Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

Many happy returns Ian.

 

We have returned from Sainsbury's with no problems and also no eggs as "somebody" forgot them and only remembered as we were nearing home so we had to divert via Asda.- main roads are clear and side roads a bit slippery. 

Now apparently all the furniture needs re-arranging for tomorrow's party. Wonder who's doing that then? 

 

My prescriptions are ordered online from the Doctor and then transmitted to our local pharmacy. Very efficient system.

Edited March 2, 2018 by grandadbob

[Smiffy2]

Doctor Foster?

[andyram]

Good morning all. I have been away from ER for a few days so I am once again a bit out of touch. Greetings to you all. I hope that Debs is ok and send special wishes in her direction as well as the others in our group who have been battling health issues.

 

 I hope that we have managed to stay safe in this spell of winter weather. I see some reference to Sherry facing some travel disruption - I hope she is ok. As I say, I have not had chance to read back so apologies that I am so out of touch.

 

 So what has been happening here? I had a difficult weekend as I belatedly found out of the death of a friend's wife after a long illness. She had been a great support to our model railway show, always providing loads of raffle prizes and picking something special out as a gift for my daughter. Her husband is also one of the kindest gentleman I have ever met - he always has time for others, a ready ear and shows genuine concern. He may be a tall and imposing figure of a man, but is a true gentle giant. 24 hours after hearing the news, I ran into the man himself at a local show on Sunday. That was a very difficult conversation - but one that I was so glad to have. My thoughts are with him.

 

 The working week had a difficult start with the challenging class being just that! At least an observed lesson went well - I have not been used to getting positive feedback, I was not sure how to react! 

On Wednesday, just before bed, I looked out of the window and was shocked to see the whole street white over. We had been predicted to miss the snow, but that was not the case. The snow continued all night and a tricky journey to work looked certain. On Thursday I got up as normal, and was showered and dressed when the call came to say the school was closed. I spent much of yesterday working on preparation for next week when I was not helping to occupy Amber who was also off.

 

 Last night the call came to announce the school was still shut. That was no surprise since it had not stopped snowing all day and the strong winds had caused some drifting. The roads were described as hazardous with some impassable. This is certainly the worst I have known it for a long time - probably the whole of my adult life. Thankfully the snow has stopped and brighter skies have accompanied the strong winds. The local roads do seem to be slightly better although I have not ventured out yet. More snow is forecast for this evening and overnight. Currently the plan is to stay in and complete various paperwork and marking jobs. The slight fly in the ointment is the impending football matches this weekend. With Forest at home Sarah "needs" (in her opinion) to get to her mum's by tomorrow. That means a potential trip to Nottingham to take her for the usual overnight Friday stopover. Forgive me if I do not consider this a necessary journey or one that I would be greatly looking forward to.

 

Stay safe all.

 

Andy

[roundhouse]

Does your practice not have patient EMIS?  Then you can log on to make repeat prescriptions - works a treat for me as our practice is a 10 mile round trip.  You can frighten yourself too, by looking at al the various test results and googling them...hours of fun.  Makes you realise you're 58 not 28......

 

 

Their online site says they do but it has not been offered. However I  thought that I would have had to move practice by now had mums move not been delayed as I am still registered to her address but once she moves I will have to change to one nearer here.

 

I took the shorter but steepr road to the doctors as it appeared ot be clear of ice and snow. I was fine going up but there were two cars that had been coming down the hill skidded and crashed into lamposts, so went the longer way back home. Car safely back on the drive and after lunch we will head out on foot / bus for beer.

[tetsudofan]

Hello from my part of a relatively snow-less Shepway. Had some rain this morning which has now frozen and turned the pathways etc. into ice rinks so much so that I aborted a walk up to town at the end of the road and returned home after nearly going a over t when trying to cross the road.

 

What surprised me, though, was that just after returning home the postie delivered a package (containing a certain item that was expected to sell out at the Glasgow show last weekend) which had been posted at Falkirk at 1:44pm on Monday. Last night when I checked the tracking it was still shown as being in Falkirk. What with the weather etc. certainly did not expect to get it today. Must remember to thank the postie (who's an excellent guy) when I next see him.

 

Couple of days ago ordered something from an emporium in Widnes and got an email from DPD that this would be arriving this afternoon. Looking at the tracking the courier is making delivery no.55 ...... and mine is no.110. Again, bearing in mind the weather today and the chaos this morning on the M2, M20 and other roads in southeast Kent I'm amazed that these services are still operating. Waiting another day or two would be no problem.

 

Keith

[PeterBB]

Dunno what all the media hysteria about the weather is. I remember the winters of 1981/2 being far worse, with temperatures down to minus 15 in places. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me but I recall people still somehow got into work, and schools stayed open - mine certainly did.

 

Not forgetting 1963 and 1948 ... the lead pipe guttering mentioned somewhere above reminded me of that last one.  I too remember being at work in -16 but on that evening I was just cold - no snow so we could get about. I also remember 1982 leaving work and driving through 12" or more of snow to get home ... it didn't phase me then but it would now.  The other memory of that time was a trip to London.  Late afternoon there was a heavy snow storm and 5" of snow ... we had a  stroke of luck as we headed south because we picked up a snow plough and were able to drive behind it for some distance.  At the London end it had thawed and driving was difficult because of the risk of aquaplaning.  1963 I thought that the A40 was a narrow road because of snow drifts then driving on 5" of ice in the Cardiff area and on another occasion the 'single track A66' again did not know it was wider and seeing a car at the bottom of the hill on Shap as I turned towards Carlisle.  Proceeded to follow lorries up to Scotland but had difficulties keeping up with them in the blinding snow!

 

Thanks for the memory trigger Ivan, Peter

 

Edit = spelling

Edited March 2, 2018 by PeterBB

[The Lurker]

When I was at school in the 1960s the school was usually warmer than home and the food was better!

either school dinners had deteriorated terribly by the early 70s or you're not saying much about the quality of the cooking at home!

[Horsetan]

either school dinners had deteriorated terribly by the early 70s or you're not saying much about the quality of the cooking at home!

 

I can just about remember late 1970s school dinners - the low tin trays of "meat pie" cut into squares (I think it contained minced "beef"), somewhat overdone veg.... Moving into private education in 1981, nothing had changed in terms of school cuisine; it was almost exactly the same, right down to the catering equipment.

[trisonic]

’60’s school “dinners” were bloody good for One Shilling (5p). Their custard was the best...............

 

Best, Pete.

[trisonic]

Hello from my part of a relatively snow-less Shepway. Had some rain this morning which has now frozen and turned the pathways etc. into ice rinks so much so that I aborted a walk up to town at the end of the road and returned home after nearly going a over t when trying to cross the road.

 

Keith

Amazon should have (they do over here) slipover metal studded things for affixing to your shoes. You can just literally whip them off and on. The ones I have came with replacement studs. I recommend them.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited March 2, 2018 by trisonic

[Tony_S]

either school dinners had deteriorated terribly by the early 70s or you're not saying much about the quality of the cooking at home!

The food when I went to university was rather splendid too.

[Tony_S]

This will follow:

 

iVEgvYCzWOZwkVeIDyWz1tTOCIySMTK2pZwyDdylZbw.jpg

 

 

 

Best, Pete.

 

That is not me.....]

 

A car sized pothole opened up on the A13 near Pitsea flyover last week. That was before the current cold spell.

Edited March 2, 2018 by Tony_S

[Gwiwer]

A car sized pothole opened up on the A13 near Pitsea flyover last week. 

 

No doubt the council are "looking into it"

 

SWMBO has ventured to work on a better-late-than-never basis but has been strongly advised to leave early and get safely home.  Fewer and fewer trains are running.  My employer has strongly suggested no-one attempts any travel west of  Reading, Basingstoke or Havant.  Portsmouth, Southampton and other spots are frozen up.  There is the clean-up from last night's frozen trains in which people slept for hours until rescue.  The GWR route through Dawlish has also suffered damage - not to the sea wall but to the ballast and fencing which all needs to be removed from the track and replaced before trains can run again.

 

Please heed warnings and stay put, stay safe and - hopefully - stay warm.  It's not over yet.  Tonight is forecast to be another dangerous one in many areas.  If you have vulnerable neighbours (not necessarily old - those without money may be any age and feel they cannot afford the heating) maybe drop round and check thy are OK with the heating on and have food and drink on hand.  I have been quietly doing that around here since this weather arrived.  

 

Gas combi boilers can suddenly stop working.  Check the condenser pipe hasn't frozen before calling the fitter.  That's the one leading outside and usually emptying into a drain.  It's open-ended so applying hot water from the kettle won't cause any terminal damage.  If it's blocked by ice the boiler will stop working but it's a really easy fix.

 

Good to know Sherry is OK; you know things are bad when the Army are called in to dig you out.  

 

Best wishes from a very cold and grey Hill.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I did venture out earlier than usual and just as well that I did as the front edge of storm Emma was arriving about 11 o'clock. This was in the form of drizzley sleet that froze as soon as it touched the windows of the car. As I waited for the car to warm up I encountered the cockwomble of the day week month year. I live on a T junction and as I was about to move off I observed a Transit Connect van approaching the junction so I waited. Just as well as he attempted to do a left turn into my road. He was going far too fast to make the turn under normal conditions let alone the prevailing conditions. He ended up in a four wheel slide coming straight towards me! Fortunately he encountered the kerb and the van bounced off, he then regained control and just drove away.

[PeterBB]

Happy Birthday Ian.  

 

Potholes are unfortunately the result of the sort of weather we are having and the recent repairs were just 'fill-it-in' type so most have and will turn out to have been a complete waste of resources.  Our clubhouse is on an unmade-up road and for some reason the 'holes' are bigger than they have ever been and now ... they seem to be more like a trip on the ocean waves as you negotiate them.  The club house drive contains an appreciable snow drift.

 

Looking back Jamie seem to have organised great wedding and when he goes  across the stream I am sure will be sorely missed in Leeds.  Gwiwer always gives good advice and his descriptions are literary masterpieces.   Thanks to John and Sister Jen for keeping us in touch with Debs who we know as a 'fighter with humour' in spite of the trauma that she is going through. Thoughts with Darren's loss and the continuing health problems with Allan on other blogs.

 

 

Traffic wise - well, good to hear that Sherry was rescued and is on her way to meet Olddudders and on a personal note hope our son makes it up to us on the delay-ridden M40.

 

The lighter vein was the video of the Border Collie making the best of the snow on the hill.

 

Cheers Peter 

 

Edit = spelling

Edited March 2, 2018 by PeterBB

[Danemouth]

Gas combi boilers can suddenly stop working.  Check the condenser pipe hasn't frozen before calling the fitter.  That's the one leading outside and usually emptying into a drain.  It's open-ended so applying hot water from the kettle won't cause any terminal damage.  If it's blocked by ice the boiler will stop working but it's a really easy fix.

Rick,

 

I discovered this about an hour ago when I thought the house was going cold - the boiler was displaying a fault code.

 

Thanks to the good folk on RMWeb I knew what to do, the boiler is running once more.

 

Dave

[NGT6 1315]

I remember the serious winters of 2010/11 when the Leipzig area had mostly ground to a halt underneath inches upon inches of snow. Trams had temporarily remained in service but with timetables invalidated. However, all services were eventually cancelled due to safety concerns. One NGT12 had, in fact, derailed on compressed snow at Central Station, thankfully with no major damage or casualties caused. A limited number of route inspection services remained active and a number of stranded trams needed to be removed from all across the network, but it took several days for services to return to more or less normal.

[BoD]

Oh dear.

Attempts to leave the site where daughter and son in law are, have failed. Even the owner's 4x4 couldn't cope with drifts on the entrance road that were higher than the vehicles. His farmer friends who have tractors with ploughs are all out rescuing stranded drivers and helping clear roads.

Hopefully they will be allowed to remain in the lodge for as long as necessary. We are all starting to get a little chewed but at least we know they are safe and warm. Given that a number of the lodges have already lost heating and water I would rather that they were with our relatives though.

 

Edit: The site owner has contacted incoming guests and cancelled bookings so at least they will have somewhere to stay.

Edited March 2, 2018 by BoD

[roundhouse]

Snowing hard for over an hour here in Redhill and Reigate. Went out to station to get ticket for next week and told that Southern were advising people to complete their journeys by 3 pm.

Decided to get bus to Reigate for beer as at worst case we Dan walk home from here. Took a while on the bus as Redhill was grid locked. Despite few trains and local website advise, buses not accepting train tickets. Absolutely no other travel options for GWR train users to Dorking. Except to pay bus fare.

[BoD]

Ps Bod there used to be a steam paddle tug tied up in the docks when I used to visit many years ago.

 

 

The Seaham and Reliant - probably late fifties.

 

[laurenceb]

Birthday greeting to Ian A

Not moving very far today. Buses only running on main roads and with more snow forecast for tonight looks like the morrow will be the same

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl,.

Breakfast was porridge with a little aqua vitae,

 

I got ready for shed work with slightly more insulation than normal.

Kilt socks

Fur lined riggers boots

Work trousers

Work shirt

West German army thermal overall liner

Old pair of sailing salopettes

Insulated florescent jacket.

Woolly hat

Thinsulate Kevlar work gloves

 

First thing was a preemptive hot kettle of water on the boiler pipes.

 

The main purpose was to replace the removed section of roof in the alley with a flat shelf 31 3/4 inches by 10 ft. This was successful.

On leaving the shed it was obvious that the snow was beginning to melt.

 

While having a sandwich after 5 hours of shed working, a tractor went past thereafter a few cars have been past so the over night drifts have been cleared. The wind is finally easing a bit.

 

We then took Ben the Border Collie out for his walk we went down our normal lane but gradually got deeper and deeper in snow, eventually we had to leave the lane and took to a field where they'd just pulled the beet. Only slightly easier to walk in the mud...

 

I'm now wrapped up on the sofa, watching Endeavour, last week's, the one after the railway episode. This one based on the army. There are just as many military errors as there were railway...

Edited March 2, 2018 by TheQ

[Gwiwer]

Oooh. Happy Birthday Ian A. Sorry I had missed that earlier.

 

Snowing heavily again here. The past hour has added 5cms to our collection. Public transport badly disrupted. SWR now saying simply “Do not travel”. Nothing running west of Basingstoke other than a very limited service getting through to Southampton. Portsmouth still closed. Chessington, Hampton Court, Dorking and Hounslow Loop lines all closed. Any service remaining will cease by 8pm at the latest.

 

All immediate neighbours who have answered their doors are safe and warm.

[Smiffy2]

If you are registered to EMIS you can download a smartphone app to request prescriptions, make appointments etc. Called Patient Access.

[TheQ]

Oh two things I forgot.

 

Great Yarmouth council have the JCBs out, no not to clear snow.. but after several days of easterlies to clear the sand blown into town.

 

Schools dinners we NOT better than home cooking, I think I've said before my school dinners were so bad, they were on TV.