Early Risers.

[Debs.]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

.....Trip to Harrods completed. Special Christmas pudding procured.  Cup of coffee purchased..it was HOW MUCH????  But it was nice. 

......

Baz

The delicious irony of Harrods, serving authentic "Yorkshire" tea to tourists......

.......even those, actually from Yorkshire. 

[Debs.]

17 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Mrs NHN's old shape Picasso also had the battery under the seat and a positive pole connector under the bonnet for jump starting issues - never needed in 180,000 miles of motoring.  The new shape one...errrr never looked!  It's too new for me to get my hands dirty on is my excuse.

My new E.V (aka the "High and Dry") has its accessory 12v large battery pack, well protected inboard in the rear tailgate area, completely hidden behind a carpeted hatch panel, it took some finding too! 

I wonder if these inboard location choices are for reasons of collision impact resistance? 

[Stubby47]

The Volvo V70 battery is in the boot and looks like it could power a small village.

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Evening all,

 

I have duly returned from the far from frozen (thus far) north.  My outward journey on Monday was made via GWR, then TfL (very interesting conversation at Edgware Road with a Motorman/Driver regarding H&S and Circle Line signalling and automatic operation) and finally LNER ( on a very heavily loaded HST, bound for Inverness, with a dodgy reservation system - grr - a pleasant passenger sitting opposite who had a low opinion of said HST [and a very high opinion of GWR's new IET] as our train rocked, rattled, and bounced it way northwards).  Nice hotel in York apart from being on the top floor with no lift to get me there.  

 

Breakfast yesterday was amusing because just as I asked a lady if it would be alright to take a vacant chair at the table which she (and her husband?)  were about to sit at said husband appeared with a cheery, 'good morning Mike' - you do meet RMweb members in the most unusual of circumstances.  He and I subsequently made our way to our business of the day at the NRM where we met several other RMweb members attending the same event, mostly in a more official capacity than us - the subject of which has a thread all of its own here - 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/148319-locomotion-rails-of-sheffield-announce-secr-d-class/page/6/

 

Apart from that I enjoyed various strolls around the city and listened to some superb bell ringing which came not from the practice at the Minster (none too good alas) but from St Martins in Coney Street.  And then today, with no other RMweb members at breakfast, and a return journey on a Cross Country train finishing off with GWR local services.  Definitely worth avoiding London and all the trains heading that way were very heavily loaded for whatever reason.

 

Thoughts with those who are suffering and those who care for them.

With trains delayed out of Leeds the very helpful LNER station staff ewere directing everyone to go from Leeds to York and then onto London..which would mean another hour on our journey time.

Pah!

 

One day the NRM may just pick a more north eastern based prototype. There again probably not.

 

Excellent chinese meal eaten in Stevenage old town.

Tracked down some old friends..or rather their houseas they appear not to be at home.

 

Very positive thoughts to all ERs.

Baz

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, Barry O said:

Train to London delayed. Train broke down at Outlook.  The control team hung the customer service team at Leeds station out today. .no updates.

Eventually got to King's Cross on a lovely Mark VI set.

 

 

Mark VI....?

 

A train from the future?

 

Been busy in the past few days- and just about caught up.

Can't really add to what has already been said for Sandy. 

 

A weekend working down at Milton Keynes at the GETShow. Very tiring, but quite enjoyable and good to be part of the work team in the evenings.

Standard travelling food seems to be fried chicken from a US state.

Keele services on the return was visited and the delights of a Chicken fillet burger dipped in mash and gravy.................

Not pretty, or easy to eat, but all was well for some time.

 

At the show, some low-life stole the spare tyre from our van. Why the manufacturers still persist in making it so easy to remove without the proper method is beyond me.

 

Now for 2 days R&R.

Day one is a Northern Rail ticket - bought with the local newspaper tokens.

Plan is to head towards Liverpool and Chester, then Manchester and try and ride a new 195 unit somewhere amongst other lines not travelled on before.

Day two - if dry - end of season Seniors team day out near Skipton. First round of golf in over 4 weeks - I may be a bit stiff afterwards (no EA needed).

 

Mudelling soon - I have some stock to weather for Hazel Grove in 10 days time.

 

Maybe back later.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, Debs. said:

My new E.V (aka the "High and Dry") has its accessory 12v large battery pack, well protected inboard in the rear tailgate area, completely hidden behind a carpeted hatch panel, it took some finding too! 

I wonder if these inboard location choices are for reasons of collision impact resistance? 

 

 

Seems like a reasonable supposition. 

 

How do you find the Hyundai -  is it an Ironic Ionic or a Kona ? My High and Dry is a diseasel auto but has proved a better assembled car than the two previous Flaweds.  It has proved faultless so far.

[roundhouse]

Evening from a now drier Surrey.

 

Yesterday, we had a good trip back from Stafford via Derby for lunch then back to the smoke via Tamworth. Just made the Vic to Reigate service despite both ticket machines near the barriers being in use with people not knowing how to use them and once choosing their ticket then deciding who and how they were going to pay for them thus avoided the GW Worms. At least Southern ticket machines work better than all the Virgin ones we tried to use over the weekend - they generally just locked up.

 

Today I have spent some time working on my latest Bulleid light Pacific, 34023 'Blackmore Vale'. It has its nameplates, numners and various detail  / modifications added except for the front steps. Hoping to have it weathered in time for use on Star Lane at Beckenham show this saturday.

 

A good part of the afternoon was spent trying to work out why various PC's connected to the router via cables wouldn't work yet the wifi mesh devices did work despite they are plugged into the same routers. By late afternoon it was all working again but not sure what I did to resolve it.

 

On far more important issues, thoughts with John and Sandy etc.

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

The Volvo V70 battery is in the boot and looks like it could power a small village.

 

Probably designed by a BT engineer. There are enough relays in a V70 to run a  telephone exchange.

[Gwiwer]

Good Evening one and all from a gently drying Hill of Strawberries

 

I can report that SWMBO has coped with not only a day at the office but also a book launch afterwards. She has returned home with a personally-messaged and signed-by-the-author (Tony Kirkham) copy of the aforesaid book which she also had signed by Dame Judi Dench. 

 

She has been hoping to meet Dame Judi for some time and can now add her to the growing number of A-list personalities she has been formally introduced to and conversed with through the job. Others include Sir David Attenborough (who has singled out her work for praise) and Prince Charles whom she describes as “having incredibly soft hands”. 

 

The House of Fun continues to generate the Wrong Sort of Fun and all too frequent applications of my voice to the microphone advising some sort of problem and alternative travel options. 

 

It was once fashionable to apply disrespectful, if at least mildly accurate, meanings to the initials of railway companies.  Perhaps it is time to revive this and suggest that SWR stands for Something Will Run. Meanwhile the firm next door who run green trains and white worms could have their TSGN standing for Troubled, Stuffed and Going Nowhere. 

 

Answers on a postcard please. 

 

It is time to attempt sleep. There seems to be a party above where Neighbours (Upstairs) are shrieking and laughing loudly. They usually go out drinking around half past 22 when this happens so fingers crossed .....

 

..... and everything firmly crossed for all who are in need of support and encouragement. G’night all. 

[tigerburnie]

G'night all, hope all is peaceful in Leicester

[AndyID]

I had a bit of a Señor moment - well really more like a Señor 24 hours.

 

I could not remember how I'd converted my little PCB design into the G-code that drives the actual milling machine. I had several programs down-loaded on my PC that can do that but none of them seemed familiar. I seemed to remember the one I used was nice and simple, but look as I might I could not find it on my PC. After much googling I found one with a familiar name - Carbide Copper. Still couldn't find the program on my PC so I thought I'd download it again.

 

No Can Do. It's an web app that runs under the web-browser. Doh!

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Things are a bit hectic at the club house this evening. The builders have finished their work which required the removal of a stud wall. It was our intention to remove the wall anyway but at a later date so it means other alterations can take place such as turning a short corridor leading to one of the two rooms (that are now one) into a useful storage space. Next week a bit lot of  sanding down and painting to be done.

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

 

Seems like a reasonable supposition. 

 

How do you find the Hyundai -  is it an Ironic Ionic or a Kona ? My High and Dry is a diseasel auto but has proved a better assembled car than the two previous Flaweds.  It has proved faultless so far.

I bought my Hyundai new 11 years ago and only now am I considering changing it. Not because of any problems but simply that I need a larger car.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

A bit more progress has been made in the cellar, I managed to get 2 coats of paint on the end panel and it is now ready to be fitted to the under stairs drawer frame. I then decided to change the screws that I've used to fix the shelf brackets as I’m not convinced they are up to the job. So all 6 brackets were removed, the holes were then drilled out to accept larger screws and they were then refitted to the walls. I also gave the shelf support frames a couple of coats of undercoat too. After dinner I did a little tidying up and knocked off early in time for the school run. 

 

Tonight’s tea was roast chicken and all the trimmings, which went down well, followed by apple crumble and custard, which also went down well.

 

 Goodnight all 

[Coombe Barton]

Sandy's slept all day. Not responding at all.

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/10/16/sandys-treatment-day-302/

[laurenceb]

Words fail

[Coombe Barton]

After posting the blog just browsing Facebook and spotted an ad for sewing stuff. Thought "I could get that for Sandy ... "

[PhilJ W]

Just lost for words.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Debs.]

4 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

How do you find the Hyundai -  is it an Ironic Ionic or a Kona ? My High and Dry is a diseasel auto but has proved a better assembled car than the two previous Flaweds.  It has proved faultless so far.

It's the 'Ironic'  and a very good vehicle it is too.

The Koreans do seem to be able to do build quality, features and value all at the same time......the warranty/aftercare was then the deal clincher. 

 

[81C]

Morning All 

Thoughts with Sandy & John

Total darkness outside street lights are off at this early hour

I'm racked with pain and waiting for the pain killers to kick in an Epidural is booked for Tuesday next week I don't think it helped falling out of the garage loft last week 

the bruising is still visible, twenty minutes on and still in pain I will get up and put a load in the washing machine and have some caffeine & toast then watch some early morning 

tripe on telly. 

                       

 

[Coombe Barton]

We're still here. I went to get some sleep at midnight and woke a bit before five and came to sit beside Sandy again. Her breathing's shallower but steady. She's fighting it.

[Gwiwer]

Our best wishes to you both, John. 

 

Good morning all. 

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, as John's vigil continues and Sandy shows unbelievable bravery as she hangs on in there.

 

Yesterday's Area Group lunch went well.  £13 is perhaps a bit steep for a chicken and mushroom pie but it was very good.  Today I need to make sense of the hieroglyphics that pass for notes and write the report.  Last night saw the Radio 2 Folk Awards.  I do not always take these seriously given what has escaped without honour over the years: how on earth could "Be The Man" not have been recognised two years ago ffs?  I didn't catch all of last night's programme but the award of best album to Trials of Cato's "Hide and Hair" was utterly merited.   Later, "The Apprentice" continued to showcase the chronic shortage of brain cells in future captains of industry.  It's so bad it's funny and that is not a compliment.

 

MRJ274 arrived yesterday.   Jerry Clifford's editorial takes mental health as its theme.  Be sure that I will respond, but not on this thread.  Reading it prompted me to look out one of the etched frets that scares the carp out of me.  I wonder where I put it?  The search will continue once I have schlepped into town and procured the slow cooker, assuming of course that it is still available.  Then I must learn how to use it!

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is very autumnal this morning.  Blustery, but reasonably clear.

 

Very much thinking of John and Sandy.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[big jim]

Thoughts are with sandy and John, reading the last blog entry has really hit a nerve with me as it exactly describes the week with my mum, went to see her on the Sunday, she came outside and waved me off and beforehand we were laughing and joking in the living room, she was up and down making cups of tea etc (no stopping her) by the middle of the next week she was bed ridden and only managed to open one eye when I spoke to her before slipping away a few hours later, seemed to happen so quickly but so glad I managed to see her on the Sunday 

 

as for myself on an early one today, shrewsbury to Washwood heath stone train, currently heading to shrewsbury on the train to relive it

 

had a mixed old week in work, thanks to someone reporting me for having a snooze in the cab I’ve had to have sleep apnea testing and a medical, not got sleep apnea but have 3 months to lose a fair bit of weight, ok I’m not happy about how it’s come about but I think it’s the kick up the ass I was needing to do something about it, I’m also not allowed to work my rest days as the reason I’ve been snoozing is quite simply over work!