Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Robert, when I visited Germany back in the 70's I went to the Odenwald, a really beautiful part of the country, and it snowed, in September. Jock, I agree the Rocket III is not exactly a racing machine, the ones I saw were all attached to sidecars. Out of curiosity I looked up the prices, £11,500 for a 10 year old machine.    They are aimed primarily at the US market as is evident from the different models offered. As I mentioned I run a Hyundai which I chose because of the easier access as I require a 'tall' car. The model I drive is the i10, a bit to small for Jocks needs perhaps. Commiserations and congratulations where necessary, have a good one.

[Jock67B]

Morning All,

 

It is a thoroughly revolting morning here - cold, dark and very wet!  The temperature is around 4°C down here in the Rhein Main Gebiet, but up in the Taunus and Odenwald it has been snowing.  The first time since the early 1970s that it has started to snow so early in the year.  Thankfully, I got the winter tyres on the car yesterday evening.

 

Concerning BoDs question about Astronomy - there are a few hobbyists around with telescopes who will let you play.  In my experience, the amateur astronomers are generally a very friendly bunch who will welcome anybody with an interest in the heavens.  Not that it helps BoD, but I got to visit a local observatory when the little guy was in Kindergarten.  We were able to look through their refractor, and they had smaller telescopes trained on Jupiter, Mars and Saturn to show the children the difference.

 

Back in the 80s, I went to a talk by Heather Couper - and she reckoned that for amateur stargazing a good pair of binoculars was better than a cheap telescope - particularly those that begin with T for Terrible (Sorry, Jock!)  Of course, this was many years ago now - so I am sure that even the cheaper telescopes are a lot better than they were then.  The fact that Tasco are still around means that they can't be that bad!

 

Of course, light pollution is a huge problem.  If you live in a city, then all but the strongest stars will be almost invisible.  That, coupled with the move away from low pressure sodium lighting (the orange lamps - which produce a narrow waveband of light and can be easily filtered out) make life more difficult for astronomers.  A stargazer colleague of mine actually moved into the sticks to get away from light pollution.

 

Have a good day everyone...

Morning Robert,

My Tasco certainly lives up to its reputation, having required many repairs and modifications over the years, particularly because of the use of inferior quality materials. The sighting scope adjusters for instance, have required re-threading several times as the original thread simply wore away. I bought this one at the time our Stuart had just started at 'public school' in North Devon, and it is truly all I could afford at the time, as well as finding school fees! He joined the school astronomical society, and we felt it an interest worth nurturing. My father, many years ago, bought me a set of ex WW2 binoculars from 'Carl Zeiss Jena', purporting to have been produced for 'U-boat' Captains. They are exceptionally good, and have proved very useful when bird watching, but because of their weight and indestructible construction, they are a little difficult to hold steady when looking at distant objects like planets. Better presumably if you had the edge of a 'conning tower' to lean on?

We have been having many lively discussions on the universe over on 'Lunester Asylum', started by 'Physicsman' Jeff who as an ex Physics teacher, is also a keen amateur astronomer with several very impressive looking telescopes in his collection. He also has a device which attaches his camera to one of these telescopes and has produced som superb images of the moon. He will gladly offer advice on what and where to buy equipment. I subscribe to the New Scientist and have the NASA, ESA, and ISS web sites set as favourites - apart from fascinating me, they've been very useful in helping with grandchildren's homework! My father started me off with an interest in the night sky at a very early age, and luckily Joanna is interested enough to join me in my nocturnal vigils in the garden, watching meteor showers and the like.

Hope I haven't bored you too much with what is a bit of a passion of mine,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Masses to catch up on as I seemed to miss ERs somehow yesterday evening.  Debs seems to be in fine form as I mentioned the T word in a Facebook post to her yesterday and got a 'like' - hopefully she's only had a minor procedure and will be back soon but I know she doesn't like to talk about these sort of things.

 

Anyway yesterday afternoon was spent going through some auction lots and we are actually considering going to the sale tomorrow although I have left commission bids.  I haven't been to a live sale for quite a while and it has its dangers as the attractive lots get up near my limit and occasionally temptation sinks in - especially if I've missed out on an earlier lot.  I can find it very frustrating when the lots are in an order which doesn't suit me and having stayed on my limit for the earlier ones a later one goes berserk whereas if things had been the other way round I would have been within total budget and able to have stayed in the bidding for the other lots.  Ah well it's all a bit of fun and a nice little social occasion as well meeting folk you haven't seen for a while.  

 

Also found out yesterday that a  'gentleman' whose auction house we ( and 'Flog It' from the BBC) regularly patronised in the past finally had his day in court and is now serving 5 years in a nice centrally heated cell block - presumably for fraud and various other financial misdemeanours.  Good job we moved on from dealing with him quite a few years back.

 

Currently a nice sunny day so I'm told we're going for a walk - no doubt after I've got the recycling bin back in (garden waste bin not yet done it appears).

 

Have a good day everybody

[Jock67B]

I think it is/was a Ducati Hypermotard......

 

Cheers, Pete.

Pete,

Don't think it's the Ducati, as the 'Hypermotard' has a water cooled engine, whereas the one behind the Camaro looks air cooled, and the Duke has twin exhausts running under the frame and exiting below the seat, whilst that one appears to have a single upswept pipe. Definitely looks to have Honda influence!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[trisonic]

Pete,

Don't think it's the Ducati, as the 'Hypermotard' has a water cooled engine, whereas the one behind the Camaro looks air cooled, and the Duke has twin exhausts running under the frame and exiting below the seat, whilst that one appears to have a single upswept pipe. Definitely looks to have Honda influence!

Kind regards,

Jock.

You’re probably right, Jock.

 

I thought it was this version: https://s3.graphiq.com/sites/default/files/778/media/images/2013_Ducati_Hypermotard_796_427343_i0.png

 

Best, Pete.

[Jock67B]

Looks close Pete, but again no cooling fins - a difficult one indeed. I truly hope that your dream comes true, it is a beautiful motor car! The nearest I got to driving something like that was when my late brother from Boston shipped a 'Trans-Am', with a heavily modified 425cu.in. engine shoehorned in, to our little Renault dealership for a wealthy UK client. I just had to check it was OK for a couple of days before delivering it on! Biggest problem was keeping it pointing in the right direction, especially in the wet!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[trisonic]

Jock, To be honest I didn’t take much notice of the bike! It’s probably something mildly exotic otherwise it would not be in the particular window.

 

Big Blocks are too heavy in such cars and only good for straight line performance, hence, a Small Block, stroked, with aluminum heads.

 

It’s only a dream, mon!

 

Best, Pete.

Edited October 14, 2015 by trisonic

[trisonic]

 

Pete's post last night about his new car reminded me of this:

 

Husband went to the sheriff's department to report that his wife was missing. 

  

Husband: My wife is missing. She went shopping yesterday and has not come home.... 

  

Sergeant: What is her height? 

  

Husband: Gee, I'm not sure. A little over five-feet tall. 

  

Sergeant: Weight? 

  

Husband: Don't know. Not slim, not really fat. 

  

Sergeant: Color of eyes? 

  

Husband: Sort of brown I think. Never really noticed. 

  

Sergeant: Color of hair? 

  

Husband: Changes a couple times a year. Maybe dark brown now. I can't remember. 

  

Sergeant: What was she wearing? 

  

Husband: Could have been pants, or maybe a skirt or shorts. I don't know exactly. 

  

Sergeant: What kind of car did she go in? 

  

Husband: She went in my truck. 

  

Sergeant: What kind of truck was it? 

  

  

Husband: A 2015 Ford F150 King Ranch 4X4 with eco-boost 5.0L V8 engine special ordered with manual transmission and climate controlled air conditioning. It has a custom matching white cover for the bed, which has a matching aftermarket bed liner. There are custom leather 6-way seats and "Bubba" floor mats. Also, a trailering package with gold hitch and special wiring hook-ups. DVD with full GPS navigation, satellite radio receiver, 23-channel CB radio, six cup holders, a USB port, and four power outlets. I added special alloy wheels and off-road Michelins. It has custom running boards and indirect wheel well lighting. 

At this point the husband started choking up and crying. 

  

Sergeant: Take it easy, sir.  We'll find your truck.   

 

 

Sorry I’m playing “catch up”!

 

I think that is fairly accurate (and funny) but the thing is if you translated that in Model Railway terms it would sum up this whole RMWeb site.......

 

The problem with any objects of desire to men is that the more they are studied and argued about the more they end up as perceived as “Toys” by everyone else - usually our wives.

 

It’s a “No one is innocent” deal!

 

Best, Pete.

Edited October 14, 2015 by trisonic

[Smiffy2]

Well.

 

Up early at the crack of 8 to get over to the cattery. Julie much better but still not right. The cattery owners had given her they key - we need to get in the house to open the stalls and the barn where the food, bowls etc. are kept.

 

Except we couldn't open the door. Looked like it was the key at fault. We tried for hours, I went home and got my Swiss army knife to try to spring the lock, cut myself 3 times, once nastily.

 

Then the first cats arrived. I dismantled the bolts and padlocks on the stalls and tried (and failed) to open the barn. Ensconced the cats (ginger tom and gorgeous little kitten called Fizzy) and Julie drove into town to buy food for them.

 

Then a thought occurred. What if Julie had brought the wrong key? The idea was pooh-poohed, of course, and the question asked 'If it's not the right key what's it the key for?'. Hmm.

 

Went home. Found the right key hanging by the front door. Drove back to cattery. Opened door. Reassembled bolts and padlocks. Fed cats. Waited for third cat, made assorted key jokes. Ensconced third cat (lovely creature) and went home. Thoroughly cold, cut up, Julie having a relapse...

 

I'm dossing the day away now.

 

Sometimes I feel that the fates have abandoned me.

[Happy Hippo]

That's why you're a Chimp and not a Hippo.

 

Disasters I have on a frequent basis, catastrophes just last for longer.

[Tony_S]

... Thoroughly cold, cut up, Julie having a relapse...

 

I'm dossing the day away now.

 

Sometimes I feel that the fates have abandoned me.

I think I would definitely be in need of a nice cup of tea and a digestive biscuit after such a day.

Have you got to go back this evening to give the cats their dinner?

I do hope Julie starts to improve and that your wound has stopped bleeding.

Tony

[Ian Abel]

HUMP Day.

 

All quiet on the Minneapolis front!

 

The hump day drive in was heading in a "pleasant" direction", until a complete cockwomble came down a ramp that has a distinct "YIELD" sign at the bottom of it, at about 50mph straight into my path. Had I not moved into the left lane - fortunately vacant - the asswipe would have broadsided me. He continued on at speed as if nothing had happened. I tend to not wish ill of people in case it comes back to haunt me, but...  

 

Other than THAT PRAT, 3 and overcast driving in, but expecting to get to 19 later!

 

Heading over the hump now towards the weekend, back to work for me.

[trisonic]

How’s your Blood Pressure, Ian? Lots of Rants recently..........

 

 

Best, Pete.

[Smiffy2]

I think I would definitely be in need of a nice cup of tea and a digestive biscuit after such a day.

Have you got to go back this evening to give the cats their dinner?

I do hope Julie starts to improve and that your wound has stopped bleeding.

Tony

We have, indeed, been back to feed the kitten. And play with it a bit. I am receiving hints that a kitten may be looming on our domestic horizons. Julie has been wondering out loud if we could bring a cat out with us each time we come to France. Harrumph.

 

Tea has been had, wound about to be tended, hachis parmentier slated for dinner. With beans.

 

Watching TV and the deplorable Vince Henderson is on with his execrable 'Off The Rails' programmes. What a wasted opportunity...

[Barry O]

Morning all, the sky is beautiful and blue over Borough Market Junction. There was a chill first thing but it should warm nicely.

 

Sorry to hear Smiffy's problems - political and healthwise - I hope Julie improves rapidly.

 

And it's a shame that Baz is effectively being forced to give up umpiring. I am not sure that ex-players always make the best umpires. Certainly the best test umpires haven't always been ex test players. I would have thought that actually having a grading system for those who are serious about umpiring would make more sense.

 

I had a good curry last night with a couple of friends. Although it did emerge that one had been in a hurry to get home from work neglected to ask about his younger daughter's parents' evening in the short time he had spent at home.....!

 

Have a good day all

There is a grading structure in place. But the higher the level of cricket you have played the easier it is to get to the top. Strange RU, RL and soccer don't have this fast track. But, hey ho, that's the way it is. I don't have to give up but would end up driving a lot of miles in a lower division to umpire what would be less disciplined (potentially) games. I have been offered two league umpiring slots already... Word travels fast!

 

Now down in Birmingham for a meeting tonight. The Birmingham ring road (otherwise known as the M6 was the only busy bit of road.

Baz

Edited October 14, 2015 by Barry O

[The Lurker]

I suppose what you now have to weigh up is whether the potential quality of the teas is worth the umpiring pain....

 

 

it was great when the club I played for moved from the Northampton Town League to Northants Alliance Premier or some such. That meant far more village sides with better pitches and better teas. And curiously, less hostile bowling although the league purported to be of better quality. The town league couldn't or wouldn't join the pyramid because some sides played on the Racecourse - on which cricket had been played since time immemorial and which had overlapping pitches and no boundaries to the sides - it was only a 4 if the shot crossed the next match's 22 yds. Some of the bowlers were - or at least had been - very good - Peter Lee for one - and as a strictly limited opener the move suited me!

[Barry O]

I came across this layout depicting the tram network in Berlin recently: http://www.modelltram.de/Fotoalbum/vbbs.html

 

They've certainly taken some liberties with the topography and chronology, but excellent depications of some locations I know well.

We had a tram layout in 4mm in our club which we took to a few exhibitions including one in Bremen, all 48' of it. It had a bit of Headingley, a bit of Middleton woods, Hunslets, the city centre and a sort of roundhay park. This with lots of Leeds double decker trams plus the coronation cars (single desck numbers 601 and 602 and the experimental single deck 600 caused a bit of discussion, especially in Bremen as the idea of single unit, double deck trams was a bit novel. But we did try a flexity tram once. When I get back home I will try and post a picture of it..

Baz

[Ian Abel]

How’s your Blood Pressure, Ian? Lots of Rants recently..........

 

 

Best, Pete.

I know <sigh> going to take a deep breath and start over...

[Barry O]

Ian, stay calm and have a cup of decaf.....:-)

Yes the quality of cricket teas is very important that's why I may go back to scoring next year (with some school and county junior umpiring as well.)

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

Back home with Is by 1pm....chemo done and latest haul of medication collected. Quick lunch before leaving her to sit comfortably, waiting for the effects to take hold, I then headed into school to paint more preservative onto new wood used on the early years storage shed roof and to repair a damaged handrail. A few issues to attend to with the set of shed doors which I made a few weeks back then I'll be able to work on the intended sign design/layout.

 

Oh well....saves wondering what to do with time.

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

[edcayton]

I was just wondering whether the less well among us are aware that NHS prescriptions are free for over-60's, diabetics and other lifetime illnesses, but that if you do have to pay you can buy a "season ticket" for a year such that if you need more than 12 in a year this is cheaper.

 

Ed

[newbryford]

I was just wondering whether the less well among us are aware that NHS prescriptions are free for over-60's, diabetics and other lifetime illnesses, but that if you do have to pay you can buy a "season ticket" for a year such that if you need more than 12 in a year this is cheaper.

 

Ed

There is also a 3 month and 6 month pre-paid certificate available. If you are going to get more than 3 in 3 months, then it works out cheaper.

Available online but I bought my latest directly at the pharmacy.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Purley Oaks]

I was just wondering whether the less well among us are aware that NHS prescriptions are free for over-60's, diabetics and other lifetime illnesses, but that if you do have to pay you can buy a "season ticket" for a year such that if you need more than 12 in a year this is cheaper.

 

Ed

And it's free to all in Scotland and Wales - could be an idea for England, no?

 

BTW, I didn't realise until recently that there are no reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and Guernsey. Is that bananas?

 

Hope your evenings are going well - had my post-op check-up with the surgeon today and he's very pleased. He even emailed oncology to find out why the delay with chemo, so hopefully will hear from them soon.

 

Mal

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

Mal, a person (who recently failed to be elected the party's leader) in the last government (on your side of the water) tried to do the same to us a few years ago, but some lobbying well a lot managed to save the day. I think the fact we spend more fixing visitors from the UK (Bike racing...) than they do on fixing Manx tourists helped.  Any elective surgery done on us (as in my case with my hip) in the UK, our government here pays for in the same way as a private patient.

 

Pete the bike is tiny - zoom in and you can see a kickstarter too - I recon it's a CRF110F after looking at the US Honda website. The Duke Hypermotard has the cam belt covers on that side, and has a headlight.

[Simon G]

One of my favourite TV programmes has returned! The Apprentice always features a load of people who think that they are God's gift, but in reality are clueless, egotistical halfwits (imho)! It does however make for very funny viewing, and the introduction of Claude Littner promises to add to the entertainment.

 

Another sunny windless day here today, so more garden clearance done. What has always baffled me is how the grass grows in the fruit and veg patch, but not in the lawn, and how the weeds always seem to grow better than the intended crops.