Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

The feet are behaving though still offering some discomfort.

It's significantly cooler

I feel tired enough to attempt sleep.

 

G'night All.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[BSW01]

At around 10:00 the heavens opened up and we had one heck of a downpour.

 

Rick, I hope you manage to sleep well.

 

Goodnight all

[Ozexpatriate]

I do love those Aussie registrations.

It's a great way for the state to raise a little extra gratuitous money for the coffers without costing a thing.

 

Normal in (I think) every state in the US too, though the number of letters might vary.

 

Oregon will let you have 6 letters with a space or hyphen on six different designs.

There are also a large number of designs where you can donate extra fees to a University or commemorative organization. These are not customizable. Veterans have optional plates too.

[Horsetan]

A huge crowd listened to Jeremy Corbyn, who travelled by train to be at Glastonbury:-

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/jeremy-corbyn-pyramid-stage-run-the-jewels-glastonbury-2017-speech-in-full-watch-a7806536.html

[Tony_S]

I am not sleeping at all well . Usually I have trouble staying awake. I feel very thirsty. I can only swallow small quantities due to nausea/ vomiting. At least I haven't got anything to do!

[bluebottle]

ISTR that the workings of the old Glenburn pit stretched all the way under Prestwick and a mile or so under the sea.  My brother lives in Prestwick, and it was he who told me that, and as he somehow managed to get down that pit while it was still open, the source is pretty reliable.

 

The first coal mine in the world to extend under the sea was that established by Sir George Bruce at the end of the 16th century, at Culross in Fife, which followed a seam out under the Firth of Forth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culross). This and later similar workings may have been part of the inspiration for a story I heard (I think from Alistair McDonald) some years ago:

 

During the Second World War, a wide boy, anxious to avoid conscription into the forces, volunteered as a coal miner.

Turning up for his first day, he was jammed with the rest of his shift into the "cage" and dropped at unnerving speed hundreds of feet down the shaft into the bowels of the earth.

This was followed by a seemingly never-ending ride on the paddy train, swaying and jarring through a claustrophobia-inducing tunnel before a trek on foot and, as the roof lowered and water dripped from above, a crawl to the face.

Here he laboured through his shift until he was released to the long journey back to the surface, where he accosted the gaffer.

 

"Right, that's me finished wi' that!" he said. "Ah'm awa' tae jine the Commandos!"

 

"Whit? Naw ye're no'! This is an important job! In case ye've forgotten, we're at war! We're fightin' the Germans!"

 

"Ah'm no' surprised! Ah think we're stealin' their coal!"

 

Edit: added Wikipedia reference.

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by bluebottle

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I got the mower out yesterday and gave the lawn a short back and edges.  Most dispiriting was the extent of weedage that has appeared in the past week and a half and I will wield the hoe today if the temperature does not rise too much.  Lunch will be sirloin steak and dessert to be decided.  A few little jobs await my pleasure but whether they will be done today is a complete unknown.  There is not enough laundry yet, for which let many thanks be given.  Could Sunday be - gasp - a day of rest?

 

So what does the week ahead promise?  Unless I have made a serious error of omission, the only entry in the diary is the day with Poorly Pal on Thursday.  We are back with wok and roll so I need to discuss the menu with him before the fodder run on Tuesday.

 

There being no further burning issues, best wishes to all in distress.  I must have forgotten something ...

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the sunny Charente. Back home yesterday and various tasks have been completed. However sorting the TV reception out, which is a priority for the domestic authorities, has not been achieved. The dish got blown out of alignment in the winter. I've now managed to pick up a German satellite, with some 'interesting' channels on it, but apparently they won't do. So today more time will be spent up the ladder with the satellite finder gizmo. I know roughly how much I need to move the dish so things may improve later.

 

The temperature has dropped by 10 or more degrees and is very pleasant, apparently rain is due tomorrow so the farmers are working all hours to get the barley harvest in.

 

We had a good evening at some French neighbours last night and had a conducted tour of their house. Patrick, our host turns out to be a cinema freak and has at least a dozen projectors upstairs. Beth did say that she though that she had problems with trains. Patrick did add that the previous owner had had a model railway in part of the loft that's now a bedroom. I dared not comment.

 

Anyway a trip to the market awaits then no doubt some orders will be posted.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Morning Awl and definately not ER, late to bed and late to rise with 8 hours sleep.

 

I suspect my Dad will sleep exceedingly well, as most of his male descendants and others bought him a whisky.... I was duty taxi driver so just had one pint, the drinking laws in Scotland are somewhat tighter than England and I suspect Linlithgow Rugby club is a favourite haunt of the police.

 

Another odd connection, my brother and family were booked into a B and B in Linlithgow, which turned out to be run by the sister of someone he went to school with in the Hebrides. The hebrideans seem to get everywhere!!!.

 

Many of those surrounding us yesterday at the wedding were descendants of Firth of Forth miners. Some of the slightly older ones were miners, including my sisters ill husband, who by the time they closed the pits, had been working for 22 years beneath the sea and was a mine safety engineer.

 

The last pit in Bo'ness was connected under the Fifth of Forth to pits the other side, leading eventually to the NCB closing Bo'ness. Then the Bo'ness miners got paid to travel the half hour going to Longannet pit the other side of the Forth, often then travelling underground, back under Bo'ness!!!

 

Time for... Coffee, I've had breakfast...

[Barry O]

Morning all. Strange dreams in the night..may have been due to a toasted cheese sandwich I had for tea.

 

A bit damp outside but cricket awaits.

 

Have a good day.

 

Baz

[AndyID]

PS we seem to be heavily depleted in numbers. I hope those who are missing are safe and well.

 

Let's hope they are well and just taking a summer holiday. It would be a shame if they were reacting to some of the political distractions that have recently surfaced here. I'll try to keep my posts as inane as possible (not so difficult in my case.)

[AndyID]

Another odd connection, my brother and family were booked into a B and B in Linlithgow, which turned out to be run by the sister of someone he went to school with in the Hebrides. The hebrideans seem to get everywhere!!!.

 

 

"Sing me a Hebridean song, Daddy.

Sing me a Hebridean song.

One about forty verses long, Daddy

Sing me a Hebridean song.

 

(Apologies to Duncan Macrae)

[lightengine]

Radio 5 Live yesterday interviewed an architect regarding the cladding used on tower blocks. He said that as long as the external surface of the cladding was fire proof the material behind it could be "high explosive".

That was the requirement, that the front surface be fire proof, the backing immaterial.

[AndyID]

 However sorting the TV reception out, which is a priority for the domestic authorities, has not been achieved. The dish got blown out of alignment in the winter. I've now managed to pick up a German satellite, with some 'interesting' channels on it, but apparently they won't do. So today more time will be spent up the ladder with the satellite finder gizmo.

 

Keep trying. With a bit of luck you'll be able to pick up that Swedish channel from Switzerland.

[AndyID]

Radio 5 Live yesterday interviewed an architect regarding the cladding used on tower blocks. He said that as long as the external surface of the cladding was fire proof the material behind it could be "high explosive".

That was the requirement, that the front surface be fire proof, the backing immaterial.

 

Thank goodness he's an architect and not an engineer.

Edited June 25, 2017 by AndyID

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

The wet and it has just stopped raining so any thoughts or doing some more gardening today have been shelved. So I think I'll head out to the workshop to continue work on the chassis for the K class I'm working on. I'll back read posts later.

[andyram]

Morning all and generic greetings to all. My hope that yesterday would be a quieter one did not quite come to fruition. After getting up late, and partaking in a relaxed breakfast, it was off out to complete a variety of jobs. A rearranged appointment to have my hair cut was followed by some shopping. A pub lunch was followed by food shopping for the evening meal. It was late afternoon when we finally arrived back. The busy week has hit us hard and we were all very tired. The result was lots of short tempers all round. Amber desired constant attention but only flitted from one activity to the next so none of us found any time to switch off.

After Amber had gone to bed, Sarah and I did have an enjoyable meal and a couple of drinks whilst watching the Glastonbury coverage. Sadly Amber woke up and then ended up in our bed. That produced cross words as I wanted to take Amber back to her own bed and Sarah did not want to upset her!

 

Tensions, tensions!

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Another quick hello and goodby, of out again to another event. C & C's etc., be back later.

[emt_911]

Morning all. I missed getting on to the forum yesterday so it's taken a while to catch up.

 

I spent most of yesterday with PeterBB of this parish seeing what I could do to help the Gresley and Wychnor Model Railway Group.

 

Following that, it was back to my digs to shower and change before heading out to a management meal. Good food, good company and several drinks later it was time for bed and no alarm clock set.

 

A day of recovering from last night and getting ready for an interesting week ahead.

 

Back later

[AndyB]

Morning all,

An overcast day here following overnight rain. 

 

Some early morning soldering has taken place and, if I say so myself, the lab bench skills I had 25 years ago in this area are starting to return.

Dare I say I'm almost enjoying it? Hope to find an hour later this evening to finish off the board I'm wiring up. 

 

A couple of hours study now before cooking lunch and doing birthday stuff with mum.

 

Have a nice day everyone. Andy 

[Coombe Barton]

Aching after too much yesterday. Currently drizzling so no outside power tools. 

 

Have been informed about an imminent requirement to go out, so later.

[TheQ]

Yet another coincidence, tescos is running a food series of meals recommended by various groups of people, this month.. Bo'ness academy, which my sisters and brother attended. My brother walked into a Tesco in Knaresbrough to be confronted by a full size cut out of a woman he went to school with.

[lightengine]

AndyRam, arent there any "students" that need digs? A quick placement of a pea under her mattress and you would have another bedfellow for the night!

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

No doubt Comrade Stalin Corbyn felt completely at home on the train heading for Castle Canary as they're usually so jam-packed at Glastonbury time that folk end up sitting on the floor if they turn up too late to get a seat.

 

Meanwhile in the real world we visited a pub for some lunchtime nosh - pretty good but a bit in the pricey side for a straightforward pub meal so we might not visit that one again but at least the large tv screen was showing something interesting in the shape of racing at Ascot.  return home led to an attack on the front hedge where part of the outside was given a major going over but the end where the birds hide was given a light surface trim.  The birds still seem happy enough to hide in there while whistling for their supper.  Of less interest to them I also cleaned off the growth across part of the short path leading to the front gate from the pavement, digging out hard dry soil and grass roots was not fun however I could take solace from having to park laddo's car in the road and block two potential parking spaces in the process - definitely a good way to deal with some of the clowns who park their cars here although they don't live anywhere in this road.

 

Enjoy the rest of your day and I wonder if it's worth getting satellite tv if Jamie happens to have kept a note of the co-ordinates for that satellite?