Early Risers.

[Andrew P]

Morning all, well still not a word from Jock or his family either by PM or E-Mail, so I can report no more than I did on the 1st April when he said in the Voicemail that he was back in Hospital.

 

I'm going away for a week as from today, so I wont be able to post on here, or check any PM's but if I get an E-Mail I will ring someone so they can do a post here.

 

All the best Guys and Gals.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Best regards to any that ail....do your best Jock

 

Single figure cool blue sky good to be alive start in The Moorlands....good to get a circuit of the weekend route in after a few days of fried breakfasts.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rollercoaster dipped again yesterday after Is had been to her doctor to describe some sharp pains that she had experienced during our days away. We were sent up to the A&E dept. at the hospital....to savour humanity in all of its glory for some 6 hrs. Apparently a fight had broken out the previous evening and a group had been thrown out. Anyway, Is had a blood thinning injection to guard against clots and has had to go back again with her sister for 09.00 for a scan (we got into bed around 01.30).

 

Off to Scalefour North today.

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave

Edited April 16, 2016 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Two_sugars]

Weathr. . . .wot BoD sed but a couple o' miles down the coast.

[NGT6 1315]

Mawnin' awl. Didn't sleep that well due to stuffy nose and so was in the living room for (I think) more than an hour by about 3 am. Overall, feeling a tad less grotty, though I'll reserve judgment whether I might require a couple more days off till tomorrow.

 

Sending good vibes your way, folks…

[Coombe Barton]

Promoted by SWMBO a lie in this morning. (Also known as a diktat)

 

Then remembered I'd forgotten to get an essential ingredient for tonight's meal, which would have been available at the local co-op. However the one has turned into many (she's too awake) and so a trip to town is now on the cards.

[BSW01]

Morning everyone. A little overcast this morning, but at least it's dry and the sun is trying its best to shine through.

 

We're just off shopping to get Sheila a new pair of trainers as she's worn out her last pair, and she says she's slipping a lot on the floor whilst doing Zumba, not a good mix.

 

Not a lot planned for the afternoon, but it's Indian takeaway night tonight, mmmmmmmmmm.

 

Have a good one.

[Ashcombe]

I'm really appreciating having Ian (OD) here as I'm being very well looked after, including breakfast in bed this morning!

 

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

[Shedman5]

Morning, mixture of blue sky and clouds here though the temperature has dropped a bit.

 

Just sorting out our trip to Stockholm next month to see the eldest then off to the model shop for some paints and maybe something else. After all if one sees a bargain one would be stupid not to partake in purchasing such said item!

 

Enjoy your day

 

Alan

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Rick has clearly not been past West Drayton station in recent months or he would have noticed the footbridge now being erected - a whopping great thing as seems to be the case with most of the new ones going in on the GWML.  Details about various stations and what is happening to them can be found here - just click on the relevant station name.  BTW some of what is happening is nonsensical - at Maidenhead some very flimsy looking and very high new platform canopies have been erected and observed during rain they seem to be about as effective as a chocolate teapot while at Tilehurst the traditional GWR canopy edges have simply (and probably not cheaply) been setback by about 9 inches.

 

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/western-section/hayes-harlington-station

 

In the meanwhile the sour note is that I have found the damage the dumbcluck brainless a*sefaced cockwomble driving a Wickes lorry did to my car in Marlborough yesterday although fortunately the point of connection was the rubbing strip on the offside rear door and it isn't too noticeable from most angles.  Clearly I won't get anything towards repairs from that bunch of money grubbers but I might be able to leave it unless it shows up once the car has had a clean. and if I ever see one of their lorries in some handy location I'll repay the compliment - WD40 on the windscreen ought to do the trick.

 

But on a much brighter note a parcel - yet to be opened but seemingly well wrapped - has arrived this morning from an RMweb member in North Wales although I know the content has a DCC chip in place but hopefully it will run on old fashioned electrickery without surgery.

 

Have a good day one & all

 

PS Parcel - very well wrapped parcel - briefly checked and the 4-6-0 contained therein can be considered to have arrived safely, not yet played with tested.

Edited April 16, 2016 by The Stationmaster

[Ohmisterporter]

Sorry to read about your misfortune with the Wickes lorry Mike, but don't be tempted into retaliation by spraying WD40. It is Sod's Law that you will be caught doing it and then you will be one in the wrong. Retaliate with your wallet by not shopping at Wickes and I will join you.

Stay safe all. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Still dry here but decidedly chilly. Going out soon to do a bit of shopping and to fill up the hire car with petrol as it is a requirement that it be returned with a full tank. Its been over a week since they collected my car so the repairs should be completed soon. Best wishes to those feeling poorly/recovering/undergoing treatment/missing, be back later.

[The Stationmaster]

Oh dear, what a pity.

 

Bad news - letter received today from my 3rd pension provider to explain that they have got the pension rules wrong which gives some members a higher pension.  

 

Better news - but they are being nice and are not correcting the rules for members who have already started their pension.

 

Confusing news - as my pension started before the rules changed it was increased by £X per annum on 31 March 2016

 

Timely news - an annual inflation related pension increase (0.8%) will apply from 01 April 2016 (except mine doesn't equal 0.8% so again it's confusing but might have something to do with the March increase or it's a capped increase (unclear)

 

Real news - it looks like I will actually be about £1 per week better off after all these changes and after tax.

 

Oh, nearly forgot, the good news - because of the confusion over which rules applied to who when they're also paying me a lump sum back payment to cover my past pension.  Not a lot (even before tax) but welcome all the same.

 

So I'm now not much less confused but slightly happier and my net pension from this source will possibly now be a bit more than a tenner a week

[PhilJ W]

Mike, if you have the number of the Wickes lorry I would report it to the company. Most companies take a very dim view of such things damaging their company image. Even if you didn't get the reg number you might find that giving the time and place will enable them to identify the culprit. I know of one instance where a van driver scraped along the side of a car and gave the car driver the finger and sped off. The only problem was when he found out a short time later that the car driver was a director of the company who's name was emblazoned on the side of the van.

[gordon s]

Just back from the mornings shopping.  Here's a few pics of the crane.

 

Still makes me feel uncomfortable sitting underneath it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Picked up the timber enroute to the coast. Decided to give Gaugemaster a miss as there wasn't anything I needed and would only gave spent my beer tokens.

Decided to visit Gosport as it's been a while since I took the ferry over the harbour. Walked passed the old station at Gosport on my way to the first beer stop

Edited April 16, 2016 by roundhouse

[BoD]

Don't worry Gordon.

It looks as if it will only crush the passenger side.

Pass my best wishes on to J.

[lightengine]

Just back from the mornings shopping.  Here's a few pics of the crane.

 

Still makes me feel uncomfortable sitting underneath it.

 

IMG_1056.JPG

 

IMG_1059.JPG

 

IMG_1063.JPG

Wasn't it in the States a few weeks ago where a crane toppled over.  

So if you are going to leave a gap when nearby, make sure it is a gap the length of a crane, especially if its windy!

[Oldddudders]

Ian - (RH) - I am intrigued that the Gosport poster shows that Queen Victoria's funeral train went to Waterloo. If so, why would it have had to reverse at Fareham, and then be hauled by the LBSCR? Obviously twaddle, as it went to Victoria - where else would you direct such a train?

[Happy Hippo]

 

 

Real news - it looks like I will actually be about £1 per week better off after all these changes and after tax.

 

 

That will go towards the can of WD 40

[The Stationmaster]

Mike, if you have the number of the Wickes lorry I would report it to the company. Most companies take a very dim view of such things damaging their company image. Even if you didn't get the reg number you might find that giving the time and place will enable them to identify the culprit. I know of one instance where a van driver scraped along the side of a car and gave the car driver the finger and sped off. The only problem was when he found out a short time later that the car driver was a director of the company who's name was emblazoned on the side of the van.

 

It might be worth a try Phil - I know the time and place well enough and the fact that the first (of two) Wickes' lorries passed me without contact;  I presume the driver of the second one was either of bigger head or smaller brain or both.  But I didn't get the reg number as a vehicle close behind him obscured his numberplate from view. 

[New Haven Neil]

Thoughts for Jock.

 

Well, I finally got a Multimaus from Baz's mate, only to find I need a diffident (OD word) cable as the plugs don't match my 5 pin din Lenz system.  New cable ordered.  Instruction book is impossibly complicated,  I thought these were supposed to be intuitive?  And I thought the Lenz handbook poor, this one takes the biscuit in makinf straightforward things seem complicated.  Maybe it's in a too literal translation from technical German.

 

A lovely sunny and bright morning on FR - and bloody freezing.  We took Jane out for brunch at a French café in Laxey, she is finally, finally in a much better frame of mind, it seems some changes in her work office arrangements have helped, she was sharing an office with a noisy untidy person, and she is the absolute opposite.  Now she has swapped with someone else and the change is enormous.  She does clever things in legal research, and is the Attorney General's librarian - not a noisy role!  We are relieved, as our concern for her mental wellbeing has been acute recently.  Bereavement is horrid.

 

OK, off to the garage to find out (hopefully) why one of my old bikes is running badly.

Edited April 16, 2016 by New Haven Neil

[Gwiwer]

 

 

Rick has clearly not been past West Drayton station in recent months or he would have noticed the footbridge now being erected

 

Not very recent months as at least most of us here would know I spend far too long upside down. The most recent daylight visit would have been a couple of years back though I passed through at some speed last year aboard the Night Riviera at a few minutes past midnight.  Didn't see much - the compartment blind was already down.  I was mortified to find even earlier that my first-ever train-watching spot of Horton Bridge had succumbed; I was still in a push-chair when first taken there from my grandparents house nearby and spent quite a few fascinated hours of my boyhood watching from the Yiewsley side.   But electrickery at West Drayton???  What next???  Parry People-shifters on the Uxbridge Vine Street service???

 

Night out here.  Drove into the city for dinner.  Remembered why I detest the former activity; parking is non-existent within walking distance of anywhere you need to be.  Meter parking a short tram ride away was the best to be found and at an hourly rate which would have procured more than one cup of coffee in a suitable establishment.  C*ckwombling seems to have become a national sport here with cars waiting to make banned turns blocking everyone, reversing the length of a one-way street (and into the main street) rather than go around the block and the extremely frustrating but universal "thing" here of when you get a green light to turn you must stop and give way to pedestrians crossing the street because they also have a green light.  By what logic does green mean stop???  It also serves to prevent the free movement of traffic.  

 

Spent a lot of time sitting in traffic jams, got a table for two at 6.55 but only if "we wouldn't mind being clear by 8 for the next booking" after which the service was prompt, the food produced very quickly and rather good it was too.  No need to rush and we were clear by 7.45.  Moved elsewhere for coffee and found a queue to take numbers to join the queue to place orders after which your receipt gave your "order number" which you presented at the barista station and awaited your coffees.  Ridiculously crowded.  It's that crowded for a reason.  The coffee was as usual excellent though somewhat short-measured and the cakes are to die for. 

 

An hour's drive home punctuated only by two vehicles driving in the dark of night on an unlit freeway without using their lights.  One of those was just about in the back window before he swerved into the next lane and shot off into the night with tyres screeching and smoking ..... C*ckwomble is almost too good a word.

 

G'day.  G'night.  G'morning after.

[edcayton]

Just back from the mornings shopping.  Here's a few pics of the crane.

 

Still makes me feel uncomfortable sitting underneath it.

 

IMG_1056.JPG

 

IMG_1059.JPG

 

IMG_1063.JPG

 

Gordon, I have to say that I would find a different route while that bu66er is there! Me frit? You betcha.

 

Ed

[The Stationmaster]

Tower cranes - this is interesting. And arguably that one is not correctly sited according to some web info on the subject although that's far from clear in the guidance linked below.  It would be worth someone asking the site contractor for a copy of their CDM plan and documentation for the site including the risk assessment they carried out before deciding to site the crane just there.  The HSE might not be very interested as they are desperately short of enforcement staff but the local council might be worth tapping up and a letter to the local 'paper might be a useful way to get things rolling.

 

Incidentally, in respect of your personal safety, statistically c.38% of tower crane collapses occur during extreme weather, the next most frequent time of collapse is during erection or breakdown of the crane.

 

http://docs.healthandsafetyhub.co.uk/Themisis/Manuals/tamesis-manuals-safe-operation-of-cranes.pdf

Edited April 16, 2016 by The Stationmaster

[BoD]

........statistically c.38% of tower crane collapses occur during extreme weather, the next most frequent time of collapse is during erection or breakdown of the crane.

The remaining collapses occur when golf playing, model railway enthusiasts are underneath.