The Night Mail

[PhilJ W]

I can take trifle or leave it.

[Compound2632]

31 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I can take trifle or leave it.

 

With that attitude, you'll find there's none left.

[Happy Hippo]

59 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

I can take trifle or leave it.

I've never fired a trifle. One is enough 

[Hroth]

 

I've often thought that trifle bowls and serving spoons are always too small...

 

All this talk had me thinking...🤔   But I'll be brave! 🤪

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Like a hippo leaving a wallow in the hollow...

 

 

In other news I have to face the ordeal of the car parking at the Royal Shrewbury Hospital this afternoon.

 

The appointment is only a check up, but for those that don't know, the car parking is a f*ck up. You can easily spend 30 minutes or so looking for a non existent space.

 

Nyda and I now go over together, and the attendee gets dropped at the door and the driver drives to the local retail park for a mooch around and a coffee.  It's easier, less stressful and probably cheaper!

 

Unfortunately we have to repeat the experience next Monday as well.

 

Doubly annoying when the local PRH is only three miles away.

Look HH what you get up to in the privacy of the Hippodrome is none of our business and come to think of it well let's not.

 

Talking of hospital parking have you ever considered what the staff think of it and they have to pay for the privilege of it as well.

[Happy Hippo]

33 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Look HH what you get up to in the privacy of the Hippodrome is none of our business and come to think of it well let's not.

 

Talking of hospital parking have you ever considered what the staff think of it and they have to pay for the privilege of it as well.

The parking is so bad that a lot of the RSH staff are parking at the Oxon Park and Ride site, and get a free shuttle bus to and from the hospital.

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, bbishop said:

Given the spelling, I think Jamie is still eating it.

 

"Good aftable consternoon. What seems to be the problem?"

[Happy Hippo]

Well the appointment was just that, and I go back in another 6 months for what I hope is the last.

 

After getting home and having a cup of tea, I ventured out to one of the Telford and Wrekin Council's 'Veterans Drop In' events.

 

It was the first time I'd attended any such event and was pleasantly surprised to find they had a modelling group (mainly military modelling) as well as various self help groups.

 

They have been trialling these throughout the borough.  It was quite interesting, especially when I had a chat to those running a Sports coaching scheme.

 

When I mentioned I was an airgun coach, I was immediately pointed in the direction of a gentleman who is trying to set up an airgun club in Telford.

 

They are looking at some premises on Sunday afternoon, and I've been asked to go along in an advisory capacity.

 

It must be some form of fate, because I was in two minds whether to go or not. So perhaps selling of all my kit might not be on the cards after all!

[br2975]

One had to sit down earlier, and take one or two deep breaths.

.

An 'EVRI' courier arrived with a small parcel addressed to 'br2975'.

.

Why did I need to take a seat you may ask ?

.

Well hereabouts, with a wife who spends her life using TEMU, Vinted, Ebay - you name it,  anything arriving by post, addressed to yours truly, and not SWMBO, is a momentous event.

.

The parcel had originated in Hipposhire, and the contents will prove very, very useful in the ongoing construction of  "NCB Twll Cach" ( identified in the Cardiff Division WTT as EVCW - Efflew Valley Central Washery ) a scenic break on the burgeoning 'Efflew Valley Branch"

.

Thank you HH, much appreciated.

[Dave Hunt]

On March 2nd we are going on a Northern Lights cruise up into the Arctic so I thought that I'd start preparing for it on, say, February 29th but this morning I was disabused of that notion and informed that we were going into central Telfland to do some of that  dreadful thing called pre-holiday shopping. My protestations that I already had sufficient clothing to last me for the rest of my days fell on deaf ears and it was decreed that I need more trousers and sweaters (my, "But I've already got three pairs of trousers and they give us Arctic jackets on the ship", was completely ignored). So, after checking our Telfid 19 vaccinations were up to date and the active armour plating on the car was in place we set off. On reaching the dark centre of Telfland we went into a shop where I tried on two pairs of trousers and two sweaters, paid for them and left within about ten minutes, at which stage I thought all was going well and I'd be back in the shed by lunchtime. Schoolboy error. Jill wanted a pair of trousers for evening wear and that required visiting about twenty shops (it may have been more but they all kind of blurred into an amorphous mass) and looking at allsorts of other items as well as the desired trousers. My query as to why she was examining such things as blouses and raincoats when they weren't on the list was met by a withering look so I then kept quiet. Eventually the search was complete and we went for coffee and sandwiches before returning home but the fates weren't finished with me and the journey time was extended by road works every half mile or so (well, it seemed that way) so Hunt Towers wasn't reached until nearly four o'clock.

 

Aren't some days fun?

 

Dave 

[br2975]

14 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

On March 2nd we are going on a Northern Lights cruise up into the Arctic

.

Nine years ago today, we were in Iceland, specifically to see the Aurora.

.

I got to see them, briefly, from the bottom of a three foot snowdrift when I fell off the bus !

.

Gulflos Falls, was the coldest place I have ever visited, at - 15'C and not taking into consideration any wind chill factor.

.

Got to see the Aurora in all their glory a few years later....when we went to Levi, in Finland.

.

.

The cold was easier to endure than the "pre-holiday shopping" - take respite in the knowledge, we all go through it Dave.

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

raincoats

We are going to Iceland in July and rainwear is highly recommended. I think the parkas we have recently purchased to protect us from the South Essex winter weather won’t be going on the voyage as they would be too warm. I have taken advantage of various online offers to get some suitable trousers for walking about in the wind and rain. Anywhere outside Reykjavik it is recommend to wear walking shoes or boots not trainers. I don’t think any of the planned trips involve great distances though. 

Edited January 17 by Tony_S

[br2975]

First morning in Reykjavik, I got out of bed, peeped through the curtains..... it was pitch black, and snowing heavily.

.

Checked my watch, it was 10 a.m. !

.

In the photo, whilst in Iceland.....I stood with one foot in Europe, and the other in the Americas...... tectonic plate stuff I believe.

.

The wife, and her 'big cousin' would have you believe they are made of stern stuff, and if the cost of the beer wasn't enough to shock them, the temperature in ta Reykjavik  beer garden did.

Edited January 17 by br2975

[iL Dottore]

10 hours ago, bbishop said:

I hate trifle.

Trifle has often said unkind things about you as well, Bill!

[Dave Hunt]

Yes, I think that rainwear in Iceland is a good idea. I've landed at Keflavik a few times when operating in the Iceland/Faeroes gap and it was invariably p!ssing down.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

On March 2nd we are going on a Northern Lights cruise up into the Arctic so I thought that I'd start preparing for it on, say, February 29th but this morning I was disabused of that notion and informed that we were going into central Telfland to do some of that  dreadful thing called pre-holiday shopping. My protestations that I already had sufficient clothing to last me for the rest of my days fell on deaf ears and it was decreed that I need more trousers and sweaters (my, "But I've already got three pairs of trousers and they give us Arctic jackets on the ship", was completely ignored). So, after checking our Telfid 19 vaccinations were up to date and the active armour plating on the car was in place we set off. On reaching the dark centre of Telfland we went into a shop where I tried on two pairs of trousers and two sweaters, paid for them and left within about ten minutes, at which stage I thought all was going well and I'd be back in the shed by lunchtime. Schoolboy error. Jill wanted a pair of trousers for evening wear and that required visiting about twenty shops (it may have been more but they all kind of blurred into an amorphous mass) and looking at allsorts of other items as well as the desired trousers. My query as to why she was examining such things as blouses and raincoats when they weren't on the list was met by a withering look so I then kept quiet. Eventually the search was complete and we went for coffee and sandwiches before returning home but the fates weren't finished with me and the journey time was extended by road works every half mile or so (well, it seemed that way) so Hunt Towers wasn't reached until nearly four o'clock.

 

Aren't some days fun?

 

Dave 

Could you not have ordered the (your) clothes by mail order and got Jill to drop you off here whilst she went on the climb up to hell, solo.

[iL Dottore]

56 minutes ago, br2975 said:

The cold was easier to endure than the "pre-holiday shopping" - take respite in the knowledge, we all go through it Dave.

Oh dearie me, oh dearie dearie me; we do have a lot of "man-babies" on TNM - all afraid of a little (dare I say it?) shopping!

 

I mean, c'mon, going through a shop (or shopping centre) is hardly the same as urban hand-to-hand combat; as much as you'd might want to toss a stick grenade or two to clear your way of scrotes and yoof, it's hardly The Battle For Stalingrad (or Berlin for that matter)..

 

As Field Marshal Slim put it: "the more you use, the less you loose".

 

So, go in with all guns blazing: turn everything in the shop upside down, make relevant (irrelevant and frequently spurious) suggestions as to size, materials, colour, suitability and fit before making enthusiastic noises about moving on to the next shop of the same type, this should soon see the opposition (SWMBO) retreating in confusion and panic – not knowing what to do or how to react! 
 

Furthermore, such a strategy can have delightfully unintended consequences: as when I had to accompany Mrs ID into a purveyor of toiletries and perfumes and which lead to me snatching up  some make up brushes pads and sponges and repurposing them for weathering my railway models!.

 

remember "a brave man only shops once a coward dies 1000 shops"

Edited January 17 by iL Dottore
Grammar

[PhilJ W]

I don't have that problem as I don't have a SWMBO. My shopping is go straight to what I want, take it too the till and pay and then on my way.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

take it too the till and pay and then on my way.

Very unusually Aditi had made a mistake on our shopping order so it was decided yesterday we would pop down to Morrisons on Canvey Island, purchase the items and then go for a walk round the RSPB reserve on the way home. Aditi decided we could use the self service tills. One of our near neighbours works as a supervisor at the self service tills. We said hello and joked we would try not to break the till. We managed to get it into a loop where  it kept asking if we had our own bag and wouldn’t proceed. Our neighbour couldn’t sort it out and a colleague had to come and reboot it. We were escorted to another machine but not before noticing the system runs in embedded Windows 7 and could take 20 minutes to boot. As soon as we put our first item in our bag there was an error requiring assistance. Our neighbour and her colleague were really nice and gave us cheery waves when we finally departed.  We did go to look at some ducks, swans and geese eventually. 

Edited January 17 by Tony_S

[Winslow Boy]

20 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Very unusually Aditi had made a mistake on our shopping order so it was decided yesterday we would pop down to Morrisons on Canvey Island, purchase the items and then go for a walk round the RSPB reserve on the way home. Aditi decided we could use the self service tills. One of our near neighbours works as a supervisor at the self service tills. We said hello and joked we would try not to break the till. We managed to get it into a loop where  it kept asking if we had our own bag and wouldn’t proceed. Our neighbour couldn’t sort it out and a colleague had to come and reboot it. We were escorted to another machine but not before noticing the system runs in embedded Windows 7 and could take 20 minutes to boot. As soon as we put our first item in our bag there was an error requiring assistance. Our neighbour and her colleague were really nice and gave us cheery waves when we finally departed.  We did go to look at some ducks, swans and geese eventually. 

Argh you were doing the mystery shopping routine then Tony. Seeing how many tills you could 'incapacitate' before leaving the premises. Well done that man.

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

On March 2nd we are going on a Northern Lights cruise up into the Arctic so I thought that I'd start preparing for it on, say, February 29th but this morning I was disabused of that notion and informed that we were going into central Telfland to do some of that  dreadful thing called pre-holiday shopping. My protestations that I already had sufficient clothing to last me for the rest of my days fell on deaf ears and it was decreed that I need more trousers and sweaters (my, "But I've already got three pairs of trousers and they give us Arctic jackets on the ship", was completely ignored). So, after checking our Telfid 19 vaccinations were up to date and the active armour plating on the car was in place we set off. On reaching the dark centre of Telfland we went into a shop where I tried on two pairs of trousers and two sweaters, paid for them and left within about ten minutes, at which stage I thought all was going well and I'd be back in the shed by lunchtime. Schoolboy error. Jill wanted a pair of trousers for evening wear and that required visiting about twenty shops (it may have been more but they all kind of blurred into an amorphous mass) and looking at allsorts of other items as well as the desired trousers. My query as to why she was examining such things as blouses and raincoats when they weren't on the list was met by a withering look so I then kept quiet. Eventually the search was complete and we went for coffee and sandwiches before returning home but the fates weren't finished with me and the journey time was extended by road works every half mile or so (well, it seemed that way) so Hunt Towers wasn't reached until nearly four o'clock.

 

Aren't some days fun?

 

Dave 

 

We are a good bit South of you and we won't be going any further North. That's eight inches of the white stuff so far and it's getting heavier. 😟

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from a sub-arctic Piedmont.

[skipepsi]

13 hours ago, br2975 said:

One had to sit down earlier, and take one or two deep breaths.

.

An 'EVRI' courier arrived with a small parcel addressed to 'br2975'.

.

Why did I need to take a seat you may ask ?

.

Well hereabouts, with a wife who spends her life using TEMU, Vinted, Ebay - you name it,  anything arriving by post, addressed to yours truly, and not SWMBO, is a momentous event.

.

The parcel had originated in Hipposhire, and the contents will prove very, very useful in the ongoing construction of  "NCB Twll Cach" ( identified in the Cardiff Division WTT as EVCW - Efflew Valley Central Washery ) a scenic break on the burgeoning 'Efflew Valley Branch"

.

Thank you HH, much appreciated.

 

13 hours ago, br2975 said:

One had to sit down earlier, and take one or two deep breaths.

.

An 'EVRI' courier arrived with a small parcel addressed to 'br2975'.

.

Why did I need to take a seat you may ask ?

.

Well hereabouts, with a wife who spends her life using TEMU, Vinted, Ebay - you name it,  anything arriving by post, addressed to yours truly, and not SWMBO, is a momentous event.

.

The parcel had originated in Hipposhire, and the contents will prove very, very useful in the ongoing construction of  "NCB Twll Cach" ( identified in the Cardiff Division WTT as EVCW - Efflew Valley Central Washery ) a scenic break on the burgeoning 'Efflew Valley Branch"

.

Thank you HH, much appreciated.

Seems very similar hello Mr Bit's for you today! Such a surprise I bought another loco from HH. Three small wagons also turned up 0 gauge 16T, well they are compared to US 0 gauge stock...

Edited January 18 by skipepsi

[jamie92208]

Yippee, I've got a day out today.  Off to Poitiers with Andy to see some trains. 

 

Jamie 

[Northmoor]

10 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

Yes, I think that rainwear in Iceland is a good idea. I've landed at Keflavik a few times when operating in the Iceland/Faeroes gap and it was invariably p!ssing down.

 

Dave

Similar advice was probably given in years past to anyone posted to RAF Brawdy.