Early Risers.

[BoD]

7 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

This morning, local Woolies, can I claim my prize?

 

Shops are getting earlier and earlier. Tell me something we didn’t know I hear you say, but ...

Yesterday I was in a shop and there were birthday cards on sale. It’s not my birthday until October.

[leopardml2341]

Morning folks.

 

The briefest of passing through as I hope to snatch a bit more shut eye; until later.......

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Engineering mutations are customer spec changes... simples!

There are a lot of "good" engineers (who can think holistically) and a lot of "run of the mill" engineers (who can't see the whole problem and focus on a particular problem without thinking about what it means.. like the one Stationmaster had imposed on him. There are a few of these on RMWeb..

 

So we bid fairwell to 2020. Having got the rain to follow me to Oz to put the bushfires out and enjoying my holiday in Oz and NZ this year went downhill... fast. Lets hope 2021 is a far better year!

Stay safe! Enjoy what you can do today!

Very positive thoughts to all ERs.

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

Good moaming from Crabtree land.  A day without the builder was completed. I spent an hour helping the new arrivals and hopefully answering various queries. The weather was sunny but cool so in the afternoon I went trainspotting with Andy and we put the world to rights for a couple of hours. Beth went out for a bike ride but managed to fall off as she got back home. Her wrist hurts and hopefully it's just sprained.  We shall see.

 

Today the ironing needs doing and I've got some joint plaster to rub down in the hall. This is where a redundant doorway was bricked up and we plan to paper the area and paint it to match the rest off the hallway. Fortunately  Beth found a spare roll of the correct wallpaper at the back of a cupboad, that the previous owners had left.

 

The news from the UK does not sound good. I strongly suspect tgatvour booked trip in late February will have to be postponed again. The ferry tickets were originally dated for April 2020.  Hopefully we will be able to get over safely for Emily's birthday in May.  

 

Best wishes to you all for the New Year.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

10 hours ago, Barry O said:

Electricity or gas.. heck they don't like any one having a bonfire!

Baz

 

Have you mentioned the rules to the new neighbour yet, or are you saving that one?

 

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Rather than taking aim at “scientists“ we should be saving our ire for incompetent and corrupt politicians, headline seeking journalists and criminally venal “influencers” peddling all kinds of nonsense conspiracies to the uninformed and (therefore sadly) gullible.

 

Does Bear detect that iD may not be very keen on that little lot then....

 

10 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

In engineering the problem is not a ‘live’ problem (though technically a virus is not a living thing) and the issue to be solved doesn’t mutate. I do know that specifications change, my friend loves MOD contracts as they’re always changing their minds and that adds to the bill. There has to be flexibility in the system.  All decisions  are made with the evidence that is available at the time  and with evolving knowledge and mutations the scientists have to re-evaluate their advice.

Robert.

 

 

Ah yes, MoD contracts.  Awarded by those who have fancy paper qualifications yet haven't the faintest clue what is required.  And don't ask the end-user what they need, as the grown-ups know best.  Coupled with Aerospace companies who have fine-tuned project delays and cost overruns to ensure that there is always some reason that the fault lies with the MoD, not the contractor, thereby squeezing yet more money out of them.  As for costs, if Joe Public only knew how much was being charged for stuff;  a certain Aerospace company was charging six hundred quid for a bag of a hundred standard domestic 13A mains fuses, and that was in the mid-90's.  Around three years ago the unopened bag went in the bin....

 

9 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Really?  I can understand perhaps having their access to social media limited but I really don’t think we are in “death squad” territory. 

 

Oh, I dunno - the first option would make for far more entertaining viewing on Boris' latest C-19 update....

However, and being an old softie (don't tell...) I quite like iD's idea of resurrecting the village stocks.  Those caught breaking the rules get 24 hours.  No food, water, loo breaks, warm clothing, social media.  If that doesn't work then it's the firing squad.

 

Well it seems that Lewis is now to be addressed as Sir Lewis.  As if travelling the world, earning a mint and getting to bomb about in F1 cars isn't enough, coupled with a lifestyle most can only dream of.  Not to mention having his tax affairs fine-tuned.

In a 2014 interview with the Sunday Times, Hamilton discussed his arrangements, saying: "What people don't realise is that I pay tax here, but I don't earn all my money here.

"I race in 19 different countries, so I earn my money in 20 different places and I pay tax in several different places, and I pay a lot here as well.

"I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help to keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed."

Bear has worked overseas, but was always paid in the UK; no doubt there is a very good reason for being paid in the country he races in.  As for helping to "keep a team of 1000 people employed" - that team employs him, not the other way round.

Rant over

[Winslow Boy]

We have sticky snow here in the upper West Highlands of Manchester.

 

For those of you not familiar, I exclude IL Dottori here, it is snow that sticks.

 

We have had several inches or  millimetres for those under 50, of the stuff overnight and what's more it is still falling.

 

One wonders whether the latest missives from on high will be followed as we are now in Tier 4 and all supposed to stay home. Snowballs anyone?

[leopardml2341]

Thought for the day:

 

"The solution to all problems is hindsight"

 

I thank you

 

Right, better go get started on some wood butchering, which in hindsight.......

Edited December 31, 2020 by leopardml2341
Added final sentence at 09:16

[Happy Hippo]

10 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Curry sauce or gravy on fish and chips is just wrong 

 

Salt and vinegar brown sauce and dandelion and burdock pop.to drink it would.have to be sausage and chips. For me as I'm allergic to fish

I'd prefer a steak and onion pie

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.  No snaa down here, but a massive fall of perhaps two inches has kept the high roads closed.  Two inches is Manx for ten feet.  Or so it would appear...... 

As for fish n chips, the batter is the best bit for me!  Just salt thanks - the only thing I have salt on in fact, the old hypertension demands.

 

Leading on from hypertension, I understand Andy's travails only to well, having dissolved Trackshack Ltd at the end of last week.  So at least my blood pressure is lower, but unfortunately that matches my income!

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Quite a heavy frost this morning but it should stay dry.  

Sainsbury's delivered at 7.30, half an hour earlier than the booked slot.  I was up and ready but The Boss was still in the shower.  If I'd known beforehand what a miserable sod the driver was I'd have made him wait. 

No bin men today, they won't be coming until Monday.

It's really exciting around here.

Another short walk to be undertaken and then who knows?  I may twiddle my thumbs until the end of the year.

Have a good one....if you can,

Bob.

 

[New Haven Neil]

iD said:

 

Rather than taking aim at “scientists“ we should be saving our ire for incompetent and corrupt politicians, headline seeking journalists and criminally venal “influencers” peddling all kinds of nonsense conspiracies to the uninformed and (therefore sadly) gullible.

 

I just anonymously quoted this elsewhere, as I think it is the most erudite passage I have seen about the whole thing, brief, to the point and oh so truthful. 

 

As for fusion food, the national dish (we don't really have one but it is incredibly popular) is chips, cheese and gravy.  It just makes a gooey mess as far as I can see!  A shame as the local cheeses are very good indeed.

 

[andyram]

9 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

 

Leading on from hypertension, I understand Andy's travails only to well, having dissolved Trackshack Ltd at the end of last week.  So at least my blood pressure is lower, but unfortunately that matches my income!

I was sorry to hear that Trackshack closed. I found your business fairly late but was impressed with speed of service etc. I hope that you find less stress and greater happiness in whatever you do now. I actually received a very nice review last month from one of your former customers who has come my way following your closure. A fellow RMWeb member who was a familiar face at many shows and a regular supporter of my Weston event. It was such a shock when he answered the door as I delivered his order during the previous lockdown.

 

Take care mate and I hope it all works out.

 

Andy

[jonny777]

Sharp frost here in North Somerset. Minimum -3C. Thick ice on the pond, but I have just broken it with a spade and lifted out the slabs of ice complete with most of the pond weed frozen into it. Result. 
 

It’s too cold to do much today, but my wifi mouse arrived yesterday. The laptop will recognise it but all clicks are interpreted as right clicks, which is annoying but I can just about work around that for now. 
 

Maybe a refurbished laptop beckons for the new year?

[New Haven Neil]

Thanks Andy - at least you may get a bigger slice of the pie without us.  The supply delay issues killed us, Peco in particular.  From being their second largest (yes, really, behind you-know-who!) customer to zero in four months.   The week we ordered our usual 50 boxes of SL-100 and got absolutely none (amongst other things - not a lot came at all in fact unless you wanted left hand curved Setrack points ) made us realise we couldn't bridge the gap with 6 staff to pay too, as well as ourselves.  

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all.

 

This is a public service announcement. 
 

The recycling skips Upon the Hill of Strawberries were emptied five minutes ago. You have another five minutes to make use of them before the collective backlog of detritus and Amazon packaging being less-than-well hidden behind garden gates means they are filled once more. 
 

The next collection is on 14th January.  Next year   

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Like Winslow boy, we’ve also had snow overnight, there’s about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in the garden and on top of the workshop and shed. It was snowing when I looked out of the window whilst refilling the water jug, but it’s stopped now. The temperature is currently -1C so it’s quite cold, thankfully I don't have to go out today, I brought stuff from the workshop to the cellar the other day, so I’ll stay down there out of the way, as Sheila will be very busy with the ironing in the kitchen and I will be required to answer the door if/when the doorbell rings. 

 

An email informs me that my order from TMC will arrive some time between, 9:30 and 1:30 today, so that’ll give me something to play with after dinner. 

 

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

 

Brian 

[Mike Bellamy]

5 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

An earlier poster, I forget who, mentioned going to the shops and the security guard letting an unmasked couple enter the supermarket unchallenged. Elsewhere this would not have happened and had the couple remonstrated and refused to comply with the mask order, a friendly and informative session with the police would have quickly ensued. 

 

 

We occasionally shop at Costco. They have recently sent an email to customers to say that those who believe themselves to be medically exempt from wearing a mask must instead use a face shield or be refused admission.

 

I hope that more follow this example . . . . . . . . . 

 

Mike

[BoD]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

...Hamilton discussed his arrangements, saying:

"I race in 19 different countries, so I earn my money in 20 different places and I pay tax in several different places, and I pay a lot here as well.

"I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help to keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed."

 

Cripes, a 1000 people.

And they still managed to put the wrong wheels on.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

1. Recycling - our green recycling bin would normally be emptied today (Wednesday) but this week due to a profligacy of Bank Holidays it will be emptied on Saturday.  Not to fear everything in it has been carefully packed in to make maximum use of its capacity and it is still far from fy ull although it might be too heavy to move.

 

2.  While politicians must carry some responsibility for having to deal with a disease outbreak they had absolutely no experience of dealing with I would put NHS and PHE chair polishers very near the top of my list of those who deserve to be kicked down the street like an old tin can.  Their reaction and behaviour has been abysmally atrocious while many in the NHS front line have gone above and beyond (and some haven't).  What is not being said is that some Covid patients in hospital are simply being given palliative care while they are left to die.

3. However at the very top of my list are the scum who don't follow the rules - all of which are simple - and spread infection like there's no tomorrow.  We need lots of sets of stocks to deal with them but Reading jail is empty and out of use so that we be a good use for it.  Let's never forget this disease is not spread by Govts - it is spread by people, like the idiots who drive umpteen miles from a Tier 4 area just to walk on a green bit of countryside.

 

4. Overnight frost once again but dry and no rain promised although rather nippy outdoors.  Which reminds me that I need to pop out to the quarantine room and get in some toilet rolls.

 

5.  Now a hopefully brighter spot and a little quiz.  This week see's a major anniversary for 'The Archers' including a quiz on R4 tomorrow evening.  So as a prelude to that quiz here are a few questions which extend beyond the more usual ones we might get as they are all about people.  I'll start with the easy one and graduually get a bit harder.

 

A.  Who are the father and son who play a father and son in The Archers? (Either the name of the characters or of the actors will do - there is a Dr Who link in there somewhere.)

B. Who might be considered to have gone a long way down market from the first role they played to the one they play now? (again the acting person's name or those of the two characters will do).

C.  Links to 'Dr Who' can be found in a number of cases but just to be different who is the The Archers link with a character created in fiction by Phillip Pullman? (again either name may be used).

 

The answers are out there should you need to look

 

Have a good day folks and stay safe.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, the predicted thaw has set in, so it will be gum boots rather than walking boots should I go for a hike round the fields later. No plans for tonight, will have a dram or two and probably watch Hootenanny with Jools Holland, I don't bother with resolutions apart from grabbing the day and making something from it.

[The Stationmaster]

33 minutes ago, BoD said:

 

Cripes, a 1000 people.

And they still managed to put the wrong wheels on.

The Mercedes AMG UK based F1 engine manufacturing company employed 742 people in 2019 according to its most recent accounts although you could presumably apportion a share per car/driver from that total.  Again according to its most recent accounts the F1 operating company employed a monthly average of 1,014 people during 2019.

Edited December 31, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[Barry O]

42 minutes ago, BoD said:

 

Cripes, a 1000 people.

And they still managed to put the wrong wheels on.

Right wheels... wrong car...

 

Baz

[Barry O]

When we flew into Melbourne a few years ago the Mercedes mechanics and support team were in the queue for imigration and customs. They all had nicely pressed mercedes benz logo shirts in. All of their cases were locked so couldn't be inspected... the keys were with the chef d'eqip who had already gone through cistoms and imigration... then the lock cutters arrived....

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The sore foot was playing merry hell last night so not much sleep was had. I've noticed that since I had the new boiler installed the water and the radiators warm up a lot quicker. Just as well as one side of the house is more exposed to the weather than before. Its an end terrace and the gable end faces west. Opposite is a wide gap between two houses, part of the garden of one of the houses. The house was owned by an elderly lady who let the garden overgrow to the extent of mature trees and there was a couple of old sheds as well. The old lady died about two years ago and the house was sold to a developer. He cleared the garden which was quite large enough for another house. The problem is that the wind whips between the two houses straight on to the end gable of my house. Rooms on that side of the house are noticeably cooler now.

[BoD]

26 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Right wheels... wrong car...

 

Baz

 

All the right wheels...

... but not necessarily in the right order.

 

(It's that time of year)