Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Best wishes for Don's continued improvement - I'm sure Tim will be keeping us informed.

 

Sad day, and one of reflection, for the USA today but perhaps we should also think of the literally tens of thousands of people in the Middle East who are suffering from the latest outburst of allegedly 'religious' extremism - sometimes I get the feeling these utterly amoral loonies are not going to disappear from the world.

 

On a brighter note today brings one of Mrs Stationmaster's pals to visit from her lair in deepest Sussex so as they're going out I presume I will be staying in  should the the Manx parcel arrive - I wonder if it will have three legs? (it will no doubt run on the basis that all eight of its wheels are operating correctly coming from such a class concern, and I'd better not snaffle it to take to Swindon on Sunday or war will break out on my return and Baz will think he's back working for one of his past employers).

 

 

Now to have a wander round here, have a good day one & all. 

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Such a thrill to see Sherry's support from so many on here, sharing their own experiences and views - TVM to you all.

 

Specifically -

 

Barry O : Your comment about taking the plank from the eye (a quote that even I as a practising atheist, find extremely valid and use!) is all too relevant to the young lady in question, whose own history would make popular reading in a certain sort of Sunday newspaper. Indeed, whited sepulchres comes to mind!

 

Andrew C : Sherry and Pete are using an online divorce facility, and while they are at loggerheads about disposal of assets due to his new lady having certain views, there is no hint of acrimony or triumphalism involved. I am confident there will be equal shares, and I sincerely hope they remain friends.

 

Just another vote of thanks to the wonderful Tim for bothering to keep us informed of Don Bradley's progress. An example to us all.

 

Hope your week delivering, and surely today is a happier day than the infamous 9/11.

[DDolfelin]

sometimes I get the feeling these utterly amoral loonies are not going to disappear from the world.

 

I think the manufacture of armed drones may be the business in which to have shares.

If the targets could be guaranteed with no 'collateral' damage I think I could live with their use.

[AndyB]

Ashers, thanks for the clarification. I thought it might be something like that. 

 

Barry, I'd bring a Class 20, 47 and a 108 along, but I suspect the location and name of the event might get me lynched.  

 

Ian, an online divorce system sounds interesting. Assuming the computer agrees, which it may not.

[trisonic]

Well, I was out watering the peppers when the first thing I knew was that simultaneously my phone rang and four F15’s flew over on afterburners.

My Wife was in tears because she was on I95 heading north and could see both Towers were on fire but didn’t know why because the local radio stations were off air (they were broadcast from the Towers). I calmed her down (still not knowing myself what was going down) and went in to switch the TV on. ABC, NBC  were off but I think CBS was working but they didn’t seem to know much either.

There a famous shot of the second plane going in taken by a news chopper - behind it you can see the Staten Island Ferry - my SIL was on that and sensibly remained seated until it returned to SI - because service stopped thereafter. Within half an hour or so all the bridges were shut down to vehicles.

Some people were stuck on the Staten Island Expressway for over 12 hours. Then the skies went quiet. The TV channels came back quickly. One showed people jumping from the Towers together with overheard comments from tourists. They didn’t mean to be cruel.

 

I switched off for a while and went to finish watering. Nothing I could do. I’d had my office windows blown out in London when a bomb went off outside Selfridges and  witnessed the Bandstand bombings some years previously. Life went on, albeit differently.

 

I’m directing traffic later. Me volunteering to do this means that other people can do more important things.

 

Best, Pete.

[Barry O]

 

Barry, I'd bring a Class 20, 47 and a 108 along, but I suspect the location and name of the event might get me lynched.

Only if you try to buy any more(!)....

[Barry O]

Well, I was out watering the peppers when the first thing I knew was that simultaneously my phone rang and four F15’s flew over on afterburners.

 

 

Best, Pete.

I was in Aberdeen doing presentations on that day. Drove down to  Edinburgh listening to the news. The hotel was full of Americans and inconsolable (as one would expect) but then a fellow guest explained to them how he felt as now they might understand what paying into a kitty for terrorists did - he had a missing arm from an IRA bomb ...... They then all had a prayer for sense to prevail in the world... I just hope this happens one day but while people can twist religions to suit themselves I don't think it can... I hope I am wrong

 

Baz

[Oldddudders]

while people can twist religions to suit themselves I don't think it can... I hope I am wrong

 

 

Fanaticism of any sort is unhealthy, be it based upon religion, politics, footie or P4 standards. 99% of folk involved in those activities behave sincerely but rationally. The other 1% are off the scale and at best tedious, at worst murderous, as in 9/11.

[Killybegs]

On a personal note, the only good thing resulting from 9/11 is that I get an annual reminder that our wedding anniversary is in three days time. There was a very good chance that the wedding would have to be cancelled, as Ireland declared a day of morning on the 14th and everyone had the day off. Fortunately the registrar and hotel staff were happy to make sure our day was a success.

 

John

[SouthernRegionSteam]

Morning all, just been into work for a 3.5 hour deep clean - was horrible. Thankfully I had my MP3 player (As if we're going back to the 90s!) so I could blast out some MK, naturally!

Dom you should take as much time off as you need. Your health is FAR more important than anything else in your life right now 

Unfortunately neither my manager nor the head chef were there so telling them the bad news will have to wait a day. I could just write a letter and put it in the office upstairs, but I think it best to just get on and say it face to face. I'm afraid nothing has been positive in our household as of late, my mum is in a similar position to me (kind of)...
Well since it's my "day off" I'm going to relax, then go and clear off the land where the studio will be with the help of my mum. I think a few trips to the tip will also be in order since the garden waste collection is only every fortnight or so. Time for a much needed cuppa. 

[beast66606]

Morning all,

 

I've not been around for a few days and it's difficult to catch up so Get well soon, <hugs>, Elations, etc. as appropriate to all who need them.

 

13 years ago I was on Newport station (I'd actually started work at 05:00 swapping some machines in a South Wales hospital and finished at 09:00 so decided on some photography, work was to restart at 18:00 after the days clinics etc. had run) and a work colleague rang me to say something was happening in the US, he put the tv on and I heard his gasp - the second tower had gone down as he was trying to make sense and it was such a profound shock to his system he physically wretched at the site - normally a very calm man, even he was moved by the events. Later in the day I learned of the full horror these monsters had committed and history recounts the tale far better than I.

Respect for the emergency service personnel who were lost, they went into a dreadful situation with little or no thought for themselves and many never came back.

 

If you look at the abuse that myself and Andy Y (and others no doubt) receive (still, to this day) from fellow "modellers" (you can guess who) then it doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate this into fighting over beliefs and then to wars - and then world wars - and of course they all claim to be holier than thou.

 

Ricoh weekend beckons - looks like it's going to be a fantastic show - anyone who visits is welcome to come and play / chat / bullsh .... t / buy me beers.

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

A sobering day as so well put by DD, Ian and others. Poignant post from Pete(Trisonic) who was very close to the action. I remember the disbelief at the garage as the scenes unfolded on the big screen we had in the customer waiting area - staff and clients stooped and stared in disbelief! I'm with Baz - these extremes bear no relation to the teachings of the various 'holy books' touted by the different religions. A charter for lunatics wherever the troubles are found.

A sane balance brought about by John's beautiful images from Killybegs. What a lovely place and I understand from one of the 'Coast' programmes (I think) that it is renowned as Ireland's foremost fishing ports. Haven't had the pleasure of visiting, but I now wish I had!

Sherry, I'm pleased to read your post, and the supportive one from Ian - you really do seem, from my viewpoint at least, to be an ideally suited couple. I hope the divorce all passes without major incident (my own was very amicable until the solicitor got involved and appeared to screw me to increase his share - there wasn't an internet then of course!). It seems that DD2 is determined to make waves and though I'm an atheist, I thought immediately after reading Ian's comments - 'Let them cast the first stone.............'

Lovely pictures Trev, I can see that a return to the 'Dark Continent' probably doesn't seem like a great prospect at the moment!

Andrew, can't remember but have you yet had any professional work done to your back - it seems to have been troublesome for quite a time now. Hope you get sorted soon.

Best wishes for the rest of the week,

Kind regards,

Jock.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Jock67B

[DDolfelin]

Bargain Holiday Episode 5:

 

After the aircraft talk today, it's not a great comfort to know we'll be flying to an airport called "El Prat".

 

All tickets and documents now arrived. Hurrah!

 

We're catching the Costa Brava plane.

Hey viva Espana.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

....easy, pottering sort of day in the sunshine....favourite local scenic journey via Wincle, to not the closest garden centre, on the Langley side of Macclesfield gave the opportunity to call in at the Wincle brewery for a couple of bottles of their fine 'blonde' ales....'Summer Lass' is now my favourite amongst their brews and the perfect accompaniment for the latest edition of MRJ collected on the same journey. Finishing off the garden/adding the new bark mulch around the recently planted shrubs can wait half an hour whilst both purchases are savoured simultaneously.

 

Dave   

Edited September 11, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[AndrewC]

Jock, I damaged my back in a house move 30 years ago. Every so often I manage to pull the same set of muscles again. When that happens I'm laid up for a couple of weeks. No surgery available and only recommended rest and medication. I do see a Chiropractor for my shoulders and neck. That works great for the osteoarthritis. However, my guy is very good and knows that manipulation isn't going to help my lower back.

 

Back to 9/11, as shock turned to anger, several of the Americans I was with that day basically came out and said "nuke them all and let God sort it out" "send them back to the stone age", or words around turning the desert to glass.  A lot of that sentiment still resonates today in some of the US's Homeland security paranoia.

[The Stationmaster]

Bargain Holiday Episode 5:

 

After the aircraft talk today, it's not a great comfort to know we'll be flying to an airport called "El Prat".

 

All tickets and documents now arrived. Hurrah!

 

We're catching the Costa Brava plane.

Hey viva Espana.

One can but hope DD that the behaviour of whoever drives your road transport from the airport is not synonymous with the name of said airport.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

....it can be more effective to allow the extremists opportunities (in no way justifying 9/11) to demonstrate their ideologies, on the grounds that no one in their right mind would wish for them to gain more influence/power in the world. An ultimate response such as "nuking" them would surely encourage many more heads on the monster that they embody.

 

A very delicate balancing act if ever there was one!

 

Dave 

Edited September 11, 2014 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[roundhouse]

Well, I was out watering the peppers when the first thing I knew was that simultaneously my phone rang and four F15’s flew over on afterburners.

My Wife was in tears because she was on I95 heading north and could see both Towers were on fire but didn’t know why because the local radio stations were off air (they were broadcast from the Towers). I calmed her down (still not knowing myself what was going down) and went in to switch the TV on. ABC, NBC  were off but I think CBS was working but they didn’t seem to know much either.

There a famous shot of the second plane going in taken by a news chopper - behind it you can see the Staten Island Ferry - my SIL was on that and sensibly remained seated until it returned to SI - because service stopped thereafter. Within half an hour or so all the bridges were shut down to vehicles.

Some people were stuck on the Staten Island Expressway for over 12 hours. Then the skies went quiet. The TV channels came back quickly. One showed people jumping from the Towers together with overheard comments from tourists. They didn’t mean to be cruel.

 

I switched off for a while and went to finish watering. Nothing I could do. I’d had my office windows blown out in London when a bomb went off outside Selfridges and  witnessed the Bandstand bombings some years previously. Life went on, albeit differently.

 

I’m directing traffic later. Me volunteering to do this means that other people can do more important things.

 

Best, Pete.

I was on site in North London at the time of 9/11.

 

My other half phoned me to say the WTC had collapsed but I just thought that she was exaggerating till I got home and saw the news. Our office was on the 3rd floor of a building in Southwark Street and we could see the Nat West Tower. They had just put huge number 42 on the side of the building. A few days after 9/11 that was removed!!

 

We had been in New York a few months prior, staying near the Empire State building. I said to my other half which building did she want to go up. She said Empire State as it was close by and I said thats fine as we can do the WTC another time as they will always be there. How wrong I was!

 

I do remember the IRA bombings at John Lewis's as we had a project in the BBC at Broadcasting House. I didn't hear the first bomb at the front of the store but did hear the 2nd one that went off at the rear of the store, not realising what it was at first.

[DDolfelin]

One can but hope DD that the behaviour of whoever drives your road transport from the airport is not synonymous with the name of said airport.

 

Didn't Manuel come from Barcelona?

[Tony_S]

Bargain Holiday Episode 5:

 

After the aircraft talk today, it's not a great comfort to know we'll be flying to an airport called "El Prat".

 

 

I didn't know where El Prat was but Wikipedia informs me that you can catch a train from there to El Clot station. Hope this helps!

I notice that there are Easy Jet flights to El Prat from our local airport which now markets itself as London Southend.

[Jock67B]

DD, I mainly used Girona on my many trips to Barcelona, further away but smaller and easier to exit, especially with a hire car so the time to the city was similar! By the way, I think Manuel was actually from Berlin! HaHa.

Hope you have a great break, I love that city and the area - I think the Catalonians are as daft as the Scots!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Jock67B

[Rugd1022]

Afternnon all,

 

September 11th 2001, in some ways it seems a lifetime ago now but whenever that terrible footage appears on TV it is still so very shocking to see. I was at work that day, on yard shunt duty at Rugby and we were all sat down in the cabin having our snap in front of the TV when it came on, you could hear a pin drop. About an hour later four jet fighters flew overhead, quite low, heading east - whether it was just a coincidence or not we didn't know but it gave us all a lump in our throats.

 

Conducting a railgrinder last night / early this morning - the driver / operator is an ex-forces man and stuck at New Street waiting for the road, conversation soon turned to the date and it's significance. He'd read a report that said there are around 1.3 billion Muslims in the world and if only 25% of them became radicalised it would become a war we'll probably never really 'win'. Sobering stuff and I honestly believe that surpressing true opinions about the ins and outs of it all will only allow the problem to escalate, bubbling under the surface until it's too late to do anything positive. Forgive me for being a touch 'McCarthyist', but - they are amongst us and they want to destroy our liberty.

 

On a brighter note - Ian and Sherry... congratulations to you both and all the very best!

[big jim]

Afternnon all,

 

September 11th 2001, in some ways it seems a lifetime ago now but whenever that terrible footage appears on TV it is still so very shocking to see. I was at work that day, on yard shunt duty at Rugby and we were all sat down in the cabin having our snap in front of the TV when it came on, you could hear a pin drop. About an hour later four jet fighters flew overhead, quite low, heading east - whether it was just a coincidence or not we didn't know but it gave us all a lump in our throats.

 

i was in newton heath depot doing my guards course when news broke of the attacks, as you say you could hear a pin drop, travelling back into central manchester to get the train home was quite scary at the time

[Happy Hippo]

AndyB: DD2 = darling daughter no.2!

Well, I got the daughter bit right, sadly I thought the other D was for Devil.

[AndyB]

Thinking back to that day the air space in the US was closed quite quickly for some days I seem to recall.

For US-bound aircraft already in the air a colleague who worked at Boscombe told me that their operations staff had to put into place a very quick contingency plan to provide landing space if they needed to return.

Would have been a strange sight with so many 747s etc parked up at the airfield, maybe with some having to be shunted onto the grass!  

I note that Air Force One landed their recently whilst POTUS did some sight seeing.   

I'm not surprised to hear that others heard fast jets on that day. 

Always sobering to hear of aircraft being "escorted" into UK airports when there are problems on board. I feel for the young Typhoon pilots if they had to act to protect the majority. 

Andy