Early Risers.

[lightengine]

"I'm Bob and so is my wife."

"No, not really I'm just a very naughty boy."

[chrisf]

After a morning which kept me busy with medical matters - audience with nurse, retinal screening, blood test, having penicillin dispensed - let us return to Wakefield and the weekend.  Getting there on Saturday involved some classic bad timing.  I hit the road at 04.15 as a subconscious reaction against an out of course delay last year.  Stopping only at Blyth services for a leak and to change the CD in the player I was into Wakefield by 07.00.  This was the first  thing to go wrong, because 'Spoons does not open till 08.00 and I know of no other source of a decent breakfast between here and there.  As for car parking, having to put money into a parking meter is an affront to my sensibilities, especially when the fee is 90p and you have nothing smaller than £1 in change.  In time the gates of QEGS were opened and I parked ready for the show to open.  As I expected, it was well worth the effort of making a journey of 150 miles each way.  James Dickie and his team know what they are about.  The catering was as superlative here as it is lamentable in so many other venues - what could be better for Sunday lunch than beef stew and dumpling, for instance?

 

Some would say that such a long journey in my state of health was foolhardy.  They have a point, for I was wilting seriously in the early afternoon on Saturday, but I had moved heaven and earth to secure my b&b on Saturday night and was not prepared to give that up without a fight.  I look at this way: if you are seriously under the weather, would you rather be with friends and kindred spirits or home alone and miserable as sin?  In the event, the b&b was key to my recovery.  When I checked in, the landlady warned me that the party of young hockey players also staying there was likely to be noisy and boisterous.  As it turned out, by 10 pm they were all in bed.  I followed suit and the next thing I knew it was 6.30 am, after one of the best night's sleep I have had in weeks.   An odd omission on Sunday morning was the failure to offer me cereal to precede the very welcome fry-up complete with fried bread, but even I can't moan about everything, especially when I know I want to stay there again.

 

Back at the show, I had ample opportunity to look at layouts and talk to people.  I was particularly pleased to met Macgeordie of this parish.  His kit for the O62 Siphon awaits what I hope will be my pleasure and those who acquire one of his LNER BZs are in for a treat.  For certain reasons I am dissuaded from referring to "courage" in the context of tackling complex kits but I did not go short of encouragement to take the extra steps that at the moment I do not feel up to taking.  It is no secret that I have had confidence issues for a while now which were addressed only partly by my recent course of counselling but I do not recall feeling either cowardly or clumsy after a show instead of enthused or inspired.  This is serious but it's my problem and, probably, all in my head.

 

The 300 miles on the road were accompanied by a selection of music.  A recent chance purchase at The Stables was a 20 track CD for £5, worth it to have the Nic Jones version of "Canadee-i-o".  From the hessian bag came two CDs purchased from last Sidmouth.  "Alchemy" by the Emily Askew Band contains a dozen renaissance dance tunes with liberal doses of bagpipes, for which I am an unashamed sucker.  "The No Testament" by Sam Carter dates from 2012, longer ago than I had realised, and showcases some of his finest songs.  One day, maybe, someone will recognise an album title or artist about whom I have enthused.

 

Chris

Edited April 8, 2019 by chrisf
typo

[Joseph_Pestell]

17 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

This site can be almost unusable at times with the buffering, or sometimes it just doesn't open at all, some upgrade eh?

 

Which browser are you using? Working well on Firefox today after four/five very poor days.

[jamie92208]

Good morning to all. It's 01.00 and we have just booked into our hotel which us on Flinders St station aka Rick's old palace of attendance.  Beth is rather suspicious as to how this happened.  The journey was long and tiring and there seemed to be a lot of potholes at 39 and 40,000 feet over the Indian Ocean.  The wheelchair assistance worked well apart from one glitch in Dubai. It's hard to believe that we are here but we are.  The body clocks are well out but that will fix in due course.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

43 minutes ago, chrisf said:

 

 

The 300 miles on the road were accompanied by a selection of music.  A recent chance purchase at The Stables was a 20 track CD for £5, worth it to have the Nic Jones version of "Canadee-i-o".  From the hessian bag came two CDs purchased from last Sidmouth.  "Alchemy" by the Emily Askew Band contains a dozen renaissance dance tunes with liberal doses of bagpipes, for which I am an unashamed sucker.  "The No Testament" by Sam Carter dates from 2012, longer ago than I had realised, and showcases some of his finest songs.  One day, maybe, someone will recognise an album title or artist about whom I have enthused.

 

Chris

Canadee-I-o is one of my favourite tracks on Nic Jones “Penguin Eggs” album. 

Tony

Edited April 8, 2019 by Tony_S
Odd characters deleted

[The Stationmaster]

40 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Which browser are you using? Working well on Firefox today after four/five very poor days.

I also wonder if it is browser related?  At times I find pages a bit slow to open but it's hardly measurable in minutes let alone double digit minutes although sometimes a new post takes a while to appear and 'saving' sits there smiling smugly but if I open the site on another Safari page I find the post has 'taken' but still showing 'saving' on the original page.

 

 I wonder also if bandwith has anything to do with slow opening as some threads are very picture heavy?

[Ian Abel]

Morning all...

Good to see Debs pop in, best wishes to her and her mum.

 

Weekend muchly taken up with the doing the "Taxes". Relatively painless, although thanks to he who shall not be named (orangeutang!!!) the middle class, as I certainly am, fared less well than predicted and seems the supposed "tax break for the middle class" cost me about $1,000 MORE in taxes - not sure how that is a benefit!

 

Trevor, Meagan and the dogs over for dinner Saturday and some board games, very enjoyable.

Sunday relaxed some after "Taxes" were mostly completed. Still missing some details for the MIL taxes so the Mrs will have to track those down in the next day or two.

 

6 and partly sunny first thing, already fast racing towards a 19 high for the day.

 

Make the most of it everyone.

[NGT6 1315]

Afternoon, folks. Dinner‘s cooking, so I‘ll use the time for saying hi!

 

Given how little time I had found for RMweb recently, Mal’s passing had completely escaped me, so after I had found out on FB late last night, I made sure to post a few words there this morning, hoping Gabe and his family might still be able to read messages on his profile. Mal, in any case, I hope you’re free of all suffering, wherever you may be now. I shall raise a glass tonight, however belated it may be. I hope you understand...

 

We had the first timetabling discussion for this year earlier today and tomorrow will be highlighted by the first tram tech group session for 2019. CCTV equipment and its renewal on the NGT6 and NGT12 in particular will be a major topic, if no-one changed our agenda on short notice!

 

Other than that, spring has definitely sprung here. Certainly is nice to be able to wear short sleeves again at last!

[AndyB]

Evening all from me. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by AndyB

[Ozexpatriate]

49 minutes ago, Ian Abel said:

Weekend muchly taken up with the doing the "Taxes". Relatively painless, although thanks to he who shall not be named (orangeutang!!!) the middle class, as I certainly am, fared less well than predicted and seems the supposed "tax break for the middle class" cost me about $1,000 MORE in taxes - not sure how that is a benefit!

I was told that employers are withholding less tax in anticipation of the 'so-called' tax cut. I had to make a substantial tax payment. New limits to the ability to deduct last year's state income tax meant there was no tax cut for me.

 

A very wet weekend ensued. So much so that rivers are rising and flood warnings are in effect in parts of the valley further south. Notwithstanding the rain I found sufficient gaps between rainfall to get my emergency gardening (the dandelions) done. These were some of the healthiest looking plants I have ever seen - very sturdy and well developed with bright green leaves glistening in the wet. They will be back. Precious little else was materially accomplished. Saturday afternoon did dry out enough that I might have evaluated whether some mowing was possible but by that point in the day it was time to run errands to the cleaners, pharmacy and supermarket.

 

The next dry weather in the forecast is Friday. Hopefully I will get to the mowing the small strip of lawn between the kerb and the paving next weekend. It is the only lawn I am responsible for but it is in the front of the house and therefore very visible.

[AndyB]

Mike it's difficult to say whether the issues are browser related without a lot more knowledge of the architecture. It's all rather speculative and I for one would want to "bear with" Andy Y whilst it gets sorted. 

Suffice to say on other applications browsers can definitely cause problems and cause violent alopecia! Ask me how I know. Actually don't.  Just pass me beer. 

[Gwiwer]

Evening all

 

A special mention to Debs and also to Jamie who seems to be bound for the Palace of Attendance.  Please give my best to anyone there - I know many of my former colleagues are still propping up the barriers - or are being propped up by them!  

 

A reasonable Moan-day has been had. SWMBO reports a sustained improvement to her mood. Sister checked in from aboard the train to St. Ives to say she was randomly seated next to a woman who, it turns out, is the grand-daughter of someone (now deceased) with whom SWMBO had worked closely backalong. Small world. 

 

All for now. Back later. 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Still feeling a bit cream crackered from yesterdays exertions. Brooklands has got a lot bigger than when I last visited 25 years ago. I would like to go again though as theres one or two things that I missed. The young'n had a marvellous time and also wants to go back and have a go on the simulator driving a modern-ish Formula 1 car around the Brooklands circuit, in fact I'd like to have a go myself but the queue was too long.

[tigerburnie]

4 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Which browser are you using? Working well on Firefox today after four/five very poor days.

Microsofts Edge, this site has been consistently slow and the others I use mostly work exactly as I would expect, I select via my favourites and sometimes it won't open at all, then when it does and I post it often takes an eternity, only a real problem if posting on the song title thread, as often someone else posts and the subject can then have changed. It is not just me that is having the problem it would seem.

[New Haven Neil]

Bleah.

[BlackRat]

Gran Canaria.....sun is hot, beer is cold and more nudity on the beach than you could shake a stick at.

 

I always buy a Steam Railway to read on hols.....it's still unopened.

 

Happy daze.

[AndyID]

6 minutes ago, BlackRat said:

 

Gran Canaria.....sun is hot, beer is cold and more nudity on the beach than you could shake a stick at.

 

 

As long as it's just a stick.

[AndyB]

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

Microsofts Edge, this site has been consistently slow and the others I use mostly work exactly as I would expect, I select via my favourites and sometimes it won't open at all, then when it does and I post it often takes an eternity, only a real problem if posting on the song title thread, as often someone else posts and the subject can then have changed. It is not just me that is having the problem it would seem.

 

Not surprised to hear that MS Edge is slow or sometimes not allow you to open it at all. I've heard of this on other applications. 

Might be worth seeing if you get the same error / performance on a recent Chrome version. 

[tigerburnie]

It's intermittent Andy, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, I use over a dozen different forums, only this one won't open and the odd hick up with Flickr, but that is an internal problem with them.

[Coombe Barton]

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/sandys-chemo-day-104-of-147/

[Gwiwer]

Late evening update.

 

SWMBO produced some remarkably tasty fat-free sausages for dinner along with pasta and home-made tomato and herb sauce and a largely home-grown salad.  She even made the coffees afterwards and seems closer to being herself though there are darker moments arising without much warning.  She has a long road to travel I feel.  But she has me beside her all the way.

 

In other news I have been in contact with Former Neighbour (Upstairs) who is half Welsh seeking advice on matters musical.  It has been alleged that notwithstanding the persistent cough (still in residence) that I can actually sing a little.  It's been many years since I did so on stage following my late father into local musical shows as a hobby.  That didn't last.  I've done a few guest spots with pub bands mostly in Cornwall though also in London.  It was me privately (so I thought) taking the bass line to the Sankey hymn "Brightly Beams" which was overheard by SWMBO that drew the comment from her that I should "get back into it".  Bullet bitten I have located a Welsh language lyric to the tune Cwm Rhondda.  Not a translation of "Guide Me Oh Thou Great .... " as there isn't one; the Welsh sing a different song altogether.  And I don't speak Welsh either!  But I have a grasp of the phonetics and am prepared to give it a go.  Not learning the language.  More a case of attempting a phonetic rendition of the thing.  

 

If anyone else is prescribed the pills I have been on beware ...... they have some very strange side effects!!!!!

 

And on that note I shall bid you all Good Night.  Or as Polly has it Nos Da.

[Barry O]

Goodnight all

Naz

[laurenceb]

Night awl 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Although the day started out sunny, rain and thunder was predicted, but thankfully neither materialised. 

 

More progress has been made in the cellar, as I’d hoped this morning, I managed to pull down the rest of the ceiling in the small cellar room, in fact I’d done it all before dinner. I even filled 4 large heavy duty bags up the resulting mess before dinner too. A small amount of dust came up through the floor boards, as after dinner I filled up the mop bucket and mopped the hall floor, I then I took the mop and bucket downstairs and mopped up in the cellar floor too. It’s looking a lot cleaner now, but it is now very dark, like the black hole of Calcutta. Once done I needed a shower and was all cleaned up and sat with a muggertea for 4:00.

 

My next task will be to reroute the cables for the kitchen ring main, the boiler supply, the shower supply and the immersion heater supply, which entail drilling holes in the beams. I’ll then disconnect the cables from the distribution board, pass them all through the holes and then reconnect everything back into the distribution board. My plan is to do this on Thursday whilst Sheila is at her Zumba class.

 

Goodnight all.