The Night Mail

[monkeysarefun]

We have recycling facilities  at places like supermarkets, service stations and universities. They accept glass, PET, HDPE, aluminium, steel  and waxed cartons  between 150mL and 3L in size and you get   a 10c refund on each container, so its a source of extra money for some, and as a bonus the general  litter lying around the place has reduced markedly.

A barcode reader reads the barcode of each container  to determine whether an eligible container has been deposited (rather than say  a rock or something I guess!)

 

The money goes straight into your choice of a bank account, paypal account, a supermarket  e-voucher or can be  donated to a nominated charity.

 

 

There's also smaller versions that also have the same refund facility  at places like beaches, parks and sportsgrounds etc.

 

Edited April 16 by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Well have a guess what happened at the Manchester Marathon on Sunday. A driver decided that although the road was closed to traffic he would still use it. This was despite runners, spectators and stewards all being in his way. Can you guess what type of car he was in. Go on you can. Yes it was a BMW and his excuse he got fed up. GMP attended the scene. What was I saying about the standard of driving.

 

On Friday a Beemer** driver (on a quiet road with no other traffic) actually stopped to let a Bear cross the road.  Shocked, stunned, amazed doesn't even come close - I was very wary just in case he was trying to catch a Bear off his guard.  Nottachance.

 

**And not just any 'ol Beemer either - it was an SUV as well, and a black one at that.  With personalised plates.

 

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Exactly what I wonder. Our glass, metal and plastic recycling bins are put onto a hoist at the back of the lorry that lifts them up then tips the contents into the hopper with much crashing and banging. Ergo a lot of the glass must get broken but we are warned not to put broken glass in the bin. Why?

 

Dave

 

In case the binmen cut their paws en-route to the bin lorry.

 

9 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I believe the same logic is occasionally applied on Death Row in America, in the instances where executions have been delayed as the condemned person was ill and they were waiting for them to recover.

 

"You can't execute me until this Long Covid has gone......"

 

9 hours ago, SM42 said:

Can't put tin foil in, cos it's flat and may get mistaken for paper by the sorting machine.

Why you can't roll it onto a ball who knows. 

 

Bear does - rolled into a ball.

 

9 hours ago, SM42 said:

Can't take black plastic nor a whole range of plastic items either even if they are made of the plastic they do take in other forms.

 

There was a TV programme - apparently their is very little market for recycled black plastic.  So why do they keep making the fuggin' stuff??

It's very rare that Bear buys ding dinners now (the traffic light scores on the front put me off**, as do the prices), unless they happen to be in the cheapo last chance saloon cabinet.  I'm also less than keen on the use of plastic trays - though I have noted a very  slow transfer to cardboard trays by some manufacturers.

 

**iD @iL Dottore - see, Bear isn't a totally lost cause after all.....

 

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

We have a bottle collection which uses a dedicated truck and you can hear the bottles and jars breaking as they drop it into the truck. However they won't take other forms of glass such as window glass. It's possible that broken glass is banned on H&S grounds.

 

Yes - Bear's busted glass (very, very rare) would go in the bottle bank - and when that gets emptied into the truck from ten feet up I defy anyone to find a single piece that's still intact.

 

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Beth would never ask me that question, she knows that the answer would be yes regardless of the time period specified.  I usually have a wry smile to myself when people say they are 'off their food'.  That's not something that I can identify with. 

 

Jamie

 

When Bear is off his scoff then I'm only one step away from ITU.

[Oldddudders]

We are told that window and picture glass must not be recycled, but must go in residual waste. That rather supports the idea that it is a composition quite different from bottle glass.

 

I am on a quickie trip to London to buy Eurostar tickets for my next few trips. The 05.05 Penzance is making good progress, and I have a coffee, inspecting sunny Devon. 

[Happy Hippo]

3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

We are told that window and picture glass must not be recycled, but must go in residual waste. That rather supports the idea that it is a composition quite different from bottle glass.

 

I am on a quickie trip to London to buy Eurostar tickets for my next few trips. The 05.05 Penzance is making good progress, and I have a coffee, inspecting sunny Devon. 

Sunny Devon?

 

Although there are one or two blue patches where the clouds have fallen over, the general outlook here is wet and blustery.

 

The timber garden arch gets ever closer to being finished.

 

I now have a complete kit of parts for the main framework that just needs screwing together.

 

Once it has been erected, I will be able to add what I see as a number of cosmetic add ons.

 

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

5 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Sunny Devon?

 

Although there are one or two blue patches where the clouds have fallen over, the general outlook here is wet and blustery.

 

The timber garden arch gets ever closer to being finished.

 

I now have a complete kit of parts for the main framework that just needs screwing together.

 

Once it has been erected, I will be able to add what I see as a number of cosmetic add ons.

Climbing roses might be good. 

 

P.S. Now in Somerset where it is cloudier!

Edited April 16 by Oldddudders

[Happy Hippo]

21 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Climbing roses might be good. 

 

P.S. Now in Somerset where it is cloudier!

There might be a rose bush in the vicinity but I am reliably informed that the arch will support a Clematis plant.  It was one of a pair bought early last year.  Unfortunately one was damaged, so the supplier sent us another one as a replacement.

 

Of course with the typical low cunning emanating from all corners of the Hippodrome, the damaged Clematis was taken into the horticultural hospital, and after a period of intensive care, has emerged into the garden as a viable climber.

 

The policy of never throw anything away until it has absolutely no further use works well.....

 

Providing one has unlimited storage facilities, otherwise you end up a bit cluttered.🤣

 

 

[pgcroc]

15 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

br2975 might not be so enamoured with my nephew, as George has a season ticket for..........

 

Swansea City

Nothing wrong with that.

I have 2, one for me and one for my grandson. Also called George.

Pete 

[iL Dottore]

14 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

One must ask, fingers alone or including thumbs and toes?

 

Now you're just being silly.

 

Who has ever heard of a thumb-food or a toe-food buffet?

 

It has to be finger food.

 

As for some the other left overs, you can always make Toed-in-the-hole!

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

It's very rare that Bear buys ding dinners now (the traffic light scores on the front put me off**, as do the prices), unless they happen to be in the cheapo last chance saloon cabinet.  I'm also less than keen on the use of plastic trays - though I have noted a very  slow transfer to cardboard trays by some manufacturers.

 

**iD @iL Dottore - see, Bear isn't a totally lost cause after all.....

I'm still awaiting the Damascene Conversion.....

[rockershovel]

There are some phrases and terms which simply shouldn't exist. 

 

Today's contribution, from an article in the DT about flying with dogs; 

 

"Emotional support pit bull"......

[Compound2632]

8 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

"Emotional support pit bull"......

 

I don't know. I can see how it can be a thing. The dog channels its owner's ill-controlled temper and urge to violence. So when some innocent passer-by gets savagely mauled, it's the dog that gets put down, not the owner. Whether that is a good thing...

 

But as I said, I'm a cat person. In fact, I am our cat's emotional support human.

 

Except that I'm out of favour just now because I've stripped all the beds. The look I got...

Edited April 16 by Compound2632

[Flanged Wheel]

I once prosecuted a nasty case where the complainant had an emotional support St Bernard (and it genuinely seemed to help them). The evidence was being given by live link from another room in the court centre so that they didn’t have to come into the courtroom but I still had to make an application to the judge for the dog to be in the room when evidence was being given. I got a raised eyebrow from the judge when I stood up at the start of the trial and opened with “Your Honour, I have an application concerning a dog…”

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

There might be a rose bush in the vicinity but I am reliably informed that the arch will support a Clematis plant. 

 

 

Momma Bear used to mention that "we" had a Clematis climbing up the side of the shed once - until "someone" watered it with Petrol......

Bear never did track down the guilty party......  🤫

 

30 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

I'm still awaiting the Damascene Conversion.....

 

Paws up all those that had to Google that one.....

 

23 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

There are some phrases and terms which simply shouldn't exist. 

 

Today's contribution, from an article in the DT about flying with dogs; 

 

"Emotional support pit bull"......

 

Could be a LOT worse....."Emotional Support Tarantula".....

[PhilJ W]

58 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Now you're just being silly.

 

Who has ever heard of a thumb-food or a toe-food buffet?

 

It has to be finger food.

 

As for some the other left overs, you can always make Toed-in-the-hole!

[Hroth]

54 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

There are some phrases and terms which simply shouldn't exist. 

 

Today's contribution, from an article in the DT about flying with dogs; 

 

"Emotional support pit bull"......

 

26 minutes ago, polybear said:

Could be a LOT worse....."Emotional Support Tarantula".....

 

People try to get away with anything. I've heard of people wanting to take their miniature ponies and pigs on board as emotional support animals.  I've just thought, how about an emotional support polecat???

 

 

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I'm still awaiting the Damascene Conversion.....

 

31 minutes ago, polybear said:

Paws up all those that had to Google that one.....

 

No need to - it came to me in a blinding flash of light....

 

[jamie92208]

39 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

 

No need to - it came to me in a blinding flash of light....

 

Ahbut have the scales fallen from your eyes yet. 

 

Jamie

[Hroth]

9 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Ahbut have the scales fallen from your eyes yet. 

 

Jamie

 

Hmmmmm...  I wondered why my toes were bruised!

 

[J. S. Bach]

On 15/04/2024 at 03:53, iL Dottore said:

Rumour has it that JR West will be creating a unique British Railway themed Shinkansen (a bit like the "Hello Kitty" Shinkansen): The Shakespeare Monarch

 

To recreate the modern British Railway ambience The Shakespeare Monarch will feature:

• Seats that don't align with the windows.
• Legal minimum thickness seat padding.
• Out of order on-board toilets.
• Artfully placed piles of empty sandwich boxes, crisp packets and empty beer tins.
• Strict adherence to a WTWBL running schedule (Whatever The Time Table It Will Be Late)
• Overpriced tickets.
• Random last minute cancellations with "lucky draw" bus replacement service (i.e. you might get lucky and get a replacement bus service seat).

Unfortunately, given the Japanese culture and service ethos, The Shakespeare Monarch will not be able to feature strike action, work-to-rule or surly and rude employees.

 

p.s. although computer generated, I think a Union Flag painted Shinkansen actually looks pretty good!

My gosh, that "thing" is sooo uuugly!! (The train, not the Union Jack)

Hey, at least it has a stiff upper lip!

Edited April 16 by J. S. Bach
To add some information

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

I'm still awaiting the Damascene Conversion.....

Didn't they do a film of that.

[Dave Hunt]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

There might be a rose bush in the vicinity but I am reliably informed that the arch will support a Clematis plant.  It was one of a pair bought early last year.  Unfortunately one was damaged, so the supplier sent us another one as a replacement.

 

Of course with the typical low cunning emanating from all corners of the Hippodrome, the damaged Clematis was taken into the horticultural hospital, and after a period of intensive care, has emerged into the garden as a viable climber.

 

A few years ago Jill got some sort of shrub by mail order and when it arrived it looked like a dead stick that had been put through a mangle. She duly complained to the vendors, enclosing a photograph of said stick, and without demur they replaced it. The 'dead' one was then placed in a bucket of other garden waste, soil etc. where it remained over winter and the following spring started showing signs of life. It is now a large healthy shrub by the front door and is much loved by the birds, bees and spiders. Don't ask me what it is called, all I know is that it is green and bushy, or should that be shrubby?

 

Dave

[petethemole]

5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Once it has been erected, I will be able to add what I see as a number of cosmetic add ons.

Bridge number plate, Restricted Clearance Sign....

[J. S. Bach]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 ...snip... I've just thought, how about an emotional support polecat??

Polecats (skunks) can make decent pets and will have the scent glands removed along with neutering.

[Dave Hunt]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

But as I said, I'm a cat person. In fact, I am our cat's emotional support human.

 

Except that I'm out of favour just now because I've stripped all the beds. The look I got...

 

Isn't there a saying along the lines of, "Dogs have owners, cats have staff" ? A truism in my experience.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

4 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Polecats (skunks) can make decent pets and will have the scent glands removed along with neutering.

 

One night many years ago a friend and I were driving over the Peak District when we saw an animal of some sort lying in the road. We stopped and discovered what appeared to be a ferret and upon finding it was still alive but injured, wrapped it in a dog blanket and took it with us, not knowing what we were going to do with it except some vague idea of trying to find how to contact the RSPCA. We found a policeman on foot patrol in Matlock (This was a long time ago) who was very helpful and contacted a colleague who kept ferrets and came to see our patient. He identified it as a polecat and took it away to be looked after. The downside to the story is that even though the animal had been wrapped in a blanket, the car and both of us stank to high heaven. After taking showers and changing clothes we weren't too bad but it took ages before the car stopped being niffy.

 

Dave  

[Happy Hippo]

20 minutes ago, petethemole said:

Bridge number plate, Restricted Clearance Sign....

I've got to get the red beacons in place and working before nightfall, otherwise I will be in trouble with the CAA.