Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 

There's been a lot of such flights recently. Taking advantage of the (almost) empty skies.

Definitely a lot of Ravenair aircraft about in recent days in different parts of southern England.

[45156]

21 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Union Chapel is one of my favourite venues. I have seen Lainey Wilson, Josh Turner, Sarah Darling and had tickets for 7th May to see Ward Thomas but that has now been put back until later in the year. 

I'd love to see Josh  Turner live - provided we're talking about the same one, who operates on YouTube as Josh Turner Guitar - the nearest to me that he has appeared is Leeds and Carlisle, the former with Carson McKee, Reina Del Cid and Toni Lundgren, and the latter with a choir when he was playing Paul Simon.  If you're talking about the country singer, then I don't follow him - but I've been following Josh Turner Guitar for about ten years now since I found him playing Cannonball Rag on a Mexican Fender.

[Barry O]

Been to get some bread buns and take in some fresh air.

A Jet2 737 has just landed. Been on a flight test.

 

Now a bit more cleaning then...muddling!!

 

Baz

[The Stationmaster]

Here's interesting - the Air Ambulance folk/their promotions agent called earlier seeking some extra financial sub from me but I regretfully declined.  Now I have just been buzzed by their helicopter.  Is there a connection I wonder

Edited April 15, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[Kingzance]

The grass has been couped and the edges strimmed. Whilst doing so my mind wandered to when I first saw a strimming device. It was on an old programme made by the then Southern Television that went under the title "Out of Town" and featured a bucolic old Australian gent by the name of Jack Hargreaves who first came to minor fame doing a farming show in the late 50s on regional independent tv before moving on to Out of Town in 1960 and then How. Out of Town was certainly a "gentle" program that I believe intended to educate townies into the ways of bumkins. As we old bumkins die out, I doubt that anyone proposing such a programme would get through the door of any current tv production company.

And on to Tamsin Greig (as brought up by The Stationmaster). She has appeared in an ongoing comedy series that started in 2011 called Friday Night Dinner. It is what I regard as acceptable light entertainment and revolves around a middle class (Jewish?) family in North London where the two sons are expected to come home every Friday night for a family meal. Give it a go if you haven't seen any of the episodes.  

 

And now a little paper shuffling as the camera and telescope batteries are charging and before I do unmentionable things....

[petethemole]

Jack Hargreaves wasn't Australian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Hargreaves

 

I used to watch Out of Town in its later years and always enjoyed it.  Jack was probably the inspiration for the Fast Show's Bob Fleming.

 

In other news, a new bin for the kitchen was acquired at the big ASDA (formerly Chandlers Ford Carrefour hypermarket for those following another thread) along with a load of supplies.  Mrs mole sat in the car and read a book about the Black Death.  She has noted some similarities between what was going on then and now.... 

 

I won't need to go out today, so may cut the back grass which is growing vigorously.  I am also needed to assist Mrs mole with her travel insurance claim for her cancelled return flight and the expensive actual flight back.  The process seems complex and difficult to me; with her autism she finds it overwhelming.

 

Time for some lunch.

 

Stay safe,

Pete

[Simon G]

Another sunny day here, and it is gradually warming up.  Today I had a phone call from my haematology consultant to let me know that my final lymphoma maintenance injection will take place next Thursday as originally scheduled.  This will also mean a trip to Sister Drac at the GP surgery on Tuesday.  These will be the first times I will have left the house and garden for over 4 weeks by then.  I must admit that part of me wanted this injection to be cancelled to minimise the CV risk.

 

In contrast to Jamie, I recall seeing Steeleye Span twice in the early 70s, and they were excellent each time.  Likewise, I saw Fairport Convention a couple of times, and really enjoyed them as well.

[Simon G]

Just heard on the News about 99 year old Captain Tom, who has now raised £6 million for the NHS by walking “laps” of his house.  What a superstar!  A marked contrast to the idiot Trump who is now blaming the World Health Organisation, no doubt to cover up his own total incompetence.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Simon G

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

 

There's been a lot of such flights recently. Taking advantage of the (almost) empty skies.

I'm surprised the army haven't taken advantage of the virtually free airspace above Salisbury Plain to get some HALO training.

 

Normally there is a lot of forward planning to shoehorn a C130 into the  busy civilian flying lanes.

 

Also an ideal opportunity for some stand off jumps:

 

These are high altitude high opening parachute jumps where, with a carefully selected opening point you can travel considerable distances undetected by radar.

 

(The Red Devils once did such a jump over Dover and landed in Calais!)

 

Not the sort of thing one can do in busy airspace.

[Chris116]

5 hours ago, 45156 said:

I'd love to see Josh  Turner live - provided we're talking about the same one, who operates on YouTube as Josh Turner Guitar - the nearest to me that he has appeared is Leeds and Carlisle, the former with Carson McKee, Reina Del Cid and Toni Lundgren, and the latter with a choir when he was playing Paul Simon.  If you're talking about the country singer, then I don't follow him - but I've been following Josh Turner Guitar for about ten years now since I found him playing Cannonball Rag on a Mexican Fender.

The Josh Turner I saw was the County singer, in fact I only booked the concert to hear Lainey Wilson, who I love listening to but for me he was very enjoyable as well. 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Chris116
Getting my point understandable

[The Lurker]

13 hours ago, newbryford said:

For those in self-isolation.

My cousin lives in Eyam, Derbyshire. This is the second time around.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/postcards-lockdown-derbyshire-plague-village-self-isolating/

 

I was last there for his wedding, not too long ago (pre-CV-19!)

When I was in the last year of Primary School, we did a school production. Our year's contrbution was a play abut the plague of Eyam, a nice cheery contribution. I was the vicar. My main contribution was skipping a few lines and missing one peron's only lines onthe only night of three he was in it. I didn't get it wrong the other two nights!

[Gwiwer]

54 minutes ago, Kingzance said:

"Out of Town" and featured a bucolic old Australian British* gent by the name of Jack Hargreaves

I watched it religiously.  Over the years he used two quite different theme tunes both of which admirably fitted the laid-back style of presentation and the country-crafts content.  Hargreaves slotted nicely into the void left by the departure of Ollie Kite who had a similar 15-minute show called "In Kite's Country" which IIRC was rather more about the ways of fly-fishing than the garden workshop and country ways in general that Hargreaves presented.     * My edit to correct a matter of fact.

 

Afternoon all.  Hump Day it is despite the odd start to the week.  Two more days at the House of Fun are rostered of which the latter is also Pay Day and Bin Day.  There remains some assurance that we shall be required throughout the period of service interruption.  It may be quiet on the platforms but our gateline colleagues, who were sent home for one day, have even less to do and do it alone in subways and booking halls rather than in the daylight with intermittent passing trains and a few colleagues for company.  We also benefit from the number of interchange passengers who make up over half of our daily total (now and in normal times) whereas gateline only see entries and exits.  The last year for which figures are available is 2017 which saw something like 67 million entries and exits and an estimated 1.6 billion passengers in total counting interchanges.  Yes we are Britain's busiest railway station despite Waterloo (and a few others) having more entries and exits and claiming line honours on those grounds.  We also have many more train movements than Waterloo.  

 

The sun has continued shining.  It has been a little warmer.  Afternoon Tea shall be taken on the Terrace a little later.  I continue to furtle around amid magazines, books and models in the hopes that something might be achieved.  Thus far I have caught up on a couple of month's-worth of subscribed magazine reading and really need to do better to reduce the "to read" pile which is dusted more often than  it is reduced in size!  

 

All the best to everyone.  I'll be back.  That's a promise not a threat.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Good afternoon.

 

Been to Mums.

 

Just one person in front of me awaiting the chemist near Mums to open at 9am. All ours have big queues apparently the chemist in Dorking and Reigate are closed so even the small chemists are overloaded according to one store not far from us.

 

Swapped cars although I am lucky the old car started as it only just turned over. Mums car wouldn't as it hasn't been used in probably 4 weeks. So I will take my battery pack next visit and start it for her then give it a run around the block.

 

back home now and have been working in the garden pulling ivy out of borders.

 

AndrewC's comment re a pub lunch, same here as really do miss our regular pub visits big time but safety first I know.

 

had a new show invite for September but they don't say which layout. Touch and go if shows will be able to happen by then but we shall see.

Edited April 15, 2020 by roundhouse

[PeterBB]

No modelling but to agree with Gwiver the 'to read' pile is now verboten  ... just how much I remember is a very different matter.  Trying to reduce the hoarded stock (a/c SWMBO) so brownie points are minimal!

[The Lurker]

2 hours ago, Kingzance said:

. Out of Town was certainly a "gentle" program that I believe intended to educate townies into the ways of bumkins. As we old bumkins die out, I doubt that anyone proposing such a programme would get through the door of any current tv production company.
 

Sounds like Countryfile to me

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where it is nice and sunny outside. It was quite warm on my walk earlier.

 

I have had IT issues galore today but have just been able to complete a 1 hour + teams call with the new Group Financial Controller. It must be a strange time to start a new job, but when he accepted it, Covid-19 was probably not in the UK.

 

Have a good day all

[Gwiwer]

16 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

Sounds like Countryfile to me

 

There are similarities.  Countryfile is a broad-brush magazine program which presents a number of articles interspersed with news and a comprehensive weather forecast across an hour.  Out Of Town was filmed (it appeared) in Hargreaves' garden shed though in reality it was a studio set and usually included just one exterior item with the rest being gentle talk of "country ways", concentrating on the south Hampshire and New Forest areas which were close to Southern Television's Northam base, and demonstrations of crafts and tool-handling from the studio; it was only 15 minutes long.  Sometimes we were taken to a fair or stock sale, sometimes fishing on the River Test or lambing in the meadows.  It was a gentler way of life but despite the passage of time and pressures of 21st Century agriculture some of that can still be found.  

 

 

[Ian Abel]

Happy HUMP day??!! Possibly...

 

All status quo here, precious little to do/report after work is completed.

 

MINUS BLQQDY 6 first thing here  but sunny! Expecting a partly sunny day and 3 for the high.

 

Be safe everyone.

[Gwiwer]

In other news SWMBO has taken part in a "virtual choir" with many of her university alumni plus generations older and younger.  MUCS (Melbourne University Choral Society) is a respectable 70 years young and are marking the occasion with a combined-via-internet rendition of "Laudate" which would have formed a part of the planned live concert.  

 

She has also had a(nother) troubling disagreement with the Dragon-in-Law.  They speak most days as DiL is at home alone in isolation being of an age and having a medical history which elevates her to the "vulnerable" category in Australia.  This morning's call had DiL directing SWMBO that everything which enters the house must be thoroughly washed and sanitised before touching.  All well and good in theory but apparently this includes the requirement to wash and sanitise every item of food, mail and all shoes and clothes upon arrival home.  SWMBO expressed her opinion that whilst reasonable precautions are taken such a step was unreasonable and unfeasible.  DiL countered by asking why the British government has not issued all households with enough sanitiser to do such a thing .....  it went downhill from there.

 

SWMBO is slowly getting her thoughts back together after a difficult morning dealing with that call on top of the now-usual stresses of the day.  The thought of having to first wash then sanitise each and every apple, lettuce or even letter ......... yes we wash fresh food and currently sanitise after handling mail and outdoor clothes but the demands would require gallons of sanitiser and virtually the whole day engaged in using it.  Washing the mail just doesn't work and neither does sanitising lettuce.  

 

Former Neighbour (Upstairs) will have a friendly surprise waiting for her when she next checks her bank account - her May rent has been paid on the flat she still intends to return to.  We had a long electronic conversation last night as she has been feeling down and is being pestered by several young men who had hoped to be a lot more sociable than ever became the case; a case of too many hands having too little to do.  She has now blocked them from all means of contact with no regrets.  

 

Tea was taken outside with a very warm sun on my back.  The myrtles have produced many new shoots and thus the family myrtle will live on.  Mother had sprigs in her wedding veil from a bush in my grandparents garden which had, by repute, come with them from a previous generation.  Mother cultivated hers lovingly and upon her passing, after which the house was to be sold, we took cuttings which have finally come good.  Today's sightings in the air have included wren, great tit, robin, greenfinch, magpie, both tree and house sparrows, pigeon, "Twickenham" parakeet and unspecified gulls which, from the cries, would be either Common or Herring Gull.  

Edited April 15, 2020 by Gwiwer

[jamie92208]

Well orders were eventually  posted. It was suggested that We do some gardening. I am a cowsrd so of coursecreplied "Yes dear".  Anyway i've done battlecwith Cottoneaster self seeded cherry and Ivy on the top fence. You can actually see the fence but several of the posts have succumbed  to ivy induced rot. Two cherry tree lower trunks were in the right place so they are now fence posts with the fence wire stapled to them. Beth strimmed her way down the north east side which now looks a lot tidier.  It's our first post day of the week and two welcome packages arrived for me. The April Modern Railways was one of them, the other was from Nantes with the necessary forms to exchange my UK driving licence for a French one. We only sent our forms off on 2nd March last year and in the meantime our photocards have expired.  Hopefully the next stage will be a little faster.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Here's interesting - the Air Ambulance folk/their promotions agent called earlier seeking some extra financial sub from me but I regretfully declined.  Now I have just been buzzed by their helicopter.  Is there a connection I wonder

 

We owe them a donation. No. 2 Son was to have been performing in the annual concert organised in their aid by his school and the young ladies' seminary over the way but that was covided. The concert was started some years ago by one of the girls, whose brother's life was saved by the Air Ambulance. The brother was at No. 2 son's school and, further, the Air Ambulance uses their school field as an emergency landing site, it being opposite the hospital. That might be a bit tricky now, as the field is partly taken up with containers providing temporary housing for NHS staff.

[tigerburnie]

I have quite a few dvd's of Jack Hargreaves Out of Town, very enjoyable, but you wouldn't use him for reference, he got a lot of things wrong, didn't know all the fish species he was catching. A townie who desperately wanted to be a countryman and eventually he did after a fashion. Gentle entertainment and a bit of fishing on the telly when there was no other, much better and different to Countryfile in my opinion. The guy who produced a lot of them has a youtube channel and has a few clips, or you can buy copies of the dvd's from him.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I was surprised earlier when the window cleaner called round. Anyway I now have nice clean windows. 

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'm surprised the army haven't taken advantage of the virtually free airspace above Salisbury Plain to get some HALO training.

 

Normally there is a lot of forward planning to shoehorn a C130 into the  busy civilian flying lanes.

 

Also an ideal opportunity for some stand off jumps:

 

These are high altitude high opening parachute jumps where, with a carefully selected opening point you can travel considerable distances undetected by radar.

 

(The Red Devils once did such a jump over Dover and landed in Calais!)

 

Not the sort of thing one can do in busy airspace.

Quite a few C-130's have been spotted flying around and as I mentioned a C-17 done a touch and go at Southend airport a couple of weeks ago. I'm with Dave on jumping out of a perfectly usable aircraft in fact I much prefer one with the wings firmly attached rather than spinning round above my head. 

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl, 

Dad went fishing with Jack, we lived not too far away.  Moving to the hebridies meant I missed out of town from 1971 on.  

OoT was not as " slick "as countryfile, it didn't need half a dozen different presenters saying I'm here in xxxxxxxxx a dozen times times a show. I definitely prefer OoT over CF. 

 

So far today I've carved and sanded the foam male mould for the keel,  I've sanded small pieces of celotex before but such a large lump 4 ft by 6 inches by 6 inches was a first. And how easy it is, Sands easily no grain to worry about,  Just the dust as a hazard.  Tomorrow I'll finish the job,  having left it for  today , so I can have second look tomorrow with fresh eyes.  Making it wrong would be a right pain once fibreglassed. 

 

As for reviewing things,  I'm now being officially furloughed,  so I need to review the WFH I've been doing,  and return it tomorrow.  The furlough letter was obviously a choose the paragraph assembly , but one para I liked..  

"I understand from your manager that you have decided to remain at home isolating, which knowing your circumstances is absolutely understandable."

I wonder how many on the merely vulnerable list got that paragraph . 

 

The other thing is some muddling,  the basic building boxes for the radar station are complete,  but as I have now 8 weeks free,  I'm going to attempt detailing and the antenna.  This means I need to order plasticard and plastic girders etc as my stock is in a drawer at the MRC . 

 

I have to venture out tomorrow  to collect our prescriptions,  since the doctors / pharmacy is near enough next door to TES and Co, there is a long list being assembled by SWMBO. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[polybear]

19 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Howerever we have noticed a slight, but noticeable change in people’s attitude since the weekend, more inpatient and aggressive. People are waiting no more than 20 minutes for their prescription and most are getting theirs within 2to 3 so I think they have nothing to complain about.

 

Having heard stories about hundred yard long queues at my local chemist (not as bad as it sounds, due to 2m gaps between customers) I figured I'd start queuing at around half nine yesterday, ready for 10am opening.  I was first in the queue; the shutters went up, doors opened and in I went.  My prescription was all bagged up and on the counter, ready.  Doesn't get much better than that

 

As for today, I finally did something about my mega slow broadband; after running all the checks, BT speed test etc. the numbers came back as:

Download Speed:  0.03 Mbps

Upload Speed:  0.39 Mbps

 

- so totally shagged, basically....

The very helpful man at Plusnet ran some tests and declared that the fault most likely was at the Exchange, and could well be a buggered circuit board (my words, not his - and based on my extensive knowledge of Telecomms Engineering - i.e. 2 tins and a bit of string makes a telephone system).

Hopefully it may be fixed by saturday, with no home visit required.

I may be even slower than usual until then....