Early Risers.

[BoD]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Hope everyone celebrates the beating and beheading of an obscure Christian martyr today with cards, flowers and chocolates, or <insert your particular form of devotion here> for your significant other.

 

Me, I'm delighted to be unattached on February 14.

 

EDIT:

Google's launchpad page for today (linked to their doodle) introduced me to a new (yet another) invented portmanteau word: "erocosplay". (It's for naughty role play outfits to save you looking it up.)

 

I also can't help making note of the number of "Valentine's Day" cocktails I've seen on TV today. I guess "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker" really means something today.

 

A news anchor segued to the weather forecast tonight saying "Cupid will be wearing a little raincoat as he flies around tomorrow huh?" It is forecast to rain tomorrow (the 14th here). This resulted in me laughing out loud but I was reading more into this than he meant.

As I asked on my status. What, short of a massacre, is the Saint Valentine’s Day version of Bah humbug?

[Dave Hunt]

Good morning to all. Jill and I were going to have a day out today but my Dad has come down with the lurgy and is ensconced in a spare bedroom so that is now a non-starter. Our lurgy is well in retreat except for a lingering cough, but that seems about par for the course in these parts. Nothing else really to report so I'll get on with muggocoffee and think about what to do with the day. Horace the cat has already made that decision and is asleep next to me.

 

Ta ta for now.

 

Dave

[Joseph_Pestell]

7 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

I experienced a landing like that once (several times, actually).

Whilst leaving the aircraft I asked the First Officer, who was doing his customer relations bit up front, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

He remained stoney-faced, whilst cabin crew struggled not to crack up.....

 

Pretty much any landing with a 737 seems to be like this. The undercarriage must be amazingly robust to put up with that sort of treatment.

 

When I queried it once, I was told that is how pilots are trained to land 737s. Certainly find that I experience fewer rough landings with Airbus planes (usually Easyjet).

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

 

 

Matters arising: Roundhouse was talking about drinking early in the morning at 'Spoons.  A few years ago I was having breakfast in the Victoria outlet before 8 am.  A couple of guys were raising merry hell because they could not procure alcohol over the bar.  Come 8 am they got their wish - two pints of Fosters.  Guys, if you're going to drink, do it properly.

 

 

I remember having my first pint at 9 am in a little bar at Dingwall station when in England you couldn't get alcohol till 11 am. However we have often been in Spoons in Inverness for breakfast but they don't serve alcohol till 11am which I believe is similar in other parts of Scotland these days. How things have changed in Scotland.

 

last night we finished in Spoons in Redhill  as it was not so busy as usual but nothing special ale wise.

 

Another sunny morning at mums. Will go collect my prescription at 9am then drop off seven On30 locos and may be pick up more to weather. I was in the shed just after 5am completing weathering on my only On30 loco after sorting out poor running. Just a factory reset of the decoder and all is well.

 

I must remember to go and get a Valentines card for my other half as completely forgot yesterday

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

 I did get a Valentine card. It was from the dog I sponsor at the Dogs’ Trust. Aditi told me he hadn’t signed it himself. I renewed our Garden Waste Wheelie Bin fee for the next year which is as close to celebrating Feb 14th as we ever do.

I don’t know what we are doing today . Today is supposed to be the pleasant weather in between storms day. 
Tony

[45156]

Morning All

 

First off, generic greetings to the ailing and the celebrating.  It seems that ERs is really flying now,  and is running about five pages a day now - not five posts a day was it was when I joined RMWeb.  Though when I joined, the whole forum could be a few days in changing a great deal - I think there were probably about two hundred members then.

 

Ah now, dodgy landings - I had a few of them in my time, the worst was in a Short 3-60 of Air UK, coming into Humberside in a gusty crosswind.  We were at 45 degrees to the runway, and the captain or first officer whoever was flying the sector really planted it as he kicked off the drift.  The approach was so rough and bumpy that the lady in the seat behind me had to use the (what was known in Scotland) as the boak poke.  No autoland or any other real aids in that aircraft.  Just the skill of the pilots.  I also flew a few BAC 1-11s with British Caledonian, and Dan Air.  And I agree that the takeoff run on the Trident was something else.

 

30747 got a lift to work today, hence my presence before I go to writing class later - just time now to walk Lily.  I'm pretty sure there were other things that I wanted to mention, but I've forgotten them.  

 

Edit - just remembered that it was about early morning drinking - we had two branches of 'spoons until Storm Desmond took one of them out as the cellar got flooded and it's still empty now.  That one opened for alcohol at 8.00, and I went in one morning for a breakfast and was quite surprised at the number of people having a pint.  When I worked in London, I had a manager who could not face work without a couple of pints first, and he knew the market pubs which were open for the porters - there were a few, and he was known in at least two of them - technically you were meant to have business in the market to get served, but that seemed to be observed in the breach.  He took me to one of these, the Cock in Smithfield at 7.30 one morning for "breakfast" - which was a full English for me, and two pints of Directors for him - and it was surprising how many city gents were having a pre-work snifter or two,  Ah well, must go now, as the paper shop's open and they sell cans of cheap cider from 8.00.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited February 14, 2020 by 45156

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Pretty much any landing with a 737 seems to be like this. The undercarriage must be amazingly robust to put up with that sort of treatment.

 

When I queried it once, I was told that is how pilots are trained to land 737s. Certainly find that I experience fewer rough landings with Airbus planes (usually Easyjet).

I was told by a friend who had just trained on 737's that you have to 'fly'them onto the runway, similar to a carrier landing with no flare on the approach. As Baz has aluded it's probably to do with the wing design.  As to short take offs, not a lot can beat a VC10 at sea level. Designed for high altitude East African runways their performance at low level is very good.

 

All this talk of Faro airport reminds me of a railway connection.  All it's fuel comes by train. As there is no rail connection it arrives at Sines (IIRC)  about 10 miles west in a block train of tank containers, electrically hauled. Two lorries then spend all day shuttling containers to and from the airport and the electric loco basks in the sun all day.  I do have some photos somewhere.

 

Jamie

Edited February 14, 2020 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Anyway, good morning to all.  Cards have been exchanged and breakfast eaten.  I'm off to the Dr's shortly to sort out a prescription muddle caused by our pharmacist.  The lady in question was also mayor of our neighbouring town till recently but has resigned suddenley.  This afternoon I will need to spend a bit of time re hanging the main door to the shed, in the winds yesterday one of the carrying wheels came off the end of the track.  As the wind has now died down a friend is coming to help me this afternoon.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited February 14, 2020 by jamie92208

[Kingzance]

Good morning from a cool NEHerts where the cloud level is currently around 3/8ths and increasing.

 

Yesterday passed mainly according to expectations in that I was designated chauffeur to the (not so) rich and famous SWMBO, victuals were purchased from the rose of waiters and three birthday cards acquired for friends who hit the start of their eighth decade all within a couple of weeks. SWMBO has purchased yet another new outfit that she will wear to the gathering one of those three has organised for tomorrow in celebration. Strides, shirt and sweater - none of which are new - will do for me!
 

I have had a few bumpy landings over the years but most are lost in the mists of time. The only real brown trouser moment was on an internal Taiwanese flight from Kaohsiung to Taipei when engines seemed to stop and we then entered a steep dive - quite away from the destination. There were a number of rather noisy passengers trying to out-scream each other, I didn’t partake as my voice would have been drowned out.

 

Last night’s camera club had a guest speaker who is heavily into “steam punk”. I wondered whether I would go, being totally unaware of its subject matter, other than the word “steam”. What a surprise and what skill the speaker Gary Nicholls exhibited and demonstrated - things that would have been impossible before the age of digital photography. Although it would appear that he belongs to the school of “you don’t have to be mad to do this, but it certainly helps”, it was very inspirational and I came away thinking I must learn how to properly use the photo-editing tools I already have in addition to providing food for my thought train as to what future images I would like to create. All in all, it turned out to be a rather worthwhile evening and free tea and biscuits too!

 

Today’s plans are somewhat fluid but I do need to vacate the property this afternoon when her lady ship entertains one of her friends to tea and biscuits (specially purchased and which will certainly not become available to mere mortals such as I) - no cakes by GDB or anyone else will be harmed in the process. I, meanwhile, may take a wander to the local purveyor of fine and juicy meats and see what she is offering, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more....... 

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Hope everyone celebrates the beating and beheading of an obscure Christian martyr today with cards, flowers and chocolates, or <insert your particular form of devotion here> for your significant other.

Nope, we gave Valentine's Day (VD) up for Lent many years ago, and don't miss the over-sentimental, sloppy, commercialisation of it all one iota.

 

Perhaps VD should be re marketed as the day we love ourselves.

 

After all you wouldn't want to give VD to anyone else!

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Lots of blue sky and sunshine here but there is the chance of rain later this afternoon.

Much feeling carp again with splitting headache so parrotseatemall deployed.

Some domestic tasks and finances to sort out as it's "payday."

Cowboy kitchen fitters a few doors away have completely blocked the road with van and trailer in a drive, across pavement and road. There has been a lot of shouting by irate neighbours and other people trying to get past and then having to turn around but they haven't moved. Been like it for about an hour and a half. They could just disconnect the trailer and move the van. The trailer would still block the path but at least people could get by. Too bloody lazy I suppose.  I'm surprised nobody has called the police but I'm not getting involved. If I want to go out I can go in the opposite direction.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited February 14, 2020 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

It’s a bit dull, with a smattering of sunshine at the moment. Shortly I’ll be heading off to complete the Trafford Centre Grand Prix, then returning home via the butchers where I’ll pick up the weekly meat rations and a pastie for dinner. After that I’ll email the electronic components company cancel my order and ask for demand a full refund, that should be fun. After that I’ll continue putting links in some more circuit boards. 

 

Enjoy the day, back later. 

[jamie92208]

13 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Perhaps VD should be re marketed as the day we love ourselves.

 

After all you wouldn't want to give VD to anyone else!

Apart from the rather to obvious link to Billy Connoly's skit about the clinic for anti social diseases this reminds me of a certain Leeds Criminal Solicitor Namely the late Victor Zermansky. He had the personalised registration VD2 with a subtly altered 2.  Some of my colleagues had pulled him up for displayi g an illegal number but he had won his case on appeal.

 

Jamie

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright sunshine but cold this morning. I was going to clear the garden shed this weekend and see what can be rescued from the contents, hopefully the skip will be here long enough for me to help fill it.

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Morning all.

 I did get a Valentine card. It was from the dog I sponsor at the Dogs’ Trust. Aditi told me he hadn’t signed it himself.
Tony

 There was an item on BBC breakfast this morning, apparently you can get a valentine card for your pet. 

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

 

Windy! ...and the rest of the world is misted out! 

It might be fun at the weekend down on the tr*ck...heavy rain and strong winds forecast by the pine cone observers...

Last weekend, the A5 was blocked by a tree, flood and landslide...

Is there any point in me worrying about getting my oomph back, I wonder?  Staying at home....?

 

Nana's birthday Photo book is due today...Keeping fingers crossed that it does actually arrive today and it has printed OK as, on my photo calendar, a couple of the text boxes misprinted - one line did not print in one box, and the other box missed off the last word.  My fault, that one - it looks like I chopped it off before I ordered it.    

 

Time for a mugadefcoffee to keep me going til the postman arrives.

 

And here is a link to current road conditions if you are just hanging around waiting and looking for something else to do, as if.   https://traffic.wales

Keep smiling. 

_______________

Best wishes

Polly

 

By the way, nice cake, GDB.  Two slices, please...one for me, and one for SWMBO.  

Edited February 14, 2020 by southern42

[PhilJ W]

Arthur Itis is getting excited about the imminent arrival of Hurricane Dennis. Out with the Ibuphoren to keep him quiet.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, wild and windy up here and so is the weather...………………………...not sure if I've recounted this tale, but my first emergency call out to an offshore oil rig in the North Sea saw me driving to Heathrow on a Sunday, flying in some big jet(no idea what) back over my house in Leicestershire to Glasgow. We then got straight onto a little mail plane with a propeller on the front, there were seats in it, but covered in mail bags, so we sat on those, landed at Aberdeen Dyce and got onto a Chinook helicopter, at that point I had never flown before and I got paid double time for doing it, secretly I would have paid quite a bit to have done that journey again lol. Those helicopter pilots were flipping amazing, those Chinooks flew in all weathers, a lot of them not long back from the Vietnam war apparently.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all.

 

No further rough landings to report.  The Hill of Strawberries is calm and sunny but awaiting Dennis the Menace with a warning of Amber Rain in addition to Yellow Wind.   Later today I shall venture forth to the Wait Rose and stock up on basics.  I could order for delivery but with advice already posted to avoid roads if possible it may be somewhat unfair on the non-white van-operative to add to their burden.  

 

We don't make a huge thing of St. Valentine's Day.  We have always begun and ended the day assuring each other of our love and affection.  A £5 piece of recycling does very little to change that though it is a nice touch.  Flowers are priced according to supply and demand and while cost its not of itself an issue and SWMBO will be presented with flowers in due course the £10 bunch of roses yesterday is £20 today and will be £7.50 tomorrow when they look a little less fresh   What is important to us is that we never go to bed on an argument and, with this being the 24th St. V's Day of our marriage, that we always make an effort to display and communicate our affections and feelings.  Nothing is taken for granted nor assumed.  

 

I received another Aid Package from the Red Cross Fraggle Rock in my absence and have a shiny new piece of pointwork to fit.  I haven't completely abandoned the use of electric frogs on the double-slip but insualted frogs may make things easier.  I'll give it a go.  Stalling may or may not not be an issue - time will tell.  If the new piece makes things work without causing stalls I may perform jumps of unbounded joy.  You have been warned, dear reader.  

 

It is coffytime.   We are out for dinner tonight a mere stroll away on Twickenham Green.  And there are pasties for Later Ron smuggled out of Cornwall yesterday along with a couple of bottles of the Blue Anchor's Spingo ale.  

 

Proper job, as they do say west of Truro.  

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Gwiwer

[pH]

3 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Pretty much any landing with a 737 seems to be like this. The undercarriage must be amazingly robust to put up with that sort of treatment.

 

When I queried it once, I was told that is how pilots are trained to land 737s.

 

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I was told by a friend who had just trained on 737's that you have to 'fly'them onto the runway, similar to a carrier landing with no flare on the approach. As Baz has aluded it's probably to do with the wing design. 

 

It's to ensure the microswitches in the undercarriage legs are triggered to allow reverse thrust to  be activated once on the ground - see my earlier post above on the 737 running off the runway at Kelowna in 1986.

 

As I said in that post, the full report on that accident appears to have been archived offline, but the need to 'land hard' was described in that report, and the crew actually discussed it on the approach to Kelowna.

Edited February 14, 2020 by pH
Grammar

[Kingzance]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

I received another Aid Package from the Red Cross Fraggle Rock in my absence and have a shiny new piece of pointwork to fit.  I haven't completely abandoned the use of electric frogs on the double-slip but insualted frogs may make things easier.  I'll give it a go.  Stalling may or may not not be an issue - time will tell.  If the new piece makes things work without causing stalls I may perform jumps of unbounded joy.  You have been warned, dear reader.  

Awl right Rick. I assume you have ripped out an SL-E190 and have a Fraggle Rock SL-190 to put in as a substitute. Your issue sounds like mine, please let us know of your progress.

Yrs, frustrated slippery person.

[leopardml2341]

6 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Mornin'

 

It's a bit too early to get out mi (Travelodge) bed yet as I can't have brekkie 'til 07:00.

 

Tea it is then.

Did a bit o' work and then a true POETS event.

 

Decided to visit (en route home) that there museum of the Green Wet and Rusty at 82C, all I can report is that I am pleased I had a complimentary ticket. I would've been mightily disappointed if I'd paid the full £9.80 admission ticket price.

 

Currently aboard a Jap built green 'thing' en route via 85B to 17B.

 

All that tr@in info without mentioning tr@ins, the awl will be pleased.

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.

 

An early start for Mrs NHN to collect her new bike before the rain started - just made it.  Wet 'n' windy now.  Bike breakfast club attended, strongest thing drunk was an Americano.

 

Not yet sure what the afternoon will bring, with this strong wind the garage isn't too pleasant to inhabit - where the 'things' reside.

[81C]

Afternoon All

Last nights dinner date was a success, I gave her Valentines goodies so she didn't have to wait for them tonight I got a lovely reward she took my breath away. 

Tonight we are having Pizza and nibbles on the sofa in front of the TV watching some cheesy film I'm cleaning the flat up its been in a bit of a mess doing the decorating the kitchen has had a good scrub and everything has been anti-bacterialated. 

I noticed Chrisf talking about Fosters that's the drink you only buy the first pint then after that p!ss in the beer mug for a refill. 

Enjoy your day all Wellin Tooitt

[leopardml2341]

Caslemaine XXXX...........

 

 

 

 

Because they couldn't put P!SS on the beer tap.

[Happy Hippo]

12 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Just to the right of the runway are the ski slopes. If you zoom-in a helluva lot you might be able to make me out. I'll be the one in a kilt.

 

Actually Telluride is quite a place and well worth a visit but I only drive to get there.

I was watching the VASI all the way down and it is interesting to note that the pilot kept the aircraft above the glide slop all the way down.

 

I suppose it is better to step out of a wreck at the far end of the runway rather than climb out of a hole at the near end!