Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Sounds like predators trailing a herd of "food", waiting to pounce on the weak or elderly...

 

 

They won't have to wait long for a Harley to break down.  Mate Steve hired a brand new one to do the Route 66 thing, a whole bunch of them.  Dealer said to him 'Take care for the first few miles because it might catch fire - they often do when new'. Confidence ruined.  It didn't, but two others broke down en-route. Then his son fell off one.....poor brakes, he was used to modern bikes.....crumpppp.

[Coombe Barton]

... Apparently Walkers Roast Chicken flavour crips are suitable for vegetarians. That’s what it says on the packet. Hmmmm….

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/11/25/covid-why-is-ethnicity-important-in-covid-and-upcoming-rishi-in-the-enquiry/

[DaveF]

I hope those who have been to Warley have enjoyed it and had good journey.  The same wishes for those who are going tomorrow but in the future tense.  I've never been, it's quite a long way from Northumberland and I can't summon the enthusiasm, I am quite happy just going to local exhibitions these days - and I do enjoy not having to load a car with a layout and then spend two days operating it in a stuffy hall.  It was fun when I was younger but even then doing it 8 to 10 times a year was a bit tiring at times.

 

Today I got my walk, I drove to Seaton Sluice, parked overlooking the harbour and had a very pleasant walk, including a perambulation of the small Rocky Island.  There were quite a lot of birds to see down on the rocks as it was low tide, incluing redshanks, curlew, oystercatchers, sandpipers, herring gulls, black headed gulls and black backed gulls.  There were also starlings both on the rocks and on the island.  As usual there was very little traffic so it was a pleasant short ride.

 

I was back home via the shop in time for coffee having bought some nice fresh rolls for tea later on.  I looked at my latest photos and about 600 photos from 2007, after that I cleaned the car and had a chat with a neighbour about cars and our medications.  I had tinned Heinz spaghetti for lunch, I'll probably be drummed out of ERs for that!  I found a small tin which needed eating when I was tidying the kitchen.

 

I also watched a football match, did some of the jigsaw and watched "Whisky Galore", a film I always enjoy - the original 1949 version not the remake.

 

Shortly it will be rolls filled with strong cheddar and some sort of dessert along with an apple and satsuma for tea.  The plan is then to have a quiet evening reading magazines, the newspaper and my book while music plays quietly in the background.  Then an early night as I usually get up quite early on Sundays.

 

Seaton Sluice Rocky Island

 

Looking towards Blyth from Rocky Island

 

David

Edited November 25, 2023 by DaveF
To add photos

[New Haven Neil]

I really miss going to exhibitions, and showing too, but that would be a lot harder nowadays.  I always look out for a show when we are on the adjacent island on holiday, only managed one in recent memory, but I did at least meet Baz there!

 

I'm still agog at KR Models announcing 'Gordon' at Warley, I doubt Ellis Clarke will be losing too much sleep.

[Erichill16]

1 minute ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

I'm still agog at KR Models announcing 'Gordon' at Warley, I doubt Ellis Clarke will be losing too much sleep.

Now now, with comments like that you’re going to get ERs locked!

[The Lurker]

Greetings from the Fold in the Side of the Hill, at the Southern edge of the Boring Borough.

 

We had a frost here too, second of the year. I too have been landed with a cold but still managed to do leaf clearing in the back garden- and some of the ones that have blown down the street and into the front garden.

 

in other news I ordered an Advent Calendar from Beer 52 for Elder Lurker and me but it has gone missing- they claim it was delivered but it most definitely was not. I shall be pursuing this further especially as something Elder Lurker has also ordered something which has not arrived- in his case he couldn’t get in touch with the delivery people because the code did not work and it has been - he thinks - returned to sender. 

[Ozexpatriate]

Well I don't feel left out with these tales of frost. We've had morning frost for two days now. El niño brings clear skies and that means cold nights without our customary insulating blanket of cloud at this time of year.

 

The forecast for the next week or so is dry - most unusual in our second wettest month. We were ahead of our 'normal' precipitation for the rain year (beginning October 1), by the end of this little dry spell we probably won't be.

[polybear]

6 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 Love this in the comments .

 

 Harley:

 Nobody else has came closer to perfecting the art of making a gasoline engine as

noisy as possible without producing horsepower.

 

Back in the 80's a US Police Patrol Biker was interviewed - he said you could push a dead car off the road using a Harley Police Bike; the first time he tried that with a Kawasaki he bent the frame.

 

1 hour ago, DaveF said:

Shortly it will be rolls filled with strong cheddar and some sort of dessert

 

Cheese and Jelly Rolls.  Sounds promising

 

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

I'm still agog at KR Models announcing 'Gordon' at Warley, I doubt Ellis Clarke will be losing too much sleep.

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Had a good day at the toy fair and visited Tess Coes on the way home to stock up on a few things. I didn't purchase anything at the toy fair that runs on parallel strips of metal but I did purchase some 1/64 diecast motor vehicles representing trans Atlantic prototypes.

[PhilJ W]

This shouldn't worry @TheQ to much but how long before he finds himself on the coast?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-67529551

[pH]

3 hours ago, PupCam said:

It appears I missed seeing a Deltic on the ECML yesterday. TCs squared.

 

It also appears that it will be travelling past Hitchin / St Evenage at ~ 19:30 tomorrow evening.   Should I go and take a look in the dark I wonder?

Definitely! Part of any experience of a Deltic on the move is the sound! (Note - not  noise.)

[pH]

10 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

iD is preparing dinner

> opens fridge, takes out spuds. No dog

> opens fridge, takes out cabbage. No dog

> opens fridge, takes out steak. Schotty appears with an "anything for me" look.

From the immortal “Perishers”:

 

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1142698.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/Perishers - 14th July 2012

[Sidecar Racer]

32 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

This shouldn't worry @TheQ to much but how long before he finds himself on the coast?

 

 Just over 1 kilometer .       😟

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

This shouldn't worry @TheQ to much but how long before he finds himself on the coast?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-67529551

That's  about 8 miles south of here,, unfortunately the sea defences end about 2 miles south of here.

We are about 1/2 mile behind both the 1954 concrete walls and the 1996 rock sea defences.

They were built to stop the sea breaking through to the Norfolk Broads, and then on through to Norwich. They don't protect the higher ground to the North at Happisburgh nor higher ground south from Winterton to Hemsby and beyond.

 

Had the sea defences not been built I suspect we'd have been on an island less than 400yards from the sea. Or to be more precise I wouldn't have bought this house in 1999 in that case.

Edited November 25, 2023 by TheQ

[BoD]

1 hour ago, pH said:

Definitely! Part of any experience of a Deltic on the move is the sound! (Note - not  noise.)

The only other thing known to man that can rattle the trousers in the same way is standing at the foot of a 32’ open Diapason

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by BoD

[monkeysarefun]

9 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

 Love this in the comments .

 

 Harley:

 Nobody else has came closer to perfecting the art of making a gasoline engine as

noisy as possible without producing horsepower.

 

 

Nor has anyone else come closer to producing a client base that you are least likely to mention that to.

 

 

 

 

 

Theres a road that runs behind me that ends up at the scenic lookout that overlooks Lake Burragorang which is a popular destination for weekend car and bike club trips. 

 

We are in a bit of a valley so its an 80kmh downhill, then 60km through the village. There is also a member of Rebels Australia who lives west of here so there are frequent weekends when literally dozens and dozens of Harley Davidsons will ride in a long stream past here. Gotta say, in mass they are impressive, they shake the house. They are probably my second favourite kind of group   to go past when it comes to sound and vibrations, after  V8 car clubs (preferably Holden).

 

Least favourite sound is when some bloke in a Ferrari or Lambo  or something hits the load pedal as they  enter the 80km part and climbs the hill. The most irritating high pitched buzzing annoyance, zero evocation of anything - could be some industrial machinery for all the thrill it brings out. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

8 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Extremely popular in a Land Downunder.  Loud, slow-revving and distinctive even before you can see 'em.  Somehow seems to suit the Aussie biker mentality.  I once passed something like 100 of them on the freeway.  They occupied both lanes of the opposing carriageway preventing anything getting past them.  At the speed they were travelling not much could have legally done so anyway.  But they had a "tail" of Plod whom they also refused to allow past ........  There's something about all that chrome.  Doesn't do it for me but clearly does for others. And the guy with the massive ape-hangers riding with his hands way up in the air, laid back with hair streaming behind him and clad in nothing but T-shirt and shorts is an image I'll not forget.    

 

 

I know someone who's cousin broke a formation once, ie cut in amongst the column of bikes in his car. They pulled him up, dragged him out and jumped on both his hands, breaking every bone. That obviously annoys them.

 

The Rebels came through town one Saturday morning I can recall. Firstly every roundabout was blocked by a pair of bikes to prevent side traffic, then the column of at least 100 bikes went through, followed by support vehicles and various WAGS in MX5's etc. Held the traffic up for about 10 minutes, no one beeped or complained but!

Edited November 25, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[New Haven Neil]

The Harley scene confuses me a bit - they ride them to be 'different' but they're basically all the same, in order to 'belong'.  When Harley do anything different - eg the XLCR Cafe Racer, V-Rod - nobody much buys them.

[monkeysarefun]

36 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

The Harley scene confuses me a bit - they ride them to be 'different' but they're basically all the same, in order to 'belong'.  When Harley do anything different - eg the XLCR Cafe Racer, V-Rod - nobody much buys them.

 

 

I guess you don't have the outlaw motorcycle gang culture there. These are seriously scary dudes, responsible for much of the drug trade  and organised crime  in Australia so aren't just some weekend dress up social club.

 

Harleys (although I do see the occasional Triumph) is their ride,, though they are pretty much all customised, the custom Harley scene here is huge.

 

Some are true works of art, others are more of the "What the..?!" level, but no matter what, your response on seeing that the owner has pinged you checking out his ride should always be "Top bike, mate!" or similar, rather than any form of criticism or mockery - . That way you keep your hands in one piece rather than have them turned into a bag of chips.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

13 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

The Harley scene confuses me a bit - they ride them to be 'different' but they're basically all the same, in order to 'belong'.  When Harley do anything different - eg the XLCR Cafe Racer, V-Rod - nobody much buys them.

 

....and as for the leccy one......

 

I rather like the XLCR - the magazine testers thought it ok too IIRC

[Gwiwer]

3 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

....and as for the leccy one......

 

I rather like the XLCR - the magazine testers thought it ok too IIRC

I can somehow see Bear riding off into the sunset on that gold-plated model.

 

At least in Captain Cynical's dreams! 

[Gwiwer]

5 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

I guess you don't have the outlaw motorcycle gang culture there. These are seriously scary dudes, responsible for much of the drug trade  and organised crime  in Australia

110%.  And the cops seem to lack effective powers to curb their activities.  

 

Sometimes it's sheer numbers.  Sometimes the show of brute strength and bulk (when did you ever see a skinny four-foot-nothing Harley rider?)  Bikey gangs are outlawed in all states now I believe.  Yet they routinely get away with mass rides intimidating any others who attempt to use the roads and are, as Chimpy says, sometimes involved in organised serious crime.  

[New Haven Neil]

More our side of motorcycling.  This is the corner at the bottom of Barregaroo bank- say B'garro - he will be doing about 170  (Edit - photo source says 150mph).  There used to be a gutter downcomer on the corner of that cottage, it was removed for 'safety'.

 

 

No, there's not the outlaw Harley culture thing here, plenty of Harleys ridden by leather and denim clad dudes - mostly accountants and bank clerks with a Ford Escort in the garage.

Edited November 25, 2023 by New Haven Neil

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. After todays exertions I am well and truly knackered. What is more Arthur Itis keeps banging on his drum. With that in mind I've ordered a new rollator, one with larger wheels (that don't so easily get stuck in gratings etc.) And the wheels are removable for transport which means it will take up less space in the car.

[BoD]

14 hours ago, grandadbob said:

 

A very entertaining rugby match was watched last night with Quins just losing out to a very good Northampton side.  Gloucester v Leicester are on the menu this afternoon.

I’m off to Kingston Park tomorrow and although the result is a forgone conclusion I will still enjoy the afternoon.

 

If you are watching on TV give a wave and I will wave back.  I’ll be the one that’s well wrapped up against the cold.

Edited November 25, 2023 by BoD