Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Meanwhile at a beach near you … 

The "Polar plunge" is a common annual fundraiser in many water adjacent communities across the northern hemisphere at this time of year.

 

Those who cut holes in ice to jump in are really committed (or should be).

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. A bit late but my internet was down earlier and has not long come back. Now trying to catch up on the rest of RMweb.

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

The "Polar plunge" is a common annual fundraiser in many water adjacent communities across the northern hemisphere at this time of year.

 

Those who cut holes in ice to jump in are really committed (or should be).

Yes.  But in ball-gowns?????  

 

There is a like-minded body of (mostly older) women who frequent the waters of beaches around these shores daily, weekly or when ever year-round.  Not surprisingly, perhaps, known as the "Blue T1ts".  How do I know?  My sister was a regular until various medical issues (but not the water temperature) effectively prevented her from sea-bathing.  

[Coombe Barton]

... assemble the new duvet and cover that I bought to keep the tootsies warm. Spring clamps, large ones, were involved. That's an hour of my life I'll never get back ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/sounds-of-the-season-2022-23-38-people-mixing-and-confusing-the-message/

[polybear]

7 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

One thing I have noticed lately is that certain words and phrases creeping into my consciousness and sometimes spoken language from ERs over the months. Whether it's 'a Deltic' (instead of say a pony or monkey)  or 'that ruddy virus', 'avagoodun', not to mention the ever useful 'turdycurses'. 

 

A certain Bear is reputed to be *probably* responsible for at least two of those......

 

Hey, Puppers @PupCam - don't look now but Bear's become a Social Media "Influencer"........🤣

 

6 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I must admit to a slight annoyance on our way home last night. For once the traffic on the M25 was flowing nicely. I was in the third lane doing 70, when someone pulled out (no signal) from lane 2 (probably moving at about 50mph) and then slowed down. I know Aditi was also pressing phantom brake pedals from the passenger seat. If I hadn’t braked we would have piled into it. I couldn’t move out as there was traffic going past me at over 70mph. I then had to wait for a gap in the outer lane traffic to overtake my personal rolling roadblock. 

 

It's at times like those that a certain Bear wishes he was driving a Snow Plough.....

I clearly recall a certain Tw@t doing that to me when I was doing 70 on the A414 - the skid marks were impressive (the ones on the road were pretty good too.....🤣) and lasted for weeks......

Edited January 3, 2023 by polybear

[Winslow Boy]

22 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Yes.  But in ball-gowns?????  

 

There is a like-minded body of (mostly older) women who frequent the waters of beaches around these shores daily, weekly or when ever year-round.  Not surprisingly, perhaps, known as the "Blue T1ts".  How do I know?  My sister was a regular until various medical issues (but not the water temperature) effectively prevented her from sea-bathing.  

 

I recall the bathers at the lido on Hampstead heath going for a swim in all weathers.

[Winslow Boy]

A certain Bear is being very tight lipped about his exploits with a router. Are we to assume that a period of experimentation is being undertaken before an announcement is posted at the entrance to Bear Towers?

One can only hope that he hasn't put unnecessary demands on the already stretched NHS.

Speak Oh Bear.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[polybear]

Bear here......

 

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........................

 

No Thunder whatsoever - and not even a minor turdycurses uttered during this morning's antics involving a Router, a Newel Post and Mickey the Miele.  Very, very Big Tick awarded - I've been worrying about that one for many weeks; if it'd gone wrong then Bear would have been up a major sh1t street without a paddle; I also had visions of serious dust clouds filling the H/S/L areas.  As it was it went rather smoothly, albeit slowly - wooden battens were clamped top & bottom to act as start/stop points for the Router to make sure the grooves all started & stopped at the same points on each edge.  I also had to spend some time ensuring that the Router mains lead, hoover pipe etc. wouldn't snag on anything half way along a cut.

Mickey the Miele worked wonders - some shrapnel (rather than dust) was still chucked out from the cutter but there was a distinct lack of dust clouds.  Another Big Tick.

All that's needed now is a few minutes' sanding the routed edges and that'll be it - the next step for the staircase will be priming (but not yet).

 

In other news......

Time was spent this afternoon investigating an alternative ISP - I have a plan 2 in the event that the existing ISP won't play ball and offer a decent renewal price.....

 

And finally.....

It seems that "Kiwi" are to stop importing Shoe Polish into the UK because of a significant drop in sales - no doubt caused by so many people either wearing trainers or wearing slippers whilst working from home;

ex. Forces types may wish to stock up.....

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Took dogs for a walk this morning and picked eldest nephew up late morning. We all had an early lunch and the I had a couple of hours in bed while SWMBO and nephew did something interesting (or not). I don’t usually sleep during the day as I always feel carp afterwards but I was feeling carp anyway. Got up when younger nephew came home from school and after tea, 7.00 ish, took the boys home. Sydney’s stopping over and elder nephew being dropped off on bils way to work tomorrow . He’s stopping all day and we’re taking him to kickboxing at 8.00pm. A long, long day ahead.

Goodnight,

Robert
 

 

 

[PupCam]

32 minutes ago, polybear said:

Hey, Puppers @PupCam - don't look now but Bear's become a Social Media "Influencer"........🤣

 

Oh blimey we are not worthy oh Beary one!   You'll be "Monetizing your channels" next (or something like that)!

 

Still, we'll all know where to go when we need a sub and no, we don't accept Bitcoin ..... 🤣

 

Night All!

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

38 minutes ago, polybear said:

the skid marks were impressive

Probably akin to the ones I produced around 6am one morning at Watford Gap. There was a Policeman running up the other side of the barrier towards me waving frantically. He had seen a lorry come out of the Northbound slip road and sideswipe a lorry passing at speed. That one had veered across the carriageway and gone on its side with the trailer resting on top of the Armco overhanging my lane. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by TheSignalEngineer

[jamie92208]

8 minutes ago, polybear said:

It seems that "Kiwi" are to stop importing Shoe Polish into the UK because of a significant drop in sales - no doubt caused by so many people either wearing trainers or wearing slippers whilst working from home;

ex. Forces types may wish to stock up.....

Our former drill pig, the immortal Tommy Butler must be turning in hus grave. When instructing us new recruits as to how to bull boots we were all instructed to go and but a tin of KIWI with the word delivered in his best shout.  Woe betide anyone wh used any other brand.  Something to do with the high wax content.

 

As to Good Moaning, twas the late lamented Andrew c and his alter ego of Officer Crabtree who introduced that one.  I just adopted it.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Evening Awl, a very soggy evening Awl,

Vast amounts of rain have fallen this evening, mostly while I was in the MRC, water from side to side of the roads in places.

With kiwi pulling out they'll have to use "Cherry Blossom Regimental Gloss" the only shoe polish made in the UK.

 

MRC tonight I worked on a distillery and some lobster pots..

I'm going to have to use my boots to the MRC, as my shoes get very cold.. 

Boots, rigger,black, RAF.. now where's the cherry blossom..

 

I try to avoid polar plunges and stay on board boats I'm sailing.. Though years ago during the winters of discontent in the 1970s Inverness swimming pool had its heating switched off, but was at least inside a building, I still went swimming once a week.

 

Muggachoccy gone

Goodnight Awl.

[polybear]

15 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Our former drill pig, the immortal Tommy Butler must be turning in hus grave. When instructing us new recruits as to how to bull boots we were all instructed to go and but a tin of KIWI with the word delivered in his best shout.  Woe betide anyone wh used any other brand.  Something to do with the high wax content.

 

Apparently the "Go To" Brand for the Household Cavalry it seems.  I guess "Buy British" isn't high on their priority list.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I still have the box full of shoe cleaning paraphernalia that was used when I was at junior school, some of the brushes must be older than me. I seem to recall throwing out the tins of polish when it was discovered that they had dried out. My dad also had a last and I remember him repairing the families shoes even to cutting new soles out of sheet leather. 

[pH]

14 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Though years ago during the winters of discontent in the 1970s Inverness swimming pool had its heating switched off, but was at least inside a building, I still went swimming once a week.

In primary school, we used to be taken to the swimming pool once a week during the summer term. This was basically a part of the Clyde enclosed by low concrete walls, over which high tides could spill and animals such as seals and jellyfish could swim. And while  it was ‘summer’, there were still weather events. I remember the remains of a yacht in the pool one week, after some high winds.

 

Apart from swimming lessons, it was educational in other ways, such as teaching us how to identify the signs of hypothermia and exposure.

[Mark Saunders]

2 minutes ago, pH said:

In primary school, we used to be taken to the swimming pool once a week during the summer term. This was basically a part of the Clyde enclosed by low concrete walls, over which high tides could spill and animals such as seals and jellyfish could swim. And while  it was ‘summer’, there were still weather events. I remember the remains of a yacht in the pool one week, after some high winds.

 

Apart from swimming lessons, it was educational in other ways, such as teaching us how to identify the signs of hypothermia and exposure.

School swimming lessons ended for me in 1973 with the county boundary changes as my school was in the new Tyne &Wear and the pool was in Northumberland. 

[pH]

37 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Our former drill pig, the immortal Tommy Butler must be turning in hus grave. When instructing us new recruits as to how to bull boots …

I remember watching my dad, who had been an RAF drill instructor at one time, using real ‘spit and polish’ to shine up shoes.  I’ve tried, but never managed, to get the same result.

[Ozexpatriate]

RE: Public swimming pools

 

I imagine ERs have many varied experiences. Here 'public' pools are usually indoors. Indoor pools put me in mind of the glass cylinder of green Chlorine gas that the teacher ignited in chemistry class. They always smell like there is a toxic cloud of Chlorine hanging about (even when there isn't).  I'm not a fan.

 

I learned to swim on Saturday mornings in a 25 yard pool at the Primary School. Despite the antipodean climate it could be cold, though I wouldn't dare compare it with the Clyde. This was cleaner than the tidal wading pool at the foreshore where the tide brought muddy water and jellyfish for youngsters to play in.

 

While at my high school they built a 50m pool which was open to the public for a modest fee. I spent many enjoyable hours there on hot sunny days and less enjoyable, traumatic school swimming "carnivals" which I detested. My father was a surf livesaver in his youth and was still a graceful swimmer when older. Me, not so much.

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

12 minutes ago, pH said:

I remember watching my dad, who had been an RAF drill instructor at one time, using real ‘spit and polish’ to shine up shoes.  I’ve tried, but never managed, to get the same result.

This my dad taught me to do (though with a little water rather than spit). I still use his brush (embossed R.A.N.). No other brush I've purchased since is as effective.

[PhilJ W]

Just received news that my mattress topper is on its way so it should arrive by the weekend.

[Mike Bellamy]

6 hours ago, grandadbob said:

 This means I get to drive the shopping trolley and see if I'm still good at slipping in an extra one or two goodies without being found out until it goes through the checkout.  😂

 

It's so much easier if your local store has the 'Scan it yourself' hand scanners - then you don't need to go through the usual checkout - just go to the till and pay so she won't see what you bought until you get home and start emptying the bags  . . . . . . . 

.

[Tony_S]

My neighbours mentioned yesterday that their grandson is starting some sort of initial training with the army and has received a letter telling him what he has to take. One of the items is a tin of shoe polish which seems to be unobtainable in their bit of N Wales. It didn’t help that the letter had been somewhat delayed. 
My Dad was really good at shining shoes. Not a skill I seem to have. 

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well shopping has been shopped and the cupboards are positively groaning! In between the 2 shopping 5rips I managed to get an hours work done on the computer in the office and yes it was model railway related work. 

 

Like yesterday evening, after tea we decamped to the living room and sat and watched some recorded TV, although tonight I watched it with a glass of rum and coke. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all