Early Risers.

[Coombe Barton]

... “The outlook for academia with regards to A.I would seem challenging; with students using A.I, quoting faked A.I research, itself citing faked authors and studies … and we base economies, health and defence systems upon such input?!” ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/04/14/eat-out-to-help-out-more-potential-student-falsification-non-flying-eggs/

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

4 hours ago, DaveF said:

Wrynose and Hardknott passes.  Is it meant to be difficult?

 

Oh yes, with bells on.  Do NOT try it unless you are happy to deal with 1 in 3 hill starts and hairpin bends on such gradients.  It is alleged to be the steepest road in Britain, although there are others as steep

Millook Haven is as steep at 1:3 with a couple of hairpins which are pretty close to a 45-degree angle on the insides.  I cycled up and down those a good many times in my younger days and when I had a suitable touring bike with 18 gears.  I specified the ratios myself; bottom gear was the lowest commercially available with its combination of huge rear and tiny front sprockets and got me up anything and everything.  16" I think it was.  You can imagine the looks of both disbelief and amazement when I overtook cyclists on long steep hills who were pushing their steeds and sweating profusely at the same time.  I too wasn't exactly pore-dry but no hill ever defeated me.  

 

I have since driven Millook quite a few times and it's not easy; rather harder heading north (towards Bude) than south despite the latter having two hairpins.  

 

In other news it's been a busy, tiring and successful weekend of displaying the hobby to the general public.  I'm not sure any other ERs were there but more than one other RMwebber certainly was.  A lot of interest right across two days including some unexpectedly positive comments and some good conversations.  And I didn't spend a single Deltic Voucher other than for topping up the value of the supplied lunch vouchers to meet my requirements!  

 

It is time for an early appointment with the snorium.  I was on my feet for eight hours today without even getting a seated lunch break.  Tired?  Oh yes.  G'night. 

[PupCam]

10 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Thats because theres so many more fun things you can do while driving  compared to previous decades. Make a phone call, send a text, order something online,  watch Tik Tok clips, update your facebook status, video yourself talking about stuff as you drive along for your youtube channel - all much less boring than just staring intently at the road the whole time.

 

And in some cases all of those things simultaneously!  You can't beat multi-tasking.

 

 

[Sidecar Racer]

3 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

 As I say, I think his name must have been Richard Head.

 

 

 Not this chap by chance .

 

[Coombe Barton]

3 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

I have since driven Millook quite a few times and it's not easy; rather harder heading north (towards Bude) than south despite the latter having two hairpins.  

Sandy took her mother and her aunt on holiday many times, and once did Millook south to north in a little Suzuki three cylinder jobbie. She said her mum was having kittens all the way up. Her aunt (who will be 94 on Thursday) loved it.

(Memo to self - get a birthday card and pressie.)

(that Suzuki was a great little car.)

[Sidecar Racer]

I did both the lake district one's in a Marina 1300 , first gear scrabbling on some of the hairpin

bends but no real problem , just keep in lower gears and boot it .

Edited April 14 by Sidecar Racer

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Think it's safe to say that spring has finally arrived.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

I just couldn’t seem to find the time to post this morning, busy outside in the garden and sorting out the house plants for Sheila. This evening, we met up with all the family at our favourite Indian restaurant for a much welcome and deserved meal. As always, the food way excellent, but the company even better. Just before we left, I booked a table for us all in June, I’m counting down the days already. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Winslow Boy]

53 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Think it's safe to say that spring has finally arrived.

Wow that is really early into flower. Usually it's May/June- well it is 'oop North. Is the first time it's flowered?

[zarniwhoop]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Millook Haven is as steep at 1:3 with a couple of hairpins which are pretty close to a 45-degree angle on the insides.  I cycled up and down those a good many times in my younger days and when I had a suitable touring bike with 18 gears.  I specified the ratios myself; bottom gear was the lowest commercially available with its combination of huge rear and tiny front sprockets and got me up anything and everything.  16" I think it was.

Colour me impressed. My memory (I'm talking about maybe 30 or 35 years ago) is that riding anything below 30" on roads could be interesting (doing a wheely on a bike with luggage in rear paneers is not recommended). Off-road, of course, lower gears could be very useful.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

56 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Wow that is really early into flower. Usually it's May/June- well it is 'oop North. Is the first time it's flowered?

 The wisteria flowers every year, despite my best efforts to over-prune it...

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Sandy took her mother and her aunt on holiday many times, and once did Millook south to north in a little Suzuki three cylinder jobbie. She said her mum was having kittens all the way up. Her aunt (who will be 94 on Thursday) loved it.

(Memo to self - get a birthday card and pressie.)

(that Suzuki was a great little car.)

 

 

 

In 1981 my mum upgraded her Fiat 500 to a new Suzuki Hatch which had probably the same motor (3 cylinder, 798cc I think). After the Fiat it felt like a Ferrari and was the first time I was able to reach 100kmh thanks to its 40HP!

 

Being Australia, we also got a ute version but mum wouldn't be in on getting one, though she did pick this colour at least..

 

 

 

 

[jjb1970]

Many years ago I bought a s/h Daihatsu Charade as a cheap car to commute between Carlisle and Sellafield. Oh how everyone laughed and derided it. Yes it was a tiny metal box with a tiny engine, but it cost peanuts to buy, cost peanuts to run and sat at 60mph on the A595 very happily. And despite the laughter it had air-con and a decent stereo. Around town it was surprisingly sprites as the gear ratios were well set up for that environment,  albeit at the expense of highway performance.  Which was eminently sensible for such a car.

[jjb1970]

Something commuting on the A595 really highlighted to me was the pointlessness of speeding. I  sat at either 60 or behind whoever was ahead as fuel use spiralled up above 60 and unless the vehicle ahead was really really slow overtaking happened in slow motion (the disadvantage of a 1.0lt engine geared for urban performance). I would see the usual suspects driving at crazy speeds and in the evenings the Evo/STi/hot hatch organ donor fraternity and as often a not after overtaking me and disappearing into the distance I would see the same cars a few vehicles ahead at traffic lights in Carlisle. Use way more fuel, risk your license (the A595 was a favourite for mobile speed cameras) and ultimately it doesn't even get you there much quicker.

[Ozexpatriate]

30 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

fuel use spiralled up above 60 ...

During the energy crisis in the 1970s, the US mandated a speed limit of 55 mph. Cue Sammy Hagar. This limit stayed in place for many years.

 

Most of the Interstate highway system was designed for 70 mph.

 

I ask, what is "speeding"? Certainly there is a point where the reaction times become so short that very high speeds are indeed very dangerous, but most speed "limits" are somewhat arbitrary.

 

And with switching to EVs the "fuel" question becomes moot.

 

Edited April 15 by Ozexpatriate

[jjb1970]

In Britain the speed limits are generally 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 depending on road. What is called 'national speed limit' is 60 or 70 on a dual carriageway or motorway. The annoying ones are roads where the speed limit is all over the place, it'll be 60, then 50, then 40, then 60 then a few miles on 50 again and so on. A lot of roads are generally 60 out of town but drop to 30 when going through villages or small towns.

 

Another issue with arbitrary speed limits is they can be woefully inappropriate for a given road. Cumbria has loads of 60mph roads for which I'd say 40 is pushing what is safe let alone 60 given the geometry, narrow surface and limited visibility ahead.

 

A problem on many British A roads is they're quite twisty so often it's difficult to get a safe overtaking space, and drivers tend to think they're a lot better than they actually are which can lead to some pretty stupid over taking manoeuvres. Ultimately, speed limits are statutory, so whether or not they make sense is moot in the eyes of the law. 

 

In my last car, an Audi A6, I found 60 - 70 the sweet spot. Dropping below 60 didn't make that much difference at steady speed until dropping right down (30 - 40 constant) while going above 70 )...ahem....not that I did such a thing) saw fuel use start to go up significantly. So quite aside from the legal argument I found cruising at 70 on the motorway (where 70 is achievable......) was the best balance of journey time and cost as well as not having to worry about speed cameras etc.

[TheQ]

one " A " road I use in Scotland that used to be mostly 60, with drops to 40 or 30 through villages, now is 20 through villages. With every speed limit from 20 , 30, 40, 50, 60mph along the road and a lot of speed cameras.

 

I'm glad I didn't use the car Rani was driving, that Toyota is basically the same car as our Peugeot " little red Driving machine"© Gwiwer. 999cc of nothing power. You have to change down on a Norfolk hill, slight slope...

[Barry O]

Ey up !

 

Guess what?

It's chuckinitdarn..what a surprise! NOT!

our first car.. Bessie.. was a mini in Tundra Green and had a very small engine in it of an A series type. Could trundle along at 60 but didn't like going up hills.

 

Today will involve a Zoom meeting plus a trip to the MRC to replace our water carrier which self destructed on Saturday.pah!

 

At some point I need to put together a short presentation on making things dirty, hopefully the attendees will enjoy it along with the opportunity to have a go themselves.

 

Time fo my mugatea and then.. to infinity and beyond..

 

Baz

Edited April 15 by Barry O
Internet anarchy!

[jamie92208]

11 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

Oh yes, with bells on.  Do NOT try it unless you are happy to deal with 1 in 3 hill starts and hairpin bends on such gradients.  It is alleged to be the steepest road in Britain, although there are others as steep (Rosedale Chimney I think).  I got pushed off the road there last year by a Range Rover, hit a rock and smashed an alloy wheel - not happy - b'sterd didn't even stop.  Luckily I do have a spare wheel in my car.  I have been over more on bikes than the car, but were going to the Ratty (as in the programme) as my mate is a driver there and I was on for a footplate ride - great fun.  Jamie was a guard there too, and occasional poster in garden railways forum David Mart is too.

 

I did them both many times when volunteering on the Ratty.  I even once took a transit minibus full of senior Indian officers over it.  Most of that went OK but it struggled on the final section going up Harknott.  I made them get out and walk. Some of them even pushed and thought it was great fun. 

 

10 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Lamborghini was and still is a tractor manufacturer. The story goes that the owner was looking at buying a new Ferrari but decided he could build a better car so he did.

The story I was told was that Signor Lamborghini wanted a Ferrari but Enzo wouldn't sell him one as he didn't want to see a tractor maker driving one of his cars, so he built his own, 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good moaning g from a sunny but cooler Charente. We had a good afternoon playing Belote and beat our tutors.  Today it's French class so I better get my homework done.  Definitely no AI involved in that task, and decidedly a lack of actual intelligence.  Grass to cut this afternoon. 

 

We have sections of 30kph (20mph) in most villages usually near schools.  I warn UK visitors to obey them, 99% of them have quite vicious speed bumps. 

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

7 hours near solid sleep, I needed that.

 

Ben the surprised Collie found Swmbo coming downstairs before we went out.

Then we put him on a lead and went down the garden.. also in unusual.

Every time he went to water the garden Swmbo would approach him with a bowl, he would stop, look at us, " What are you mad humans up to?"

Eventually swmbo timed it right and got a sample. Luckily we also have a supply of spare "sample  bottles" from previous of our own problems .

In 1/2 hour we head off to the vets with Ben.. that won't please him at all.

 

I must admit I'm not looking forward to the Scottish trip in the " little red driving machine"© Gwiwer. It will be heavily loaded and I'm not fancying the A66 and M74 hills, there's no way I'm using the cross country / over the hills "A" road route in it.

 

Ben's gone off for an unescorted wander out.

 

All my working life I worked in air conditioned often clean air buildings. My nose is not liking this going outside regularly, I'm suffering from hay fever, the worst since 1971 when we moved to the Outer Hebrides and the different plant life out there.

 

Plans for today,

Vets,

Print out copies of the years MRC accounts for tomorrow's AGM, the spreadsheets are done of course as I needed them for HMRC.

Order card reader...

Draw up wiring plan for French unmentionable, really need to make some decisions on that.

 

But first...

 

Time for a muggacoffee.

[New Haven Neil]

 

Morning, from a very windy, showery rock, 7c and I'm staying inside!  Its 'orrid out there.

 

42 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I even once took a transit minibus full of senior Indian officers over it.  Most of that went OK but it struggled on the final section going up Harknott.  I made them get out and walk. Some of them even pushed and thought it was great fun. 

 

The first time I went over it was also in a Transit minibus, not driving though, it was on a team building thing when I was a Merch cadet, err probably 1976.  Soon afterwards I did it on the bike of the time, a Honda CB200, and since then have ridden and driven many vehicles over, being a Ratty fan!  Mrs NHN hates it, I love it.  The smashed wheel last year was due to a hidden rock in a tussock of grass I hit when avoiding the a$$ in the Rangie who came barrelling through scattering everyone else on the road, I reported him to the plod as I have a dashcam, I copied the footage and passed it to them, they agreed he was out of order but I didn't hear any more about it.

 

I thought Anita Rani did OK in that little roller skate, she didn't look terrified, and seemed to enjoy the filming.

[Gwiwer]

Good Morning all. Welcome to Moan-day where the wind is moaning through trees and wires in empathy. 
 

The Little Red Driving Box is a 997cc Corsa. Not the most powerful of beasts. But after the first couple of trips I quickly adapted to the required technique to get the best out of it. 
 

With five speeds (six including backwards) gear selection is often matched to speed limit; 2nd for 20, 3rd for 30 and so on.  The A3071 Penzance road is neither flat nor straight with blind summits and deceptively sharp bends; it has no safe overtaking spots in eight miles. It is National Speed Limit throughout except for a half-mile at 30mph through Newbridge mid-way. The safe speed along most of it is 40-50mph. A classic case of the limit being “default” rather than “safe”. 
 

You can, should you wish, whizz past Tremethick Cross at 60mph having zero visibility of anything entering from the side turns until disaster is inevitable. The same is true for them - they cannot see you and have to go when they can. 
 

The LRDB takes this all in her stride. Second off the A30 roundabout and up Mount Misery. Up to fourth for the most part. Ease the speed passing Newbridge farm in the wiggly narrows and let her roll down to 30 for the village. Power up the hill beyond comfortably reaching 50 before more wiggles enforce easing to 40. Then 50 over the moors despite the twists and turns. Ease to 40 above blue pool’s s-bends then power through the dip touching 60 before the rise into town brings the speed down to the posted 40 then 30 for the town. 
 

I can do that without touching the brakes.  
 

Going into town is similar with a nice roll down Newbridge hill from 40 at the top to passing the limit sign spot on 30. 
 

Load her up with passengers though and it’s harder work. That’s when having the smaller engine makes a difference.