Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

I suggest the 100,000 poster should buy the rest of us beer, cider, wine or whatever

... and cakes

[lightengine]

All this discussion about how the series aren't like the books - does that tell us that there aren't the good books any more?

I am surprised that after Captain Corellis Mandolin no other Loius Bernieres books were turned into films. His books are hard reading but very clever story lines. The number of people that said they had given up on Captain Corelli because it was too hard to read. After the first 3rd of the book it was so much easier and I enjoyed it greatly.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Morning all! (just)

 

Drizzly start at Scottish HQ. Haven't fully caught up yet - got as far as Pete's post below so far...

 

Lots to do this week and not enough people or brainpower (mine) to do it all...

 

“Shetland” is OKish but is as slow as molasses and bears very little, if anything, to the rather good books..... Perez bears little resemblance to the book character and there are too many other cop sidekicks in the TV version. I do like “Vera” however.....Why?

 

Best, Pete.

Can't comment on Poldark - I watched the first episode but didn't carry on. I've never seen either of the Ann Cleeves adaptations, but have read the Shetland books, and certainly the actor bears little resemblance to the described character in the books. Vera is filmed in and around Consett and Stanley in Co Durham - they frequently use the (closed) hotel car park 200 yards along the road from my parents' house as the base for the filming.

[Jock67B]

Morning all,

Pete(trisonic)'s post mentioning Poldark brought memories flooding back for me as I lived in Cornwall when the original TV adaptation was first screened around 1975. It made stars of Robin Ellis and Angarhad Rees, as well as boosting the career of Ralph Bates who played the nasty 'George Warleggan'. It was one of the most successful series worldwide, particularly in the U.S., and sold profitably to over forty countries. I found the books by Winston Graham to be fairly well written, with strongly drawn characters. It was my idea to adopt the name 'Poldark' for the tin mine remains that were discovered on my then father-in-law's tourist attraction, 'Wendron Forge' at Wendron near Helston. We discovered that there was no copyright problem, and when we opened up the mine to tourists, by tunnelling into the hillside to improve access, the tourist attraction went from strength to strength with 'Poldark Mine' posters and publicity leaflets to be found in every public place in the county (my responsibility!). It isn't obvious from the series but the episode showing Ross being blown up in his own mine was filmed underground in our actual mine workings! (The story about how the special effects were utilised can wait for another time). Sadly, after my father in law, the late Peter Young, retired and moved to Spain, the site changed hands several times and I understand that it is now virtually closed. Because of my connections, and the fun I had visiting all the locations in the series, I decided not to watch the new one and it sounds like a wise decision.

Debs, thank you for cheering up my morning with the appearance of your lovely avatar. Hope you are coping and that the Collies are well?

Ian(RH), I hope your Amtrak prices were fixed when you booked? Perhaps they are trying to gather funds to pay for the damage caused by that rather nasty recent accident!

Rick, on the curry front, my palate is regrettably compromised by the chemo treatment, requiring a special mouthwash treatment twice daily. This has meant that the good old English staple, Chicken Tikka Masala, is about the hottest I can take! Odd thing is that anything remotely spicy causes a strange tingling sensation on my scalp the second it touches my tongue - doesn't stop me trying though as 'hot' food from around the world was always my favourite. On the subject, thanks for the 'Lassi' tip Baz, although an Indian dentist friend assured me that it was the cucumber element which acted as a salve, rather than the yoghurt it was suspended in!

Pleased that all those who went to Didcot seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves - photographs would be appreciated!

Have a good rest of the day, and indeed, week,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[bbishop]

Well, I'm certainly not making post number 100,000.  I'm tempted to suggest Debs.

 

Bill

[The Stationmaster]

Jock - there are plenty of pics now appearing in the Didcot thread, hopefully this link should start on Page 6 - read forward from there

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95102-rmweb-tour-of-didcot-railway-centre-26th-july-2015/page-6

[southern42]

Good morning all from red dragon land, not that anyone can see us in this weather. 

 

I don't think any crime drama benefits from being "based on the characters created by" as Midsomer Murders, Dalziel and Pascoe, Inspector Lynley and many others have proved.  Perhaps the only ones which were about as good were Morse and Lewis, where the former was a mix of books and written, as Colin Dexter was still writing and the last few Morses were back to the books.  Also, Dexter had some creative input to the interim Morses, and to Lewis, and also made his presence felt with the cameo appearances.

 

Edited for sense and typos

 

I'm a Midsomer Murders-with-John Nettles addict...enuff said.

 

We no longer bother to take a tele with us in the Motorhome much more relaxing.

Don

 

I finally agreed to having a radio on the boat - for the shipping forecast (or rather the sea songs, which preceded the early morning forecast, before someone decided they no longer reflected British culture and removed them from the schedule  details out there on the web) - but it's rarely used except, occasionally, for light entertainment in the boatyard during winter maintenance.   If either of us wants to listen to music on the boat we tend to use other devices - MP3/CD player/itunes - with headphones. 

TV doesn't stand a chance.  No sat dish at the end of our pontoon.   

 

 

So, as I promised, some photos from the Colwyn Show.  Warning: The odd loco or train may have crept into the picture or shot through when I wasn't looking.  Just pretend it isn't there, if you wish.  I won't mind.

 

Tan-y-Bryn 00 John Bilsand

 

 

 

 

Wynthorpe Magna 0 Colwyn MRC

 

 

 

 

Letsby Central 00 Darren Rainford

 

 

 

 

 

Iron Flats N Colin Oldfield, Rainhill MRC

 

Sandside N John Parkinson

 

Barnstoneworth N Peter Latham

[lightengine]

English detectives are so much butter than the Americans. They have all these labs where everything is detected and blood spatter analysts check everything.

Us Brits have little old ladies wandering around solving everything so easily. Mind you, when they are detecting a murder in places where 4 or 5 murders happen each day I guess it may be easy.

The thing that baffles me about CSI type programmes is when, say, a particularly rare type of shoe print is found. One of the CSI's always knows that the shop on 93rd and 4th sells that type of shoe. Their knowledge base is huge. Plus of course they always know the brother in laws, sisters, uncles, neighbour who has a criminal record.

As for the lack of car chases etc in Poldark. How is that every time a building explodes in a US film the said building must have been packed solid with high explosives and petroleum. Nobody could ever live in those residential blocks!

[southern42]

... and cakes

 

I shouldn't have put an "agree" there, since I recently gave them up - except for birthdays and anniversaries....

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

A week of night shifts currently so family/friends offering to assist with Is is helping....her sister has collected her today. Fortunately, Is is well enough to go and have a blood test to ensure that she is up to tomorrows first injection for the secondary bone cancer. She has taken care with her appearence....first outing with wig....and it would be difficult for anyone not knowing that she has had her head shaved to know that there was anything amiss. The combination of the weekly PIC line flushes, 3 weekly chemo infusions and monthly bone cancer injections...along with the blood tests means that the wig is going to get plenty of outings....providing that she is well enough.....Hasn't taken long for her to return from the blood test....she is pleased to be back in the house and able to swap wig for bandana, as the former feels like a hat and gets too hot after a while.

 

I'm lining up a few exclusive and consequently quiet mid-week destinations within an hours drive....The Riverside Hotel, Ashford-in-the-Water; Biggin Hall etc....where I can tempt her with a scenic drive to/from and treat her to secluded coffee/cake/light lunch etc without exposure to many people/much risk of infection, on the good days. Is is used to a very active social life and the first signs of stir crazy/stuck in the house syndrome are hinting.....wallet pangs are hinting in my direction. 

 

Head to head church DCC meeting on the cards with a retired building company manager.....taking his turn with the a##e tee-shirt....insisting that his ideas for the specification for the new roof grant which we were awarded should take priority over those of the architect leading our bid. The retiree has much previous for achieving s#d all whilst alienating those actually doing the work....time to take the heavy mob to the meeting and bu##er him off once and for all.

 

Now music by The Houghton Weavers....whistling gypsy

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited July 27, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[The Lurker]

Hello all

 

finally had a good catch up interspersed with doing some work!

 

I can see a patch of brilliant blue in between the grey clouds over Borough Market Junction, which makes a nice change after the rain yesterday. It was the family party in honour of Elder Lurker's 13th birthday (which is not until Wendesday). Despite the weather, and the inability to have the traditional kickaround in the garden, the party went well. Mrs Lurker's food was excellent as always  and not much went to waste. I was driving my parents back home so had to forgo the drink but made up for it when I got home! Most people seemed to drink white (unusual) so there's an awful lot of red in the house. Which is a shame...!

 

I liked the pictures from the Colwyn Bay show , particularly the 229 bus. Elder Lurker gets the 229 to school most days - although it no longer goes down Sidcup Hill and off to Orpington, terminating at Queen Mary's Hospital. When we went to Beaulieu we were amused to see the double decker they havethere was a 51 - another Sidcup bus (which does go to Orpington)

 

I was interested to read of Jock's tingling scalp reaction to chilli. I get this on occasion and regard it as the sign of a good chilli kick. Waitrose do a nice chilli cheddar that prodcues this affect, particularly if I eat it with Fudges jalapeno wafers.

 

My favourite curries these days tend to be dhansaks, although one of the houses near us does a "Lal Toofan" which is shredded tandoori chicken in a hot bhuna style sauce; think Jalfrezi only even better! Like Rick I favour a robust red to wash a curry down.

 

Have a good Monday all

[bluebottle]

The lady two doors down taught Elder Lurker when he was in key stage one. She used to come into the class and taught music and French.

She announced at the end of one year that she was retiring so she wouldn't be able to teach them anymore.

I don't know what reaction she expected but I doubt it was the "Yes!" that came from Elder Lurker.

This was reported to us by a girl in his class. He didn't deny it but retorted "She was so boring". Six year olds!

 

Bluebottle Minor followed me to Grammar School, but transferred to the local Secondary Modern after one term. I thought at the time that this was because he would be amongst other kids he knew there, and he didn't tell me till much later that he just couldn't grasp some subjects - especially French and Music. I don't know why he said nothing at the time - he's often reminded me that I taught him things such as tying his shoelaces, doing long division, the three-chord trick etc. Ironically, the one teacher that he really liked at Woodhouse GS taught French and Music.

Jessie Baston was a small, wiry woman, a strict disciplinarian who knew when to exercise discipline and when sympathy and encouragement were called for. She was a spinster who would take in waifs and strays, a Quaker with Anarchistic leanings who slept in the school where she first taught, after being thrown out of her lodgings for criticising the RAF's night bombing during the war.

When Jessie moved to Sheffield in 1942, she considered herself an adoptive Yorkshirewoman and was fiercely proud of her school, ending her career as deputy head. Retiring at sixty, she spent her remaining thirty-three years as a battling peace activist, incurring the wrath of the forces of law and order for withholding income tax earmarked for weapons and putting the fear of God into mealy-mouthed politicians.

However, what my brother remembers her for is the internal French exam she set towards the end of his time at that school. Under pressure he forgot whatever French he'd learned, and finished with a total of three marks. Jessie gave him one for writing his name at the top of the paper, one for nearly getting the date right (the somethingth of Juliet) and one for the drawing of a donkey with which he embellished the remaining paper.

He loved her for that...

[Purley Oaks]

Not so keen on a lot of Sunday night dramas - apologies. Humans on C4 is quite good, though, a sort of update on the Frankenstein tale. Anti-synth protestors like the pitchfork-wielding peasants from the original; the bad synth playing well with a small girl, just like Karloff's original. Think the synths are all parts of the whole.

 

Anyone else watch Cordon (BBC4 Sats)? Could have been told in fewer episodes imho.

 

Like the colour-wash in CSI Miami, all bright and brash; the script is a bit rubbish though with the actors, especially Horatio, never having to speak more than 10 words at a time.

 

Quite enjoy NCIS - it's like a middle-management drama with Jethro having to juggle his team and his boss - course he's always right. 

 

Autumn here, too, pretty chilly for July

 

Mal

[Danemouth]

I am surprised that after Captain Corellis Mandolin no other Loius Bernieres books were turned into films. His books are hard reading but very clever story lines. The number of people that said they had given up on Captain Corelli because it was too hard to read. After the first 3rd of the book it was so much easier and I enjoyed it greatly.

 

Never tried to read that book. One book I could never get past the first thirty pages was Catch 22 - couldn't make head or tail of it even after three separate attempts over the years,

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[southern42]

Mawnin' awl. Will be off to work by just shy of 6 am. Rain now forecast for noon and after.

 

 

They have indeed been making amends since our last visit (which was over a year ago, I think) to replace or rebuild enclosures originally built to older specifications which clearly had not put animal welfare first. I'm glad they have and are still continuing to do so, as I cannot stand seeing proud animals being unhappy...

 

Have a good one, everyone!

 

Fabulous photos.  Thanks for posting.

 

Regent's Park Zoo (or London Zoo as we called it) was one of my favourite days out.  Elephants were my favourite animal but I didn't like the concrete pit they spent their day in, neither did I like the big cats house, lions etc pacing up and down, or just lying there in their rather harsh cages.  Since we moved here, I went to the Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay a couple of times when the kids were little and it was a lot greener and more animal friendly.  London Zoo has changed an awful lot since I last went but I haven't got past the planning stage to go there.  One day...maybe.

[leopardml2341]

I shouldn't have put an "agree" there, since I recently gave them up - except for birthdays and anniversaries....

Well, seems to me that 10000 posts AND 4000 pages = 2 anniversaries

[southern42]

Hello all

 

finally had a good catch up interspersed with doing some work!

 

I can see a patch of brilliant blue in between the grey clouds over Borough Market Junction, which makes a nice change after the rain yesterday. It was the family party in honour of Elder Lurker's 13th birthday (which is not until Wendesday). Despite the weather, and the inability to have the traditional kickaround in the garden, the party went well. Mrs Lurker's food was excellent as always  and not much went to waste. I was driving my parents back home so had to forgo the drink but made up for it when I got home! Most people seemed to drink white (unusual) so there's an awful lot of red in the house. Which is a shame...!

 

I liked the pictures from the Colwyn Bay show , particularly the 229 bus. Elder Lurker gets the 229 to school most days - although it no longer goes down Sidcup Hill and off to Orpington, terminating at Queen Mary's Hospital. When we went to Beaulieu we were amused to see the double decker they havethere was a 51 - another Sidcup bus (which does go to Orpington)

 

I was interested to read of Jock's tingling scalp reaction to chilli. I get this on occasion and regard it as the sign of a good chilli kick. Waitrose do a nice chilli cheddar that prodcues this affect, particularly if I eat it with Fudges jalapeno wafers.

 

My favourite curries these days tend to be dhansaks, although one of the houses near us does a "Lal Toofan" which is shredded tandoori chicken in a hot bhuna style sauce; think Jalfrezi only even better! Like Rick I favour a robust red to wash a curry down.

 

Have a good Monday all

 

Merfyn of this parish, mentioned, yesterday, that a lady at a previous exhibition had commented that the 229 stopped at the end of her road.  Don't people get around?

[Shedman5]

Afternoon folks, its stopped raining here at last, Ive been busy sorting my mother in laws bungalow out which goes up for sale this week. Loads of visits to the tip just from the garage never mind the insides!

 

I have been educated on the recycling of coat hangers having taken two large boxes full approx 150 I kid you not!

 

So a metal coat hanger goes in metal skip

Wooden ones in wood skip

Plastic ones with metal hook in non recyclable

100% plastic ones in the plastics skip

 

and yes these four skips are not near each other.

if there are any more Ive half a mind to put them in a black bin liner and tape it up and throw in non recyclable!!

 

Back again tommorrow for further sorting out, be glad when this is sorted though I am banking brownie points at a healthy rate.

 

A shower then a catch up on here with a mug of tea beckons!

 

Enjoy whats left of the day

Alan

Edited July 27, 2015 by Shedman5

[shortliner]

Anyone else watch Cordon (BBC4 Sats)? Could have been told in fewer episodes imho. Regretably there are too many programmes on TV that have been "padded" to the extent that I simply don't watch them any more - a Prime example is "True Detective" - the first series was full of unnecessary mumbling monologues, and the second series is going exactly the same way

 

Like the colour-wash in CSI Miami, all bright and brash; the script is a bit rubbish though with the actors, especially Horatio, never having to speak more than 10 words at a time. Ah, Horatio! "King of the Hands-on-the-hips Pelvic thrust" - and when you run out of script - put on your sun-glasses!

 

Quite enjoy NCIS - it's like a middle-management drama with Jethro having to juggle his team and his boss - course he's always right. Must admit I like "Banshee", "Dark Matter"," Defiance"," Murder in the !st"  and "Motive" - speaking of Murder in the 1st - Does anyone else think that Hildie has a curiously "unfinished" face? She always makes me think of a part finished mannekin where the artist went home for lunch and forgot to complete when he came back - but I can't say why!

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2015 by shortliner

[Ohmisterporter]

Afternoon all. This talk about unsuitable actors in tv series reminds me that I am a big fan of Lee Childs and have read all his Jack Reacher books. So when I heard that there was a film on the way and this six foot five two hundred and fifty pound guy was going to be a played by Tom Cruise I thought it was a joke. The final film may be entertaining in the decent guy takes on the corrupt world category but Jack Reacher it isn't.

 

Stay safe all.

[shortliner]

Afternoon all. This talk about unsuitable actors in tv series reminds me that I am a big fan of Lee Childs and have read all his Jack Reacher books. So when I heard that there was a film on the way and this six foot five two hundred and fifty pound guy was going to be a played by Tom Cruise I thought it was a joke. The final film may be entertaining in the decent guy takes on the corrupt world category but Jack Reacher it isn't.

 

Stay safe all.

 

I have had to punch agree - but need to add that "if I was going to pick a "Reacher" book to film, it wouldn't have been that one!"

[DDolfelin]

One for Mike:

 

[Donw]

I shouldn't have put an "agree" there, since I recently gave them up - except for birthdays and anniversaries....

 

Every day is an anniversary of something you just need to try harder to find out what.

Don

 

ps there is a shop at Challacombe which does cream teas they also sell the scones very tasty. Challacombe is on the road to Simonsbath and then Exford a much quieter route than the A39 through Lynmouth.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Donw

[AndyID]

is on the road to Simonsbath

 

Same one? 

 

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/simon/n9971

Edited July 27, 2015 by AndyID

[grandadbob]

Evenin' all,

Just realised I hadn't posted this morning - must be getting forgetful in my old age.

Still recovering from the 8km (approx) I walked yesterday. Not a lot for some I know but enough for me.

Lots of comments re Poldark and I agree with some of them however I watch for one reason and one reason only:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=demelza+poldark&biw=1455&bih=705&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI28KVseL7xgIVxI8sCh1ZnQc4#imgrc=qpnzMfwKF-uzSM%3A