PhilJ W

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The foot that I dropped the box on isn't hurting at all. Is that a good sign? If you have an address for the owner why not deliver the prunings to that address? Time to put the kettle on, be back later.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just remembered that the sheets and pillow cases that I'd washed last night were still in the machine. Went to get the large dryer out and in doing so I dislodged a heavy wooden box that landed on my foot. OUCH! but the pain didn't last long and everything was soon back to normal but I expect to have a big bruise in the morning. Luckily I was wearing some thick felt slippers that must have cushioned things a bit.

Hello again from Estuary-Land. Not be doing much outside today, hay fever has reared its ugly head. Still plenty to do indoors though, might even include the M word.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Been up for an hour already, early to bed last night so awake a bit earlier. Farcebooks 'community standards' seem to be very strange. A day or two ago I posted a Wiki link in answer to a question raised about a motor racing incident where the driver was thrown from a car. I simply posted the Wiki biography of the driver (Cliff Allison) when someone asked if he survived (he did). Farcebook in their wisdom decided that it was against their community standards and deleted it!

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just finished a couple of rounds of ham sandwich. In Tess Coes today I spotted a pack of very nice looking ham in the reduced to clear so I grabbed it. It was when disposing of the wrapper I spotted the use by date, 10th. June no less. How it got into the stuff with todays date I don't know but it was quite a bit cheaper than usual. I wish that I had spotted the date a bit sooner. Tea is brewing, be back later.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I feel for Neil as a fellow hay fever sufferer. A bit of tidying up of the patio and placing the dryer and contents on same was enough and I had to retreat indoors. Although popular to retire to I would not like to move there. Off season the public transport is dire and you don't know how long you will be able to keep your licence. My choice (if I could afford it) would be Woodbridge. I was thinking of moving to Ipswich when I retired but I couldn't face the hassle of moving.

I have a California lilac (ceanothus) in my garden with purple blue flowers. The flowers are in the shape of bracts about three inches long with hundreds of minute petals, each no more than a millimetre long. Once they are pollinated the petals fall to the ground. This year I hope to catch them before they hit the ground and use them to create some model plants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceanothus

I've put in a bid for the AEC loco, the only bid so far.

Pleased to say the bees are back and making the most of the California Lilac, and a few butterflies as well.

There used to be an alleyway between the pub and Alfred Marks that led to Victoria Road. There was a model shop (alas long gone) where the alleyway emerged into Victoria Road. It went through a couple of name changes during its existence but at one time was Victoria Models.

A small point, the pavement did not continue along the side of the building but merged into the road surface without any kerbstones. It may have done so prior to the 1960,s but by the mid 60's there was no pavement. By about 1980 the steps had been removed and the doorways bricked up. This would have been when the interior was re-furbished and the ticket office and W H Smiths swapped sides.

In actual fact it was a standard size seat, that and the one in front were moved a little towards the centre of the bus to make way for the route blind box above the platform.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Finally getting on top of the spring cleaning, the last few items are about to go out to dry. Then it will be the turn of the sheets which are about to go in to the washing machine. Speaking of which there was a piece on BBC breakfast this morning about testing and rating household appliances for noise. A few appliances are labelled with the rating but not all. My 35 year old washing machine when its running must be heard half way down the street. Won't be venturing very far today, most of the local roads will be chocker with people heading to Southend.

It looks like a cowslip or a toadflax. Toadflax can also be purple.

Goodnight all.

Is it a kit built or what? At that price it might be worth a punt.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Tackled the pile of washing up beside the sink earlier. As usual there's something that you've missed just as the last of the washing up water disappears down the plug hole . Now for muggatee and a Danish pastry, be back later.

Just spotted a newly fledged sparrow hopping around inside my California lilac. Just as well that the local cats are too lazy to bother.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Spent the last few hours 'spring cleaning' to use an old fashioned term. However it seems to have made no impression on the list of things to do which if anything is getting longer.

Interesting point about the Bristol LD. They were not usually fitted with top sliding vents in all windows when new but those in the photographs are fitted with them in all windows. Either it was common practice to fit extra ventilators due to the warmer climes in which the buses operated or they were built as such.

A likely candidate is ex Lincolnshire R.C.C. 2344 (PBE123). I'll research it a bit more when I have time.

It appears to be a 'Tilling' shade of red but that doesn't reduce the possibilities very much.

Probably exported, there is (was?) a large market for ex-UK trucks where drive on the left was the rule. Places such as Malta, Cyprus and many Caribbean islands.