Early Risers.

[roundhouse]

3 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Good morning everyone 

 

Another sunny day here in the northwest of England, but eerily quiet, very few cars knocking about. Even the neighbours kids are staying inside more than usual. I’m once again planning to spend the day outside, but instead of filling the wheelbarrow up and emptying it via going round the houses (literally) I’ll fill a small bag and go through the cellar and out the front door instead. 

 

Stay safe, back later. 

Our newsagents is a food store and post office so posting should be Ok for us as combined food and exercise outing.

 

Car MOT done. Paid over the phone then keys and invoice passed through the window. he said that they will probably have to close as all the parts supplies are shutting down, so that is likely to cause problems for key workers vehicles if they cant be kept working.

 

Back home and been working on the Water tower for the layout and log cutting so plenty of exercise for me today.

Edited March 24, 2020 by roundhouse

[Happy Hippo]

3 hours ago, BoD said:

Morning all.

 

The dog and I are about to take our one allowed daily piece of exercise.

Please don’t tell anyone but we went out at six this morning to allow him to go about his business.

It is likely that I will have to do the same later this evening.

 

If I go missing it is probably because I’m in jail.

The chances are that it won't be a police officer that catches you in the act with your dog, (stop sniggering) but some nosey neighbour who grasses you up to the law.

[AndrewC]

For those of you with dogs, it is a shame we can't buy and sell outdoor time. I'd gladly swap my daily unused dog walk for toilet roll. << for the humour impaired that was a joke. 

 

I see Mr Roundhouse is back to the lumberjack lifestyle. The question is does he like to press wild flowers? 

 

Today is one of those days where I wish we had a fast forward button to skip the whole forking thing. 149 minutes until beer o clock. 

[roundhouse]

1 minute ago, AndrewC said:

For those of you with dogs, it is a shame we can't buy and sell outdoor time. I'd gladly swap my daily unused dog walk for toilet roll. << for the humour impaired that was a joke. 

 

I see Mr Roundhouse is back to the lumberjack lifestyle. The question is does he like to press wild flowers? 

 

Today is one of those days where I wish we had a fast forward button to skip the whole forking thing. 149 minutes until beer o clock. 

No wild flowers here as I had been cleaning weeds for some time recently. However a few more logs cut ready to keep the shed patio warm (without setting light to the shed).

 

Glad you mentioned Beer o'clock . I am getting thirsty now os that ruby mild porter 6% will be opened when I get back to the shed.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

 

Builders are not mentioned as key workers to my knowledge yet they continue to travel in some numbers very early in the morning.  Their authority seems to be the usual display of cleft and the consumption of alcohol for breakfast.  Do site managers have authority to breath-test, I wonder, or are there some who allow their workforce to get away with it on a wing and a prayer?  

 

 

Under the Govt guidance the building industry is not closed down.  But Taylor Wimpey have decided to close all their sites and work is also reportedly being stopped at all Crossrail sites.  So that's it then - opening of Crossrail delayed due to Coronavirus, official.

[JohnDMJ]

 

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

All that's left on the station side are the safety-critical badge holders who dispatch trains, station managers, plus the Network Rail Trespass and Welfare Officers.  The latter have been advised to pay special attention to anyone near platform ends at this time. 

 

Bang goes the Ian Allen Locospotters Club, then!

[andyram]

Afternoon all and my continuing good wishes to you. 

 

Decision made this morning - foster child is no longer at school so we have both children at home from now on. Lockdown day 1 - we have made the most of the good weather to be out in the garden. A very pleasant morning with the girls playing with the bubbles, chalk easel and on the bikes. Now we are in the kitchen doing creative activities, making Giraffe pictures - an idea shameless pinched from Jason Manford's Facebook page of all places. They will go up in the front window when they are finished to brighten things up for passes by.

 

Business wise I have had a couple of enquires this morning. One is for some Peco products. Unfortunately they have announced that no stock will be dispatched for the next three weeks. Nothing wrong with that, and perfectly understandable, but to add to the same note that all bills should be paid as normal is a little bit of double standards - we want your money - but won't / can't supply you any goods! 

 

I may even partake in some modelling later depending on whether I can get the last couple of assignments marked in reasonable time. 

 

Stay safe

 

Andy

[AndrewC]

35 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

No wild flowers here as I had been cleaning weeds for some time recently. However a few more logs cut ready to keep the shed patio warm (without setting light to the shed).

 

Glad you mentioned Beer o'clock . I am getting thirsty now os that ruby mild porter 6% will be opened when I get back to the shed.

Said f*ck it and sodded off early. Beer o Clock is now. Het Uiltje Sequence 008 barrel aged red. 11.1% . Uiltje Dr Raptor, double IPA 9.2% to follow. Yes it has been that kind of day. 

[TheQ]

Marquee covering back on ......

Opps involuntary eye lid inspection, 

Woke to find myself alone. 

SWMBO and Ben have gone without me.. 

The marquee has been Moused nibbled in one place,  spinnaker tape ordered.. 

 

[Andrew P]

I washed my Car this morning.

 

The neighbours came out to record the event.

[tigerburnie]

Been for a nice walk in the fields, well away from everyone and listened to the Skylarks, proper lift the soul they do, also saw some Curlews, they will be going up into the hills soon, pity I can't follow them. I have been doing the family tree whilst in home, they sure had lots of kids back in the 17th and 18th century...…..then they had no telly of an evening I guess. I seem to have hit a wall around the late 1600's, can't find any more info and I am too far away to start going through church records.

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Been for a nice walk in the fields, well away from everyone and listened to the Skylarks, proper lift the soul they do, also saw some Curlews, they will be going up into the hills soon, pity I can't follow them. I have been doing the family tree whilst in home, they sure had lots of kids back in the 17th and 18th century...…..then they had no telly of an evening I guess. I seem to have hit a wall around the late 1600's, can't find any more info and I am too far away to start going through church records.

Large families were also insurance against having no pension!  They looked after you when you no longer worked.

 

Something the younger generation seem to have forgotten in the intervening years

 

I'd also check the mortality rate, as infant mortality was very high in those days.

[Ian Abel]

Morning all...

 

Continuing the solitary - well, WITH the Mrs that is  - confinement and social distancing, all quiet and for now in good health here.

 

I'm sorry in these times of uncertainty to post something less than uplifting, and I considered NOT posting this, but it's really burning me up;

<insert an entire slew of AndrewC expletives>

Some total cockwomble of a Lt. Governor of Texas has suggested in a TV interview that all old folks/grandparents should "take one for the team" and basically die off to save the US economy, rather than everyone worrying about them and shutting the place down!  I'm sorely tempted to go down there and make him the FIRST in line   What kind of ignorant heartless arsewipe could even think that, let alone f*cking suggest it on a broadcast. Oh, and surprise, he's one of the Trump cheerleaders

 

So, other than considering flying to Texas and helping that meet his maker, nothing planned.

 

3 and overcast here, supposed to make 9 and maybe some rain showers later.

 

Tally ho...

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Ian Abel

[AndrewC]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Builders are not mentioned as key workers to my knowledge yet they continue to travel in some numbers very early in the morning.  Their authority seems to be the usual display of cleft and the consumption of alcohol for breakfast.  Do site managers have authority to breath-test, I wonder, or are there some who allow their workforce to get away with it on a wing and a prayer?  

 

Not sure about other construction projects but Crossrail has a very, and I mean very strict alcohol & drugs policy. This extends to office workers as well. When I was there, random drug & alcohol tests were the norm. This included contractors & consultants. No alcohol on premises either. That extended to having a bottle of wine from M&S in your lunch hour shopping. Zero tolerance was the mantra. At 5 pm you could see half the office queued up in M&S or Waitrose, Canary Wharf picking up a bottle or several for the evening. 

[roundhouse]

4 hours ago, Andrew P said:

I washed my Car this morning.

 

The neighbours came out to record the event.

Did you sing happy birthday twice??

Edited March 24, 2020 by roundhouse

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Tesco's lunchtime was even quieter than yesterday but my favourite 'seedy' bread was not available in any shape or form. Quite honestly I can't see the in store bakery staying open much longer then there will only be the option of pre-wrapped stodge. I popped into another local newsagent and managed to arrange delivery of my newspapers starting Thursday. I have enough bread and milk to last to the weekend so I will need to go out but only a couple of times a week.

[The Lurker]

ironically didn't tesco announce the closure ofmost of their in-store bakeries a month or so ago?

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Under the Govt guidance the building industry is not closed down.  But Taylor Wimpey have decided to close all their sites and work is also reportedly being stopped at all Crossrail sites.  So that's it then - opening of Crossrail delayed due to Coronavirus, official.

 

I imagine that a fair few big greenfield destruction companies housing developers will be feeling the pinch somewhat very soon, having purchased expensive land to build new houses on, only to see the housing market most likely taking a big hit in the near future. 

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

ironically didn't tesco announce the closure ofmost of their in-store bakeries a month or so ago?

 

Only in some of their smaller stores. The larger stores such as Pitsea are retaining their bakeries.

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

 

 

While the trimming of the Archers is not welcome at least we'll be getting to the full story of the wicked welsh builder and what increasingly sounds like an enslaved work force.  this bloke could end up making Rob Titchener look like a beginner.  

Yet he always seems as if he doesn't have too many beans to rub together.  Most slave owners have oodles of cash, primarily because they don't pay their slaves

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Large families were also insurance against having no pension!  They looked after you when you no longer worked.

 

Something the younger generation seem to have forgotten in the intervening years

 

I'd also check the mortality rate, as infant mortality was very high in those days.

On my family tree one couple had 24 surviving children!!! 

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, TheQ said:

On my family tree one couple had 24 surviving children!!! 

 

They were no doubt cursing the laws of statistics that allowed such a deviation from the mean.

[JohnDMJ]

 

1 hour ago, tigerburnie said:

Been for a nice walk in the fields, well away from everyone and listened to the Skylarks, proper lift the soul they do, also saw some Curlews, they will be going up into the hills soon, pity I can't follow them.

 

So the curlews are defying the curfew?

[JohnDMJ]

Walked to my local Te scow earlier; everything I want on the shelf; used the auto checkout so no need for isolating. Pleasant day out in the fresh air.

[iL Dottore]

Greetings All,

 

Switzerland is locked down tighter than a miser's wallet (I would say "Sc***man, but would probably run afoul of being accused of this-ism or that-ism). To be honest, my life has not altered all that much. I'm still working from home, exercising the dogs at the dog club (which is a private area, fenced off from the public) and generally getting on with life. For shopping, I can shop at a place that caters only "to the trade" (I have access due to having my own company) which was fairly empty the last time I went shopping. At present, Mrs iD is at the holiday hovel with the doggies and reports only occasionally seeing other dog walkers in the distance... The Swiss are being pretty sensible about all this..., as you would expect.

To be honest, I don't know what is scarier: the disease, the response of various governments or the clowns who think that they are invulnerable and can carry on as usual (although, to be fair, there is more than a little "whistling past the graveyard" bravado going on). I wonder how long it will be until a modern, British, "Masque of the Red Death" is reported?

 

Unfortunately, my routine post-op physiotherapy has been cancelled for the foreseeable future (I am too far post-op to be a priority patient) and my GAS (gear acquisition syndrom) has been acting up pretty bad - I am incredibly tempted by one of these (https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_cst_24t_emerald_flame.htm)  to play around with/learn how to "mod"/upgrade. Mrs iD is already of the opinion that I have too many guitars (I only have 12 and that includes a bass, a lap steel and a nylon stringed guitar - she may be being a bit unreasonable here...)

 

Finally, I have been spending quite a lot of time in my workshop building, Gasp! Shock! Horror!, a couple of the many GWR wagon kits I have in my collection. Rather satisfying, but I'm still nowhere near starting to build my L A Y O U T

 

So, stay safe, one and all

 

iD