Early Risers.

[shortliner]

Morning all. Blue sky with white cloud and some grey bits mixed in.

A firm of Norwich scaffolders arrived yesterday to start cladding the old baptist church opposite us prior to demolition. News to me that scaffolding was required to demolish something - I thought a wrecking ball or a digger with a kango attachment was the norm. I can only assume the tiles will be stripped for reuse (the lead went ages ago).

Speaking as someone who did demolition, yea these many years ago now, it maybe that the stone blocks are for re-use too - they could be quite desirable and valuable if someone has decided to use them on an up-market house/mansion - we took down an old chapel in Luton and had just started throwing the wall cladding into a Thames Trader to dump and burn - a passer-by asked how much and was told "A fiver a lorry-load for firewood guv" - his reply was "if you can get it off carefully and deliver it to xxxxxx, I'll gve you fifteen a load" We did that and he had five loads, and came by about 4 months later and invited us round for tea next time we were passing - he'd cladded all the walls in his large house downstairs with this gorgeous glowing panelling

Edited November 30, 2014 by shortliner

[PhilJ W]

Morning all,

The Christmas tree was put up and decorated yesterday - in deference to next week's pre-Christmas visit by the MiL. Personally I'd have left it until the day term breaks up. 

 

Whilst sorting out the decorations my youngest came across a small treasure trove of decorations given to him by a girl in his class about 2 years ago which included a plaster cast "heart" with "Love from Alice x" written on the back.

Later on, a different little girl comes round to see him, from next door, and spots the aforementioned "love heart". Now it's fair to say that she set her cap at the lad for some time now, occasionally coming into the house saying "Is my boyfriend in?" They're 7 years old. Now, there's nothing wrong with her, it's just I feel she is a bit pushy fort the chap and that I think they could maybe wait till either they are teenagers, or better still till I'm dead! 

"CHARLIE! What's this?"

"Ermm, well, it's not "love" as in "love" it's like when you sign a letter."

"Harumph."

Now, about half an hour later I was clearing the table for tea and happened across more of the treasure trove from "Alice" and accidentally  swept them onto the floor next to the "girl next door".  "To Charlie LOVE from Alice" was neatly written on the back of a home-made glitter star. 

 

"OMG. CHAAARLLLLLIEEEE!"

 

Obviously "Alice" and "Charlie" are pseudonyms as they are now in the witness protection program.   

 

Have a nice day everyone.  

That reminds me of a fellow model railway club members young daughter, 8 years old, # 3 of 4 daughters and therefore a bit of competition for dads attention. She managed to wangle an evening with dad at the model railway club, within half an hour she had managed to get 20 + grown men eating out of her hand. She apparently had a 'boy friend' in the same class at school but I got the impression that he had little say in the matter.

[skipepsi]

Morning all, some chores completed and a piece of pork to cook soon. All kittens are present and correct hopefully they will start to doze soon. Youngest is home from uni for the weekend so plenty of gossip going on.....

[PhilJ W]

Checked my weight this morning, 5 kilos less than a month ago, still a way to go, about five times that would be the optimum but with Christmas pending with all the attendant temptations and indulgences I don't think I'll be able to look down and see my toes before next summer.

Edited November 30, 2014 by PhilJ W

[Killybegs]

Sadly, there is no stone to salvage. The whole thing is a rather utilitarian brick-built pile of ugliness that went up in the 1960s. The new baptist church is a shiny new millenium glass and steel structure with spiral staircases and lift access to the upstairs coffee-shop (!) a street or two away. The site opposite us is earmarked for a modern mews courtyard development of 8 new houses. More parking problems on the A1082, but as we're just about the only ones with off-street parking this close to the town...

 

baptist.jpg

 Possibly the scaffolding, etc. is there because of the restricted nature of the site and the need to protect the public, hence demolition by hand. Also there may be asbestos in the building.

[Donw]

You would need a lot more room around the building to use a wrecking ball. It would not be acceptable if large bits went over neighbouring properties or the highway. Then if you are employing others the use of steps ladders etc to work above 2m is rather frowned on. If you employed someone self employed they can go up a ladder if they choose.

The builder who erected the walls for an extension in the IOW agreed to give me a hand to build the roof. Me and him were stood on the roof timber admiring the view (he could see the woods from his youth) and he pointed out that if he had any workmen they couldn't be allowed to do that.

So most frms employ scaffolding the cost goes onto the job whereas if an employee is seen up a ladder there could be a fine.

 

Don

[Smiffy2]

Aaah Jock - The Palace. Many happy memories. I saw my first-ever motor race there, some time in 1962. I can still remember the thrill of coming out of the station (direct train from Sutton Common to the circuit, and I think a combined ticket) and hearing the wail of a racing engine at the back of the circuit. The sort of experience that becomes a lifetime's passion!

 

I saw a lot of great races there, with luminaries like Clark, Hill, Surtees and Brabham racing F2, F3 and historics, and of course the saloons. Gerry Marshall in a Galaxie! - on a circuit that would fit in Bob Symes' garden, no run offs and the circuit lined with railway sleepers stood upright! Ah, the great days at South Bank.

 

There was a sprint meeting there biennially until recently - I've got some photos somewhere, I'll stick them up.

 

There's a plan to rebuild the palace, but I don't know how far it's gone. There's also a plan to sell off the park for housing development, I believe...

[The Stationmaster]

You would need a lot more room around the building to use a wrecking ball. It would not be acceptable if large bits went over neighbouring properties or the highway. Then if you are employing others the use of steps ladders etc to work above 2m is rather frowned on. If you employed someone self employed they can go up a ladder if they choose.

The builder who erected the walls for an extension in the IOW agreed to give me a hand to build the roof. Me and him were stood on the roof timber admiring the view (he could see the woods from his youth) and he pointed out that if he had any workmen they couldn't be allowed to do that.

So most frms employ scaffolding the cost goes onto the job whereas if an employee is seen up a ladder there could be a fine.

 

Don

It's also against the Regulations for a self-employed person to use a ladder Don - either on their own account or when working for someone else.  Thus you or I can use a ladder doing things for ourseleves but if we hore someone to - say - clear gutters for us then technically it is against the Regulations for them to use a ladder.

[BoD]

Thus you or I can use a ladder doing things for ourseleves but if we hore someone....

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!!!!!!

[petethemole]

Ho Ho Ho!

[45156]

and, perhaps a bigger win on the lottery next time!

 

a lot of the success of the McDonald's empire was built on the early morning advertising of 'Happy Meals' which had children exhorting their parents to take them there for the next collectible toy/trash 'free' gift! f the track.

 

The 'Palace' would have been a fantastic tourist attraction had it lasted like the large glass houses at KeW

We had five numbers in the same line once, and only received about £2.5k - not to be sneezed at, but not an amount to pay off the mortgage.

 

Many of these McDonalds toys are now pretty sought after, and I know a guy who has written two books on the subject, and was quite surprised to hear that some can now fetch a three-figure sum.

 

30747 lived in South London, and for many years there was a local story that Crystal Palace was torched in case war broke out, which it did, and it was such a landmark that it could have been used by enemy aircraft as a pointer to London.

[Smiffy2]

Partly true. The remaining tower was demolished to stop it being used as a landmark by bombers. The palace burned down in 1936, long before the war.

[travelintrev]

Afternoon all,  

 

Slightly fraught morning as I had a reminder from US  border agency that my visitor visa was about to expire ......now you cant do a renewal on-line you have to apply again ... takes quite a long time to fill in -- then after you've paid - there's a nerve twitching  few minutes (not that I'd got anything to fear)  while your details are being "processed" ..anyway I'm apparently good to go! (18 days!) 

 

My Mum can remember as a child seeing the night sky lit up by the Crystal Palace fire - this was around 27 miles away in Hertfordshire. So must have been some blaze?

 

(She also remembers seeing the fated airship R101 on it's final voyage  ) 

 

Oh well back to the drawing board.. I hear there ( through unofficial work channels) are another six project coming live  in the next four months ...but my manager gets very up set if the sales guys talk to me before him!

 

 

Be good 

 

Trev.

[shortliner]

Trev - did you ever tell the off-spring that the Bank of Dad would be closing? and, if so, how was the news received?

[Oldddudders]

Partly true. The remaining tower was demolished to stop it being used as a landmark by bombers. The palace burned down in 1936, long before the war.

I think I've mentioned before that a colleague, travelling on a train towards London Bridge, actually witnessed the tower being demolished, to his astonishment. When you look at a structure, you do not expect it to collapse before your eyes!

 

The railway tunnel between Crystal Palace (Low Level) and Gipsy Hill was wet for decades after the fire, all that water having to go somewhere. ISTR single-line-working over extended periods so the lining could be renewed.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

First off, thanks DIck - the story I got was from a long-time resident of the area who was a relative of 30747, and that  went that even in 1936 war was probable, and that the palace disappeared with official assistance - thought I always took that one with a pinch handful of salt.

 

Well, it's been a nice day here, which has resulted in our taking on board lots and lots of small domestic tasks, including sorting out the logs and firewood in the garage, as we've been taking all the smaller ones as I'm still not permitted any heavy work like splitting, and as a result, there is an excess of small logs near the top of the piles.  Also put some of the really small buts into a couple of plastic sacks - mistake as they are now quite damp. and had to be stacked as a separate pile to allow them to dry out before use.

 

I just re-read Geoff's post about the charges for posting parcels abroad, and the huge jump at 2kg - something which I got caught with when I was trying to sell a couple of teddy bears on Ebay, and the combined weight was over 2kg, so a combined parcel worked out at twice what two separate parcels would.  And as to the strict interpretation of the limits by the local PO, I fell fowl of the same thing at the main PO in town, where I had a similar experience of only a small weight over the 2kg limit, and the counter clerk there was adamant on the price.  Also, I was speaking to a postmaster at another PO in town, who said that under the new regime, and the privatisation of the Royal Mail, they have to impose the rules to the letter, with no exceptions - I think that it was pretty lucky to get somebody who was prepared to bend the rules - but in that regard, I had the reverse experience with the same local PO where they managed to write out my car tax disc with the wrong registration on it, then would not do anything to correct matters, as it was "against the rules" and I had to deal with DVLA myself to put right their mistake.  On the parcel front, I bought a very accurate scale which gives the true weight to within a gramme and which I have used to weigh and price parcels going out on Ebay, and which made sure that I was setting the correct postage charges, and that I was not paying large sums of money to send packing material - and what Geoff did was exactly what I've had to do on many occasions, ie to remove some of the newspaper and card.

 

Not a lot more to say today, other than Lily needs a walk, though as she's zizzing at present, she doesn't know it yet,

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited November 30, 2014 by 45156

[Barry O]

I explained to my two Herberts that the Bank of Dad had closed but they had a sneaky way in!

 

fantastic cloud patterns in the sky tonight coupled with bands of sunlit cloud and light blue sky... sometime it just makes you think ... isn't it great to be alive..

 

Now something for Jock, a favourite of both my late Father and myself...

 

"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit,

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it"

 

There is little in history we can change except to learn from our mistakes...

 

Baz

Edited November 30, 2014 by Barry O

[Coombe Barton]

 

First off, thanks DIck - the story I got was from a long-time resident of the area who was a relative of 30747, and that  went that even in 1936 war was probable, and that the palace disappeared with official assistance - thought I always took that one with a pinch handful of salt.

 

My mum told me that, too - she saw it go up.

[Donw]

It's also against the Regulations for a self-employed person to use a ladder Don - either on their own account or when working for someone else.  Thus you or I can use a ladder doing things for ourseleves but if we hore someone to - say - clear gutters for us then technically it is against the Regulations for them to use a ladder.

 

Not true Mike ladders are acceptable for a short up to 30 mins task but there is a lot of requirements on checking the equipment and providing proper training which makes it difficult for employers any employee falling would be a major headache as they may try to claim compensation this makes it a real problem with ladders as the manager would have to show proper risk assessment etc. has been carried out. Much less of an issue for a self employed worker.

My experience has been that self employed people just get on with it. Our house exterior was painted earlier this year from a ladder (not me) admittedly as a bungalow there was not too much to be done high up apart from the gables. The painter was subcontracted to the builder (a proper subcontractor who works direct to customers as well as for builders), who was aware of how he was working but was happy to accept he had done his own risk assessment and training etc. I think being contracted to do a job is different to being contracted for a day(s) labour.

 

Actually I rather agree that ladders are dangerous I was properly trained to use one (including lashing a ladder top and bottom of a pole BEFORE climbing) I still had a few scares when a ladder has shifted slightly. My advice to any home owner is if you need to climb somewhere regularly put a rawbolt with a ring on the top into the wall and get into the habit of tying the top of the ladder to it. One the bolt is there is doesnt take long to tie the  top and it could save your life.

The other thing to be careful of  is dropping tools particulary if someone is footing the ladder. A screwdriver through the skull is a high price for helping someone. That is why hard hats are recommended for both. As  a telephone enginneer we carried tools up and down in a bass.

Don

[shortliner]

So do you need scaffolding to fit the rawlbolt, or do you do that from a ladder??? and do you then need to climb the ladder in order to tie the top of the ladder to it? and shouldn't you, on that basis, also have rawlbolts with rings at the base of the wall, to fasten the ladder base to? Sorry - while I appreciate the need for safe working practices, you really can take it to ridiculous lengths!

Edited November 30, 2014 by shortliner

[The Stationmaster]

Not true Mike ladders are acceptable for a short up to 30 mins task but there is a lot of requirements on checking the equipment and providing proper training which makes it difficult for employers any employee falling would be a major headache as they may try to claim compensation this makes it a real problem with ladders as the manager would have to show proper risk assessment etc. has been carried out. Much less of an issue for a self employed worker.

My experience has been that self employed people just get on with it. Our house exterior was painted earlier this year from a ladder (not me) admittedly as a bungalow there was not too much to be done high up apart from the gables. The painter was subcontracted to the builder (a proper subcontractor who works direct to customers as well as for builders), who was aware of how he was working but was happy to accept he had done his own risk assessment and training etc. I think being contracted to do a job is different to being contracted for a day(s) labour.

 

Actually I rather agree that ladders are dangerous I was properly trained to use one (including lashing a ladder top and bottom of a pole BEFORE climbing) I still had a few scares when a ladder has shifted slightly. My advice to any home owner is if you need to climb somewhere regularly put a rawbolt with a ring on the top into the wall and get into the habit of tying the top of the ladder to it. One the bolt is there is doesnt take long to tie the  top and it could save your life.

The other thing to be careful of  is dropping tools particulary if someone is footing the ladder. A screwdriver through the skull is a high price for helping someone. That is why hard hats are recommended for both. As  a telephone enginneer we carried tools up and down in a bass.

Don

Which part of the regulation is that in Don, I'm blowed if I can find it expressed in that way (although I can find reference to tasks of a short duration).

 

Meanwhile on a very different line - when we built the house (or rather demolished the bungalow that was previously there) there were two trees by the gate piers.  Station Cat (not then Dr.) and I felled the major part of one and the adjacent gate pier - she duly knocking a goody chunk of that over onto me!  The demolition men pulled out the remainder of that stump as we couldn't shift it, even with a 1.5 tonne mini-digger, and the other tree was left with builders wagons etc gradually taking bits off it.  So eventually some less than competent tree butchers surgeons reduce it to a stump about 4ft tall - which despite various efforts over the years we couldn't shift.  Until today - when Mrs Stationmaster pushed it, or rather almost all of it out of the ground!   She blamed her feat on the ants having eaten away the heart of the stump but I do wonder if I need to be worried?

Edited November 30, 2014 by The Stationmaster

[BoD]

There may be advantages.

Next time you need a heavy baseboard shifting .........

Edited November 30, 2014 by BoD

[The Stationmaster]

There may be advantages.

Next time you need a heavy baseboard shifting .........

On the other hand it might explain some of the scenery damage the last time she helped me move an awkwardly shaped light baseboard

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...She blamed her feat on the ants having eaten away the heart of the stump but I do wonder if I need to be worried?...

Tell her that's a load of rot, and _duck smartly, just in case the force is strong in her.

[PhilJ W]

Which part of the regulation is that in Don, I'm blowed if I can find it expressed in that way (although I can find reference to tasks of a short duration).

 

Meanwhile on a very different line - when we built the house (or rather demolished the bungalow that was previously there) there were two trees by the gate piers.  Station Cat (not then Dr.) and I felled the major part of one and the adjacent gate pier - she duly knocking a goody chunk of that over onto me!  The demolition men pulled out the remainder of that stump as we couldn't shift it, even with a 1.5 tonne mini-digger, and the other tree was left with builders wagons etc gradually taking bits off it.  So eventually some less than competent tree butchers surgeons reduce it to a stump about 4ft tall - which despite various efforts over the years we couldn't shift.  Until today - when Mrs Stationmaster pushed it, or rather almost all of it out of the ground!   She blamed her feat on the ants having eaten away the heart of the stump but I do wonder if I need to be worried?

Depends on the variety of tree, I once had a massive ash tree in the garden it left a 2 foot high stump which made an ideal seat. After a couple of years the remains of the bark fell away and I had 'King Alfred's cakes' fungus growing on it. A couple of years ago a vixen had turned the stump into a maternity den, after she'd gone I went to fill the hole with rubble only to find that the stump was so rotten that I could push it over with my foot, this was only about 7-8 years after the tree had been felled. It was so rotten that the vixen was able to dig out her den below the stump.