Early Risers.

[DaveF]

 

It's dry here on the Northumberland coast for a change, except for the fine spray drifitng in off the sea on the south easterly "breeze".  I feel back to normal thank goodness.

 

Yesterday I didn't do much as I felt very tired and "off" but started to perk up a bit in the late evening.  I got  afew house jobe done and then sat and looked at a magazine for a few minutes until a friend rang which was very pleasant as I felt rotten.  We had a good hour long chat and put the world to rights - neither of us can believe how easily some people get upset and bothered nowdays.  The post came with a selection of catalogues from firms I wouldn't buy from but they kept me entertained while I had my coffee.  I do not intend to pay over £100 for a sweater or £40 for a shirt.

 

One letter did need careful reading - the printed copy of my draft will and other documents so I have checked them carefully and couldn't find any errors.  I sent them the full details of the beneficiaries having found their addresses and dates of birth so thay can be tracked down when the time comes.  It was only after doing it that  I realised why the solicitor will need the information to put in the will as I won't be around to tell them.  I'm still not 100% convinced but I cannot think of a better solution.

 

Later on I had a chat with the estate agent to update them on the sale progress.  They seem to think the solicitors are being quite quick!  

 

The rest of the day was spent reading and listening to music.

 

David

 

 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Aussie Rules football was originally developed as a way of keeping cricketers fit in winter

That does explain the oval but I still find it impossible to grasp the concept of “football” without the ability to take a corner kick. 
 

I had thought the event was developed as a testosterone and ego-waving contest. 
 

I’ll get the tin hat 😛

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

It looks like the sun is trying to shine through the clouds, I do hope it succeeds. As it’s Saturday, I’ll shortly be setting off to collect Ava, who is once again spending the day with us again. It’s always a pleasure to see her and it gives both Vickie a break and Ava too, as Max has a very annoying habit of winding her up, purely for the fact that he can! I suppose that’s nothing new, some of my siblings used to do the same, but with Ava's ADHD, it always seems to make things worse. Plus she has also learnt some new skills whilst she’s been with us. She can now do cross stitch and she has also helped me make several model buildings too, not to mention the boost it’s given to her own self esteem. 

 

Well I best get going, back later. 

 

Brian

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis really was making a fuss last night, so bad that I had to reach for the Nurofen about four this morning. Despite going to bed a bit earlier than usual being kept awake by the arthritis meant that I wasn't up until gone eight. Now its time to run a bath, be back later.

[monkeysarefun]

49 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

had thought the event was developed as a testosterone and ego-waving contest. 

I always imagined that if Border Collies invented a game, it would be Aussie Rules.

 

(I used to have a BC who loved chasing balls I threw but would then instead of bringing it back to me to throw again would  expect me to chase him around and around until I  caught him or my heart packed it in.)

Edited November 19, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[Grizz]

Just listening to Terry Prachett’s Jingo whilst I work…laughing at my favourite quote from this story….

 

”Give a man a fire and he will be warm for a day……but set fire to him and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life!!!!!” ……🤣🤣🤣….

NGT6 1315……totally loving the ex DB Class 120s…thanks for posting bud! ..I sooooooo miss being in Germany……

 

[pH]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

Why not the Australian model, indeed.

It could well be down to the historic combination of “not invented here” and “can’t trust Johnny Foreigner” that has bedevilled Britain over the years - which may explain why Britain came late to adopt many useful things (central heating being a seasonally appropriate example).

 

Quite frankly, I’m quite happy to take a. NINND approach to life (“Nick It [If It’s] Not Nailed Down” - why reinvent the wheel if you can find it somewhere “ready to go”)

IT systems are often developed to support specific ‘business’ processes, using ‘business’ in a general sense. 

With anything other than trivial processes, using an existing IT system to support different business processes virtually guarantees that modification of either the IT system or/and the processes it is now going to support will be required. The resistance to modifying existing methods of working to fit the features of an IT system can be fierce, which means that it is the IT system that has to be modified to fit existing methods. This is seldom an easy thing to do, and therefore not cheap.

 

Essentially, in cases like that, ‘not invented here’ refers to the supported business processes, not the IT system.

 

In this particular case, are all aspects of the UK health service the same as those of the Australian system? If it comes to it, are all aspects of the UK health service the same in all areas of the UK? Without knowing any details about UK or Australian health services, I can say with certainty the answer to both those questions is ‘No’. Are potential UK users, i.e. medical staff, prepared to change their work procedures etc to be the same as the Australian procedures the IT system was developed to support? The answer again is certainly ‘No’. So now you have to attempt to rebuild an existing IT system to support different (and possibly multiple) new business processes. Good luck with that!

 

Sorry for the long and somewhat rambling reply, but I still bear the scars from being part of a group who implemented an ‘off the shelf’ system to replace a ‘built in-house’ system supporting the unique business processes of an organization which could not (legal requirements) or would not (obstinacy) change those processes. Not easy, not cheap, and not anything I would wish on anyone else!

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by pH
******* predictive text!

[southern42]

21 hours ago, southern42 said:

snip...

Eggs were obtained from a local farm so the seasonal Cake will be made earlier this year - this weekend...

 

Breaking news

Seasonal cake underway until I went to the cupboard for the soft dark brown sugar...

NO sugar. <<arghhhhh>>  (I could have sworn I bought some with the rest of the stuff...)

WhatsApp'd Ray and he is going to get some.

So, until I can cream sugar and eggs, there are a few things I can do until he comes in. 

Fruit was soaked overnight in my usual blackcurrant and spiced ginger tea mix and has been drained off.

The baking tin needs to be lined so I will do that after lunch.

The rest of the ingredients - flour (to be weighed), salt, and mixed spice can be mixed.

 

Better get lunch, then...

Keep safe. Be good. Be prepared... 🤣

Polly

[southern42]

Breaking news...

Sugar obtained. <<phew!>>

Nearly finished lunch. Then back to the mixing bowl!

 

Polly

 

Just had some rather delicious mulled tea - some of the drained off juices from the mixed fruit topped up with 3/4 boiling water. 😋

Edited November 19, 2022 by southern42

[polybear]

5 hours ago, grandadbob said:

My energy supplier saga goes.  Earlier in the week they said I was about £700 in credit although at least £250 of that will disappear when they eventually charge me for the gas used over the past few months.  However after giving them an up to date meter reading a few days ago and also a further direct debit payment has gone through my credit balance has now leapt up to £1395 which can't possibly be right. 

 

Heard from a friend last night - her G & E supplier wanted to raise her Monthly DD from £90 to £400...🤣

 

5 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Car insurance renewal is being looked at.  I mentioned the current insurer wants an extra £130, so far I've manged to get it for £70 less than that from the AA. 

 

Bear's cheapest quote came from the AA, surprisingly.

 

4 hours ago, NGT6 1315 said:

 

. I don't remember when I last had to use this station but it struck me as tidy and well-organised.

 

 

Certainly a very clean and rubbish free track bed - I don't recall the last time I saw a UK Station like that.  In fact I clearly recall a station on the ECML that we used to use to change trains when returning from Edinburgh that used to be plastered with Tvrds all over the ballast.....🤢

 

Bear here....

Coving "on-going" - now half done; din dins interrupted play so now it's back to the fun....

Bear gone.

[jjb1970]

I fear I may have had an online altercation today. I have a friend in England who is a nice fellow but suffers from a form of political derangement syndrome. He appears to spend all day on Facebook posting about a certain political event and being negative about everything about Britain because he views absolutely everything in life, the world and anything else via the prism of that one event. Now I like a good whinge as much as anyone and can be negative, but there's a difference between going off on stuff as part of a balanced view of life and the world, and believe it or not most of my social media activity is rather positive. I'm blessed to have a job I love which has given us a fantastic opportunity to live in Singapore, a country I love. I have a family I love, I post reviews about classical music which I have a greater passion for than trains, talk about food, convey my enthusiasm for Singapore and even when I do talk about politics I mix good and bad. To be negative about absolutely everything and so obsessed about something that it takes over life is really rather unhealthy in my view and indicate he needs some sort of counselling or mental support. The weird thing is I share his position on the event in question, but sneering at people, pretending anyone with a different opinion is stupid, xenophobic etc is both unhealthy and profoundly arrogant. Anyway today something snapped at another deluge of gleeful miserabilism in my feed and I suggested that he needed help as he was either deranged or suffering depression and people were fed up of him just ranting and sneering multiple times a day. Alas, he didn't take it well, but to be honest I'll be sanguine about it if he unfriends me as it'd save me ignoring his constant whinging and negativity. For context, the guy in question does not have the excuse of any hardship, he has a lovely family and is what is euphemistically termed 'financially secure'.

[jjb1970]

7 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

It is said that the very sympathetic portrayal of two gay actors – “Jules“ and “Sand“ in Round the Horne did much to promote acceptance of the gay community and move Parliament towards passing the Sexual Offences Act 1967 (which greatly reduced the historically savage penalties imposed on the gay community).

 

In addition to Barry Took and Marty Feldman’s sympathetic writing, (they wrote all the scripts of the first 3 series of Around the Horne), they definitely had a touch of genius in how they wrote the comedy: at one level incredibly risqué (for the adults) and at another just incredibly funny even to the innocent and naive.

 

One of my fondest memories is that of going to see Round the Horne being recorded at the Paris Theatre in London in 1967 (so I was about 11 at the time). I remember enjoying not just the recording but also the interactions between the cast and the audience. I have no idea how much of what was recorded ended up on the cutting room floor, but certainly it was a lot longer than the half hour that was broadcast. Obviously at that age I didn’t get the innuendo or the risqué  jokes, but re-visiting the shows (either on CD or on Radio 4 Extra) I certainly get ”it”  now.

 

Round the Horne was comedic gold, just wonderful, everything about it was fantastic. The standard of writing was outstanding, and it had an ensemble group of performers to die for. I still listen to it regularly and consider it among the finest hours of British comedy. 

[DaveF]

 

I had a look at the local forecast for the next few days which mentions the possibility of frost so I've been down to the flat and turned the heating back on, which meant turning the water and electricity on (the gas was already on).  Of course the boiler/heating system pressure was rather low so I've had to top up the sytem - though it is the same as it was when Mum died but as I'm not there all the time I thought it was best to be on the safe side.

 

When I turned the boiler on again it fired up first time, heating and hot water both work, and the thermostat is now set for 11C which will be plenty warm enough. Hopefully it won't be for too long as long as the solicitors get a move on.  I hadn't closed Mum's account with her electricity/gas provider and it is well in credit at the moment so a little bit of heat won't break the bank.  As the account still exists they are crediting it with the £66 a month which is very nice and her fixed tariff doesn't expire until May next year.

 

I shall visit the flat everyday for a while to keep an eye on it as everything is turned on just in case.  It's only 5 minutes from home and is also only a few yards away from two of my regular walks.

 

David

Edited November 19, 2022 by DaveF

[Tony_S]

22 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

The weird thing is I share his position on the event in question, but sneering at people, pretending anyone with a different opinion is stupid, xenophobic etc is both unhealthy and profoundly arrogant.

Having to deal with people that you basically agree with but who take it to extremes can be difficult. I have relations (by marriage not genes) who seem to believe some conspiracy theorists that just seem barmy to me. We have got other family members who hold very different political views but enjoy a good discussion without resorting to insults. 

[Coombe Barton]

... got some more specialty cheese, and a cheese scone and coffee. Well, it would have been impolite to refuse. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/11/19/turning-a-corner/

[jjb1970]

I think mixing with people who hold different views on the world is quite important. The guy I had a rant about has withdrawn into a self-imposed bubble of only inter-acting with people who share his political views and it has had a baleful effect. I've told him many times that if you only talk to people who agree with you then of course the entire world will seem to agree with you, but that doesn't represent reality. And accepting that others will hold differing views is an essential part of a functioning society. I find it rather sad really.

[TheQ]

I avoid getting into discussions with the supervisor of an adjoining department, he's a full on evangelical bible basher, and for some reason likes turning discussions into being about trump, who he thinks was wonderful. Though quite why that's relevant to him being British and in the UK I have no idea.

 

Afternoon Awl,

Spent most of the day getting frustrated with the spinny thingy, being unable to get on with the rudder, and for much of the time feeling sad...

 

Anyway, eventually I decided to try fitting a rubber brake shoe on the end of the bolt. To enable this I've drilled a hole down the end of the threaded brake rod, it took quite a while keeping straight, and it being not surprisingly being a very hard metal. As a temporary brake shoe I've put a blob of silicon sealant on the end.. it will be given a near week to dry. It that works fine, if it does but doesn't last long I'll find a high modulus rubber sealant to try.

 

Ben the impatient Collie was by then demanding his long walk, so we did. It's been sunny most of the day but with an increasingly strong south Easterly breeze. Darn chilly it was too, I'm going to have dig out some paw covers for me, as they really didn't like it.. Ben on the other hand was paddling in every puddle he could find...

 

On return, I spent some time stripping out the bottom cupboard  of its old glued in packing foam, it's taking less time now as I've found a huge old carving knife is very good for the task.

Temporarily I've put tins of resin, glue, white spirit and a gallon bottles of PVA in there. Next year an old fridge freezer that no longer functions will become a paint/ glue safe in the workshop storeroom.

 

Then I added a shelf to a wall, there are more to put up there, but it'll do for now.

The work bench was then cleared of more debris useful bits, onto the shelf, and elsewhere. Still a bit left to go before I can build a rudder on the bench.

 

Since then I've drawn up a scale plan for a jig to make models of WW1 lengths of parallel bits of metal used behind the front lines. 

 

Hmm the sun's going down, time to build up the fire...

[southern42]

Breaking news

Soft dark brown sugar has arrived and is now being worked into the butter. Tin lined. Flour and fruit ready to go. All good.

 

👍

[andyram]

Afternoon all and thanks for the good wishes. I am just checking in shortly before I close at the end of the grey and damp Saturday in Matlock Bath. A relatively quiet day but at least I have managed to sort out part of a recent delivery from one manufacturer. They managed to mess up and send an order containing loads of stuff I had decided to cancel off having over ordered! They have agreed to take the stock back because it is their error so I have managed to start sorting out the stuff to keep and that I am sending back.

 

I have also caught up with the marking work I did not do during yesterday afternoon. Amber's football proved to be a waste of time. Not a game, more several schools taking part in communal training. She enjoyed it, which is the main thing, but it did seem very disorganised and they spent more time stood listening to the coaches than actually playing!

 

Tonight I am catching up with my best mate for a few drinks in a real ale bar. Anyone coming to the shop tomorrow - bring the head ache tablets!!!

 

Andy

[PupCam]

Afternoon All!

 

A brief check-in with notalot to report other than …….

 

I was thinking of purchasing something from DigiTrains but that repetitive and tedious DigiTrains video advert that covers a good percentage of my phone’s screen and is irritatingly difficult to get shot of on here is, for them, counter productive.    Alternative arrangements will be made if a purchase should come to fruition.    And yes, that’s a mini-rant!

 

Alan

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by PupCam

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

I think mixing with people who hold different views on the world is quite important. The guy I had a rant about has withdrawn into a self-imposed bubble of only inter-acting with people who share his political views and it has had a baleful effect. I've told him many times that if you only talk to people who agree with you then of course the entire world will seem to agree with you, but that doesn't represent reality. And accepting that others will hold differing views is an essential part of a functioning society. I find it rather sad really.

I definitely think that this should be mandatory – talking and interacting with people who don’t share your views. Although I do have a few points of view that are unshakeable (such as tinned baked beans are the vomit of the devil 🤣) but on most topics I am certainly open for discussion and reflection. I may not end up changing my basic point of view, but the likelihood is definitely there that I will view that topic (whatever that topic may be) in a different light.

 

One of the curses of modern political discourse (and from where I stand, it seems to affect one side of the political spectrum somewhat more than the other) is that of considering your political opponent (or opposite number in opinion) is “evil“ or “nasty”. To continue with my slightly tongue in cheek metaphor, I wouldn’t consider people who advocate for tinned baked beans as “evil”. Misguided? Quite possibly. Culinarily naïve? I would think so. But certainly not “evil”. After all we have the same common goal: to arrive at the best Full English Breakfast possible.

 

Finally, even without delving into politics, it is always enriching to interact with people of different views and backgrounds.

[Tony_S]

20 minutes ago, PupCam said:

a purchase should come to fruition.

I don’t know anything about ads but if you want a recommendation for almost anything DCC it is always worth checking out Coastal DCC. 
I didn’t really mind adverts about model railway stuff, but I never liked adverts that flashed or moved about. I replaced a magazine subscription with the Gold option  so adverts no longer bother me. I was somewhat suspicious of the previous subjects the Google ad server presented. I also found the usual excuse of it matching one’s interests rather irritating. I wasn’t in the least bit interested in addictive substances or fringe candidates for the London Mayoral elections for which I didn’t even have a vote!

[New Haven Neil]

Late again - I hope the note with the dodgy hoof print will get me off the hook again.

 

After what seems like three weeks of wind and rain, today was sunny and still - even tempted me to walk along Ramsey prom while Mrs NHN was getting Pilated.  Then orf for lunch and a bit of cost free shopping - nothing was fancied in the clothing shop we visited. Result.

 

 

 

 

[southern42]

More breaking news
Seasonal cake in oven. 2 1/2hours (approx.) to go.

IPhone Alarm set so I don’t forget!

 

Polly

[BoD]

Evening all.  
 

I have just returned from a very pleasant afternoon spent with my daughter - a belated birthday present.  A light lunch (light?  I was well stuffed)  followed by seeing a performance of Les Miserables.  I very much like Les Mis and today’s production was absolutely superb.

 

I think I’ve got a nice bottle of Sicilian red somewhere so I may will  have a glass of that to end a wonderful day.

 

Enjoy your evenings folks