Early Risers.

[Debs.]

I'm 98% sure you didn't mean that!

.......but, the two percent is where one`s overactive imagination is drawn!

[jamie92208]

Lovely bit of video, Jamie. Mill Wood is always the best part of the line for the sound, as the gradient is pretty steep and the trees seem to reflect the sound back. On my run up the line as a passenger on Wednesday, it was noticeable that the sound was different close to the loco, as opposed to the guarding position half way down the train.

 

I have only had to get out and sand the track once, and that was just past Beckfoot halt, much further up the line. It was slow, but effective!

 

Thanks Simon.   Yes we struggled a bit on Beckfoot Bank but got to Dalegarth OK.  I thought that the driver did a great job along with the guard and someone who I suspect was a trainee driver. I think that at least one of the sanders was blocked as he took it off and replaced it and a lot of sandy liquid came out.   The 6 yr old next to me thought that it was great.  It was also good to see the way that the driver kept in touch with control and everything was done correctly.  As Mike (SM) either wrote or advised on the rule book, I hope that everything was done correctly.   I did several seasons guarding before I got married, (74 to 78) mainly partnering with George Staniforth on River Irt and sleeping in the old brake 3rd that was then opposite the loco shed and known as skid row with bunks in the compartments and the brake area was our mess room.  One of the most evocative times was going over to the shed at night to use the facilities and hearing the soft "pop" "pop" of the locos as they cooled down.  They sounded as if they were talking to each other.   My job each morning was to light up and clean the first steam loco due out.

Very happy days.

 

Jamie

[Horsetan]

.......Eldest son's ex has been on the phone moaning about him to me. They have a daughter and it's her 15th birthday today! It's really a rant with a lot of effing and blinding. I remain calm and point out the odd thing. She thinks he's paying out all of his money on weed and underage prostitutes, yet he's giving almost all of his money to her.....

 

If she's ranting at 3.30 in the morning, I guess it's not him spending the cash on weed and the oul s.e.x. .....so what is she doing with the money?

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all from a particularly moist and murky Hill

 

Mother will not be joining us today; she is not well enough to travel. Gravesend and Wycrail are within reach but so is the duvet and the pillow and I suspect I already know the winner.

 

Reading week. We never had what amounted to a half-term break. Lectures went through until one week before the year-end exams / finals and that was our reading week. Living among students here I can report that Reading Week was the one before last and was used variously as go-home-and-get-mum-to-do-your-laundry week, get-drunk-more-often-than-usual week, actually-reading-and-tackling-course-work-while-your-flatmates-are-away week, having-a-sneaky-week-at-the-boyfriend’s week or having-the-girlfriend-stay-while-no-one else-is-there week. Subjects studied included practical sessions to determine the limit of inebriation and some human biology . Ah, students.

 

French toast, bacon, maple syrup and a large muggertee (coffee for SWMBO) has been enjoyed. Now it is time to snuggle with the cat and wait for the weather to improve.

 

Best weekend wishes to all especially Debs whose return is particularly welcome.

[Purley Oaks]

If she's ranting at 3.30 in the morning, I guess it's not him spending the cash on weed and the oul s.e.x. .....so what is she doing with the money?

You may well ask; she has a small two-seater sports car, and took a fortnight's break to the Dominican Republic with our grand-daughter, Skye, earlier in the summer. She doesn't have a part-time job, either - neither of her parents worked when she was growing up so like-mother like-daughter. In her defence, raising a daughter is a full-on job. We're trying our hardest to ensure that Skye is educated and gets a good job.

 

Thing is, they'll make-up in a few weeks and it's the same old merry-go-round til the next never-seeing-you-again argument.

 

Such joy!

[BoD]

As others in this parish, Mal, at least you can make yourselves a safe port in the storm for your granddaughter.

[AndyB]

Afternoon all. 

 

We had clear skies and warm temperatures for the bonfire and firework display yesterday. 

Unlike last year where heavy rain delayed our deployment and it was a mad rush to get everything wired in time.  

 

Yesterday was much different and we were all set up with about 3 hours in hand. 

That wasn't all we had in hand thanks to some of the less responsible dog walkers in the area.    

 

Likewise some people don't seem to appreciate how careful you have to be around professional fireworks and seemed content to let their dogs off the lead and bounding around the area we were wiring up the setting the display up on. 1 day a year is all we ask for them to engage their brain cell; that appears to be too much. 

 

Everyone's hard work resulted in an amazing display and a record crowd. 

Clear up and making safe those fireworks that didn't receive their wiggly amp messages was done in record time.

[TheQ]

Still raining,

Letter box door work done and glue setting,

Not feeling too bright, so working on things, became pottering about between sit and thinks.

Tiree wood work not touched.

Ben to be walked shortly, even if in rain.

Stove will be wound up to a warm glow when we return, I think I let the cold creep into my bones too much....

[Horsetan]

Just put some petrol in and had a local run:

 

 

Was expecting a dodgy start, but nothing - not a hint of any trouble. Even received an eBay alert telling me that my offer on an unused pack of original Gauloises fags had been accepted. Looking at the instrument display, I also suspect that the seat belt nag light, and "door open" warning lights aren't working.

 

 

That'll have to wait 'til the spring before I take anything apart.

 

Went down the local Halfrauds for some Redex injector cleaner.

 

For some odd reason in 1985, the designers at Citroen thought it was a good idea to turn the auto gear change indicator into a vertical strip and stick it somewhere near the driver's knee. They could get away with it because they were French.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Horsetan

[Happy Hippo]

Newbryford was hunted down and cornered behind the toaster.

 

He was duly released on bail unti lit's time to catch him again at Warley.

[newbryford]

Newbryford was hunted down and cornered behind the toaster.

 

He was duly released on bail unti lit's time to catch him again at Warley.

I did not run. I did not hide.

 

I stayed safely behind the layout...........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon/evening all,

 

To Higher Wycombe we have been and returned and various ERs and another RMweb member were met and chatted with. Some very good layouts on show plus a sprinkling of trade stands and some good demonstrations including Missy (formerly of RMweb) whose 2 mm scale modelling and radical ideas continue to break barriers of originality and sklll with her latest idea being 2ft gauge in 2mm scale.   The trade only attracted to me to buy exactly what I had hoped to buy - some recent publications on GW loco classes from that nice Mr Irwell (Chris F to note that from an initial fairly cursory skim through I have already found two captioning errors - look at the one for 6612 for considerable amusement, while the one on the final page of the 56XX book would clearly have benefitted from a map to help sort various geographical items including getting the right place name but it is a quote of a caption penned by he who you mentioned while we were consuming our flapjacks).

 

Taste in layouts varies of course but in terms of a whimsical 'back story' that for 'Seagone' takes some beating, it will be found on the link below  -

 

http://www.staffordrailwaycircle.org.uk/layouts/src-layouts/seagone/

 

General lack of cockwombles on both the highways (although some appeared to have forgotten to fully release their handbrakes) and at the exhibition although Marlow still appears to be the home of kamikaze inspired pedestrians.

 

Enjoy the rest of the day/evening.  We're off down the chippy this evening it has been decided so we'll no doubt have one happy pussy cat later on when he tucks into his share of the cod (batter removed first - we are far too kind to fussy eating quadrupeds).

Edited November 4, 2017 by The Stationmaster

[BoD]

For some odd reason in 1985, the designers at Citroen thought it was a good idea to turn the auto gear change indicator into a vertical strip and stick it somewhere near the driver's knee.

 

Strangely enough, that's the excuse my MP used too.

Edited November 4, 2017 by BoD

[Gwiwer]

The sky is exploding.

 

It exploded significantly last night with at least one organised display very near by.  Good luck tonight with lighting damp blue touch-papers and retiring immediately!  

 

Walked up to Twickenham Green earlier in order to visit the pest shop there and found road traffic at a complete standstill.  Something to do with a team of All-Black people arguing with some Barbarians over a faux-leather egg, apparently.  What ever, it brought the area to the usual complete gridlock for well over an hour.  It is quite surprising just how quiet is our neighbourhood given such events.  One turns off at the Green (where no traffic was able to move at all) and into our road which is never used as a rat-run and was as quiet as ever.  So far I have spotted two extra people walking past.  

 

It must be time to uncork a bottle.  There are several in the kitchen awaiting just that fate.

 

I may be back later.  Or not.

[emt_911]

An easy though wet and foggy journey to Wycrail. As I was ahead of time I stopped at the services for some breakfast.

 

Caught up with some ER's and a couple of others. I also managed to quickly catch up with Ray Norwood of this parish.

 

Some decent layouts on show even though not all were to my taste. A few modelling tokens were spent but not as many as expected.

 

I even managed a decent journey home despite numerous cockwombles on the road and got back just before the rain started.

 

An enjoyable day which is something that I needed.

 

Back later

[New Haven Neil]

Busy day, running about doing honey-do things, lunch with John, Matt the joiner up in the roof all afternoon fitting a new vent tile and some flooring in the loft, mowed the lawn, washed the cars and the van, collapsed knackered on the sofa! Pint of Timmy Taylors Landlord being consumed, and cider for Mrs H who hardly ever drinks, showing how busy we're been!

 

Art exhibition tomorrow (Dr Jeremy Paul) and lunch with Jayne, I need a day off to recover from the day off.

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each.

Another returnee from Wycrail here and a similar tale to all of the above. Wombles of the cock type abounded on the motorways but despite their efforts (especially the b#stard lorry driver who twice cut in front of me to turn off changed his mind then did it again when he was almost past the junction)   I got there early enough to avoid queuing for the car park. .

Went around the show with Bob and Duncan and it looks like we'll meet again next week. Not a bad show and all I came away with was a little bag of couplings despite my two comrades trying to get me to spend (a lot) more.

Needless to say when I returned home and was asked "What have you bought this time" I was not believed when I produced my little packet for inspection. 

Got home to watch some rugby and have a couple of beers and I may have more shortly. No - will have more.  Doom Bar is tonight's choice.

[Tony_S]

We had a very pleasant day with Matthew today. We walked from the hotel to the Guinness Storehouse. It took ages to get round as Aditi likes to read every information notice and try out all the multimedia toys.

We then walked back and had a late lunch / early dinner in a pie shop. We have collapsed back in the hotel for a well earned rest. Matthew caught a bus back to Castleknock. Dublin seems to have a lot of buses.

Fireworks were last week here for Halloween.

Not sure what we are doing tomorrow. Walk somewhere probably.

Tony

[TheQ]

Rain stopped,

Ben walked,

Now warm, except for feet.

Ben now hiding in his cat cage, as house 100ft away having fireworks ( they did warn us first).

Stove gently glowing.

[Horsetan]

....Dublin seems to have a lot of buses....

...except when they're all out on strike #siptu

Edited November 4, 2017 by Horsetan

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Battle of the Somme Estuary-Land. Well it certainly sounds as if there's a battle going on. Nice to hear from Debs again and Tony seems to be enjoying himself in Dublin, I might even consider spending a week or two there myself next year.

[Debs.]

Strangely enough, that's the excuse my MP used too.

 

....is that some kind of mandate; or, are you just pleased to see me?

[Ian Abel]

Afternoon - late check-in due to invasion of family after a sleep-in. Both welcomed, but leaving little time for idle ER perusing/posting.

 

Jemma returned "early" yesterday after the couple of legs she was flying first thing turned into a marathon due to poor weather in Seattle. They spent nearly two hours from push-back to departure due to lines for de-icing and general "...Seattle-type congestion and lack of the ability for the airport to plan 'SH!T...'" in her words

So a just around 3hr flight from Seattle-San Diego under normal circumstances ended up being logged at 4.75hrs. Net result was the return her crew was supposed to fly left on-time using a different crew, and she was done for the day, suited her as she then hopped the flight from San Diego home and was in about 5 hours earlier than scheduled...

 

Mrs and Jemma off running errands now, Mrs choosing to go shop for a few gifts for friends for our visit to the UK.

Nothing else to report, Whitney and I enjoying some peace and quiet, Mrs and I off to dinner with friends tonight.

 

Snow from yesterday gone, ZERO overnight, +4 now cloudy and expected to remain that way the rest of the day.

 

Hope Saturday treats/treated everyone well...

[AndrewC]

Evening all. Day 1 of the Mendippy Freemo completed. Much enjoyment was had. Knackered and enjoying a post pub glass of local zider. So local that we can see the orchard from the B&B window.

 

I really do not get out of the big city enough.

 

 

Pleasant dreams.

[BoD]

....is that some kind of mandate; or, are you just pleased to see me?

  

 

Nice to hear from Debs again.....

 

.... and in such fine form too.

 

Keep visiting Debs. We have missed you.

Some ERs have even started posting about modelling.