Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I'm not sure what causes my hay fever, whether it is a single plant or several of them. I will start sneezing and my eyes will water for about ten minutes then everything goes back to normal. Rain is predicted for tomorrow morning so that should keep the pollen down.

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

It never ceases to amaze this Bear that some people own up to such things.  Oh, hang on, this is the Pentagon we're talkin' about here.......

Perhaps they're playing 'Dare', tempting the Russians to retaliate so then they have an excuse to join in. 

[Barry O]

@Gwiwer my memories of the tube go back to 1978..then into the eighties and nineties. Then I visited London just before covid.the trains seemed an awful lot busier then.. 

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Gwiwer]

9 minutes ago, Barry O said:

@Gwiwer my memories of the tube go back to 1978..then into the eighties and nineties. Then I visited London just before covid.the trains seemed an awful lot busier then.. 

 

Baz

Tubes and trains in London paralleled a nationwide trend which saw use rise and fall in waves over the years.  In the period from around 2000 demand has soared and had just tipped back from a peak which saw the highest-ever number of passengers travelling other than in wartime (and of course in those times very many users were military).  So by 2018 the railways were literally bursting at the seams with ever-more passengers presenting each day to get from A to B and back again.  The tipping point was probably the beginning of what we now call hybrid working as some employers and some employees found it at least as good to work from home using newly-available technology.

 

That technology really came into its own through the pandemic and of course the use of public transport dropped to near-nothing almost overnight.  

 

In the 1970s the London tube network was suffering one of its intermittent bouts of staff shortage which caused some significant service disruption.  Headways were not as generous as they have been more recently anyway because the numbers travelling were lower and had been in decline for years.  Signalling systems in use at the time also limited the number of trains which could operate; the same is true today but electronic systems permit some lines to offer a train every 90 seconds today.  50 years ago a train every 2 - 3 minutes was as good as it got.  Then factor in the "staff cuts" which affected buses as much as tubes and there were some altogether unwholesome gaps in the service.  The Circle Line (which was at the time a circle - six trains each way timetabled at around ten minute intervals) sometimes had a single train in each direction effectively giving it an hourly service.  Journeys could be made without too much fuss by other routes but some other lines were also pretty bad.  The Northern Line became known as The Misery Line because of extended intervals of 20 -30 minutes at times and the overcrowding which that brought with it.  In 1976 my regular bus was the 141 between university and accommodation.  It was advertised as every 5 - 8 minutes iirc.  On more than one occasion nothing turned up for over an hour.  The saving grace then was the opening of the Great Northern Electrics with pairs of then-new class 313 units running into Moorgate every 10 minutes; crowded they were but usually reliable.  

 

The total population has of course also increased by an order of magnitude in those past 50 years meaning more and more people need to get to school, work, hospital and where ever else they need.  The public transport infrastructure has not increased to match.  Waterloo and the south-western suburbs had vast sums spent on lengthening platforms to take 10-car trains which then proved too much for the network and caused daily bottlenecks.  What worked on a computer plan never worked in reality when it wasn't possible to run trains at optimum performance every time all the time.  A few seconds delay to one would quickly become a few minutes and then a log-jam with widespread cancellations.  London has far more buses now than 50 years ago; something like 9000 today compared with 5500 then.  The network is much denser meaning most people have less far to walk to and from their bus stop and some routes run more often though most are rather less frequent that they then were.  The famous "bus-a-minute" route 101 was the best, with many others offering a bus every 2 minutes at peak times.  The best you'll get today is about every 4 minutes with every 8, 10 or 12 being far more common.   The greater number of buses is also needed to take account of much longer journey times; there are widespread 20mph speed limits instead of 30mph which has generated many more traffic jams, and there are more sets of lights as well.  

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Evening Awl,

Very strange leaving the MRC, temperature warm, skies slightly light, and the hint of wetness from the welkin.

We had one of the old Friday group rejoin after his temporary move into another group of six, now such things are gone people are slowly moving back into their old groupings.

 

Part of our non unmentionable discussions to night were on what nights / days will we attend in future.

For me it's looking like Mondays and Fridays, but that will actually be decided after Santa plays with his sleigh and I've received my last pay packet.

I've left a note for myself , order wire for fencing and seaweed.. I was short of things to do tonight due to shortage of the above.

 

Floating around in tin boxes is almost as bad as flying in an aluminium tube for catching things. Fred Olsen cruises were getting a reputation for giving the passengers novovirus, before Corona turned up and parked the ships..maybe that enforced quarantine, will have cleared the ships of it.

 

Muggachoccy time,

Goodnight Awl..

 

Couldn't they be dunked in some bleach or better yet dropped into the sea before they board. That'll kill any germs.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Today’s been a day when, apart from a couple of shopping trips that is,  not a lot has been done. I was able to get the acrylic paints I wanted from WHS, even better was they had a 3 for 2 offer on them, so a very happy Brian walked away with 6 tubes! I was also successful in obtaining a pork pie for dinner, which went very nicely with a chunk of Wensleydale and Cranberry cheese and a few pickled onions. 

 

After dinner, I finished making the fruit tea loaf that I’d left soaking overnight and whilst that was in the oven, I walked into the village for my prescription. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that particular drug in stock, so I have to go back tomorrow morning to pick it up. Whilst in the village, I called at our local stationers and bought a few supplies. I had only been back home about an hour when it started to rain, it’s still raining now. Still, meant I didn’t need to water the plants tonight! 

Edited May 7, 2022 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

I walked into the village for my prescription. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that particular drug in stock, so I have to go back tomorrow morning to pick it up.

I had a similar drill on Monday. The doctor had not called in a refill. It was available on Wednesday (the day I used my last pill from the old script). It required a special trip on Wednesday but no harm done.

 

Bright sunshine presently. It's been on and off rain all day. At one point I decided to get the mail. It was so heavy I thought it could wait - even with a rain jacket on. Sure enough about 15 minutes later the walk to the mailbox was dry. (Now the sun is gone again.)

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[monkeysarefun]

13 hours ago, PeterBB said:

Here they will cotton on and people have been 'done' for doing just that.

 

19 hours ago, polybear said:

 

ISTR that warning other road users of a speed trap etc. in that manner is considered to be "a nick" in the UK - though the chances of getting caught are pretty slim. 

 

 

 

 

 

Really? That's a shame. Here the police love it when you do it to them. When I drive past a radar trap I'll often flash oncoming cars right in front of the coppers standing there  and they'll have a laugh, give me a  thumbs up or a cheery wave and  sometimes pull out their guns and go "Pew pew!" and pretend to shoot my tyres out if they are comically inclined, or they'll pull me over  and pin various unsolved murders on me as a joke.

 

All in good fun, it usually ends with them ruffling my hair and saying "Good on ya  sport, on your way champ!" and I'll give them a cheeky  toot toot and drive away,  and if I'm in the ute I'll often do a massive burnout cos they  really love that kind of thing too.

Edited May 7, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.   Yes we are now back home and glad to be after a very enjoyable but tiring trip.  04.45 start yesterday was not appreciated but we got home in time for some lunch.  Then when Beth went to hang the washing out this was discovered hanging from the tree at the end of the path.

The first swarm of bees that I have ever seen.   Initially I was told to get someone in to remove it.  Eventually this instruction was modified.   We had been invited over to our neighbours for tea and they persuaded Beth to let them be.   yes I know it's an awful pun.  They were still there later on and calming down for the night. I was able to get quite close for a better picture.

It's already quite a bit smaller this morning so they may well be on their way somewhere.

 

Anyway it's time to get the hens up and then to get some breakfast.  After that it will be time to chat to Emily and her mums and I believe that shopping has been mentioned.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

[iL Dottore]

11 hours ago, Grizz said:

....specially as it is also C.B.A.T.C.T.....so we are all having pizza. 😁

Why is it always pizza? I despair of the “takeaways” that they have here in my corner of Toblerone Land. It’s Pizza, “chicken” (ahem) nuggets, fries, spaghetti al pesto or with a tomato sauce (Jeez, that really saves time) - all made with the cheapest ingredients and delivered at extortionate prices (a Pizza Margherita will set you back CHF 16 - about 14 quid).  We also have MacD’s and Burger King - but they don’t deliver.

You really don’t know how lucky you are in the UK in terms of takeaways…

A whole culinary world to explore….

10 hours ago, polybear said:

edit:  Can't be ar5ed to cook tonight?

@polybear and @Grizz (and others)  may be surprised to learn that, sometimes, after a busy day “dealing drugs” 😄 iD also goes CBATCT - which means it’s usually something simple like Fettucine Alfredo (original, authentic, recipe) or a salade tiède (a favourite is a fresh spinach leaf salad with a warm lardon [bacon cube] and balsamic vinegar dressing)…

I would love to be able to order in something like a Tonkatsu Udon or a decent Chicken Jalfreezi…

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There was a lot of 50s American nostalgia in the late 1970s, even in Australia.

And a very sanitised nostalgia as well. Far from being a tranquil time of peace and prosperity, the 50s saw the beginning of the US civil rights movement, the beat movement and other social changes that made the 60s so tumultuous for the US. This nostalgia also airbrushed out rather unpleasant things like the KKK and segregation…

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

. I remember girls wearing poodle skirts and saddle shoes at school dances -

And Torpedo *** Bras? A cantilevered wire, bone (?) and cloth construction that would do an engineer proud and designed to allow even the most Twiggy like young lass to “get ahead on points” (so to speak). I think that it would be fair to say that Playtex was responsible for many a young American lad’s disappointment in the 50s

8 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Saw the Consultant Orthpod this afternoon.  Foot is f.....err, in need of further repair.  It is worse than I had hoped, looks like more surgery in the near-ish future.  I had hoped to be told it wasn't worth doing much and it'd be OK for a while, but the opposite message was delivered, get it fixed now before its too late and eventually becomes an ex-foot.

Just two observations: Firstly, materials and surgical technologies are making advances in leaps and bounds and undoubtedly there will be materials and surgical techniques for performing surgeries and getting outcomes that weren’t available even just 5 years ago. Secondly, and most importantly (and I know this may not be possible on the NHS) you really want to have the surgery done in a hospital that does hundreds of orthopaedic surgeries a year with a surgeon who has done hundreds of such surgeries (one of the reasons Switzerland has very good orthopaedic surgeons is that they have loads of practice thanks to the Ski industry)

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

I will not use a self-serve checkout unless there is no other option as is sadly the case in an increasing number of shops.  In that event I will deliberately upset the system and require help from a staff member.  

It seems to me this is either a case of IATT (idiots at the top - people with no experience of the front line) or a blindly followed business ideology (remember “open plan offices” [but only for the peons of course]? Promoted as the best thing since sliced bread, until the Harvard Business Review published a study showing that open plan offices do the exact opposite of what they were supposed to do).

At the risk of sounding cynical, it sounds to me that such companies are in mindless thrall to the usual consulting company suspects (and either don’t have the b***s or the brains to push back)

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

In a news story picked up selectively by news outlets, there appear to be multiple plague ships in the cruising world.

It used to be that cruising was elegant and sophisticated, now it seems that the majority of cruise ships are gigantic “Butlins On A Boat” (fine, if you like that sort of thing) that have a very negative impact on the places they dock at (ask the average Venetian if you don’t believe me)

[chrisf]

Last night's concert with Tom Robinson also featured a support band, Hallan.  I have heard better.  Perhaps it was my fault for sitting alongside the stage but the sound was "balanced" in such a way that I could not make out the words of the songs.  My ears were still ringing when the Tom Robinson Band took to the stage.  As their set progressed I was becoming used to everything being too loud.  If that is how things are done, so be it.  Tom's set comprised mostly what I understand to be greatest hits.  I should be ashamed of myself for not being more familiar with his work but the three CDs I bought after the performance will help me learn about it.  Tom did not sign autographs after the concert but one cannot have everything.  I will be back at The Stables in three weeks for Oysterband, whose work I know well.  Having a top class concert venue half an hour down the road is really quite a privilege.

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

3.5 hours, followed by 4 hours sleep very good for me.

 

Ben the snoring Collie, has already taken me out for his morning patrol, it's still warm, it's still unsuccessfully trying to rain, there are still dry patches on the garden..

 

Which reminds me, yesterday when out with Ben on his long walk, I heard a sound like a heavy duty helicopter but not quite, I turned and saw two Ospreys (USA Military) flying in aircraft mode curving down the coast , very low so I guess just over the sea.

 

Unless you are an artist and need really high quality, "The Works" do a very cheap range of acrylic paints, which are certainly suitable for scenic work in our hobby. SWMBO, has been known to use some in her art work..

 

Sound level is one reason I've never been to a disco, or real concert, having been on the edges of the former at a Christmas dinner, the pain level in my ears was just too much..

 

Plans for today,

A sand of the jib club extension and another coat of varnish.

Drawer making, 

If it's dry enough, maybe a bit more mowing the jungle...

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by TheQ

[Barry O]

Ey up! Overnight Rainham turned into a very sunny morning. Hells teeth we may not need jumpers today for umpiring!

 

We are blessed with some very good ringitandcollectit food empiric  from Fish and Chips, Chinese , Thai, Indian/Bangladeshi to Italian, kentucky fried rat etc. Always handy on a Saturday or Sunday after cricket!

 

Spent a long time at the club yesterday putting items on representation of Chapel en le Frith then testing them.

 

Time for.. mugatea, then breakfast.. must check my euromillions ticket first.

 

Have a great day!

 

Baz

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

…Perhaps it was my fault for sitting alongside the stage but the sound was "balanced" in such a way that I could not make out the words of the songs.  My ears were still ringing when the Tom Robinson Band took to the stage.  As their set progressed I was becoming used to everything being too loud….

My chum, Bernd, who is a semi professional guitarist is also highly critical about the volumes they now have at concerts (as I am). When we went to see Joe Bonamassa The music was really ear bleedingly loud - despite high tech earplugs.

Paradoxically, the quietest place at a concert is on stage: with in ear monitoring and small wattage Class A amps, you can actually hear yourself think and speak. Unfortunately, the small wattage Class A amps are miked up and fed into a mixing console that pushes the output through a 1000 Watt (or higher) PA. And, whether it’s the people behind the mixing desk or the promoter of the concert, the volume is always cranked up to “far too bloody loud”

It doesn’t take much for a Class A amp to really punch out volume. My Class A HIWATT Little D rig is 0.5 W/20 W switchable. And for most usage, the 0.5W setting is more than loud enough. And set to 20 W it is more enough for most small and medium-sized venues (somehow, given my guitar playing skills, I don’t think I will be playing 50,000 seat arenas any time soon). And with modern overdrive pedals, you can get the same sort of distortion and colour made famous by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and the like, without having to push a 100 Watt Marshall plexi head to its limits.

[polybear]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Sound level is one reason I've never been to a disco, or real concert, having been on the edges of the former at a Christmas dinner, the pain level in my ears was just too much..

 

 

Many, many moons ago a young Cub applied for an Engineering Apprenticeship at BA and was summoned for a medical as a result;  I clearly recall the Doc (who no doubt knew a thing or two about things that make a loud noise) warning Bear off Rock Concerts etc. cos' of hearing damage.

 

Bear here.....

Fun for the day?  Shift the furniture around in the lounge, followed (probably) by painting the window wall with the first coat.   That's Bear's excitement sorted, then.  Oh yes, and empty the dishwasher....

 

In other news.....

This may be of interest to some ( @chrisf?)

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/travel/interrail-releases-half-price-passes-to-celebrate-50-years-of-unlimited-european-travel/ar-AAWYnA5?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8198cefa0cb548e09fb5ab9957841e37#image=1

 

Gee, thanks a bunch.....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/france-did-lie-to-britain-about-exocet-kill-switch-in-falklands-war/ar-AAWYUum?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8198cefa0cb548e09fb5ab9957841e37

 

Found - a sensible one:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/us-intelligence-told-to-keep-quiet-over-role-in-ukraine-military-triumphs/ar-AAX0DEs?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=8198cefa0cb548e09fb5ab9957841e37#image=1

 

And finally...

Worth a quick watch:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-61326293

[Grizz]

Morning All

 

From a, so far, sunny subtropical Sussex, although showers are forecast. Swearyswearysweary words.

 

Regarding the C.B.A.T.C.T. incident last night, I my defence it wasn't my decision to have pizza, it was decided by democratic vote.....and for the record I lost.

 

In fairness the main driving factor was 'lack of time' before various members of the household were going out to various locations. Pizza was the quickest option.

 

Last time C.B.A.T.C.T. occurred we ordered takeaway Indian, before that we had F&C and before that we had Thai. Although at this point I feel that I should explain that this was over at least a six month period. We don't do take out every week, we much prefer home cooked food. 

 

So today's jobs involve cutting timber for fencing, treating it and installing it. Not too strenuous but time consuming and a tad boring. 

 

Have a good one all....

 

ATB Grizz

 

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, rock is drying and 13c, more hoped for.

 

@iL Dottore yes the improvement in surgical techniques (together with increased pain) was the reason for my referral.  The last guy said to leave it as it was beyond further repair, but yesterday's consultant was much more positive that he could achieve at least some improvement.  The Isle of Man is indeed a place where orthopaedics are top notch, due to.....

 

...as you might imagine!

 

 

As for noise levels and hearing loss, these turbochargers did a fair job of reducing my high frequency response.  At full power at sea, they scream.  And that WAS with ear defenders.

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by New Haven Neil

[Erichill16]

I went to a gig this week. I wasn’t really looking forward to it as work is really taking it out of me and I usually go to bed by 9.00pm.

But as I’d got the ticket I thought I’d better go, being a tight Yorkshire man.

It was a the Leeds Arena and the concert featured Blondie supported by Johnny Marr.

I enjoyed the evening, especially Johnny Marr as I’ve not been to one of his (or The Smiths) concerts before and the Blondie set had something of a carnival atmosphere to it. Perhaps a farewell atmosphere.

Anyway, no punks in the crowd BUT who should be playing bass guitar for Blondie, no one other than Glen Matlock, who I’m sure needs no introduction to the music loving aficionados here. 

[NGT6 1315]

Moaning awl.

 

I sure did sleep like a rock but I'm still exhausted after this week! Thankfully, I now have a week off.

 

SiL's birthday today, so she and her entourage will come over for a barbecue.

 

Not a lot else I can think of as being noteworthy right now, so, enjoy whatever you're up to!

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A bright and sunny day here in England’s northwest, temperature is currently at 11C and due to rise to about 18C later. I shall be heading off to collect Ava shortly, she will be spending the day with us until around 7 o’clock this evening, as she’s also having tea here. We’re having a curry tonight and Ava does like her curries, especially if I’ve made it, so I must be doing something right! I’m not sure what is on the agenda for today’s activities, but I do know that we are going to the craft shop in Dunham Massey before dinner. 

 

Anyway, time to head off, back later. 

 

Brian

[tigerburnie]

10 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Good evening everyone 

 

Today’s been a day when, apart from a couple of shopping trips that is,  not a lot has been done. I was able to get the acrylic paints I wanted from WHS, even better was they had a 3 for 2 offer on them, so a very happy Brian walked away with 6 tubes! I was also successful in obtaining a pork pie for dinner, which went very nicely with a chunk of Wensleydale and Cranberry cheese and a few pickled onions. 

 

After dinner, I finished making the fruit tea loaf that I’d left soaking overnight and whilst that was in the oven, I walked into the village for my prescription. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that particular drug in stock, so I have to go back tomorrow morning to pick it up. Whilst in the village, I called at our local stationers and bought a few supplies. I had only been back home about an hour when it started to rain, it’s still raining now. Still, meant I didn’t need to water the plants tonight! 

Cranberries AND pickled onions, I take it your taste buds are on the blink lol.

[Gwiwer]

Good morning all. And for those with any connection to a certain Cornish town where it has been two years too long since the last dance  ….. 

 

Flora Day in the Blue Anchor has a special meaning. It was here, on this day many years ago that I met my first (and now late) partner. A chance meeting in the bar which led ultimately to me moving back to Cornwall after university. 
 

The shirt is carefully kept and worn just this one day a year. I forget who made them - I think it was a local student.  As it must be at least 40 years old it may long ago have become the last survivor.  
 

For the next hour or so (at time of posting) this was still the most recent Midday Dance took place. You might spot the Managing Director of one of our favourite shops just in shot to the right and setting off to steward ahead of the second band.