SM42

She won't be long now. The church bells are ringing. Andy

I'm not getting up specially to do it. She'll just think she's been out longer than she thought. Andy

Right That's the clocks done ready for the morning. Probably confusd the hell out of Mrs SM42 when she gets home from church Andy

That did occur to me after I posted. Thank you for confirming. An older aeroplane has just departed Lawice airport. Second one I've heard all day Andy

Found that coming home from work one night. All it said was road closed ahead. No access to my home town Found the closure after around 10 miles. No diversion signs to give you a clue as to the point of closure. Fortunately I know my way round the back lanes, but had I known where it was closed it would have been a lot easier. Another classic was heading to Luton Airport to collect the in laws. Their flight was already 3 hours late due to weather and the signs announced the M1 was closed between two non consecutive junctions. No problem, go as far as can and follow diversion signs. We have plenty of time A fine plan till you get to the junction with "M1 South diverted traffic " pointing left and right. Got there 20 minutes after they got off the bus in the car park. They were still in the air when we left the M1. Andy

Oh this is really loud and then it's as if they turned the engine off. Maybe they have just turned the wick down a couple of notches Andy

Here in the motherland we are a 15 minute walk from the gate behind the airport control tower ( if only the terminal was on this side) Over the years it has become noticeable how much quieter airliners have become. More a whoosh than a whining roar. Hardly hear them Granted it's noisier if you are behind one but you can always tell when an older aeroplane is taking off. Normally it's an 0600 departure. Those fighter boys on the other side of the city on the other hand. Lots of noise and then suddenly they go strangley quiet Andy

Whilst true, I wonder if the descriptions of those who claim a close encounter are influenced by Hollywood imagery or vice versa. Andy

Personally, for a small bridge over a small stream I would go for somewhere around 5 - 6ft between bottom of support beams and water This is for no particular reason other than it seems about right for real narrow gauge bridges I've seen here in Poland. Of course it's not a lumpy here as Austria so some consideration on possible water flows off mountains may come into play Andy

Honda Jezz? Driven by Jeremies and Mrs SM42 We've just dined on Placki ziemniaki w sucrem. AKA potato pancakes with sugar An excellent choice of meal if you are going out for a 12 hour shift in the fields or mines. No so much for spending the evening on TNM. Andy

Aha thanks for this. I've been trying to work it out for over a year without success. The project was put on the back burner but I did have another look last week before giving up again Just got to find those tabs now. Andy

As predicted traffic chaos around the church. The service before the one we took part in Note the large plastic drum of holy water in the foreground Wesolych Swiat Andy

I will soon be departing for the local church for the blessing of the food baskets Services started at 10am and will take place about every 15 minutes till 4 pm or thereabouts. Travelling anywhere near a church today will not ensure quick passage. Andy

The problem with trying to be rational with the conspiracy theorist is that they mark you down a s gullible or part of the problem. A bit like those who just dismiss stuff as fake news. No matter how much evidence you put forward it's all a lie. Anything that doesn't confrm their view is to be ignored. I do regret not starting one about Covid vaccinations along the lines of: It's all made up, but the vaccinations are to protect the gullible and easily led when the real virus is released by the world elite, thus eradicating all those who fight back and threaten to expose them. Would have been fun to watch some heads implode. Andy

Piwo in Polish Mrs SM42 once used Russian in Riga to ask directions. The older police officer was reluctant to use it, the younger, not a word, but it was the only common language we could come up with. Paldies. Andy

Conspiracy theories often fail the which is more likely test. For me UFOs the jury is out. Yes there are flying objects that can't be explained till they can. Maybe it's a secret project, maybe it isn't. Is there a cover up of real aliens. Unlikely. Other life out there.? Possibly Is it likely that it has developed interstellar travel and can change the laws of physics Unlikely. Why do they always look a bit like us? Another example. Did man land on the moon? Which is more likely? They did Or Thousands of people involved kept it secret all these years and more importantly the Russians are in on it and have kept the secret too. Any conspiracy can be put to the same test. The test is really courtesy of Scott Adams under the title " Great Lies of Management" but it has many other uses in life. Andy

I know someone who used O level Latin in Italy to ask about car parking and directions to same. Parking cars. It was a major problem 2000 years ago too. I do try and learn at least thank you in the language of any country I visit. If I'm feeling brave maybe some numbers. Other useful terms, such as cake and beer, I pick up as I go Andy

Its 18C and climbing here in sunny Poznan Mrs SM42 has suggested going cycling later. I may have melted by this evening. Andy

The car was definitely rocky roll yesterday. I thought my eyes had gone funny till I realised it was the road. Who needs Millbrook. Just bring a new car out here and drive around. As for music, I have a broad tastes, a sort of like what I know and know what I like. Opera not so much, the chorus parts more than the soloist parts I find more appealing. Classical I enjoy generally My appreciation has grown since one of our neighbours started a professional orchestra. Although I don't recognise a particular piece or know where it finishes I love both the aural and visible spectacle of music being played by an orchestra. I grew up with the music of the 70s and mainly 80s with the 1940s thrown in ( thanks dad) and the bits in the middle have filled themselves in There's not much between 1987 and the now on my playlist in comparison bit probably more than I appreciate. Polish rocky poppy is also something I've come to appreciate (can't think why) but Disco Polo definitely in small doses or with lots of vodka, good company and a dance floor. Good music is good music regardless of what genre it fits Things aren't always the genre I think and I have no idea what some genres are. Techno garage handbag anyone? Andy

Well my day out was a mixed bag. Pila was full of wagons, one ET22 hanging about, but absolutely no where to park nearby. I did try another street I'd scoped out on line, but chickened out when I got to the succession of potholes that you could lose a 44 tonner in. The SM42 mobile isn't designed for off roading, even if it was a road. I moved on to Znin. The railway was closed and there was not much sitting around apart from a few wagons. The museum at Wenecja was, as now expected, closed too. Did take the odd over the fence shot. I ended the day at my favourite spot in Inowroclaw and wasn't disappointed. A few locos dotted about, refurbished SM42 shunting in the yard and several freight trains passing through Andy

Poznan has indeed changed a lot. I'm in Poznan as I type. My first visit was 2006. The old station building is still there The new is next door and on the road bridge ( Most Dworcowy) that goes over the station access road, and links directly into Poznan City Centre shopping centre. There is also a bus terminal underneath. Very joined up thinking. The tank isn't there now. The location is outside the castle, ( I don't remember seeing it) on Swiety Marcin. Not far from the station road entrance. Perhaps it was there temporarily in connection with the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Ciegelski workers strike. It is not far from the monument to the victims of that event The Ty45 is still at Kluczbork, ( Mrs SM42's home town) but is looking a little bit tattier nowadays. Yes you should have gone for the SM42 haulage. But then I'm biased. I did have a similar experience last August with this steam hauled service from Wolsztyn Didn't go down well with some of those who came to see a visiting steam loco ( Belgian I think) It was in the local press so there was quite a crowd. I didn't mind though and neither did most of the non enthusiasts there. Andy

Today dawns as breezy with hazy sunshine. This heralds two things. 1. The start of the Easter weekend heatwave. 17c predicted today. ( 23c tomorrow, 21c Sunday, 20c Monday and a more reasonable 12c on Tuesday) And 2. The start of a period of no meat and alcohol and general abstinence before Sunday. Breakfast was egg, bread and smoked salmon ( one mustn't deprive oneself too much) and there will be a meagre diet heavy in bread, cheese and fish between now and Sunday when the equivalent of half a pig lands on your plate for breakfast. Tomorrow morning, as is tradition, we will take our little basket of food to the church and join one of the regular rugby scrums to get it blessed. Happy Easter everyone. Andy

Another surprisingly slow Pole out today. I know it's a 50kph limit on the slip road cos its bendy and I can accept 35 kph as being suitably cautious on the tight bendy bits, but not when you join the motorway ( limit 120kph) Andy

Either could apply It might be the middle of the day at some latitudinal extremities. One of the perils of a night shift at North Pole Depot is that it last 6 months. Andy

Free day tomorrow so will be heading to Pila and ending up in Inowroclaw via a couple of places en route to mooch about and a visit to the Zninska Kolej Powiatowa. ( 600mm gauge) I took a ride on this with Mrs SM42, probably around 14 years ago. Be nice to re visit but no time for a ride. Instead I may visit the railway museum at Wenecja if it is open. Andy