Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

 

Those stainless removable panels look interesting, we have even less surface area to cover  than Coombe Barton's kitchen.

I've been trialing one for a couple of months and they work for me.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Another dull start to the day here in the northwest of England, it’s currently 16C and there is a slight breeze. Most of the roses are now either in bloom or are about to bloom, the peonies have opened, there are quite a number of grape sized apples forming on the tree and there are some more strawberries ready to be picked. 

 

As it’s Friday I shall take the day off from DIY and instead will shortly take my weekly walk to the butchers for the weeks meat rations and hopefully a pastie for dinner. Last week I got there too early as the pasties were still in the oven, so I had to settle for a pork pie, it’s a hard life. Once I’ve returned and packed away said rations I shall head off to the Trafford Centre for a few more comestibles. After dinner the plan is to go to Costco to stock up on a few other items were running low on. 

 

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

 

Brian

 

[tigerburnie]

Morning, bright and breezy here and not too hot. All this talk of alternative to petrol and diesel, no mention of LPG, I always thought that was economical and less polluting than petrol?

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup which is currently grey with a promise of sun later.

 

A quick call in before the ten o'clock meeting. I can also hear that the washing machine is nearly done and I am expected to empty that and put the next load on; part of the hazards of working from home! I suspect that the hanging out of the first load won't happen before 10 so will have to take place after the meeting!

 

A busy weekend ahead; a trip to town for Mrs Lurker's birthday meal tomorrow early evening (I think I said before it was her birthday in January!) and then a day trip to Cambridge to meet SiL and family for a picnic -we know the weather will be good. I noticed scotch eggs were in today's ocado delivery...!

 

Have a good day all

[TheQ]

Hmm they've got rid of the tank bump starter and got a bloke in the Calvin Klein advert, still doesn't look happy and still won't persuade many to buy..

[AndrewC]

23 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Morning, bright and breezy here and not too hot. All this talk of alternative to petrol and diesel, no mention of LPG, I always thought that was economical and less polluting than petrol?

Once upon a time LPG was a viable alternative. In parts of Canada it is very common since the price per litre was less than 1/5th of petrol. Before the advent of hybrid vehicles the vast majority of taxis were LPG. It never seemed to catch on anywhere else. However, LPG vehicles do have a lot of restrictions such as underground parking, etc. As LPG is an NGL it has to be processed from natural gas. I could give a full dissertation on the process and the financials around it but suffice to say, when the price of natural gas goes up, the production of NGLs goes down, and visa versa. In the end it is just another fossil fuel. 

 

I think one day you'll see bits of the Sahara covered in solar panels. The talk at the moment is it could theoretically power all of Europe from panel farms totalling the area of Luxembourg. Throw in the replacement cycles, recycling and component recovery, and you have a perpetual and sustainable energy solution and industry that will need just as many employees as current power plants. 

[Dave Hunt]

Another morning at Hunt Towers that is featuring the G word, specifically weeding, which I am reliably informed is on my to do list. Yuk! Yesterday I bought a hoe for dealing with the very small stuff as the one we had seems to have left for pastures new but there are still enough large bu**ers that require manual uprooting as they are too close to treasured plants for any other method. My back will be in full complaining mode by this evening. Then it is my turn to make tonight's dinner (salmon in a ginger, orange, garlic and soy sauce) so a large proportion of my day is spoken for. The upside, however, is that the authorities have sanctioned a visit to the workshop in whatever time is left.

 

Have a good POETS day folks.

 

Dave

[PupCam]

Clear Prop!

 

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Now, I do have a question for all the ERs who have been recently at their GP (assuming that a face to face visit had indeed been granted): how many investigations and tests do your GPs actually do in their practice? As I was being prodded and poked at the GP,  I underwent - in the practice - a chest x-ray, a pulmonary function test, an abdominal ultrasound and blood work (basically, an abbreviated chemistry panel). I went to a cardiologist for the stress test and cardiac ultrasound - and that appointment, arranged at mutual convenience, was within a week of my GP deciding that a stress test would be necessary. Are you “serviced in-house” (so to speak) or do you get to go on a grand tour of the local medical facilities? I’m curious to know.

 

2 hours ago, polybear said:

That little list is probably 9 month's work (on a good day) .  As for in-house servicing,  not so much as a blood test.

 

Essentially we haven't ben able to get near the GP's for the duration and even before the dratted virus showed its face it was tricky.      I did actually get called in for a Face to Face with the GP ~3 weeks ago when he made the mistake of asking me on the telephone how I was feeling.   In response to my reply he said "you'd better get down here this morning", he did an ECG and then admitted to hospital there and then.    Whilst waiting to be assessed in A&E as part of the admittance process I collapsed in a big heap when I got up to have an ECG done.  Still, got me to the front of the queue and straight into resus.    I have to say that the other day at 8:20 as I waited (in a corridor) feeling no more than 50% for an 8:30 Echoscan appointment I was not over-impressed when the Cardio unit phoned to say that I didn't need to attend that day.   I explained in no uncertain terms that I was there and that I WOULD BE SEEN by someone whether they did an Echoscan or not!   I eagerly await the results in my next cardo consultation (by telephone ).

 

My best advice; Don't get ill in the UK ......... 

 

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

All I can say is “thank goodness for VHS tapes and DVDs“! One can just pull out some classic TV treasures from the 80s and sit back and enjoy refined, sophisticated television of yesteryear - like naked nun mud-wrestling 

 

Hmmm.  Can't say I've ever watched Nun Wrestling, naked or otherwise

 

I'm finding YouTube to be a very rich source of interesting material (shame about the adverts).   I've particularly enjoyed the re-mastered "Secret Life Of Machines" series from the 80s with Tim Hunkin, the chap responsible for the whacky arcade machines on Soutwold pier and now, I understand, in an arcade in London.    Some very good, simple explanations of fundamental principles with amusing demos but not dumbed down and/or patronising as is the modern way.    

 

In other news:

 

Finally got my mates Chronometric Tacho finished.   They use exactly the same mechanism as the Chronometric speedos but, for obvious reasons, do not include the Odemeter and Tripmeter components.    Unfortunately it had seen some serious misuse, probably been dropped, which resulted in the four legs of the main mounting (a Mazak casting) being bent out of shape along with the stabiliser wheel on the main drive spindle.   Rather than attempt to bend the legs back into the right position, an activity fraught with danger, we faced off the ends of the pillars by ~ 0.02" to get them all flat and level again and made the dial a four screw fixing rather than the two screw that it was originally.    I calibrated it with the aid of a scope triggered by a magnetic hall sensor and it's amazingly linear.    Absolutely cracking for a basic design that is over a 100 years old!

 

Have a good day and best wishes to those under the weather and suffering for whatever reason.

 

Alan

 

 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

Dave - we found that Age UK were able to arrange for a cleaner to visit each week and a gardener each fortnight - since FiL went into the home, we have retained the gardener service to keep the lawns mowed and may use Age UK for a 'deep clean' once the house is empty before the estate agents take their photos . . . . . . 

 

Thanks for that advice, I haven't been able to do anything much in the garden this year due to hay fever. The grass is getting very long. 

[Tony_S]

33 minutes ago, PupCam said:

My best advice; Don't get ill in the UK .....

Our experience over the past year hasn’t been at all bad, so perhaps not all of the UK.  Rather a lot of the people who would have been doing routine things have been quite busy sticking Covid vaccines in peoples arms. 

[Erichill16]

On 09/06/2021 at 22:05, Erichill16 said:

. Hate bl00dy needles and I was at the sharpe end of one last Thursday as well.

Goodnight,

Robert

 

 

 

Just had a txt, got to have one of the tests repeated. Bu88er.

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by Erichill16
Spelling

[Dave Hunt]

4 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

Dave - we found that Age UK were able to arrange for a cleaner to visit each week and a gardener each fortnight - since FiL went into the home, we have retained the gardener service to keep the lawns mowed and may use Age UK for a 'deep clean' once the house is empty before the estate agents take their photos . . . . . . 

 

Thanks for that, Mike. Once Dad's house has been assessed by the OT people next week and I know a bit more detail of what they propose I'll look into it.

 

Dave

[polybear]

5 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Bike club later, I'm 'tour leader' so better get my thinking cap on for the days route.

 

 

 

The TT course - but the wrong way round?

 

In other news:

Bear working on cutting & fitting the plinths - more to do shortly.  I realised that whilst I've more than enough clips to secure the plinths to the cabinet legs they haven't sent me enough base plates needed to secure the clips to the plinths....  Message sent.....

[Gwiwer]

Good afternoon all.  Or for those of you in any way affected by my employer's services it's simply "Afternoon".  

 

That was a shift and no mistake.  The official advice was posted at 10am and will remain until at least close of service tonight "Do not attempt to travel".  

 

Things began before 6am when the points and signals failed at the lesser-known location of Shacklegate Junction which happens to lie within sight of the Hill of Strawberries.  A train stopped at a red signal was not what I wanted to see but there it was and there it stayed.  My own train arrived and stayed at a social distance behind waiting at its own red signal.  After 15 minutes the guard announced we would not be moving for some time.  Exit, disgruntled, a small number of early-morning passengers one of whom chose to abuse the guard, the driver and anyone else he saw.  He then promptly set off along the cess and walking within inches of the 750V live rail towards the train stationary down the line.

 

At which point I pulled the phone from its pocket and made an emergency call to the signaller which included a request for traction current to be discharged.  Which, of course, would prevent any movement even if everything else were working .....

 

Mr. Trespasser attempted to board the train by climbing up to the rear cab.  He found it locked.  He then tried the front cab and found it occupied by a driver none too happy about having a mouthy oik attempting to board his train from the lineside, pirate-fashion.  Oik walked back along the track and departed the scene by road.  And slightly too late to find and detain him the police, MOM (Mobile Operations Manager) and a fleet of emergency response vehicles turned up.  They have to do so in such cases in the event that it becomes an electrocution incident.  

 

With current restored, points clipped by the MOM and under verbal authority we eventually moved off.  Not direct but towards Fulwell where we reversed and came around the third side of the triangle in order to get past the still-stationary train ahead.  Being by now almsot an hour late we were sent non-stop to Waterloo from where I returned to the House of Fun just in time to learn that the signalling issues had spread across the main lines and a wider area.

 

Nothing could move through Surbiton.  In short everything stopped.  Waterloo had all 24 platforms full and trains were brought to a stand at platforms where possible.  Some were held between stations at red signals for periods of up to an hour.  On a warm day.  With no toilets.  With no way to distribute water.  Questions may have to be answered.  

 

This is ongoing.  I arrived an hour late but got home over three hours late.  For a 35-minute trip with four trains an hour available.  When things run properly.  

 

Thank Goodness it's Friday.  Drinks are earned, deserved and shall be partaken of after a short rest period.  I hope the poor folk hoping to reach Bournemouth and points across the South West are finally getting somewhere.   Delays to such trains as could be run were over two hours.  Most of our lines don't require two hours from end-to-end.  

 

Two honourable exceptions were noted.  The "Belmond Pullman" ("Orient Express" stock to many) was on time-ish on its way to somewhere and despite all the turmoil the Principal Party's Private Train was of course precisely punctual.  Even though it passed us without PP aboard and only her staff.  

 

Delay Repay will have a busy weekend.  I shall have a cold beer or two and a curry.  Sag Aloo with Meat Biryani.  

 

 

[Ian Abel]

POETS...

 

Just what you want to read, when the buyout of your business unit results in a new health care/insurance provider, UnitedHealthCare;

"Under the new policy, which was to go into effect next month, UnitedHealthcare, the giant insurer, had planned to scrutinize the medical records of its customers’ visits to emergency departments to determine if it should cover those hospital bills. But in the last week, several major hospital and doctors groups demanded that United abandon the policy."

See full story here (if you feel inclined) -> united-health-insurance-emergency-care

 

As if being a HUGE for-profit company making record profits the past many years and paying its directors literally millions-per-annum wasn't enough!!

 

DO NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES allow your government(s) to abandon national health care

 

Another in the latest details of the move, we now can't make our own travel plans, we get to use a corporate travel department.

I've not used on of those in more than 20 years, they purportedly died a death when it became clear they were idiots and couldn't plan their way out of a paper bag!  So much for progress regress!!

 

Today, already taken Whitney for a quick walk around the neighborhood, she's missed walks the last few days due to the awful weather, so we decided to go early before it gets beastly - again

 

Weekend plans will be mostly to stay in air conditioning as the weather is expected to continue crappy...

 

Was 25 already earlier, overcast and chance of rain/thunderstorms at 35%, high "only" 31 today, humidity 55%, severe weather warnings and health alerts abound!

 

Hope you all enjoy the start of the weekend.

Edited June 11, 2021 by Ian Abel

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

another day of ten tenths cloud cover but still very hot and taht has piut herself off further progress with the G word and 'weeding'. (I'm not sure if me digging out a dead nettle this morning really counts as 'weeding''?

 

For thsoe with parental folk of a senior age possibly requiring carers one thing for you to take note of should you need t fill in the multitude of forms and financial statements - you need to see that they are already spending as much as possible of their income,  therefore you make absolutely sure that anything which involves a charge/cost they have to bear is included on the form and that means what is paid out for such as a cleaner or gardener - in fact any sort of regular payment even if it is a delivery charge for food etc (I'm not sure if you can include delivery of a newspaper(.  And don't forget that the gardener comes every week and the cleaner comes every day - if you get my drift.

 

No other news that I can think of although  - as elsewhere - the infection rate locally id s going up a bit.  However we have been going out occasionally fora meal ever since it was first permitted as there are several places around  in this area which have created excellent outdoor dining spaces under cover,  In fact I can't actually see quite what difference a 'further easing of distancing etc' would actually mean for them as a couple we know of are already pretty busy.    and as previously reported we havn't encountered any particular problems with the surgery which even continued blood tests etc indoors during the most recent lockdown.

 

Hard luck this morning Rick - such things are occasionally sent to try us although they tend to last longer nowadays because the right sort of point-clipper-upper etc has to come from much further away than used to be the case.  On the day of the Ladbroke Grove collision the train I was on was 'trapped' just east of Slough but we were worked back to Slough after only about 45 minutes and for those who could still be bothered to get to London it was a simple diversion via Windsor.  Biggest problem with such events is the time spent finding out what is wrong and where but once that's known it's really no more than getting the right people to the right place to sort or get round things and nowadays the problem is mainly down to a enforced lack of such people and the (literal) illegality of those of us who can help getting involved to gve assistance

 

Enjoy the rest of the day folks and stay safe.

[Andrew P]

Re Rick's @Gwiwerpost above.

 

A day out Train Spotting at EASTLEIGH.

 

Well that was almost a waste of a day of my life.

 

Great time with George, @georgeT of course, but he / we decided against a breakfast to start the day.

 

Signal failures all over Hampshire / Surrey meant the 10-20 service from Waterloo still hadn't arrived at 14-30 and was reported as RUNNING LATE.

 

Consequentially, very little freight was happening, even in the Ballast Yard with just ONE, 08 shunting ONE Rake of wagons.

 

Then a trip to Ropley / Watercress Line to see what was being prepared for the weekends War Weekend, and the short answer was, NOTHING.

 

Tomorrows another day.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Popped down to Tess Coes today for supplies for the weekend only to find that my intended Saturday dinner* is no longer to be available. In its place was a 'Fantastic new range' which to my eye didn't look particularly fantastic with nothing even resembling what I was looking for. I did see some items from the new range on the reduced shelf so I purchased one to give it a try.

*Tandori chicken.

[leopardml2341]

Aft'noon.

 

For the first time in ages I actually managed to POOTS

 

This gave me time to:

• walk Bingley 
• Hoover the lounge, bedrooms, stairs and landings 
• drink a cuppa 
• sand down some filler

Now I'm off to paint the ceiling.

 

#busyboy

[pH]

On 09/06/2021 at 17:57, Ozexpatriate said:

Plenty of excess ocean water. Use renewables (solar, wind etc) to power a desalinization/electrolysis plant. Making hydrogen doesn't need to be an "always on" operation since the objective is stored energy - so the "demand" limitations of renewables are not a problem.

 

It's an attractive option compared with all the rare earth metal mining and recycling complications of batteries everywhere.

 

Here’s an article comparing energy efficiency of electric vehicles compared with those powered by hydrogen fuel cells - overall, electric vehicles are more efficient since they require fewer energy conversions in the overall process.

 

https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-cars-wont-overtake-electric-vehicles-because-theyre-hampered-by-the-laws-of-science-139899

 

It doesn’t address the point about initial production of batteries.

 

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Forgot to mention that the hay fever hasn't been as bad as I expected. There's not even the slightest breeze to carry the pollen in from elsewhere, that might have something to do with it.

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Forgot to mention that the hay fever hasn't been as bad as I expected. There's not even the slightest breeze to carry the pollen in from elsewhere, that might have something to do with it.

How odd. There is a very pleasant breeze a few miles away here in Benfleet. It is very overcast again after being sunny earlier this afternoon. 

[polybear]

Bear's day of plinth cutting has been slower than hoped - just a couple of easy bits to do, but first I need to box in the pipework behind the washing machine.  In the words of buddy next door: "why?"  Well this Bear will know they look a bit scruffy on those rare occasions when the washer is pulled out - so boxed in they'll be.  It'll also make the area easier to clean - just wipe the dust off the box rather than fiddly pipework.  I saved lots of the shelves out of the old kitchen cupboards so some of those will be re-used for the job.  I've had a reply from the kitchen supplier (DIY Kitchens) regarding the missing bits for the plinth clips - they'll be posted to me on Monday.  That'll do.

 

Bozo moment of the day:  Bear has been so engrossed doing the plinths that I forgot to order the worktops .  Oh well, not a great disaster on the grand scale of things - Monday will do.

[Tony_S]

The back door to the garage looked as if it needed some attention but it is so rotten we decided to replace it. I don’t know why we didn’t do it years ago when we had the rest of the house done. I am not doing it myself and a man from the local double glazing company we used 14 years ago came and measured up an hour after I made an enquiry. 

Since then I have been pottering in the garden. Nothing too strenuous.

Tony

[New Haven Neil]

Well Rick's trains may not have run, but the Manx Electric ran to time, and plans were fulfilled.  Better say no more.

 

Mrs NHN now at neighbours having her hair done, and then I must remember to say how wonderful it is.  Or I may not be on tomorrow.  I won't be on in the morning anyway, mucho to do early doors.