RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 Do people still pick wild berries? I have walked through masses of blackberries of late, all ripe, all above dog hind quarter level, non picked. Warm blackberry pie, cooked by MiL, using blackberries picked by FiL, was something looked forward to every year in our family. Sadly neither are any longer with us but the pies are still talked about at this time of year. Hereabouts, where people still seem to know the value of money, probably earn a bit less than some Brits, the hedgerows are alive with people picking blackberries. Supermarkets are promoting Kilner-type jars and preserving pans etc, sugar is very prominent. And we are, after all, only 100 miles from Paris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 11, 2012 Gosh! I've just replaced the back-box on my Skoda Fabia turbodiesel for the first time, at more than 10 years old. AFAIK the rest is ok - otherwise they'd have sold me those bits, too. The naturally-oily nature of diesel should be less destructive on exhausts than petrol, I would have thought? It is the later diesels that have particulate filters which are complex, expensive and restrictive. Cars in the future will be scrapped when the filter gives up the ghost for the second time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 (edited) Blackberry bushes seem to be well stocked this year. I always used to give a few we collected to Matthew's rats. They loved them though they did look like something from a horror movie until they cleaned their face and paws. Ian, I think Mick may be referring to the particulate filters fitted on modern diesel exhausts, though I haven't had any problems with the one on my car. We have had the petrol fuelled Clio long enough to need a new catalytic convertor though. Edit Crossed with Mick's post. I do a lot of short journeys in my diesel but the occasional trip round to Enfield to see MiL must be enough to clear the filter. I've never even had a warning light yet. If I only did the local stuff I'd go for one of the new super efficient petrol engined vehicles if that were the only criterion. My car choice now was what was comfortable and the most comfy one I found only had a diesel engine! Edited September 11, 2012 by Tony_S 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 We`ve got blackberries growing just across the street in front of our house. It`s remarkable how many dog-walkers, commuters going home etc. stop to pick a handful. And there have been several bigger `harvestings` done this year. We also have a lot growing in the school grounds behind us, but picking those means keeping a sharp lookout for bears (see the `Getting close to wildlife`thread). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 Indeed, my Skoda may be a bit out-of-date - but at the time that UK tax was first based upon pollution levels, I paid the lowest rate, so effective was the filter, and it had passed the French MOT last November at exactly 10 years of age. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 On a different subject - I`ve just found out from the 1910 US census that I had more relatives than I knew about working on the Union Pacific at Cheyenne, Wyoming in that year. I knew my grandfather had been there (that`s who I was looking up), but two of his brothers-in-law were, too. One is listed as an ``air brake inspector``, the other is a ``railroad shop machinist``. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 I did check and my car is permitted to enter London. My Land Rover is classed as a car but some 4*4 mainly twin cab pickup types are treated differently depending on what sort of diesel is fitted. I think Euro iV is OK. My car has a green 4 sticker for Germany. Not very expensive and i believe it is valid for the life of the windscreen. The first place I ever saw hot hatch diesels was in France, I suppose the relative price of diesel then made them an attractive purchase. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 Afternoon all, Glorious sunshine over the Berks & Hants today, nipped down there after work on the spur of the moment to find a few favourite spotting locations had changed very little since I was last there six years ago, in fact aside from the vegetation being a bit taller and wider, Little Bedwyn still looks as though a Western could appear at any monent on the Down Rivo, or maybe a Westbury stone train... Thanks for posting, really enjoyed a reminder of happy days living in Hungerford and popping down to the B&H on a nice evening after work, not to mention the pub at Little Bedwyn which was a real old one roomer. Heres a couple of oddities for you in return, plus one to prove I can take a nice photo if the conditions allow!: 1663 28/11/81 55016 gordon highlander deltic Devonian railtour 2102 30/04/83 1014 hastings 6 railtour 3233 18/07/88 56036 in petroleum sector livery on stone empties 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 On my local railway line anything other than a Class 357 train is very rare. Today Robbie (he wasn't interested though) and I were treated to the sight of a Class 66 (even I know that one, mainly due to the big number on the side) heading west with a few very well weathered trucks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 The first place I ever saw hot hatch diesels was in France, I suppose the relative price of diesel then made them an attractive purchase. Diesels can be very driveable. Mine is only 100bhp, but does have some punch. A decade ago, Deb and I were staying in the Mayenne, and a friend came to stay. He and I were out and about in the Skoda when we encountered a tractor on a hill, I slowed down behind it, friend said it looked ok to overtake (RHD car, of course, so a passenger always helps) so I booted it past in second. Friend was astonished, said he didn't think his car could have done that - a 174 bhp VW Golf VR6! Diesel here is currently just below 1 euro 40 a litre, petrol a dozen cents more, at least. This tankful looks likely to give me about 60mpg, albeit with a lot of longer x-country trips. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 We managed to get about 150 blackberries per pie but acceleration was a bit sluggish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixoh8sixoh Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 My poor old petrol Focus is reaching the end of its lifespan already (it's 12 and has done close on 150,000 miles), and I'm thinking of replacing with a diesel, as I do a lot of longer trips (50 miles each way to Glasgow on a weekly basis, plus 120 miles Edinburgh-Durham or 150 miles Glasgow-Durham at least monthly) and the price of petrol is just taking the piston just now... A Ford (Focus) C-Max diesel looks like a possible at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 Best have a quick check to see where SWMBO is putting her flowers ....... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19561555 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Unfortunately my wife likes Lalique. I've bought her two pieces so far...........not quite that expensive, however. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted September 11, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2012 I wonder if our Tesco or Ikea vases are valuable? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Morning all, It is rather grey this morning, after a night of rain. It looks like Summer has come to an end! I used to drive a Diesel in the UK before it got stolen. A great car it was too - much more punch than anything else I could have afforded to insure at the time. Diesels had a reputation for being slow, and so I guess the youngsters didn't want them. These days, I drive a petrol. Road tax is considerably more expensive for Diesel in Germany, and the difference in price doesn't make it economical until you are doing many more kilometers a year than I am. Have a good day everyone... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesthecat Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Morning all, first time appeared on this thread, day off and can't sleep!! Grey start here in fleetwood (illuminations weather) we call it! Have a good day everyone mark 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2012 Morning all. Rather pleasant here. The forecast suggests it may get colder and wetter later. Not a lot planned for today! Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2012 Emergency day off today to take No 1 son to the docs. Having been clear for 5 years he had quite a big epilectic fit yesterday evening, which has left us all a bit shaken, as we thought he'd grown out of it. Ah, well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 ........(illuminations weather) we call it!......... It must be 40 years since I last went to see 'the lights'.............perhaps it`s time to go again. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 12, 2012 Morning all, nearly put the heating on this morning it is dry with a bit of watery sunshine but under 10C still.Better news on the work front so I may work long enough to retire yet. I always expected to work to 65 to help DD2 through uni but the speed that local government is contracting makes working where I am that long unlikely.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Sorry to hear that, Stu. Maybe something triggered it which can be avoided? Best of luck today. Welcome Mark. You don't have to be mad to post on ERs. Worth a try though. I've never seen the Illuminations when it's dry. Always a damp outlook. I once bought some of their cast-offs though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2012 It must be 40 years since I last went to see 'the lights'.............perhaps it`s time to go again. We're off to see them at th beginning of October 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2012 Really sorry Stu. Such an unpredictable condition must be frightening. Let's hope the doc can provide something to reassure you all. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2012 Morning all, first time appeared on this thread, day off and can't sleep!! Hi Mark and welcome. I haven't been on here very long, either, but it is a jolly cosy place and the people are very, very warm. You'll like it. As I said to Andy Y in a PM the other day, ERs is the sort of thread the Mods don't need to take a lot of interest in - it's that friendly and most unlikely to generate heat instead of warmth. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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