Early Risers.

[PupCam]

18 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Sad news today.

 

A very good friend from a long time ago has died. He was the gentleman who trialed Thermal Imagers on tanks and grasped what a major difference they would make. He then helped to set up the new training regime for gunners and commanders in the Royal Armoured Corps.

RIP Colonel Alastair Miller OBE Queens Royal Irish Hussars.

 

Baz

 

Very sorry to hear your news Baz.     My condolences to you and may he RIP

 

Alan

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

I've had the joys of being in an MS16 life raft off Portland (the UK one) in cr@p weather and they get warm very, very quickly thanks to the roof.

The English Channel is known for inclement weather, but the Oregon coast has its moments too. James Cook named one headland "Cape Foulweather" and both he and, later, George Vancouver* both wintered in Hawai'i rather than dealing with the Pacific Northwest coast at that time of year.

 

* of course Vancouver was there the first time too. (William Bligh, yes, that one, was Cook's sailing master on HMS Resolution.)

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[pH]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

... (e.g. Alexander Fleming’s “groundbreaking” discovery of penicillin would not have happened if he hadn’t had the knowledge to understand and interpret what he observed - knowledge acquired from others…).

 

 

Or if he had had the knowledge, acquired from others, on how to keep a clean lab bench!

Edited April 29, 2023 by pH
Tense

[pH]

22 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

... both he and, later, George Vancouver* both wintered in Hawai'i rather than dealing with the Pacific Northwest coast at that time of year.

 

Wise people! And that tradition continues.

[Tony_S]

36 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

George Vancouver

My photo of George taken last September in Kings Lynn

 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

(William Bligh, yes, that one, was Cook's sailing master on HMS Resolution.)

 

The reason he was chosen for the Tahiti 'Transit of Venus' gig with Bounty; he was probably the best navigator in the navy and of course had the kudos of having studied under The Master, and of course he knew the Tahiti Royal Family personally from his visits with Cook. 

It is a shame his man-management skills were not of the same order...

[Ozexpatriate]

25 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

The reason he was chosen for the Tahiti 'Transit of Venus' gig with Bounty;

It was Cook who did the "transit of Venus' gig in HMB Endeavour. It was the "official" reason for his first circumnavigation voyage. (Looking for Terra Australis was in his secret orders.)

 

Bligh was not aboard Endeavour when it went to Tahiti. He was rated as an able seaman on HMS Hunter around that time. Cook's third voyage would visit Tahiti.

 

Bligh's official mission was to find breadfruit seedlings to see if it could be cultivated as cheap food for African slaves in Caribbean sugar plantations (hence the name HMAV Bounty):

Quote

... he first sailed to Tahiti to obtain breadfruit trees, then set course east across the South Pacific for South America and the Cape Horn and eventually to the Caribbean Sea, where breadfruit was wanted for experiments to see whether it would be a successful food crop for enslaved Africans on British colonial plantations in the West Indies islands. According to one modern researcher, the notion that breadfruit had to be collected from Tahiti was intentionally misleading. Tahiti was merely one of many places where the esteemed seedless breadfruit could be found. The real reason for choosing Tahiti has its roots in the territorial contention that existed then between France and Great Britain at the time.

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

I find this interesting, given the way the RN worked at the time:

Quote

Because the vessel was rated only as a cutter, Bounty had no commissioned officers other than Bligh (who was then only a lieutenant), a very small crew, and no Royal Marines to provide protection from hostile natives during stops or to enforce security on board ship.

On most RN warships of the time, the Royals' day-to-day job, was to protect the officers from the crew. Except in action, a marine was always posted outside the captain's quarters.

[monkeysarefun]

19 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I'm guessing the overwhelming majority are either intentional or a result of silly behaviour. All the decks have handrails and increasingly open areas seem to be getting glass screens. Those arrangements can fail, but it's extremely rare, so most of those going overboard are either jumping, pushed or doing silly thing (getting a better look over the side, photos sitting on the handrails and such like).

 

 

The Manly ferry gets its share of rough crossings which  has made for a cheap lunchtime amusement ride for at least 50 years:

 

 

 

  I don't  recall any restriction on riding outside during even the roughest crossings, the fun police don't seem to operate on Sydney Ferries, and I don't recall anyone being lost due to just being washed overboard.  There is on average one overboard incident every few months but almost all are through either skylarking or from suicide attempts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Ozexpatriate]

50 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I don't  recall any restriction on riding outside during even the roughest crossings

Glad it wasn't that rough when I took it, many years ago.

[monkeysarefun]

7 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Glad it wasn't that rough when I took it, many years ago.

 

From 1984 until 1996 when I stopped working in the city it cost about $3.80 for an hours worth  of  soaking wet  thrill.  Beat that, Amusement Park log rides!

 

Loved those East Coast Low lunchtimes. 

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

The Manly ferry gets its share of rough crossings which  has made for a cheap lunchtime amusement ride for at least 50 years:

 

 

 

  I don't  recall any restriction on riding outside during even the roughest crossings, the fun police don't seem to operate on Sydney Ferries, and I don't recall anyone being lost due to just being washed overboard.  There is on average one overboard incident every few months but almost all are through either skylarking or from suicide attempts.

 

Nothing compared to the Renfrew Ferry.

[AndyID]

1 minute ago, AndyID said:

 

Nothing compared to the Renfrew Ferry.

 

Our mum (a very smart lady) twigged that she could wheel us down there in the pram and stay on the upper deck for as long as she wanted for the price of single fare. We seemed to find the rumble from the engines and chains very soothing. (We being me and my two older brothers.)

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

RE: Spicy "Asian" flavours, 

 

Sriracha* is very popular in the US as a condiment - particularly one made by LA-based Huy Fong Foods.  It is presently unobtainable, due to a drought-related chili crop failure in Mexico last summer.

 

Amazon UK have it - at about five times the price of an alternative brand in Tesco.

[jamie92208]

9 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

They are certainly handy in the event of having to abandon lunch.  

 

Over the side avoids the need for anyone to clean up below deck when the dreaded mal de mer strikes.  

My very first sea voyage was on a unstabilised channel ferry aged 14. I wasn't affected on the rough crossing but had great amusement watching the young ladies in their trouser suits(1967) coming up out of the saloon whilst feeling sick, then forgetting g to check which way the wind was blowing. Getting your own back was. a good description. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning.  It's getting warmer here.  In the 20's yesterday.  Gateaux was visited, very nice, then I had to go and fetch a ale of straw. That cost me some butterfly buns.  I have since helped in the terrible task of eating some more  of them.  It's a hard life. 

 

This morning it's our usual chat with the girls then I'm off to Angouleme to do some shopping and possibly watch some trains. 

 

Regards to all. 

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning.  It's getting warmer here.  In the 20's yesterday.  Gateaux was visited, very nice, then I had to go and fetch a ale of straw. That cost me some butterfly buns.  I have since helped in the terrible task of eating some more  of them.  It's a hard life. 

 

This morning it's our usual chat with the girls then I'm off to Angouleme to do some shopping and possibly watch some trains. 

 

Regards to all. 

 

Jamie

Straw ale ?

 

 

Over the years I've had many trips across the Minch from North Uist to Skye, or from Lochboisdale to Oban. Only once did it get as bad as that ferry picture. The journey was delayed 3 hours to allow the worst of the storm to pass. It then took 5 hours for the 2 hour trip. The ferry was often travelling in a crab like fashion due to the force of the wind.

There was a parallel journey the same day from Stornoway to Ullapool, that ferry tipped on her side, but recovered, however she arrived at Ullapool with a distinct list and many vehicles inside on their sides.

 

I was in the lounge for the trip, which was packed, it rapidly cleared as we left port, as many went to lose their breakfasts. Luckily for me I don't get sea sick.

 

Mooring Awl,

3.5 hours plus 1 hour plus 2 hours sleep.

Back is not happy,  right ankle is also painful and stiff. 

 

Ben the I want out Collie wanted out an hour early, resisted for the first half hour. But we've been out now, a very heavy dew, 100% clear blue welkin, fried egg warm air cool.

Observations were taken of where mowing is needed if it stays dry. 3 areas where obstructions have been cleared and others where the jungle has grown too fast.

 

Plans for today

The Landrover needs clearing again , we've received a donation of stuff which runs on parallel bits of metal, but the club house of full of sorted stuff for the next show. So it'll be stored it till after the show.

 

I've been given the treasurers records, so they'll need a home in the house, near the computer, as the current excel files need loading and the historical documents need storing..

 

Also there's that picture for the museum to work on and the baseboard to build.

Then there's that jungle.

 

Time to get muggacoffee number 1.

 

 

[polybear]

Bear here....

Firstly, VSBT's to Baz 😥

 

Today sees (hopefully) some fettlin' of wood work, along with a visit to the P.O. to post off the busted Goober Brush back to Phillips, along with some Earth Wire Insulation Sleeving back to Amazon that's so cr@p it's not even worth the £1-99 I paid for it - as The Big River paid for delivery (along with a pack of fuses) and return I suspect they won't be making much profit on that little number.

 

I had a close call yesterday when I'd been "watching" a certain type of powered choo choo on the 'bay; as I'd been watching it for a while I received the offer of fifteen quid off the price, valid for something like 40 hours or so.  Well after I'd messaged the seller to confirm condition and how it would be sent (I hate such items being just wrapped in bubblewrap then handed over to the Postie (or even worse, Courier), far preferring them to be in separate outer boxes with padding.  They made all the right noises + sending more photos so I decided to go for it - and then discovered that the special offer discount expired in ONE minute 😱.  It was the fastest this Bear had moved all day - and I made it just in time.  Tick.

 

In other news.....

This made Bear smile - serve's 'em right:

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/couple-ordered-to-tear-down-80k-extension-built-two-inches-into-neighbours-garden/ar-AA1auwHq?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=0ee8027c0fbd497b846f2becb75537b8&ei=41

 

(Incidentally, we've not heard anything of the exploits of @baz's Tw@t Neighbour lately - has he downed tools, or has the roof fallen in on him?)

 

@Gwiwer might well be rather impressed by the actions of this lad:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-65377864

The Driver spoke on the Radio to "Base" - I think that stopping straight away first would've been a better option, though in fairness it's easy to be wise after the event.

 

@PupCam - if you fancy trying a Mitsumi Motor (do a search on RMWeb) for a certain "something" then a certain Bear can help

 

Right, time to get furry ar5e into gear...

BG

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Blue skies but rain is due later.

 

For the first time in many years I have no cricket to umpire. Not a problem as it happens as my hip will be thankfully for the rest.

 

Thanks for the commiserations. He was a great but slightly eccentric man. He used a black powder gun when with the Army shooting club and , on retirement,bought a hotel which became known as Fawlty Towers.. but I liked the place. His wife acted as chef and makes a delicious banoffee pie!

 

Now.. herself is no longer scoring cricket matches on a Saturday so it has been decided WE are going to "tarn". MEGA PAH!

 

Looking at the Manley ferry photos (it was flat calm when we have used them) reminds me of my late departed mother. She got sea sick watching the opening shots on the Onedin line! She tried to go on the Tyne ferry and threw up while we were at the berth.. never affected me!

 

Mugatea time then.. off to tarn!

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz

[monkeysarefun]

12 hours ago, Grizz said:

Erm…Huston we have a problem.

Now what I want to know is which one of these three did a ‘Friday Afternoon Job’ on the little egg.

Left to right, Bunty, Solar and Babs.

 

 

Tell her to pull her finger out, you won't get many Coronation Quiches at that rate.

Edited April 29, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Commiserations Baz on the loss of a good friend.

Blue sky and sunshine here. It should stay mainly dry and sunny today, currently 8°C and may reach 19°C.

After a good night's sleep I've got Some Aching in The Hip at present but nowhere near as bad as the last couple of days.  Let's hope it stays that way.*

Mention of Vancouver reminds me that grandson Joe is leaving UBC today(night) after his spell there and will be coming back to Blighty tomorrow.  I have a feeling from what he's said that he will miss it a lot.  He's got a part time job locally until he returns to the University of Sussex in September.

* The Boss is muttering about something called "Housework" but I'll try and swerve that and play the "agony" card.

Time for some breakfast.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[DaveF]

 

A dull morning again with rain forecast, it's 6C outside.  So far I've had some breakfast and checked the greenhouse and am now wasting some time gaining valuable information by looking at threads here on RMWeb.  I'm not yet sure what happens next but I will make time to look at some of my old photos.

 

As for ferry crossings, most of the time I have been fortunate - my first crossings were Newhaven to Dieppe and back when I was 14 in 1964 on flat calm days.  It was a bit rough on one trip from Esbjerg (Denmark) to North Shields in the early 90s on the Winston Churchill. She was built in 1967 and looked like a "proper" ship with wooden decks and plenty of outside space.  On the day I remember having my breakfast and wondering where everybody else had got to, later when I was changing some money one of the crew said I was about the fifth passenger she'd seen that morning.  It was quite hard to stand up at times.

 

Perhaps having sailed in coastal waters in small boats made me a bit less likely to get seasick.

 

I'd better go and find something to do or the day will have gone.

 

David

Edited April 29, 2023 by DaveF

[monkeysarefun]

9 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

RE: Spicy "Asian" flavours, 

 

Sriracha* is very popular in the US as a condiment - particularly one made by LA-based Huy Fong Foods.  It is presently unobtainable, due to a drought-related chili crop failure in Mexico last summer.

 

* Derived from a Thai chili sauce.

 

I've been trying to restock and the local supermarkets are all out of the brand-leader. I ended up buying a 'store-brand' one. It is different - tastes OK, but doesn't have the same punch.

This one?  I Just checked the brand as I was doing tea, we are still living on the heap ofkarrs we stocked up on for lockdown.

 

I chuck it in everything except Pavlova, makes it all Asiany.