Early Risers.

[40F]

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

You need to grasp the  vast emptiness of outback Australia... That stretch is pretty well smack bang in the middle of 2 police stations - which are 1500km apart. Not too many cops will go 700km to sit in the desert with a speed gun.

 

Go as fast as you like, but you'll probably hit a camel or a roo!

 

I thought Australia drove on the left, in the picture they are driving on the right.

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

 

When we had soft drinks in bottles, Tizer, for example, whether from a shop or the weekend delivery truck, there was a tariff added which you would claim back (6d.in old money per bottle, IIRC - cost of an ice-cream) on return of the empty bottles. Why not a similar system on recyclable batteries including suitable return points, a local store which sells them, for instance? Or is that too simple?

 

' morning all from red dragon land.

Sunny. Clear, if a bit hazy, blue sky, 11.2°C.

Indoors up a bit - 19.2°C - but I did have the oven on yesterday! <<For dinner not heating 😆>>

 

Late breakfast this morning as I was having my arm jabbed at 9.06, the third of three jabs. Warned I may feel unwell for a couple of days. <<Here we go again!>> Already had a quick toot on the flute before it sets in!  I shall mull over a bit of muddling and see how far I get...<<hmmmm?>>

In the meantime, I shall start thinking about the rest of my day <<oh, yeah?>> over a mugadecaf.

 

Take care, be good, be adventurous*...

*<<hmmmmmmm?>>

Polly

When we went to Croatia, the shops had 2 prices for bottled items the price if you just bought say a bottle of beer and a lower price if you returned the bottles.

 

We had the Corona pop man come when we were little. That was glass bottled with a deposit on them.

 

We did used to "borrow" bottles from the back of the local off licence and take them back in for the deposit back off the bottle we were going to buy

 

[Tony_S]

10 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

It looks a fairly uncomfortable bum-prop. The angles a tad steep and its too close to the wall!  Our local bus stop bum-props are at two heights, but still suffer from an uncomfortable rake and closeness to the back of the bus shelter.  They've obviously been designed by a young stick insect....

 

 

I think many of the uncomfortable seating designs are to prevent homeless people having a lie down on them. Spikes and arm rests breaking a bench into individual seat widths also appear more often. 

[Tony_S]

13 minutes ago, 40F said:

 

I thought Australia drove on the left, in the picture they are driving on the right.

I think the image with cars on the right is the JSB contribution from the US. I can’t see any vehicles on the Australian road to Perth image. 

[polybear]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Good Morning All,

 

I’m feeling decidedly grumpy this morning.

 

 

No doubt Grumpy was less than happy about being fondled.....🤣

 

Bear here.....

Two ceilings given their first coat of paint - and all without any ladder acrobatics; the roller extension pole was lined up to go to the Charity Shop but I've a sneaky feeling it'll be given a reprieve after all.  The second and final coats will happen later this afternoon.

 

In other news.....

The latest email from the local OWL Neighbourhood Watch Group (well worth signing up to) makes mention of yet another local Burglary, this time in the road immediately to the rear of Bear Towers and at half eight at night.  It seems that the scumbags are hitting places at any time of the day or night now.  Take a blowlamp to their bits and that'll give 'em something to think about.  B'sterds

[polybear]

12 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

When we went to Croatia, the shops had 2 prices for bottled items the price if you just bought say a bottle of beer and a lower price if you returned the bottles.

 

Wouldn't it be the other way round?  Otherwise everyone would buy the cheapies whether or not they intended to return the empties.

ISTR when Bear was a wee Cub the deposit on an empty was 10p; I suspect that if similar schemes were (re)introduced now then the deposit would have to be fairly noticeable otherwise many will just be too lazy to bother returning them.

 

12 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

We did used to "borrow" bottles from the back of the local off licence and take them back in for the deposit back off the bottle we were going to buy

 

 

That was a National Pastime when Bear was a Cub; sadly the local "Offy" got wise very, very quickly and soon put paid to that one.

 

 

[TheQ]

One man  of the lemonade bottle companies used to park his wagon outside the chip shop at lunch  time... ( On station approach road). Three bottles would pay for a bag o chips....

 

Spinny thing assembled, passed to SWMBO for testing.

Trailer cover turn buttons all fitted , cover now on trailer.

Test equipment box stripped of foam. Hard work, very strong glue.

Ben taken for abbreviated long walk, got part of the way round a pheasant called warning.. he wanted home.

Spinny thingy not working, after various trials decided the bobbin brake isn't  strong enough, thinking about something stronger.. , though trying to brake a smooth 10 mm shaft isn't easy.

Shelves fitted to top test equipment box, one more to do. This box will hold power tools.

 

Decided to "squeeze" the bobbin shaft between two rods of threaded steel.  But how to secure the nuts and their shaft is the problem.

 

Time now for an eyelid inspection, before finding out if the Landrover is ready..

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BoD]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

In extremis, were I to be starving and every other source of nourishment unavailable, then I would certainly eat baked beans

 

As all the top chefs keep telling us, it's just a matter of presentation ...

 

[PeterBB]

4 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

 

That was what finished Bismark, a torpedo hit near the rudders and at least one of them jamming. 

 

... and I was named after the pilot who fired it.

[zarniwhoop]

Steam is now coming out of my ears.

 

I have to submit tax returns every year because my affairs are complex.  A few weeks ago I had trouble logging in to hmrc's online system and seemed to have taken a wrong turning somewhere, got into trying, and failing, to prove who I am. After wasting a long time on phone calls, tried again and somehow managed to get in and change my password.

 

I've now used software to prepare my return, but when I tried to submit it there was a rejection, one or more of user ID, reference, password  was wrong. I had a note of all three, and the password was saved in firefox on this machine (but of course only visible as a series of dots). Logged in, changed the password to something else, logged out. Got an email to say the password had changed, and to contact hmrc if it wasn't me. Fine.

 

Tried a test submission with the new password (other details were correct), failed again.

 

Stepping away from their systems before I start to smash things up.

[Tony_S]

28 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

and I was named after the pilot who fired it.

I don’t believe my Dad hung around to find out the name of the German machine gunner who shot up the rear steering on his scout car. 

[BoD]

… it probably wasn’t Tony.

[southern42]

7 hours ago, TheQ said:

Mooring Awl,

2 hours sleep, short break... 5.5 hours sleep, I really needed that..

 

Grand dad started in , in 1919

Spent a lot of time in India and Egypt in,  1926-1938

Left these in northern France  at Dunkirk,

Then to its big sister in the deserts of north Africa as CSM / RSM 1940-

Before training / keeping the tankies  under control as RSM with. 1945-53.

 

Sometime I do need to visit Bovington tank museum again.

 

Ben the snoring Collie is still in his pit and I have no inclination to disturb him.

 

Plans for today.

Put the spinny thingy together.

Fit the cover to the back of the trailer.

Finish test equipment box conversion to cup boards.

Hopefully collect Landrover.

 

 

The first tank, reminded me of the one I built for a scene based on a postcard of Bangor's university, for the present day Archives. The building on the right is the former Post Office from where people could buy Bonds to help the 1914-18 war. The tank was one of many tanks surviving the war which were given to towns and cities around the UK in acknowledgement of their contribution to the war effort. The City Council sold this one to a scrap dealer shortly before the second world war, the tank becoming an eyesore and the Council, like many others, being in desperate need of money. The former City Council building is to the left of picture. The van belonged to a grocer who had shops on the High Street.

 

The above diorama is not all that it seems....

    

...the University building and Post Office being photographic images of the original tourist's postcard used to aid the perspective.  Most of the historical detail I obtained came from regional and local newspapers of the time, available in print, on micro film or online, so a very enjoyable and informative month or so, plus the added bonus of forming an explanatory display in the library and gaining an insight into the life and times of the world some of my older relatives had lived through.

[simontaylor484]

@polybearto get the cheaper prices you had to take in the empties 

[simontaylor484]

Tank names

 

Tofu everyone makes something plant based.

 

The Truss makes spectacular U turns

 

And a new Russian tank called the Poo tin. Comes with detachable turret and towing eyes to suit Ukrainian tractors

[Gwiwer]

16 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

A "highlight" when driving East-coast to Perth is "90 mile straight". 

Only 90? 

 

The Nullarbor is renowned for its long straight road and railway.  Neither is perfectly straight but both have very long and relatively featureless "straights" which, in the former case, has led to some untoward events.  Motorists who apparently doze or enter micro-sleep through the relative boredom of unchanging scenery and who then veer off into the bush never to be seen again.  Well not in time to do much, anyway.  At least the trains are self-guided and rely on the vigilance device being correctly operated to prevent out-of-course stops.  

 

No-one should attempt to drive the Nullarbor unprepared.  At the very least one should carry spares for: fuel, oil, vehicle water, fan belt, tyres (more than one), plugs, glass repair kit or emergency window and a comprehensive tool kit.  Take food and drinking water for all occupants for two days, plus blankets and sun protection.  There are no breakdown services for around 24 hours of driving across the heart of the Plain and no reliable phone signal.  Once you leave Eucla or Kalgoorlie you're on your own.  A 4WD is a good option if you have a choice; a small urban runabout is not. Even igf it's not you who needs help if you are prepared you can help someone else in trouble.  

 

Back in the days when I worked for motor insurance in Oz I once took a call from the driver of a vehicle which had rolled into the bulldust (who knows why) "somewhere south of Erldunda" on the Stuart Highway; that's around a day's-worth of drive between Adelaide and Alice Springs and a lot of emptiness in which to find someone.  There were no markers to define where they were but the car had two occupants.  My first question was "How much food and water do you have?" followed by "What shade and sun protection have you got?"  They had "A bottle of water" and were using the upturned car for protection from the searing sun.  

 

We alerted a breakdown service but also mobilised a helicopter in case they were within range and could be airlifted to safety in less than the several hours it would take to reach them.  

 

The truck found them after several hours on the road and brought them and their things back towards Adelaide.  Then we dealt with their claim.  The car may still be there for all I know.  

 

 

[TheQ]

Landrover not ready, collect Monday afternoon..

This means a rescheduling of the weekend and Monday.

So now,

Tomorrow, big Shopping Expedition Norwich, ah just thought !! What roads are open?

Sunday Sailing, had email from friend who works at a sailmakers, had a good offer on price, £100 cheaper than elsewhere... Must email him back.

Monday jabs Mk 4, then to collect Landrover 

 

Many WW1 tanks were distributed to councils after that war. Sadly most then didn't look after them, most were scrapped at the start of WW2, as we needed the steel..

A few were put to strange purposes.

One I remember reading about, was used to hide an electricity substation inside. That would make elves and safe tee have kittens today.

 

 

[Ian Abel]

POETS - that IS happening, I need some time this afternoon to continue work on the garden railway loop in preparation for Halloween!

 

Yesterday, continued quiet with a brief uptick when a report needed some rush but simple changes, and that did it for work.

 

Later a very acceptable, some in the congregation actually called it memorable, performance by the choir at the evening service. Drinks and munchies at our preferred watering hole taken in afterwards by a larger than normal group, maybe we can get a discount rate if we drag enough of the choir over there 😂

 

Today - as stated, afternoon will include some work outside on the Halloween Express.

Jemma may also be over for a visit with mum...

 

Weekend looks to be "varied", tomorrow more outside work and a few other items for Halloween preparation.

Sunday, choir sings at 9am and 11am, THEN the evening is the first of this years' concert series, we're donor/patrons so attend all, PLUS I've been recruited to sell "at-the-door" tickets beforehand.

Will be BUSY for sure, with our travelling friends also staying here with us for a couple of nights, as they are still waiting for their condo/coop remodeling to be completed.

 

6C and very autumnal with clear blue sky right now (see below), possibly a high of 16C and no precipitation in the forecast for at least a week!

 

Later

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Just a quick visit, but all posts read and rated.

 

Got the October issue of Radio Controlled Models and Electronics, and part 2 of my brother's article has appeared - he is certainly a very accurate modeller, and his eye for detail in his AW139 is fantastic - down to even trying to get a working glass cockpit at 1/7th scale.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited October 28, 2022 by 45156

[polybear]

2 hours ago, BoD said:

 

As all the top chefs keep telling us, it's just a matter of presentation ...

 

 

Thirty quid to you, Sir.....

Chips are extra.

 

Reminds me of a Hotel Bear stayed at in Gosport - as recommended by one of the Cal. & Maint. Boys.  There weren't many Restaurants around so I decided to scoff din dins in the Hotel (which I very rarely do).  I don't recall the meal but I do recall the chips.....

There were three laid on the plate, laid parallel to each other and perhaps spaced 1cm apart; the second layer was the same again, but at 90 degrees to the first, and the top layer was the same again but at 90 degrees to the second layer.  And that was it - 9 lousy chips.  Bear could've cried.  They didn't get a tip.

 

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I don’t believe my Dad hung around to find out the name of the German machine gunner who shot up the rear steering on his scout car. 

 

I'd hazard a guess that he had a name for him....

 

In other news.....

The second (and final) coat of paint is now stuck to the first coat - and all without incident.  Big Tick.  Bear's Buddy from over-the-road is coming over at 9am to assist with the installation of the new hinge-down loft hatch.

The trial bottle of "friendly" paint stripper was delivered this afternoon, so I'll probably give that a test on the stair stringers tomorrow as well.

[pH]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

ISTR when Bear was a wee Cub the deposit on an empty was 10p; I suspect that if similar schemes were (re)introduced now then the deposit would have to be fairly noticeable otherwise many will just be too lazy to bother returning them.

I’m obviously much older than Polybear - I remember when a bottle deposit was 3d! Every so often, my cousins and I used to scour a long, lightly-used beach near where they lived for empties and return them to the small local shop. Average take was about 10/-. I think we could have wiped out the shop’s profit for the day. 
 

Here, all sorts of containers have deposits on them. There used to be different rates for different things e.g. 5 cents on a drink can, 10 cents on a beer bottle and 20 cents on a 2 litre pop bottle. Then it was changed to 10 cents for anything.

 

There is a recycling economy. Recycling depots take a huge range of items, but the main thing is recycling of drink containers. The change in deposits made that much simpler - instead of counting “so many at 5 cents, plus so many at 10 cents, plus a few at 20 cents”, it’s just “so many at 10 cents”.

 

And it really is an economy. There is an ‘occupation’ of ‘binner ’ - people who scavenge for used drink containers and return them for cash. Many of them are otherwise unemployed, and the cash is in addition to any benefits they’re getting. In towns, some of these people have recognized ‘territories’ and form relationships with people living there. One of my sons used to put out the empties in plastic bags for ‘his’ binner on a specific day of the week.

 

The overall result is that you seldom see a discarded drink can or, if you do, it isn’t there for long.

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

Late on parade as I got involved with other "stuff" this morning.  Part of that was going online first thing to make an appointment for my GP to phone regarding  my BP  (just in case).  That was easy enough but when the appointed time came no call did and he was about an hour late and very apologetic but had been delayed by an emergency in the surgery.  After giving him my figures and answering a multitude of other questions he didn't think there was immediate cause for panic but I've got to keep a diary and go and see him next week.  I certainly feel fine and not had any further light headed episodes.

In other news Abbie came to visit yesterday and brought Nicki complete with luxury mince pies so that was a A Good Thing!   She also brought some good news in that she has been "head hunted" by another department within her company and starts a new job next week.  She's over the moon as it's more the sort of job she wanted when leaving school but the position wasn't available at the time.  Not only that but it means a huge increase in salary for her.  Well deserved because ever since the beginning of the pandemic she has worked her socks off for the company doing all the unsocial hours and shifts, weekends as well, that nobody else wanted to do.  They are an international business travel company and made a large number of people redundant due to the massive downturn in travel but because of her attitude and work ethic she was kept on but had to move to different departments a couple of times which she cheerfully did.  All that effort certainly seems to have paid off now.   Son Steve is a senior manager at the same company, he got her her first interview when she left school but that has been his only input but he has said how everybody she's worked for has nothing but praise for her. 

Proud grandad?  Yep, you betcha!

Soon be time to watch some rugby, there's a surprise!

 

[Ozexpatriate]

12 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I don’t understand the mentality of some of these vegans. If they wish to eschew meat and dairy, why the need to have dairy and meat substitutes? (most of which are heavily processed, incredibly synthetic and frequently extremely environmentally UNfriendly).

Flavio, for the most part, the people I know who choose not to eat animal products (aka vegans) are quite willing to manage with natural foods like rice/beans/vegetables, etc.

 

They don't seem to be the primary customers for plant-based animal product substitutes being offered by food processors. From what I can tell, the plant-based marketing is mostly directed at encouraging people who eat animal products to eat less of them.

[The White Rabbit]

Evening all,

 

A grey and damp start, with a blue sky and sunny end to the day. I was a bit sidetracked in between. Not in collecting empty bottles - though certain institutions in Britain do seem to exist only to drive people to drink, the non-accounting costs are too high for me to want to pay them. My thoughts are with those with health concerns or problems, hope things improve asap. 

 

In the latest peregrination through my photos, I revisited a spring day I've posted some photos of before. I wandered up Wharfedale and took some views of Burnsall. In contrast to my postcard of the village, this was (almost) a reverse angle shot looking south from a minor road on the north bank. 

 

 

Then I succumbed to the bleating behind me and took one of the proud ewe and twins.

 

 

I went further upstream and a few stops later, reached Buckden. I've posted other pictures in the Metcalfe modelling thread but took several of this stone bridge over the Wharfe. A walk for half a mile along the bank was pleasant but didn't provide many frames. 

 

 

Another mile or so and I spent time at Hubberholme, taking some photos of the church with the graveyard's daffodils in full bloom. (I posted a few of these some pages ago). Then a few more miles up into the high reaches of the valley and over the pass into a side valley leading to Wensleydale. (Via Cam High Road and Beggarman's Road). Before I left Wharfedale, I stopped near the top and snapped a couple of the upper valley.

 

 

Once into Wensleydale I headed west and spent some time on trains around Garsdale and Ais Gill, then backtracked via the Coal Road over the tops to Dent station. That day was one when the sun started playing footsie and the cloud cover increased, so I didn't take too many frames that afternoon. But I went up a couple of months later and walked from Garsdale to Ribblehead. Having a camera is a great excuse for taking a breather on walks... 

 

 

Above is the view a little way up the road, with the southern end of the station visible. Then a bit further up the hill and a general shot of the landscape, with most of the railway being hidden in dead ground or behind the trees. 

 

 

And looking north during favourable lighting conditions, I took a frame of these two barns and meadows. 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Landrover not ready, collect Monday afternoon..

This means a rescheduling of the weekend and Monday.

So now,

Tomorrow, big Shopping Expedition Norwich, ah just thought !! What roads are open?

Sunday Sailing, had email from friend who works at a sailmakers, had a good offer on price, £100 cheaper than elsewhere... Must email him back.

Monday jabs Mk 4, then to collect Landrover 

 

Many WW1 tanks were distributed to councils after that war. Sadly most then didn't look after them, most were scrapped at the start of WW2, as we needed the steel..

A few were put to strange purposes.

One I remember reading about, was used to hide an electricity substation inside. That would make elves and safe tee have kittens today.

 

 

Just back from my day out, takeaway pizza and a botyle of Kriek consumed.  A good day has been had.

 

As to the WW1 tanks.  IIRC there were over 100 given outvas war memorials, mostly mk4 and mk 5's.  The army used to unliad them at the nearest railway station then drive them to their display area, not always without causing damage.  Then they smashed the working parts of the guns and engine with sledgehammers and caught the train back to barracks.  By the 30's most were in a sorry state and most were seen as reninders of war by the active peace movement and werecthus sold for scrap before WW2.  I think that very few survived.  Believe it or not several survived in the USSR as war memorials having been left behind in 1921.  I think that there is a project run from Lincoln to catalogue the fates of all of them.  The first tanks were built by Fosters at Lincoln.  I think thevproject is called something like The Lincoln Tank.

 

One was sent to Lancaster and I want to have a diorama of the tank being unloaded at the horse dock on Green Ayre.  It was displayed in front of the Castle.

 

Jamie