Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Day two of mums new place refurbishment been told that it needs a complete rewire. Was half expecting that but the electrician said that all houses are required to have a smart meter by 2020. First I have heard of that.

 

Not correct Ian.  according to the Smart Energy website and this website -

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work#consumer-protections

 

they will be rolled out across the country by 2020 and all energy suppliers will be required to offer them but consumers will have the right to refuse to have one fitted in their home.

 

https://www.smartenergygb.org/en/smart-future/about-the-rollout

[shortliner]

I just KNEW I had something wrong yesterday .............

 

[BoD]

....... definitely no such thing as a free smart meter it would seem.

 

 

What really, really (and I mean really) annoys me is that their adverts tell you that the smart meters are free then they cite installing smart meters as one of the reasons for tariff increases.

[81C]

Day two of mums new place refurbishment been told that it needs a complete rewire. Was half expecting that but the electrician said that all houses are required to have a smart meter by 2020. First I have heard of that.

Ian find yourself a good independent Electician through their trade body  http://www.electricalsafetyregister.com/about.html and have a landlords test done first say

you are renting the property out and if there are issues and you not wasting a huge amount on cash for work that may not need doing sometimes it's just the comsumer

unit (fuse box) that needs replacing trust me I've done work for Landlords and they wouldn't waste a penny, those supplier companies are a rip off all they see is ££££££

I'm lead to belive they use  subcontractors so even they don't know who's coming through your door and give British Gas a wide berth they have a massive mark up so

my ex gas board pals tell me. Good luck.

Edited May 3, 2018 by 81C

[Barry O]

watch out.. rant approaching.....

so tomorrow traffic in Leeds affected by Tour de Yorkshire, on Saturday the city centre is out of bounds as we are having a TUC May Day march, Sunday chaos again as its Tour de Yorkshire with roads shut(again) next Sunday,, another cycle race... typical of Leeds City Council who are good at wasting money but forget that some people do actually play in sports like that great Yorkshire tradition..Cricket.... at weekends....and how much has this tour de Yorkshire cost? (already having road side spectator protection units being put in place) Hope the cyclists have good eyes and tyres to avoid the flipping potholes....

 

The Council and various other bodies say its money well spent but they can never give any sort of realistic returns on investment....

 

Apologies, rant over...

 

Baz

[81C]

watch out.. rant approaching.....

so tomorrow traffic in Leeds affected by Tour de Yorkshire, on Saturday the city centre is out of bounds as we are having a TUC May Day march, Sunday chaos again as its Tour de Yorkshire with roads shut(again) next Sunday,, another cycle race... typical of Leeds City Council who are good at wasting money but forget that some people do actually play in sports like that great Yorkshire tradition..Cricket.... at weekends....and how much has this tour de Yorkshire cost? (already having road side spectator protection units being put in place) Hope the cyclists have good eyes and tyres to avoid the flipping potholes....

 

The Council and various other bodies say its money well spent but they can never give any sort of realistic returns on investment....

 

Apologies, rant over...

 

Baz

Baz I thought the top sport up in your neck of the woods was fishing, nice to see our council is not the only brown nosers in the country

They probably get some freebee's out of it grandstand seats for the race, a slap up meal etc as most of them don't do anything for nothing

these days.

Edited May 3, 2018 by 81C

[roundhouse]

watch out.. rant approaching.....

so tomorrow traffic in Leeds affected by Tour de Yorkshire, on Saturday the city centre is out of bounds as we are having a TUC May Day march, Sunday chaos again as its Tour de Yorkshire with roads shut(again) next Sunday,, another cycle race... typical of Leeds City Council who are good at wasting money but forget that some people do actually play in sports like that great Yorkshire tradition..Cricket.... at weekends....and how much has this tour de Yorkshire cost? (already having road side spectator protection units being put in place) Hope the cyclists have good eyes and tyres to avoid the flipping potholes....

 

The Council and various other bodies say its money well spent but they can never give any sort of realistic returns on investment....

 

Apologies, rant over...

 

Baz

Glad we did Leeds area Easter as a this Bank holiday we are in Brum. Hopefully class 68 hauled up and pushed back on Monday as far as Banbury.

[Ohmisterporter]

Happy birthday Stewart. Congratulations and commiserations elsewhere where appropriate. We had a few days away in the motorhome but I tried to keep up to date when I got the chance: hope I didn't miss anything important. Stay safe all.

[Barry O]

Baz I thought the top sport up in your neck of the woods was fishing, nice to see our council is not the only brown nosers in the country

They probably get some freebee's out of it grandstand seats for the race, a slap up meal etc as most of them don't do anything for nothing

these days.

More cricket played in Yorkshire than in all of the South of England and cycling is very popular here too.. won't comment on who gets what...

Baz

[trisonic]

More cricket played in Yorkshire than in all of the South of England and cycling is very popular here too.. won't comment on who gets what...

Baz

 

Doesn’t sound right,  Baz.  I used to play Saturday and Sunday league cricket in Essex and every sodding village had teams - we had 2 teams each on each day plus the youth team - it was exhausting, I only did it for one season, I think a lot of places have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd team nowadays - then we used to play Essex twice per year then tours overseas like Greece and Holland - no wonder I nearly became an alcoholic...

 

Course if you prove me wrong I’ll be happy......

 

Best, Pete.

Edited May 3, 2018 by trisonic

[grandadbob]

Well the meter man from the not so smart company came and fitted a new electricity meter and not the gas meter I was expecting and had been told three times I was getting. He said it was not unusual and the third time this week that had happened! When I had conversations with these people earlier I was told I HAD to have a smart meter and it was LAW. I said Hollyhocks or something similar as I'd already checked and knew it wasn't. My new meter isn't smart, rather like it's suppliers. The installer chappie was actually a very nice bloke, punctual, tidy and quick. 

A visit to Messrs Sainsbury was then completed and the cupboards are no longer bare.

A phone call was (eventually) received from the car dealer and I'll be collecting my new wheels about noon tomorrow.

All in all a quite satisfactory day so some Pride has been sampled followed by a rather nice Rioja which accompanied a tasty chickeny pasta type dish conjured up by Her Bossness.

 

I.M.H. Appy      

[81C]

Well the meter man from the not so smart company came and fitted a new electricity meter and not the gas meter I was expecting and had been told three times I was getting. He said it was not unusual and the third time this week that had happened! When I had conversations with these people earlier I was told I HAD to have a smart meter and it was LAW. I said Hollyhocks or something similar as I'd already checked and knew it wasn't. My new meter isn't smart, rather like it's suppliers. The installer chappie was actually a very nice bloke, punctual, tidy and quick. 

A visit to Messrs Sainsbury was then completed and the cupboards are no longer bare.

A phone call was (eventually) received from the car dealer and I'll be collecting my new wheels about noon tomorrow.

All in all a quite satisfactory day so some Pride has been sampled followed by a rather nice Rioja which accompanied a tasty chickeny pasta type dish conjured up by Her Bossness.

 

I.M.H. Appy      

So it's the Chelsea cruise for you on Saturday are you getting spinners to bling it up a bit. YO BRO 

[JohnDMJ]

Morning Awl,

 

Bad news regarding my model railway. As SWMBO has gradually, but inoxerably, taken over a chunk of the workshop/hobby room and as I find my self doing less model railway modelling than before, I have decided to halve the planned layout, reducing it from a "roundy roundy" to an L-shape with fiddle yards. The question is: do I keep the country market town with "St Custards" or do I keep the urban junction (for which  have already built a pub [The Brunel] and a row of Georgian terraced house. Answers on a postcard, please.

 

iD

 

Suggest stick with what's built if you're happy with the construction!

 

it, would have to be a very smart meter, since mobile phones rarely work where I live, either way Ill put it off until I have to,. That way they've got more chance of them being Universal and wroking better by then.

 

Is that wroking and wrolling?

 

A colleague's getting married tomorrow, May 4th - we're wondering if he was forced into it?

Edited May 3, 2018 by JohnDMJ

[Barry O]

Doesn’t sound right,  Baz.  I used to play Saturday and Sunday league cricket in Essex and every sodding village had teams - we had 2 teams each on each day plus the youth team - it was exhausting, I only did it for one season, I think a lot of places have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd team nowadays - then we used to place Essex twice per year then tours overseas like Greece and Holland - no wonder I nearly became an alcoholic...

 

Course if you prove me wrong I’ll be happy......

 

Best, Pete.

Pete

 

currently 800+ clubs in Yorkshire alone (it is a very big county) and others who play friendlies.  We have 4 premier Leagues in Yorkshire each with 12 teams. essex Legue has 1 with 3 divisions of 10 teams (their season doesn't start till 12th May.)

Not sure the exact figures but umpires and scorers in the Northern Region (Yorkshire , Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland have larger numbers than most of the Southern regions combined but have the same number of votes (1) as the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Essex etc.. as you can tell...iys a sore point. Biggest problem is that the numbers playing is on a steady decline.

 

Baz

[Gwiwer]

Evening all. It has been a hectic couple of days Upon the Hill of Strawberries. My apologies for absence from matters trivial and of life and death.

Tonight marked the culmination of a year’s worth of very challenging work for SWMBO. She has been ultimately responsible for the interpretation within the now-reopened Temperate House at Kew Gardens. She had one year to achieve what her colleagues in horticulture, botany and the building teams had five years for. And it has been the reason she was recruited in the first place; her original, contemporary and engaging style of storytelling is now there for all to see ranging from maps, signs, questions and thought-provoking text to a unique display - fully signed and described - of a large empty pot. Because the plant is extinct. And this is what extinction looks like.

Tonight was the cocktail-party opening ceremony with 500 guests. Sir David Attenborough performed the ceremony and in his speech he mentioned that the interpretation is a major step forward for Kew.

We had both been surprised a little earlier to have had Sir David introduced to us; he commended her then on the outstanding work and said how much it represented a step-change for the better.

Just what does one say when one’s hero tells you your work is outstanding. The chap in between is Kew’s director
 

 

 

 

It has been quite a night. SWMBO also features on several media websites and will be in the papers tomorrow. Now it is time to put the gin-and-grapefruit cocktails to bed, sleep deeply with twelve very challenging months behind us and move onwards and upwards from the morning.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by Gwiwer

[lightengine]

God I feel dizzy

[BoD]

You must be very proud Rick.

I'm delighted things have turned out well for your good lady.

[PhilJ W]

Gwiwers SWMBO is Australian after all.

Edited May 3, 2018 by PhilJ W

[JohnDMJ]

Evening all. It has been a hectic couple of days Upon the Hill of Strawberries. My apologies for absence from matters trivial and of life and death.

Wretched iPhone.  It always inverts or rotates images.  I'll run them through the desktop and re-post

 

Hold the 'phone upside-down!

[Gwiwer]

Hold the 'phone upside-down!

 

If only that worked!

 

It seems to be a version incompatibility thing.   There never used to be a problem until IOS on the phone got out of step with MacOS on the computer.  The former is up to date but the latter is no longer supported and cannot run the latest OS.  Image orientation is one of a few irritating issues which have arisen.  Until the required moolah arises to buy a new computer I shall have to live with them.

[laurenceb]

Congratulations to Mrs Rick

Thoughts with those in need

Night awl

[The Stationmaster]

Congratulations to Mrs Rick - will they be naming a ship after her next I wonder?

[newbryford]

 Hope the cyclists have good eyes and tyres to avoid the flipping potholes....

 

 

 

HB Stewart.

 

Watching the TdeY for a few minutes on the tellybox, I noticed large sections of nice shiny new tarmac.

'Twas the same when the proper Le Tour came to Yorkshire a few years ago. All the roads used for the route had a good (repaired) surface. So it's not all bad if a big cycle race comes your way.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I posted these pics on fixmystreet.com

 

This had previously been reported (not by me) - and "repaired" in January and is clearly on the cycle line. It had been called a "cycle killer" - with apologies to Talking Heads

 

However, it isn't a wide road and whilst avoiding the above in a car puts you in line for these two monsters...

 

A day after the post, I received an auto-reply from Lancashire County Council acknowledging my report and  the next day they were repaired. Having said that, the quality of repair looks like it may not survive next winter.

 

Junior NB duly deposited at MAN this morning to visit her cousin and a good journey both ways allowed me a 25 minute snooze in the car at a layby near work......

She's currently nearing her second landing at Charlotte NC, staying overnight there before collecting a car and driving to WV

My three "presents" with round metal bits about 16.5mm apart are already packed with my niece and they should be in my mitts in less than two weeks....... 

 

More triathlon training has been undertaken. I went for my first "proper" swim in many years last night at the local triathlon club. The coach was informed that I did not possess Junior NB's swimming abilities. She swims in the "top" lane - I was very much in the slow lane. I'm OK at breast stroke and could do 1500m in about 45 minutes at last count.

It has been many, many years since I last attempted front crawl for anymore than a few strokes and I certainly showed the coach "How it shouldn't be done"!

By the end of the hour having Rob the coach showing me a few things I was knackered, but had accomplished a few lengths without swallowing large amounts of pool water.

 

Apparently front crawl is better than breast stroke for sciatica. The back is mostly fine tonight, but I do have a few aching muscles that haven't been exercised in that way for a number of years.

 

Some more bike riding may be attempted in the next day or two.

 

Tomorrow begins with a work-related trip to a well known purveyor of recreational items near Widnes. It may also happen that I purchase one or more of their items for sale.....

 

Have a good Friday folks and POETS if you can.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[monkeysarefun]

Evening all. It has been a hectic couple of days Upon the Hill of Strawberries. My apologies for absence from matters trivial and of life and death.

 

Tonight marked the culmination of a year’s worth of very challenging work for SWMBO. She has been ultimately responsible for the interpretation within the now-reopened Temperate House at Kew Gardens. She had one year to achieve what her colleagues in horticulture, botany and the building teams had five years for. And it has been the reason she was recruited in the first place; her original, contemporary and engaging style of storytelling is now there for all to see ranging from maps, signs, questions and thought-provoking text to a unique display - fully signed and described - of a large empty pot. Because the plant is extinct. And this is what extinction looks like.

 

Tonight was the cocktail-party opening ceremony with 500 guests. Sir David Attenborough performed the ceremony and in his speech he mentioned that the interpretation is a major step forward for Kew.

 

We had both been surprised a little earlier to have had Sir David introduced to us; he commended her then on the outstanding work and said how much it represented a step-change for the better.

 

Just what does one say when one’s hero tells you your work is outstanding. The chap in between is Kew’s director

 

 

 

 

Just watched a piece about this on the ABC TV morning news show down here in Sydney, 5 minutes before I found this post.

 

Congratulations to the Mrs, she is an international star!  (even if it is a fake country...)

Edited May 3, 2018 by monkeysarefun

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

Well the sun never actually showed itself today, but it came very close. However, it did warm up nicely and it didn’t rain either so it wasn’t all bad.

 

On paper it doesn’t look as though I got an awful lot done, but I’m actually quite pleased with what I’ve achieved. My first job was to remove the old blinds and fit the new roller blinds, in both the shed and workshop, as I’d just dumped them on the bench yesterday and they were in the way. Although I think I might get a bigger blind for the workshop door, as there is a slight gap, which a little bigger than I’d anticipated. In-between that I also painted the bench trunking. It looks a lot better now it’s white, than the slightly chipped and rusty mid grey that it used to be. I’ve also fitted the trim to the edges of the worktop, which are currently under clamps until they dry. I will trim the edges of it once the clamps have been removed. I’ve not attempted to move any storage drawers or shelving yet, I’ll do that once I’ve wired up the bench.

 

Tomorrow I might not be posting, as we are going to Derbyshire for the day and we will meet up some friends later on for a meal, a good old chin wag and a few drinks.

 

Rick. Congratulations to Sharon.

 

Goodnight all.