Early Risers.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Blue sky sunny misty good to be alive start to the day in The Moorlands. More calories to burn on the short anticlockwise circuit after yesterday's outing with friends....the food in 'SoThai' Leek was particularly good. Here are a few visuals from todays constitutional......

 

 

 

A double take was necessary to check what was unusual here.....ducks on the roof?

 

 

 

Petit France adj. to St Edwards church Leek is said to be where Napoleonic prisoners were relocated to

 

Leek has the tallest war memorial in the UK....names of the First World War battles are engraved around the top of the tower

 

Now music by Mylene Farmer....Desenchantee

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited April 21, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Tassie Tex]

Good evening all, well it is here at least, unless I post tomorrow morning. May I will do that about the railway side of things, have had a busy day with appointments of various sorts since early this morning. (that's our morning ) Couple of pages of catch up when I finely returned home, but I hope I've ticked the right boxes in response to all.
All this talk about canal ventures and pubs in between sounds terrific to me, not sure about SWMBO though. ( the pubs ) I am some what confused? is it, 4 locks per hour, 4 miles per hour, or 4 pubs per hour? A friend of mine and myself did a pub crawl in South Australia many years ago on motor cycles, 13 pubs with a pint in each, 575 km later and getting late in the day we finished back where we started. Its no wonder our city pubs have one on every corner, well we did have. Would love to do again but our drink driving laws are very harsh in this part of the world and public transport in rural areas just doe's not exist.
Some fantastic photography shots appearing also from various ERs, like many, I have to replace mine of some thirty odd years use. The winding mechanism of my old Pentax gave up the ghost, been told would cost more to repair than its worth, buy this one they say with a AU$1300 price tag hanging on it, I'm on a bl##dy pension I retort.
 
As you may now I live on the East Coast of Tasmania in the tiny holiday resort town? of Beaumaris, permanent population less than 100. Mostly holiday homes and a modest hotel. Neatly nestled between the towns (villages, no way side halts.) of Scamander to the south and the fishing town of St Helens to the north. During our peck holiday season, normally Christmas, Easter period that figure can grow into the thousands for the area. The beaches here stretch for almost 10km and favoured by novice surfers, body boarders, fisherman, tourists and family beach goers. All this thankfully is only for a short time, as they go as quick as they came injecting huge amounts of money into our economy.  
 
So here I have compiled some piccie's of the area for you to enjoy.
Cheers to all, Tex.
Were I live. Path to beach 200m from home. 
looking north.  Looking south
Scamander to the south. Trying to catch a wave Beaumaris.
Part of the fleet St Helens to the north.

Good evening all, well it is here at least, unless I post tomorrow morning. May I will do that about the railway side of things, have had a busy day with appointments of various sorts since early this morning. (that's our morning ) Couple of pages of catch up when I finely returned home, but I hope I've ticked the right boxes in response to all.
All this talk about canal ventures and pubs in between sounds terrific to me, not sure about SWMBO though. ( the pubs ) I am some what confused? is it, 4 locks per hour, 4 miles per hour, or 4 pubs per hour? A friend of mine and myself did a pub crawl in South Australia many years ago on motor cycles, 13 pubs with a pint in each, 575 km later and getting late in the day we finished back where we started. Its no wonder our city pubs have one on every corner, well we did have. Would love to do again but our drink driving laws are very harsh in this part of the world and public transport in rural areas just doe's not exist.
Some fantastic photography shots appearing also from various ERs, like many, I have to replace mine of some thirty odd years use. The winding mechanism of my old Pentax gave up the ghost, been told would cost more to repair than its worth, buy this one they say with a AU$1300 price tag hanging on it, I'm on a bl##dy pension I retort.
 
As you may now I live on the East Coast of Tasmania in the tiny holiday resort town? of Beaumaris, permanent population less than 100. Mostly holiday homes and a modest hotel. Neatly nestled between the towns (villages, no way side halts.) of Scamander to the south and the fishing town of St Helens to the north. During our peck holiday season, normally Christmas, Easter period that figure can grow into the thousands for the area. The beaches here stretch for almost 10km and favoured by novice surfers, body boarders, fisherman, tourists and family beach goers. All this thankfully is only for a short time, as they go as quick as they came injecting huge amounts of money into our economy.  
 
So here I have compiled some piccie's of the area for you to enjoy.
Cheers to all, Tex.
Were I live. Path to beach 200m from home. 
looking north.  Looking south
Scamander to the south. Trying to catch a wave Beaumaris.
Part of the fleet St Helens to the north.

[skipepsi]

 

Linked from: http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/12894093.Lorry_strikes_bridge_near_Kidderminster/

 

Laugh or cry?

Is this Gordon's revised filter system? 

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

....the entrance exams for lorry driving are clearly as low as the bridge

 

Dave

[LisaP4]

Leek has the tallest war memorial in the UK....names of the First World War battles are engraved around the top of the column

I think the plumb line got snagged on something when they built that tower Dave.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Tex can't be far away as I received a couple of notifications from him this morning. As many of you must be aware I am on Facebook, indeed some of you are among my 'Facebook Friends', also among my 'FF's' is a young man called Craig McGee. Today is Craig's birthday, he is also blind but has the technology to use the internet despite his disability. So I'm asking any Facebookers on here to wish him a happy birthday.

EDIT Tex posted while I was typing this post.

Edited April 21, 2015 by PhilJ W

[skipepsi]

Morning all, beautiful sunny day outside but I feel carp, felt ill yesterday and went to the Doctors she said yes you have a chest infection take these antibiotics with lots of liquid they are not nice. She wasn't kidding and I have to take them for six days.... I read the instructions leaflet they also cure STI's including syphilis a chemists revenge perhaps? Have a good day all.

[Tassie Tex]

No not AWOL, just very late on parade Sir. I normally try and get it all done before you get out of bed, like I said very busy with other appointments, my deepest apologies'. There will be more tomorrow I promise. 

PS see post #90156. edit

Edited April 21, 2015 by Tassie Tex

[DDolfelin]

In other news:

Wittering Moor, the sequel to Much Wittering in 3' x 3' N, is under way.

Didn't realise I'd bought so much stuff!

Bought an immaculate secondhand Prairie tank to replace the loco that exploded.

Forgotten what it was like to wait for a delivery with any excitement!

I think the plumb line got snagged on something when they built that tower Dave.

 

It's to allow a better view of the names engraved on the bottom.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Morning, bright and beautiful here so it has been designated drains day. The annual 'o be joyful' task of rodding through to ensure everything flows away in the direction it should. Any callers will be greeted with 'I would shake your hand but I have been rodding out the foul waste, your choice!'.

 

The talk of canals makes me laugh. I quite enjoy the pottering along in countryside. My wife however has zero tolerance for it. Her family have been ardent motor competition types for three generations, amateur racing and rallying etc. Watching the world go by at walking pace does not float her boat. 'I can walk it faster than this' the most frequent comment on the one occasion we were together on a canal boat. That was near thirty years ago, and one dose of her 'Are we there yet?' commentary has closed off this particular activity to us as a couple...

[Simon G]

I hope you detoured into C&M Models in the meantime!

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

I would have done, only they are closed on Mondays!

 

Last week at work now in progress

[trisonic]

According to the weather forecast the tail end will reach us just in time for the weekend.

Yes, that’s called “Age onset, time dilation”!

My first wife was pregnant during the Summer of 1976 so we spent most of it in on the Algarve (no, don’t laugh) we had a nice pool at the place there  and London was pure hell..

 

Best, Pete.

[Tassie Tex]

I couldn't have had me specs on when posting #90156 or I'm seeing double? What went wrong?

[LisaP4]

I couldn't have had me specs on when posting #90156 or I'm seeing double? What went wrong?

Doubt anyone would've noticed if you didn't say anything Tex!

I certainly didn't.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Ah, the summer of '76 - the then to later become Mrs Stationmaster and I went to Guernsey on a practice honeymoon holiday and I booked an open car but on arrival they were fresh out so we got some little Japanese tinbox for a few days until the Spridget was available.  Duly got the Spridget - and it poured with rain for 12 hours solid, had a smashing cool drive round the island with the top down, luvverly.

 

And talk of locks always reminds me of our rather nice one down the road.  Alas all changed nowadays as it is of course no longer manual (they were much more fun) and it is now fenced off from pedestrians which seems stupid but that's the 'elf and safety world for you.  However you can still watch the fun of the hire boats driven by the incompetent or inebriated (or both) plus the amusement of the lock keeper calling small boats forward into the tiny spaces left by bigger boats.  Great fun to watch it all on a sunny afternoon but much to my regret they no longer sell ice creams or teas from the now barriered off Lock Keeper's cottage (which I think has been sold off?). 

 

Have a good day one & all

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Mick Pepsi, I recognise those.....I'm still coughing up lumps of rust off the Titanic though.  Feels that way, anyway....

 

Ah, 1976.  Great dry summer in Geordieland, baked solid.  Started FE in Liverpool in September, rained EVERY day for a month!  Sort of coloured my view of the city to this day I'm afraid, sorry to any ER resident Scousers.  I have to admit it is a very different place now, but still, I like to hold a grudge.

 

Feeling a bit brighter this morning, having actually managed a reasonable amount of sleep last night, first time for a week.  Mrs NHN is so tired also, due to my having disturbed her with coughing despite my having being banished to the spare room, she has taken the rest of the week off!  Modern bungalow, paper thin walls.   You can hear a midgie f*rt through them. 

 

Luckily the insulation between us and next door is good though - wish we could have afforded detached, but the house prices here were eye watering to an ex-pat Geordie in 2002.  It's not so bad now, but we are too settled to move, and would struggle to get another mortgage, age being what it is.  Sods law though, our old town was the Halifax's 'highest price increase area' in 2003 after we left, but equally the prices here changed as you looked through an estate agents window.  They should have had digital displays.....  we didn't get the housing price crash the UK did, but prices have been stagnant here for some time now.

[jamie92208]

The summer of 76. I was volunteering on Laal Ratty and one evening a group of us, plus a few girls from the village went swimming in the river just down from Dalegarth. We attached a coach and diesel to the abcl of the last service train to Dalegarth, got the token from the driver and then dropped back down to where the line was close to the river and went swimming. We then stopped at every point where the train was near a pub before getting back to Ravenglass and The Ratty Arms. It cost us 50p for diesel. A pub crawl by private train takes some beating.

 

 

Jamie

[Happy Hippo]

Those that read my rambling in Ers will recall that earlier on this year I put up a bird box(Aldi) that had a camera unit built into the roof.

 

I called it titcam, but honestly didn't think there was much chance of any birds nesting in it.

 

This morning I was reliably informed by the Obergrumpenfuhrer that she had seen a number of blue tits around the oak tree.

 

Switching on the television and selecting the camera channel I was amazed, stunned and also very pleased to see a blue tit inside the box busy making a nest.

 

Being a cheap camera unit it cannot stream to another source without a lot of extra electickery gubbins stuff or make screen shots of what the tits are up to.

 

I'll have to try and take pictures of the TV screen and see what come out.

 

The ###### in me dictates I return to titcam poste haste!

 

Edit:  the hatched out bit was not p/e/r/v/e/r/t , but v/o/y/e/u/r

Edited April 21, 2015 by Happy Hippo

[emt_911]

Summer of 1976 was brilliant for me. 5 weeks in Devon swimming 3 times a day and nothing to worry about. My dad however, broke his ankle really badly just before the heatwave and spent the whole time in a cast up to his pelvis.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

.....hmmm 1976....I was 9 and starting to cycle increasing distances to local railway lines to sit in the shade under a tree and watch the trains go by.....mis-spent youth in full flow!

 

Dave

Edited April 21, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[roundhouse]

1976 - we had been in Surrey for 3 years by then (after moving form the foothils of the Mendips). Cant rmember where we went on holiday that year though.

[New Haven Neil]

I did enjoy the summer of '76, I took a two week all-line railrover with three mates which was memorable.  I also had a full summer driving steam at our local park line which was great, it even paid for my drinkies as well as the railrover.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Bright and sunny yet again.

 

Summer '76 I spent in the brand new signalbox at London Bridge, as Acting Traffic Regulator. The aircon was very welcome!

 

Grinding my teeth last night as Sherry's daughter had been on a very short list of applicants for Head of the school where she has been Deputy for the last 6 years, but the Governors had advised both candidates after the first day of interviews/presentations etc that they would not be proceeding further. There appears to be a third candidate who is male, who had withdrawn last week, but now has miraculously re-appeared, halting the process. The incompetence of the Governors is beyond imagining, and the suspicion that sexual bias is involved is overwhelming. But the fundamental question in my mind is why do schools have Governors at all? After all, the Head has full legal responsibility for the health and welfare of staff and pupils, as well as maintaining educational standards to Ofsted's satisfaction. The Government pays the bills. What value do a load of busybody amateurs, holding authority without responsibility, add to the mix in C21?

 

Glad to see Robert using the full technical terms for canal onlookers. Gongoozlers is a magic word! Deb had no problems driving a car or steering a horse very decently, but leaning on the tiller of a narrow-boat seemed to elude her as a skill.

 

Hope those with ailments are doing as well as I now am.

[lightengine]

Gongoozlers is a magic word! Deb had no problems driving a car or steering a horse very decently, but leaning on the tiller of a narrow-boat seemed to elude her as a skill.

 

Hope those with ailments are doing as well as I now am.

To be honest Ian, steering a narrow boat is an acquired skill. All that forward movement of a lengthy hull from a small movement on the tiller.

Having been used to being helmsman on the ferries in and out of Dover it always took considerable concentration when one captain in particular would decide to take the the ferry in to the harbour stern first. This was usually done because of ship movements happening in the harbour. We would turn about outside the harbour and then proceed stern first. The slightest movement of the helm immediately affecting the ships movement as the rudder was now at the leading end.

[BoD]

Well since we are talking about it....

 

Summer of 76.  I had just finished my A levels and a few of us spent the summer walking and wild camping in Scotland.  The first week on Skye was very  wet, but after we came back to the mainland the weather improved. It was so hot that we would get up at about 3 or 4 am, and aim to walk until about midday, when we would find a stream or some shade to keep cool.  Any walking after that was really uncomfortable and, being up in the hills, the UV must have been high too.  A bit more walking in the evening if we felt like it then pitch tents for an early night to catch the sunrise and start all over again.  A really magical six weeks or so. 

Those were the days before 'lightweight' camping and dried foods so the weights of our packs limited us to between 12 and 15 miles a day, less if we included some of the higher peaks but we still covered a lot of ground that year.  It doesn't appeal to all but we really enjoyed  'disappearing' into the hills and then going for days seeing only a handful of others.