Early Risers.

[lightengine]

After yesterdays violence on the Tube I think a new phrase has entered into use.

"You aint a Muslim bruv". Possibly a powerful one that will be re-used often.

[jamie92208]

Evening all from a darkened village.  Life has got better.  In honour of the visit of No 1 son and new girlfriend yesterday Beth baked a chocolate cake.  The young lady brought a freshly made banana loaf with her.   Some of each was eaten at lunchtime but I've now been informed that they both need to be eaten as they won't keep.  It's a hard job but someone's got to do it.  

 

Jock I hope that your visit went as well as ours. 

 

Still no news from our friends from Lancaster.   I hope that they are OK.

 

Brian welcome to the madhouse.  A sense of humour is an asset here.

 

Anyway I've just spent a pleasant hour heating up buffers and coupler chains then dunking them in oil to blacken them as I'm going to batch build some of my wagon kits.  6 Private owner wagons have been selected.

 

ID yes the bug has bitten but the scheme will join the other two that I've also been infected with.  The first is Ravenglass in 09 set some time in the late 1920's/early 30's.  The other is Stanley Ferry with a working canal that Tom Puddings are lowered into.    Dreams cost nothing and it cheers Tony up when we chat about these pipe dreams.

 

Jamie

[BoD]

After yesterdays violence on the Tube I think a new phrase has entered into use.

"You aint a Muslim bruv". Possibly a powerful one that will be re-used often.

One sentence that has done more for community cohesion that any government has ever done.

[emt_911]

A day of getting some documents ready for the morning has taken most of my time. I've also just been informed that I'm attending the meeting on my own which is making me a bit nervous due to the value of the potential work.

 

Brian W - welcome to the mad house that is ER's

 

Another ER tomorrow and plenty of caffeine before leaving.

 

Night all

[Barry O]

Despite having 20 winks tonight its early to bed for me. Worn to a frazz by doing not a lot!

 

Sleep well everyone.

 

Duncan don't worry you are on your own at the meeting as everyone knows you are a safe pair of hands. Stay calm and Carpe Diem.

 

Baz

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

Had a very busy day today as we had No1 son and his latest girlfriend to lunch. An absolutely delightful and very beautiful young lady from Shenyang in China. He requested Italian so it was out with the pasta making machine to produce fresh tagliatelle, and a cheat for the sauce with my standard tomato one from the freezer, modified with fresh basil, mascarpone and Parmesan. Served with garlic bread and a nice Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, it went down very well. Result is that I'm exhausted, having had another poor night, so I haven't had a chance to look at any posts since the early hours. For now I'll offer the usual generic commiserations/congratulations then go and start catching up, but I fear I'll nod off before reaching the end! Back tomorrow,

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night Pete! G'night all!

PS, Obviously I hope all those affected by Desmond have avoided major problems!

Edited December 6, 2015 by Jock67B

[BSW01]

Brian:

Any chance of a bigger version of your avatar?

It looks very good to me.

 

Hi DDolfelin

 

A bigger version of my Avatar can be found on my gallery page. In "All my own work" album.

Edited December 6, 2015 by BSW01

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.  Welcome to Moan-day.  

 

Warm, dry and windy here but still lacking in that bright shiny thing that's sometimes up in the sky.  As it's green waste collection day I'm also engaged in the terminally futile namely raking leaves with intent to place them in the bin in a high wind.

 

Chicken issues: boss-hen has been pecky to the others all along which is normal but since one has gone broody boss-hen now goes for her by the neck.  I've segregated boss-hen for now to see how the dynamic works with just two in the coop and she on her own in the (currently vacant) cat run.  She seems to have settled quickly and is already nesting among the ferns so I'll probably have to retrieve an egg from in there shortly.  

 

If she continues to behave so aggressively then I have two options.  Re-home her or sharpen the axe.  Metaphorically of course - I learned how to wring poultry at a young age and have never axed them.  

 

Thoughts with those back home enduring floods and other damages.  It's never good but in the run-up to Christmas it can be desperately distressing.  Eldest nephew suffered that a few years back when he, his fiancee and family were flooded out on Christmas Eve.

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

Just caught up, and really sleepy, but I have to make a couple of comments and then return sometime tomorrow.

Mal, it's difficult to cope with all you've had to this year without more worry being heaped on your's and Gabe's shoulders! We of course now know what a spirited fighter your mum is from her last health issue, so I hope she has the strength to fight this setback in the same way. Joanna and I will be thinking of you and all of your family - please keep us posted.

Brian, welcome to what I can say from personal experience (as can John CB and others) is the friendliest and most supportive thread on this site! We are almost self policing, and there is a wealth of accumulated knowledge that is readily shared with anyone who has a problem.

Just got to sleep now,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[bbishop]

Evening all.

 

A long weekend at the European Railway Association exhibition in Birmingham.  Worryingly, I was about the fittest member of the team.

 

Drove home from Birmingham after church today, then straight up to the Royal Festival Hall for Bruckner 8 with Andris Nelsons and the Philharmonia Orchestra.  My favourite symphony, which Jock will know as well.

 

I'm completely shot so off to bed.  Best wishes to all, especially Mal.

 

Bill

[jamie92208]

Just a quick update on the Lancaster situation.  From Facebook It appears that much of the area now has power after several emergency generators have been connected up to local substations.   However they are cutting out due to overloading.   The main problem appears to be that the main sub station for the town, which is next to the river about half a mile east of Green Ayre where the old power station was, is flooded and can't even be inspected for damage till the water recedes.   It can't be very nice for our friends there and I hope that we hear soon that they are safe and dry.

 

Jamie

[newbryford]

Just a quick update on the Lancaster situation.  From Facebook It appears that much of the area now has power after several emergency generators have been connected up to local substations.   However they are cutting out due to overloading.   The main problem appears to be that the main sub station for the town, which is next to the river about half a mile east of Green Ayre where the old power station was, is flooded and can't even be inspected for damage till the water recedes.   It can't be very nice for our friends there and I hope that we hear soon that they are safe and dry.

 

Jamie

 

According to local news reports, that following the last floods (in 2005?) Electricity North West spent £500k on flood defences for the affected substation.

 

Looks like they didn't work.

 

Thoughts to all those affected.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Two_sugars]

Night capped, and so to bed.

 

Goodnight everyone  . . . Sleep well.

 

John

[Smiffy2]

Morning all, Morning Brian.

 

Cooked a roast dinner, ate it and fell asleep about 9! Now awake and buzzing, just done Julie's gallery statements for the month, just off for a cup of tea. Backache subsided.

 

Mal - an annus horribilis to be sure. I had one of those some years back when I lost two friends, a friend's partner and my stepfather in two months. I feel for you, but as Jock says your mother sounds tough. But the wheel turns.

 

Haircut later today, then picking Daisy up from school and an evening to myself, as Julie will be at a meeting. I'm doing some work on an imaginary loco (a Nellie on an 0-6-0 chassis - Terrier from Comet ) May be for the East Coker and Burnt Norton LR or possibly the Ankh Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway. As neither has any buildings or track it's a moot point. I'm fancying an adapted London Transport livery... Or it may end up joining that Great Engine Shed in the loft.

 

I've also got to read (and sign that I've read, but there isn't a test) the 61-page 'Safeguarding' document for school governors. As that used to be part of my job I'm just getting up to date, but it's written in Late Baroque Civil Service.

 

I once had the job of writing a national policy for primary schools. I got together a panel of primary teachers and we wrote it, and the accompanying notes and illustrations, in a style we all agreed would be accessible, easy and comprehensible. Then it went into the system for checking. It came back mangled beyond all recognition, it had to be 'formal' and of a match with other stuff. I don't think in the end anyone read it beyond p4. But that wasn't the intention...

 

Anyhoo, have a good day, all; Monday, gateway to opportunity and all that, have a cracker. Well, not yet, but you know what I mean.

 

What time is acceptable for the first coffee?

[emt_911]

Morning all. After a lousy nights sleep plenty of coffee is being consumed.

 

I've already written this post on the laptop and the internet connection has just failed so I'm having to re-type it in my phone.

 

As an engineer I'm not looking forward to the meeting today. All the others are managers who don't posses a practical brain cell between them who are going to want me to quantify the length of a piece of string.

 

My thoughts are with those effected by storm Desmond.

 

Have a good day everyone

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. Quite balmy outside as it seems we're at 11°C. December, anyone?   Certainly easier to cope with than what Northern England must be going through right now, though…

 

I once had the job of writing a national policy for primary schools. I got together a panel of primary teachers and we wrote it, and the accompanying notes and illustrations, in a style we all agreed would be accessible, easy and comprehensible. Then it went into the system for checking. It came back mangled beyond all recognition, it had to be 'formal' and of a match with other stuff. I don't think in the end anyone read it beyond p4. But that wasn't the intention...

 

Sounds very much like the "we've always done it that way" mode of thinking. Yes, I myself know too well that permitting at least some personal routine to develop as part of teacher's work is inevitable if you want to get anything done with the considerable work load this job entails, but what you describe here seems to be pure bean-counting just for the sake of itself…

 

Later…

[Barry O]

Good morning to most, good evening to others.

Duncan, so what if they are "managers"? Use you technical approach to convince them they need 3 times the string they need using technical reasons and let them think about it.

Dick coffee, tea and all other light refreshments should be consumed at every opportunity. REME coffee (50% Bailey's Irish the rest coffee) can be drunk if its a tad nippy.

With the level in f rain seen over the last few days the flood defences in some places would have to have been a lot higher. Not sure how high they can go before we can prevent flash floods.


Off for some tea then a tidy up day as tomorrow I venture to mike edges to do some train testing on Herculaneum Dock with Nicktoix.

See you later!
Baz

 

edited as my tablet is carp at spelling changing...

Edited December 7, 2015 by Barry O

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a very dark morning in this part of the world.  Although the moon was out and we could see the stars on the way to work - so I am guessing that it is quite clear.

 

The weekend was fairly quiet.  On Saturday, I put up the outside Christmas lights and then set up the Christmas tree that we bought after work on Friday.  We are lucky enough to have a Christmas tree seller just up the road from us who has a plantation.  You can go out into the plantation and choose your own tree to cut down.  It means we get a fresher tree, and he has less waste.

 

This morning, I am back in the office and hoping that the week isn't going to be too chaotic!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[AndyID]

With the level in f rain seen over the last few days the flood defences in some places would have to have been a lot higher. Not sure how high they can go before we can prevent flash floods.

 

Meanwhile, the "bright minds" who know bu66er all about the most basic science with limited scientific education are assuring us that there is no connection between the upsurge in record breaking weather events and the fact that we are increasing the thermal energy stored in our planet.

 

Ooops! Did I come across as angry? (Maybe it's because I'm totally PO'd by those who take full advantage of science except when it's convenient for them to deny it.)

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Not the best of days to rise a bit late as I have an appointment with the GP at 8.30 and ought not to go there on an empty stomach.  I must have needed the sleep though whether the adjective 'beauty' is quite appropriate I do rather doubt. 

 

Yesterday was largely spent in recovering from my trip to Manchester, which was a worthwhile but tiring expedition.  I watched three episodes of 'Foyle's War', a drama of which I never tire.  Three more are stored in the black box for later in the week.  Other things need doing too: at the very least I ought to find out the latest on my poorly pal but I'm kind of dreading what the news might be.

 

Take care, y'all

 

Chris

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Seems to be a dry start and should stay that way with the chance of some sunshine later.

Welcome to Brian. This is a good place but the problem is that you can end up spending too much time here instead of doing other things - like building railways.

Quiet yesterday so I managed to spend a bit more time on the layout. It still looks like a trainset rather than a model railway but what the hell - It's mine, it all works (so far) and I like it. 

Watching the news yesterday and seeing the devastation caused by the weather reminded me of when Chris's family were flooded in the late Sixties before we were married. They had 2-3 ft of water in the house and the mess caused was horrendous. From memory it took a couple of years for them to get over that. My late mother in law picked up an infection in her leg through wading through the water and that caused a horrible ulcer that took months of treatment to cure.

Now being summoned by The Boss who has obviously thought of something for "us" to do on her day off.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited December 7, 2015 by grandadbob

[brianthesnail96]

Good morning all...

 

As Brian, I've been lurking for a few weeks and since he's stuck his head over the proverbial parapet I thought I would as well (although I see from the star by the thread that I've actually posted in here previously somewhere in the depths of time)- so hello all! I'm not Brian, I'm actually Matt, but I will answer to Brian (or indeed Brain as a friend from another corner of the internet insists on calling me- never entirely sure if it's dyslexia or just taking the mick, could well be both!), suspect I'm probably amongst the younger of the posters in here being not quite as far below 30 as I'd like, residing in currently rather damp but not totally submerged Gloucestershire. I work as a development engineer for a company making fuel systems for lorries (and to the best of my knowledge we don't cheat on emissions tests, so no VW jokes! We just wish we'd thought of doing that...), happily not married to a very tolerant young lady called Laura, no pets (yet) other than an Ikea Moose (inventively called Mooose), and other than an unhealthy obsession with the products of British Leyland no major maladies.

 

Other than that Neil bloke on Fraggle Rock, who has been an internet acquaintance of mine for some time, I recognise a few names from the classic cars thread. The rest of you I'm sure I'll learn over time. It's so nice to see a bunch of people from all over the world looking out for each other, perhaps the world isn't as bad as the news at 10 makes it out to be after all

[Killybegs]

Having amazingly avoided the worst of Desmond here, our thoughts are with those that didn't. Watching on TV the amount of flooding all around us in Donegal, we were indeed very lucky to get away unscathed. We were up very early yesterday to walk the dogs (for a Sunday) and were presented with an amazing sight over at the beach. Most of the Killybegs fleet (and several storm bound visitors) were heading out to sea after the passing of the storm, it was like Blackpool Illuminations. The reason for our early start was that we had to drive down to Galway, where we were due to meet Steph's sister, who was driving up from Kerry, at 11.00am to pick up their dog who we are looking after while they go to Australia for four weeks over Christmas. There was a great deal of flooding on the way down but there were a lot of council employees out with pumps clearing the worst bits. I think the deepest we had to drive through was probably not more than 100mm on roads that were closed the day before.

 

With four dogs to walk and one not knowing the drill, we both took them over to the beach this morning and took torches as well. Thank goodness we did as Ruby found a dead fish on the beach and had started to eat it. It was as well we stopped her as it was attached to a hook and length of line.  A very lucky escape.

 

Mica, our visitor, is an outdoor dog and is not house trained so I am going to have to keep an eye on her today!

 

Stay safe.

 

PS Welcome Brian and Brian who's not Brian!

Edited December 7, 2015 by Killybegs

[Simon G]

Morning all, and welcome to both new Brians. This is a great place to be!

 

Just watched Piers Morgan on Good morning Britain challenging Rory Stewart ( Floods Minister), to predict the unpredictable. What a wally! Piers just seemed to be trying to score points to make himself look good, rather than say anything which might actually help. Some people don't realise that we cannot physically protect ourselves from everything that nature throws at us.

 

According to Radio Cumbria, power has been reinstated to most of the houses in Lancaster, so we will hopefully hear from the ERs in that area.