Early Risers.

[BoD]

Morning all

 

Yesterday we did our weekly shop.  I say we, as Valerie did ours and I did my 89 yr old mum’s shop.  I think I have mentioned in the past that,  up to now, she has managed to remain fiercely independent.  We took the shop to her and I left it at the top of the stairs in her flat and we then only had a quick conversation from the bottom of the stairs.  She told us of her granddaughter, our niece, who is a recently qualified doctor but is doing further study at University in London, or was until the University closed. She volunteered to return to work, started in A&E but was quickly moved and is now doing 12 hour shifts on a Covid ward.  Mum had a few tears telling us this and I’m sure has had more in private.

It is all so very, very sad and I felt quite down last night.  It’s the first time I’ve felt so down in a long while.  This sod of a thing going on at the moment must get to everyone to some degree.  
 

But you know what they say, Brian......

[TheQ]

Mooring awl,  Inner Temple Hare, 

Five hours plus Two hours. A good night... 

 

Due to piled up furniture to make room for the layout in the MhRC I have to lean over and use a stick to press a light switch. Unfortunately last night in doing so,  I knocked over a plastic jar of white Spirit, the lid came off even though it was shut tight to stop evaporation.  I've been down on Ben the alarm clock Collie's morning patrol and opened to door to let the fumes out... 

 

I need a longer stick... 

 

The daffs are beginning to go over,  the fruit trees will shortly be in full flower, on Ben's long patrol the lane is a mass of white over yellow, May over dandelions, celandine , and primroses.  

 

Like John, I fight Excell regularly,  it doesn't help when once in a blue moon MS delete some "unused" function, that we have written into a spreadsheet.  All our MS software is updated automatically by IT to the latest version,  but they don't write the working software or spreadsheets. 

 

Plans for today, 

A shorter period of work, 

Clearing more Ivy from the garage roof,  before it gets cold again at the weekend. 

Sand the repaired filler on the keel. 

 

Ply edge the latest and final board for the layout. I'm hoping one of the original sub boards I inherited, which sat on top,  will fit on top again. I particularly liked that section of the original builders  work and would like to keep it in memory of him. 

 

But first, 

Time for a Bacon butty,  with SWMBOs approval as she wants one.

 

 

 

 

 

[45156]

Morning All

 

Not able to comment on posts as the site/internet/this laptop are still combining to  give me problems - I also have to commission a SatNav unit at some time, but with the broadband running so slowly, it would take forever to upload the software, maps, and files - the instructions say that it may take about two hours for an average broadband - and mne is not average at the moment.  Still, I'm not going anywhere at all other than Lidl at the moment, and I think I can find that without a SatNav.   I think I'm getting about 4mb/s at the moment instead of 12.

 

So with many posts missed, I am sorry if there's anything significant that I've overlooked.  Generic greetings are as ever offered to all ERs.

 

30747 had a phone call from the TIA consultant, who said he would get her in for tests within the next couple of weeks, and that his secretary would ring us to make the arrangements.  Turned out that there was a cancellation for an MRI at noon today, and she was also able to get the other scan arranged for 11.15, and her blood tests to be done as well - can't say better of the NHS than that.

 

Back tomorrow, internet permitting

Regards to all

Stewart

Edited April 9, 2020 by 45156

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Another sunny day and forecast to stay like that. This means that I can do some more Shed painting. My shoulder doesn't think this is a good idea but between us we'll give it a go. 

I did look in about 4.00am as we (me and The Shoulder)  couldn't sleep but couldn't think of anything interesting to say. No change there then Bob! Got up and made a cuppa and after drinking that managed to go back up and doze off for another couple of hours. 

One out of 3 bin lorries has "bin" and gone, let's hope the others arrive. Those guys are another lot of unsung heroes so tonight I'll be clapping for them as well as all the other fantastic key workers.

Managed to get an order on with our local garden centre for bedding plants which hopefully will be here in the next couple of days.

And now all 3 bin lorries have done their stuff. Brilliant!

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

No sun here yet, but there may be some later on. After breakfast I’ll go outside and water the potted plants before the sun (if we get any) starts to shine and then I’ll head off to the Trafford Centre to pick up the stuff that Sainsbury’s doesn’t stock. I will return home via the butchers where I’ll pick up the weekly meat rations and a pastie for dinner. After that the rest of the day is mine, so I may well spent some time sat at the dining room table playing with testing the turntable control circuit. 

 

Stay safe, enjoy the day, back later 

[Dave Hunt]

I couldn't agree more with Bob - bin men, posties, delivery drivers, those who work in warehouses, supermarkets, shops, markets etc. are all to be thanked for keeping the country going. Our pharmacy is being helped delivering medicines to all vulnerable and elderly people by taxi drivers, who are also helping distribute essential supplies from the food bank. There's a whole army of people out there in addition to the NHS heroes, professional and volunteer, to whom we all owe a huge vote of thanks. Let's hope that when this nightmare is over we remember some of that and maybe, just maybe a slightly better society will result.

 

A sunny North Hipposhire and a day for Bazing. Stay safe and well everyone.

 

Dave

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where it is nice and sunny but the air still seems cool out (judging by what is coming in through the window).

 

Today is another day of WFH. I have lost count now! I ill however not be working over the long weekend - well at least I will but in the garden and on house chores.

 

There is not a lot to report from here, so onwards with my work; have a goo day all, and stay well.

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

Our car insurer and several other insurance companies in the US have announced that they will be giving us a refund because of the greatly reduced number of road accidents. Are the UK insurers doing that too?

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[AndrewC]

Greetings all from the boring borough. Breathing back to normal and the cough seems to be more or less my normal morning hwarf to remove overnight gunk like spiders etc. 

 

I seem to be the only one left working. Half my team is off on stress leave as they can't cope with being locked in with their offspring(s) 24/7. The other half are p*ssed off as most booked leave around Easter and the company are reluctant to let them change it as they are worried that 10k people are all going to have 5 weeks of leave backed up when this lock down is over and they'll all try to take it at once. It also burgers up the project scheduling if people are booking time when they should be away. <<< This is why I spent 30 years of my career dodging the management bullsh*t bullet. 

 

4 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I reported Brian Fayle's death earlier.

https://www.guelphtoday.com/obituaries/fayle-brian-william-knott-dr-2236735

 

The railway that brought him to notice was the OO gauge Harlyn Junction.

 

I remember meeting Brian at the Great British Train Show a couple of times. A real gent. Then again all of the Platelayers made us very welcome when we schlepped our layout(s) twice from Calgary to Brampton. (3500km each way if you are counting) A wonderful group of people. 

 

I think I've relayed this story before but a few years back we kept getting nastygrams for someone we'd never heard of living at a non-existent housenumber. (xxx-A instead of xxx, with a wrong post code) Anyway, one day the bailiffs came a knocking. They demanded to speak with Mr X. I told them no such person, their address didn't exist, and the post code was for the other side of the street. The arsebadger got stroppy and demanded access. Told him to go forth and multiply. Then told him that his office had failed to do basic due diligence on their paperwork and that he was trespassing. He made a call to his office from a distance, slammed the gate and never came back. We kept getting letters from various collection agencies for a couple of years. Another bailiff arrived. Asked nicely if he could point me to the door of xxx-A as he couldn't find it. Told him it didn't exist and that we'd been getting post for this person for ages. He wandered off  to the cafe across the street. Never received another letter or visit. Very likely a transposed digit on the house number as there are flats above the shops opposite.  

 

News from next door. Contacted the council. Turns out the property owner used a third party building control service. Wrote to them. Called the owner of the property. He waffled on for a bit saying we could build off the extension wall, etc. Mentioned that he was in violation of the party wall act and that I'd be looking at obtaining a stop work order and that I'd also talked to Boring Borough planning (sent photos) as the over reach breached planning regs. Also told him that with an irregular build it would make selling either property very difficult as no surveyor would sign off on the property for a mortgage application. Texted me back half an hour later saying the extension would be corrected and brought within his property boundary. Either his building control, solicitor, or the council had a word in his shell like. This morning several rather angry sounding minions are on the roof stripping off the cladding, roof, and framing of the extension. <smug mode> 

 

enough of my waffle. Enjoy the day. 

So, I was off Monday so today is really like Wednesday, but tomorrow is a bank holiday so it is Friday, but the calendar says it is Thursday. 

 

To quote the good book. “This must be Thursday,' said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. 'I never could get the hang of Thursdays’ ". 

 

 

[grandadbob]

4 hours ago, AndyID said:

Our car insurer and several other insurance companies in the US have announced that they will be giving us a refund because of the greatly reduced number of road accidents. Are the UK insurers doing that too?

 

 

14 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

 

It wouldn't surprise me if UK insurance companies fell over themselves to cite the current situation as a reason for doubling their normal excessive increases.

[The Lurker]

woo hoo, the bin men have made an unscheduled round and emptied the glass and plastic bin!

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, grandadbob said:

 

 

It wouldn't surprise me if UK insurance companies fell over themselves to cite the current situation as a reason for doubling their normal excessive increases.

To be fair, I spoke to our insurance provider about this years quote for the multicover (cars/buildings/contents) and ended up paying less than I did last year.  I'm sure they send out automated renewal quotes in the hope that some will just pay it because they can't be bothered to argue the case.  Even more so if you have an automatic renewal/payment with the company.

 

I know the insurance industry make huge profits, but they have taken a bit of a hammering from all the claims for the floods in the UK, and as we all know, these impact on  all insurance policies, not just those that have made claims.

 

 

[grandadbob]

I must be unlucky then Richard as almost every year I have to change my car insurance to someone cheaper because they up the premium by about 20% or more and won't move or if they do it's a pittance. Perhaps it's because I have a perfect record and have never ever made a claim so they consider me an accident waiting to happen? 

 

Like most people here in fact!  

[Happy Hippo]

Andy's point about fewer RTCs  also raises the point about changes to the statistics recorded and published by the ONS.

 

One of the statistics they generate is the quaintly termed 'excessive deaths'.  In a nut shell they account for deaths over and above what is expected, so the likes of deaths from seasonal flu are recorded thus.

 

With the latest situation, it will be interesting to see how such excessive deaths are accounted for.

 

Because of the self isolation, one would expect that deaths due to seasonal flu will fall dramatically, mainly because the vulnerable will have been self isolating, so less likely to contract the virus. Obviously there will be an upswing in excessive deaths due to Coronavirus, but they should be segregated as statistics rather than being lumped together.

 

If self isolation of the vulnerable is seen to reduce the excessive deaths due to seasonal flu, then should this practice be encouraged in the future for those most at risk?  No doubt there would still be deaths from seasonal flu, but would self isolating, or severely restricting your one's contact with others bring about an overall reduction in this type of excessive death?

 

Please note there is no need for the trite  'Lies, damned lies and statistics'.

 

I am well aware how statistics can be slewed to give a more biased angle, but when used correctly, are a very useful tool.

 

 

 

 

[iL Dottore]

Morning All,

 

Just back from shopping at my usual "trade place", unusually - unlike the supermarkets - this place seems to be running down its' stocks (it has opened its' doors to the general public for the duration of the emergency). I can understand why, whilst anyone can store (and use over time) a 5, 10 or 25Kg bag of Thai Perfume Rice (or similar), I think that there are very few households who either have enough freezer space or appetite for a 5Kg Pork Belly or a 10kg shoulder of beef. So with the absence of true trade customers for the foreseeable future, it would make sensen to run down stocks. Surprisingly there was nary an Easter Egg or Chocolate Bunny to be had for love nor money.

People were being pretty sensible, anyone wanting to go in had to have their hands sprayed with disinfectant (unless already gloved), disposable towels and disinfectant available at the entrance for wiping down trolley handles and the customer facing staff were masked and gloved (good move: protects us and protects them). Social distancing was maintained.

 

In regards to your (collective) experiences with officialdom at energy suppliers, I think that all this incompetence and confusion is due to these people (to use that wonderful Edwardian expression) being "educated beyond their station in life". Unable and unequipped (in so many ways - mental, intellectual, emotional) to actually do their job properly, they fall back on petty officialdom and "just doing their job" - no matter how inadequate, inefficient or even down-right counter-productive. To my eternal shame, I was once for about 3 months, a cog in such machinery. I had just finished Uni and was doing a temp job at BT (remember them???) whilst searching for a full-time position in my field. I was reprimanded on a few times by my immediate superior for being "too efficient" (I suspect that he feared that if news got out of how I was performing, his superiors would be asking "how come the rest of your department isn't as productive as iD?"). Even seemingly uncontroversial suggestions (such as: if cover notes are always getting separated from documents in the internal post, why not just staple the note on?) were bitterly resisted. I admit this was 1983 - but I doubt British officialdom has altered that much.

 

Reams and reams of paper has been used up analysing the pros-and-cons and the ins-and-outs of British officialdom, so would I be controversial in claiming that whilst the privatisation of utilities (and so much more) has put their financial structure into the private sphere, staff attitude (and ability???) has remained firmly wedded to their public sector origins (or am I really being too cynical here???)

 

Well, off to do a little muddling...

 

Stay Safe. Stay Well, Stay Sane

 

iD

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

I must be unlucky then Richard as almost every year I have to change my car insurance to someone cheaper because they up the premium by about 20% or more and won't move or if they do it's a pittance. Perhaps it's because I have a perfect record and have never ever made a claim so they consider me an accident waiting to happen? 

 

Like most people here in fact!  

They (insurance brokers) are avid readers of ERs, and know that although you have never made a claim, you have many, many accidents which you don't claim for.

 

I suspect there are many more that you don't even report on here!

[Happy Hippo]

6 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Reams and reams of paper has been used up analysing the pros-and-cons and the ins-and-outs of British officialdom, so would I be controversial in claiming that whilst the privatisation of utilities (and so much more) has put their financial structure into the private sphere, staff attitude (and ability???) has remained firmly wedded to their public sector origins (or am I really being too cynical here???)

The apocryphal tale of British officaldom is that of the insignificant 3 page memo from our then lords and masters in Brussels which was turned into a gold plated 3 volume, hand crafted  set of rules and regulations written in virgin's blood on vellum. 

 

The civil service at it's finest!

 

 

[southern42]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

Ey up!

 

It must be Thursday as her indoors is off food shopping (it seems quieter at moreasons on a Thursday morning).

 

Snip

Baz

 

 

Sh! Keep it QUIET or Everyone will turn up on a Thursday morning...

Hat, coat...we're coming.... 

 

' morning all from red dragon land.

Sunny through thin cloud.  No wind although it will probably pick up this afternoon when I go out for my bike ride-on-the-spot.

Daughter WhatsApped asking about the cycle trainer.  She WhatsApped again 5 mins later - unavailable!  Just like the item I wanted to get my sister for her small kitchen!

 

 

Headlamp weathering today and recreating a slotted box for a headboard.  That should be interesting if a bit fiddly.  Oh, I do like fiddly.  The fiddlier the better it might seem!

 

Fitt and Elfie  still hard at it.

 

Take care and keep safe.

____________

Best wishes

Polly

 

[southern42]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I couldn't agree more with Bob - bin men, posties, delivery drivers, those who work in warehouses, supermarkets, shops, markets etc. are all to be thanked for keeping the country going. Our pharmacy is being helped delivering medicines to all vulnerable and elderly people by taxi drivers, who are also helping distribute essential supplies from the food bank. There's a whole army of people out there in addition to the NHS heroes, professional and volunteer, to whom we all owe a huge vote of thanks. Let's hope that when this nightmare is over we remember some of that and maybe, just maybe a slightly better society will result.

 

A sunny North Hipposhire and a day for Bazing. Stay safe and well everyone.

 

Dave

 

And can I add all those still keeping the modelling businesses going...so that we can play trains and boats and planes...

Thank you all so much.

Edited April 9, 2020 by southern42

[southern42]

12 minutes ago, southern42 said:

 

And can I add all those still keeping the modelling businesses going...so that we can play trains and boats and planes...

Thank you all so much.

 

That, maybe, sounds a bit flippant.  It was not meant to.

In the past few weeks, modelling has kept me motivated, moving, my mind active, and me in good spirits.  All in all, helping me to keep healthy in this difficult time.

____________

Best wishes

Polly

[tigerburnie]

Morning all, a bit cooler and overcast here today, no idea what the plans are. My plants for the pond turned up yesterday, so after potting them up and placing in the water I thought the garden looked parched, so gave everything a water. Within half an hour the sun vanished, the clouds rolled in and it persisted it down...……………………...

So taking shelter in The Old Summer House, I thought it would be rude not to have a test of things running on parallel bits of metal, pleased to report all was well, but I do need to add a sound card to that superb Hornby B1...………..and I could do with more locos...…..definitely...………………..can't run a railroad without stock...………………….(still don't think she'll fall for it though lol.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I did remember to put the bin bags out last night only to find that I was mistaken about the foxes disappearing as one had ripped open the black bag. This is the first time this has happened as anything likely to attract foxes is triple wrapped at least and all the fox was able to do was pull out a couple of plastic bags. Now to get the sheets out to dry while the suns still shining, be back later.

 

[Happy Hippo]

5 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

can't run a railroad without stock

You certainly can't and my efforts towards model railroads will stay in my mind's eye.

 

GP9, GP38-2, short line stuff:  Newbryford will be slavering at the bit once more!

 

Any news on that front Mick?

Edited April 9, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[PhilJ W]

Oops nearly forgot >>

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/giant-pandas-finally-mate-after-21834732#source=push

What did they think would happen? Few would want to do it with the world and his wife looking on.

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

I have a perfect record and have never ever made a claim so they consider me an accident waiting to happen?

Someone in the insurance companies is reading ERs.