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Tempting fate maybe, but I doubt this view of LB has been seen before. Thanks to the nice lady who allowed me into her back garden to take this, and I hope I didn't step on any of her plants.

Took my new friend for a walk at the zoo today Meet Minibus. A lady wombat ..she loves raw sweetcorn, can kill dingoes and has a top speed of 45kph. Apparently the wombats have been letting other animals share there burrows to escape the fires. Lots of koalas being looked after by the teams at Australia Zoo. As for the knuckle heads who logged the trees which has resulted in a lot of koala deaths....there seems to be a fair few Ozzie who are like a fair few brits ..clueless . Bad

He was just being hippo critical. Morning all.

A bit better organised today, but it is still very early for me. Soon be dawn though. Before I go, here's Silver Fox seen from the sand drag. and Deltic rumbling a little bit closer.

It’s been a while since I looked on this thread and very nice all round, I always look forward to seeing more progress on LB. I have been working my socks off for the past few months so not had much time for anything other than parenting and sleep. But recently re started some modelling. I have refurbished a very neglected Nu Cast k2/2 (just awaiting nameplates to complete it. Also all but completed by conversion of an Adam’s radial tank into a Highland railway Loch 4-4-0 and last week made a start on converting an old triang m7 body into a North British class c16 with another Adams radial chassis for the power. The chassis has been pounced on by mr dremel to allow me to fit the larger wheels and more modifications to follow before its complete. I must say it’s nice to get back into things after an enforced break.

It is with great regret that I have to tell you that Vernon Smith, of Invicta Model Rail passed way in the early hours of Thursday 30th January after a two year battle with illness. Vernon was well known within the hobby having worked for many years at Beatties, Holborn before managing branches at Croydon, Lakeside and Romford. He helped build up Modelzone in Bluewater before becoming Operations Manager. He opened Invicta Model Rail in 2013 with his partner Kerry. He was the instigator of many Limited Edition Models including all of the Bachmann RTC and Royal Mail TPO's. In his final months he managed to complete his third book on Buses. I know Vernon has been unwell for a time and wonderfully supported by Kerry, friends and family. I'll certainly miss some of the spirited conversations that we've had over the years about the trade and people and I'm so sorry to have heard this news. My thoughts are with Kerry - she will, I'm sure, carry on those spirited conversations.

What a difference a day makes. The temperature shot down and the Sun came out. I went skiing and there wasn't a cloud in the sky all day. I'm not too crackered. My friend wanted to get back to see the Super Bowl ( whatever that is) so we headed home at 1pm.

I’m looking forward to finishing the c16 which shouldn’t take long, and certainly much cheaper than the kit which isn’t so easy to find nowadays. £35 total so far.

There has not been much new to say about Much Murkle for a while now. Since the last post it has attended three more exhibitions at Didcot and Newbury, both in October last year and last weekend at Alton MRG's show. Much Murkle has now done 33 shows and over the Xmas break I had been toying with the idea of retiring it from the exhibition circuit at the end of 2020. I was feeling that perhaps most exhibition goers, especially in the South and Midlands would have seen it at least twice by now. I took the opportunity at the Alton Show this last weekend to take more notice of comments made about MM by visitors to the show and this has changed my mind somewhat. I can't, and don't expect every modeller visiting the exhibition to like the layout, it is 1930's GWR afterall, and some will very obviously walk on by, giving MM only a cursory glance, if that. However what I had neglected to take into account was that a large proportion of visitors are local to the show and seeing the layout for the first time. Many of these passed some very pleasing comments but also asked plenty of questions about it's construction and operation. I also found out that MM (not me) has some 'groupies'. One gentleman even declared that it was his favourite layout of all time and that he had seen it several times. Gosh!!! All of which was encouraging and has made me rethink MM's future. MM remains popular with Exhibition Managers, with 4 more invites this year, Milton Keynes, Epson & Ewell, Wigan and Warley and more enquiries for 2021 so whilst it continues to run well and look good it will stay on the circuit for as long as it get invites. In the meantime I will plan and at some stage start to construct its replacement. To finish here are some photos from last weekends show. Apologies for the quality as they were taken with my iphone. Dukedog has just been given the road to depart with the 10:04 Market Day special to Hereford comprising of two D15 brake3rds, a C10 all third and a D37 brake 3rd. Another view of the same train from the goods yard Due to an increase in sales of their fine cider, Rancoutt's have invested in an 0-4-0 Peckett, yet to be named seen here shunting the sidings. and finally a closer view of the Peckett simmering by the loading dock

Indeed , Andy. In our "naughty" days, she needed an alias, and Ashcombe was a corker - the first time she appeared on RMweb I knew it had to be her! As it happens, our skool was opened in 1933 as the "County School" in Ashcombe Road. There were 4 'houses' in the skool - and Sherry was in Ashcombe house. I was in - er - Rivett, named after a former headmaster, and our colour was blue not golden...... In 1959, the year I started there, a brand new secondary modern girls' school opened next door. With modern inclusive ideas about education, the two were amalgamated about 1980 to become the Ashcombe School. In recent years we have been guests there on a couple of occasions, and the headmaster was inspiring in his vision of measurable success for all, I have to admit. He has since retired, is a Salvationist. Sunday of last week, our theatre friend Glynis set off - against much advice - for China, to see her latest grandchild. Today, a fortnight early, she is back at the airport awaiting a flight home. Let's hope she doesn't bring anything nasty with her. Sherry will not be back in Torquay until next Monday, by which time incubation should have completed, so Glynis will either be healthy or not!

Good morning Andy, It was good to see you and John as well. We were very busy, and Mo and I made over £60.00 for CRUK. May I please thank all those who donated most-generously? The highlight was when I got a big blue GORDON working again for a small boy. 'Scale modelling' indeed! I was given a substantial amount of space, and we hardly had a time when folk weren't looking or asking questions (this was taken just before the show opened yesterday morning). It was a real privilege to be invited. May I please thank all the Stafford members for putting on such an exceptional show? Best in show for me? Harlyn Pier in O Gauge by Peter Beckley. Look out for it in a future issue of BRM....... Regards, Tony.

And there was me thinking I'd been paid a compliment as normally you'd have said "four wide"!

SuperBowl Sunday is over. There was some kind of American football game on and some overblown nonsense with music, dancers, stripper poles and costume changes at half-time but the real focus is the commercials. This one was fun. (Note that SuperBowl Sunday fell on Groundhog Day this year.) Also it will have help to have seen the movie "Groundhog Day" for this to make any sense. The SuperBowl party I attended included a "TV commercial bingo" game. Cards were downloaded ahead of time with logos of commercial sponsors arranged in squares. A square was then blocked out when a commercial aired that matched a logo on the bingo card. This was more fun than it might sound. (It could also have been a drinking game, but it wasn't that sort of party and I was driving myself home.) Oh and the Kansas City Chiefs won, attending their first Superbowl in 50 years! This was SuperBowl LIV (the one thing Americans use Roman numerals for besides the movie release year in film credits and space mission patches) so a 50 year hiatus was significant. The Chiefs' home stadium is in Kansas City, Missouri, so the Tweeter in Chief naturally congratulated the people of the state of Kansas. (The Kansas City metro area spans the state line between Missouri and Kansas.)

Good morning one and all What have I to show for yesterday? Not a lot. I got the laundry up to date so there is now a pile of ironing awaiting my "pleasure". The toad in the hole left something to be desired and I spent an hour or more trying to get the text of a letter right with only a fortnight to go before it has to be sent. There are certain things that it is just not easy to say. By way of light relief I allowed myself to be distracted, nay seduced, by some YouTube footage of koalas. It must be good that awareness of them and their plight is now very much higher at all levels and the "aaah" factor is a bonus. The other day I had the pharmacy on the phone asking all sorts of questions about my treatment for type 2 diabetes. I am at something of a loss to know just what business it is of theirs. For the record, I have an annual sight test and an annual inspection in which the soles of my feet are prodded with a sharp point. I know only too well that the staff at the surgery are under pressure but I don't see what help it can be for the pharmacy to ask me stoopid questions. Maybe this will come up in conversation next time I have an audience with Sister Diabetes - in the surgery, naturally. i need to do an emergency fodder run this morning which will have to be done before breakfast. Timing will be critical as the building work a few doors along fills scarce parking spaces with lorries. It's tough in my bit of suburbia. Best wishes to all Chris

Nursey, wielding the many headed hydra, aka the ECG machine, says I'm normal, I didn't think anyone on ER was normal...

A few photos taken on Teesside for today, on some nice sunny days. Thornaby 143612 Saltburn to Darlington 12th May 90 C14449.jpg Thornaby 20046 20214 20180 08375 47159 and Class 31 5th December 92 C18150.jpg Middlesbrough 156444 down 5th December 92 C18146.jpg Grangetown Junction Class 153 Saltburn to Middlesbrough14th April 93 C18465.jpg Grangetown Junction Class 37 down limestone 14th April 93 C18473.jpg David

Firing all four 30mm Aden cannons simultaneously in a Hunter was a teeth jarring experience too. The imagery on the gunsight became a blur, the E2b standby compass (the same as the one to the right of the gunsight in the A10) went mad and the next few seconds after pulling out would be occupied in resetting circuit breakers. Probably not as bad as a windy night at the Muddy Hollow though..... Dave

Off to the land of the big white cloud tomorrow..so a bit of packing needs doing..plans for a beer are off.. and the Oz government have raised beer tax today..pah! I have lived and worked or visited a lot of places in my life. Despite the efforts of our council..who are all pretty carp.. i have lived in Leeds for longer than anywhere else. I can't see us moving but if we did we need to win the lottery big time to move overseas... probably New Zealand. Baz

Good morning all, Mainly cloudy outside with a hint of something bright trying to make an appearance. Showers are possible. Still feeling carp not helped by watching the car crash in Paris yesterday. If I say anything else you might think that I'm a very rude person. Apart from that abysmal part of the day the rest of it was very enjoyable as Steve entertained us in great fashion. Excellent food and lots to drink, probably too much of both, but a great time was had by all. Up late this morning at 8.20 which is disgusting by my standards however I was completely kernackered. Now washed,polished and refuelled for the day ahead and after the muggacoffee I'm currently drinking I'm heading Shedwards. Whether or not I have any success down there or even stay there for long remains to be seen. Have a good one, Former Rugby Fan of Sutton.

Hi Tony and all, I haven't posted for a while as have been busy with other things, like working on the house and lost a little of the modelling mojo. Since several people have been putting up photos of their models under construction, I thought I better add one I have started over the last week. I am constructing the Observation coach for the LNER Coronation set. I was not happy with the shape of the Mailcoach kit and decided to purchase a 3-D printed version via the Shapeways website. I have sanded the body, undercoated and sanded again. I have used the Mailcoach floor and interior parts. I am not really happy with the armchairs as they appear to be slightly small compared to the photo I have seen. Any suggestions. I think I will have a few figures (people) sitting in the seats to hide them a little. Glazing the end will be a challenge around the curve end. Will have to get some Glue and glaze. The bogies are the fine Isinglass Models bogies. Just a small drill bit to deepen the holes slighty for the pin point bearings and the wheels roll very nicely. The bogie under the end of the floor is a Bachmann Thompson bogie as it is fitted with a coupling. Will be replaced with the Isinglass bogie when the coupling is fitted to that. I will paint the body with a white undercoat and paint the interior, before turning to the 2 tone blue. Silver lining pen will be used for lining. Has been tested behind A4 Commonwealth of Australia, Rapido Dynomometer car and 6 Coronation coaches and is all okay. Mark in Oz

Good moanong from the Millennium village. A good day was had yesterday with Laura's mum joining us for lunch, wbich was cooked by Beth. Little Emily has been very generous and given us both her code in the dose. The ladies are off to Batley this morning to visit the step dragon in law. I have been tasked with putting some hooks up under the stairs and surveying for putting a hook on the patio doors to hold them open. As it was windy lady night I might investigate what was banging under our bedroom last night. It wasn't a hippo in the car port. This evening I plan to visit a very exclusive club in Wakefield where the members do things with objects that run on parallel strips of metal. Jamie

Good morning. Second try to post here this time using the mobile. Other half's train was cancelled this morning so on a later wedged train. Now at Mums and soon off to drop four of these weathered locos off (decoder install was by the owner!) and hopefully collect more crust earning. Then off to pick up another batch of crust earning.

Andy Y, where oh where is that long promised 'Groan' button. Jamie

Morning All, It's funny weather at the moment. Far too mild for the time of year. We even had a thunderstorm on Saturday evening. There isn't a lot else to report, so have a good day everyone...

A LMR 3 car Cravens arrives ECS from the old GNR coach sidings, it will form the stopper to Manchester over the old L&YR route via Todmorden. The late arrival Halifax train is soon on its way back to where it came from with a return service. A train formed of five cars arrives from Leeds and Bradford, trying to sneak in behind the signal box. You would think with there being less trains life in the signal box would become quite, not always. The next set of photos shows arrivals from Bransley and Hull as a Manchester "express" via the LNWR line via Oldham departs along with a train to Doncaster. The signalman has a few nice names for the timetable planners. TheBarnsley train has to wait until the Manchester train clears the signals before the signalman can change the route to its platform.

There are two types of people. Those that are normal and those that think they are.

Thunder, lightning..rain..which is what this area needs .. Baz

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare, 1035 /647. about 6.5 sleep plus some very intermittant dozing, so not too bad.. There is another car parked on top of a roundabout on the NDR, ... Demolished the 3 ft high 6 Ft wide, black and white arrow signs... Must have thought it was a target not an instruction.. Very busy this morning, the major system I was working on late last week does not look a happy bunny.... plus I've got 2 systems due this week of which one I've started.. Another measurement taken.. The recruitment of the new deputy boss is now 1 signature away from restarting,, though how the company reorganisation is going to affect that I have no idea.. There is a big fried egg in the sky this morning, but it was windy .. Normally there is just the one forecast repeated all night on BBC News, however at stupid oclock last night it was going on about 200MPH winds in the upper atmosphere, and a series of storms heading our way. The last couple this morning said a storm north of Scotland till Tuesday, then becoming calm with high pressure.. As for Home wheres that? as I've said before, I've spent most of my life as a moving target, home is where the bed is. however it's now 20 years since we bought this place, just under triple the longest I've spent anywhere else. I doubt we'll ever move again.. I started Typing this nearly 3 hours ago, I told you I was busy... Time to... be busy again..

As 'empty nesters', our house is far too big for us. We keep talking about moving and downsizing. However, we can't agree where we would move to - stay around here or move somewhere else and cash out the equity in the house (house prices in Greater Vancouver are silly) - so we stay. We do, however, agree that our next house if/when we move should be within walking distance of a shop selling milk and bananas.

I first visited the Land of The Long White Cloud 50 years ago and found it wonderful. I last went back six years ago and still loved it. Sadly, SWMBO is not of my disposition in that respect so it will not be my final home. Stock of muddling tokens is taking a hit, one nail in centre of rear nearside tyre is plug-able, long and sharp small stone in shoulder of front nearside tyre is not - bar steward! Still, If we couldn't have taken a joke, SWMBO shouldn't have succumbed to wanting a BMW - talking of which, things are quiet here as the two broomsticks have flown off to disturb the residents of Welwyn Garden City. No doubt more tokens will be spent. Bah, humbug, Yours, E Ben Ezerscrooge.

We have lived in this house for nearly 30 years and in Benfleet for over 40 years. Sometimes it feels as if we have only recently moved in. I don’t have any special desire to move elsewhere. It is quite peaceful here but not in any way remote, there is a bus route at the end of our road to both local hospitals and the railway station. Tony

Good morning everyone Yesterday was a very busy day, in fact I didn’t even get chance to post anything at all. However, quite a large number of brownie points were earned and will be spent soon, before they expire! So what kept me away I hear you all cry, well my first task was to see if I could repair the retaining clip on the vacuum cleaner hose. This was broken a couple of weeks ago and has been on my to do list since then, but as it couldn’t be used until now, it wasn’t at the top. Anyway, a quick look revealed a plastic lever, used as a spring had snapped. A poor design me thinks, so I removed all the broken bits, reshaped the housing and fitted a new home made plastic housing and small metal spring. I also re-enforced the thumb catch to cope with the tension of the spring, it all seemed to work ok when I tested it, so hopefully that should do the trick. I then made the replacement fixing bracket for the missing one on the light fitting for Ava and Evie’s new bedroom light. I’ve just got to arrange when to go and fit it. The rest of the day was spent putting together and testing all the circuit boards for the point operation to see if they would all work together. Each unit had been tested on its own, but they hadn’t all been connected together and tested as a whole. Well to cut a long story short, is it all worked, but I’d did reveal a slight design flaw, but only after blowing the main fuse in my voltage test rig! Relying on the relay to change the points frog polarity could result in a short circuit, ‘IF’ the solenoid didn’t operate, but the relay ‘DID’. So a quick rethink has resulted in the use of the solenoid mounted switch to change the frog, but still using the relay to operate the point solenoid resolved the problem. I also came to the conclusion that I don’t need to change the polarity of the closure rails as they follow that of the frog anyway. This has resulted in the need for a redesign of the circuit board, as I can use a physically smaller relay, but which a higher current carrying capacity, which will also result in a much smaller circuit board, every cloud and all that. I drew a couple of quick circuits last night and today I will tweak them a wee bit to see how small I can get the final design. Enjoy the day, back later.

Who was the windy one then??

My latest conversion is a Bachmann Patriot which has the same chassis as the Jubilee. Wheels are again Alan Gibson with Markits crankpins which have been spaced using 4 x 1mm washers per axle. Brake shoes have been removed an refixed with additional plasticard spacers. The tender has a Dave Franks Fowler sprung chassis. Below is a link to youtube. Question: - how do you upload videos from youtube these days? https://youtu.be/yib4hZZ-TbI

Some years ago I had some sort of screening scan at the local Doc's. I came back and said I was normal Sandy demanded a recount.

Evening all, Thanks Ozxp for the Bill Murray Groundhog Day ad - had me in stitches. Weird tho' it might sound I happened to watch the film right through a couple of weeks ago and had watched a bit of it before than and some of it again since then. Most of the film showing channels on Freeview have the interesting habit of showing the same film over a period of a week or three at different times of day during their repeats - clever idea but at times distinctly off putting as some of the old films are distinctly carp, or just plain weird (but often much better than most other rubbish on the tv). As for moving about in places of living I must be the stuffiest person on ERs. Although I worked in South Wales and the West Country for quite a few years before going back to London, then returning to the highly unfashionable extreme north eastern arm of the West Country (i.e. Swindon), followed by going back to London, I tended to live in lodgings for much of the time until we got married. When first married we had a couple of rented rooms across the road from here before moving all of 12 miles to the unfashionable Rates/Poll Tax/Council Tax milch cow in the extreme north eastern arm of West Berkshire. Then after my father died - being amazingly adventurous but with the laudable aim of mitigating exposure to various iniquitous taxes - we demolished the family home where I had grown up and built a four bedroom house on the site, where we now reside. Thus unusually for this day and age I actually live not only on the site where I grew up but also within not much more than a stone's throw from the building in which I was born (less than 200 yards from it as the crow flies). The only difference being that the building is no longer a nursing home but has long since been divided into rather up market flats - a 2 bedroom one of which is currently on the market for just over half a million quid (must be down to the high ceilings and off road parking?). An old school friend owns one of the flats but his tenant will be leaving shortly and he's wondering about selling - bet he didn't pay anything like that much and the fact that he bought it in the first place indicates that the restaurant he used to run made a lot more money than nature of the food he served would suggest. As it happens a good many years ago I took Mrs Stationmaster to that restaurant and she quickly decided that the food reminded her of school dinners. She thought it was hilarious when I explained that she was incredibly perceptive because at that time the school friend's mother was doing the cooking at the restaurant - and she used to be a school dinners cook in one of the local schools. Not that we ever mention that to him when we see him and his wife BTW - a note for ChrisF - your pharmacist is supposed to discuss with you at least once every year the medication you are on and how you are getting on with it. At the Tesco pharmacy we have to sign a form confirming that has been done by their pharmacist - apparently it is nowadays some sort of requirement that pharmacists do this and the level of compliance by pharmacists is monitored by some sort of health quango. Enjoy the rest of your day one and all.

I had my annual "heart" interview today. . .blood pressure a little on the high side, so . . . . booked in for an ECG on Thor's day aftanyun. John

Morning. Yesterday with most of the day to myself I started with the exercise program <groan> After that some light piano practice and then decided that the exercise program has woken up a lot of sleeping muscles and spent the rest of the day mostly relaxing, reading and doing the Sunday crossword puzzles. Getting in shape is painful -2 and cloudy first thing and that's the expected high for the day! Carry on

Regarding the horizon on Harlyn pier, it's dictated by Peter's backscene (which is very well-executed). From some angles, it isn't horizontal, so it's impossible to do much.......... Where's there's no sea, and the angle for photography is dead straight-on, it's fine.... It's probably a bit high to the left, but so what? Just rejoice in the superlative modelling!

Morning from a currently cloudless NEHerts, Eventually two landscape pictures were selected and slightly twerked tweaked for my first entry in a photographic competition, we'll see how they faired on Thursday evening but there is some serious photographic talent in the club (and they aren't pregnant either) so I'll be happy with some constructive criticism / guidance. I am late on parade as daughter needed collecting from our friendly local (next village actually) garage as her Chelsea Tractor is booked in for its MOT. A short discussion with the garage proprietor means I must pump up my rapidly deflating front nearside (my car has one of those carpy chemical sealant systems instead of a spare) tyre and take a trip over there later this morning. Depending on the outcome, various things will or will not be achieved today. Re Michael (Ozexpatriate)'s posting, was LIV a case of "too many Chiefs and not enough Mojaves?" I'll even add to Jamie's request for a groan button for that one. Diet still being adhered to, last day of cabbage soup then Keto to begin next week I guess. Windy in our bedroom overnight but nothing bangs at my age . Sister-in-law has taken up temporary residence here and has been rudely awoken by SWMBO, time to fit the noise attenuating ear-plugs and.....

If I'm having a windy night it's more akin to an A10 Thunderbolt II on a strafing run: Try around 26 seconds in for the first............. Notice how it upsets the compass!

A great day at the Stafford Show yesterday and almost tempted to bend the plastic on and O Gauge Class 50 in NSE, but the other hand had a very tight grip on the wallet. So instead of a shinny new Blue 50, today we have a grubby 20 heading for the MOD Line.

G'Day Folks

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I must have just missed Tony in Basildon as I went in to town to get some things from Wilko's, only to find they were out of stock. The two weights are now being put to good use straightening out a piece of MDF that was getting a bit curly. The lurgi is still a bit reluctant to go so the Lem-sip and Caledonian falling down water will be deployed soon.

I am totally mystified by what has been going on while I have been chasing white spherical objects. It appears that very strange goings on used to occur in this Southend place. Perhaps they still do. Anyway, I shall post another picture of blue roaring thing, which never visited those parts. This morning I played six under handicap for the first nine holes. Then I must have woken up, and my back said that I'm a stupid old person. Two over for the back nine, but still not bad overall.

Here’s how the Bursar of St John’s College Oxford responded to a student demand that the college “declares a climate emergency and immediately divests from fossil fuels”. One of the students wrote back and said he would present the proposal but he didn’t think Parker was being appropriately serious. Professor Parker responded to that note saying, The best part of the story is the response from the organiser of the protest: You see, when these "woke folk" demand change, it's you that has to change, not them. What do we want? A protest. When do we want it? Err, when it's warmer. Refs: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/professor-at-st-johns-college-oxford-turns-oil-row-into-a-heated-debate-0zr2wpmb5 and https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/01/31/students-demanded-disinvestment-fossil-fuels-professor-offered-turn-off-heat/

The wild goose has flown, I'd completely forgotten about this character, loved the film...…………... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-51352075

Today I rearranged the stock for a winter 1968 timetable, the last one. I still cannot get the image of Mrs M riding on the back of a sheep, poor sheep. All long distance services, apart from trains to Manchester, have been re-routed or now longer run. Trains between hull and Sheffield Exchnage still run but you need to change for Manchester as there no longer any through services, and the connections are quite poor. Even both fuddle yards seem quite empty. The station no longer sees many long trains and looks quite deserted. Hallham Potato and Vegetable yard is still operative but slowly less and less green grocers are having their stock delivered by rail. The 1961 conversion of the old L&YR loco yard to diesels, according to my dad, appears to have been a waste of money these days with only two locos "On Shed".

The discussion about emigrating is very interesting to me as a recent emigre. One thing I did before we left was to spend several days revisiting my youthful haunts, including looking wistfully at a certain barn near to Casterton school. I looked up and spent a day with my best friend from childhood and even revited my old school. I don't know whether I did the right thing but I can honestly say that I've not felt homesick. We have been welcomed warmly by our neighbours, both expat and French and feel very much part of a warm and caring community. We've been over here about 10 days and have another 8 till we get home. I am definitely mising what is now our home. For the time being we can't even start the process of naturalisation but have done everything we can to integrate. The dreaded B word is causing some pproblems but we don't feel threatened. In 3 years and 5 months time when we've been there 5 years we will certainly think about taking French Citizenship but at the moment have no strong feelings either way. We will just have to see what pans out. As to where do I call home it's difficult. Born in Carlisle, then 5 years in Chesterfield, 13 in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, a gap year in London, 2 years of various colleges then 45 years in West Yorks. My soul still gets a lift when I see the Dales or the Lake District fells. However I feel more 'At home' in France than I ever did just south of Leeds Jamie

Moving forward, I hope https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/02/02/service-cooker-and-more-robins/