Early Risers.

[DDolfelin]

Who is this GDB bloke everyone keeps banging on about? 

 

He specialises in banging on himself.

[pH]

We have been on 2 roads in the Los Angeles area where we had to turn the A/C off and it was suggested that we might turn on the heater to cool the engine a bit.

 

That's official BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association) advice if your engine starts to overheat on a climb to the summit of a mountain pass (or on any other long climb) and you don't want to stop. Turn the heater up to high, and open all the windows. Fortunately (and hoping not to tempt fate, as I have several 4000 ft plus summits to negotiate tomorrow) , I've never had to test how useful that advice is.

[roundhouse]

Morning fr M a slightly dm Surrey. Luckily it had stopped drizzling as we walked to the station. Didn't trust waiting for the bus incase it was late but it was early as it went past us enroute. We need the exercise anyway.

 

Train was in 4.mnutes before departure but quite busy for thisearly. Perhaps it's all those travelling to th airport getting there extra early while th the Summer rush get away.

 

This train stops all shacks except Faygate on its way to Barnham but at least we dcan not need to change at Gatwick which during the day we now have to do so.

 

At least we didn't not have to concern ourselves with excessive heat today as it's forecast to be a pleasant 20 deg C.

[Barry O]

It's sunny here..hope it is wherever you are.

Today a 5 minute car trip to umpire and avoid the planes landing at Leeds Bradford Airport.

 

Tomorrow involves a longer car journey to Vernon Carus...where as well as umpiring you can see the WCML.

 

Enjoy your day here on Planet Earth.

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a sunny village.

 

Brian, don't get complacent, I'm sure that SWMBO is working on some cunning plans that will occupy your newly spare time.

 

The use of the heater to cool the engine certainly works. We once had to drive back from Cornwall to Leeds one hot summer in an Austin Maxi with the heater full on and the windows open, to keep the engine cool due to a faulty thermostat. Not a pleasant drive with three young kids in the back.

 

Anyway yesterday went well with more book deliveries completed and a great evening out with the bil2 and his wife. This morning it's off to church for the monthly men's breakfast and then help the boss run the monthly afternoon tea shop. I am entrusted with washing up and then clearing up.

 

Regards to all and best wishes to Debs and Passepartout.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

Sunny start but probably stair rods by lunchtime.

 

I'm just off to erect the shooting marquee out in the drive way and then put up the shunting plank there under on it's new supporting framework.

 

When it looks like rain, I will dismantle the plank and hide it back in the garage whilst the PH will then move the marquee over the car he is working on.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

An overcast start to the day here. It rained for a short while too.

Matthew informed us it was very warm in Zagreb. He doesn't drive so won't need to worry about turning his heater on.

I hope you all have a good day.

Tony

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A pleasant start to the day here but there may be some showers later.

Another great time had by all at GDB Towers yesterday evening. Much noise & merriment. Beer and wine were involved with some (well me) possibly drinking more than others. The kitchen looks a bit like a battlefield at the moment which means we didn't do much clearing up last night. I've taken tea up to The Boss in the forlorn hope that she'll get up and make a start on it.    

I, in the meantime, need to go and hide!   

Have a good one,

Bob.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

The heater thing works because the heater matrix is another radiator.  Once had to do it in traffic on the A64 going to York when my Renault 18 radiator fan packed up!  'Some time ago'.

 

Clearing out day today, as our bathroom modifications involve the loss of a hallway cupboard.  In a small bungalow this is serious stuff!

[RhBBob]

Here I am again...

 

Great Prom 27 last night - music of Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie by two splendid artists and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Have recorded it to watch again sometime.

 

Younger version of me arrives today for relaxation, an Italian meal for the four of us tonight at 'The Ropers Arms', yes a former pub and very small, followed by golf tomorrow. His family set off for France yesterday in the in-law's motor caravan - not his idea of fun !

 

Regards to all !

[81C]

One or 2-finger salute?

 

 

 

Anyway, the leaking shower saga continues. Wednesday I replaced the sealant of about half of the circumference required, reasoning the remainder didn't show leaking. So we had another test Thursday, only to find it was coming down rather more quickly then a slow dripping. Cause was a gap I overlooked when wiping the sealant clean. A quick squirt with the gun fixed that, it was hoped. Nope. Today another test was held and instead of dripping in any form it actually came down in a stream A fair few choice words were ushered that you won't find in the Oxford Dictionary   I did inform the neighbours that I'd really needed a shower before going anywhere today, so did that double-quick-time. After that, I went out for some shopping/collecting of items as was required. This included an additional can of sealant as the one I have will (most likely) not suffice for the entire job. No further action was taken in respect of changing said sealant, I decided that given circumstances tomorrow would be fine.

 

On the job front, I have 2 invites to meet folk from employment agencies with the intent of getting me into a job once again. Both are on Tuesday, fortunately not at the same time   I'm hoping the first will actually land me that job, as it's possible I might get a transfer to their facilities at Schiphol Airport.

DM new silicone will not adhere to old silicone get yourself a tube of silicone remover clean every last bit of the old stuff off single razor blade to scrape back

to the tiles and finish off with a bath scour pad then make sure once it is totally free of the old silicone and bone dry then reapply the new silicone, if you carry

on the way you have been it will leak for ever more.

Trust me I was in the trade.     

 

Please sent £25 for this free advice. 

[81C]

Who is this GDB bloke everyone keeps banging on about? 

Some old fart. !!! 

[Horsetan]

....Please send £25 for this free advice.

Given the current exchange rate which seems to be heading for parity, you might want to charge him in Euros....

[Killybegs]

Given the current exchange rate which seems to be heading for parity

 

It's the weekend, please stop trying to depress me!

[DDolfelin]

Given the current exchange rate which seems to be heading for parity, you might want to charge him in Euros....

 

 

Groan.

Have booked another couple of weeks in Spanish sunshine for September.

Due to lavish expenditure in Crete earlier my Euro account is now below €100.

Will hold my nerve in case the German Civil War breaks out and improves the value of sterling.

[Tony_S]

Groan.

Have booked another couple of weeks in Spanish sunshine for September.

Due to lavish expenditure in Crete earlier my Euro account is now below €100.

Will hold my nerve in case the German Civil War breaks out and improves the value of sterling.

I think my major Euro assets are on Dutch travel cards and even then not enough for rail travel.

[Horsetan]

I'll send him the equivalent value in Greek Drachme

 

Can someone borrow me a 40' container?

 

...

I'd suggest getting hold of some Zimbabwean Dollars.

[BlackRat]

One last quick check in. Disappointing football match, but never mind. Interesting package delivered by Royal Mail this afternoon. Addressed to Sarah, but clearly showing a label for "Trackshack". Now, unless my wife is taking up railway modelling, I am wondering if the contents could have something to do with my upcoming birthday. Intriguing!

Dropped the cat off yet?

 

There's been numerous reports of people allegedly abondoning cats etc outside of rescue centres.....perhaps you can see why.

 

An insider told me not so long ago it was a bit of a deliberate ploy, as you must be a cat/dog/panther lover in the first place, as you have taken them in, taken them to a rescue centre as opposed to leaving them.

 

If you haven't done it by this evening, and insist they take it........the moggies yours.

 

Happy birthday.

[grandadbob]

Buggrit - she found me!    I have been "asked" to help. As I wish for some peace & quiet whilst watching the cricket today I suppose I should comply.

 

 

 

Edit. We had a phone call from Jane last night sounding rather more cheerful. Steve has started to respond to treatment and there has been a very slight improvement. All digits still firmly crossed.

Edited August 5, 2017 by grandadbob

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Suns still shining but a bit hazy now but no sign of any showers (yet). Must have been a bit chilly this morning as the heating kicked off at 7, but at least I had some nice warm towels when I had my bath this morning.

 

Morning fr M a slightly dm Surrey. Luckily it had stopped drizzling as we walked to the station. Didn't trust waiting for the bus incase it was late but it was early as it went past us enroute. We need the exercise anyway.

Train was in 4.mnutes before departure but quite busy for thisearly. Perhaps it's all those travelling to th airport getting there extra early while th the Summer rush get away.

This train stops all shacks except Faygate on its way to Barnham but at least we dcan not need to change at Gatwick which during the day we now have to do so.

At least we didn't not have to concern ourselves with excessive heat today as it's forecast to be a pleasant 20 deg C.

Looks as if you've had an attack of predictive textitis.

[emt_911]

Morning all. Very late on parade but I think that I needed the sleep.

 

Not a great deal planned but some shopping will have to be done. I may even get a chance to sort out the photos from last weekend.

 

Time for another coffee.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[iL Dottore]

Morning All

I'd almost forgotten how nice Taittinger champagne tastes....

 

Ah, Champagne. As Napoleon was supposed to have said about Champagne: "In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it".

 

Tattinger is, well, OK. My preference for an everyday Champagne is Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Blue Top (there used to be a "Red Top" [sec], "Green Top" [Demi-Sec] and the "Pink Top" [Rosé], but Heidsieck & Co. no longer seem to produce these). I've had the pleasure of drinking a non vintage "House of Commons" champagne (provided to me by my local MP as part of a local fund raiser), Roederer Cristal (vintage - excellent), Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon (nice, but it didn't live up to the hype), Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame (vintage - superb) and Perrier-Jouët's Belle Époque (vintage - good).

 

Now, all these came my way not due to having deep pockets and unlimited funds, but because I was flying an awful lot for business in the 90s and at that time I'd often get upgraded from business to first and many times the cabin crew in First were happy to let me have a bottle of "that rather excellent Champagne" I had when I deplaned. A couple of times I'd answer a crew question about drugs and development and - as the crew said their goodbyes - I would be given a carrier bag with a premium bottle of Champagne in it as a "thank you". And - believe it or not young millennials - this was on BA, back when it was proper full service quality airline (i.e. before 2000) and not the  cost-cutting, customer unfriendly "pimped up budget airline" it has become under Alex Cruz.

 

I think that the apex of this BA generosity was one December 24th and I was on the last leg of a multi-continent trip (LHR-BSL) and the only person in business class. I deplaned with the entire stock of mini-bottles of Champagne donated to me by the crew for "a Merry Christmas" - and merry it was...

 

Of the premier Champagnes listed above, I've only ever bought Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame  and that was for a special occasion. I do still have a few bottles of Champagne in my Swiss air raid shelter cellar, but generally we drink either an Alsatian Crémant or an Italian Prosecco when we want something fizzy. However, one has to be careful in selecting a Crémant or a prosecco, some are incredibly cheap and nasty (and very, very sweet - probably aimed at the lower end of the market) and whilst a decent Crémant or Prosecco can be purchased at a reasonable price, some of the top notch Proseccos and Crémants are approaching or at Champagne prices (such the Alta Neve prosecco).

 

Unfortunately (???), I am a very much a purist when it comes to food and drink. I'd rather do without than have an inadequate substitute. So, for example, if I absolutely and unavoidably must have baked beans as part of the meal, then it's slow cooked Boston Baked Beans made with molassess and fat-back bacon, rarher than anything out of a tin.

 

All this talk about food and drink has made me hungry - so off to lunch Boys and Girls

 

Enjoy the weekend

 

iD

[Horsetan]

I'd suggest getting hold of some Zimbabwean Dollars.

...or, for a more contemporary touch, Venezuelan Bolivares.

[Horsetan]

.....Ah, Champagne. As Napoleon was supposed to have said about Champagne: "In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it".

 

Tattinger is, well, OK. My preference for an everyday Champagne is Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Blue Top (there used to be a "Red Top" [sec], "Green Top" [Demi-Sec] and the "Pink Top" [Rosé], but Heidsieck & Co. no longer seem to produce these). I've had the pleasure of drinking a non vintage "House of Commons" champagne (provided to me by my local MP as part of a local fund raiser), Roederer Cristal (vintage - excellent), Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon (nice, but it didn't live up to the hype), Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame (vintage - superb) and Perrier-Jouët's Belle Époque (vintage - good).

 

....Of the premier Champagnes listed above, I've only ever bought Veuve Clicquot's La Grande Dame  and that was for a special occasion. I do still have a few bottles of Champagne in my Swiss air raid shelter cellar, but generally we drink either an Alsatian Crémant or an Italian Prosecco when we want something fizzy. However, one has to be careful in selecting a Crémant or a prosecco, some are incredibly cheap and nasty (and very, very sweet - probably aimed at the lower end of the market) and whilst a decent Crémant or Prosecco can be purchased at a reasonable price, some of the top notch Proseccos and Crémants are approaching or at Champagne prices (such the Alta Neve prosecco).....

The other champagne you haven't mentioned is Rosset, which I drank rather a lot of in Zürich in 2006. It had quite a lot of bite to it, but I've never seen it on sale in Britain.

 

I still have three bottles of Alfred Gratien's 1985. I suspect they may have turned to vinegar by now.....

[Happy Hippo]

The car arrived for the PH to service so the marquee was erected and work commenced.

 

Our nice Yodel delivery lady dropped off the new lawn mower, so the shunting plank was abandoned in favour of the erection and flapping (fuel, lubricants and associated products) of the mower.

 

The Obergrumpenfuhrer insisted i should test it out on the lawn, and I finished just as the rain arrived at midday. (RAF Shawbury are excellent with their weather predictions.)

 

Since it is raining, the planned work on the plank will now not take place, and I shall while away my time making the last two turnouts.

 

Having admired Gordon s's Eastwood Town, I shall be adopting the same approach as he for the painting of the track and the ballasting.  At least when I finish the track laying!