Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

The building is on the raised flood bank, there is a vast lower fen / marsh behind it, the flood shown is about as high as it will get.

It's around ten miles inland (by river) and the tide will have taken about two hours to come in from the coast, 14 Miles further up river is where I normally sail and the tide is 4 hours behind coastal tides.

That makes sense then. I made an assumption about the riverbank without realizing there was a fen behind a berm that forms the riverbank. Wile not very attractive big stilts are often very practical, and form a big part of the colonial architecture at home.

 

The Brisbane River regularly floods (even recently) and the traditional style that developed, in addition to wrap-around veranda(h)s and a corrugated iron roof with a fairly steep pitch, was to raise the house on stilts. This was very pragmatic and effective flood proofing. The style became known as "The Queenslander". The space underneath subsequently made for great garage space when people began to own cars. It is common even in areas where there was no threat from the river flooding.

 

Stilts are also a proven solution to mitigating storm surge in hurricane territory. This was demonstrated dramatically with Hurricane Michael in Florida this year. This was also well known in Queensland. The other hurricane/cyclone proofing from decades old research in Queensland is to use screw fasteners rather than nails to hold the roof to the framing and the framing to the foundation. Of course if there's ever a tropical hurricane in the North Sea threatening the Norfolk Broads we'll all be in trouble.

[Ozexpatriate]

Mum had a fall in early Nov and the scan yesterday showed that the brain bleed had increased to some extent. Neuro surgeons want her to go to Derriford, Plymouth asap tomorrow to see her and decide a course of action.

Good surgical outcomes are possible, though age and health are serious factors to consider. My aunt survived surgery for a subdural hæmatoma. The surgery went well but there were complications with a post-surgical infection. She since recovered. She is in her 80s.

[Ozexpatriate]

I thought it would be nice to send calendars to my brothers twain in the UK. I had to hunt around a bit to find calendars with local images, but I did eventually find some and they were quite nice too - about $12 each. We packaged them up carefully, even attaching them to foam board with cling-film to prevent enknackerment during their long journey.

 

MrsID took them to the PO today. The cost to ship them was more than $50 (for both).

An oh too familiar problem for me. I have given up on posting calendars overseas.

 

The USPS uses a system of weight and size. You would think weight would overrule, but once a sizing threshold is exceeded the rates jump up, irrespective of how little the package might actually weigh.

 

I still send things occasionally. I just try not to think too much about what it costs.

 

Recently there has been an explosion in the availability of pop-up cards (they're nothing new, but seem to be everywhere these days). Some of the designs are really amazing - like these guys.

 

Depending on who is at the counter at the post office, these can either be declared as letters (in which case they go at an excess international postage rate of around $2 and change as with square or oversized letters) but if the person behind the counter decides they are too fat to slide freely through the sizer or are too stiff, they become parcels at a parcel rate. I have found different post office employees quote me different prices on the same item. I go to my "favourite" post office (which happens to be close to the office) where I know the employees have been there for a long time and know the proper guidelines. Plus, the queues are shorter.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[pH]

Thanks. I'll have the calendars printed on socks.

Clever feat! Edited January 11, 2019 by pH

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

The surgery was suffering from a computer glitch yesterday.  When I keyed in on arrival the machine told me that my appointment was at the other surgery.  Oh no it wasn’t, and I had my injection at the right time and in the right place.  This was not before I had had a strop at Checkpoint Charlene [reception!] about rescheduling appointments without notifying the victim patient.  I could not arrange a follow-up appointment either, for the system only allows them to be made two months ahead.  Apparently this is for the convenience of the doctors and not that of the patients.  I had great fun writing to the practice manager about that.

 

Also yesterday I arranged a sight test and dental check-up, both well after the due date, and bought a bag which I hope will be suitable to accommodate my meds and camera and fit in an overhead locker.  I rediscovered two pairs of socks which I did not know were missing and will soon be calling off the search for the pair of odd socks which I know only too well have gone AWOL.  The business of the replacement mobile is well on track to confuse me but I will wait for more kind advice, possibly contradictory, before saying more.

 

There is a fighting chance that today I will achieve one of my 2019 objectives.  No, it’s not learning to feel at ease in a night club but will require a spike of confidence before I go to the appointed place at the appointed time.  Watch this space!

 

Fingers crossed that Sandy’s treatment will continue to do what it is supposed to do.  Warm thoughts to her and John, to Rick for his cold, to Station Cat for her cartilage, to Michael for what has happened to his friends and to all in distress or missing.

 

Chris

Edited January 11, 2019 by chrisf

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It's pretty chilly this morning.  Around 0°C and there is a light sleety-snow falling.  Snow is forecast for later, so hopefully we will have the chance to get home before the chaos starts!  I didn't think that we would see that much snow down here, but according to the news it has potential to be quite a large amount, so I guess we will have to see.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[dseagull]

Morning all

 

Earlier than usual start as it's Friday, which means dropping the girls off at mum & dads before picking Sal up from work.

 

5 minutes now for a quick muggacoffee and then on my way. Hope it's a good Friday for all.

[JohnDMJ]

I refer to her as The Good Doctor because she is one (PhD ...

 

Thanks for the update, Mike. As one of my former GPs once said, she's a proper doctor! (Most GPs are only BSc so in their case, I presume the term 'doctor' is merely a rank within the medical profession [excluding dentists, it seems].)

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Milder start today and it looks like there was some rain earlier. A mainly cloudy dry day forecast with the chance of some sunshine and possibly drizzle.

Looks like a morning of domestic tasks are on the agenda and I've also got a dripping tap to fix as the new cartridge has arrived.

Bit of bad news yesterday as Gemma & Joe won't be visiting after school as much as the homework burden is getting rather heavy. Quite understandable as they are much older now and the school work is far more important. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

[lightengine]

Just read on the Auntie website of the Dutchman who laid down for 3 hours on an explosive device that he had dug up whilst gardening. The Dutch public have been warned that "it is strictly ill advised to lie down on explosives."

Well theres a thing!

I wonder if the Dutch gent had a plan B?

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a chilly Charente though it is bright and getting sunny. Yesterday morning almost went AWOL. It took both of us over 90 minutes to penetrate the defences of the Quantas website and find a way of booking airport assistance for our internal flights in Oz in April. Success was finally achieved. I later managed to book us a hotel at Charles De Gaulle airport that's in the right part of the airport so the only part of our trip that still needs booking is the train tickets to get us too and from Paris. The SNCF website isn't booking for April and May yet. Then 6 barrow loads of Brash were cleared yesterday and the pile is getting smaller. Today I plan to do some more brash clearing then after lunch it's trainspotting time at Ruffec with a Model railway friend. Not a bad prospect.

 

 

This morning has been a great one for bird spotting from the kitchen window. So far we've seen (in the garden,) a buzzard, a blackbird, a robin and some great tits. They seem to like the fat balls in the feeder. I presume that the buzzard has his eyes on another type of prey.

 

 

Mike, please pass on my best wishes to Station Cat. We did meet a few years ago at that little show near Twyford, when I brought a demo of LGA down. John and Sandy I wish you well and hope that the recovery continues. LE, the same for your mother. Neil (BR) I'm glad that the back survived the bike ride.

 

 

Regards to all.

 

 

Jamie

Edited January 11, 2019 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple here,

5 hours sleep in bed then when I awoke no SWMBO, she had stayed downstairs so as not to wake me up with her coughing. However  shortly after I heard her making a cup of tea, so I came downstairs and we swapped places. Ben the Border collie  was very confused at this strange goings on..

I got another hours sleep on the sofa,

 

Taking Ben for his patrol I lost him in the gloom, and called him ... and then called him again and then called him again, then I heard a noise... He was standing behind me,

 

Damp and dark with occasional drizzle it is a forecast of occasional bright interludes later..

 

I've just spent a considerable time lying on the floor, this is a unit that requires testing every six month, you take apart one test station and rebuild two parts of it on a second test station. Many of the leads go to the computer on the floor round the back , which requires lying on your side reaching through to connect up...  and that floor gets further away every day..

 

In 1812 the common was enclosed, our house is on the common, the land was divided between about a dozen property owners in the village.

By WW2 it was in the hands of 5 farmers, and our house had a small holding of 10 acres.

When we moved in, it was down to three farmers and our house was down to 1.5 acres.

The farm that surrounds our house is now being farmed by one of the other farmers, so it's down to two. I believe the surrounding farm just leases out the land. The children of the farmer who died a couple of years back just use the farmhouse as a holiday home. Even the deceased farmer although he was born there, from a long standing farming family, was a Harley street Doctor, and was rarely at the farm.

 

I would not be surprised to see the barns near the farmhouse becoming an " executive  development".

 

The new farmer is using the concrete pan for much more and they have another load of Sugar beet on it, between that and us is the load of Oh 'de Cowshed.

 

 

 One of my sailing associations took its quarterly A5 magazine, in envelope, to the post office got it weighted, sized and then the mass of magazines were posted with the required postage. About half the members (not me) got demands to go to the post office and pay extra to extract the magazine from the post office.. Complaints were put in to the post office over that one...

 

Time to wander down the other end of the main lab to put the system onto the 20A Current range,, 100A later...

...

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

The fog has lifted and the temperature has risen to 4C, whereas yesterday’s temperature was 1C. I’ll shortly be heading off to get a few bits and pieces from the Trafford Centre, I’ll take a quick look in at WHS to see what is there to tempt me. I will call at the butchers to collect our weekly meat rations, as they were fully stocked with coked meats yesterday, (they were still too warm to put out) and hopefully I’ll get a pastie for dinner too.

 

As we don’t have guests for tea tonight, I’m hoping to get a couple of hours in the workshop this afternoon.

 

Back later

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It rained overnight but isn’t raining now.

I have a rather high temperature this morning. I am confident it will return to normal soon. If it doesn’t we will postpone tomorrow’s visit to see MiL in Enfield.

I don’t think we need to go shopping apart from a bottle of milk.

Have a good day

Tony

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The bin wagons dawn chorus seemed somewhat muted this morning there may have been some fist and mog earlier but had cleared by waking up time. The term doctor of course covers many disciplines, our lady of the awl is a doctor but not of medicine. Best wishes to John and Sandy, Station Cat, LE's mum and any others I may have missed. Thats it for now, be back later.

[81C]

Morning All 

My hearing has returned I not sure weather to tell HER or not she is still shouting but she doesn't give me too much ear-ache

at present.

 

Our Compatriot Andyram tells me my order is on it's way, some Woodlands Briar Patch (sounds rude) it is a new product it looks the part 

I'll be using it on both layout's Andy seems to be the only one who does stock a good selection of Woodlands Scenic so future orders will

be made soon.

 

Her wants to continue shopping today I just nodded my head in agreement as the toy shop in Fleet holds a nice selection of Humbrol paint

there's a M&S food store there that just might stock Rum Babba's 

                                                                                                                enjoy your day  Copta Deffan 

[Purley Oaks]

 

The problem is that not only does she have a mental age of about nine she is also severely autistic. This is compounded by the mother not being present (parents are divorced) and having little interest in her or her siblings.

Yes that does make things much more challenging. Does the dad receive any help from anyone?

 

(edited for spelling)

Edited January 11, 2019 by Purley Oaks

[Purley Oaks]

Morning all

 

Grey-ish here but bright, too.

 

For some reason I keep getting pop-ups from Amazon advertising quite-expensive drones at £600-a-pop. You don't think they're thinking things through to an incorrect conclusion? Also ads for underwater drones with camera.

 

Hope you get your drink today, Rick.

 

And have a good day all

 

Mal

Edited January 11, 2019 by Purley Oaks

[TheQ]

Morning all

 

Grey-ish here but bright, too.

 

For some reason I keep getting pop-ups from Amazon advertising quite-expensive drones at £600-a-pop. You don't think they're thinking things through to an incorrect conclusion? Also ads for underwater drones with camera.

 

Hope you get your drink today, Rick.

 

And have a good day all

 

Mal

 

Are you within 5 Kilometres of Turnhouse?

Edited January 11, 2019 by TheQ

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

The Good Doctor aka Station Cat thanks all who have sent supportive thoughts, and to cap it all she is now wearing one of my shirts there being a need for more generously sized garments on account of the dressings, which the management has duly cleaned and replaced, etc.  That last point poses an interesting question - why doesn't micro-surgery make do with micro-dressings?

 

Today I shall be venturing out to Tesco, my first excursion since the cough thingy took hold and as far as I'm concerned more like practice for a far longer excursion tomorrow to St Evenage.  It would appear that due to timetable alterations I shall be travelling on a Class 700 from the proper station at Kings Cross and will no doubt position myself at one end of the train or the other.  Also related to transport our idiot of an MP has reminded locals to write to the consultation about LHR flightpaths and changes i/c/w runway 3 - he has particularly emphasised that people might ask about ending stacking of incoming aircraft taking place over us.  If this goon had bothered to check facts instead of listening to demented aged residents he would know that the two stacking beacons this side of LHR are both around 20 odd miles away and that no stacking takes place anywhere near us, we are simply a turning point for easterly heading landings some of the time.  People are also invited to complain about the noise being made by aircraft applying their airbrakes as they pass overhead - yeah, right on John boy, flaps away    

 

Enjoy your day one and all and great to hear further positive news from John about Sandy.

[The Lurker]

 

Bit of bad news yesterday as Gemma & Joe won't be visiting after school as much as the homework burden is getting rather heavy. Quite understandable as they are much older now and the school work is far more important. 

 

Perhaps they could bring the homework to yours?

[Purley Oaks]

In 1812 the common was enclosed, our house is on the common, the land was divided between about a dozen property owners in the village.

By WW2 it was in the hands of 5 farmers, and our house had a small holding of 10 acres.

When we moved in, it was down to three farmers and our house was down to 1.5 acres.

The farm that surrounds our house is now being farmed by one of the other farmers, so it's down to two. I believe the surrounding farm just leases out the land. The children of the farmer who died a couple of years back just use the farmhouse as a holiday home. Even the deceased farmer although he was born there, from a long standing farming family, was a Harley street Doctor, and was rarely at the farm.

 

I would not be surprised to see the barns near the farmhouse becoming an " executive  development".

 

The new farmer is using the concrete pan for much more and they have another load of Sugar beet on it, between that and us is the load of Oh 'de Cowshed.

Purely a nosiness, but do you know whether the common land was given to the farmers or whether it was purchased?

 

Whenever I hear about enclosure of common land I imagine a 15th or 16th century monarch taking the land from the peasants working it and gifting it to some baron or other.

[TheQ]

Purely a nosiness, but do you know whether the common land was given to the farmers or whether it was purchased?

 

Whenever I hear about enclosure of common land I imagine a 15th or 16th century monarch taking the land from the peasants working it and gifting it to some baron or other.

Generally the monarch only delt with taking land from the nobles, the peasants were way too far down the pecking order for the King to be bothered about...

 

The land around  owed it's church tithe to Kings College Cambridge, to which it had been given to at the reformation. It, like much of Norfolk around the broads had belonged to various abbeys. This would suggest it was purchased by the tennants in 1812. My property purchased it's church tithe in 1927, so it suggests the land and tithes were sold separately

 

Like lowland Scotland where the big estate owners enclosed the land, then rented it to the tennant farmers or sold it to them. That left the cottars with no land for animals, and just the patch of land with their cottage. As at the time in Lowland Scotland there was no need for the cottars anymore, they were often evicted to the towns and villages (sometimes villages were created for them).  Some Cottar that had a skill, like weaving or smithy work did well out of it and instead of just making stuff for the laird. Made money by making stuff for the many. Most however went down the mines or into the steel works or general labouring as the evictions from the lowlands coincided with the start of the industrial revolution.

 

Down here that meant the cottars went to the towns to factories, or had a poor exsistance as day hire labourers. Whereas in Scotland labourers were generally hired for 6 months or a year, getting half their wages at the end. This gave many Scottish labourers the lump some to emigrate to Canada or elsewhere..

Edited January 11, 2019 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land.

 

Yes that does make things much more challenging. Does the dad receive any help from anyone?

 

(edited for spelling)

Social services have been involved for a while, since she was very small. She should have her own social worker but due to austerity cuts the local council cannot afford it. Things weren't too bad last night, nothing worse than banging of doors.

[shortliner]

This morning I had an unexpected luck-in - I took some "stuff" to our local Charity warehouse - where they sort and sell items that are recycleable and usable, and found a long, narrow, night view, painting of a US city - probably NY but nothing to say it is - at 135cm x45.5 cm - (that is 53" x almost 18" in old money). It will work very well as a backscene - and at the ENORMOUS sum of £3.00 it would have been rude to leave it there - Initially I couldn't find a price so took it to the desk to ask the lady - and about 5 steps before I got to the counter, I noticed the sticker with the price at the bottom of one end! I also found one of Tom Ang's books on Digital Photography for £1.80, so that made it home chez moi also. Result!

Edited January 11, 2019 by shortliner