PhilJ W

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I haven't tried the TV yet after switching it off, there's nothing in particular I want to watch but switching it off at the plug seems to do the trick. I brought some packages with me (3 per pack) but I never had to use them. Almost all the girls were on the pill and said not to bother with them. The only other requirement was penicillin. If you told todays millennials what went on they'd be horrified.

I had an aerial on a Suzuki jeep mounted centrally on the roof. Not a whip aerial but one of those very rigid plastic coated coil ones about a foot to eighteen inches long. I went into an underground car park (clearing the height signs). As I drove through the car park there was a clink-clink-clink noise as I took out the fluorescent lights down the entrance passageway. No one came out to investigate the loss of the lights so I hightailed it out of there. Later I noticed that they had lowered the height restriction by four inches. The car park had been opened some years before the lights were installed and someone must have forgotten to alter the signs.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I didn't watch the funeral this afternoon, the TV went on the blink. I switched on and all that came on the screen was 'Scanning don't power off.' and there was a moving bar going across the screen going from 0 to 100%. until it reached 100 but then it started again! The only way to stop it was to unplug it. After several attempts at switching it off and then on it was still the same so I went out to look at getting a replacement TV. I didn't see anything I fancied so I came home and tried again and it worked perfectly. I'll have to keep an eye on it but fingers crossed. That reminded me of a former colleague, Len Williams. He signed up for army service in the late twenties and would normally have left the service about 1940. But by then the war was on and he was asked to stay on for the duration. When he left the army it was as a RSM in a guards regiment. He then joined the police and rose to sergeant and when he retired from the police he then joined the council as a security officer/bailiff. He lived on till his late 90's so he certainly got his moneys worth out of the three pensions. He always used to walk about with his back ramrod straight and someone once quipped that he must put a snooker cue down his collar every morning.

Hello again. One of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in was on Corfu, and that was on a package holiday. It was half board but it was the same evening meal every other night, burger and chips, the burger was more than 50% fat and the chips limp and soggy. There was a swimming pool but you couldn't see the bottom because of the algae. It was a package holiday organised by Club 18-30 so no one was there for the food.

You forgot the whip aerial, another 60's essential.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit nippy this morning but the sun is up and the frost has gone. My new combi boiler is a Valiant and is a great improvement on the previous boiler, heat and hot water comes on a lot quicker as well and its using a lot less gas. Unfortunately the links have slipped and there's not much contact now. This is down to an ageing demograph and the passing away of our one French speaker. They do have a Facebook page however:- https://www.facebook.com/Rail-Club-de-Meaux-210497129024338/ I can see no mention of an Exhibition currently IIRC one was planned for last year but cancelled because of Covid. As mentioned above, no complaints and a great improvement on its predecessor.

Goodnight all.

The problem for the GWR was that once it was out of the ground the coal started loosing its calorific value. Much of Cornwall was further away by rail from the coal fields than Paddington.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The fitter who installed my new boiler explained how the controls worked and how to set times most of which I've forgotten. The only control I use is the temperature which as I am at home most of the time is all that is required.

Meaux just happens to be our 'Twin town' in France. It also has a thriving model railway club and I have been over there four times on exchange visits. These took place in November when the whole town puts on a bi-annual exhibition including a model railway exhibition. The accommodation was chosen by the French MRC and was a motel on the southern edge of the town. Pretty decent accommodation but breakfasts were rather limited, not that it mattered as in typical French fashion everything stopped for lunch which was quite substantial. I have unfortunately never been to our other twin town in Germany, Heilinghaus, its attraction for me is it is only 5 miles away from Wuppertal of suspended monorail fame, perhaps I'll get there some day.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Not a lot happening at the moment but the forecast for the coming week is dry and sunny so I might be able to get the Workmate out to do a few jobs out on the patio. Arthur Itis and Si Attica have both gone away and hopefully will stay away for a while. Time for dinner, be back later.

I hope not, Vegemite might discourage drop bears but it might attract something even nastier.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Woken up by Arthur Itis this morning then he went back to sleep which is more than I can say. Once he'd gone though his sidekick Si Attica jumped in. It took one sneeze as I was about to sit down to set him off. The sneeze was due to hay fever, there's a lot of ash trees around here. Face masks are a mixed blessing, they are a PITA in some ways as they make the specs steam up but they do stop some off the pollen getting through. As I understand it the face masks and social distancing has suppressed the flu virus considerably. Best wishes to Dave's dad and Gordon S, be back later.

Goodnight all.

The B&B I stayed at in Newquay had an en-suite shower and toilet. Converted from what must have been a broom cupboard. It was a little over two feet wide and about five feet long. The wash basin was in the room itself. It was as cheap as chips but it was clean and the full English breakfast was good. I booked through Travelzoo which is a remainder shop for holidays.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just had an enjoyable Zoom meeting three organisations involved, SEERS, Gravesend and Lutterworth. A very interesting talk on the Swiss railways. Got to get on now as it hasn't left enough time to get through Farcebook.

When I went to North Wales I stopped off at Caernarfon and booked for a couple of nights in a B&B at the local tourist office. Nice clean room and a decent (full English) breakfast and at a reasonable cost. Only bugbear was that it was supposed to be 'en-suit' but the bathroom was outside the room off of a half landing and down a few steps.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. I too had my hair cut today, by a very attractive young lady named Olivia. Unlike Baz's barber they don't take cash, only cashless payments but you can add a gratuity to the amount on the bill. Very convenient the barbers being in Tess Coes as you can do a bit of shopping before and after your appointment. I read that at first as ASBO. I bet the ordinary sailors didn't complain.

Hello again from Estuary-Land. Bin day today but they seem to be running late today. Its the lesser spotted glass and bottle wagons week off this week so maybe thats the reason why.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Like Baz its haircut day today but this afternoon. Arthur Itis was making his presence felt this morning but he's now been put back in his box. Better get on and run that bath, be back later.

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis is keeping quiet and so is his sidekick Si Attica. However the eczema is getting rather irritating so ointment will be applied. Tea has brewed so I'll be back later.

This is being discussed on another forum:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper Personally I don't think he survived. Jumping from an aircraft over Washington state in late November is risky enough but dressed in ordinary street clothes is suicide. Part of the ransom money washed up in the Columbia river eight years later which suggests that he landed in or near the river.

On the subject of air crashes I found this on you tube.

When your retired every day's a holiday. Or so I was told 13 years ago when I retired.