The Night Mail

[rockershovel]

Just seen that the local theatre (the Key) is to close in January, after the panto finishes. I was never particularly convinced that the ongoing efforts to sustain the "other" theatre, plus occasional productions at the Cresset Centre were a good thing, and I certainly don't believe it now. 

 

Visited Norwich Town centre last week, interesting contrast to Peterborough. A generally smaller place with smaller buildings, but generally busier and more prosperous looking - their John Lewis is still open, for one thing. 

 

Peterborough Town centre appears to have taken on the general air of those places which appear on the news, where unpronounceable named factions feud for incomprehensible reasons and everyone else has given up and gone somewhere else. I didn't see a building with an RPG hole in it yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. 

 

 

[Dave Hunt]

Greetings from the parliamentary constituency of Kick Boris Up The Chuffshire. My day is being taken up by the ongoing aftermath of the attempted phone scam on my Dad last Saturday, trying to get Jill's phone sorted out and laying in yet more stocks for Christmas. Hey ho, on we go. 

 

Dave

[rockershovel]

Having been to the "Carols on the Green" gathering last night, I doubt if I'll go to the Cathedral on Xmas Eve. My good wife is in that familiar phase of evasion and foot-dragging, and thoroughly frightened by the latest Westminster Jeremaiads. The Cathedral itself is fully invested in the face masks/track and trace/50% capacity ballyhoo and somehow  singing carols, while wearing a face mask in a half-empty Cathedral seems to lack a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. The Sally Army have been driven indoors (playing to non-existent shoppers in the effectively abandoned Queensgate obviously doesn't appeal to them) and they are showing FULLY BOOKED on the Cathedral website, Xmas Eve evening - but that's still 50% capacity for an event which usually fills the Cathedral to standing only. Somehow having Church doors shut in my face at Xmas doesn't seem right. 

[jamie92208]

18 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Greetings from the parliamentary constituency of Kick Boris Up The Chuffshire. My day is being taken up by the ongoing aftermath of the attempted phone scam on my Dad last Saturday, trying to get Jill's phone sorted out and laying in yet more stocks for Christmas. Hey ho, on we go. 

 

Dave

What are they going to do with the redundant sheep with a blue rosette or us roast lamb on the menu at Hunt Towers.

 

Jamie

Edited December 17, 2021 by jamie92208

[Happy Hippo]

On Wednesday morning Nyda received a message to say one of guides from the Monday evening meeting has tested positive for Covid.  their meetings are conducted with all the usual masking and distancing rules in place, but even so, to be on the safe side, we had to cancel drinks with friends, who are vulnerable and a small family  visit.  Today's PCR test has proved negative, but she'll take another on Sunday just to make sure.  In the meantime, life staggers on at a restricted rate.

 

My tasks this morning are finishing off  painting the toy box and sweeping up leaves.

3 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

What are they going to do with redundant sheep with a blue rosette or us roast lamb on the menu at Hunt Towers.

 

Jamie

Had to be those sheep, as there are so few of the red rosetted ones that they are being immediately classified as an endangered species!  

[Happy Hippo]

I would suggest all readers and contributors to TNM take note and action as appropriate:

 

Please be advised that all employees planning to dash through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh, going over the fields and laughing all the way are required to undergo a Risk Assessment addressing the safety of open sleighs.

 

The assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly where there are multiple passengers.

 

Note that permission must also be obtained in writing from landowners before their fields may be entered. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

 

Benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available for collection by any shepherds planning or required to watch their flocks at night. While provision has also been made for remote monitoring of flocks by CCTV cameras from a centrally heated shepherd observation hut, all facility users are reminded that an emergency response plan must be submitted to account for known risks to the flocks. The angel of the Lord is additionally reminded that prior to shining his/her glory all around s/he must confirm that all shepherds are wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment to account for the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and the overwhelming effects of Glory.

 

Following last year’s well publicised case, everyone is advised that legislation prohibits any comment with regard to the redness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr. R Reindeer from reindeer games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence.

 

While it is acknowledged that gift-bearing is commonly practised in various parts of the world, particularly the Orient, everyone is reminded that the bearing of gifts is subject to Hospitality Guidelines and all gifts must be registered. This applies regardless of the individual, even royal personages. It is particularly noted that direct gifts of currency or gold are specifically precluded under provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Further, caution is advised regarding other common gifts, such as aromatic resins that may initiate allergic reactions.

 

Finally, for those involved in the recent case of the infant found tucked up in a manger without any crib for a bed, Social Services have been advised and will be arriving shortly.

[PhilJ W]

HH I've just got to borrow that, hope its OK.

[Doncaster Green]

HH - you have omitted to mention that, due to the current health emergency, the Herald Angels may only sing if they are in the open air, properly socially distanced and situated downwind of any congregation.

 

John

[Compound2632]

As for kissing under the mistletoe...

[Dave Hunt]

Well, just for a change I've had a productive day. Jill's phone has been fixed, all the left over bits and pieces resulting from Bob's funeral have been taken care of, I think I've got a buyer for the last lot of models of his that I've been selling, I've got an appointment to take Dad's laptop to be fixed tomorrow and the chap is confident he can sort it out, I've got an appointment to get the final bits of fallout from Dad's phone scam sorted out with one of the banks and those from the other bank are all in progress, I've got most of the remaining leaves out of the pond and have sorted out the remaining supply requirements for Christmas. Tonight will be spent with feet up, a glass of Scottish happy water in one hand and Railway Modeller in the other and that's it.

 

Tomorrow will probably be a shambles but WTF.

 

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

The paint with a claimed drying time of 35 minutes is still wet: 48 hours after application!

 

I will have to rethink the next stage of the painting program, but bringing it into the house seems a good idea.  I'm not sure what the domestic authority will think of this cunning scheme.

 

Talking of paint, I started to sort out my modelling paints this morning.  I have sorted it all into a couple of 18 litre Really Useful Boxes. Admittedly there are aerosols as well as pots of various sizes, but it is still a rather large collection, much of which is unopened.

 

We'll not mention the unfinished and unopened wagon kits I have in another couple of RUB.

[Tony_S]

I have been buying 64litre Really Useful Boxes!

[New Haven Neil]

Loft's full of them - some with 60 years of British OO, some with USA HO, empty O gauge boxes....and so on. Luckily Mrs NHN doesn't venture up there.

[jamie92208]

51 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The paint with a claimed drying time of 35 minutes is still wet: 48 hours after application!

 

I will have to rethink the next stage of the painting program, but bringing it into the house seems a good idea.  I'm not sure what the domestic authority will think of this cunning scheme.

 

Talking of paint, I started to sort out my modelling paints this morning.  I have sorted it all into a couple of 18 litre Really Useful Boxes. Admittedly there are aerosols as well as pots of various sizes, but it is still a rather large collection, much of which is unopened.

 

We'll not mention the unfinished and unopened wagon kits I have in another couple of RUB.

Are those RUB's of unbuilt kits on the shelf of shame.

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

2 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Are those RUB's of unbuilt kits on the shelf of shame.

 

Jamie

No, the shed of shame,  a solitary shelf would have fallen down years ago under the weight.

[Dave Hunt]

A few years ago I solved the problem of my cupboards of shame by ruthlessly sorting out and selling all the items that realistically I would never get around to building or using - well, nearly all of them - well quite a few anyway. And with the money I made I was able to, er,  well buy more stuff that I have used. Quite a bit of it really. There isn't actually a lot left when you look at it. Even though the cupboards are a bit on the full side.

 

Funnily enough, though, I've been thinking recently that if I had a ruthless clearing out session...........  

 

Sigh........

 

Dave

[TheQ]

14 hours ago, rockershovel said:

 

 

Visited Norwich Town centre last week, interesting contrast to Peterborough. A generally smaller place with smaller buildings, but generally busier and more prosperous looking - their John Lewis is still open, for one thing. 

 

 

 

 

Jahn Lewis!!!??? JAHN LEWIS!!!!  Taint no Jahn Lewis  in Narrrch bor , tha be Bonds  ant away will be bor..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonds_of_Norwich

 

 

[rockershovel]

https://store-locations.co.uk/john_lewis/norwich-store-nr1-3lx.html

[polybear]

46 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

A few years ago I solved the problem of my cupboards of shame by ruthlessly sorting out and selling all the items that realistically I would never get around to building or using - well, nearly all of them - well quite a few anyway. And with the money I made I was able to, er,  well buy more stuff that I have used. Quite a bit of it really. There isn't actually a lot left when you look at it. Even though the cupboards are a bit on the full side.

 

Funnily enough, though, I've been thinking recently that if I had a ruthless clearing out session...........  

 

Sigh........

 

Dave

 

Bear's cupboards of shame are in the bedroom above the kitchen.....and I predict that the kitchen will one day subside into becoming a basement as a result.....

[Northmoor]

6 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear's cupboards of shame are in the bedroom above the kitchen.....and I predict that the kitchen will one day subside into becoming a basement as a result.....

There's something bizarre going on in my loft and garage.  No matter how much I sort and dispose of, it never gets any emptier, I swear the stuff's breeding.

[PhilJ W]

I don't have a cupboard of shame, just a whole bedroom of shame.

[Dave Hunt]

I have a theory that all shelves, cupboards, sheds etc. of shame are actually linked via some n-dimensional spacetime  continuum shift (something like that postulated for libraries throughout the multiverse in the Discworld books). Hence, it is in fact impossible for a cupboard of shame ever to be emptied because were that ever to happen, it would instantaneously be filled with items from other ones. In other words, people, we are fighting a losing battle against forces that we cannot fully comprehend and the sensible course of action is simply to carry on as we have been doing since someone back in ancient Syracuse scratched two parallel lines on a piece of slate and made a little four wheeled cart to run on it. 

 

Now, where's the advertisement for that kit I had my eye on.........

 

Dave

Edited December 17, 2021 by Dave Hunt

[Winslow Boy]

6 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

I have a theory that all shelves, cupboards, sheds etc. of shame are actually linked via some n-dimensional spacetime  continuum shift (something like that postulated for libraries throughout the multiverse in the Discworld books). Hence, it is in fact impossible for a cupboard of shame ever to be emptied because were that ever to happen, it would instantaneously be filled with items from other ones. In other words, people, we are fighting a losing battle against forces that we cannot fully comprehend and the sensible course of action is simply to carry on as we have been doing since someone back in ancient Syracuse scratched two parallel lines on a piece of slate and made a little four wheeled cart to run on it. 

 

Now, where's the advertisement for that kit I had my eye on.........

 

Dave

 

What happens if you open/enter the cupboard/room with your eyes closed? May be they only exist if you think they exist?

[PhilJ W]

16 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

What happens if you open/enter the cupboard/room with your eyes closed? May be they only exist if you think they exist?

In my case I would end up going @rse over tit on something.

[Dave Hunt]

27 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

What happens if you open/enter the cupboard/room with your eyes closed? May be they only exist if you think they exist?

 

Ah, according to Schroedinger, until you open the door you have no way of knowing whether there is anything in there or not.

 

Even a dead cat.

 

Dave