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Hi Guys, 00 Gauge Standard Crossover base is looking pretty yummy The Crossover kits will come in two identical parts that fit together with clips as shown: I'm about to send this kit over to a guy doing an article in Hornby magazine.

Some from last night and this morning, mod nuneaton to Carlisle stopped in crewe for pathing then when I got to Carlisle I rushed back to the station to see if I could jump in the sleeper train rather than waiting until 05:45 for the first train back then realised it didn’t stop in Carlisle, it was the one before that did! anyway as I got on the platform 66004 ‘I’m a climate hero’ rolled in hauling ‘Tornado’ and a charter en route empty coaching stock to Liverpool

All action today....

Greetings I learned yesterday that my next appointment with Professor Oncologist has been brought forward by a month. That’s fine, except that I have to have a blood test beforehand. That must now take place this afternoon, that being the last possible moment. The process of arranging the test showed up the inadequacies of the hospital telephone system all too clearly. I read nothing sinister into the rescheduled appointment. It looks like a whole day’s clinic has been shifted and gives me a month less in which to worry about what I will be told. The letter was printed on yellow paper – very fetching! Last night was clearly inconvenient for most of the membership of Area Group. This is strange, because not so long ago there was a distinct clamour in favour of meeting in person. We may never know how many of the absentees spent the evening staring forlornly at a lifeless screen where once there would have been Zoom. Perhaps they were all captivated by the TV programme about the night life of koalas! I shall enjoy that this morning [I hope] before trekking off for the latest blood test. Best wishes to all Chris

Lucker for today on the ECML in Northumberland - not far from Lindisfarne. Owing to my incompetence this afternoon they are not in date order! Lucker 90022 down Kings X to Edinburgh 8th April 95 C20025 Lucker Class 47 up vans April 93 J13831 Lucker 91003 down Aug 91 J12869 Lucker 37689 and 37692 down coal 7th April 93 C18411 Lucker 56095 up April 93 J13834 David

Having just completed my initial assessments of the latest Hornby Dublo releases from Hornby, perhaps folk might be interested in their abilities at hauling trains. The Merchant Navy took 25 kit-built cars (mainly metal) with ease. Any more, and the plastic tender started to bounce under load. The Princess Coronation took 27, before its tender, too, started to display signs of distress. Were the (plastic) tenders weighted, certainly over 30 metal cars would be possible. Just by way of a comparison, a couple of my kit-built Pacifics managed the same, but these two die-cast beauties are unsurpassed in the RTR realms. In case people think these are just 'staged' shots, I've taken some moving footage as well, which will appear in BRM.

I'm a charter member of the international procrastinators club, or will be when I get around to joining. After that, I'll eventually get to answering the quiz questions. Greetings all from a schitty boring borough. Another week with no recycling pickup, despite the fact the binmen went back to work a few weeks ago now. Likely that means schlepping to the tip on the next even numbered day. <sigh> Black dogs still roaming. Job still not what I was hoping for. 3575 days until retirement. (calendar days, not working days) My get up and go, got up and went. Permanently it seems. Sorry to be on such a downer. Just totally fed up with life, the universe, and everything. Laterzzz

Now the mid afternoon York parcels runs into Platform 6, where during its 20 minute stop, the pilots will no doubt be removing from and adding to its load.

Greetings one and all, or should that be ...."What a grey day." Tis misty ere ... which in September bodes well for a bright and sunny day. Shame I'm working today, hah, but not for much longer, decisions and complex calculations have been made with regards to pensions and boss has been told where to go!! Finishing on or abouts the 1st January, in my 60th year and with over 40 years service to the country and community. Now for some me time. Happy daze, long may they last.

Recently I've been doing point rodding, or rather trying to avoid doing point rodding. About a year ago I did this section between platforms 3 and 4, as a trial (it was). The rods lead off beneath the platform, at the bottom of the picture. Emerging from the other side of the wooden platform, they then need to run between platforms 1 and 2 to reach where the signal box will be. As this is an area where shunters and other staff would be working, it occurred to me that I could avoid modelling the rodding as a whole by instead modelling a boarded covering. Nevertheless, I would have to model one of the rodding runs, as it would be visible from the side. This is the beginnings of the project, with the boarding made from 1.5mm ply, chamfered at the edge to make it look thinner. The actual rodding is made from the 0.45mm square N/S wire that Wizard Models sells for the purpose. The 'legs' are also 1.5mm ply; in reality I suspect these would be metal stands with the rods passing underneath, but hopefully this subterfuge is not too obvious when finished and painted. The visible ends of the rollers are pieces from the Brassmaster etched rodding rollers, cut off and soldered to the side of the rod. This shows the finished item, viewed from the north end. After leaving the cover, the rodding runs have to cross the platform 1 and dock siding lines, to reach the cess. Having not anticipated this when I laid the Peco Streamline, the rodding runs had to be made up of separate sections between the rails. Needless to say, the sleepers didn't line up with each other either, so getting across the lines is all a bit of a fudge really. I have tried using the etched brass rollers from Brassmasters, but couldn't get on with them. So the stools and in the foreground are represented by sections of copper clad sleeper, with a piece of 1mm square wire soldered across it to represent the roller. The rodding is then soldered to that wire, and a section of 0.45mm round wire soldered across that to represent the top rollers. Where the rodding lies within the four foot, I soldered pieces of the rodding wire to 'staples' made from 0.45mm wire, which could then be pressed into the cork underlay. Luckily, the ballast (which had been stuck down with dilute Copydex) was easy enough to dig out from the sleeper 'bays'! This view from a similar angle shows the continuation of the rodding beneath the dock siding, in the foreground. I decided the above method was too complicated, so for this bit I cut pieces of black plasticard to fit into the sleeper bays, and represented the rodding in the four foot by sections of 0.5mm square plastic rod painted grey and stuck to the black plasticard. I think this method is the way forward for rodding within the four foot, as it was easier to get the rodding to lie flat, and to at least try and make it look as if it's a continuation of the rodding from the six foot! There will be more 'ground cover' in this area eventually, but before that there will need to be more rodding installed to the right. This view from the other end shows where the rodding crosses the platform 2 road and the middle road, and the runs under the cover between the middle road and platform 1. There is another short boarded section to the left; as well as shunters walking, this is approximately where loco cab steps often come to rest. I have blended it all in with an application of 'ground cover grot' and a wash of thin grey / brown acrylic. I still need to do the bit where it disappears under the platform. This is all a prelude to replacing the dummy colour light Platform 3 & 4 starters, that have been there temporarily for about 20 years, with a gantry of proper semaphores (although don't expect to see that too soon!).

Just had an appointment for stage 2 of my nose cancer job - October 14th so they are taking it seriously and compared with the waiting times some other poor souls are experiencing I'm very lucky. I'm not looking forward to it, though, especially the large dressings I'll have to put up with until about Christmas. Speaking of the dreaded mass hysteria event, Morrisons have now got mince pies, Christmas puds and decorations on display. Dohhhhh...... Have a good day everyone. Dave

Morning from a chilly but dry 11c rock. Norra lot to report really, pleased to hear Rick & Sharon are 'negative' in a positive way....

When I did biology at school we studied the teeth of sheep. Are deer similar?

Think of it more like a normal round of conversation at a club house. There will always be some "in" talk. People with common interests will gravitate to sub-conversations about motorcycles, or gardening, or what ever. Just like the clubhouse, ignore what doesn't interest you and contribute + listen to that which does. Failing that, it is your turn to get the tea and biscuits.

I had a job I really didn't like, the guy who interviewed me lied a lot to get me to join, started hunting for another job straight the way, that lifted my spirits with the thought of leaving said boss in a mess, positivity helped no end, the next job was so much better.

Good moaning from a rather damp, and still getting damper Charente. The chens jave been let out hut en route I discovered a lot of wayer on part of the shed floor. Much stuff has been moved but more remains. See you later. Jamie

Whilst Bear was searching for a suitable "sliding down the bannisters" picture to post I came across this: - Which in turn originates from this article; all very sad, but..... "......filed their ($0.5M) lawsuit in Cook County on Tuesday, the Chicago Sun Times reported. ........and claims their daughter died as a result of their combined negligence. They allege that the named parties allowed ball-goers to 'consume unlimited amounts of alcoholic beverages' after purchasing a pre-paid ticket and failed to provide security to protect those in attendance." Hmmm.... edit: Bear was left wondering if the lawsuit was successful? Well, it is the USA..... At trial, the Plaintiffs’ settlement demand was $4.7 Million and the Defendant offered $330,000. During trial, the court struck the affirmative defense of comparative negligence due to non-compliance with motion in limine rulings. With a verdict that should put a scare into defendants everywhere, or at least those who might find themselves hauled into a Cook County Circuit Court, the jury returned a verdict of $4 Million against the hotel. Not sure if they actually got paid out though: https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/ryan-ori/ct-biz-palmer-house-foreclosure-coronavirus-ryan-ori-20200831-ygv7g6prdffsjcbhjrcniicmdq-story.html Our resident Punk Rocker reduces CC to tears ....... Minions have been informed and assigned..... Just prefix it with the word "butter" - and avoid contaminants such as coffee and you'll be fine. Avoids all that unnecessary over-medicating lark. Plan for the day: The Tiler is expected again today - whereupon things should really start to get serious; yesterday was taken up with prep work, including the levelling up of an area of wall that had a dip in it between the top of the longest length of granite up-stand and the underside of the longest row of wall units. Looks fine now..... Bear received notification that the Financial Ombudsman isn't planning to chase a certain Bank (there's a horse involved....) for mis-selling a PPI Policy (the terms of which made it invalid from the outset) to Bear many moons ago. Bear made the big mistake of not posting the claim via registered post (so can't prove that the Bank received it before the deadline - and receive it they did) - so the Bank has seized upon this accordingly . It seems that all hope is not totally dead - but hope of success is about level with that of raidin' the cake tin at a certain London Palace undetected. Still, I'll make them jump thru' all the hoops in the forlorn hope that they settle just to get rid - it won't be a big claim anyway, but there's a principle at stake. So....first job of the day is to log onto that (savings account) to see just how much I can reduce the balance to whilst still receiving the freebie magazine sent every month (which just happens to be "Bike" - certain other subjects being unavailable....). Now if I can drop it to a quid then I'll be a very happy Bear..... edit: Grizz's back!! - now where's GDB?

Late night check in to record both our PCR tests came back negative as expected. I return to the House of Fun on Moanday being still unfit through some other form of affliction which antibiotics are very slowly clearing. Dr. SWMBO no longer has to attempt the impossible taks of avoiding me within the confines of the Hill of Strawberries. Stay safe and sleep well

I was told that was character building scraping ice off the windows....................

With the need to take break from all those machines today I had plenty of time on my hands and what better to do than shunt a few trains for a change. After fixing a few things I also got creative with the camera and phone. Do hope I'm not boring you all with all these images. To start there's a few evening views of Goathland station . Private owner wagons on the coal drops. Looks quite spooky after everyone's gone home. I'll include this quite interesting image despite the terrible mistake. Anyone see what's up? The GresJey J39 060 has just placed a long CCT in the goods shed much to the delight of the owner of the Flying twelve. Boris the signalman controls all the train movements. Moving on to Pottyshire, we find another J class hauling a solitary teak coach across the viaduct. The hamlet consists of a church, post office, single lane bridge, pub and one other building which has one semi detached and Honeydukes tea rooms with flat above; all dwarfed by the stone viaduct. I used my iPhone to get a picture of the inside of Honeydukes. Poor Ethel has fallen backwards off of her chair. Thought it worth including the backs of two of the structures as they are usually more interesting than the fronts. Next I turned the lens towards Queensbury. Brow lane bridge. One of the waiting rooms. Goathland is nearing 10 years old and is still going strong but some of the trees are looking a bit worse for wear. After I have repaired the drywall under the new windows I'll set about making some new ones. Last but not least the progress on the outside of the garage. Rain is forecast for the weekend so I need to get a move on tomorrow. Squatch.

Come on ‘my brother to another mother’, let’s start our own clique. Im not particularly interested in food or motor bikes so just glance over them. There’s so much on here that I don’t need or have time to read everything. We once borrowed an old bus,an Atlantian I think to transport our layouts, barriers and other parafinalia to the exhibition we used to run in Harrogate. It had wooden bench seats and by the time we arrived we were all very sore. I think it was in the livery of the Mexborough and Swinton bus company, green and cream. I think it was or did become part of Yorkshire Traction. Robert

I have substantially reduced biscuit intake this year, so much so that Aditi donated our stock of biscuits to her sister’s husband. Some were getting close to best before dates. He is a GP and said the office staff and nurses will eat anything. Aditi mentioned some slightly out of date chocolate. That went too. We wouldn’t have worried about “best before” but have just stopped eating such things. I was more concerned by the advice on Monday from the surgeon who removed my scalp lump not to drink tea. Fortunately only for a day. Coffee and alcohol were also not recommended but that didn’t bother me.

Nostalgia isn't what it was either. I'm definitely not a fan of the days of ice inside the bedroom windows or smog so thick you couldn't see your feet let alone where you were going.

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple hare.. 4 hours sleep, long awake trying to get comfortable, 2 hours sleep, woken by Ben the alarm clock Collie saying you're late.. I was.. A much rushed morning routine, meant I left 10 minutes late.. Ben did insist on his full morning patrol though, blue skies, chilly, heavy dew.. Went to the stone masons yesterday, no waving of drills, just a pick and shovel used on the teeth, next appointment 9 months, not annual, are they trying to make up missing money by having more appointments? While there, someone was trying to get put on the register, no places available... Judging by the West Ham face mask and accent, another escaped Londoner.. Passed deer running across the harvested fields both going to and from the dentists. Of rabbits, on turning a 90 degree corner in the road, on the way in this morning there were half a dozen of them wandering around the road.. The overnight equipment run failed at the first hurdle, "equipment missing" it said, oh no it isn't I said. Reset everything, it's running now, but I've lost 2 to 3 hours running time. Did my first latteral flow test yesterday, one of a series I'm doing before heading to visit my parents.. Negative of course, unfortunately there is more chance of catching covid on the way up there, than here, and nothing will pick up it up if you've only been infected an hour before.. Time too... carry on merging those spreadsheets for the new system, while waiting for the old system to finish..

I bought those books many years ago. I have yet to read them! Good morning all, while it still is one. The golden orb warms the Hill of Strawberries and I continue to mostly rest, sleeping more than normal and the improvement in wellbeing slowly continues. I am told that I might even be "up to" some dishwashing duties today They have been available in Aldi and Lidl for quite some time now I am told. No doubt other supermarkets also have the same but as I have seldom ventured inside one these past eighteen months I can't say for sure. Or you may be, eventually, perhaps

This was sourced from B&M in our town recently. No doubt it is also available in other stores, but they already have it marked down 20p below the regular packaging.

Good morning everyone We must have had some overnight rain, as the back garden path and patio are wet, but seem to be drying out now. The sky is grey but the sun is trying to shine, I do wonder if it will be successful though. Plans for today are to build 2 temporary wing walls which will look a little derelict, as a way of disguising the bottom of the fence behind the firewall. Sheila will then have a look to see if she likes them or not, this will determine whether or not they get built. After dinner Charlie is calling round for his weekly model making session, so an afternoon in the workshop beckons. Back later.

The trouble is the people are great. Lovely bunch and (for me) a bit overly social at times. The issue is the promised project work keeps getting pushed back, so I'm backfilling with platform integration trouble shooting. Possibly one of the worst tasks there is. I'm stuck with it as my skill set is far wider than most with more knowledge around API transport protocols and other geeky crap than the rest of them.

SWMBO had one of the diced octopus ones while in Japan a couple of years ago. She bought it from a street vendor thinking it was a sweet, something akin to a donut……..until she took a bite. PS. I did get two of the questions right! The tiger pie seems a bit ‘tame’, thought it would be a bit more interesting. Better get a move on. Robert

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit nippy this morning and a bit breezy earlier on, enough to push the black bin bag up the path but the binmen still collected it. I tend to go down that sort of staircase clinging to the wall furthest from the balustrade.

And there's something rather satisfying about the last part of your sentence..... Is CC a secret question setter for the TV Game "The Chase" by any chance? This question - or rather a simplification of it - appeared only yesterday; they were asking about "umbles" - and looking for the answer of "deer". In other news: Offending Bank website visited - and balance dropped by 60% (I could've probably done a bit more, but that would risk overdraft fees if money in/out dates were a bit late and I went into the red). And I'll still be receiving "Bike" every month - Neddy won't be making much (if any) profit out of this Bear....

Hot off the press. Bradley is here and just sent me these pictures he has taken. Bit delayed as we ended up doing DT homework on Carbon Capture Technology yesterday so no time for pictures as promised. It’s amazing what I’m learning as well!!!!!

Bl00dy hell. The price of wood. I needed another sheet of 12mm birch ply. It's gone from £62 to £91. The upside is the timber merchant hasn't changed their terms, so it is now free delivery. Saves me a schlep to Footscray. But still, nearly 50% increase in the past 6 months.

What a thoroughly nasty man. https://www.pitpass.com/70776/Marko-Hamilton-injury-was-pure-show

They haven't got round to opening the membership requests yet.

Good news Rick. I hope you feel better soon.

Our B&m have had x**s gift sets in for a few weeks luckily for me they had reduced the gardening stuff I got 12 quids worth of grass seed for £3. Even the dog treat strips we get him are Turkey flavour and have x**s theme packaging. Tried to get some 19x38 tanilised timber its rarer than rocking horse poop round here even the local timber yard hasnt got any. The timber yard is run by a guy called Tony WOOD. He is my Grand cousin her maiden name was Hazel Wood

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction, they would never get round to granting chartered status as they would actually have to do something.

Hi Everyone, Its been a couple of months since my last post so thought an update might be appropriate, although in a somewhat negative way. Life, in a good way, has got in the way of modelling. A holiday in North Wales and an opportunity to ride behind steam again. The visit coincided with my wife's birthday so we treated ourselves to a first class trip on the Welsh Highland from Caernarfon to Beddgelert. We bought one of their luxury hampers, designed for one person, which we thought we would share. Well, it provided sufficient for the two of us for lunch for two days. Amazing and well worth the expense. Altogether a lovely day out. When we got home there were visitors to stay, which meant the 'railway room' had to revert to its other use as a bedroom and now the decision has been made to decorate one of the bedrooms which means the room has been emptied into the railway room, so I am still unable to erect the base boards where I can work on them. However it does give me more time to consider the options for the new project before I get started. In the meantime a couple of photos of 7404 shunting the Osney Farmers Siding. You may notice that they were practicing social distancing even then!! Rob

Despite what I said...... I can assure you it is not nostalgia, more like irritation with the current direction ERs seems to be taking and a growing number of 'cliques' with 'in the know' comments. Not really into that sort of thing

I did leave 10p in an account of a different bank (that has the same name as a Scottish industrial locomotive manufacturer) years ago, I suppose they close those. I have had 8 different addresses since then!

Good evening everyone Well I didn’t spend long at Vickie’s, a few checks were made on the shower and I was soon able to confirm to Vickie that the shower is definitely faulty. But, as they are just about to start moving their bathroom into what was originally the bathroom, it is currently in what should be a bedroom, they were going to get a new one anyway. They went looking for a new one yesterday, but were unsure of what size (wattage) and as there are so many to choose from, they decided to leave it. Anyway, as I had the cover off, I was able to confirm that by reading the rating of the faulty one is, by looking at data plate on the heater tank/element. Once back home, I decided to do a bit more work on the engine shed, more interior and exterior wall sections were cut out and built, making 16 out of 24 done. The 16 finished sections have now been varnished and 2 sections have had windows fitted and are now completely finished, they have also been joined together.

Now it is the turn of the B1 to begin its slow journey to Grantham.

There is a website dedicated to lost Bank Accounts - and finding them. You never know, if it's a bank or BS that's joined another you could be due for a big payout.... One of the offerings in Korea from street vendors is "Deep Fried Chrysalis....." Bear sometimes "speed reads" some areas - and skips over some offerings if I get the gist that it may not be "up my street" (I expect others glaze over at the mere mention of cake or kitchens....). If all else fails - and someone really gets on your ***s you can always block their posts... Bear had a bag of fresh sossie rolls from the Co-op the other day that were labelled "best before" whilst also mentioning "consume on day of purchase". Never heard the Tea thing before - perhaps iD can explain why? Tiler's here..tiles going on the wall.....

The last five Well I hope a few of you found the pictures a good trip down memory lane. Here are the final five random pictures. All the best Steve New Street Severn Tunnel Junction St Blazey Westbury area Reading

Tha answers to the Food Quiz 1. What is the difference between French, Swiss and Italian Meringues? They’re differentiated by the extent to which the egg white foam is heated and the meringue’s resulting stability French Meringue: egg whites are beaten until they coagulate and form soft peaks, at which point sugar is slowly incorporated until the mixture has attained full volume; is soft, airy, and light; and stands at attention when the whip is lifted. French meringue is customarily spooned or piped into different forms, including dessert shells (such as vacherins) and cake layers (as in a dacquoise) and baked. Swiss Meringue is a gently cooked meringue — the egg whites and sugar are (continually) whisked together and heated over a double-boiler until the sugar dissolves, the mixture starts to thicken, and it reaches a set temperature and it’s then beaten, right away, off heat, until stiff, glossy peaks form and it feels cool to the touch. It's often used as a base for buttercream frostings, biscuits, or a Pavlova. Italian Meringue is made by drizzling hot sugar syrup into whites that have already been whipped to hold firm peaks. Whipping continues until the meringue is fully voluminous, satiny, stiff, and cool. Italian meringue is often used to frost cakes (alone or as a base for buttercream frostings), to top filled pies, or to lighten ice creams, sorbets, and mousses. 2. Italian Cuisine is fiercely regional and asking for another region’s speciality in the place you are visiting marks you out as un straniero ignorante! Can you match region and dish? (extra points if you can explain what each dish is) a) Bagna càuda. iii b) Bruschetta alla salsiccia di fegato. i c) Castagnaccio. vi d) L’Arancino. iv e) Pasta alla Norcina. vii f) Risi e Bisi. viii g) Schlutzkrapfen. v h) Tagliatelle al ragù. ii i. Abruzzo ii. Emilia Romagna iii. Piedmont iv. Sicily v. Trentino-Alto Adige vi. Tuscany vii. Umbria viii. Veneto @polybeardescribed these dishes quite well, despite his sometimes less than complimentary editorial comments. 3. You have been invited to dinner by your new friend - a Brazilian model – who can cook as beautifully as she can grace a catwalk. You ask what’s going to be the main course and she reels off the following list of ingredients: Onion, garlic, orange, paprika, cumin, bacon, smoked meat, dried meat, pork chops, calabresa sausage, pork loin sausage, black beans, olive oil, parsley, chili pepper, salt and black pepper. What is she cooking for you? Feijoada Brasileira 4. It is 1662 and you have been invited to eat Humble Pie by Samuel Pepys. Is this going to be a decent dinner or a humiliating experience? Explain why (don’t forget that this is a food quiz). A decent dinner. Humbles (or more properly “Umbles”) are the meaty parts of a beast's pluck - the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs - usually of a deer and often made into a pie. In Samuel Pepys diary on 8th July 1663 he wrote: "Mrs Turner came in and did bring us an Umble-pie hot out of her oven, extraordinarily good." 5. You are a Carvetii Chieftain and good mates with the local Roman procurator Flavius Gaius Drusus. He has invited you for a quick bite together before going hunting. Which of the following would not be on his table? A bunch of grapes, a cucumber salad, some cold sausages, rye bread, peas and a roast pheasant. The norsemen brought rye bread to England, the Normans, pheasant. All the rest were introuduced by the Romans 6. One for Polybear. Match the cake to its origin: I. Amygdalopita b II. Batik cake e III. Dobos cake c IV. Fragelité a V. Kliņģeris d VI. Princess cake f a. Denmark Meringue, almonds, butter, coffee b. Greece Almond cake made with ground almonds, flour, butter, egg, spanner's and pastry cream c. Hungary A sponge cake that is layered with chocolate butter cream and topped with thin caramel slices d. Latvia Yeast, raisins, spices e. Malaysia A non-baked cake dessert made by mixing broken Marie biscuits, combined with a chocolate sauce or runny custard. f. Sweden Alternating layers of sponge cake and whipped cream, a layer of fresh raspberries and a layer of custard, all topped with a layer of (green) marzipan. 7. “Fast Food” can be pretty ghastly (cheap, commercially mass-produced, low-quality ingredients, substitution of expensive ingredients for cheap, indifferent cooking) and is but a poor imitation of the original “Fast Food” – “Street Food” – which is often amazing. Match the street food to the country of origin. More points if you can say what they are, I. Batagor Indonesia c II. Bun kebab d III. Bunny chow e IV. Corn dog f V. Coxinha a VI. Roasted cockles b a. Brazil Chopped or shredded chicken meat covered in dough, molded into a shape resembling a chicken leg, battered, and fried b. Cambodia Cockles that are roasted and then served with olive oil and seasoning c. Indonesia Fried fish dumplings, usually served with peanut sauce. "Batagor" is an abbreviation of bakso tahu goreng (which literally means fried tofu and meatballs) d. Pakistan A fried patty of ground lentils, chicken or beef, egg batter, and spices, served on a bun with chutney on the side e. South Africa A hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry f. United States A hot dog on a stick, coated with cornmeal batter and deep fried. 8. You have been rippin’ all day, getting barrelled at Bondi Beach. You’re now getting hungry. Man can’t live on tinnies alone. You decide what you positively, absolutely must have, no – need! Is a Tiger Pie. So, you head out to the only place that makes the absolute best Tiger Pie ever (and world renowned for it as well)…. What’s a Tiger Pie (Pie topped with mashed potato, mushy peas and gravy) and where would you get it (Harry’s Café de Wheels, Sydney) 9. You have been recruited into Captain Cynical’s operation as a trainee minion. You are excited about your first assignment – to smuggle the most expensive food item you can into the supermax prison ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado. “Chainsaw Charlie” Higgins will be the lucky recipient if you manage to smuggle in the food. But “Chainsaw Charlie” only wants the most expensive food in the world. What would you smuggle in? a. A kilo of Saffron (about US $ 20,000 per kilo retail) The answer is debatable and a toss up between the following two: b. A kilo of aged white caviar (Strottarga Bianco caviar derived from Siberian Albino Sturgeon at a cost of €100,000 (US$113,630) per kg) c. A kilo of Piedmont white truffle (The record sum paid for a single white truffle was by Macau casino owner Stanley Ho in 2007. He splashed out $330,000 (£165,000) for one of the largest truffles uncovered in decades – weighing 1.5 kg (so, about £110,000 for a kilo). A pretty extraordinary price for a pungent underground fungus) 10. Captain Cynical was pleased with your work as a trainee minion (see Question 9) and will treat you to lunch in a Michelin Starred Restaurant anywhere in the world. However, Captain Cynical has set an upper limit of £10 for lunch. Where would you go for your Michelin starred meal? Several places – all in Asia: Liao Fan Hawker Chan in Singapore (£2), Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong (£3) Hamo in Seoul, South Korea (£5), Chugokusai S.Sawada in Osaka, Japan (£8), Jay Fai in Bangkok, Thailand (£10) or Ginza Ibuki in Tokyo, Japan (£10) Bonus Question 1 (Easy Peasy) What’s a Meat Pie Floater? A meat pie in a thick pea soup, typically with the addition of tomato sauce. Believed to have been first created in the 1890s, the pie floater gained popularity as a meal sold by South Australian pie carts. In 2003, it was recognised as a South Australian Heritage Icon Bonus Question 2 (Slightly Hard) What are Takoyaki? a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi) Bonus Question 3 (Hard) Fugu, Rhubarb, Red kidney beans and Cassava will __________________ (all kill you if not properly prepared) That's All Folks! I'm outta here.....

There's lots of nice Bus wires here and they didn't seem to cause any problems ! Happy days

Brasted.

What Andy said about what Rob said about what George said about what Stu said about what Al said about... ...I've forgotten what Al said.

With site clearance and site preparation almost complete and with enabling works (moving utilities etc,) quite advanced, construction works on the Curzon St. station has started. Piling work has commenced. .