DaveF

A very wet day so I've stayed at home. The first part of the morning was spent working on the model church and catching up on e mails. Leonie then came and did the housework. While she did that I did a bit of a crossword. After lunch I decided to tackle the family photo albums and start to throw out photos where I either have a digital copy on my PC or where I don't know any of the people. To make the job easier I started by making sure I have copies of all Mum's, Dad's and my photos easily accessible on hard drives. Some tidying up and copying was needed. There is a little more copying still to do. I have so far got rid of a lot of photos of my cousins which my aunt must have sent to Mum. I only keep in touch with three of them and have only seen one of them in 35 years. I didn't recognise most people in the photos. Then I sorted out some prints of photos taken in the north east in the last 40 years or so. I have scans/files of them all so they are going in the bin. As far as I can see no relatives will want them. In due course I'll get on to the much older photos, where they are clearly captioned I will scan them, otherwise they will go. I think it will take some time. I've just been watching the local news. The main road ( A189 spine road) which runs past my town is now closed by floodwater. I don't think I'll be going anywhere in the near future. David

Just across the border in Scotland at Burnmouth on the ECML in the 70s. Burnmouth Class 55 up May 74 J3702 Headcode not recognised 55019 Burnmouth Class 55 55007 down May 74 J3704 10.00 Kings X to Edinburgh "The Flying Scotsman" Burnmouth Class 40 up freightliner Aug 74 J3995 Burnmouth Class 47 up ex passAug 77 C3510 Burnmouth 40085 up freight Aug 77 C3511 David

Many years ago I was told of a school which got a quote from a local dealer for a new minibus. They were then told they could only buy it through the council, funnily enough it would have come from the same dealer at a much higher price. The school then said that it would be interesting if the two quotes accidently got sent to the local newspaper. The council backed down. After I retired I did some consultancy work for a school which was having new buildings built as a PFI contract. The Governors were not happy with some of the ongoing costs in the contract so they engaged their own solicitors and managed to improve the services and get them for a lower cost. The council was not happy but there was nothing they could do to stop it. It meant that the school was open from 07.00 until 21.00 at a slightly lower cost than the original contract for 08.00 until 17.00 and pay extra for evening hours. Several other terms were amended. David

Another dull dismal morning with gentle rain. The groceries have comeminus one item, CoQ10, which isn't needed in a hurry so I will order it again and see what happens. I have about 6 weeks supply of it in stock. It is just that it costs about twice as much from anywhere else. Leonie should come and clean today, I will get on with working on the model and other odds and ends. Unless the rain stops I won't be going far. One shrub in the garden still needs a trim to remove some dead bits but it isn't going to get done today, it is far too wet. David

Switzerland again, this time at Rheineck, between Rohrschach and St. Margrethen just south of the Bodensee (Lake Constance). As well as the SBB trains it is the terminus of the line to Walzenhausen which is 1200 mm gauge, has one point and one railcar. Photos of the railcar will appear later, all you get today is one photo of the track in the 5th photo! Rheineck SBB Ae4/7 10903 northbound l e 7th Aug 91 C16195 Rheineck SBB Tmi 424 7th Aug 91 C16197 Rheineck Mercedes rail road vehicle 7th Aug 91 C16198 Rheineck SBB Ae4/7 11022 southbound parcels 7th Aug 91 C16199 Rheineck Rheineck to Walzenhausen platform on right 7th Aug 91 C16196 David

When I started teaching we had Bandas and the Roneos which needed to have a typed stencil for them to work. The VCR was reel to reel tape, we had one TV camera which was rarely used as there weren't any TVs in the labs. In those days we had textbooks. Later when I was a head of department in another school I queried the text book buying system through the council where they added a 10% handling fee to the retail price. As I was new I pretended I didn't know, did a deal with a publisher and got a 30% discount. I got told off but then everyone else did the same, after about a year the council scrapped their purchasing system. It was exactly the same when buying paper. In much later years when I was a senior member of staff we always looked for the best price and saved a great deal of money. We even managed to get a local firm to operate one of the three school kitchens, got better food and it was cheaper. David

I think this is what I will look at next. David

I spent some time this evening looking at brochures for river cruises. It was quite easy deciding where I would want to go and a selection of dates. I had a long think about the prices but decided that if I really wanted to go I could even though it would be just me which makes it more expensive. But... the more I looked at the details the more two things struck me. I looked carefully at the places I would be visiting and realised that I have been to them all before in the days when I took the car to Europe for three or four weeks each summer. Since they are historic places much of what I would see I have already seen back in the days when I was a lot fitter and could walk much further in day. Then I looked at the actual schedules and found that in every case a surprising amount of travel on the boats would be at night to give more time for the town visits. If I want to go along a river I want to see it all go by me, good and bad not just the carefully chosen highlights. It is rather like being on a train, I am the one spending all the time looking out of the window at the world going by. I think I have too many good memories of just driving around stopping whenever I felt like it for as long as I wanted and finding a hotel for the night when I felt I had done enough driving. I have never been on any form of package holiday or cruise and the more I think about the less likely I am to do so, even if it means I just travel more locally now I am older. David

I went to the surgery for 9a.m. and saw Katie, the MSK lady. She agreed that I have plantar fasciitis and has given me advice concerning shoes and some exercises and warned me it may take several months to get back to normal. Apparently it is not uncommon in people who have had surgery for hernias as before the surgery people stand differently to try to reduce the discomfort and it takes time after surgery to get back to a normal posture, which I have just about done. Apparently being "old" doesn't help and I have yet again been told to rest. I've had a look online in my health record at her notes of the appointment, they are very detailed and accurate. As usual the car park was full and all the double yellow lines were occupied by cars on one side of the drive, the lines make it much easier to line up the car as you park it. It is NHS land and free parking with no obvious cameras so no one bothers, there is always just enough space for ambulances to get by to our hospital. I parked in one of the town car parks about 100 yards away, also free, but time limited to a maximum stay of 72 hours so you have to be careful. My apologies to those who have more normal parking systems. My cleaner didn't come as she was stuck at a previous client's waiting for an ambulance and help so she will come tomorrow. It was efficient as AgoCo rang me a few minutes before she should have arrived to explain and apologise. So I had a quiet rest of the morning, after coffee I went in the garden and did some more light trimming and dead heading followed by finishing tidying the plants in the garage by the window. I did try taking hyacinth bulbs out of a tub but even using a trowel to lift them was painful so I quickly stopped. The rest of the day has been a short rest and and reading a book. I had to look up Bluey so now I know it is a series about a rabbit dog. I don't think I'll investigate further. The whole of the first page of Google results was about it, I didn't look beyond it. I don't know why I typed rabbit. David

Some more trains at Bottesford on the Grantham to Nottingham line. Bottesford LEV 1 eastbound July 81 C5465 Bottesford Class 114 Nottingham to Grantham Oct 81 C5587 To Grantham despite the destination blind! Bottesford Classes 105 and 114 Nottingham to Skegness Aug 82 C5854 Bottesford Class 47 Parkeston Quay to Manchester Aug 82 C5857 Bottesford Class 114 and Class 120 Skegness to Nottingham Aug 83 C6159 David

A quick look in the morning. It's is cloudy, showers are forecast. Today is cleaning day, my share of it is done, shortly the first load of washing will go on. Then I'm not quite sure what I'll do, it depends on the showers. David

Photos taken around Gateshead for this morning. Gateshead 08217 46037 etc Aug 82 C5819 Gateshead Redheugh incline Jan 84 C6333 The incline goes under the arches of the King Edward Bridge, in the foreground it is behind the bushes. Gateshead Bensham Class 37 westbound ballast Jan 84 C6361 Gateshead Stadium Class 101 to Newcastle and T&W Metro to Heworth 15th Aug 85 C7128 Gateshead Stadium T&W Metro Heworth to St James 15th Aug 85 C7129 David

Thank you very much. David

I understand now. I think it is in the sidings with the LNWR line just behind it. The line follows the telegraph poles on the far left. David

I am pretty sure it is on the Great Eastern passing the school playing field and is about to pass the GE signalbox so it is an up train as in the much later photo below. Trumpington Class 31 up freight April 71 J2588 David

Most of today has been dry and sunny. There are clouds but they are moving so fast that the showers only last about 30 seconds before the cloud has gone again. As usual I went to church, all went well and I got home at the same time as some neighbours so invited them over for coffee, we had a good chat about a lot of things. By the time they left it was time for dinner. I then found I was very tired yet again so had another sleep. I removed the self adhesive strapping from my foot as the MSK man tomorrow will want to examine it, I spent a long time removing the residual sticky stuff. I've realised that there doesn't seem to be any way I can put new sticky tape on as my foot isn't flexible enough to get at it all, especially as I am being careful how much I bend and twist. I think shaped insoles may work better. I'll see what I am told tomorrow. The wind is very noisy, I've done nothing in the garden except to look at it from the kitchen window. There are no birds about, even the gulls and pigeons have gone away. This evening looks like being quiet again, I will have to see if I can stay awake until bedtime. David

This evening's batch were taken at Trunmpington, just to the south of Cambridge. As usual Dad was using his track permit for some of them. Trumpington B1 1286 up vans 1948 JVol1243 Trumpington B12 down troop train c1948 JVol1253 Trumpington B17 1641 Gayton Hall Cambridge to Liverpool St 1948 JVol1194 Trumpington C12 7375 down goods c1948 JVol1259 Trumpington D16 up pass Cambridge to Liverpool St 1948 JVol1216 David

A lovely bright morning here but there is more cloud over the hills to the west, temperature 9°C and the wind SW Force 6 gusting to at least 8. Every so often you feel the wind hitting the house. I am now doing the usual Sunday morning things, in a couple of minutes I'll br ringing a friend to caht about things on steel wheels. Later I shall go to church as usual and so the day will proceed. I ache this morning, I've realised the chair I was sitting on yesterday at the church thing was less comfortable than I thought so bits that are still healing inside are sore, I also feel very tired so will have to take things quietly for a day or two. I shall be glad when I get fully back to normal eventually. I started a novel yesterday evening, today it is going in the bin as I can see the holes in the story and I know enough about Victorian Britain to see the inaccuracies. So I can't be bothered to continue. Like so many books it is written to make a point, if it wasn't hammered home so much it might be almost readable. David

Trains around Morpeth in the early 1980s this morning. Morpeth Class 37 to Blyth and Tyne Aug 80 C5125 Morpeth 55009 Alycidon Newcastle to Edinburgh Aug 80 C5186 Morpeth Class 43 254023 up ex pass Aug 80 C5189 Morpeth 2x Class 40 down light engines Dec 80 C5240 Morpeth 43078 Edinburgh to Kings X Sept 83 C6258 David

I think so. David

The coffee and lunch at church was enjoyable, I met several new people and managed to sort out a couple of minor points about the rota for the next few months. I think some interesting discussions were had and no one asked me to join the PCC - I must have made it clear enough last year that I wouldn't. At last there sems to some progress on the new website I did a bit of work in proposing and suggesting designs. The sausage rolls, pork pies and sandwiches at lunchtime were very good, I should have asked where they came from. I was very good and didn't have any cream cakes. After the cloud cleared it has been sunny and warm so I had another sit in the garden this afternoon and looked at the plants. Some are growing very quickly and there is not too much soil visible, though there are still some weeds to deal with once it is dry enough. The water in the greenhouse has not gone away. I had an e mail from a shop in Sheffield but couldn't get into my account so a quick phone call was made and 2 things with electric motors have been ordered. Access to my account with them has also been sorted out, I had forgotten they had changed their website since I last bought anything. Soon it will be time for a light tea followed by another attempt at a crossword, why do some compilers set such odd clues? David

An assortment of places beginning with M and N this evening, with and without trains (and track). Moulineam crossing Class 26 Glasgow QS to Inverness Aug 73 J3278 Mucking Class 302 Fenchurch St to Shoeburyness via Tilbury June 75 C2171 Mumby Road GNR Willoughby to Mablethorpe line March 70 J2081 Munlochy Fortrose branch Aug 74 J3946 Nairn bridge over A96 Aug 74 J3913 David

I think your first sentence gives a good reason for not having old people in charge! David

It should be dry here today though with a lot of cloud and the wind about Force 5 to 6, sometimes gusting to 7/8 and about 18°C by lunchtime. I slept well and am up and thinking what to do today . I have an invitation to an event at church for coffee and lunch organised by the PCC (parochial church council). It is advertised as a chance to meet them and get to know others in the congregation. It is actually to try to get more people to be on the PCC who basically do the day to day running of the place. When I turned 70 I resigned from various society committees as I knew I was become resistant to change and didn't want to get in the way. As I am now nearly 75 I will not volunteer to join the PCC. If I did it would take me about a year to get up to speed and will I be able to do as much when I am coming up to 76? I am perfectly happy to do things, like readings and intercessions and serving at communion while I am fit enough but not to organise things. I sometimes wish other older people would "retire" and let younger fitter people who are less set in their ways take over. I may not like what new people do but I was like that once and changed a lot of things the previous generation had refused to do anything about, both at the camera club and the Literary and Scientific Society. Yesterday evening I noticed that Radio 3 is having "Friday Night is Music Night" each Friday at 7.30 now that Radio 2 have first moved it and now scrapped it. I decided to try it and it was pleasant. Some of the music was a bit different from the old days (showing my age, see above) but doubtless it will settle down. However, like a lot of music on Radio I find the sound balance is not as good as it was. Of course that has nothing to do with my age! I suspect it is actually that things have moved on since I bought my current stereo set up a long time ago, a Google nest mini gives somewhat better sound a lot of the time. David

Shildon in August 1975 during the S&D 150 Event celebrating 150 years since the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened. Note - the first one is from June 74 on a RCHS trip. I can hardly believe that it is now 49 years ago and that the 200th anniversary is next year. Shildon June 75 J4453 Shildon LNER A4 4498 Sir NIgel Gresley 24th Aug 75 C2339 Shildon LNWR 790 Hardwicke 24th Aug 75 C2342 Shildon Head Wrightson 0-4-0VB 24th Aug 75 C2347 Shildon B1 1306 Mayflower 24th Aug 75 C2356 Shildon CR 419 24th Aug 75 C2375 David