Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Moooring Awl Inner Temple here,

 

Only 5 hours sleep, although it was solid, I woke to find myself thinking of tomorrows work on the layout carriage.

 

Again a very dark and damp Morning, so Ben the Border Collie did his very short dash out in the lights and back.

 

A parcel Arrived yesterday carrying parallel bits of metal from a certain place where the cats have no tails, with that companies usual rapid delivery, Unfortunately it arrived just after SWMBO went out, So i have to visit postman Pat on the way home, Luckily it's less than 100 yards off route.. 

 

 

Yesterday when I went home there was a car parked on the NDR / Wroxham road roundabout, this morning, there was a car parked on the NDR /Wroxham Road round about....A different one... So much for the money spent on improved Road signs and road markings.. A few bits of paint and plastic doesn't make up for B****ring up the design.. Wait till the next couple of months. the season of frosts, snow and drunken drivers..

 

Today we have Children in Need something I tend to avoid, however it at least it should reduce the amount of politicians pontificating on B****T for a short time. Two days ago they were all standing up saying how terrible the deal was, when they didn't even know what the deal was at the time. Left right and Middle are so predictable about their comments they are not worth watching any more.. Can someopne wake me up when it's all over.

 

Meantime the Repaired major system is completed, however I have to rerun a few sections, one which they did the repairs just to make sure the changes I saw first time are real..

 

Time too... run those  tests..

Edited November 16, 2018 by TheQ

[45156]

 Stopped at an antiques place in Ingleton. No purchase made.

 

Ah yes, Lords Antiques and Reclamation - been open a few months now, and one of the better Antiques and Collectibles outlets locally.  I bought a Tanglewood guitar there for 50 quid a couple of weeks ago.  Have only just started to visit this one, but it is now to be visited about once a month.  One of the dealers there is a fellow car booter at the A6, where she sells the stuff which is not quite good enough to sell at the centre.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Good night's sleep so time to go shopping at Moreasons.

 

Have as good a day as you can

Baz

[BlackRat]

Morning campers.......

 

Anyone got a paddle................??!

 

On second thoughts...........better make that two.

 

Still could be worse, I might have had a different hobby!

 

Second back op now booked for 13th December, luckily it's a Thursday, if it was a Friday I think I would have cancelled!

 

Part of my recovery will be to relax over Chrimbo, I'm sure gin will help,with that.

 

Therapy will consist mainly of changing three links over to small tension locks, shakey arm syndrome has put paid to using three links having spent quite a bit of time trying to couple two wagons and giving up. Decided one had a hot box and couldn't be moved anyway!

 

Good weekend everyone.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather chilly but quite bright part of the world.  I had a terrible job yesterday as the fair Laetitia rang to ask if I could go and pay some final money.   I headed north forthwith and all being well I should finally have the new registration document and registration number for the Volvo in a week's time.  It's only taken since July.  By the way if anyone is in touch with Horsetan, please let me know as he wanted a pair of French plates making for his CX.   He hasn't been active on the site since mid October.   I've sent him a PM in case he sees it.

 

Today is model railway club today so in an hours time I will be heading north to somewhere beyond Poitiers for the usual lunchtime meeting and train playing session.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[45156]

Morning All

 

On the odd meetings, I used to live in Whyteleafe in Surrey, and usually commuted from that station to London Bridge.  One day, the service from Caterham was cancelled, and there was an earlier service from Upper Warlingham (about quarter of a mile away) than waiting for the next one, and I walked up, and sat down to await the train.  Looking to the person sitting next to me, I thought I recognised him, and asked if he was who I thought he was - turned out that he was a friend from school whom I hadn't seen since we went to different universities. 

 

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days, so generic greetings are on offer to the ailing and celebrating. 

 

Fodder run this morning, then pick up 30747 from work.

 

Back tomorrow, or perhaps Sunday.

Regards to All

Stewart

[bbishop]

GDB and I spent an ER meeting determining whether we had met on the Rugby field.  Given we played at the same time at the same level in South London, and both were hookers, there was a fair chance.  We also had the same robust style.  But sadly - no.

 

Bill

[AndrewC]

 

Greetings from the misty blue hills of the boring borough. Well one hill, but very misty. A few pints and 3 hours at the oche in the pub last night. A rather therapeutic way to spend an evening. Today I shall be mostly painting the hallway and stairs, still. Parcels expected so not allowed by SWMBO to wander away.  

 

Bumping into people from the past far away from home is an art form my FiL has developed. They are spending SWMBO's inheritance by going on a couple several cruises per year. As  both are retired teachers they are constantly running into former students. Italy, Singapore, Machu Pichu, Alaska, Falklands, etc. We've bumped into a few people we know from Canada while wandering around London but that is almost to be expected. 

 

Time for coffee and to dig out the paint. I just hope I don't get them mixed up. 

 

Enjoy the day. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s a bit of a dull start to the day, but so far it’s dry. As it’s Friday today’s plans are no different to any other plans, ie, we have a trip to the Trafford Centre first thing, but it will be straight home afterwards as I called at the butchers yesterday.

 

This evening Sheila will be out at a friends 80th birthday party and I will be home alone, but I’m sure I’ll find something to pass the time between taking her and picking her up.

 

Back later

[TheQ]

Major system, now kicked out,

 

Email arrived.. Section CXXXXXXs dinner now also pushed out to January, With the American boss cancelling his visit which was in a couple of weeks time I'm beginning to think something is going on and they aren't saying what...

 

MRC tonight, I think I will brush up the car park outside the building..... I need some Rocks...

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Very dreich this morning, so wet out that it appears to have been raining but its just a heavy mist. Looking forward to the Southend show tomorrow, hopefully my 'secret' parking spot close to the front door is still secret. I discovered when doing my family history that I am a (very) distant cousin to Jacob Rees-Mogg on my mums side. On my dads side I am related by marriage to Eddie Izzard. Thats it for now, be back later.

[Simon G]

Morning all,
This morning has been spent sorting out a load of junk old toys which the MRC hopes to sell for a few pence at the Workington Show tomorrow and Sunday. In addition, I have a car full of some decent stuff that we hope to sell for more than a few pence! The latter came from a loft clearance about a year ago, which had OO gauge, US HO gauge stock as well as a large unused amount of LGB garden stock. We don’t have the space at the show to display much of the LGB stuff, but we are taking one loco and a short length of track, just to see if we get any interest.

Weather is a bit dull here so far, but at least it is dry. Some firewood cutting and splitting may get done later.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Simon G

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Same weather as Phil is having in Basildon. I nearly posted at about 4.30am but it was too dark to comment on the weather. One of our windows was cracked when we returned from holiday. The double glazing repairman has looked at it , removed it, traced the leading pattern and put it back. Not vandalism, just an implosion was the cause he said. We will get a quote on Tuesday. I would be happy to say just do it but that is how he works and it isn’t going to fall out.

I don’t think I will go to the Southend exhibition. Aditi is encouraging me to go. On Sunday we will go and see MiL though.

I don’t think I have any famous ancestors. If I have a “where do I know that person from” they usually turn out to work on a till at the supermarket.

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

What a grey day - but at least it isn't raining (yet?).   Later we are heading for the big city a few miles upstream, but by train, in order that Mrs Stationmaster can attend an invitation to 'try out a marvellous hearing improvement device of some sort'. and get a 'free' trial - before parting with an amount of cash that comes with a couple of noughts on the end if she decides she can't do without it; we shall see.  So we might have a free trial period during which the Good doctor and I will have to exercise  care in what we say within Mrs Stationmaster's allegedly 'much improved' hearing range - or we won't be thus inconvenienced if she says no to a trial period or the thing is NBG.

 

The trip provides an opportunity for me to visit a different branch of WHS in search of a new bookazine paper back publication with pics of diseasal hydraulic locos plus a train ride of course.  We can but hope that the ticket machine in the station car park is now operating correctly although I remain dubious as it was impossible to report the fault due to stupid nonsense metal mickeys 'answering' the 'phones of both train operator and car park contractor.

 

Have a good day everybody

Edited November 16, 2018 by The Stationmaster

[shortliner]

I've had several meetings with people from far away - though not over the sort of distances some others have - One with the senior man on my basic course when I joined the RAF - in a café-bar in Cyprus - he was a Glaswegian, and had gone from a 7 stone weakling to a 6' 4", shoulders as wide as a barn door, in the RAF Regiment - He recognised me, the change in him was quite incredible! The second was a Navy guy, who I had known in Hampshire - then a Probation Office, in a café in Doncaster - and the last was a guy and his wife who I had again known in Hampshire, in the street in Inverness - They had both been staitoned together , along with me, In Hampshire, and they were only in town for the day - living on the Isle of Skye. Also met several other people I had served with one now out of the service in Wales but working as a civilian for the RAF, One I'd known on my first posting - who now lived on the Isle of Sanday with his wife (who I also knew) on my last posting and one I'd served with earlier in South Yorks again on my last posting - the world keeps getting smaller.

[lightengine]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Very dreich this morning, so wet out that it appears to have been raining but its just a heavy mist. Looking forward to the Southend show tomorrow, hopefully my 'secret' parking spot close to the front door is still secret. I discovered when doing my family history that I am a (very) distant cousin to Jacob Rees-Mogg on my mums side. On my dads side I am related by marriage to Eddie Izzard. Thats it for now, be back later.

That would be a dinner date.

1920's Man sat at a table with the lipstick wearer. I'd love to see that interaction.

[The Lurker]

Greetings all.

 

I met a work colleague, who was on a year's sabbatical, in the Ball Court at Chichen Itza.

 

Two work colleagues discovered they are 4th cousins.

 

The weather is grey and getting colder.

 

Younger Lurker was most impressed the other day by a story that 3 asteroids were passing close to earth, one inside the moon's orbit. That made me look up the Leonid meteors which are visible this weekend, with a view to seeing if he would be awake when they are visible. Then I thought of Jock. Funny how you can miss someone you never met, isn't it?

[newbryford]

Airport taxi run was completed on time. Sub-2hours to MAN and back with clear roads.

I was prepared for the £3 drop off fee that has been introduced, but many weren't. Cue much honking of horns from the impatient souls behind me. Also, the numberplate recognition system didn't appear to be  working properly. There was a guy telling drivers to alter the position of their car, so the ANPR could see it...…. this meant backing up in a queue.

Luckily, I nipped into a gate that is not easily accessible by Chelsea tractors.

 

Back home for 6.05am, then to bed for an hour and half...…

 

I will repeat early next week at a slightly later time, as Mrs NB is also going Stateside with her sister for a few days. She will meet up with Junior NB and cousin.

Not quite certain how I'm not invited, but it does mean that exhibition preparations for Warley can use the whole kitchen worktop and floor...…..

 

Golf club presentation night later on. Jacket and tie will be worn.

 

Lots to do.

Catch up later.

Cheers,

Mick

[Gwiwer]

Aft’noon all.

 

It is clod, damp and overcats today. This has caused a few issues. Rails were very slippery in the leafy suburbs and rural regions. That gave rise to late running. Next it was Earlsfield’s to generate delays owing to “A lobster on the line”. Well that’s what the announcement sounded like though I suspect “obstacle” was the word used. For anyone familiar with our recorded voices this was the woman with the Welsh accent. An emergency speed restriction was imposed which played merrihell with the morning peak. The offending “lobster” was duly recovered and found to be .........

 

....... a hedgehog

 

I honestly could not bring myself to announce that every second train had been cancelled and the rest delayed by unauthorised erinaceous activity!

 

The weekend is here. I am assissting with sales at Brighton MRC’s exhibition tomorrow on the delightfully-named Ladies Mile Road in Patcham. Dinner out with sister may be off the agenda owing to extensive ginger-beering work being done to various rail routes. I would prefer not to arrive home at 2am after setting out some 20 hours earlier.

 

On the matter of chance meetings SWMBO was assigned a seat on a London - Stockholm flight next to an old school friend she had neither seen nor heard from back in Melbourne 35 years earlier. I was speaking with a customer at work recently who had approached me for information and mentioned it was his first visit to London. I asked where he was from “Melb’n Australia” came the reply. Followed by “Mate - do you know you’ve got a twin out there. I see him all the time on Flinders Street station”. Me - “No? Reslly? When did you last see him???” “Well now you mention it - it’s gotta have been a year or more!”

 

I left him contemplating whether railways clone staff while I mulled over the statistical chances of one person meeting one other person in the same context but in two far-distant countries.

 

Best wishes to all. I hope the weekend treats you well.

[Rugd1022]

Neil

 

I know how you feel. Many years ago I set up a team to do a project. They worked well together..I was moved up and someone else took over looking to make a name for himself..result ..within 3 months 5 of the team of 15 had left.. then he left as he suddenly realised he didn't want the job... still not a happy bunny about that but still keep in touch with "my" team whenever I can.

 

 

Sleep well all!

 

baz

 

PS my head is still a bit sore...

 

It only takes one bad egg to spoil the party and make things go south. In recent months a certain manager who was 'looking after' two of our eastern area depots went out of his way to upset and bully every single member of staff at both of them, resulting in none of them volunteering to work rest days, no more helping out by swapping shift patterns etc, the goodwill dried up within a fortnight and trains were cancelled because of it, all because of one arrogant person's utter incalictrance. He's was asked in for tea and biccies and now no longer works for our mob. Problem solved, two depots worth of happy drivers and groundstaff and no more train cancellations.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Rugd1022

[AndrewC]

Argh. Things just get better. Our former builder (from now on referred to as the incompetent sh1tweasel) strikes again. I noticed some of the tile grout in the kitchen looked a bit dark. It was damp. After managing to get the plinth off the cabinet I find the whole area under the cabinet is wet. Since it was never cleaned or swept during installation there was a layer of sawdust paste and standing water. Turns out the moron never sealed off the hole in the wall from the old bath drain. (kitchen used to be a bathroom) This hole is about 50mm in diameter and low enough to let water in. On top of that the old wiring to what was the electric shower is still under that cabinet, and the breaker was live. Yes, exposed live wiring in a wet space. It was supposed to be re-purposed as the power supply for the shed but he never finished it.  Asshat. Instead of painting, I've been busy ripping out bits of kitchen to reach the wiring so I can at least put it into a junction box, then I have to fill the drain hole and render over it. I'm really hoping he doesn't pay up once the judgement is settled. I'd love to sick the bailiffs on him just for some payback. 

[Ian Abel]

Morning all - POETS to boot!

 

Had a lovely week in Blighty, though wifi access to do sensible things like read RMWeb was spotty and only good at inconvenient times (like visiting family!) so had to refreain from any meaningful rambling postings.

 

Managed a whirlwind trip to Woking (couple of nights in a hotel to enable me to get to the Flight Sim event) including visiting the memorial gardens where my parents and half the cul-de-sac I grew up in now resident.

The Flight sim even, which runs an entire week, had decided on "Contact the Elderly" for their charity this year, and managed a whopping 34,000 pounds in donations.

 

From there off to the south coast via Waterlooville, notable visiting a friend I've known since I was 3, and on to my brother and his family near Lewes.

Headed back to Hampton Hill for the last two days with more friends, and finally Heathrow to return home.

 

We've mostly recovered now, although I seem to have picked up a sinus infection and the Mrs is in slightly worse shape reporting a severe sore throat and headache this morning!!

 

Will attempt to review past posting, though MANY pages it seems, so congratulations and commiserations where appropriate to everyone.

 

Back working though only yesterday and today (yesterday was a struggle!!), and will certainly POE today.

 

Weather here is turning decidedly to winter, with -2 this AM, an expected high of only +1 with a chance of some light snow over the weekend.

 

Hope you can POE as appropriate, enjoy the weekend.

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.

 

OF's bike club attended, at a temporary venue as our usual haunt is in the process of changing hands.  A disaster had been predicted, but it has now been taken on by the person that ran our 'second choice' place that was a bit too far out of town for the oldies, so in a couple of weeks the world (old farts bike club version) will be saved.

 

Q, I saw the order for someone in your general locale when I was printing them out and organising the packers and wondered if it was you, and decided not.  D'oh.  Thank you for your custom anyway!

 

Still smarting about my old team, not that many (2 of 10) of the personnel from my time were left - they all did a runner (as did I, into retirement) when the future was becoming apparent due to a certain senior manager's appearance in one of the funding partners organisations.  Would the UK perhaps like them back, now they have ruined our team?      /rant.

 

Off to play with some trains to calm down.

[TheQ]

Thanks Neil.

 

Regarding another company, somewhat less reliable..

I'm busy setting up next weeks new to me major system, parts of it built in 2015, It's never been used, Why?

 

It arrived Dead on arrival and went back to the USA, now I'm setting up for calibration and......

The cover is fitted back on backwards, and so is the fan. So it's blowing air out through the filter!?

 

This a  $60,000 piece of equipment don't they check anything?... Emails are being sent by my bosses along with a catalogue of faults / errors from these 5 new systems...

[Happy Hippo]

I will repeat early next week at a slightly later time, as Mrs NB is also going Stateside with her sister for a few days. She will meet up with Junior NB and cousin.

Not quite certain how I'm not invited,

I will refer the honourable gentleman to his uncontrollable financial splurges in the HO department to understand his non inclusion.