Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Ladies and gents.

 

I am revived with a little snooze, a muggertee and a mince pie with Fortnum & Mason's "Finest Cognac Butter".  High life eh?  

 

While I was off duty the Brighton Line has re-opened to a limited service because stock and crew are displaced and there is a 20mph speed limit for the time being.  Guildford remains closed and the main slip here is indeed at the tunnel affecting both Havant and Redhill-bound lines.  Minor slips were reported earlier at other points along the Woking - Petersfield section but have been less troublesome.  The line through Wokingham has re-opened.  There is still widespread disruption and other problems have arisen.  All in all not the Friday-before-Christmas that any of us would have wanted but we always cope what ever is thrown at us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guildford reopened for the Portsmouth route by about 16.20 and the first train on the Redhill line was just after 16.40.

No longer matters for me as it happens as my goods from the other side of the Tamar will not now be in Guildford until Monday but at least it's reopened in time for the evening commuters.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I thought that I had posted on ER's this afternoon but I posted on the Wacky Signs thread by mistake. I deleted it and now I've forgotten what I wrote so it wasn't important. I have to go in to town soon as I have to go to the building society. I refuse to do internet banking, I keep my accounts well away from the internet except the one opened specifically to use on the internet that contains about thirty bob. Just listening to the London news, A lot about the travel problems south of the river but a mention of the idiot who parked his car under a train, he's being done for drink driving.

53 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I want to know where Jenny Agutter is and whether she has ripped her petticoats off again!

 

 

She didn't wear any petticoats in Walkabout?

[Ozexpatriate]

4 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I thought that I had posted on ER's this afternoon but I posted on the Wacky Signs thread by mistake. I deleted it and now I've forgotten what I wrote so it wasn't important.

Fear not Phil, I read your "Whacky Signs" post and surmised that you intended to post it here. Similarly I have forgotten what you wrote.

 

I can feel it just floating over the horizon of my memory. With the right 'handle' I could pull it in but this probably won't happen. 

[Ozexpatriate]

Our rain continues. The brunt of the rainstorm is being felt in coastal communities to the north and west of the Portland metro area. Here it feels much like a 'normal' December day.

 

Tomorrow should see the realization of something I had hoped for since my teenaged days - the conclusion of nine episodes of the Skywalker saga. I first saw Star Wars during its original cinematic release in Australia in the summer after I turned 14. It's easy to forget how truly revolutionary it was at the time and it quite captured my imagination. I spent my ninth grade doodling X-wing and Tie fighter dogfights in the margins of my mathematics exercise books. I'm trying to moderate my expectations. After Episode VIII my expectations are not too high, but I'm looking forward to closing this chapter.

[81C]

Evening All

 The house sale went through this morning  great news all the estate agents came out of the wood work with their congratulations can't really complain I

hit the roof with them all 3 weeks ago farting about the Solicitors were no better things have now settled down today, move date is the 6th January.

I had a lovely lunch with Ms. Czech a further date has been secured, my Lady of Horsell has been on line most of the evening she has settled down to one 

of the soaps come 9pm she will be back, a leggy blonde I got hooked up with a month or so ago has been on line and she said she will phone tonight so I might be "in" over Xmas

no word from bimbo I think someone on the forum snitched on her.

I Took the BP monitor to the Quackery much to my surprise a doctor phoned me to say there was another script at the Pharmacy never got that service with the old sh!tbags.at least

it's not the one that turns me orange.   

Time for TV enjoy the week end Ivor Banghard 

[Barry O]

Eyelids have been inspect3d. The Recorder Trio played some nice Christmassy music.

 

Now for a mugadecaff 

Baz

 

[newbryford]

Lots of boxes ticked - I will be in/out of Ers for a few days.

 

Lots of rain here - but the temperature is 17C.........

Same tomorrow, but after that the rain should stop.

 

Day 2/10 of no actual real mudelling (or work) completed. I'm not sure if I can cope with another 8 days of not doing too much..............  (I may be lying)

A large cardboard box of a particular shape was acquired today  - more of that in a few days time.

 

There is a plan in the NB household to do something reasonably unusual in 5 days time.

(In reality - this will make the day doubly unusual/special as it is the first time in the 30 years or so that I've known Mrs NB not to work on that particular day)

 

Have a good whatever day of the week it is tomorrow folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BoD]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

The Recorder Trio played some nice Christmassy music.

 

A much underrated instrument, the recorder,  for a particular style of music.   I was taught the descant at junior school (weren’t we all?) but when most others gave up I persevered and, I like to think, reached a reasonable standard.  I also played the treble and tenor in an ensemble.  It’s a good few years now since I picked one up although I still have them all.  If I were to try again the fingers would need a lot of loosening up and I’m sure the memory for the fingering, which was once automatic will have gone. How long it would take to come back, if ever, I am unlikely to find out.  I doubt if my fingers would even stretch far enough to play the tenor recorder again.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The latest Bylines dropped onto the mat today. I now only need to go down to Smiffs for one magazine now so to save myself the bother I'll take out a subscription on that in the new year. No more news of my brother so I'm assuming that theres no change. Thats it for now, be back later.

[Gwiwer]

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

More likely because they cannot reach Guildford from Reading because of the muppet unfortunate person who parked their car underneath the train at Wokingham.

I see that the aforesaid unfortunate person muppet is now to be charged with DUI and Endangering Railway Safety.  No further comment required.  

[Simon G]

Today was largely spent on the Ratty, albeit behind a diesel.  The diesel in question is called Perkins and has only recently returned to service after a long absence from the line, so it was the first time I had been behind it.  The weather stayed largely dry, so I was actually guarding from an outside position for nearly half the time.  My trains were all pretty quiet , but the Santa Specials were very busy.  At the risk of the awl, here is a picture taken at a festive Ravenglass showing Perkins on the right, Northern Rock in the middle, all decked out for the Santa Specials.

 

[TheQ]

Evening Awl, 

Unlike the stationmaster, I have the biscuits,  and needed the cheese.  So when SWMBO said "as you're going  past Tescos "( I wasn't)   "can you pick up some milk",  an assortment box of cheese somehow got bought as well.  Hence I've just had cheese and biccies with my choccy. 

 

The diversion via TES +Co meant I had to go down a road with works on it,  however it was a pleasant surprise to find they've cleared the lights away for the duration. ( and filled in the hole) 

The traffic was lighter than normal,  I suspect the BMW,  Audi,  Lexus brigade have sped up to their second homes during the day,  or left it until tomorrow, because of the grim and damp. 

 

The MRC had only three attendees today,  several who last week said they would turn up didn't appear.  I suspect more casualties of the grim and damp. 

 

I got many fence posts ( over 100) inserted and painted,  then it was musical boards time.  As board three is scenically complete,  it was put away,  and board 5 placed roughly the other side of board 4. Which would have been through the wall without major layout carriage movements.  The first job next week will interlocking the boards together..

 

Goodnight Awl.. 

 

[Coombe Barton]

Rain and opticians, port and p1ssed

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/12/20/sounds-of-the-season-20-o-clavis-david-and-an-optician/

[AndyID]

Not exactly "seasonal" here. It's 9C and all the snow from yesterday has melted. I made the mistake of lighting the wood stove in the shed. It's like a sauna now.

 

AndrewC, Spokane probably hasn't changed all that much since you were last there but you probably wouldn't recognize Coeur d'Alene (the heart of the awl).

 

I was up very late last night. I started watching "The Irishman" and couldn't stop.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well this morning’s plan to do the shopping at the Trafford Centre separately didn’t quite go to plan, but it all got done. We called at the butchers on the way home and we were back home for just after 11:30!

 

The afternoon was spent wrapping presents up, Sheila made a start yesterday afternoon and we both finished it off today, thankfully it’s now all now done.

 

I mentioned earlier that James and Amelia were due for tea tonight, but they didn’t show up and we’ve not heard from him as to why. To say that Sheila is not best pleased is an understatement, she’s absolutely fuming. Luckily I hadn’t started our meal, as they are usually late and this time of year doesn’t make it any easier. So by the time it got to 6 o’clock and they hadn’t turned up, I decided to make Shiela and I something quick and we ended up having a sausage sarnie! But not just any old sausage, this morning whilst I was at the butchers, I picked up some pork, cranberry, cinnamon and red wine sausages and very nice they were too!

 

Time for bed now, goodnight all. 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

'The Q' talking about the influx of drivers of German cars reminds me of a Merc I noticed just round the corner on my walk back from shopping - a very pretty yellow wheel clamp labelled 'DVLA'  affixed to the front offside wheel. 'Yo-ho-ho' as Santa would say - so that will be somebody's Christmas sorted.  I wonder if it will still be there the next time I pass by?

 

G'night all.

[monkeysarefun]

Seems like weeks since the sun was anything other than a pale orange glow, or that the air wasnt thick with smoke and burned leaves.

 

Fires are 10 to 20km to the NE, W, SW and S of here and todays fire rating is catastrophic,  its going to be  47 degrees with strong winds meaning that homes are not defendable if fires reach them.

 

Some rain would be nice here..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BR60103]

Today marked the end of another tour round the sun.  Quietish; had one of the railway club over for dinner.  SWMBO gave me a pair of reading socks -- long and thick.

 

I had charge of  the company's VAX for about 15 years.  What I hadn't expected was that the biggest headache would be the air conditioning machinery -- including floods.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, BR60103 said:

Today marked the end of another tour round the sun.

Happy birthday David.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

'Yo-ho-ho' as Santa would say

"... and a bottle of rum."

 

Arrgh! That's more young Jim 'awkins and Long John Silver than Santa.

 

Santa's jolly is more "ho ho ho" and and less "yo".   

[TheQ]

Vax or VAX,  SWMBO is qualified in both, me only the orange one. 

 

[Barry O]

Ah..a PDP11..spent a few hours using one of those many moons ago...lummy where did the years go???

 

Ey up!

A broken nights sleep but about 8 hours sleep tokens collected..

Apparently I have some tickets to coll3ct today, other potential things to do will be issued later....but first...a mugatea!

 

Baz

 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,  inner Temple Hare, 

In the end, a good nights sleep, 2 hours followed 5 hours, 

 

At which point Ben the desperate Collie got me from my comfortable repose to go on patrol,  on return he charged upstairs to check SWMBO was there.  Then charged back down again, started throwing his new toy around,  or giving it to me to throw.  Now he's had his mad half hour,  he's gone back to bed. 

 

The flood warnings have expanded, though the garden has returned to muddy hollow status instead of swimming pool. 

 

My hip pain has disappeared,  to be replaced my my left knee,  and right hand. The minor pain  right hand is probably cutting inserting and painting over 100 0.6mm X 15mm pieces of square copper wire. Then Adjusting them to 8mm showing above ground level.

Left knee? 

 

Plan for today,  toolbox I think,  I don't feel up to facing the taps or boat building. 

 

But first breakfast,  I fancy a bacon butty with Muggacoffee .

 

Time to search for them bacon..

 

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, Simon G said:

Today was largely spent on the Ratty, albeit behind a diesel.  The diesel in question is called Perkins and has only recently returned to service after a long absence from the line, so it was the first time I had been behind it.  The weather stayed largely dry, so I was actually guarding from an outside position for nearly half the time.  My trains were all pretty quiet , but the Santa Specials were very busy.  At the risk of the awl, here is a picture taken at a festive Ravenglass showing Perkins on the right, Northern Rock in the middle, all decked out for the Santa Specials.

 

Perkins, a very interesting loco. Originally IIRC a Muir Hill from the 20's with s fake steam outline body known as the passenger tractor.  The original TVO engine gave up the ghost in the 70's so it was re engined with a Perkins  diesel salvaged from a wrecked yacht in the harbour using the JCB at low tide.  Sone time later the bodywork was rebuilt.  I seem to remember thst the bows of the wrecked boat were also salvaged and used to re reate a waiting shelter at Miteside halt. We tok them up there very slowly on a flat wagon.

 

Jamie