PhilJ W

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I've decided to spend Christmas at home which means getting the neccessary out of the freezer and part cooking the (green) vegetables so I just have to put them in the microwave. The root veg will be roasted in the dry fryer which is in fact a small fan oven. I'm not a great fan of turkey so Christmas dinner will be a piece of salmon, wild not farmed, and easier to cook. There's still one or two small items to get so I might still brave the Christmas eve cock/henwombles or I might give them a miss. Bye for now, might be back later.

Rule 1 applies.

That is or was the correct way to use an automatic. Holding an automatic in gear with the footbrake causes excessive wear of the gearbox bands. I say was because modern autoboxes do not use bands. On a manual gearbox the handbrake should always be used when waiting in traffic as its more positive than the footbrake (your foot can easily slip off the brake pedal).

Thoughts are with you Simon.

Right here in the UK, and even more so after Brexit.

Classix did this in some of their cars and vans. The figures were moulded as an integral part of the chassis/seats, in black plastic. Its all very well adding figures to coaches and locomotives were the added cost is only a small percentage of the overall price but for a 00 scale car costing less than a fiver its not viable. As has been said most of the Oxford range is easily accessible to add figures so perhaps a set of suitably posed figures would not go amiss.

Morning from Estuary-Land. Overslept this morning, not awake until after nine, so not such a long soak in the bath this a.m. And not forgetting those who have to turn right starting from the left hand kerb.

Goodnight all.

The Lada Niva is in fact a very competent 4X4. In fact its still in production but not sold in western Europe.

In my experience they do right turns from as close to the left hand kerb as possible.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Looks as if I might be spending Christmas at home after all, my sister phoned to tell me that my brothers wife is unwell so they will not be going to my sisters on Christmas day. I could go in my car but it is low on petrol and the filling stations are chocker but I've got until Sunday to decide what to do. Bob, I buy nuts ready shelled, little danger of injury unless you manage it opening the bag. When I was a youngster we had nuts with the shells on and Brazil nuts were the worst to crack open, usually with some difficulty and the inevitable crushed broken nut. An interesting program a few years ago on Brazil nuts, they grow packed together in a gourd about the size of a coconut. When ripe the gourd drops from the tree and starts to ferment. Gases from the fermentation build up and the gourd explodes like a hand grenade scattering the nuts over a wide area. They can have the same effect as a hand grenade, people standing to close have been injured by them. EDIT. Good news, my neighbour has moved his flashing Christmas lights, the ones disturbing my sleep. They were at the side of his house which faced the front of mine. He has now moved them to the front of his house which is not visible from the front of mine. I want one of those!

Gresley's ultimate aim was electricification, if it hadn't been for the LNER's financial problems, WW2 and Gresley's untimely death there could have been an electric A4, 2-Co-1 perhaps?

This thread is going downhill fast.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Slept quite well last night, no itching or aching joints but when I awoke this morning I was laying on my right arm and it was numb and took about five minutes before I got any sensation back. Not a lot to shop for now, only fresh items such as milk and the decision is get it today or take a chance on any being left tomorrow. Somehow though I don't seem to be able to get into the Christmas spirit, I'll be glad when its all over. Bah bumhug!

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The itching was my fault, I omitted to defoliate the affected part (my shin) before I went to bed. A wipe with a damp flannel reduced the irritation enough for me to get back to sleep. The shopping trip today was unusual because of the lack of hen/cockwombles, either that or I have been very lucky.

We've had quite a few of those already.

I have one of Tim Horns baseboard kits obtained at a reduced price (cancelled order). I now need to order a fiddle yard extension.

I second that!

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I didn't sleep very well last, not because of the neighbours flashing lights, I must be getting used to them. What woke me was the eczema on my leg, not at all painful but the itching driving me nuts. The result was that I overslept this morning until the usual Thursday dawn chorus of the bin wagons, especially as its glass bottle fortnight. Thats it for now, be back later.

Thoughts are with Simon and Mal. Goodnight all.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dull and overcast this morning but at least its not raining nor is it cold. Apart from Christmas day which I will be spending at my sisters I will be doing a bit of modelling, not much but I've been sorting through some old model buildings and assembling them to make a diorama. I have found a suitable offcut of 6mm MDF to use as a base so I just have to paint it and then decide where the buildings have to go. Thats it for now, be back later.

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. This time of year you think you have endured all that the hen/cockwombles can throw at you when one comes along and tops the lot. Just approaching the Pitsea Tesco's there is a single carriageway road about 25 feet wide. As I approached this section of road there was a traffic hold up. The cause was a lorry driver attempting a three point turn, well more like a thirty point turn seeing as his lorry was about ten feet longer than the road was wide and using an entranceway barely inches wider than the lorry. After he'd finished he then stopped virtually on the mini roundabout giving access to the store looking at his delivery notes.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Where's the fog? I was expecting a pea souper as predicted by the weathermen but not a sign of it last night or this morning. Not that I'm complaining we can do without any fog thank you very much. Didn't get much sleep last night, the neighbours opposite have festooned their front garden with winking and flashing lights and they leave them on all night. I tried to contact them but they are out for most of the day, indeed the parking space was empty and the lights had been switched off at 7 this morning. There is a strong desire to cut a wire but that will not be neccessary as I espied a plug connecting two sections of the lights that looks as if it might come loose. Well done Rick and very sorry to hear about your mum. Congratulations and commiserations where neccessary, be back later.