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The Night Mail


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7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Brian, Danemouth, Sheepbloke, even myself.

 

We are all well versed in sheep, but are too modest to boast.

 

 

And me.  Just filled in question 14 on the census!  Bill

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One "L", look you.  My cousins spoke with a Scouser accent, one is now in New Zealand, the other popped his clogs.   The males of the family have a 50% chance of going "bad".  It's a minor miracle that I'm almost 70.  Bill

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8 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A long time ago when telephones were strictly immobile, a friend and I once picked up an injured polecat in the wilds of Derbyshire at some ungodly hour of the morning. We stopped by a policemen on the beat in Matlock and asked if he knew how we could contact the RSPCA so he radioed in to base to enquire on our behalf. Whilst we were waiting for the Duty Sergeant to find the answer, the radio waves were full of his colleagues with messages such as, " Are you still ferreting about out there Joe?" or, "Stop weaselling around," and similar. He was a really nice bloke and eventually the Sergeant came back to say that he'd been in touch with one of the other Constables who kept ferrets and would look after it until the RSPCA were able to pick it up so we took it to the Nick. The only downside to the tale is that the blanket we had wrapped the polecat in (we only discovered that it was a polecat after the beat Constable had identified it) stank to high heaven so we abandoned it at the Police Station.

 

Yet another example of how supportive and friendly the police could be.

 

Dave

 

Since you mention Derbyshire Police being helpful...

 

Many years (decades ?) ago, some one from the road going steam community was relating the tale of running through Derbyshire, and needing more water, so they pulled over somewhere to take water on.  One of the local police stopped to see what was happening, and was rather surprised to be press ganged into helping.  He was referred to the constabulary rule book which stated that when requested, constables were required to help traction engines/rollers/lorries crews take on water.

 

I've never verified this, but it made for a good yarn.

 

Adrian

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21 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

That engine should be named, “Variations on the Prince Edward Island Railway of Canada’s Hunslett 4-4-0.”:D

 

 

I showed Aditi the video and she really liked the train. I asked if her family had such a thing and she said not and certainly not a train for distributing brandy and cigars.  She said if her family had such a train it would serve puddings after dinner.  

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12 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I showed Aditi the video and she really liked the train. I asked if her family had such a thing and she said not and certainly not a train for distributing brandy and cigars.  She said if her family had such a train it would serve puddings after dinner.  

Is Aditi not a maharaja's daughter, then?

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12 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

A long time ago when telephones were strictly immobile, a friend and I once picked up an injured polecat in the wilds of Derbyshire  ...snip...

Yet another example of how supportive and friendly the police could be.

Dave

I have wondered why skunks are called polecats; they do not climb poles and are definitely NOT cats! :drink_mini:

Edited by J. S. Bach
To add some forgotten text.
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19 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have wondered why skunks are called polecats; they do not climb poles and definitely NOT cats! :drink_mini:

In the UK a polecat is a member of the weasel family (mustelids). Tame ones called ferrets are used for hunting rabbits. 

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7 hours ago, figworthy said:

 

Since you mention Derbyshire Police being helpful...

 

Many years (decades ?) ago, some one from the road going steam community was relating the tale of running through Derbyshire, and needing more water, so they pulled over somewhere to take water on.  One of the local police stopped to see what was happening, and was rather surprised to be press ganged into helping.  He was referred to the constabulary rule book which stated that when requested, constables were required to help traction engines/rollers/lorries crews take on water.

 

I've never verified this, but it made for a good yarn.

 

Adrian

 

Bear recalls one episode of Fred Dibnah, which showed him stopping by a fire hydrant to refill - he explained it was technically illegal, but he was actually "providing a service" by doing so as he'd often have to first dig out the mud from beneath the hydrant cover and free up the hydrant valve in the process.

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1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

Bear recalls one episode of Fred Dibnah, which showed him stopping by a fire hydrant to refill - he explained it was technically illegal, but he was actually "providing a service" by doing so as he'd often have to first dig out the mud from beneath the hydrant cover and free up the hydrant valve in the process.

Yes, Fire Hydrants can only be used by the fire service, including for testing and training. Back in the mid 80's our church froze up and we needed to fill the baptistry as we had 4 candidates for baptism. As church Secretary  I had to somehow source 700 gallons of water to fill the thing.  I ended up ri ging a contact from the water fairies who explained the legal position and asked if the church had an abstraction licence. However the Thursday before the baptism, a fire crew from Morley decided that they needed to do a training exercise and check a hydrant in Gildersome.  I've got some photos somewhere.

 

Jamie

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10 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

My offer still stands and as a non (alcohol) drinker and non rugby fan I do believe it has some merit.

And you get to sleep in the 'holler'.

 

Things are looking up on the potential 2023 staffing issue.

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Just spent a couple of hours of my life that I won't get back watching England giving a masterclass in how to lose a rugby match convincingly by kicking away possession whenever possible and trying to see how many penalties one team can give away in eighty minutes. To think that I gave up some valuable modelling time to watch the whole debacle....

 

Now that I'm thoroughly depressed I'll try to cheer up by having a nice smoked salmon and scrambled eggs supper then I hope to see Wales smash Team Napoleon and get the Grand Slam. The only downside to that would be that the noise from the Muddy Hollow could blow our windows in.

 

Dave

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29 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Just spent a couple of hours of my life that I won't get back watching England giving a masterclass in how to lose a rugby match convincingly by kicking away possession whenever possible and trying to see how many penalties one team can give away in eighty minutes. To think that I gave up some valuable modelling time to watch the whole debacle....

 

Now that I'm thoroughly depressed I'll try to cheer up by having a nice smoked salmon and scrambled eggs supper then I hope to see Wales smash Team Napoleon and get the Grand Slam. The only downside to that would be that the noise from the Muddy Hollow could blow our windows in.

 

Dave

You could open the windows, which would prevent the overpressure, but (with any luck) the noise would then be worse.

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