Early Risers.

[Simon G]

Weather has been fantastic again around Loch Lomond. I had an amusing day today when I wore a T-Shirt given to me by my mother! First the National Trust for Scotland staff at Geilston Garden decided they wanted one, then so did the staff in an ice cream parlour in Helensburgh. I was also accosted about it while walking along the Helensburgh promenade, and finally again by the staff at the National Trust for Scotland property Hill House, which was also in Helensburgh.

 

Just to show what all the interest was about, here is a selfie:

 

 

Whoops, it wasn't meant to come out sideways!

Edited May 31, 2016 by Simon G

[Mike Bellamy]

Of course, if you can hold on longer, the state pension goes up by 7% for each year that you delay taking it. Steph retired two years early under the Irish retirement age (66 for men and women) but two years over her UK retirement age (62), thus upping her UK pension by 14%.

 

 

Rules changed in UK last month.

 

From this site  https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-may-get

 

Your new State Pension will increase by 1% for every 9 weeks you put off claiming. This works out as just under 5.8% for every full year.

 

 

Previously the rules were

 

Your State Pension will increase by 1% for every 5 weeks you put off claiming. This is the same as 10.4% for every full year you put off claiming.

 

 

 

.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Mike Bellamy

[emt_911]

A day of not doing a great deal and it looks like tomorrow may be the same. One part for the van has arrived but the other is still in transit. I'm just hoping that there is nothing else faulty once these parts have been replaced.

 

Retirement. At the moment I can't see myself ever retiring. I couldn't have the income and keep busy enough.

[Killybegs]

Rules changed in UK last month.

 

From this site  https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-may-get

 

 

Previously the rules were

 

 

 

.

 

I've just checked Steph's pension and yes, she managed to get the higher figure. They must change it regularly as it was me that had the 7%pa a few years back.

[newbryford]

. One part for the van has arrived but the other is still in transit.

 

Using a van to deliver van parts........ good idea!

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Ohmisterporter]

Heard at the weekend that one of my ex-colleagues died of cancer recently, He worked until 67 partly because of a house move lateish on in life meant a mortgage to pay off and the extra two years were a necessity. Most of us have no idea of the actual date of our demise but you can't live life thinking there is no point planning for a future. Would Bob have retired at 65 given the chance? Who knows.

 

Edit .Forgot to say Bob retired just twelve months ago.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Ohmisterporter

[jamie92208]

Not a bad day today. I managed to do two loads of washing though there was some chuntering this evening about items that were in the wrong load, maybe my cunning plan has worked. Anyway I continued the tidy up and found even more items that were on my shopping list for Saturday and managed to clear the modelling table and put many little bits in their right storage drawers. I even sorted out a ,load of 6 and 8BA bolts. Anyway I celebrated this evening by using the said table to solder up an etched kit for a platform barrow that I found. I've even put all my tools away, the boss thinks I'm sickening for something. Full details on the layout thread with a picky, I don't want to upset you know who.

 

Jamie

[skipepsi]

I should retire in September but with two kids still possibly all three at uni if boyo doesn't pass then retiring is not an option. I am hoping to have two more years before we are disbanded by the government then I should have about 30 years in the teachers pension pot and round here the lump sum will buy a tiny terrace house so no rent to pay

Edited May 31, 2016 by skipepsi

[New Haven Neil]

Evening, another scorching day on Fraggle Rock, spent at work unfortunately!

 

Say this little guy yesterday.....he LOVED it!

 

 

Also visited a local collection of Rolls-Royces....best not say where exactly.  Close to us!  More on the old cars thread if you are interested.

 

 

 

 

[Donw]

Love the canine biker Neil

 

Don

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone.

 

Not a lot done today, I managed a bit of research into pensions whilst sat around the orifice doing nowt, but as I though, it's a bl00dy mine field. My company pension is not so bad as it's final salary based, but I've got the pension from my previous employer that is in a private scheme and I need to sort out what to do with it. I suspect the best thing to do will be to seek out a good pensions advisor.

 

Off to bed now.

 

Goodnight all.

[Barry O]

been a busy bee today loads of wagons modified/painted/couplings fitted etc. Cricket tomorrow so no time for weathering!

 

Sleep well everyone

 

Baz 

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[emt_911]

No real work done today but I have cleared the admin backlog.

 

I don't know what I'll do before the van is ready, maybe some modelling or research.

 

Night all

[andyram]

Evening all. A cloudy day that descended into heavy rain by the afternoon. At least the bad weather held off long enough for Amber and Sarah to join the rest of their mother and child group for a picnic on the park. I was stuck at home without transport as the car was in for a service and M-O-T. I ended up trawling through a load of household cleaning which kept me away from the school paperwork. I will need to get stuck into that soon.

My recent browsing through EBay has led to the purchase of a box of LGB G scale track. It amounts to approximately 12 curved pieces. I did miss out on the lot of straight pieces from the same seller. The result is another project is now on the drawing board. If I carry on like this I will turn into Andy.p.

 

Regards to all, thoughts with Dave and Is again.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Two_sugars]

It's been a cold, grey, gusty, November day here on the Costa. . Yes!!! I Know. . .It's supposed to be May(now June) . .Honest!!

 

I watched a special about a sidecar racer on Fraggle Rock tonight. . You wouldn't get me on one of those things!

 

 

Thoughts with the poorly, recovering, and hurting.

 

Goodnight everyone . . .Sleep well.

 

 

John

[laurenceb]

Condolences Rick

Thought with Is & Dave

Night all

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have a rather cloudy morning here - it is dry at the moment, but thunderstorms are forecast for later (again).

 

I am hoping for a dry Saturday to cut the hedge, but it doesn't look like it is going to be the case!  Oh well!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, after a better night's kip

 

Stewart 45156, well spotted!  I did indeed have the opportunity to make a modest contribution to Richard Woodley's book all those years ago.  Perhaps that explains the number of second-hand copies now appearing.

 

Ouch, that limelight is hurting my eyes.  Today I need to be more reclusive and continue trying to catch up with vital tasks.  There is ironing to be done and preparations to be made for a forthcoming event.  Ooh, suspense.  The likelihood of more rain today postpones the foray into the garden which will be taken with muted enthusiasm in the fullness of time.

 

Best wishes to the ailing, recovering, supporting, missing, grieving and depressed.  I expect 'grumpy' will reappear in the list before long.

 

Chris

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

 

Best regards to those that ail

 

The Meerbrook scarecrow festival is in full swing....here are more characters seen on this mornings constitutional.....

 

Is is weakening continually but is determined to come home. She is having a stent inserted into each kidney so that the tubes/bags can be removed. I'm about to bring the comfortable single bed downstairs cos she'll never survive the stairs.....even with home help.

 

My 50th birthday tomorrow is going to be a sombre affair....the plan is to take mum & dad and an aunt to the hospital and spend a half hour with Is. Should be having a beer in town later in the day with some friends though.

 

Feathered ones provided for

 

Enjoy what you do

 

Dave 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[roundhouse]

Dave

 

Wish you all the best for your birthday and hope that you can make the most of it despite the circumstances and hopefully Is can be comfortable at home with you in the very near future

 

Ian

[grandadbob]

  I expect 'grumpy' will reappear in the list before long.

 

 

Yep - I'm here!

 

 

Grandadbob aka "Grumps"

[Donw]

While others have been suffering cold and damp we having been having lovely hot days over the bank holiday this has now come to an end and it is raining this morning. Damp dogs and towels again. 

 

I won't say happy birthday Dave it seems rather frivolous in your situation with Is needing all your help. A glass or two with friends sounds like a good idea.

Don

[roundhouse]

We made it back frm Cologne in the end.

 

I booked flights on Eurowings to Stansted yesterday morning before breakfast as all rail websites that I looked at showed trains between Germany and Aachen cancelled. Cost me £180 for th two us which isn't bad considering it was the day of the flight. Good job it wasn't to Gatwick or Heathrow as flights were being affected by strong winds.

 

On getting on the ICE at Frankfurt for Aachen the conductor advised that buses were being laid on from Cologne to Brussels. Too late for us as the flights were booked. However the bus wouldn't leave for an hour after our tran carved at Cologne and it would take about 3 hours on the bus making the connection with our previously booked Eurostar very tight and three hours on a bus for us isn't fun at all.

 

So a few Kolsh beers in Am Gaffel opposite the Dom in Cologne then to the airport. We departed 20 late but arrived about 10 late into Stansted th the train to Liverpool Street, bus to London Bridge and onto Southern service home.

 

Usual farce as despite our train leaving on time we got held up aproching East Croydon then slow running to Purley arriving about 17 minutes late and just missing a bus by seconds. Lads of trains delayed between 15 and 20 minutes but no announcements or info on Southern website apart from the usual notice blaming the guards and drivers for sickness. So the train from LBG to Redhill too as long as the flight from Cologne to Stansted.

 

Once we got home and unpacked I did manage a little work on the layout but really wasn't in the mood.

 

Luckily this morning our train is running but quite a few cancelled.

 

Luckily it's a short week.

 

Derby and Sheffield this weekend hopefully coming back via Banbury as this will be my last chance to see the semaphores before they ar replaced.