Early Risers.

[AndrewC]

38 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I am not actually sure if I have eaten huckleberry pie. During our visit to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland we sampled quite a few pies with blue berries that weren’t always called blueberry.

Not likely unless you’ve been to Idaho, Montana, or Southeastern BC. They are similar but totally different to blueberries. Very distinctive taste and eaten raw can be quite bitter. I prefer them to the related Saskatoon berry. 

[Tony_S]

37 minutes ago, AndrewC said:

Southeastern BC.

I have been to the Mt Robson area. However not only was there no pie the toilets were closed, as was everything else. 

[PhilJ W]

This is a strange one, natural causes or suicide?

 

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

I've Not got any favourite albums,  I just like the odd track here and there. 

I do like Ms Ronstadt, Carpenters,  various folk music in the past,  Holst, and Hayley Westernra, Jethro Tull,  various musicals.. But on the roads the radio is generally on classic FM. 

 

Mostly blue skies,  interrupted by the odd cloud,  with  light aircraft doing aerobatics or point to point navigation exercises..

 

Well the levelling didn't take long which was not a surprise as the ground had mostly been the dirt floor of the previous shed.  So 57 slabs,  that's 54 needed and three left overs placed where they will be useful, have been laid,  nothing fancy,  no concrete,  the slabs are to stop rats eating though the floor of the shed.  Slabs 18*18*1.5 inches.

Tomorrow a sheet of plastic will be laid on top,  then the shed floor. The numbers of slabs include an outer ring of slabs on three sides,  keeping the undergrowth away from the shed. 

This may not be the precision foundations of a muddling shed,  but it's predecessor was just a dirt and ash floor. 

 

I've just enjoyed a cheese and bacon toasty, this will be followed by a meal for minions, yellow  curving.. 

I will follow that by testing  ocular shutters. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Enforcing social distancing German style.

[Tony_S]

Yesterday there was a loud thump and we found a dead young starling outside the patio doors. Today, there was a loud thump and a young starling had flown into the utility room window. It was making a final twitch as we got there. We have had pigeons hit the windows and daze themselves occasionally but not starlings. 
Tony

[Chris116]

47 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

This is a strange one, natural causes or suicide?

 

If it happened in the last two months it would probably have been put down to Covid 19!

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Barry O said:

Leopard..there is a story behind the two groups methinks. I left the Guild many years ago due to what was going on at Guildex.

 

Baz

 

 

What happened at Guildex?

[Rugd1022]

A'noon all,

 

As ever, ERs moves on at such a pace it's not easy keeping up with everyone's fortunes, good, bad or indifferent so homogenous felicitations all round.

 

Top ten albums, blimey, it depends what mood I'm in and what day of the week it is but these are fairly constant in my rotation of favourites, in no particular order....

 

The Beatles - 'Revolver' : the sound of a group utterley on top of their game, the recording techniques they were using were almost made up on the spot in some instances and the finished article still sounds as fresh now as it did in '66. The last track on the LP 'Tomorrow Never Knows' was the first to be started when they arrived at Abbey Road in April that year, 'Rubber Soul' was still flying off the shelves at this point but the subject matter, the feel and sound of their new material was light years rather than just a few months ahead. It still sounds like nothing else ever recorded, but somehow fits in with the rest of the album. George's sitar drenched 'Love You To', John's 'She Said, She Said' and Paul's 'Eleanor Rigby' add the to the slightly detached and otherworldly feeling. They were so confident at this point that they didn't need to put their name on the album cover (as per Rubber Soul). In hindsight I think if they'd dropped 'Yellow Submarine' and included 'Paperback Writer' and its b-side 'Rain' on the album instead it would have been even better.

 

The Stones - 'Beggars Banquet' : after the muddled 'Their Satanic Majesties' of '67 which was an attempt to follow the Fabs 'Sgt. Pepper' they managed to find their mojo quite quickly by recording 'Jumping Jack Flash' in March '68, it managed to get all five members of the band back on the same page, even after all the drug busts and personal problems going on between Brian, Keith and Mick the previous year. It's not on the album but set the pace for what was to come. The making of 'Sympathy For The Devil' was captured perfectly by Jean Luc Goddard's film crew at Olympic Studios in June for his film 'One Plus One', showing how it started as a slow samba and grew into a much more forboding piece. The footage of Keith slouching on the floor over his Gibson Les Paul with some beautiful (but dirty) noises coming from the speakers is a nice glimpse of how creative he could be. The same guitar sound fills 'Stray Cat Blues' with menace and works beautifully. The album should have been released in the Summer of '68 but because of problems with the original 'toilet' cover photo it was delayed until December and given the plain cover similar to the Beatles White Album released in November, consequently John Lennon thought the Stones were trying to copy them and the original toilet photo wasn't reinstated until years later.

 

Air - 'Moon Safari' : bar a couple of tracks this mid '90s album is nigh on perfect, the band recorded everything on late '60s and early '70s gear to give it a soft, warm older feel. This is something I listen to a lot when driving, my favourite track being the opener, 'La Femme d'Argent', it's sublime from start to finish.

 

Iggy & The Stooges - Funhouse : their second LP released in 1970 with the best production on any rock album I've heard so far. Really gritty stuff with some brilliant riffs and guitar sounds.

 

The Velvet Underground & Nico : the first Velvets LP of the same name, it still sounds incredible when I play it now, miles ahead and miles away from anything else released in '67, most of it was actually recorded in late '65 / early '66 but wrangles with the record company delayed its release and it pretty much bombed straight away, but it was (and probably still is) a big influence on many other bands. The way it portrayed the seedier side of life in New York was in complete contrast to all the hippie stuff coming out of California.

 

Who's Next - The Who : another pretty much perfect album which very nearly didn't get released at all. I heard 'Won't Get Fooled Again' on the radio a few days ago - the full eight minute version and sounds like it was recorded just yesterday, it's still as powerful now as it was in '71.

 

Pink Floyd -Dark Side Of The Moon : a cliched choice to some perhaps but as I'm typing this 'Money' is wafting in from the TV in the next room and it sounds 'kin fantastic! Say no more.

 

The Sound Gallery - Various Artists : a loungecore compilation from the '90s which kicked off a resurgence of interest in a whole heap of lost 'library' gems from the '60s and '70s, plenty of cheese to be had here and there but the majority of the tracks are full of life, style and panache. The session musicians on these recordings rarely did more than one take and the quality shines through. Some tracks are well known commercial themes but the remainder often sound like the score to a long lost spy film or a road movie that never was. Brilliant stuff if you're of a certain age.

 

Scott Walker - Scott and Scott 4 : being a bit greedy here with two from the same artist but his debut LP from '67 is a joy, half covers and half self penned material, the songs all sound epic, heartfelt and very '60s in feel, while his fourth solo platter is all his own work and is one of the very few albums I can listen to from end to end. I recently read a biography of Scott which goes into great detail about how his solo LPS were recorded, he was much more than a singer and occasional writer, he was actually a very good arranger and producer with superb instincts. Both of these LPs are so well crafted, the way the typically '60s harpsichord dances over some of the songs is sublime, the strings are not overdone and that voice of his never fails to deliver.

 

Creeping in at number eleven is.............. where to start....? Strong contenders are various works from The Byrds, The Doors, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, T-Rex, Bowie, Roxy Music, Love, etc, etc..........

 

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Rugd1022

[Chris116]

Belated birthday greetings to Rick.

 

I have a feeling I would be thrown of ER's if I gave you my list of 10 albums I would want!

 

If it rains here we will all know that it is GDB's fault after he washed his car.

 

Have a great day and stay safe folks.

Edited May 17, 2020 by Chris116

[PhilJ W]

BBQ anyone?

https://www.facebook.com/arthur.keyter/videos/2558585727580156/

 

[Gwiwer]

Good afternoon. With the stress on “good”.  Many thanks for all the anniversarial felicitations which are all very much appreciated. 
 

A surprise just now as we take afternoon tea on the lawn was all the neighbours at the other end of the block singing me a Happy Birthday. I wasn’t aware that any of them knew and have no social media connections there.  Lovely. 
 

After lunch we walked around the Hill of Strawberries which is comfortably populous without being busy. Of note the golf course is open once more and populated by pairs instead of the more usual Sunday fourballs. 
 

I have taken active interest in the ten albums listed by others. My selection is by no means definitive nor is it necessarily my “top ten”.  There are very many worthy contenders which didn’t make the cut. Some have been listed by other ERs.  I have avoided “Various Artistes” compilations One album of note which isn’t in my ten is “Linda Ronstadt’s Duets” where she duets with numerous others to superb effect. The version of “Walk Away Renée” with Ann Savoy has me removing something from my eyes every time. 
 

Today’s offering is from the Australian band Colcannon. Extremely internet-shy and alad no longer with us since John Munro departed the stage of life so the best I can find is a download link and a single song video. 
 

http://colcannonstepitoutliveatthegovdownload.over-blog.com/2020/01/album-mp3-colcannon-step-it-out-live-at-the-gov-1998-free-album.html

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tF7McLN89Ac

Edited May 17, 2020 by Gwiwer

[New Haven Neil]

Have a great one, Rick.

 

I can't do a top ten albums, as I change as the tide comes in and out!

 

Some Slartybarfasting again, followed by some ballasting down the other end which is very 'Plywood Pacific' still, but this bit is coming on OK now.  Ballasting is 90% done so I am running out of excuses to get on with the 'dead' corner which is behind and to the left of the Paneer, it's hard to get to as well, so lightweight scenery on a removable base will be the order of the day methinks - as was the previous incarnation in the same place.

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

I have a feeling I would be thrown of ER's if I gave you my list of 10 albums I would want!

Don't worry.

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift won't get you chucked off.

 

Chesney Hawkes might,  but he's the one and only..................

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

What happened at Guildex?

 

Sssshhh.

it may involve politics.

 

HB Rick.

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

12 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Have a great one, Rick.

 

I can't do a top ten albums, as I change as the tide comes in and out!

 

Some Slartybarfasting again, followed by some ballasting down the other end which is very 'Plywood Pacific' still, but this bit is coming on OK now.  Ballasting is 90% done so I am running out of excuses to get on with the 'dead' corner which is behind and to the left of the Paneer, it's hard to get to as well, so lightweight scenery on a removable base will be the order of the day methinks - as was the previous incarnation in the same place.

 

 

If that's Forest, then you need sheep!

 

The same as any Welsh model, but without the accent see!

[AndyID]

4 hours ago, AndrewC said:

There is some rather frightening psychological manipulation that goes on behind those FB posts that have questions like that, or ones with 3 bananas = 30, etc. They are basically micro IQ tests to determine if/how to direct targeted advertising or political persuasion at the person that takes the “test”.

 

Get the correct answer and you are regarded as too intelligent and observant to be swayed by targeted advertising or manipulation. 

Get the answer that would be correct if the number of shoes or bananas in the bunch didn’t change and you are intelligent but not fully observant. You can be manipulated with subtle advertising. 

Get the wrong answer from the maths but correct observation, and you are less educated but observant. Directed advertising will be more direct but play to your lack of education. 

Wrong on all counts but close (as in you tried), you are a gullible twit and prime pickings. 

Totally backasswards and miles off, means you were taking the urine and your result gets tossed from the data harvesting. 

 

Fun eh. 

 

Well "gullible" isn't in the dictionary init?

[Chris116]

6 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Don't worry.

Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift won't get you chucked off.

 

Chesney Hawkes might,  but he's the one and only..................

All three can take a long walk on a short pier as far as I am concerned although I might enjoy trying to save the two ladies!!!!!

[AndyID]

Wot?! No Led Zeppilin (or did I miss it?)

 

The other one is Addinsell. I have his famous piece on a compilation CD with Rachmaninoff. One of the first CDs I bought last century IIRC.

 

It took a while to remember where it was but I did unearth my slip stick last night. A fine Swiss product from about 54 years ago. I imagine the demand for slide-rules must have dropped like a rock a few years later.

 

Speaking of Switzerland does anyone remember the typhoid outbreak in Zermatt? Around '63 I think.

[jamie92208]

5 hours ago, AndrewC said:

Huckleberry pie I hope. 

 

42 is always the right answer to life the universe and everything. Of course you already knew that as you also know where your towel is. You’re a real hoopy Frood. 

No it's 27, the dimension of a layout crate in inches that will fit through a single door, for more useful.

 

Happy birthday to Rick.

 

Jamie

Edited May 17, 2020 by jamie92208

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

 

A surprise just now as we take afternoon tea on the lawn was all the neighbours at the other end of the block singing me a Happy Birthday. I wasn’t aware that any of them knew and have no social media connections there.  Lovely. 
 

 

I wonder if there is a secret RMweb member among them who reads ERs?  Maybe you could try a few magic passwords like P4 (on second thoughts probably not that one), or Hornby (too common perhaps?), or Bachmann?

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, AndyID said:

...

 

It took a while to remember where it was but I did unearth my slip stick last night. A fine Swiss product from about 54 years ago. I imagine the demand for slide-rules must have dropped like a rock a few years later.

 

Speaking of Switzerland does anyone remember the typhoid outbreak in Zermatt? Around '63 I think.

I , like every other boy in the school had a Thornton slide rule. OST people had their name scratched on with a scriber but mine was very nicely engraved by my Dad whose lovely handwriting and lettering was as good with an engraver as it was with a pen. We had to learn to use slide rules and mechanical calculators as the people in industry advised that was what was needed for school leavers. Oh and learn German which  was predicted to be the requirement for technology and science jobs. 
 

I don’t know anything about Zermatt’s typhoid outbreak ( well in fact I didn’t but just read about it and it seems to have been the usual reasons) but Dad told me once he had been drinking from a tap “somewhere “ in Germany that was marked as drinking water when an army truck turned up and slapped a notice on it warning of typhoid. He was told he would be ok as he had drunk the water before the sign was attached. 

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

C (now a number)

Centum, 100 (base ten)?

[laurenceb]

Birthday greetings Rick

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

 

I don’t know anything about Zermatt’s typhoid outbreak ( well in fact I didn’t but just read about it and it seems to have been the usual reasons) but Dad told me once he had been drinking from a tap “somewhere “ in Germany that was marked as drinking water when an army truck turned up and slapped a notice on it warning of typhoid. He was told he would be ok as he had drunk the water before the sign was attached. 

 

I remember it quite well probably because we were in holiday in Switzerland around that time then there was an outbreak in Aberdeen soon after that and we used to visit our cousins in Brechin quite often.

Edited May 17, 2020 by AndyID
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