Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all. 
 

Welcome to Moan-Boxing-Ban-Collar Day.
 

Confused?  Not as much as our bin men are.   The normal collection day is Friday. They collected yesterday instead. I was surprised to be woken this morning by the rumble of passing wheelie-bins and the usual bin-emptying-person banter. 
 

Upon finding all our line of bins empty surprise was expressed vocally enough to be overheard. As was the comment “perhaps they didn’t expect us round on Sunday ..... “. 
 

I wonder when the penny will drop. 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from Crabtree land.  No new bon mots today but at least Bella seems to have headed off to party elsewhere. The glass appears to be rising. It says 29.1 this morning. Last night it said 28.9. Quite whether or not it iscan accurate reading I know not. It is however a proper mercury jobby that I inherited from an ancient aunt. It travelled home from Bristol, held upright in the passenger seat of Rattletrap, my old T reg Ford Fiesta. When it came to France. I corked the mercury tube and again strapped it upright, but this time in the middle of a pallet. WhatvI need to do is actually measure the mercury column then adjust the cord that winds round the spindle. However any other advice would be welcomed.

 

I did get some shed time yesterday and will try to progress the project today. Firstly the builder is due in 20 minutes so it's almost time to unlock doirs and lsy the dust sheets.

 

I hope that you all stay safe.

 

Jamie

[AndyB]

Morning all.

I could get into this "not going to work lark" that so many of you espouse. Still another 6 days of holiday to go.

 

Today's plan is simple. A couple of domestic chores followed by a bit of muddling. 

 

I may measure up the ground floor of the house as its overdue a new carpet. One consequence of the new working from home regime is that the fuel savings can go on improving the house. 

[Grizz]

Storm Bella left us some presents, bless her.

Two large boughs broke off of the big old Cedar tree at the front of my father-in-laws house. As well a modifying the front of the plastic radiator grill on the car, it smashed some roof tiles in various places on the edge of the roof.

 

So back to work, and it’s going to rain, again, just for a change. Good job we only had a few.....several.....some beer last night. Beer n chainsaws can be a bit tricky. 
 

 

 

[leopardml2341]

Morning folks, well at least the clock says it is, both yer actual one and the body one.

 

SWMBO and Doggo seem to disagree, both snoring as I drink tea for the second time.

 

I have to brave the local supermarket today, odd that both Associated Dairies and Tess and Co are observing Boxing day when they could've done it on the actual day. #confused.

 

BBC Weather suggests some snow, hopefully not much, and it's gonna be cold. Won't stop me from doing some work on mi C*vid garden project that is a summershed; might have to wear trousers (as opposed to shorts) though.

 

Stay safe, stay well and keep warm and dry. Laterz

 

Perhaps @newbryford or any other Lancastrian can explain parched peas please?

Edited December 28, 2020 by leopardml2341

[iL Dottore]

13 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

...her family has purchased her (and hubby) a title and plot of land in Scotland for Christmas.  Just the 1m2 you understand, in one of those internet "things", but apparently enough to confer upon her the title of Lady, and of Lord upon her husband.  I shall have to mind my Ps and Qs with both a Dr and a Lady among my close circle these days!  

Intrigued, I looked up how to buy a title and they are bl00dy expensive (up to about £1000). Furthermore, all it does is allow you to call yourself Lord This or Lady That (which is, apparently, something you can do anyway under UK law, as long as you don’t give yourself a title for illegal or fraudulent purposes), your friend won’t be able to take a seat in the House of Lords or pass on the title to the children (and the Court of the Lord Lyon probably won’t be rushing to create a coat of arms). Mind you, it must be very useful for getting restaurant reservations 

12 hours ago, pH said:

....Having been replacing bulbs with LEDs as they burned out for several years...

I have had very mixed experiences with LEDs - either they last seemingly forever or the fail within hours of installation. I suppose it’s down to the QC stringency of the manufacturer.

11 hours ago, grandadbob said:

.... We’ve had a yellow warning for snow

Yellow snow warning? Many Huskies around in your neighbourhood?

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

It seems that Essex is the national C-19 hot spot..

Having lived for a while in that part of the country I am not surprised. It is claimed that Essex has an undeserved reputation for many things, but I sometimes wonder...

8 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

, crating some bottles (1:76 and without beer inside, sorry) ...

That’s modelling, that is. Aren’t you afraid of Debs and the “Almighty Awl”?

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

..a new mattress has been ordered. .... a very highly-rated titanium-sprung one has turned up ...

Good Heavens, Rick. Isn’t that a bit over engineered? Whatever next? Flame proof sheets? Military grade pillows?

6 hours ago, newbryford said:

Anything goes with sausage and chips.

Now you’ve opened a can of worms! How do you define “chip”? Is it bootlace thin and crunchy? thick, greasy, flabby - edible only after being drowned in malt vinegar? triple-cooked - crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and served in pretentious stacks or wire baskets?

6 hours ago, newbryford said:

My name seems to pop up quite regularly in the "which ER's I've met" lists.

Does that make me some some sort of floozy/gadabout?

I wouldn’t have thought so, although twisting those well known phrases of opprobrium into railway modelling relevant sayings could be quite interesting. A man of loose models?

5 hours ago, newbryford said:

Battered sausage and chips is a better choice.

I’m appalled that you condone sausage abuse. What has the humble breakfast banger ever done to you to deserve being bashed about?  (You may have guessed that I am a member of BABA: Britons Against Banger Abuse)

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

I think it was in Preston (in 1986) where I first happened across Saveloy and Parched Peas - weird, just weird

Of course it’s weird, it’s positively perverse! A saveloy (preferably with a bright red skin, containing bits of pig that the pig doesn’t know it has) should only be served with piping hot pease pudding. Anything else is a travesty.

 

A sausage is one of THE perfect foodstuffs: infinitely versatile, can be paired with practically anything and is one of those foods that can never, ever, be gentrified or turned into something for “ladies who lunch“. I have often railed against “industrial food” but the humble and cheap budget pork banger is probably one of the few exceptions to that list. A budget banger, properly fried or grilled, split and put into a buttered bap is one of the best ways I know of keeping out of the cold.

 

Sadly, my larder and freezer are currently bereft of the humble sausage. I do have all the equipment for making my own, so I might give that a go in the near future. On the positive side, I still have plenty of British black pudding in the freezer!

Have a great day! 2020 is almost over!!!

[leopardml2341]

Mmmmm Black Pudding.

 

I was given an omelette making device (they always turn out a scrambled mess when I attempt them in a pan) as part of a healthier eating suggestion; I seem to have acquired an addiction to toasted sandwiches during lockdown.

 

What does that have to do with black pudding you might ask......

 

Simples, black pudding omelette (as noted earlier I have to go food shopping today) - s@d the healthy eating

Edited December 28, 2020 by leopardml2341

[polybear]

10 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

It seems that Essex is the national C-19 hot spot. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nine-out-10-english-towns-23227522#source=push Although Basildon has slipped down the league tables it is still near the top. In top of the list Brentwood the rate has nearly doubled.

 

What is needed is Level 5:  House Arrest.

Just heard on the radio:  200 Britons do a runner from Verbiers Ski Resort in Switzerland after being told to self-isolate for 2 weeks in their Hotels following the discovery in the UK of the new variant C-19.  Seems the hotels were doing their best to keep 'em happy as possible (eg freebie champers on chrimbo day) but it wasn't enough.

 

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

I think that could depend on how they initially handled the pandemic. For instance New Zealand and the state of Queensland here have both had elections in the last few months. Both incumbent governments  were perceived to have been competent in running the pandemic response and both were returned with greater majorities, despite running against opposition parties who talked of relaxing the restrictions and who talked up the economic losses over the human cost.

 

I guess things might have gone the other way for them if they'd acted the way the US or UK governments have during this though.

 

 

 

In Bear's book, half the blame is down to the gov not acting quickly enough; the other half is down to cockwombles not playing by the rules.

 

7 hours ago, newbryford said:

My name seems to pop up quite regularly in the "which ER's I've met" lists.

Does that make me some some sort of floozy/gadabout?

 

 

 

It certainly means you mix with some bad company.....

[grandadbob]

Good morning all, 

I may have been dreaming of chasing something in the night like Ben.  I wasn't barking in my sleep but apparently I was growling.

No snow here, yellow or otherwise but it is frosty and according to my weather app -1°C and foggy with the chance of snow and ice.  No fog either so I think I'll stop believing forecasts and apps.

Flavio, we did have one husky living a few doors away until last year belonging to a  "glamour model"/porn star but she moved out.  Not missed by anyone much, particularly the ladies.

Warren's earlier post reminded me that I too have met El Davo and Phil Harding several times at shows over the years.  Wonder how many more I've gerfotten.

We may be going for a walk later but apparently there are domestic tasks to be undertaken first as the "house is a tip."  Quite how this is true puzzles me as we are both tidy people so I think she's just trying to find something to do.

As we're nearing the end of the month I also need to balance the books and move some money around.  

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by grandadbob

[Barry O]

as it happens black pudding was included in my breakfast butty.. along with some smoked bacon and mushrooms.. yummy Diet restarts tomorrow..

 

I have organised a zoom meeting including a couple of antipodean mates for tonight.. but someone miscalculated as they appeared tomorrow.

 

Fatchy pog and freezing here

[iL Dottore]

20 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

...Simples, black pudding omelette (as noted earlier I have to go food shopping today) - s@d the healthy eating

Apparently, black pudding is a “superfood” Superfood status was given to this humble blood pudding because of its rich iron and protein content. Recipe suggestions include: 

Tossing warm chunks of black pudding into a leafy salad with crispy croutons.

Use in stuffing for both chicken and pork.

Include in a homemade burger mix for a macho punch.

(see: https://www.goodfoodireland.ie/blog/blackpudding-newest-superfood)

14 minutes ago, polybear said:

What is needed is Level 5:  House Arrest.

Just heard on the radio:  200 Britons do a runner from Verbiers Ski Resort in Switzerland after being told to self-isolate for 2 weeks in their Hotels following the discovery in the UK of the new variant C-19.  Seems the hotels were doing their best to keep 'em happy as possible (eg freebie champers on chrimbo day) but it wasn't enough...

Unfortunately, these Brits are the rich and self-entitled - which means it is unlikely that much will come of it. Quite frankly, had I anything do with it, a quick phone call to the Swiss, German and Austrian Grenzpolizei and a word in the shell likes of their French and Italian counterparts and these Brits would end up having the most interesting of Winter holiday experiences. Border guards can be incredibly inventive in finding reasons to detain people (although - TBH - a few examples of “shot whilst trying to escape” pour encourager les autres would not go amiss...)

Alas, we are too wimpy for such measures nowadays (even the relatively benign first option). Perhaps a crusading journalist can find out who these Brits are and “name and shame” on various widely read blogs...

[jonny777]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning from Crabtree land.  No new bon mots today but at least Bella seems to have headed off to party elsewhere. The glass appears to be rising. It says 29.1 this morning. Last night it said 28.9. Quite whether or not it iscan accurate reading I know not. It is however a proper mercury jobby that I inherited from an ancient aunt. It travelled home from Bristol, held upright in the passenger seat of Rattletrap, my old T reg Ford Fiesta. When it came to France. I corked the mercury tube and again strapped it upright, but this time in the middle of a pallet. WhatvI need to do is actually measure the mercury column then adjust the cord that winds round the spindle. However any other advice would be welcomed.

 

 

I hope that you all stay safe.

 

Jamie

Hello from a dull and cold North Somerset. 29.1 inches of Mercury equates to about 985 mb or hpa if you prefer SI units. This would be ok for somewhere north of Bordeaux. 
 

There is no whiteness here this morning, although the temperature is only 1C and we have had 3mm since midnight, so it might well have been sleet when it fell. 
 

Not a be lot to do today, except maybe chase up my 50l rucksack which is still in a black hole between the online shop and Hermes. However I’m not sure the shop will be open as this is technically a bank holiday. 
 

If all this fails I may just raise a not received issue with PayPal. As it is a birthday present due for mid January I still have 3 weeks in which to sort it. 
 

No more news from the care home, but my Dad seems to have been knocked back by COVID despite him insisting he had no symptoms. I gather he now finds it difficult to walk and is pushed everywhere in a wheelchair, plus has days where he is not sure of anything at all. 
 

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

...It certainly means you mix with some bad company.....

The baddest of the bad, my dear Bear. To consult the popular media, it would seem that we (i.e. us railway modellers) are social misfits, asocial or antisocial, live with our mothers/can’t form normal relationships with women, have questionable bodily hygiene, dress in polyester (food stained, dirty and smelly), have psychoses and psychiatric disorders of various sorts (up to and including being psychopathic murderers). Oh, and all modellers have Asperger’s Syndrome and an obsession with trivial detail.

 

With this sort of portrayal, why don’t we just go the whole hog and really be very, very bad Indeed and really give them something to talk about at their North London Media-Luvvie dinner parties.

I can just imagine it....

 

”It was terrible” sobbed petite blonde 28 year old Traci, “my Darren accidentally bumped into a leather clad, tattooed fella and spilt his pint of CAMRA approved real ale, next thing I know my Darren is down on the ground being kicked and whipped with lengths of P4 flat bottom rail flexitrack” Traci wiped her eyes, “I screamed for help, but nobody did anything, cos they’re all afraid of the Finescale Brotherhood”

From “Hornby Hooligans” a new BBC2  - C4 - Guardian videocast documentary...

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

...we did have one husky living a few doors away until last year belonging to a  "glamour model"/porn star but she moved out.  Not missed by anyone much, particularly the ladies....

How so? Because she wasn’t a nice person or because of her profession???

38 minutes ago, Barry O said:

as it happens black pudding was included in my breakfast butty.. along with some smoked bacon and mushrooms.. yummy. Diet restarts tomorrow..

Actually Barry, loose the bread and the black pudding, bacon and mushrooms makes for a good and healthy breakfast. Fat is NOT your enemy, as recent research shows, but rather carbohydrates - especially the empty ones from high fructose corn syrup frequently found in breakfast cereals and other processed foods. It’s no coincidence that the rise in Western obesity coincided with imposition of high carbohydrate (bread, rice, pasta, potato) low fat “healthy diet” advice (and food manufacturers, after taking out the fat, replacing it with salt and sugar).

Of course too much fat (and protein) can help pile on the pounds, but a little does go a long way and what’s more high fat food satiates quicker and takes longer to be metabolised in the body (try eating 100g of pasta [with minimal sauce] and note how long it takes before you start feeling hungry again, then repeat the experiment with 100g of slow roast pork belly - I think you’ll be surprised at the outcome)

 

Bin the cornflakes and bring back the black pud.....

[grandadbob]

Because of her profession Flavio.  I've chatted to her on many occasions and she was very pleasant and friendly but according to The Boss that's because I'm a man.  

She also used to hold some very wild parties which did annoy her neighbours either side.  As we were a few doors away the other side of the road it never affected us.

Edited December 28, 2020 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We’ve had some snow overnight, about 1” or so, but I think it’ll all be gone by mid afternoon. Now that breakfast has been consumed, I will make a start on dismantling the Christmas tree and putting everything away until next December and the dining room will then be back to normal. This should all be done for dinner, leaving me just needing to put the boxes in the storage area. After that there’s no plans, but then again, there won’t be much left of the day anyway. 

 

I like peas, especially mushy peas, never heard of parched peas, but my favourite are raw peas, straight from the pod!

 

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

 

Brian. 

[iL Dottore]

17 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Because of her profession Flavio.  I've chatted to her on many occasions and she was very pleasant and friendly but according to The Boss that's because I'm a man.  

That’s rather sad, Bob. One would have thought that nowadays who a person is as opposed to what a person does would be the primary consideration in evaluating a person.

 

With Mrs iD I’ve been watching a lot of Victoria Wood over Christmas and two things I’ve noted from this viewing extravaganza are 1) VW was an incredibly insightful observer of life - writing comic characters that whilst slightly exaggerated for comic effect accurately represented real people - especially women: and 2) how incredibly nasty women can be (and are) towards other women perceived as not meeting or flouting certain arbitrary standards (as demonstrated in many VW sketches where one woman rips to shreds another - often by casual, throw away remarks).

 

If men can be guilty of “Character Assassination” then many (too many?) women could be accused of “Character Genocide”

[grandadbob]

Quite agree Flavio.  It's one of the very few things that The Boss and I completely disagree about but she's not alone as most of her friends and neighbours had the same view about the lady as do some of their husbands.  I tend to live and let live and she's never caused me any harm otherwise it would be a different story.  There is something known amongst family and friends as "The GDB stare" and also the "Wrath of Bob."  I'm a pussycat most of the time though.  

Edited December 28, 2020 by grandadbob

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

.

 

A sausage is one of THE perfect foodstuffs: infinitely versatile, can be paired with practically anything and is one of those foods that can never, ever, be gentrified or turned into something for “ladies who lunch“. I have often railed against “industrial food” but the humble and cheap budget pork banger is probably one of the few exceptions to that list. A budget banger, properly fried or grilled, split and put into a buttered bap is one of the best ways I know of keeping out of the cold.

 

Sadly, my larder and freezer are currently bereft of the humble sausage. I do have all the equipment for making my own, so I might give that a go in the near future. On the positive side, I still have plenty of British black pudding in the freezer!

Have a great day! 2020 is almost over!!!

Have you ever considered nipping over to Germany for sausages? In my experience they are every bit as good as British ones. After all you could do much wurst. Hat, coat and ready to go...

[AndyB]

I suspect that buying a title and then using the honourific may not guarantee that anyone else will use it. I'd go so far as to say it guarantees they'd call you something  quite different. 

 

On reflection I think this scales from the budget end up to "party donor". The "Erminerude scale" perhaps?

 

All this reminds me of a very passable steak frites in a restaurant on Place de la Revolution when I was about 13. 

 

Bon appetit!

[tigerburnie]

Morning, minus 2 outside and we have had a few snow flakes, fires lit and I expect a lot of lazing about browsing on stuff I probably shouldn't be eating and inspecting the back of eyelids, listening to Carole Kings "Tapestry" album, mellow even before I hit the Malt Whisky, stay safe and warm all.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The foot woke me up before five this morning but I did manage to get back to sleep and didn't wake up until nearly nine. The Nurofen is now doing its work so I can now walk about without any difficulty.

3 hours ago, Grizz said:

Storm Bella left us some presents, bless her.

Two large boughs broke off of the big old Cedar tree at the front of my father-in-laws house. As well a modifying the front of the plastic radiator grill on the car, it smashed some roof tiles in various places on the edge of the roof.

 

So back to work, and it’s going to rain, again, just for a change. Good job we only had a few.....several.....some beer last night. Beer n chainsaws can be a bit tricky. 
 

 

That looks like the tree had a fungal infection, best have the rest of the tree checked out. 

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

What is needed is Level 5:  House Arrest.

Just heard on the radio:  200 Britons do a runner from Verbiers Ski Resort in Switzerland after being told to self-isolate for 2 weeks in their Hotels following the discovery in the UK of the new variant C-19.  Seems the hotels were doing their best to keep 'em happy as possible (eg freebie champers on chrimbo day) but it wasn't enough.

 

 

What is different about the latest rise is that the increase is not now in the usual places one would expect but in wealthy areas such as Brentwood and Epping. 

 

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

)

Unfortunately, these Brits are the rich and self-entitled - which means it is unlikely that much will come of it. Quite frankly, had I anything do with it, a quick phone call to the Swiss, German and Austrian Grenzpolizei and a word in the shell likes of their French and Italian counterparts and these Brits would end up having the most interesting of Winter holiday experiences. Border guards can be incredibly inventive in finding reasons to detain people (although - TBH - a few examples of “shot whilst trying to escape” pour encourager les autres would not go amiss...)

Alas, we are too wimpy for such measures nowadays (even the relatively benign first option). Perhaps a crusading journalist can find out who these Brits are and “name and shame” on various widely read blogs...

As I mentioned above, a sense of self entitlement has contributed to the rise in cases. I hope that these covidiots are caught and have to spend their quarantine in a cold and draughty cell instead of the luxury hotel.

[iL Dottore]

25 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

...After all you could do much wurst. Hat, coat and ready to go...

As puns go, that really doesn’t cut the mustard....

Much as I like a good German soss, they’re not quite the same as a good British “Banger”

[Erichill16]

25 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

There is something known amongst family and friends as "The GDB stare" and also the "Wrath of Bob."  I'm a pussycat most of the time though.  

Is your avatar ‘the GDB stare’?

This Bob is like GDB, I live and let live.

[iL Dottore]

3 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

..., I live and let live.

Depends upon my mood, sometimes it’s “live and let die”

[PhilJ W]

19 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Depends upon my mood, sometimes it’s “live and let die”

Thanks, I now have the theme of the James Bond movie as an earworm.