Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

It’s been a very quite day here at BSW towers. Ava arrived just before 11:00 and once her mum had left, she helped me make a cake. After dinner, we both had a piece of it, purely for quality control purposes of course. After dinner she sat and watched a film with Sheila which passed a couple of hours away until Mike and Sarah turned up. We all then had a quick drink before setting off for the restaurant. James and Amelia had just arrived as we got there and Vickie, Ian and the rest of the family turned up a few minutes later. The food as usual was great and a jolly good time was had by all, in fact it was so good, that we’ve booked a table again for just before Christmas. A really nice touch was they restaurant management came along with a nice chocolate cake, which had a huge candle in it and wished me a happy birthday! We’re still not sure how they knew it was my birthday it’s actually tomorrow (Sunday) as nobody told them, but we all came to the conclusion that they over heard us chatting as they were taking the orders.

 

Goodnight all 

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[Barry O]

Cricket..rain..a field looki g like the first day of the Somme...not a great cricketing day.

Pah!

Goodnight all!

Baz

[AndyID]

7 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Andyid, I'd agree about DSG being good - when it's good!  Certainly crisper changing than a TC but I worry about clutch pack life in cars used in heavy traffic or hilly (see IoM!) places.  A friend's Ford Kuga (do you get those?) is very good on the road, but not as easy as my i30 for hill starts or its ability just to hold itself on a hill due to the 'creep'.  It'll all be academic of we go electric of course.

 

 

Hi Neil,

 

Looks like the Kuga is called the Escape here. There seems to be a hybrid version too.

 

Our Jetta was unlikely to wear out its clutches. Most of the miles we did were on the highway and as it was a diesel it hardly ever changed gear. We have go over a pass to get into town. The Jetta stayed in top all the way :)

 

But as you say mechanical friction clutches are always a concern. I have a prototype for a fluid friction clutch that might be a way to eliminate the issue with wear. It uses the same method as a hydraulic drive-shaft I patented many moons ago. I haven't really pushed the idea very hard because there would be a snag if it was used in a dual-clutch transmission. When it's in the disconnect state there is always a small amount of torque transmitted so the "open" clutch would be dissipating some heat through fluid friction. Might not be a big deal but TBH I gave up trying to flog license technology to the automobile industry (both in the US and Europe) a few years ago. The NIH (Not Invented Here) factor is très formidable.

 

Andy

[chrisf]

Greetings

 

My lower right leg is still inflamed and throbs every time I stand up.  The calf muscles on both legs ache like crazy.  Today will be for essential tasks only.  One which has already taken longer than it should is to set down in words my thoughts on what is almost certain to be the end of a friendship.  Scheduled for later in the week are trying to get a GP appointment on Monday, not strictly essential as I have a good stock of penicillin, the return of the Polo to the dealership on Tuesday and a daring trip to Harpenden on Wednesday evening.  I can do those.  Pride Cymru on Saturday may be a different matter but we'll see. 

 

Until tomorrow

 

Chris

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Woke early for some reason.

Off to play trains today so a trip north is required.

Have a great Sunday.

Hope your legs get better Chris.

 

Positive thoughts to all who ail.

Baz

[jamie92208]

Good morning all from a cloudy place.  No 1 son and associated hangers on arrived at about 02.15. Ryan (7 yrs) went straight to bed and sleep. We got to bed about 03.30. Ryan has just got up and gone up to waken Martin and Katie.  Breakfast will be eaten soon so we will probably be off to the market later.  Not a lot else to report. 

 

Thoughts with Jogn and Sandy, Rick and Mrs G and Chrisf.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Mooring awl, Inner Temple Hare, 

3.5 hours sleep,  then down stairs to the sofa,  because I couldn't sleep,  TV on,  whereupon I awoke 3 hours later as the TV switched itself off. Then I slept for another hour which would have been more but Ben the border collie  wanted out.  Got up. Opened the door  and.... 

He refused to go out.... Until. Ordered... 

 

Bath taps I suspect ours are the original 1964 taps.  I opened them Up, to find the washers are riveted on.

The taps on the bath are traditional at the foot end,  with just a few inches between wall and bath.  There is at that end the sink unit,  hard on the side of the bath..  It will be major engineering to change the taps,  so for the moment they drip... 

 

Many other taps in the house and mobile home I have replaced with a lever type that can be changed easily. Due to our low water pressure,  I just open another water tap to lower the pressure,  and can do the change without lying on the ground outside to shut the stopcock. 

 

Imber,  despite having lived 25 miles from there, with my grandparents 18 miles the other side for  8 years I never visited. To visit my grandparents was a diversion round salisbury plain from the pre army occupation route .

 

Dull and overcast outside,  to which I will venture,  to work on the boat,  I'm intending to Put in some fibreglass  pads on the inside of the hull for keel mounting. After lying on my back on the  bottom and peering under sides to check all the joins before painting.. 

 

I think this auto correct is getting presumtuous, it changed "put in" to Putin and "on the" to "on-the-go"

 

Time for..... Breakfast... 

 

 

[BoD]

Good morning one and all.

 

Sunday once more, so off I go to play trains but not the same ones as Baz.

Chris’s calfs have been added to the list of those who are already in our thoughts.  

 

May you have a restful day of rest.

 

 

 

[Barry O]

Imber..yes wwnt through it twice during a Challenger  1 trial. No one was there but we did startle few deer...it was a night time trial...

 

Mugatea drunk, now need another.

Enjoy your day BoD!

Baz

[Kingzance]

Mawning, muggertea slurped amidst cooing chorus from feral and wood pigeons? Happy birthday to The Stair King, do the celebrations include various dips? I am informed that Costco has received new stocks of the stainless steel racking needed to more economically store my junk and her vital items in the garage so we shall be heading that way later and will take the opportunity to fill the newer vehicle at a saving of 9p per litre. This will of course mean that I will not be present to watch the collapse of the England Cricket Team until the highlights program - and that may not be good for this evening’s blood pressure diary entries.

For The Q, plumbers usually have two spanner’s that are like horseshoes at the end of legs sometimes with an articulated joint. These allow you to locate onto and undo or tighten tap and pipe work nuts in narrow or restricted locations. They are simply known as Tap Spanner’s. Your friendly local plumbers’ merchants / Screwfix can help.

I continue to think of John & Sandy, Mr & Mrs Rick, the inhabitants of Fraggle Rock and Chrisf amongst others suffering, grateful that my grumpy demeanour is not tainted by the likes of their issues. Nor am I being awakened by the clamour of grandchildren throughout the extended holiday season as mine have been and will continue to be away for most of the holidays. The trade-off is that I shall be doing much more gardening. Upon their return, I shall have to get my head together with daughter to plan what we will arrange for SWMBO’s upcoming 70th birthday. What do you give a woman who has everything and is never satisfied with anything? I guess that 81C would suggest a divorce! 

Peace be with you.

Edited August 18, 2019 by Kingzance
Not always articulated!

[81C]

Morning All dull and over cast here.

late last night I was having a last look on the dating forum and this stunning bubbly blond came on and started chatting me up lives in Salisbury I could be motoring down there this afternoon.

Birthday booze up today if I don't go to Salisbury daughter will be in the pub late.

Tomorrow I'm with the slapped #rse at the bank to switch all the accounts around so she is spending her own money not mine out of the house account. I've stopped the credit cards as well.

Must get on enjoy your day  B.Onkingday 

[Andrew P]

Morning all, I'm currently on the South Coast as I attended my Grand Daughters Wedding yesterday.

 

 

My Grand Daughter Chloe, and her new Husband Jimmy, a Soldier in the British Army, and their two children, (2 of my 8 Great Grand Children Mia and Joshua), I was a very proud Grandad.

 

My 4 Step Children, 2 sets of Twins, Debbie and Caz and Mike and Tony, the farther of the Bride.

One of my Grandsons, Ricky, and his wife and their 4 daughters, eldest Great Grand Daughter on the left is Ellie almost 15, un believable.

[Kingzance]

I note that the location is The GStone, does the Bridal Suite also have a GSpot? Hat, coat, door...........

Edited August 18, 2019 by Kingzance
Autocorrect corrected

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

I have completed my exercise routine for the day. Actually I was set the task of finding a jar of strawberry jam. I failed,so we had blueberry. 

We are off to Enfield. A different set of relatives will be there today. Lunch will be in a pub. MiL was telling Aditi on Friday what time to turn up. Aditi reminded her that she had just booked the table and was unlikely to have forgotten. 

Aditi enjoyed the ballet yesterday. It was Romeo and Juliet, “not suitable for under 12s”. 

Tony

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A quick hello as I'm out now to the swap meet, be back later.

[Happy Hippo]

The Over trump engineer and I are preparing for our triumphant passage back across the border.

 

A brief stop at Penderyn is called for in order to purchase some 2019 Grandslam whisky.

 

This will replace the bottle of 2012, which has been kept until now and is due to be consumed next weekend when the Hippodrome hosts a family gathering.

 

Those with NBC training will avoid the downwind hazard that such a gathering invariably generates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

The Over trump engineer and I are preparing for our triumphant passage back across the border.

 

A brief stop at Penderyn is called for in order to purchase some 2019 Grandslam whisky.

 

This will replace the bottle of 2012, which has been kept until now and is due to be consumed next weekend when the Hippodrome hosts a family gathering.

 

Those with NBC training will avoid the downwind hazard that such a gathering invariably generates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I take it that the downwind hazard is of the same type that caused a session of a regional parliament in Kenya about a week ago.  Apparently one honourable member accused another of dropping an SBD and the speaker suspended the sitting until the air cleared.

 

Jamie

[Gwiwer]

Morning all

 

Feeling a little broken here.  Hopefully nothing dire but it's more achy-breaky than Man Flu and has put me back to bed again after breakfast for a couple of hours.  I'll try to catch up gently from here on.

 

I hope Chris's leg improves and that upcoming events are bearable.

 

SWMBO has been busy in the kitchen while I slept on.  Cakes have appeared for this afternoon's block tea party in a couple of hours.  After a hefty downpour earlier the weather now seems to be behaving itself too.  Fingers crossed.

 

Otherwise not a lot to report.  A steady day doing what I feel I can rather than everything which should be done is in order.

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning afternoon everyone 

 

A birthday treat if breakfast in bed this morning and we finally got up out of bed about 30 minutes ago. Phone calls have been made and thanks passed to all the children and grandchildren for the cards and presents I was given last night. Most modelling tokens, which is always welcome and will be most likely spent at the next show I attend. Not a lot planned for the day, feet up and reading the railway related books that Sheila bought for me. 

 

Chris. I hope your leg feels better soon. 

 

Rick.  I hope your man flu clears soon. 

 

Right, now I’m Of for a read. 

 

Back later. 

[Coombe Barton]

54 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I take it that the downwind hazard is of the same type that caused a session of a regional parliament in Kenya about a week ago.  Apparently one honourable member accused another of dropping an SBD and the speaker suspended the sitting until the air cleared.

 

Jamie

Isn't that sort of hazard sometimes described as a Trump?

[Dave Hunt]

Things I forgot to post this morning:

 

Commiserations to Chrisf and I hope the leg mends soon.

Many happy returns to BSW01.

If you need any help with the Grandslam bottle Richard, I'll be there in half an hour.

 

Back to the grindstone.

 

Dave

 

PS, The S6 is on standby Richard

Edited August 18, 2019 by Dave Hunt

[tigerburnie]

Happy Birthday BSW01, hope you have better weather than we are currently having, I got up to sunshine, cut the grass and then it went black and I might need a light on in here soon. My son bought me a bottle of Penderyn some years back, I told him not to do it again, minging is a word that sprang to mind, drank it with lemonade to get rid of it, maybe it's improving with age?

 

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Greetings from a windy North Lancashire.

 

Chris - I hope the leg gets better soon.  Brian - happy birthday.  Rick, hope you're feeling better soon.  And of course, the usual wishes to John and Sandy, and Debs- please post again soon.  And generic greetings to anybody whom I have not mentioned.

 

Went to the dump first thing this morning, with about eight sacks of hedge trimmings, as I have now tried the Henchman ladder for the first time - it is amazingly stable, and I can work at ten feet off the ground without any problems at all.  New car plus garden rubbish do not go well together, but needs must.  As the dump is close to the A6 car boot, it would have been churlish of us not to pay a visit - so we did, but it was utter rubbish, it really was - only about twenty standing, and about half of these were selling toys, and the rest were selling junk.  And then, as the A6 car boot is close to the charity shops at Milnthorpe, it would have been churlish not to visit them as well.  Then back for the weekly check of bank and credit card statements - wow do we know how to live chez 45156 and 30747.  Managed to get all the paperwork together for the new car as well, as it all came through the post on Friday - the DVLA seem to have speeded up a lot recently, as the garage only notified them of the new car on Tuesday. 

 

Back tomorrow - probably.

Regards to All

Stewart

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

I think it's 81C that will Need NBC training,  he is after awl going to Salisbury and could very well be going through Porton Down.... 

 

Beards... In the Army!!!  There will be RSMs spinning below ground... And not in an NBC shelter... 

 

After giving the laptop 24 hours on charge it's now switched on and updating.... The computer informed me it's 1159 days since it was last up dated.. I said it was some time since SWBMO had put the PSU somewhere safe... 

 

The first round of filling was done,  then I started on chair installation,  I'd forgotten about that,  until I ran out of suitable wood. So then I started sanding...

At 12:00 the rain started, so I rapidly put things away.

Declaring cider o'clock I retired to the house for a can and a sarni.

After that it was into the tin shed and all the shelving units were assembled and attached to the shed wall.. During which the great fried egg reappeared and it got hot in there.. 

 

Dinner has been had,  the computer has reached update 1511, I believe it has got to reach windows build 1903...  

In the meantime an eyelid inspection beckons... 

 

By for now...