Early Risers.

[Smiffy2]

13 hours ago, Barry O said:

When I worked in Bradford there were still horse drawn rag and bone carts.. that was in the 1990s...

 

Baz

This one was working in Carshalton in 1969. The rag and bone man used to spend his evenings in the pub, and the other boozers would shove his inert body into the back of the van and the horse would take him home...

(Apologies for bad neg, taken on a Halina 35mm in my yoof)

 

[Ohmisterporter]

In 1950s Lancaster a rag and bone man came around with a pony and trap. In exchange for rags he gave a goldfish in a plastic bag, swimming in water obviously. I excitedly took mine home and was surprised by dad's reaction. He had to go into town for a goldfish bowl and some gravel and fish food. I don't know what that cost him but Goldie was a strange fish; in the bowl he swam on his side for some reason. The following morning he was upside down. When I came home from school Goldie was gone and the bowl had disappeared. I reckon the rag and bone man had the best of that deal.

Stay safe all.

[monkeysarefun]

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

@Smiffy2..hope you didn't watch the kickball last night. New manager must buy a proper goal Scorer..  it won't happen.. not a happy bunny!

 

 

 

With a warm weekend (37 tomorrow) organised I was hoping to spend it in  air-conditioned comfort watching the first test, but it was all over  by lunchtime Friday.  Oh for the West Indies side of my formative years -  Viv Richards,  Desmond Haynes, Big Bird, Clive Lloyd and so on - superstars all. 

 

In fact thinking back, that time period  was the heyday of sport - Bathurst had actual cars you could afford to buy from the local dealer the day after the race,  before they opened it up to the world and wrecked it with John Player Special BMW's, blow-in Cosworths something or others etc, it just  killed the fun.

 

Also,  Rugby League players still had actual jobs to do in the off-season  - usually working the bins - rather than  spending it having  scandals with social media influencers in nightclub toilets.

 

Sport today compared to the late 70's/ early '80's - 1 star.

Edited January 20 by monkeysarefun

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone 

 

Another late start today and I’ve been busy ever since. On the plus side, I managed an hour in the garden and workshop his morning, cleaning and refilling the bird feeders and putting away a lot of the items I picked up yesterday. I’ve so emptied the 2 recycling bags and the kitchen waste caddy. It has just started to rain, so I think my timing for coming back inside was good. 
 

Back later.
 

Brian

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

The biggest problem is the place where the car was taken is nowhere near a bus route as is the dealer where I hope to obtain the replacement. 

Mate, if you are  confident that you are getting a car from them  give the dealership  a call and ask   tell  them to pick you up. If they want a sale they should - they will here.

 

 Exhibit A - I bought my electric car     ute, in Canberra which is 250km away. When it came time to sign for it I ensured that  as part of the deal that they would either send someone up   here in a car and drive me back down to get it , or they'd ship the ute up to me.

 

Turned out to be option B due to my work commitments.

 

 First rule of buying stuff:    If you don't ask - you don't get! 

 

Edited January 20 by monkeysarefun

[monkeysarefun]

On 19/01/2024 at 22:13, Gwiwer said:

As many of us will know Australia has a very sparse rail system.  I won't call it a network.  A single line, which requires use of at least two gauges, can be traced from Perth across to Adelaide, Melbourne and up the east coast by way of Sydney and Brisbane to Cairns.  And not much more.  An inland route from Sydney to Adelaide.  The recently-built line to Darwin and the regional lines radiating from Melbourne.  The major cities have suburban networks.  There are freight lines (some of which are of considerable length) often to remote grain loading facilities which might see a few trains in the loading season then nothing for 11 months.  There are rails to the NSW and QLD coalfields to facilitate export through (mostly) Newcastle, Mackay and Gladstone.

 

 

Theres also the still - under-construction inland freight  line  from Adelaide to Brisbane.

 

Its 1,700km length will cost 31 billion (£16 billion pounds equivalent). It will cater for double-stacked trains of lengths of up to 3.6km, which guarantees that  those in the districts  it passes through  will dread the DingDingDingDingDingDing  as the crossing gate closes ahead  of them. 

Edited January 20 by monkeysarefun

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Also,  Rugby League players still had actual jobs to do in the off-season  - usually working the bins - rather than  spending it having  scandals with social media influencers in nightclub toilets.

 

Sport today compared to the late 70's/ early '80's - 1 star.

Yes I worked with a certain Brian Noble who was a police officer in Bradford.  I once had to book in a prisoner who had called him a scared little sh1t, in the back of a van. Not the best decision that the guy made in his life. Mind you there was one other star who was a rather well known burglar. He could outrun anyone who chased him. 

 

Jamie

Edited January 20 by jamie92208

[monkeysarefun]

23 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Yes I worked with a certain Brian Noble who was a police officer in Bradford.  I once had to book in a prisoner who had called him a scared little sh1t, in the back of a van. Not the best decision that the guy made in his life. Mi d you there was one other star who was a rather well known burglar. He could outrun a yone who chased him. 

 

Jamie

 

 

The bloke who played  hooker for Canterbury Bankstown in the 80's - George Peponis - was a medical doctor in his other job, commentators took delight in saying  stuff like "and a quick flick pass to Dr Peponis!". 

 

(I never heard them mention him getting a  hospital pass* though)

 

 

(*An unexpected  pass made to you by a team mate in panic at  being imminently  tackled, that  will ensure that you are tackled instead in such a manner that you will probably have to  go to hospital)

Edited January 20 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

you don't ask - you don't get! 

I think Phil mentioned they didn’t pick up the phone. When I first bought cars, car dealers were quite persistent and pushy. When I went looking in 2010 I was amazed at how hard it was to get someone to respond to my enquiries. With the notable exception of Volkswagen and Land Rover. I thought the Peugeot dealer was cross at being disturbed.  The Ford dealer seemed to be very depressed. We did return to the Ford dealer in 2012 to buy a used Fiesta and the sales service was excellent. The Land Rover dealership staff all seem quite trained, polite “may I help?” My usual answer now is that I am just looking while waiting for my car to be serviced. And to say how nice the Land Rovers look when clean. 

Edited January 20 by Tony_S

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Went for a walk up to King Down, north of Wimborne, this morning. 

[Hroth]

3 hours ago, Smiffy2 said:

We used to have deliveries by horse and van for bread and milk when I were a young 'un. I remember my old man going out with a shovel and bucket and collecting the leavings. He put it on his rhubarb.

I always preferred custard on mine.

 

My Great Aunt lived on a road that formed part of the route Ginger Macains horses took for exercise on the beach at Birkdale.   They would often leave deposits that she collected to mulch her rhubarb with.  It was really good rhubarb and I like to think that Red Rum made an occasional contribution to its excellence!

 

We always consumed the rhubarb with custard too...

 

[Smiffy2]

6 hours ago, Barry O said:

 

 

@Smiffy2..hope you didn't watch the kickball last night. New manager must buy a proper goal Scorer..  it won't happen.. not a happy bunny!

 

Baz

I did. A horrible experience. I really don't get 'the plan' at the moment. I think we need a new new manager, possibly the old new manager...

[Rugd1022]

On the subject of rag 'n' bone men - back in 1972 on a family visit to London we were all schlepping down Chiswick High Road when we saw Harry H. Corbett and Wilfred Bramble with Hercules the 'orse pulling their cart, followed very closely by a large blue BBC van with a camera gear on the roof.

 

 

Roll on three years later, and on another visit we saw the Mk1 3.0 Consul GT from The Sweeney being driven round Hammersmith Broadway festooned with scaffolding and cameras.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20 by Rugd1022

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Four hours muddling in 3 bits, breaks required for drying / setting.

First time I've used modelling paints in mini squeezy bottles, now I've tried them I quite like it. Just squeeze a blob onto a brush and paint. SCC 15 olive drab was applied.

 

Ben taken for his long walk, which he cut short as there appears to be shooting going on in 3 different places.

 

Awaiting a parcel or two from the house of strong ladies, of which mine is thin MDF. 

[Coombe Barton]

Just back from the memorial/celebration of life event for a former colleague. It was held at Twycross Zoo. Quite a number of former colleagues there. There learnt that he was a narrow gauge modeller. More on the blog later. 

[DaveF]

The tide was more than half way in so I decided not to go to the river but instead to Seaton Sluice for a quick walk.  It was very dull, in fact it's never really got light all day so no photos.  There were a few people about, I had a walk round Rocky Island.  There were still some icicles on rocks projecting from the cliffs.  There were a few birds about, oystercatchers on rocks just above the water, cormorants, crows and a lot of sparrows.  No heron today, the tide would be too high for it.    Visbility wasn't bad but you couldn't see the Cheviot which is over 30 miles away.

 

I came back via the local Tesco Extra for a newspaper and had coffee and looked at another 800 photos, old and new.  

 

This afternoon I've sorted out yet more photos and done a bit on the model.  As it is quite sheltered in the back garden I tidied up some dead bits and cut some thin rose branches back before tomorrow's gale arrives.  

 

In other words a quiet but satisfying day.  I've ordered a few more ready meals, this time frozen which should arrive on Tuesday.  They were on offer so it was too good to miss.

 

Not much else has happened, no important e mails, post or phone calls.  I did have quite a long chat with a neighbour while he was cleaning his car.

 

I might watch some football and possibly a very old Dixon of Dock Green.

 

David

[Sidecar Racer]

13 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

 Flavio @iL Dottore. Is he on an RMweb hiatus?

 

 He appears to have de-camped to The Night Mail thread .

 

Which begs the question , who here upset him ?     😎

Edited January 20 by Sidecar Racer

[Hroth]

11 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

He appears to have de-camped to The Night Mail thread .

 

Which begs the question , who here upset him ?

 

Who would possibly do that?

Unless it was something to do with food.....

 

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

Cold, wet n windy - outside, anyway. Yellow warnings for tomorrow. Hope there are no power cuts!

 

Lotsatootontheflute inside in the warm just about sums up my day. Some progress made when playing the song to the beat but more consistency is required before I move onto the next section...but I have found the complete video of how that should be played so happy about that.

 

ION

I ordered a pair of base layer long johns - for Women. When they arrived, I wondered why they were so long lying along the ground for three inches or so when I held them up to the waist, and why they looked so narrow about the hips. A close look at the tiny label on the packet revealed they had sent the Mens ones! Shuldve gone to specksavers! At least I have a full refund so I can (try and) order the right ones, this time! 

 

Mugadecaf time, then conjure up some dinner and snuggle down to watch tonight's stick the balls down the 'ole semi.

 

Take care. Be good. Be watchful.

Polly

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Shopping done and stashed away, Tess Coes was busy and being a Saturday so were the taxis, I called one and it took ten minutes to arrive, I can't wait to get mobile again.

[Barry O]

A brief stroll around Gargrave followed by a nice lunch (fish pie) and a pint of Bllllaaaaaaaaccccck Sheep has been enjoyed. Watch8ng thr T20s from saffer land.. looks warmer there than here.

 

Someone was complaining about no "late buses" in Leeds.. timetable reck9ns the last one from the city centre is 23:35.. seems she hasn't tried travelling by bus in Leeds since lockdown...doh!

 

Time for tea!

 

(We have regained our night buses (1:30am from town ) so It isn't a problem where we live!)

 

Baz

[Coombe Barton]

... At the end of the celebration many of us gathered round a table. It seemed like a departmental meeting of yore. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/01/20/covid-enquiry-scotland-on-retailed-messages-and-a-celebration-of-life/

[The Lurker]

Managed to fit in a walk through Foots Cray Meadows yesterday after dropping the car off for Mrs Lurker. The frost had started to clear and the Cray was running higher than I expected. Five Arches Bridge in the shots below.

 

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Sport today compared to the late 70's/ early '80's - 1 star.

I think that tennis is much the same. We even have players sporting the Newk 'stache.

 

Still plenty of bad boys* for the fogeys to 'tut' 'tut' over. The women's game is fantastic. We need some Aussies to step up now that the 'Barty party' is over.

 

* The behaviour of Connors and McEnroe would now be considered quite tame - and with electronic line calling, Johnny Mac wouldn't have linesmen to complain about.

[Ozexpatriate]

I got an hour-long walk in. The pavement was an alternating combination of dry and treacherously icy. Too much dry for traction devices, and too much icy not to have them. I managed to not fall over. The sun was visible for a while. It's about 3°C. Hopefully the icy patches will be gone by tomorrow. It is supposed to rain tonight. That should do it.