Early Risers.

[Donw]

Morning all.

 

Already 20C here but I don't think it will get much warmer than the low 20s. 

So far Friday is more relaxed than usual as Aditi has a day off. It seems very quiet here, so I suspect the local school may be having a training day. They had sports day yesterday.

 

I think I will be out in the garden today. I have got rid of all the stuff that shouldn't be in the summerhouse. Now I need to remove all the stuff that is meant to be in there and lay the flooring we purchased some time ago. Nothing too complicated, just interlocking flexible tiles.

 

The space I tidied in the garden for the BBQ now would appear to be perfect for more fruit plants. I have been asked to research something called a Tayberry.

 

Tony

 

 

 

Morning all.

 

Already 20C here but I don't think it will get much warmer than the low 20s. 

So far Friday is more relaxed than usual as Aditi has a day off. It seems very quiet here, so I suspect the local school may be having a training day. They had sports day yesterday.

 

I think I will be out in the garden today. I have got rid of all the stuff that shouldn't be in the summerhouse. Now I need to remove all the stuff that is meant to be in there and lay the flooring we purchased some time ago. Nothing too complicated, just interlocking flexible tiles.

 

The space I tidied in the garden for the BBQ now would appear to be perfect for more fruit plants. I have been asked to research something called a Tayberry.

 

Tony

 

 

We tried a tayberry but the head gardener found the fruits didn't fill out as well so she prefers summer and autumn raspberries.

Don

[Tony_S]

My clearing and fitting flooring material to the shed (aka summerhouse) seems to have been very received. Aditi went to the  garden centre and came back with  a lot of plants to replace the (hopefully) former cat lavatory with something green.

 

I don't think I have actually ever met anyone called Ivy. I read that "old" names are becoming popular again, perhaps there will be a new generation of Ivy's! 

[Oldddudders]

 

 

I don't think I have actually ever met anyone called Ivy. I read that "old" names are becoming popular again, perhaps there will be a new generation of Ivy's! 

We have an English lady called Ivy, a year or two younger than me, at the other end of our small village. Her husband Peter has Parkinson's, they run a very nice gite - sleeps 7 has 3 or 4 loos etc. Peter used to be Production Manager for Caterham Cars. They want to get back to the UK, sadly.

[Donw]

My paternal gan was part of a large family there was Violet, Flora, Lily, Rose and Ivy. Ivy was a lovely lady could play music by ear on piano or piano accordion. Ivy made family get togethers weddings etc. a real party. Her brother Alec had been taught music but could not make a party go like Ivy who had taught herself. My Grandad Alf married Violet and his brother Perce married Ivy so we had a close nit family. Until I was two we lived in the top rooms of Perce and Ivy's house on New Camberwell Road. Happy memories old fashioned Londoners.

Don

[45156]

Evening All

 

Wimbelydon on TV and Murray appears to be holding his own in the first set - though the two of them do appear to be pretty well matched.

 

Warm here today, and looks like it is set in for the weekend, so the chances are that ERs will be a bit of a 45156 free area for much of the time.  Caught up, and read the interesting debate about Corned Beef - one of my favourite sources of food poisoning nourishment - I love it in a sandwich with masses of pickle, or as a hash or a fritter - but to my mind, there is little to beat a Spam fritter as served in a number of chip shops - though they do take a bit of seeking out - but a good one is nectar - good chips, a properly done Saveloy, and a Spam fritter - a meal to die by for. 

 

Bon Voyage to Beast.  I envy him a trip to California, as I'd love to get over there to visit the Taylor guitar factory, which gives a free guided tour every weekday, and as I've got one of their excellent insrtuments, I'd love to see how they're made.

 

Doggy walking is calling, so

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited July 5, 2013 by 45156

[DDolfelin]

"Murray appears to be holding his own"

 

Perhaps he should have been holding someone else's.

[shortliner]

What a shame that this came in to me just as Beast is rushing off into the sunset  - he would have appreciated this - although if he has access to free wi-fi he may see it before he goes

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=mWhD5bc6Fmg&vq=large

Edited July 5, 2013 by shortliner

[trisonic]

He's probably changing planes in Detroit by now (if he wasn't able to change his routing).....

 

Doesn't matter he told us that his Hotel in Irvine, CA has free WiFi (which is just as well otherwise no one would stay there) so I expect him to pop up first jet-lagged and unable to sleep at some un-Godly hour...

 

Best, Pete.

Edited July 5, 2013 by trisonic

[Debs.]

I`ve just been carried-off into the surrealist world of Jacques Tati`s 'Mon Oncle' (1958)......I remember (as a child) at the cinema, being absolutely transfixed by its Gallic style, speech and abstract-strangeness.........but oh-my`, where have all these years gone!?!?!?!

 

The complete (Oscar winning) colour film; well-worth a watch.

 

http://youtu.be/Tr3i0h5Scjc

Edited July 5, 2013 by Debs.

[New Haven Neil]

Happy Tynwald day...of course we're in Kent, traitors!

 

At an odd but pleasant campsite on Sheppey of all places, view over to the Isle of Grain power station, mudflats, and I'm sure that's St Mary Hoo over there...ahem.

 

Stayed at a lot worse, that's for sure.  Margate tomorrow, Hornby museum, meeting some friends, may squeeze in the Sittingbourne and Kemsley on the way back too

 

Called in at Alton on the way today, 'no trains' - damn.  Turned around to see an N class and 4 green mark 1's leaving, private charter I presume. sigh.  Camera was in the van.

 

Time for a glass of red, I think.

Happy Tynwald day...of course we're in Kent, traitors!

 

At an odd but pleasant campsite on Sheppey of all places, view over to the Isle of Grain power station, mudflats, and I'm sure that's St Mary Hoo over there...ahem.

 

Stayed at a lot worse, that's for sure.  Margate tomorrow, Hornby museum, meeting some friends, may squeeze in the Sittingbourne and Kemsley on the way back too

 

Called in at Alton on the way today, 'no trains' - damn.  Turned around to see an N class and 4 green mark 1's leaving, private charter I presume. sigh.  Camera was in the van.

 

Time for a glass of red, I think.

[Debs.]

Happy Tynwald day...of course we're in Kent, traitors!

 

At an odd but pleasant campsite on Sheppey of all places, view over to the Isle of Grain power station, mudflats, and I'm sure that's St Mary Hoo over there...ahem.

 

Stayed at a lot worse, that's for sure.  Margate tomorrow, Hornby museum, meeting some friends, may squeeze in the Sittingbourne and Kemsley on the way back too

 

Called in at Alton on the way today, 'no trains' - damn.  Turned around to see an N class and 4 green mark 1's leaving, private charter I presume. sigh.  Camera was in the van.

 

Time for a glass of red, I think.

 

Happy holidays Neil; the weather should be glorious for your Kentish sojourn!

 

Did you see me and the dogs waving to you aboard Manannan from New Brighton beach yesterday morning?

[southern42]

That brings back memories, Neil...Margate, Herne Bay, Sittingbourne, Ramsgate - world of childhood summer holidays with Uncle or in B&Bs.

 

Enjoy your holiday - sorry not much in the way of trains about, though...maybe you'll do better in the 4mm range. 

 

Well, talking of summer, I do believe it's actually arrived...a really lovely t-shirt wearing day.  And another one tomorrow..... :sungum: :sungum:

 

N gauge show at Conwy and Llanberis Steam Gala

 

so tomorrow is taken care of.... :locomotive:   :sungum:

 

Yippidy doo da..... summer is a-comin' in...

 

Hope you'll be sharing in it wherever you are.

 

Polly

[BoD]

"Murray appears to be holding his own"

 

Perhaps he should have been holding someone else's.

Surely he'd be better off holding a tennis racquet.

[Tony_S]

We can't see Neil from the garden but we can wave towards the Isle of Grain and Sheppey  from upstairs. 

[DDolfelin]

Mon Oncle: Just up my street.

Don't make them like that any more.

[BoD]

As you may be aware, Simon Hudson, who occasionally posts here, lives in Wales but was originally from the town where I live. I have heard, through his family, that he was feeling unwell last weekend and was taken to hospital where he suffered a heart attack. Unfortunately he did not survive.

[laurenceb]

As you may be aware, Simon Hudson, who occasionally posts here, lives in Wales but was originally from the town where I live. I have heard, through his family, that he was feeling unwell last weekend and was taken to hospital where he suffered a heart attack. Unfortunately he did not survive.

That is terrible news, can you pass on condolences BoD?

Laurence

[Debs.]

As you may be aware, Simon Hudson, who occasionally posts here, lives in Wales but was originally from the town where I live. I have heard, through his family, that he was feeling unwell last weekend and was taken to hospital where he suffered a heart attack. Unfortunately he did not survive.

Speechless!..........Sincere condolences to Simon`s family.

[Tony_S]

Truly saddened to read this news. 

[The Stationmaster]

Not good news - and again please pass condolences to the family on my behalf as well.  I thought I could remember him posting recently and on checking back I find his most recent, and unfortunately final, post was on Friday evening last week - a sad sort of reminder of how quickly things can happen.

[southern42]

Really sad Simon Hudson is no longer with us.  Only a short while ago he gave one of my postings one of these: .

 

I'll miss his postings, especially in Wheeltappers.

Please pass on my Condolences, too, BoD.

[trisonic]

Oh, Lord... does Andy York know?

 

Pete.

[beast66606]

Very sad to hear about Simon - sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[beast66606]

I've made it, and as Pete predicted I'm up at a surreal - for the UK - hour. It's only 23 hours since I started my epic journey, but I'm safe and sound in the hotel which doesn't seem too bad - it's got a microwave, fridge, freezer, stove, pots and pans and basically everything for a small self contained flat - so I have some diet coke chilling in the fridge, I know how to live !

 

The journey was mostly good, I'll enlighten a bit more.

 

Hoopa bus from the hotel to Heathrow - dead on time, easy and cheap (yes, there are alternatives, but at 05:45, it was good).

Heathrow -> Detroit, very good, comfortable, free in flight entertainment - I watched a couple of good movies - a couple of snack meals and plenty of free water / soft drinks / tea / coffee. We arrived in Detroit on time.

The transfer at Detroit was ok apart from one bit when the security shouted "No mobile phones here", so I tried to turn mine off thinking the giy shouting meant no use of the phones, he shouted "Sir, put your phone in your pocket" - I explained the translation from US to English and he was fine about it, even laughed and changed his shouting to "Keep your mobiles in your pockets in this area"

We boarded at Detroit without issue, a full flight aside from one seat, the window seat next to me so I moved across for a splendid view - however the plane had a fault with the auxiliary generator, this took 5 minutes to fix, but the paperwork and the knock on cost us 45 minutes, at one stage I counted 25 planes in the queue to depart, and there were more heading to an alternate run way - wish I had the camera, as we swung out and onto the runway there was a superb view back along a line of some 22 planes, perfect sun and all shapes and sizes.

We arrived at LAX a few minutes late and had to wait a bit longer for a path to the stand, so we ended up being about 20 late, nothing significant - however on this flight all the entertainment (aside from a few albums and some mediocre radio channels) were pay to view, for a 4 1/2 hour flight I thought that a bit poor - but then I guess the cost is cheap for inter US flights so they need to get their money from somewhere. Plenty of free soft drinks etc. again though so not too bad. I also got to see Vegas, from a distance - probably best. I've seen a few trains from the air, several passenger and quite a few freight (I'm not counting things in sidings) - and an interesting looking private siding arrangement, not far from here - perhaps a walk beckons.

 

My colleague from work collected me at LAX and brought me to the hotel, he helped me carry my stuff into the room, then took me to Wallmart so I could grab a snack, then brought me back to the hotel again - thanks to Brian and his wife for their warm welcome and assistance, on a bank holiday for them too. The traffic was fairly light but still demonic, I'm glad I wasn''t driving after 23 hours of travelling.

 

I'm trying to stay awake for another hour or so, and then I'll try and get a good 10 hours sleep - hopefully that will see me Ok, but I've got a couple of easy days anyway.

 

I'll report back tomorrow - when I'm more awake.

 

Have a nice day all - when you get up of course !

[roundhouse]

Dave

 

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Is the monorail or whatever it is that runs the length of the terminal in Detriot airport still there?

Good luck with getting a decent nights sleep.

 

Will be up shortly and on our way to DEMU. Looks like another sunny day as predicted.

 

Ian