Early Risers.

[PeterBB]

This just came up with a previous message thanking Tony and Jamie especially for their help with the fictitious scenario.  Singers, as  I read I realised that I had never heard of them but eventually Enya and Kate Bush were recognised and finally Ella Fitzgerald - one who I had listened to live from the front row in a concert with Duke Ellington at the Royal Festival Hall.  Must be some time ago as I have not lived in London now for well over 50 years.

Have to admit to getting a bit fed up of all the politicised criticism of our 'leaders' when the reality is that far too many people have not, do not, and will not take what was clear guidance that remains and are responsible for excess spread of Covid-19 over and above what might be considered 'normal infection rates.  I am not without criticism of the scene bearing in mind the complete lack of recognition that IBMS members have the expertise in testing in NHS but that they (we although personally retired) were thought of as a company rather than the NHS professional experts who were ignored while money was spent on 'lighthouse' companies who had no idea ... and of course the problems with T&T that still remain.

[Simon G]

Greetings all,

I haven’t been here for a few days as I have been under the weather.  Nothing COVID related, just feeling grotty and an unpleasant ear infection, caused by a large buildup of wax.  Both issues seem to be abating now, the latter with the use of Otex ear drops.  I don’t think that things have been helped by my general state of mind with the new lockdown, only this time in winter, so I won’t be doing a lot of gardening this time round.  The weather here for the last week has been pretty carp, with high winds and frequent heavy rain.

 

I suppose that a second lockdown was inevitable, but it does seem that the lower infection rate areas are suffering because of the higher rate areas.  IMHO, the main cause of the high rate of infection is simply a minority of people who are simply too stupid or too selfish, so that the innocent majority suffer as a result.  

[Coombe Barton]

51 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

- one who I had listened to live from the front row in a concert with Duke Ellington at the Royal Festival Hall.  Must be some time ago as I have not lived in London now for well over 50 year

This one?

https://imsvintagephotos.com/ROYALTY/princess-margaret-along-with-duke-ellington-backstage-during-262153

[grandadbob]

Female vocalists on my list are, in no particular order:

 

Linda Ronstadt,

Emmylou Harris,

Eva Cassidy,

Joss Stone,

Karen Carpenter,

Elkie Brooks,

Beverley Knight.

 

The last two I've been lucky enough to have seen live.  Elkie twice about 30 years ago when she was probably at her best and Beverley at the Albert Hall where she was absolutely fantastic.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2020 by grandadbob

[polybear]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I see Bear missed my reference to me baking a Paris-Brest a little later on (a Parist-Brest is a round pastry, in the form of a wheel, made of choux pastry and a praline flavoured cream). Phew, a narrow escape for me, then. I haven’t completely finished upgrading my bear-proof cake pantry 

Too late...

 

Bear must admit to missing iD's obviously sophisticated little number mentioned; however in my defence any form of cake ruined by the application of yucky cream doesn't trigger the early warning radar.  If, however the cream were butter cream then all bets are off - a firm radar fix at 100Nm is guaranteed.

As for bear-proof cake pantry, save your money as there's no such thing.....

 

48 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 I can't see trying to sell sound fitted DMU's for £400 as a way to get rich, put it that way.

 

 

Please, please tell me this is for an 0 - Gauge loco?

[simontaylor484]

Forgot to add Tracy Chapman to my earlier list. 

Sick to death of hearing about the US election the candidates remind me of Waldorf and Statler. 

 

Watched the new Borat film last night some very funny parts to it especially some of the things he googled in a shop with phone casting to a large tv. Not to everyone s taste but i just needed a laugh

[chrisf]

3 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Nearly forgot, there was an item this morning on BBC Breakfast about the koalas on Kangaroo Island. It is now a year since the devastating fires and they are now only just starting releasing the recovered animals back into the wild. 

 

Thanks, Phil.  I guess it is the same item that has been shown a couple of times on BBC2 this morning.  I would have liked to see more about the role played by the Australian army after the fires.  On YouTube somewhere is a gorgeous clip showing soldiers sitting on a row of chairs, each with a koala on his/her lap being bottle fed.  The sheer scale of the loss of animal life is frightening, the more so when it is considered how many koalas were so badly affected mentally that they were put to sleep.  I hope that enough was learned in dealing with last year's bush fires to prevent a recurrence on such a horrendous scale.

 

Chris 

PS - the clip will be shown again on the 1pm news on BBC1

Edited November 3, 2020 by chrisf

[New Haven Neil]

40 minutes ago, polybear said:

Snip<

 

 

Please, please tell me this is for an 0 - Gauge loco?

 

No, my furry friend, 4mm. 3 car unit, with noise  sound.  O Gauge locos are of course cheaper........

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

No, my furry friend, 4mm. 3 car unit, with noise  sound.  O Gauge locos are of course cheaper........

 

 

Bear has a bit of a headache

Question:  When a pessimist thinks "I've got a headache...reckon I've got a brain tumour"  has this now changed to......"reckon I've got C-19" ?  Not that Bear thinks he's got either.  Hopefully.

Edited November 3, 2020 by polybear

[45156]

Quick visit ony to record what must be a world record.

 

One of our tumbe driers (yes we have two or at least had two, but both small) started to make a screaming noise yesterday, and investigation today showed that the main bearing had gone - so I just wheeled it out to the side entrance to the house, about noon.  Went to the Post Office at 12.45, and it was gone already - these metal fairies certainly work fast.

 

Oh and Eva Cassidy - check out her performance of "Blue Skies" on Live at Blues Alley - it;s not on YouTube, as it appears to have been deleted for copyright reasons - the other versions are not so good.  Singing with a guitar, she was good - singing jazz live she was stunning.

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 ...snip... If, however the cream were butter cream then all bets are off

Hmmm, you just might have some competition there!

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 ...snip... As for bear-proof cake pantry, save your money as there's no such thing.....

Not a problem for me as the CAKE would already have been devoured!

[J. S. Bach]

Somebody mentioned Linda Ronstadt? I bought this one just for the Connie and after spinning it , realized that Nelson Riddle was no slouch either:

 

But then there is Grace Slick (no Auto Tune needed here!):

 

 

 

 

[simontaylor484]

Kirsty Mccoll is another lovely singer i have forgotten to add to the List.

 

Been reading the Daily Mail today not my usual fayre but hey ho it was free to me so. 

 

Anyhow i have not seen so much contradiction in so few pages regarding covid and lockdowns really there is no wonder everything seems to be a mess with reporting like this. But what to believe ?

 

[Compound2632]

10 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Been reading the Daily Mail today not my usual fayre but hey ho it was free to me so. 

 

Anyhow i have not seen so much contradiction in so few pages regarding covid and lockdowns really there is no wonder everything seems to be a mess with reporting like this. But what to believe ?

 

My understanding is that regular readers believe all of it - their minds are able to cope with the contradictions - ... [I was going to add something else but thought better of it].

 

Possible advice would be to believe none of it unless moderated by comparison with independent sources. 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Was down to Tess Coes and had a check to see if there is any other alternatives too cardboard turkey for that celebratory dinner. There was, fillet of duck or Ostrich steak. I think I'll stick to my intended venison.

21 hours ago, chrisf said:

 

Thanks, Phil.  I guess it is the same item that has been shown a couple of times on BBC2 this morning.  I would have liked to see more about the role played by the Australian army after the fires.  On YouTube somewhere is a gorgeous clip showing soldiers sitting on a row of chairs, each with a koala on his/her lap being bottle fed.  The sheer scale of the loss of animal life is frightening, the more so when it is considered how many koalas were so badly affected mentally that they were put to sleep.  I hope that enough was learned in dealing with last year's bush fires to prevent a recurrence on such a horrendous scale.

 

Chris 

PS - the clip will be shown again on the 1pm news on BBC1

The biggest problem now is the habitat, or whats left of it. It will take several years to recover so the animals will have to be released gradually. Another thing about Kangaroo Island, the indigenous koalas are 'disease free' implying that other koala populations carry a (unnamed) disease. 

Edited November 4, 2020 by PhilJ W
fat finger syndrome

[J. S. Bach]

While browsing YouTube for the White Rabbit video, I stumbled across this:

It actually brought tears to my eyes.

[chrisf]

8 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Another thing about Kangaroo Island, the indigenous koalas are 'disease free' implying that other koala populations carry a (unnamed) disease. 

 

They do - chlamydia.

 

Chris

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

 afew building supplies have been obtained although in fact I needn't have bothered because the builders' merchant is staying open during lockdown (In fact both of them are probably staying open judging by the way the competition have arranged all sorts of signs and 'lane' markings in their place.  Fortunately my long ingrained habit of not throwing away things that 'might come in handy one day' has stood me in good stead as I yesterday recovered three long pieces of skirting board from the shed.  They're now indoors laid flat and 'acclimatising' to household temperatures - hopefully.

 

Now I am definitely not a pastry maker but Flavio needs to be aware of 'pastry hands' which affect one's ability to make, or not make, really good pastry.  My mother and maternal grandmother both had very  good 'pastry hands' and could make superb pastry but my aunt missed out although she could do a passable job.  Mrs Stationmaster is the first to admit that she hasn't got 'pastry hands' so can't do a really good job of making pastry from scratch.

 

And use has been made of that little kit ChrisF and I have mentioned recently.  Advice to anyone else - be careful when you follow the 'Peel Here' instruction on the return envelope because it appears to not want to peel and the self adhesive bit on the flap isn't (self adhesive).

 

Interesting news re appointments etc - our chiropractor will be remaining i open, Mrs Stationmaster has managed to secure a dental appointment but not until 22 December, and her upcoming hospital clinic appointment is continuing as previously advised (well to be honest it is continuing on the original date she had booked as opposed to the three different dates incorrectly mentioned in 3 of teh 4 letters she has received in the space of a fortnight from the hospital.  Our new local hospital might not have any beds but it clearly has money and time to burn on admin folk writing and then sending a succession of incorrect letters which not only contradict each other but have got everything else wrong as well.

 

Have a good day one and all for what remains of it.

[Barry O]

It is freezing here!

 

Front garden is no longer a swimming pool but has grass in it... the non grassy bits are very Passchendaele -esque..

 

Yes polybear .. HOW MUCH???  but in the scheme of things who cares.. just hope everyone can stay safe and well..

 

Baz

[J. S. Bach]

40 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

 ...snip... My mother and maternal grandmother both had very  good 'pastry hands' and could make superb pastry but my aunt missed out although she could do a passable job. ...snip...

If the French and Spanish had had my grandmother's "doughnuts" at Trafalgar, Admiral Nelson's ships would have all been sent to the bottom!

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, Barry O said:

It is freezing here!

 

Front garden is no longer a swimming pool but has grass in it... the non grassy bits are very Passchendaele -esque..

 

Yes polybear .. HOW MUCH???  but in the scheme of things who cares.. just hope everyone can stay safe and well..

 

Baz

 

Ba**mann are also quoting two hundred notes for a sound fitted paneer.  Yet another good reason not to buy one.  Incoming.....

Incidentally, Bear has just decided not  to have a custard cream with his cup mug of tea, since tea time is nearly here (if you know what I mean).

More kitchen work this morning (boxing in of pipework) but none this afternoon as feeling a bit iffy though better-ish now.  Still,plenty of time on my paws.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

My understanding is that regular readers believe all of it - their minds are able to cope with the contradictions - ... [I was going to add something else but thought better of it].

 

Possible advice would be to believe none of it unless moderated by comparison with independent sources. 

 

What with Brexit and C-19 (and all the other usual run-of-the-mill dross) the media must be loving it....

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

What with Brexit and C-19 (and all the other usual run-of-the-mill dross) the media must be loving it....

 

That's the general sort of direction in which my square brackets were heading...

[PeterBB]

4 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

This one?

https://imsvintagephotos.com/ROYALTY/princess-margaret-along-with-duke-ellington-backstage-during-262153

Thanks John - you seem to have hit it fair and square.  Peter

[tigerburnie]

There's been lots of good female singers around, not sure if all the lists are based on their singing ability of something else..............................I'd add Joan Armatrading, KT Tunstall and Avril Lavigne to the list of singers.

Forgot Alana Miles

Edited November 3, 2020 by tigerburnie