Played a finesse this weekend, spotted that “Onedin Line” was on and steered the good lady wife to that. Hearty Mummerset accents, swelling orchestral soundtrack, occasional tall ships footage and a blessed lack of ill-bred people accusing each other of murder, great stuff!
Xmas is definitely over, after a busy, festive and highly enjoyable week involving presents known and surprising, friends old and new, children who have grown astonishingly since last seen, NONE of my good wife’s innumerable siblings and their offspring (for a mercy...) and very little tv (although I did see Carols from Kings College and St Paul’s at various times).
But it’s back to the world. I usually reckon it an important milestone, the first evening of tv involving various ill-mannered
After various discussion with my sons about the curious coincidence by which the TMO controversially intervened to disallow home tries against the All Blacks two weeks running, No 2 Son produced the following:
“It should be noted that the World Rugby Laws apply equally to Players and Match Officials. Thus the Match officials Law 6 sits side by side in the Law book with the May 2018 amended Tackle Law 14.10 re the new offside line (which is open to a number of interpretations of consistency w
Out in Plymouth for some beer and music, with my much-travelled tenor banjo.
Someone I haven’t seen before, stood up when the “turn” came to him, and in a strong, slightly toneless baritone sang “Jerusalem” a Capella. The whole group followed on, it was quite tremendous.
Introduced by No 2 Son to another modern novelty, the Sky Day Pass. I don’t generally have any sort of Sky subscription but I do enjoy Test rugby. So, No 2 Son bought a day pass (which covers up to 4 devices), rang round myself and his brother and we watched the England / AB game
FWIW, I thought the disallowed try at the death was a wrong decision, but the overall result about right. NZ clearly knew something that England didn’t at the line-out, England made an obvious captaincy error by pas
Today’s venture is Peterborough to Plymouth, by way of Birmingham New St.
First leg, Peterborough to BNS with Cross Country. 3 car DMU, fairly new-looking. Seat backs sprinkled with accumulated reservations, some clearly for journeys in the opposite direction. Occupancy perhaps 20%, so no problems. Strong free WiFi, no charging sockets. Ticket check, no card check. Bought a pastie and coffee on the station, just as well as events turned out.
Unremarkable journey, good time.
Interest
Made the journey from Plymouth to Peterborough by train, in a spirit of enquiry. Not tremendously impressed.
The Plymouth to London Paddington train was absolutely choked with students. The train was, apparently, an 8-car set instead of a 10-car set. It had been fitted with newer seats and the ad-hoc looking conversion to power sockets at the tables that you see on Great Central trains, but otherwise looked its age. Quite good free WiFi, though, evidenced by much bleeping and trilling of sm
Stranded in a Premier Inn in Preston, writing pre-contract documents for a cable landfall job, thought I’d watch some tv. Browsing around the sort of selection of channels on offer in such places, I hit on Voyage To The Bottom If The Sea!
I haven’t seen this in years! Glorious cheesy 60s adventure sci-fi, utter hokum with the production values of a 1980s Trabant... I’m quite enjoying the evening...
Found this while looking for something else entirely. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/model-trains-that-are-model-worlds?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=1e4b4303fe-Newsletter_5_12_20165_11_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-1e4b4303fe-61415829&ct=t(Newsletter_5_12_20165_11_2016)&mc_cid=1e4b4303fe&mc_eid=529d3fd6f7
There was a thread a while ago, about "how big is a big layout" and I'd reckon that any of these would qualify...
Sorry to say it, but I think Italy are going to be in for a long, hard tournament. Seven tries against, a disallowed try from an obvious forward pass in what looked like a set-piece move which didn’t execute; an obvious foul that would certainly have been a penalty try if it hadn’t been given anyway, and not one, but two consecutive muffed short kicks. It’s not promising.
Looking forward to Wales at Twickenham. England by 7 to 10, I think. Can’t fancy Scotland against France, although home
It’s “that” time of year again... I quite enjoyed yesterday’s offering.
Scotland appear to need a sustained search for their “thinking cap”, they were obviously missing some important part of their preparations against Wales. The chaps in red looked good, though, loved the interception try and AWJ and Leigh Halfpenny are always good value. I’ve never seen a dull game there.
France v Ireland was the sort of game I always enjoy, a proper “forwards game” in the wet, with long passages of ru
Saw the trailer for “Biggest Little Railway”. Still feeling mellow after three episodes of Onedin Line followed by gammon and veg for dinner, opted for a hour in the garage and a soak in the bath while the wife watched Call The Midwife..
Herself being out and about on her various retirement matters, left me in sole charge of the tv control for the evening. Usually I avoid the "babble box" between about 5 and 9pm, the early evening game shows followed by a protracted session of people she would cross the road to avoid in real life, yelling at each other...
But today, freedom beckoned! Watched Time Team, a well-worn favourite for its formulaic, knockabout quality. On to Michael Portillo in America, which seems to have stimula
Took both 2-8-2s to the Club test track this afternoon. Tried them on a NCE Powercab controller, the Gaugemaster was packed away as part of a general reorganisation that’s been in hand for some time.
Very impressed with the slow running, in particular. Very steady and controllable. The brakes need thinking about, as does the regulator - I’ll have to practice these. They definitely need driving, and have different characters.
The K27 is the more sure-footed of the two, over the occasion
I’ve just heard that my two MMI locos are ready for despatch, complete with DCC and sound. I’m really quite excited about this, partly because the job has been subject to a fair amount of “mission creep” due to developments in available hardware and software along the way
Here they are https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nW6r7ydm6k8&feature=youtu.be
My venture into 12”-1’ Scale seems to be over for the foreseeable future, various family matters are in abeyance, the clubroom refurbishment
No 1 Son came round yesterday with No 1 Grand-daughter, who certainly has a good set of lungs, on the evidence. She was apparently wearing her latest “Christmas outfit”, I’ve seen whole Third World relief appeals with less kit than this child .....
Cleared my desk at Vossloh Kiepe, having run out of budget and headcount. Ho hum. I’ve been to a couple of interviews but the recruitment process these days seems hopelessly dysfunctional, no results yet. There seems to be a general crisis in prog
So, the railway job ends next week, so that’s the end of working in 12”-1’ for the foreseeable future.
Time for a break I think, the refurbishment of the club room is now complete so perhaps it’s test track time!
Just been following the "early electrification" thread digression on the main forums.
I tend to be regarded in some quarters as something of a Luddite, having been generally deeply unimpressed with BR era diesel locomotives and the service they provided, and I'm certainly no great lover of MUs of various descriptions for similar reasons.
I was a great fan of the original 125 HST, which seemed a Great Leap Forward. However I find that I'm unable to take pleasure in the subsequent electri
After various delays I've now spent the past two weeks working in 12" to the Foot scale. QC for traction motor refurbishments, and related tasks on EMU sets, particularly type 321 ... which means nothing to me, except that they seem to produce an abundant crop of NCRs!
Seems slightly odd to be walking about in orange hivis and bump cap again...
Didn't see it myself, having better things to do, but my good wife informs me that the one-handed pirate(?) on Poldark had a Mummerset accent implausible even to her... praise indeed!
Daughter came round today with Charley Dog, which was all the excuse I needed to abandon my rather fitful gardening (not a great enthusiasm of mine, at the best of times) and accompany her on a walk around Ferry Meadows. She parks at ours to avoid the notorious parking system there..
Saw 34081 "92 Squadron" in steam on the NVR, just back from a lengthy rebuild. Saw the Ferry Meadows Railway 10.25" gauge DHR 0-4-0ST+T in steam as well, what a little gem it is.
All this and lilac blossom
