Early Risers.

[Barry O]

Happy Anniversary GDB and best regards to your good lady.. she has the patience of a saint and a heart of gold!

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Game called off - flooded pitch in Boughton Hall so , guess what, its cricket admin catch up day.... again!

 

PAH!

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

3 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Happy Anniversary GDB and best regards to your good lady.. she has the patience of a saint and a heart of gold!

 

Never a truer word spoken Baz.  It never ceases to amaze me that she has put up with me for so long!

[tigerburnie]

10 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

 

Never a truer word spoken Baz.  It never ceases to amaze me that she has put up with me for so long!

Congrats GDB, I think you are not alone in that statement, is it ex rugby players lol?

[TheSignalEngineer]

No cricket involvement this evening so may even get time to catch up with myself.

Last week involved a trip to a ground not visited before, because it didn't exist. Probably not yet officiated at by @Barry O lt it's about 30 minutes closer to Leeds than his venue today. (Just noticed game is off)

The club concerned were at a small old ground surrounded by houses. They bought a field next to the River Goyt in Lower Bredbury and have just started playing there. It's still a bit work in progress but will be good when completely finished with two pitches and a clubhouse.

 

 

Hard to believe it's only just over a mile from the middle of Stockport

Edited June 13, 2023 by TheSignalEngineer
Updates to other information just posted

[grandadbob]

21 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Congrats GDB, I think you are not alone in that statement, is it ex rugby players lol?

 

Could be TB, I remember when we were deciding on a wedding date that I said she could pick any day she liked "as long as it wasn't in the rugby season!"  She never batted an eyelid.

[BoD]

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I really wonder how these kids are going to manage out in the “real world“? All the things these kids fret about the real world does NOT care about. Furthermore, some of the - how can I put it – [ahem] “concerns” that they have are not shared by the majority of the population in the majority of the countries in the world.

 

... who have made such a good job of running things?

[jjb1970]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

I wonder what they would make of garum?

 

They'd probably love it! 

 

As a bit of advice, if you're ever in China and locals describe flavours using words like 'mysterious' and 'exotic' then run. Run as fast as you can and don't stop.

[jjb1970]

Happy anniversary to GDB, enjoy many more!

[PhilJ W]

Happy anniversary GDB.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land.

Mostly cloudy.

 

Yesterday afternoon, I popped outside the front door to see how much rain we had had. Not a great deal but it sure brought out the snails. I counted up to 16 of them in a 6ft length alongside the path and still came across as many more. Other critters who like to hide away were also observed such as the woodlouse.

 

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ Pictures of snails.

Disclaimer. No snails were touched, harmed* or consumed in this project.

 

 

 

 

END OR WARNING

 

In the evening, clouds bubbled up at sunset.

Lightning made the odd appearance in neighbouring villages but not here. By the time darkness fell, it was chuckinitdarn. I shall not need to water the pot plants, today. Hopefully, they will come on a bit now. Most struggled with the cold and/or the dry spells early in the year. The hot and dry spell has knocked a few back. The buttercups and daisies have done really well, though, not to mention the Dreaded Dandy Lions << (Blow...) one o'clock...two o'clock...>>

 

Time for a toot on the flute.

 

Take care. Be good.

* Watch where you are treading. (See Disclaimer!)

 

Polly

 

[southern42]

Happy Anniversary @grandadbob and the Good Lady.

Polly

[BoD]

Happy anniversary, Mrs & Mr GDB

[polybear]

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I totally agree. good manners cost, nothing, lubricate the runnings of society and are conducive to people doing a good job (if you are in a customer facing job [as the jargon has it] Would you prefer to serve someone or assist someone who is pleasant, says “please“ and “thank you“ and regards you as a fellow human being, or serve someone who believes that you are “beneath them”, and doesn’t even bother to say thank you after what you have done for them.
 

 

Bear has advertised stuff on Freegle (Freecycle) to give away - more than once I've had a message saying "I'll have it".  Oh no you won't, thinks Bear.....I'd rather bin it.

 

11 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

What’s more, (returning to the topic of his students) I think either he is being far too soft on these students or his hands are tied by his administration.

 

At the College where Bear's Muddle Engineering Group used to meet there was a Motor Vehicle Engineering Class - definitely an environment for not p1ssin' about.  The Tutor had to tell & show a pair of Students three times how to do a task on a Car, and each time they screwed up cos' they weren't listening & p1ssin' about.  At that point he said something along the lines of "FFS if you don't want to be taking this course then stop wasting my time and don't bother coming any more".

Result?  They complained to the Principal and he had to stand there and apologise to them.  He took early retirement shortly afterwards - and the College had a hell of a job finding a replacement.

 

11 hours ago, BSW01 said:

So, once back home, I dropped the shopping bags in the kitchen and headed downstairs to the cellar. There was water coming in through the seals where the glass meets the door frame of outside door, but there was a lot more water on the outside. Through the glass of the cellar doors I could see that the water level was between 20 and 24 inches deep! So, I spent the next 40 minutes alternating from outside bailing the area in front of the cellar door and inside the cellar as well, I must have emptied the buckets at least 40 times! 

 

Any way you can fit a drain outside, or maybe an auto pump?  Or an easily removable flood barrier across the outside of the doors?  Whilst such occurrences must be rare I imagine that a lot of damage could be caused if you were out all day/on holiday and it were to happen.

 

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

https://www.artybollocks.com

 

 

The Great Empire had various "Art" by local (College?) Students hung in various places around the site - all random stuff rather than landscapes etc.  Each had a note next to it describing what the piccy represented - the contents of which most definitely fell within the scope of "artyboll0cks" at it's most finest.....

 

Bear here......

Danglin' done - that was the last top coat on the hallway architrave.  Big Tick.

Right, time for something more interesting......😉

 

In other news......

VHBAW's to @grandadbob GDB & SWMBO  🍰🍰

 

BG

[The White Rabbit]

Morning all,

 

Congratulations to GDB + 1. And sympathies with Brian, sounds nasty, especially after a visit to the hospital.  

 

No thunderstorms round here - I heard rumbling last night - no, not anybody's stomach - it was just someone moving a wheelie bin about. Meanwhile, the birds are taking frequent drinks and baths - the blackbird and magpie in particular are fond of standing in the water as if they want to cool their feet. Understandable, the weather reminds me of:

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=6PTlknhq&id=707EF47807FB97867BF9D3E50A17EFA6DB12D548&thid=OIP.6PTlknhqha4sVobXWDv1MgHaFK&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.e8f4e592786a85ae2c5686d7583bf532%3frik%3dSNUS26bvFwrl0w%26riu%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.rabittooth.com%2f13_calvin%2fspiff%2fspiff66.jpg%26ehk%3d2VjAjPoGtwZAFunx%2bJ4H9aY%2b60HASrRQMA5OgOneFDw%3d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=538&expw=771&q=Calvin+and+Hobbes+Spiff&simid=608029350850732418&FORM=IRPRST&ck=92772ED75852C93E3300B3C73A3EFCDA&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0

 

 

[The White Rabbit]

9 minutes ago, polybear said:

... The Great Empire had various "Art" by local (College?) Students hung in various places around the site - all random stuff rather than landscapes etc.  Each had a note next to it describing what the piccy represented - the contents of which most definitely fell within the scope of "artyboll0cks" at it's most finest.....

 

PS - https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=bpp2boot&id=F8CBC2070F79B8F540806B96A92E728945788B74&thid=OIP.bpp2boot3rEqOl5LepuYsAAAAA&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.6e9a766e8a2ddeb12a3a5e4b7a9b98b0%3frik%3ddIt4RYlyLqmWaw%26riu%3dhttp%3a%2f%2f1.bp.blogspot.com%2f-JnpzmDjjmjE%2fUbJjAmeOG0I%2fAAAAAAACGvA%2fCAnigYaqEN4%2fs1600%2fcalvin%2band%2bhobbes_writing.png%26ehk%3dBykzMiY1D5jUs8nX1kItLRPkjrERh5%2fO4NOwB9xaNk4%3d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=380&expw=305&q=calvin+and+hobbes+art+language&simid=608030480432103906&FORM=IRPRST&ck=0E88DAFE15D9C67BD66B6F5706255D8E&selectedIndex=62&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0 - may explain a lot? 

[iL Dottore]

An anniversary GDB?

Well done that man!

[grandadbob]

Many thanks for all the good wishes, doesn't seem like 53 years and nearly 58 years since we first met aged 16!   Perhaps I should've robbed a train!! 😂

It's been a quiet day so far but Nicki is picking us up about 16.00hrs to take us to her old house where her ex  (and I suppose our ex SiL) Steve is cooking us all a meal later.  Should be a good evening with most of the immediate family present although Joe will be absent because he's got a temp part time job.  However we did see him last week for his delayed 21st birthday party (delayed because he was in Vancouver at the time)and a very good time was had by all.

Really pleased that although Nicki and Steve are divorced it was an amicable separation and they are still on friendly terms.

Edited June 13, 2023 by grandadbob

[southern42]

Just coming to the end of my lunch outside in the sunshine, when OH brings the emptied 👏 recycle bins down from the collecting spot.  Munching away on my last toasted sarnie, I was reminded of earlier postings from Gwiwer and myself on the topic of "English" words expressed in Welsh as I gazed upon the set of blue bins.

 

List of items listed on the orange flap of the middle bin (English underneath):

 

How many do you recognise?

Those ending in -i, -iau, and -au are plurals.

 

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Sweaty I am, knackered I am.

 

First did some digging near the well, and  moved some of the raised bed edging into place,

Then my sailing compatriot turned up and we had a muggacoffee while sorting out the world, he's getting his white van man Van MOTd next week, so he must be thinking of getting back to work.

 

After that it was back to a the well, I decided to move an oblong slab to be replaced by a square slab matching the other side.

Hmm Slab? Turned out to be concrete very well smoothed over a cobbled path, the cobbles were just large pebbles probably off the beach. That turned out to go under the concrete cap of the well by about six inches!!. and I'm guessing right up to the edge of the original brick well. So it looks like the square Brick top of the well precedes the concrete cap by some years..

Much levering pulling and xxxxx to get it out..

I've decided to put in the new slab temporarily, but not under the concrete cap. This will give me something to stand on while demolishing the cap.

 

It advances the cap removal. First I need to put in the raised area "wall" to stop soil dropping in from the back,  then put fencing round the outer area to stop Ben or anything else getting in there. We

have some puppy fencing that hooks together that will do the job. Then I'll angle grind cuts in the concrete, to enable it to be removed, hopefully in sections not going down the well....

 

However the pig sty wall will have to come down first, so once well cap deconstruction is finished reconstruction with bricks ex pig sty can commence.

 

Just realised the raised walling at one side that's already in place may have to move in towards the well once the concrete cap is removed....

 

Time for a can of something before preparing dindins.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. After yesterdays exertions I'm taking it easy today, having to stay indoors because of the hay fever. Despite the inside temperature being 27C. I don't feel at all hot. Time for another cold drink, BBL.

[BoD]

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

Just coming to the end of my lunch outside in the sunshine, when OH brings the emptied 👏 recycle bins down from the collecting spot.  Munching away on my last toasted sarnie, I was reminded of earlier postings from Gwiwer and myself on the topic of "English" words expressed in Welsh as I gazed upon the set of blue bins.

 

List of items listed on the orange flap of the middle bin (English underneath):

 

How many do you recognise?

Those ending in -i, -iau, and -au are plurals.

 

You recycle hamburgers?

[Tony_S]

Happy Anniversary to Bob and Mrs Bob.

Sorry for lateness, we got up early this morning and got to the Channel Tunnel with plenty of time for our booked crossing. The lady who stamped our passports was very jolly and pleasant showing that it isn’t necessary to be grumpy at borders. The trip to Troyes (our overnight stop ) was an easy journey. My telepeage tag worked perfectly. This was very pleasing as the Evoque is well known for making tags unreadable due to its windscreen construction. I don’t think I will be trying the 30 drive through ones yet though!
Tony

[DaveF]

First a very happy anniversary to Mr and Mrs GDB.

 

After I dropped off things at church I had a quick talk with the vicar about his retirement plans, he and his wife have bought a house on the Yorkshire coast, towards the southern end of the county which I know they love.

 

When I got home I decided to pack a picnic and go out, almost letting the car decide where it wanted to go, or at least my deciding to go along some favourite roads.  I headed inland to the A1 and headed north until just past Morpeth where I turned onto the A697 towards Wooler.  Almost straight away I stopped to look round the big garden centre but didn't buy anything as it is a bit too dry to plant at the moment.  Then I turned left on to what I always think of as the "Pretty Road", almost all single track, the passing places are field gateways and some bits of verge and you cross 3 fords.  In about 40 minutes I met 3 cars.  I stopped several times, had my coffee, took photos and had short walks in the glorious sunshine.  Eventually I reached the end of the road and turned right to go to Rothbury, on the way I noticed an interesting sign on a side road "Single track road, no passing places for 2/3 mile".  

 

Arriving in Rothbury I found it was quite busy but as usual found a parking space on my favourite bit of road by the green, across the road from the shops.  Rothbury is called a town, it has a poulation of about 2,100.  I visited the shoe shop which has an arcade at the side where you choose the shoe (they display right foot ones), then you go into the shop to be shown that pair and any similar ones to make a final choice.  I ended up buying two pairs, one for summer and one for winter.  There was a constant stream of people buying shoes.  Then I looked at the rest of the shops and bought a Cornish Pasty and a pork pie in the butchers.

 

Next I drove just out of the town and visited Cragside (National Trust), the former home of Lord Armstrong.  I just visited the formal gardens and then went round the 5.5 mile carriage drive, stopping on the way to eat my lunch and take photos of the lakes and rhododendrons.   The car park for the house was packed.

 

After that I headed east over Alnwick Moor into Alnwick where there was a small traffic jam - a very big motor home was almost stuck going through the gatehouse.   Having eventually got through I visited Barter Books where I found 3 very good copies of books in the New Naturalist Series which I have been collecting on and off for many years.  They were not cheap but are in mint condition.  Although Barter Books was busy I was able to park outside the door which is quite unusual.

 

Then I had a pleasant drive back home along the main road just inland of the coast through Warkworth and past Amble.

 

Really a quite magical day.

 

There are a few photos below at the start of the "pretty road", more will follow tomorrow once I get them sorted out.

 

View north from Longhorsley Moor

 

Simonside Hills

 

Cheviot Hills

 

A wide bit of the road.

 

David

Edited June 13, 2023 by DaveF

[polybear]

Bear here.....

A rather nice din dins was had in the company of three Muddle Engineering Group Buddies - one of whom is having a pretty sh1tting time at work due to a certain T0sser (it sounds like they're trying to get rid of him).  'Sterds.

Four nice main meals (we're talkin' Pub Grub here) came to a tad under sixty notes, which I didn't think was bad at all.  One of those present *may* have had an Ice Cream Sundae Chaser though.....😁.

I also had a bit of a result on the way there when travelling along a road known for parking a speed detector van - and there they were.....

Now Bear is "pretty good" when it comes to speed limits now (though I won't claim to be an Angel by any means) - it is all too easy to find yourself doing 35 in a 30 just at the wrong time (though this wasn't such a time, fortunately).  Definitely a Tick.

 

In other news.....

EDF have decided they're visiting Bear Towers uninvited on Thursday to fit Smart Meters.  Again.  They'll get no more chances if they don't work this time.

 

BG