Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, chrisf said:

The profanity filter strikes again.

I wonder why there are two naughty lists. One which blanks words and the other that replaces them with ######. When this sort of filter first appeared at work, the IT staff had to type in a list of naughty words. Later they came with a list. These were all American English so all that happened was students tried  to see what British English insult wasn’t actually on the list.  The list was capable of being edited by the network managers. 
 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Late on parade today, I've been up a while but I had an appointment earlier for my flu jab so that's where I've been. Anyway currently sat in the workshop about to start working on the turntable control panel wiring, and there's quite a bit to do. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

 

 

[Barry O]

so I walked up to the Pharmacy I use for my prescriptions.. err it is empty..Next nearest Pharmacy doesn't open on Saturdays....

 

So I kept walking (I did about 6km)  ..managed to buy some smoked bacon, dragon sausages and Leeds Growlers at the butchers.

 

On my return, coffee made, onto the surgery website and prescription ordered for the next couple of months. Bit of a longer walk to collect it .. but it should keep me fit!

 

Positive thing about facemasks... it keeps your nose warm in the cold wind.

 

Tim e for coffee drinking!

 

Baz

[jonny777]

Dry and sunny here in North Somerset, but rather chilly. 

 

Creamy pheasant with rice went down a treat yesterday, although I had strange dreams about blood transfusions - not sure if they are related food input or not. 

 

SWMBO is going to attempt to get her washing dry outside, but with light winds and very low sun I don't give it much chance. We have not had a tumble dryer for decades, and who knows how much we have saved. The utility room is the warmest space in the house, with the heat from the back of two freezers and the central heating boiler. The room is used regularly for drying damp clothes. 

[Tony_S]

7 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Bit of a longer walk to collect it

For some time now if you order medication online at our practice they send it to your preferred pharmacy. All electronic. Works well. 

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

 

SWMBO is going to attempt to get her washing dry outside, but with light winds and very low sun I don't give it much chance. We have not had a tumble dryer for decades, and who knows how much we have saved. The utility room is the warmest space in the house, with the heat from the back of two freezers and the central heating boiler. The room is used regularly for drying damp clothes. 

Our tumble dryer is in the utility room and any heat is exhausted into the room so adds to the house heating rather than warming up the rest of Essex. It isn’t the kind where fluff is in contact with heater elements so we run it at night on Economy 7 tariff.  

[polybear]

14 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

206 and 405 for me , and diesel to boot , twas fun when a 405 turbo got into

a run loop when  the tubo seals let the oil in to the inlet system , no way of

stopping it at max revs until it met it's fate with a big bang .    

 

This it what it looks like . 

 

 

 

I bet the Hotel next to this was impressed - at least one upstairs window directly above was open.  I'm surprised the fire alarm didn't go off.....

 

13 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

Otherwise, act 57 of the great sort-out and tidy-up continues, with a pile of books and bits destined for a local charity shop (when it reopens) accumulating in the hall. Still, I can claim it's an anti-Bear/Hippo device to prevent direct access to the kitchen and the cake-tin...

 

Ahhh, the old barricade trick.  How quaint, and about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.....

We may even lift some of the books en-route if they happen to be Wild Swan Modelling Titles.

 

12 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Builder should have come round to quote for a job but didn’t turn up or even let me know he wasn’t coming. Typical.

 

Sounds just the sort of builder you don't want on the job.

 

7 hours ago, TheQ said:

As for stuffing a rag in the air intake, it takes a brave man to open the bonnet find the air intake and block it when the engine is screaming alongside. That's if you can find the air intake, our current car it's hidden in the bodywork, you have to take parts of the car apart to get to it...

 

 

Cousin's eldest sprog's Mini (petrol) did this at start-up for no known reason (I did have better pictures, but deleted them some time ago):

 

 

The other pictures were much worse - shrapnel all over the shop; I did mention at the time that it was a good job he didn't have his mush under the bonnet at the time.

 

In other news:

Bear got a decent night's sleep for a change, not waking until 6am which was useful.  Today's fun has been clearing one of the last kitchen cupboards (there's only the sink unit left to do now) of glassware and plastic tubs etc. and deciding what is to be kept and what isn't - much hasn't been used for 10+ years.  Took some thought as it was my Mum's....

Somewhat pleasingly a good friend of my Mum's (and me) 3 doors away was very pleased to receive numerous Pyrex Glass dishes, so I'm glad of that.  A few bits (along with numerous other items) will be going to the Hospice shop warehouse on wednesday - they run a pre-booked/timed slot drop-off system.  I did have to junk about a dozen vhs cassettes this morning, as despite my best efforts I couldn't find a new home for them.

[AndyB]

5 hours ago, roundhouse said:

The landlady has now been told by local inspectors that Scotch eggs are no longer considered a substantial meal and that their sausage roll now needs more with it ...

 

Today is haircut and a visit to Squires for a few modelling tools. Likely to be no beer today.

 

I'd always wondered what John Torode and Greg Wallace did for a living when they aren't filming Masterchef. 

 

And a haircut for me this morning, too. I asked for it to be short in case there was a Lockdown 3. Judging by the look of it the young lass was getting me ready for a Lockdown 4 too!  

[The White Rabbit]

7 minutes ago, polybear said:

Ahhh, the old barricade trick.  How quaint, and about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.....

We may even lift some of the books en-route if they happen to be Wild Swan Modelling Titles.

 

All part of my cunning plan - lull anyone taking that route into a false sense of security before triggering the real defences... 

 

No WS books though I'm afraid, I want to keep mine and if I was giving any away, I wouldn't give those to a charity shop but would offer them on here first. Feel free to lift any Hubert & Woomfa or Little Blue titles in passing - or any of the children's stuff come to think of it. 

 

Well, the usual Saturday morning chores mostly done. Still some paperwork to do this pm. The weather's a bit better today, dreich was indeed the word for yesterday's. 

 

Back to the subject of calendars, as well as a pictorial one, I do myself a couple of A4 printouts for me to scribble memos on. I attach 2021's here if anyone wants a copy. 

 

Lunchtime...

2021 calendar.pdf

[Barry O]

Fires in engines.. acrs? Pah!

 

I was sat in a Chieftain Tank on a visit to Bovington to look at a piece of kit being trialled. I was sat in the gunners seat with a rep from Ferranti sat in the commanders seat behind/above me.

 

The Engine Fire alarm went off ( generally this indicated that the Leyland L60 engines was about to explode.  I was outside on the hard standing before the Ferranti man realised he needed to get out.. luckily the driver got the engine to turn off...

 

 

Baz

 

[tigerburnie]

I've not had a hair cut since before my Birthday in February, how do I know this, because I'm told at least once a day I need a hair cut, that's how I know..................................

[PhilJ W]

Hello again from Estuary-Land. I tried the Covid-19 test appointment number a little while ago. Normally I just got an engaged tone but this morning I got an automated voice message telling me that I was in a queue. However after waiting fifteen minutes I gave up. I will try again later or tomorrow morning, the lines are open seven days a week. My friend informs me that there is a case at his sons school and its likely to be closed but they are asking pupils and parents to take the test. If we are all tested and come out clear we can form a bubble which will be useful.

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

After breakfast it was out to the workshop, the hardest task was finding the good facemask, it took ages to find it sat obviously on a shelf. .

 

Various sections of OSB were cut to size once each was screwed to the beams, fibreglass insulation was installed between OSB and asbestos roof. 

The most difficult was the last section in a row as the cut fibreglass had to be balanced on the sheet of OSB while it was held up to be screwed to the beam..

The hatch for the lifting equipment had to be made up of left over pieces. 

It was noticeable the workshop warmed up seriously once the last panel was installed.

 

After that battens were Installed covering joints to reduce possible air leaks, at that point my back said enough of reaching over my head, so there's still a few left to do..

 

So I started reinforcing the cupboard shelf, I've found the space on the shelf below the cupboard a handy place for ready to use stuff, like pencils, craft knives, tape measures.

While doing that I've decided that one side will get small shelves installed tomorrow using more off cuts.

 

After that Ben the now very muddy Collie took me for his long walk, part way round the track got very muddy, three sets of non tractor tyres, two road format tyre , one AT tyre set..

Shortly after two land rovers and a Japanese 4x4 were seen parked at the pheasant pens. By the time we reached the acres track the first a 110 , went past easily on ATs, shortly after the others went past slipping badly on road tyres. Ben was extremely good he came when called and sat by my side as each went past.

 

I noticed they didn't take the shortest route to tarmac, and so it proved as shooting started up from the direction they went. At that point  Ben got very unhappy and towed me home for the last 1/4 of the route.

 

Dinner will arrive shortly , to accompany the red liquid anaesthetic currently being consumed.

 

[BoD]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Hello again from Estuary-Land. I tried the Covid-19 test appointment number a little while ago. Normally I just got an engaged tone but this morning I got an automated voice message telling me that I was in a queue. However after waiting fifteen minutes I gave up. I will try again later or tomorrow morning, the lines are open seven days a week. My friend informs me that there is a case at his sons school and its likely to be closed but they are asking pupils and parents to take the test. If we are all tested and come out clear we can form a bubble which will be useful.

Have you tried doing it online.  It was straightforward and we got a choice of appointment times and locations all within the next few hours of entering our details.

[J. S. Bach]

7 hours ago, chrisf said:

The profanity filter strikes again.  OK, I'll put it another way.  The word to which I was trying to refer has six letters, begins with F and rhymes with maggot.  It is in common use as the name of a foodstuff made by Mr Brain and is in impolite use to describe a gay man.

 

Chris

You could replace the "a" with "@".  I just tried it and it got through, then I deleted it.

Edited December 12, 2020 by J. S. Bach

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

First taking up on the comment made by Chrisf can somebody, anybody, explain why faggot, a delightful savoury delicacy in the British culinary arena,  should have become in the USA  a term of derision for homosexuals?  Was it because some homophobe had a violent reaction eating one when a child so got it imported into a US dictionary as a derisive term.?  On the other hand I suppose anybody who regards the stuff we put on roads as a suitable name for a foodstuff surely has suffered a very narrow and insular lack of education.  As far as their terminology is concerned I wish they'd keep it over there and not impose it on our language and usage.  and I do like faggots, with peas and mashed spuds please.

 

GDB's new motor looks quite impressive and is a model that appeals to me although I am dearly wedded to my 11 year old Peugeot 407SW which with a fairly ordinary diesel of the non-turbo variety can still out run various Porsche models on the winding roads round here.  Talking of cars on our return from the toy shop (see below) earlier this afternoon the ladmobile came upon a very pedestrianly driven Beemer which didn't even get up to the speed limit let alone exceed it.  The driver's habits were confirmed when he signalled before turning off although his road positioning to turn was garbage).

 

Yes - we have been to 'the toy shop' in the form of the excellent Alton Model Centre where we were far from being the only customers which was good to see and due to a major backlog on magazines plus purchase of an unmentionable lined green delicacy suitable for running on Western rails and various books (choose your own Christmas present time) and the lad splashing out on something more modern we departed with young Paul about £500 better off in his days takings.

 

The way the world is going can now be seen even more starkly in Alton as the relatively modern but closed police station and adjacent Magistrate's Court are now being demolished - in the good name of those infamous rippers-off of the aged population McCarthy & Stone who will no doubt be lumbering yet another town with over priced flats with strong strings attached should you wish to sell up and move on.  They've already got loads of them on the market in this part of the world and locally after,.  what - around two years, they still haven't even sold half of the over-priced flats in their poorly sited building lying between a busy main road and a rat infested wood yard (but at least there is a 'bus stop right outside and Tesco just round the corner).

 

Enjoy the rest of your day one and all and stay safe

[Barry O]

Result!  Lincoln 0 Sunderland 4... I will now go and lie down in a dark room.. I may be sometime!!

 

Baz

[Ian Abel]

Saturday morning, just

 

Quick check-in, forgot that today we're doing our Christmas cookie bake, usually an in-person family affair, this year occasional Zoom, as we all bake three or more dozen to share. Will be sharing them via doorstep drop-off tomorrow...

 

hopefully a few more quick look ins to RMWeb/ER later.

 

-2 and overcast, all the way up to ZERO for a high later

 

On your marks... get set... BAKE!  

[pH]

It was school photograph time here recently - timed so they’re bought to be sent with Christmas cards? Anyway, the ones we got of grandkids were a beautiful illustration (sorry!) of the difference between a technically competent photographer and a really good one. The one of our granddaughter was a nice, routine pose. The ones of two grandsons, at a different school, really captured their quite different personalities.

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Afternoon all,

 

First taking up on the comment made by Chrisf can somebody, anybody, explain why faggot, a delightful savoury delicacy in the British culinary arena,  should have become in the USA  a term of derision for homosexuals?  Was it because some homophobe had a violent reaction eating one when a child so got it imported into a US dictionary as a derisive term.?  On the other hand I suppose anybody who regards the stuff we put on roads as a suitable name for a foodstuff surely has suffered a very narrow and insular lack of education.  As far as their terminology is concerned I wish they'd keep it over there and not impose it on our language and usage.  and I do like faggots, with peas and mashed spuds please.

 

GDB's new motor looks quite impressive and is a model that appeals to me although I am dearly wedded to my 11 year old Peugeot 407SW which with a fairly ordinary diesel of the non-turbo variety can still out run various Porsche models on the winding roads round here.  Talking of cars on our return from the toy shop (see below) earlier this afternoon the ladmobile came upon a very pedestrianly driven Beemer which didn't even get up to the speed limit let alone exceed it.  The driver's habits were confirmed when he signalled before turning off although his road positioning to turn was garbage).

 

Yes - we have been to 'the toy shop' in the form of the excellent Alton Model Centre where we were far from being the only customers which was good to see and due to a major backlog on magazines plus purchase of an unmentionable lined green delicacy suitable for running on Western rails and various books (choose your own Christmas present time) and the lad splashing out on something more modern we departed with young Paul about £500 better off in his days takings.

 

The way the world is going can now be seen even more starkly in Alton as the relatively modern but closed police station and adjacent Magistrate's Court are now being demolished - in the good name of those infamous rippers-off of the aged population McCarthy & Stone who will no doubt be lumbering yet another town with over priced flats with strong strings attached should you wish to sell up and move on.  They've already got loads of them on the market in this part of the world and locally after,.  what - around two years, they still haven't even sold half of the over-priced flats in their poorly sited building lying between a busy main road and a rat infested wood yard (but at least there is a 'bus stop right outside and Tesco just round the corner).

 

Enjoy the rest of your day one and all and stay safe

I was there on Wednesday and as usual, every time I've been in since moving back he has been very busy with the door bell going every few moments.

I have placed an order and waiting to hear if he can obtain said item, which is TWICE the size almost of your stuff Mike.

[TheQ]

I seemed to remember when I was young, a  f a g got was commonly used as a term for a bundle of twigs...

So I looked it up...and

Yes it's a defined measurement of twigs /pieces of wood defined in 1474, as three feet long and two foot in diameter. I remember being sent out to the shed, by my grandparents to collect a "f a g got" of wood  to start a fire.. however they were only a foot long and about 6 inches in diameter.

 

I see a "f a g got" also means a bundle of iron or steel rods weighing 120lbs.

 

I'm guessing that a "f a g got" of food  came to mean a bundle / ball of meat.

 

The next size up from a "f a g got" is a "fascine" up to 20 ft long, which I know were later carried on top of WW1 tanks to fill trenches.

Edited December 12, 2020 by TheQ

[BSW01]

The word Facist is derived from the Italian word facismo, meaning bundle of sticks. 3 of these bundles were the emblem of the Italian airforce during WWII. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by BSW01

[pH]

8 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

The word Facist is derived from the Italian word facismo, meaning budle of sticks. 3 of these bundles were the emblem of the Italian airforce during WWII. 

I think the roots of ‘fascist’ lie further back than that: 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by pH

[TheQ]

10 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

The word Facist is derived from the Italian word facismo, meaning budle of sticks. 3 of these bundles were the emblem of the Italian airforce during WWII. 

Which comes from the two consuls of the Roman empire, elected to represent officialdom and control the people, their badge of office was the fasces, a bundle of rods sometimes enclosing an axe, carried when on duty.

Edited December 12, 2020 by TheQ

[polybear]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

......in the good name of those infamous rippers-off of the aged population McCarthy & Stone who will no doubt be lumbering yet another town with over priced flats with strong strings attached should you wish to sell up and move on. 

 

No idea who the developers were (it was 30 years ago) but my grandparents grandmother decided it would be a good idea to sell their nice 3 bed semi det bungalow and move into such a place (so my grandad would've lost his garage/workshop and gardens, which were his life.  Fortunately she came to her senses before it was too late (but not before shelling out a load of money on new furniture first (could'nt let the new neighbours see their old furniture, that would never do).  One of the clauses on the new place is if you sold it, it had to go back to the developers at the same price as you paid for it, even if it was 20 years later......