Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, pH said:

Here, that would be described as a ‘tandem garage’.

That is the term used in some UK documents however a web search reveals that while one local authority is happy to accept a tandem garage they only classify it as a single parking space despite the fact that if it excedds 12m x 3m it is large to physically provide two parking spaces.  

Incidentally some authorities require one parking space per bedroom within the curtilage of the property.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Dave Hunt]

Back in the mid-80s I was paid for a job just before Christmas with two £50 notes - the first time I had seen such things and worth a lot in those days. I went to pick up a large order at a local bakery and paid using one of the notes then when I got home found to my horror that I didn't have the other one. The only time I had taken the money out of my pocket was in the bakery so I hot footed it back there in what I thought was the vain hope that someone had found it. As I walked through the door the assistant who had served me said, "Are you looking for something that you dropped?" I nodded, "Yes, a fifty pound note, I don't suppose........" She interrupted me, "You're a very lucky man," she said, "Just after you left, a lady found it on the floor and handed it to me." To say that I was relieved would be an understatement. Unfortunately I never did find out who the good fairy was so that I could thank her in person but I still remember her kindness. 

 

Dave

[PhilJ W]

As I said no one claimed the money I found. I have my suspicions though it was one of the builders doing work on the building at the time. They were sub contractors and at the time many subbies were on what was known as 'the lump', paid cash in hand without the tax man being involved. I don't know how much £60 in 1979 would be the equivalent today but it was a lot of money back then.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[simontaylor484]

I did find the odd note usually £5 in the top of bins when you opened them up to empty they had been thrown away with receipts. 

[J. S. Bach]

My Pfizer shot experience was quite uneventful, My appointment was for 1040 but I got there at 0951. They gave me a form to fill out and directed me to a parking lot to fill it out. When done, I was told to "follow the traffic cones" to the tent. There were no cars in front of me so I got my shot without any waiting (the National Guard was doing the administering) and was then directed to the fifteen minute "wait-and-see-if-anything-happens"* parking area. It was 1011 and I left at 1027. I was pleasantly surprised at the efficiency demonstrated both this time and when I got the first shot three weeks ago, again very little waiting as there were only two cars in front of me then.

 

PS: The catfish!!!! at lunch was really good today plus I celebrated by having a slice of pecan pie! 

 

 

*the dictionary suggested "wait-and-see-if-yachting-happens"! Yachting?????

[J. S. Bach]

Oh yes, Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[TheQ]

I suspect you've got my dictionary, I'm waiting to see if yachting happens, looking at the forecast, they should get the delayed by covid season opening races on Sunday, but the traditional Easter Monday down river race to a pub have lunch and then race back looks likely to be cancelled. The forecast is northerly  gales, and Snow!!!

 

As it we have a 30mph northerly at the moment at 05:00..

 

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

Six hours fifteen minutes sleep, there was a wake up to turn over in there somewhere.

 

In 1979 sixty pounds was about three quarters of a month's take home pay for a lowly trainee aircraftsman in the RAF. Ten years before that I lost a ten shilling note, four weeks pocket money.. Then later in the same day found another ten shilling note in another town seven miles away.

 

Plans for today, 

More shelving , more trailer work, but first more sleep ( I hope)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kendo54]

My first Pfizer shot was scheduled for 13.40 at the local pharmacy tomorrow. At 13.19 today I received a phone call for another pharmacy saying that they had been advised that the original pharmacy had run out of vaccine and that they were to do "the jab". I asked when and they said to just  pop in this afternnon. Being local I  presented myself  at this pharmacy at 21 minutes later at 13.40. Of course the fact that I did not have an appointment caused consternation but I am pleased to report that I was back in my car by 14.00 having received my  first shot. Lesson learned (again) : Nobody in Canada can organise a p**s up in a brewery not just because they have no beer but because they hav'nt even built the brewery !!!!

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

As it is a bank holiday weekend here in the UK I am waiting with not much enthusiasm for the sequence of events that now unfolds.  Someone who rules us gives out a soundbite about following the rules, sticking to the guidance and all that guff.  The next day the news bulletins are full of footage of people swarming around in dense crowds with face masks conspicuous by their absence.  In a few days or maybe weeks the daily statistics of new virus cases and sad deaths will show an unwelcome upswing, just at the time when an announcement is made raising the hope of overseas travel once more.  Could it be that many citizens have tired of the relentless propaganda and no longer pay it heed?  There most be some way out of here.

 

April Fool's Day did provide some light relief.  The joke must be on a well-known maker of cars for their botched attempt.  It was a clever idea but the timing was poor.  History tells us that some of the best jokes have featured a person of authority, often with equally credible supporting players.  My favourite this year was a piece by Dame Esther Rantzen telling us in nearly all seriousness that Prince Albert was a nudist.  The best ever must be the Panorama film of 1957 depicting the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland and narrated by that most serious of men, the late Richard Dimbleby.

 

No laughing matter is the threat of snow this weekend.  It is surprisingly common at Easter.  A few years ago now I was on my way to York for the m*d*l r**lw*y sh*w.  As I took to the A1 the weather worsened steadily and the fast lane was disappearing under a covering of the white stuff.  With much foreboding I stopped at Markham Moor for the fondly remembered Little Chef Olympic breakfast, pondering as I munched whether I should press on or turn back.  I was heartened at the sight of a snowplough and as the weather slowly brightened I pressed on.  After all, I had an advance ticket.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris  

Edited April 3, 2021 by chrisf
typo

[TheQ]

Cold, chilly, windy, overcast, as you can tell, Ben the demanding Collie, wanted out. There are large amounts of feathers blowing around out there, something avian didn't make it through the night.

 

Time for a muggacoffee to warm up.

 

[Winslow Boy]

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Back in the mid-80s I was paid for a job just before Christmas with two £50 notes - the first time I had seen such things and worth a lot in those days. I went to pick up a large order at a local bakery and paid using one of the notes then when I got home found to my horror that I didn't have the other one. The only time I had taken the money out of my pocket was in the bakery so I hot footed it back there in what I thought was the vain hope that someone had found it. As I walked through the door the assistant who had served me said, "Are you looking for something that you dropped?" I nodded, "Yes, a fifty pound note, I don't suppose........" She interrupted me, "You're a very lucky man," she said, "Just after you left, a lady found it on the floor and handed it to me." To say that I was relieved would be an understatement. Unfortunately I never did find out who the good fairy was so that I could thank her in person but I still remember her kindness. 

 

Dave

 

Can one enquire what was the job? Givern your qualifications it wasn't by any chance providing air support to a convoy of cakes on route to a junior Hippo was it? Or was it something more nefarious such as the destruction of a bus on a bridge. We need to know? You cannot leave us all in suspense. We are on tenterhooks.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Winslow Boy
Speling

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Organisation? Lack thereof? Try our cricket league. 18 clubs and upwards of 80 umpires all collect the seasons paperwork from a single location with linited car parking..not the most thought through of approaches.

 

The cricket club where youngest Herbert plays had a good Aprils Fool Tweet this year. A picture of two large holes in the ground ...for the new floodlights....that got the League President in a bit of a lather.. the holes are for a new set of gates to stop people ram raiding the equipment store and pinching rollers, grass cutters etc.

 

 

Have as good a day as you can. Positive thougts to all ERs especially the missing ones.

 

Baz

Edited April 3, 2021 by Barry O

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I once found £60 outside the door to my office, three £20 notes screwed up in a ball. I handed the money into our cash office they took a note of where and when I found it and put it in the safe. Six months later they told me that no one had claimed it so the money was mine. Came in handy as I was just about to go on holiday and the extra spending money was useful. It was quite a sum 42 years ago.

 

That was about 2 weeks' wages for Bear back then...

 

7 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Baz I would draw your particular attention to Section 6 of the Act which might well apply in this case (it's the bit most people don't know about).   Access is an interesting one in that I don't think you can prevent access but equally the word used is 'access' not necessarily movement of plant and materials.  

The neighbour should ideally serve a Notice under the provisions of the Act in respect of any access intention on his part.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523010/Party_Wall_etc__Act_1996_-_Explanatory_Booklet.pdf

 

Section 6 covers shelves, electric sockets etc.

Part 6 covers "Further Information"

Paragraph(?) 28 covers "Section 6 of the Act".

That'll be why most people don't know about it

About 20 years ago Bear's neighbours constructed an extension which required foundations about a foot or so away from Bear's own conservatory foundations (solid end walls all the way up to the roof of a lean-to style structure).  No party wall agreement was in place (Bear never knew about such things then) and Bear was concerned enough to phone Buildings Control for advice.  They said that the digging and then poring of the concrete must all be done on the same day - Bodger Bill the builder told Bear this is what they were doing.  Lying ***t.  It was several days before the concrete went in - Bear should've gone over the fence and filled it in again....

Twenty years later and all is well, so no harm done.  The same thing happened on the other end of the conservatory (with the same builder - boy, does my buddy next door regret using him) but this time the the trench was about a metre away.

 

I've not read the booklet in detail, but I suspect that whilst access may be required for works on the boundary line, such as an end wall, I'm pretty sure it can't be insisted upon for the rest of the structure.  The booklet also mentions payment of a bond to cover the costs of completion if neighbour fails to complete etc.

 

7 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

"Are you looking for something that you dropped?" I nodded, "Yes, a fifty pound note, I don't suppose........" She interrupted me, "You're a very lucky man," she said, "Just after you left, a lady found it on the floor and handed it to me." To say that I was relieved would be an understatement.

 

 

Did the fifty cover the laundry bill?

 

Bear has walls to paint today.....

[Andrew P]

Easter Saturday, and all is NOT so bright outside, almost looks like rain, so little me is staying indoors this morning.

That means I get to feed my face a bit earlier than normal, so that's a bonus.

 

One of my Stepsons brought around some very nice Belgium Buns yesterday,

One of the Step daughters is due later this morning, promising a big cake for her mum and I.

The other Stepson is due tomorrow with more cake and goodies for us. 

And last Step Daughter will be popping in at some point with treats for her mum and my good self.

They really are 4 of the best.

 

Have a good day one and all, and stay safe and well.

[TheSignalEngineer]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

No laughing matter is the threat of snow this weekend.  It is surprisingly common at Easter. 

 

My old youth club used to do a country walk on Easter Monday, in the good old days when you could get to the start and finish by bus or train. On about half I attended it snowed. Later my Dad did the baptism of our son on the evening of Easter Saturday. Fron the following afternoon I have a picture of Anne fighting against a blizzard on the Lickey Hills. 

 

This year Easter will be low profile, especially seeing the pictures of eejit parking around our local beauty spots yesterday.  Anne passed over 50 people on a one mile section of path where normally if you see more than four you think it is a busy day. On top of that my arm is a bit sore after the second jab yesterday, so I think a little muddling may be in order after collection the week's rations this morning.

 

21 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Organisation? Lack thereof? Try our cricket league. 18 clubs and upwards of 80 umpires all collect the seasons paperwork from a single location with linited car parking..not the most thought through of approaches.

I've been involved in tennis leagues with very much the same approach. I was secretary for one which had 44 clubs running over 120 teams. There were nearly 700 matches in the season, all dates being decided by team captains in one room on a single evening. It was a credit to the people involved that it was usually all over in about two hours and when I collated the sheets from all the teams there would only be three or four errors.

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

No laughing matter is the threat of snow this weekend.  It is surprisingly common at Easter. 

 

It can fall at unexpected times, no one expects snow...

 

At Easter it can be more common, as Easter can fall between 22nd of March and 25th April, so an early Easter is probably a snow magnet!

 

Here, its (looks out of window) sunny and calm, if not particularly warm, and the Magnolia blossoms at the top of the hill have finally caught up with those at the bottom....

 

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Can one enquire what was the job? Givern your qualifications it wasn't by any chance providing air support to a convoy of cakes on route to a junior Hippo was it? Or was it something more nefarious such as the destruction of a bus on a bridge. We need to know? You cannot leave us all in suspense. We are on tenterhooks.

 

Nothing so interesting I'm afraid.  At the time I was doing some model making stuff that included pattern making for a few manufacturers and the money was payment for several such jobs.

 

Dave

[AndrewC]

Moaning all from the boring borough. 

 

Having gone through a dodgy next door builder I sympathise with Barry. I managed to use the Access to neighbouring lands act to keep the scaffolding off my patio and them off my roof. Not maintenance or preservation so go f*ck yourself, I believe was close to my comment when his builder knocked at the door with the scaffolders. He didn't try to get a court order as he was already on thin ice with no party wall notification. Made their lives far more difficult and a lot slower. Probably cost him the best part of £5k in delays. 

 

My brother in law is a lost money magnet. He is always fining cash on the road side while cycling. I think his best haul was around £150 in a roll of notes found in a pub next to the urinals. Nobody in the bar other than us. He turned it in to the bartender who told him to keep it as it probably came from the last bunch who had just left and were a group of ar*s holes who deserved to lose out. The ended up splitting it in the end. Likely an oopsie from a drug sale. 

 

Interior of the shed is painted. Time to clean the flooring, install the last new socket, then start moving stuff around again. In hind sight I really should have just emptied the bloody thing into a rented van and put it all into storage for a few months. 

 

Enjoy the day. 

[jonny777]

Dull and grey here in North Somerset. 

 

True British Easter weather; temperature of 5C, strong NE'ly wind, overcast skies. Time for everyone to don their t-shirts and get out the sun loungers/barbecue and just force themselves to enjoy it outside because it is a 'holiday'. 

 

I used to live by the line to Skegness in the 1960s, and we often had weather like this. We used to watch the poor souls from Leicester/Nottingham/Derby pass by in the mostly empty carriages and pity them and their day at Skegness or Mablethorpe. 

 

I think I will forgo the idea of a stroll along the promenade at Weston, just this once. 

 

 

 

 

[pgcroc]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

As I said no one claimed the money I found. I have my suspicions though it was one of the builders doing work on the building at the time. They were sub contractors and at the time many subbies were on what was known as 'the lump', paid cash in hand without the tax man being involved. I don't know how much £60 in 1979 would be the equivalent today but it was a lot of money back then.

£347.78p

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis is banging on his drum, paracetamol has been deployed and a bath is about to be run for a good long soak.