Early Risers.

[polybear]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Since it's the season of goodwill may I present a happy healthcare story? I woke up to find a niggling health problem had overnight grown to annoyance level.

Deciding against using Dr Google due to my  St Vitus Dance scare the last time I did that I decided a reallife doctor was needed.

I was a bit uncertain of getting in anywhere given it's a Saturday morning but the mypractice website showed available appointments at various surgeries around here so I booked one for 9.15am. I arrived to see that booking had been a little unnecessary, but better safe than sorry.

 

 

The doctor saw me within 5 minutes, and I exited through a doorway to the right of the picture which goes directly into a discount pharmacy where my script was filled.

And yes,  all was free, (except the script which cost $3.40).

 

All felt very no-fuss and 21st century

 

I'm starting to think that next time I need to see a Doc it'd be quicker to buy a ticket to fly down under.....

 

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

In the 1970's a man escaped from a police car after being arrested. He was later caught again and a Custody sgt, in Birmingham I think, thought that he should be charged with escaping from lawful custody as this was thought to be bad form so they decided to charge him with escaping from lawful custody against Common Law.  The charge was upheld by the courts.  

 

Jamie

 

I recall being woken many, many years ago from Snoozybearland at about 3 in the morning by the ex. B/F of the woman living a few doors away; he was a big lad (you won't want him as an enemy) and normally as nice as pie - until he'd been on the pop, which was a bit too often.......

Anyway, he'd been on the pop and then decided he'd show up wanting to see his young lad; Police were called and they managed to arrest & cuff him (no mean feat I would imagine) and get him into the back of the car.  Then he decided to kick off......

He booted the windows out, the computer, radio, car controls - the lot.  This was in pre-Taser days and the Officers involved were no doubt of the opinion that "rather the car than our faces", so they kept well clear whilst back-up in a van arrived, along with another car.  After he'd been carted off they then had to guard the wreckage until a pickup truck arrived.  The damage to the car must've cost ££££ to fix, if indeed it was worth fixing - if the dash was smashed the labour alone would be scary.

I think the US have a better method in that the passenger compartment is separated by a wire grille.

 

Bear here......

MIUABGAD;  I do have the joys of a Hermes collection to look forward to though - hopefully they'll manage to turn up....

[pH]

5 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Have you ever tried to take Haggis to the USA?

 

 

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Oh the haggis ban? Things have changed

https://www.politico.eu/article/scottish-haggis-exports-to-us-remain-stalled-on-burns-night/#:~:text=A decades-long U.S. ban,right way on January 25.

No need to import it. Haggis is made in the US and Canada and it can be very good. One of the best examples locally used to be made in a butcher’s shop owned by a Croatian immigrant.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

I can confirm that we’ve had snow here in Manchester, there’s not much, about 1/4” but it’s stopped at the moment. The temperature is currently -1C so I’m going to where my flying jacket today, that doesn’t come out very much. As we’ve got snow, I’ll head off to the train station a little earlier, just in case I need to walk a little slower than usual, but as it’s only a 12 minute walk an extra 5 minutes will do I think. 

 

Back later. 

 

Brian

[BSW01]

Pah. It’s just started snowing again, it’s not heavy, more like sleet really. 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Frosty here but the sky is clear and there is some sunshine.  It should stay fine and dry but chilly for most of the day.  

-2°C now, might reach 4°C.

Hair was cut yesterday, about 4/5mm removed.    It's surprising the amount of insulation that provides to the old brain container,  I can definitely feel the difference!

I didn't get around to present wrapping although The Boss finished hers but there's no panic...yet.  Did watch some rugby last night and there are lots of matches on this weekend that will be recorded although I'm not sure I'll be able to watch them all.

This afternoon we are journeying all the way next door for a birthday celebration with our friends which is starting at 13.30 hours to enable certain older members of their family to visit and travel home before it gets too late.  If past experience is anything to go by we will probably be amongst the last to leave as we keep getting offered "one for the road alleyway!"

The Boss is late on parade but I can now hear that she is on the march so suspect it'll soon be time to gettamoveon.  I think she wants us me to visit Asda for something.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by grandadbob

[iL Dottore]

19 minutes ago, pH said:

 

No need to import it. Haggis is made in the US and Canada and it can be very good. One of the best examples locally used to be made in a butcher’s shop owned by a Croatian immigrant.

But does it also contain lungs (an organ that traditionally goes into Haggis)? From the link TheQ provided, it seems that the prohibition against using lung still holds in the US and Canada (as I had mentioned in my post).

 

Surprisingly, Mrs iD - who normally shuns “the wobbly bits” of an animal really enjoys haggis. In fact we had haggis, tatties and neeps with a whisky cream sauce last night for supper (and very good it was too).

[iL Dottore]

27 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

I'm starting to think that next time I need to see a Doc it'd be quicker to buy a ticket to fly down under.....

Or take the Eurostar to France or ICE to Germany. If urgent you’d be seen right away (although this would probably be in an A&E or “walk in” clinic rather than a GP surgery).

 

How you would fund this, I don’t know. Before the “B” word, there were mechanisms in place so that Brits - when abroad - could get treated where they fell ill/got injured and the NHS would cough up. Not sure how it works now.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Another cold one this morning, -4C . Thankfully Arthur Itis dislikes the cold weather if its dry. Offal is an acquired taste, I like liver and bacon but wouldn't give a thank you for kidneys. Which reminds  me that I have to get some dinners in for the next few days, liver (and bacon) is on the shopping list. 

[jjb1970]

Unfortunately, because the NHS has become a sort of de-facto secular religion in the UK it is very difficult to have a rational debate on the matter, any attempt to do so immediately invokes an avalanche of 'save the NHS' emotive responses and it gets vicious. As a result the debate on healthcare is not what it should be - ensuring universal access to healthcare and defining what should be included within that universal access - but a debate around the institution of the NHS. I may be in a minority (indeed certainly am) but I really don't care who provides healthcare or the funding model, what interests me is that good quality healthcare is available to those who need it. I find it interesting that contrary to what people in Britain are repeatedly told (the NHS is the envy of the world), most other developed countries I've spent time in and even quite a few of the developing countries point to the NHS as a model of how not to do it.

[BlackRat]

Greetings one and all…… on a cold and frosty morning, lovely!

 

Well for what ist worth from me…….Envy of the world so we are told…The NHS needs saving.

 

The NHS is one of the top ten employers in…….the WORLD.

 

It has a budget of £200 billion.

 

The only thing the NHS needs saving from, is itself.
 

* No news on Chris F, I’ve messaged him a few times but not had a reply. He hasn’t been on FB for a several days either.

 

Hope all is ok with him.

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by BlackRat

[iL Dottore]

13 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Unfortunately, because the NHS has become a sort of de-facto secular religion in the UK it is very difficult to have a rational debate on the matter, any attempt to do so immediately invokes an avalanche of 'save the NHS' emotive responses and it gets vicious. As a result the debate on healthcare is not what it should be - ensuring universal access to healthcare and defining what should be included within that universal access - but a debate around the institution of the NHS. I may be in a minority (indeed certainly am) but I really don't care who provides healthcare or the funding model, what interests me is that good quality healthcare is available to those who need it. I find it interesting that contrary to what people in Britain are repeatedly told (the NHS is the envy of the world), most other developed countries I've spent time in and even quite a few of the developing countries point to the NHS as a model of how not to do it.

I would agree with that. I’ve worked (and been a patient in) three health systems: the NHS, the Swiss system and the US system, so have had direct experience from both sides of the stethoscope (so to speak).

Here is neither the time nor place to go into any of my firm conclusions I have made about these systems of healthcare, but I would like to point out that there are three issues that are negatively affecting the NHS:

 

Firstly, the money from for the health service comes mainly from general taxation supplemented by National Insurance contributions (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/how-nhs-funded?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7PGrit7u-wIVF853Ch26kg8cEAAYASAAEgJdRfD_BwE) - thus because the funding for the NHS is not separate and ring fenced it will always be at the mercy (and largesse) of whomever is in power.

 

Secondly, the general health of the UK population is fairly poor with avoidable disease (Such as the sequalae of obesity, alcohol and tobacco abuse) claiming 40% of the NHS is expenditure each year (https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/NQB-Workshop-to-inform-Long-Term-Plan.pdf).

 

Thirdly, the NHS is successful in being reactive (i.e. treating something when it has happened) but very poor in being proactive  (i.e. preventing avoidable medical events from happening in the first place).

 

One interesting point about the NHS that is worth contemplating, is that the  one of the main original reasons for the Government providing general healthcare to the UK, was that the wartime coalition government realised that they did not have enough fit and healthy people for military service and essential wartime industries to prosecute a war which, at the time, they did not know how long it would last.

[Gwiwer]

54 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Mrs iD - who normally shuns “the wobbly bits” of an animal really enjoys haggis. In fact we had haggis, tatties and neeps with a whisky cream sauce last night for supper

Haggis is enjoyed here in a household where the “wobbly bits” are not normally consumed.  Not even steak and kidney pie; it must lack the latter. 
 

It isn’t to everyone’s taste and is accurately described as being “bloody offal”.  Dr. SWMBO won’t touch it. 
 

There are also merit-worthy vegetarian versions of which Lavender’s in Penzance is among the best we know of. 
 

A couple of years back several of us gathered for a weekend of fun and friendship which included marking Burns Night (there being two Scots among us) with both proper and veggie haggi. The haggis was addressed by a suitably-hirsute and attired Scot, the toast to the lassies given in reply by your scribe (also fully kilted up but in Cornish style) and introduced in Cornish. And followed, in turn, by an adopter of Cornish identity addressing the very large pasty also on the table as an alternative contender for “Chieftain of the pudding race”. 
 
I did say it was fun. 

[DaveF]

 

It's a bright frosty morning here with hadly a cloud in the sky.  The car is covered in ice so I am in no hurry to go anywhere, not even a local model railway event.

 

Yesterday was a busy but ultimately very good day indeed.

 

It started badly when I was woken at 07.30 by the telephone.  As the one by my bed is an old corded which doesn't have a display I answered it only to be told Microsoft needed to tell me of a problem with my computer.  I put the phone down.  Naturally it rang again with the same voice who threatened to"cut off my computer" if I didn't let them fix it.  My answer referred to how I felt at being woken up too early.  I think I was quite polite.

 

Later I was dealing with the usual e mails at 10.20 when my phone rang.  It was Victoria the solicitor in the Blyth office handling the sale asking for permission to exchange contracts on the flat.  Naturally I agreed.  I was drinking my cooffee at 11.15 when she rang again to tell me the sale of the flat had been completed.  A couple of minutes later the estate agent rang to tell me that they had got the keys out ready to give to the buyer.  I decided I needed some more coffee and a good malt whisky to celebrate.  Shortly afterwards I received e mails from the solicitor confirming all was done, they had paid the agent and themselves and passed the money to their Morpeth office to pay the money I owe them for doing probate before the rest is passed on to me in a few days.  I will ring Sharon who is my solicitor at Morpeth to check that on Monday.  

 

I was quite busy for the rest of the day informing the council for council tax for the buyer (I know I don't owe them anything), the insurance company who will send me a refund next week, Northumbrian Water who told me the account was already closed and the last payment I made in June meant there was no more to pay, finally the gas and electricity company or to be exact a firm who deal with accounts of people who have died who will get a bill to me in a week or so - I think there may be about £50 to pay.

 

By tea time it was beginning to sink in that I no longer have to visit the flat several times a week (almost daily since I turned the heating back on for the cold weather), nor worry about the flat being safe, any repairs and so on.  I do not think I would make a good landlord now if I owned properties and rented them out - I'd worry too much.  Perhaps that is an age thing, I could have done it when I was young.

 

I had a very short walk - short as I have a sore toe which now seems to have a deep bruise so it needs rest.  While out I met some friends so shared the good news with them which made me feel even more cheerful.

 

Later I had a think about an image issue on RMWeb to which I may have found a way round -  but that may be for another post later on.

 

The  I sat and read before going to bed quite early.

 

This morning I woke feeling more relaxed and still feeling delighted that the flat sale is done.

 

David

Edited December 10, 2022 by DaveF

[DaveF]

14 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Went round to Dad's house today to check on the heating only to find that not only was the heating not on but the hot taps wouldn't run. Oh, bo**ocks. Called our friendly plumber/heating man who came round within a couple of hours and we found that the main CB had tripped for some reason meaning that the boiler hadn't worked, probably for a few days. However, the boiler won't start and he thinks that result the water in it may have frozen as the boiler is mounted on an outside wall in the loft (what a stupid place to site a boiler). Hence we closed the main stopcock, drained down the water and left the loft hatch open with a couple of electric radiators and a fan heater on to warm the place up. We'll see in the morning whether that has helped. I just hope that we can get it sorted as a surveyor is due to come to look at the house next week for some prospective purchasers.

 

As the French would say, there's allus bl00dy summat.

 

Dave  

 

When I turned the heating on in Mum's flat I encountered a problem - the boiler fired up, made a series of loud bangs and stopped.  When I looked at the fault code I realised that the hot water system had an airlock, once I had run the tap for a few minutes I was able to restart the boiler and all was well - but I did visit the flat almost every day.  Thank goodness the sale completed yesterday.

 

I agree about having boilers in the loft.  About 14 years ago I installed gas central heating to replace storage heaters.  Several installers wanted to put the boiler in the loft or garage.  

 

The one I chose to do the work said either kitchen or the old airing cupboard where the hot water cylinder used to be.  I chose the latter as it was more convenient to route the gas and water pipes.  Incidentally he also refused to put radiators under the windows to avoid heat loss and insisted on fitting radiators a quite bit bigger than needed to make sure the house would never be cold - especially the spare room with the railway in it.  He is a railway modeller so he knows how important that is.  It also means I can run the boiler at a lower temperature so saving a bit of gas.

 

David

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by DaveF

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

 

How you would fund this, I don’t know. Before the “B” word, there were mechanisms in place so that Brits - when abroad - could get treated where they fell ill/got injured and the NHS would cough up. Not sure how it works now

 EHIC has been replaced by GHIC . The old card is valid until it expires then it is replaced with a new one that has a UK flag rather than the EU flag image. Covers EU and Switzerland. However what it covers is limited. The smallish print on many travel insurance documents does say you should have one for travel to eligible countries. Perhaps they then don’t cover what the GHIC/EHIC does. When Matthew was in hospital for a few days in Lisbon(pre Brexit) after an accident no one asked him for any payment for treatment.  When my brother injured his foot in the Canary Islands recently the clinic said he could be treated but would have to hand over his passport for the admin and they would post it back to his hotel. He declined as he knew that he wouldn’t get it back in time for his flight home, so returned to the pharmacy that had sent him to the clinic, bought various first aid items and had the injury seen to on return to Droitwich. 

Edited December 10, 2022 by Tony_S

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, BSW01 said:

Pah. It’s just started snowing again, it’s not heavy, more like sleet really. 

When we chatted to the girls they told us that some friends were due to fly to New York from Manchester via Heathrow today. The airport had just suspendedc flights due to weather conditions.

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Or take the Eurostar to France or ICE to Germany. If urgent you’d be seen right away (although this would probably be in an A&E or “walk in” clinic rather than a GP surgery).

 

How you would fund this, I don’t know. Before the “B” word, there were mechanisms in place so that Brits - when abroad - could get treated where they fell ill/got injured and the NHS would cough up. Not sure how it works now.

No problem, if you bring your EH1C card the French just recharge it to the UK.  They also charge the UK forvour healthcare and the system works. That's why therecis a large  imbalance between what France reclaims and what the UK reclaims.  About £570 million pa I heard.  Before anyone winges I still pay enough UK income tax to cover it.

 

It's white and frosty here, -4 at the moment. However 4 barrowcloadscof logs have been brought down.

 

Jamie

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

think the US have a better method in that the passenger compartment is separated by a wire grille.

We've got the Paddy wagon.

 

 

Also known as a divvy van, many a raucous night out ends riotously with the drunken crowd chant  "You're going home in the back of a divvy van!" Clap clap clapclapclap clapclapclapclap clap clap

 

as the police arrive.

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, not so early riser after a bad night. 3c on the rock and sunny, roads are very icy and the mountain road is closed.  It wasn't great when we came over it yesterday afternoon.

 

A lazy day as we did all the tasks allotted for the day, yesterday due to Mrs NHN getting an early finish.

 

Mrs NHN administrates (among other wheeled things) the Police garage here, and tells me the damaged cars and vans nearly always are repaired (but not recent one vehicle accident motorcycle - oops).  I think the trade discounts are so high as opposed to getting your local dealers to supply parts at retail values is the reason.  She recently had to procure a Ducato van the same as the one our camper is based on, the trade cost had me spitting feathers!

[polybear]

 

Bear here.....

Small piece of MDF (for the Vice Mount) has just received it's final coat of paint - the few minutes required in the shed in order to clean the brush were more than enough, thanks very much.  After that it was a very small amount of ironing to do.  And that's the excitement so far....

As for temperature, well the Beary Lounge was at 16C this morning, with upstairs at 14C 🥶  I finally relented and fired up the CH for the first time this Winter - but it's off again at the moment.  I'm fortunate in knowing the bills (when - and if they finally do arrive....) won't result in LDC being taken off the menu, I really, really REALLY resent knowing that those at the very top of the food chain will be rubbing their hands with glee whilst looking at the 2023 Issue of the McClaren/Ferrari/Lambo/Lear Jet/Caribbean Island etc. brochure.....

[polybear]

17 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

She recently had to procure a Ducato van the same as the one our camper is based on, the trade cost had me spitting feathers!

 

A discount scheme for Police buying new vehicles would make sense - some companies do it/have done it (the Great Empire being one, also Avis IIRC).  I do recall a news report many, many years ago about Vauxhall workers (at Luton I think) being able to buy cars on a tasty discount; they'd buy base models such as a Cavalier L and then feed it back into the production line on the night shift and it'd magically pop out the other end as a top of the range Ghia wotsit.

[Tony_S]

9 minutes ago, polybear said:

Lambo

Interestingly the only person I know with said vehicle is a really nice person. It is admittedly a few years old but he was considering a new one last year. When he was a lad he wasn’t really interested in cars but always for some reason wanted to own a Corvette and a Lamborghini. He was otherwise only interested in motorbikes.  He left school and basically dug holes in the ground for a garage forecourt installation business. He now owns the business and did treat himself first to the Corvette and then the Lamborghini. 

[Gwiwer]

Preparations for forthcoming festivities are in full swing. Dr. SWMBO does the wrapping and writing which she is good at. I do the paying and arranging. Parcels were booked for collection at the door by our soon-to-be-redundant postie. There was one more item than was on his list - addressed to him. There’s a nice surprise inside. 
 

In other news it remains cold outside. Even the roses are frozen. 
 

 

 

 

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red white dragon land.

 

Hail falling on top of what was deposited overnight. 

Outside 1.8C. Inside, with top up from portable oil heater, 17.4C.

 

Short toot-on-the-flute squeezed in between WhatsApp chat with offspring. Envelopes still to be addressed and some wrapping of presents to be done after lunch which I had better get on with.

 

Some more catching up on here still to do sometime later.

 

Keep warm. Be good. Stay calm.

Polly

 

Update: SNOWING with some big flakes.

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by southern42

[Coombe Barton]

... wood store from the backup. To do this out came the warm trousers, hat, gloves and swearing. This last was when a frozen together lump of logs dropped on my foot. No injuries, just meant I had to scrabble around retrieving them. ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2022/12/10/sounds-of-the-season-2022-23-14-increase-rate-steepening/

[TheQ]

Although we have no roses showing at the moment the rest of the garden is looking like that..

 

Normal clothes, + Arran style pullover, plus winter padded overalls, plus woolly hat plus rubber gloves..

Ready to attack Landrover.

First step remove wiper arm,.

Did that,

But...

Along came the drive shaft ..

Heavily rusted and waisted where it should go into the cogwheel.

Noted rubber boot that should stop water going down shaft is split.

Pushed back in and left.

 

Washer is also not working,

no noise from motor, 

Pulled power connector metered while SWMBO pressed button, power ok.

Pulled water feed to windscreen jets , plenty of water.

When button pressed no jet of water.

Conclusion dead pump.. well it is nearly 40 years old.

 

Returned to house to warm up and order bits.

 

Went searching for parts, one wiper cog mechanism £25, two mechanisms £35, that'll be two then, they come complete with new screws, and seals.

Water pump was a bit more fun to find, they've used half a dozen different types over the years, as it turns out mine is the series 3 and early defender type, which is the same as the old mini.

Price £9.

 

Hopefully I can replace the broken cog, just by removing the heater controls and binacle.

I'll replace the second one in warmer weather, which requires an entire dashboard removal.

 

Went out to workshop, where the heater had been running for 1.5 hours.

Temperature still not above 10C.

Did a bit more work to the rudder,  decided the non fibreglassed side needed some filling.

So did that and placed the rudder directly in front of the heater to cause the resin filler to go off it needs 15C to start setting.

 

Then started working on the calendar display panel.

Discovered it would be too large to open in the hallway, after some measuring. Worked out that, if I cut the calendar into 4 vertical strips each will fit a door.. so the  panel was cut into 4.

After some measuring, worked out I have just enough timber to make the framing for the doors. The first vertical and horizontal were cut. 

 

Then it was time for Ben's long walk, Ben didn't want his normal route, the pheasant massacre was on, so close you could hear the shooting party talking in the mist. So we headed towards the beach, though didn't go that far as he's not up to that distance and back.

 

Dinner is roast gammon, we are now on the run down to Christmas, we cook roasts several weeks ahead, so there will be sliced, gammon, pork, beef, and maybe turkey, waiting.

Today's a good day for the roast, the added heat in the kitchen, will help cut the heating bills...

 

Time for an eyelid inspection...