Early Risers.

[AndyB]

In a non binary sense we're actually on page 17 still. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by AndyB
10001

[simontaylor484]

Well we have reached the milestone of 10000 pages. I haven't been on here long these pages have got me through lockdown self shielding early retirement various hounding by the black dog. Thanks for the support folks 

[Barry O]

It also looks like we have had 25 *10000 + a few postings... lummy.. that loads. God bless you @gordon sand @LisaP4 for starting ERs and @Mr.S.corn78for its continuation on here now.

One day we can have a proper get together rather than just via Zom.

 

baz

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

That's what they're supposed to do. along with things like crumple zones It's based on the strange principle that human beings are more valuable than cars.

There were very good reasons for making such bullbars illegal.

Motor vehicles are potentially lethal weapons and accidents inevitably happen so, quite frankly, anyone taking the attitude that they're going to ensure that anyone who collides with them is going to come out badly probably shouldn't be behind the wheel.

 

That is not the case, bull bars can do more damage but in my case it was other drivers being careless (opening doors without checking that it is safe to do so) or selfish and aggressive driving (forcing their way into traffic). Naturally I would prefer those accidents not to have happened as reporting it to my insurance and sometimes the police took time and effort. I always report any incident to my insurers after someone scraped their car on my stationary car (which wasn't damaged as it was on a bolt on the bumper that the other car came in contact with.) They subsequently claimed against my insurance and as I hadn't reported it they paid out although my car was stationary at the time.

4 hours ago, AndyB said:

Wisely GDB you have a hinged section of baseboard. I was looking for where you keep the first aid box before I spotted the hinge! 

 

3 hours ago, grandadbob said:

 

The flap drops down (as suggested by a certain Mr. Hippo IIRC)  but TBH Andy I normally crawl under it and so far haven't damaged my skull.....said he.....frantically crossing all digits because you just know what's going to happen next.  

A bit of a dilemma, risk crawling under or not securing the flap and it dropping on your head.

[Two_sugars]

October 2013 when I joined . . I'd been following a layout thread  {Hawthorh Dene Washery by Les1952), and I felt compelled to correct an omission re pigeon Cree colour schemes . . .Mackem stripes (Sunderland) finally won the game . . It was there I found Baz O posting the odd comment. 

I didn't exactly follow him to ER, but it was someone I recognised from the other thread . . . 

I don't post much these days but I tend to "rate" every post . . 

 

Costa is feeling like the The COSTA . . . low "20's , , wall to wall sunshine, and a light breeze. . . . NICE! ! ! ! !

 

Have a guddun everyone . . . 

 

John

Edited July 15, 2021 by Two_sugars
'cos' a'm a numty

[PhilJ W]

5 minutes ago, Two_sugars said:

October 1913 when I joined . .

 

John

You must be in contention as our oldest member.

[Two_sugars]

3 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

You must be in contention as our oldest member.

Ah Thowt It wud be  you, Like . . . . . . 

 

John

[pH]

The heatwave here appears to have broken, at least for a few days. Some very welcome coolth in the air this morning. There’s even a hint of showers tomorrow and Saturday - I believe today is the 31st consecutive day without precipitation.

[Ian Abel]

Cor, 1913, must've been a VERY slow dial-up connection  

 

I've been around since September 2013 and enjoyed all of it. Amazing to think it continues to help all that venture in, all are always welcome. 

Of course, being on the other side of the pond I didn't manage to get on that historic page, ah well!

 

BIN day, correctly this week. They've all BIN and gone, with the associated noise and excitement from the neighborhood dogs.

 

Yesterday the Mrs and Jemma returned from Grand Forks, mission accomplished. At least, much packing done in anticipation of the move.

 

Also yesterday, the new "big corporation" I'm now part of deemed it necessary that I actually have  one of their Laptops, rather than use my own - something I've done for only the past 12 years <yawn>

So, let's see, having decided that, they wanted to know my address AND the best contact phone number! What the F@!$#!@$#K?!?!?

I've already had to wade through several web sites/pages to enter my personal information for HR. Payroll, benefits, company profile, and emergency contact. So APPARENTLY the IT department are incapable of determining where I live still  god help me if I need any REAL support/help

 

Long Island client getting busier... ahh well.

 

Yesterday afternoon and overnight significant rain, today started off at 13, sunny no chance of more rain, high expected to reach 28.

 

Tally ho.

[polybear]

It seems a certain Bear joined back in March 2007; not sure when I started haunting ER's (I always thought it was something to do with those who got up early ).  I didn't realise I'd be mixing with those who Momma Bear would've said would be a bad influence on an impressionable young Bear and that I wasn't to play with.....

 

In other news:

More G word - the back garden is now vastly improved (grass cut, roses dead-headed, weeding done, tommy plants fed & watered).  Some minor activities (such as lawn edging etc.) remain to be done "at some point" but the green wheelie bin is now ready to burst (ably assisted by Bear climbing in the top numerous times to jump up n' down to compress the contents).  One of these days it'll break as it's being lifted.....

 

As for sheds, here's Bear's:

 

 

It's actually one and a half sheds put together - the front is original, whilst the section at the rear (starting from the concrete upright just behind the yellow flowered thingy an the left of the shed) is from a second identical shed that a neighbour about one hundred and fifty yards away was getting rid of; he said I could have it, but I had to take it all (I only wanted some of the panels and a few posts).  So Bear had to shift the lot using a sack barrow, after a friend helped me take it down....

I also discovered that the front part of the existing shed had to be moved forwards by about an inch in order to fit the rear extension in; the concrete base also had to be extended.

 

 

And as you can see, it's kinda "busy" in there.  Not visible in the shot is a Honda CB750F, which I had intended to resurrect and part with, but a certain lurgy has delayed that.  As soon as the kitchen is done I'll be getting very ruthless and unloading as much as I can - there's a lot of "useful" stuff in there, but I'm rapidly realising that it could be some time (if ever) that it becomes useful to this Bear.  Once the bike has gone it'll be much more useful as a workshop again (there's a large pillar drill behind those ladders, for example).

[simontaylor484]

I dont have a shed to share pictures off i do have a garage that is filled with all sorts of useful stuff (junk).

 

Not much progress made on the decking front really it would seem some more bits have been removed and screws pulled out. The house of strong women delivered some strong bags this morning so time was spent bagging off cuts looks like a big bonfire unless we get another skip i am trying to avoid the expense of another skip it may be difficult seen as i have no other way to get shut of rubbish

 

I will be grinding the stubborn bu99ers of screws off tomorrow i am planning to fit re inforcement to joists. I have ordered the first half of the deck boards they will be delivered Saturday. I deliberately only ordered half so I dont overwhelm myself having to drag them all the way round the houses. It has been ruled that under no circumstances can I bring the boards through the house 

[New Haven Neil]

I would likely relieve you of the bike if I was closer.....being a Honda sort of chap.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Also yesterday, the new "big corporation" I'm now part of deemed it necessary that I actually have  one of their Laptops, rather than use my own - something I've done for only the past 12 years <yawn>

Hardly a surprise surely? It will of course come loaded with the right firewall to protect you them from you visiting illicit places on the internet.

 

3 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

... APPARENTLY the IT department are incapable of determining where I live still ... god help me if I need any REAL support/help

Likely they are not permitted to view your personal data by policy.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, pH said:

I believe today is the 31st consecutive day without precipitation.

Something very like that here too. Frankly the weather has been "just another day in paradise" lately*. We should hit about 26°C today under cloudless, sunny skies. Simply beautiful, but ...

 

* The flip side is of course drought, dry vegetation, increased fire danger and growing concerns over the potential for water shortages.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Been a bit of a grey day but no rain, its the extreme edge of the system thats dumping all that water on Germany (and Holland, Belgium and parts of France) at the moment. At least Arthur Itis has kept quiet and El Scorchio is predicted for the weekend so I'll be keeping a watch on the pollen count. Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

[JohnDMJ]

Good Evening Awl, for it is warm and dry.

 

Unlike major parts of Europe which seem to have attempted various impersonations of Atlantis!

 

Looking back:

 

13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Ever since I moved away from the UK (decades ago) and lived in other countries using different electrical systems, I’ve always wondered why the UK system seems so unnecessarily complicated. And some of the UK requirements seem - after seeing what is done in mainland Europe - a little bit odd/unnecessary.  Take, for example, the prohibition against accessible light switches inside the bathroom (unless ceiling mounted and turned on and off by pulling a cord).  There is no such prohibition in Switzerland, yet you do not hear stories of the Swiss frying themselves in the bathroom after a particularly abundant shower or bath.
 

I wonder if the British approach to (at least domestic) electrical rules and regulations are down to the fact that Britain was one of the first countries to provide electricity to homes and it was very much “learning on the job“; and those countries that started providing electricity domestically at a later time point learned from what the pioneering Brits did right (and what they did wrong)?

 

I suspect our French co-respondent, @jamie92208 may be able to throw some "light" on this as he seems to have a lot of relays in his house wiring. Use a safe low voltage circuit to operate the relay which can then switch the mains power.

 

23 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Still quite warm init.

 

Shorts put to good use and the exposed legs didn't seem to bother the nurse in the X Ray unit, in and out before my allotted time.  (of the X Ray unit, not the nurse I hasten to add).

 

Earlier in the week, I presented for an Echocardiogram. I allowed more than an hour for the 7 mile drive as it was late afternoon, nearing rush hour and the hospital is in the nearest city. I arrived some 35 minutes early, allowing me time to calm down after the drive there through, what is best described locally as, heavy traffic. The Sonographer called me in some 20 minutes before appointment time, joking that this may be a new NHS record and that I should be done and discharged still before appointment time. He was not wrong.

 

I now await the results of this and the 24hour ECG recording to learn my fate!

 

13 hours ago, chrisf said:

I should know better than to compose a post in the reply box.

 

However, by not so doing, one precludes oneself from quoting the posts to which one may refer and, thus, either forcing the "keen-to-understand-the-relevance-of-one's-comment" follower to back-track over many posts to establish its relevance or to just utter two words, one beginning with F, the other with O and ignoring your missive completely!

 

12 hours ago, polybear said:

Are the plugs still fitted with fuses as in the UK?  Or is the socket fitted with 3 individual fuses perhaps?

 

The Swiss (or, for that matter, general two-pin European) plugs are not fused. The fuse, as I am sure you are well aware, is only there to protect the cable and not the appliance attached to it.

 

From an unfortunate experience in a Swiss hotel, I had to call Reception because the hair dryer in my room had blown the circuit. The technician duly came and reset the circuit breaker for that particular socket.

 

 

12 hours ago, Barry O said:

My game tonight has been cancelked due to Covid.. one of the youngsters due to play was sent home from school yesterday..around here school clases are in tatters.. while numbers in hospital and on ventilators are steady the super spreaders are school ages..

 

Have avgood day!

Stay safe!

Baz

 

Cases seem to be on the increase again and, I understand, that New South Wales (Australia) has gone back into lockdown.

 

After the fuss (as in much ado about nothing, rather than a mis-spelling of the Germanic foot) ball, if the UK and countries from which any other, so called, 'fans' were allowed in to view the sessions also feel the need for further lockdown, I will not be surprised!

 

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I once had a Suzuki SJ with a set of proper* bull bars on it. Over the couple of years I had it they accounted for a couple of carelessly opened car doors and quite a few front bumpers** . *The sort that were made illegal but as it was an early model and they were fitted from new I could keep them. **A lot of drivers pulling out of side turnings try to force their way out by creeping over the line forcing drivers on the main road to manoeuvre around them or stop, I did neither. Plastic bumpers just disintegrated. 

 

IIRC, Bull Bars were banned to reduce the demise of impacted humans.

 

3 hours ago, AndyB said:

In a non binary sense we're actually on page 17 still. 

 

Can't wait for page 101010! Don't Panic!

 

13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Obviously, fat should be properly cooked for it to be both edible and digestible, but you are quite right - a lot of the flavour of meat lies in the fat (which is why I despair of Swiss butchery as every single piece of meat is stripped of every single trace of fat and so ultra-lean that if you don’t know how to cook meat properly it ends up dry, leathery and tasteless.  As dinners with those friends who buy this completely denuded of fat meat have shown).

 

One final bit of trivia: when predators bring down their prey in the wild the first thing that gets eaten are all the fatty internal organs.

 

Not only for taste, although it does aid digestion, but the body does, ISTR, need both fat and salt to survive healthily. Agreed that excess can cause problems but a moderate balance seems to satisfy most of us omnivores.

 

12 hours ago, polybear said:

That's good to know, as Bear has just used MK in the kitchen.

 

When I bought my current house, it soon became apparent that it needed rewiring and re-plumbing. To that extent, there are now some 40+ CAT6 outlets adjacent to most of the mains sockets. (Plumbing-wise, there are three feeds to each 'wet' room: cold hard, cold soft, hot soft)

 

However, and on their own breakers, the study and hobby room are fitted with MK BusBar trunking. 6 CAT6 cables are provisioned for the hobby room with 44 for the study. The study may also gain two FreeSat and two FreeView outlets all fitted within the trunking.

 

[brianusa]

8 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

I’ve always wondered why the UK system seems so unnecessarily complicated

 

Its the British way!

    Brian

[The White Rabbit]

A Happy St Swithin's Day. Going by the old legend, we're in for a rather warm and sunny summer. 

 

Past the 10,000 page mark now. Despite earning the odd crust from writing, I've never been good at verse (other than limericks or doggerel) but as it's an anniversary (sort of), I had a crack at a few words summing up ERs.  

 

Gordon started a special thread

Early to rise, early to bed

A place to talk and care

Good news to cheer, troubles to share

Saving the awl, many things said. 

 

Don't worry, I won't give up the day job... 

[Coombe Barton]

.. previous (and current) Prime Ministers absent ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/07/15/approaching-boriss-fifty-thousand/

[Coombe Barton]

Shed?

 

the whole house is a shed at the moment.

[Tony_S]

8 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

.. previous (and current) Prime Ministers absent ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/07/15/approaching-boriss-fifty-thousand/

Was Lully’s unfortunate accident the reason conductors started using a baton instead of a staff it was it just something that happened for another reason?

[PhilJ W]

10 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Shed?

 

the whole house is a shed at the moment.

Snap!

[polybear]

Just another day at Cheshunt railway station.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57849890

 

In other news:

Bear's new Induction Hob compatible Frying Pan was delivered earlier, meaning a fry-up is now technically possible

- though I don't often go to the bother.  An omelette is more common; failing that a small part of a fry-up.

As for tomorrow, if I'm feeling really silly I might just dive into the loft and very carefully remove all the dust sheets covering the contents; I'll need to stuff each sheet into a bin liner before bringing it out of the loft, followed by getting buddy next door to assist in their shaking to death to get rid of the dust.  I'm really hoping they come up very clean, as many of them were borrowed from buddy and it would only be right to give them back in a suitably clean condition, otherwise it means numerous loads of washing followed by the problem of getting them all dry afterwards.  But first I'll need to replace one of the light fittings (just a straightforward angled bulb holder) fitted to one of the rafters, as it came a cropper during the re-tiling job.  Now where did I put my lead lamp?

I might even cut the front lawn too (it only measures about 4ft wide by 12ft long) as it never got done today; the biggest pain is carrying the mower thru' the house, though I do have the option of taking it around the block of (4) houses via the alleyway at the back instead.

[JohnDMJ]

 

38 minutes ago, brianusa said:

 

Its the British way!

    Brian

 

True!

 

Look at the complex customs regulations which have come into force, uniquely, I believe, to against for Europe as opposed to the rest of the world!

[jamie92208]

59 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

I suspect our French co-respondent, @jamie92208 may be able to throw some "light" on this as he seems to have a lot of relays in his house wiring. Use a safe low voltage circuit to operate the relay which can then switch the mains power.

Yes I like relays and have many of them on my layout. The two that control the lighting are however 230v ones controlling a 230v circuit. They work well yhough as we have 5 sitch points for the lights in the passageway. As to switches etc in bathrooms it's actually a legal requirement  to have a mains socket in the room.

 

Jamie