Early Risers.

[TheQ]

There is a Landrover Defender around with an American 5ltr V8 petrol engine with twin turbo chargers fitted.. Tested on an airfield, the flying brick nearly reached 170mph...  and then had to visit the petrol station again..

[Mike Bellamy]

2 hours ago, chrisf said:

 It speaks volumes for life in the Civil Service that I was not always regarded as a good manager.

 I had many appraisals at Lloyds like that - at one audit the inspectors had assessed the risk of the lending I had done - all under £5000 in those days and all personal as larger amounts and business lending went to the managers. Their conclusion in the report said 'Over generous at times and has put the Bank at risk'. I later moved to financial advice instead of lending but although I like to think I was a good financial adviser, I wasn't a salesman. Customers would come and ask for me rather than the others and no one ever cancelled any arrangements I had made. The other staff worked for Black Horse, had a company car, did home visits and were paid commission although I was a salaried member of the bank staff and spent half my time sorting out the mess they had created - 'I only signed to get him out of the house as he'd been there two hours' . . . . . some of them didn't last long.

.

[Andrew P]

Look out Norf, the Rain has hit the Souf and is coming YOUR WAY.

[Gwiwer]

Greetings from the London Borough of Issingdown where “light showers” has become a violent downpour including solids   

 

More later. 
 

 

[PupCam]

54 minutes ago, Barry O said:

@polybear  ....... which is why we moved from Bragbury End

 

 

Ah, Bragbury End,  I remember that.     

 

Could never understand why the Club house was so far away from the place of employment.  Oh, come to think of it, remembering Hatfield, yes I can.

 

Rocket Science Barry O?    The hardest bit was always getting people to make a (the correct) decision ......

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning from a part of the Charente, that us confused. The seaweed twirlers, wherever they are based, say that it's cloudy and raining. Looking out of the window, my Mk 1 eyeballs say that it's blue sky snd sunny. Perhaps I need to go to Barnard Castle.

 

Anyway, much work was done on the shower yesterdsy, and the screen and door are erected and sealed. There are some stays and trim to fit today then it should be ready for use once the final silicon has dried. Then the fun started.  The furniture that Beth is getting from her step mum should be setting off on Monday. The customs agents have now asked for her fsthers death certificate  and a copy of the will.  Two problems, tjese items don't appear in the will and her step mum is now in Bedford and doesn't do email.  Pah is not an adequate word. I am now dealing with Justine in Brest rather than the transport guy in Harrogate. 

 

Today, as well as trying to sort the above there will be wood chopping first thing, then the shower work, and then hopefully some shed time.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

 

Weather forecast here (Languedoc-Roussillon) has likewise been totally unreliable for the last few weeks.

[Gwiwer]

12 hours ago, polybear said:

Why is everything that tastes yummiest bad for you?

Everything interesting is either illegal, immoral or fattening

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright sunshine first thing this morning then it hissed down but now the suns back. At the moment I am just waiting for the first draft of my will and I'll have to compose a couple of 'letter of wishes', one for specific family items and one for my model railway stuff.

9 hours ago, TheQ said:

or even...

Whoever drives that must have forearms like Popeye the sailor, even with power steering.

Edited March 12, 2021 by PhilJ W

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Happy anniversary to NHN Neil and Debs     As for all theese multi-wheeled vehocles has anu ybody thought about the cost of a new set of tyres?

 

When my mother died the solicitor (one employed by the practice) whispered in my ear that it was silly to say them several hundred quid to do what is usually a very straightforward job you can do yourself - so I did.  Very straightforward - as registering the death had been - and I then found the process rather therapeutic and the Probate Office in Oxford were excellent to deal with.  So I did the same again when dad died but first asked mn my uncle - the other named executor if he wished to be involved, he didn't so that was simple matter of paperwrk to release him.  The most awkward bit was registering the death as dad died between Christnas and New Year and the Registrar was basically closed but we found out that she was opening for one half day and booked an appointment so that went well.  The bank were happy just to have an original copy of the Death Certificate and to see the will and the couple of insurance companies involved only wanted an original copy of the certificate - being wise to that I'd had sufficient done when registering.  Again Oxford Probate Office were excellent even with the added situation of having a released executor.  

 

Again it was, I found, very therapeutic as it was all something to occupy my mind and keep me busy but clearing the house was one heck of a task which took several months.  The worst part of the latter was the idiot electricity company who seemed to be unable to sort dates or who lived where.  in the end I rang them (for the umpteenth time) and told them - absolutely truthfully - that if they didn't do the supply cable disconnection within the next 24 hours my demolition contractor would be putting the bucket of a 14 ton excavator through it - that made them arrive post haste - with no key holder there to greet because they didn't give me a time.   BT's (Indian) call centre were even worse despite me going through it with them several times and the works order appeared in the hands of their engineer to tell him that the line had to be recovered before it was disconnected - I told him exactly what was required and he said such incorrect instructions were commonplace.  The call centre idiot also didn't reserve the number but the engineer who installed the new line a couple of years later sorted that on his laptop (quicker than going through the office sir).

 

So overall, especially if there isn't a business involved I would heartily recommend d-i-y Executorship and I found everybody very helpful including officialdom in the shape of the Registrars and, especially, the Probate Office.

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe even though Lockdown rule breakers seem to be getting more common.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

It was raining really heavily but is brightening up now.

Q, the only time we had a refrigerator compressor fail it was this part (cut from Amazon)

 

“Danfoss Genuine Original Compressor Starting Device Relay with 4.8 mm Terminals”

It wasn’t expensive. Perhaps yours has a similar device. The fault revealed when it wouldn’t restart after defrosting. 
 

My Land Rover is more aerodynamic than some of those very fast Defenders. It has a speed limiter (150mph) but I haven’t tested that. It can accelerate and stop quickly which is more useful though. 
 

We will be having risotto for lunch. Aditi thought perhaps I was getting bored with rice with dal. I think now I have finished the antibiotics I could cope with a more varied diet.

 

Tony

 

 

[tigerburnie]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

There is a Landrover Defender around with an American 5ltr V8 petrol engine with twin turbo chargers fitted.. Tested on an airfield, the flying brick nearly reached 170mph...  and then had to visit the petrol station again..

An old pal had an Overfinch with a big V8 under the bonnet, that would do around a 170 too.

htpps://www.overfinch.com

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

There seems to be a lot of wallpapering to do, you’re  not refurbishing Buckingham Palace are you?
 

 

No, it only feels like that....

Some users of the particular paper I'm using have reported very slight shrinkage on drying (it shouldn't be a problem as it is a paste the wall jobbie, not the paper) - which can leave a very slight gap between drops.  So Bear is hanging a drop, then leaving it 24 hours before hanging the adjacent one.  My theory is that any gap (if it happens at all) will then be only half what it would've been.  As it happens, there appears to be no gaps at all

Apart from that, the last time Bear wallpapered was probably 11+ years ago, and numerous areas of the kitchen can best be described as "interesting" when it comes to wallpapering.  I've no plans to do it again, ever, so I'm trying my hardest to get it as "bestest" as I can....

 

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

@polybear  when herself has something set in her head nothing will move it!  She decided after 4  and a bit years of me earning a crust in St Evenage that I need to move to somewhere away from Rocket Science.. so we did .. which is why we moved from Bragbury End to Didcot so that I could be a Nuclear Fusion engineer....

 

 

 

A wise move; so Mrs. O was trying to avoid you getting your bits blown off.  Just fried slowly....

As for Bragbury End Sports & Social Club, that's long gone and houses on top.  Bear recalls that the last night of the Club being open (which I imagine was probably crammed) the manager unfortunately forgot to lock the safe.  There was a burglary, apparently....

 

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Rocket Science Barry O?    The hardest bit was always getting people to make a (the correct) decision ......

 

 

....and in a sensible timeframe.  Hoards of Project Managers sticking their nebby in doesn't help, along with that "need" to generate that "essential" document along with endless other forms and charts.

 

Bear worked in the shipyards in Glasgow for a time; one day we noted that an earth bonding stud which should've been on a bulkhead wasn't.....

Duly reported, we were asked to go for a Tea break and come back in 20 minutes.  There was now an earth stud welded on the bulkhead.  I can think of a certain other company where defect reports, meetings, the input of the safety officer (and Jeez, was he a pain in the ar5e) would've been essential in order to correct the issue.

 

Bear received a text invite from the NHS for the jab this morning, despite not being in the required age group yet - so duly booked at a location 10 miles away and right next to a Toolstation, conveniently .  An hour later another text is received from the GP, inviting me to one of their jab appointments just a couple of miles down the road.  I tried a swap, but the GP system will give a time option but no choice of days - really well thought out, that one.  So I'll have to keep visiting the site until it shows a day I like.  Normally any day is fine, but the Tiler arrives on Tuesday...

[Tony_S]

Having seen the hearse photos I suspect they can move quite rapidly if needed.  The funeral limos can. After Mum’s funeral Aditi and I were with my uncle and we were being taken to the post funeral meal. The driver asked for directions as he didn’t know the area (Birmingham). My uncle informed him “Follow that Porsche”. I said to the driver “I suspect you don’t get that instruction often”. The Porsche was my cousin’s. I had very little contact before my Mum died as Mum liked to control family contacts. I had asked frequently how my cousin was or what she did. Mum said Sharon worked for the cinema and said she thought she was an usherette. I thought that didn’t match up with the car. It turns out she was a manager for a cinema chains training programme. 
Tony

Edited March 12, 2021 by Tony_S

[Andrew P]

Happy anniversary NHN and the Good Lady.

 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where we have had rain showers at the forecast 9 o'clock. It is dry now but still cloudy.

 

Today seems a routine day in the "new routine" - dropped Younger Lurker off at school, no dramas and back here at my desk.

 

Younger Lurker has instructions to seek out lost property. Mrs Lurker has threatened him with lending him a pair of her trainers (same shoe size). They have some pink on them so that may spur him on!

 

Happy Anniversary to Mr and Mrs NHN.

 

[PupCam]

24 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

So overall, especially if there isn't a business involved I would heartily recommend d-i-y Executorship and I found everybody very helpful including officialdom in the shape of the Registrars and, especially, the Probate Office.

 Thanks that is good to know.    Is there a handy, concise and definitive list (I'm sure there must be!) of all of the necessary actions in such cases?   I will have to do this at some point during the next few years because of the relentless march of time ....

[jamie92208]

3 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 Thanks that is good to know.    Is there a handy, concise and definitive list (I'm sure there must be!) of all of the necessary actions in such cases?   I will have to do this at some point during the next few years because of the relentless march of time ....

There used to ge a very good guide published by Which.  I think that the registrars also give you sone sort of checklist.  I presume  thst there are now some online guides. I used online guides to sort out an aunts estate and had no problems.

 

Jamie

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

A bit late on parade this morning, I got out of bed a little later than planned so I ended up rushing and didn’t really have the time earlier! The weather has been a little mixed, dull, cold but dry during my walk to the butchers. My visit to the Trafford Centre was slightly better, it being warmer and very sunny but windier conditions. 

 

Anyway, the butchers has been visited, no pasties for sale today, they were still in the oven, so I had to settle for one of there ‘Gold Medal Winning’ pork pies, ooh, it’s a hard life. Then the Trafford Centre was visited and the required comestibles obtained. All is now packed away and the rest of the day is mine, I’m sure I’ll find something to do. 

 

Neil and Deb’s, happy anniversary to you both, hope there many more. 

 

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

 

Brian

Edited March 12, 2021 by BSW01

[PhilJ W]

Happy anniversery NHM and Debs.

33 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Having seen the hearse photos I suspect they can move quite rapidly if needed.  The funeral limos can. After Mum’s funeral Aditi and I were with my uncle and we were being taken to the post funeral meal. The driver asked for directions as he didn’t know the area (Birmingham). My uncle informed him “Follow that Porsche”. I said to the driver “I suspect you don’t get that instruction often”. The Porsche was my cousin’s. I had very little contact before my Mum died as Mum liked to control family contacts. I had asked frequently how my cousin was or what she did. Mum said Sharon worked for the cinema and Sid she thought she was an usherette. I thought that didn’t match up with the car. It turns out she was a manager for a cinema chains training programme. 
Tony

A former colleague of mine had previously worked for the Co-op funeral service. He was once booked for doing 100mph through Epping Forrest, in a hearse. (Daimler 420G, basically a Jaguar Mk. X.)

[The Stationmaster]

43 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 Thanks that is good to know.    Is there a handy, concise and definitive list (I'm sure there must be!) of all of the necessary actions in such cases?   I will have to do this at some point during the next few years because of the relentless march of time ....

AS Jamie said the Registrars used to give a very helpful list, the Probate Office always said in advance exactly what they needed.   The first thing to get right is the paperwork you need for the Registrar - I expect that nowadays it is listed online but is important to check out as it didn't used to be just the Death Certificate.  - undertakers can also be very helpful with the list of what is needed at that stage.   Only potential problem at that stage is of there isn't a will and you need to trace beneficiaries.

 

The biggest problem is getting yourself a list of where the money and any insurance policies might be and you need to remember that people like banks and life etc insurance companies require an original copy of the Death Certificate - in the past  they would not accept a photocopy.  So you need original copies frm the Registrar and you have to pay additionally for them.  But the hardest bit is checking out all the insurances because you can only rely on whatever paperwork exists in the home of the deceased or wherever they stored it.  The same goes for property deeds and share or saving certificates.  this area is, alas, where solicitors, can make a lot of money, taking their time and making searches - and then their bill runs well into four figures.

 

The other thing you need to watch is when it comes to house clearance.  It is not a pleasant task - probably too many memories - but someone will no doubt do it for you for a small fee, and make a discovery that could be worth a lot of money.  A decent auctioneer (there are some) will give a fair valuation on things you might think are worth money and also hopefully  pick up gems which you didn't notice - I know of something which an auctioneer found that way when he was looking at largely worthless stuff and it was a small piece of china which sold for thousands but had been bought new for no more than £ or two.  Even if you think the deceased had nothing of value you can be surprised and you need to be careful.  After dad had died I recovered something from under a bed and covered in dust and that resulted in several auction lots bring in a three figure sum.

 

There is also the form for HMRC g for Inheritance Tax - ever longer it seems but if you have any queries I found their help line extremely helpful.  And  be honest, they do sometimes do back checks and in any case if you under estimate values you can always update subsequently.    And if there is property involved get a professional valuation

Edited March 12, 2021 by The Stationmaster

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

That even works in France, much to the relief of our friend whose husband died over here. However the meeting with the manager lasted about an hour and about 19 sheets ofbpaper to fill in.

That's quite common.  In the book of The Horse Whisperer, Robert Redfords Character dies, trampled by a horse. He doesn't die in the film.

That has happened  to me in the UK when I've been involved with estates.  The banks were always very helpful, building societies as well.

 

Jamie

In France I believe they n have refined their civil service and have a college/university to which they can become a professional civil servant. So they have professional time wasters. It is my understanding that most of the secretariat for the EU originates from their, which probably explains a lot about the EU attitude to us mere plebs.

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning from a part of the Charente, that us confused. The seaweed twirlers, wherever they are based, say that it's cloudy and raining. Looking out of the window, my Mk 1 eyeballs say that it's blue sky snd sunny. Perhaps I need to go to Barnard Castle.

 

Anyway, much work was done on the shower yesterdsy, and the screen and door are erected and sealed. There are some stays and trim to fit today then it should be ready for use once the final silicon has dried. Then the fun started.  The furniture that Beth is getting from her step mum should be setting off on Monday. The customs agents have now asked for her fsthers death certificate  and a copy of the will.  Two problems, tjese items don't appear in the will and her step mum is now in Bedford and doesn't do email.  Pah is not an adequate word. I am now dealing with Justine in Brest rather than the transport guy in Harrogate. 

 

Today, as well as trying to sort the above there will be wood chopping first thing, then the shower work, and then hopefully some shed time.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

You might want to reverse that as you will probably need a good way to work of the frustration and hacking chunks out of a piece of wood sounds just about right for that.

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Good morning world, from a rock once more cut off.

 

two crew of the ferry have been contacted by track and trace (our own version, which works quite well) so they have suspended the days sailings to deep clean the Ben, and test other crew.  The freight vessel Arrow has been awoken to keep us in food for tomorrow, but in the meantime the most awful occurrence....no newspapers! The average Manxman dislikes the UK and anything to do with it, but devours newspapers with religious fervour.  Never understood this!

 

37th 'Weeding' Anniversary today, surprised she has put up with me for so long, we did have a 2 year trial before tying the knot too.  

Still work to be done then after thirty seven years. Your other half is definitely determined.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

There used to ge a very good guide published by Which.  I think that the registrars also give you sone sort of checklist.  I presume  thst there are now some online guides. I used online guides to sort out an aunts estate and had no problems.

 

Jamie

There is a service called “Tell us Once” available in some areas that deals with many of the official contact requirements. I couldn’t use it when Matthew died as he passed away in Ireland. In Ireland the funeral director seems to do everything related to documentation. The Irish banks were helpful and considerate. UK financial organisations were good too. However I don’t think we will ever sort out anything from the Netherlands. 
Tony

[laurenceb]

Happy anniversary Debs & Neil