Leaderboard

East Yorkshire today. The photos are only just over 10 years old, so are from a digital SLR, a Nikon D80 which I was using then. The exception is the one at Hull from 2000. Hull 22nd July 00 C24930.jpg Beverley Class 158 to Hull 20th Oct 09 DSC_7283.jpg Beverley Class 158 to Scarborough 20th Oct 09 DSC_7356.jpg Driffield Class 158 to Hull 20th Oct 09 DSC_7364.jpg Filey 19th Oct 09 DSC_7242.jpg David

More plonks this morning, as I'm a bit behind with processing. A forecourt view towards Station Road. and two gentlemen deep in conversation.

A good morning so far. The duvet now seems to have realised who is the boss round here, and I think I've found a way to ensure that at least some of the food I put out goes to the small birds that really need it, rather than tree rats or fat pigeons. Mind you, my garden has been discovered by three starlings, whose motto is," you put it out and we'll eat it mate....all of it." I don't mind that though, as they seem to be getting increasingly rare. Another plonk for tea break.

Greetings all from that borough of boring. Feeling really fed up with the universe, and all parallel universes at the moment. Work is a big steaming pile of cockwomble droppings at the moment. The project that I can't escape has now descended into a death spiral as the project manglers have suddenly realised there is no actual plan or budget to implement what has been built and to put it into a live service. That is what happens when you have people that are good at running a "process" but inept when it comes to actually delivering a physical outcome. The other shoe next door finally dropped as they've applied to make their less than above board construction/conversion into a 6 room HMO. Sadly our useless asshat invested council isn't likely to deny their license. We'd have to prove the company that owns the property is not a fit landlord. We are going to try though. The neighbour on the other side is looking at civil action under the party wall act and to object to the extension under "right to light" since it blocks direct light to 2 of their windows and back door. Stay tuned. I'm nearing my annual July switch off. It may come earlier with all the news of doom and misery out there. Twatter has become almost unreadable as has fecesbook. If you don't hear from me again in the coming weeks, it is because I've gone into offline hermit mode again. For those that don't remember or care I generally switch off all social media, email, etc in Jan and July just to recharge my brain. That's it from here. Enjoy the day. Coffee on standby.

Shona has been shorn. She didn't want to get out of the car when we got to the dog groomer. She had been overheating a bit when we took her on the paw patrol so hopefully she'll not be panting so much now. I managed to sort the bad key on our ancient Korg piano today. It's not quite as heavy as a conventional piano but it's still bloody heavy. We've had it for about thirty years. It's a bit beaten up. Daughter had it for a while then our son so I took it to bits and gave it a thorough cleaning. Considering it's age it produces a very nice sound and the keyboard action is very similar to a conventional piano. It has a MIDI interface too. I've sent for a cheapo adapter to connect it to the laptop - I'm not sure I'll do much with it but it might be entertaining. I'm trying to learn a piece for the piano. It's a very long time since I did that. It's pretty heavy going

Surely the real secret would appear to be that you should be wearing no fewer than two parachutes? Although some of your mates seem to manage with only one - even if they have trouble finding one that fits

when my sister flies, it's in a net, under slung a Chinook.

I thought I might choose this moment to return to ANTB after the best part of a year battling the "Black Dog" (Aspergers and Rheumy Arth related) as the "lockdown" seems to have put the "Dog" back in his kennel and I can use my hands and fingers as normal instead of feeling like I'm wearing a pair of wicket keeping gloves (swollen fingers and wrists). So I made a start on something, and although 95% of the work so far is baseboard, track and electrical work, I did have an all day 8 hour "play" opening boxes, plonking stuff down and using blue tack to produce a pastiche montage, it's more Newton Abbot on steroids than the long term somewhere in the sleepy South Hams interchange junction planned. To get back on topic ....re Devon vehicle registrations CO, DR,DV, FJ, JY, OD, TA, TT and UO are suitable second and third registration letters for Devon, Exeter and Plymouth and seem to accord with some of my Devon General and Western National bus fleet reg.nos. This site shows what initial reg. letters were used and the years they were first used if you click on the right hand side for the two letter combos above: https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/reg-letters.htm I'll probably delete the pics when I've thought about it more

Have this one on me!

Greetings one and all Some nice things have landed on my doormat over the past few days. One was the cheque from Bylines, which I was expecting, and the others were remittances from Ernie, which is always a pleasant surprise. The first stop in town was therefore the bank. Initially not so successful was my trip to Waterstones. Fortunately the book I wanted was in stock – “One of them”, the autobiography of Michael Cashman, which I shall read with much interest. Not so good was having to wait until the shop opened, at 10.30 am. To kill time I mooched around the town centre. Some lemmings were still queuing outside Primark, prevented from straying too far by red and white stripy tape. I shall go there when the mania has subsided. Just in time, I remembered to don my mask before boarding the bus home. I will soon get used to my glasses steaming up but at the risk of appearing less than positive I am far from convinced that the mask is much use in the fight against that ruddy virus. Said pestilence seems to be retreating from mainland Europe and has six months to make itself scarce completely before I am let loose in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium over Christmas. This is where I need to be positive again. Hmmm. Today will see the principal fodder run. Decisions, decisions. Once that is accomplished there will be ironing. There is something about a crisp white T shirt. Must be the starch. Best wishes to all Chris

Well, that's about it for today with regard to the V2 (writing and picture-taking this evening). If ever two superb products were designed for each other, it's Mike Trice's V2 body and a Comet V2 chassis.

Considering it's only been 24 hours since the V2 bits arrived, I'm rather smug with progress.................... Progress would be further on, but I've been doing some BRM proofing this morning. The chassis now goes under its own power (beautifully-smoothly). The Portescap came from the estate of a deceased modeller and was rather gummed-up. No matter, a quick clean to shift the original red gunge, and away it went. It must be old because it doesn't whine. Rather against form, I've made this chassis electrically-dead. The drivers (five of them!) came from the same estate, and are the proper Markits V2 drivers; all-insulated, hence the need for two sets of pick-ups. Anyway, at my demise, someone can DCC it with ease - something I'll never consider while I still breath.

Good moaning. It's still damp here but good weather is promised for the weekend. The thought of Hippos under parachutes is beyond my limited imagination. However I did find a rather underexposed photo of my kids thst included a hippo wearing a tutu in the background. Perhaps I need to get to work on image enhancement. I went to Niort inbthe morning and got some bolts forvthe garden bench and even managed to source some proper oil based varnish. On my way home I picked up the end frames thst gave been shotblasted. Things are coming together. Some tidying of the shed was done. All 18 latts were varnished and then a nice pie was eaten for tea. A walk round the village then two episodes of the 'Salisbury Poisonings " rounded off the evening. Today there will be more time in the shed, with another coat of varnish to apply and moving objects to move on the layout. Hope that our poorly ER's recover. Regards to all. Jamie

As Rick has already mentioned, that looks like a prime location for a first class wallow hollow. Where is your nearest cake shop?

About to go get my braces in my mouth tightened, so goodbye to real food for 36 hours. Wish me luck.

Red Leader to base, Red Leader to base, over. Base receiving, over... Red Leader here, target acquired and concealed in goods shed, commencing fly past for pictures. Out. Base to Red Leader under no circumstances let PC Dibble get your identity. Please respond. Over. Red Leader to base, he is chatting and I am wearing dark tinted goggles so he shouldn’t recognise me. Out. After completing his mission the Squadron Leader returned to base and the pictures were urgently developed. At this point please imagine 30 minutes have past ..... ..... ..... ..... and here are here they are! Clearly showing the railcar in the goods shed. Hiding or loading....? I leave that to your imagination....!!

Good morning all, A grey start to the day but there should be some sunny spells along with some showers. I had a better night's sleep (the brandy nightcap probably helped) but still aching, particularly in the head region. As it got a bit burnt over the weekend in the garden The Boss has diagnosed "A touch of the sun!" She could well be right. (that hurts saying that) Parcels are due, one today from Ford which is already at the Sutton delivery office and one from the shed across the sea. These contain GM backscenes which will need a bit of fiddling and trimming to fit. Have a good one, S. Orehead

Paypal "Friends and Family", also sometimes referred to as "Gift Option" is very useful in that there are no fees (apart from cross-border currency exchange fees though, which from experience paypal tend to milk a bit). However, the one important thing to remember is that there is NO Paypal protection when using this option, so if you buy something and it doesn't turn up, is not as described or is faulty etc. then you can't ask paypal to refund you - effectively you are transferring money "as a gift" and no more. It's a simple "box tick" to select this option, from memory.

Morning everyone. An early start (5am!) today - couldn't sleep any more. Catching up with some model railway channels on the Tubes (as the young kids say these days!). Lots of sheet lightening last night here in the Midlands. At least the garden is getting a good soaking! Today's jobs include planting out sunflowers, watering greenhouse stuff / getting that out for a bit of fresh air and perhaps finishing the Eckon signals. Cat food is arriving today, replacement (number 3) Class 66 is coming today or by the end of the week so that's something else to look forward to. Hopefully it'll be a productive day.

I didn’t know about this particular PayPal service, I will look into it but I’m afraid PayPal and I just don’t get on (long and complicated story which I won’t bother you with) We have Swiss friends who live just across the border in France and, when no other option presents itself, we send our parcels to their address and then go visit. A pleasant time is had by all and parcels are collected. However I feel unhappy about imposing on them too much. So it comes down to [a] me really, really needing the item and no other option presents itself. Unfortunately, I don’t have a €-account (so paying in € would be no different to paying in £ in terms of bank charges). As for gold and diamonds, I keep them in my Mountain Lair (tm), which takes some getting to so unlike an ATM. What you posted both comes as no surprise and as a surprise. I say it comes as no surprise, because I am well aware of the horrendous charges they ask for shipping small items from the UK to Switzerland (and it’s even worse for things from the US) what does surprise me is that you take on the shipping costs. I thought this was always passed on to the customer. But why “A or B or C“? Surely the right answer to the question “what should I drink” is “all of the above“? You, sir, are a wise man and well informed as to the mysteries of modern physick. A well stocked whiskey bar is an important component of the daily fight against physical and mental unwellness. I have a small collection of diverse whiskeys (down from an original total of about 20 different types - for my 60th birthday everyone gave me a bottle of something malt) and my “go-to“ daily whiskey is the Singelton 12yo. My Friday or Saturday indulgence is the Balvinie Doublewood and for my birthday a wee dram of 50yo Glen Grant (something I bought as a treat for myself for my 50th birthday and, with immense self discipline, I have kept it solely for my birthday “wee dram”, so still have some left). I have been contemplating acquiring a 65 year old single malt to celebrate my retirement; although the 50yo whiskey was not unduly expensive, 65yo whiskeys are few and far between and the ones that I have seen start at about £14,000! Unless I get incredibly lucky on the lottery or I get a VERY large well-paying contract, I doubt if I will be getting a 65-year-old whiskey, no matter how much I think I truly have earned it. I think Tony you mistyped: that should be “cake ratioN“ (singular). One crated palette = one HH cake ration And that, I would venture, is why - in many regards - railway modelling is superior to playing music: with model railways you can walk away from your workbench, come back six months later and immediately start up where you left off; whereas, with playing guitar or piano or wind instrument or any other musical device, if you leave it for a month or two, you have to go back and (almost) relearn everything or at least refresh your muscle memory. It’s even worse if you are playing a stringed instrument as you have to rebuild the callouses on your fingertips. Both, I hasten to say, are great hobbies to have. I was up early today, usual corporeal dysfunction, so muggajoe drunk, fat fed it’s now time to prepare Schotty’s “medication hidden in a sausage” pre-breakfast treat. Have a great “hump day” iD

Good evening everyone Well the rain never really stopped all day, it just eased off a few times, so needless to say I haven’t managed to get to the workshop today at all. Instead I tackled a few jobs that I’d left for just such a rainy day. After giving the bench slats a second coat of paint, I washed out my brushes and then made a start on varnishing the new desk top in the cellar office area. I managed to get the 1st coat on before dinner and a 2nd coat after dinner. The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty much the same as today. So, as the varnish has had all night to harden off, I’ll give the desk a light sanding down and then apply a couple more coats of varnish. This afternoon the heavens really opened up, thunder and lightning (very, very frightening) and I ended up with a small amount of water getting in under the cellar door, luckily it wasn’t a deluge and I was already working in there and was to hand. So I was able to immediately set about cleaning it up as it entered, by the time the rain stopped I’d only got 1 1/2 buckets of water, so not a great deal really. I will have to have a look at the sealant around the doorframe once the weather has settled down and we’ve had a few dry days. This will definitely need sorting out before the large cellar room is refurbished and the laminate following goes down. At some point tomorrow I’ll go to the big orange DIY shed and get a couple of tubes of sealant, however there’s no point in doing until we’ve had a few days of dry weather, but then I’ll have the stuff to hand and can get straight on with the job. The rain also highlighted the need to do a bit of pointing around the dinning room skylight, as we also had a bit of water getting in there too. I also need to look at the sealant above the bathroom window, as we had water coming in there too! Still it could have been a lot worse, as the water company now regularly (once a year) clear the drains, something that they didn’t do 8 years ago. There was a bit on the local news this evening and it appears that the local Costco store had to be evacuated as the roof was leaking. From the footage that they showed, it it wasn’t for all the displays and the light fittings that were visible, the rain was so heavy it looked for all the world as though it had been shot outside! Goodnight all

Another night of staying up too late followed by broken sleep until late meant a very late start to the day. Brunch was not completed until well after noon. Bright sunshine appeared before I decided to collect the mail (the box is on a community box across the street and one door down). By the time I opened the front door the overcast had returned and later when I started thinking it might be good to try to get a daily constitutional in, down came the rain, with a little distant thunder. The possibility of thunderstorms was forecast. It is cool and very wet outside and I am not very motivated to stomp about in it, though it does appear to be clearing. At this point the best course may be to steel myself to do better tomorrow - which will involve a good night's sleep. In local CoViD-19 news, we set another statewide record for new infections yesterday. A local TV station reports online that: * The previous two days were reported as 282 new cases. It is worth noting that Union County is quite remote and rural, with a population of around 26,835 and a density of 5 / km^2. So far increased infections appear to be more related to reopening, than un-distanced protesting. Time will tell. It saddens me that we collectively worked so hard to mitigate the initial impact of the CoViD-19 pandemic and it is all coming apart in reopening. The positive interpretation is that some of these numbers are related to increased testing - the daily death rate is still below earlier numbers.

Moaning all... Wow! Miss a day and there's so much to read I'm not sure I'll ever catch up Really nothing to report from here, back pain gradually going away and feeling a lot better than a few days ago, that's a thumbs up! Yesterday and today verging on the beastly hot at 34 yesterday and expected 33 today, humid with it <ewww> Staying inside, working and then relaxing, NOT venturing out for sure, air conditioning is definitely up there with the most important things created... Carry on.

Yes just heard from a friend whos layout was going but nothing yet re demos. However that's Baz's replacement so will no doubt be done separately. UPDATE just received. So our first show is highly likely to be the same as our last (and only) show this year if all goes Ok. Oh well allows us to go away more often this year - Oh hang on At least I can sit here under the canopy shed opening various bottles. Currently have the 25 year old scratchbuilt station building in the garden undergoing roof repairs whilst 34040 Crewkerne is chuffing its way round the High Line.

Surprise surprise! At 14.51 there was a loud knock at the door and a large box was awaiting me on the step. SWMBO has presented me (i.e. us, but me really) with a small BBQ-type affair in the hopes that it will assist with some semblance of feeling "on holiday". You bet it will. It won't be tried for a couple of days but the weekend seems a good bet. We are explicitly not permitted BBQs according to our tenancy but this is more of an outdoor enclosed cooker which happens to have a hotplate - when heated - and can apparently also steam veg, roast joints, be used as a smoker and other goodies. There is a spot I can use which is not beneath nor outside any windows. And it's quite portable so once cool it can come indoors rather than become weathered. Today is turning a smiley face after all.

Intersting quote from Mike about shift patterns. From my exper there is no such animal as a good shift pattern, only a least worst. A pattern called Ottowa, was introduced in the 90's after much research. It was based on the Circadian rhythms and was actually quite good to work. However as it was towards the back end of my service, I found the 10 hour shifts an absolute pain as you had 6 days of solid work and bed, then 4 days off. With very little time for socIal life which by then was important to me, particularly the MRC. I believe that Ottowa has now been done away with. However the bosses that set shift patterns don't have to work them, and in most cases have either never done shifts or only the bare minimum before their ascent of the greasy pole. Jamie

Southern Railway ex SE&CR Class B1 4-4-0 to P4 standards built from a Falcon Brass kit (LK116). (Kit was purchased direct from Philip Rudd back in June 2001 - as an aid to scratch-building it wasn't inexpensive at £65.45)

Mooring Awl Inner Temple hare, 900 /563 Again a not so good nights sleep, 4 hours, wandered down the stairs, just got off to sleep again on the sofa and then Ben the practicing to be like a Hippo Collie stormed down the stairs to check on me.. I'm of the opinion our government deliberately did not encourage the use of face masks to save them for the NHS and care providers. I realised that from the start, and have worn one every time i go out, from the stock I had for boat building.. just recently I've found a pack of 20 of the cheapest ones hidden in a corner of the muddling shed.. I don't suppose we will find out the truth until the 30 year rule takes effect, If many of us are still around to read anything released.. Ill point out that Il Dotrore, has not been partaking of whiskey... He has however been supping some nice whisky.. Sir Tommy Macpherson parachuted into France in a kilt on the 8th of june 1944 well behind enemy lines, An Exceedingly brave man and not just for wearing a kilt during parachuting. His life story is very interesting.. A parcel should arrive today.. 10kg of lead, that should make the courier do some lifting.. Just discovered the Bosses Son is a signaller, who should be on training at the moment for working in a centralised Box, traditional Boxes having closed here last year. He's enjoying furlough at the moment on full pay as they stopped training.. Another senior Engineer has put his notice in, he's had enough of the current situation, with us having Bosses controlling from the USA.. Engineering is in a mess.. I suspect the company will gradually pick off the posts and move design to head office. None of our engineers will move though.. My boss suspects, as I do, that when he retires in a couple of years, the design side of his work will be USA bound, So they can recruit just a calibration engineer.. So for the moment, I will keep working just to build up the retirement fund though If they upset me I'll go too.. and so.. Time for the next measurement..

As for a hippos in tutu I prefer this one. Disney Films

Just a few more today. I obviously didn't take too many railway pictures at this time, lots of family ones instead with a young baby and by mid 1981 No 2 on the way. work, with the Toxteth and other riots got in the way a bit as well. Anyway here are a few more from 1981. Another shot at the north end of Doncaster, probably my last photo of a Deltic in service. Then a rather better one of the view from my childhood home. with Marshfield viaduct to the right and the long drag heading across the photo. In the centre was the site of the accident at Settle when the southbound sleeper derailed into a northbound freight one snowy night, I think it was 1960. This was the view I had as I ate my breakfast before heading off to school. Then a westbound freight which I think was at Mirfield. Then a 47 on an eastbound Trans Pennine working which I think was also taken at Mirfield Jamie

Facemasks - all very confused or misleading info about their effectiveness. Aisian countries have been wearing them for some years yet we were told they were ineffective, then they are effective. I have no trust in our leaders these days and no longer watch the now weekday only briefings. Had another email confirming another show cancelled due ot the venue no not being available for this year. So this morning I have looked up the websites of the remaining shows on our list and found another one cancelled for November. That leave jsut two that are saying a decision is yetto be made but both the same weekend although one has not responded to my emails at the start of the year so theat is unlikley to happen for us unless the other show is cancelled. The there is Warley at NEC who will make a decision nearer the time acording to their website. I was due ot start work on another new layout later this year for a show late 2021 but that layout is not likely to go ahead for now as they want the layout that was due to go this year. Yesterday a few decoders arrived in the post so once back from doing gardening at Mums, the decoders were fitted, one in a Hornby 700 Black Motor that did have a decoder but that was working fine on Digitrax and then the Sprog but playing up only on the Digikeijs command station so now the decoder is in the spares box. Not sure what will be on the cards for today due to potential heavy rain but very little freight to go and photo today. It seems to be getting very thin on the ground with the effects of the virus on the economy.

It has been a fabulous morning; had the oil changed in the car and found out that the brakes are still in great shape with 185,790 miles on them (I am a very easy driver) ,ot my ears lowered (finally, after three months!), cashed a car insurance premium refund, and to top it all off Gene's Restaurant was finally open again for limited inside seating!!!!!! I am now blasting a Ventures lp in celebration; great, uplifting music (i would crank it up even more but I do not want my ears to bleed )! Life can sometimes be extra wonderful, even in the midst of turmoil. Oh and a package with a vintage metal Athearn Budd car and a much more modern ATSF GP38-2 plus a model of the U.S.S Oregon (very interesting history the Oregon had, especially from an engineering standpoint) should be here sometime this afternoon. Best day that I have had in months. The only thing missing is some good .

I'm sure that a suitable hollow could be constructed somewhere in the garden and there is an excellent cake shop presided over by an even more excellent young blonde lady only 4kms away. When some friends stayed a couple of years ago, Peter insisted on going to buy cakes every morning, of course I had to go as his interpreter, it's a hard life. Jamie

Utilising the fact the model is sitting on the dining room table with bright light streaming in through the window (now the rain has stopped) I was able to play with shadows on the shoe shop.

We were promised a storm this afternoon, but it hasn't shown up. However, tomorrow morning is forecast heavy rain for nine hours. Guess who was supposed to be playing golf in the middle of that? Here's something with a loco in the picture. Nora and Sam the stuck down porter carry on nattering, completely oblivious to the ghost J3 passing behind them.

A few more.

Morning all. It is quite warm and rather overcast here. Still quiet, birds twittering away. Very little sound evidence of children playing in the nearby school. My GP has booked a telephone appointment with me at lunchtime. I have just taken my blood pressure and pulse rate. BP lower than it has been for many a year. Hopefully my GP will be pleased. I am half way to the optimum dose for my medication now. I have just received warnings about yellow rain for tomorrow. There was a rumble of thunder and a few showers yesterday. I still had to water the hanging basket though. Aditi reminded me just as we were about to watch the Railway Architecture TV programme. Fortunately I had set it to record and caught up with “live” by fast forwarding through the adverts. We are still not going out to shops. Aditi has been looking for potting compost online and booking her car’s service. First available service is in August but that is fine. Her car still has winter tyres on! Tony

But the thought of HH in a tutu, see through or not would definitely require some eye bleach. Jamie

Amazing how some folk prefer the flimsy see through version to the Dior masterpiece that was modelled earlier

Just a couple of aerial shots today curtesy of the Squadron Leader

It has been a funny old day here! Warm and sunny first thing this morning, so we went out for a walk early. Then I started doing some gardening and it got rather cold, and I realised that a sea fret had come in. That lasted about an hour, then we had hazy sunshine for a while, then rain early evening, followed by fine again for my late evening ramble. During all that, I managed to pick the first strawberries of the year. There is absolutely nothing like the taste of freshly picked strawberries! They were delicious. Goodnight from me!

When we moved here SWMBO was very worried about flooding, I pointed out that at 19ft ASL most of Norfolk would flood first. In the 1953 floods this village became an island... Our house is on a slopey road near the top of the hill slight rise, it's about 23ft down in most directions, so it being a tall house, lightening is a worry. We've had a few near misses, with electricity poles hit, and the odd item of electrical equipment fried. The computer equipment upstairs and the TV equipment in the living room are on extension multisocket cables with lightening protection. The courier delivered the lead, supposedly scrap, it's a stack of A4 sheets..and one small piece to make up the weight. Came back via the orange shed, discovered decking boards get the old gits 10% discount on a Wednesday, even though they're kept in the timber department. This morning it was sunny at home, and foggy at work. Coming home it was sunny at work and until 2 miles from home, then a wall of sea haar came rolling towards me. The end of the garden is only faintly visible.

Hermes delivered my new walking boots bang in the middle of the allotted slot, now just need for wee Jimmie Crankie to let me out to try them in the Glens.

Or a Muddy Hollow? At what point does a slopey road become a hill? Asking for a friend.

Today has definitely been a good day so far. Morning walk was undertaken early in advance of the forecast rain (which still hasn’t materialised). During the walk, the GP surgery called to arrange my blood test appointment in advance of my next lymphoma consultant appointment. We also encountered a number of people we hadn’t seen for weeks, so a lot of socially distanced nattering was done, which made it a long walk. There was a lot of thunder heard from inland, but nothing on the coast. It has also been pretty humid today, which has reminded me of some cricket matches when I was able to get considerable amounts of swing when bowling, as for some reason high humidity aids swing. The post then delivered a Solid State Disc (SSD) to install into my ageing desktop PC to try to speed it up. Then we had a courier delivery of a package from Wensleydale Creamery which is a Fathers Day present from no 1 son. Package contained three truckles of cheese and some biscuits and chutney to go with it! More strawberries picked to have for tea, and some grass cutting done. I also noticed that the blackcurrants we starting to ripen. I do like them, but picking them, then topping and tailing them are thankless tasks!

The decision has been taken - Warley is now postponed to 2021. I shall have to find a space to set up DL to play trains, as I now can't remember when it's next outing is.....

Afternoon All Just a quick check in to assure my fellow ERs that my absence was not due to being ill - just busy. Generic greetings, and hopefully back tomorrow, but 30747 wants to go to Ingleton and one of the better antique centres hereabouts has re-opened with one way circulation. Regards to All Stewart ps - I have decided to use one of the other branches of Barclays round here which is nowhere near so hi-tech, and where there is no compulsion to use the machines, as they haven't got any - just the old fashioned tills - I wonder how long that will last.

I did a close up too Tony, so this seems a good time to put it up. This really is how it looked in 1958. We have the photos.

I read this as "painting out sunflowers". Et tu, Vincent, et tu.

Pies were disappointing, but here we are. Goodnight all, from Greencountry. Douglas