Early Risers.

[Oldddudders]

Good morning from a sunny Surrey. A great night last night in bars around South London. Only marred by our train being late just missing the bus home both from Coulsdon South and then Redhill so a walk home getting in close to midnight. This morning it's the bus that hasn't shown and none for 45 minutes heading to Croydon so train there instead. Anyway a couple of photos at Redhill

 

Redhill! Where I did much of my initial gricing in 1960, it being an almost affordable steam-train ride from Betchworth, where I lived, and the 414 bus outside my house went there, too. The pic of the EMU approaching appears to show on the left that the Control building where I worked in 1968/9 - before we moved to a new office in Croydon - has been demolished. Erected in 1941, I think, as part of Southern Railway's response to the needs of war. 

 

I have been asked to ride as unseen shotgun for Alison's handover of the bambini to the ex this morning at 11. She will then come back for coffee, and regale me with tales about last night's rendezvous with the French farmer who has her heart(!), and hopefully has now realised what his indecision is doing to her. Actually he had similar symptoms last year, equally unresolved by the medics. The eldest son joined her in bed last night, crying that he didn't want her to die. Tough stuff. 

 

Hope your weekend going well, and that we have good news of Jock soonest.

[andyram]

Morning all. Best wishes to all those who are suffering from various ailments. I am sorry to hear that Barry O returned from holiday with an unwanted souvenir. I hope you had an enjoyable holiday- I certainly have enjoyed reading your posts. My parents returned from a few days break in the same part of the world yesterday. They stayed in Humanby (excuse any incorrect spelling) in a holiday let on the station. Yesterday they spent the last day on the NYMR. However they were not too happy to end up with diesel traction in both directions. To add insult to injury a steam locomotive was taken off an arrival from Whitby and replaced by a diesel before departure from Grosmont on their return journey.

Here in a rainy Derby things are a bit bleary eyed. Amber managed an hour of sleep before the multitude of spots woke her up itching. This was despite a liberal coating of calamine lotion. She was quite upset and stayed in our bed for the rest of the night and did not sleep until the early hours of the morning - neither did we. Sarah is off out to the Forest match later. I will be at home with Amber. I had planned to take her around the Belper exhibition. However she is not really well enough and I would not risk others by taking her there. Unless I can fit in a quick visit before Sarah goes out I will have to give it a miss.

 

Hope you enjoy the start to your weekend.

[JohnDMJ]

Morning all!

 

Again, seems bright and sunny out there!

 

Am deciding the best way to do a circular fodder run but since the car needs to be fed first, I conclude that the anti-clockwise route prevails! That then means doubling back along the A29 where the two shops I require are best served on the clockwise route. Ho Hum! On the plus side, the new bypass will negate traversing that stretch 3 times!

 

Best Wishes to all, in whatever degree of need

[emt_911]

Morning all. Although I didn't set my alarm for a change I still woke early and couldn't get back to sleep. At least it's a bright warm day for a change.

 

Not a lot planned for the weekend apart from more reports to be finished and the van needs cleaning inside and out. At least I'm being paid to write the reports.

 

Time for another coffee.

 

Have a good day everyone

[leopardml2341]

At least it's a bright warm day for a change.

 

 

Please send some of it up here

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A quick 'look in' as I'm of out shortly for an exhibition, not a club exhibition but a local entertainment more geared to 'kids and families' but some interesting layouts and traders. Commiserations and congratulations where neccessary, be back later.

Edited April 2, 2016 by PhilJ W

[Smiffy2]

Morning all. Sunny but cool here. Cutting wood is on the agenda for today.

 

Mixed day yesterday. In the morning I started cutting the planks I bought - the ones that Julie dropped on my foot. Discovered that they have a slight bevel... Unsuitable, so time and effort wasted and off out for new ones. As I also needed petrol and a new gas bottle we decided to do all at the same time in St Hilaire du Harcouët.

 

Went and got some more wood. This time it fell on my leg and scraped down my shin (this is a pack of five 2m planks). Unpleasant to say the least. Then over to get the gas, including buying a new bottle. Which was a somewhat fraught experience as the woman in charge of the petrol station part of Carrefour let me wait whilst she had long conversations and dealt - at length - with some kid who had presented an invalid cheque, all of whom arrived after me. In the end I had to be rude to get served as I stood by the gas bottles and she stood and chatted to cheque-boy.

 

Then home, feeling pretty peed off. Took some flowers to welcome new neighbours, but they were out.

 

Cooked dinner, steak-frites, and then the new neighbours showed up to thank us for the flowers and we all sat around drinking and talking until almost midnight, so the day ended better than most of it had been. But overslept this morning as a result! Julie is still asleep, having had an uncomfortable night.

 

So, in a while, cutting planks to size for this bloody table top.

 

Best wishes to all, especially Mal and Jock, and hoping like everyone for news soon from Clacton.

 

Have a good day and enjoy what you do.

[DDolfelin]

Looked in for Ian's summary of the F1 situation, unsuccessfully.

 

Truly hope that Jock's problems are not mounting and that a bounce back is imminent.

[Ashcombe]

Morning all.........

Here in a rainy Derby things are a bit bleary eyed. Amber managed an hour of sleep before the multitude of spots woke her up itching. This was despite a liberal coating of calamine lotion. She was quite upset and stayed in our bed for the rest of the night and did not sleep until the early hours of the morning - neither did we. Sarah is off out to the Forest match later. I will be at home with Amber. I had planned to take her around the Belper exhibition. However she is not really well enough and I would not risk others by taking her there..

Poor Amber! Chickenpox is a nuisance. You might consider an antihistamine at night to soothe the itching and enable you all to sleep.

 

Enjoy your w/e, everyone! I'm slowly unpacking after my return from France. It seems very quiet after being with Ian for over a month!

[Tony_S]

Poor Amber! Chickenpox is a nuisance. You might consider an antihistamine at night to soothe the itching and enable you all to sleep.

Enjoy your w/e, everyone! I'm slowly unpacking after my return from France. It seems very quiet after being with Ian for over a month!

When Matthew had chicken pox we were told not to use calamine lotion but to use sudocreme instead. I don't know what current thought is, I don't think my little nieces have had chicken pox yet.

I suspect Ian will be very stealthy when observing Alison's child handover. I had visions of him being disguised as shrubbery

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Bright & sunny and the originally forecast rain for this evening is now not forecast.

 

Andy (Leopard) it is quite difficult to avoid the old LNW Heads Of The Valleys line if you are travelling by road as a lot of it is underneath the A465 Heads Of The Valleys road - nowadays a fancy dual carriageway in places it would seem.  Many years ago (oh, what the heck, 42 years ago) when working in that part of the world I spent a day off going over some of the old route by the 'bus services which had replaced the trains and changed 'buses at Rhymney Bridge - right on the site of the station where I would have changed trains; nowadays it is under a whopping great junction with the dual carriageway but a bit of the line up from Rhymney might be traceable.

 

Have a good day one and all especially those in the hands of the medicos.

[skipepsi]

Morning all, it is wet and cold outside which might account for my failure to leap out of bed when the alarm went off. Shopping today prior to DD1 and DD2 going back to university tomorrow. The trip to Derby will involve moving more stuff but Preston much more driving. I went for my diabetes review yesterday and my blood sugar level has fallen to under the limit and I have lost 10kg so the diet has worked, another 10 kgs to shift then fitness boosting exercise so when I reach 60 I will be fit enough to retire. Not that I can afford to of course unless my numbers come up...  I am worried that Jock has been readmitted so soon and hope for positive news soon. It is good to read about people looking after others in this self obsessed society of today humanity is alive and well in ER land. Best wishes for the day.  

 

 

 

 

English sort of

Edited April 2, 2016 by skipepsi

[Tony_S]

I hope Jock's stay is just for something that is easier to do as an in-patient. My Mum would frequently turn up for some outpatient treatment an end up being admitted for a couple of days. This was when she lived in Worcestershire. When she lived in the West Midlands she wasn't as well cared for. Much of her treatment involved short lived isotopes and the timing had to be just right.

[BoD]

Poor Amber! Chickenpox is a nuisance. You might consider an antihistamine at night to soothe the itching and enable you all to sleep.

Enjoy your w/e, everyone! I'm slowly unpacking after my return from France. It seems very quiet after being with Ian for over a month!

I'll let you work out which bit I clicked agree to.

[BoD]

 The last one before the clocks go back for winter.  Pleased I'm not rostered a night shift tonight.  They work nine hours as it is but tonight will be ten.

 

What happens when the clock goes back? Do the trains come to a halt for an hour until the catch up again?

 

 

 

 

Baz; Did you find Geordie's penka when you were up the cundie?

[BSW01]

I bet you just bought bottled water Brian and turned it into wine.  Messiah!

Oh I wish! It would save me a bloody fortune!

[lightengine]

We enjoyed a chuckle when we noticed that the lifts in the Costa del Sol hotel in which we stayed some years ago were supplied by Schindler. Unfortunately, someone among the group of Brits who arrived at the same time was of that mental cast which demands that the joke be elaborated by scratching "Schindler's Lift", in large uneven letters, into the control panel. Bah!

First time I went to Copenhagen and saw the lift button to summon it "ein fahrt", I tittered a little.

[lightengine]

Cross fertilising threads LE?

Mornin all. Awake for no other reason than my sleep pattern is stuffed up still.

Good news is that I can get around indoors at least without the need for crutch or stick, even stairs can be negotiated conventionally, at least in the up direction. Down is still a little awkward.

Best wishes to all.

3 threads at once Andy. I got one on song lyrics!

[emt_911]

When Matthew had chicken pox we were told not to use calamine lotion but to use sudocreme instead. I don't know what current thought is, I don't think my little nieces have had chicken pox yet.

I suspect Ian will be very stealthy when observing Alison's child handover. I had visions of him being disguised as shrubbery

When I had it as a kid, it was advised to dab milk on the spots. From memory it was better than anything else available and the itching disappeared within minutes.

[lightengine]

Morning all. Best wishes to all those who are suffering from various ailments. I am sorry to hear that Barry O returned from holiday with an unwanted souvenir. I hope you had an enjoyable holiday- I certainly have enjoyed reading your posts. My parents returned from a few days break in the same part of the world yesterday. They stayed in Humanby (excuse any incorrect spelling) in a holiday let on the station. Yesterday they spent the last day on the NYMR. However they were not too happy to end up with diesel traction in both directions. To add insult to injury a steam locomotive was taken off an arrival from Whitby and replaced by a diesel before departure from Grosmont on their return journey.

Here in a rainy Derby things are a bit bleary eyed. Amber managed an hour of sleep before the multitude of spots woke her up itching. This was despite a liberal coating of calamine lotion. She was quite upset and stayed in our bed for the rest of the night and did not sleep until the early hours of the morning - neither did we. Sarah is off out to the Forest match later. I will be at home with Amber. I had planned to take her around the Belper exhibition. However she is not really well enough and I would not risk others by taking her there. Unless I can fit in a quick visit before Sarah goes out I will have to give it a miss.

Hope you enjoy the start to your weekend.

I always understood that the child was most contagious BEFORE the spots showed. So it was last weekend she should have stayed in.

Years ago we had planned to visit Flambards. My son was covered in spots but we still went, unfortunately getting stared at all day.

[lightengine]

I suspect Ian will be very stealthy when observing Alison's child handover. I had visions of him being disguised as shrubbery

As long as he isnt at the side of the road disguised as a "soft verge". My wife says our French speaking cousins find the soft verge road sign pretty funny as in French it means something much different.

[Oldddudders]

Not my first shotgun attendance - Sherry was actually chauffeuse on one occasion - and all passed off well. I turn up about 5 minutes before the appointed time, park en enchelon as the car park demands, and sit and await arrivals, watching through the rear screen. The ex arrives first, gets out - he's gone grey in a very short time, is 40 this year - and fettles his borrowed Hyundai i20 to admit kids and luggage. Alison arrives a couple of minutes after time, kids are disgorged, and she belts the youngest in with his booster seat. Neither parent says a word to the other. The ex drives off, Alison waving to the kids she always fears she'll never see again. Then turns to where I'm parked and we greet each other, then drive off in convoy for coffee chez moi.

 

Despite a veiled txt message from me - signed Yann - and a request for a friend to advise him, Farmer Francois knew nothing of his lover's illness this week. His wife had read my text, worded exactly as Alison had asked, but neither of them put 2 and 2, although that didn't stop her shouting at him suspiciously. No change there - she has a degree in fishwifery, apparently. 

 

Alison has a bandage to remove from her right wrist, where something - canula? - had been inserted into her artery. The cheerful instruction is to take it off carefully and if it bleeds for more than a minute, high-tail it to A&E. I made it clear that I was not keen on her doing that here, not least because her place is a lot closer to the hospital! Friendship has its limits, yer know.....

[Gwiwer]

What happens when the clock goes back? Do the trains come to a halt for an hour until the catch up again?

 

 

 

 

An extra service is run in the hourly night-time pattern.  When the clocks go forward those trains which leave before 2am but complete their journeys after will arrive one hour "late" and an hour's service is effectively skipped but of course with no actual break.

 

Ian mentioned the 414 bus through Betchworth.  That brings back some memories.  Two of us used to board an early journey in Horsham, purchase Green Rover tickets from the conductor, and having pre-planned our travels would wend our way through London Country's network.  The first time I did that the RT type still ruled the roost on the two-hour run to West Croydon.  Soon after they were replaced by RCL Routemaster coaches cascaded from Green Line duty in the East End and which were supremely comfortable.  And they moved.  Our trips ranged from the modest (Dorking, Reigate, Godstone and East Grinstead garages plus tome at the very busy West Croydon bus station) to the daring see-how-far-we-can-go-in-a-day jaunts which took us as far as St. Albans, Hatfield and Stevenage garages and to the northern limit of regular operations at Hitchin.  These trips were made all the more daring by dint of the fact that my travelling companion lived in Washington and I in Worthing so we had to add on the Southdown trip up and down the A24 to even reach LCBS territory.  With a little more pocket money on later trips a Golden Rover was invested in which gave access to the Green Line coach network as well as the buses.  That allowed a "round-the-network-in-a-day" trip - still starting and finishing on the 414 - crossing the Thames on the Tilbury Ferry and again at Windsor.  You couldn't do that trip now.  The 414 is a memory, the RCL class is long gone and so are most buses after 18.00 making the return arrival at Worthing Pier at 22.27 just a memory.

[Oldddudders]

Rick - the 414 had 65 Fare Stages. My house was in the middle, right by number 33, Betchworth Barley Mow.

[andyram]

I always understood that the child was most contagious BEFORE the spots showed. So it was last weekend she should have stayed in.

Years ago we had planned to visit Flambards. My son was covered in spots but we still went, unfortunately getting stared at all day.

Yes she would have been contagious prior to spots coming out. However the NHS advice, and that also passed to schools, is to keep a child away until spots have scabbed over. Therefore she is likely to be still contagious as the spots are still appearing.

Thanks for all of the kind comments, I appreciate the advice about Sudocrem and other medication. I may try that.