Early Risers.

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon land back in the GMT (Great M*d*l Tr**ns) time zone.

I had a much longer than expected lie in....    Yesterday, it would have been called 'overslept'!

 

I am still fighting off the remnants of the late summer irritations but hoping I might get some m*d*ll*ng done as the sun is out to brighten the day.  

 

Fitt  and   Elfie doing their best.

 

Take care and play safe. 

_________

Best wishes

Polly

[Adam88]

GMT - Getgood, Mills and Thompson?

[BoD]

3 hours ago, Barry O said:

... Front row skills seem to diminish with each year..

..... that’s because the ball is put into the second row these days.

 

Morning all.  
Enjoy your extra hour.

[Tony_S]

10 minutes ago, BoD said:

..... that’s because the ball is put into the second row these days.

 

Morning all.  
Enjoy your extra hour.

When I was at secondary school rugby seemed to be a religion but without religious instruction. The (with hindsight deranged) PE staff would go apoplectic about some deviation from whatever rule was being broken.  I learned more about rugby listening to the coaches talking to their young  teams in the park as I walked by with the dog than I did at school. Also they seemed to be able to do it without verbal or physical violence. 
Tony

[grandadbob]

Pity about your school rugby coaches Tony.  We were lucky at our school with 2 very good coaches (both History Masters) one of whom, Bob Bateman, was a top class player who played for Rosslyn Park and also West Hartlepool. He was variously captain, coach, chairman and president of the latter.  Lovely man and probably the best teacher I ever had who instilled me a lifelong enthusiasm for both history and the game of rugby.

We did have a PE Master who was a bit of a sadist.  He was Welsh.........

[Gwiwer]

32 minutes ago, BoD said:

Enjoy your extra hour.

The myth of the "extra hour" is government propaganda.  There are still just shy of 24 hours in each day and the daylight is only marginally shorter (in the UK) than it was yesterday.  Don't believe everything you read in the media / online  

 

12 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

When I was at secondary school rugby seemed to be a religion but without religious instruction. The (with hindsight deranged) PE staff would go apoplectic about some deviation from whatever rule was being broken.

That sounds distressingly like my school.  Games master (as Cornish as they come) was suspected by us all to be what was then called q***r.  Any excuse to touch young lads in states of undress, it seemed.  BiL called him out one time - offered him a "bend-over" or "outside".  He accepted neither but left BiL well alone after that.  One of our maths staff was an international Rugby referee (initials RQ for those who know) and as such took no prisoners on the school field but was at least a good coach.  I, for my sins, was decreed incompetent and banished to the third team which only turned out weekly during winter Games periods and never played competitively.  Usually refereed by an ageing English teacher who was, frankly, well beyond running (or even walking) around for 80 minutes.   The religion in the Games Department was Rugby.  Union of course because "The Other Version" was only for "The Northern Working Men's Clubs".  League was then very much confined to the northern industrial towns and explained weekly on Grandstand by Eddie Waring.  

 

Thank goodness, in hindsight, that I escaped six years of Games under that department with nothing more than the occasional slippering for incorrect or imperfectly-laundered kit.  I believe the person in question chose to move on or retire before the heat became too intense for his liking.  

Edited October 25, 2020 by Gwiwer

[Andrew P]

I never played much sport at School, as I suffered from CBA Syndrome, (Couldn't be assed) so was allowed to clean the changing rooms and equipment instead.

[Joseph_Pestell]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

When I was at secondary school rugby seemed to be a religion but without religious instruction. The (with hindsight deranged) PE staff would go apoplectic about some deviation from whatever rule was being broken.  I learned more about rugby listening to the coaches talking to their young  teams in the park as I walked by with the dog than I did at school. Also they seemed to be able to do it without verbal or physical violence. 
Tony

 

1 minute ago, grandadbob said:

Pity about your school rugby coaches Tony.  We were lucky at our school with 2 very good coaches (both History Masters) one of whom, Bob Bateman, was a top class player who played for Rosslyn Park and also West Hartlepool. He was variously captain, coach, chairman and president of the latter.  Lovely man and probably the best teacher I ever had who instilled me a lifelong enthusiasm for both history and the game of rugby.

We did have a PE Master who was a bit of a sadist.  He was Welsh.........

 

One of my great regrets in life. If I had received proper education in rugby when at school (from age 13), I believe that I could have become a very good player.

Sorry to report that the head coach there was also Welsh and a complete b*****d.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Persisting down first thing this morning, then bright sunshine and now its come over dark and grey. As much as I would love to have a dog its simply not possible as I am now to old and decrepit to care for one. When I took the load of old pillows and towels round to the lady from the dog rescue charity I said that to her and she agreed that it takes a lot of commitment to have a dog. Still thinking about what meat I will select for C*******s dinner, venison is still on the list if I can find any. Its not farmed, most of it comes from semi wild herds that are culled and that culling takes place at specific times but certainly not this time of year in the rutting season.

[Gwiwer]

3 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

I never played much sport at School, as I suffered from CBA Syndrome, (Couldn't be assed) so was allowed to clean the changing rooms and equipment instead.

Not an option where we were.  I almost envied the girls. They could legitimately be excused Games at least once a month and (according to my sister and a couple of friends) no checks were made meaning some took advantage most weeks.  

[Barry O]

My Rugby Master at School was an ex England/ex British Lions/ Hartlepool Rovers player.. not a great coach but he did have his moments. My best coach was my dad.. he knew several ways of causing chaos in rucks and mauls..

 

I gave the game up quite young as I kept getting my body pulverised in scrums...now I am paying for it.. Prop Forward hips, knees and back..ouch!

 

Just noticed the only thing which hasn't got the correct time on it is.. my computer!! Pah!

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

7 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

 

We did have a PE Master who was a bit of a sadist.  He was Welsh.........

Strangely my PE master was also a sadist and Welsh. Went under the nickname of 'Bucket'. After I left school he was suspended for making a lad do exercise with a broken arm. He was then rapidly retired.

[jamie92208]

Games periods were purgatory for me. Despite my mother being a games and PE teacher and my father a competent tennis player, I have no ball sense and am useless at all such sports. I also have slow twitch muscles so can't sprint for toffee. As others have said prowess at games, particularly  Rugby Union, the other sort was not spoken about, was on par with religion. I was also in the 3rd 15 each Tuesday and Thursday and hated it with no meaningful coaching. On Saturdays, if the school was playing another school, then we were forced to watch the match. This involved standing on a banking overlooking the pitch with the prevaling wind and rain freezing us. Cricket was as bad and we had to watch till 4.30pm on Saturdays but that got better as I became a scorer because I was bored. Relief arrived when I got into the 6th form and I was allowed to opt out of Rugby as long as I did a 4.5 mile cross country. I got very fit in the end and could get back, be showered and changed long before the bullies from the Rugby team got to the changing room.  That was a result.  

 

I then damaged my ankle and couldn't do long runs but took up,cycling which has been a lifelong pleasure.

 

Jamir

Edited October 25, 2020 by jamie92208

[grandadbob]

I must admit that my old Headmaster set great store by prowess on the rugby pitch.  His comments on some of my school reports would go along the lines of  "A somewhat disappointing set of results but he has played well for the School 1st (or whatever year it was) XV this year."

Edited October 25, 2020 by grandadbob

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Our sports master was also Welsh (very definitely -  the village he came from didn't have a single vowel in its name) but Wally was a good bloke and also taught junior maths, very well.  Provided you were in the CCF when you reached the relevant year and as the CO he appreciated the effort you took with your kit and boots then the games element was revised to a sort of 'do what you like' approach instead of being forced into stuff you didn't like or weren't any good at.  So I went in for running in winter and rowing in the summer - the latter having the advantage of a handy pub once you were old enough to get away with visiting it.  And as he was also i/c the CCF camps a decently hydraulic time was assured once you were in the 6th form - if even if you weren't quite 18.   By a strange coincidence when BR had the good grace to compulsorily transfer me to South Wales in 1971 I initially lodged in his former home village (which, whisper it very quietly, has also had its name used in a couple of layouts which at one time appeared on the exhibition circuit). 

 

We have sunshine - although it no doubt will not last.  And changing the numbers on a digital clock or where the hands point on the more traditional timepiece obviously won't do anything at all to make daylight last any longer - that's a function of our planet's movement around its star.   I long ago  gave up changing the time on my watch and leave it set on the same time all year round and I also do the same with the clock in the car - nota problem as long as you can count up to 60 (minutes).

 

The Good Doctor seems a bit brighter so hopefully the medicine is doing its job.  And the lad has departed for some railway work of some kind in the GCR (not the one in the Midlands).  I am tasked with cleaning teh vacuum once again and must do the door mat in the porch as it would seem that Mr Fox slepy t on it last night,

 

Have a good day one and all and take care. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Well I think I've lost that extra hour and I don't know where it went! 

 

Sunny at the moment, but we've had rain and it looks like we could get some more too. 

 

Currently in the workshop about to start working on the turntable bridge, adding a little more paint and some weathering. 

 

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

 

Brian

[Tony_S]

Lots (most?) of my secondary school teachers were Welsh but the deranged PE teachers were definitely English. It is a shame as by the time the school employed someone who wasn’t a thug to teach PE I was totally uninterested. In the sixth form games and PE were optional. My brother just stopped going to PE or Games after his third year and helped the technician in the Advanced Physics lab.  He decided that if he never got in the class register they wouldn’t know he existed. Still got satisfactory on his end of year report though. 
Tony

[Simon G]

Morning all, it has been very wet and windy overnight, and while the rain has given way to brightness, it is still very windy.  Half an hour was spent outside this morning, and that was enough!

 

There is great relief in our lane this morning, as a small puppy has been found after he went missing on Friday evening after apparently being frightened by fireworks.  A lot of time and effort was spent yesterday with people looking for him, and the owners even got someone with a drone to search.  The news has just come through on our WhatsApp group that he is home safely, but no mention yet of where he was found.

 

I was into every sport I could possibly try at school, but mostly rugby and cricket.  My size helped at rugby and I was quite good at it, but nowhere near as good as no 2 son who played for Cumbria at Under 16 level.  Our best coach was actually the chemistry teacher, who was also Welsh and very much into “total rugby “, so we were coached in a most innovative way which helped us beat sides from many schools with a much larger pool of players to choose from.  Despite not having large forwards, I recall that we were never pushed backwards in a scrum and were invariably fitter than most sides.  Cricket coaching was nonexistent, so my abilities as an opening bowler were only developed after I left school.  All I did at school was to try to hurl the ball down as fast as possible, with no thought as to variation, swing and seam etc.

[Compound2632]

Just now, Simon G said:

but no mention yet of where he was found.

 

Probably some embarrassing location such as the cupboard under the stairs.

[roundhouse]

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

The hourly 403 between Croydon and Tonbridge was timed to wait two minutes at the same time as the hourly 410 Reigate - Bromley bus.

The 410 is now a Redhill to Hurst Green bus with a change at Oxted for the Oxted to Westerham bus. One is the 594 and the other is the 595 they alternate rougly each hour (but sometimes a gap of 90 minutes) with one going via Limpsfield Chart and the other via Tatsfield. Didnt see any Tfl buses in Westerham but there are tfl bus stop signs.

[PhilJ W]

I have only my watch to adjust back. All other timepieces except one adjust automatically. That one is my dads old digital bedside clock, at least 30 years old. I leave it on GMT as like the aforementioned grandfather clock it can only be adjusted forward so you have to go forward 23 hours just to go back one. Add to that the switch to change the time is very sensitive and its very easy to overshoot and have to go round again.

[The Lurker]

57 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

I must admit that my old Headmaster set great store by prowess on the rugby pitch.  His comments on some of my school reports would go along the lines of  "A somewhat disappointing set of results but he has played well for the School 1st (or whatever year it was) XV this year."

My old school was a rugby only school. They used to claim the school had never allowed football to darken its doors; unfortunately for that argument, the photos of the first XIs from the 1920’s on the corridor walls gave the lie to that. Didn’t lead to us playing any football though!

 

one of the games teachers when I started there was Neil Bennett who was England fly half at the time. I was OK at rugby but found cross country marginally less painful and ended up doing that. The last time I played would have been the house matches in 5th form; there were only just over 100 of us in a year group so it was quite hard to avoid being selected if you had any hand-eye co-ordination.

[The Lurker]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

It was ever thus. In my yoof a school-friend and myself would sometimes spend our Saturdays or holiday weekdays enjoying the delights of London’s Country buses as they then were. Westerham was a meeting-point. The hourly 403 between Croydon and Tonbridge was timed to wait two minutes at the same time as the hourly 410 Reigate - Bromley bus. In both directions.  So you got four buses together in town and the connections between them always seemed to be made. Not that anyone much used them - quite often it would be just us and the driver on board. 
 

I spent many hours in my childhood in Westerham, all in the back of a car. My mum had an aunt who lived in Biggin Hill whom we used visit regularly. In those preM25 days, traffic queued interminably and we were reminded about General Wolfe and his Canadian exploits and viewed Churchill’s statue. Eventually my parents discovered that Westerham could be bypassed by using Pilgrim’s Way. 

[Gwiwer]

32 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

The 410 is now a Redhill to Hurst Green bus with a change at Oxted for the Oxted to Westerham bus. One is the 594 and the other is the 595 they alternate rougly each hour (but sometimes a gap of 90 minutes) with one going via Limpsfield Chart and the other via Tatsfield. Didnt see any Tfl buses in Westerham but there are tfl bus stop signs.

The 594 / 595 are infrequent beasts.  They provide a very basic service over parts of several long-withdrawn routes some of which once ran hourly.  I used the Tatsfield - Oxted leg a couple of years ago whereupon I was the only passenger and the driver was most surprised that I needed to pay a fare, and more so that I offered cash.  He had to unlock his cash box!  Apparently the only regular user up that way has a Freedom Pass.  

 

TfL 246 serves Westerham from Bromley though not by quite the same route as the old 410.  It also extends to Chartwell when that location is open to the public and thereby retains a link with the old Green Line 706 which once covered that ground.  Amazing to think these days that Westerham once had direct service to the likes of Aylesbury as the Green Line ran three trips en each peak hour and every 30 - 60 minutes when serving Chartwell.  

 

These days there is no bus link at all between Tatsfield and Warlingham over the old 403 / 706 road and only a couple of trips up the hill between Westerham and Tatsfield.  

 

The question is do they (the proverbial "they") want us to use public transport - in which case there needs to be some to use as an alternative to the private car or is it now considered a sacrificial cow on the back of this wretched virus with funds being trickled into the industry to stave off mass redundancies rather than as a serious attempt to persuade passengers to use the service.  

 

There is an artificial - political - boundary around Greater London.  Within your services are operated by TfL and are usually regular, often frequent, running for at least 20 hours a day seven days a week and currently pegged at £1.50 a ride with transfers within 60 minutes not charged extra.  Outside you are lucky in many areas to have a bus service at all.  What was once the preserve of the London Transport Country Bus Division has withered away following deregulation and many years of funding cuts.  Hertfordshire remains about the only part of that area with a fairly comprehensive and frequent service network.  Most parts of Kent and Surrey are bus deserts - with just a handful of key routes running hourly but not in the evenings nor Sundays.  Essex hasn't fared as badly but there are big holes in what was once a comprehensive network.  

[petethemole]

I went to a rugby playing school, although soccer was occasionally permitted when the ground was judged to be frozen too hard for rugby.  Curiously, after a londrought when the ground was also very hard, touch rugby was played.  I was small but not fast so ended up at the lowest level of inter-house games twice a week, or three times if the 1st XV were playing away on Saturday (a school day).  We had one games master who was a bit handy with a whistle cord (knotted for extra effect) but at the lower levels games were supervised by senior boys, 'Options' = (sub-prefects, optiones).  Administration of attendance, etc. was by a Monitor (=prefect) i/c games .  One year's incumbent was so officious he was nicknamed the Büreauführer.  Alternative to RU in bad weather was usually runs, either a street circuit or 'cross country' which wasn't really, but included an unmade track and part of the local park.  In my final 6th form year I had a history master who also ran the local archaeology society's excavation and he persuaded the master i/c games to let some of us dig twice a week instead of games.  That led (eventually) to a career.