SM42

Paper, metal, glass plastic all in one bin here. Can't put tin foil in, cos it's flat and may get mistaken for paper by the sorting machine. Why you can't roll it onto a ball who knows. Can't take black plastic nor a whole range of plastic items either even if they are made of the plastic they do take in other forms. After it all gets compacted together in the waste truck ( the same one they use for general waste and garden waste on alternate weeks) I doubt they clean it out) I do wonder how their machine copes. Can't take plastic films though. Now in the motherland, if its plastic, they take it, cling film, plastic films the lot, any colour and any plastic Andy

I've just spent 15 minutes ferreting through my stock cupboard of shame. For reasons lost in the mists of time I seem to have several Lima 117 centre cars but not enough driving ends to go with them. What was I thinking ?. J also found another box of wagon kits. Yikes. In other news I've just been handed a large slice of birthday cake. Gotta go. Andy

What temperature and how long have you been in the oven Andy

We're on recycling week. They can't take broken glass. The sorting machine doesn't like it. So what do they do with the bottles. Tip em in the back and compact it with all the other paper, metal l and plastic. Andy

Wheelie bins are currently a hazard to navigation. Andy

One of the advantages of the current windy weather is that after doing some woodwork outdoors, you don't have to sweep up the sawdust. Andy

It's not a post Covid thing. Andy

A rare treat indeed to have route knowledge via a diversionary route. Kingsbury, Whitacre, Water Orton can be a struggle so via ST is doing well. Andy

Heavy snowfall is guaranteed across the country this week as I have just changed back onto my summer tyres. Andy

At the roundabout near SM42 Towers, a lot of work went on to reduce congestion by installing traffic lights ( didn't work obviously) Part of this project involved cycling provision. The last 100yds or so leading into the roundabout now have a cycle& pedestrian path, turn left and it ends 20 yds later. The other side of the left turn is another shared use path that goes round the corner and then dumps thr cyclist onto the dual carriageway exit for about 400yds, where after a set of lights there is another shared path for left turners on the right hand side Going straight on you have to fight it out where the two lanes of the road become one. There is a cycle track on the right hand side but no provision to cross to it till you've passed to the far side of the traffic lights. TGoing in the opposite direction that path again runs out at the roundabout should you wish to not turn left The path to the left ends after 200yds at a pedestrian crossing. Meanwhile those who wish to catch one of the rare buses, have to walk the last 50 yards to the stop on the grass verge and stand in the mud, as extending the footpath was too hard. It really is a half hearted solution that could have been much better with some thought. Andy

We have somee lovely, well maintained and sensible cycle routes round here. What do the majority prefer to use? The 70nph, single lane, dual carriageway rather than cycle way next to it. You do wonder sometimes. However like most cycling provision in the UK just as it gets to the hazardous junctiony or roundabouty bit, it says " cyclists rejoin main carriageway " Suppose the £50 budget ran out around about there. Annoying really a there is often a simple, safe and obvious option. Andy

The only livery issues I have is where there is an obvious historical anomaly, such as GWR and Railfreight Petroleum sector locos running together. More subtle things I can let pass. If the overall look of the locos, carriages and wagons looks right together in the context of the layout, it's good enough for me. Like HH definitely have too many locos for needs and probably too many wagons as well. Andy

SM42 Towers is slowly drifting back into peace and quiet. The final day of birthday celebrations is drawing to a close. We ent out with friends for a pub lunch, followed by nibbles, drinks and cake at the Towers. Guest included a 4 and a 2 year old. The furniture is back where it should be, we are still finding sticky patches where fruit juice has been dropped, there are handprints on the TV and we are wondering what other destruction we may happen across. Lord knows what the kids did. Alcohol helped us through. Perhaps we should have given to the kids. Andy

What pleasant day today made all the better by the the weather. First stop, drop Mrs SM42 in Calne Town centre and then head to the exhibition. Not too big a show ( so not there for long to give more time for other stuff) but some good layouts there and it was especially nice to re acquaint myself with Oldshaw. I first saw this layout in Cheltenham ( I think on its debut) and had to have it at our show the following year. Still looks as good as the day I first saw it. Next it was collect Mrs SM42 and then to Devizes for a couple of hours to mooch round the town, then head off to find a white horse en route to Marlborough for another mooch about. Finally dinner at a pub outside Worcester and now we are home and cake is about to be served. Can it get any better? Andy

Mrs SM42 has left a pair of scissors on a chair. To make the situation safe she has moved them to the sofa. 🤔 Andy

They're called Snickers nowadays. Andy

Mrs SM42 celebrates another lap of the sun tomorrow and by way of a treat I will be taking her on a trip on Saturday. We shall be heading to Calne for a look around What? There's an exhibition on? Andy

Cadent and their works on the A456 have reached a new low in weird A two lane road with a wide central chevron area that used to be a third lane Temporary traffic lights installed. Plenty of room for two lanes of traffic and the works on the pavement / kerb line. And they wonder why drivers get frustrated. This mornings trip into work was very blue light service heavy. Five police cars and three ambulances in total The first police car overtook me just after the above roadworks. A mile further on it joined two unmarked cars on the dual carriageway, blocking the road. Looked like I would be late till it moved into the right hand lane in front of the other two cars to let the traffic through. Meanwhile the truck driver behind me was getting a little frustrated as I have left a whole car length between me and the car in front whilst we waited. A colleague told the three police cars were still there an hour later when he went past. Very odd Another two unmarked cars were parked on the roundabout ( blocking one lane, blue lights on) at the M5 junction. Again an odd place to park. It's not like you could see the motorway from there. Even on the way home there were a few unmarked cars tazzing about on the blues. I don't think I've seen so many police cars in one day ( except perhaps the day I was rammed by a getaway car) Its not like HH had even left Telfland. Andy

In a moment of general boredom, I've just reached for my copy of Air Braked Wagons in Colour by D Ratcliffe and what page should i open it at? Page 94. Upon that page there are two photos of the wagoms One in action near Kennett and the second of the partly loaded train with a useful view from above In use on the Eastern from 1981 till withdrawal in 1995. Used with a ballast cleaner, 22 wagons in total, if the caption is to be believed, numbers DB997801 - 977822 Andy

Oh my god! He gets everywhere. Now he's appeared on my desktop Andy

The air bags were probably quite cheap to replace and a job that takes minutes ( mine were once replaced on a recall, on the drive at home in about 20 minutes) It's the big hole in the dashboard that the passenger one left that was probably the prohibitively expensive bit. Stealing an interior and then buying the write off cheaply ( or selling the interior back to the owner) was once quite a popular criminal wheeze. Andy

Note the warning top right 😁 Andy

Our weekend guest has bought me these Cheeky mare Andy

That is a person is promoted to the maximum of their inefficiency The Dilbert Pronciple is slightly different The least effective workers are systematically moved to where they can do least damage; mamagement Not sure that works for an MP Andy

The Dilbert principle. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work with MPs and they can do a lot of damage Andy