Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. You may recall I mentioned the scrotes on motorbikes plaguing the estate a few months ago. Well they or some other scrotes came back a few weeks ago. Yesterday morning I spotted them and notified the police but before the police could intercede there was an accident. The scrote had come out of a side turning and collided with a car. The scrote wasn't seriously hurt but he was thrown from the bike and wearing just T shirt and shorts the gravel rash was quite severe.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It's a beautiful sunny day here in England's northwest. Up later than usual after last night's marathon film watching, so straight outside to the garden to water the plants.

 

I'm now back in the cellar about to start measuring up the plasterboard offcuts to see if there's enough for the chimney breast. These are currently leaning against the wall in the corner. 

 

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

 

Brian 

[BSW01]

Duplicate 

Edited June 6, 2021 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Another duplicate 

Edited June 6, 2021 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Yet another duplicate 

Edited June 6, 2021 by BSW01

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, chrisf said:

I am flattered that you think me clever enough to make one.  The best I can do is offer some directions:

 

In YouTube, select 'search' and enter 'EM Gauge Society'.  There you should find several videos.  Select 'Lecture 4 - first generation dmus' and prepare to be captivated for the next 50 minutes.

 

Chris

Yes I have found it but I was beaten to posting it by JohnDMJ. Do not worry about presentation, believe me I've seen a lot worse, even live presentations. I hope its OK to post it on my society webpage, I suspect that some of our members who are also members of the EM gauge society may have been present anyway. I look forward to viewing it fully later.

[Chris116]

 

7 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

Good morning everyone

 

It's a beautiful sunny day here in England's northwest. Up later than usual after last night's marathon film watching, so straight outside to the garden to water the plants.

 

I'm now back in the cellar about to start measuring up the plasterboard offcuts to see if there's enough for the chimney breast. These are currently leaning against the wall in the corner. 

 

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

 

Brian 

We seem to have a duplication problem! 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Chris116

[PhilJ W]

It seems that the RMweb server is playing up again with duplicate posts and uncleared editors.

[polybear]

Bear's Sunday Funnies.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally...

 

[45156]

Morning All (just),

 

Apologies for my prolonged absence, but things are a little big bit hectic here - the house is on the market now, and photos and videos are now on t'internet - and have been since Friday afternoon.  Went live on Rightmove about 2.30 - phone rang at 3.30 "We've got a couple of viewings - one for tomorrow at 1.45 and one for Monday at 10.45"  "OK".  Then we got a phone call "can the person who wanted to view on Monday come tomorrow at 1.15 instead.  "OK.  Then yesterday, we got a phone call "the person at 1.45 drove past, and his camper van won't fit the drive, so he's cancelled" "OK".  So the viewing went ahead at 1.15, and a very pleasant Kenyan doctor gave the house a very thorough once over - the agent was optomistic that it had gone well - he made an offer within the hour!!!!  It's not what we want, but it remains on the table, and means that we should be able to go away for a couple of days to see what we can find in our chosen area - one agent whom we approached was quite adamant that we could not view any properties on his books unless we had an offer ourselves - and as at that time, we were not on the market, being on Thursday, his comment was "get back to us when you've got an offer" and it will give me great pleasure to do so at 9am tomorrow - he doubted that a house would sell so quickly - well, he doesn't know the market round here - houses are selling at ever increasing prices, and within days.

 

So with phone calls and everything else, and having to use the computer for the "more important" purpose of looking at houses, I have been so tied up that I have not been on here.  I can see that there are some ailing, and some absentees, so my warmest thoughts go to all fellow ERs, together with apologies in advance that my visits here may be a bit sporadic.

 

A6 car boot today was pretty hopeless for us - no real bargains, and a lot of the same old same old.  It's become more of a social with our fellow dealers, though we are now ex-dealers I suppose, as all of our stock went out on the street during lockdown 1, and also a lot went to charity shops. 

 

Anyway - it's cider o'clock now, so a bottle of Thatchers Katy (7.4%) awaits.

 

Back when I can.

Regards to All

Stewart

 

 

[PhilJ W]

9 minutes ago, 45156 said:

Morning All (just),

 

Apologies for my prolonged absence, but things are a little big bit hectic here - the house is on the market now, and photos and videos are now on t'internet - and have been since Friday afternoon.  Went live on Rightmove about 2.30 - phone rang at 3.30 "We've got a couple of viewings - one for tomorrow at 1.45 and one for Monday at 10.45"  "OK".  Then we got a phone call "can the person who wanted to view on Monday come tomorrow at 1.15 instead.  "OK.  Then yesterday, we got a phone call "the person at 1.45 drove past, and his camper van won't fit the drive, so he's cancelled" "OK".  So the viewing went ahead at 1.15, and a very pleasant Kenyan doctor gave the house a very thorough once over - the agent was optomistic that it had gone well - he made an offer within the hour!!!!  It's not what we want, but it remains on the table, and means that we should be able to go away for a couple of days to see what we can find in our chosen area - one agent whom we approached was quite adamant that we could not view any properties on his books unless we had an offer ourselves - and as at that time, we were not on the market, being on Thursday, his comment was "get back to us when you've got an offer" and it will give me great pleasure to do so at 9am tomorrow - he doubted that a house would sell so quickly - well, he doesn't know the market round here - houses are selling at ever increasing prices, and within days.

 

So with phone calls and everything else, and having to use the computer for the "more important" purpose of looking at houses, I have been so tied up that I have not been on here.  I can see that there are some ailing, and some absentees, so my warmest thoughts go to all fellow ERs, together with apologies in advance that my visits here may be a bit sporadic.

 

A6 car boot today was pretty hopeless for us - no real bargains, and a lot of the same old same old.  It's become more of a social with our fellow dealers, though we are now ex-dealers I suppose, as all of our stock went out on the street during lockdown 1, and also a lot went to charity shops. 

 

Anyway - it's cider o'clock now, so a bottle of Thatchers Katy (7.4%) awaits.

 

Back when I can.

Regards to All

Stewart

 

 

Instead of purchasing another property have you thought of giving these a try.

  https://www.anchorhanover.org.uk/

 

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, 45156 said:

It's not what we want, but it remains on the table, and means that we should be able to go away for a couple of days to see what we can find in our chosen area - one agent whom we approached was quite adamant that we could not view any properties on his books unless we had an offer ourselves - and as at that time, we were not on the market, being on Thursday, his comment was "get back to us when you've got an offer" and it will give me great pleasure to do so at 9am tomorrow - he doubted that a house would sell so quickly - well, he doesn't know the market round here - houses are selling at ever increasing prices, and within days.

 

 

Buddy next door's house was priced by the Agent at 450K, but SWMBO wanted it on the market at 475K - so that's what happened.  It sold (I think for that price) within about 3 days; bearing in mind a - I think better - house of the same design with the same layout but double story extension instead of single storey went for 450K just a few months ago it certainly shows just how nuts the market is at the moment.

 

On the radio a few days ago was Kirsty Allsop (Location, Location, Location) being interviewed - her day job (when not making TV programmes) is finding houses for people.  She was saying that she finds the present housing climate very worrying - people are paying top dollar for houses based on the assumption they'll be working from home for evermore, and the boss won't expect them back in the office as was the norm prior to lockdown.  What's more, they're spending the money they're saving on not having to commute on a mortgage instead.  If all were to return to as it was then they could be in real trouble.

[45156]

11 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Instead of purchasing another property have you thought of giving these a try.

  https://www.anchorhanover.org.uk/

 

Well I guess I could, but having been the pensions advisor to both Anchor and Hanover (before they merged) for five years, I know that their "corporate" image does not match their management style at high level. and I wouldn't even set foot in their establishments now - and I'm not all that weak yet.

[Gwiwer]

Ah.  The holiday season is upon us.  Motorists failing to drive to conditions, with due care and attention or unfamiliar with the road / vehicle / towing etc etc.  This from Devon where the A38 was blocked by an overturned caravan and numerous other roads were severely congested. 

 

Busy delays have also been reported on the A381

 

Would anyone care to explain what "busy delays" might be?  

 

In other news it is being a day of two halves.  By turns humid and sunny or raining with those large thundery blobs which suggest it may persisterate at any moment.  The G****n C****e was duly visited shortly after it opened and was found to be adequately spacious.  And then Dr. SWMBO asked to visit the recently-opened "Mediterranean Supermarket" which has appeared on our main street.  So for the first time in fifteen months we both shopped in person inside a supermarket (not counting those little corner-shop type ones operated under bog-name brands which I have used on rare occasions).  She even vowed to come back another day.  That's a bit of a step forward.  The offer of a coffee outside at a nearby cafe was declined however in favour of "using our own cups".  

 

OK - one step at a time then.  

 

 

[TheQ]

Afternoon I think..

 

The WiFi was really flakey outside the building at Hickling SC, so I couldn't do the hourly posts I intended, so I recorded them in MS office on this tablet..

 

Over 1000 words typed, then this morning as I was about to copy and post I hit the wrong button.. lost the lot.. Ok click undo... What happened.. an advert from MS please get MS 365.. no undo..lost the lot permanently.. impressed I am not. I will be loading an alternative when my brain is functioning again. 

 

So here's the high lights as edited by a befuddled brain that's has 1.5 hours sleep in the last 34...

 

08:00 ish note all times are ish.

 

Arrive Hickling SC, carefully drive through lines of dinghies to as close as I can get to unload Landrover, that took over half an hour.

 

Then get out one of their rescue boats loaned to us, a new one very good it was too.

 

09:00 go depth finding with paddle to find nearest point to club with 4ft 6inches depth minimum.

 

Plonk buoy in.

 

Told I could swing floating pontoons out if I wanted.. unfortunately they're been tied hard on when the water level was higher, it took nearly an hour of tugging prising etc the undo the knots just for one section. Gave up with the rest.

 

Sat back to wait for the guardship

 

And waited...

 

and waited....

 

and waited...

 

then got message They're aground..

 

so went to the rescue.

 

found them near entrance to Hickling broad, they had a fouled prop, and drifted of outside the deep water channel. Eventually towed them to the SC. Martham boats sent their men, but couldn't sort it there they'll collect it tomorrow.

 

14:00 ish first boat, a punt which had not done the short legs, two other boats followed shortly after .

 

not much happend until 17:00, then the first boats that had not done the short legs but had been to stokesby.

 

main mass of boats from 19:00 to midnight, then numbers faded until last boat at 03:45.

 

had to wait until 06:00 ish till permission granted to pack up.

 

07:00 left site.

 

Dropped off crew at Martham as their car was there.

 

Horning just in time to see "A rater" finish, never seen that before, they're normally long since tucked up in bed.

 

Unloaded landrover, breakfast!!!

 

When I left, of the 116 entries, 20, did not start, 5 had finished 3 were tacking up the street, and there were 47 retirements..

 

Got home 10:00, had 1.5 hours sleep when Ben the I've had a sleep Collie said you're home it's a weekend, you've got to take me for the long walk...

 

I'll read of your escapades , when brain has had more time to recover..

If you hear snoring it's me..

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

8 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Thanks for jogging my memory, Phil. I had overlooked that (although, presumably, professional historians who know this period of history inside out would have not overlooked “Plucky Belgium“ [as the tabloids put it back then] when forming the contention that Britain could’ve stayed out of the First World War).  However, now that you have reminded me about the violation of Belgium’s neutrality as being a major reason for Britain entering into the First World War, for the life of me I can’t remember why Britain signed such a treaty with Belgium in the first place. I vaguely recall it being one of the consequences of defeating Napoleon.

 

Britain did not 'sign a treaty with Belgium' bt was actually one of the guarantors of Belgian neutrality.

 

Quite why Britain entered what became the Great war is a rather complex, and politically influenced, matter.  There were two threads of thought within the Cabinet and among Ministers(and no doubt among teh wider public and the press).  Initially there was a strong incentive, and movement within the Cabinet to stay out but certain influential voices - including Churchill - pressed strongly for Britain to get involved and that pressure gradually built up and was taken up by public opinion until the Govt had not a vast amount of choice in deciding to get involved.

 

That involvement was manifold - there was definitely a strong sense of defending Belgian neutraliity and public opinion on that was worked up by the 'gallannt little Belgium' campaign run by the press.   but some voices, especially taht of Churchill were making very strong points about maintaining the balance of power in Europe and dealing with the ever increasing threat of Germany to Britain's empire and shipping interests.  It's easy to forget teh public cry of 'We want eight and we won't wait' a few years previously in response to the growing size and strength of the German Navy which many, quite rightly, saw asa direct challenge to Britain's maritime supremacy.  Technically as far as many politicians were concerned Britain had no treaty obligations towards France should it be invaded by Germany but various secret clauses implied , particularly to the French, that such a commitment existed and they anticipated that Britain would enter the war on their side.   But in the end I think the public utterances of Govt were more about providing seemingly good reasons for what was basically a decision to try to maintain the balance of power in Europe and curtail German expansion..

 

There are however various back stories which tend to shw that Britain really was prepared to get intoa European war and not just at sea (which some members of teh Cabinet had hoped would be the case).  The Army had a mobilisation plan and timetabled series of events that would land a British Expeditionary Force in France while at the same time mobilising reservists - and that plan had been in place for some years.  Unlike the much nattered about Schlieffen Plan the British plan worked exactly as planned and to perfection wit every BEF embarkation train arriving at Southampton on time despite some of the rolling stock having started its war work by taking reservists to their Regimental depots.   The Schlieffen railway plan was  shambles which began to collapse fairly early on - leading many Germany units having to march much further to reach the front line than the plan intended because rolling stock had ended up in the wrong place.    Similarly the railway and coastal shipping plans to supply coal and foodstuffs, ammunition etc to the Grand Fleet at its wartime base in Scapa Flow had been put together in 1911 and also worked as planned.  And of course Churchill, acting on his own authority as First Sea Lord, cancelled the post annual manoeuvres dispersal of the Royal Navy and began to send vessls to their war stations long before Britain discussed entering the war.  Plenty of preparations had been made in Britain and until the BEF got to France they all worked as intended.

[The Stationmaster]

And now - Afternoon all,

 

The management has r gardened and gone for a lie down and i have yet to tackle the cleaning of the vacuum but that is next on teh agenda after a look in for any latest questions ina thread in the 'prototype' section.  no other startling news  - the lad is off t his usual Sunday at the GCR, the GD is off at. friends's house playing board games, and i'm - all to obviously - sitting at the keyboard and b no doubt continuing to hit a few wrong keys.

 

That Anchor Hannover bunch look to be all too typically part of the industrial scale rip-off arrangement called 'retirement housing' -now one of the biggest ways of parting your money from you next to a ponzi scheme and based on the simple principle of you pay and they win.    You buy, but ypou can't sell without them taking a cut and you have limited choice about who you can sell to.  and with some of them if you can't sell they won't buy it back but just carry on with the ground rent and 'facility charges' even if you happen to have moved to another country and are unable to use the 'facility' they are charging for.   Most of them I've heard of have got. a bad name apart from the ones who are absolutely atrocious.  Steer clear.

 

Right off to do the housework which come safter today's ear;lier victory over the plumbing under the kitchen sink.  Herself found a leajk in a waste pipe under the sink, took it apart and put it back together but to no avail.  So I preceded to hunt the PTFE tape, which hasn't seen the light of day for arounfd 10 years (or more?).  i checked teh big toolbox 'just in case' and it definitelt wasn't (which I'd expected) so I ventured into the garage - where it took me less than 5 minutes to find it despite it not being in the correct (ex) ice cream box.  Job done and seems ok.  Who else can find something the size of a small roll of PTFE tape (which they haven't used in the past 10 years) in less than 5 minutes in their garage? 

 

Enjoy the rest of your day and stay safe.  Great news about Dave's dad and I hope the good progress will continue now that recovery appears to be underway.

[Gwiwer]

What's the buzz?   Some of today's visitors to the Hill of Strawberries.  Where, owing to the poor Spring weather, there are no strawberries growing this year.  

 

[simontaylor484]

I cant find beggar all at the moment everything is being arranged for the big clear out depending on when i can get a skip organised for next week. Currently sat watching the longest day for the millionth time

[simontaylor484]

Oh Harry and Manipulator Meghan have had their baby girl named lillibet after the Queen just months after kicking her in the teeth

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I must admit that when I last looked at Anchor/Hanover it was just the Hanover Trust and a vastly different scheme. Done nothing more than an eyelid inspection this afternoon but tea has brewed so its be back later.

[PhilJ W]

5 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Oh Harry and Manipulator Meghan have had their baby girl named lillibet after the Queen just months after kicking her in the teeth

Y-A-W-N

[TheQ]

Pretty  pictures.

 

 

[TheQ]

19 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Evening all.

 

One extremely tired Gwiwer checking in before flaking out.  Seven hours at the wheel today most of it at full motorway speed saw Dr. SWMBO duly transported to and from her friend.  The socially-distanced through-the-window farewell was, apparently, an in-the-porch hug.  After 25 years of friendship and anticipating that this would be their final meeting I wouldn't have expected anything less.  A stoic Dr. SWMBO sat quietly in the car on the way back.  

 

I managed to get a few indifferent pictures of a well-known spot as we drove past - and then over - one of Bristol's more famous structures.  For my efforts I was rewarded with fish & chips tonight which went down well.  

 

We are, I am assured, going to the G****n C****e in the morning on the grounds that "It's a shame to have the car and not use it".  I can agree with the logic.  I have a problem with the willingness to go to such a place, mingle (even if at as much distance as can be managed) with others but the all-out refusal to be taken out for as little as a coffee and cake outside a cafe.  

 

 

 

The last time I be on that thar bridge.. my grandmother was pushing my pram.. there be a photo as evidence somewhere.

[TheQ]

6 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear's Sunday Funnies.....

 

 

 

 

It's too white therefore racist...