PhilJ W

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The first time I ever travelled abroad on a ferry about 1973 it was so stormy that the ferry was rising and falling about 12-15 feet in the inner harbour at Dover. Despite that the ferry still sailed but because of the noise of waves crashing on the bow I couldn't sleep so I went to the cafeteria for an early breakfast (full English). I was about half way through my breakfast when a member of staff came over and asked me not to sit so close to the door as potential customers were coming in and upon seeing my breakfast were turning round and leaving. I have never had any problems with seasickness or any other travel sickness. Ironically that trip was in early September and the weather was exceptionally bad. A few years later I took a trip to Ostend in December and the sea was so calm that you could see the reflection of passing vessels on the surface.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Use by date lottery meant that it was Chilli-con-Carne for lunch and it will be Chicken Tandori later for dinner, I don't need the weather forecast to tell me its going to be a windy night. Strangely enough the garden waste wheelie bin is still upright but has gone for walkies along the patio. Fortunately there is little if any damage, most of the shrubs and trees in the garden are evergreen and are absorbing the wind pressure.

Oops, sorry I forgot the mixed dry fruit, and don't forget to let it cool down before you eat it.

Try baked apples. Core the apples and slash the peel. Fill the centre with brown sugar and spices and insert cloves where you've slashed the peel. If the peel is a bit battered remove it and replace with a pastry jacket, don't forget to leave a hole for the steam to escape. Serve with oodles of custard.

Congratulations to your granddaughter Two Sugars. Make sure you take a pic of the pink hair to show to her offspring in years to come.

Another report here. https://www.islandecho.co.uk/first-photos-of-new-island-line-trains-released-ahead-of-track-testing/?fbclid=IwAR1df1knS_db7A4OOgtPOTN8A1sphe6DXTU_0MnMH2SGjcFWqyAWxHUQEyE

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Blowing a hooley outside at the moment but at least its dry and forecast to stay that way. Neil, I can guarantee that within a very short time you'll be wondering how you had time to go to work. Your a Scotsman, its in the job description. Seriously though, I set myself a limit on e-bay and stick to it. About two thirds of items I get before the limit is reached and about one third I'm outbid. If I'm the first bidder I start out by bidding just above the minimum amount and quite often I'm the only bidder. Just realised that I'm almost out of milk, just enough for a couple of mugs of tea so I'll have to venture out shortly for more.

Oh no not again!

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Went out and done a bit of tidying up in the garden, pulling up a few weeds and dumping them in the garden waste bin. Belated happy returns to Eric (Signal Engineer) from another coffin dodger. Arthur Itis is grumbling again so rain is expected in the early hours. Thats it for now, be back later.

Not for the squeamish:- https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mums-mystery-three-day-sickness-22553016

If your ever in the UK a visit to the Long Shop Museum is a must. Its the former Garrett works at Leiston in Suffolk where they produced steam traction engines among many other machinery.

I have a 4 car unit motorised with a couple of Tenshodo's, the biggest problem is because the bogies are partially within the body sides they can only turn a small ammount and therefore can only go round the shallowest of curves. At least if you set the outside conductor rail the correct scale distance from the running rail you won't have the collector shoe dangling in mid air.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Had to go out this afternoon so not a lot of the G word achieved. Tomorrow should be dry if a bit windy according to the seaweed twirlers. GDB congratulations to Jemma on passing her exams. I left school with four O levels Maths, English, Technical Drawing and Geography. We moved house a few weeks after I left school and the school sent my certificates to the old address and I never did get them. Not that it mattered as never once was I asked to produce them at any time in my working career. I have however my old school report book. I had forgotten that in my first term at secondary school I came top of the class. I was moved up to the stream above where I bobbed along midstream until I left school.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pop-star-killed-car-crossing-22538603

IIRC you have to prise off the front panel. This has to be done very gently to avoid damaging the panel itself or the windscreen. There is plenty of advice on this on Facebook I would suggest joining one of the groups such as 'Model Bus and Coach' and ask there.

I wonder if there's the possibility of a dedicated London Transport range. We now have the makings with the motorised EFE tube stock. Bachmann produced the S stock for the LTM and they could make a similar arrangement to have the Metropolitan Bo-Bo from Heljan produced as there is with the Hymek.

It is common practice in some communities for the women to cover their heads in public. The ladies in the photograph wearing head scarfs could well be from such a community.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I agree with Dave, chicken poo is the worst stink of all. When I lived in Burnham-on-Crouch I joined the Maldon model railway club. The club met in a wooden hut in a farmyard. We turned up for a meet one summer evening but the meet had to be abandoned because of the stink. It turned out that the field adjacent to the clubhouse had been manured with chicken poo. The following week we were able to open but the stink still lingered and a few members decided to go home early. The reason for the unpleasant smell is that it contains ammonia, sometimes in great quantities.

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Talking of smelly stuff. Way back in the mid 60's my dad was a controller at the old Kings Cross coach station and he came home and told us of this incident. At the time they had just commenced operating Continental coach tours with a brand new fleet of coaches fitted with toilets. They usually travelled on the Dover-Calais ferry. At Dover there was a woman customs officer who was a right jobsworth and insisted on examining each returning coach. One day she was crawling underneath a coach when there was a loud plop followed by a scream. She had been directly underneath the retention tank for the toilet when she opened the release cock. She crawled out from beneath the coach covered in sh!t. Even her colleagues were hiding their grins behind their hands.