Early Risers.

[simontaylor484]

There is only a Mayor to vote for in my ward. The police commissioner has been combined with that role.

I see french fisherpeople have vowed to recreate the battle of Trafalgar around Jersey..mm bit of an inopportune choice of battle me thinks

[Ozexpatriate]

7 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

seven weeks today is Midsummer's Day.

I always thought it anomalous that the first day of astronomical summer is called "midsummer". It's not quite even a third of the way into meteorological summer.

 

The linguistic etymology is obvious and clearly steeped in time but why it's applied to the quarter day (rather than the next cross-quarter day - Lammas / Lughnasadh) still confounds me.

 

While he solstice is definitively the mid-point between the equinoxes, it's not consistently the middle of the "light half of the year"* (often described as starting at Beltane/May Day and ending at Samhain/Halloween).

 

* I do see references to the light half being the equinoxes, (Ostara to Mabon). There are even some that determine the 'light half' as the waxing sunlight, meaning the summer solstice is the end of the light half. It would be interesting to understand what was traditional as opposed to multiple contemporary pagan/Wiccan interpretations. I don't pretend to any expertise here.

 

In some ways it's a bit like a "quarter moon**" being a "half moon" in appearance.

 

** First quarter and third quarter.

[leopardml2341]

Goodnight folks.

 

Though I'm not off to mi bed yet, it's just convenient to say it now

[Coombe Barton]

... other calculations are available ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/05/06/changing-environment-for-business/

[Ozexpatriate]

What a difference a day makes.

 

Yesterday was summerlike at around 28°C even with high hazy cloud. After a relatively nice start, today's forecast rain has arrived. It is so far a very light gentle rain and the cold front has brought temperatures around 17°C - a noticeable change.

[Coombe Barton]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I always thought it anomalous that the first day of astronomical summer is called "midsummer". It's not quite even a third of the way into meteorological summer.

 

The first day of astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere s the longest day, 20-22 June, not Midsummer's day. Meterological summer is the months of June, July and August.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Just had a very interesting Zoom talk on Railway Disasters. The talk was by Alan Clark a retired BTP Chief Inspector. Its possible that several here on ER's know him or know of him as he was Assistant Chief Investigating Officer at several notorious train crashes such as Ladbrook Grove. A very interesting evening and a good insight about what happens after a rail crash.

[Barry O]

Goodnight all!

Baz

[andyram]

Good evening all. I hope today finds you well. Thanks to @leopardml2341 for the good wishes and for noticing my absence. Nothing sinister at all, in fact a very positive reason on this occasion. Since I returned to the shop last month I have not stopped. Things have been very busy.  The first week back smashed all kinds of records, becoming my best week’s trading ever and the following weeks have been of similar levels, helped by some people looking to replace cancelled pre-orders from other establishments. It has been hectic but thoroughly enjoyable. I hope things continue in a similar vein and finally p help to vindicate the decision / risk I took almost three years ago. 
 

 I have been lurking on some occasions although only briefly and note things are not good for Gordon. I hope things improve.

 

My best wishes to you all. I will try and check in as regularly as possible.

[Andrew P]

2 minutes ago, andyram said:

Good evening all. I hope today finds you well. Thanks to @leopardml2341 for the good wishes and for noticing my absence. Nothing sinister at all, in fact a very positive reason on this occasion. Since I returned to the shop last month I have not stopped. Things have been very busy.  The first week back smashed all kinds of records, becoming my best week’s trading ever and the following weeks have been of similar levels, helped by some people looking to replace cancelled pre-orders from other establishments. It has been hectic but thoroughly enjoyable. I hope things continue in a similar vein and finally p help to vindicate the decision / risk I took almost three years ago. 
 

 I have been lurking on some occasions although only briefly and note things are not good for Gordon. I hope things improve.

 

My best wishes to you all. I will try and check in as regularly as possible.

Good to see you popping in Andy, and great news about the shop.

 

BTW I will be putting another Video on Seven Mills in the morning, or even very early morning, as I will be staying up to watch the Election programs after midnight.

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[andyram]

7 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Good to see you popping in Andy, and great news about the shop.

 

BTW I will be putting another Video on Seven Mills in the morning, or even very early morning, as I will be staying up to watch the Election programs after midnight.

Great news. I am still playing catch up with the videos. May just watch one tonight before bed.

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

Oh you haven't!

 

Oh yes Bear has....

Does this matter?

 

 

.....and just when things were going so well.....

A morning of marking hole positions and drilling, interrupted by din dins and delivery of the new dishwasher.  Then the last few holes to drill.  The first unplanned incident was when the 4mm pilot drill decided to snap in one of the holes - with nothing to get hold of to pull it out again .  No problem - the cabinet wall bracket has plenty of room to drill a new hole in another position, so drill the wall a little to the right to suit.  Fixed.

Then onto the next hole.......

Sh1t - why have all the electrics gone off, and why has the kitchen ring main circuit breaker tripped?  Turdycurses (numerous other words were said).  A small spark in the hole was a clue...

That was at about 2pm.

So upstairs to access the cable - it went something like this (all in the model railway room ):

1. Empty a base unit cupboard (Ikea kitchen cabinets range), and remove several drawers from the cabinet next to it. 

2. Unscrew cabinets from the wall and from each other.  Remove the plinths.  Shift the cupboards (not easy as they're bl00dy heavy and the room is already rammed with kitchen bits).

3. Remove the skirting (fortunately Bear likes to secure skirting with screws and screw cups)

4. Lift a section of laminate floor (not easy), then a section of floorboard (even less easy).

5. Pull the wiring up thru' the trunking (two cables).  Into the loft to discover I've only got one 30A junction box in my goodies box.

6. Down to Travis Perkins (fortunately only about five minutes away) to buy junction boxes.

7. Feed two new cables down the trunking (one cable was probably fine - minor scorch mark only - but I decided to do both for safety) - if you've never tried feeding cable down a wall then you've missed some real fun....

8. Wire up into the junction boxes.

9. Repeat steps 1 - 4 in reverse, then clean up.

 

I finished at 9pm.....

I would be a lot happier than I am if I'd not managed to tip over the smaller cabinet in the process - which fell at an angle against the (lovingly prepared and painted) door to the railway room , putting several dents into the surface in the process .

The new(ish) neighbours DEFINITELY learned some new words when that happened, believe me.

 

On the bright side, the situation has been recovered with a lot less trouble than it could've been, and kitchen work can recommence tomorrow.

 

In Bear's defence,  the numpty (other words are available - and have been used) electrician who re-wired the house obviously has no idea whatsoever about vertical cable runs - and since the wall has previously been covered in Expamet Mesh (not by Bear) prior to plastering it stops cable detectors from working.

 

8 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Distinctly better than the slice I had the other day.

 

However, it's (still) not my favourite cake.

 

 

That's a relief - less competition....

Edited May 6, 2021 by polybear

[simontaylor484]

Just caught up with ep3 of the buildings that fought Hitler. Yet another good episode Stop lines mainly concentrated on the Taunton and GHQ stoplines. Very interesting and a little bit of railway content.

 

Nice to see andyram back in the fold. Good news about tge shop Andy hope it continues 

[PupCam]

13 minutes ago, polybear said:

Does this matter?

Oh Buffer!     I have to admire the accuracy with which you (very nearly) hit the centre of the cable though .....

 

Glad you've recovered the situation swiftly(ish) and without too much collateral.

 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[JohnDMJ]

4 hours ago, pH said:

In general, before you reach a specialist, you have been assessed by a generalist i.e. your family doctor. He/she will have made a judgement as to where the problem lies and referred you to the appropriate specialist. If that specialist does not think that the problem does involve his area of detailed knowledge, you will be referred back to your family doctor for re-evaluation (perhaps with a suggestion from the specialist of another area to investigate.)

 

Agreed but to date, the specialists have probed and prodded locally (and are about so to do again!) based on the consideration of the 'Generalist Practitioner'!

 

True, the symptoms are local, but the cause has yet, after about 6 years of investigation, has yet to be resolved!

 

My own "diagnosis" (and I respect ID's comments!) is that a build-up of gaseous pressure, coupled with a dry throat (long term, not C19ish!) are major contributing factors. This has been conveyed to the GP.

 

The GP has referred me to ENT for a separate issue relating to a nasal problem and a recent referral to an ophthalmologist during which I mentioned said ENT investigation will result in a   review after this visit. (I have a blockage in one nostril; the adjacent eye waters almost continuously as the ophthalmologist has confirmed that that tear duct is blocked!)

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

The first day of astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere s the longest day, 20-22 June, not Midsummer's day.

So stipulated. But June 24 is hardly the "middle of summer" either, which is the point I had attempted to make and I don't really understand how the name stuck.

 

In Sweden, where this day has great cultural significance, Midsommar will fall on Saturday June 26 this year.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[Pacific231G]

A day of too much screen time today . Hours of text ediitng followed by two Zoom meetings.

I'm taking a break from that tomorrow.

The last of the billioaire's cheesecake was consumed after dinner. The Millionaire's Cake has about three small helpings left. So far it hasn't lost any flavour.

 

Good night all

Edited May 6, 2021 by Pacific231G

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

This morning’s sunshine didn’t last long, it started to chuckinitdarn just after 11 o’clock, it’s been on and off all day, in fact it’s still chuckinitdarn at the moment. Not that it mattered though, as I was in the cellar this morning completing the alterations required to add the spur to the ring main. 

 

Late last night it suddenly occurred to me that whenever I log into my email account on the computer downstairs in the office, all the notes that are on the iPad, show up on my email account. So after I’d finished the wiring alterations and connected up the new spur and packed away all my tools etc. I switched on the computer and logged into my email account, with fingers crossed and hoping that the ‘NOTES’ would be there. Lo and behold, there they were, all 23 of them   At that point I had a huge smile on my face and almost punched a hole in the ceiling! So I opened up the word document folder and copied each ‘NOTE’ into a new word document and saved them all, yippee  

 

The only downside was that none of them had any sort of punctuation. So I spent the afternoon going through each document and adding/correcting the missing punctuation. Some were easier than others as they were only lists. But there were 3 that are building notes for some loco kits, which took a little longer to do. But at least I hadn’t lost them completely.

 

This evening, it was acting up again, I’d ‘LOST’ all my email folders, only having an inbox, which was empty. So I repeated what I’d done last night and got them all back. However, I still can’t get my NOTES to appear on the iPad, so my plan is to email each NOTE to myself, and then copy and paste the text, then create a NEW note. It’s all a bit long winded, but it’ll work. 

 

PS. Nice to see Andy popping in and glad to read the shop is doing well, I hope the trend continues. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

... so my plan is to email each NOTE to myself, and then copy and paste the text, then create a NEW note. It’s all a bit long winded, but it’ll work. 

Sounds tedious. At least you have the satisfaction of not losing your data altogether.

 

Many years ago I lost all my data when a disk on my workstation at work failed. While I was huffing, puffing and complaining about it, my manager (after establishing that I did not have a backup) suggested (facetiously and with humourous intent) "Jesus saves, so should you". It did stop my complaining, but my backup discipline remains lax.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[Two_sugars]

I voted today . . . . .I don't know these people, or, what they stand for . . . they don't knock on doors anymore.

Then I went down to Hartlepuddle . . . Someone with a clipboard asked me who I'd voted for . . . 

 

I said it was none of his business . . . . 

Pleasant but cold morning. . . Sleety afternoon,

 

Goodnight all . . .Sleppwell.

 

John

 

[Andrew P]

Morning all, I normally stay up all night to watch Election programs, but last night I gave in at 02.30, but back up at 5am and now waiting for the Hartlepool By Election result.

 

I'll re shut the eyes again later.

 

Have a good day one and all, stay safe and keep well.