Early Risers.

[OwenTheSignal]

24 minutes ago, polybear said:

Bear here.....

 

Back from a silly o'clock paddle in the pool; not sure just how many months it takes before this swimmin' lark starts to become "fun"....

 

I did note that yesterday's brekkies (at M.A.) was "somewhat more interesting" than today's....there may be a clue there.  Definite Poo.

 

Now facing a morning of driving the washing machine; I'm hoping for a wander at some point today as well.

 

I also need to unpack, sort and replace all the tools and "stuff" I took to Missenden Abbey in their proper homes, which will no doubt keep me amused occupied for "some time" as well.  One thing that normally happens to a Bear (and I suspect others as well) whenever I go to M.A. is I spot essential tools n' stuff that others have and Bear doesn't....so Bear normally comes home with a shopping list - that'll be a mission for today as well.  Fortunately the shopping isn't too painful this time.....

 

BG.

 

 

Hi BG,

 

Same mission here today as well. Missenden newbie, spent the weekend mostly gawping at the craft of fellow modellers, sometimes at watchmaking scale, while I blundered around with my Gauge 3 chunky stuff. Refugee from the sadly postponed painting course, but thoroughly enjoyed the 7mm construction course, especially with Kevin Wilson's help. 

Woke up this morning blinking in the not sunlight trying to process all the new tools I 'need'. Honestly thought before this weekend that regular rows of rivets were due to a steady hand and steadier eye. Rivet embossing tool, constant force and constant pitch, things I never knew I needed...

Stuart

[polybear]

7 minutes ago, OwenTheSignal said:

Hi BG,

 

Same mission here today as well. Missenden newbie, spent the weekend mostly gawping at the craft of fellow modellers, sometimes at watchmaking scale, while I blundered around with my Gauge 3 chunky stuff. Refugee from the sadly postponed painting course, but thoroughly enjoyed the 7mm construction course, especially with Kevin Wilson's help. 

Woke up this morning blinking in the not sunlight trying to process all the new tools I 'need'. Honestly thought before this weekend that regular rows of rivets were due to a steady hand and steadier eye. Rivet embossing tool, constant force and constant pitch, things I never knew I needed...

Stuart

 

IIRC you were building a Wagon.....

 

p.s. If it's the GW Models Rivet Tool you were after I'd get in quick - the word is that George is retiring (or may already have?) so they might not be available for much longer.  They're worth every penny, by the way (in fact I'm mystified how he sells them so cheaply)

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Another not bad night last night. Woken up by Arthur Itis after five hours but nothing from bladder control. Arthur went back into his box after a bit of stretching and changing my position and I got another two hours sleep. Will have to check in later with my GP surgery for the results of the sound scan but everythings back to normal now.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

 

State Of The Union

Didn't the Strawbs do a song about that. 

 

Jamie

[pH]

7 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Didn't the Strawbs do a song about that. 

 

Jamie

Close!

 

https://youtu.be/dxNMgoiNLFs?feature=shared

 

[OwenTheSignal]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

IIRC you were building a Wagon.....

 

 

Thanks Polybear,

 

Yes a wagon! D1409 LSWR van, Mike Williams kit in Gauge 3. Excellent kit, as ever from Mike. Solid resin body but with very fine detail, as seen from the Real Thing just a mile from me. For scale, the drawing I'm referring to for the build, scaled from the book, - just - fits on to a page of A4 

 

First rolling chassis in G3. Still lots to do but it's a start. Nearly quit there while I was ahead. Chuckling at the amount of interest in the kit, will ask Mike at the next G3 meet in May whether anybody's been in touch...

 

Which course were you on?

Edited March 11 by OwenTheSignal

[Smiffy2]

Morning all. Smiffy here in La France Profonde. La France frigide...

Not done much except clean and tidy for old friends coming out tomorrow. Yesterday I jetwashed the patio at 6º in a pair of Julie's crocs. Didn't do my legs and back any good...

Today shopping and then five days of drinking, talking and possibly visiting the English Breakfast Club. More of that later.

Oh, and we seem to have acquired another cat.

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, OwenTheSignal said:

Which course were you on?

 

4mm loco destruction....

[Gwiwer]

Good news for a Moan Day

 

After a long fight between parties which resulted in the Australian High Commission in London becoming involved the larger of my two Aussie superannuation funds has finally paid out. 
 

They argued all along that they could only transfer funds into an Australian bank account. My question all along was what their process was for any and all “overseas” retirees. 
 

The answer came back again and again - pay into an Aussie account. 
 

Then, when the AHC got involved, they admitted they could mail a cheque but said my ID wasn’t “proof of identity”. 
 

Back to the AHC who send duplicates of the already-authenticated proof-of-identity documents but including a letter requiring the funds - my money - to be paid forthwith.
 

I’ll settle for fifthwith.
 

It was just after Christmas that I sent the final paperwork.  I noticed from my online portal over the weekend that it was showing “Account Closed”. 
 

Today I received the cheque. 
 

One down. One to go from Australia. Plus one over here who have now sent me the same release forms three times but not yet any money. 
 

Don’t retire. It’s not good for you! 

Edited March 11 by Gwiwer

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, OwenTheSignal said:

Yes a wagon! D1409 LSWR van, Mike Williams kit in Gauge 3

Awl alert!!!  
 

Awl required on page what-ever-it-is-now 

 

🤣

 

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

These Americanism's are getting everywhere nowadays.

 

Ho' do 'ung man.

At least I don’t get to be called POTUS. Or even worse - because it sounds like something which should be flushed away and treated - FLOTUS

 

It was on the Australian “Railpage” site that someone tried to make sense of my “handle” and suggested it stood for

Gone

Wandering

In

Western

England’s

Railyards  

 

Nice try. But we don’t tend to use the term “railyards” here. 

[TheQ]

I suppose Gwiwer is squirrelling away the answer.

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Sun out occasionally but not at present.

Sunglasses were needed at the kitchen sink all of 1 minute. 😂

In other words, by the time I got them on, the sun disappeared again.

 

Toot on flute a bit shorter, today, but a bit better. At least, I finished better than I started! Intermittently playing without the beatbox seems to help taking away some of the tension buildup.

 

Some jobbies to do now - after my mugadecaf which is cooling down a bit.

 

Take care. Be good. Catch it while you can.

Polly

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I tried a couple of times this morning to get an update on the sound scan but ended up on  a queue of 18 so I'll try later or tomorrow. A package of unmentionables arrived this morning so now to sort them out. Be back later.

[OwenTheSignal]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Awl alert!!!  
 

Awl required on page what-ever-it-is-now 

 

🤣

 

 

Humble grovellings, was following a chat relating to Missenden. Have now caught up with this thread rules, awl painfully accepted, won't happen again.
Apologies Awl!

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

I suppose Gwiwer is squirrelling away the answer.

It has been said that there is a passing resemblance ..... 

 

And I have the uncommon distinction of going from red to grey 🤣

[Ian Abel]

Monday... <yawn> still sorting out the "time-change" ramifications.

 

I really don't care either way regarding the changing of the clocks. I just wish a firm decision was/is made and everyone could then just shut up about it and move on with life. The biggest challenge having the time change is running around the house re-setting all the clocks twice a year, and I don't really see that as much of a problem. I can take whatever is decided (a twice-yearly debate here, as I'm sure it is many places) and be done with it.

 

Weekend was busy;

Saturday friends over to see the house as they'd not seen it before (in 4 years!!) then out to brunch, then over to see their new house.

A recent purchase, a "steal" as it needed some work, and he's a retired contractor. They admit now it was in need of WAY MORE than they at first expected but only had literally an hour to decide on the purchase to avoid being second in the race. Their "vision" for the place is amazing, and a lot of work started/done, but they are having trouble finding various workers (plumbing/electrical etc) as all the folks are way busy, AND they are finding the price of materials sky-rocketing, when they can even source them.

 

Sunday, I had to head over to Trevor and Meagans, a request for dad-help as their kitchen lights were on the fritz, two lights not working and one of the others very dim. The house is generally very nice, BUT, was a flip and some of the items used aren't exactly top-of-the-line. The four flush-mount LED ceiling lights, on inspection, were a brand that can be got online for $24 a six-pack, a definite indication of corner-cutting/cheap-and-cheerful. Obtained 4 new ones that also have adjustable color temperature cost of $84 a 4-pack, definite improvement!

Took a lot of the afternoon to install those, then home for a brief rest and then Zoom meeting/dinner with our friends in Arizona.

 

Today, just work, and Brendan will be over this afternoon to pick up Whitney. He gets in before Jemma, so he'll do the pick-up and we'll not see Jemma today.

 

Weather over the weekend was nice and sunny though still cool.

Today, 3c and sunny first thing, 17c the expected high.

 

Onward.

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

10 bags of sand bought , and used on the grass. I'll leave it at that for a bit while it settles, but it will need more.

1 8x4 sheet of ply cut into four 4x2, bought, that's for the post box door and the two looms.

Need to make or buy two cogs to put on shafts, which will stop the weaving unwinding.

 

Ben took me for a long walk, saw a couple of muntjac.

On the return leg just as we reached the tarmac, I saw the destination of all these lorries. There's a small holm on the marshes that our road crosses, there's big piles of sugar beet stacked alongside the road, which is very single track. Like 8 feet wide, and deep ditches either side. There's no way round while loading goes on, and these artics are probably the biggest vehicle ever been on that road. They must be turning round at the T junction at the end which must be difficult as the T is also single track.

They can't come the other ways, as one way is a very green lane, the other does a true single track 90 degree turn round a house and garden.

Luckily one lorry pulled off as we got there and passed us, so we were able to walk the final leg before the next lorry arrived.

Edited March 11 by TheQ

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

It has been said that there is a passing resemblance ..... 

 

And I have the uncommon distinction of going from red to grey 🤣

It is my understanding that the grey version is bigger than the red and has a broader diet. Is there any truth to such?

[PupCam]

Afternoon!

 

I thought I might cut a couple of the cross beams for the pergola this morning.      It turned out that I didn't know when to stop so all 5 have been cut, given a good dousing in Creocote and positioned on the pergola after wrestling with the wayward and largely unsupported Wisteria.       I fear some prunage may still be required on final assemble but don't mention it to @Winslow Boy!

 

Anyway, at the finish I can claim to be "completely done in" so the planned trip to the hospital this afternoon for a blood test has been deferred until tomorrow (walk-in not an appointment so that's fine).   I'm (mostly) pleased with the way the pergola is progressing so a nice relaxing afternoon is being enjoyed.    Part of this lack of activity has included watching part of one of two free DVDs that came within a "bargain book" on the dH Comet Airliner I picked up at a garden centre (in Woking if anyone nearby fancies it) over the weekend.     The book obviously includes quite a bit about the investigations into the crashes of the early marks including photographs of the fatigue test tanks at Farnborough in which the cause was confirmed.    Having spent nearly a year of my my working life working on/in the corresponding tank at Hatfield (not on the Comet, I'm not THAT old!) it would have been rude not to buy it for the bargain price of £9.99.     

 

The two DVD "features" I've watched so far were both on the the work of the RAE.   One from the '60s and the other from the '80s and most interesting they were too.    The one from the '80s especially brought memories flooding back;   look there's an HP9835 computer just like the one I used to program!    And who can forget those Tektronix Graphics terminals?     Early ring laser gyros,  UV recorders, rows of manometers, things that suddenly go Whoosh! etc etc, what's not to like?     Those of you who have worked on aircraft, missiles or other military equipment will recall "the smells" associated with such kit.   I'm sure I could smell them whilst I was watching the videos but I hadn't realised Smelly Vision had been invented.     Overall, that impulse purchase has provided a jolly good result and I've not even really looked at the book yet.      There was also a book on LMS locomotive design as well which looked good but I didn't think I'd get away with buying two books without a getting stern look so the damage to the wallet was limited  .......

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaveF]

The cleaner didn't come this moirning, I had a phone call from Age Co apologising that they have staff off ill so it is rescheduled for Wednesday morning.  It is a blessing in disguise as friends had asked me to go out on Wednesday morning but I really am not fit enough yet so it gives me a good excuse not to go.

 

It has stayed dull and damp all day, I had a quick walk before lunch, had a nap afterwards and sorted out tomorrow's grocery order.

 

While I was making a cup of tea I saw a black cat with white feet staring at something in the garden.  It jumped down and carefully made its way round the greenhouse and hid in a clump of daffodils where it continued to stare.  Suddenly it pounced.  Shortly afterwards it climbed up the fence with a rat in its mouth.  The rat wasn't struggling so I think it was dead.  I wondered if it was taking it home as a present for its owner or to eat.  Sadly several people near me have decking which of course rats love to live under as they feel safe.  One garden in particular has decking and the people eat outside a lot and don't always seem to tidy up too well.  So far I know a few people who have complained to the council, I may be joining them.  I just hope the cat makes a habit of hunting them.

 

At least in my garden there is nothing for them to eat except plants, I gave up feeding the birds a while ago when I noticed that a lot of food was being taken overnight.  Meanwhile I still have field mice which I tolerate but I wonder how long before the rats get them - in fact that might be what the rat the cat caught was looking for.

 

Next will be tea then TV etc.

 

David

[Gwiwer]

28 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

It is my understanding that the grey version is bigger than the red and has a broader diet. Is there any truth to such?

You read too much into those old wartime movies. “Over-broad, over-fed and over-here” is a misrepresentation worthy of The Orange Person. 
 

Over-loud and over-assertive they certainly are. The UK-native reds are by contrast slighter and quieter. Definitely non-aggressive. They’d just like to get on with their nut-burying in peace, thank you, but have found themselves a poor match for their invasive cousins. 
 

Me?  Always a hearty eater, only territorial if my immediate “patch” is threatened and stridently vocal only when I need to be heard offering calming words over a  cacophony of idiots. 
 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... A day of chasing and admin – and panic amongst students who realise that they haven’t done the work. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/03/11/covid-enquiry-wales-day-9-and-mentioned-on-radio-three/

[monkeysarefun]

7 hours ago, Smiffy2 said:

 

Oh, and we seem to have acquired another cat.

 

 

 

OK, I've spent long enough now.....  I give up - wheres the cat?

Edited March 11 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

Bear here....

 

Washing done - Tick.

Then all the M.A. tools n' stuff was unpacked and is now living back where it belongs - so I reckon that's another Tick.

Post- din dins meant a walk down the hill; first mission was to buy & write a birthday card......HOW MUCH??  Jeez, it's only a bit of cardboard FFS.  Bung in a stamp and you're into Bank Loan territory.  Definitely a Rant.

Post - Pit Stop meant all the joys of the diddy Tess & Co, followed by a wander crawl back up the hill with two bags of shopping.....they seemed quite light at the start.....

I've now found a set of Markits wheels for the choo choo chassis as well, which is a result.  Another Tick awarded.

 

On the downside, the bluddy Big H has started again today; I've also had a bit of a headache on & off for most of the day as well (which of course the Big H doesn't help) - hopefully I haven't come home from M.A. with any "Souvenirs".....

 

And finally.....

I suspect that A Certain Bear may be splashin' the cash before the evening has expired - a 50mm Toolmaker's Vice, 2mm Taper Pin Reamer, Super Blue Liquid & Vallorbe Jeweller's Saw Blades being the likely targets.  Oops......

 

BG