor for the North West, I think you would have found it enlightening.

[andyram]

I typed my previous post before I had heard about the dreadful events in London. Thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by yet another dreadful event.

[PeterBB]

Morning all, lots of cloud cover but still reasonably warm.  

 

Happy Birthday Black Rat.  It is an auspicious day, 38 years ago We got married and somehow or other are still together.   

 

Ian (RH) I wish you well with your decisions, not easy but life is precious.

 

A good evening at the club last night doing some muddling.  Now I've got the house to myself as Beth has departed to some Christian Conference for women in Leeds.   I've got various things to do and will hopefully end up at the clubrooms again tonight.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

Congratulations Jamie

 

Peter

[emt_911]

Morning all. Ten hours sleep which must have been needed and so far I feel pretty good for it. A bright start to the day with a few things to do before anything else is considered today.

 

THe attacks in London last night have again been dealt with swiftly, resolutely and properly by the emergency services. My thoughts with those involved.

 

Like many others here I do miss the insight and daily round up of the goings on of ER's by Jock and the input of several other virtual friends.

 

Andy - A brave decision but I really hope that it gives you the extra challenges, experience and insight into a new permanent position. Like you, once I made my decision to look for something else I feel more relaxed than I have for months.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Andy, I hope the decision you made works out. It took Aditi 33 years to make her first move to another college.

Tony

Edited June 4, 2017 by Tony_S

[Coombe Barton]

London Bridge. Sadness. No words.

[The Stationmaster]

Coombe Barton, and others, have said it all - I can add nothing.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. No words can express how I feel about last nights events in London, thoughts are with those murdered and injured.

[TheQ]

I feel sad to come home from a peaceful night on the Norfolk Broads, to such bad news just 100 miles away.

 

We had a very successful race with around 85 starters for the third toughest mass participation event in the UK. About 20 retired due mostly to a complete wind failure of about 5 hours over night.

Due to the timing of the tide and the wind direction , the first three passed my check point between 14:00 and 17:00, the last three between 21:00 and 22:00, the other, by this time 74 competitors, in the 4 hours between.

 

So we got a peaceful 6 hours sleep bobbing about on the broad before first light, when we could see to pack up. By the time I had returned to the club had breakfast and chatted to a few people it was 09:00 when I left.

 

Most boats were in by then, they had a massive log jam of boats at Horning Waterworks, where the wind was stopped in the trees and by a small hill. This meant slow boats caught up with fast boats. Leading to the unusual situation of a Norfolk Dinghy ( handicap 20% off of its finishing time) beating on the water Norfolk Punts ( handicap 6% added to their finishing time)

So after all handicaps are taken into consideration the Norfolk dinghy beat the Norfolk Punts by 6 to 7 hours on a 19 hour elapsed time!!!

 

It looked, when I left that the overall winner was a "Thames A Rater", they finished at roughly 19:57, having started at 11:35, about 8 hours 22 minutes elapsed time although their handicap will add 27% to that.

 

The race officially finished at 12:05 today 24 hours after the last start.

[iL Dottore]

Good Afternoon All,

 

I haven't been around for a bit on RMWeb/ERs for a number of reasons, suffice to say my congratulations to those who merit them and commiserations to those who deserve them.

 

Like many, I do miss Jock's erudite and informative posts - we could do with more of such men.

 

I too am appalled by the events in London and Manchester. Perhaps it's time that those who make and influence policy - and who seem to be always protected from the negative excesses and consequences of their decisions - adopt the philosophy put forward by Mr Spock in The Wrath of Khan "Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"

 

Well I must dash, I need to turn a slab of pork belly into a decent meal, pack up a guitar to send off for repair and - alas - continue the job hunting.

 

iD

 

p.s. not looking forward to GP visit on Tuesday: suspected (stable) vertebral fracture (XRays already taken)

[Gwiwer]

Morning all

 

Alerted by my IoW-based nephew to the news as it happened last night. There are some very sad sick-minded people out there though three fewer this morning. Thoughts go to all those closely involved. Upstairs (top floor) neighbour is a paramedic. We chatted briefly as she left for a 12-hour overnight shift, her last before two weeks leave. I wished her a safe and quiet night. 15 hours later and she isn't home yet.

 

Followed events unfolding as I was unable to sleep anyway. Mrs. Fox was outside crying for company and upstaires neighbours (middle floor) have a house-full of kids staying for half-term who might have all been playing football in the bedroom above mine until around 2am.

 

Finally woken at 10.30am by next-door neighbour's toast alarm. New students just moved in seem a good bunch but haven't yet mastered the toaster setting.

 

Besf wishes to all. In true London tradition Keep Calm and Carry On.

[JohnDMJ]

Morning all

 

Finally woken at 10.30am by next-door neighbour's toast alarm. New students just moved in seem a good bunch but haven't yet mastered the toaster setting.

 

Besf wishes to all. In true London tradition Keep Calm and Carry On.

 

My Uni published a weekly magazine and every Freshers' week, there would be the recipes for toast and coffee!

[trisonic]

I’m not sad about the attacks in London, I’m freaking angry. There have been around 500 attacks in the World so far this year amounting to c. 3,500 deaths.

 

These were not caused by Swedish Grannies or even German Lutherans yet security expenditure and focus are diluted by having to expend time and effort on everyone when we all know that a very small faction of domestic or international religious extremists are totally responsible. Concentrate on and take apart the cells led by extremist leaders - imprison or deport them. Incitement is still a crime (inchoate offense). The tools are there and if not - put them there.

 

Coerce the moderate leaders to be real leaders.

 

There, now I can feel sad.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited June 4, 2017 by trisonic

[bluebottle]

I don't believe in an afterlife, in Heaven or in Hell, but, watching the TV coverage of last night's atrocities and feeling sick to my stomach, I must admit to feeling wishful about the last-named of the three ...

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone

 

Once again I'm late on parade today. We awoke to the sad news of what had happened in London last night. So during our usual Sunday morning lie-in, which was a lot longer than usual, we spent an awful lot of time talking about life, love the past and what the future will hold.

 

Our thoughts are for all those caught up the last nights events.

 

andyram. It's a very brave step you have taken, I do hope all goes well for you in the future, but I'm confident you won't regret it. I was in a similar position back in the late 80's, I'd been with the company since leaving school (almost 18 years), but I've never regretted moving on.

Edited June 4, 2017 by BSW01

[Horsetan]

Is it online somewhere? (and not stuck behind a pay-wall )

I could probably run a copy of it, assuming I didn't bin the paper in error.

[Oldddudders]

Le Mans Test Day was good, with very little down time - at least until we left about 15.00 - due to accidents or breakdowns. Cool weather but dry helped.

 

On the way home we diverted to the Transvap preserved line, where they were celebrating the centenary of a loco built by Bagnall in Stafford, where Sherry taught for some years. A very thorough rebuilding is just about completed.

 

[Horsetan]

Is it online somewhere? (and not stuck behind a pay-wall )

Here's a cruder report of the same interview

[grandadbob]

Well said Pete, couldn't agree more.

 

There was some worry here last night about midnight when we first heard the news as son Steve was in the London Bridge area although when we phoned him we found he'd changed his plans and left a couple of hours before it all happened.

 

Andy, wishing you all best for the future after making that very big decision. As someone who was at one time in job that was affecting my health (and sanity) and took the decision to leave I don't think you'll regret it.

[jamie92208]

Here's a cruder report of the same interview

 

Respect to that guy for saying what he did.   He was the prosecutor who dared to raise the questions about racial involvement in grooming of vulnerable young girls. Chapeau as the French would say. 

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Evening from Estuary-Land. Andy, I wish you well in your future career and I hope your decision was the right one. I was in the fortunate position of having the option of early retirement, which I grabbed with both hands. Its time for dinner now, be back later.