br2975

. The wife was refunded; we let the vendor take it up with Mr. A Mazon Esq.

Whilst we were away on our holibobs, the Big River delivery chap once put our parcel in the green recycling wheelie bin and recorded the fact in the appropriate manner. . You can guess what happened between his delivery and our return home. . "A long time ago In a landfill far, far away !"

My personal view, as a Welshman with but a smattering of my native tongue............... outside rural mid, and north Wales, the Welsh language appears to be the domain of the middle class 'Taffia' and the 'Crachach'. . If you are a former sports man (or woman) and you speak Welsh, the Welsh media is your licence to print money. . Has the ability to converse fluently in Welsh held me back ? . The answer must be 'no' . If being unable to understand Welsh language programmes on S4C is a hindrance, it has not effected me in the slightest. . My daughter is fluent, it has helped her on several occasions, usually when in the company of other Welsh speakers (members of the 'Taffia') who, because my daughter's strong Cardiff accent belies her ability to 'siarad Gymraeg' has challenged Welsh speaker's derogatory comments made against or about her....... much to their embarrassment, as she leaves their company with a cheery "Hwyl Fawr" .

Such police boxes were uncommon in the South Wales area, albeit there were a handful, generally the light was blue.

. "My bad" . "My bad" . For a bloke who professes to be as eloquent as you John, what in heaven's name is "My bad" ? . Act your age, and use 'The King's English'

. Are you sure about the LNWR Ramsbottom tank being named after the wife of the owner of Cardiff Docks ?. . As for the BrAIn's pub, "The Marchioness of Bute" - it was nowhere near Clive Road, which is in Canton. . The 'Marchioness of Bute' was well over a mile away, in Frederick Street, in the city centre. . The only pub on Clive Road was the 'Duke of Clarence' ( named for Prince Albert Victor, grandson of Queen Victoria and whose full title was "Duke of Clarence and Avondale" ) which, is now flat, and the ground forms the foundations for a block of apartments. .

. Tell them not to hold their breath. . Even if action is taken regarding the 'alleged' lack of a Test Certificate, the punishment will be minimal.

. An RTA (Road Traffic Accident) in a car park can be a difficult one. . The wording of Section 170 of The Road Traffic Act, 1988 includes - "............ owing to the presence of a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road, or other public place, an accident occurs by which— (a).................... or (b) damage is caused. . The difficult one here is defining a 'public place' to suit the RTA . A 'public place' is 'a place to which the public has access (at the material time) whther upon payment, or otherwise. . e.g. A football stadium is private property, but once the turnstiles open, and during a match, that private property becomes a public place. . Similarly, a Retail Park car park is private property but can be deemed a public place when the stores are open. . This scenario is a minefield, when it comes to the law - take for example Max-Power Rallies on Retail Park car parks when the Retail Park is closed for business ? . This is compounded by the police failing to train their (civilian) call handlers in the finer points; and these undertrained 'call handlers' are under pressure to real with as many callers as possible. . Sadly, many police officers are now no longer trained in such matters either . My brother was victim of a FTS (Fail to Stop) RTA very recently (on a public road) and despite having the VRM of the offending car, was told the same 'it's not a police matter, report it to your insurance' In his case it was a clear offence contrary to Sec.170 of The Road Traffic Act. He made a formal complaint to the local force, who have admitted their 'call handler' was in the wrong and labelled it as a 'misunderstanding' and a 'training issue' - which means the force concedes they have failed to train, or supervise their 'call handlers' . Whether the circumstances described actually do form a reportable road accident as described under the Road Traffic Act and associated legislation is not for me to determine; but I would always 'demand' to know how the call handler, or officer arrived at their decision. . And remember, the telephone conversation with a police control room or contact centre is always recorded.

Considering Swansea is some 40 miles 'deeper' in to Wales than Cardiff, it provided a greater variety of pre-grouping presence with former Midland Railway and L.N.W.R. accessing the town, albeit the MR employed some running rights to get there. . The capital only managed the odd LNWR 'Coal Tank' based at the Rhymney Railway's Cardiff Dock shed to shunt the LNWR Tyndall Street goods depot and warehouse, an agreement that ended after the grouping. . The Central Wales Line has seen its' fair share of diesel variety also, especially the lower end where Classes 03, 08, 14 (briefly), 35, 37, 41, 47 to name but a few reached there in the late 60s / early 70s. More recently, diversions away from the North & West brought diverted steel trains from Margam over the Central Wales with more up to date power.

. Reminds me of an incident involving a former colleague (police sniper) on uniform foot patrol in Bute Street (Tiger Bay) seeing a car parked up with four suspicious looking white males sat therein. . "Beechy" didn't recognise the car, or men, who stood out like sore thumbs. . A conversation took place between 'Beechy' and the driver, whilst the other three occupants remained 'schtum' . "Beechy" swiftly reached in and grabbed the car keys from the ignition, and said to the driver "Let's have a look in the boot" . Calmly the driver said "You don't want to open the boot" . "Beechy" opened the boot, which was an arsenal of weapons ! . "Call you control room, tell them Operation ??????? and give them this telephone number..........." . The strangers were on their way in a matter of minutes. . . Then there was my pursuit of a Mitsubishi Gallant around the Riverside area of Cardiff - . . Then the multi-agency anti-terror operation in the late 90s which ended with a hostage situation on a train at Jersey Marine (Swansea). . A relative and colleague in our Tactical Firerams Unit was part of the polce team securing the train, and was holed up in some bushes; awaiting the arrival of certain military personnel who would take over from the police and storm the train. . As time dragged on....'Gerry' (the officer) grew bored waiting for the military to arrive and relieve him and his colleagues, and started moving from one knee to another, squirming as his body began to ache. . Eventually a voice from the shrubbery beneath him said tersely "For f**** sake, can't you keep still for two minutes !" . .

. I bet he's happy after tonight's result at Villa Park.

. Despite being a 'traditionalist' I have to say that much of the 'traditional' uniform associated with the typical British 'Bobby' is nowadays thoroughly impractical. . On my last night I wore a cape, but ended up struggling with two warring partners, and the cape was a bl**dy nuisance, and only got in the way. However, it did conceal from view a couple of digs that were necessary to subdue my male prisoner. . The modern police officer is entitled to the best kit his/her force can provide and that includes things such as ASP, PR24 or other baton. CS spray, or other incapacitant. Rigid bar handcuffs TASER Disposable rubber gloves Faceguard for administering 'mouth to mouth' Stab proof, or ballistic vest. PR (Personal radio) and PDA device. Torch . All of these items (and more) have to be worn, and carried about the officer's person. . They're no use in the boot of a patrol car twenty yards away, as officers aren't issued with crystal balls so cannot anticipate when it will 'go off'. . The traditional 'Custodian' helmet is an anchronism and looks out of place when worn with a long reflective anorak, or wicking jacket, combat pants and Hi-Tec boots. . The helmet is the first thing to go flying when the officer gets into a struggle, and the helmet will invariably be stolen by an 'interested bystander' thereby generating much additional paperwork for the officer. . The traditional uniform looks so nice, so Dixon of Dock Green, but then looked what happened to PC 693 Dixon in "The Blue Lamp". . . .

. If I had a pound for every time I used that phrase.................. . . Local (and other) knowledge is everything - but it's a luxury the job now thinks it can do without . Stop and talk to people, listen to chit chat, read every collator's bulletin, read every prison release, read every bail report etc etc . "Knowledge is Power !" . . When I retired the second time (as a civvy) I was working 'flexi' and calculated that I could finish at midday on 'Black Friday' (last Friday before Christmas). . Told my D.S. I was leaving the nick at 11:45am, as it took ten minutes to get to the pub (opposite my house), and I intended to have a pint in my hand before midday - as the last thing I wanted to do was have a pint on duty ! . She joined me ! .

. Elementary my dear Scratching.

. I wasn't smiling at 02:00hrs. . I was expecting to finish then, having paraded for duty at 18:00hrs. - but was 'persuaded' to stay on and ended up with two 'bodies' (prisoners) and didn't finish until 06:00hrs. . Any other occasion I would have taken it in my stride; BUT, I was going for lunch, and then to the Wales v New Zealand Autumn International that afternoon.

. Hence the lack of experience of those (apparently) policing our streets.

. Yours truly prepares for his last shift on the street, Friday 6th. November 2009 - nights, Cardiff city centre. . Decided to look like a real copper and wear my cape. . The old 'horse blanket' was the best bit of kit ever issued................ and being obsolete in South Wales by that time, caused quite a stir amongst the revellers, and many younger colleagues who 'had to come and have a look' . True to my beliefs, I had two prisoners that last night - the control room staff, watching on cctv thought it was a remake of the famous BBCtv 'Only Fools & Horses' Christmas Special as I came running down Charles St. out of the gloom !

. "Why aren't those kids safe at home, with their games console ?" .

They are British Railways built Dia. 1/411 45 ton 'Slab / Coil' wagons - written 'SLABCOIL', of which 58 were built at Swindon in 1962 to Lot 3424.. . The wagons were numbered B949551 - B949608. . Under TOPS they became 'JZV' . In the photo they are carrying steel slabs, (not concrete sections) for re-rolling at a works other than where they were cast. . They could also carry steel coils 'eye to the sky' both over the bogies and in the well. .. Once their BR life had ended, during the 1980s several passed into the ownership of 'Allied Steel & Wire" and with the framework cut down became 'internal user' wagons at ASW's Cardiff plants. . They were scrapped after ASW went to the wall in 2002. . For once I may concur with 'Johnster' and feel the location 'may' be the SWML at St. Georges-super-Ely - with the train heading in the up direction (east) toward Cardiff, and would suggest the destination is the then Spencer Works (Llanwern) as opposed to Ebbw Vale. . My photo was taken a few yards to the left of the original image above. . .

. 'tis I, and the twin's other, late grandad Alistair, who both are blamed for Dan's obsession with railways. . Now, if I ever need an excuse to 'go lineside'.................... . There can't be many 13 year olds intrigued by the workings of a Westinghouse brake pump.............

Who, in their right mind stands in torrential rain, on a windswept platform (Pontyclun) at 22:30 on a Saturday night, to supervise their 13yrs old grandson filming the passing of a Cardiff Canton to Port Talbot, Notwork Rail rail grinder movement ?

. Nice one Dave, here is a photo of it derelict at Cwm, in the winter of 1984/1985 awaiting collection by Charlie Strong. . . The pit was silent as this was at the height of 'The Strike' and only one 'scab' (strike breaker) was there. . This meant my colleagues and I had the run of the place. .

. Pam torri'r arfer o fywyd ? .

. In my case it was touching the bar of an electric fire immediately it was switched on !

. No, far from it, a lot was BR hauled. . eg In many valleys there were 'central' washeries which (obviously) washed coal, from several collieries in that area and brought to the washery by BR, there was for example the AVCW (Aberdare Valley Central Washery) at NCB Deep Duffryn, Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley, or another in the Ogmore Valley above Bridgend, or Maesteg above Bridgend, or say Hafodyryrnys on the former GWR Vale of Neath line, above Pontypool. . BR would work trainloads of coal from various pits to these washeries, and then take block trainloads of the now washed coal to various industrial customers, or for export. . BR would move 'household coal' or 'concessionary coal' around from one pit to another pit's Landsale Yard. . If a pit could or did produce coal suitable for domestic use locally, then the NCB pit loco would shunt NCB internal user wagons from the washery screens to the pit's Landsale yard in the course of its days work. Right up until the mid-70s and later this could often be in wooden bodied ex-PO wagons.