Early Risers.

[Winslow Boy]

5 hours ago, BokStein said:

Good (?) Evening!

 

Another weekend looms, one in which we give back the hour we gained back in March!

 

My delivery, yesterday, of Purple Moose product is hitting the spot so it could be a good weekend!

 

In other news:

 

 

Was it you who, I recall, used to swim in the docks? It's raining, OK, I'll wear my wet suit?

 

 

Merde?

 

 

I rue the loss of Eurocheques! However, now adequately (unless you want to pay a foreign friend for getting you something. A Dutch colleague once bought and sent me a CD; I paid him with a Eurocheque!) replaced by bits of plastic in varying designs.

 

Point of interest: if, in the UK, we use contactless payment and the transaction is not approved, why do we have to insert the card into the reader and start again? My experience in Switzerland is that the machine just asks you to enter your PIN and the original transaction stands; no 'transaction declined' receipts are needed.

?

It is my understanding that after twenty five transactions you are require to insert the bank card into the reader. Quite why this is required or why twenty five was chosen I do not know but I would suspect it may have something to do with scrotes having difficulty with counting.

Edited October 23, 2020 by Winslow Boy
Can't count.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Barry O]

Goodnight all!!

Baz

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[BR60103]

We have interesting news today. The steam locomotive (6167) at the Guelph railway station is going to be moved on Nov. 14.  They have a new spot down by the river. The space it is in now is to be used to expand the number of tracks or something by the commuter authority. The obvious solution would be to connect it to the mainline and make a grand tour down to the new site (beside the city-owned railway) but iy has probably been sitting there too many dceades to run on its own wheels.

https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/john-galt-park-gets-ready-for-big-move-of-historic-steam-engine-2814083

 

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I was expecting yesterday’s announcement from Ffestiniog Travel that the Christmas and New Year trip to Switzerland has been cancelled.  Apparently those entering Switzerland are required to spend 10 days in quarantine on top of the 14 days in the UK on return, making the trip unworkable.  With the constantly shifting pattern of restrictions in the UK I am doubtful of finding something suitably festive that I would rather do than stay at home.  Nevertheless I will ask around.  For the last few years of his life my father and I went through the motions of the festive season for each other’s benefit.  It was better than being home alone but only just.  Shortly before he died in June 2005 I received the heaven-sent mailshot from Ffestiniog Travel giving details of the Swiss trip.  The only one I have missed since then was when I had the chance to go to Canada.  Such is the progress of the battle against that ruddy virus that I am not at all confident of making the trip next year either.  We shall see what happens.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,  inner Temple Hare, 

6 hours sleep interrupted once, by an attack of cramp in my left calf, very painful.  Now,  there is just a throbbing reminder, hence some pink pills have been taken. 

 

Wandering around the net yesterday I found in the Radio times a 1955 issue.. It was that the Sunday radio programme "Parade " was doing piece from Snowflake sailing club, where I sail in the winter.  I wonder how that came about, as the club was  only 13 years old then, quite small and had just moved to borrowing Horning sailing club each year..

 https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/2d164bc48da84618a821b0d1d069bdcd

 

I see the government is stopping duty free sales at UK airports,  I didn't buy anything at airports anyway,  I quickly realised much of their goods was more expensive than in a normal shop.. 

 

The wind hasn't reached here yet,  and the main rain is not due till after my work will cease later..  Wrestling sheets of OSB into the garage could be interesting though.. 

 

Time I think to consider breakfast,  and a Muggacoffee or two this will disturb Ben the Snoring Collie.. 

 

 

[iL Dottore]

7 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

..... We’ve be advised that a Border terrier is looking for a new home as his/her owner has passed away and SWMBO and myself are really torn on the idea of giving him/her a new home. We’ve thought about having a dog in the past but have always shied away as we have at the moment the best of everything, a dog when we want or when we’re needed to have him. If we did take a dog into our family he/would obviously have to get on with Sydney as he spends a couple of days and nights at our house each week....

If I may offer some thoughts Robert? (I think that I can speak with some authority given that I have two dogs and spent a lot of time helping Mrs iD revise for her dog trainer exams [Mrs iD is a certified SKG dog trainer]). And forgive me if I say anything you already know.

 

Firstly, the new dog absolutely must get on with Sydney, although as Sydney was “there first” it is possible that Sydney will be territorial about your place. It is best that they first meet outside on neutral ground. In that way there will be nothing territorial for Sydney to be protective about. However, that’s just the first step, what happens at home also needs close attention, stepping in whenever either dog starts to exhibit territorial behaviour. In these instances the dog involved is to be told, sternly, that the behaviour is unacceptable but it shouldn’t be a punishment (after all the dog is only doing what he thinks is right and has been bred to do). When we introduced Lucy to Schotty, there were a few days with some territorial protectiveness on the part of Schotty, which did result in him snapping at Lucy, but I intervened and made it clear that was not acceptable. Now they are quite attached to each other, with Schotty always greeting Lucy when she has been absent for awhile (like being at the vets for an afternoon). When we have dogs visit, Schotty does tend to be somewhat jealous, but is happy to retreat to his basket and let the humans get on with what they are doing, whilst Lucy tends to ignore the newcomer. When Mrs iD has friends with dogs stay with her at the holiday hovel, the visiting dog and our two have very clearly separate places to “call their own”. So two separate well-defined areas, either a dog cage or a dog basket, should be set aside: one would be “Syd’s place“ and the other the “New dog’s place“ (Incidentally, although we may think caging a dog is unkind, in actuality a good roomy cage with a soft flooring, put in a warm location is much loved by dogs as a safe retreat for them when they need to get away and have some “downtime“. Schotty has a basket underneath the table in the entrance hall of the house which pretty much serves the same purpose).
 

Secondly, owning a dog is quite a different proposition to hosting a dog for a few days, even if you are hosting on a regular basis. A number of years ago (and old time ERs will remember this), we regularly hosted what we called our “Hairy Houseguest” Jordi - a border collie mix - So we thought we were well prepared for Schotty. Not so. For one thing, there is a huge sense of responsibility and a desire to “do the right thing“. For example, one night it was absolutely chucking it down and Lucy was very agitated pawing me awake at 3 am, she wouldn't settle and refused the garden, so I took her out in the deluge and after 10 minutes of her agitatedly running around, she squatted and had an episode of diarrhoea. I wasn’t upset, nor annoyed about getting soaked, because I thought that it is part of my responsibility to take care of her properly. Cost is another factor that is not so apparent when the dog is only a hairy houseguest. Vet bills and food bills do mount up, but quite frankly - in my view – the dogs are worth every penny (as a digression, but relevant to the topic of the cost of food, dog treats which are used aplenty when training dogs are quite expensive [and gods know what’s in them]. However, I do have a dehydrator so I take a turkey breast, slice it thinly and dehydrate it overnight. The result is a cheap and incredibly healthy dog treat).

 

Thirdly, and I would imagine you have already considered this, is that you need to make sure your house and, especially, your garden is “dog safe“. Sometimes, when dogs are feeling under the weather, they will eat grass and leaves, so it is important that there are no plants toxic to dogs in your garden. Before we got Schotty, the rescue organisation we were getting him from sent someone to check out our house and, especially, our garden to make sure there was nothing that could harm or injure Schotty. 
 

Fourthly, and again I’m sure I am telling you the patently obvious, in the first couple of weeks when you have the new dog an incredible amount of patience is required: the dog will be stressed, uncertain and nervous. This may exhibit itself in inappropriate behaviour (Schotty in particular tried to hump my leg on a regular basis in the first six weeks of us getting him – not because he was any sort of canine pervert, but because it was a coping mechanism for dealing with what was, for him, a new and somewhat stressful situation. This behaviour passed with some gentle correction and as he became used to his new environment). Terriers in particular can be quite stubborn, but I have never met a terrier that was immune to being bribed by a home-made turkey treat. Nonetheless, patience, rewards and “work” for the Terrier will bring huge rewards to both of you (by “work“ I mean any sort of thing that will engage the dog’s brain, such as dog sports or agility training)
 

Finally, if I may ask, does the Terrier have a name that you will be keeping or will you rename the dog (if and when you get him)?
 

Anyway, enough of my waffle, I hope that, if you do get the Terrier, all works out splendidly.

Cheers

iD

p.s. we have a fairly extensive library about dogs (their anatomy, their behaviour and their training) and I will be happy to pass on the titles of a few books I think would be of interest to a new dog owner.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

By eck..I slept in..come tomorrow it will be I woke early..pah!

 

Weather doesn't sound great (rain can be heard on the windows.)

As it is Saturday  other than cooking some salmon for tea I have no household duties to perform. While this is good news it also means her indoors could be building up to a pre-emptive strike with some reordering of items in cupboards etc..

 

Hang on a minute.. her indoors has announced that today is Christmas cake baking day!  I generally miss this as today I should be at our Model Railway Exhibition .. pah!

 

@chrisf I am sure you will find somewhere to go.. but spending a day on the internet will be required. Good luck in your search.

 

time to drink my mugatea, then I shall grasp Saturday firmly and shape it to suit what I want to do...

 

have a great day if you can!

baz

 

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, BR60103 said:

We have interesting news today. The steam locomotive (6167) at the Guelph railway station is going to be moved on Nov. 14.  They have a new spot down by the river. The space it is in now is to be used to expand the number of tracks or something by the commuter authority. The obvious solution would be to connect it to the mainline and make a grand tour down to the new site (beside the city-owned railway) but iy has probably been sitting there too many dceades to run on its own wheels.

https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/john-galt-park-gets-ready-for-big-move-of-historic-steam-engine-2814083

 

Having googled it, that is one impressive piece of machinery and I'm glad that the city is looking after it. That doesn't always happen. In 1978 I was fortunate enough to be able to wander round 6060 in Spadina Avenue roundhouse.  I suspect  that though it could be moved carefully by rail, it's the mountain of paperwork and the cost of insurance that would put the mockers on such a fabulous bit of PR.  I know UP did an awful lot of work on the bearings and suspension  of 4014 before it was first moved from it's resting place in Pomona.  I look forward to pictures in due course.  At least they have employed a reputable contractor. Mammoet seem to know what they are doing.

 

Jamie

Edited October 24, 2020 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning to all.  Chrisf good luck in your search for an alternative  lifestyle over the festive season.  

 

It's damp here but not raining at the moment.  Yesterday several small tasks were completed.  Today in a couple of minutes we'll be talking to Emily and her Mums. That will definitely  brighten up the day despite the grey clouds. The ironing awaits after that and I need to go and give a pool robot it's weekly exercise.  I may even clear some more of the shed floor ready for painting.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[AndyB]

22 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Preparing for tomorrow's match:

 

 

 

3rd one from the right doesn't.  

[NGT6 1315]

Good moaning from this part of the globe, too!

 

Insomnia with its follow-up effects did not stop, so, once again, I needed to pull an emergency stop to recover, and to hopefully address the worries about keeping my family sound which are causing it. Especially so since COVID cases in Germany have risen rather sharply!
I suppose it’s fairly likely that seasonal factors will contribute also, but in any case: Safety First. Running someone down with a tram due to poor rest or distraction is something I’d rather not deal with.

 

At least this here looks like a sunny morning, so maybe I can spend some time in the garden. You might recall that I began installing a watering pipeline and pop-up lawn sprinkler, which project needs a couple of finishing touches I was unable to find time for.

 

Be safe and well, everyone. Virtual hugs to everyone who may be ailing in one way or another.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull but dry here and a wet and windy day is forecast.

Rugby watched last night and more to come today with Ireland v Italy this afternoon and Exeter v Wasps this evening.  That's me sorted then!  (Like the socks so much Andy that I've ordered some!)

I've got a bit of money laundering   financial juggling to do this morning and after that I may go down to The Shed to see if I can break something else. 

Have a good one,

D.E. Molitionman.

Edited October 24, 2020 by grandadbob

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, and as predicted by Q, a very wet and windy one.  UK cut off overnight, but should be re-connected later this morning with a delayed ferry sailing.

 

Mrs NHN is off to be Pilated, I usually go down to Ramsey with her and walk a couple of miles but that ain't happening today!  I'd need Brian's wetsuit.

 

Weather is alleged to improve later, we're going for a curry with friend Jayne this evening, that usually makes for appalling weather so it may return!  The curry house is new, but we think is an older one re-located.  We'll give it a go and see what the menu is like, the alternative one is much better (but a lot more expensive) than this one's previous incarnation, so is a treat now I'm on a fixed income. 

 

I realised this week it has taken me two months to stop worrying about work......the work that I don't have any more.  Running a business is stressful, even when it is toy trains.  I still feel sorry for the staff we had to pay off, but they're all doing OK in various ways, John and myself feel a lot better about that now.  John is also a lot better and putting the sudden loss of his wife behind him and moving on with his life, so all is well really.

[BokStein]

Morning awl!

 

Haven't looked outside yet and don't really feel like venturing out either as provisions are adequate.

 

It seems that two responses have missed my original point:

 

10 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Good evening everyone 

 

The visit to the Trafford Centre was as usual uneventful, but there are still some people who don’t know how to wear a mask. I mean, it isn’t rocket science is it?

 

After dinner I did a couple of sudoku puzzles and then I placed an order with David at SEF for a few spare parts. These are for a future project, my intention is to convert a ‘Langley’ Kit of an LBSCR ‘L class’ Baltic tank into an LBSCR J1 Pacific tank, something that just isn’t available, in either kit of R-T-R form. There then followed a spot of eyelid inspection, happily both eyes passed the inspection. Later in the afternoon I made a batch of leek and potato soup, some of which we had for tea tonight, the rest, once cooled was put in the freezer for future use.

 

Bokstein, yes it was me who used to swim in the docks, but the wearing of a wetsuit was purely down to what the water temperature was, generally id wear it below 14C, above that I’d wear just my trunks. Whether it was raining or not makes no difference at all, once your in the water, you can’t get any wetter!

 

Goodnight all 

 

I was not suggesting that you go back and jump in the docks again, more that could your wetsuit be better protection against the (heavy) rain?

 

10 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Mrs NHN is off to be Pilated, I usually go down to Ramsey with her and walk a couple of miles but that ain't happening today!  I'd need Brian's wetsuit.

 

Well, at least my remark wasn't entirely wasted!

 

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

?

It is my understanding that after twenty five transactions you are require to insert the bank card into the reader. Quite why this is required or why twenty five was chosen I do not know but I would suspect it may have something to do with scrotes having difficulty with counting.

 

Here, I was observing that, regardless of the amount of the transaction or the number of times a contactless payment had occurred, the 'mechanics' of the process differ; in the UK, the machine issues a 'payment declined' receipt and invites you to insert your card and repeat the transaction. In Switzerland, it just asks for you to enter your PIN!

Edited October 24, 2020 by BokStein

[Coombe Barton]

9 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

t is my understanding that after twenty five transactions you are require to insert the bank card into the reader.

Ten for HSBC

[BokStein]

 

4 hours ago, chrisf said:

Greetings one and all

 

I was expecting yesterday’s announcement from Ffestiniog Travel that the Christmas and New Year trip to Switzerland has been cancelled.  Apparently those entering Switzerland are required to spend 10 days in quarantine on top of the 14 days in the UK on return, making the trip unworkable.  With the constantly shifting pattern of restrictions in the UK I am doubtful of finding something suitably festive that I would rather do than stay at home.  Nevertheless I will ask around. 

 

Sanity has prevailed! As you say, 10 days quarantine on arrival in Switzerland for a 14 day tour with a 15 day Swiss Pass (3 days of which are taken up with travel to and from Switzerland so the 15 day pass is only usable for 11 days!) then 14 days quarantine in the UK is extremely nonviable!

 

Having often been on this tour with you, I resigned myself a long while back by declaring myself available to work on 24th and 26th December with the option of attending to telephone calls on 25th December and 1st January!

 

4 hours ago, chrisf said:

Shortly before he died in June 2005 I received the heaven-sent mailshot from Ffestiniog Travel giving details of the Swiss trip.  The only one I have missed since then was when I had the chance to go to Canada.  Such is the progress of the battle against that ruddy virus that I am not at all confident of making the trip next year either.  We shall see what happens.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

 

FYI, InnoTrans in 2021has already been cancelled so we'll just have to sit tight and see how this pandemic pans out. Further frustration may be encountered but it has to be respectfully tolerated.

Edited October 24, 2020 by BokStein

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A dull but currently dry start to the day, but there has been some overnight rain. The plan is to spend the day in the workshop continuing painting the turntable. 

 

A wetsuit is made from a soft form that doesn't keep you dry, as its name suggests, it keeps you wet. To stay dry, you need a dry suit. With a wetsuit, a small amount of water enters the suit and gets inbetween the wearer and the suit. This is warmed up by body temperature and forms a sort of insulation barrier. Believe it or not, it actually works. 

 

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

 

Brian 

Edited October 24, 2020 by BSW01

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all.

 

Earlyish start  (by my body clock) this a.m. asI was g hauled out of bed - without first being given a cuppa and a biscuit to transport the Good Doctor (of naval history) up to our local almost hospital to see the emergency Doctor (of the MD sort) as she has (the GD) has been somewhat out of sorts for several days,  After actually doing a test the ED confirmed the previous (non test) diagnosis of the GP and told the GD to keep on taking the prescribed medicine and if that doesn't improve things go back to see the GP.  Fingers remained crossed and we trust the prescribed medicine might have more effect in the final 24 hours of the course than it did in the first 48 hours.  That early excitement over I returned (with the GD) to get a proper cuppa and a piece of toast to make up for the earlier lack of liquid sustenance.  

 

We had a further visit from Mr Fox yesterday afternoon.  It came up to within a couple of feet of the french windows and took no notice of either myself, the mum cat, or the lad standing about 3 feet away from it on the inside of the french windows (even when I tapped on the window), before wandering off down the garden.  Having spoken to it without being noticed, the previous day I am beginning to wonder if it is deaf or possibly simply doesn't worry about human presence?

 

And there's more amusement off the north coast of Cornwall as our former 'hoiiday haunt' ship is out yet again looking for 'adrift containers' - I hope they find it/them (?)  this time because the things are a right menace to smaller vessels especially yachts although it's probably a bit late for the leisure sailors to be out there.  No hint of what the containers are or where they have come from although 8 years back during our first trip we weren't too far away from the area looking for what had been reported as a  drifting shipping buoy - which the ship found and was able to recover.  The buoy had come from Canada but whether or not the container(s) have had such a long trip I don't know.  There were 8 containers reported adrift in the area 4 days ago although that warning was later cancelled. 

 

Havea good day and the rain might be good for the gardens, possibly.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

Ten for HSBC

My apologies to all it may concern. I commented without firstly reading all of the comments, much later as do not type as fast as once did that I then realised that much of what I had said was duplication. I have in lieu of punishment spent an appropriate time on the naughty step. I will offer perhaps one possible suggestion to as to why the card reader does not retain 'proof' of the transaction in this country and that is the quality of the reader. As to whether that is due to their cost or a security issue or perhaps both I can only surmise.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all (just) from Estuary-Land. A bit grey and overcast here this morning but not raining and according to the forecast the rains not due until late afternoon. Kettles boiled so its be back later.

[AndyB]

Morning all.

 

So I was sitting in the lounge yesterday afternoon having a cuppa. I'd left the front door on the latch as I was planning on heading back out to the garage.

 

Now I was expecting swmbo to come back from shopping, so when I heard the front door open and a woman chatting away I didn't think much of it. 

 

After a while it occurred to me that the woman's accent was a tad different from swmbo's dulcet tones. It took a while obviously because we have been married a few years and I often need other cues to start listening.  

 

Anyway, mildly  curious , I wandered out into the hall to be confronted by a strange woman in my hall peeling her clothes off. 

 

Now, being a gent, and having ascertained that said woman was not my type, I endeavoured to get a word in to the one-sided conversation. I say "conversation" but tbh it was more like a river of semi-consciousness flowing down the hall. 

 

Anyway having at last attracted her attention I enquired what she was doing in my house and would she mind leaving please. 

 

For those of you who read so far the explanation offered was equally bizarre.  The woman had been cleaning next door, had gone to the end of the garden path to put some rubbish in the bin and - having no sense of direction for this 20' round trip - got lost on her way back. 

 

[Simon G]

Morning all,

 

Absolutely foul here so far today with incessant wind and rain, although the rain is showing some signs of abating.  Like others on here, I shall be watching rugby for a good part of the afternoon/evening.

 

The morning has been spent balancing the books from the MRC account in advance of a possible Zoom AGM next month.  Books are now balanced, but a narrative is required to go with them to help explain what has been a turbulent year financially as well as in other ways!

 

[Coombe Barton]

5 minutes ago, Simon G said:

but a narrative is required to go with them to help explain what has been a turbulent year financially as well as in other ways!

I would be tempted to say "Well, what'd you expect?"