Early Risers.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning. It's blowing a hoolie here and therevis some Welsh sunshine around. However the fire is lit and coming along nicely. 

 

We had a good meal with some friends yesterday, a Pintard (Guinea fowl) Had been sacrificed in a worthy cause. We got home before curfew and watched  Call the Midwife.  A good nights sleep has been had. 

 

Not a lot on the agenda today apart from a session of wood chopping.  

 

Now a nice Cranbtree moment for you to enjoy.  The young gent who came to fit Beth's CPAP machine was very concerned  that there should be no leaks.  However what he went on about was licks. Beth and I were nearly in stitches.

 

Jamie

Edited December 27, 2020 by jamie92208

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Bella has been battering the building all night.  I know this for two reasons:  Firstly I was woken up several times by the wind and rain.  Secondly my new security camera has 76 clips of film from last night.  Two, just after midnight showed passing cars.  73 showed rain running down the window. the last at 6.40 showed another passing car.  Does this mean that I looked at all of them? Oh yes.  Dear oh dear Bob, get a life!!!  It's started pouring again so I've disabled it for now. 

There were thoughts of a long(ish) walk today.  Er not now,  I am a fair weather walker only unlike those hardy souls who live in areas like the Lake District or Yorkshire Moors.

Today there will be a discussion about how to manage the rest of our turkey crown.  It was originally meant to feed seven of us and in retrospect cooking it for just the two of us was a mistake.  Time for The Boss to get creative. 

I believe that all being well, Sale Sharks will be entertaining Wasps this afternoon so I can get back into rugby mode.

I've also got a couple of new books to read and no less than 5 blu-ray dvds to watch so shouldn't get bored.  I won't even mention the lack of progress in The Shed.  Ooops, just did.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by grandadbob

[iL Dottore]

Good Morning,

Quite a pleasant start to the morning (the view is from the Holiday Hovel)

Although more miserable weather awaits.

An interesting remark about “hating the virus”. How can you hate what is essentially an inanimate object/force of nature? Everything concerning the pandemic, good and bad, is due to the agency of man: from behaviours that allowed the virus to jump species, to badly managed lockdowns, to people helping others above and beyond the call of duty. It’s akin to “hating the river” because it floods your house on a regular basis - rather than saving your ire for those cockwombles who thought it a good idea/very profitable to build houses on a flood plain.

 

It will be interesting to see what commentators say about this pandemic in 5 or 10 years time. Certainly, many trends (such as moving away from physical to online shopping)  have been accelerated; flaws and defects in formerly “taken-for-granted” activities - such as commuting into an office or the £25 airline ticket - have been exposed and a considerable (but not terribly extensive or radical) rethink of how society works/should work/will work has occurred.

 

So what are my predictions for 2021?

> cheap airline travel will be a thing of the past. Partly due to having fewer passengers onboard (fewer people travelling = less income for airline, but same outgoes per flight) but also due to travel restrictions: No vaccination certificate and/or no recent (<72 hr) negative CoVID test = no fly. Additionally, many countries will adopt a “No vaccination certificate and/or no recent (<72 hr) negative CoVID test = no entry” (or mandatory supervised quarantine) border policy.

> The high street will continue to deteriorate as people will be less willing to shop in person and prefer the larger choice and competitive pricing of online shopping.

> Working from home, for those who can, will be the “new normal”. Few companies will want to continue to have the expense of extensive offices in high cost/high rent areas when work can be done as well, if not sometimes better, by employees working at home.

> The hospitality industry will continue to falter. Those hotels that can, will adopt a high tech model whereby human interaction is minimised through technology (if not embrace the Japanese model of the all robot hotel).

> The pub sector will be but a shadow of its former self: the pandemic merely accelerated the decline caused by cheap supermarket and offl-licence booze.

> “Amateur” meetings, exhibitions and displays (such as in village halls, leisure centres and the like) will disappear as few will have the means (financial and manpower) to adhere to the current “anticovid” requirements, which I don’t see being lifted anytime soon (not to mention covering the post pandemic legal liabilities)

Finally,

> Live music, parades, street celebrations and the like will continue to be restricted, if not banned until the authorities are satisfied that a sufficient percentage of the population has been vaccinated (probably about mid- to end-2022)

 

How accurate will be my predictions? We’ll see, we’ll see!

 

iD

[TheQ]

I'm being beaten up by fishy, armadillo, and spotty dog 

Yep Ben the playful Collie is beating up his toys and using me to beat them against.

 

Turkey, slice it, freeze it in portions.. our freezer has trays of now frozen portions of turkey and gammon, awaiting bagging .

 

Once the over sixties, and vulnerable are vaccinated, restrictions will be relaxed, Easter? Once 60% are vaccinated there will be no restrictions and it will all go back to normal. With more, but not all those who can WFH. Of course many shops will not reopen, the covid just accelerated what was happening anyway.

Politicians want everything to be relaxed before their next election to have any chance of re election.

 

Time to head for the workshop the fire hose in the sky is down to a trickle.

[Barry O]

Blue clear sky, sunny and... freezing!

 

Garden is now a perfect bird swimming pool.

 

Bas

[jonny777]

Hello from a cold and sunny North Somerset. 18mm of rain overnight, which kept waking me up as it battered on the window. 
 

I have frozen all my leftover turkey, which is both legs and a whole side of breast (oooh matron). This will keep me going for curries well into next year, and an occasional pie if I feel the need for pastry. 
 

still no luck with the keyboard commands for cursor movement, so iPhone it is. 
 

Green shoots are beginning to appear through the soil in the garden, and it looks like the snowdrops are going to have a good 2021. There are a few daffodil leaves poking through as well, and some primroses are already flowering. 
 

I love this time of year. Quiet after the Christmas forced spending spree (I don’t do sales) but optimistic due to emerging plant growth and lengthening daylight. 

[AndyB]

Morning all

It appears I am now a Great Uncle. I understand mother and baby are well.

 

In other news I was given an Italian cheese making kit for Christmas. With plenty of tuck in the fridge it's not a kit to start on immediately. But certainly one to look forward to. Before anyone gets carried away imagining I'll be creating an 'ampshire version of one of the more obscure of the 400 named varieties if Italian cheese the kit is for just 6 of the simpler ones....mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone....

 

 But before any if that there's a pile of gravestones to install. Miniature ones before anyone wonders what's under my patio.

[Simon G]

Morning all,

I was pleased to hear that the Bedford floods have not directly affected chrisf (when I first typed that in, my autocorrect changed it to Christ!!).  The same floods have moved on downstream, and my son spent all day yesterday expecting to be flooded in St Neots, but fortunately it seems that the flooding didn’t quite reach his house, and the River Great Ouse is thankfully (hopefully?) now past the peak there.  He had moved all he could upstairs and cleared the garage as far as possible.  
 

The wind here has died down a bit, but it is still very blustery and showery, so we may venture out if it clears up at all.

[Coombe Barton]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Hat-Coat-Door

 

Yes, correct route.

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I had a PE class with no mats; that was just bl@@dy uncomfortable

 

OK, I'm outta here.

 

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I had my car resprayed on the cheap by a bloke called Mathew: terrible job, patchy and ghastly matt finish...

 

My next door neighbour is a nice bloke, but he is terribly dyslexic. He once got a letter from the Met office inviting him to a job interview, he turned up at the local carpet centre - he thought he had to go to the Mat office...

Quite frankly, I don’t really care what you think about my jokes: you can CARPET me for them, pull the RUG from under me, it doesn’t MATter, nothing you do will FLOOR me!

 

Hat-Coat-Door

 

Here we go again.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The sore foot kept me up last night, I didn't nod off until the early hours and consequently overslept. Bella emptied a lot of water onto us last night but this morning there is a strange bright object in the sky, but still a bit breezy.

[grandadbob]

Congratulations to great Uncle Andy and family.  Even more expense now mate!  Is it a boy or a girl or are you doing a Paloma Faith and not disclosing gender for the foreseeable future? 

 

On the culinary front decisions have been made so tonight's meal will be turkey, ham and leek pie.  The rest of the bird will be frozen apart from that which will be used for lunchtime sandwiches today.  Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, AndyB said:

Morning all

It appears I am now a Great Uncle. I understand mother and baby are well.

 

In other news I was given an Italian cheese making kit for Christmas. With plenty of tuck in the fridge it's not a kit to start on immediately. But certainly one to look forward to. Before anyone gets carried away imagining I'll be creating an 'ampshire version of one of the more obscure of the 400 named varieties if Italian cheese the kit is for just 6 of the simpler ones....mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone....

 

 But before any if that there's a pile of gravestones to install. Miniature ones before anyone wonders what's under my patio.

BIG Congrats Andy.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Congratulations Andy, trust that munm and babe are doing well.

 

The sun shineth - for the next hour or three then it's back to murk but no rain forecast although flooding (not affecting residential property) is.  Alas for the poor s*ds who live in Purley residential property flooding is expected - that's the place where I took another look at where the estate agent's notes were taking us as we headed down the hill and promptly turned round.  It's one of the worst examples I know of what building on low lying regularly flooded flood plain can lead to.

 

In cheerier news there will be chicken un-pie for dinner tonight and there is of course chicken soup ready for consumption today; the pork remains as cold cuts; the cheese is still to come; and the pork pie was tested yesterday and is well up to the butcher's normal standard.  Not sure what is on the telly today but yesterday evening delivered 'Hobson's Choice' followed by 'Went The Day Well' so they won my attention by a country mile.  Apart from 'Carols At Kings' and 'Call The Midwife' I think all the pre-recorded programmes/films I have so far watched in the Christmas period were made in the 20th century, including several made in the first half of that century.

 

As to Flavio's predictions I think he's generally on the money - a changed world is emerging although it looks like consumerism isn't going to entirely go away.   There will undoubtedly be some big changes in respect of the places where so many of us have met in the past - model railway exhibitions; that change might not be an entirely bad thing as the market was getting very crowded.

 

Finally the Good Doctor Station Cat did her last, for now, shift on the elective orthopaedic ward yesterday and that ward is now closed for the duration.  All the staff are being temporarily transferred to a Covid ward at the John Radcliffe.  There were  just over 80 patients in total last week on Covid wards and no doubt the number will continue to rise thanks to Covidiocy.  There are patients (not in ITU) consuming as much as 60 litres of oxygen per day on those wards - apparently the usual average on a ward for someone with breathing problems is no more than 15 litres per day;  yet another statistic nobody thinks of.   

 

Have a good day everybody and stay safe

Edited December 27, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[AndyB]

17 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Congratulations to great Uncle Andy and family.  Even more expense now mate!  Is it a boy or a girl or are you doing a Paloma Faith and not disclosing gender for the foreseeable future? 

 

 

In fact it was a boy. And lucky for him I understand one of his grandparents is a prolific railway modeller. So he'll be set up on the right tracks from an early age, no doubt. 

[PhilJ W]

I don't know whats happening but what I've just written has disappeared?

[NGT6 1315]

Cheers everyone.

 

So, that’s another Christmas over, then. Very windy outside, so with it being just between 1 and 2°C, this makes for some serious windchill! We did take a walk around the park, but man, did it feel good to be back indoors!

 

After a bit of a meal, I’ll try to catch a bit of shut-eye as I didn’t sleep terribly well, unfortunately .

 

Later.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Late again, but at least it's stopped raining, even the sun is out, but it's quite chilly only 3C. I've managed to get to the workshop and will shortly continue working on the turntable control panel wiring, I may be some time. 

 

Andy, nice to read we have another potential railway modeller, congratulations. 

 

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

 

Brian 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Good Morning,

> “Amateur” meetings, exhibitions and displays (such as in village halls, leisure centres and the like) will disappear as few will have the means (financial and manpower) to adhere to the current “anticovid” requirements, which I don’t see being lifted anytime soon (not to mention covering the post pandemic legal liabilities)

Finally,

 

 

How accurate will be my predictions? We’ll see, we’ll see!

 

iD

I can see there being far fewer exhibitions/toy fairs/swap meets after the pandemic for a multitude of reasons. Some have already gone and like the high street many more will go. One of my favourite events is (was?) the Ipswich Transport and Model Festival held in late June. I have attended this for more years than I care to remember. However I can't see it happening in 2021 even as it involves multiple venues and organisations so even in future years it will probably be very different.

[PeterBB]

Congrats Andy B.

 

Had other comments on the above but like normal it/they have slipped from mind while the subject of exhibitions has remained.  Our members at Gresley voted 100%* to not even think about our 'normal' Easter open weekend and the Great Central Railway are definitely not having their great Summer exhibition.  As some have said it 'costs a lot' to put one on with a great amount of pre-planning and that is just something that cannot at present be undertaken.  

 

In terms of numbers - yes, it is nice to go to the 'big ones but smaller local ones do help to maintain local interest, not only for the members, and with luck will gain more members with increasing number looking to model during Covid ... providing that the club is not 'out of pocket' as has happened to a few in recent years.

 

*via responses from email and letter

Edited December 27, 2020 by PeterBB
*added manner of voting

[greatcoleswoodhalt]

On 24/12/2020 at 13:23, jafcreasey said:

4°C

NW 14kt, gusting 31kt

 

Dry and cold with a rare view of clear skies beyond swiftly moving clouds.  Certainly feels nearer freezing in the breeze.  The office has been quiet this morning (despite beginning to type this before 09:00) and hope to be heading home soon to try and enjoy the festivities.

 

Christmas Eve seems to have arrived all of a sudden - traditions typically undertaken forgotten for this year at least.

 

Plans to see my parents over Christmas have been scuppered with the introduction of Tier 4 from Boxing Day and so Mrs C and I will head round briefly this evening for a quick exchange of presents.

 

The Christmas shop was undertaken Tuesday with vegetables severely lacking (as were toilet rolls, of course) but managed to get most things.  We timed it well as they were queued around the car-park by the time we were leaving.

 

As my mind begins to wander and the first Hobgoblin looms, stay safe and seasons greeting's to you all.

 

6°C

W 10kt, gusting 24kt

 

Firstly congratulations, @AndyB!

 

Storm Bella crashed through overnight with gusts of 61kts in the early hours.  Little sleep was had and am looking forward to getting out for some fresh air shortly, Mrs C breaking-in her new wellies as we do our usual circuit to Horsted Keynes station and back.  The sun is now shining though for how long we’ll have to see – the Met Office have just issued a yellow warning for snow and ice in the south east tomorrow.

 

Upon our return the fire will be lit and no doubt we’ll continue our over indulgence in some shape or form.

 

@The Stationmaster mentioned films a little earlier and was glad to see a post on Facebook with a link to Runaway Railway dating back to 1966 (and filmed on the Longmoor Military Railway).  Growing-up in the early 1990s I must have re-watched this umpteen times on VHS however over-time it faded from memory.  For those familiar, I have no doubt that the scenes (specifically) with Ronnie Barker and the model railway had a lasting effect!  I'm looking forward to sitting-down and watching this again shortly.

 

Re @iL Dottore's predictions, I likewise generally agree with all.  Certainly “cheap airline travel” will disappear for the foreseeable - in addition to the ticket price you have the cost of a PCR to consider too (Boots currently charge £120); travelling with a family will mean a considerable investment...

 

Stay safe.

[leopardml2341]

42 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I don't know whats happening but what I've just written has disappeared?

Same thing happened to me earlier, but in my case it was very definitely PICNIC.

 

Problem In Chair Not In Computer

 

[PhilJ W]

On the subject of exhibition venues. Over the next few years there's going to be a lot of unused retail space available on the High Street. A redundant department store would have the usual offices such as toilets, disabled access and maybe even catering facilities. The property owners are quite willing to let them out for a short period as shown by the number of pop-up shops that appear this time of year.

[chrisf]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

How accurate will be my predictions? We’ll see, we’ll see!

I reckon you are spot on. 

 

You ask how anyone can hate a virus.  I can and do hate it because since it made its presence felt nearly 10 months ago it has led to my social life being wrecked.  Because the consequential lockdown left me with nowhere to go except the supermarket, because it led to my losing three eagerly anticipated holidays and because its presence and consequences had an adverse effect on my mental health.  That, I submit, is enough for anybody.  That the wretched thing has led to me being nearly £6,000 better off is not much of a consolation.

 

Chris

[petethemole]

There's a redundant department store here, a large Debenhams that closed during lockdown 1.  The only speculation locally is whether it will be replaced by student flats or just flats.  Knowing the building it would make a great exhibition venue apart from having virtually no adjacent parking for traders and exhibitors.  However compared with a large school or leisure centre that's open anyway, it would cost a small fortune to set up and use, apart from the rent.