Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I worked for the GPO before I worked for the council and a lot of the larger sorting offices and telephone exchanges had licenced staff canteens. The GPO used to have its own catering department with its own career structure. Other public bodies such as London Transport also had catering departments some of which even had their own bakeries. I left the GPO in 1970 to work for the council, working close enough to home to go home for lunch.

[pH]

When smoking was allowed on the top deck of double deck buses, by the time they were due for an inside washing, the nicotine and tar was running down the walls.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

I can replace them all with one single  ex PM Scott Morrison,  he  was able to take on pretty much all the portfolios single handed

There is, of course, a Queensland precedent for that - Joh's Minister for Everything. "Good old Russ".

 

I will self-censor myself any further comment.

[BSW01]

My last employer had a zero drugs and alcohol policy, anyone found with either in their system were dismissed on the spot. I now it happened to several people whilst I was still there, although I didn’t know any of them personally. I was once involved in an RTA, some clown ran into the back of my car. I had to take drug and alcohol test, which I passed. What I did learn from the nurse carrying the test was that eating food that contains poppy seeds can result in a positive test for opioids!

[Ozexpatriate]

There certainly are a lot of different workplaces and canteens. I have seen many.

 

I worked a summer in a quasi-state governmental electrical authority. (They were State Government run in all but name.) In those days they had tea ladies pushing the trolley for morning and afternoon tea laden with complimentary coffee, tea and biscuits. Those days are a distant memory in Queensland State Government.

 

One of the worst US company canteens was a company in an inner city neighbourhood. They were there long before the neighbourhood went down hill and everything was very run down. The burgers were a safe, if not necessarily healthy, choice.

 

I heard stories about a privately owned company in Illinois where the engineers had a mandatory necktie + lab coat dress code and employees were dispensed similarly "mandatory" vitamin pills with their lunch at the till.

 

One very 'old school' company had a top floor canteen with a separate executive lunchroom. The canteen still had its authentic art deco motif intact and had city and Lake Michigan views which were quite stunning. According to the employees the food was the same in both lunchrooms.

 

(The best corporate views belonged to Texas Instruments in Nice. Located on a bluff above the city, the canteen had outstanding views to the south, encompassing Nice and the Med.)

 

Some of the very large corporate campus canteens (usually outsourced to a third party corporate canteen management company) can be outstanding - like a shopping centre food court but with better food - greatly perturbed by the pandemic I expect.

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Ozexpatriate

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Firstly, Hope things pick up quickly for NGT6 1315 and treatment is successful. Keep your up and remember we’re here.

Ground hog day here, took Sydney and mil out this morning and more assembling of furniture in the afternoon the only difference was when nephew arrived home from school mil gave him a mouth organ to play with. 8loody brilliant. 
We just managed to get to mils before the weather turned really nasty and it’s still unpleasant now.

Being self employed most of my life I’ve never been paid for overtime. Closest I came was filling in a form for additional costs incurred due to Covid and that was really a joke. Not knowing that in over a years time I would be asked how much ‘overtime’ I’d put in I didn’t keep a record. Many people where in the same situation, you just got on with it. We were told ‘estimate’  how many hour you put in and tell us what your hourly rate is. 

https://psnc.org.uk/our-news/covid-19-costs-less-than-three-weeks-to-claim/
Anyway Goodnight 

 

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I’ve been a busy boy today. The morning was spent outside in the garden, it was cool but dry enough to work in comfortably. I quite enjoyed sitting on the bench under the workshop window as I had my mid morning muggertea. By then it was starting to get a little blustery and looked like it was going to rain when I went in for dinner. After dinner the rain did come, so I went and locked the shed and workshop and returned to the cellar, where I remained for the rest of the afternoon. 

 

So the order of works today has been;

Two pictures mounted, framed and hung on the wall ✔️ 

Front garden tidied up and weeds removed from block paving ✔️ 

Buddleia cut down, pruned and ready to move ✔️ 

This created 2 wheelbarrow loads of clippings that went into recycling bin ✔️ 

Workshop gutters cleaned out ✔️ 

Old receipts shredded ✔️ 

Artwork for the drawings on the computer for the revised turntable circuit board finished ✔️ 

 

So this evening, I rewarded myself with a bottle of Old Speckled Hen, which really hit the spot. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[jjb1970]

11 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

Very nice , photos please

 

Here is the N700S, the current flagship of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (among other lines) which operate to the West of Tokyo. The Shinkansen network was traditionally separated between those operating West and East of Tokyo, those to the West were a joint operation of JR West and JR Central and show much more of an evolutionary progression from the original JNR Shinkansen, those to the East operated by JR East (who'd have thought that) took a very different evolution and have a very different design language. One thing about Japanese model trains is beautiful presentation which is a lesson to the model industry in my opinion.

 

[jjb1970]

To illustrate the different design language of JR East, here is a model of their flagship E5 Hayabusa (peregrine falcon). The nose on these is...ahem...striking. I am genuinely undecided, I can't honestly say I find it good looking but when you see these in person they have a real presence and there is something impressive about the nose contours and feeling of speed they generate.

 

[jjb1970]

And perhaps my favourite of all the shinkansen trains, the JR West Series 500. These were introduced in the mid 90's and looked more like aircraft than trains. JR West and JR Central tend to have a system of introducing new trains to their premium Nozomi services and moving older trains down the pecking order and finally ending up on Kodama stopping services. I remember the first time I saw the 500 trains they operated prestige Shin Nozomi services and were graded even above Nozomi, now as you see from the box for this model the survivors operate Kodama stopping services. Tomix is 'the other' big Japanese model train producer, their N gauge offering is equivalent to Kato and models are beautifully done with wonderful mechanisms. Interestingly, both Kato and Tomix manufacture in Japan (though Tomix HO is made in the Republic of Korea and they have some Chinese production). Other producers of N include Green Max and Micro Ace, the hobby is huge in Japan.

 

[jjb1970]

9 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

I'm now undergoing a medical rehab treatment for the next couple of weeks, in light of the variety of issues I've been dealing with for a while now. All of which have, in my view, resulted from excessive stress caused by trying to preserve my health and that of my family since about 2020, and having to deal with far too many ignorant and even openly adverse people at work.

 

This means I'm receiving a variety of treatments through the day but am home at night. I admit I do have high expectations from this treatment, but in a way, I suppose things can only get better.

 

 

I hope you get better soon! It sounds like you've been having problems with people, my sympathies for that. That can be an issue at any time but the last couple of years has been quite exceptional, it brought out the worst and the best of people. And it often brought out the worst and best in a single individual, sometimes it's presented as some people are good and others bad but life isn't like that and I have seen the same people display amazing kindness and generosity and at other times act like complete (insert naughty word of choice here). Hopefully things improve, remember, if you do what is necessary for your own health and your family then that's what matters.

[iL Dottore]

@jjb1970 those are beautiful models.

 

When I was in Japan, quite sometime ago now (about 2005?), I managed to arrange my business trip so that I had a couple of days free (my company was happy to allow that) and I had a wander around Tokyo and found a lovely model railway shop (I forget which neighbourhood).
 

I spent an enjoyable hour or so looking at some really beautiful models and trying out my (non-existent) Japanese. But with a bit of a combined amiable effort I was able to buy a souvenir which was a Kato suburban train set in N gauge. The price was quite eye watering (even for me) and, this is the interesting bit, it was secondhand – but looked as new as if it had just come out of the factory. It was taken out of the box and tested before being wrapped up and purchased. It ran flawlessly.

 

I remember thinking at the time, when purchasing the Kato model (and don’t forget this was back in the early 2000s), how crude the Graham Farish and Dapol models N Gauge models seemed in comparison (I had previously bought some British N Gauge rolling stock when I was deciding in which gauge to model when I restarted in the hobby). 
 

Whilst I was in the model shop I also looked at their 4mm handcrafted brass locomotives.  Utterly, utterly superb! Beautifully finished (albeit in plain brass and unpainted) with all kinds of Digital extras – such as sound, smoke units and controllable lighting and lighting effects. As much as I was very, very tempted the pricetag deterred me. One model I was very interested in had a pricetag of about £1200 (in Yen) equivalent to £1900 today. Ouch! Sadly, a wee bit too expensive for what was essentially a souvenir.

 

Finally, I came across this place (https://www.tofugu.com/travel/chou-chou-popon/) which I hope to visit during my trip to Japan next year.

[iL Dottore]

FROM THE OFFCE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

 

Dear Minister @polybear, Dear Minister @The White Rabbit,

 

It has come to the attention of the Prime Minister’s office that your department has been neglecting the testing of all cakes that contain walnuts, cream and coffee. This has caused the Association of Walnut Coffee and Cream Cake Bakers and the Amalgamated Union of Walnut Shellers, Cream Whippers and Coffee Roasters to express their very deep dissatisfaction with the performance of your department.  I need not remind you of how generous these two organisations are to the party’s coffers! 

 

The Prime Minister’s Office expects you to stop all current LDC and Treacle Tart testing and dedicate at least 90% of your departments efforts in the forthcoming quarter to the testing of all cakes that contain walnuts, cream and coffee. If this is not achieved, the Prime Minister is minded to appoint you - at the next Cabinet reshuffle - to the newly created office of Chief Biscuit Tester (Falklands) – which will be a residential position in those South Atlantic Islands.

 

Furthermore, any attempts to “sneak in“ LDC and Treacle Tart testing during this quarter will be considered as gross insubordination by the Prime Minister‘s office and will result in your immediate dismissal.

 

Yours Faithfully

E.N. Forcer

Special Advisor To The Prime Minister

Edited November 3, 2022 by iL Dottore

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, pH said:

Can I just say something in favour of the ‘customer service’ staff of that department? As a prospective, then actual, overseas recipient of a UK government pension, I have always found them efficient, competent and courteous in any dealings I have had with them. Now, about the rules and regulations they have to administer …

I think the DWP is a two headed hydra. If you are a pensioner, then they are OK. But if you are claiming unemployment, UC, support for a disability (and so on) they are (far too frequently from all accounts) obstructive to the point of being hostile.

 

Quite frankly (and I hope that I’m not getting too political here) I find it appalling that the state has to supplement - by the use of Universal Credit - the incomes of people in work.

 

As for rules and regulations, the DWP seems to be one of the worst - even by the Byzantine bureaucratic standards of the Civil Service!

[AndyID]

11 hours ago, pH said:

Can I just say something in favour of the ‘customer service’ staff of that department? As a prospective, then actual, overseas recipient of a UK government pension, I have always found them efficient, competent and courteous in any dealings I have had with them. Now, about the rules and regulations they have to administer …

 

Likewise and I agree completely. They are extremely easy to deal with.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Yep, her indoors has passed her cold on to me. Pah! I dod a bunged up nose......

 

Schedule for today involves sorting out some work while avoiding cricket admin if possible.

 

Summer is officially over.. flight numbers from LBA have reduced dramatically. Should quieten our local protest group down.. they seem to think that because they moved in here last year no flights should go over their homes...

 

DWP were always OK when I had to use them .. having to  "Job seek" a couple of times you need to use their services to avoid losing your NI contributions for your state pension. Never a problem and very helpful. 

 

Off to do my blood sugar test then a mugatea awaits.

 

Stay safe (hopefully @chrisf is doing so.)

 

Baz

 

 

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I think the DWP is a two headed hydra. If you are a pensioner, then they are OK. But if you are claiming unemployment, UC, support for a disability (and so on) they are (far too frequently from all accounts) obstructive to the point of being hostile.

Have you experienced this personally?

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the gloaming as it gets gradually lighter here in the Charente.  The dawn chorus of the sparrows is in full flow. It's nearly time to let the hens out.

 

The supermarket was raided then I spent a pleasant few hours in the afternoon sun, watching trains. An hour of work in the shed rounded off a good day. The last of the apple and walnut cake was then dispised of.  The rich fruit cake now awaits quality control.  

 

This morning I've got the front axle to refit to the lawn tractor. Francois has done a lovely job of reparing it and would only take €10 for the work.  A really nice guy.  Then After lunch we are off to The Danglies of st John (St Jean D'Angely ) as Beth has an appointment.  I might even cut some of the rather long grass if it stays dry.

 

Belated anniversary  wishes to the JJB's and Dom I hope that things go well.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited November 3, 2022 by jamie92208

[Barry O]

Just remembered.. I wonder if @Dave Hunthas seen some of the RAF Airlines trips recently. A holiday flight for a Rivet Joint to patrol along the border of Moldova.. along with two Typhoons and a Voyager refueller.. this is all down to some trigger happy Soviet pilot "accidently" letting a missile loose when flying close to a Rivet Joint.. thank goodness it missed! Long old flights...

 

Baz

Edited November 3, 2022 by Barry O

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, from a rock that is probably somewhere north of Glasgow, it was so windy last night.  Oddly still this morning.

 

No idea of the plan for the day, but breakfast will help.

[pH]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I think the DWP is a two headed hydra. If you are a pensioner, then they are OK. But if you are claiming unemployment, UC, support for a disability (and so on) they are (far too frequently from all accounts) obstructive to the point of being hostile.

 

…

 

As for rules and regulations, the DWP seems to be one of the worst - even by the Byzantine bureaucratic standards of the Civil Service!

Personal experience only, but having ‘signed on’ for a couple of months many years ago, I found DWP staff (or whatever they were called back then) that I encountered professional, perhaps ‘by the book’, but certainly neither obstructive nor hostile.

 

Again, personal experience - the rules that they were enforcing with regard to pensions were nothing DWP staff had made up. They were a result of laws passed in Parliament, in some cases confirmed by annual votes.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Raining with pour here and has been for two or three hours at least.  More to come but it may brighten up this afternoon along with the chance of some heavy thundery showers.  Currently 11°C.

Don't think I'll be doing much or in fact anything outside today.

Bins due, first one running late..... ah I can hear one in the distance.

Sainsbury's due at 09.00 and they're late informing us what we are or are not getting today.

Spent some time on the phone to my energy supplier making a further complaint.  Still waiting for them to charge me for the gas supplied since February.  Apparently it could take to December 7th to sort out my query. I've given them readings every month (which show on my account), sent them another list anyway (just to help them you understand) along with a photo of the meter and the up to date reading.  How difficult can it be?  I did forget to ask if they'd lost some beads off their abacus.  Just as well really, I don't suppose that would have been understood.  I was referred to someone more senior (again) who promised to escalate my complaint to the highest level (again)  I assume this is somewhere in the clouds as last week they were going to escalate it to "the highest level."  I gave up in disgust. 

Time for another muggatea.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited November 3, 2022 by grandadbob

[jamie92208]

I have had quite a few dealings with the DWP over the years and have never fallen out with them.  I have also seen the conditions that they have to work in, and some of their clients are not the nicest people to deal with.   It can't be easy for them when a government intentionally creates a hostile environment that the staff then have to enforce.  I even had some humour from them during an interview that Beth had for one of her disability benefits.  At the time Beth had a wrist in pot and was complaining that I had to help dress her but couldn't put her bra on correctly.  I replied, "Sadly as a teenage boy I only ever learned to unfasten such items, not to replace them" The lady doing the interview nearly fell off her chair laughing.  Beth looked daggers at me.  She did get the benefit though.

 

Jamie