Early Risers.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a relatiely mild morning here.  After the training course Thursday/ Friday last week, I am sure there is going to be lots to do in the office today.  Still, the course was interesting and productive.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Today marks the beginning of my journey into bankruptcy.  OK, I exaggerate, but only a bit.  The final payment for The Antipodean, a high four figure sum, is now due and it will be a while before my finances recover.  I’m sure that it will be worth every penny.  Other things due to happen this week include an opportunity to show off ones modelling projects to fellow HMRS members on Wednesday, a day in Stevenage with Poorly Pal on Thursday and a trip to Manchester on Saturday for the show.  I am notorious for bringing boxes of bits to the modelling projects evening but l may not do so this year thanks to confidence issues.  I shall just have to admire everyone else’s work.

 

I was at that well-known endurance test, Warley, yesterday.  The Tie was with me but tends to clash with my RMweb name badge - not too many of those about, I noticed - and its new rainbow lanyard.  Fans might like to keep their eyes open at Peterborough on the Saturday because it has an engagement that evening at a gastro pub in Helpston.  I was pleased to have brief encounters with several inmates – sadly not Barry O, who was not at his post when I wandered past - and managed to get round much more of the show than was the case in my lamentable performance last year.  I even collected my first C*****mas card – thank you, 88C.  £2.60 is a bit much to pay for the privilege of making ones own tea but as far as that goes I know that I am a voice in the wilderness.  On the way there I filled the car with unleaded at Kettering Tesco for 120.9p a litre and filled myself with a full English with fried bread and tea at Harry Ramsdens at Corley services [southbound] for £11.38.  My homeward journey avoided the M6 because it is being narrowed so that it can be widened, if that makes sense.  This morning there is residual weariness which I shall treat by soaking my bones and associated skin, muscles etc in Radox or similar.

 

News just in – my application for a visa to enter Australia has been granted!  Phew …

 

Belated birthday greetings to Judge Dread.  I have much sympathy with your yearning to be 25 again because at a couple of events I attended this year I must have been the oldest guy present by some considerable margin and it’s difficult to blend into the crowd when you are.  I’m still smarting from spotting myself on YouTube footage of the parade at Pride Cymru and recoiling in horror at how old I looked!  Warm thoughts to Debs, John and Sandy and all others in distress or missing.

 

Chris

[roundhouse]

Good morning and what a great weekend we had at Warley.

 

Good to see ChrisF yesterday afternoon.

 

Met many people from Rmweb, and nice to see a lot of interest in our Czech layout especially from families where one partner was from that part of the world. One gentleman came all the way from Austira to the show and we had a long chat with him on Saturday - he even has his own narrow gauge railway on his farmland and wants to put overhead wires up so he can run his tram off that rather than battery power.

 

We ran our last train at 5.01pm and the layout was down ready to be wheeled to the car by 5.20pm but it took a bit longer to get the car to outside the hall. Away by 6.10pm adnd after just one hold up on the M40 home by 8.30pm.

 

No more confirmed shows for our layouts (at present) till next March and the first outing is a Freemo meet. Plenty of time to work on the sheds and inside the house weather permitting.

[Barry O]

Morning All!

Woken by cramp in my leg this morning..don't know why.

Nothing planned for this week apart from parcels and crust earning.

Mugatea has arrived so TTFN

Baz

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the Charente.A little damp and cool here.   Not a lot on the agenda this morning.  A Doctors appointment for a prescription update this afternoon is the only thing on the calendar.   Perhaps some time in the shed will be the result.

 

All the best to everyone.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dry start but very dull still with showers possible along with some brighter spells.

A pleasant couple of hours was spent playing with the layout last night.

Tea has been taken up to The Boss  who, by the sound of it, is already on the move, I believe she wants to go shopping. no surprise there then.

I will, as usual take my time and we will go when I am ready which won't be for a while yet.

As well as that some furniture rearranging is scheduled along with more decoration hanging.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl Inner Temple Here,

6 hours solid sleep though I awoke screwed up into a ball, and it was extremely painful straightening up, and a good 10 minutes before I could risk standing up.

As I was about to leave the building, I pressed the switch for the outside lights, and it all went dark...well, the upstairs light was still on, so I stumbled around in the darkeness to find a torch and the step stool, and reset the breaker for the ground floor lights. I then risked the outside light again and it worked. However when I went out with Ben the Border Collie we are down one flood light (LED), however with a full moon even if shaded by clouds Ben went out on patrol.

 

Once he was returned to the house, I set out and the heavens opened, large amounts of leaves were being blown off trees, I suspect by the end of the week there won't be many left.

 

Once on the Main roads through the rain I could see a set of lights in the distance, I slowly was catching up, this I acheived at the edge of Effin Clown Town, however as I slowed for the initial 40 limit he didn't, and carried on at an estimated 50. This continued when we reached the 30 limit, he only slowed to an estimated 35 to 40 when He came up behind some cars. Once we had cleared Wroxham, he sped up again but by this time was so far ahead I only caught him as he slowed for the NDR , He turned left as I turned right.. Oh what was he?... a 44ton canvas sided Artic...

 

Talking of the NDR the council have published the 4 possible routes for the final link on the west side to the A47, Later I'll wander round the Internet to look at the possible choices..

 

Other things on the News a dental company called "My Dentist"  has folded leaving large parts of west and south Norfolk without dentists, Luckily we are in the east. The company says it was unable to recruit dentists and therefore unprofitable, I suspect they were paying less as they had company profits to make and got themselves into a viscious circle..

 

While typing this I've been updating the standard values for the equipment this weeks  major system is measured against, there is about another 15 minutes before that will be avaiable.

 

Time to ... have a 15 minute look at future possible routes..

 

oh found it... I predict route C https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/revealed-western-link-routes-which-could-join-the-ndr-to-the-a47-west-of-norwich-1-5761749

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It looks damp outside.

The postman has been. Packages for Aditi (and her bus pass).

Have a good day.

Tony

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s sunny here in the northwest but cool, according to the app on my phone, it’s 5C, with a 50/50 chance of rain mid morning. Once Sheila has left for her Zumba class, I’ll put the cake, which I started last night, in the oven then I’ll go upstairs and retrieve the cases out of the loft ready for our little outing in a few days.

 

Once the cake has baked, I’m off to Arcadia in Shaw to collect the new Bachmann H1, which Tim has put aside for me, I might be there some time!

 

Back later

[81C]

Some decorations were put up earlier as requested instructed although there are a lot more to go.

Watched the F1 which I thought a bit boring apart from one hair raising moment. Enjoyed the rugby a lot more.

Tonight's repast was a very nice boeuf bourguignon accompanied by a passable Beaujolais. That should stave off the pangs of hunger for a couple of hours!

No wheeled things have been touched so far but there seems to be nothing on the box that I can watch as The Boss seems to have planned her viewing for the evening so I think I will venture up to the railway room.........after another glass of something red.

What hair ???. 

[br2975]

"That's all folks !"

.

Put my 'ticket' in, for the second time.

.

Officially finish New Years Eve - last working day Christmas Eve.

.

39yrs in this lark is too long for any sane person

.

Sighs, and exit stage left

.

Brian R

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Much like ChrisF I have been feeling my age but yesterday afternoon I popped down to town to visit Smiffs to buy a couple of magazines. I actually felt better for the exercise and there was no swollen ankles which is the usual result of spending to much time on my feet. Whilst doing so I had a look in a couple of the 'pop-up' shops that appear at this time of year. One in particular seems to stock a better quality of tat so I took a look and was amazed at some of the electronic stuff that is available including a mini drone no bigger than a saucer. I did consider purchasing said drone for my friends 10-year-old lad until I saw the label 13+. I did see some other things that I'm sure he would have liked such as an enormous remote control tractor but that was too costly. They also stocked a few diecast items from Oxford and Corgi but they were at RRP so no savings to be made there. Muggatee awaits so its be back later.

[PhilJ W]

"That's all folks !"

.

Put my 'ticket' in, for the second time.

.

Officially finish New Years Eve - last working day Christmas Eve.

.

39yrs in this lark is too long for any sane person

.

Sighs, and exit stage left

.

Brian R

Congratulations, and heres wishing you many happy years of retirement.  

[br2975]

Congratulations, and heres wishing you many happy years of retirement.

 

Thanks,

.

Once the wife's "list" is exhausted, I may get to do some modelling !

.

Brian R

[jamie92208]

Thanks,

.

Once the wife's "list" is exhausted, I may get to do some modelling !

.

Brian R

 

Unfortunately that list will never get any shorter in my experience. I wish you good luck.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

I enjoyed today's shopping trip as the major purchases were mainly totally alcohol related!     

 

However I think we will still need to go again for some more bearing in mind the upcoming celebrations.  

[Barry O]

parcels made up and posted.. car mostly unpacked...need a sleep.....

 

Baz

[81C]

I'm a bit richer today a trip we were going on a trip for Christmas shopping at Portsmouth docks Xmas Fair it was cancelled as there was not

enough takers for the coach that was £80 refunded and winter fuel allowance £200, loads of money   

We are out this afternoon for new phones and other various goodies in Hobbycraft, Wickes for some timber and somewhere for reading glasses that's 3 

pair busted in the last fortnight.

 It's lunchtime I'm off Stavros   

[The Lurker]

I trust none of our number has been inconvenienced by the frying of a dozen buses in Orpington in recent days.  I am aware that this has caused a reduction in local services in the short term.  There is obvious shuffling around the fleets to help out since a few of our local vehicles have departed Fulwell and have been replaced in their turn by some from distant Borehamwood still bearing the BT depot code for Borehamwood Travel.  I suspect the need is for particular types to be lent as Orpington depot covers a number of very rural routes restricted to tiny single-deck buses so if those have been lost they will be a priority for replacement.  Otherwise the good folk of Halstead, Knockholt and Cudham will be without buses.  For those playing at home those are the R5 and R10 routes, successors to London Country (and LT Country Area) 431 and 471.  Several other Orpington area routes also require small vehicles to negotiate narrow roads or "Bus gates" 

 

Elder Lurker claimed it delayed him on his journeys to and from school, although as far as I know the 269 and 160 are not Orpington garage buses and the only one running through Sidcup that hails from there is the R11 (Queen Mary's Hospital to Green Street Green). this covers only a small part of his journey unless he has taken to being really lazy and getting the R11 from the stop at the end of our road and along the High Street before changing buses. Half the time he walks all the way because the traffic is slow at Perry Street junction (Frognal Corner) of the A20 and the Chislehurst war memorial, and probably points in between.

[Tony_S]

Is the winter allowance per household or per pensioner?

Tony

Edited November 26, 2018 by Tony_S

[lightengine]

Watched that Escape to the Chateau programme yesterday with Dick Strawmoustache and his red headed extravagant wife, Angel. She must feel so lucky to have landed the bewhiskered sugar daddy. She seems to feel no financial burden. She purchased on Ebay a lamp from the US, that on arrival wasn't a light fitting just an elaborate wall mounted double candle sconce. So off they trotted to the local brocante where they bought 2 light fittings (twice the expense) which Mr Moustacheandahalf had to rewire before fitting (more expense) and a large gilt framed mirror. Then Mrs Extravagance needed some floral wallpaper to go with the pressed flowers she had stuck on a bedroom wall, so with the assistance of an artist she produced a design which she then had produced onto a roll of wallpaper.

 

And we hide away a loco purchase!

[Mike Bellamy]

Tony

 

All covered on the .Gov website

 

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

 

 

 

 

EDIT

 

I tried to copy the table off that site and it went all over the place - payment depends on age and personal circumstances

 

 

.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Mike Bellamy

[Tony_S]

Tony

 

All covered on the .Gov website

 

https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

 

 

 

 

EDIT

 

I tried to copy the table off that site and it went all over the place - payment depends on age and personal circumstances

 

 

.

Thanks I had seen that but more careful reading suggests that the qualification date this year was being 65 on 5 Nov 2018. My wife was 65 on Nov 6th which explains why she didn’t get it this year while I did. The tax statement for her state pension has arrived, the pension should appear in a couple of weeks. Her bus pass came very quickly.

Tony

[Ian Abel]

Morning all...

 

Phew - Thanksgiving weekend was very busy!

Actually quite on "the day" as we had no-one here except Whitney - then Friday was a parade of fun preparation and eating and drinking.

Saturday some recovery and general sorting of the house (dunno why, apparently we STILL need to get more stuff "disposed of" as we continue to prepare for the move next year!)

Saturday evening with our travelling friends to recount our UK trip and devise a plan for going to Chicago in February - "Hamilton" tickets and just because we can.

Sunday much of the day  purchasing and installing festive lights at the front of the house and in one of the trees out front.

That ended the 4-days of "rest"!!

 

Hope those that managed it found Warley worth the trip, one year I WILL manage it I hope.

 

Today, working till 1PM, then off to catch the plane to Long Island again

Weather has been coolish here no snow of an significance yet, but it's "trying" as we speak. -9 and cloudy, high of -6 expected. +8 where I'm headed for the week.

 

Carry on

Edited November 26, 2018 by Ian Abel

[shortliner]

Thanks I had seen that but more careful reading suggests that the qualification date this year was being 65 on 5 Nov 2018. My wife was 65 on Nov 6th which explains why she didn’t get it this year while I did. The tax statement for her state pension has arrived, the pension should appear in a couple of weeks. Her bus pass came very quickly.

Tony

So next year, as there are two of you, you'll get half, and she'll get the other half. - which is how ours comes - quite why they don't put both lots on the same piece of paper and save on postage - is beyond my comprehension! - but that is the Government for you!