The Night Mail

[Flanged Wheel]

Just caught up with TNM after a couple of weeks offline - as ever, very much enjoyed the wide-ranging discussions. I have a couple of contributions to make.

 

Firstly, on music, I’m going to confess to being another bassoonist. I only became one because in the early 1990s, Leeds City Council’s Music Department bought a couple of brand new bassoons and then looked for people to play them. I was bored of the clarinet and volunteered. I got to keep it for five years (for a nominal hire charge) and became a passable player. My 18th birthday present from my parents was my very own second hand bassoon that I still play. As has been alluded to, there is a dearth of bassoonists which makes it wonderfully easy to get into any orchestra or group. My favourite moment was a school concert for our head of music who was leaving. We somehow cobbled together four bassoonists. Glorious.

 

Secondly, on packing. The picture below shows what a family of four (with two teenage boys) needs to travel around the world for three years. The photo was taken at my in-laws on the eve of our departure in September 2022. So far, we still have everything though some rucksacks have needed running repairs and everything is now much grubbier (the last two weeks planting trees in the Bornean rainforest definitely didn’t help).

 

 

Final thought. We were in Bali three weeks ago. It was a real mix. We found a beautiful place high in the jungle in a small village. We learnt a lot about the very unique form of Hinduism that is practised widely on the island. We also stayed in a lovely quiet village on the beach in eastern Bali which was very undeveloped but where you could walk off the beach and be snorkelling on some spectacular coral. However, Ubud and other parts of Bali were very tourist-oriented and busy. The roads were crazy too (we’ve hired cars in a number of countries and Bali was absolutely the worst place to drive). By contrast, we travelled through Java for three weeks by train. It was fascinating and gorgeous and we ate like Sultans. 

[SM42]

3 minutes ago, Flanged Wheel said:

Just caught up with TNM after a couple of weeks offline - as ever, very much enjoyed the wide-ranging discussions. I have a couple of contributions to make.

 

Firstly, on music, I’m going to confess to being another bassoonist. I only became one because in the early 1990s, Leeds City Council’s Music Department bought a couple of brand new bassoons and then looked for people to play them. I was bored of the clarinet and volunteered. I got to keep it for five years (for a nominal hire charge) and became a passable player. My 18th birthday present from my parents was my very own second hand bassoon that I still play. As has been alluded to, there is a dearth of bassoonists which makes it wonderfully easy to get into any orchestra or group. My favourite moment was a school concert for our head of music who was leaving. We somehow cobbled together four bassoonists. Glorious.

 

Secondly, on packing. The picture below shows what a family of four (with two teenage boys) needs to travel around the world for three years. The photo was taken at my in-laws on the eve of our departure in September 2022. So far, we still have everything though some rucksacks have needed running repairs and everything is now much grubbier (the last two weeks planting trees in the Bornean rainforest definitely didn’t help).

 

 

Final thought. We were in Bali three weeks ago. It was a real mix. We found a beautiful place high in the jungle in a small village. We learnt a lot about the very unique form of Hinduism that is practised widely on the island. We also stayed in a lovely quiet village on the beach in eastern Bali which was very undeveloped but where you could walk off the beach and be snorkelling on some spectacular coral. However, Ubud and other parts of Bali were very tourist-oriented and busy. The roads were crazy too (we’ve hired cars in a number of countries and Bali was absolutely the worst place to drive). By contrast, we travelled through Java for three weeks by train. It was fascinating and gorgeous and we ate like Sultans. 

 

That's what Mrs SM42 takes for a weekend away when she's travelling light.

 

Andy

[Oldddudders]

40 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Are car manufacturers so samey that they need an arms race of pointless (and often dangerous technology, lane assist,  constant warning of things you can see in front of you and touchscreens I'm looking at you here, especially the latter, rather than the road) to get us to buy theirs instead of another make?

They are. It all stems from the ability to equip every car with whatever the purchaser specifies. Gone are the days of Base Model,  L, GL etc. The customer ‘builds’ their car online and then gets a nasty shock at the price! So customers are comparing specs against a checklist. The rental firms get high-spec models as these act as a shop window. And it works. A former boss had driven a particular rental Ford in the USA, so sought the same model in UK-spec as his exec car. Sadly, as a 3-door it fell outside the BR rules….

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

If it is anything like our new car, it's a small lift up switch on the bottom of the centre console. I prefer something the size of a helicopter's collective pitch lever.

 

3 hours ago, SM42 said:

Found it. 

 

It's a button on the dash, hidden by the steering wheel,  low down on the left.

 

The obvious place, in the centre console, is taken up with buttons to turn off all sorts of god knows what sensors and the brake hold button  which, like a cup of coffee,  is not much use when parking. 

 

Give me a nice mechanical lever any day. 

 

It also has one of those annoying and dangerous lane assist features that steer you into the parked car, tree or oncoming traffic you were avoiding but at least the car then  beeps at you  just before you hit it to warn you about them. 

 

What happened to simple?

 

Are car manufacturers so samey that they need an arms race of pointless (and often dangerous technology, lane assist,  constant warning of things you can see in front of you and touchscreens I'm looking at you here, especially the latter, rather than the road) to get us to buy theirs instead of another make?

 

Andy

I had an accident a month ago and my car which I had had from new for fifteen years was written off. I purchased its replacement a couple of weeks ago (6 months older than the car written off) and it is absolutely loaded with every conceivable extra. On checking the paperwork it appears to have spent the first year of its life with the dealer who registered it. Fortunately it has a conventional handbrake but some features are getting to be annoying such as the reversing sensor that bleeps away when I am at least a metre away from any obstruction. Some such as Bluetooth I will never use as when I'm driving my mobile is always switched off. Things I do like are the radio controls on the steering wheel although I have accidently changed channels a couple of times while manoeuvring the car and the cavernous glove box that also doubles as a cool box. 

[SM42]

We ordered a medium size car; Hyundai i30,  and ended up with a Kia Sportage as our original choice had developed a fault.

Same price but way too big for what we need and I'm not an SUV fan. Even less so now. 

 

Never mind. 

 

Time for doughnuts

 

 

And this was loitering in the holding sidings at Poznan Glowny earlier

 

 

 

 

Andy

 

 

 

Edited February 13 by SM42

[New Haven Neil]

4 hours ago, SM42 said:

often dangerous technology, lane assist, 

 

Mrs NHN's department recently had to replace a new vehicle bought for the airport, used for patrolling the runways etc, as the lane assist didn't like the white lines demarking the aircraft taxi routes, to the point where the drivers (actually airport firemen) where convinced they were going to hit something and refused to drive it.

[SteveyDee68]

17 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

My head still retained violin tuning from, errr 42 years ago so expected the strings to increase in pitch across the whatever it is, but they aren't in tonal order.  Odd.  So my G D A E (impressed, Steve??  ;-)  ) memory was blasted out of town. 

Yes, very impressed! My colleagues who are violinists also twitch when tuning ukuleles - it definitely seems to offend their sensibilities!

 

“My Dog Has Fleas” has been used as a mnemonic device for tuning ukulele strings since the ukulele was first introduced to the world at the Pan Pacific Expo in 1915, although it doesn’t actually tell you the pitch names - interestingly, though, “ukulele” in Hawaiian literally means “jumping flea” so maybe that’s a tenuous link to the origin of the phrase?

 

My kids are singing a version of that song in their end of project concert (there’s various versions of it knocking about) but they actually remember the string names with the phrase “Gorillas Can Eat Anything”… I have fun with them by singing it (whilst plucking the relevant strings) and then adding on some extra asides at the end, phrase by phrase, which they copy back, and which gradually gets longer and longer 🤣 … I think I am up to “Gorillas Can Eat Anything - they want to - I’m not going to stop them - I’m not daft - I don’t want to end up in hospital - with broken arms and broken legs - sucking jelly through a straw - no, not me - I’ll just let those Gorillas eat anything they want!”

 

I’d suggest persisting with the ukulele playing - recent research has shown that playing an instrument (any instrument*) stimulates all parts of the brain in the process (and not just one area as was previously thought), plus encourages manual dexterity.

 

I’d do C chord (one finger), A minor chord (also 1 finger, albeit a different one), then F chord (two fingers); the next one I teach is trickier as it used three fingers in a triangular pattern - G7. At that point I stop teaching chords because I don’t know any more!

 

If you find the ukulele a little small for your fingers, you might want to see about getting a larger version - I’ve seen at least the sizes on Amazon, for example, and plan on getting myself a larger one to help with my own fat fingers!

 

Steve S

 

* except one previously mentioned in an earlier post that does not bear investigating! 🫢🤣

[SteveyDee68]

5 hours ago, Flanged Wheel said:

Firstly, on music, I’m going to confess to being another bassoonist. I only became one because in the early 1990s, Leeds City Council’s Music Department bought a couple of brand new bassoons and then looked for people to play them. I was bored of the clarinet and volunteered. I got to keep it for five years (for a nominal hire charge) and became a passable player. My 18th birthday present from my parents was my very own second hand bassoon that I still play. As has been alluded to, there is a dearth of bassoonists which makes it wonderfully easy to get into any orchestra or group. My favourite moment was a school concert for our head of music who was leaving. We somehow cobbled together four bassoonists. Glorious.

 

I applaud you, sir! 
 

Amazingly, we are running “endangered instruments” bursary schemes in conjunction with the Chetham’s School of Music (a very prestigious music school in Manchester that trains incredibly gifted and talented youngsters) to target instruments that are not being taken up such as bassoon, oboe, viola and contrabass, in the hopes of finding new players of those instruments. Whether this works long term we are yet to find out.

 

Now, I really must let this thread get back to talking about railways, cakes, sheds (and lack thereof) and missing digits.

 

Steve S

[New Haven Neil]

C and A Minor I did yesterday, and discovered my fingers are rather too short and stumpy for much else, but I will persevere with it as I like ukulele, they sound such happy little instruments. Victoria Vox is a particular favourite, as well as James Hill.  Plus it was free.  (Dad was Scots....).

 

Noted above you mentioned Chethams, one of the probation officers I worked with studied clarinet there, she still plays in local bands here, her daughter is prodigiously talented too, but wouldn't go 'away' to school.  She plays in the better of the local bands!  There is quite a music scene here for a small place, with an annual contest of very high quality entrants.

[Winslow Boy]

I have a query - no not that sort of query, but one to do with painting and as I lack a Mrs WB I thought I'd ask the TNM painter in residence, that's SM42 just in case no one realises.

 

So the query is what shade of varnish should I apply to the nearly constructed cupboard. I'm tempted by antique pine as it would match the existing woodwork but there again I could go a bit avante garde and opt for teak. Oh and before someone suggests fresh flour I'm not that poncy.

[jamie92208]

9 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I have a query - no not that sort of query, but one to do with painting and as I lack a Mrs WB I thought I'd ask the TNM painter in residence, that's SM42 just in case no one realises.

 

So the query is what shade of varnish should I apply to the nearly constructed cupboard. I'm tempted by antique pine as it would match the existing woodwork but there again I could go a bit avante garde and opt for teak. Oh and before someone suggests fresh flour I'm not that poncy.

You could do it light oak and pretend that it's a shed, just trying to be helpful. 

 

Jamie

[SM42]

10 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I have a query - no not that sort of query, but one to do with painting and as I lack a Mrs WB I thought I'd ask the TNM painter in residence, that's SM42 just in case no one realises.

 

So the query is what shade of varnish should I apply to the nearly constructed cupboard. I'm tempted by antique pine as it would match the existing woodwork but there again I could go a bit avante garde and opt for teak. Oh and before someone suggests fresh flour I'm not that poncy.

 

I'd go for one that matches the other woodwork. 

 

Ties it all in nicely

 

Going too of piste to me males it all look a bit haphazard  but you might like that look.

 

Andy

[SM42]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

You could do it light oak and pretend that it's a shed, just trying to be helpful. 

 

Jamie

 

If your going down that road, can I suggest Autumn Gold. 

 

 

 

Andy

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, SteveyDee68 said:

“My Dog Has Fleas” has been used as a mnemonic device for tuning ukulele strings since the ukulele was first introduced to the world at the Pan Pacific Expo in 1915, although it doesn’t actually tell you the pitch names - interestingly, though, “ukulele” in Hawaiian literally means “jumping flea” so maybe that’s a tenuous link to the origin of the phrase?

 

I still have my mothers 1930s Banjolele.  Its nothing like the ones that have a real banjo style body, but looks exactly like this that I found on t'net

 

 

I've also got her instruction book, "The First Step: How to play the Ukulele & Ukulele Banjo" by Lew Stern.  Price 1/-

 

I may get it out and let the fleas hop free!

 

 

 

[DaveF]

My new Yaris has lane assist - it would work well if the lane markings made sense, there are several places where I follow the actual lanes and the car doesn't like it.  It is also a nuisance when driving along roads with central markings where parking is allowed - when there is no other traffic I do not indicate to pull out to pass every parked car and have to straddle the white line.

 

David

[Tony_S]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

reversing sensor that bleeps away when I am at least a metre away from any obstruction.

Does it beep faster the closer you get? Mine then makes a continuous tone at 30 cm .

[woodenhead]

5 minutes ago, DaveF said:

My new Yaris has lane assist - it would work well if the lane markings made sense, there are several places where I follow the actual lanes and the car doesn't like it.  It is also a nuisance when driving along roads with central markings where parking is allowed - when there is no other traffic I do not indicate to pull out to pass every parked car and have to straddle the white line.

 

David

My wife would love you - she says exactly the same about her new Yaris - remnants of old temporary white lines on the motorway is her favourite one, the car still sees them and tries to nudge the car away from the current lanes.  And of course overtaking anything above 30 without indicators has it shaking the wheel.

 

Does your Yaris ever refuse to switch off the radio no matter how many times you press the off button?

[woodenhead]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Does it beep faster the closer you get? Mine then makes a continuous tone at 30 cm .

Mine beeps, has green/amber/red markers to indicate closeness and a big old X when you are touching.

 

I learnt about the 'X' indicator the hard way, one new rear bumper and a couple of sensors on a car just a few weeks old at the time.

[Canal Digger]

Back to handbrakes if I may

 

A few years ago I spent the day driving a Dumper Truck up and down the towpath of a local canal (Wilts& Berks Canal https://www.wbct.org.uk/), hence my name here. No problems, the handbrake being on the RH side, with a catch to release operated by the little finger. Went home in a Ford Ranger with an Umbrella Stick handbrake, again no problem. Went out that evening in an ordinary Ford Mondeo, had to put on the interior light at the traffic lights to find the handbrake release! Only been driving for 40 years (not non-stop before someone picks me up on that point).

 

The strangest (to me) parking brake was on a Ford 350 based RV in the States, a left foot operated, pedal brake. Doing hill starts, trusting the Automatic Gearbox not to allow me role backwards took some getting used to.

[Happy Hippo]

I turned the lane assist off on the new car. Ditto the adaptive cruise control, was wound right down to minimum distance as I found that at the factory setting it was slowing me down just as I wanted to change lane and overtake.

[DaveF]

9 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

My wife would love you - she says exactly the same about her new Yaris - remnants of old temporary white lines on the motorway is her favourite one, the car still sees them and tries to nudge the car away from the current lanes.  And of course overtaking anything above 30 without indicators has it shaking the wheel.

 

Does your Yaris ever refuse to switch off the radio no matter how many times you press the off button?

 

I rarely listen to the radio but when I have (about 3 times in all) it hasn't happened yet.

 

David

[SM42]

I used to drive a VW minibus for the local Dial A Ride. 

 

I thought that was odd with the handbrake on the right about where you expected to find the seat adjuster. 

 

Only other odd one was the walking stick type under the dash on the right in a Renault 16. 

 

 

 

Andy

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, Canal Digger said:

Doing hill starts, trusting the Automatic Gearbox not to allow me role backwards took some getting used to.

You do soon get used to it. Modern double clutch “automatics “ usually seem to have an anti rollback device to emulate “proper”automatics. I don’t think I have ever applied the handbrake myself in my car. It applies itself when the car is in park mode. It releases as you exit park and apply the accelerator. 
I did have a hire car once which had a  manual gearbox but with an electronic handbrake. I don’t like doing hill starts in that but we only had it a few days. 

[woodenhead]

2 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I turned the lane assist off on the new car. Ditto the adaptive cruise control, was wound right down to minimum distance as I found that at the factory setting it was slowing me down just as I wanted to change lane and overtake.

The adaptive cruise on the new Yaris is a joy, but the first time I used it was nerve wracking waiting for it to adjust it's speed to the car ahead.

 

Much better than the fixed cruise on my own 10 year old Ford, however, it can park itself whereas the Yaris cannot.  However, I've never actually used the parking function (reverse or parallel) since it was delivered and I demanded the person handing over demonstrated it.

[SM42]

1 minute ago, Happy Hippo said:

I turned the lane assist off on the new car. Ditto the adaptive cruise control, was wound right down to minimum distance as I found that at the factory setting it was slowing me down just as I wanted to change lane and overtake.

 

I had a courtesy car once,  that I took back due to a steering fault. 

 

They turned off the lane assist, via numerous menus on the touch screen ,which was fine till you started the engine again and it turned on again. 

 

I found if you fought it enough, like autopilot, it would switch off. 

 

Problem was it only lasted a couple of minutes before it reset.  

 

I much prefer the stick shaker type rather than the steer for you type. 

 

It gets tiring having to indicate to go straight on because of some overbanding or some traffic calming road markings 

 

 

 

Andy