Early Risers.

[BSW01]

2 hours ago, PupCam said:

I have to say, this made me chuckle !

 

 

I'm at a bit of a Crossroads about this one. 

But I'm So Glad I'm not in the White Room drinking a Strange Brew. I'd rather be drinking Sweet Wine with Brave Ulyses. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by BSW01

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Right Fred said. The docket says we have to raise the carpark by 6 3/4 inches  to stop it flooding so that's what we'll do. Young apprentice looks at the car park then at road then back at the carpark. But Gaffer won't the road flood then. Gaffer looks at the young lad in his brand new high visibility vest and the old pair of rigger boots that the Gaffer had given him this morning and says with a sigh - if the docket says the car park got to be raised to stop it flooding then that's what we do. None of our concern if that means the road will flood. Its early days for you young lad. Leave the thinking to them that's paid to it. The apprentice looks at Fred and makes a note of these wise words on his pad that he'd been given this very morning along with his new boots. When he grows up he wants to be just like Fred.

 

Secretly Fred also knows that before long they'll be called back to raise the road, or improve the road drainage in order to correct A.R.Soles c*ckup.  And being self-employed Fred knows that makes the job a good 'un..... and also stops him from mentioning the error at the outset.....

 

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

It's a very long while since I did my broadcast interview training but it was made very clear to me that a key part of being interviewed - assuming it was unavoidable (see below) - was the various techniques you could deploy to avoid answering the questions the interviewer put to you.  in other words how to bury bad news while ostensibly being prepared to come on air and be interviewed about it. 

 

Ah yes.....

 

"Ok Boris, so how much did that 'orrible Wallpaper actually cost?"

Boris:  "It's not so much what it cost that's important, but the benefits gained from it - namely stoppin' Carrie from bendin' my lug'ole mornin', noon and night....that's priceless in itself....

 

In other news:

Bear just got interrupted from opening parcels by a phone call from buddy across the road - he had three 6ft fence panels delivered this morning and wanted a lift with them to a safer place (i.e. out of the wind).  Soon done.  Then Bear made the mistake of offering to single-pawdly shift the concrete gravel board also delivered (buddy was hit by a motorbike who jumped the lights in Paris some years ago, leaving buddy with an arm that is pretty well sh*gged).  Only Bear forgot just how long buddy's garden is - and of course he wanted it right at the bottom.  I'll pay for that one....

Tea break in progress, followed by the opening of the last four parcels.....

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just back from visiting the emporium(s) of unmentionables (here on ER's, not those sort of unmentionables). Two emporiums (emporia?) in fact, first at Battlesbridge and then on to a well known one at Chelmsford. I purchased a few items at both establishments which were both surprisingly busy for a Monday until I remembered what Andy Ram was saying about business picking up. Nipped into Tess Coes for bread and milk but when I got home I realised that I should have got some eggs, just as well I have enough for tomorrows breakfast. Now off to play with my new toys.

[southern42]

12 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Just to note that tomorrow (May 10) is our 47th anniversary. We will probably go to the next city to see some swans. We are still unceratain whether it is safe to have take-out food.

 

Polly: I couldn't see the first video in your post. It may be restricted zoning.

 

Happy Anniversary David.

 

11 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Yes. That was the case for me too.

 

You could try this, the theme as used at the beginning and end of the TV programme, John Judge Deed - big, bold, and brassy.  Hopefully it you will have rights to it.

 

 

Or this, which the orchestral version is similar and which begins with a slow section. The sheet music is in USD, so you may be able to access the score and the video of one of Wiseman's piano versions @ https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/HL-216479.html 

Click on the Tab 'Video' - next to the 'Info' tab - below the music score.

 

All the best

Polly

 

[Ian Abel]

Moaning...

 

Rather busy weekend, leaving little time for posting or hobbies(again!!)

 

Saturday up fairly early to head to cabin. Primary purpose to check out the Mrs row boat at the marina and discuss work to be done on it.

On the way up, marina guy calls and says he'd forgotten he had to attend a baby shower and would contact us later - who forgets their OWN baby shower?!?! I expect he was in the dog-house  we decided it's easiest to re-schedule later this week or next.

Met with all the family to open the cabin, including cleaning top-to-bottom, getting water working - pump installation after the winter can often be fraught with plumbing issues, happily this year we had none!

Since Jemma and Brendan were down from Grand Forks (3+hr drive) they decided to stay overnight with us at the cabin. Trevor and Meagan returned home.

SOMEHOW, we managed to play various games and snack and drink until 0030!! Not been up that late in ages.  didn't help that we needed to get going early Sunday.

 

Sunday drive home, shop/gather various "items" and proceed to Trevor and Meagans for a Mothers Day brunch <phew>...

On returning home from the brunch, invited to a neighborhood happy-hour gathering. Exceedingly fun lasted until 8:30pm, however I MAY be too old for this kind of revelry...

 

Slow to rise this morning, creaky bones and could do with another couple of hours nap I think.

 

4 and sunny first thing, 12 the high for the day predicted.

 

Hope the week starts well for everyone <yawn>

Edited May 10, 2021 by Ian Abel

[jonny777]

5 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Right Fred said. The docket says we have to raise the carpark by 6 3/4 inches  to stop it flooding so that's what we'll do. Young apprentice looks at the car park then at road then back at the carpark. But Gaffer won't the road flood then. Gaffer looks at the young lad in his brand new high visibility vest and the old pair of rigger boots that the Gaffer had given him this morning and says with a sigh - if the docket says the car park got to be raised to stop it flooding then that's what we do. None of our concern if that means the road will flood. Its early days for you young lad. Leave the thinking to them that's paid to it. The apprentice looks at Fred and makes a note of these wise words on his pad that he'd been given this very morning along with his new boots. When he grows up he wants to be just like Fred.

 

This reminds me of a house I used to own, many decades ago. The house was almost detached, but the garages were linked (probably saved a bit of space and a few hundred bricks). The house was at the bottom of a slight hill, nothing too steep but it meant that after heavy rain water seemed to collect in one corner of the garden for a day or so. 

 

I suspect the builders skimped on the drainage, but it didn't worry me too much as this was at the back of the garage which was set back (inwards if that makes sense) from the rear of the house, but flush with the front. 

 

My neighbour, who was a bit of a weird person, decided after a few year that he was going to extend his kitchen behind his garage - not by that much, but in terms of the kitchen it made sense. This meant I would have a wall for a few feet back from my garage, but I wasn't concerned as we only used the space behind ours to store much loved items which might come in useful sometime junk. 

 

Anyway, unknown to me he thought it would be a wonderful idea to have a patio behind the extension, but his idea was to sink the patio by about a foot (or maybe he just didn't have a clue what he was doing). 

 

The rest of the boundary was fencing. Lo and behold, the next heavy rain we had, and the water came steadily down into my garden as was usual, but then found a slightly lower level by creeping under the fence. Result? He woke up next morning to a patio looking much more like a very expensive paddling pool. 

 

Of course, he came round in a rage trying to suggest I had sabotaged his extension. I tried to explain the logic of his patio now being the lowest point on the whole street but he did not take it well. 

 

 

 

 

[Barry O]

18 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

 

This reminds me of a house I used to own, many decades ago. The house was almost detached, but the garages were linked (probably saved a bit of space and a few hundred bricks). The house was at the bottom of a slight hill, nothing too steep but it meant that after heavy rain water seemed to collect in one corner of the garden for a day or so. 

 

I suspect the builders skimped on the drainage, but it didn't worry me too much as this was at the back of the garage which was set back (inwards if that makes sense) from the rear of the house, but flush with the front. 

 

My neighbour, who was a bit of a weird person, decided after a few year that he was going to extend his kitchen behind his garage - not by that much, but in terms of the kitchen it made sense. This meant I would have a wall for a few feet back from my garage, but I wasn't concerned as we only used the space behind ours to store much loved items which might come in useful sometime junk. 

 

Anyway, unknown to me he thought it would be a wonderful idea to have a patio behind the extension, but his idea was to sink the patio by about a foot (or maybe he just didn't have a clue what he was doing). 

 

The rest of the boundary was fencing. Lo and behold, the next heavy rain we had, and the water came steadily down into my garden as was usual, but then found a slightly lower level by creeping under the fence. Result? He woke up next morning to a patio looking much more like a very expensive paddling pool. 

 

Of course, he came round in a rage trying to suggest I had sabotaged his extension. I tried to explain the logic of his patio now being the lowest point on the whole street but he did not take it well. 

 

 

 

 

so he is the bathroom fitter who now lives next door to me.....

 

Baz

[southern42]

What was I saying about stormy weather and power outages?

Guess what? Power cut til 9pm & pie in the oven - hopefully done!?!?!?!?!

[Andrew P]

Almost missed it, HAPPY ANNAVERSARY David, @BR60103

[southern42]

24 minutes ago, southern42 said:

What was I saying about stormy weather and power outages?

Guess what? Power cut til 9pm & pie in the oven - hopefully done!?!?!?!?!

 Chicken pie was done! just needed to put the frying pan on the portable gas stove to do the Garfields (fried pre-cooked halved potatoes in their skins). Salad was already on the plates.  Ray got our ex-sailing copper bottom kettle on the go now for mugadecaf. 
 

outage - No influence on my iPhone. 

[leopardml2341]

Hello folks,

 

Been outside almost all day, with 12" to the foot things that run on parallel metal strips and I've been soaked through more ties than I would've liked. Thumping headache, meds needed and an early night methinks, but what to have to eat first?

 

If I don't check back later, all the best everyone

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Despite the rain today the pollen has set off my hay fever. I strongly suspect that it is ash tree pollen. At least it should only last another week or so. Happy anniversary Dave before I forget. Now to catch up on RMweb, be back later.

[Gwiwer]

Evening all,

 

The week began warm!  Not amazingly, swimmingly, shorts-wearingly warm but 8C and therefore 8 degrees warmer than most mornings have been at 5am this year so far.  The anorak was left on its peg in the mess room in favour of the gilet which proved to be a line-ball decision.  I was posted to a windy and somewhat chilly location!  Relief was at hand however as for more than half of the shift I was indoors trudging funereally through the mandatory "Equality and Disability" course.  Funereally because it should have taken a half-hour.  It actually took two and a half.  My two colleagues-in-training respectively (1) argued every single point and claimed most were wrong followed by a string of spurious reasons and (2) read ..... aloud .... and ..... very ..... slowly ..... each ..... and ..... every ..... word ...... on ..... the ..... screen, possibly as a learning technique, before then taking a "screen shot" by dint of capturing the image from the computer screen using their phone camera.  Then sitting there waiting for something to happen instead of pressing the "Next" button.    The course itself was a worthy reminder of our obligations.  The fact that it effectively wasted two hours of my time was entirely down to the others and their "learning methods".  Of course I had just been reminded that I should not discriminate but ....... yawwwwnnnnnnn.   

 

Dr. SWMBO has continued hard at it having worked through the weekend and today was at the computer from 7am until 9pm with barely 20 minutes break for lunch and again for dinner.  She is taking Friday off in Looe now that self-contained overnight stays are allowed  lieu which will claw back fewer than half of the hours she has put in.  She is also booked to give a radio interview for the BBC on Wednesday though was somewhat reluctant to discuss the details with me.  She isn't keen on such things though does a superb job of them.  We both interview well and can both present professionally if required.  I may learn more in the next few days.  

 

Message received from Former Neighbour (Upstairs) offering her apologies for being MIA of late; she hadn't replied to a message of a week ago but sometimes prefers her own company so I wasn't concerned.  She has had "A nasty virus" but hastily qualified that by saying it was "Not THAT nasty virus" but tonsillitis.  She is on the mend and we are among the first people on each other's "hug list" for a week from now.  I, for my sins, have been sneezing and drying my eyes all day.  With the sudden onset of Spring (at last) every pollen spore in London has suddenly popped out to trouble my system.  It's going to be a bad hay fever season but may be a short one if everything also ends at the same time.  Fingers crossed.  Loratidine and camomile applied.  Beconase is not effective here.  

 

Time for bed.  At least lying down stops the sneezing and any residual goop runs back inside rather than out.  Stay well.  

[PhilJ W]

Rick its probably tree pollen, mainly ash trees. I went out in the car today which is fitted with pollen filters which are very effective, as long as you keep the windows shut. Wearing a mask does little to alleviate the hay fever it seems.

[polybear]

Well it took Bear ALL DAY to check thru' the unopened kitchen bits - open, examine, wrap (or put somewhere safe until needed); some bits were found to be marked (nothing serious - but flagged up as damaged) and a few hardware items were missing.  At least that job's done at last

 

In other news:

Bear gets emails from the local "OWL" (Neighbourhood Watch) Group - this was received this evening, which may be worth bearing in mind:

New Scam relating to Virgin Media

Dear Watch Member,

There appears to be a Virgin Media scam that seems to be trending.

Recent victims have all said the same, they have reported a fault to Virgin Media and then received a call from someone purporting to be from Virgin in relation to the reported fault.

This is extremely worrying because the victims believe they are talking to the genuine company.  One victim reported a fault to Virgin Media on the Friday and was advised she would receive a call on Monday. The victim did indeed receive a call on the Monday, but sadly it was from the scammer, and lost a considerable amount of money. The scammer is either asking for remote control access to the victim’s computer or asking for bank details.

We have received several reports, including one today. We have liaised with Virgin Media about this.

Service Providers would never ask for bank details in such circumstances, and certainly not require access to customer computers/devices.

If you need to report a Fraud, please go to www.actionfraud.police.uk  

 

Also, there is a petition to stop the closure of Wells Next The Sea Railway:

https://www.change.org/p/holkham-estate-to-stop-the-closure-of-wells-next-the-sea-railway

 

Tomorrow should see continued progress on the kitchen - next up is modifying the sink base unit; I never did get around to contacting the gas man regarding capping off the gas pipe, so I'd better do that too.

 

Just been watching "The Yorkshire Auction House" - a very nice collection of Aeronautical memorabilia, Ltd. Ed. Prints, models, lead soldiers etc. went for the best side of £6K.  Personally this Bear much preferred the look of the house with the collection intact though, rather than the empty rooms once the collection had been cleared.  Sadly the owner had passed away though....

[Coombe Barton]

... and some new toys ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/next-relaxation-confirmed/

[simontaylor484]

22 minutes ago, polybear said:

Well it took Bear ALL DAY to check thru' the unopened kitchen bits - open, examine, wrap (or put somewhere safe until needed); some bits were found to be marked (nothing serious - but flagged up as damaged) and a few hardware items were missing.  At least that job's done at last

 

In other news:

Bear gets emails from the local "OWL" (Neighbourhood Watch) Group - this was received this evening, which may be worth bearing in mind:

New Scam relating to Virgin Media

Dear Watch Member,

There appears to be a Virgin Media scam that seems to be trending.

Recent victims have all said the same, they have reported a fault to Virgin Media and then received a call from someone purporting to be from Virgin in relation to the reported fault.

This is extremely worrying because the victims believe they are talking to the genuine company.  One victim reported a fault to Virgin Media on the Friday and was advised she would receive a call on Monday. The victim did indeed receive a call on the Monday, but sadly it was from the scammer, and lost a considerable amount of money. The scammer is either asking for remote control access to the victim’s computer or asking for bank details.

We have received several reports, including one today. We have liaised with Virgin Media about this.

Service Providers would never ask for bank details in such circumstances, and certainly not require access to customer computers/devices.

If you need to report a Fraud, please go to www.actionfraud.police.uk  

 

Also, there is a petition to stop the closure of Wells Next The Sea Railway:

https://www.change.org/p/holkham-estate-to-stop-the-closure-of-wells-next-the-sea-railway

 

Tomorrow should see continued progress on the kitchen - next up is modifying the sink base unit; I never did get around to contacting the gas man regarding capping off the gas pipe, so I'd better do that too.

 

Just been watching "The Yorkshire Auction House" - a very nice collection of Aeronautical memorabilia, Ltd. Ed. Prints, models, lead soldiers etc. went for the best side of £6K.  Personally this Bear much preferred the look of the house with the collection intact though, rather than the empty rooms once the collection had been cleared.  Sadly the owner had passed away though....

I saw an older episode last week the guy had been a Ferrarri F1 can be had a lift full of memorabilia including some scale models he built himself . It was sad when the loft was emptied but the Daughter was 15 grand better off. She kept a couple of bits but everything sold

[Barry O]

KISS to me has always been..

 

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

And boy, we could do with a lot of that at the moment!

Baz

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[monkeysarefun]

 

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Goodnight all.

As those of you in the northern hemisphere lay down your weary heads, down here on the other side of the world the new day has just begun and the koala gang for one, are keen to see what the new day may bring.

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[BSW01]

 Good evening everyone 

 

Well I’ve not done a great deal really today, mainly just small jobs, like making sure there are no more nails left in the walls and ceiling of the cellar. Clearing any loose bits of plaster debris that may impeded the fitting of the plasterboard etc. Speaking of which, I have a few bits of plasterboard offcuts that are big enough for the area around the cellar window. So I made a start measuring and cutting them, hopefully I’ll start fitting them tomorrow. 

 

I also finished the NOTES and they are now all back on the iPad where they belong. I did a couple of trips to the shed and workshop this morning, luckily I’d just got back to the cellar when the rain came down.  Since then it’s been sun, rain,sun, rain, all day, with a bit of wind thrown in for good measure.

 

Once I’d finished and I’d got changed, I finished making the fruit tea loaf that I’d left soaking overnight. The kitchen smelt lovely for the rest of the afternoon. 

 

This evening, being a Monday, I completed the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix. It wasn’t too busy and most people were wearing masks properly, but not everyone, I don’t know what is so difficult. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Pacific231G]

Good night all