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Hi Chas I have not written this up anywhere. Basically I've followed most of the guidance provided in instructions from Dan Pinnock and from experience having built four of his 6 wheelers and a bogie Dia 189 BC previously. I didn't buy a triplet set but did start with 3 individual 6 wheelers - two Dia 281 BTs and Dia 156 C for the Dia 218T triplet shown above in the photos, which incidentally was Lincoln Set 3. Apart from using Frank Davies etches for the duckets, I also followed Steve Bank's advice and narrowed the chassis so the bodies overhang the chassis marginally rather than the opposite. However, I have attached a range of photos taken either during or after construction showing relevant aspects such as Dan's articulation method. Hope these are of some interest? The teak finish by the way is simply done using Humbrol enamels - basically a coat of yellow - don't be too fussy about this as long as most of the panels are covered, then mix a mid-brown and paint all window and door edges and then work the panels with a range of browns with varying amounts of orange using an old brush. I think it does the trick for layout coaches. The interiors are basic - partitions and seats (not sure whose these were) glued onto a plastic card floor secured to the top of the bottom side flanges. I made the roofs removable by the method recommended by Dan - which is make false ceiling secure two nuts above two holes in appropriate positions and make access available through the floor for a long screwdriver once the body has been removed from the underframe. For the first time I used good double sided tape to secure the glazing - far simpler than using expoy which I've always done before. If any come loose well the roofs are removable. I also make up plastic roof lights rather than using Dan's etched versions as the angle is a bit too acute on those - mind you I'm not sure my angles on these are much better - should have remade them but was too lazy and keen to finish it! I also added gas pipes to the roof from styrene rod. The distance between the coaches is quite close but will negotiate 2ft radius as an exhibition layout they'll run on has 2ft leading into the fiddle yard. Andrew

Can't let that pass without comment! There's a tendency to consider the great locomotive engineers just as engineers and judge them purely by the loco types that bore their name. But the job of the CME was so much more than that - it was other people in the team that did the actual engineering, afterall. No - Stanier's true genius was to use all his experience and diplomacy to build a team around him that was truly fit for purpose and to simultaneously 'sort' the infighting and intransigence that had dogged the LMS since its creation. That was the job he was hand-picked to do and he executed it quite brilliantly. So good was the team he built that by 1937 it was largely self-driven, allowing Stanier to be subsequently seconded into vital war work. Both he and Gresley were president of the I.Mech.E (at a time when that really meant something), both were knighted and Stanier went on to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, an extremely rare and distinguished honour. Post-war, he was much in demand as an engineering advisor (nowadays consultant), visiting factories (not always railways and sometimes in Europe). Meanwhile, the team he built at the LMS went on to form the core of the BR locomotive design team, the so-called Cox-Riddles-Bond triumvirate. I would say that was some legacy that goes far beyond a Black 5 merely being the LMS version of a 'Hall' and therefore in my book worthy of the otherwise dubious epithet of 'genius'. No slur, put down or otherwise ignoring of Churchward intended in any of the above, just to be clear!

Another Scottish Miscellany for this afternoon, with and without trains. 2 bonus photos today! They should be in alphabetical order by location. Breich view east 7th Aug 95 C20409.jpg Bullers o Buchan platform GNSR Bodam branch Aug 74 J3960.jpg Dumfries 9th May 87 C8421.jpg Glasgow Central 303061 24th Feb 95 C19978.jpg Glasgow Central 318250 2nd March 91 C15619.jpg Glasgow Central 156476 24th Feb 95 C19967.jpg Tomatin 21st June 69 C002.jpg David

Today we'll spend the day in Scotland, starting at the Sumerlee Heritage Trust in Coatbridge. It is now the Museum of Scottish Industrial Life. https://culturenl.co.uk/museums/visiting-us/summerlee/ Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust Austrian tram from Graz 24th April 92 C16816.jpg Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust Hudswell Clarke 9 24th April 92 C16810.jpg Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust Hudswell Clarke 9 24th April 92 C16812.jpg Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust SAR GMAM class 4112 24th April 92 C16804.jpg Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust SAR GMAM class 4112 24th April 92 C16806.jpg Coatbridge Summerlee Heritage Trust steam cranes 24th April 92 C16817.jpg David

This afternoon I had my Covid 19 jab, yes I'm over 55 and ironically at an old model railway venue used by Leamington MRS up to a few years back until they were priced out. More of 9440 including my BR Newton toad.

After the excitement of the express roaring through here is the other side of the coin. A slow old mixed freight winding its way sedately along the track....

A fabulous story from today's Observer about a west London pub bulldozed, after planning permission to turn it into flats was refused, and the development company who ordered its demolition then being ordered to rebuild it brick by brick.

And still we follow 60065.

Good Morning all. Welcome to Spring. Breakfast is being taken on the Terrace.

Simon's use of the word 'genius' with regard to ET was also in correspondence with me. When he visited me here, we chatted for quite some time. There's no doubt he's a Thompson fan, but he knew little (at the time) about the almost 'mutiny' which took place in Scotland when the P2s were rebuilt. Despite their flaws, the P2s were the only locos (in the country, not just on the LNER) capable of hauling the heaviest loads, unassisted, on the Aberdeen road. What's also more recently come to light is their use on enormous, overnight troop trains to Newcastle during the war. Trask is quoted as stating 'It'll take more than Thompson to sack me!'. Geoff Lund clearly puts some of the P2s' problems down to inadequate workmanship at Cowlairs (the biggest locos the works had repaired prior to the P2s were the Reid Atlantics). In his view, the giants should have always gone to Darlington or Doncaster for shopping. Apart from the need for fewer spares, there is no absolute advantage in having equal-length (short) connecting rods. In fact, longer rods are mechanically-superior. The short rods were used on the A2/2s because Thompson was committed to using as much from the P2s as he could. There was nothing of 'genius' about it. The cylinder set-up was an engineering disaster. The arrangement was impossible to keep steam-tight and the cylinders worked loose. If the same arrangement was thought to be advantageous, why, on Thompson's retirement, was a reversion made to longer outside connecting rods in the case of the Peppercorn A2s and A1s. These were far better locos than any of Thompson's Pacifics. The running department in Scotland was effectively told that 'By rebuilding the P2s into A2/2s we've solved the problems you've encountered. However, we've now introduced different, though equally-debilitating, problems. And, I'm sorry to say that the class can't do what it used to as 2-8-2s. In fact, they'll all be transferred south where the work is less-demanding, and you'll have to make do with what you've got until the Peppercorn engines come on stream'. The forthcoming new P2, with the problems ironed out at source (yes, I know hindsight is easy) will prove the full potential of the mighty 2-8-2s. The irony is (without CAD and better materials), the pony/crank axle issues could have been solved much more easily than rebuilding, even three quarters of a century ago. Regards, Tony.

Talking of the 94xx and here's a few more of 9440 on a short westbound freight. More opens will be added to this train using Oxford products.

I've just seen a segment about the floods on the Beeb news, hope you stay safe. The most striking picture was of a house floating serenely down a river. Good moaning from the Charente. Jack Frost bisited again last night but it is bright and sunny now. I got the first frame built for the chicken run yesterday and got a weeks worth of wood cut and then stacked on the verandah. Some telly was watched in the evening including the last 15 minutes of a certain rugby game. I was going to shout Allez les Blues but restrained myself. Beth's back is very slowly improvi g a d assistant nurse Ratchet is still on duty. I even managed to warm up a fish and chicken tikka masala last night. Bought from a local traiteur (caterer) it tasted good and looked the right colour but had no kick in it at all. Today some friends are due to call and have promised to bring a nice surprise. As Jill is a good baker I am looking forward to the visit. Regards to all. Jamie

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare, An odd nights sleep, lots of waking and turning over at the start, then solid sleep after.. Still probably a bit short on hours though, I've been awake since 03:15 ish. Once I gave up trying to sleep again I wandered the net, the thought had come into my head.. Rudder bearings... Plain bearings will do for my purposes, I don't need fancy expensive roller bearings.. I waded through reams of details on ptfe, nylon , tufnol, uhwmpe and delrin information. It was only when I realised that Americans use of the word Delrin for acetal plastic, it solved the problem. Delrin being a recommended rudder bearing substance in the US, not coming up on UK web sites.. Acetal plastic did turn up on UK web sites, and is vastly cheaper than any other solution. I'll order a tube shortly, of 40mm OD and 30mm ID, that can be placed inside the old rudder tube and resin poured between to set it in position. Yesterday I filled in the census, I found the question on "have you been in the Armed services," a bit odd. All service personnel who've done 22 years or more, plus all those employed since 1975 , have a pension. So they just have to ask the military pensions office for their numbers. Plus of course every service person who has ever served has a easily accessed millitary record, the only exception being records destroyed in Belfast by a ww2 bomb and there can't be enough survivors pre WW2 originally from NI or Ireland to make to worth while worrying about. Also I did a bit more research on kutcheman carrots, I can find no record of anyone even trying them on keels or rudders.. Which is a bit odd, somewhere you'd have expected some one to try it. There are all sorts to other things they've tried, whether successful of not.. Plans for today, Shelving, a few bits need making and painting to complete basic construction of those sections installed so far. Then a load of blank shelves will be made for the next two sections. What I haven't got is enough of the MDF used for the verticals, so that I'll try to get this week. Trailer, a bit of zinc coating on the trailer, grease up the coupling, and if the spanner arrives do up the bolts on the axle. Time I think for breakfast..

My car now has all the latest maps installed so I could plan a route to all sorts of places in Russia. I don’t think I will be venturing even to somewhere as exotic as Basildon and its new one way road system yet though. The battery warning light went out so that seems to have been solved thanks to the engine running for 30 minutes. I had a nice chat with my nephew this afternoon. He is returning to Zurich today having been “working from home” in Germany. He will be “working from home” in Zurich now. Most of his colleagues are in California so it doesn’t make much difference. He will be swapping his German driving licence for a Swiss one and starting the procedure to change his car registration to Swiss. The other nephew got the keys yesterday for the house in Sussex he and his fiancée have just bought. He sent us a nice video. They now have a house with three sheds and four loos. Handy for visitors once Covid is just a memory.

Well thats the top of the corner filled up, drain pipes done and the building in place. Drian pipes are made from plastic rod with some foil tray brackets to hold them in place and the hoppers from card. Next will be the retaining wall down to the next level which will house the maintainence yard and arches for the biscuit factory workshop. All the best Adrian.

I am told that locally if a minor crime like a break in to a shed or outhouse occurs and stuff is stolen the local police just give you a crime number so you can claim on your insurance, no visit occurs, little wonder this type of crime is now rampant, the criminals know that police will not bother chasing them. Maybe if someone did a Spike Milligan and shot a few of the barstewards that might resolve the matter.

Morning All, Don’t want to get political but I had my shed broken into a couple of years ago. I reported it to the police, not expecting a ‘result’ but only because I was sick of hearing about crime statistics going down. They are going down because people aren’t reporting them due to poor outcomes. It’s not the plod on the beats fault, but lack of recourses but I have noticed that provision for policing in my council tax payment has gone up by 8% this year. I’m not complaining if good use is made of the cash. Rant over, gardening awaits. Robert

Still sunny in W. London Census done. National identity British, European, Welsh (so still reeling from last night's rugger) I'm not a great rugby fan but, being Welsh (by heritage on both sides not birth) terribly disappointed. Terrific game, well refereed, either team would have deserved to win but still terribly disappointed that Wales lost the Grand Slam in the last moments. Didn't stop me enjoying my usual Sunday petit dejeuner of baguette, croissant, French butter cheese (cheddar and red leicester) orange preserve and milky coffee.

Mmmmmm.....

With @grandadbob being missing I took over one of his mantles for a moment of madness. A 5 sided broach can do a lot of damage if it slides off plastic and decides your thumb is a better target! Ouch! Hopefully I can pass this mantle back to GDB pdq!. The census does not have access to lots of people information.. we don't have a joined up Government Department IT system (the NHS struggle linking two surgeries and a chemist together). Due to previous versions of the census I have learned a bit more about my ancestors... which is part of why we do it now but it also allows the ONS to feed informative data to those who need to make decisions on things like Community Care provision. (But the decision makers don't always understand what the data means unfortunately. I did try to get it to understand that I come from the Land of the Prince Bishops .. only run by the rest of the UK cos we let them do so.. and I couldn't find "Pit Yacker" as any of the languages I was brought up to speak...PAH! However, the Government website does have the following: "If you do not fill in the census, a census officer will contact you and encourage you to complete it. ... If you still don't return or submit a completed census, you will be committing a crime and you will be contacted by our Non-Compliance team. If prosecuted, you may have to pay a fine of up to £1,000 plus court costs." And, it would appear we have already "lost" about 1 million people since the end of 2019....what impact that has on things like the NHS, Housing, Transport etc heaven only knows... Baz

I do hope they catch those responsible - let's see now - arson and quite possibly attempted murder. Should earn at least 6 months in clink, suspended.... (Cynical mode off) Those responsible should be worried - there's a lot of forces and ex-forces living in the north east. Sadly often acting in a very un-ladylike manner nowadays. Bear certainly wouldn't want to be in the middle of such a demo when things turn nasty. Bear suspects that senior officers that have been "fast-tracked" don't help - experience takes time, and IMHO a feeling of resentment from those with long service towards senior officers not long out of school isn't good Bear noticed the rise also - I suspect the word "if" may be a very big "IF" Papering done, door bars postponed as not necessary yet (and better carried out at a later date). General dross jobs ongoing. Good news involves the offer of a freebie din dins over the back fence this evening from buddy next door, which is a result

@iL Dottore don't believe everything in press reports. The video shown on the news showed two lady police officers getting a lot of very strong verbal abuse from a woman who was not at the vigil for anything else but to complain about the "abuse to her rights". In addition a report is about in the ether from a women PC who was at the vigil. They only acted when a group of people started to stamp on the floral tributes, kicking over candles etc as part of a general "lets go and get the police". @Erichill16 ours has gone up by 7.6% in Leeds.. so long as it is spent on getting more police out doing their real "job" I don't mind but I fear that the money will be frittered away in other ways. Loaded lots of cardboard into our Recycling bin ready for this morning. My work was undertaken with the addition of beautiful bird song from a variety of birds. Spring definitely has sprung here. Off my another decaff Baz

Morning all. It is rather cloudy here. Perhaps we will go for a walk today. It isn’t difficult to have socially distanced exercise in Benfleet. I did some gardening yesterday , nothing complicated, just removal of some ivy from a fence. We watched a film last night, well I watched all of it but a Aditi gave up half way through. The film was Le Mans, the Steve McQueen version not the recent “Le Mans 66”. My tooth that was very painful a few weeks ago is starting to twinge again so I am pleased the extraction is booked for Tuesday. Have a good day. Tony

Greetings one and all Yesterday I discovered that my postponed trip to Dublin will not take place this year. This is not a total surprise. As was the case in 2020, Dublin Pride in late June is to be a virtual event. No doubt I will watch the key bits on YouTube on the day but being there in the thick of it will have to wait till 2022. To coin a phrase: “Curses! Foiled again!” I suspect that the same will apply to discovering the Cote d‘Azur too, since conditions in France look set to worsen before they improve. I am now waiting to find out whether the trip to Marrakech organised by my favourite travel company is still contemplated for November this year. Having decided in principle to go with the professionals instead of putting it together myself, I have asked the question but the answer I expect is “too early to tell” or words to that effect. I feel for Rick in the context of setting up a Zoom meeting. Up to now I have always been on the receiving end, having “attended” a good few electronic society meetings. Being one of over 60 souls at such a gathering is welcome in that it saves me having to drive to strange places like Stevenage and Radyr and sit among real people. The downside is that it is difficult to converse with more than a handful of those in attendance. Against this those who insist on burbling during the speaker’s presentation are effectively muted. Now the time has come for me to do the arranging. With Barry’s invaluable tuition and help I think that I have managed to set up a chat using that technology with an old sparring partner from my university days. Our paths crossed a couple of weeks ago when he was giving a presentation on Zoom. It was our first encounter since 1968 and tomorrow evening we are to attempt to start catching up. Something tells me that it will take more than a one hour session. Today I plan to think of things other than communication technology. Some time will be spent in the kitchen, for lunch is to be roast pork with roast potatoes and, I hope, a roast parsnip. I expect to spend the afternoon quietly. Best wishes to all Chris

Good evening everyone It didn’t take long to mop the cellar floor, but the water I poured down the drain afterwards was practically mud. So I gave the bucket and mop (used solely for the cellar) a good clean after, so the mop is now nice and clean for the next time. I then went to the workshop and eventually found my servo tester, it was in a box with some servo mount kits that I have. I’d already looked in there once, but didn’t look underneath the kits, doh! After that I continued working on the small hut that will eventually reside close to the turntable, the window was installed and the bars were thinned and the door was modified and dummy hinges were added, this will be fitted tomorrow. I knocked off mid afternoon, as I had a fruit loaf to bake and also a vegetable lasagna to make as well. As is the norm, I made a large batch, half was eaten tonight, the rest is now in the freezer ready for when we next fancy lasagna. The evening was rounded off with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon as we sat and watched a Meryl Streep film, August: Osage Country, it was very good.

Evening all, I hope today finds you well and that @Barry O has not managed any further impressions of @grandadbob. I also hope the latter is ok. I know that he is taking a break from things. I also hope that @leopardml2341 is ok, I have not spotted a post from him recently. Sadly, the messed up take away order was not the final issue of yesterday. I managed to drop and smash a mug last night. Not any old one either, but the photo mug Amber and I had had created for Sarah for Mother’s Day. It depicted a dearly loved feline friend who passed away 18 months ago. It was not hugely expensive, and will be replaced but it was very much the final straw last night. Thinking back to the parking ticket, I am annoyed at the traffic warden’s rudeness and the fact that he ignored the other car which had been there longer. I had not planned to make an issue of it, but may take @Winslow Boy’s advice and phone and complain. Not that it will get me anywhere. I am back at the shop at some point tomorrow to take in another delivery. Luckily I will get a one hour time slot so should not have any parking issues. I will definitely keep a closer check on the time however. Stay safe and sane. Andy

Afternoon awl, Being headhunted is always good for the ego. And if it helps the bank balance as well, great. Hope it works out well for Mrs @Gwiwer . I did my census (two actually, one in my duties as executor) a week or so ago. Some of the questions didn't grate on me as much as they appear to have on some others but I do recall thinking they were insensitive or had limited options when selecting my answers. I have heard several suggestions this may be the last one, as others have commented, much of the information is available through alternate sources already. Reading some of the previous comments, one name I haven't seen mentioned yet is Launceston - thinking both of the town in Kernow and in Tasmania. I don't know how the Tasmanian one is pronounced but have heard several permutations of the Cornish one, I think of it as the 'southern Slaithwaite'. Early start this morning, had a touch of insomnia last night, so I was awake for the dawn chorus. The sap certainly seems to be rising in our feathered friends, our resident blackbird was giving a lengthy solo from our ridge tiles both early doors and late morning. And definitely a touch of the Haka in the rhythm... I'm not sure about the biological cause of birds being able to roost without falling, I know they can lock their muscles but whether that's deliberate or involuntary I don't know. Any zoologists in the house? Wales-France was certainly a keenly contested match, good to see some tries and flowing rugby. Both sides have some real flair to their play, though I rather think les bleus won the battle of grit and spirit. At the risk of provoking a culinary circular argument, I wondered what people think of the comparative merits of Yorkshire and Welsh lamb. I have noticed a difference in the meat, mainly due to the marbling. Any [scientific or gastronomic] thoughts, @iL Dottore? And finally, on the subject of acronyms, I first came across 'LDC' at school - sorry @polybear but it was the much less interesting subject of Less Developed Countries. Geography teachers...

A'noon. Sunny but cold here today, with no census for us, we have our own at a different time. However, the we note that the happy little boy in the census advert that paints his nose green, is a friend's relation. We thought it looked like 'F' and just asked the question, and yes it IS him! Rick, is that an additional role for your good lady or a new job entirely? My congratulations, regardless. Spent the morning in the garage taking yet more parts off that bike, every one of which resisted to the utmost, almost ready to remove the carcass of it now that it is lighter to lift. It is just too cold and windy to work in there for the afternoon, 9c 'feels like 6', more like 3 to me. Mrs NHN is re-arranging the pots on the patios as Tank works his way around resetting slabs and pointing, worth every penny as it is a back and soul destroying task for me. No doubt other orders will be issued, I have been driving the vacuum cleaner around in the hope of looking busy enough to not get too much more to do. I felt really flat yesterday, but do have more energy today but am still not at full power, not sure why that is. Second Pfizerisation due on Tuesday afternoon so looking forward to getting that completed. We can now visit single person households to offer support so will be able to go and see friend Jayne, and have an evenings social discourse with her. She is generally OK with her own company and can work from home happily but is looking forward to a chat with someone who talks back, not barks.... She is actually proof reading the draft legislation that allows this today!

Wearing a Balaclava then.

I think the weight of their body keeps the foot muscle contracted, To leave the branch or wire they have to deliberately take off.

It's a grey but dry day here in North Somerset. There is a bit of a breeze so I may put some washing on. I refuse to get involved in a debate about good or bad foods, as it is too subjective and everyone has likes and dislikes. It is almost as bad as good or bad music as a subject. Sorry, but circular arguments are not my cuppatea. For the first time that I can remember, I started watching rugby on TV just after 2pm, and was still watching rugby at around 10pm. England were terrible, and as a neutral the France-Wales match had an exciting and extremely tense conclusion. Thereafter had a fitful night's sleep because laying on my left triggered pains in my jaw, and laying on my right led to a sharp pain in my shoulder shooting down to my wrist. I snore when on my back and get regular grief from SWMBO. Maybe I should learn to sleep standing up? As a left field thought, how do birds in trees manage it? Why don't they fall off the branches when fast asleep? I know I would.

Tonight we have Knight of Thistle seen from Platform 2.

Evening. The birdy query has been resolved, by a crowd of them landing in a bush in the garden by Mrs NHN and Wheeee-ing merrily. Goldfinches. So Jonny's suggestion of Greenfinches was close. Meanwhile the spuggies and blue tits are scrapping over the nest boxes.

Cornwall - LANs'n if a true local, LANst'n if otherwise Cornish or within 100 miles or so, LAWNst'n if you come from farther afield but have an idea. Tasmania - LAWN-sess-ton. Slaithwaite I know as "Sleth'ut" with a soft th but please correct me if I'm wrong. Broadwoodwidger and Woolfardisworthy (both of them!) come up regularly when pronunciation is discussed. Less apparent is the difference between St. Ives (either of them) and St. Ive, also the Cornish name for the Cornish St. Ives which is Porthia. * * BRIDGE'r. WOOLzee when near Hartland but WOOL-zer-ee when near Tiverton. Confusingly the one near Hartland has direction signs aiming you towards "Woolfardisworthy (Woolsery)" St. EYEves in both cases but St. EEV for the village near Liskeard. And Porth-EE-uh for the Cornish version.

I filled our ethnic minority in as Yorkshire

Afternoon all, Rather cloudy outside but no rain forecast - somebody needs to get thei seaweed renewed I think. Flavio not much of the truth has emerged about that demo in London but it has been reported that rentamob in its various forms were present and it was they who set out to have a go at the police and provoke them. Oddly spitting at police officers, especially during a pandemic, didn't seem to go down at all well with various Met officers who were present. Meanwhile the census thingy has been completed - it will probably manage to get information about as mus ch as 75% of the population if 'they' are lucky. Mrs Stationmaster had the opportunity to record herself as an ethnic minority so she did - Cornish of course. What made me wonder was why on earth 'they' wanted to know who we'd last worked for when they had already been told our ages? Ah well that's left 'em with Lloyds Register for me and Berks CC for the equally retired herself, then as current employers a Swiss company for the lad (who, I think, entered their office address (in Geneva), and the NHS for the GD. That mixture will probably make their 'puters cough a bit. No other news be it minor or major although Flavio should note that the sausage casserole involving a tomato sauce (made here from home grown tomatoes) does not involve his bête noir but it des ge served with mashed spuds and greens. Dinner tonight is roast lamb - presumably practicing for a fortnight's time. Enjoy the rest of your day everybody and stay safe.

Entirely new, if she were to be successful, and with nothing short of a doubling of her current income. There are hoops to jump through and obstacles to overcome and she is not alone in being head-hunted but is one of a very few. We shall deal with things if and when they arise. Not least the issue of her job-specific visa ......... Afternoon all. A moderately sunny one Upon the Hill of Strawberries. Wrens and bumble bees were about and both seemed to be about the same size! Children were out playing and we enjoyed afternoon tea out on the terrace. I then enjoyed the first afternoon beer-on-the-lawn out the front. The census has reluctantly been completed. I understand the statisticians feel it is necessary but I don't see the need to ask certain questions. Assumptions are made and intrusive personal matters are asked. Why is it required information to specify whether one is married to a person of the same or opposite sex? This does not allow for trans-gender or non-specific people to choose a comfortable option for instance and assumes one is aligned biologically with and comfortable being described as male or female. Then there is ethnicity. "Cornish" is not an option despite Cornwall having as much claim to its own status as Wales, Scotland and the other nations. I had to use "Other" and write it in. At which point I was asked as mandatory questions when I arrived in England to settle and how well I spoke English. Yet in the next section when it asks which language you consider your native one Cornish is an option ....... Let's say I made good use of the feedback section at the end as did Dr. SWMBO who also had issues with providing satisfactory answers and also took exception to several questions which could lead to discriminatory analysis. I also made the point that the questions asking about guests staying overnight on census night could be used to locate and prosecute covid cheats and made the comment that asking these questions in the current climate might be inappropriate for that reason. Most of what they ask for is already known. They are only checking up on us. Big Brother has been watching us for years. But it keeps a large number of people in work so it must be a "Good Thing". Rant over for another ten years. I'll crack another beer.

I'll have to disappoint ID by not getting into the policing debate, my rant would get me banned. However when I joined in 1973 old sweats used to say the the job was fu***d (TJF). They were still saying that when I left in 2002. TJF AND NCC Jamie

Ey up! @polybear yes looks like some of the bad lads in Wingate have gone too far.. if he is still has mates from the forces could be that the locals get a visitation.. xpeaks volumes for the lack of active police support. Today shall be a rest day. My back has developed a different ache as I twisted it again yesterday. Pah! Zoom can be an interesting piece of software to deal with. The eeediots guide is very large but finding certain items in it can cause a bit of angst. Tonight we will be having a sausage supper for tea. I may have to help herself to get potatoes, onions and mushrooms ready to go in the slow cooker along with the baked beans, tomato puree and, of course, the sausages. Have as good a day as you can. Stay safe! Baz

Bear has been there, done that....though not with servo testers (I don't have one as yet); it's what Momma Bear would refer to as "looking with your elbows again". If Bear had a quid for every time I'd been guilty of that one. Din dins today is likely to be somewhat unexciting as no cooker exists at present (it's in the lounge, and flexible gas pipe extensions 15ft long with quick release connections on each end seem to be few and far between, surprisingly), So cold sossie rolls, a jacket spud and beans appear likely - though buddy next door did mention that a freebie din dins passed over the back fence may be a possibility, but no promises... Today will see a small bit of wallpapering, followed by the fitting of new door bars between carpet and the new tile floor (which doesn't exist yet). Bear put his carpet kicker back in the loft yesterday afternoon... Now that is a real bonus.... In other news: B'stards: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-56468719 ...and another step closer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56460329 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56392570

SheepBloke should really be using flock for his ground cover...

So far lately the state has had drought then fire then pestilence then a mouse plague and now the place is flooding. New South Wales, its like living in the old testament.

Bear simply took the easy way out and ticked the basic boxes as required - without further worry, increase of blood pressure or feeling left-out because they'd omitted to add a particular option etc etc. At the end of the day the end result is highly unlikely to make SFA difference to Bear so why not do it and get shot of it in the minimum possible timescale? Not a lot of excitement this afternoon; Bear is currently waiting for the clock to strike 7 and the arrival of the promised din dins from buddy next door....6 minutes to go, not that I'm counting.... edit: seven has been and gone...and so has Bear's din dins, and very yummy it was too . Buddy's roast spuds make auntie bessie's taste like an old stagnant loofa in comparison - Bear must arrange a lesson once the kitchen is finished. Tiler is due back tomorrow - I'm hoping that all tiles will be fixed tomorrow and grouting completed on Tuesday morning; Bear has a covid jab on wed am and problems will arise if the job isn't finished - I'm not into leaving traders in my house without being present (no reason at all to suspect any issue will arise - just careful). In the event that I do have to cancel the jab I have an alternative one booked for Saturday (the first is via NHS, the second via GP) so all is not lost.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. A bit late I know, I thought I'd sorted the pile of old magazines, then when I went to draw the curtains I accidently kicked the bottom of one pile. The led to a repeat of what happened yesterday what with a domino effect. So that was the afternoon sorted. Not ready for dinner yet, lets see what the use-by-date lottery shows up.

We actually had sunshine this morning, so the image store is replenished, and rationing can be relaxed a little. Last shot of 60065, passing the spotters, who may or may not have shouted "scrap it".

Managed to get the freelance Bagnall finished this weekend. I put a couple of air tanks between the bogies, hand painted chevrons, a bit rubbish so well-weathered... As a nod to the Dock Authority shunter, it has the horns from both donor loco's and a headlight, which is just a 3mm grain of wheat bulb, which plugs into sockets on the chassis and is mounted in brass tube soldered to a brass plate to act as a heat sink/shield. You can buy an LED light for these loco's - I've fitted one to my 'small' Dock Authority shunter, but to be honest they are too bright and white. As I remember these loco's the light should be warm and yellow, and pretty dim unless it's on full power ! To show the light on full power it was necessary to stick a track rubber behind the loco to stop it moving while I took the picture. The loco runs really well - the Mitsumi motors are slow revving so 40:1 gives good shunting speeds. I pondered for ages on how I was going to power this one but the idea was inspired by the simple but clever bogie design used by Mike Edge and I'm very glad I went down this route rather than trying to find a R.T.R chassis, then converting to EM etc.

I dont turn my windows PC on that often now but I have done so this morning. I wanted to download the latest maps for my car and a computer rather than a tablet is required. Of course, there was a big update to install from Windows but I expected that. What I didn't expect was for the screen image to be inverted. CTRL ALT and arrow key doesn't seem to work anymore. All fine now but inverted mouse movements to access the correct upside down menus is not easy. i used to be really good at reading upside down text too. The Land Rover map servers are really slow too. The reason I wanted to download maps when I am not going anywhere is that the car needs the engine running for a while so I may as well install maps while the engine runs to charge the battery.

I believe the Kraft corporation of the USA, can beat anything the UK can do in destroying food. For example, Kraft Cheese, and their attempts at sauces. Their sauces seems to be based on a chemical version of mayonnaise, with colouring and a chemical flavouring.. their versions of Worcestershire sauce is as bad as their pronunciation of it. Bits of shelving cut, part painted. Coupling greased, second coat of zinc paint on the triangle of the trailer. Keel moved to near boat..pink pills therefore being taken with muggacoffee, work will recommence shortly

The first train from Kemble has just arrived. Whilst the crew set about moving the engine to the other end of the train, a lone passenger makes his way to the station. He hears voices from over the wall. Turns out its a local constable discussing recent events.

Another cycle ride out today. Firstly the Station Road bridge near Mursley showing the new brickwork thats been completed Next the site of the new station to be built at Winslow Next one of the bridges carrying the railway over Verney Road west of Winslow And finally at Verney Junction looking west