Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I managed to get all the plants planted out in the garden before the rain came, although when it did come, it didn’t last long, but it was on and off after that. On the occasions when I was sheltering I did some more work on the Sherman tanks turret gearbox. Once again I had to do some more modifications to it, but I don’t need to add the rear adjustment screw, as the gearbox location is just right. The modifications were needed to the bearing supporting the front of the worm drive on the motor. 

 

After dinner it was just a case of packing away all my gardening equipment and locking up everywhere, before having my hair cut. Later this evening, we had our weekly talk with Vickie, just the usual catching up, but it’s always nice to chat. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Grizz]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

His layout was on the cover of Model Railroader some time back.

 

In the accompanying story he describes how he brings everything he needs to do modelling* while touring. It's his way of relaxing on the road.

 

* kit building, painting, weathering etc for rolling stock and structures.

I seem to remember reading the article, although I hadn’t remembered where it was published until you said. He has obviously found time to design and build this huge layout over the the years. Very impressive attention to detail. From the photos I remember seeing he has really captured the feel of the period. 
 

In other news. Insomniminimum is back, which is a bit annoying, hence I seem to be back on Night Shift. Woke up by chuff knows what at 00:39, according to my iPad. Mrs Grizz also can’t sleep, apparently, so I finally dragged my bleary eyes down to the kitchen to make us both a hot chocolate. 
 

Not sure why my brain does this from time to time, perhaps my internal clock has developed an intermittent fault. Although I have been very busy with work recently, working long hours, with only one day off in 17 shifts. Whilst it was quite good fun, occasionally I’m reminded why I was medically retired a couple of years ago. Basically I’m not as young or fit and well as I sometimes think I am. Why is it that on occasions like this I can’t go back to sleep and yet I am either too tired or don’t seem to ever have enough energy to make myself get up and actually go and do something downstairs. It is not like there aren’t hundreds of possible things that need doing. 

 

What makes this situation particularly irritating though is that I am back into work today, so I have to get up at 05:30. Bet you anything that if I do finally get back to sleep I will struggle to wake up and then feel exhausted all day. Still after today I’ve got the next three days off, so hopefully I can relax and do some muddling. 
 

Have a great day all.

 

ATB Grizz

 

 

 

 

[BR60103]

I neglected to mention one event in yesterday's duct cleaning.

We started the process with the cat shut in the front room.  When it came time to do that room, Marco was moved to the bedroom.  Later there was a change from the heating pipes to the return air. I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly Marco was beside me in the basement and then disappeared under the railway. (It's supported with bookshelves and curtained.) He didn't appear until all was over.

I checked upstairs and found that the sliding door (pocket door) on the bedroom was open about 4".

It was worrying because the main suction tube went out through the garage and doors were open all the way. Marco, though, is a very indoor cat and resists going out.

 

Today was opening day of Vaccine season, so we had Covid shot #6.  We were over there about 10:00 and found they didn't open 'til 1:00. And just one day a week.

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Today 8nvolves..

 

A preb8am phone call about cricket

 

Surveyor visiting to check that we can fite solar panels to the roof and ch3ckmout battery location

Meeting from 2pm to 5:30pm..cricket

Course from 5:30 until 7:30.. more cricket..

 

Tomorrow.. another couple of phone calls about... cricket

 

For a "volunteer" job this is getting out of hand.. no muddling time!

 

Rod Stewart has had his railway as Railway of the month in Railway Modeller, as has Jules Holland.

Roger Daltrey has done some work on Gresley Beat and has his own layout

Phil Collins is also a Railway Modeller.. so Rod is not alone as a musician who likes model railways.

 

Stay safe.

 

Baz

Edited March 30, 2023 by Barry O

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Whats with the English thing of always talking  down your celebrities, hoping they'll move elsewhere and so on? Same for your sports people and national teams  - its fatalistically assumed they are hopeless and will lose in the early stages.…

There seems to be something in the British psyche that resents success. I wonder if this is a legacy of the British class system, when everyone, at all social levels, were (are?) expected to “know their place“. Not only that, but each social class was/is not monolithic, but had (has) its own internal social hierarchy as well. For example, in British Nobility [aristocracy] the pecking order [order of precedence] is Duke > Marquis > Earl > Viscount > Bishop > Knights > Esquire > Gentleman and God Forbid if you seated at the table a mere Bishop ahead of an Earl…

A well travelled American of my acquaintance made the observation (quite possibly with tongue in cheek) that the difference between success in the US and success in the UK is that in the UK if you were successful and you bought yourself a Rolls-Royce someone would key it, whereas in the US if you were successful and you bought yourself a Rolls-Royce, someone would steal it.

 

Terry Pratchett, that sage and insightful observer of life, in one of his novels described the whole business of social hierarchy as “crab bucket“ (also known as “crab mentality” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality])

 

TBH I adhere to the Captain Cynical social heirarchy: Captain Cynical + iL Dottore > Select Inner Circle (including “Faithful Dogs”) > Trusted Minions > everyone else….

Edited March 30, 2023 by iL Dottore

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Lots of cloud but there are some blue patches and even a glimmer of brightness in the East.  Sunshine and heavy blustery showers along with the chance of hail and thunder are on offer today.  10°C rising to a maximum of 16°C.

Thursday=Binday=Sainsburyday.

Also Backache day but no surprise there although it 's not quite as bad this morning and at the moment I can even stand up straight.  

After breakfast a walk to Asda is scheduled as The Boss wants to select salad vegetables herself due to Sainsbury's inability to do it properly last week.  Hopefully the walk will do me and The Back etc some good.

Not much else planned apart from paying my credit card bill but that's only a matter of tapping some keys. 

Have a good one,

Bob.

[jjb1970]

I must admit I find British people are often very negative (I'm not excepting myself).

 

What I find worse is the degree of supercilious sneering which is now so prevalent. I used to enjoy reading 'Private Eye', I still buy a copy when I visit England even though I stopped buying each issue many years ago as it's a good way to pick up on stories less likely to be picked up by the main media but whereas I once found it to be sharply observed and witty I now find it to be just more of that supercilious sneering. I also find something rather dishonest about it pretending to still be some sort of rebel outpost of the media when it is just as much a part of the media establishment as any of the tabloids or broadsheets.

[polybear]

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

I assume that is why he was at Woodpeckers. He's touring her ATM so I guess he ran low on humbrol rust or something.

 

I like the idea of all the weird powder housekeeping would discover whenever  he vacates the room, must run the local police drugs labs ragged. 

 

There was a story of one Big Name Musical Type who was in a Hotel Room Suite when Reception said that The Police were here to see him....

So he flushed all his "Gear" PDQ before they arrived at the door.

And indeed it was The Police....the Group.

 

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I like how you obviously had in mind the intention of including an example of a Really Hot Day ......and picked 35!

 

I knew it'd get a reaction 😁

 

55 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

TBH I adhere to the Captain Cynical social heirarchy: Captain Cynical + iL Dottore > Select Inner Circle (including “Faithful Dogs”) > Trusted Minions > everyone else….

 

Bear knows his place....

 

Bear here....

The Beary neck is somewhat stiff at the moment so I'll dodge the papering again today methinks.  So today is designated as a MIUABGAD methinks.
BG.

[polybear]

Bear's back....

 

Just had an email from EDF to tell me what the new G & E prices will be from 1st April....they're going DOWN!!

 

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.................

 

Hang on a minute......

The B'sterds sorry, make that B'STERDS are putting the Standing Charges UP!!  🤬 🤬

 

Yes, Rant.

 

BG

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We had some rain last night, lots of the of the stuff, everywhere is wet, very wet. Needless to say, I’ll not be doing much in the garden today. But despite the many grey clouds in the sky, the sun is shining, but I fear it won’t last. Sheila is busy getting herself ready for her Zumba class, I shall be providing the chauffeur service. After that, it’s a sort of MIUAIGA day as I’ve not been given any tasks to complete whilst Sheila is out and with her seemingly (we will hopefully find out on Monday) up and coming eye op, there doesn’t seem any point in starting anything that I could be classed as a big job. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian

Edited March 30, 2023 by BSW01

[New Haven Neil]

Mornid.  Still got code, but easing a bit now.

 

NHN amused that iD mentioned crabs (not the fly-boy type) as there is no crab like a Manx crab - they are terrible for it.  Nobody moans like a true blood Manxie and they will do their utmost to drag anyone down to their own level.  I assume it is because they really have quite a good life here, and there's nothing to really complain about.  It must be learned behaviour, my Mum was Manx but left the island when she was 7 or 8, and never complained about anything, she was most genial.

 

Not sure as yet about the day's proceedings, mate Steve around the corner apparently wants some company to help with something, according to our relative wives!  No message from him as yet.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, 

I joined Grizz on night shift, couldn't get to sleep, eventually gave up, went down stairs took pink pills, for the aches and pains. Eventually got 5 hours sleep, woke with great forepaw pain, took more pink pills, got another 50 minutes sleep.

 

Bin out with Ben the sleepy Collie, very breezy gusting 35mph, scattered clouds, warm for the time of day and  year .

 

Ben is a happy boy this morning, he's been beating up a football, charging around, and being very playful.

 

Blue Moon, was built in Saudi, in the semi shade, normally at 50C + air temperature and Hugh humidity close to the Persian gulf. Didn't have much problem with that, as long as I had my "Gott" filled with iced lemon water. Gott is the most prominent make of water and cold box container there. I'd drink 2 gallons during a building session. The odd occasion working in direct sunlight was much more of a problem you could feel the sun burning the skin even with factor 50, and a light cloth head and neck covering plus overalls.

 

What i can't cope with these days is cold, fore and aft paws really don't like it, it gets very painful.

 

Forepaws will get a rest today, it's a routine visit to the ivory basher.. still costs 1/3 of a Deltic for the two of us. We may visit Latham's on the way back, a local big general store in old boat sheds, it's generally cheap tat for the holiday market, but you do get the odd useful item..

 

Ha.... email reminder from the ivory basher just popped up.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by TheQ

[jjb1970]

One of the nice things about life in Singapore is I quite enjoy watching the TV news. There's a news channel, CNA, it has various magazine type shows and documentaries but the main bulletins are concise summaries of the important stories of the day and they are quite good are separating news from op-ed.

 

I find UK TV news dreadful. BBC News 24 has always been a case of desperately trying to find content to try and fill their schedule. The 'news' is more accurately a lot of talking heads waffling about stuff, most of which are either promoting a narrative or don't have much of an understanding of what they're talking about. Interviews are now just egos acting in a rude and confrontational way, at the same time as being seemingly unable to ask a genuinely searching question. Jeremy Paxman seemed to establish a template, however Paxman was a very sharp interviewer who could skewer people with a surgically aimed question. The current crop are just arrogant egos full of their own importance. And it is all so parochial. I find British TV news and newspapers horrible.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The weather forecast is frequent heavy showers, much to the delight of Arthur Itis. Not much sleep last night because of aching joints so I might be going back to bed shortly.  

[Erichill16]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

 

Rod Steart has had his railway as Railway of the month in RailwayModeller, as has Jules Holland.

Roger Daltrey has done some work on Gresley Beat and has his own layout

Phil Collins is also a Railway Modeller.. so Rod is not alone as a musician who likes model railways.

 

Stay safe.

 

Baz

Jules Holland popped into our exhibition a couple of years ago. He was performing in Sheffield that evening.

 

[jamie92208]

I remember an magazine interview where the interviewer tried to get one over on Rod about playing trains.  His reply was along the lines of, "Unless you want to talk in depth about the Penssy in the 194o's keep your mouth shut,". I believe that he has been on the front cover of Model Railroadertwice. 

 

Good moaning from the former brickwork.  Not sure what's on today but it doesn't include me so I'm a free agent. 

 

Jamie

[polybear]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

What i can't cope with these days is cold, fore and aft paws really don't like it, it gets very painful.

 

ISTR the reason that Barry Sheene disappeared to Oz was because the injuries to his legs meant that Winter in the UK caused him severe grief.

 

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

Forepaws will get a rest today, it's a routine visit to the ivory basher.. still costs 1/3 of a Deltic for the two of us.

 

Bear is very lucky to still have an NHS Dentist; however ISTR that check-ups used to be every six months, but now they seem to be every year....

 

In other news....

Post Office visited and bent Ebay parcel returned.  Tick.

Then the Co-op, where I scored numerous cheapo Quiche's and a couple of Pizza's from the discount cabinet.  Another Tick.

I'm currently doing the washing up (ok, so I pushed the start button) and getting ready for the next task - whatever that may be.

I met a neighbour in the Co-op who seems to "have her paw on the pulse" (= she knows everything that's going on...); the very new Guy across the road from Bear is currently ripping hell out of the place (a six skipper at the moment) cos' apparently "the walls aren't strong enough" (they seem to have managed ok for the last hundred years) so he's putting steels in etc. etc. and "he knows what he's doing cos' he's already done seven houses" and doesn't need any pro help.  Hmmm....sounds like a mate of @Barry O's next door neighbour.  I'll watch with interest.  In fairness he does seem to be considerate though, so that's a Tick.

[grandadbob]

@polybear Please Bear can I borrow some Turdycurses?   A walk to Asda was undertaken and The Boss got what she wanted and I picked up a bottle of brandy that was on offer so that was fine.   After that things went downhill and by the time we got home The Back had decided it still doesn't like me and pills have had to be taken. 

A bit of financial juggling has been done and surprisingly I find myself slightly better off than I thought.   Should've bought another couple of bottles of brandy!

Edited March 30, 2023 by grandadbob

[Dave Hunt]

I think that GDB and I should start a club for railway modellers with bad backs. Actually, although the sciatic pain and general lower back pain can be debilitating, the real pain in the ar$e is that it interferes with modelling activities, particularly anything like working on layout scenery that involves bending forward. This morning I've been largely confined to an armchair with the application of hot water bottles and consumption of codeine but it is starting to ease and I'm hoping that we can go to visit a friend who has terminal mesothelioma this afternoon.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I remember an magazine interview where the interviewer tried to get one over on Rod about playing trains.  His reply was along the lines of, "Unless you want to talk in depth about the Penssy in the 194o's keep your mouth shut,". I believe that he has been on the front cover of Model Railroadertwice. 

 

It really is a magnificent bit of modelling. Some of the buildings are over 5ft tall.

 

Dave

 

[PhilH]

23 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I think that GDB and I should start a club for railway modellers with bad backs. Actually, although the sciatic pain and general lower back pain can be debilitating, the real pain in the ar$e is that it interferes with modelling activities, particularly anything like working on layout scenery that involves bending forward. This morning I've been largely confined to an armchair with the application of hot water bottles and consumption of codeine but it is starting to ease and I'm hoping that we can go to visit a friend who has terminal mesothelioma this afternoon.

 

Dave

Perhaps I’ve been lucky with my experience, but  having suffered to varying degrees with a bad back for most of my adult life from having to wear a support corset (I said no to the accompanying fishnet stockings) to debilitating pain to almost permanent discomfort I invested a lot of money in one of these new generation mattresses. What a difference, I’d go as far as to say night and day. Back pain,unless I do something stupid, is almost a distant memory now, so for me it has been a totally worthwhile investment.

 

As I said, perhaps I’ve been lucky with my experience and others could well have different tales to tell, but if those with bad backs haven’t already done so it might well be worth considering. And no, I’m not a mattress salesman…

 

In other things, quite a nice day down here at the bottom. I’ve been out for a long walk round the nearby country park with my daughter, we try and do this weekly. Coffee and croissants devoured, now I’m going to make a carrot cake in the air fryer, and some more 3d printing. This is going to be for myself and not for the Army as most of it over the last couple of months has been, although, to be fair, it will still have a military theme.

 

Whatever you’re up to, enjoy your day!

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by PhilH

[DaveF]

I do sympathise with those who have bad backs.  I remember spending several months when I was in my thirties walking with a stick for much of the time and getting through a lot of painkillers.  It was caused by moving furniture around.

 

Now the pain I get is from wear and tear, partly in the middle area of the back but more from the neck which seems to bring about pain anywhere in the right side of back and chest.  At least mine stops when I stay still.

 

It was dull and wet here, the sun is just coming out.

 

Yesterday I managed to find the paints I need for a model - they had hidden themselves behind a pile of family photo albums.  Then I wanted to install some software and realised that my copy was very old and that a new version would be better so I now have a new copy of Nero and a number of freebies - it will just make some things I am doing with my old videos a bit easier and quicker.

 

Lunch was "lightly smoked" salmon and new potatoes - delicious - and a great deal cheaper than going out to buy fish and chips.  After lunch I started to look through a book of photos of Nottingham's Railways, it is helping check a few of the locations Dad used so I make sure the captions are reasonably accurate.  It also brought back a lot of memories of the late 50s and early 60s.

 

I also had a walk and had a look at the roadside daffodils which are doing very well this year.  When I got back my neighbour was just getting out of her car so we had a good chat about the state of the world.  Lastly after tea I continued sorting out plant pots and have got rid of the cracked plastic ones.  Then once again it was music, TV and book.

 

David

 

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Cloudy but brightish. A bit of a gusty breeze. 10.7C without sun not bad.

 

Chatting with a few people, yesterday, on a minor topic, reminded me I have not posted my pics of that topic from last Sunday.

Daffodil time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polly

Edited March 30, 2023 by southern42
Text predictor changed brightish to British! ​🤣​