Early Risers.

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

The events in Paris certainly put everything else in to perspective. I fail to understand what these cowards hope to gain by attacking such soft targets in the name of a twisted interpretation of religion. All they are succeeding in doing is to cause disgust and outrage around the world! Must be rather scary for Tony and Aditi, thank goodness they didn't go a week later!!

To more mundane things -

Robert, many thanks for your concern over the heater question. As a student of thermodynamics, I fully understand the dangers of such devices and it is only used in the greenhouse to protect some sensitive plants from harsh weather. I mentioned the Parazone version simply because it was the only type of paraffin heater I'd experienced. Neil has explained that the one he is considering is a completely different device with plenty of built in safety! Thank you anyway, we should never hold back if we perceive danger.

Neil, thanks for the link to the heater you've chosen - it may be a bit over the top for the location I have in mind, but I've copied it to file to contrast the running costs with alternatives. In any case, if I do get started this Winter, the first module will be small enough and light enough to carry in to the house if it gets very cold!

Bob, I'm very sorry to hear of your track work problems, but I'm sure you aren't alone in making such an error - I think we can probably all put our hands up to doing something similar. If there is a lesson to be learned my friend, it is to loosely pin track in place and test it for electrics and running before sticking it down and ballasting it! I learned that from various threads on here.

Alan, glad your Florida trip seems to be going to plan, keep us updated when you can.

Ian(RH), sorry to hear that your good lady had such an awful drive - makes you wonder when our motorway network is going to sieze up completely! I assume you found a suitable hostelry to help revive her spirits? Good luck with the show.

AndyB, thanks for the tip on the rice timings. I tend to pre-cook rice before using it in such dishes. The Raymond Blanc recipe is certainly different from any crumble I've made and even in the image the topping looks a little dry. I would also prefer more topping than he calls for. The joy of cooking however, we all have our own ideas. For instance, I only make apple and blackberry if I've picked the blackberries myself as I notice that a lot of the shop bought ones are either under-ripe or still have their hard cores in. I wonder if Flávio, who is a superb cook, has a comment to make on the best crumble?

Judge, most tablets have the facility to enlarge sections of the screen by simply spreading your fingertips around the area you need to touch. I often do this on RMweb now to avoid hitting the wrong rating button.

Hope everyone has the best weekend they can, and those who are I'll continue to improve,

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night Pete! G'night all!

[Two_sugars]

Goodnight Everyone . . . . .Sleep Well.

 

John

[AndyID]

Horrific events in Paris. How very sad for everyone directly or indirectly affected by this. I suppose we all are in some way.

 

There is a series running on PBS (public telly in the US) at the moment called "The Brain With David Eagleman". One of the topics he addressed this week is just how easy it is to get people to perform incredibly inhumane actions by subjecting them to propaganda. It's well worth watching if you have the opportunity to see it.

 

Unfortunately, the Internet is an excellent vehicle for delivering such material and I would think that played some significant role in what just occurred in Paris. I don't know what the answer is, but I think we should be realistic and take that into account.

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all. Dreadful news from Paris indeed, so my thoughts go out to everyone affected. Not sure if there's anything meaningful to say on top of that right now…

[chrisf]

Greetings.

 

I had prepared something last night but find that my attempt to copy and post it was unsuccessful.  As it was written before the news of the atrocity in Paris this is perhaps just as well.  I must now go about my planned business in the knowledge that many across the channel can no longer do so.  Such things do put the rest of life and death into perspective.

 

Chris

[roundhouse]

Thanks Jock. I bought her a few rather nice beers which she enjoyed so she was happy.

 

As it was 9 pm when we finished setting up the layout and a 15 minute drive to the accomodation, by the time we checked in the only place for food wascMcDonalds another few miles on.

After that we went into holbeach for last orders.

 

 

Dreadful news in Paris. What's even more scary is that it could have been any major city in the Europe including London.

[AndyB]

As others have said, a bad business in Paris. My own adopted family are based there and often out and about in restaurants. Not nice for those caught up in this. Sadly I suspect there will be a lot more of this sort of thing to come. 

 

Jock, you're right about the quantity of topping - it does need to be increased. swmbo made the same comment. The idea of that recipe is to keep the topping crunchy and avoid the soggy, under-cooked interface between topping and fruit. Personally I quite like that bit! If you do it this way watch the timing on pre-cooking the topping or just keep an eye on it as it cooks. Very easy for it to burn. 

 

Another one of RBs dishes that is worth trying is his cherry tart with almond cream. I did this in his kitchen and again at home. A lot of this is about differences between ovens. I suspect mine is a little fiercer than those in the cookery school. You're looking for a light golden colour, not deep brown! The almond cream needs to come half way up the pastry before cooking - adjust the quantity a flan dish diameters vary. 

 

Trip to the GP's yesterday afternoon. The NHS  website indicated that I had DVT, so like a good boy I popped along to have my diagnosis confirmed. Amazingly I was wrong and have been told to take ibruprofen and possibly physio as well as sitting better at the computer. Anyway when I limped in to the surgery the GP said: "Ah, you're here for your flu jab!"

"Erm, no I have more painful priorities."

Could she give me a flu jab anyway?

"If you sort out the pain first." 

"They all say they'll come back, but they never do."

"Ok, if it'll make your Friday."

"Yippeeeee! I got one to agree!!"

"Ouch! Woman, I came here with a painful leg and I'm going away with a painful leg and a golf-ball sized lump on my arm too."

 

I'm not saying the needle was a long one but when she shoved it in my bicep I could swear she scratched the side of my torso too. 

 

 

Edit: spelling!

Edited November 14, 2015 by AndyB

[LisaP4]

Morning all.

 

Just read about Paris, then quickly checked in with some friends in the area who are all ok, thankfully. Thoughts go out to others who weren't so lucky though.

 

Pretended to rain here for a bit, just enough to stir the mosquito puddles, but not much else. Delivery from engineers supplies didn't turn up as I thought it would, hopefully it will next week. Had a run of donations to my lathe crowdfunding campaign, which raised the spirits a bit, even if there is still a long way to go. Things have crawled to a bit of a halt in the workshop, as I'm waiting on some fire bricks to arrive before doing some silver soldering. Am thinking of turning up a bunch of small steel buttons, when hardened they'll make filing round ends on valve gear rods for the 16mm scale loco a little easier. Could probably make a couple of drilling jigs for that too actually.

 

According to the newspaper, some guy claims that god told him to run for mayor; don't imagine too many will take him seriously, but you never know.

 

Enjoy your day all.

[Oldddudders]

Just a quick note to say we are fine and were nowhere near Paris last night.

 

However, Chrissy, Alison's volunteer, had changed her travel plans at the last minute, and was on a train arriving in Paris about 18.30. She was then heading for some bus terminus to catch an overnight coach to London. I have no news of her, no cellphone contact. An Afro-Caribbean girl should not be subject to security services interrogation, hopefully, and it is unlikely she was at the main centres of the carnage. She might OTOH have simply been in the wrong cafe. Fingers crossed.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

[Barry O]

Morning all.

 

Thoughts are with those affected by the events in Paris.

 

 

Children in Need did well. Didn't watch as I have to admit some of the presenters are painful to watch.

 

Steady away everyone and I hope Andyram has a successful show

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. At the moment there's not much else I or anyone else can say about the events in Paris other than give our best wishes to the victims and their families. I had intended to take a trip over to Gravesend today but the wet and windy weather has knocked that on the head for now. A general tidy up (not before time) of the room I use for modelling is on the cards then.

[emt_911]

Morning all. Not a lot to say after the events in Paris although humanity is prevailing with queues at hospitals of people wanting to give blood.

 

Have a good day everyone

[Gwiwer]

Thoughts with anyone having connections to Paris currently.  We know that friends at the Stade de France game are OK but shocked.  We don't think anyone else we know was there.

 

Dom's photos also bring back the stark reality of motoring - one moment of indecision or error can indeed prove fatal.  I am helping two good friends over their loss from exactly that scenario.  The car turned right into the path of a bus in the outer lane.  My friends were in the passenger and rear driver side seats and survived though were badly hurt; the driver didn't make it.  My colleagues witnessed a pedestrian knock-down right outside the Palace at the busiest interchange stop on the network; I was elsewhere and only received the radio comms and watched a stream of emergency services and tramway management vehicles flying past.  This one was, fortunately and uncommonly not fatal.  Most such events are terminal for the unlucky pedestrian.  But it happened on a busy day in front of perhaps a couple of hundred witnesses.

 

I've had a number of very understanding and supportive messages over the past week or so for which many thanks are due.  Things are taking longer than I would have thought to come good.  

 

So I'm going to take a few days quietly away from here and RMweb as a whole and try to focus my attentions somewhere a bit different.  I'm only ever a message away and will always respond.  I hope to be back on deck soon but there are times when we need our own space and time to manage events.  

 

Thanks again for the ongoing friendship - this is a great place.

 

See you dreckly.

[Happy Hippo]

So it's a nice morning in Telfland.  The sun is being most uncharacteristic for this time of year, and has made an appearance.

 

I shall be planting onions, then clearing leaves, or so my tasking authority (the Obergrumpenfuhrer) tells me.

 

This afternoon my sentence will be reduced due to good behaviour,and I am to sneak off  to the the Weston show just to annoy visit Andyram.

 

Since the Obergrumpenfuhrer is also out this evening at a Girlguiding event, I may be forced, at great personal inconvenience, I hasten to add, to revisit the local hostelry.

 

It's tough, but somebody has to do it!

[Jock67B]

Thoughts with anyone having connections to Paris currently.  We know that friends at the Stade de France game are OK but shocked.  We don't think anyone else we know was there.

 

Dom's photos also bring back the stark reality of motoring - one moment of indecision or error can indeed prove fatal.  I am helping two good friends over their loss from exactly that scenario.  The car turned right into the path of a bus in the outer lane.  My friends were in the passenger and rear driver side seats and survived though were badly hurt; the driver didn't make it.  My colleagues witnessed a pedestrian knock-down right outside the Palace at the busiest interchange stop on the network; I was elsewhere and only received the radio comms and watched a stream of emergency services and tramway management vehicles flying past.  This one was, fortunately and uncommonly not fatal.  Most such events are terminal for the unlucky pedestrian.  But it happened on a busy day in front of perhaps a couple of hundred witnesses.

 

I've had a number of very understanding and supportive messages over the past week or so for which many thanks are due.  Things are taking longer than I would have thought to come good.  

 

So I'm going to take a few days quietly away from here and RMweb as a whole and try to focus my attentions somewhere a bit different.  I'm only ever a message away and will always respond.  I hope to be back on deck soon but there are times when we need our own space and time to manage events.  

 

Thanks again for the ongoing friendship - this is a great place.

 

See you dreckly.

We will be thinking of you in your absence Rick, and we'll hear from you when you feel up to it again! You know where we are if you need us mate,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Simon G]

 

Simon, how does the woodburner cope with burning driftwood? Someone we know here burns driftwood in the cast-iron stove in his island cabin and says the salt does terrible things to the metal. He has to replace the stove at about 7 or 8 years old.

 

I think that the main issue is the salt as you say.  I leave my driftwood outside in the rain over a winter, so much of the salt is washed or leached away.  The wood is then dried in my covered store for about another year before I use it, so I am currently working on the wood for 2017/18 winter!  My stove does not seem to have suffered any serious salt corrosion and it must be about the 7 to 8 year age now, so I guess I am doing something right!

 

Plenty of rain is forecast for later on today, so the washing of the driftwood will be in progress.  As it happens we have rain forecast every day bar one for the next 10 days.

[NGT6 1315]

Take all the time you need, Rick. We're always here if you need a sounding board to bounce off your thoughts.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all.

 

A very sad time in Paris and my thoughts are duly posted on the relevant thread.

 

Meanwhile concern spreads further with laddo 'phoning and texting at getting on for midnight instructing me to find out what is happening with the trains and what alternative routes are available as he and his drinking mates are in Ghent and due to returns from Bruxelles by Eurostar tomorrow.  The search revealed some interesting things such as there currently seem to be no ferry services from Ostend to England and Transeuropa's website directs you to booking agents - for whom Ostend (spelt in either form) does not exist, most odd.  However the Hook to Harwich isn't too difficult so I duly gave him that one plus train times to get to the Hook from Ghent and the ferry times from Zeebrugge to Hull (the Tilbury service service to have vanished).  Presumably this sort of thing is what parents are for, even for grown (?) adults, and in any case it seems today that E* are running more or less normally.

 

After all that excitement and (sorry ladies but followers of ANTB on here will understand) the even greater excitement of Ms Agutter on 'Children In Need' last night I really think I ought to get back to normal and wander round RMweb.  Have a  good day one & all.

[Tony_S]

Mike. Did you consider Hook to Harwich? Matthew will be using that at Christmas if he doesn't sort out his travel plans soon. EDIT silly me, reading it again shows that you did!

We still discuss travel plans and routes with Matthew and I suspect will always do so, even though he had been to more places than we have. We are going back to Utrecht in February and while I am happy to take Matthew's advice about the trains from Schipol, I am not convinced he would have been able to suggest a hotel! Aditi has sorted that!

I noted that Eurostar are running today but "expect extra security".

Edited November 14, 2015 by Tony_S

[AndyB]

Sad to read that Warren Mitchell has passed away. 

I had the pleasure of meeting him once after he'd had Sunday lunch in Old L-o-S at the Peter Boat. 

A real gent. 

[Barry O]

I think we may need a bit of a cheer up.

 

watch out train picture...

 

 

Rick hope it all comes together OK

 

Mike - hope he gets home OK

 

Baz

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

Afternoon.

 

Sad to hear about events in Paris too - especially having just said how much we enjoyed the city.  I refrain (just) from commenting about the perpetrators.

 

Jock, I'm not considering the heater - it is here and working. Impressed, just a few seconds 'kerosene' type smell as it first ignites, then quiet, good heat.  Very easy to use and fill, removable self sealing tank, so fills remotely (ie outside) in safety.

 

Wet and rain here, with wind and rain for extras.  Had brunch out with Jayne at the little  French café in Laxey.  Now we're in for the duration I think, wood stove lit, F1 on the telly, Mrs H doing her accounts, me dropping asleep. 

[Coombe Barton]

Windoze laptop doing an update - it's been checking for half an hour - will it be finished by the end of the weekend?

 

Paris - terrible and senseless. What more can be said?

[jamie92208]

Afternoon all from a rather damp village.   I've been to Long Preston and also managed to get some photos of the new siding at Helwith Bridge despite the weather.  The will be posted n the relevant thread.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/99684-new-siding-at-helwith-bridge/&do=findComment&comment=2090266

I was however nice to see a new private siding being built on the S & C.  I think the first in a century.   It also transpired, via text, that I had forgotten to run an errand for the boss so I've tried to rebuild my rather low stock of brownie points by bringing her some nice cheese from the specialist cheese shop near Settle on the A65.   Now to get the photos sorted. 

Jamie

 

Edited to insert link.

Edited November 14, 2015 by jamie92208