RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 Looks like a healthy well fed snake Gordon as well as brazen. I must admit that I am not familiar with the various wildlife acts but relocation elsewhere might become an option. Maybe Mike has more knowledge of the laws that apply to grass snakes in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 A little googling brought this up Gordon http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-478817/Hissing-Sids-supper-super-sized-goldfish.html Even though it is the Daily Wail I think letting the dogs run round the pond maybe a good scheme. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixoh8sixoh Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Looks like a healthy well fed snake Gordon as well as brazen. I must admit that I am not familiar with the various wildlife acts but relocation elsewhere might become an option. Maybe Mike has more knowledge of the laws that apply to grass snakes in the UK. I think so long as you don't offer for sale a live or dead grass snake you're ok. That seems to be the only offence at the moment in relation to grass snakes, though they are on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list as a species deserving of greater habitat protection. As far as I can gather you're allowed to catch and keep grass snakes if you so wish. Not that I'd imagine Gordon wants to keep his snake! But I think you'd be ok to capture it and release it elsewhere if you wished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 No worries guys, Jackie and I are avid animal lovers and I'll get used to it. Gives me the shivers but it won't stop me going in the garden. Who knows, I may even get to love this little creature... Certainly would explain the complete lack of frogs and toads over the last couple of years. We have had up to 50 in the pond at one time, this year we were lucky to see more that half a dozen. I don't mind losing a few goldfish as we have far too many and I can't give them away. It'll be live and let live and I'll get over it in time.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Spring has sprung a leak here in Gotham. My nephew graduated from Tisch/NYU yesterday. As soon as keynoter Bill Clinton stopped talking the heavens opened in a deluge, we've had heavy rain everyday (but not all day) since last Saturday........ I was glad of my rather large truck (Nissan Pathfinder) for getting through the flooded roads yesterday. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 Morning all - all this talk of snakes and boilers reminds me of when I was married B) It's a lovely day here, sunshine and a gentle breeze. Last full night of call out tonight, it's been a strange one - full on weekend and a 14 hour night sandwiched between two nights of nothing. BW I have to comment on the strength of Bachmann Spectrum steam outline models (with sound) - my 2-8-0 survived a near 4ft drop onto a wooden floor with nothing more than the tender wheels popping out. Bit of a game finding out the right way to put them back in though.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 BW I have to comment on the strength of Bachmann Spectrum steam outline models (with sound) - my 2-8-0 survived a near 4ft drop onto a wooden floor with nothing more than the tender wheels popping out. Bit of a game finding out the right way to put them back in though.... I bought one "not working" once.It only required one tender axle being turned round the right way and all was well. I also dropped one once and a couple of pipe wires dropped off. I only had to compare it to identical models but they didn't seem to have one of the pipes that had dropped off either so I suspect it may have just been something that wasn't supposed to be there anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 ... As soon as keynoter Bill Clinton stopped talking the heavens opened in a deluge, we've had heavy rain everyday (but not all day) since last Saturday........ Perhaps some of the rain will eventually arrive here in Essex. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 Certainly would explain the complete lack of frogs and toads over the last couple of years. We have had up to 50 in the pond at one time, this year we were lucky to see more that half a dozen. Did you get any sleep at all during that time? Our neighbours next door used to have a pond which was populated by frogs in summer – which but were noisy enough that the pond eventually got filled in altogether. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 It was just a wonderful sound and lulled us to sleep on many a balmy night. It was almost like being in some humid jungle.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 It was just a wonderful sound and lulled us to sleep on many a balmy night. It was almost like being in some humid jungle.... ...except that a snake was missing, no? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Yes - the snake was missing, and all that remained was a big, well fed frog, with a big grin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Perhaps some of the rain will eventually arrive here in Essex. Tony I'll forward some via special delivery when the next load of North American surplus arrives at the Cumberland International Precipitation. Reception Hub... Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 I should enter "I think its not going to rain today" in the alternative song titles game! As well as no rain there is a lot of sand or dust blowing about. I thought it had blown over from North Africa but I've been told it is from the extensive road works over on the nearby A13. They are creating tunnels and bridges and whatever it is it won't complete for another 12 months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Tunnels and Bridges on the A13 - Are they actually widening it down to Sarf'end at last, Tony? Sad to see that the ever decreasing Boeing 707 fleet has been reduced by one more airframe today, having crashed on take off from Point Mugu Naval Air Station. Thankfully, the crew got out alive - which is very good news. BBC News Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 Tunnels and Bridges on the A13 - Are they actually widening it down to Sarf'end at last, Tony? No. The main "improvement" will be a link from the A13 to the A130 bypassing Sadlers Farm (the local version of a "magic" roundabout), which will revert to being a conventional roundabout but it will be equipped with "intelligent" traffic lights There wont't be a flyover for the Canvey- Chelmsford traffic. The A13 through Benfleet is being widened a little bit. The current lanes are very narrow with no central reservation. Completion date is sometime 2012 but if you want to travel to the Olympic events in this part of Essex (mountain biking in the Essex Alps) I'd suggest going by train. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Oh right! I remember Sadlers Farm well, and I can certainly see how it would benefit from the changes. I haven't been to that part of the world for years - but the last time I went up there (for a friend's wedding) I was amazed how much Rettendon Turnpike had changed (it used to be on my route home). It is just a shame that they never saw the plans through to link the A130 with the Medway towns - thus providing another route across the river. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 Menu tip for tonight: Fried chicken fillet with rice and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_sauce is delicious, though perhaps not classical! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2011 Evening All Been out most of the day - went to the vet's first thing, as the dog's also been drinking more than normal, so took a wee sample and vet took bloods - he couldn't shed any light on the sudden fit last night, as what presented this morning was a normal healthy 11 year old dog with good clear eyes, good ears, and a very waggy tail - he had thought last night that the problem was a balance affliction, but he would have expected some symptoms for about 48 hours, and she recovered from the turn in about 4 minutes, and showed no ill effects afterwards. So we left her to sleep things off a bit, and went out - when we got back there was a message saying all the urine and blood results were well within normal values, so no kidney, liver, or diabetes, and still no thoughts on what is causing the drinking - he now needs to have a three day measurement of how much she's drinking, so it's measured water and checking how much is consumed, and a visit again next week. Other than that, not a lot to report from chez 45156 and 30747, no snakes in the garden, or other wildlife, and indeed we too are receiving Pete's cast off rain up here. Regards to All Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 ... I was amazed how much Rettendon Turnpike had changed (it used to be on my route home). I think there may have been more improvements, the bypass was bypassed a couple of years ago, now all dual carriageway from A127 to A12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I'll forward some via special delivery when the next load of North American surplus arrives at the Cumberland International Precipitation. Reception Hub... Dave. Yep, the stuff from here seems to be crossing the pond too far to the north for Essex........sorry, Dave, I do my best....... Tony, Remind me where the Rettendon Turnpike is. Does it leave the A12 around Chelmsford? Am I thinking of something else? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 19, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2011 Rettendon The old A130 Canvey to Chelmsford used to pass that way. Now it refers I think to the A130 A132 Junction. The new A130 route bypasses everything. However there is now a bus service from Canvey through Benfleet to Chelmsford. Before we had a car there wasn't an easy way to get to Chelmsford from here. My main (only?) reason to go to Chelmsford is John Dutfield's (model railway shop). Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium NGT6 1315 Posted May 20, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 20, 2011 Morning... No additional thunderstorms materialized thus far – there was one brewing when I headed home from uni yesterday, but it would seem it blew itself out quickly. Humidity is somewhat high as I'm typing this, though, so there may yet be new ones today. Just a few hours to go till weekend, too! Have a good one, guys... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Morning All, It is somewhat cloudy here this morning - but no sign of rain. I'm glad to weekend is approaching! As far as Rettendon Turnpike is concerned. When I lived in the area, the A132 (Wickford-SWF) road joined the A130 (Canvey-Chelmsford) at a large roundabout with traffic lights. That was known as Rettendon Turnpike. As Tony said, the A130 now bypasses the whole affair. Have a good day everyone... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted May 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2011 Morning all. Quite warm but a bit cloudy. First job today will to take Aditi to the doctors for a routine diabetic review. I'm only driving so that she doesn't have look for a parking place. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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