Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Smashing!

 

Sing me a Hebridean song.

 

Sorry I don't want to break your Speakers, However I used to live on Benbecula, which is nicknamed "The Dark Island" Back in the 1960's a Piping Song Called the Dark Island was given Lyrics for a TV series Called the Dark Island, Which was mostly filmed on the Next Island down, South Uist. Heres someone who can sing.. with pictures mostly of Benbecula..

 

And in the Gàidhlig. 

 

and of course at school we had to learn partly in the Gaelic

 

https://youtu.be/eQLbjejkRiE

Edited October 16, 2018 by TheQ

[NGT6 1315]

Mawnin‘ awl. Gee, I’m going to need another nap later...

 

Bit cloudy but still unusually balmy for this time of year. Oddly, I seem to be able to deal with the crash on Friday quite well. I presume this may be because the event highlighted how well protected you are on a tram! In addition, I guess the first thing for me to have consciously noticed immediately after the impact to have been the motorist unfastening his seat belt and alighting unaided will have been just as important.

 

Will try posting again later...

[Barry O]

Morning to most from a damp and misty North West Leeds Highlands.

(Evening, afternoon to those not in the UK).

Ears still ringing from last night's concert. A Brilliant show..average age of the audience 60 ish.

Transpires the "musical director" was at the same music college (now the Birmingham Conservatoire) but the year after she started.

 

As for today, well a trip to the doctors, a bit of walkabout and some crust earning are on the "to do" list.

 

First a mugatea.

 

Have a great day, glad to hear you are OK Dom.

Baz

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Here,

A terrible nights sleep, my stomach doing all sorts of somersaults, It's not been right since that chinese last week...

 

I left Early for work by a couple of Minutes because Ben the Scaredy cat Border Collie, refused his patrol this morning, a cloudy sky with heavy fog meant you couldn't see a thing..

 

 This mornings Cockwomble award goes to the cyclist on the 70MPH dual carriageway NDR, barely visible in the fog, he did have a floursecent armless jacket on... with a black haversack on the back...

 

I got an email yesterday to go and collect my new ESD lab Coat,,,,, In cheap chinese sizing that should be XXXXXL, Nothing above XXL in the boxes,. Why? because those that had tried on coats when the demo items came and were put down for an L have found that when they  got the issue ones they need an XXL. Added to that they have taken on 15 new people over the last few weeks, who were issued coats from the boxes, even though they were not down on the list for them.. Emails have been sent.

 

Our outer lab is very quiet, I suspect much of the equipment we used to get from Europe is being diverted to other sites in Europe and America due to Brexit..

 

While waiting for the next resistance measurement of 205 measurements to settle, I shall now go look at campaign hardware..

[Purley Oaks]

Ha, 3 and a half hours of my life I will never get back.

2 months ago my Mother decided to give my niece a fairly sizeable sum towards a property purchase. This was said in front of her solicitor as she changed her will and removed my niece from it.

Today we go to the bank to transfer the sum across and Mother decides to answer all the spoken questions stupidly. For instance, when asked "are you giving this money willingly?" She replied "kind of". This answer was purely because the property purchase is proceeding quicker than she thought.

So, the bank person sought advice from another colleague. A similar question brought forth a similarly inane answer.

A third person was called for. As she entered the office I said I would leave so that they could talk to my Mother alone.

After 20/25 minutes they all came out and nothing had been done as Mother had answered that she is being "blackmailed".

I fully understand that the bank have security to apply and that they have followed procedure. That is not in question.

Luckily another bank made a transfer.

But, now my nieces solicitor has said she cannot accept the transfer of the money. She has been a solicitor for 25 years and never heard of such a palaver before.

 

 

This is what you need Ivan (Horsetan) for!

 

Earlier this evening I had a phone call from my brother who lives in Canada. He sent me an email just over a week ago telling me he and his wife were coming over for a short holiday. They flew in to Manchester yesterday morning and are currently in Wigan, staying with one of his wife’s sisters. After a quick chat we’ve arranged to meet up on Thursday afternoon, which will be nice, as we haven’t seen each other for about 10 years.

 

 

Sounds great, Brian, hope you have a smashing reunion party.

 

Somehow I knew you'd be talking about the white stuff before we got to Halloween. It is freezing overnight in eastern parts of Oregon.

 

 

Quite nice it is with the leaves changing colours. The sun is setting on a particularly iridescent maple as I type this.

 

Like Andy's shiny Lake, Autumn in the Pacific Northwest can be a lovely time of year. It is incontestably my favourite.

 

To think I spent yesterday afternoon indoors in a cinema seems almost blasphemous. I watched the "First Man" biopic of Neil Armstrong. It is a bit dark and moody but I would recommend it.

 

EDIT: What pray tell is a "Lazy Kate" Is she related to the similarly indolent Susan? (I did look it up.)

 

Apparently Paul Allen (of Microsoft fame) has died. He owns the Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchise and the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise. I have seen him seated right of the hoop on the end near the home bench at Blazers' games many times. He also spent a lot of money on undersea research, his teams recently locating several significant WW2 era shipwrecks. Sadly even wealth and excellent medical care is not a match for some cancers.

Saw First Man on Friday - it's a thoughtful film, not one where you leave the cinema feeling good about everything. Edited to add: anyone watch Autumnwatch from New England yesterday? Chris and Michaela have a great rapport on screen. Miss Martin double-barrel - he'd've been in the water on the lake searching out stuff on the bottom.

 

 

Chrisf wrote: Then came the announcement from Kensington Palace.  This may be seen as treason but I for one do not give a donald duck that the Duchess of Sussex is with child and until long after the sprog is born we will not hear the last of it.

 

And when they did the morning's papers on R4's Today they spent a load of it dealing with Australian newspapers (huh?) and their coverage of the royal visit there. Is the BBC really so obsequious and unchallenging?

 

Mal

Edited October 16, 2018 by Purley Oaks

[Purley Oaks]

Good morning all

 

Getting the garden ready for the house sale yesterday, Gabe managed to slice the top off one of her fingers - just a small slice, but still nasty - this is even more important because she is a deep tissue massage therapist so will lose work for two weeks. Doc says to cover it for 5 days and that new skin should have grown over in 10.

 

On the plus side, it means she's here to deal with stuff, which is great.

 

Now I have a load of work to do, better get on!

 

Hope your day goes well

 

Mal

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the Charente. It's brighter than yesterday but clouding over. The G word has been mentioned so I better gird my loins and prepare to wield the hedge trimmer and the loppers at front of the house.

This afternoon I am off to see the mayor to hopefully get a permit for a bonfire. By some strange coincidence we have decided that the evening of November 5th would be a good day.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Overcast at the moment but some sunny spells are possible later.

All quiet here and nothing special planned for today, not even the usual visit from Joe and Gemma which has been postponed until tomorrow so I may play with some toys.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[Happy Hippo]

 This may be seen as treason but I for one do not give a donald duck that the Duchess of Sussex is with child and until long after the sprog is born we will not hear the last of it.

 

Chris

You are not alone Chris.

 

I have not found anyone around in Horton who has wet themselves with excitement over the news you mention.

 

Last night, the OFMC was far more excited because there were Kitkat styled biscuits for tea break rather than Aldi's finest Chocolate Oaties.

 

However, they were ecstatic that I had tidied up and reorganised so that all tools and other implements were easily found or ready to hand.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s another dull day here in the northwest. This morning will see the completion of the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, today however, I’ll have the company of Sheila as she wants to go to the card shop to get an anniversary card for me, I’m already sorted out for one for her. At the end of the month we will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. Very few of our friends thought we’d make it to 40 months, never mind 40 years, (I’ll admit that I had a bit of a bad reputation), but how wrong they were.

 

After dinner we are then going to Waitrose for the few things we can’t get locally.

 

Back later.

[newbryford]

Evening. it appears the C*&^%$£as rush has started - either that or 'that' TV programme has stimulated lot of sales!

 

 

Nah - it's called the end of a long hot summer and the shed/garage/loft is now cool enough to play trains in.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

[BlackRat]

I must admit ....That following certain job related interactions with a certain well connected family....I went from staunch monarchist to ardent republican overnight!

 

Recent news, marriages, births etc have done nothing to change my mind!

 

Still there's finishing off tidying the study/ workshop to take my mind off things and like Mrs BR said.....you've enough here to open a shop ( or 2!).

 

I've found 'lost' Coopercraft van kits, as well as a pack of their assorted ends, a David Geen butter van kit, several Parkside kits and an eclectic mix of Cambrian and Chivers Fineline kits so they should keep me going for a bit!

[TheQ]

Just been on the local radio in relation to words on this thread yesterday about bus passes.

One of our most popular bus routes  "The Norfolk Coast Hopper" bus may be stopped,

Why?

 

 Because it's too popular with pensioners, so they don't pay and the few that do have to pay don't cover the costs...

 

The UK has an average age of 40 years old, North Norfolk Has the second highest average age in the UK at 52.7.

[chrisf]

Q, I thought that the Norfolk Coast Hopper was already no more.  For a couple of months or more several buses which used to work it have been running around the Bedford area complete with route branding.

 

Chris 

[Purley Oaks]

Am sure that Paul Allen put a lot of money into cancer research and treatments, just a shame that he's died so relatively young, a bit like Steve Jobs.

 

Paul Allen spent a lot of money on a Jimi Hendrix museum in Seattle; only mention that because a couple of 'new' Jimi Hendrix singles are being released for Record Store Day on US Black Friday, one is a track with Jayne Mansfield recorded before he became well known, the others are 3 mono tracks from Electric Ladyland.

 

Annoying because they keep releasing stuff piecemeal to get the most $$. The Mansfield track is an alternate take to the original one, which is very hard to find, so why not issue both? Just a curio, really, and not very good tbh.

 

Just a pet peeve of mine.

 

Have tickets to see newish folk duo The Marriage in early November here in town. Johnny Marr in Glasgow a week later. Cannae wait, as they say.

 

Mal

[Purley Oaks]

Just been on the local radio in relation to words on this thread yesterday about bus passes.

One of our most popular bus routes  "The Norfolk Coast Hopper" bus may be stopped,

Why?

 

 Because it's too popular with pensioners, so they don't pay and the few that do have to pay don't cover the costs...

 

The UK has an average age of 40 years old, North Norfolk Has the second highest average age in the UK at 52.7.

Joined-up thinking would possibly mean that buses are fast, frequent and (possibly) free which would get more people out of their cars, so more room for buses to move.

 

The Edinburgh bus service is superb, free with buspass, apart from the night and airport bus. The tram to the airport is free with the correct bus pass.

 

Mal

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Contrary to Norfolk we appear to have 'bus routes breeding here with yet another one noted in recent weeks although I suspect that it's only really viable between here and Reading (where we already have two operators competing + the train, often quicker than the 'bus despite an intermediate change) so it's now a question of which ones will vanish first, and it won't be the German owned ones.

 

Weather is currently 'not raining' but it's very soggy out there and the mist is still obscuring the Russian billionaire's pile on the opposite side of the valley; no doubt in better repair nowadays, and well fortified judging by all the entrances from the highway but far more 'interesting' to my mind when it was used in a St Trinians film a few years ago in 2007, how time flies.

 

Talking about average ages etc here are some statistics for Oxfordshire (the average age was 39.5 in 2017).  The health figures are interesting as the county obviously has a lot of youngsters hitting the bottle and it isn't an ideal place to be out on the roads -

 

http://fingertipsreports.phe.org.uk/health-profiles/2017/e10000025.pdf

 

Have a good day one and all

[TheQ]

Q, I thought that the Norfolk Coast Hopper was already no more.  For a couple of months or more several buses which used to work it have been running around the Bedford area complete with route branding.

 

Chris 

I think the company that ran it changed, the company currently running it, uses yellowy orange buses labeled Sanders. it was Lynx buses or Norfolk green buses.

 I've used Edinburgh busses and trams but being an outsider I have to pay.. but £4.80 for a days pass wasn't bad (same price in Norwich)

Edited October 16, 2018 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. News of another royal sprog has me reaching for the sick bag and my late fathers comments would probably be unprintable. The only thing that stops me from being a republican is Donald Trump, be careful what you wish for. Back to the usual things now, bright and sunny outside, hope it lasts. Muggatee to be drunk so its be back later.

[Tony_S]

Afternoon all.

After Googling my symptoms I think it sounds more like Novichok than food poisoning! I have resisted suggestions to go the doctor as I am showing signs of improvement.

I have not really had any interactions with royalty. The Queen drove past my infant school in Somerset. We took my parents to London and Prince Philip was driven out of what I think was Horse Guards. Dad was horrified at the sloppy presentation of arms etc. A new building for computer related subjects was due to be opened by a member of the royal family. I was asked if I could attend as I had helped with some of the network systems. I declined on the grounds that I would be otherwise engaged that day. Nice boss said let him know what that was when I had thought of something. It didn’t matter as quite a few people wanted to go. I am glad I didn’t have to read all the how to behave advice though.

Tony

[Mike Bellamy]

' Evening all from red dragon land.

 

. . . . .   After lunch we went for a walk over the footbridge and noticed, just as the sun comes out, a tree branch across the track blocking the route to Llandudno.  

 

 

Hi Polly

 

Many many years ago I helped to paint that bridge . . . . . . 

 

I was an occasional visitor to the Walsall Steam Railway operated by Colin Cartwright, where two of my friends from the local model railway club were regular drivers of the live steam locos there (71/4 if I remember correctly?)

 

Colin had just bought the Museum and so we all went across to help with some of the renovation and slept in one of the coaches for the weekend - and Sunday was bridge painting day. Of course we also had great fun on the miniature line as well !

 

Mike

[Purley Oaks]

I think the company that ran it changed, the company currently running it, uses yellowy orange buses labeled Sanders. it was Lynx buses or Norfolk green buses.

 I've used Edinburgh busses and trams but being an outsider I have to pay.. but £4.80 for a days pass wasn't bad (same price in Norwich)

Day Saver here is just £4.00. Singles £1.70.

[Mike Bellamy]

I don't want to be seen to be jumping to conclusions, but it's just possible that Debs is at home rather than in hospital.

 

On another topic about 7mm trackwork, a member here has just received a set of 31.5mm roller gauges from her (or perhaps someone posting them out for her?)

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/137617-actual-track-gauge/?p=3333728

 

Lets hope that it's all good news from now on . . . . . . 

 

Mike

.

[Tony_S]

Aditi’s uncle in California sent us a copy of a Polaroid photo he took of us in August 1977. You may wonder why I am still somewhat casually dressed compared to Aditi. MiL had invited a few hundred of her closer friends and had insisted that Aditi was ready early to greet people. Some of us were still arranging tables for the food. The function was supposed to start at 2 so MiL had told any English guests 2pm and the Indians 12 o clock so they wouldn’t be late! This used to really annoy Aditi’s Dad who was single handedly trying to convert their friends to being punctual. An Iranian friend of theirs turned up at 11am.

 

 

 

[lightengine]

No excitement at the news of a new royal? Why not? A generational throwback and we may have a Prince Leroy.