Early Risers.

[lightengine]

Who came back with Aditi.

 

Jamie

Was it Red Rum? Edited January 8, 2019 by lightengine

[Coombe Barton]

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/01/07/sandys-chemo-day-20-of-126/

[BR60103]

My father said that during the war some of the Canadian troops were stationed in Scotland (for training?) and applied for duty in the Middle East.

 

He also said that commonwealth troops were issued pay at the local rate i.e. same as British Army; American troops were given the full lot.

 

I never saw the red banner.

[Ozexpatriate]

I never saw the red banner.

Count yourself lucky!

[Ozexpatriate]

Perhaps this story is being picked up by the news in the UK but if not, this is a novel approach to managing stress due to commuter rail delays.

A woman is recording her commuter train delays by knitting them on a scarf

 

I guess that DB isn't winning any prizes for punctuality.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

Dark and damp is the order of the day this morning.  It is also rather mild for the time of year.

 

Michael is right, DB are not winning any punctuality prizes at the moment.  In fact, there has been a lot in the media of late as to how bad the situation has got.  Punctual trains are something that the Germans take for granted!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I had a haircut yesterday afternoon, having been shocked at the unkempt appearance of my barnet in a recent photograph.  For an investment of a mere £9 for a shampoo and style the mop has been brought under control, if only for a week or two.  It was also a bit of light relief after the counselling session, in which I was prompted to recall [too?] much about my murky past.  Earlier, I discovered that two freshly ironed socks belonging to different pairs have gone missing.  Any further searching is likely to be futile but I know, and you know, that they are in the house somewhere and are bound to turn up.  Yeah, right.

 

It seems that I need to buy a new flight bag for my trip down under.  I had hoped to use one of the sports bags - yes, really - that I use for weekend breaks but I find that both of them are too big.  The next bit of agonising will be over how much local currency to take with me and how much I will lose if I do not spend it all, but that is for another day.  Today I will be with Poorly Pal in Stevenage.  Perhaps, for once, the outcome will be a successful day's m*d*ll*ng.  Whilst in Stevenage, I need to collect my advance ticket for the show on Sunday.

 

A propos of nothing in particular, I am a tad miffed with a regular correspondent on Messenger.  He is active on it several times a day yet has not seen fit to respond to a post made on Saturday.  How rude.  How sinister ...

 

Warm thoughts to John and Sandy and to all in distress or missing

 

Chris

[chrisf]

Perhaps this story is being picked up by the news in the UK but if not, this is a novel approach to managing stress due to commuter rail delays.

 

A woman is recording her commuter train delays by knitting them on a scarf

 

I guess that DB isn't winning any prizes for punctuality.

 

Th woman with whom I shared a compartment from Mainz to Cologne on Thursday was knitting.  I wonder ...

 

Chris

[Ozexpatriate]

It seems that I need to buy a new flight bag for my trip down under.  I had hoped to use one of the sports bags - yes, really - that I use for weekend breaks but I find that both of them are too big.  The next bit of agonising will be over how much local currency to take with me and how much I will lose if I do not spend it all, but that is for another day.

Chris, I'm not sure what airline(s) you will be flying but carry on cabin baggage restrictions inside and out of Australia have become draconian to the point of them actually weighing even the carry on bags on outbound flights - with a maximum limit of 7kg (15lb). If you plan to travel with computer and/or camera gear (like I usually do when visiting Australia) it is very easy to exceed 7kg.

 

I don't endorse my compatriots in this - I find it excessive and something I previously only encountered with the likes of Lufthansa. The claim is that it is a safety precaution - for the benefit of flight crew and passengers.

 

I will stipulate that no passenger should attempt to carry on a bag larger or heavier than he/she can comfortably hoist over his/her head without dropping it on someone*, but some individual responsibility and discretion seems better to me than a one-size fits all rule. 

 

* I have seen this happen, and *almost* happen many times.

 

EDIT: One of the handiest travel gadgets I have purchased is a hand-held scale designed to weigh luggage.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[TheQ]

Was it Red Rum?

 

Shergar?

[AndyID]

Chris, I'm not sure what airline(s) you will be flying but carry on cabin baggage restrictions inside and out of Australia have become draconian to the point of them actually weighing even the carry on bags on outbound flights - with a maximum limit of 7kg (15lb). If you plan to travel with computer and/or camera gear (like I usually do when visiting Australia) it is very easy to exceed 7kg.

 

I don't endorse my compatriots in this - I find it excessive and something I previously only encountered with the likes of Lufthansa. The claim is that it is a safety precaution - for the benefit of flight crew and passengers.

 

I will stipulate that no passenger should attempt to carry on a bag larger or heavier than he/she can comfortably hoist over his/her head without dropping it on someone*, but some individual responsibility and discretion seems better to me than a one-size fits all rule. 

 

* I have seen this happen, and *almost* happen many times.

 

EDIT: One of the handiest travel gadgets I have purchased is a hand-held scale designed to weight luggage.

 

Flying is such a PITA. The heifers keep changing the rules. It used to be fun, but not any more.

 

I have to be in Aspen in a couple of weeks for a few days skiing (chorus: Poor you, Yankee pillock!) but I'll drive rather than fly. I better allow an extra day or two for the trip in case a huge storm rolls in from the Pacific.

 

I'm almost 70 and I'm probably pushing my luck with this skiing lark, but like many ERs I'm a cancer survivor and that does tend to focus your priorities.

[dseagull]

Morning all.

 

Muggacoffee before heading off to work. Have booked the car in for MOT today, so hopefully all will be OK. Fortunately there is a test centre next door to work, so have decided to use that one. Tonight's task will be to sort the insurance, always a 'fun' exercise.

 

Hope all have a good day.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple here,

Only 3.5 hours till I first awoke today, something to do with the wind howling around the house, I suspect.

 

We are promised gusting 50 for the whole of today and well into tomorrow. Bacton to Ostend is on a flood alert, the Whole of the Broads and the Norfolk coast south of Ostend is on a flood warning (the next level down of panic). This is because  we have a Northerly gale and it's spring tides today. https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings. The first High tide today is about 08:00 at Bacton. (the area My house is in, is on an Island of white, no flood risk, surrounded by a sea of orange, flood alert. I wonder why I chose this house and not the ones I look down on half a mile away?

 

Ben the Border Collie was good this morning, as soon as he was finished he ran back to the house, leaving me to walk down from behind the tree that was sheltering me from the wind..

 

Yesterday a major system, that has been broken since the middle of November, was returned. So much for just in time delivery of spare parts..

It'll have a week of continuous runs against a unit it tests, if that shows to be stable, I'll calibrate it late next week.

 

For many commonwealth troops stationed in the UK during WW2, going onto UK wages will have been an increase in pay. Probably only the ANZACs and Canadians may have had a pay cut.

 

Time to take the next measurement on this weeks major system... 10 M Ohms...

Edited January 8, 2019 by TheQ

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Today will be mostly dry and breezy with sunny spells. Hopefully.

Yesterday I claimed no red boxes would be harmed by me. I must keep telling myself that. 

 I am reliably informed that the house is in a mess and needs cleaning. It would seem that this is totally my fault so my assistance in putting it right would be appreciated. 

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

 

Now then, where's the hoover?

 

Have a good one,

 

Number 6.

 

 

Nearly forgot. It's Tuesday which means that Joe and Gemma will be visiting us later. This is a very good thing and will as usual make my day!    

Edited January 8, 2019 by grandadbob

[roundhouse]

Ah carry on baggage - If I recall rightly Ryanair now charge for carry on bags and I believe that Frontier in the USA also do. Queezyjet only allow one item carry on but we have found a way around it so far - sling one bag over the other on same shoulder. Its worked quite a few times since they brought the new restriction in but if it came to shove we could probably squash one bag into the other. We dont do check in baggage these days even for our most recent two week trip to the USA - much easier to carry minimum clothes and wash  the first night of any two or more night same hotel stays - for a few minutes hassle washing it saves lugging heavy bags around. Also save time hanging around waiting for the bags on the carousels. Gives us more VDT!

 

Morning all. Fell asleep around 9.30pm but woke up at 2am so still suffering with the time difference. One advantage is that I have been downstairs transferring files form the current server to the older one as a further back up. Also finished a new sound decoder installtion and programmed the CV values to get the volume down and also ditch lights working correctly on this HO scale CSX loco.

 

Breakfast in Spoons this morning with a friend so that I can hand over the 21st Amendment brewing T shirt and a few other bits to him. Then to see Mum for first time this year.

Edited January 8, 2019 by roundhouse

[BoD]

Was it Red Rum?

  

Shergar?

Sam?

[roundhouse]

The next bit of agonising will be over how much local currency to take with me and how much I will lose if I do not spend it all, but that is for another day.

 

 

These days we often draw cash out on our bank / cheque card when the currency we take with us gets low and quite often its as good as the rate form the best currency exchange people here even taking into account the banks charging for the use of their ATM's. Just have to be careful as quite often you can only draw around £200 worth out per day abroad and due to the current carp £ value we were sometimes spending that much per day between the two of us on food beer travel.

Edited January 8, 2019 by roundhouse

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

The sun is shining but it’s cool, only 6C according to the app on my phone. Very soon WE will be doing the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, apparently I will have company today. Once that’s done and the shopping has been put away, it’s a quick muggertea then off to Costco for a few bits. Then after dinner WE will once again go out to Waitrose for the i5ems we can no longer buy locally. Oh joy

 

Back later

[81C]

Good morning all,

Today will be mostly dry and breezy with sunny spells. Hopefully.

Yesterday I claimed no red boxes would be harmed by me. I must keep telling myself that. 

 I am reliably informed that the house is in a mess and needs cleaning. It would seem that this is totally my fault so my assistance in putting it right would be appreciated. 

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

No red boxes will be harmed by me.

 

Now then, where's the hoover?

 

Have a good one,

 

Number 6.

 

 

Nearly forgot. It's Tuesday which means that Joe and Gemma will be visiting us later. This is a very good thing and will as usual make my day!    

Can't see that lasting long I know him too well,    Btw every-one last night he was saying he would not mind some coaches. 

Opps Her is here I'm off to get ready .Laters. 

                                                                                  S.A.Doe                                   

[grandadbob]

For S.A Doe read S.U.P Ergrass! 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,  

 

And a nice sunny one it is at the moment  

 

Amusement of the day so far is yet another flyer from McCarthy and Stone trying to inveigle purchasers to Changi Camp.  In view if the fact that the place is plastered with signs saying they'r selling fast or try it before buying etc it would appear that they are actually being no more successful in selling flats than they have been up to now.  Their flyer is clearly not designed for local people who know the truth - for example it says their development 'is located ina quiet area' - yeah, right next to one of the busier roads leading into or out of the town;  and 'it's still only half a mile from the town centre'. (according to Google Maps and my local experience it's actually a mile from the town centre.  But not to worry because the 'train station' is nearby (0.7 of a mile) as is a swimming pool (1.7 miles) and 'local shops' - the nearest local shop is also 0.7 of a mile away.  I can see why they're confused about the station because if you're on the side away from the main road you'll be able to see and hear the passing trains.  I really do wonder who they are trying to kid.

 

The cold is currently winning - little sleep last night so I'll probably slump over the keyboard today but at least last night' sore throat seems to have abated.

 

Have a good day one and all

[jamie92208]

As we're on the edge of Midsomer Murders land (it's set in Bucks and Oxon) - with various locations locally being used in the series over the years - I reckon you'd probably be a lot safer in Somerset although Cornwall and possibly Devon would be distinctly dodgy..

I think you would have to add Shetland and an area north of Newcastle U Tyne to that list.

 

I may have to purchase seven red boxes......

 

Cheers,

Mick

I can supply a large quantity of red boxes wrapped in shiny paper with C*******s logos, on request.   They are currently hanging on various hedges and lampposts round the village and Beth and friend Shiela will be taking them down soon.  Prices would be very reasonable.

 

For S.A Doe read S.U.P Ergrass! 

What happened to your conversion to the sensible gauge Bob.

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Jamie,  I've got far too much smaller stuff to just get rid of. 

Two boards have been built for O gauge shunting porpoises, track has been purchased and several wagons received as Christmas presents to go with my two locos so it is a work in (slow) progress.

Currently considering options for increasing layout space so that I can play properly with both gauges.  Just trying to decide between moving into loft or putting up new building in garden. I will hopefully be getting some quotes for both options in the not too distant future.  The loft would be my preference.

Surprisingly this has been totally approved by Management!*

 

 

*This will cost me a new bathroom.

Edited January 8, 2019 by grandadbob

[jamie92208]

Afternoon (For us) all from a rather damp Charente.   I see that a static red banner has appeared, trying to entice me to spend money somewhere near Warrington.  

 

I had an interesting and amusing morning.   I had planned  a trip to Matha (13 miles each way) to collect the new inner tube for the large barrow.   However last night Darling daughter, emailed me with photos of 2 French Letters and their contents (NO EA alert needed there.)   They turned out to be direct debit mandates for one of our local taxes.  However they had been sent to our old address. They'd then been redirected to Rachel's.   I have already been to two local tax offices 6 times to sort the address business out.   

 

Anyway, off I set and got to the Centre of Finances Publique in Matha.  (4 previous visits) to be told that since 1st January they no longer deal with such things and I had to go 15 miles west to the Danglies of St John.  Anyway I sorted the barrow tyre while I was in Matha and the very helpful proprietor fitted it for me.  I task completed.

 

Then it was off to the Centre de Finance Publique in the Danglies.  (Been there at least twice before re taxes) There, a make work helper showed me which queue t sit in.  These offices only open from 08.30 to 12.00.  Presumably so that the inhabitants don't have to try and work after a long lunch.

 

Many of the different offices seem to be staffed by a collection of Dick Emery(DE) "Miss" lookalikes complete with the pepper and salt hair and attitude.   I met DE1 in April last year and today I was welcomed by her again.   I asked why the letters had gone to the wrong address and why at least one was still addressed to the previous owner's wife. DE2 had supposedly sorted that in October.   Anyway DE1 was obviously in a good mood today and introduced me to DE3 on the front counter.  A new form was filled in, my printout of Rachel's photo was examined, along with more documents on my phone.   It turns out that they are Direct Debit Mandates that need to be filled in and sent to Clermont Ferrand.

 

Anyway the final result is that, allegedely, I can now pay my Habitation and TV licence demand monthly but that the Fonciere will have to be paid in one lump in October, by which time they may have succeeded in taking the previous owners wife's name off the bill.   

 

As was usual on these visits I took a  book with me to while away the time.   Most appropriately today's reading is Enigma by Andrew Hodges.   I think that I could have done with Alan Turing's help to decipher the various processes.

 

 

Sorry to bore you all with this.   Fortunately I retained some sense of humour.   The rest of the day has not been planned yet.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

McCarthy and Stone will probably advertise the nearness of their Stalham developement to Stalham Station. Pity the station closed 59 and ten months ago and the quiet road behind the development is the very Busy A149 running on the lines trackbed.

 

Talking of Chancer developers, a couple of years back they published plans to develop the field behind the factory, pity their planned access road was through our loading bay, where the lorries are parked backs to our doors... 

 

They've now proposed that our factory be moved, they've obviously researched this well, because it would only cost millions to do so, three temperature controlled labs in a temperature controlled building. That would take years to organise with all the permissions required from national calibration authorities, before opening a new lab..

 

Anyway the company has told them to **** off  in polite language.

 

 

It's amazing to think that it's 30 years ago today, the Kegworth Air disaster happened, it seems like yesterday, but is over half the way back to the closure of Stalham station. This sad event gives me one of the few accurate dates that I can recall where I was, as next Monday I was stuck in a traffic jam on the M1 on the scratches of the crash with aircraft flying in to land overhead.. I was on the way to RAF Leeming to do some maintenance... one week earlier and....

 

Such is life...