Early Risers.

[southern42]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

We are going to a 60th birthday celebration on Saturday. The venue is a Turkish restaurant. I wonder what the jelly and ice cream equivalent is.

 

Turkish delight?

 

Edit: Apologies @monkeysarefun - only just read comment above.

 

Real Turkish delight, made in Turkey, brought back to England and given to me by a school friend (Turkish mother), 1960, was the best ever. 

Edited November 3, 2023 by southern42

[The White Rabbit]

11 hours ago, Tony_S said:

We have been getting ready for our trip to Yorkshire.  I think Aditi thinks we need to dress for the Arctic whereas I think we need waterproof coats. Most of our recent holidays have been to warmer climates so much sorting out was required. With stuff going in and out of wardrobes I was certainly having hanger management issues. ...

 

I nominate Tony for ER punner of the week... 

 

At the risk of stating the obvious, Yorkshire's a big county with lots of different weather. But to make a sweeping generalisation, for November, I'd recommend waterproof hats, coats and footwear as the priority. With some warm shirts/tops and fleeces/jumpers. Dressing for the Arctic would probably be simpler - less options to cover off! 

 

Morning all - sun and blue sky here this morning. The fields and gardens are still very waterlogged, it's certainly 'wellie weather' and dogwalkers would do well to put an old towel or two in their pockets/car boots. One new nut feeder installed yesterday, at least one bluetit has accepted it this morning, saw it pecking away an hour ago. 

[polybear]

Bear here....

CC Website Account logged onto - it seems I still have a tick in the "Paper Statements"  Box, yet the website also said "The option for paper statements cannot be selected at this time....."

Hmm....

So I phoned to cancel the card - and after speaking to a helpful guy I was invited to speak to someone who could help further with the paper bit.  OK, says Bear.

Well Mr. Evenmorehelpful (who had difficulty speaking any sort of understandable English, let alone the Queen's King's English) said that I already had paper statements selected.

So I then pointed out that I've just had a letter....

So he said that I can select "paper statements" in my account....

"It's already selected" says Bear

"So you'll get Paper Statements" says Mr. Evenmorehelpful....

"But I've just had a letter saying I won't" says Bear.

"But whenever you want paper statements you can contact us" says Mr. Evenmorehelpful....

"But I'm not doing that every month" says Bear....

"You won't need to - all you need to do is request them - and you have" says Mr. Evenmorehelpful....

Well call Bear cynical, but for some strange reason I'm not hopeful.....I'll give it a month and see what happens, but I suspect I'll be phoning again to cancel - and this time Mr. Evenmorehelpful can go **** himself as I've just about lost the will to live.....

 

And then.....Car Insurance.....

Well the good 'ol AA (despite being told about the no-fault accident that was the 3rd Party's fault and they paid the bill for and is now resolved at diddlysquat  cost to Bear or the AA - who have now stated my NCB is unaffected) suddenly stated the last renewal (was £415) is now.......£488.....

After Bear read them their life history and pointed out other companies were coming in at £360 ish they dropped the price to £393 (which shows by just how much they were trying to rip Bear off/take the P1ss).  Anyway, they wouldn't Tango any more so Bear told 'em to wedge it and has gone elsewhere (with a company that throws in RAC Roadside Cover as well).  

 

I reckons that qualifies as a Rant.....

 

BG

[DaveF]

A nice early start this morning as I needed to ring the surgery because the bladder still cannot empty properly.  I was given an appointment for 9.30a.m.  It is still the same problem as there is some irritation. I have been prescribed a stronger steroid cream and some tablets which help relax the relevant muscles.  I have also arranged for the GP to write a  referral letter to a consultant about the hernia once the waterworks are back to normal.

 

There was then a slight delay as my pharmacy (Boots) is closing and my prescriptions were to be sent to another branch I don't like.  After discussion the GP recommended another local pharmacy, so that has been organised.  By the time I walked round to it the prescription was there except the cream isn't available in the prescribed size.  I sorted by going back to the surgery to the prescription receptionist who said "typical GP, he's supposed to know that size is unobtainable", we'll do a new prescription.  I now have the tablets and can correct the cream at teatime.

 

From the first contact with the pharmacy I am impressed.  When the pharmacist gave me the tablets he asked for my phone number so he can ring me in a week or so to see how I get on with them.

 

Next I will ring an old friend then I shall see what the weather does.

 

David

Edited November 3, 2023 by DaveF
spelling correction

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

You might snigger....but you should've seen T's & C's....especially the "remuneration" and "pension" sections....

Has anyone ever got as far as collecting the pension?

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, PupCam said:

Then it's back to the RD and making that rotor extraction tool.

 

I'm sure that XL250K3 I had was struggling with the same issue, it really was flat, so I advanced the timing about 5 degrees from the marks on the flywheel and it went a whole load better and still was only awful to start....it kicked like a mule regardless of where the timing was set if you were 'lazy' with the kickstart.  I intended to make an extraction tool and a TDC adapter but ran out of round-tuits and then sold it anyway!  

[PupCam]

5 hours ago, polybear said:

British Justice??  Don't make me larf......

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/son-of-two-retired-met-police-officers-who-avoided-jail-despite-killing-two-pedestrians-while-drug-driving-faces-arrest-for-the-eighth-time-for-refusing-to-attend-court/ar-AA1jeqW5?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=d5de9394e35d4a65beb0305b46b183f0&ei=45

 

....and if after reading that you feel like punching a wall, well (a) welcome to the club, and (b) don't - it hurts.....

 

Might I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous comments regarding "Own Goals" and respect being hard won and easily lost.

 

4 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

I'm sure that XL250K3 I had was struggling with the same issue, it really was flat, so I advanced the timing about 5 degrees from the marks on the flywheel and it went a whole load better and still was only awful to start....it kicked like a mule regardless of where the timing was set if you were 'lazy' with the kickstart.  I intended to make an extraction tool and a TDC adapter but ran out of round-tuits and then sold it anyway!  

 

Can't risk advance on an RD if the ultra-low compression  "ventilated" piston crowns are to be avoided! 

Ask me how I know.    

 

Actually, that's what started all this off, the bike was running well (when fuel was getting through) but I thought I'd check the points gap and timing.    I found the points gap has to be way out of spec to get the timing close which is how it was set.   I'd rather have points gaps (and thus dwell) correct and the timing correct when the timing plates are somewhere within the available range so I need to find out what the heck is going on.  

 

On a brighter note.   I don't think you'd notice if an RD kicked back 🤣

[New Haven Neil]

Stinky two strokes!  Are you sure the cam timing is right.....🤪

 

Something's amiss though, as you say.  It'll probably go a lot better with the timing/dwell right, the ignition systems tend to be a bit marginal on these small capacity (edit as short word is naughty apparently - Japanese) . Well all of them TBH.

 

As for kicking back - does the RD200 have the electric starter from the earlier bikes?

Edited November 3, 2023 by New Haven Neil

[polybear]

11 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

Might I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous comments regarding "Own Goals" and respect being hard won and easily lost.

 

 

You may - though I very much suspect that in this example it's the Judges that are at fault, not the Police Officers (who probably think "Just WHY do we ******g bother??" every time they see the little scrote walk out laughing).

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

You might snigger....but you should've seen T's & C's....especially the "renumeration" and "pension" sections....

 

The moment that realisation hit  @polybear   that to get back home and claim his pension and reMUNeration he'd have to somehow use nuclear bombs to turn around.

 

 

 

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

The moment that realisation hit  @polybear   that to get back home and claim his pension and reMUNeration he'd have to somehow use nuclear bombs to turn around.

 

 

 

 

Bravely, he lit the blue touch-paper and retired...

 

[Dave Hunt]

4 hours ago, PupCam said:

Morning!

 

Here's a sight to gladden @Dave Hunt heart I stumbled on this morning on Faceache! 

It's a  shame that the optimism  expressed concerning Lightnings came to naught.

 

 

 

After a rather prolonged absence from this learned establishment I have finally got back to what passes for normality at Hunt Towers and am therefore once more in a position to entertain annoy you all.  I am not even going to attempt to catch up on what has been going on but it was pleasant to be greeted by Puppers' post featuring the dear old Hunter. Although I only got about 650 hours on it, the Hunter still rates as one of my favourites to fly and the video brings back many happy memories (as well as a couple of not so happy ones involving an engine failure and another when one of the main landing gear legs wouldn't come down, both of which resulted in slightly hairy landings). When my Squadron disbanded in Singapore early in 1970 our aircraft were taken back to Hawker Siddleys and refurbished for sale to Switzerland so it is possible that I may have flown one of the Swiss display aircraft in the video. I also knew Mark Hannah when we flew Phantoms together and was sad when he died flying an Me 109.

 

Dave     

[tigerburnie]

Ears have been lowered, but both the missus and the hair dresser insist I should have more than two hair cuts a year, I can't think why, I went 25 years without one once. Though I have to admit I do look a lot like George Clooney now it's cut rather than like Bill Oddie when I didn't......................................

[iL Dottore]

On 02/11/2023 at 13:42, Coombe Barton said:

Another challenge for @iL Dottore for comment?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67296413

 

On 02/11/2023 at 14:49, tigerburnie said:

Townies..............I'd ban 'em and send them back where they came from, I remember being at a council meeting and someone had complained about mud on the road where the tractor had come off the field after ploughing, they wanted the farmer to wash his tractor in the field before leaving..................twice a year. Needless to say they were ignored, oh and by the way if you see a milk bottle crate(do they still exist?) in a field, it's not a cows nest, it's littering...........................

Things were already getting a bit tense at Unterwald am See:

 

And then Nina, Bianca and Bella decided to borrow the Farmer's son's band's gear (the lad is in the Swiss Punk Band The Dead Heidis) and crank up the Cowbells to 11!...

 

 

[iL Dottore]

The Dead Heidi's at this Year's Rock beim Unterwalder Seefest music festival...

[iL Dottore]

On 02/11/2023 at 13:32, Tony_S said:

After the doctor and the captain have appeared will other characters from Commedia dell’arte make an appearance ? 

Characters? Characters!!!???... Well, really, Tone.

 

But as you asked so nicely, some pictures of the Brains Trust traveling to the BT Meeting Point:

@Dave Hunt flew in...

 

@PupCam came by bike...

Whilst @Gwiwer used his Railway man's pass to good effect....

 

@iL Dottore rushed in from the Airport

 

Whilst @unravelled, always wondering whether or not his beloved Dublin-Brewed Draft Guinness would be still be available after Brexit, comes prepared....

 

And @bbishop running a bit late due to a complicated "shout" when on First Responder Duty got a lift from one of his mates...

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Went down to Tess Coes just after lunch for a few bits, at least I won't starve over the weekend. When I got home this quarters Tess Coes vouchers had arrived, A few extra points vouchers for things that I don't want and a double points voucher so next week I will use that for a 'big shop' when I will stock up on things such as washing powder. I drew some extra modelling tokens earlier this week for the toy fair at Rayleigh this coming Sunday, just as well as the queues at the post office were horrendous.

Edited November 3, 2023 by PhilJ W

[DaveF]

The rest of the day has been uneventful, I have taken the first dose of tamsulosin and am still standing up so that is good.  During the latter part of the morning I rang my friend but he was out, we eventually had a good chat on the phone after lunch.

 

I've done a bit of gardening which involved cutting down things which turn to mush over the winter and unattractive herbaceous plants which do not have nice seed heads.  I also picked the quinces, strictly they are "false quinces".  You can make quince jelly with them but I don't really like it so they have gone in the bin as usual, none of my neighbours want them.

 

After that I went into town and had a walk round, I found a couple of box sets of old Audrey Hepburn films in a charity shop which I might get round to watching them one day and I collected the steroid cream from the pharmacy as the GP had redone the prescription.  Despite today being my first visits to the pharmacy for over 5 years I was greeted by name this afternoon when I collected the second part of the prescription.

 

As I expected it was very quiet this afternoon, the shops were nearly all almost empty.  I have realised that there is parking outside the pharmacy as the street has recently been resurfaced and parking spaces added which could be useful, though today I parked in my usual place which is about 5 minutes walk away.

 

David

Edited November 3, 2023 by DaveF

[Gwiwer]

Evening all

 

The Distant (Signal) West has breathed a sigh of relief after the passage of the storm. Not so much as a plant-pot was moved nor harmed. The bin which was modified to rest at a 45-degree angle is happily upright once more. 
 

I was going to fit an idiot-cam to the Little Red Driving Box today. It looks like a DIY job but I was stumped by the instructions:

 

”Open car engine with camera rear of vehicle adsorbed on the glass” 

 

“To achieve function must be machine in the case of electricity”

 

”In standby state of vehicle under vibration of G-spot the sensor automatically video the file” 

 

“Please turn to stop motion when normally driving”

 

OK. Yes. Right. 
 

A quick culinary assessment suggested I didn’t need to make the planned 16-mile round trip to Sainsburys; a top-up at the local Co-op was all that was required for the week ahead. 
 

As the sun lowered I drove out to Chapel Carn Brea. There are only a few days each year when the sun sets directly behind Longships lighthouse when seen from this hilltop. As anyone photographer knows you have to get out there to capture the big-money shots. Sometimes you get lucky. All I got tonight was wet. 
 

Beaten by the weather as cloud and rain arrived a half-hour before sunset. 
 

But I did manage this view as I approached the beacon at the top. 
 

 

There will be other opportunities for the prize shot. 
 

Now it’s Friday Drinks with just me and His Furship; he’s a teetotal cat so I get to drink double to make up for it. 
 

Cheers. 

[monkeysarefun]

 

 

"I'm booking my stay right now!"   ( @polybear )

 

https://amp.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/world-s-end-the-remote-part-of-australia-the-british-failed-to-colonise-20230929-p5e8ng.html

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I have two dash cams that I would like to fit to the car but both came without any instructions so they are still in their boxes but if the instructions are anything like those that @Gwiwer has for his dash cam it would make little difference. I hear that Halfords will fit a dash cam for you, if you buy it from them.

[Coombe Barton]

... Today teaching to not very full places ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/11/03/covid-more-charts-boris-statement-denial-as-expected/

[monkeysarefun]

34 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I have two dash cams that I would like to fit to the car but both came without any instructions so they are still in their boxes but if the instructions are anything like those that @Gwiwer has for his dash cam it would make little difference. I hear that Halfords will fit a dash cam for you, if you buy it from them.

 

 

I had one fitted when I bought the car but every summer the heat melts the double-sided tape holding it on and I find it lying on the floor. 

 

I'd replace the tape and get another few months until the next summer when it would happen again.

 

  After 4 years of trying all brands of so-called super-duper  double-sided tape which all did the same thing  I just gave up and it has spent the last 3 years in my glovebox. 

 

I do at least have half a dozen near perfect rolls of various brands of expensive  double-sided tape, all unused apart from 2cm.

Edited November 3, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

10 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

I had one fitted when I bought the car but every summer the heat melts the double-sided tape holding it on and I find it lying on the floor. 

 

I'd replace the tape and get another few months until the next summer when it would happen again.

 

  After 4 years of trying all brands of so-called super-duper  double-sided tape which all did the same thing  I just gave up and it has spent the last 3 years in my glovebox. 

 

I do at least have half a dozen near perfect rolls of various brands of expensive  double-sided tape, all unused apart from 2cm.

Double sided tape is very useful for tracklaying.

[Winslow Boy]

13 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

I had one fitted when I bought the car but every summer the heat melts the double-sided tape holding it on and I find it lying on the floor. 

 

I'd replace the tape and get another few months until the next summer when it would happen again.

 

  After 4 years of trying all brands of so-called super-duper  double-sided tape which all did the same thing  I just gave up and it has spent the last 3 years in my glovebox. 

 

I do at least have half a dozen near perfect rolls of various brands of expensive  double-sided tape, all unused apart from 2cm.

Have you tried six inch nails Chimpy.