[Early Risers.]

Morning All!

 

I've been jabbed, all seems well at the moment.        The nurse queried me and said "I looked a bit young for it".  I then explained some of the medication I'm  on and my medical history and she said "Yes, that'll do it!".

 

I'm off for a run over to Woburn on the RD in a short while.  The sun is out, the sky is blue and there's a coffee with my name on it that will be waiting to be drunk.

 

On my return I'll be firing up the Myford again.   I've got a friends Smiths Chronometric Speedo to test and whilst I already had a gadget for running them up that I made some years ago it's a bit Heath Robinson so I thought I'd make a better job of it.   I've been turning up the drive shaft and flywheel, the next things to make are the bearing housing and a mounting plate for a little (model aircraft) brushless motor that does the work of the speedo cable.      I might go the whole hog and build a little Arduino controller for it or I might rely on an old servo tester and use my oscilloscope to determine true speed.   We'll see!

 

Right, I'm off now.

 

TTFN

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Evening All!

 

8 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Good morning,

The Boss and I had our boosters yesterday (Moderna as well Tony) and Herself is feeling quite rough whereas yours truly is feeling fine, can't even feel the injection site unless I press it.  I've always been lucky and never had any real side effects but Chris always suffers.

 

Bob's back!    Jolly good 😀

 

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Well, "zimmer" just means "room" - so they can fulfill any function wish. The number of bedrooms that will be needed will depend upon the <nocturnal snoring situation> - currently a topic of much debate 🤣😁

 

The garden apartment has been designed with an open-plan kitchen/dining/room space, something I utterly LOATHE*, but as we are still at the architect's plans stage, these can be amended.

 

* I'm afraid I'm very old fashioned and prefer dedicated rooms to open plan living.

 

As in "where to keep the frame" 🤔😉

 

 

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Küche is kitchen.

 

I certainly don't want to talk to my guests when I'm cooking. Mrs iD does the "gracious hostess" bit, whilst I cook up a storm in the kitchen.

 

Besides, you won't believe how long the cheesy pong from a Fondue hangs around....

 

Not as long as the smoked code that we had for dinner on Sunday ....

 

3 hours ago, DaveF said:

I've just looked at an e mail from a bank I use.  They are going to change my credit card from a Visa Gold to a Visa card as they no longer issue Gold cards.  That means they will change the account number so anything that keeps my details will have to have them reentered.  At least the direct debit I use to pay it each month will be redone by the bank to take account of the new number.  However I will check that actually happens.  Also the credit limit, interest rate, PIN number etc is unchanged.  So why change it?  I can't see any savings for them.

 

Apparently it is to give an "even better customer experience".

 

David

 

Not another improvement for us customers.  Their generosity knows no bounds.

 

ION

 

Well I was up and out relatively early (8:45 ish) this morning as I had to disappear up the M1 to the frozen North (well, Hinckley actually).     A friend had invited me to join him on a Triumph Motorcycle factory tour.    It would have been rude to refuse!     And what an excellent day it was too.    

 

 

I won't pollute ERs with a whole load of old motorcycle photos (I'll do that later on the appropriate thread)  but I thought this machine was so way-out and has an appropriate name for a model railway forum (that is technically banned from this thread) that I'd chuck these in as they may be of interest to a wider audience.     All I can say is Guy Martin must have very, very large spheroids ........

 

 

 

 

Other than that not a lot to report.

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

17 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

It is overcast here, not raining though. I have to present myself at 11am at a nearby pharmacy for my Spring Covid booster. As mine is health related I rather than age I have to take along proof that I qualify even after being invited to book an appointment by the NHS.

 

That's interesting.   No mention of that that I have seen.       I didn't even have to go through a "prove you need one" on the website when I booked it, I entered my NHS number & DoB and it took me straight to the appointments.   

 

Perhaps I'd better take my medication with me just in case?  🤔

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Morning!

 

Damp and wet out there so a bit of mo'sickle fettling in the garage I fancy this morning 😀

 

Back later!

 

TTFN

 

 

[For those who like old Motorcycles.]

Seen at Jordans Mill and Shuttleworth recently ....

 

 

 

 

The chrome on that beautiful Honda 550 had to be seen to be believed - it looked like the wheels were solid chrome.  Whether it was original or a restoration job I don't know but no matter, it was rather fabulous.

 

 

 I understand @polybear finds the Vincent to be a particularly attractive motorcycle!  🤣

 

 

 

Our departure from Shuttleworth was recorded yesterday.  What an assortment they make or may be a "Motley bunch" might be a better description.   

 

 

 

It will be interesting  to see how long the Black Prince lasts in my mate's ownership.    I give it 3 or 4 weeks.   The Norton of course isn't quite pure Norton with that great big Yamaha V twin lump shoehorned in.  Mind you, it has been done very nicely indeed.     

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Mine was an email on the 15th April. 
it said I was being offered the vaccine as NHS records show I may have a weakened immune system. I then just went to the NHS app on my iPad (could have used phone but iPad was nearer ) logged in and found the option to book a Covid jab. It suggested I took along either a letter explaining what my condition was or a box of the medication.  

 

Thanks Tony, yes, so was mine it turns out.      Jab booked for Friday morning.

 

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

They are widely, if thinly, distributed around the world now having largely ceased to operate in London.  One tourist route, the T15, still uses them between the Tower of London and Charing Cross / Trafalgar Square but it's not within the TfL fares scheme.  

 

A number of Routemasters went to the Niagara Falls where some still are.  A handful have ben purchased as hospitality units or mobile homes and have travelled through Europe and the US.  You won't spend a day in central London without seeing one as there are also numerous "tours" such as the afternoon tea run and the ghost tour which use Routemasters in addition to a handful in use on sightseeing trips alongside high-capacity modern vehicles. 

 

When I visited the Google offices at Kings Cross c/o Junior Puppers a few years back i saw the famous Routmaster Bus converted into a "breakout area".  I think it was on the 3rd floor IIRC.     The tropical beach breakout area was amusing too.    Still, a full English breakfast, sat on the roof terrace of the building enjoying the fine view (including down into the Kings Cross train shed & station throat albeit with not a lot of interest therein these days) was most enjoyable.   Sadly, such opportunities have disappeared so I'll have to make do with Jordans Mill et al for breakfasts in the future.

 

 

(No, that isn't Junior Puppers before anyone asks)

 

Anyway, no doubt @polybear will recall enjoying the similarly luxurious working environment we experienced at the GE 😆

 

ION

 

I actually managed to get the telescope out last night and made a reasonable job of getting it polar aligned.      As we are pretty much out of planets at the moment I thought I'd have a go at some star/deep sky stuff using the astro camera.  Never had much success previously and guess what?   I didn't have any success last night either!   I think my low cost  astro camera suffers from a lack of sensitivity.  It also suffers form a lack of operator experience and "having a clue" but never mind.

 

By ~11:00pm the moon had popped up from behind the house so at least I had fall back target that was hard to miss.      I managed to get some reasonable videos and a quick process of one this morning shows some potential however I did struggle once again with slop in the mount, the clock drive jumping out of engagement etc etc so perhaps a good thing to do this afternoon would be to give the mount a good coat of "looking at" and come up with a plan for bearing and locking improvements for the various axes.   The bracket that holds the worm shaft certainly needs seem decent bearings if I'm to get shot of the the jumping out of engagement problem once and for all.  Or should I just blow £5-10K or so and buy a proper job (plus another £8-10K for the telescope to go with it)*?

 

The real problem is though that this astronomy lark does require you to be up, about and active late at night.   I didn't get to bed till gone 1:00 this morning and whilst I used to do that regularly years ago my body has very strict views on such behaviour these days and pays me back handsomely the next day.    Consequently today could not be said to be a particularly active or productive day 🤣

 

*  You know me that is, of course, a rhetorical question!

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Morning!

 

1 hour ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Oh darn, i thought it was a bit of snot on my android screen🙄

 

1 hour ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Oh darn, thought that was a bit of snot on the screen🙄

 

8 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Oh darn it, i thought that was a bit of snot on the screen!🙄

 

You can have too much of a good joke ..... 🤣

 

ION

 

Manx Norton kit dispatched.   As I said to the nice lady in the post office; it was very good of her to wrap it  and return from whence it came and ironic that if they'd have wrapped it themselves, she'd have been out of something to do.

 

Searching for the communication from the NHS telling me to go and book a Covid booster.      I'm blowed if I can remember what form it was in, I thought it was a text but no sign.   Perhaps I dreamt it?

 

TTFN

 

 

[Early Risers.]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

There's a Revell kit for £50.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315303601403? same kit?

 

Don't know.  Same scale so maybe?

 

50 minutes ago, TheQ said:

I've twice hit deer, luckily only at 30 mph or less and both muntjac which are small.  I have a by had the big Red deer cross my path but avoided them luckily...

 

Many years ago when I was on my RD125 (that puts in the late 70s!) two deer were standing on the bank a long a country  road.  The RD music scared them and they jumped down and ran across the road.    The first passed in front, the second passed behind.  I think I dodged a bullet there or, perhaps more accurately, a pair of deer.

 

32 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

And they are all dying around Cornwall thanks to some sort of disease. 

 

And in Puppers garden.  We put it down to abuse by Mrs Puppers and/or  the weather.

 

ION

 

Seems like our departure from OLd Warden this morning was recorded for posterity 🤣

 

 

 

Ssssh, don't mention this to anyone.     The sky is clear, the wind has dropped and there's almost a full moon.    I might get the scope out.   I wonder if I can remember what to do?

 

TTFN

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

24 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I checked my bank balance yesterday and I was surprised to see it still in four figures with less than a week to go when my council pension hits the account.

 

The beers are on Phil then! 🍺  What time should we call round?

 

ION Update

 

I've staggered my round the Amazon (Not much) Help pages and thought blow it,   they can just have it back and I'll do without.    If I send it back and re-order no doubt it will be a repeat match.    Another "amusing" (I use the term in a sarcastic manner) one of the return options was words to the effect of "The product was damaged but the packing was intact".   Nowhere was there a "We forgot to put it any packaging" option.

 

At one point I got to a page that provided a "Call me" option.   I thought Hurrah! I can speak to a human.    Silly old me ....... no, it was an opportunity to talk to a stupid computer albeit no doubt equipped allegedly with artificial intelligence.

 

Anyway, I've gone for the give the item as-is to the local post office, show them the QR code and wait for the refund option.     Apparently, the Post Office will wrap  it (well, there's a first) and return it all for nothing.  

Looks like if I want a model of a Manx Norton I'll have to scratch build it.    Now where did I put that brass tube?

 

TTFNQ

 

[Early Risers.]

Afternoon!

 

A quick chug over to Shuttleworth this morning.   There was some form of classic car meeting being held there today so we thought it might be worth a look.      The expectation was probably slightly better than the experience although no matter; we'd had a ride, had a (surprisingly good) breakfast in the cafe, had a gawp at the classic cars and a wander around the many and various bikes that were present.  A friends new acquisition, a Vincent  Black Prince was probably the rarest and most valuable there.   Mind you, the price of such  things is rapidly heading in a downward direction as those that typically lust after such beasts shuffle off this mortal coil (and you can't take them with you).    Their use as a solid gold investment opportunity is drawing to a close I suspect.   

 

 

I think the Beeza won the oldest motorcycle accolade today by a country mile.  It was the only pre-war bike I saw.    Rather amazingly on my return the engine was mostly free of external oil contamination.    I'd had another go yesterday at providing a better seal for the blanking plug in the rocker box for the non-existent decompessor.  Maybe I was, at last, successful? 

 

 

Talking of pre-war, one of the Cambridge Flying Group's lovely Tiger Moths was basking in the sunshine overcast, cold and windy dullness - lovely.     Must wangle another go in a Tiggy soon!

 

 

 

ION

 

I saw the Italeri kit for a Manx Norton the other day whilst in Hobby Craft.   I've seen them many times and I was severely tempted but it was ~£57 IIRC and I managed to resist.       When I got home I thought I'll just have a look on the Big River where the same kit was being offered for £44 and I was unable to resist "Adding to Basket".       It turned up yesterday ..........

 

This is "Handed to resident".   I think @polybear has a descriptive term that he uses to describe such situations.  I believe it starts with a "T" and ends with an "s" and is applicable here.

 

 

This is the suitable protective packaging in which it came ....

 

 

You might notice the damage to the box at both ends and the nice way the box artwork has been defaced by the application of the delivery labels.   

 

I think @polybear has a descriptive term that he uses to describe such situations.  I believe it starts with a "T" and ends with an "s" and is applicable here.

 

Fortunately the contents appear to be undamaged and all present.   More by luck than judgement!       I'd send a snottogram but I haven't spotted a suitable Email address.   The customer complaint / feedback in "My Account" does not appear to have a suitably relevant grump along the lines of "Put the goods in some protective packaging that's up to the job!" but I'll have another look if ICBA.   I might have to tap the Bear up for that Email address.  It can't do anything but help for the Managing Director to receive hundreds of Emails from disgruntled customers to keep him busy up to the morning coffee.

 

TTFN

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Evening

 

On 19/04/2024 at 20:30, polybear said:

Does Puppers recall what Lathes & Mill they are?

And if all else fails then https://Homeworkshop.org.uk is rather useful - fixed price (no "best offer" etc. - that's Ebay) and no fees either.  You can specify that buyers must be prepared to move/load etc.

 

The mill is a Senior (Built in deepest Yorkshire), don't know about the lathes one of which has been CNC'd.   Amazing what you can do with some stepper motors and some G Code.

 

11 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

From WhatsApp to Greggs - why is tech going down more?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxrz350qyy5o

 

Which is why modern society really gets my goat!  The total reliance on something that either isn't there all of the time or is completely inaccessible to a significant chunk of society (mostly but not exclusively the most senior members of our society).

 

22 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Well it seems to me  a bit illogical  if   insurance valuations are based solely on that?   Here there are still many old original  small cottages sitting on prime beachfront land amongst recently built  multi-million dollar properties. The real estate valuation (ie what you could ask for  if you sold it)  would be similar to  the surrounding mansions due to its  desirability as a knockdown - rebuild sitting on prime real estate, but the insurance valuation would be based mainly on the cost of rebuilding the dwelling  as-is, plus any risk (floodprone etc).  As you say, the land contains the value and you still have that after the house burns down.

 

There used to be a really useful online calculator for calculating your property re-building costs (in the UK) but unfortunately it seems to have disappeared.   It was most useful at insurance renewal times.   Maybe it's been taken down so that we (the great unwashed in the world of building) haven't got a clue, state a ridiculous amount (high or low) in our applications and then, should we need to claim, have any claims rejected as totally unrealistic re-building costs were quoted.    No, surely not!     Puppers aka "an old cynic"

 

13 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

And I’m damned proud to be ageist.

 

None of the staff in my little company is under 50 years of age - even our guard dogs (Lucy & Schotty) are over 50 in human years.

 

Yoof? You can keep the spotty, self-entitled, whiny little ******* 

 

In the usual context that's actually reverse-ageist and sounds like you've been indulging in positive discrimination!   

 

I never did agree with positive discrimination in any field; people (and dogs as appropriate) should be selected on their merits for the role whatever that maybe and not because they help "even-up a distribution" or put a tick in a particular box.       As an example, as a short-a**e, I would have had no problem with being rejected should I have applied to join the police force as a constable all those years ago.  I can appreciate that I would have been (still am) deficient in both the altitude and (at any likely time of application)  the mass departments and you could probably add to that list, bravery.    For me some key characteristics for a police officer include being tall and built like a brick outhouse (a bit like one of my neighbours who just happens to be a policeman who is built like a  brick outhouse).   Why?    Because size and mass provide an automatic air of authority and, if push came to literal shove, a most useful physical attribute of enhanced inertia in a tussle that someone my size simply does not have.     I'm reminded of this more amusing and light-hearted example.   

 

Positive discrimination appears to be part of the, if I maybe so bold and IMVHO, rather pathetic "Everyone can do anything they want and every one is a winner" culture that seems to prevail these days.     Well, life isn't like that and despite as much valid smoothing of whichever playing field it happens to be it will never be truly level and no, everyone is not and cannot be a winner.      Discrimination of any form based on characteristics that are irrelevant to the role (we all know what they are so no point in enumerating them here)  are of course completely unjust and unacceptable.    Deselection because someone does not possess some essential characteristic or experience for the role is perfectly valid and is not discrimination.     Similarly, selection just because someone has a specific characteristic or experience that is irrelevant to the role over someone who has the relevant characteristics and experience  is just plain wrong again IMVHO.     

 

Making things as accessible as possible to as many as possible is entirely laudable and I was reminded of an interesting example of something going full-circle  over a period of many years the other day.  The example in "Secrets of the London Underground" was the efforts by London Underground (or is it TFL?) to increase accessibility to stations by the removal of escalators  and their replacement by lifts, some of which will go in the lift shafts of the old lifts taken out of service 70 or 80 years ago when the new fangled fancy escalators were introduced!  

 

12 hours ago, polybear said:

Similar in the Aircraft Design Industry; one of the problems is that for systems requiring "dual redundancy" they get separate teams to design each one separately - but those teams went to the same teaching establishments and therefore think alike, meaning there's a risk they'll each make the same mistakes.

 

Although in some cases that I can think of, not only are different teams used  but different technologies are used too which usually forces different approaches so although the designers may have  come out of the same general mould the mistakes they potentially make in each case are likely to be very different by virtue of the technology used.     I'd rather have two different systems design teams designing a duplex safety critical system than one by a systems design team and one by a bunch of florists.

 

7 hours ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Well it has in sunny Newton Abbot but as my Cornish mother would say..........its a lazy wind today!  Wisteria as in 2009 with our then elderly cat Rusty and in 2024,  still its at least thirty five years old. It didnt like Essex but happier here but not so prolific now. The acer is about fifty years old and had a large flowering cherry tree in front of it. The  torbay palm tree is a similar age and still growing well.

 

I do like a nice Wisteria.  I was going to comment on the strange giant snake running through your garden but others have beaten me to it so I won't! 🤔🤣

 

ION

 

A nice thrash over to Woburn this morning on the RD but boy was it busy over there!      Probably 80 - 90 bikes at the peak and about 20 cars many of them classics.     The only trouble is the cafe is very small and as it says on the window "We don't do fast food just high quality* food ....".  Another problem is there is only one unisex loo and a lot of, shall we say,  older males.    Billy Connelly has got a very good rule about men over 50 to which I subscribe (often).  

 

* It's all relative and may not pass the iD test!

 

On my return there was some ladder stowage operations to be perform following the completion of the recent aerial activities around the roof and gutter.      This was followed by a little routine maintenance on the Beeza in readiness for another run out tomorrow which may well feature a change of two wheeled horse.

 

That's it.

 

Night all!

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Evening!

 

Puppers went to see the widow of my good mate (and ex-work colleague) and to collect the foam cutter this morning.    Try as I might, the two inverted U shaped main frames would not fit in Monty even after removing all of the mechanism parts.   I had hoped to keep them intact for the time being (even though it is unlikely that it will be used as a foam cutter again) but it was not to be and they had to be cut-up to get them in the car.      It was a strange, uneasy feeling fiddling about in his garage, using his tools to dismantle something that we'd discussed and worked on many* years ago.  More than once I asked him where I'd find a screwdriver or Allen Key!   

 

At some point there's a vertical mill and two lathes to dispose of and that's going to be interesting.  I do hope that his widow doesn't end up calling in the "We'll get rid of them for free Madam" merchants and that we can find recipients who want and will appreciate them and also won't mind giving at least a token amount in return.    Those recipients will of course have to be "strong old boys" though because they'll have to remove them from their lair!

 

* Hard for me to believe it's very nearly 20 years since we built our first foam cutter

 

On my return this afternoon the stack of bits that is the scaffold tower was moved to a more appropriate position.   Its owner is away walking for a couple of weeks so I've got to hang on to it for a bit.    We don't want to be tripping over it every 5 minutes🤣

 

Now, I wonder what the weather is going to be like in the morning?   There's talk of a run over to Woburn to Pure Triumph tomorrow which reminds me, a friend has two tickets for a trip around the Triumph factory.   Looks like I'll be driving up the M1 next week! 😀

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Afternoon!

 

Bluebells were spotted in Hitch Wood and very nice they were too.

 

 

 

On the way back we detoured via St Evenage as shopping had to be shopped; "a few bits" aka ~£100 from Sainsbugs and some wool from Hobby Craft.   Like many things it appears wool is becoming a difficult item to source.     All of the traditional local retailers, whether independents or chains, seem to have disappeared in a puff of smoke.   This is not good when Mrs Puppers has just been commissioned by Junior Junior Puppers to knit yet more toy snakes!     Still, we found some in the end but how much!

 

This afternoon I have been engaged in the death defying feat of dismantling the scaffold tower with the assistance of Mrs Puppers and a neighbour (who reported that this mornings VMCC ride was extremely pleasant - that's right, rub it in 🤣).   Anyway, I'm very pleased to say that the entire activity is now complete without any physical damage to my body including that that would be created by the sudden stop at the end of a long drop!   I'm getting way too old to be scrabbling around at the top of a braced but still wobbly  scaffold tower.      On disassembly I tried one of the frames for size in the back of Monty.   It looks like I'll be able to return it to it's owner without troubling him to come over with his trailer.   Good old Monty who, incidently, clocked up 198,000 miles on the way home this morning.

 

Whilst engaged in this activity I noticed a glider thermal soaring nearby.    It's only a phone shot and it was a way away so it is included for interest rather than photographic merit.   The other day we were visited by a couple of Wildcat helicopters that clearly used the local church (stuck on a hill) as a turning point.    Reminds me of the days years ago when we used to get A10 Warthogs doing the same thing at about 800'   Fortunately we never heard the very distinctive sound of the "Gatling Gun"*

 

* Actually the GAU-8/A Avenger auto-cannon

 

 

This evening it's downt'pub with the ex GE Biker mates.      I wonder if the world will have been to rights in the morning?   Probably not .....

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Morning!

 

15 hours ago, polybear said:

**Bear was at The Great Empire for 39 years - and how many times did something similar happen there?  Not fuggin' once  - in fact your were expected to take the cakes in for the Department.....of 60 or 70+ people (some of which were total Tw@ts).

 

13 hours ago, Barry O said:

@polybear  never ever had a cake with candles on! Had to take pies ans peas in in Barrow on pay days and birthdays.

 

Me neither.   I think we can detect a theme here .....

 

ION

 

Had very few interviews during my career.  One to get my first position.     One 10 years later for a position with the then opposition.    I passed but declined the "kind" offer.    History shows another bullet dodged as I probably would have ended up where I ended up anyway but on different terms.      Looks like I failed my last informal interview.

 

It's a beautiful day!       I had an invitation to go on the first local VMCC "Summer Saunter".   I think they are heading out over Saffron Walden way.   No doubt it will be a nice run but I declined the offer as I'm out with another group (ex GE bikers) this evening and this morning Mrs Puppers and I are out to visit the Bluebells.

 

TTFN

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Evening!

 

 

11 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

I  shouldn't mention that I have two of those, though they are currently stacked up in a back corner to make room for all the 3D printers!

 

 

Which reminds me, I have to go and collect a foam cutter gifted to me that was built by a late, good friend and colleague in the next couple of days.   

 

We first built a fairly substantial foam cutter together for a project about 20 years ago.  Essentially 2 giant XY plotters with a hot wire stretched between them it would cut objects up to just over 2m long by 1m by 1m - it was a bit of a beast!   It used some really cheap (and extremely poor) commercial software to convert the 2D template drawings into sequential cut paths.   We had no knowledge of G Code at the time and persevered with "FlakeySoft" once I'd identified workarounds to its software "features".    It did the job rather well in the end even if we did have to invent some devious cut-paths to produce the required, rather complex 3D objects.      When my friend retired sometime later he used his collection money to buy the necessary components (bearings, leadscrews, stepper motors, drivers etc etc) to build a better albeit more modestly sized one for home use rather than the standard clock.    Why did people always get clocks or watches  when they retired? 🤔

 

Anyway, unfortunately he succumbed to the big C last year and his wife has asked me if I'd like it.     Even though I'm now unlikely to make use of it as a foam cutter (for model aircraft wing cores most likely) the components may well have a number of other potential uses particularly for the astronomy department so, yes I would.

 

56 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Evening all,

 

An earlier bedtime beckons tonight as I am on early morning watch tomorrow.  My first solo watch after qualification.  

 

After a good deal of electronic paper-shuffling this morning including setting up a bank account specifically to manage my pension funds (both inbound and outbound transactions) I felt it was time to get out and about.  The open-top buses are running around the coastal circuit now.  That might sound like a short seaside pleasure trip but it's a four-hour ride all the way around through some stunning scenery and linking our main towns.  

 

So I ventured along the north coast to St. Ives, enjoyed a coffee and a rather good chocolate-covered flapjack (both white and milk chocolates) and then returned home.  That's an hour each way along my all-time favourite road.  Whereupon it's so good to not be driving and to be a little higher than the stone hedges.  The views are amazing in spades even when you go that way fairly regularly anyway.  

 

The sun shone.  The wind was brisk and quite chilly but I did as I always do (so long as seats are available) and rode on the top deck.  Inbound to St. Ives the bus was surprisingly busy for an off-season school Tuesday and was about half full; coming back I was one of just five takers though we did pick up a couple in the middle of nowhere and a few more for local journeys through the mining villages.  It's not just a tourist bus - locals use it too.  

 

St. Ives harbour and distant Porthkidney under as much cloud as the day could muster

 

It's quite startling how tame the St. Ives starlings are.  But don't try to get friendly with the gulls - they steal your food and plop on you and everything else

 

Yes it's a real street though perhaps not an address I'd want to admit to. 

 

Light and shade in The Digey.  With a nice visual pun intended

 

Spring colours and one of St. Ives' numerous churches

 

One of the best views you can get from a bus in the UK.  I used to be paid to enjoy this every day whilst visitors paid a fortune to stay in town for a week or two.

 

Carn Galva Mine at Bosigran with Pendeen Watch lighthouse in the silvery Celtic Sea

 

Great photos Rick!    Although I don't ever recall going to St Ives I feel I know the place fairly well now as I pay a virtual visit using a roving webcam  sometimes when taking my blood pressure (it's a nice scene that distracts the mind).      The second photograph has answered a question I had.   I've often wondered if the arches in the quay were blind.   Apparently not!  Anyway, we really must pay it a proper not virtual visit sometime.

 

ION

 

I've been up and down the scaffold tower a few times this morning tidying up and fine tuning the work I've done up there.    Just got to take it down now and return it to its owner.    I'm definitely getting too old to  be shinning up and down such things and me with a heart condition!

 

This afternoon may have involved an extended eye lid inspection.

 

Other than that. not a lot ....

 

Night All

 

 

[For those who like old Motorcycles.]

20 minutes ago, polybear said:

Bearing in mind that Harry the Honda has been in storage for the last 28 years.....

 

.....is remembering the Battery Part No. (YB14L-A2) "sad"?

 

If only I could remember what I went upstairs for by the time I get to the top.....

 

Bear

 

Yes .... 🤣

 

Whoops, I've just thought.   When Puppers was a young Pup (circa 1970)  his father had a model shop.   We used to sell MiniTrix N Gauge stuff.    The small radius curve  part number was 4912, the larger radius curve was 4922 and short straights were 4916.       The registration number of father's Triumph Herald  in 1964 was GMG***B  ......

 

On second thoughts, no Bear that's not sad at all it just show's you have* a very good memory.

 

*   In my case it shows I had a very good memory albeit it's shot to pieces now! 🤣

 

 

[Early Risers.]

10 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Thats because theres so many more fun things you can do while driving  compared to previous decades. Make a phone call, send a text, order something online,  watch Tik Tok clips, update your facebook status, video yourself talking about stuff as you drive along for your youtube channel - all much less boring than just staring intently at the road the whole time.

 

And in some cases all of those things simultaneously!  You can't beat multi-tasking.

 

 

[Early Risers.]

3 minutes ago, polybear said:

Was the Harley knocked over too/damaged?  I do hope the owner was an Angel rather than a Bank Manager....

 

No the bloke on the HD took some of the weight of the Duke as he was actually sitting on it about to leave.  Richard's mate rushed to his aid to lift the bike off of the HD.   I presume the HD was not actually damaged as there appeared to be no swapping of particulars and he drove off.   His body language clearly suggested that he was less than chuffed!

 

 

[Early Risers.]

17 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Lamborghini was and still is a tractor manufacturer. The story goes that the owner was looking at buying a new Ferrari but decided he could build a better car so he did.

 

Perhaps different rather than necessarily better?

 

13 minutes ago, BoD said:

Note I did say once.

 

Once is more than enough and worthy of applause as mentioned 😀

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

43 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Oh yes, with bells on.  Do NOT try it unless you are happy to deal with 1 in 3 hill starts and hairpin bends on such gradients.  It is alleged to be the steepest road in Britain, although there are others as steep (Rosedale Chimney I think). 

 

Monty did the Hardknott Pass a few years ago.   What fun!

 

43 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

I got pushed off the road there last year by a Range Rover, hit a rock and smashed an alloy wheel - not happy - b'sterd didn't even stop.  Luckily I do have a spare wheel in my car. 

 

I always find it ironic that the off-road vehicles are (usually) the ones to force you off of the road ...

 

Maybe I'm just unlucky?

 

23 minutes ago, BoD said:

I did it on my bike.*

Once.

A long time ago.

 

 

* No CB750 (insert letters and numbers if your choice). 

No DOHCs or Carbies.

Not even an engine thingy.

 

Wasn't certain how to rate your post but in the end I think anyone who can do the pass without an engine thingy deserves a might big round of applause!

 

 

[For those who like old Motorcycles.]

31 minutes ago, polybear said:

**Do I need to stick with a Lead Acid Battery as it's 1985 vintage electrics, or would I be better off with some sort of Gel(?) Battery - the likes of with I know now't about?  And is there a best "go to" supplier for such things (i.e. best price); I'm guessing if it's a Lead Acid Battery it'll need to be a local bike shop - sending thru' the post might be a no-no?

Bear in mind that I'll be selling it soon, so I'm not out to spend £££ when £ would do the job.

 

Gel batteries are lead acid, it's just that the acid has been turned into gel form to provide maintenance and spill proof characteristics so should be fine with the original system.  Do not go for Lithium batteries which generally require different and carefully monitored and controlled charging regimes.   As you know, Lithium batteries also have a secondary use as incendiary devices if physically abused (mechanical damage, incorrect charging etc .....)

 

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Afternoon!

 

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Odd that something associated with right angles is necessary for someone who can only move diagonally 

 

A mitre is cut at half  the angle so (usually) 45° - that's diagonal for a square chess board so just about spot-on 😉

 

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Potholes here can swallow a car…

 

Teeny exaggeration but many are noticeable whatever you drive. Big ones on National Speed limit major roads too. 

 

They do round here!

 

4 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear here....

 

Mission accomplished - Harry the Honda has been brought out of hibernation at long last; I just searched when the tax ran out and it was Oct 1995.....

 

Guess what?  No scary monsters encountered at all during the great unveiling - though Harry's (rather expensive) bike cover had suffered greatly during storage (as had numerous dust sheets & blankets) to the point where they were only fit for the bin.  Oh Poo - but at least it meant that I didn't need to go checking inside the cover for monsters; they've all been bundled up & bagged and are now in the bin.

 

Ever tried taking a Harry off the centre stand when you can't roll it forwards cos' the front wheel is already touching the wall?  It's, er, "interesting".....IIRC Harry's weigh 440lbs....and the only way is to lift the back end upwards.....

 

The very, very good news is that Harry seems to be in rather good nick (as good as I'd hoped), though the crankcase covers will need stripping of lacquer and re-polishing - the next owner can have that job.  All I needed to do was bung some air in the tyres and then wheel him out of the shed.

 

The area where Harry was parked was given numerous sweeps - only one monster was detected (a big 'un too 😱); he came running out of a corner and promptly parked himself on top of one end of the broom head.  Unfortunately Bear's Size 9 Rigger Boot followed very shortly afterwards.  Oops, what a terrible accident.

 

Harry is now back in the shed (on the side stand this time - which makes getting in n' out of the shed a bit more awkward, especially when carrying a mower etc.), with a single dust sheet over him.  He'll come out again when the forecast suggests a few dry days in a row, which will give me the chance to do some initial cleaning, polishing, checking and re-assembly work.  I'll need a new Battery.....

 

Here's Harry - exactly as brought out of Hibernation after 28 years:

 

 

 

 

BEAR STOP RIGHT NOW!

Puppers does not have room in his garage for another bike, he probably couldn't reach the ground and he certainly couldn't pick it up unaided if he dropped it!   

Does look nice though and very shiny indeed considering it's been living in shedland for 30 years.   Is the fully enclosed chain standard or a Beary add-on?

 

A note of caution or, as the boss at the Great Empire used to say, "expectation management";  It's a buyer's market out there at the moment with prices of second hand bikes generally depressed and going down.   I've no idea what it is worth other than "whatever someone will pay for it" (which reminds me, I'll mention it to my mate (Note 1) in the VJMC to see if he knows of anyone likely to be interested.

 

ION

 

Went for a wee thrash this morning with a couple of mates (See Note 1) first to Jordans Mill for brekkie and then on to Shuttleworth.   The Cambridge Classic Car group were meant to be having a meet there today.   Saw a few interesting cars but not enough to constitute a "Meet".   As we were sitting in the sunshine enjoying coffee and putting the world to rights a couple Ducatis arrived and (attempted) to park up.  The first one slotted in between a Harley with Ape bars (but we won't hold that against him and I think you get counselling now)  and another bike.  The second which looked like a race replica complete with a rider in IIRC racing leathers (I think his name may have been Richard Head) attempted to fit in the non-existent gap between his mate and the Harley.   He got off and as there was no room between him and Mr HD (who had just started up with difficulty due to lack of space) over-balanced, dropped it and it fell against the HD.    Mr HD was, quite rightly, "a bit p*ss*d off!    There was plenty of space elsewhere to park.  As I say, I think his name must have been Richard Head.

 

On my return I collected some tools and ascended the scaffolding tower to attend to the needs of the gutter/soffit/facie/tiles.    I'm definitely getting too old to be at roof level at the top of a wobbly scaffold tower.    Nevertheless the mission appeared to be successful.  I will leave the tower in place for a couple of days just in case I need to do any "fine tuning" and then I'll grab the neighbour and get him to give me a hand getting it down again.

 

Apparently dinner is almost served.

 

TTFN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Night Mail]

46 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Thomas the Tank Engine has blue wheels not red.

 

I rest my case ...

[The Night Mail]

On 12/04/2024 at 10:51, PhilJ W said:

Green or red locomotives are far too common. They should be aquamarine blue with vermillion lining and connecting rods. Having lit the 'blue' touch paper I shall now retire.

 

Green, blue or black* is the correct colour for locomotives but each colour MUST be of the correct shade and red (of the correct "Indian" shade) should of course be reserved for the wheels of blue locomotives 😀

 

* Three contrasting shades of grey (emulating "silver") are of course eminently suitably alternatives for certain locomotives.

 

Simple really .....

 

 

[Early Risers.]

Evening!

 

7 hours ago, Grizz said:

She asked Lemon or Lime? 

 

You have to ask! 🤣

 

ION

 

Today I have been erecting (up to house gutter level) the scaffolding tower that a mate has lent me.     That' an interesting exercise and one designed to wear a Pup out!     I took the precaution of buying a couple of ground anchors so that I could tie it down to the ground and provide a bit of triangulation for stability purposes.   Also arranged so that there's a slight bias of tension towards the house rather than away from it.    Unfortunately it was just too tall to fit nicely under the soffit right up hard against the wall so I think a couple of spacer blocks may well be added between the tower and the wall to provide additional stability.        I used to quite like heights and  going up ladders ....

 

After today's and the remnants of yesterday's exertions I feel another early night is in order. 

 

Night Awl!