Gwiwer

The UK is notorious for being a low wage/salary*, high tax environment, Even in my humble profession this has been true. One of the reasons we could not attract staff at Clapham was the rate of pay offered. Never mind the conditions which of necessity required us to work outdoors in a customer-facing and often quite hostile environment at any hour of any day. There was a pay freeze imposed by the Government post-Covid but ironically the same Government mandated minimum wage levels which enforced pay rises! We were below the "London Living Wage" and pennies above the statutory minimum hourly rate. For a safety-critical job which demanded all sorts of skills and knowledge, impinged on our private lives because of the shifts and zero-alcohol / illicit drugs requirements and we no longer had the one-time UK-wide free travel entitlement. Though we did retain the right to privilege fares an all but the "Open Access" operators meaning the most we would pay was a quarter of the Anytime (walk-up) fare and usually a quarter of the Off-Peak fares. Quite frankly the only staff we could usually recruit were those even the supermarkets had rejected. Because you could get at least £1 / hour more for filling shelves and you worked indoors. OK you didn't get privilege travel but not everyone uses that anyway. And so the railways have become the bucket employer; the carp which falls to the bottom and takes the job not because it's what they want but because it is the only job they can get. That might be worth remembering the next time you encounter surly staff who hide when things go wrong and seem to know nothing and care even less. That does not excuse poor performance but it does help to explain it. Honestly how many folk in the job market today would do that sort of work - and be asked to manage any and every situation including the traumatic ones - for just a few pence above the National Minimum Wage? There used to be pride in working for the railways and it was a career sought by many but to which only the lucky few were recruited. You can always tell a career "Railwayman" from the pack, and there are still some around, by their attitude, approach and often their appearance. No mobiles in hand, half-mast ties and trainers. Always well-dressed and eyes-on-the-job. The railway has never been a well-paid career (driving grades excepted) but it was better-paid in Australia than it is in the UK. Put bluntly I was expected to work half as hard for twice the money out there. Had life not brought me back to home shores I would happily have continued there until retirement.

Rumour has it that certain models can be (a) very expensive, (b) temperamental, (c) liable to play up at a moment's notice - or indeed any combination of the above Confused of Clapham here. Well not Clapham any more but hey. Models that are very expensive, play up and are temperamental can be of more than one species. I jettisoned the good-looking one with curves, moods and an on-off love affair with anyone who might pay her some attention. I retained the one which says "Lima" stamped on its bottom, looks good but has always been temperamental and liable to play up. Just to avoid confusion the one with curves etc. did not have "Lima" stamped on her bottom although she did have a pretty picture stamped beneath the wrappers on the front and it wasn't tampo-printed!

Absolutely. Dr. SWMBO had been in an AI workshop yesterday and demonstrated some of the capabilities to me last night. She could not get the Pi app to recognise her voice nor to speak to her but it did respond to text and produced some credible output in response to her input. Then there was another which "writes" music; she asked it for a "1980s power ballad theme song" including several key words. Almost instantly out came something which sounded a lot like a Starship track and included not only the key words she asked for but key phrases she uses at work that were not included in the request. OK - there's some very clever programming behind all of this. But ultimately it still takes a human or several to write all of that and to get these systems up and running. Which, to my mind, means that those who are at the back-end sit in positions of potentially abusable power and can exert control over the rest of us passively or openly. The specific phrases in the song generated would have been those somehow profiled from Dr. SWMBO's professional work; on the balance of probability they were not randomly generated and coincidental. So who is spying on whom and why? "They" already know a great deal about us but that does not mean they have our consent to hold nor to use that information. In the UK GDPR provisions apply. You can bet these apps are not UK-based though they can in some circumstances be governed by UK law. Dr. SWMBO was fretting that she and her team have effectively been made redundant. My response was that they are far from redundant because they still have to use the app and input their requests. The machine cannot think for itself and say "Ah yes - I'll come up with a 1980s power ballad using text I know XXXX XXXX uses in her professional life and randomly spit it out to her". It has to be asked first. And it can only react, no pro-act. It can churn out any amount of data and material randomly but it still requires a human to ask it first for the train timetable to Little Nuttingford or a novel featuring naked whales and a teaspoon. Humans are not being made redundant by AI. I am very wary of it. I haven't knowingly given any information away specifically to any AI platform. I feel AI sits firmly in the camp of "Just because we can doesn't always make it right". Happy Friday. The weekend is upon us. And it's POETS Day too.

In honour of the day being a good ‘un. Those of a nervous musical disposition may wish to avert their ears

Come here and Pah. If you miss a bus the next one is two hours away. Good morning all from a sunny but cool Distant (Signal) West. The site has kindly allowed me in now after an hour of intermittently receiving a “Community Unavailable” message or just a timeout. Someone somewhere must be doing a LOT of muddling and is telling us all about it! The day requires Domestic Engineering which must include removing the encrusted salty carp from the windows. That’s the residue of the last two stormy things. The lawn needs some re-seeding in thin patches and shopping must be done though that’s a local in-town job needing less than half an hour. In short I had better get off here, get off my Gluteus maximus and get on with it. Here’s the Cape as that big yellow thing rises from behind it

Bear's Postie told me a few months back that they're not allowed to do such tactics anymore. I arrived home yesterday to find a package left outside on the doorstep. That's a fairly secure location here as it's not in line-of-sight from anywhere other than for someone approaching the door. And inside- having been thoughtfully popped through the letterbox - was a "Sorry We Missed You" card. Which identified the location of the package not as "returned to depot" nor "with a neighbour" but "On doorstep in grey plastic bag". Which was absolutely correct. I just wonder why they even left the card but hey. That's life. Busy busy busy today. Early watch was quiet with very little commercial shipping and more windsurfers than freighters. But my first solo watch passed uneventfully other than for the sighting of three choughs. Still considered rare though they do live along this coast now but three together left me ...... errrrr ....... well chuffed. Paperwork this afternoon and a meeting this evening prevented attendance at the awl-inspiring club this week. And the "green" bin (which is brown) has gone out for the fortnightly collection of garden waste. Another day in the life. Sunny but cold. Dr. SWMBO returns tomorrow.

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

I have made further enquiries regarding comments made above. And I have found a link to order programs. Not in adequate time for them to reach me before Sunday however. Who knew that for something under the banner of Cornwall Bus Preservation Group a/k/a Penzance Vintage Bus Running Day I would have to search the internet for "Thames Valley"??? A body many miles away but somehow linked - probably through individuals - with the Penzance event. The various pages and FB sources for the event do not obviously direct anyone to the Thames Valley link and are silent as regards timetables, routes and vehicles. Indeed the FB page for the PVBRT has an "events" link which directs you to nowhere at all. On Facebook there is an obscure link to something called "tvagwot" which of course does not come up in search results for the more logical enquiries. So if anyone connected with the event is watching I do know that there are programs available but it has taken so long to find the information, and it is so obscure, that I shall still not be attending. Simply because I don't known what is happening when and where, I don't have the whole day to spend waiting for buses and I don't really want to ride around on something I drove for a living relatively few years ago.

Evening all, Dr. SWMBO has been delivered safely to London once more c/o the Go When Ready Railway. 14 minutes late tonight meaning she is unable (by less than 60 seconds) to lodge a claim for Delay Repay but it sounds like an interesting ride was had by those aboard. One engine cut out at Truro causing 15 minutes delay. It appears that the driver was able to re-start it as time was steadily regained only to be lost once more facing a red signal at Taunton. That was due to a broken-down train at Bruton so hers was sent, after leaving the Somerset town 17 minutes late, via Bristol. Not via Bath through - they sent her the very long way round via Badminton. Which did have the positive aspect of allowing the train to swap to electric power at Bristol Parkway and cruise at 125mph without a single signal check all the way to Paddington Home Signal. Where it was, as tradition requires, held briefly to allow something suburban out first. But to actually regain three minutes on schedule when sent a much longer way round was as heroic as modern-day railway operation gets. She has been that way once or twice before with the delay blowing out to around 40 minutes. I almost wish I had been aboard with the stopwatch. But any enthusiasm I had for train-timing has long since vanished. I last engaged in that pastime when the trains to and from Cornwall were hauled by large blue boxes and you opened the door by turning the handle and pulling it towards you before finding a nice comfortable seat. Every train now has data recorders ("black boxes" or "cab spies") and over-speed protection so even touching 126mph on a 125mph train would have brought the brakes on. Those who still record train times do so now by GPS which is another ball-game altogether and not what I would choose. In other news the book goes off to the printer tomorrow for their first draft. Still on target for 1st June publication. Book the Second will be commenced once this hits the streets.

This coming Sunday sees the annual Western National Bus Preservation Group "Vintage Bus Running Day" based on Penzance. I might have been interested had they thought to offer a timetable - or even a simple departure list - of what's happening and when. The vehicles available are largely those types I was driving not many years ago and not what I wold call "vintage". The nice older ones are VoR for the time being. Mostly VRTs and LHSs. No Lodekkas. No SUS nor MW types. And I have no idea of what and when will turn up out here but we are on the list of places to be visited. In fairness it's never easy running these things and certainly not cheap but a little more than "just turn up at Penzance bus station if you want a ride" might be very helpful.

A marginal improvement in parts. Do the Victoria - Littlehamtons still get Hove shuttle connections or does Brighton - Littlehampton become another even more difficult option. One day the DafT might realise even they cannot get blood from a stone. Machines can only work so hard. They break. They need maintenance. They cannot be in two places at once. Travel patterns post-Covid have shifted (often away from Central London working) but in truth since the train service has not been restored to anything like where it was before the operator and the DafT cannot reliably ascertain what demand patterns really exist now. The 313s have gone but there is a little slack in the 387 fleet hence their deployment along the coast. They have been familiar visitors to East Sussex for some time. Other omissions of note include the continuing absence of any direct service between Arundel / stations to Crawley and Littlehampton. Empty trains arrive at Bognor several times an hour. I have corresponded with Southern before on this and suggested one could usefully be diverted to Littlehampton. They replied "Thank you for your correspondence". End of.

The timetable change appears on paper to be disastrous for most passengers and benefits no-one. Bognor retains through trains to London for example but not to neighbouring Littlehampton. Brighton loses its long-standing direct trains to Portsmouth. There are still only two trains an hour along the west Coastway to and from Brighton despite sometimes serious overcrowding and folks from Shoreham eastwards having to abandon the railway as they simply cannot get on. Among other things.

Falling like ..... errrr ........

Good Morning all. Welcome to Moan-day where the wind is moaning through trees and wires in empathy. The Little Red Driving Box is a 997cc Corsa. Not the most powerful of beasts. But after the first couple of trips I quickly adapted to the required technique to get the best out of it. With five speeds (six including backwards) gear selection is often matched to speed limit; 2nd for 20, 3rd for 30 and so on. The A3071 Penzance road is neither flat nor straight with blind summits and deceptively sharp bends; it has no safe overtaking spots in eight miles. It is National Speed Limit throughout except for a half-mile at 30mph through Newbridge mid-way. The safe speed along most of it is 40-50mph. A classic case of the limit being “default” rather than “safe”. You can, should you wish, whizz past Tremethick Cross at 60mph having zero visibility of anything entering from the side turns until disaster is inevitable. The same is true for them - they cannot see you and have to go when they can. The LRDB takes this all in her stride. Second off the A30 roundabout and up Mount Misery. Up to fourth for the most part. Ease the speed passing Newbridge farm in the wiggly narrows and let her roll down to 30 for the village. Power up the hill beyond comfortably reaching 50 before more wiggles enforce easing to 40. Then 50 over the moors despite the twists and turns. Ease to 40 above blue pool’s s-bends then power through the dip touching 60 before the rise into town brings the speed down to the posted 40 then 30 for the town. I can do that without touching the brakes. Going into town is similar with a nice roll down Newbridge hill from 40 at the top to passing the limit sign spot on 30. Load her up with passengers though and it’s harder work. That’s when having the smaller engine makes a difference.

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 Millook Haven is as steep at 1:3 with a couple of hairpins which are pretty close to a 45-degree angle on the insides. I cycled up and down those a good many times in my younger days and when I had a suitable touring bike with 18 gears. I specified the ratios myself; bottom gear was the lowest commercially available with its combination of huge rear and tiny front sprockets and got me up anything and everything. 16" I think it was. You can imagine the looks of both disbelief and amazement when I overtook cyclists on long steep hills who were pushing their steeds and sweating profusely at the same time. I too wasn't exactly pore-dry but no hill ever defeated me. I have since driven Millook quite a few times and it's not easy; rather harder heading north (towards Bude) than south despite the latter having two hairpins. In other news it's been a busy, tiring and successful weekend of displaying the hobby to the general public. I'm not sure any other ERs were there but more than one other RMwebber certainly was. A lot of interest right across two days including some unexpectedly positive comments and some good conversations. And I didn't spend a single Deltic Voucher other than for topping up the value of the supplied lunch vouchers to meet my requirements! It is time for an early appointment with the snorium. I was on my feet for eight hours today without even getting a seated lunch break. Tired? Oh yes. G'night.

Day 2. A busy show. A lot of interest. And another play-nice day. None of the annoying little glitches which frustrated me on its previous outing. Typical comments included “amazing attention to detail”, “so realistic” and “love the different levels”. Visitors from an 8 year-old girl to a 84 year-old veteran admitted to being inspired and our young friend asked her mum in front of me “Can I do that?” Yes. You can. I look forward to seeing you exhibiting your own work in due course. Porthgarrow is expected to appear at three more events this year one of which is by invitation only.

Quite busy today. It's on again tomorrow. Plenty of interest in my modest offering which, for the record, is OO and OO-9 but not N-gauge.

Definitely one possibility. Others (not mutually exclusive, of course) include "Licence and Insurance, please, driver" and "Why are we not displaying an L-plate - and why are we carrying more passengers than permitted for a Learner?" The occupants appeared to be very young and three-up. The manner of driving suggested to me either or both of inexperience / substance-affected. Possibly even a non-driver at the controls having been goaded into driving their inebriated mates home.

Day one of the event and the layout played nice. The lighting is a bit uneven and can be improved upon. Porthgarrow has been invited to attend another event later this year; more details as the time gets nearer. The mermaid who has appeared on all my OO layouts to date, and whom I thought had been lost in the house-move, turned up the other day in a rolling stock box. She disported herself today on Porthgarrow beach Tail-swinger: Bulleid luxury The lighting is uneven but there were many very positive comments And look who’s back …..

Perhaps the driver of the car I was following was from Barnsley. But likely not. Returning from a successful day’s exhibiting I drew up at the St Erth roundabout where the A30, Hayle Causeway and St Ives roads meet. The car ahead did not move off when the way was clear (i.e. empty roundabout) twice. I observed the passenger apparently prodding the driver who then pulled out into the path of an approaching HGV. As I followed the car onto the A30 I was then obliged to maintain a steady 19mph in the 30 limit as they seemed reluctant to go any faster. They also seemed reluctant to drive in a straight line preferring to occasionally cross the centre markings or veer towards the ditch. Behind me was ……. a police patrol car. So I pulled in at a bus stop and allowed them to become the following vehicle. That left me around six back in the traffic but close enough to see that one was clearly following the other. And in due course pulled them over for a few words. I shall never know the end of that story.

Best Western here. Because the “Great” has been appropriated for another industry. Just as Australians know the burgers are better at Hungry Jack’s. Because an Adelaide business was “The Burger King” and David beat Goliath in court when it came to a stoush over the branding. In other news Dr SWMBO arrived on time for a change. Which means her tally of Delay Repay claims is now 36 out of 42 trips. That’s 36 which did not arrive within 15 minutes of the advertised time. A few have been over 60 minutes late and two have been over 2 hours late. Not-so-Great Western Railway, then.

Afternoon all. What is this big yellow thing hanging in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t?* It warms my back and dazzles the peepholes. Domestic Engineering was completed earlier. Since when a pasty-run has been completed, I have dropped in on an old friend and have come away with a “new” camera to play with. I randomly bumped into another LTNS old friend with whom we had lost touch. And now it is warm enough that I am enjoying a coffee outside before tackling the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix. And collecting Dr. SWMBO from her train in 50 minutes from now. After dropping her at home I am then back on the road to collect a layout and set up for the weekend’s show. Did anyone say retirement was quiet? No it is not. * ℅ Douglas Adams. The answer is not a Vogon Constructor Ship. I hope!!!

The depends upon how many fingers you propose to use

I find avoiding curry reduces emissions! I also find avoiding the brand name you mention reduces emissions because of the amount of packaging they choose to use. Which I choose to consider excessive in the extreme.

Afternoon all. Where am I? Is this ERs? The fog is so thick here it is hard to see where I’m going. Speaking of which. On watch this morning I was concerned by the progress of a small leisure craft. Only its name and size came up on the trackers. No idea what type of craft, how many souls aboard, intention or destination. She was making around 4 knots so probably under power rather than sail. And she was perilously close to the shore and undersea reefs. In near-zero visibility I couldn’t see her even at a half-mile range so Falmouth Coastguard was alerted. They called her but four hails went unanswered as she got to within 100m (by radar track) of disaster. She abruptly altered course - possibly having seen rocks dead ahead at underwear-changing range. And passed that hazard in what must have been white water. Only to then vanish from the trackers altogether as she came towards the cliffs once more. Falmouth asked several nearby fishing vessels if they could see her. In that fog they would have been lucky to see their own bow from the bridge. As the watch changed this remained unresolved but with no report of any casualty. Curious. And concerning. In other news this took place while my assessment was also taking place. At the end I was presented with my epaulettes having qualified as an NCI watch-keeper. And with an almost 100% score. The coast will be that little bit safer now. Provided water-craft at least carry and answer a working radio!