Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Definitely pecky, Rick!

 

 

As for the tunnels and roundabout - someone really must have a fantastic sense of humour.  Who owns subterranean land BTW?  We could tax them....hmmm.....

[andyram]

Evening all. I hope today finds you well. Not a good day today. I know that ER is supposed to be a politics free zone, however the news that emerged in parliament this afternoon has left me angry and frustrated. Throughout the early part of the year I have been holding onto the fact that I should be open for Easter. Now that hope has gone and it will be mid-April before I can finally open the doors to the shop again. Simply soul destroying! Oh..and to compound everything, we have to wait ten days until we get a sniff of any further financial support. My spirits are lower than a worm's belly right now. 

 

On the positive side (and I am desperately trying to find some).

* Amber will get to return to school on March 8th and she needs that. This long spell of home schooling has not done her any good. That will give me three weeks at home to have some peace and quiet. That might provide some quality modelling time. 

* The road map should mean, finance permitting, that our planned holiday in the summer will take place so I can look forward to another week in Whitby and that is something which will do the spirits a world of good.

* The ongoing marking job will at least mean we can eat and keep a roof over our head in the intervening time.

 

Probably not all bad then, but still not feeling the best right now. 

 

Stay safe, keep sane.

 

Andy

[leopardml2341]

Evenin' folks.

 

Having read many of the intervening posts between my first and last for today, clearly politics and this virus is uppermost in people's minds.

 

I'll keep my two penn'orth short and sweet:

 

INDEPENDENCE FOR YORKSHIRE!

& Compulsory Genetic Testing at all Borders

 

Stocks of yummy comestibles are distinctly low in this immediate part of South Derbyshire; I need cake as comfort food.

 

Mi touchscreen keyboard is not responding well to mi fingers and unnecessary pop up ads covering most of the text entry are really p!ssing me off.

 

Before the tablet goes through the window, I'm outta here- goodnight!

Edited February 22, 2021 by leopardml2341

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, leopardml2341 said:

INDEPENDENCE FOR YORKSHIRE!

 

How are you defining Yorkshire there? 

[leopardml2341]

Just now, Compound2632 said:

 

How are you defining Yorkshire there? 

The Ridings, is there any other way?

[Gwiwer]

33 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Definitely pecky, Rick!

We are blessed with at least one pair of those.  SWMBO has spotted both together; to date I have only managed to see the one she pointed to up a tree and so obscured by branches that if I were a twitcher I could not conscientiously "tick" it.   

 

Idiot-tube watching was interrupted for half an hour by Neighbours (Upstairs) doing something.  It sounded like running on the spot.  What ever it was it caused a crack in our ceiling paintwork large enough for an email to be sent to the agent.  It also disturbed our otherwise fairly peaceful evening.  We chose not to watch the Boris Show.  We can read what we need to elsewhere.  SWMBO and I disagree on a number of points and can usually agree to differ quietly.  

 

And thus ends a frustrating Moan-day.  I hope sleep will restore some sort of peace and quiet to the somewhat befuddled brain.  Rest well, one and all.  

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

The Ridings, is there any other way?

 

Surely Yorkshire is where the Yorkshireperson is? More a state of mind than an entity of political geography.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Compound2632

[Gwiwer]

31 minutes ago, andyram said:

Not a good day today. I know that ER is supposed to be a politics free zone, however the news that emerged in parliament this afternoon has left me angry and frustrated.

Andy - you and me both.  For differing reasons.  I try to keep clear of politics overtly but the man and his methods have irritated me immensely with today being no exception.  It is OK for schools to go back in classes of what?  20, 30? And be together indoors for several hours.  But not - yet - OK for more than two adults to meet outdoors.  Camping sites may open on 12th April but shared facilities not until 21st June.  How do they expect anyone to manage with showers and toilets until then, exactly?  And that's just a couple of things.  Andy - you and all those in your situation have my complete sympathy and support in your frustration.  It isn't right.  Other opinions may be available.  

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Boris's road map will make very little difference to me, I can't see exhibitions and swap meets starting up very quickly (if at all). I was a bit annoyed with an interview on this evenings news. A group of students were complaining that they couldn't go out and enjoy themselves and that they are loosing out. I can't see what they are complaining about as they are in their early twenties and have plenty of time to catch up. A couple of years when you've got your whole life in front of you is not that bad but a couple of years can be a fair chunk out of your retirement. 

[simontaylor484]

I even got an advert earlier on the Night Mail for Brian for Mayor ?

 

I only know he (assuming it's a first name) must be a candidate for Mayor of London. Not something that is going to have a massive impact on me up here in God's country

[leopardml2341]

11 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Surely Yorkshire is where the Yorkshireperson is? More a state of mind than an entity of political geography.

That goes without saying.....  (which is why it didn't occur to me to mention it)

 

 

There’s some corner of a foreign field that is for ever YORKSHIRE.

 

(with apologies to Rupert Brooke)

Edited February 22, 2021 by leopardml2341

[leopardml2341]

Thought for tonight:

 

If you only suspect a man's from Yorkshire, don't embarrass yourself by asking; if he is he'll have already told you

Edited February 22, 2021 by leopardml2341

[pH]

15 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I even got an advert earlier on the Night Mail for Brian for Mayor ?

 

I only know he (assuming it's a first name) must be a candidate for Mayor of London. Not something that is going to have a massive impact on me up here in God's country

Does he not have a Life to live?

[Coombe Barton]

... and about the chicken ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/02/22/theres-a-little-uptick/

[jamie92208]

Meanwhile here in our relatively covid free corner ofva foreign field, life goes on. The fields are turning green again and the new crops are growing, the cranes flew over and the sparrows are nest building.  More importantly the new cognac has been put down to age.  No sign of vaccinations for over 65's due to the P word.  However we have sentv10 pages of paperwork off to try and get our inherited furniture over here.

 

Regsrdsvto all.

 

Jamie

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

Definitely pecky,

I saw a woodpecker on a recent walk. It kept flying to the tree ahead of me as I walked along the sidewalk, but never close enough for me to photograph. (I only had my telephone with me and it has a very wide angle lens.) They are not uncommon.

 

Apparently there are many woodpecker species locally including: the Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, and Acorn Woodpecker, but not the more famous north American, red-headed woodpecker. I'm no ornithologist but it may have been a Red-breasted Sapsucker.

 

Flickers are in regular attendance at the home of friends in Central Oregon.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, New Haven Neil said:

As for the tunnels and roundabout - someone really must have a fantastic sense of humour.

There's a real one in Norway - the Vallavik tunnel. You can see it after 2:20 in the video.

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Busy day here but now feeling a bit deflated.

I was hoping that covid restrictions would be eased this week in order for me to take the wardrobes and other items down to my mums in Newark, however when I looked at the current regulations it is possible to leave home in order to facilitate a house move. So I decided to make the journey south with the said items.I wasn’t particularly happy to do it but I know that if I don’t get things moving I’m going to be overwhelmed later in the year when the business needs moving as well. There’s going to be so much to cope with the black dog is sure to sniff me out.

Anyway the furniture was delivered, assembled and the we said our goodbyes. Mum bought the flat late in 2019 and just about got it habitable when the COVID-19 epidemic first reared its ugly head. She decided she’d be better off in Newark for the duration but like all of us she didn’t expect it to last so long and only took a couple of suitcases worth of belongings with her. Over the summer she popped up and took the odd item back with her but really needed space to store her possessions.  I’ve told her that there’s far too much ‘stuff’ up here and I think that by the looks of it anything left up here now isn’t going to find space in Newark.

Enough of that for now, bit of good news, niece has been accepted on a course at Derby University.

Could say more but don’t want to bore you so I’ll wish you all a good night.

Robert

[sixoh8sixoh]

Evening all from the wilds beyond the wall...

 

Busy day split between IT support for home schooling daughter, attempts to work, bandwidth problems, zoom call for daughter’s 6-monthly hospital appointment, 100 mile round trip taxi service back to her mum’s... 

 

No word yet on whether Scotland will follow suit on the lockdown lifting plans. At the moment the earliest date for all restrictions on contact ending is 21st June (from Boris’s plans). OH and I have wedding date set for 3rd July. Our preference is to delay but the venue (understandably) is keen for us to go ahead if possible. It all looks a bit too close to call just now, but if it does go ahead, we’ll need to speed up the planning as having booked venue, caterer, band and photographer, COVID hit and we didn’t think it was worth booking anything else (including a priest/vicar/registrar/Elvis impersonator to perform the ceremony)... so with 4 and a half months to go, about the same amount of weight to lose in stones and a shed load of planning to do, it’s going to be a rollercoaster!

 

Time for bed as last night was a rather disturbed sleep as I found the house too stuffy. Vents have been opened. 
 

Night all!

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

 The right to picket ones workplace under lockdown is allowed.
 

 

And Bear wonders what bright spark thought that was a good idea?  Hardly essential....

 

3 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

A State of Emergency may have to be declared.

We are out of cake.

 

On the brighter side whilst searching for cake I found an unopened box of chocolates and a box of biscuits for use in transferring cheese from plate to mouth. All is not quite lost, yet.

 

Certainly justification for the broadcast of a Pan Call, which may lead to a full-blown SOS when the choccies expire.  (Presumably plain) bikkies don't count....

 

Bear didn't achieve must kitchen progress today for some reason - just a bit of filling and sanding.  Plenty of planning work though.  Must change up several gears as the floor tiler is due on the 15th. 

Buddy next door offered to take the redundant (and a bit scruffy) leather reclining armchair to the dump - so this was duly loaded up without problem.  He then came up with the idea of offering it to the guys who work in the indoor hand car wash on what was a farm about an 1/8th of a mile away, down a country lane; the car wash is inside a large metal barn so he thought the guys could use it when they are waiting for business.  Off he went, and was back about 5 minutes later - they snapped his hand off.  Bear suspects that said chair may well end up in Poland or similar - I'm all for that, as it keeps it out of landfill and gives someone else some use out of it..  Bear's mum & Bear had 20+ years use, so it's doing ok.

 

Tomorrow must see the end of filling/sanding the coving joints; it'll also see commencement of a small area of ceiling painting - there's a small separate alcove area that is about a metre square that will be a good test for the paint I have, before I'm let loose on the full kitchen ceiling.

 

Kitchen design is 99% finalised now - there is some possibility that door style could be fluid at the moment though; I need to bang in the order by sunday at the latest, otherwise Bear gets hit with a 10% price rise.  I don't need to confirm the delivery date yet though, which means that order (and door style) changes can still be made.  I have some more door samples on the way which should hopefully help with the final decision.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[andyram]

Another check in. Currently sat up with Amber who has woken up feeling unwell. It is only about a week ago that we were here previously. She had a disturbed night so may be just over tiredness. 
 

The mood has been helped with a bottle of ale. I am trying to focus on the positive aspects I listed in the previous post. After all, the business has done fairly well during the previous lockdown and this one to date. The previous week was not great so I hope that it is a blip. 
 

Anyway, onto another positive post. During the past week I have been reviving / restarting a long dead layout project (see Skaleby East layout thread). I have worked out that I have 49 days until Boris suggests I can reopen. Therefore I am going to turn this extended lay off into a challenge and aim to complete the project in that time scale. The countdown starts now!

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Despite spending most of the day ‘sorting out old magazines’ I’ve not actually chucked any out, I got too distracted reading them again. I must knuckle down tomorrow and actually put some in the recycling pile! However, the time wasn’t wasted, as reading them gave me an idea to fill in a corner of the layout, with a smallish engineering plant. A few ideas were scribbled down and later this afternoon a more accurate rough plan was drawn up and it could work. 

 

After tea it was once again time to complete the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, but I called to pick up my meds from the pharmacy first. But what has now become the norm, Sainsbury’s was fairly quite and I was able to get 99% of the items on the list. The missing item is already on the list for next week.