Early Risers.

[TheQ]

I seem to have missed that even when I did listen to Radio 2 when driving. I either listen to 6Music now or a CD..

 

Tony

Just for you...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=santa%27s+a+scotsman+on+youtube&view=detail&mid=7452496978F8BEF92CCF7452496978F8BEF92CCF&FORM=VIRE

Edited December 4, 2017 by TheQ

[BoD]

This tail chasing regarding the precription is proving far more frustrating than I could ever have imagined.

And having worked with teenagers for nigh on 40 years I know what frustration can be like.

[Tony_S]

Just for you...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=santa's+a+scotsman+on+youtube&view=detail&mid=7452496978F8BEF92CCF7452496978F8BEF92CCF&FORM=VIRE

That is very kind of you. However I had already Googled it and had been taken to a YouTube presentation. It isn't even on our Christmas Hits CD. Though that is so old it even has a Gary Glitter tune on it Edited December 4, 2017 by Tony_S

[BoD]

GP receptionist (on my third visit) What's the problem now?

Me: Wind

GP's dragon: Is it discomforting?

Me: No. I'm p###ing against it.

[br2975]

Anyone looking for a new means to store their 'O' gauge stock ?

.

This link may help.

.

Concentrate, there will be a test later !

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS-bFTzymuA

[tetsudofan]

Afternoon everybody,

 

I'm a lucky guy, just opened my email and see that in the (junk) inbox I have an email from Ikea Customer Care (nl@my.notify-flasnews.com) telling me that I've been selected for a £500 gift voucher.

 

Yippee. Why I'm a lucky guy is beyond me. Never purchased from Ikea, never been in an Ikea and have no intention of doing so in the future especially as the nearest store is in West Thurrock is 98kms away which means I need my passport to cross the river........ Maybe somebody wants my bank account details....

 

Needless to say the notification has been returned to cyberspace without opening this very kind offer.

 

Bright and sunny down here in the far southeast so off for a walk along The Leas and into town to get some more coloured lights from Wilko to adorn the front of the house during this festive season.

 

Keith

[BoD]

There must be a guy in Nigeria sitting on thousands upon thousands of millions of dollars because nobody ever takes up his kind offers.

[Ian Abel]

Morning all.

 

More modeling done yesterday afternoon - and more about that later possibly, as I've some question/confusion about a couple of items.

 

Today I'm working until about 1PM, then off to the airport for another trip to NY. Amazingly it's been six weeks since I was last on site!

 

What with a couple of weeks covered by the UK vacation, a short week over Thanksgiving rendering it too short and the week that was effectively cancelled out due to the airline suggesting serious delays the day I was going out and recommending re-booking, I've been happily NOT travelling back and forth.

 

This week it's out Monday afternoon and back Friday evening then potentially home for FOUR more weeks because of the short weeks created by Christmas and New Years.

Oh well, I'll be happier today travelling mid-afternoon and getting there around 7-8PM than that late flight that puts me in there after midnight

 

Apparently I'll miss the start of true winter here, it's 10 (TEN) already this AM, with a high expected to be 12 and rain later.

Overnight it's going to drop to -8, rain turning to snow, though not much accumulation expected, then tomorrow starts at least a week of highs not reaching above about -4!

 

Have a good start to your week everyone.

[bluebottle]

You know it's nearing the time when Ken Bruce plays, Santa's a Scotsman on his programme...

 

And is Father Christmas (whoever he is) an Englishman? 

That's the impression I got as a nine-year-old relocated from Midlothian to South Yorkshire.

[Gwiwer]

Greetings and Happy Moan-day.  I am lately returned from the first day of the rest of my life.

 

Slept fitfully of course, and not helped by Neighbour (Upstairs) making use of her somewhat squeaky bed during some very small hours indeed.  Alarm at 05.20 was met with hand trying to stop the cat ringing

 

So - early train to Waterloo in order to take a train to Southampton for 08.30 (there is no easier option other than changing and waiting an extra 20 minute sat Clapham Junction) for form-filling and a very quick briefing on some policies and procedures.  I am at least a little more familiar with the travel entitlements as they apply within the privatised and recently-refranchised era.  In short the difference it makes to me will be free instead of paying the 1/3-off-with-railcard fare on the "big" trains between here and where ever before 09.30.  Based upon previous experience my use of leisure travel privileges is likely to be fairly minimal.

 

After a quite reasonable lunch (provided) it was back up to Waterloo to visit the Bowels of the Earth otherwise known as the uniform store.  The world over these places are in dark and often unpleasantly aromatic corners with the same sort of people in charge.  Those who have been there will know what I mean.  And then it was home to the Hill laden with carrier bags of uniform though alas no trousers and surprisingly no sweaters.  The former are out of stock and the latter not issued despite the job being outdoors in all weathers.  So I get to wear my own strides with the uniform shirt and tie pro tem.  Pro tem will probably last until new SWR uniforms are in stock as all that was issued today, bar a SWR tie, was SWT gear.  

 

Tomorrow I receive local station induction and Wednesday sees me an Blazingsmoke Basingstoke for more training.  Thursday and Friday are to be advised.

 

Not so bad for a first day.  Worse things happen at sea as I am sure Mike would be able to confirm.

 

Off to unpack the uniform now and find space for it somewhere.  Might call upstairs with the WD40 as well and see how embarrassed she gets!  

Have the rest of a good day.

[The Stationmaster]

Anyone looking for a new means to store their 'O' gauge stock ?

.

This link may help.

.

Concentrate, there will be a test later !

.

 

 

What was the 'funny' bit please - I think I must have been concentrating on the wrong thing(s)?

 

Glad the day went well for you Rick.  One piece of good news that might not have been imparted to you is that as your employer is a passenger train operator any free travel to/from work which they provide for you does not count as a Taxable Benefit. (which was one of the reasons why i was happy to leap off the freight railway ship at the time of privatisation).

Edited December 4, 2017 by The Stationmaster

[bbishop]

Yesterday I typed a tirade about the green DIY store. I may have used too many **** because the script was deleted before posting. I won't repeat myself, suffice that I won't be shopping there again - prices up, quality down.

 

This morning was spent circling the boring borough. Every time I made a break for home, LAS returned me to some distant part of the borough. Anyway, it's trainee paramedic time, and some of them have less knowledge than me, bless them.

 

Bill

[bbishop]

Afternoon everybody,

 

Yippee. Why I'm a lucky guy is beyond me. Never purchased from Ikea, never been in an Ikea and have no intention of doing so in the future especially as the nearest store is in West Thurrock is 98kms away which means I need my passport to cross the river........ Maybe somebody wants my bank account details....

 

Keith

 

I had an e-mail from Lenz in my spam box!

 

Bill

[TheQ]

And is Father Christmas (whoever he is) an Englishman? 

That's the impression I got as a nine-year-old relocated from Midlothian to South Yorkshire.

You obviously didn't watch enough American films.....

[emt_911]

A relaxing day of tidying the modelling room. There is more to do.

 

A bit of food before some modelling takes place.

[AndyB]

Evening all,

Early start to get to Newcastle for 09:00. 

So, night all. 

[Barry O]

Evening all,

Early start to get to Newcastle for 09:00. 

So, night all. 

That is a long walk....

 

In days of old when I had a job at Vickers Leeds Barnbow tank factory to Armstrong Wokrs, Scotswood was 100 miles...on a morning it generally took 2 hours or more, we did it one day in 59 minutes in our Ford Grenada ....long before speed cameras thank goodness...

 

Baz

[AndyB]

That is a long walk....

 

In days of old when I had a job at Vickers Leeds Barnbow tank factory to Armstrong Wokrs, Scotswood was 100 miles...on a morning it generally took 2 hours or more, we did it one day in 59 minutes in our Ford Grenada ....long before speed cameras thank goodness...

 

Baz

 

 At least this time my wing man isn't a Gp Capt. 

 

When we went to meetings near your old clubrooms he got us lost walking back to the railway station; I was surprised how many pubs were called Cross Keys!  

 

"Oooh, look. Another Midnight Bell". 

 

Not to be confused with "Midnight Belle". I suspect there were genuinely quite a few of those. 

Edited December 4, 2017 by AndyB

[Barry O]

 At least this time my wing man isn't a Gp Capt. 

 

When we went to meetings near your old clubrooms he got us lost walking back to the railway station; I was surprised how many pubs were called Cross Keys!  

 

"Oooh, look. Another Midnight Bell". 

 

Not to be confused with "Midnight Belle". I suspect there were genuinely quite a few of those. 

Yes, that is the official red light district in the City of Leeds.

 

But Midnight Bell - sells Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell but is now owned by Camerons of Hartlepool.

As for the Cross Keys- also a very old pub near the site of the Round House Foundary in Leeds owned by North Bar..

 

very nice....

 

Baz

[BoD]

To put the prescription saga to bed.

 

Today I was dealt with by four friendly, proficient NHS people and one totally incompetent jobsworth. The later wasted most of my morning and a good deal of a pharmacist's valuable time. She went 'off duty' at lunchtime and then the others sorted out the issue pleasantly and efficiently. As a result, tomorrow morning my consultant will be faxing my GP his instructions for an alternative to the medication that is unavailable and the surgery will ring me when the prescription is ready.

 

It is interesting to note that the polite efficient ones were all part of today's 'yoof' whilst the incompetent jobsworth may well have started out as Hippocrates' receptionist.

[PhilJ W]

 

 

 Alarm at 05.20 was met with hand trying to stop the cat ringing

 

I hope the cat has recovered.

Edited December 4, 2017 by PhilJ W

[New Haven Neil]

^{Is it safe?}

 

Shh.....

 

BoD, when I was an NHS manager, the bane of my life were two elderly staff I had to manage.  The younger staff members were much more dedicated, caring and just generally interested in providing a good service to our patients.  I did fix one of the old cows staff members 'good n proper' before I left that job though, but I was a gibbering wreck after only 18 months in the job.  I left before what health I had left disintegrated. The wealth of experience older staff members can have is a boon, but only if they are prepared to be part of the team.  I have no time for those who want to plough their own furrow, in a team sport such as NHS outpatients services!  The inability of those two to see they were there for the patients well being and not to bitch on and stir resulted in us falling out quite spectacularly, but I won!

[BoD]

It was exactly the same in teaching, Neil.

i like to think (hope) that my experience was valuable but that I was always part of the team and open to the new ways. As the first computer/IT teacher in the school, all those years ago, I was at one point 'the new way'.

I hope I didn't stagnate.

[Barry O]

I had a young team and all was well. Then I was "given" a non-team player "elder statesman"  who spent his time doing "union" duties and/or stirring the sh!t. The rest of the team got him to move on as they couldn't understand his attitude....thank goodness as I believe I had been set up to fire him...He organised a small batch of redundancies and went with a wadge of cash.

 

A quick question for BoD.. is there still pit head gear at Castle Eden/Hesleden pit? It never drew coal as it flooded  but they used t eh shafts as access to the pumps when I was a lad.

 

Baz

[New Haven Neil]

I had a young team and all was well. Then I was "given" a non-team player "elder statesman"  who spent his time doing "union" duties and/or stirring the sh!t. The rest of the team got him to move on as they couldn't understand his attitude....thank goodness as I believe I had been set up to fire him...He organised a small batch of redundancies and went with a wadge of cash.

 

A quick question for BoD.. is there still pit head gear at Castle Eden/Hesleden pit? It never drew coal as it flooded  but they used t eh shafts as access to the pumps when I was a lad.

 

Baz

 

Ha!  There is a little pumping station at the bottom of a friend's garden in Monk Hesleden!  Three houses in a wee terrace were built for pit employees, opposite the Hall.  Nothing else there!