Early Risers.

[JohnDMJ]

Back again!

 

55 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Buses were in place from early this morning.  The supply failure was in the National Grid and not of the railway's making so in theory was no different to a domestic power cut preventing you illuminating your existence or turning on the computer to play with this site.  Other sites are also available   

 

Third-rail units do have a very limited power back-up though for traction purposes it is all but useless these days.  They have batteries.  These are used to provide emergency power for auxiliaries such as lighting - including marker lights when berthed - but batteries are not necessarily in tip-top condition and do go flat.  Ask most car drivers!  So when berthed off the "juice" or for an extended period of time such as might occur when a disabled unit awaits recovery that might be days or more away then a red lamp is also mandatory.  Also battery-operated these days but checked and replaced as required and not reliant on the third rail.  

 

Given the amount of current required by on-board computers these days I doubt most units could be moved more than a few yards on battery power alone even if those were well charged.  An old chestnut in railway quizzes was "How far can a unit move on its traction batteries?"  There is no defined answer but the simpler yet robust electrics of the 1930s - 1960s could move a very short way very slowly if they happened to encounter a power failure and could sometimes be moved back onto the juice from the batteries if "gapped".   

 

In other news the Hill of Strawberries has lost one of our senior residents.  I don't know the details other than that he passed overnight and had not been terribly well for quite some time.  A couple of the local places he frequented have been closed today "Due to the passing of a friend" such is the village-like community.  

 

Advances in new power technology are vast and the future of the battery-powered train is with us, albeit not yet in the UK! Hydrogen Cells and other techniques are being explored!

 

As previously stated, FGW still use Diesel hydraulic units so could, if the line was clear, transported from Southampton to places East.

 

In other news, and diversifying somewhat, I have been amazed and increduled by the lack of understanding that exists in the retail chain.

 

I read many threads, including of this forum, that proclaim that Retailer A is selling this for £X whilst Retailer B is cheaper.

 

I then further read, as a complaint, that the supplier to both retailers is selling this for full RRP.

 

Why am I not the only one not surprised by this?

 

If the supplier undercuts his trade customer, there goes another supply route.

 

The trade customer retails at a price commensurate with making an adequate profit on the deal. Thus, all are happy as the supplier has made his profit and so has the retailer, no matter how small.

 

If the retailer is really cute, he will spot the limited items and mark them up as above RRP! When the box shifters sell out and so do the RRP traders, he then has stock to sell at HIS price!

 

At the metaphorical end of the day, the consumer chooses from where to buy; if he decides on the supplier, he pays full RRP; if he shops around, he gets a better buying price but may not get as good customer service!

 

3 hours ago, fezza said:

I was passing by as we have family in the area, but I would certainly advise anyone to check their prices before making a special journey.

 

In fairness their controllers are outstanding and I can't praise them enough, but I can't get my head around why their retail side is so uncompetitive. I guess it's because there are still a group of consumers who will pay  whatever they are charged, just as there are people who never switch their insurance or electricity supplier.

 

How wrong can you be?

 

Sorry guys, Rant over but after you hear it day after day after day!

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well, despite planning to continue rubbish clearing in the underfloor area of the living room, I never actually got any done, as I to be honest I didn’t fancy spending the day on my hands and knees. So instead, I did some preparatory work on the new sub-floor support beams, fixing a damp-proof membrane to the ends of all 10 of them. I also sorted out some stuff into keep or dump piles and ended up putting a bag of rubbish in the bin, but there’s still plenty of stuff left to sort through. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

4 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Not your match, was it Baz?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-57572844

Nope but we had some big hitting today at Warrington. Yorkshire Ridings and Cheshire Over 60s teams delighted in smashing the ball everwhere.

 

Stopped for a curry on the way back. Excellent!

 

Headingley was full of stupids who had been watching kickball while drinking... social distancing zero..no wonder our positive tests are rising exponentially!

 

Sleep well!

Baz

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Just had an e-mail announcing that I have won a £1000 Primark gift card. Before I give them my bank details does anyone know how many stores would I have to visit to find £1000 worth of stock?

There was a woman in the court reports in the local rag last week she was caught nicking £300+ of stuff from lidl I dont know how many trips it had taken

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

I had the pleasure of training a Texan-Vietnamese chap who joined our ranks in Melbourne upon having relocated from home (Houston) with his newly-married Australian-Vietnamese wife.

 

When the first 40-degree day arrived he asked how often it got that hot.  "Oh only on about 10 - 15 days a year" was the reply.  "And how hot does it get?"  "About 110 - more like 120 in open sun or out bush" was my reply, expecting, correctly, that he had a better understanding of Fahrenheit than Centigrade.

The climate in southeast Texas (29.8°N) is brutal - but it is the humidity rather than maximum temperatures* that make it so uncomfortable, not unlike the subtropics of southeast Queensland (27.5°S) where temperatures rarely exceed 38°C.

 

It is one of those climate ironies that southern Victoria (37.8°S) frequently records much higher temperatures than southeast Queensland.

 

* August average highs in Houston are 35°C. Google suggests the maximum recorded high was 42°C.

[The Stationmaster]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Ah but Marlow doesn't have the American women rowers walking round though, or is that attraction not mentioned in the estate agents blurb.

 

Jamie

Strangely until you see some of them you will probably think that the word 'amazon' refers to a river in South America or some sort of online sales concern.  Well you'd soon learn how wrong you are when you see a rather attractive young female, over 6ft tall and with an American accent, wandering round Tesco or Waitrose having forgotten to change out of her rowing kit.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

It's quite warm in California.....

Brutal. Guess where our warm weather has come from!

 

Arizona has been particularly bad too. Phoenix recently had six consecutive days of 115°F / 46°C or more. Local weather stations had the headline: "Finally, relief from the heat" for a forecast of 43°C.

 

Phoenix monitors days above 115°F the way Portland monitors days above 90°F. It is 'stupid hot' there.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

The longer nothing is said and the statistics are - apparently - brushed aside the greater the suspicion of cover-up and complicity.  It is very, very obvious that St. Ives (and adjoining Carbis Bay where G7 actually took place), Falmouth and Newquay are now severely infected whilst other adjoining areas are seeing only slight rises and east Cornwall remains almost untouched.  

 

Me smell rat.  Mutterings have reached these ears to the effect that Season 2021 may be a total loss if things don't improve very quickly.  Because nowhere can staff up with the amount of infection and isolation therefore businesses cannot reopen.  On top of which is the chance that highly-infected areas will not be included in a general unlocking if that goes ahead on 19th July.  

 

 

We are  currently getting  a schooling in how infectious the Delta variant is - we are  trying to keep the lid on a Delta variant outbreak at Bondi at the moment that started with a driver who ferries international aircrew catching it., then started to move into the community.  Because tracing and tracking know "patient 0"  they were able to chart his movements and discover how it started to spread

 

. The first two positives he infected  both occurred when he visited Westfields shopping centre in Bondi Junction.  CCTV shows the transmission point for both cases. The first was a 70 year old woman who was sitting at an outside cafe when the driver simply walked past, the second likewise was in a shop  inside the centre - the driver passes about 50cm from the other person without pausing or touching them but still it passes on.  

 

As a result we are all lepers again as far as the rest of Australia goes, and all  New Zealand holiday plans are off again.  Scarily, one case (there are now 21 but most of those  were already self-isolating) ) visited NZ on the weekend, prior to being diagnosed but after they visited an at that time unknown potential transmission site, so now NZ are on edge given that person travelled around and visited a number of cafes and so on.

 

Vaccine rates here are about 2% not helped by endless coverage in the press about everyone dying from blood clots after they get the AZ shot so everyone still alive is holding out for the Pfizer or one of the other ones. 

[Ozexpatriate]

7 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

... you will probably think that the word 'amazon' refers to a river in South America or some sort of online sales concern.  Well you'd soon learn how wrong you are when you see a rather attractive young female, over 6ft tall and with an American accent, wandering round Tesco or Waitrose having forgotten to change out of her rowing kit

My personal definition of an Amazon was experienced being photographed next to a young woman from a Samba school in Rio De Janeiro. I have no idea how tall she was (and she was wearing dancing heels) but she towered over me.

 

Conveniently, I don't have that photograph at hand.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all

 

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[pH]

View from the rooftop parking lot of the supermarket this evening:

The moon and an active volcano (Mount Baker).

 

There were 4 RCMP on the roof on a break - there is a small ‘community’ station just across the road.

[iL Dottore]

On 21/06/2021 at 23:01, Chris116 said:

I can't understand how it is OK to broadcast Naked Attraction but not Tom and Jerry. 

 

Some very muddled thinking going on.

No muddled thinking at all. “Naked Attraction“ is a ground breaking program that seeks to defeat the pernicious evil that is “body shaming“ (although the unkind might regard the show as the modern equivalent of the carnival freak show), whereas Tom and Jerry are cartoons from a discredited bygone era noted for its casual acceptance if not active tolerance of racism, sexism and any other “ism“ you care to mention.

On 21/06/2021 at 23:04, New Haven Neil said:

....there are only two rules: no 2 strokes, no Harleys.…

Ignoring, for the moment, the almost irresistible temptation to give in to a good solid double entendre, I have to ask why.

I can understand the prohibition against two stroke bikes (basically bicycles with ideas above their station), but Harley Davidsons? Is it because of some of the associations that Harleys are notorious for? (somehow the significant role of Fraggle Rock in the rise of the tattooed, leather clad, Harley riding, criminal biker fraternity has escaped me)   Or is it is simply a matter of the cost of the bikes? (in Germany Harley Davidsons are known as “dentists bikes” as only dentists – who can make a lot of money in Germany - can afford them). 

On 21/06/2021 at 23:57, Ozexpatriate said:

The arc of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera is long. They created Tom and Jerry at MGM. When they spun out their own company in 1957 they produced a prolific range of animated material, including Wacky Races, but also The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Flintstones, The Yogi Bear Show, The Jetsons, and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!….

Like much of the animation created in America in the 40s, 50s and 60s, these shows were originally witty, mildly subversive and frequently very funny. But then, as always seems to be the case with American TV programmes, “the suits” (as the so-called “creative executives” are disparagingly known as) get their grubby little mitts on the programmes and change them - 99% of the time for the worst.

 

Case in point: they added the incredibly irritating Scrappy Doo to Scooby Doo and the show went down the pan!

11 hours ago, PupCam said:

….Being "Hatfield trained" I have, as you know, a soft spot for all things de Havilland so it would have been rude to pass up the opportunity for a good, close up gawp at this Dragon Rapide.   What a beautiful aeroplane.

 

 

 

A beautiful plane indeed.

 

One thing I have wondered about is why no-one has created a modern version of any one of these timeless aircraft designs (like FIAT did successfully with the FIAT 500 and VW - not so successfully - did with the Beetle). Obviously, (most of) these classic designs are very airworthy and with modern materials, engines and avionics, as safe as and as reliable as any aircraft designed in the last 25 years.

11 hours ago, jonny777 said:

…Even in the Stone Age, I suspect that the population were more worried about the sun getting lower and lower on the horizon, during December at this latitude, than they were about how early it rose in summer.  

Hence the widespread custom across most Northern lands and cultures of sacrificing something precious and valuable (often, but not always, a virgin) at the Winter Solstice to appease the gods and beg them to return the sun.

Nothing quite like “That Old Tyme Religion” eh?

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Brutal. Guess where our warm weather has come from!

 

Arizona has been particularly bad too. Phoenix recently had six consecutive days of 115°F / 46°C or more. Local weather stations had the headline: "Finally, relief from the heat" for a forecast of 43°C.

 

Phoenix monitors days above 115°F the way Portland monitors days above 90°F. It is 'stupid hot' there.

It has been posited, with I think good reason, that much of the Continental United States would be uninhabitable in absence of air conditioning. Having lived for a while in the “Deep South” (not so deep as Georgia or Florida, but deep enough…) and as a poor student in an apartment without AC, I can attest that the combination of high temperatures and high humidity makes for uncomfortable living (and sleepless nights). At least in the “Desert Southwest” the heat is dry (I spent a short while in AZ) and providing you don’t go out in the midday sun and keep well hydrated, tolerable.

Look on the bright side, Oz, at least in the US you are not required to “dress properly” (suit and tie for work, dinner jacket etc for the evening) when it’s “stupid hot” - unlike those poor sods in the (former) British colonies, where “proper dress” was a requirement until (IIRC) at late as the late 50s…

 

And in that sweltering note I bid you a hot and steamy hump day

 

iD

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

There is speculation in the meejah that those who rule us may soon lift some of the restrictions on overseas travel.  We shall see.  I am reminded of what I would have been doing today but for that ruddy virus and other circumstances.  I would have been setting out for Dublin.  The X5 bus would have taken me to Milton Keynes station, a Voyager from there to Holyhead and a ferry across the Irish Sea.  A suitable billet in the city centre would have seen me well placed for all that I wanted to do – ride the trams, face bankruptcy in Claddagh Records and march through the city centre with thousands of other people in the Pride parade.  Once again this year the parade will be virtual, consisting of a film of an unrealistically small number of people marching over a very short part of the route.  It’s a valiant attempt but fails to convey the atmosphere of the real thing.  To be in Dublin over the last weekend in June will be my top priority for 2022.  Let us see what happens to banjax that idea.

 

Back in the all too real world, I could not face attacking the jungle yesterday but really must do it today.  Despite the presence in the green bin of assorted creepers from next door there is still plenty of room for the surplus vegetation that grows in disgraceful quantities behind the house.  The bin will be emptied tomorrow if I remember to put it out.  This is where gentle readers rise up in chorus and remind me that actions speak louder than words.  Don’t I know it!   Yet despite the deterrent effect of looking at it, the garden does yield the odd pleasure.  Apart from a few juicy strawberries, it is really rather nice to be supervised in my labours, such as they are, by a robin sitting on the garden wall.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris   

[polybear]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I can understand the prohibition against two stroke bikes (basically bicycles with ideas above their station),

 

Not sure I'd call an RG500 a "bicycle" (Bear can only dream).  Nothing quite like it for arm-wrenching acceleration, though the very latest bike modern bikes with close on 200hp must be pretty close, if not equal now.

Mind you, a two-stroke with a set of Micron pipes can really upset the locals on a Sunday morning....

 

Quote

but Harley Davidsons? Is it because of some of the associations that Harleys are notorious for? (somehow the significant role of Fraggle Rock in the rise of the tattooed, leather clad, Harley riding, criminal biker fraternity has escaped me)  

 

Seems to be more "Bank Manager" in the UK now.  I just don't see the attraction of a full dresser:

 

 

Although one of these would be acceptable:

 

 

But given the money - and a garage - I'd much rather have one of these:

 

 

In other news:

 

It seems that in it's wisdom our Gov are to switch from E5 to E10 unleaded from September; older cars (pre- 2011) might not like it - it can bvgger fuel lines, seals, cats etc.).  So if you have an older car - or bike - it's worth checking to see what the s.p. is.  All is not lost, however - E5 will still be available (it has 5% Ethanol rather than the 10% contained in E10) but you'll have to start shelling out for Super Unleaded instead....

 

Bear had better get a wriggle on, as the roofers are due anytime from half seven; I've also the fun of washing etc. today .

Apart from that it's yet more kitchen fun; the new sink has yet to arrive so a phone call is needed - I need it in my paws before the templating for the worktops can be carried out - and they're scheduled for Monday.  Looking shaky.....

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by polybear

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit nippy this morning but bright sunshine and forecast to stay sunny for most of the day. An added bonus is the pollen levels are down to medium.

34 minutes ago, polybear said:

In other news:

 

It seems that in it's wisdom our Gov are to switch from E5 to E10 unleaded from September; older cars (pre- 2011) might not like it - it can bvgger fuel lines, seals, cats etc.).  So if you have an older car - or bike - it's worth checking to see what the s.p. is.  All is not lost, however - E5 will still be available (it has 5% Ethanol rather than the 10% contained in E10) but you'll have to start shelling out for Super Unleaded instead....

 

I'll have to check with the garage that services my car (2008). What is s.p.?

[Andrew P]

Hot balls to you lot. 

 

Yes indeed, we have a very hot ball in the Sky that is throwing a lot of warmth out already.

 

The bathroom beckons and then a nice walk in case it gets to warm later

 

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

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a slightly cool and damp Charente.  14 degrees overnight.  Rain forecast for today.  

 

WE went shopping yesterday morning. The first time Beth has ventured out to such a place for many months. Incredible, my own personal sat nave telli g me which aisle to go down, even though the store has been completely  rearranged since she last visited.  The good news is that shevplans to become the principal shopper once our 2nd jabs have bedded in.  In the afternoon I headed for Ruffec and spent a pleasant 90 minutes watchng trains. 3 new locos underlined in the book. That was a result. In the evening after tea we sat out with a glass of wine and wat hed 2 Hoopoes strutting their stuff and feeding. A beautiful sight. 

 

As to today, the roofers are busy, it hasn't actually rained yet and after breakfast I've got to go to the pharmacy for Beth.  This afternoon I'm off to get a new tyre fitted on the Volvo.

 

At the moment, as some on here know, I'm uploadi g my American railway photos. As part of that I've been  sorting out the itinerary's for the various trips so that I can put dates, rather than just months to each photo. That has been a very satisfying occupation, using whatever combination of memory and evidence I have. Most of them have now been completed. 

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A slightly cool and cloudy start, but the sun looks likely to be show itself soon, sort of start to the day here in England’s northwest. I’m up a little earlier than what’s now the norm, as I’m off to ‘The Christie’ to get the results of last weeks PSA blood tests. I’d initially thought that it would be like the last few consultations I’ve had and get changed to being done over the phone, but instead it’s a face-to-face consultation, the first since February 2020! My appointment is at 9:10, so my plan is to leave home just after 8 o’clock, this should give me more than enough time to get there, find a parking space and get to the urology department in time. 

 

There are no firm plans for the rest of the day, although it has been mentioned that a visit to a craft shop somewhere in Dunham Massey is a possibility, as it’s somewhere that Sheila has fancied going for some time. 

 

So with that I’ll get myself ready and say, stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian

[Barry O]

Welcome to our Wedding Anniversary.. 42 years, how have we put up with that? (Plus a year and a half being a partnership). How many life sentences does that add up to? She bought me a beer token for some Saltaire Brewery beer. Wooooppppiddddooo!

 

 

We were visited by swallows at the match yesterday, along with the odd peacock and a bird which flew over squeaking as it flew.

 

Today is cleaning day, followed by herself going for breast screning, a video chat with Dr Eldest Herbert then a trip watch the cricket at Headingley tonight. Busy day!

 

Stay safe!

Baz

 

[BSW01]

Congratulations to Baz and Mrs Baz

[New Haven Neil]

Morning - rainin'....pah!

 

Happy Annie to Baz and Mrs Baz.

 

iD, well two strokes are noisy smelly things, but the main reason is the way they make power - we both prefer a more torquey engine with good mid-range power delivery, relative to whatever size bike it is.  As for Harleys, well Fraggle Rock is home to all kinds of bikes, predominated by the 'Power Ranger' types on their sports bikes, but there is also a huge classic movement, and everything in between, including Harleys, but not the 'Patch Club' heavy type.  This is a VERY low crime environment, their behaviour simply would not be tolerated. There is a sort of 'Patch Club', Mhoddey Dhoo (black dog - not that one....a local legend) but they are a benign bike club not a bunch of outlaws.

 

Mrs H's dislike of Harleys is the weight and vibration - the allegedly smooth modern ones (we do have two friends with them) are anything but, in real terms, just crude and numb things.  Oh neither owner is a dentist, one is a Pilates instructor, the other a gardener!  Just enthusiasts who aim their funds at what they love.

 

As for those temperatures - imagine yourself in a steel box right next to a huge engine producing thousands of horsepower (with commensurate heat radiation) and that 40c is the INTAKE temperature.  That's ships enginerooms for you, I saw a 50c scale thermometer go off the top of the scale more than once.  Happy never to experience that again!

 

 

[jamie92208]

Happy Anniversary  to Baz and Mrs Baz.  3 weeks behind us in getting wed. We were just getting back from our Honeymoon then. 42 years, I reckon I could have rone away with 2 and been out.  However someone has pointed out that she could just nicely fit me into her veg patch.

 

Jamie