Early Risers.

[BoD]

Another case of the last two pages the same.

So poor Tony has spent two days tidying the house.

Poor chap.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Lovely blue sky here in Manutopea. How long it'll last is another thing.

 

 

And...........its raining. (probably!. 😁)

Edited August 31 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

We have a bit longer to complete our tidying up. Our guest for the weekend got to Earley earlier than expected but there was a track inspection taking place so he is now on a bus to Reading to start his trip to the East. 

[Tony_S]

24 minutes ago, BoD said:

Another case of the last two pages the same.

So poor Tony has spent two days tidying the house.

Poor chap.

It feels like it!

[Tony_S]

47 minutes ago, DaveF said:

may watch the cricket as well. 

If the weather is anything like it is here they will need the floodlights. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The healing process is still on going, but I’m finding movement a bit easier now and last night I was able to take a shower, which, although a little difficult, did make me feel a lot better. Today will be pretty much the same as yesterday, mainly sitting about a lot, with lots of short walks to the kitchen for drinks etc. I’m back at Stepping Hill Hospital on Thursday to have my catheter removed, which I can say in all honesty, I won’t miss. 
 

Back later. 

Brian

[monkeysarefun]

Speaking of old airfields.  When driving south from Darwin along the Stuart Highway you will periodically see a sign  telling you that you are passing the  site of another  WW2 airstrip.

 

 

These were constructed at intervals southwards along the highway in order that we could conduct a fighting retreat should the Japanese invade, as was believed they would in 1942 and 1943. The intention was that the squadrons would be moved back down to the next airstrip as the Japanese progressively over ran them.

 

 

In the case of most of them the sign is the only indication now that they were even there, other than maybe some faint remnants of the actual strips which are now used as rest stops for road trains.

 

The most intact one is RAAF Strauss, just south of Humpty Doo. Even then, "intact" means mainly the aisrstip, some mysterious remnants of rusted twisted metal  and a couple of cracked, weed covered concrete fighter pads.

 

There are now some cut-out aircraft and a plaque to tell the story, they weren't there when I stopped there 20 years or so ago for a wander around, and the photos I took  got lost when downstairs got flooded,  so I stole this image from the net.

 

 

 

In a lot of ways. Australia's situation in 1942 was quite similar to Britain's in 1940. An all-conquering  enemy was advancing steadily towards us and an invasion seemed just a matter of time. Like Britain after Dunkirk , our army was also depleted.  The part of our army that hadn't been surrendered to the Japanese by   LT-Gen Percival at Singapore, had just left  Nth Africa by ship convoy, but was the subject of a tug of war between Australian PM John Curtin who demanded they be returned home to defend Australia, and Churchill, who planned to send them to Burma.

 

So, In the meantime   we were left with just our version of The Few  -  in Spitfires and Kittyhawks - to man these remote air strips.

 

These photos show that despite the tropical heat, the gum trees and the nose art depicting Tojo rather than Hitler, they share so many similarities in appearance, youth  and attitude to those  who fought the Battle Of Britain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Oh, and post Pearl Harbour we did at least also have the might of the US navy  to help us!)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31 by monkeysarefun
Added a picture of a sign!

[45156]

Morning All,

 

Yippee - won the postcode lottery according to an email that I received ths morning - I might if I go to a cheap pub get change from two pints - a tenner doesn't go very far. 

 

A new Vax carpet shampooer arrived late yesterday and we assembled it this morning - a six year guarantee is unheard of these days, but Vax still give one - and they have honoured it - good to know there is still some good customer service in this country.

 

Set off to go to Ludlow on the Park and Ride but it didn't arrive - so we went to the Co-op for the shopping that we needed instead (cost a bit more) and came home.  Checking on bustimes online, it appears that they have no driver or no vehicle for one of the routes, so have done the usual, and combined both routes.  As our service is a park and ride (meant to relieve congestion and pressure on parking spaces) it will not help our visitors only having one bus an hour.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[KeithMacdonald]

14 hours ago, Hroth said:

For some reason, I went through today convinced it was Saturday!

 

There must be something contagious; I spent the first three hours of today thinking it's Sunday, and why did the programmes on the radio sound different to normal?

[BoD]

For some reason I am convinced that today is Saturday too.

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

There must be something contagious; I spent the first three hours of today thinking it's Sunday, and why did the programmes on the radio sound different to normal?

Our clock radio is programmed to come on later at the weekends. I haven’t changed it since we retired. The Sunday R4 news does seem like a longer version of “Thought for the Day”.  

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

There is a hangar alongside the A64 between the A1 and York.  I believe that the field was used by the agricultural college near York Askham Bryan. 

Jamie

 

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Speaking of old airfields.  When driving south from Darwin along the Stuart Highway you will periodically see a sign  telling you that you are passing the  site of another  WW2 airstrip.

 

These were constructed at intervals southwards along the highway in order that we could conduct a fighting retreat should the Japanese invade, as was believed they would in 1942 and 1943. The intention was that the squadrons would be moved back down to the next airstrip as the Japanese progressively over ran them.

 

 

In the case of most of them the sign is the only indication now that they were even there, other than maybe some faint remnants of the actual strips which are now used as rest stops for road trains.

 

The most intact one is RAAF Strauss, just south of Humpty Doo. Even then, "intact" means mainly the aisrstip, some mysterious remnants of rusted twisted metal  and a couple of cracked, weed covered concrete fighter pads.

 

There are now some cut-out aircraft and a plaque to tell the story, they weren't there when I stopped 20 years or so ago, and my photos got lost when downstairs got flooded  so I stole this image from the net.

 

 

 

In a lot of ways. Australia's situation in 1942 was quite similar to Britain's in 1940. An all-conquering  enemy was advancing steadily towards us and an invasion seemed just a matter of time. Like Britain after Dunkirk , our army was also depleted.  The part of our army that hadn't been surrendered to the Japanese by   LT-Gen Percival at Singapore, was in Nth Africa, the subject of a tug of war between Australian PM John Curtin who demanded they be returned home to defend Australia, and Churchill, who planned to send them to Burma.

 

So we were left with just our version of The Few , in Spitfires and Kittyhawks to man these remote air strips.

 

These photos show that despite the tropical heat, the gum trees and the nose art depicting Tojo rather than Hitler, they share so many similarities in appearance, youth  and attitude to those  who fought the Battle Of Britain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Oh, and post Pearl Harbour we also had the might of the US navy  to help us!)

It's surprising  how many relics of both world wars still exist. There was a booklet in Essex C.C. reference library detailing existing WW1 sites. One was a field near Burnham-on-Crouch that was designated an emergency landing ground that still exists though one wouldn't realise it as the only structure was a tent. There is also a 'modern building near Epping which was a former hanger, the only surviving part is the roof, the walls have been replaced twice.

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Off out in a moment to help grow some veggies etc. Hopefully we will also be having a visit from the 'Bee Man' to see if the site is suitable for a couple of hives. This is something we are quite keen on and have been looking into/contemplating for the last year or two. So fingers crossed.

 

 

Did someone mention Hunny??

 

🐻🥳

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit late on parade as I had a bad night, Arthur Itis must have invited his friends along for a party. I didn't sleep until it was getting light so was late getting up. Now to get on with a few things, be back later.

[jamie92208]

57 minutes ago, BoD said:

For some reason I am convinced that today is Saturday too.

It's even Samedi here. 

 

Jamie

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Where we live you can't tell which day of the week it is...

I do know Wednesday is bin day. That's about all the excitement we get.

[monkeysarefun]

 

In Pottsville Michigan today, someone who is orange  said this .

 

 

"She destroyed the city of San Francisco it's and I own a big building there it's no I shouldn't talk about this but that's okay I don't give a damn because this is what I'm doing I should say it's the finest city in the world selling get the hell out of there right but I can't do that I don't care you know I lost billions billions of dollars you know somebody said what do you think he lost I said probably two three billion that's okay I don't care they said do you think you'd do it again and that's the least of it nobody they always say that uh I don't know if you know Lincoln was horribly treated uh Jefferson was pretty horribly Andrew Jackson they say was the worst of all that he was treated worse than any other president and I said do that study again because I think there's nobody close to Trump I even got shot and who the hell knows where that came from..." etc etc 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry but can anyone explain why  the US election is  on a knife edge? 

 

FFS 

 

 

Edited August 31 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

 

It's surprising  how many relics of both world wars still exist. There was a booklet in Essex C.C. reference library detailing existing WW1 sites. One was a field near Burnham-on-Crouch that was designated an emergency landing ground that still exists though one wouldn't realise it as the only structure was a tent. There is also a 'modern building near Epping which was a former hanger, the only surviving part is the roof, the walls have been replaced twice.

 

 

We didn't have to worry about WW1 down here other than to send the ANZACS off to get slaughtered for the mother country, but there are a lot of WW2 sites on the outskirts of Sydney.

 

  For instance just up the road from here is this radio station.

 

 

 

I only know what it is because my brother was a mad traction engine enthusiast at one time and helped to restore a Buffalo Pitts that belonged to the son of the bloke who was the caretaker to the site since it was next door to where he lived.   . So when my dad and I went over to HIS house to view the traction  engines progress, he gave us a tour. 

 

From the road, although its visible, there is no indication of what it is and I guess most people dont give it a  second thought.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.0565081,150.673039,3a,15y,25.25h,96.1t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1spZMVzKFMgHhVxeyFsepHag!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DpZMVzKFMgHhVxeyFsepHag%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D94.66489%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Andy Hayter]

Disturbed night and at 02:00 it was 20°C still.  That is warm given that we are over 3000ft above sea level.  Glad we are not in the valley!

[Barry O]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

It's even Samedi here. 

 

Jamie

Bit of a spellung mistake there Jamie.. should it say same day.....

 

Cracking the flags here. Painting has been sprayed..

 

Next up?? Dunno..

 

Baz

[monkeysarefun]

2 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Bit of a spellung mistake there Jamie.. should it say same day.....

 

Cracking the flags here. Painting has been sprayed..

 

Next up?? Dunno..

 

Baz

Seriously, I assumed it was some french thing like Bastille Day or whatever!

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

bin sunny with scattered clouds all day.

 

Bone fire has been fired.

It was one side of the central grass corridor down at the end of the garden, while attending that, cleared an area about 30ft square of jungle the other side of the corridor. . Noted that the southern hedge has no less than 11 trees down, I'm going to have the get the saws out. Most are 6 inches to a foot in diameter... The hedge is at least 212 years old, probably way more than that.

Once the hedge is cleared of dead wood, we'll have to think of replacement hedging.

 

Shortly I'll head out and check the remains...

Soggyness is not due till 16:00 tomorrow which with luck will be after sailing . 

It's the Broadland junior regatta today and tomorrow. They're up on the broad, the rest of the club will be on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaveF]

After a few things were done in the house this morning I went to the beach and had a short but very pleasant walk along the sand, as usual it was quiet.  It was near low tide.  On the way home I stopped at the local shop.  It has been sunny but there is now a cold easterly breeze.

 

As usual I looked at some of my photos new and old and then got an early lunch, using up a pork pie which would only have kept until Monday.  While eating and for some time afterwards I watched the local football team, Blyth Spartans on BBC TV (red button) in a FA Cup match against Campion, a Bradford team playing at Bradford.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw so there will now be a replay at Blyth.  Spartans have done well in the past in the cup, in the 77/8 season they got to the fifth round.  Although playing away today they played in their home colours of green and white which makes them easily recognisable.

 

Once that excitement was over I did my monthly accounts followed by some of the usual garden and greenhouse tidying.

 

Tea will be toasted breakfast muffins and jam, nice and simple.  This evening may turn out to be a mix of music and reading again.

 

There has just been some noise outside, 2 young lads, not from my part of the street riding (or more exactly playing on and trying to ride) mini motorbikes.  Somehow I think what they are doing is illegal.

 

View of a calm sea

 

Looking south along the beach

 

Sand 

 

David

Edited August 31 by DaveF

[PupCam]

Afternoon

 

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

There was a booklet in Essex C.C. reference library detailing existing WW1 sites. One was a field near Burnham-on-Crouch that was designated an emergency landing ground that still exists though one wouldn't realise it as the only structure was a tent.

 

By their very nature, emergency landing grounds tended to be just fields where you could get an aeroplane back safely onto the deck.      Flatish with an unobstructed approach of an adequate length and aspect ratio were the main criteria but being close to a public road was a useful secondary feature and an unobstructed departure route  would be a bonus but not essential.   Where as in comparison the only emergency landing ground in the UK for the space shuttle as far as I'm aware was RAF Fairford.      

However, there are still very, very many emergency landing grounds available to this day if you fly gliders, basically if it will work ANY* field is an emergency landing ground  ......

 

*  Always on the basis that it's easier to seek forgiveness rather than permission and sometimes gravity dictates that a field will be used.

 

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Bone fire has been fired.

 

I used to really enjoy having bone fires.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to have one for over 20 years due to some twit building a bungalow in next-doors back garden. 😟

 

ION

 

More JJP sitting today.  The movement of a green driving box and a black mobile kettle may have been involved 😀  

 

JP has left us after a most enjoyable week and is hopefully well on the way back to their lair in the south west.   Hmm, I wish they lived closer.

 

The house seems very quiet now, just us two!

 

TTFN

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. News is on, or should I say the Oasis tour show as there was little else in the way of news. Not much else on the TV tonight except the cricket but before that comes on its time to get dinner ready.