Early Risers.

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I didn’t go very far yesterday.  Can you blame me?  First thing in the morning I got the laundry up to date, leading inexorably to a pile of ironing today.  Lunch was pork steaks followed by own-brand instant whip.  Amid all that I sorted out some replacement drill bits for the toolbox and finally wrote the daily summary of the Swiss trip for the benefit of one of the regulars who could not make it this year.  All that could not possibly fill a day so I allowed myself to be distracted by YouTube clips of koalas.  There are lots of them.

 

The diary for the week is quite full.  Tomorrow I am with Poorly Pal in Stevenage during the day and at the RCTS in Hitchin in the evening.  Wednesday sees another event in the LGBT history month, a film called “Les Garcons Sauvages”.  I’m back at the same venue on Thursday night for a concert by Alden, Patterson and Dashwood.  On Friday Maz O’Connor is at The Stables and on Saturday I take the bus to the Biggleswade show.  Something different comes on Sunday with a full day event at the Higgins Gallery, again for LGBT history month but looking more relevant to the subject.

 

I will have to brave the elements this morning for a fodder run.  I may be some time.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[BoD]

Morning all.

 

Much more blowy here this morning than it was yesterday.  The dog was keener to get back, he obviously doesn't mind rain but seems less happy with wind. 
 

Have a good day. 

 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, From A blowy Norfolk, Inner Temple Hare, 1028 /642

Sleep what's that? wind howling round all night and this morning, the only thing it's moved from a south Westerly to a Northerly, and somewhat chilly at that.

 

As far as I know we had no damage, but a full patrol in daylight won't occur till I get home.. a couple of fallen trees on the way in, but they had been chopped up and were sitting on the verges. more hazardous was the small branches strewn around the roads.

 

We didn't get that much rain, but this area of Norwich seems to have had considerably more,  lots of large puddles including on this industrial estate where one section of road is flooded halfway across the road to a depth of about 6 inches... Ah the morning flight to Amsterdam has just left by the sounds of it..

 

I've been in one rough landing in high winds into Heathrow, came in side ways , one wheel down, straighten up, slam the plane down on the tarmac, throw the brakes on..and one plane in the Hebridies where we got in at the third attempt due to fog..

 

When Ciara was approaching the wind was blowing off shore so the water levels in the broads were very low, now it's almost past the wind is blowing down the North sea, holding the tide in so the water levels are high, added to that it's spring tides. So there are flood warnings out.

 

Time to go down to the lab and see what work is left for me..

[Din]

Morning, that's a very scary looking map. Glad my dad chose Lincolnshire to retire to instead of Norfolk now!

 

The wind howled so much here yesterday (and seemed to twist from a south-western to western) I couldn't hear the planes, but apparently only 3 flights were cancelled out of East Mids.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Nice day out today. Still beeezy but warmer. A walk to the Nuggets Light House was followwd by a couple of other walks around old railway lines.

 

Very wet in Oz.. some rmwebbers down there have had a bit of rain damage.

 

Have a great day! Grab it and get pointing where you want it to take you.

 

Baz

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I'm glad I wasn't on this flight today. >>

 

 

7 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Almost sideways at one point

 

 

Been there, done that.  At London City Airport....water on all three sides and a wall/road/more water at the end.  Still have the stains....take it from me, Persil is cr@p.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a still windy Lindum.  Martin and Katie have gone to work and we have been trusted with getting 8 yr old Ryan to school. He enjoys this as he gets taken in a left hand drive car and people stare when they think they can see an 8 yr old driving.  

 

Hope that everyone  is safe. Sherry got back to the UK safely after a late and longer voyage than normal. We are going to do some shopping then make a leisurely  journey south to catch whichever ferry is sailing.  It will be good to get home tomorrow.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by jamie92208

[Din]

16 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Morning all from a still windy Lindum.  Martin and Katie have gone to work and we have been trusted with getting 8 yr old Ryan to school. He enjoys this as he gets taken in a left hand drive car and peop,e stare when they think they can see an 8 yr old driving.  

 

Hope that everyone  is safe. Sherry got back to the UK safely after a late and longer voyage than normal. We are going to do some shopping then make a leisurely  journey south to catch whichever ferry is sailing.  It will be good to get home tomorrow.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

Might I suggest the fitting of a toy/dummy steering wheel, Maggie Simpson style?

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Another wet and windy night but it's eased off and the sun has appeared. More wind and rain due later.

Not feeling too good today so no plans have been made yet. I was hoping to get some more done in The Shed but don't feel like it at the moment.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[Kingzance]

2 hours ago, Robert said:

There was a very interesting film doing the rounds on Twitter yesterday - apparently the Hastings Lifeboat got called out to rescue (would you believe it?) a surfer.  For those that know the area, he was surfing at Rock-a-Nore and was initially declared missing, but was able to swim ashore on his own at Pett Level.  (That's about seven miles along the coast)!

 

It should be possible to view this link without logging in: https://twitter.com/Lee_k100/status/1226575269705789440

 

I hope the Surfer concerned sees fit to make a sizeable donation to the RNLI!

Sadly Robert, the mentality of any individual who cannot assess the risk he posed to himself and others suggests that he would be sufficiently arrogant to defend his stupidity and refuse to make a donation, whatever the storm is called!

 

A bright but windy morning here, a small amount of cloud is speeding across the skies but more rain is forecast to arrive around lunchtime and stronger winds again this evening. Daughter had a tree down yesterday that fell from inside her property across the lane, blocking an adjacent house and taking out the telephone lines to two properties. It is just such events that make one recognise one is not as young as one was. Thirty years ago, we had a similar incident With a large old walnut tree and I dealt with it myself. Yesterday, I knew I was no longer capable - and no, I wouldn’t have gone surfing either! The diary looks quite empty today. Should I buy a lathe, a forge, an anvil, hammers, tongs and tool bits to make an awl? I think not, maybe I’ll just sneak into the garage to do something unmentionable. 

[Happy Hippo]

Watching the various airliner 'horror landings' makes me think back to the days when aircraft did not have  high cross wind landing capabilities.  Old fashioned airfields had  runways which were laid out in a triangular pattern.  Nearly all the the old WWII Shropshire airfields tend to follow this pattern (although there were exceptions).  the large aircraft factory at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands had a number of dispersal sites in Shropshire, which consisted of  large fields and a windsocks from which the ATA would ferry aircraft to and from.

 

 

 

Back onto the triangular runway system...  This certainly allowed more options for best into wind approach which would mitigate much of the rock and roll we see in these highly zoomed films (which does tend to make it look even more dramatic).   Heathrow used to have two triangular formations before it was radically rebuilt.

 

this picture from the 1950s shows that even then, the building over the runways had started.

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[PeterBB]

9 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Mum - and plans

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/02/09/daisy-colby-1914-1994/

Reminiscent of our Hattie, especially with the eyes and yes, always taken on holidays.  

Our first as children came when Dad brought home a black mongrel puppy who's first action was to run up the garden chasing birds and was hence known as 'Beryl the Peril'.  Dad knew the family and had seen her being badly treated ... she was great and we also found that an intruder was unable to get out as she pinned his arm in the door frame until help arrived.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Dry and sunny this morning but still blowing a bit. The only change is that an old wheelbarrow has blown over, that will be put straight later, if I remember.

3 hours ago, pH said:

 

I've tried looking in that archive. Maybe I'm using the search wrongly, but I can't find any cartoon strip, never mind a 4 D Jones one. It just seems to contain the text of articles.

I found it quite easily by Googling 4-D-Jones, with the hyphens.

3 hours ago, Robert said:

Morning All,

 

Early reports seem to indicate that we have weathered storm Sabine fairly well.  (Ciara changed her name when she reached Germany!)  The journey into work was also easier than expected.  We only saw one fallen tree, but that was on a side road so didn't present a problem.

 

There was a very interesting film doing the rounds on Twitter yesterday - apparently the Hastings Lifeboat got called out to rescue (would you believe it?) a surfer.  For those that know the area, he was surfing at Rock-a-Nore and was initially declared missing, but was able to swim ashore on his own at Pett Level.  (That's about seven miles along the coast)!

 

It should be possible to view this link without logging in: https://twitter.com/Lee_k100/status/1226575269705789440

 

I hope the Surfer concerned sees fit to make a sizeable donation to the RNLI!

 

Have a good day everyone...

I know that bit of coast well, one set of grandparents lived at St. Leonards and most of the summer holidays as a child were spent down there.  I gather that he was rescued just off of Rye. I'm thinking if he'd come ashore between Hastings and Rye there wouldn't be anything much to find of him, except by the crabs.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The sun is shining,  it the skies are still a bit grey and we are still having a few strong gusts of wind, but it seems a lot calmer that yesterday. I’ve no firm plans for today, we don’t appear to have had any storm damage, but I’ve not yet been out to inspect the house, but that can wait until the weather is much better. I expect there will be some laundry to do later, as there always seems to be some to do, mind you, we are going through towels at an alarming rate, but as I’m washing my hands a lot at the moment due to Sheila’s eye care, it’s only to be expected. 

 

Enjoy the day, back later. 

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Bright and breezy here (well at least the weather is). The ordered tyre has arrived so Aditi is off to the tyre place. This is one of the things that now she has retired she has decided I don’t need to do for her. I wasn’t too well this morning and I was informed it wasn’t necessary for me to take the car.I was however considered to be well enough to go into our garage to get a jar of marmalade (made last year).

Tony

 

[grandadbob]

Feeling a bit better than earlier so decided to "help" with domestic tasks.  The Dysonmobile has not been picking up very well and was worse today. Suddenly thought "When did I last wash filters?" Errrr, umm, ooops,  I think Noah was Arkbuilding when that last happened.  When I removed them it was obvious what the problem was. Now dealt with but unfortunately the machine can't be used until they're completely dry.  Oh dear!  We do have a lightweight cordless Vax but that was bought for the exclusive use of The Boss as she finds the D.  too heavy and awkward. She offered to let me drive it but I declined as I wouldn't want to damage it with my clumsiness. 

Decided to have a mugacoffee instead.

 

[BoD]

'This is Scottish Gas. Please press any key.'

 

First time I've had one of those calls.  Fortunately I know enough just to hang straight up but I do worry about my 88 year old mum.  Thankfully she is still wonderfully independent, living on her own and getting out to do her own shopping except when the weather is bad.  Although we have told her of these calls she is from a generation that is honest to the nth degree and trusts other folk to be the same. 

 

There are some rotten sods out there.

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.  

 

The Hill of Strawberries remains blustery and cool but the sun has appeared from time to time.  I am, for the third day, awaiting the gas man* for our annual safety check.  A day of my annual leave being sacrificed because he* could not keep the two previous appointments and equally could not be bothered telling us he* wasn't coming.  

 

It is also a Very Important Day.  SWMBO had a conference call early this morning with her PhD supervisors.  Over the weekend she submitted her conclusion which, apart from the computer-compiled bibliography, is the final piece of work required.  There is still the entire thesis to cross-check for accurate references and possible (and accidental) plagiarism before final submission on March 24th but the word from her principal supervisor was that "It is now finished - and I am very pleased with what you have written".  Phew!!!

 

The videos of yesterday's aerobatics reminded me that SWMBO once had a rough crosswind landing at Gatwick arriving from Dubai.  Her steed was a 777ER which I have since been told is not the best aircraft to handle such conditions but of course she didn't have the choice.  We know the approach well having landed there from the east many times into a W or SW wind.  This was more of a southerly gale.  She described getting lower and lower until she could see the car parks and the trains and could also see the approach was being made at an acute angle.  There were multiple bumps suggesting landing involved a couple of bounces was at "about 45 degrees to the runway".  It took the length of Gatwick's runway to straighten up and control the aircraft for taxiing.  That isn't the roughest she has had either - her aircraft was struck by lightning on one occasion during approach to Tokyo and dropped "like a stone" for around 5000m while soothing music was suddenly played and the cabin crew offered reassurance.  

 

If the gas man* arrives in time I shall be seeing Former Neighbour (Upstairs) later who has had some sort of problem and has resigned her job and her tenancy in favour of going back home.  What ever it is that sounds fairly significant after a three-year degree and committing to a career.  I may or may not get to learn more in due course.  

 

It is now coffytime.  I cannot leave the house until 5pm or until the awaited person has been.  Wish me luck.  

 

* All terms implying the male gender are to be interpreted as equally implying the female gender and are inclusive of all personal identifiers and orientations.  All references to "gas man" are also to be interpreted as "Qualified Professional Timewaster".  

[BoD]

6 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Feeling a bit better than earlier so decided to "help" with domestic tasks.  The Dysonmobile has not been picking up very well and was worse today. Suddenly thought "When did I last wash filters?" Errrr, umm, ooops,  I think Noah was Arkbuilding when that last happened.  When I removed them it was obvious what the problem was. Now dealt with but unfortunately the machine can't be used until they're completely dry.  Oh dear!  We do have a lightweight cordless Vax but that was bought for the exclusive use of The Boss as she finds the D.  too heavy and awkward. She offered to let me drive it but I declined as I wouldn't want to damage it with my clumsiness. 

Decided to have a mugacoffee instead.

 

 

I'm sure that Mr Dyson's designs for his motor/suction system are very clever - but the overall design of the cleaner and its tools is appallingly bad making them very difficult to use.  Others may disagree but we found ourselves buying a second lightweight vacuum for use on the stairs and those areas where tools are needed.  Perhaps that was part of Mr Dyson's business plan.

[Tony_S]

4 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

e soothing music was suddenly played and the cabin crew offered reassurance.  

Landed at Heathrow after a very bumpy flight from Houston. Comedic captain played “Ride of the Valkyries” as we approached. 

[Tony_S]

3 minutes ago, BoD said:

 

I'm sure that Mr Dyson's designs for his motor/suction system are very clever - but the overall design of the cleaner and its tools is appallingly bad making them very difficult to use.  Others may disagree but we found ourselves buying a second lightweight vacuum for use on the stairs and those areas where tools are needed.  Perhaps that was part of Mr Dyson's business plan.

Our Dyson wasn’t tough enough for us and couldn’t cope with pet hair. The flimsy bits were reinforced with epoxy putty but eventually it was replaced with another make. I am quite prepared to accept we may have been too clumsy to use the Dyson. It now lives in Wales in a house with 3 large dogs, and occasional sheep and chicken visits and works well it would seem. 
Tony

[tigerburnie]

We had a Dyson, didn't last long, had the Vax for twice as long and it still works.

[The Lurker]

Our dyson is fairly heavy but they did replace free of charge the one bit I broke as a result of stretching a pipe too far when hoovering* the stairs. It is generally much better than whatever it was we had before.

 

 

 

*it gives me a perverse pleasure to use that particular generic term.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from LBG where it is cloudy and the wind is distinctly cold.

 

It appears that Sidcup has avoided the worst of any storm damage, no trees down or missing trampolenes that I have noticed. The trains even ran on time this morning.

 

 

[Ref44]

Our only damage from the storm came from the power blips; they fried the circuits on the radio alarm clock (very old) which now can't be reset. A new one is on order. Given some of the other chaos being reported, we got away lightly.