Early Risers.

[Barry O]

@polybear.. you eat chip shop sausages??? Not a good idea.. full of all sorts of nasty things... the fish would be a healthier option.. but in my time in Bragbury End until the local Chinese take away started to do fish and chips we didn't buy any.  ?Rock? and chips.. yer what??

 

Bazj

 

Ps it's now chuckinitdarn  big time here

Edited November 14, 2023 by Barry O

[DaveF]

Like many people in my part of the world I sometimes need to drive through the Tyne Tunnel and so have to pay the toll.  I just paid cash at the toll booths until November 2021 when they were removed.  To save the hassle of either phoning or paying on line for each journey I set up an account into which I paid some money and set up "auto top up" so that whenever the balance went down to £5 it was topped up from my credit card.

 

In other words, nice and easy.

 

On Saturday they upgraded their system to allow payments by Apple Pay and Google Pay, probably a good idea.  During the day the system was taken down, but payments for those who have accounts will be debited in a few days if they made a journey on Saturday.  I glanced at the e mail and thought no more about it as I wasn't using the tunnel last weekend.  Today I received an e mail reminding me that as I have auto top up enabled I would need to re enter my card details as the new system did not copy them across, though everything else - i.e. my details, the balance, car reg no. etc was. 

 

It was easy except that I didn't see the final button, it took me about 10 minutes to work out where I went wrong and managed to find it, which required me to scroll quite a long way down the page.

 

Why can things not be straightforward any more?

Edit  It's as well I had to reinput the payment information, I decided to check the other information and found I had mis typed my new car's reg. no by one letter.  Fortunately I hadn't been through the tunnel since I bought it.  Also the wrong reg. no. I had entered does not exist so I have not been charged for someone else's car.

David

Edited November 13, 2023 by DaveF

[PhilJ W]

20 minutes ago, Barry O said:

At Arnhem  my old man reckoned you could walk across the flack and cannon shells... and, unlike others..  you got no medal to thank you for your attendance in unarmed "Transport Sqadrons" unless you got a posthumous VC (Flight Lieutenant Lord)  or a DFC for becoming "flak happy" (Jimmy Edwards DFC).

 

Baz

My mums cousin flew with Transport Command in Burma. Flying Dakotas in and out of Imphal when it was surrounded by the Japanese. The airstrip was on the top of a hill and the Japanese were at the foot of the hill firing at the aircraft coming into land. Many of the aircraft were hit and those that were too badly damaged to fly were simply bulldozed out of the way.

[PhilJ W]

8 minutes ago, DaveF said:

Like many people in my part of the world I sometimes need to drive through the Tyne Tunnel and so have to pay the toll.  I just paid cash at the toll booths until November 2021 when they were removed.  To save the hassle of either phoning or paying on line for each journey I set up an account into which I paid some money and set up "auto top up" so that whenever the balance went down to £5 it was topped up from my credit card.

 

In other words, nice and easy.

 

On Saturday they upgraded their system to allow payments by Apple Pay and Google Pay, probably a good idea.  During the day the system was taken down, but payments for those who have accounts will be debited in a few days if they made a journey on Saturday.  I glanced at the e mail and thought no more about it as I wasn't using the tunnel last weekend.  Today I received an e mail reminding me that as I have auto top up enabled I would need to re enter my card details as the new system did not copy them across, though everything else - i.e. my details, the balance, car reg no. etc was. 

 

It was easy except that I didn't see the final button, it took me about 10 minutes to work out where I went wrong and managed to find it, which required me to scroll quite a long way down the page.

 

Why can things not be straightforward any more?

 

David

Same thing with the Dartford river crossing, they changed their system about the same time. I have an account on the old system which I haven't updated as I don't drive very far now and I am unlikely to use the crossing in future.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well, I’d spent about an hour surfing t’internet, when Sheila came in and said, leave that until later and go and get some painting done in the cellar. Well, I didn’t need telling twice and as I’d already made myself a muggertea, I packed up and disappeared downstairs. I first cleaned the rollers that I had used yesterday and had left soaking in a bucket of water, then I cleaned up and had a good look at the walls in daylight. They looked alright and I now feel I don’t need to add a darker blue. But I did notice a couple of small areas where the ceiling and walls meet, that needed to be touched up. So, I found a small brush and set to work dealing with that. Once that, was done, I headed to the workshop and got the acrylic paints that I needed to paint clouds, namely, white, black and blue, which took me nicely to dinner time. 

 

After dinner I made a start painting clouds, not something I’m used to doing, I began with a small mix of paint and started near the door. I was using a couple of photos on my phone as a guide, so I’ve not done much. However, I’m not convinced I’ve got them right, they look a bit clumpy for want of a better word, so I might just be painting over them and starting again. However, next time I’ll print a few photos clouds off and keep them to hand when I try again later in the week. 

Here is a photo of the clouds in question, (sorry about the washed out colour, I was a bit too close when I took it). I’m sort of pleased with the lower clouds, but the upper ones, the centre one in particular just doesn’t look right at all!

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[pH]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

… DFC for becoming "flak happy" (Jimmy Edwards DFC).

I heard Edwards’ explanation of how he got the DFC: Two DFCs had been sent to the squadron. The squadron leader had kept one for himself and raffled the other. 😄

[Hroth]

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just watched an interesting program on Channel 4 about air fryers. Some of them are quite large and they tested them against other forms of cooking food. One test they tried out was with two almost identical families (mum, dad and three kids) asking them to cook a roast chicken* dinner one family using an air fryer and one a conventional oven. Overall the air fryer won by the time taken and the energy consumed, less than half the time and energy that the oven used. It surprised me that some people even baked cakes using an air fryer though it shouldn't have as they're actually a compact fan oven. When it comes to energy consumption (kwh) the microwave comes out tops with the air fryer second and slow cooker third with the conventional oven using more power than the other three combined. *The whole chicken was a tight fit in the air cooker but it was found that it was easier to fit breast down, this meant that the breast received all the juices as it was cooked. 

 

I got an air fryer a while ago from Aldi, 30 quid for a single compartment 4.5L capacity device with touch controls.  I've not been adventurous in using it, its mainly for cooking my ... fish'n'chips!!!

 

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, Ian Abel said:

Both performers were excellent, only marred by the DREADFUL acoustics in the Vikings stadium.

It is intentionally loud for that Gjallarhorn and that 'skol' chant.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a damp Charente.  It seems to have rained continuously for weeks.  We needed it though. Shopping this morning then off to the shed. 

 

Jamie 

Edited November 14, 2023 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

5 hours sleep, 1.5 hours sleep, 1 hours sleep a good total.

 

It's still windy here, as Debi took a right turn and turned down the north sea before heading toward foreign parts.

 

Like the Bear I don't do fishy things, forced school dinners of a mouth full of bones, very badly cooked,  put me off that.

The chips in my most used chippy though, are not greasy, in fact I find them quite dry.

 

I avoid pay for bridges and tunnels, that even applied when 30 years ago I was travelling for GEC. Then it was difficult to claim back money due to a lack of receipts, now it's because of the complications of setting up payments for something I might use once in 10 years.

So it's west round London or until all the Scottish bridges became free , it was via the Kincardine bridge which was free and the A985.

 

The pension that wants a photo of me holding my driving licence says it's not clear enough.. Well what do they expect, a camera won't focus on a credit card and a person at the same time..

We'll have one more attempt before resorting to spending hours on a phone...

 

Plans for today,

Muddling, I'm not going digging this morning as there is a Radar Museum dinner at lunch time.

 

But first,

Ben the I'd like out Collie went back to bed when I told him he was too early. Well now it's ...

 

Time to get up and go get wind blown with Ben.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull but dry here at the moment despite all the dire weather warnings and cries of "We're doomed."  Variable cloud, scattered, possibly heavy and thundery, showers forecast followed by sunny spells and more showers.  Quite mild at 11°C and it might creep up to 13°C.

Some medication was due for delivery yesterday but phoned the pharmacy at 19.30 to query non-arrival to be told driver had been taken ill but someone else was bringing it.  Didn't happen so I'll have to check up later as we were intending to go furniture shopping this morning.

Time to make some tea for The Boss.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[Barry O]

5 hours ago, pH said:

I heard Edwards’ explanation of how he got the DFC: Two DFCs had been sent to the squadron. The squadron leader had kept one for himself and raffled the other. 😄

Well when he crashed and was burnt in the process he became a Mcindoe Guinea pig and grew his famous handlebar moustache to cover the scar up.

 

The medal you really had to work for was the AFC (Air Force Cross).

Baz

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, the rock was awfy wet again last night but it has actually stopped now, and there is just a gentle breeze, 10c which counts as mild.

 

Mate H is coming around this morning for a gas about 'those' things, he hasn't been for several weeks due to my covid-ness, he's vulnerable after chemo etc.  It'll be good to see him and put the world to rights, and discuss all the great layouts we'll never build.

 

Looks like the Clampetts next door are going away, taxi woke me up at silly o'clock, it's a good hour to the airport from here and they must be on the first flight.

[polybear]

8 hours ago, DaveF said:

It was easy except that I didn't see the final button, it took me about 10 minutes to work out where I went wrong and managed to find it, which required me to scroll quite a long way down the page.

 

Why can things not be straightforward any more?

 

Cos' the person who produced the web page was still at school in June; prior to that they identified as a cat:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12219913/Children-identifying-cats-wearing-ears-class-warns-Britains-toughest-headteacher.html

 

13 minutes ago, TheQ said:

The pension that wants a photo of me holding my driving licence says it's not clear enough.. Well what do they expect, a camera won't focus on a credit card and a person at the same time..

We'll have one more attempt before resorting to spending hours on a phone...

 

 

And meanwhile your pension is sitting in their account earning them interest.  'sterds.

 

Bear here.....

 

Templot.

 

Bear gone......

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Rain is still.. raining. It looks like there will be a window of opportunity  later to allow me to walk to Sister Drac for a "diabetic" discussion. Great news!

 

Slept in (06:40 is a sleep in for me!).

 

We are getting a new mattress delivered today. We need to get the old one downstairs as they are taking it away and they will be delivering the new one to our bedroom.

 

In other news...not a lot scheduled but I will be travelling North (again) tomorrow to play trains at a layout being built by the man who can bend items from Devon to fit track plans. Should be great and a good catch up with some very good muddlers is in the offing! Even better.. I don't have to drive..Mike Edge has volunteered to do it!

 

Numbknuts next doorbis still drilling holes in the walls next door.. it will collapse shortly!

 

Time to drink my mugatea and venture forth to do email catch up..

 

Stay safe!

 

Baz

 

 

[jjb1970]

9 hours ago, Barry O said:

At Arnhem  my old man reckoned you could walk across the flack and cannon shells... and, unlike others..  you got no medal to thank you for your attendance in unarmed "Transport Sqadrons" unless you got a posthumous VC (Flight Lieutenant Lord)  or a DFC for becoming "flak happy" (Jimmy Edwards DFC).

 

Baz

 

Transport command crews were treated rather shoddily in terms of medals and recognition I think, flying at low altitude and at low speed in a predictable flight path (the Germans knew the drop zones)  made them the perfect targets for flak gunners. Not just the 88 and 105mm guns which could shoot at high altitude targets but the Dakota's were well within range of light rapid firing flak.

 

It seems to be a recurring feature of the British armed forces and MoD. 8th Army veterans who served before 2nd El Alamein (which could be described as third El Alamein if you count Alam Halfa as 2nd) didn't get the 8th Army clasp for their Africa Star medal which was rather shoddy IMO. And merchant seamen had a very shoddy deal, they weren't military but faced extremely high risks to keep Britain in the war, especially if they served in the Arctic convoys to supply the USSR.

[iL Dottore]

Good Morning,

 

Arrived home on schedule, disabled the alarms (and thermal imaging guided machine guns), unpacked the British charcuterie (soss, black pudding haggis) and put it in the fridge put the bottle of Suntory World Whisky (obtained at LCY - half the price than in Switzerland) into the whisky cupboard, had a wee dram - contemplating all the ER posts on fish ‘n’ chips (I concluded that many ERs are very Germanic in their approach to food: “doesn’t matter what it is, there’s got to be a lot of it”), thence to bed to the sounds of wind and rain.

 

[iL Dottore]

Oh Pooh! Hit the post button by mistake. Anyway, to continue:

 

This morning I’ll be working on the building I’m constructing for a layout that will be exhibited at Warley (I’ll be delivering “on the day”). At the Brains Trust meet up, my “client” (for want of a better term) provided me with some materials for the building and a surprise from our late chum ChrisF.

 

Over the years I made a number of buildings for layouts ChrisF was involved in, in return he said he would express his thanks by building a GWR Toplight Coach for me (when not marching around in his rainbow boots, or attending folk music concerts, ChrisF was a talented and knowledgeable modeller - not that he thought himself so - being rather self deprecating about his skills and knowledge). When he died I thought “well, that’s that” - a lot of joint projects died with him. On Saturday, to my delight, one of the BT regulars handed me a box and inside was an exquisitely built and finished GWR toplight coach (how it got to me is a bit complicated and I won’t bother you with the story).

 

And, fittingly and poignantly, under the coach on the floor pan was a tiny label “in memory of ChrisF”

 

This, I think, shows ERs (and TNMs) at their best: thoughtful, considerate and generous.

[monkeysarefun]

12 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

I feel sorry for Tasmania, no corners at all...

 

 

 

There's Cosy  Corner in The Bay Of Fires...

 

 

 

Unusual in having a cuddly sounding name in contrast to our  usual Cape Grim, Mt Disappointment,  Dismal Swamp, Suicide Point, Mt Misery, Bay Of Fires  etc etc 

Edited November 14, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[iL Dottore]

9 hours ago, Barry O said:

At Arnhem  my old man reckoned you could walk across the flack and cannon shells... and, unlike others..  you got no medal to thank you for your attendance in unarmed "Transport Sqadrons" unless you got a posthumous VC (Flight Lieutenant Lord)  or a DFC for becoming "flak happy" (Jimmy Edwards DFC).

 

Baz

 

9 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

 

Transport command crews were treated rather shoddily in terms of medals and recognition I think, flying at low altitude and at low speed in a predictable flight path (the Germans knew the drop zones)  made them the perfect targets for flak gunners. Not just the 88 and 105mm guns which could shoot at high altitude targets but the Dakota's were well within range of light rapid firing flak.

 

It seems to be a recurring feature of the British armed forces and MoD. 8th Army veterans who served before 2nd El Alamein (which could be described as third El Alamein if you count Alam Halfa as 2nd) didn't get the 8th Army clasp for their Africa Star medal which was rather shoddy IMO. And merchant seamen had a very shoddy deal, they weren't military but faced extremely high risks to keep Britain in the war, especially if they served in the Arctic convoys to supply the USSR.

Not only that, but it does seem that those fighting in campaigns and battles that were either failures (e.g. Arnhem) or considered peripheral/of minor importance (e.g. the Burma Campaign) were deliberately overlooked by the Military Establishment. As they say “success has many fathers, failure is an orphan”.

I’m currently reading Defeat Into Victory by Field Marshall Viscount Slim (or General Slim as he was at the start of the Burma Campaign) and how this important theatre of war was neglected by British High Command is pretty shocking.

 

I think that it’s important to regard defeats such as those in Greece, Crete, the Balkans and Burma (at the start) not as failures but very expensive (in terms of men and materiel) setbacks for the Axis powers. Had the Italians and Germans not had their losses (men materiel, time) in the Balkans, Greece and Crete, the invasion of the Soviet Union would have occurred earlier with more resources to draw on; likewise without Burma demanding men and materiel of the Japanese, the American Pacific Campaign would have been even more costly and time consuming than it was. In both cases, the outcome of the war would have been different (not that the Axis powers would have won the war - none of the Axis powers had more than a fraction of the resources [men, materiel, industrial capacity] of the Allies, but the war would have gone on longer and the post war political landscape would have been very different)

[DaveF]

It's not raining, yet but it should start by 10.  The groceries have come so I can eat for another week and the dates on the fresh stuff will work out well.

 

I didn't sleep well last night, if only I could work out why it sometimes happens.  I was probably doing things on the computer until too near bedtime.

 

If the weather does what the forecast says then after my walk I'll be indoors for the rest of the day.  I might sort out some clothes to go to a charity shop and other bits for the tip or I may do some modelling or I might do not much at all.  It is hard making decisions when there is nothing very urgent to do!

 

I shall be very pleased when we finally get some dry weather, I am avoiding some single track roads as the verges are so wet that if I meet another car I might get stuck in the mud getting past them.  The rule seems to be that if you drive something big, especially a 4x4, then you can't go onto the verge, only smaller cars can do that.

 

David

 

 

[Gwiwer]

10 hours ago, DaveF said:

Why can things not be straightforward any more?

Because we are living in the age when “computers make life easier”. 
 

No. They don’t. Not in every situation. How many “accounts” do I have in order to shop online?  Almost one for everywhere I go; a few places allow me to “check out as a guest” without harvesting details such as my email address or phone number. 
 

Electronic payments do not always save time, do nothing for job retention and discriminate against those unable for any reason to use cash. 
 

It is still a daily occurrence in London for visitors to offer bus drivers cash for fare payment. London buses have not taken cash for years. You can buy a Travelcard for cash at a retail outlet but only if one is nearby and they are now only sold for “all zones” meaning you are probably paying a lot more than you need to for trips confined to the central area. 
 

It should be easy enough to adopt a single-coin cash payment option. Or two coins. Such that no change has to be given. London buses charge £1.75 per trip; most others in England charge the current £2 cap per trip. Hand the driver a £2 coin or two £1 coins (the latter being far more commonly found in pockets) and hop on. Drivers may not even have to pay in as they once did if a coin vault system was in use; that is emptied by security staff at the garage. 
 

Electronic systems have their place. But there must always be a KISS option as well. 
 

Good morning all. Speech over. Enjoy the day. 

[Gwiwer]

57 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

13 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

I feel sorry for Tasmania, no corners at all...

 

 

 

There's Cosy  Corner in The Bay Of Fires...

Tassie also has the delightfully-named Eggs & Bacon Bay