Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

 

Tomorrow Later today an explanation of 'high speed' in respect of railway lines in Britain. 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[J. S. Bach]

Good night owl from a quiet Piedmont.

[BR60103]

Discovered that my problems with the lights were that both bulbs had burned out at the same time. There were the spiral fluorescents.

The space heater is kaput. I took the back off and found that I didn't get at any useful parts. The back was held with uncounted screws, mostly Phillips but 3 hex. The holes didn't line up when I put it back on.

 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl  inner Temple Hare, 

So far 4.5 hours sleep,  I need more,  yesterday I had three unscheduled eyelid inspections to make up. 

 

A friend at the MRC has also just moved,  for her it was only a 10 miles move.  Due to non related to covid 19 reasons, she had been effectively living out of suitcases in her own home for two years, so that was easy.  A bigger problem for her is extracting the rest of her property from various friends and relatives sheds and barns in the area.. 

 

Plans for today,  clearing the wreckage from the bramble clearance,  it's noticeable that area of the garden looks much bigger.  Start emptying the failing corrugated iron lean to. 

 

Time to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzź

 

 

[iL Dottore]

Morning all,

 

On the topic of memorable flights, I’ve had quite a few (and some of them were memorable for all the wrong reasons). some of those which do bring a smile of happy recollection include the following:

 

Once, at Newark airport (unfortunately, our US subsidiary was right near Newark airport so I had to fly to that damn airport more often than I would have cared to), I was waiting to be checked in and the man in front of me was being unpleasantly rude to the check-in girl; on his mobile phone (obviously an oh so, so, important phone call) he would spit out the answers to the check in girl’s questions, not even looking at her, He then snatched his boarding card out of her hand without even a thank you and strode off. When I got to the desk a few seconds later, I just sympathetically said to her “oh dear, some people can be incredibly rude, can't they?” and was my usual cordial self as she went through the questions that she had to ask as part of the check-in process. Just before giving me the boarding card, she said that she was able to give me a better seat (as I had had a late booking, my seat reservation was for the middle of the middle of business class on the aircraft, so that was good news indeed). I thanked her and took the boarding card, only to find that she had put me in first class!

Another memorable flight was on one of my frequent trips to San Francisco. As was my wont, I was flying on the upper deck of a BA 747-400. In those pre-9/11 days, it was sometimes possible to visit the flight deck, so I duly asked and was taken to meet the flight crew. As the pilot and co-pilot were showing me the instrumentation (brand new, switchable, digital displays!), I started asking questions, such as “is that the manifold pressure” (or something along those lines), Rather surprised by these informed questions, the captain audibly mumbled something along the lines of “thank God, someone asking intelligent questions” and the remainder of my visit was spent in quite a technical discussion of the brand-new digital instrument display clusters. At the end of my visit, the captain asked if I would like to sit in for the landing and of course I said yes. So, to make a long story short, I was duly strapped in about half an hour out from SFO, and one of my abiding memories is flying very low over the Golden Gate bridge, as it emerged from the early morning fog, as we flew over San Francisco, out into San Francisco bay, before turning back inland and making the approach to the airport. Absolutely magical.

 

But probably the most comfortable flight I’ve ever taken was on a brand, spanking new, Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 (from Singapore to Melbourne) in business. Beautifully appointed and comfortable, even the loos (“heads”?) were spacious (I have photos to prove it!). The legendary SIA service was just superb and it was only because I was travelling with Mrs iD that my Singapore Sling consumption was capped at 3 drinks  - her Diktat, not the cabin crew’s). Aahh, happier times.

 

One final thing, no matter how trying the circumstances, I have always done my very best to be calm, pleasant and understanding of the position of the customer facing person I was dealing with at the time (it’s not their fault that some clown at head office comes up with some stupid or asinine directive or rule). Although this is something I always try and do (“there but for the grace of God, go I“ sort of thing), it has had some spectacular rewards: an unopened bottle of Roederer Crystal, from the steward who asked me some scientific questions I was able to answer; an  invitation to help myself to as many mini bottles of champagne as I would like, from the crew of the BA flight to Basel on Christmas Eve (and all I had done was express my sympathy for them not getting home quite in time for Christmas. Of course, being the only passenger in business class might have helped).

 

Finally, I got the most pleasant surprise once. Travelling on the upper deck of BA 747-400, I had wandered back into the little galley at the back of the upper deck for a coffee. Whilst there I got a good look at the passenger manifest hanging up on a clipboard. Next to my seat number, name and frequent flyer status were three little letters: V.I.P. How the hell I got that classification, I’ll never know (I have never thought of myself as a VIP, nor was I that senior in the company...)

 

Cheers

 

iD

 

p.s. You might have guessed, but the Boeing 747-400 was, and remains, my favourite aircraft to fly in.

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I did the fodder run yesterday.  As I pushed my trolley containing three bags full of shopping out of the supermarket a member of staff hailed me and asked me my age.  I replied, in a state of some puzzlement, whereupon he told me which queue I should join!  I told him as politely as I could that my trolley was full of the shopping that I had just bought.  Oh dear.

 

I promised to say something about airports today.  It will not be much since I am nowhere near as widely travelled as many fellow ERs.  Not until 1976 did I make my first flight, from Heathrow to Ronaldsway and back.  What greater contrast could there be!  Dear rustic Ronaldsway, a fitting gateway to the Isle of Man, can be traversed with much greater speed than anywhere else and if one is really lucky – I wasn’t! - there will be a connecting steam train to Douglas.  My first trip to Germany was from Heathrow to Berlin and back at the time of the Ladbroke Grove accident.  When I arrived at Berlin I stood by the carousel until it became clear even to me that my luggage had not been on board.  I was surprised at how much schoolboy German I remembered in my state of panic.  It turned out that good old BA had put my case on an earlier flight and not thought to tell me.  I found it in an orange container outside the terminal building and only held up the rest of the group for 45 minutes.  My trip last year to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong involved a fair bit of flying and some allied nonsense in terminals.  If I never have to use automated check-in again it will be too soon unless someone invents machines that do as they are told.  To arrive at Darwin at 3 am was bizarre as the group of 22 had the terminal practically to itself.  There was not much more life at Heathrow when we touched down at 4.45 am before dispersing.  It seems bizarre, even to me, that shops on the landward side of the terminal sell drinks that can be confiscated by security goons, but what do I know?

 

Credit where it is due: the LUFTHANSA acronym that I shared yesterday is something that I learned from my late friend Alan Jarvis.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from down here.  It's another nice morning with blue skies. Shopping is to be done for essentials. One of those is obviously a visit to the vineyard/distillery.  Then onto the delights of Intermarche.  Anyway yesterday went well. I got all the grass cut in the morning and even managed some muddling in the afternoon.  More good contacts with the scanned photos. I've uploaded a few sets about a ScoutvTroop thatvI helped run in the mid 70's to a local history site in FB. Yesterday the son of onecof thecother scouters got in touch and I've been able to send him some photos if his mother who died young. He's very grateful.  

 

The other big success of the day was booking hair appointments for us both next week. The fair Veronique is back in business from Monday.   That's good news. I do need to take my mask with me though and will wear it unlike no 45.

 

Beth is on the road to recovery and is obviously improving.  

 

Not a lot more to say so Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, Lantavian said:

 

I think everyone should work in a bar or a shop or a hotel at some point ... it makes you a better customer.

Or better still unblocking drains or emptying old fasioned steel house hold bins...

Baz

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Beautiful morning in the North West Leeds Highlands.  Yesterdayturned into being a very busyday. Crust earning was completed, gardening was undertaken, food was eaten.

 

Today...well herself has set house cleaning and gardening targets. Pah!

 

I am tempted to go and do something else but, thinking about the consequences of this, I will just follow her plan.

 

Grab today and make it do what you want it to. 

Positive thoughts to ERs.

 

Baz

[jamie92208]

Forgot to say, the post brought a railway magazine yesterday, things afe getting back to normal.

 

Jamie

[leopardml2341]

Mornin'

 

A bit of a our in today, didn't wake up until 04:00 ......

 

and went back to sleep in a number of stints until the alarm at 07:00.

 

Hopefully today a large package should arrive which will keep me occupied outside for the weekend.

 

The garden has had more attention since Easter than in the preceding 18 yrs.

 

Hope today is good to all, weather set fair and warm sunshine predicted, shame I have to be at the desk today, but given yesterday's early start and later than required finish more tea breaks and a longer lunch will be had today.

[TheQ]

Mooring part 2, 

Ben the alarm clock Collie was dead on time this morning,  06:00...

 

Darn chilly out there,  fully frosty, and horizontal mist to about 20ft off the ground.  The  car is like an ice cube,  that wasn't forecast.. Absolutely clear skies ,  as I suspect it was all night.

 

When I left the MhRC last night, bright moon one side,  the remains of sunset the other.   Then awaking at stupid o'clock,  the all but full moon was shining directly at me in bed. 

 

One of  my sisters was 60 yesterday,  so therefore as a civil servant with the old pension scheme,  she could retire, however she works directly with / for the Chief medical officer of Scotland. So for the moment that's not likely to happen. 

 

I'll venture out when it's warmed up a bit.. 

 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

 Good morning all,

Sunny and a mainly blue sky here.  A warm fine day with temperatures up to 22° forecast.

I managed a mile and a half on yesterday's walk but The Hip regretted it.  Will try again today.

Some gardening was done and I've placed a couple of orders for small garden adornments which The Boss had expressed a liking for.  This all gained Brownie points so a brief visit was made to The Shed  and I am instructed by Her Bossness to spend more time there today.  A small order for odds and ends  has winged its way to FR and Herself has offered to pay for it so I must be doing something right.

Time for breakfast so I bid you farewell for now.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by grandadbob

[roundhouse]

Il Ditores comments on Newark airport, first time there we liked it very much and it was handy for Amtrak but a few years after 9/11 it became a mess with queues landside to drop bags at security in a big pile in open public areas then leave them there to be scanned to head off to the security gate queues. not been back since.

 

Smallest that we have used is Skagway. No queues at all at the single check in gate. Most people arrived and departed either on cruise ships or the Alaska Marine Highway ferries which we had used to get there.

 

Yesterday I picked up more Pilgrim Saracen stout from the brewery nearby (during an essential shopping trip) and that went down well whilst running trains in the garden. Today, I will probably run the last train for a while and if my chest pain eases (think its ribs/ chest muscles rather than anything more serious) then lift the track to carry on with the patio extension.

 

However I have been looking at Jamies photos thread. Keep them coming Jamie as very interesting.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It is sunny here though I have no idea of the outside temperature.  Various items are due today. Office type supplies and hot glue sticks. 
Aditi’s family meeting via Zoom has been set up. According to her uncle it will be 4pm GMT on Friday however the Zoom “ticket” states 4pm BST.

Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Morning.

 

Chris, I'm afraid Ronaldsway is no longer rustic, a new terminal was opened in IIRC 1982 so it is much a clone of any other small regional airport now.  Not sure how many flights we will have when things re-open, with the end of Flymaybe, Loganair have had a sniff at a couple of routes.

 

Dull out this morning but dry, I have to hang around to allow the boiler service engineer in, as our central heating (combi) boiler has been teetering on failure for weeks.  From cold the pilot lights, and then it just sits there having a think about life, the universe etc, and then finally opens the valve for  the main burners after about two minutes. Once warm it fires in the usual time. Thermocouple or timer issue, but its getting worse so they have agreed to come and deal with it.

Edited May 7, 2020 by New Haven Neil

[TheQ]

Hmm now I'm  Confused, I've just received notice of a 4th parcel of shed, by the suppliers.  It should arrive this evening. There was only 3  parcels on the original list, and looking at the manual I thought i had all the parts..  It's on a different parcel number so it's not a confusion of delivery.. 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another sunny day here in England’s northwest west, cool 12C at the moment but very little wind. I’ll shortly head off to complete the Trafford Centre Grand Prix, calling at the butchers on my way home for the weekly meat rations. With the queueing that is required for both tasks, it will be nearly dinner time when I get back. 

 

I noticed that next door have now put up a basket ball net net for their young son, bless him. He’s not the sharpest tool in the box and I do think he has an underlying (undiagnosed) problem, but his ball co-ordination is non existent so I’m expecting a lot more balls to end up in our garden than we do at the moment. The balls currently seem to spend more in our garden than his!

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

[Happy Hippo]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Next to my seat number, name and frequent flyer status were three little letters: V.I.P. How the hell I got that classification, I’ll never know (I have never thought of myself as a VIP, nor was I that senior in the company...)

I saw my name on the list once, it was annotated with JAFH.  (just a F**king Hippo)

[grandadbob]

My name is usually abbreviated to BF 

[Simon G]

18 hours ago, Simon G said:

 

Also last year, I had a lot of ants running up and down our two small apple trees.  This year I have decided to try and stop them.  I read online that duct tape was a good deterrent if place around the trunk, sticky side facing out.  I applied some yesterday, and the ants clearly didn’t like it.  Today I noticed that some had got over their dislike and were managing to cross the tape without getting stuck (serves me right for buying cheap duct tape!).  The tape has now been reinforced with a band of double sided tape, that is much stickier than the duct tape.  So far, the ants have failed to cross it, so I will see how long that lasts!

 

15 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

Your post reminded me of the short story by Carl Stephenson Leiningen Versus the Ants.

 

I hd to google Leiningen Versus the Ants.  I just hope that my ants don’t turn as nasty as in the short story!  So far, the double sided tape is proving an effective barrier to them.

 

It is rather overcast here today, so the early gardening was rather cool.  Today’s task so far is to weed around the strawberry bed.  I always wonder why grass managed to grow so well in the wrong places, but doesn’t do so well I. The lawn!

 

Fruther work has been done on the layout control panel.  The wiring is looking rather busier than I had thought, so some rethinking is necessary to reduce the number of wires going to and from the panel.  My first idea is to glue some chocolate block to the underside of the paxolin board, and run the common wires there.

[tetsudofan]

Morning coffee and Belgian shortbread consumed, sun is shining so think its time to get out to the garden to cut the grass...…...

 

Keith

[TheQ]

The man with a van is on delivery 23. He's about five miles away,  ETA 5 hours 45 minutes,  we're delivery 123... !! And there are lots of men with vans out there shows where all the shops went.. 

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. The foxes were again at my bin bag this morning so I had to clean up the mess and re-bag it first thing. Apparently though the kebab shop also re-opened yesterday and the foxes should find better pickings there. I've tried to contact my friend a couple of times but his phone isn't answered but hopefully next week when some restrictions are lifted I might be able to call round. I know he must be at home but his autistic daughter has a habit of turning the ring tone volume right down when she's on her x-box. The G word looms so its be back later.