Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

fell asleep early, woke 01;30 pain in hip..

Lying on my glasses, amazingly they survived. 

Not slept since, but trying for more.

[BR60103]

We have a funeral service for an English friend to watch tomorrow morning -- if we can get up, get it going, and co-ordinate the times.  Alec Holloway of Hanworth was a railway modeller. His wife is a pen friend of my wife.

 

We were up to 32 degrees and humid today. Also an air quality warning.

 

We can now make appointments for our second Covid shots; first ones were in March.

 

I've just read 3 books that bear on matters discussed above.

How to Lose a War.

How to Lose a Battle.

Dancing into Battle.

 

[iL Dottore]

Good morning all,

 

Up very, very early as I had chest pain again (but now I know what it isn’t I just sort of grin and bear it).

I found Mike’s post very informative, this is the sort of thing that makes ER such a pleasure to dip into; apart from the usual stirring tales of expeditions to tess-coe land or adventures in plug replacement, there is also a lot of informed erudition and plenty of (frequently) black humour (are you allowed to say “black humour” anymore in the UK?).

 

One thing is very clear from Mike’s post is that the history that gets taught in schools (at least as I remember it) and generally understood by the public is a very sanitised and simplified version of the past. Returning to World War I for a moment, I recently read that the idea that the BEF were “Lions led by donkeys“ is something that didn’t surface until after the war. During the war, the general mood seemed to have been that the war was something that Britain had to do and you just got on with it....

 

Returning to ER and the various posts by various members, I note that there tends to be a tendency towards a “hang ‘em and flog ‘em“ approach to dealing with miscreants. Given the average age of ER posters (as at least as referred to in numerous posts), I suspect this robust approach to maintaining societal discipline reflects many years of experience in the real world as opposed to the various ER members being just one step away from donning the brown shirt.

 

And whilst on the topic of the real world, I am wondering how much of the fact that so many in local and national government in the UK have never really had a proper job in the real world has impacted on the country (c’mon, do you think an Oxbridge degree in PPE followed by one or two years working as a SPAD is a proper job in the real world?). Perhaps there is something to be said for the idea that no one would be permitted to run for, or hold, a public office without having spent at least 10 years as a salaried employee in a position that was not a safe sinecure.

 

Well, enough Monday morning dribbling from my part. I am off to walk the dogs (very early) and then I will take the car in for a service.

 

Have a great start to the week.

 

iD

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I’m afraid that yesterday was another off day.  It started well when I mowed the lawn, but I could not face wielding trowel, hoe and fork to remove the proliferation of weeds elsewhere in the jungle.  Quite by accident I noticed two large ripe strawberries growing in the hanging basket.  So far there are none on the surviving plants in the south-facing bed, but on past form it is a bit early.  Lunch was delicious and swift to prepare but late.  Rather ominously, there were signs of a bout of depression in the afternoon.  I’ve been a loner for at least as long as I have known what one is.  Although by and large I am content with my own company, there are times when I would rather not be stuck with it.

 

Over the next week or so there will be much public dithering here in the UK.  A week from today those who rule us are due to announce how much of our liberty is to be restored, if any.  It may come as a surprise that I have some sympathy with them, for they are being pulled from pillar to post and will upset someone whatever they decide.  If the date slips from 21st June by much more than a week it will cause me and up to 20,000 others some upset.  I have not the slightest doubt that there will be much quaking in boots at the very prospect.

 

I had a fair idea that someone would be clever enough to post a link to the part of YouTube wherein reposes my presentation.  Not unexpectedly, it was JohnDMJ – thank you, kind Sir.  The credit, or blame, for the placing of the presentation on YouTube belongs to the EMGS! 
 

Best wishes to all, especially all the sick and missing.

 

Chris

[TheQ]

 

This video is interesting, it shows the boats sailing down from  the start at Horning 4 miles before, and the then choices of route, the first choice is whether to go to port up the river Ant, the out going tide is at maximum, this year, and there is a large body of water Barton broad, feeding the outgoing tide.

You can see the boats slow as they turn up there, a calculated risk, lots of short tacking against the tide. On the fly back you see the second choice, a turn to starboard down to South Walsham broad, a much much smaller body of water and hardly any tide. 

 Another couple of miles straight on is the third choice , up river to Hickling broad or  to sail down river to reach the bottom mark by tide change. Choosing which or both or neither of the short legs to risk before heading to the Bottom mark makes or breaks your race position.

Edited June 7, 2021 by TheQ

[polybear]

8 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

If its a Video8 device and working Puppers has a need for such a device to transfer old family V8 tapes to something more useful before it's too late!

 

It's a mini DV, sadly; however Puppers has a p.m....

 

In other news:

Oh, c'mon....."essentials"?? 

Firms are struggling to secure summer essentials like garden furniture, picnic baskets and outdoor toys, as consumers prepare to holiday in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57379810

 

Bear had better dash - painting to do (the final coat on decorative  end panel edges) before Bear undertakes a difficult and dangerous mission.  More later.....

[TheQ]

Warning of shortage before there is. Aka a sales technique, and if there isn't a shortage you've sold your stock anyway..

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Wall to wall blue sky this morning so fortunately the pollen count seems to be reducing but I won't know until later this morning. Time to get breakfast sorted, be back later.

[jamie92208]

Good morning, editor cleared of my Thursday night post.  We had a nice warm day with scatterred cloud. Coffee with friends at the market, poached eggs on toadt for lunch, then cherry picking in the afternoon.  Enough cherries were picked for this years batch of cherry brandy. Also enough of the sweet ones for a clafouté.  That was supposed to be made for yesterday evening, but two friends called and kept Beth chatting fot 2 hours. I escaped to the shed to make litttle buildings.  3 of our 4 trees have now cropped. The one that produced a Kg for cherry brandy has smaller slightly sour fruit that are lighter in colour. However they make good cherry brandy.  The three eating ones tend to crop a week apart and two of them produce large dark sweet eating cherries.

 

This morning I am going to wield the chain saw to do various tidying up jobs. It promises to be warm so that will be done this morning.  Hopefully I will be able to slip off to the shed this afternoon.

 

Good news about Dave H's dad.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Edited June 7, 2021 by jamie92208

[Andrew P]

Hi Yuuu all.

 

Misty grey old start here earlier, but now looks a little brighter.

 

I didn't go for the walk, but may do later.

 

M & S Shopping due soon. We switched to them a few weeks back due to short dated stuff from Sainsburys, and the deals are just as good, the quality is better and as its delivered by Ocado  what they haven't got Ocado has. 

 

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

Edited June 7, 2021 by Andrew P

[leopardml2341]

Mornin'

 

 

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Unlike yesterday, it’s sunny outside! Not a great deal on the cards for today other than tidying up in the cellar. I’ve a couple of strips of corner edging to fit to the chimney breast, these are cut and are ready to fit, there’s also jointing tape to apply. After that I shall mainly be cleaning up, the floor needs sweeping and then it’ll be several goes over with the mop. It’s needed a good clean for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t see the point until I’d finished putting up the plasterboard, as it was the cutting process that created most of the dust. 

 

Before all that though, I’ll head outside and water the camomile and pot plants. 

 

Dave. Good news about your dad, I hope his improvement continues. 

 

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

 

Brian

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, at least it really is this time!

 

A slow start to the warm (23c) day due to being simply shattered after yesterday's exertions.

 

The off to the vet in a little while for the latest non-news on knackered hip and foot, followed by a walk in the sun, and lunch somewhere.  The hard bit is afterwards trying to decide what to cook for dinner, the hardest part of being a house-husband.

 

 

 

[tigerburnie]

Morning, overcast and cool, so normal service restored after the 20 degrees we had yesterday, definitely not normal for these northern climes lol. SWMBO needs taking to the hospital to talk hip replacement with her team, hopefully she will get to hear some good news, ta ra for now and stay safe.

[The White Rabbit]

Morning all. A sunny dawn, followed by a kapurtle for half an hour, now with high cloud being burnt off by the sun. 

 

A morning's sort-out and tidy beckons. 

 

Carpe diem everyone...

[pH]

59 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

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

 

Brian

It’s very kind of you to wish us this each day, but you do realize you’re talking to ERs, don’t you?

[45156]

Morning All

 

Just a quick check in here, house seeking not going according to plan, as some of the agents are not playing ball on our possible dates and times.  Will hopefully sort things out tomorrow.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[PupCam]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

In other news:

Oh, c'mon....."essentials"?? 

Firms are struggling to secure summer essentials like garden furniture, picnic baskets and outdoor toys, as consumers prepare to holiday in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57379810

Puppers seems to have a very different and somewhat jaundiced (old-fashioned probably) view of what is and what isn't "essential" in this day and age.   It certainly doesn't match the view of modern media.

 

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

Warning of shortage before there is. Aka a sales technique, and if there isn't a shortage you've sold your stock anyway..

Yes, and all that free advertising  too.  Well done to the BBC (again) ....... 

[jonny777]

Warm and sunny here in North Somerset. 

 

Necessary watering has been done. I have tree branches to prune (according to SWMBO) but don't have the inclination to do it just now. 

 

I agree with Andrew P, M&S food is really good if you can afford it. In fact I compared some of their products with the Waitrose version and they tasted nicer to me, even though they are a similar price. 

 

And why would anyone buy Kellogg's Bran Flakes at £2.50 for 750g, when the M&S version are 90p for 500g and taste just as good to me? Similarly, Sultana Bran Flakes - Kellogg's 500g for £2.99, M&S 500g for £1.40. 

[tigerburnie]

13 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

Warm and sunny here in North Somerset. 

 

Necessary watering has been done. I have tree branches to prune (according to SWMBO) but don't have the inclination to do it just now. 

 

 

Not the right time of year for pruning due to the rising sap, could kill the tree, at least I've been using the dodge for decades and seem to get away with it lol.

[simontaylor484]

Good morning all 

 

Well it was when i started typing

 

There is a distant rumble of thunder but no sign of rainclouds or even lightening for that matter.it is very humid a storm would be welcome to clear the air.

 

 

 

 

[southern42]

Watching the Three River Race videos looked so gorgeously genteel in a rather narrow water system. It took me back to the great annual races in our sailing days in the Menai Strait.

 

There was the dinghy race in the the Menai Strait Regatta from Beaumaris down to Caernarfon in which we capsized our Scorpion, in strong wind and big waves typical of that end, with spinnaker up before we got to Bangor Pier and sailed the rest downwind with a torn spinnaker stowed away, coming in last and not even getting the finishing signal to acknowledge our arrival. It was getting late, so rather than going ashore for refreshment, we sailed straight back to homebase at Port Dinorwic SC.

Then there was the dinghy race from Beaumaris in a big sea, winds dying off through Puffin Sound to next to nothing all the way to Traeth Bychan in the open sea and hot sun and the tide right out when we finished.  It was a long haul up across the sands to the clubhouse and toilets!

 

Sailing in yachts was something different. Ray got asked to enter the Round Anglesey Race and I had the pleasure to drive the car round to Menai Bridge Pier and wait...and wait...and wait...until they eventually arrived in a next to nothing wind sometime after dark.  My first turn came in a keelboat.  There, at Port Dinorwic Sailing Club, to have a lazy afternoon in the sun, not exactly dressed for sailing, and up popped someone who said, "Polly will crew for you."* Er hum, I got soaked!  A few years later, a last minute shout re the Westerly GK24, "Polly can helm for you"*.  Hmmm.  Well, helm I did from PDSC down towards Caernarfon, round the big red buoy and back. Spinny up, we were fast catching up on a large group of one design dinghies that had come to a halt at the buoy. Without room to overtake and round the buoy without going aground on the sandbank, I gave the command to drop the spinny so that we did not crash into them. Momentum lost in a strong inward coming tide, we had some catching up to do from being 2nd to last in our class of yacht.  We made good speed, caught the other boat up, overtook, met a sudden change of wind - common at Portdinowic where the two sea breezes from either end of the Straight meet - and ended up doing a 360degree turn, so third we came and I was delighted that our friends (the owners) got a certificate, despite Mr owner (down in the cabin throughout!) telling me and my crew** a few times to "give up." No Way!

 

* Simply because they needed someone, not because I was a greatly experienced sailor, that I was not, but that was the joy of club sailing. If you were there, and someone needed crew, chances are you would get roped in.

** a young teenage girl dinghy and keelboat sailor and mature lady mirror dinghy sailor.

 

Great days, but in our last few years, weather conditions led to less and less time out on the water. So we swapped to playing t***ns at West Shore instead.  The weather was not any better, but at least we were doing something that was not quite so weather dependent.  Rain is a killer of course but then that is why we have a clubhouse - not that we gather there these days....yet...

Edited June 7, 2021 by southern42

[jonny777]

42 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Not the right time of year for pruning due to the rising sap, could kill the tree, at least I've been using the dodge for decades and seem to get away with it lol.

 

Unfortunately, 'pruning' is not quite what SWMBO wants. My bad choice of words, apologies.  

 

Taking down the entire tree by stealth is her demand. If I could kill it she would be delighted, but I would still have to chop the dead branches and chainsaw the trunk. 

[Pacific231G]

Good noontime all.

For some reason I woke up feeling very unenergetic this morning. Anyway, as I needed to go to Tesco after running out of salad stuff,  I added that to my daily walk so got to about 5K. It's cooler today but I think it should still be warm enough for lunch in the garden.  Best friend is having a pre-op assessment tomorrow and terrified they'll find an excuse to not do the very much overdue second hip replacement she now desparately needs. Several other friends also seem to be in dark places just now so I can only be grateful I'm not. 

 

 

[Erichill16]

(Early) Afternoon Folks,

Just having a breather from the gardening. It a bit hot out there but as we’ve not be summons by anyone else we’d better make the most of the day. SWMBO is the head gardener so I just follow instructions. Been moving top soil and compost.

Anyway back to it.

Robert