Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

... she though I would enjoy taking the old machine to pieces, recovering some nuts and bolts and then taking the remains to the tip.

A mate and I dismantled an old washing machine for parts. It was tedious and frustrating. There were more spot welds than nuts and bolts so while it was possible to get to useful bits like the motor, we still had a great hulking white steel skeleton.

 

This was the late 1970s and it was an old machine.

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each.

Well blow me down and tickle me sideways!  I have actually achieved something today.  After quite a long time of doingnottalot aka nothingatall in The Shed I visited that building and started moving wheeled things about.  After such a long period of neglect performance of some left a lot to be desired.  So far 28 locos (out of 70) tested and there was much stopping, starting and stuttering but most are now running OK.  One is completely dead (Mazak rot) * and three can be revived (one wire needs re-soldering and two need traction tyres (bloody awful things).  Not a bad few hours but there is much more to be done.

Some food has been surrounded and second glass of vinho tinto de Portugal will shortly be poured.

As usual nothing on mainstream TV to interest me so I'll be looking elsewhere for entertainment.

 

*Royal Scot "Black Watch" which was the first loco I bought in 2008 when I got into the hobby.  Real shame as it was a lovely runner.

[Erichill16]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

 

In other news.....

I see the UK are to send even bigger "day spoilers" to Ukraine.....Poo Tin is gonna be might p1ssed off with us.  Oh, hang on, he already is.....

 

BG

Somebody else that’s a bit p1ssed off. Sort of thing that makes me smile.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65558694?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=65558694%26Watch minister get angry telling-off for media leaks%262023-05-11T10%3A15%3A14.000Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:269220f2-acf1-4c44-9363-b3054466411f&pinned_post_asset_id=65558694&pinned_post_type=share

[PeterBB]

On 11/05/2023 at 07:44, TheQ said:

Certainly looks like the isle of Kerrera, with Hutcheson's monument on the hill.

Hutcheson (1799-1880)  must be spinning at the moment due to the mismanagement of his company..

It became... Caledonian Macbrayne .

I've seen the view many times,  but only once in the evening, waiting for a night ferry to the isles ( outer Hebrides)

Kerrera - not been since son was 13 (just realised that was a long time ago) but it was 'my island' in student days at Kingston and I really grew to love it even to the point of looking at one of the properties when it came up.  In those days there was still the paddle steamer and Sunday was the time to leisurely walk to Oban for the papers sit down with company on the station and read - it was generally spring/summer when I was on the island. There was one big senior school that also had boarders and all the islanders knew everybody over a fair distance, a great community.  

 

I had a van and one of the farmers asked me to take a ram for sale with him to Fort William - quite an experience.  Previous mention was of course the coincidence with the car that knocked blocks down onto the track and giving a hitch-hiker who turned out to be the stone mason a lift to repair it the following weak. Those were the days.

 

Then came the 'RORO' and everything changed so was not too impressed on the last visit.

Edited May 12, 2023 by PeterBB

[DaveF]

 

I've sorted out the photos of Plessey Woods so here are a few of them.  The bluebells are a bit less floriferous than some years, it could be last year's dry summer or this year's very wet Spring.  The ground was too wet to walk anywhere off the woodland paths so I couldn't get really close to some of the biggest areas of them.

 

I forgot to mention that I visited a farm shop on the way home from the garden centre, I haven't been for some time and they still have some very nice things.  I contented myself with some chocolate ginger biscuits, bread, "Jack's tea" (The Northumberland Tea Company's Jackie Charlton blend) and 2 tea towels with local views.  I shall go back next time I want sausages, they have a very good range.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by DaveF

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

I always wonder about the utility of using a shopping service like Ocado. For one thing, you can’t prod the potatoes or squeeze the melons (or the shopgirls, if you are so inclined) and get exactly the right produce at the right level of ripeness/maturity that you need to make a successful dish.

 

At that level I agree. Cans, packets, jars, dried goods are all the same. Fresh dairy products don’t need to be selected other than to check use-by dates. 
 

But vegetables, meat and freshly-baked (as opposed to “supermarket”) bread are best checked first. Specific weights / quantities can be purchased in store. 
 

Tesco and a few others allow customers tge option to order by weight or count for loose items. That includes most fruit and veg. Ocado’s warehouse-based system does not allow that. 
 

We were skeptical as to the benefits of delivered groceries. There isn’t one good supermarket nearby. When we arrived here we chose to not use a car meaning the weekly shopping trip was done at significant inconvenience by public transport. A lot of trudging with multiple heavy bags, waiting for trains or buses and time was expended. 
 

We thought we would try deliveries. Waitrose was our first choice, we sometimes used (and on rare occasions still use) Tesco and once used Sainsbury's.  Then we tried Ocado and really haven’t looked back.  Even with the Little Red Driving Box a visit to a supermarket is rare. During the pandemic restrictions we had a guaranteed delivery slot which we still have.
 

The fresh stuff is almost always good though often not quite as fresh as off-the-shelf simply because it’s been through the warehouse system.  There is no option to purchase specific quantities as everything is pre-packed. It’s not easy to get a cheese platter without buying 500g of each and fresh prawns don’t occur. But that’s not really our style. If and when we need stuff like that we shop specially.  
 

Ocado pack your shopping in plastic carriers which are, as the law requires, charged at 10p each. But they accept returns for recycling and credit you 10p per bag. 

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Congratulations to @BR60103 and his other half, and let there be more.

Sat waiting for the football to come on the radio but feeling a bit tired so not expecting to listen to the final whistle but not really bothered.

Here’s  a picture of Sydney in the woods on Tuesday. He didn’t seem his bubbly self and just wanted to sit and watch the world go bye. Must admit, some most of the time that’s all I want to do. Anyway better take Hovis out before the match starts.

Goodnight

 

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

There have been more than one occasion when I have asked Mrs iD to bring some avocados back from her shopping trip and invariably she turns up with green “things“ with all the softness of a lead shot cannonball.  

The avocadoes here come from Mexico. Their condition in the supermarket is a bit of a crap shoot and unless using them immediately, I usually prefer to purchase them transitioning from green and let them ripen on the counter for a couple of days. If you need them to ripen faster put them in a brown paper bag - the ethylene they release accelerates the process.

[Ozexpatriate]

From the silly pages:

 

CNN: Fierce bunny removed from neighborhood after lunging at residents (in Iowa).

 

Obligatory reference to the Rabbit of Caerbannog within: "death awaits you all—with nasty, big, pointy teeth"

 

Perhaps HM CIIIR would let the good townsfolk of Perry, IA borrow his holy hand grenade?

[monkeysarefun]

12 hours ago, polybear said:

I try not to run the A/C unless I need it as it ups the fuel consumption.

Thats fixed by simply getting a 6 litre V8. Having the air conditioning on or off make absolutely no apparent difference in the ute.

Edited May 11, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

11 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

One of our neighbors just bought a new Suzuki Jimny, I never realized it was still being made. I can't remember seeing a new one in Britain for years. It's one of those cars which gets a lot of derision and dismissed as a toy (in fairness it is tiny) despite the fact that it'll get much further off road than most of the SUVs that clog up the roads. I drove them in the Middle East quite a lot and they are genuine off road vehicles. Though why you would want one in a country where it is pretty much impossible to go off road is a good question as their on road manners are mediocre. 

 

Then again I know people who pay ££££££s for the optional 4x4 transmission and off road packs of some SUVs despite having zero intention of every leaving tarmac. 

 

 

They are still available here though they've always been called different things, the LJ10, LJ20, LJ50, LJ80, Sierra and Stockman, but are finally the  Jimny to match everywhere else. They pretty well have the SWB market to themselves if  you don't want a Jeep.  Landrover don't bring their SWB here any more -  thats  if they even bother to still make one, assuming they haven't given up the  serious off-road market  entirely finally in favour of the Chelsea tractor segment. 

 

They need  a set of bigger wheels and tyres before  they can do more serious stuff   but are popular with rental companies for 4x4 adventures at places like Fraser Island etc, also popular with  solar farms and wineries where their narrowness allows them to fit between solar panel arrays and grape vines.

[Ozexpatriate]

2 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

They are still available here though they've always been called different things, the LJ10, LJ20, LJ50, LJ80, Sierra and Stockman

They are not available in the US. American Suzuki Motor Corporation (the US subsidiary) filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Prior to that there were marketed as the Suzuki Samurai. They have a relatively high roll-over risk.

 

There are no shortages of (proper off-roading) 4x4 vehicles here.  Big Jeeps, middle-sized Jeeps*, Toyotas and many others.

 

* The Jeep Renegade is the smallest model (sub-compact, crossover). It has a 4WD option, but not really in the "proper off-road" class.

[Coombe Barton]

... Support Sessions for assessment due a week today. One student, who I can’t recall ever having seen before, today posed the question “where do I start?” ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/05/11/zoe-data-in-uncertain-decline-and-spring-booster-takeup-43-99/

[monkeysarefun]

9 hours ago, polybear said:

Bottle Bank visited - the two giant wheelie bins have been visited by the local ar5ebadgers and are full of everything EXCEPT metal cans and plastic 🤬.  T0ssers.  I look forward to the day when they start catching and fining people - or even better, beating them to a pulp....

 

 

 

Do you not have these? 

 

 

Apart from giving kids free pocket money they've been pretty much responsible for eliminating almost all the rubbish thrown from cars - you could eat off our roadside verges these days. 

 

Come on The UK, being the best in the world at funny hat parades is all well and good but looked at  from here it seems that one or two other areas  could do with some work!

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Gwiwer]

On 10/05/2023 at 18:14, Gwiwer said:

This is the first in a series of preparation walks for the 26-mile Mighty Hike in July in support of Macmillan Cancer. 

This isn't the place to post fundraising links.  But if anyone feels so moved and wishes to support my efforts (as a number of ERs did last year) I am happy to reply to a PM with the link. 

[The White Rabbit]

Evening all,

 

Congrats to @BR60103 and happy anniversary. 

 

Changeable day weatherwise, alternately sunny and blue skies and chuckitdarns and grey sky. It's noticeably milder and the garden is really coming on. Unfortunately so are the slugs and snails, three got a oneway flight to the garage roof, dinner-time (or lunch...?) for the blackbird. 

 

Our neighbours currently have a new Jimny and are very pleased with it. I think it's expensive for what it is but know that many owners of the older versions are very happy with them. Assuming I actually get to have a 'next car', then I toy with the idea of getting one as my next vehicle. The only thing which puts me off is a poor safety rating. 

 

Most of our groceries are now ordered online. It saves getting up at the crack of dawn to avoid the crowds, many of whom treat Covid as a big joke, and also allows us to get certain items which our local stores (smaller than average) do not stock but which we are partial to. The one snag we've found is the obvious one already mentioned - you can't check on the condition of the goods, whether best before dates, ripeness, fat content or anything else. 

 

I have been going through various things recently, not only paperwork, finances and books but certain things running on parallel rails. Unfortunately I too found a loco (brand new and unused) had succumbed to mazak rot. I am most displeased with those people down south who sold it as, when I asked for help with a fix, they said [on yer bike]. Not a good way to retain custom. I shan't be buying anything in a red box again. Modelling vouchers will be spent on treacle tart - or LDC - instead ... 

 

And one set of items which run on very small rails very close together found, tested and offered on here. I hope I can get away with mentioning that, as if things had worked out as intended (pah!), I would have spent more time gardening in miniature than fiddling with  model trains. Tomorrow, clothes to review and sort. Oh goody... 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Do you not have these? 

Sadly not.  

 

I believe there are one or two very localised schemes (and see my earlier post re. Ocado carrier bags) but since "Money back on the bottle" died a death when - the late 1960s - there has been no nationwide incentive-to-recycle scheme.  

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Do you not have these? 

I'm not sure if Oregon invented them, but our "bottle bill" of 1972 stipulated refunds on *most* beverage containers and we had lots of such machines.

 

Sadly the pandemic (as an excuse for the supermarkets to scale back) has largely killed them off. (The machines are still there but they are mostly and curiously all "out of order".) Instead the supermarkets offer a service where you tag a plastic bag of recyclable bottles (all tracked to your loyalty account). I refuse to participate in data harvesting my garbage.

 

Instead I dropped all my bottles off to the high school annual graduation night committee where they can benefit from the deposits.

 

EDIT:

I like the "Grad night" event. Graduating high school seniors are locked in (and chaperoned) overnight at an event centre for a party and farewell event for people who may never see each other for years. The idea was to mitigate drunken fatal road accidents (and other eventualities) of partying graduates.

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

Some Tvrd just outbid The Bear 🤬 Turdycurses.

YEah! And I dont even really want it!

[monkeysarefun]

The other use for Jinmnys that is fairly common here is by the Grey Nomads - RV driving retirees who do the obligatory  "12 months around Australia" trip. YOu see them towed along by motor homes to be used as a  local get-around vehicle while the RV  (Retirement Vehicle!) is parked up.

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

15 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

Unfortunately I too found a loco (brand new and unused) had succumbed to mazak rot. I am most displeased with those people down south who sold it as, when I asked for help with a fix, they said [on yer bike]. Not a good way to retain custom. I shan't be buying anything in a red box again. Modelling vouchers will be spent on treacle tart - or LDC - instead ... 

 

How old is it, out of interest?  I look forward to someone taking them to the small claims court - I can't see them defending such a claim cos' it'll cost them far more to do so than the claim is actually worth.

[PupCam]

Evening All!

 

Another fairly busy day for me with a bout of Pampass root wrestling and then 5 more bags of Pampass remains to the tip. WHilst out I took the opportunity of posting a small circuit board back to the supplier to have it reprogrammed to make chuffing nosies instead of rumbling noises.   I was thinking about going to the doctors on the Beeza to pick up the latest supplies this afternoon at which point the sky turned black so I went in the car again instead.     The sky went very strange an hour or so before the sunset and as we were looking out of the window a Barn Owl flew across the field opposite   highlighted by the golden sun against a very black sky.   It was an absolutely beautiful sight.  

 

I've never actually seen a Barn Owl here before.   We've been here since the mid 1980'2 so I suppose it's early days ....

 

Up the smoke tomorrow transportation systems permitting!

 

Alan

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

We had a great time this afternoon, meeting up with my aunt and uncle, there were lots of extended family members, some we haven’t seen for quite some time and some we met only a few months ago. 1 person in particular was my uncle’s cousin (and my mother’s) who I’ve not seen him since early 1967, just before we moved to Canada, I was only 10 at the time, so I don’t really remember him. Funnily enough, his older brother was also moving to Canada and was on the same boat that we were on. 

 

The whole get together was all the very last minute, my cousin informed his parents (my aunt and uncle) that he was going to fly them over in his jet, so they had about 10 days to organise it all. My cousin doesn’t pilot the plane himself, he has staff for all that, oh how the other half live eh? Still it was great to see everybody again and especially my cousin, who I haven’t seen for about 30 years at least. He’s the CEO and founder of a large tech company that is now based in Texas and is a multi-millionaire. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

Evening all!

 

Belated Happy Anniversary to Mr and Mrs @BR60103! This year will be our 45th wedding anniversary.. gulp!! Where has my life gone??

 

Long day driving to Edgbaston, long meeting then drive back.pah!

 

I vote we knock Birmingham flat and put a road across it.. 

 

The M42 has even more pot holes than the New Zealand State Highways have.. Birmingham just has... road works.. lots of them.. which despite the best efforts of waze.. you can't bypass them.. hence my more radical solution suggestion...

 

Time for bed methinks.. 17 hour days of travel and "voluntary" work is too much for me!

 

@grandadbob I had one Royal Scot that the chassis failed on (very early model).I built a Comet chassis for it.

 

I have another one which is a lot newer.. no problem so far!

 

Sleep well/ have a nice day wherever you are on Planet Earth.

 

Baz

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Barry O