[The Night Mail]

7 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I've always liked the idea of German bingo - acht und achtzig, zwei dicke damen!

Yes I enjoyed listening to those at a dual language bingo session on Lanzagrotty.

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

29 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

How the French expect the buffet of a minor wayside station to treat its patrons.

 

Could you imagine getting that at  Ystrad Mynach or Radyr?

And Saleignes/Romaziers was only on a metre gauge branch as well.

 

Jamie

[HS2]

Attached to the photos that @Ron Ron Ron uploaded of the viaduct slide over the M42/M6 link road was a detailed map of the whole delta junction site which is huge.   The file was rather large as well but I have managed to resize it and convert it to a jpg.   

I hadn't realised just how many separate structures are involved and have managed to get myself quite confused watching videos of the construction.   I hope that this helps.

 

Jamie

The

[HS2]

Simon C has done a time lapse video showing the process of erecting past of the next section of the Colne Valley Viaduct.   I rather liked it.

 

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

My GA recipient is hopefully well under now.   From past experience of such occasions I am doing very little today.   However Salmon and Asparagus are on the menu for lunch.

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Morning!
 

Unfortunately today I had another 3am “emergency poo run” with Lucy, poor mite. Fortunately, a vet visit for Schotty is scheduled for early next week (for his physiotherapy) so we’ll take Lucy as well.

 

Thanks for your comments, it does look like that we will be going for the penthouse flat rather than the garden flat (it got the seal of approval from GP Friend and Mrs GP Friend - which has helped nudge Mrs iD towards the [ahem] “right” decision).

 

I’ve never understood this craze for open plan living. OK, I get the point that you may want to be sociable, but do you really need to turn your flat/house into an approximation of an aircraft hangar or warehouse to be so? I think that there’s a lot to be said in favour of dedicated rooms (so library/smoking room, home office, m**** r****** room and so on). Another consideration is that with dedicated rooms you can avoid the “whole house smells of XXXX” scenario (plus, separate rooms means that I can have my wicked way with the young scullery maid in the library and not disturb Mrs iD having Earl Grey Tea and buttered crumpets with her friends in the withdrawing room).

 

To answer PB’s question we would have access to a communal garden, though “garden” may be stretching tye definition a bit - flower beds in the front and a narrow lawn at the back.

 

Moving house: Oh What Fun…..

I see that you have very wisely left the decision making to the boss.   You do not want to be spoken to in Swiss German too often.   Gracefully accepting defeat in such matters is usually the best option and then getting the best peace treaty possible.     I share your objection to open plan living.  Some friends of ours have such a newly converted place in the village.  One huge L shaped space with kitchen, dining sitting are and entrance hall in one plus a mezzanine where they play table tennis .  You can tell that it is a second home as it's a huge space to heat in winter.  As to the snoring problem I can empathise. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

6 hours ago, zarniwhoop said:

If I may, I'd like to ask a  question of anyone here who uses Ocado (I searched for fresh white asparagus - tess'co sometimes have it, but in very thin pieces which are hard to peel - and I see Ocado have it, with prices for that and blood oranges which make the purveyor of custard tarts look cheap ) - Are they reliable in providing what you ordered ?

 

TIA. ĸen

Simples, move to the Charente. The asparagus farm is open for direct sales now and they have a stall on the market on Sundays.  I rather like Asparagus  and there is a bag full in the fridge,  however I hope you get your problem sorted. 

 

Beth is on her way to theatre soon, the washing is in and I've not done anything wrong so far today.  I'm off visiting after lunch. 

 

Regards to all and of course Sundry.

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

The house is Strangely quiet. I've done nothing wrong today so far.  Beth is going to the theatre this morning in Angouleme.  I will be going there to do some trainspotting later today.  However I will bob in to see her en route to the station. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

 

YEs THAT kind of stuff. 

 

In comparison this clip of Pte Hettie Adams back in 2022 is showing  what she did tonight, at that years ANZAC-eve game. 

 

 

New Zealand don't play AFL but they are part of the ANZAC commemorations and the capacity crowd and the players at the MCG were as  respectful in this clip  as they were tonight.

 

 

 

 

She nailed it, well done, I think I got something in my eye. 

 

Beth is safely in dock and I'now home after a few hours on the station watching trains.

 

Jamie

[Midland Railway Company]

On 22/04/2024 at 08:57, Compound2632 said:

 

I may have some somewhere for the 7mm ones. I've built a few and will look. 

 

Jamie

[Yet more random foreign photos.....]

On 19/04/2024 at 22:14, GrumpyPenguin said:

Nobody does "ugly" like the North Americans !

Or some of the Italian Franco Crosti's. 

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

2 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I recall reading that on a 4-SUB compartment wall. Underneath a dismissive reader had added "Pseudo-intellectual crap"

I Bought a T shirt  in Athens  with it on then got my pocket picked on the metro. 

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

The gents in the Union at Nottingham Uni had some good scribblings. 

 

To be or not to be.  William Shakespeare, 

To do or to be. John Paul Sartre

Do be do be do.  Frank Sinatra. 

 

Was one. 

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

On 23/04/2024 at 06:53, pH said:

Five cars carrying scrap ties on fire in CPKC train passing through London, Ontario:

 

https://x.com/jmccall54/status/1782261594501554619

 

That is amazing.  I presume that they had brought the train to somewhere that thr fire brigade could access it. 

 

Apart from a lot of black Locos with big furnaces in them that I saw in my youth the nearest I ever got to seeing something like that was seeing a Class 47 heading north from Settle with dragging brakes on the loco. The tyres were glowing red. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

Good moaning from a still rather cool Charente, where the dawn chorus is in full swing.  Our friends came for lunch yesterday. We haven't seen them for several years but Mathew's sister now lives near Cognac, so they came up from there to see us.  In the evening a good friend made us dinner. As we ate we watched a  bright orange moon rise, it looked great. 

 

Today is hospital admission day for Beth.  We are setting off later this morning to have lunch in Angouleme then will head for the hospital.  I will probably stay and watch trains for a few hours before heading home.  Her op is some time Thursday. 

 

Regards to all. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Yes there was nothing ordinary about my conception 🤣

Does that mean you were a shot in the dark. 

 

Jamie

[Transpennine Upgrade : Manchester/Leeds]

1 hour ago, 4630 said:

There's a seven page article about the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) in the May issue of Modern Railways.

 

Much of the content will be familiar to readers of this forum, but the article draws on input from Neil Holm, who is the TRU Managing Director, so IMHO should be the definitive version of the project, in terms of scope, and current and planned progress. 

 

 

 

Not yet Jamie, but I don't believe the instal was planned for during the recent rail line and Bradford Road closure.  It'll be during one of the later closures.

Thanks, I will hopefully receive MR later this week.  Sarah Bell uploaded another progress video and it showed them pumping concrete up to the viaduct on Bradford Road, obviously for footings for the new span. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

Good moaning from a sunny but cold Charente.  More visitors arriving this morning but just for the day then a meal at a friend's this evening. Beth has actually admitted that she is worried about going into hospital tomorrow.  This has been apparent to those around her for some time.  It's mainly the language problem.  However after how well she did over the weekend I think that she will be fine.  Things to do so must get on. 

 

Ttfn. 

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

1 hour ago, pH said:

Five cars carrying scrap ties on fire in CPKC train passing through London, Ontario:

 

https://x.com/jmccall54/status/1782261594501554619

 

That is amazing.  I presume that they had brought the train to somewhere that thr fire brigade could access it. 

 

Apart from a lot of black Locos with big furnaces in them that I saw in my youth the nearest I ever got to seeing something like that was seeing a Class 47 heading north from Settle with dragging brakes on the loco. The tyres were glowing red. 

 

Jamie

[HS2]

4 of the 5 TBM;s have phoned home today.

 

Sushilla on Northolt north has now completed 60% of her dive and is going at over 13m per day.   Caroline is a bit slower and is at 55% on 12m per day.   Emily on Northolt south is now at 205m and is starting to get speed up.   Anne, her partner in crime is at 53m so her tail will still be mainly in the open.  Mary Anne at Bromford seems to be having a go slow at just 4m in the last 15 days and is at 1980.

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I always thought that special relativity was the reason that there are lots of funny people in remote parts of the Ozark mountains and suchlike.

 

Dave

Why just stick to the Ozarks and Brossleyyou can't forget the upper Spen Valley or Acre Road in South Leeds. 

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

Our friends have left for the four hour drive back home.  The house seems Strangely empty.  A friend is coming in an hour to help put concrete round the pillar feet on the verandah so I better get a move on.

 

Jamie

[Early Risers.]

Good moaning from a sunny but rather cool Charente.   There is even a little ground frost at the top of the garden. We have had a fabulous weekend with our French guests.  We've been friends since 1996 and have children the same age,  it has been strange talking in French nearly all the time, but very enjoyable.  They are due to set off later this morning.  We went to the market yesterday morning g, we t to see a delightful chateau then had a meal near the market.  As we left the restaurant an older lady at the next table, asked to speak to me and complemented me on my French.  That was an unexpected event.  

 

Ttfn. 

 

Jamie

[Moves at Limoges and other French Photos]

Good moaning from  a rather cool Charente where I now have time to upload the last few photos from last Tuesday at Angouleme.   

 

As the sun dipped Andy remarked that the only class that we hadn't seen was a 186 lo and behold 1186 180 appeared heading south.

Then  22388 headed north with more containers.

one of the few remaining Atlantique sets headed south.  I have head that they are having to be kept in service due to late deliveries of the new TGV M's

Finally as the light was going and it was time for us to head home another 186 non 313 came north.

 

All in all a very pleasant and productive afternoon.

 

Jamie

[The Night Mail]

A quick good evening from a house where French has been the main language since yesterday lunchtime as our longest known French friends are staying. We've known them since 1996.  Last night's digestif was the last of the Glengoyne cask strength tonights was a good Glenlivet. 

 

Jamie