Early Risers.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[pH]

Today, I was clearing out a drawer that's used for "I can't think where this should really go" stuff. I found a bag containg all sorts of old currency. Some of it is old European coins from trips in the 1960s and 1970s. (Did you know Belgian 50 centimes coins worked British sixpence machines?) There was a 10 shilling note that I knew I had, but had misplaced, plus a couple of commemorative one crown coins.

 

But the ones I was really pleased to find were several farthings, some silver thrupenny pieces (my Gran used to put them in birthday 'clootie dumplings') and Victoria pennies as old as 1862. It's amazing that coins as worn as some of those pennies were ever accepted!

[AndyID]

 

In a small development to apparently improve the already excellent and effective snow clearing by the city, they seem to have acquired the following;

Cat-Plow.jpg

 

 

I have one of those. It attaches to the PTO on my tractor. It's most impressive when it works (shoots snow about 25 feet) but the temperature is usually a bit high here and the paddles in the blower tend to compact the snow into a solid block of ice - which is a real burglar to remove.

 

The other snag is it's on the back of the tractor, so I have to reverse into the blizzard created by the snow-blower

[pH]

Panthers v Canucks on Tuesday is on the schedule.

 

Are you at that game, Mick? If you are, are you one of the very many who have come dressed as empty seats?

[Gwiwer]

Morning all. It’s Hump Day

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have another rather chilly morning in this part of the world - with quite a heavy frost.

 

However, there has been no more snow.

 

Time for a coffee!  Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

The fodder run was accomplished bright and early yesterday.  As Checkout Lady was scanning a magazine she expressed irritation that the barcode was not easy to find.  With my best deadpan expression I explained that the man who invented the barcode had been inspired by a zebra.  Now, as we all know, the purpose of a zebra’s stripes is camouflage and there is probably a very good reason, perverse as it may be, why barcodes are not easy to find.  She then had great fun trying to find the barcode sticker on one of the three oranges that I had selected.   Why isn’t shopping always that enjoyable?!

 

Today I must write the report of last night’s talk.  On past form it should not take long.  Before I set about it I will probably go to the market, striding purposefully once more, to source some spuds and check out what is on the WI stand.  I’m OK for marmalade and chutney but from time to time some nice home-baked pies are to be had.  Living a little is to be recommended.

 

Best wishes as usual to all the ailing, recovering and missing

 

Chris

[newbryford]

Are you at that game, Mick? If you are, are you one of the very many who have come dressed as empty seats?

1am local time.

 

Yes. I guess it was because it was a weekday game. 3-1 to the Panthers. Empty net goal with 90 seconds or so to go. Another home win to keep the crowd, albeit reduced, happy. We got talking to a couple from Glasgow who were at the game. We recognised their Braehead Clan team shirts, as they spotted our Blackburn Hawks kit. I must admit it was easier to understand the local accent rather than theirs.

 

Today's surprise for Junior NB was a quick sightseeing tour over Key West in a helicopter. All went to plan with no hitches. Junior was most pleased.

 

Didn't manage the museum detour On the drive north, but called in at a model shop that from the outside looked a bit pokey, but was absolutely huge inside. I succumbed and bought my first non-UK model in 50 years of playing with toy trains.....

The shop owner was quite happy to do mail order to the UK and suggested that he would be "helpful" when it came to invoices for tax/customs purposes! I should have asked for a similar receipt for my purchases to show Mrs NB.

 

The visit took a little longer than planned so the brownie points deficit will have to be paid back tomorrow with a visit to a shopping mall where I will be the bag mule.

 

We're in no rush to check out in the morning and that suits me fine as our window looks out onto the main CSX/Trirail line.

 

Have a good whatever day of the week, whatever it is, wherever you are.

 

Cheers

Mick

Edited February 7, 2018 by newbryford

[pH]

 I succumbed and bought my first non-UK model in 50 years of playing with toy trains.....

 

 

I'll ignore the slight of my native accent and ask - so what did you buy? 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple here,

 A slightly better nights sleep of six and a quarter hours all in one go,

 

Driving home through the diversion route in daylight allowed me to see the remains of many trees that were blown down in the storms, and the nearest pub to home has had it's tin shed storeroom crushed ( contents, garden furniture for the summer )

 

When I got up and looked out of the window no snow, when I left home there was heavy snow falling, but not settling on the roads except where the sewer pipe zigzags it's way down beneath the road.

 

The Cremated Swan has it's scaffolding roof fitted but as yet no skin to it..

 

 I started an "Ipsos Mori" survey last night, at the end of which they give me £40 of amazon vouchers, basically it's what you watch on TV, what you read (digital or in Print) how long you work, and how long you sleep. with just a little bit of when do you eat and drink.  Funnily enough Railway Modeller, RMWEB and the like don't appear as seperate Items, so there is a lot of reading of " other magazines" " other forms of Digital comunication"

 

And finally there is a Norfolk product heading round the sun, The Tesla MK1 sports car that has just been launched into space is based  on the Lotus Elise Chassis made here in Hethel Norfolk...

 

Maybe it'll find something from a previous civilisation, like Boudicca's Chariot...

 

Time to ....   Go measure ACV, thats about 5 hours work...

[Barry O]

Back up to about 25°C in my new location Te anau. Visited an air museum which had a lot of de Havilland biplane in it as well as a giant railway construction set outside.

 

Seems like NZ has the same problem as the UK as in the road haulers get everything they want. Big Oz like double trailer lorries abound on the roads here..two can't pass each other on a lot of the bridges but their money is enough to stop a reversion to rail transport (No pathing problems on the rails here!)

 

Had a sea food pizza for tea..complete with a shell on green lipped muscle. DELICIOUS!

 

Hope you slept well all of the UK and Europe contingent!

 

Baz

Edited February 7, 2018 by Barry O

[jamie92208]

Morning awl from a village that is slowly coming to life.   Good to hear continuing good news from Debs and hope to hear from Mal or Gabe soon with positive news.  Various things got done yesterday and Beth is getting decidedly more mobile.   I even scored in the culinary department with a fish pie which was devoured with relish.   Today we're off to the practice nurse and hopefully the wound dressings will be removed, then it's off to our local shopping centre.   Not a lot else to report.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[chrisf]

  I even scored in the culinary department with a fish pie which was devoured with relish.   

 

Did it not spoil the taste?

 

Chris

[Barry O]

Did it not spoil the taste?

 

Chris

Or was it just tomato sauce?

 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Some blue sky here with a fair bit of cloud and one forecast is suggesting light snow showers.

One of my earliest memories is waking up in the back of the car and being carried by Dad into our bungalow at Welwyn. I think I was about 2¹/₂ to 3. I also remember him repairing some bathroom tiles there. That sticks because it was about the only time I can recall that he ever did any DIY.  Definitely remember the Coronation. I too was 4 by then and we'd moved to Bedford and my parents had The Gloucester Arms pub. (No longer there, now been converted into a large house) Dad had the front of the pub decked out in flags and had bought a TV. Huge cabinet with a radio in the top but a tiny 9" round screen. Another memory of that pub was me and a friend getting hold of some darts from behind the bar and going outside with them. We thought it a good idea to throw them at each other and I ended up with one embedded in my forehead, just above and between my eyes. That was the probably the start of my attempts at self harm!  

A visit to Sainsbury's and a walk are planned this morning.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited February 7, 2018 by grandadbob

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Baz, Te Anau is one of our favourite places on earth, great memories of being there a couple of times.  Despite it being one of the higher rainfall areas in the world, it has always been glorious when we were there.  So peaceful, evening walk along the lakeside....bliss.  DB beer was awful though.  We'll be going back when Mrs NHN retires.  This will be some time yet :-(  She's younger than me....

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. GDB mentioned TV at the time of the Coronation, we didn't have any TV until about 1957 but my paternal grandparents did rent one for the Coronation. They lived in Abbey Wood in south east London almost opposite Lesnes Abbey. The problem was that they were on a busy trolleybus route and every time one went past there was a snowstorm on the screen. About 1957 my dad was on the telly, he was a contestant on 'Take Your Pick', he failed miserably on the yes/no interlude but fared better having picked out the box for the £50 treasure chest. It might not sound very much today but that was a lot of money in 1957.

[shortliner]

( Mind you the lack of fuel supplies to the junior ranks in the military is legendary and still applied in the 1970s - 1990s when I was in, with heating not put on, but snow on the ground)

Ah! the pleasure of basic training at RAF Bridgnorth, in the winter of 1962/63- living in WW2 wooden huts with 2 coke stoves - one was at the end of my bed, and the flannel still froze every night in my locker - last flight but one to pass out and the station medical officer wanted the camp closed down, the CO refused as he was not closing it down to re-open and close it for good two weeks later. We had to march across camp 3 times a day to the only mess hall that was open! I have never been so cold in my life - we went to bed every night fully dressed, with all spare clothing including greatcoat and raincoat on top of blankets to try to stay warm. The toilet blocks were kept operating by dustbins with holes punched in them set on bricks, filled with coke and set alight - one of the very few warm places, stoked day and night by recruits - diverted from basic training and drill. One lad broke his ankle running on icy roads in a vest, shorts, and hob-nailed boots, and that was the end of all PT and games. Happy Times!

Edited February 7, 2018 by shortliner

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

My earliest memory is a rather odd one - the foundering of the 'Flying Enterprise' at the end of 1951/early 1952 and of Captain Carlsen (who was often referred to as the Flying Dutchman although he wasn't Dutch).  Quite why it stuck in my mind I don't know but it was on the radio news and about the time of my 4th birthday.    Coronation Day is much easier to remember - my grandparents had not long had electricity installed and then got a television so we watched the Coronation on tv then in the afternoon there was a fancy dress competition and a tea for the children at the village hall - I won a prize in the fancy dress competition but I can't remember what the prize was!

 

Another bright sunny, but chilly, day.  the G word has again been mentioned but might again remain as no more than a mention as it is a bit chilly out there.  Next door's builders of patio (and other things) have re-emerged after not being on site since last Wednesday; somewhat foolishly I had assumed their absence signified project completion - maybe they are also working on GWML electrification?

 

Have a good day one and all and good to hear that those ailing are showing signs of recovery.

[TheQ]

Ah! the pleasure of basic training at RAF Bridgenorth, in the winter of 1962/63- living in WW2 wooden huts with 2 coke stoves - one was at the end of my bed, and the flannel still froze every night in my locker - last flight but one to pass out and the station medical officer wanted the camp closed down, the CO refused as he was not closing it down to re-open and close it for good two weeks later. We had to march across camp 3 times a day to the only mess hall that was open! I have never been so cold in my life - we went to bed every night fully dressed, with all spare clothing including greatcoat and raincoat on top of blankets to try to stay warm. The toilet blocks were kept operating by dustbins with holes punched in them set on bricks, filled with coke and set alight - one of the very few warm places, stoked day and night by recruits - diverted from basic training and drill. One lad broke his ankle running on icy roads in a vest, shorts, and hob-nailed boots, and that was the end of all PT and games. Happy Times!

SWMBO inhabited RAF Wartime Seco Huts ( the concrete panel variety) till we left in 1988, they were still in use till  the mid 1990's. When she moved in they had overhead piping heating from building to building from which the Asbestos insulation had long since disappeared.  So heating a the far end of the site = nil..

 Here is a pic of the site https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafboulmer/gallery/historicphotos.cfm?start=49&viewmedia=55

 

The first MRC I belonged to at RAF Locking was in one of those type huts too.

They had a cockroach problem in the RAF locking mess, so every six months or so they would closed one mess hall to be decontaminated  and we'd all move to the other. Funny how we were moved from one accomodation block to another... always the furthest away from the mess that was open...

[Coombe Barton]

RAF Bridgnorth is now an industrial estate and country park where we walk the dogs when we camp at Stanmore Hall just opposite

[Gwiwer]

Dad was stationed for a part of his National Service at RAF Cosford but was seconded to Bridgnorth to deal with flood relief. He claims to have rowed over the bridge.

 

Another icy cold shift completed. Bacon ‘n’ eggs beckon for lunch.

 

May our sick and damaged continue on their paths to recovery and may we all enjoy the rest of which ever day we find ourselves in. I’m sure Baz can tell us aleady what Thursday’s weather is like. Why don’t such things work for lottery draws???

[The Lurker]

Greetings all, good to hear positive news once more, and let's hope we hear something good from Mal.

 

My early memories are neatly partitioned because we spent just over a year living in Singapore when I was 6-7. I have quite a few memories of play group, and being in the younger and older groups (different church halls). And I also have a memory from about age 3 of not obeying my Dad when he told me to stop running, down a hill when visiting an aunt in Biggin Hill. I suspect the reason I remember is that eventually a tree stopped me! I have a scar on  my knee to do this day to remind me.

 

My earliest snatch of memory is from when I was around a year old. I can remember being pushed in a pushchair around roadworks at the end of the road; roadbuilding was still being completed at the tie. When I recounted that memory there was astonishment from my parents, as they had forgotten that detail and had ever discussed it.

 

Despite all these early memories, as I posted the other day, I don't remember the moon landing despite being awoken to see it.

[TheQ]

The Fate or Military stations I or my Dad were at. (as far as I know)

RAF Colerne  now army with some Air Training Corps,

 

Cyprus, Accomodation 

Famagusta abandoned in Turkish sector

Nicosia  in Greek Zone (just)  now Civilian

 

RAF BallyKelly, accomodation now civilian, base now Army.

 RAF Aden handed over to the locals who are still fighting over it...

Army Benbecula,  Most of the Military accomodation is now civilian, base much reduced in size,

My sisters school in Inverness was built on army land, much to the surprise of the army when they came to survey the site...

My School accomodation in Inverness now flats, the grounds are now a housing estate.

Now My turn...

RAF Swinderby, now mostly civilian housing estates.

RAF Neatishead, married quarters in Norwich sold off civilian, base now just a sub unit much reduced in size.

RAF Coltishall Married quartersa sold off, single accomdation upgraded to become a Prison, airfield now full of solar panels

RAF Staxton Wold much reduced is size, accomdation for site was at...

Driffield Barracks now abandoned.

RAF Hereford / Credenhill  now army camp

Marconi college Chelmsford  now a housing estate.

RAF Benbecula, Much reduced in size.

RAF Boulmer much increased in size but some of the married quarter have been sold off.

RAFUxbridge housing / indusrial / museum.

 As a civilian I went to

RAF Coningsby Still in use,

RAF Scampton, mostly abandoned but Airfield still used by the red arrows.

RAF Leuchars, Now an Army camp

RAF Sealand  now a civilian manned MOD site

RAF Leaming, Still in use.

RAF Mount Pleasant (Falklands) still in use,

Edited February 7, 2018 by TheQ