Early Risers.

[DaveF]

I went to Plessey Woods this morning, a country park which like all in Northumberland offers 1 hour of free parking which is usually enough for me.  You have to know just to press the "OK" button to get the free ticket, it is not immediately obvious from the instructions.  There was a family there from Scandinavia who were trying to sort out how to pay, I saw them as I was parking but by the time I had parked and changed my shoes they had managed to get a ticket with the help of someone else.  For longer than 1 hour is is coins or phone (this is one of the few country parks  here which has a phone signal).

 

I had a pleasant walk for about 45 minutes through the wood to the river and back by another path.  There were lots of wild flowers, especially bluebells and wild garlic, a few photos should be below, this time taken with a Nikon D7200.  I shall be pleased when I can bend and kneel more easily, it will lead to better flower photos but these will do for now.  On the way back I saw an friend who was a headteacher of a primary school, since he retired he has worked part time as a ranger.  He had a group of primary school pupils with him looking at things living in a stream.

 

Back at home I had coffee and sorted out the photos, then had a  piece of  pork pie with a salad for lunch.  On the label it said Melton Mowbray so it had the correct shade of grey uncured meat and tasted good.

 

I spent most of the afternoon scanning prewar family photos taken at Challaborough in Devon and at the house where my grandparents lived until the war in a village in Nottinghamshire.  I visited it once when it was for sale about 50 years ago, it was very nice and had a huge garden with a tennis court.  I've just looked it up on the web, in 2016 it was worth £600,000, it has since been extended and is now worth around £1.6 million.  I doubt my grandfather got anything like that much when he sold it early in the war and became a headmaster.

 

I am beginning to wonder how long this scanning will take, the more I look the more photos I find!

 

Plessey Woods bluebells

 

Plessey Woods wild garlic

 

Plessey Woods red campion

 

Plessey Woods May blossom

 

David

Edited May 3 by DaveF

[Grizz]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Post din dins and Bear goes for a Hilly Walk - despite the rain.  What happens?  Some complete T0sser drives thru’ a puddle at speed as Bear was walking past…… 🤬🤬🤬

And they were in a Fiat 500 with no oncoming traffic.

Rumour has it that A Certain Bear might just have called them a naughty word that rhymes with at least part of Sqn. Ldr Hunt…..

Is there a separate ‘List’ for Fiat 500 drivers whose nick names rhyme with James Hunt then? 

[polybear]

28 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Paint has been purchased for adding this year's shiny coat to the cottage.  I'm cheating and using water-based gloss straight onto the washed-down and lightly-rubbed previous coat.  I have neither time nor skills to do a full rub-down-to-wood and apply everything from undercoat upwards.  

 

If the existing paint is in good nick then it's better to leave it where it is and not take it back to bare wood anyway as it provides added protection; personally I prefer oil based paint though as I find it tougher, longer lasting and easier to apply (that water based stuff often dries so quickly it's still on the end of the brush and not the wood...)

 

3 minutes ago, Grizz said:

Is there a separate ‘List’ for Fiat 500 drivers whose nick names rhyme with James Hunt then? 

 

There is now.....

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

That's a pick-up truck! 😉

 

Oval logo suggests a Ford but that's not a F-150 / F-350 etc. And it's generative AI. It does 'look' Toyotary, but isn't.

 

 

 

Actually the snow was all I needed to realise that @polybear had faked the picture of an Australian "ute". 

 

I'd agree with you about the Ford grill, I'd say the AI  checked out Aussie ute/pickups and chose  the Ford Ranger, though thanks to the Government primary industry and mining tax rebate on them  which everyone else can take advantage of there's oh so many soulless 4 door ute/pickup/SUV/s here now, all diesel and all looking identical that I can't be bothered trying to figure out what it is any further. 

 

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

"Had" to go clothes shopping with my wife into Poole. 🤪

However, I just chanced to go into one of the discount bookshops, and came out with a book on the LMS Turbo------ loco.

[jamie92208]

Having read all the comments about updates, Android has just told me there is anlupdate arriving. 

 

Jamie

Edited May 3 by jamie92208

[The White Rabbit]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

...  then bvggerin’ about with a new printer cartridge that refuses to be recognised - even after trying the usual tricks.  As I bought it in mid 2022 as a part of a full colour set the seller (Stinkyinks) won’t send a replacement as it’s more than 12 months.  T0ssers 🤬. A new one is on it’s way to Bear Towers - from a different company…..

The bit that really p1sses me off is I want a B & W print - and it’s a colour cartridge…… 🤬

 

Post din dins and Bear goes for a Hilly Walk - despite the rain.  What happens?  Some complete T0sser drives thru’ a puddle at speed as Bear was walking past…… 🤬🤬🤬

And they were in a Fiat 500 with no oncoming traffic.

Rumour has it that A Certain Bear might just have called them a naughty word ... 

 

Printerinks is my bete noire of ink suppliers - sent me a cartridge which wouldn't work in my printer despite their website claiming it was compatible. Then refused to refund or replace. One of the times I wish I had a credit card, with the extra protection. GDPR was ignored by these skunks as well, unsolicited emails sent [several months] after unsubscribing (and getting an email to prove). I referred the *s to the commissioner. 

 

At the risk of appearing to confuse RMW with Freecycle, my printer has recently given up the ghost, keeps giving error messages about cartridges not being recognised - despite none being changed recently and all still having at least some ink in. It is however over 16 years old. I had a look online and tried a couple of the suggested fixes, didn't work. So anyone near Otley fancying a free printer to try their luck with, PM me urgently - it has a date with the tip on Tuesday otherwise. 

 

Puddin, that happened to me too on a local street. I suspect gross doziness rather than deliberate malevolence ... particularly as the driver pulled into his driveway while still within sight of me. As our american friends might say, I'll claim the fifth on the sequel to this episode... 

[Dave Hunt]

5 hours ago, 45156 said:

Afternoon All

 

Back from afternoon tea - Dave, the memory was possibly better than my actuality today - the hotel is badly in need of a facelift - the room was quite dull, and for £25 the tea was good but really only worth about £17.  There was no choice of tea - just English breakfast from a tea bag - not even leaf tea.  Sandwiches were nice but oh so tiny - scone was not bad, but jam was just a little jar of Tiptree raspberry and the sweet treats were - sweet - good job I took some extra insulin with me. 

 

There is another tea shop in Ludlow which we will try the next time - which will be for 30747's birthday which was in February, but which we missed as I was just out of hospital.

 

What a shame, you have my sympathies. Still, it will save me a disappointment next time we visit Ludlow. I'd be interested to know how you get on with your next outing.

 

Dave

 

 

[polybear]

1 hour ago, The White Rabbit said:

At the risk of appearing to confuse RMW with Freecycle, my printer has recently given up the ghost, keeps giving error messages about cartridges not being recognised - despite none being changed recently and all still having at least some ink in. It is however over 16 years old. I had a look online and tried a couple of the suggested fixes, didn't work. So anyone near Otley fancying a free printer to try their luck with, PM me urgently - it has a date with the tip on Tuesday otherwise. 

 

Whilst the Hospice Charity does take small electricals (they all go on the 'bay after being PAT tested (but not tested for correct operation - there's just no time to check them out properly) they won't touch Printers** - presumably too many in the past have sent bvggered ones to the Charity to let someone else fight with.

 

**Microwaves are another - though I suspect that's safety related.

[Coombe Barton]

... When everything is marked it will be interesting to see how attendance and marks match ...

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2024/05/03/covid-by-age-first-marking-of-the-season-ai-again/

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The arthritis is playing merry hell this evening, I took a couple of co-codamols earlier and I will take a couple more before going to bed. I watched 'The Great Steam Adventure' on channel 5 earlier, not too bad and hats off to Peter Davison for steering an enormous traction engine through the narrow Lakeland roads, especially where there was a lot of traffic.

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,

Which is no different to all day Awl, cos it's still precipitating, that's 14+ hours of it...

The radar museum was quiet, I saw just 8 people and only did one guided tour, one guy didn't need the tour, he was the same RAF trade as me, and we missed each other at trade training by just a few weeks.

 

Much sort of modeling done, 10 of those failing switch caps were repaired, and I'm told every one so far reinstated has worked.🙂

Then I built the case for the mini ultrasonic radar from the kit of parts I made last week.

It's now setting, next week I just need to give it a polish up and mount it on the board.. oh I painted the board today too. ( Blue of course).

 

Got home to a subdued swmbo.. I left her with the bottom of the stove  open, telling her to shut it when the fire got started... She forgot and went down to the mobile home... A near neighbour came hammering at the door... Our chimney was doing an impression of a loco at full acceleration, with a full load ,  up a hill..

 

She shut down the stove, and covered the fire with ash... and is now worried about damage done... That won't be known till Monday when I'll have time to clean out the remains , check the fire bars etc..

 

I suppose it was better soggy today than tomorrow, as I'll be on car park duty, for http://www.horningboatshow.com/ the fact that as well as encouraging people to go across to the sailing club https://www.horning-sailing.club/ , I'll have a pocket full of radar museum leaflets https://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/ , and another pocket full of leaflets about something unmentionable happening in Hoveton village hall Stalham Rd, Hoveton, Norwich NR12 8DU, Sunday May 26th, 10:00 to 16:00. https://broadlandmodelrailwayclub.co.uk/hoveton-2024/

Has nothing to do with why I volunteered for the job of course...

 

Muggachoccy gone,

Good night Awl.

 

Edited May 3 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[jjb1970]

9 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

I'd agree with you about the Ford grill, I'd say the AI  checked out Aussie ute/pickups and chose  the Ford Ranger, though thanks to the Government primary industry and mining tax rebate on them  which everyone else can take advantage of there's oh so many soulless 4 door ute/pickup/SUV/s here now, all diesel and all looking identical that I can't be bothered trying to figure out what it is any further. 

 

 

 

There used to be a similar thing in Britain, some tax advantage for pick ups which led to a booming market for crew cab types with four doors. Manufacturers developed luxury ranges which were given all the same toys and fancy wheels as high end luxury cars. However I think they changed the legal bit that made them attractive and the market seemed to evaporate (though you still see quite a few).

 

The other booming market for a while was pick ups with expensive expedition upgrades and performance packs, like the Isuzu D-Max Arctic. Utterly pointless in a country like Britain, but so is a Ferrari or Lamborghini and even hot hatches are pretty pointless on public roads so it's probably a bit unfair to criticise fancy pick ups.

[BR60103]

17 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Some interesting conversations; one even got a bit heated. The programme broke off for the shipping forecast just before 1am. Can't remember if I've ever listened to it all the way through. In a way it's quite melodic; I tried to visualise travelling clockwise around the coast, starting in the far north, as it was read out. When you think it's finished, then come the inshore water reports and then the forecast.
 

Try this version

Weather Forecast -- the Master Singers

 

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

 

 

The other booming market for a while was pick ups with expensive expedition upgrades and performance packs, like the Isuzu D-Max Arctic. Utterly pointless in a country like Britain, but so is a Ferrari or Lamborghini and even hot hatches are pretty pointless on public roads so it's probably a bit unfair to criticise fancy pick ups.

 

 

Every SUV and 4WD ute worth its salt here has a roobar, massive lights and a snorkel.  Outside the city I acknowledge that the bar and lights make a bit of  sense but I have no idea the thinking behind paying out $1000+ to add a snorkel on your shiny urban assault vehicle.

 

Edited May 4 by monkeysarefun

[jjb1970]

There's a whole hobby of Land Rover Defender enthusiasts in Britain who pimp up their vehicles to be able to compete in the Paris-Dakar Rally or operate with the SAS in Afghanistan so they're properly prepared to make the arduous trip to Tesco or the next Land Rover show.

[polybear]

Bear here......

 

It seems the next 3 days promises to bring at least reasonable weather over Bear Towers - well, that's if the Met Forecast is accurate.....

Alexa has other ideas, however, telling Bear there's a 49% chance of rain today, a 55% chance tomorrow and 90% on Monday.....

Bear's money is on Alexa.....

Turdycurses.

 

Bear has the joys of driving the washing machine to look forward to today; there may also be some cleaning of Bear Towers to be done.  Whoopeeshit.

 

BG

 

[TheQ]

With the rain we had round here this winter I was seriously thinking of a proper snorkel, certainly the flooding of some roads in Norfolk were of snorkel needing level.

 

Mooring Awl,

2 hours sleep long awake only solved by couple of pink pills, found out some of the problem this morning.. I was attempting to sleep on my watch which had come off.

 

Ben the good Collie had a very nice patrol in zero wind and 100% blue Welkin.

.

I've been threatening to wear a kilt for the show for some years.. with this weather ... This is it.

Kilt is now ready to change into.

 

I've got to leave in ten minutes.

 

Time to make like a blue xxxx fly Highlander.

 

[Grizz]

30 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

There's a whole hobby of Land Rover Defender enthusiasts in Britain who pimp up their vehicles to be able to compete in the Paris-Dakar Rally or operate with the SAS in Afghanistan so they're properly prepared to make the arduous trip to Tesco or the next Land Rover show.

Yeah and there’s another whole hobby of Land Rover Defender ‘Less than Enthusiastics’… who are doing their bit for the environment by allowing particles of rust to fall off of their vehicles every day as they bomb around the country side, out farming, shooting and ‘off roading’ on what’s left of our highways road surfaces. There by making such vehicles more and more fuel efficient every day. 
 

Sometimes these particles of rust can amount to several kilos of metal and on one occasion they took the form of a whole back door! Still it is at times like that, that it makes you feel enormously proud to know that you are really doing your part to address world issues! 
 

I’m even considering writing to the Swedish Enviro Fascist to tell of my endeavours.
 

Might even get on the Nobel short list…..well probs somebody’s short list anyway! 

[Grizz]

See, see….they've done it again! 

 

Weightrose have done it again. They have reduced their Portuguese custard tarts to £1 each…….

 

This is a conspiracy. 
 

So I bought two…..

 

And their plan worked….the birty dastards. 
 

[Grizz]

Mmmmmmmm custardy goodness….

[Winslow Boy]

3 minutes ago, Grizz said:

See, see….they've done it again! 

 

Weightrose have done it again. They have reduced their Portuguese custard tarts to £1 each…….

 

This is a conspiracy. 
 

So I bought two…..

 

And their plan worked….the birty dastards. 
 

What's more they knew you were coming. Very suspicious that.

[DaveF]

It's rained just about all night, about 14mm so far but it is supposed to stop soon and then just be dull all day.  It's cool as well, 9°C now, it might reach 14°C by teatime.   I suppose the weather has realised it is a bank holiday weekend so it cannot be too good.

 

I had planned on some light gardening today and also planting some begonias in pots in the greenhouse.  That won't happen, once again the greenhouse has water inside it.

 

I'll probably end up scanning old photos again, the next batch are Dad and his brother in the 1930s, old photos of two schools grandfather had shares in, followed by an assortment starting in the early 20s going on to the 60s.  Some of them are interesting.  I think there are so many as my grandfather took quite a lot of photos.  He also took cine film, 16mm including railways but that seems to have been lost over the years.  I suspect it may have gone in one of grandmother's periodic clear outs after Grandad died.  She would have been very good at telling people how to declutter their homes, though after she died a lot of stuff was found, some quite valuable but they may have been her second husband's things.

 

Further down the pile are photos and documents of and about my Great Uncle who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Sherwood Foresters, captured in Norway and taken to be seen by Hitler before spending the rest of the war in prison camps.   Sadly he died quite young in 1949 so I never knew him though he did see me just after I was born.

 

Three photos below.

Guess where.  Grandparents holiday snap 1939

 

Me with Mum at Nottingham Victoria learning about trainspotting

 

I've always liked cars - Brighton

 

David

Edited May 4 by DaveF