Early Risers.

[leopardml2341]

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

No doubt those who objected to Eastern Europeans "taking local jobs" would be much happier with those jobs being filled by staff from Commonwealth countries...

Or indeed the UK?

 

Maybe now I can scale back and get a job delivery driving for supermarkets, a few years ago they wouldn't even talk to me about embracing my then intended lifestyle change - fearing I would move on when something better came along. In the meantime I found a job that I enjoy - serendipity methinks.

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by leopardml2341

[tigerburnie]

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I was reading an article on the BBC website and it appears that there are 60000 lorry driving vacancies at the moment. One transport company owner mentioned he had to increase wages to keep his staff. Official suggestions to help food /supermarket deliveries include using qualified drivers from the army and prisoners on day release schemes. A t the time of writing visas for those who until recently drove many of these trucks were being resisted. 
 

They could move a lot of the stuff by rail, like they used to do, I notice trains with containers on travelling north to Aberdeen pretty much daily in the past few months.

[Compound2632]

28 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

They could move a lot of the stuff by rail, like they used to do, I notice trains with containers on travelling north to Aberdeen pretty much daily in the past few months.

 

I doubt there's the capacity. Plus, of course, there would be a staff shortage at the transhipment centres...

 

Anyway, I think @TheQ's point was about staff in the hospitality sector. Soon there won't be any pubs for Little Englanders to sit in bemoaning the Eastern Europeans taking all the bar jobs!

Edited August 24, 2021 by Compound2632

[J. S. Bach]

27 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

They could move a lot of the stuff by rail, like they used to do, I notice trains with containers on travelling north to Aberdeen pretty much daily in the past few months.

But, someone does have to get those containers to and from the train.

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

 

 

 

Anyone else read this as NHN having a "thing" for someone called Sidney?

Incidentally, Annabel Croft was one of the celebs on "The Chase" the other night.  Now I'd gladly share my cake with Ms. Croft...

 

 

 

Let me explain the difference, Poly:

 

Sid:

 

Siddy:

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... how likely is face to face teaching ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/more-sustained-increase/

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from LBG where the sun is trying to shine past some grey clouds.

 

A day in the office today - followed by a few beers and a meal out. it's almost normal....

 

Mind you I won't be back in here for a few weeks - when WFH is convenient to deal with meter men and school runs etc

 

enjoy the rest of the day!

[PupCam]

25 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Let me explain the difference, Poly:

 

No, no, don't go into detail.   Just let Brian continue thinking of Sidney ......

[tigerburnie]

43 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

But, someone does have to get those containers to and from the train.

Containers taken off ship directly onto railway wagon, requires one crane driver per shift(lets have 3 shifts to cover 24 hour day), one engine driver per shift(3 again for the day) a team to fit retaining chains, lets be generous and have 4 per team(times 3 again), now double that to get load off at distribution hub where contents are dispersed by smaller vans(no shortage of white van men round here). Still a lot less than 60000 lorry drivers and the bonus is the motorways will have no lorries on them,  pollution reduced severely.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. We earlier have a group going around  knocking on doors offering to pressure wash drives and paths. They didn't call here as I have a 'No cold calling' notice on my front door. I did notify the local police and since they came the the path washers have disappeared.

3 hours ago, AndrewC said:

My mojo vanished ages ago. Even trying a simple kit has ended in frustration. Picked up a Peco OO-9 loco when we visited the Ffestiniog in July. Missing some bits. Have doubles of other parts. Now o have to fill in the little slip of paper and post it off, likely to never be replied to. Worst of all I have a Farish pannier that would be a perfect chassis donor. Can I find the bloody thing? Can I bollards! 
 

I have a Peco 009 locomotive missing a chimney, you wouldn't have a spare chimney by any chance?

[polybear]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Two years! Pah!  A mere moment in time ....

 

I started my scratch built 1/3 scale Sopwith Triplane as my contribution to the WW1 Dawn Patrol Display Team back in ~2008 and last worked on the airframe proper in 2014 ish although I did have a most interesting diversion in 2015 scratch building the 1/3 scale Vickers machine gun to go on it.   

 

2008?  Double Pah!.  Bear's EMGS membership number suggests I joined in 2000; in Bear's defence I would point out that I have collected an awful lot of etched brass and whitemetal kits since then..........

 

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

although, as you know, I've been amusing myself with a 7mm 08 and a DCC controller and have been idly thinking about a small, shunting puzzle type layout of late.    

 

Having seen photos of Puppers Towers I would've thought a nice garden railway would be ideal; Puppers can concentrate on all the the clever engineering whilst SWMBO could be in charge of scenery....

 

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

More recently I've visited the museum itself at Covent Garden  which again was very good although the overall experience I recall was tarnished somewhat by hoards of screaming kids.   Mental note to self; Take ear defenders on next visit.

 

A Taser would be more fun....

 

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Unfortunately that's a business model that all the utility and insurance companies seem to follow although the key reason for that is there are very rich pickings to be had in the apathy of Joe Public (me included) not wanting to spend all their waking hours searching for "the best deal on combined broad band and gas supply" to be had.   It makes me mad!

 

Whilst identifying the cheapest is easy, Bear finds that spotting - and comparing - all those deviations in the small print is the mind numbingly soul destroying pain in the ar5e that makes such searching so tedious....

[polybear]

8 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Containers taken off ship directly onto railway wagon, requires one crane driver per shift(lets have 3 shifts to cover 24 hour day), one engine driver per shift(3 again for the day) a team to fit retaining chains, lets be generous and have 4 per team(times 3 again), now double that to get load off at distribution hub where contents are dispersed by smaller vans(no shortage of white van men round here). Still a lot less than 60000 lorry drivers and the bonus is the motorways will have no lorries on them,  pollution reduced severely.

 

Plus hoards of HR, Project Managers, Managers.......

[simontaylor484]

Afternoon all 

Decking part repainted and it is grey 

2 buxus pyramids planted in tubs some extreme weeding done.

 

Lorry driver shortage there has been a shortage of drivers in some areas especially the South East for years. Even when i was on the Bison job around the turn of the millennium they were talking of bussing drivers in from South Wales.

 

There were also scare stories of driver shortage when the European working time directive came in running alongside existing European and domestic drivers hours regulations. 

Sole trader drivers ie the one man band drivers have been hit recently by tax changes from Hmrc which caused many to quit. We have also had nearly 2 years of no driving tests.

 

The company i worked for had its own driver training division and they did take plenty of drivers on as class 2 when they were more experienced and willing they could go for class 1 the firm would pay for it but if they left before 3 years they would have to pay it back.

 

[PupCam]

13 minutes ago, polybear said:

2008?  Double Pah!.  Bear's EMGS membership number suggests I joined in 2000; in Bear's defence I would point out that I have collected an awful lot of etched brass and whitemetal kits since then..........

Ha!  

 

Well, if we are playing that game the Mimram Modellers (of which I was 25% of the membership originally which, over the years, climbed to become 50% of the membership) embarked on their first S4 layout, Clayton East,  in 1984.   The baseboards with track are still lurking deep in the garage belonging to the other 50% of the membership as we speak.   They should be well matured by now perhaps we ought to think about cracking on with it?      Funny enough, only yesterday I tripped over a plastic box in the loft.    It contains the lever frame and locking frame we built for it.  That was a fascinating exercise in its own right and armed only with that and a track plan you could fully operate (well, virtually operate) the layout with none of that tedious building stock, doing wiring etc etc 

 

13 minutes ago, polybear said:

Having seen photos of Puppers Towers I would've thought a nice garden railway would be ideal; Puppers can concentrate on all the the clever engineering whilst SWMBO could be in charge of scenery....

more fun....

Now I do like the cut of that jib!

 

Sounds like an excellent plan.  I wonder if I could get it past the Planning & Finance Committee?

 

That would give far more scope for a sound equipped, 7mm Deltic thrashing through the "scenery" with 10 coaches on.    That's got to be more exciting than an 08 tugging a manky 16T mineral wagon along a plank!

 

13 minutes ago, polybear said:

Whilst identifying the cheapest is easy, Bear finds that spotting - and comparing - all those deviations in the small print is the mind numbingly soul destroying pain in the ar5e that makes such searching so tedious....

I couldn't have put it better myself 

 

... or should that be 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Just seen that Charlie Watts, the Stones Drummer from the year  dot has died.

 

RIP Charlie, one of the GREATS.

[simontaylor484]

Eastenders never watch it its too depressing. The Mrs watches Coronation Street and Emmerdale I usually catch up with other programmes on line using my headphones at the time.

I have never watched love island or other similar poop.

I must confess I have watched the first episode of Changing Rooms no had to chortle when Lawrence LB said they were going to use Peacock colours one of the "contestants" said "that's pink she didn't want pink" face palm moment 

[leopardml2341]

Boring, boring, boring at work.

 

Still, it's allowed me some energy to cross off some more of mi list as I finished work on time (due to being bored).

 

Time for a cuppa now Methinks; back later, abw

[AndrewC]

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. We earlier have a group going around  knocking on doors offering to pressure wash drives and paths. They didn't call here as I have a 'No cold calling' notice on my front door. I did notify the local police and since they came the the path washers have disappeared.

I have a Peco 009 locomotive missing a chimney, you wouldn't have a spare chimney by any chance?

Sadly not. I do have 4 extra buffers and an extra ladder. Missing a tank filler & the dome is damaged. 

[tigerburnie]

50 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Just seen that Charlie Watts, the Stones Drummer from the year  dot has died.

 

RIP Charlie, one of the GREATS.

I was working with a band who rehearsed in the Stones place in Bermondsey and Charlies old drum kit was set up, so I jammed with the band playing Charlies Pearl(I think it was) drumkit, never met him, but did see the band play. I was a huge Stones fan, always liked Charlie.

[jamie92208]

I'm also sad that Charlie Watts has gone.   I'm very glad that I did get to see the Stones in 2018 just before we left for France. A great evening not to be firgotten. I even have some video of Paint it Black.  Charlie gave the backbeat to a whole generation.  RIP.

 

As to lorry drivers, I'm just very glad that our No2 son has a Class 1 plus several add ons such as grab operator.  He'll never be out of a job.

 

Jamie

 

PS.  6 hours to go to freedom.

Edited August 24, 2021 by jamie92208

[JohnDMJ]

Good evening Awl, although with the news about Charlie, maybe more inevitable than good!

 

A reasonable day had; sanity retained (such as it is!)

 

Finally, thanks to a colleague, managed to crack the code for a C19 test which has now been undertaken; just awaiting the results. It seems at least 3 of us were tested at the same centre!

 

Elsewhere:

 

9 hours ago, chrisf said:

Something tells me that you are not the only inmate asking that question.  In fact I know you're not.  I am!  Fellow m*d*ll*rs, the time for secrecy is over and gone.

 

Chris

 

 

The Awlgle has landed?

[polybear]

It seems that the highlight of National News seems to be that Maccy D's have run out of Milkshake - one unlucky customer described himself as "devastated" when interviewed.  Is it Bear, or is the country really that far gone?

[simontaylor484]

The Mrs reports x&%s stuff in shops i know it is an important time for retailers but people need everyday stuff not just for one day in late December.

 

I asked her to look for some grass seed all the shelves had been refilled with deodorant type gift sets looks like its either the net or if i could get to a garden centre and pay twice the price

 

 

Paint it black and   Tonk woman are my favourite Stones songs 

Edited August 24, 2021 by simontaylor484
Spell checker

[brianusa]

21 hours ago, andyram said:

they did a vegetarian carvary

How does one get a vegetarian carvery?

    Brian

[brianusa]

14 hours ago, polybear said:

In fairness it probably rates as a 5 star watch when compared to complete, total and utter b011ox such as this:

The usual US TV rubbish.  Young men must be bearded, muscular and seemingly continuing laughing.  Must be bare chested with the latest hair craze.  Young women, also laughing showing off whiter than white teeth, showing a boob or two and preferably blonde.  Look upon this show and despair, as this is the future of TV and possibly society.  Gone are the days when the US produced great TV comedy and series as this is the standard fare today.  World wide, TV is just as bad with just a few shows that one would want to see, sadly few and far between.

    Brian.