Early Risers.

[monkeysarefun]

It was experiencing  the UK winter of 1962/63 together with a lack of job opportunities that convinced Scotsman William Young to move his wife Margaret  and sons George, Malcolm and Angus via assisted passage to a  new life in Australia. 

 

 Initially staying at Villawood migrant hostel in Western Sydney,  it was there that the older Young brothers  met a young dutch boy called Harry Vanda.

George, Malcolm and Harry went on to form The Easybeats in 1964 and had hits with "Sorry" and "Friday On My Mind" among others.

 

His  brothers success and rock and roll perks such as packs of  screaming girls outside the family suburban Sydney house inspired Angus to also seek a place in a band and so  when The Easybeats broke up Angus joined his brothers new band AC/DC, which went on to achieve huge success in Australia with larrikin pixie Bon Scott as lead singer, before evil English beer did him in.

 

Worldwide success followed when Geordie singer Brian Johnson was recruited by the Young brothers and the rest is history as they say.

 

So if it wasn't for the big freeze of 1963 AC/DC would never have happened and the world would never have got the greatest bagpipe riff  of all time.

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

14 hours ago, enz said:

 

Sydney - where even the air wants to kill you.

 

Actually, I'm not sure you can blame the steel mill - this is Australia, with all it's interesting wildlife. It could have been tiny spider hatchlings ballooning and being blown on to the washing, and being babies (not yet fully in control of mouthparts) drool some venom on it, thus corroding the holes. I mean - which is really more likely in Australia - production or wildlife.

 

(Not a conspiracy theory at all.)

 

Regards from NZ - e.

Hmm at least we don't have those mad parrots that rip off your windscreen wipers, Kea's or whatever they are called....

Edited December 8, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

Hello again from Estuary-Land. The Item from Sheffield arrived at 09.30 so it didn't throw my timetable out of gear. A visual inspection did not show any problems and it will be tested thoroughly tonight. 

[Gwiwer]

Welcome to the frosty Hill of Strawberries. 
 

Fully -5C as the electronic rooster crowed at 04.45. This rose to a balmy 0C during my absence at the House of Not-Much-Fun. 
There was nothing positive about the temperature there either but at least the sun rose into a clear blue sky without the “Arctic blast” some seaweed-wranglers had predicted.  Quite pretty in some ways. 
 

It wasn’t pretty in other ways as a multitude of incidents caused escalating disruption across our network. Your scribe didn’t wait to be asked and took the hand-mic to the platform. Auto-Annie (a/k/a Sonia - because she get-sonya-nerves) was doing what she is programmed to do. As each successive train failed to leave Waterloo on time she piped up with “The xx.xx to XYZ is delayed; we are sorry …. “ etc. Clicking the hand mic. cuts her out and can allow a more accurate, timely and informative message to be provided. 
 

That was done for four hours solid whilst also answering as many of the hordes of questions as I could and safely dispatching the trains we did have. 
 

The efforts were not un-noticed. Four colleagues took the trouble to thank me at sign-off. Most unusual. So far as I was concerned I was just doing my job. 
 

There is still frost in the shadows. A well-earned lunch of bacon, brie and cranberry sauce on toast was enjoyed with a muggercoffee. 
 

It is now time to relax, get on with writing the book and in due course meet Dr. SWMBO and friends for dinner at a nearby house of falling-down waters. 
 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Who would have thought - a bagpipe riff!  Heard it all now.

 

The beautiful sunny aspect looking outside is false, it is 4c and Baltic out there.  Woodburner lit early.

[Winslow Boy]

27 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Welcome to the frosty Hill of Strawberries. 
 

Fully -5C as the electronic rooster crowed at 04.45. This rose to a balmy 0C during my absence at the House of Not-Much-Fun. 
There was nothing positive about the temperature there either but at least the sun rose into a clear blue sky without the “Arctic blast” some seaweed-wranglers had predicted.  Quite pretty in some ways. 
 

It wasn’t pretty in other ways as a multitude of incidents caused escalating disruption across our network. Your scribe didn’t wait to be asked and took the hand-mic to the platform. Auto-Annie (a/k/a Sonia - because she get-sonya-nerves) was doing what she is programmed to do. As each successive train failed to leave Waterloo on time she piped up with “The xx.xx to XYZ is delayed; we are sorry …. “ etc. Clicking the hand mic. cuts her out and can allow a more accurate, timely and informative message to be provided. 
 

That was done for four hours solid whilst also answering as many of the hordes of questions as I could and safely dispatching the trains we did have. 
 

The efforts were not un-noticed. Four colleagues took the trouble to thank me at sign-off. Most unusual. So far as I was concerned I was just doing my job. 
 

There is still frost in the shadows. A well-earned lunch of bacon, brie and cranberry sauce on toast was enjoyed with a muggercoffee. 
 

It is now time to relax, get on with writing the book and in due course meet Dr. SWMBO and friends for dinner at a nearby house of falling-down waters. 
 

 

 

 

Well done you.

 

It's not the doing , well they might be, but the fact that you didn't wait to be told aka you used your initiative. Something not a lot of people seem to have nowadays preferring to be told then if it goes pearshaped they can't be held responsible.

[polybear]

Bear here....

Bearmobile de-iced.  Tick.  Despite wearing gloves (ok, so only disposable latex gloves) the paws soon took on that distinctive "bluddy hurt/totally frozen" feeling I remember all too well from riding mo'sikkles thru' numerous Winters.

After that it was priming the mdf - another Tick; I also put some stuff back into Beamland, followed by a bit of planning for the next M.E. Group meeting.  I also tested a motor/gearbox assembly received yesterday from the 'bay - more info on TNM to avoid risk of incoming Awls....

 

And finally.....

I heard from friend in Hospital - she was less than happy (after finally managing to get to sleep) to be woken at 3am by a nurse taking a routine Blood Glucose test sample; she also reports that (despite being in an isolation room for a bit over ten days now) she's yet to see anyone come in to clean the floor.  Hmmm.....

 

[polybear]

This swap seems somewhat one-sided to this Bear - and most definitely not in the right direction either:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63905112

 

In other news.....

Primer coat No. 2 now on the MDF.  Tick

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

So if it wasn't for the big freeze of 1963 AC/DC would never have happened and the world would never have got the greatest bagpipe riff  of all time.

"It's a long way to the shop when you want a sausage roll".  As sung by a good many fans and others over the years.  Filmed in Melbourne with locations including Bourke Street, Swanston Street and St. Kilda Road in the city centre.  Trams include the ubiquitous W2 and W5 classes with at one point a flash of orange and brown going past which is a then-new Z-class tram so coloured to alert passengers to the need to pay at the front door (to a seated conductor by day or the driver at night) rather than the traditional roving conductor.  

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Who would have thought - a bagpipe riff!  Heard it all now.

Oh I dunno ..... 

 

 

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

older Young brothers

Something about that phrase says oxymoronic.  

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

if it goes pearshaped they can't be held responsible.

I have a number of little coaching tips and tools up my sleeves.  One is to remember that we are only as good as our last interaction with a customer.  Another is to accept responsibility even when things are not your fault; if the customer is inconvenienced and especially if they wish to complain it is YOU - the one they are talking to - who must accept the blame on behalf of whoever might actually be responsible.  Taking ownership, it's called.  It comes from the first chapter in the Book of Excellence.  

 

I also coach the "Three E's" when inducting new staff;

Employment starts with an E; if you wish to stay employed then remember to 

- Exceed

- Expectations

- Everyday

Edited December 8, 2022 by Gwiwer

[southern42]

17 hours ago, polybear said:

 

snip...

In other news......

Highly recommended viewing:

 

BBC4 at 02-55am tomorrow - "Winterwatch 1963 - The Big Freeze"

About 45 minutes of uninterrupted B&W footage, with a bit of modern blurb at each end.  Choo Choos feature significantly, as does life in general.

No doubt it'll also be on BBC iplayer.

 

Warning! Forbidden territory below. Hopefully, the great Awl will be elsewhere keeping the toes warm.

Some of you may remember my cakebox challenge diorama "Waiting for the Train" based on the film Snow (1963). There was an awful lot of snow to be dug out by our BRM Gang of Four before the pannier tank and brakevan arrived with the snowplough but didn't they do well? The real job was done in daylight but the sun had set for the BRM team by the time this train came through. 

 

 

 

Hoping there is not such a repeat of the white stuff this winter!

 

<<Ok. Here's the video.>>

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by southern42
add video

[Ian Abel]

BIN day.

 

Cor blimey, all this talk of cold and snow, reminds me of, oh I don't know" - where I am 4 - 5+ months of the year 🤪🤯🤣

 

Little to report from yesterday <yawn>. Keeping the bird feeders full and the bird bath water topped up accounted for some time.

Whitney picked up by Brendan in the afternoon, Jemma returning late last night from Atlanta, having completed her training.

 

Today - hmm, mostly sounds like it'll be quiet on the client front, they are still faffing about with what changes they want to make and deciding on "journal entries", I'll just twiddle my thumbs a bit more!

This evening out for pre-rehearsal happy hour then off to pretend we are a real choir for a couple of hours.

 

15c and sunny at BIN time, to make the record "CLEAR", it's still -8c at 10AM here, with luck reaching a pleasant -2c for a high...

 

Onward.

[DaveF]

Northumberland now has snow - at least it was snowing when I looked out of the window as I drew the curtains.

 

David

[88C]

Re @chrisf I am sorry to say that I have no further news. Yesterday I rang the hospital but he is not an in-patient. I also contacted the police and hopefully they will get to visit his house, as yet I have not had a reply.

 

Thanks to everyone who has shown support, a real tribute to members of RMWEB.

 

 I will report back if I get any news.

 

Brian.

[Barry O]

3 hours of learning about being a fire marshal and trying out portable fire extinguishers... it was 0C in the yard near the club.. and yes the water one did freeze.. Pah!

 

I used to walk to school (I was 6 at the time) on my own.. down "trenches" dug in the snow in 1963. No snow here (yet) but it very chilly.

 

Off to Manc land tomorrow for the Exhibition.. hopefully teh M62 will be open but it may be very slippery apparently.

 

Baz 

[PupCam]

Evening All and Brrrrrrgggghhhhhhh what a chilly one!

 

Just got back from a couple of days on the south coast.   The car said -5 first thing this morning.    By the time we'd got to Puppershire the temperature had climbed to the dizzy heights of +3 although I rather suspect it's plummeted now.    There could be a dilemma later;  the sky is very clear and I suspect a good evening for star gazing but of course, it will be flippin' freezin' (literally) outside.   Decisions, decisions!

 

Any news on @chrisf I wonder?   I hope he and other poorly ERs are OK.

 

UPDATE: Just seen Brian's post.

 

Talking of the big freeze of '63.    I was a young Pup at the time and my clearest memory is the snow piled-up in a continuous ridge ~ 8' high alongside the road that led to the local park.

 

Oh yes.   While I was away my mate managed to get the crankshaft with the brand new big-end apart - looks good.  

Time for some investigations with the new big-end and my original crankshaft when the garage warms up a bit!

 

TTFNQ

Edited December 8, 2022 by PupCam

[New Haven Neil]

Doesn't often big snow here, but when it does....

 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

48 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Any news on @chrisf I wonder?

Having seen Brian's post I too am concerned and hoping for the best. 

[Coombe Barton]

... talking about fairies (as you do) "I typed what I thought was Puck but obviously I didn’t and the profanity filter took over" ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/sounds-of-the-season-2022-23-12-not-looking-good/

[45156]

Evening All,

 

Greetings from a chilly Ludlow.  Nothing much to report here other than it is a good job I found the car cover.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Only a short hello as I'm shortly going out to the Seers track night. I hope chris f is ok, I just tried to tag him but it seems that his name is no longer on RMweb! I will check some PM's I had with him to see what is there.

Panic over, there should be no space in his name. @chrisf I put a space before the f.

Edited December 8, 2022 by PhilJ W

[BoD]

7 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I hope chris f is ok, I just tried to tag him but it seems that his name is no longer on RMweb

A search of members for ChrisF still leads to his profile.  He still hasn’t visited the sight since last Thursday though.

[southern42]

23 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

... talking about fairies (as you do) "I typed what I thought was Puck but obviously I didn’t and the profanity filter took over" ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/sounds-of-the-season-2022-23-12-not-looking-good/

 

Personent Hodie. Woah! That brought back some memories of the school choir concert on a dark December evening. Played it more than once and will probably play a few more, now. Thanks.

Polly

[BoD]

I see that Andy Y has posted a banner message apologising for cryptocurrency adverts. All I get is a big advert for the Manchester Christmas model railway exhibitions.  It regularly changes size, often covering the options at the top of the page.  This is the first time I have had anything like this.

 

Speaking of cryptocurrency, I don’t have any but after the crash thingy the other week I felt it was time to look at investments that are safe but still offer a decent return.  I heard on the QT from someone quite high up that the next big thing is going to be gold or silver foil wrapped chocolate coins.  I have great faith in their opinion and so have moved all my savings into these.  You heard it here first but I would act quickly if I were you.

[J. S. Bach]

😺 Well, at least one can eat them after the crash. 🙀