Early Risers.

[newbryford]

6 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

You might suggest he puts a big left pointing arrow on the dashboard while he's in the UK. It's quite easy to get confused, particularly when there isn't other traffic. (Don't ask me how I know.)

 

A number of years ago, me and two mates went to France, Switzerland and Germany on our motorbikes.

I was the designated leader as I had a tank bag with maps in the top pocket.

We all roared out after a fuel stop. It must have been a good half mile later when I realised that I was on the left (without encountering oncoming traffic) and they were following me.......

 

A simple rule/reminder I have when driving on the wrong right side is that in the UK, the right turn is the most dangerous, in the US and Europe, it's the left.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

[lightengine]

Mind you this wine wasn't too bad and it was bought in the UK

 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[laurenceb]

Condolences to Debs, it is about time the fates gave her a break!

Night awl

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Users of one of my anagrams may be interested to see a magazine I photographed in WHSmith, Oxford Services today.

 

 

 

7 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

Don't be Koi about it!

I don't know if this link will play for you - but the "redneck fishin' tournament" is worthy of "total carp".

 

Feel free to declare your local station as Oregon's OPB.  EDIT: Use 97201 as the zip code for Portland.

 

Then there's this story about how the University of Illinois is serving the "silverfin" aka invasive Asian carp, in student dining halls in another attempt to diminish the overpopulation.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Ozexpatriate
Added zip code

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Its very easy to forget which side of the road you should be on when driving in countries where the rule of the road is opposite to what you are used to. I have seen travelogues aimed at Americans visiting the UK to look right when crossing the road. Even professional drivers can get confused, I was on a coach visiting the WW1 battlefields in Belgium and the driver upon leaving one site proceeded to drive on the left until someone reminded him.

Not only Americans visiting the UK but British pedestrians visiting the US. IN 1931, Winston Churchill was nearly killed when as a pedestrian in New York he stepped in front of a motor car on 5th Avenue and was promptly struck by it.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a nice bright morning in this part of the world, but pretty cold.

 

On the subject of driving on opposite sides of the road.  Having driven for many years, on the left, and the right in both left hand drive and right hand drive cars, I switch fairly automatically.  However, the times when you really need to be careful is when you first start out in the morning in unfamiliar territory.

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all, with condolences to Debs.

 

I know what a narrow squeak is now.  No, not an emaciated mouse but the realisation that I had not booked for a concert due to take place in but a few hours - Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain at The Stables.  For once the fates were with me.  Of the less than 20 seats still available one was in the front row.  I am no lover of the piano accordian in the normal run of things but in the hands of Cunningham what can be an unwieldy instrument was both majestic and plaintive.   It was easy to see why his partnership with Aly Bain has endured 33 years.

 

Now it is no secret that I hope to march in the parade at Pride in London in July this year.  The website is not as helpful as it might be in that it promises details of how individuals may become involved, indicating that all will be revealed in March.  Guys, check the date: the end of March is nearer than you think.  Demand is likely to be such that each place could be allotted several times over but if you don't ask you don't get!

 

I should buy some Lockets today in the hope that they will finally despatch the last vestiges of the tickly cough that seems to have made its nest in my chest.  I got through last night withut a coughing fit so perhaps it will not take much more chemical warfare to get rid of it.  A chance encounter with a friend at last night's concert served to remind me yet again that there are others in trouble a lot worse than me because his chest infection sounded much more serious than mine.  Yes, methinks I protest too much but I am rather good at it.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

A reasonable nights sleep of 7 hours though interupted by many wake up in minor pains and move to find a more comfortable position..

 

 6 years of working in Saudi and coming back here 3 times a year did give me some problems, Not in Saudi though, only here. Living where there are a lot of single track roads, it's easy to leave one and come out onto a normal two way road on the wrong side. The worst I found was coming out of unmarked car parks, confused me quite a few times that did.

 

Dry and overcast on patrol this Morning And Ben is back in His normal self, though he found something different to chase this morning... a pair of mallard ducks..

 

 The hedges are mostly in green now, but the trees have yet to join them. Also coming out was a car by the side of the road / half on the pavement.. it was naked... totally, all that was left was a few smoking remains and a police car with copper in it writing report. While a man was wandering round the outside of his car dressed, but with a tatty towel round him.

 Must have been quiet exciting for the school children as it was almost outside their gates.. This morning is a coned off area and a burnt patch of tarmac with added melted plastic..

 

Well I completed my part of the new product system yesterday, but the users needed to run a test unit against the old correction files. so that will have to be installed this morning before the proper crosscheck can be run.

Once the Boss gets in after his 2 day skyve he'll have to have a look at the chinese system results and decided what next..

 

 

Time to ...check for company spam..

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Still sunny in this part of the world.

Another walk is scheduled for today..it should help to burn off the food I ate last night....

 

Positive thoughts to al ERs but especially to all who ail.

Baz

[jamie92208]

Morning all.  It's still sunny here but cool as usual on a morning.   Off shortly to take Beth's front tyre to be changed.  There is a bulge in the sidewall and the tyre place advised changing it and ordered a new one.   After spending half an hour the other day I managed to access the Get U Home spare on the Clio and put that on. So today I'm taking the defective one in to have it changed.   This afternoon it's off to a local ladies meeting.   It's been thrown open to partners/hangers on etc today as the talk is about how to complete a French tax return.   It's an exciting life we lead here.

 

Great to see Debs post yesterday, just sad about the circumstances.

 

Jamie 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A rather dull start here with the chance of some brighter spells later. Possibly.

Not sure what I'm doing today. Shed people were contacted yesterday and old shed removal and base laying will be week commencing 15th April so I can now work towards that.

I also need to finish sorting out the railway room and dismantle the layout boards (No I haven't started that yet, keep putting it off so I can play run trains!)  as the window man has to be able to actually reach into the bay window to measure accurately for the new one. (Layout  runs partially into the bay and above the window board)

The Deltic was run in for an hour each way successfully so there is now a decoder to fit. Better do that first and test it again before I start cutting track.

Have a good one,

P.R.O. Crastinator

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by grandadbob

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

It’s another dull start here in the northwest. The boiler service engineer arrived about 10 minutes ago and has started work. I shall do some small odd jobs in the cellar until he’s finished then I can carry on paint distemper 

removal.

 

Back later

[BlackRat]

Drive on the left or right?

 

I thought you had to do as instructed on your driving licence..........

 

'Tear along the dotted line' .............

 

Thoughts with Debs to, and to all that need them.x

Edited March 27, 2019 by BlackRat

[45156]

Morning All

 

Condolences to Debs has to be the first, followed by the usual good wishes to John and Sandy, and of course generic greetings to everybody else ailing, missing, or celebrating.

 

Last night was one of the worst nights' sleep we have experienced in a long time - thanks to the stress of 30747's colonoscopy.  Her specialist booked her into his NHS clinic at the local private hospital, and her appointment was for 13.45 so she had been nil by mouth since having a light lunch at 13.00 the previous day.

Now at the NHS hospital, there is a colonoscopy suite and it is an in and out process, where your appointment is done by the next available doctor, and you are normally seen at the appointed time, or shortly thereafter.  Not so at the private establishment, where the consultant has a list, and does all the procedures himself (as we now know).  So 30747 checks in and I shoot off to Lancaster, and agree to pick her up at about 14.45 which is how it works at the NHS.  Back at 14.45, she is sitting in a private room in her gown, having not been seen, and the only person who had seen her was the catering lady, asking her what she wanted to eat after her procedure was over.  So I went off again, and was picking up some stuff at the pharmacy, when my moble rang, and I thought that was fine, she's finished, but no, she hadn't seen anybody.  So I went home to feed Lily and take her for a walk, and agreed to wait there until she called.  By 16.30 she still hadn't phoned, so I rang her, and she STILL hadn't seen anybody, but at least she'd found that there was a TV in the room.  So I agreed to come back and sit with her.  Got back to the hospital, and demanded a parking pass, as I wasn't paying their fancy prices for their Pay And DIsplay, duly and a bit grudginly given, and I made my way to her room, by then I was getting used to this - she was still sitting in her gown watching TV and STILL hadn't seen anybody.

 

About 17.15, the consultant arrived, and did his checks, then said he'd see her again soon, then a nurse arrived, and asked if the delay had been explained, which it hadn't.  It then transpired that he had been operating, and there had been a serious complication, so the rest of his lists had been delayed.  by now, 30747 was getting very weak, having not eaten for 27 hours or drunk for six hours.  Eventually, she was taken down about 19.00, and was back around half an hour later, then had to wait about another 20 minutes for her food.  We finally left the hospital at about 20.15, and I then had to have my meal when we got back - so I spent most of the night with indigestion, and 30747 with stomach cramps which are the normal side effect of the air being blown into the bowel.

 

Luckily, she's not working this morning, as we both only got about five hours sleep maximum.

 

The hospital did apologise for the lack of information, the usual story that somebody thought that somebody else had notified of the delays, and they did say that this had been a particularly chaotic day for them.  If there is a next time, we will stick with the NHS hospital.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[TheQ]

9 minutes ago, BlackRat said:

Drive on the left or right?

 

I thought you had to do as instructed on your driving licence..........

 

'Tear along the dotted line' .............

That's difficult they're all a plastic credit card size now

Edited March 27, 2019 by TheQ

[Dave Hunt]

 A dull but calm day here in the northern Salopshire backwoods. Plans for today include finishing proof reading the latest LMS Locomotive Profile on the Royal Scots then down to the market. Tomorrow some friends from school days who spend the winter with their caravan in Portugal are stopping by for the night on their way back to Cumbria and since we are all from Merseyside there is really only one dish to make for dinner - scouse. Hence I'll manufacture a large pan of it this afternoon as it is always best when a day old and reheated served with pickled red cabbage and crusty bread. I also have it on good authoroty that I have volunteered to sort out a faulty cistern and leaking tap so the chances of any quality workshop time are remote.

 

Have a good day everyone and thoughts and prayers for those afflicted and bereaved. Chrisf - I empathise and sympathise wholeheartedly.

 

Dave

[rockershovel]

9 hours ago, lightengine said:

It wasn't an error by the flight crew.  The flight plan had been given to traffic controllers for Edinburgh.  

The error was that nobody thought to tell the paying public.

 

That still doesn’t account for the fact that ALL commercial flights start, or should start with boarding card checks by the cabin crew,  safety procedures demonstration and an announcement from the flight deck regarding destination and estimated timings. Tedious as these can be, they are legally required, and required for a reason. That’s what I find so difficult to understand about this. 

 

There doesn’t appear to be any suggestion that the flight crew didn’t follow their flight plan, but did no one expect to be given a different one? Or is there no coordination between the flight deck and cabin crew? 

 

I don’t dispute comments above, about the unquestioning reliance on automated systems among flight crew. Many younger engineers and surveyors I see, aren’t much different. Indeed I do it myself at times, not least because that’s often what is expected of me. But this appears, as far as can be understood from the reporting, to be a communication failure rather than pilot error. 

 

 

 

 

[rockershovel]

15 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

There's the very publicized case of the Granada / Grenada confusion from a few years ago as well. In that case it was the booking agent and the passenger who were confused. The airline (which was BA) did their flight operations part correctly though the passenger would testify their bookings procedure was deeply flawed.

 

There’s a similar case in Norway, where there are ports called Kristiansand and Kristiansund, at opposite ends of the country. The locals know which one is which, but it was always worth checking that the Travel Coordinator did! 

[Happy Hippo]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I'm afraid that, bizarre as it may seem, I don't find this as surprising as could be expected. Total reliance on and belief in the magic electronic/digital gismos to the exclusion of common sense and the basics of how to fly an aircraft are seemingly common occurrences and reading some of the accident and incident reports are, to an ex-professional pilot, almost unbelievable. I know that nearly everyone at sometime says or thinks, 'It's not like it was in my day', or similar, but at least we were taught the very basics of airmanship and handling to begin with and didn't learn to rely on automatics and software at an early stage. I sometimes wonder what happened to the mantra that, 'When something goes wrong, first fly the aircraft, then sort out the problem.' I can honestly say that has saved me on a good few occasions but in some of the accidents in recent years it seems to have been noticeably absent. I'm not saying that all of today's pilots are poor or anything like it - dealing with the complex flight systems in a modern aircraft is demanding and requires great skill but the training system seems to me to lack some of the basics that I was taught to rely on.

 

Rant over and waiting for the fallout!

 

Dave

 

 

A picture of Dave in his early flying career is here:

 

 

since he finished up flying these:

 

I suspect he has a slight inkling of the problems of ever  more complicated systems

 

However, don't mention Templot.........................

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dull and overcast this morning but dry. An item on the 'fatberg' in Sidmouth on the BBC Breakfast show mentioned that in the fatberg was found a set of false teeth, I wonder if the owner wants them back. 

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

And 'Clear editor' had to be pressed once again as the system seem to have got it into itsmind that I want to add to ER posts rather than start a fresh one.  A h well it's 'just one click' and no doubt The Hollies could sing a song about it

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCJc-J7edks

 

I'm interested to learn that Mr Black Rat also pursued his trade locally with the Thames Valley bunch as the art of driving along the dotted line is regularly practiced in our neck of the woods.  Most worrying are the g folk who like to maych it to their vehicle centre line - very neat but somewhat unnerving when they're coming towards you.

 

Today we will be having an excursion to Tesco 'for a couple of things' (oh yeah!) and the G word has already received a mention but so far for nowhere near as long as a minute and without any sort of repetition.

 

Have a good day one and all

[lightengine]

14 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dull and overcast this morning but dry. An item on the 'fatberg' in Sidmouth on the BBC Breakfast show mentioned that in the fatberg was found a set of false teeth, I wonder if the owner wants them back. 

Maybe the owner is in there also in a fatberg concretion.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, well my MOT wasn't too bad, blood pressure is acceptable and after two goes they got blood out of me for PSA and other checks, still over weight at 17.5 stones, but cycling and hill walking will sort that, need to lose a stone. It's ironic that when I was fit and daft enough to play rugby, I would loved to have weighed that, have a good day all, off to Perth see ya later.