Early Risers.

[iL Dottore]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 ...ID that picture put the lyrics of a song by the Who into my brain, I can't remember the title at the moment but one line was

"The place was really jumping to the Hiwatt Amps"

Another immortal line was " We were the first band to vomit in the bar and find the distance to the stage too far".

The song is called Long Live Rock and comes from their Odds and Sods album (another brilliantly titled Who album was Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy)

Interestingly, and worryingly for the health of my wallet (and - it has to be said - marital harmony) HIWATT made 3 Custom Shop versions of their Little Rig: the “D” Version as described; the “P” version wired according to how Pete Townsend setup his HIWATT amps and the “J” version - set up the same way as Jimmy Page’s HIWATT. I’ve seen both the Little Rig P and the Little Rig J for sale on Reverb - going for £1700 a piece, which isn’t bad for a custom built, hand wired amp head and cabinet.

29 minutes ago, AndrewC said:

...BBQ slow cooked pork belly burnt ends are on the menu for tonight. ..

Andrew, you are truly a man of taste and discernment. Slow Roast Pork Belly is truly food of the gods.

Try making you own pulled pork: derinded shoulder of pork rubbed with salt, Demerara  sugar and smoked paprika (1/2 tbs, 1 tbs, 1/2 tbs respectively) wrapped in a foil “tent” and cooked at 125*C for 10 hours. Take out of oven, shred meat back into the juices in the roasting tin, stir in the same amount again of salt, sugar and smoked paprika, let cool and put in fridge to mature for a day or so. Reheat and serve on soft buns with coleslaw. If wished, when stirring in the second batch of dry seasonings, stir in your favourite BBQ sauce to taste.

26 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Which is just an example of more meaningless numbers. What  was the total population of Little Modelling?

Well, quite. But you have to admit the second headline is damnsight less alarming

[Gwiwer]

3 hours ago, chrisf said:

it will be no surprise that I was an early disciple of John Peel. 

Another thing I have learned that Chris and I share in common. I was a keen listener from his pirate days and had the good fortune to meet him once. 
 

Quite late in his career he presented a short tv series “Sounds of the Suburbs” in which he, complete with trademark woolly hat, explored his passion for discovering music away from the commercial mainstream.  Local and regional artistes from around the country featured. 
 

I was running the gig guide in Cornwall at the time and was alerted by two of the acts he would feature in the area. Aphex Twin described himself more as an experimental dj while In Watermelon Sugar was a Wadebridge-based rock band fronted by a rather curvy female friend. The band was filmed for the show playing at The Copperhouse in Hayle which was (and in an honorary sense remains) one of my locals. Peel himself wasn’t there but instead interviewed lead singer Helen in the White Hart in Camborne several days earlier. It was there we met and chatted over a few beers off camera.  
 

Good morning all. Welcome to a still fresh Hill of Strawberries where there are cloudy bits in the sky though definite promise of a warmer day ahead. Today’s tasks include ..... errr ..... something or another, more something and then more sitting in the sun with music in my ears. 
 

In complete contrast to the quiet serenity of sitting at a bar drinking with John Peel, his two-man crew and Helen I lived for several years in Manor Park. Pubs there were large, busy,  noisy and sometimes rough places. One such was The Ruskin Arms just up the road from home which was a heavy metal venue. Friday and Saturday nights saw rows of chrome-heavy bikes lined up outside whilst their long-haired denim-and-patch-wearing owners drank and head-banged to which ever act was troubling their pa. 

 

It wasn’t a regular haunt but I ventured in a few times and on one occasion found myself at the bar next to a man of few, but rasping, words. Shouting to hear each other I soon recognised that I was “talking” to Lemmy.  
 

 

[Coombe Barton]

On with the outside work today. Breakfast had, along with coffee - that's set me up until this evening.

 

Just been a a fantastic trip to Ourgate, and have found that the hole that was dug for the water leak in the front garden has now not got water in, not from the leak, from the surroundings. The weather has been able to dry it out sufficiently. The soil can now be replaced over the gravel I poured in. Tomorrow or later. Today's the woodshed.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I hope to venture into town later, my excuse will that I'm going to get more toilet paper from 'Savers' but as they are only a few doors down from smiffs I might as well pop in there for this months Back Ttrack.  Flavio, does Gear Acquisition Syndrom apply to model railways or is there another name applied to it?

44 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The recommendation I made in response to AndyID's query:

 

 

Chosen because it  can double up as a tractor (and who'd dare stop you to find out if it were running on red diesel?)

 

Baz will recognise it as the Scorpion 90.

That reminded me that back in the late 60's early 70's Romford there was a chap driving around in a WW2 Daimler Dingo scout car. You couldn't miss it, it was hand painted in gold Valspar. 

Edited April 11, 2020 by PhilJ W

[newbryford]

10 hours ago, Barry O said:

When I worked at the Tank Factory in Leeds we always worked on good Friday (excellent choices of either fish, chips and mushy peas or warm pork pie and mushy peas for lunch). That meant we had Monday and Tuesday off. It worked for me!

Baz

 

Working Good Friday and holiday Tuesday always seemed like a Yorkshire "thing". Hence York show running Saturday to Tuesday over Easter. 

[Tony_S]

I don’t think I have ever been closer to a noted musical performer than in the audience. As for other media personalities,  I  have met a few ERs.

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Trust the RAF to use more words than necessary.

 

We had to make do with Daily Detail.

We had all sorts of names for such things on BR.  At Swansea High St they were called  'Daily Orders'.  However at Paddington, obviously a place of greater importance and with a long history and GWR culture to maintain,  they were called 'the Saloon List'.(which had nothing at all to do with 'The Load of Hay' (as it was then called) next door in Praed St - now there was a touch of historical naming in the heart of 19th century London and possibly linked to once nearby stables once used for cab horses?)

[Coombe Barton]

13 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I don’t think I have ever been closer to a noted musical performer than in the audience. As for other media personalities,  I  have met a few ERs.

Tony

I was in the same lift as Julian Lloyd Webber in February. He is the Principal of our conservatoire so our paths might cross. occasionally.

[Rugd1022]

4 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Pretty quiet here - at least as far as my daily constitutional is concerned. More walkers than motorists and even the walkers are very spread out. Many are being dragged around by dogs. The supermarket has a consistent level of business in my infrequent visits but nothing out of hand. (I haven't been there since Monday.)

 

Deborah Birx (physician ambassador to the office of the Vice President's coronavirus response) apparently gave a nice shout out today to Washington, Oregon and California for non-logarithmic increases in COVID-19 cases.

 

Report on local news had the county sheriff's patrol pull someone over for doing 116 mph in a 55 mph zone. (Empty highway would be "safe" at 70 mph but is a bit dodgy in places. It is only two lanes each way.) When asked how fast he thought he was going the cited speeder hopefully suggested "About 70?". Fine is $1,150.00. That highway recently had speed advisory signs installed to improve traffic flow because it is chronically overloaded

I'm curious Michael - would the speeder have been 'awarded' points on his license as well as the fine, is it the same system we have over here in Blighty...?

 

A large and quite heavy parcel arrived yesterday (a knock on the front door, parcel left on the step, delivery chap at a safe distance etc), a rather nice book on Mopars which I ordered on Amazon before the lockdown kicked in, it's beautifully illustrated, some of the cars are eyewatering to look at....

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

And good morrow one and all.

 

The sun shineth and the pollen riseth - to the distress of several members of this family (me excluded, fortunately).  I understand the offspring might be popping out for a bit of shopping and the latest edition of  'Model Rail' lies on the doormat waiting careful extraction from its plastic cocoon once PPE has been donned.  The insurance refunds have all been credited to the joint account so that little job is finished but the other refund, from our cancelled holidays at sea needs to be paid in at the bank unless we can solve that puzzle electronically.  The road's social group thing appears to be working well and secured some Optimist for me yesterday for which I am greatly grateful as I find it very soothing for my eyes and had run out.

 

Ah, Bank Holidays - I can just about remember those.  Having spent more years than I'm bothered to count either working them or 'On Call' they long ago lost any significance for me other than in usefully creating lieu days which could be taken at  much nicer times when the horde had their noses to the grindstone.  The only one that really mattered was Christmas Day because of the family situation but fortunately I never got called out on that day.  Not so Boxing Day where one year I spent a goodly chunk of Boxing Night at various elevations above ground level in hissing down rain dealing with signal lamps which had gone out.  The abysmally useless idiot of a Lampie was duly summarily dismissed the very next morning as truly just retribution for his shortcomings, and my soaking.   The one good thing about being out in the dark 30 - 40ft above terra firma was that I couldn't see much if I did look down.

 

Back to today and the G word might beckon later.  In the meanwhile the management continues her masterplan of ensuring that we are 'well fed in the face of national adversity' although rettably this is rapidly obliterating what remained of my waistline, time to exercise self restraint I think.

 

Have a good day one and all and stay safe and away from the congregating hordes.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The recommendation I made in response to AndyID's query:

 

 

Chosen because it  can double up as a tractor (and who'd dare stop you to find out if it were running on red diesel?)

 

Baz will recognise it as the Scorpion 90.

IIRC, fitted with a Jaguar engine and having a remarkable turn of speed.

 

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Trust the RAF to use more words than necessary.

 

We had to make do with Daily Detail.

Didn't you have "wolfs door list" like the Armoured lads had???

Baz

[Barry O]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The recommendation I made in response to AndyID's query:

 

 

Chosen because it  can double up as a tractor (and who'd dare stop you to find out if it were running on red diesel?)

 

Baz will recognise it as the Scorpion 90.

Fire that and the Dinky Toy will fall over!

 

(All Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)  as in CVR(T) were known as Dinky Toys to heavy armoured (tank) Regiments)

Baz

[New Haven Neil]

MOrning.  Just.

 

Yesterday was a dry but windy day but sufficiently warm to entice me to run the garden railway, all 6 steamers having a trundle. Later the wind dropped completely, so the garden woodburner was lit and steak cooked upon it, and a refreshing beer consumed, as has been noted elsewhere.  Once I reduce the photos in size I'll post here, to some risk it has to be said - the Lady of the Awl did pass comment elsewhere about my beer table top, a permissive ground signal disc so she is watching.

 

Sitting out late for the first time this year was really pleasant, but under normal circumstances it would have been in the company of several other couples after having a 16mm soc. get-together on the railway rather than on our own, which would have been preferable.  

 

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the sun is shining in a blue sky. A plane has just made its lonely way through the sky, heading NNW by my rough estimate. The magpies are cosying up together in the tree just behind me and I have just finished a coffee.

 

it was reasonably busy when we went for our walk earlier although traffic was pretty light. At the moment I can’ t hear any car sound at all which is highly unusual; the high street is about 200 yards away.

 

have s good day all

[Barry O]

13 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

IIRC, fitted with a Jaguar engine and having a remarkable turn of speed.

 

 

Jamie

Yes a Jag engine. A one time boss was working on the automotive side of the design. Guess what one of his cars was? Well knock me down with a feather! An E Type!

At 4 Tons it was very light, very quick (over a 100kph) and was made from Aluminiun.

 

Now reengined with a diesel engine. Still as quick apparently!

Baz

[Rugd1022]

5 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

MOrning.  Just.

 

Once I reduce the photos in size I'll post here, to some risk it has to be said - the Lady of the Awl did pass comment elsewhere about my beer table top, a permissive ground signal disc so she is watching.

 

 

Ah, I think that was the only question my guvnor didn't ask me in my rules exam last week....

 

''Under what circumstance can a permissive beer table top ground signal be passed without the signaller's authority?''

 

[New Haven Neil]

In for a penny....

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

The Lady of the Awl is now honing her musical skills on piano and harp, though not at the same time. I trust that this may improve her aim.

[Chris116]

8 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

The Lady of the Awl is now honing her musical skills on piano and harp, though not at the same time. I trust that this may improve her aim.

Be careful that her aim with something heavy at your neck does not improve! 

[Happy Hippo]

44 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Fire that and the Dinky Toy will fall over!

 

(All Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)  as in CVR(T) were known as Dinky Toys to heavy armoured (tank) Regiments)

Baz

But the recce squadron had so much more fun than the lumbering ones.

 

As for Jamie's comment, yes the early CVRT all had Jag engines which meant you could get up to well past 60 mph on the A1.

 

The change to diesels slowed them down as well as giving them more grunt cross country.  The 90mm gun was a later addition and replaced the 76 mm which made the originals significantly under gunned.

 

Although totally illegal to drive at more than 20 mph, the local traffic police seemed to either tun a blind eye, or were ignorant of the law pertaining to tracked vehicles.  I somehow think that the driving experiences a lot of them partook of with us had some bearing towards their broad interpretation of the law.

[jamie92208]

5 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

But the recce squadron had so much more fun than the lumbering ones.

 

My friend who was in 5 RTR always preferred thecrecce role in IIRC Saladins. He has some amusing stories including driving one straight through a hay cart somewhere near the border in NI and actually firing thevmain armament against some insurgents in Borneo in sopport of a Ghurka patrol. All went well and apparently the Ghurka officer sent a couple of crates of beer across as thanks.  The provebial then hit the fan when they indented for more 76mm ammo. Apparently they were beyond a certain linevon thevmap where such activity was frowned on. They still enjoyed the beer.

 

Jamie

[AndrewC]

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I have realised that the contributors are all sharper than the average knife.

What the fork?

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

I'm curious Michael - would the speeder have been 'awarded' points on his license as well as the fine, is it the same system we have over here in Blighty...?

 

A large and quite heavy parcel arrived yesterday (a knock on the front door, parcel left on the step, delivery chap at a safe distance etc), a rather nice book on Mopars which I ordered on Amazon before the lockdown kicked in, it's beautifully illustrated, some of the cars are eyewatering to look at....

 

 

 

'66 Charger, 426 Hemi, Torqueflyte tranny, 4:10 rear = GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, jamie92208 said:

My friend who was in 5 RTR always preferred the recce role in IIRC Saladins.

Time spent in Reconnaissance is seldom wasted! 

 

The last time I saw the Saladin in an operational role was in Cyprus during the late 70's.  It seemed to be the last placement for the military equipment prior to it's retirement. As well as the Saladin we had Whirlwind HAR 10 helicopters at Akrotiri (with a det at Nicosia on UN duties) and teeny weeny airways had recently been upgraded from Sioux (Bell 47) to Allouette II.

 

Because I had an RAC background and knew some of the 15/19 Hussars who supplied the armoured squadron, I used to go out on the border patrols in  Ferret scout cars to get 'live int'.  However, as hard as I tried, I never did find anything of use to pass on to the rest of the team. It was tough, but someone had to do it!

 

But this was all after I realised the limitations of playing in tanks and had gone to do other things in the Int world.  It paid off as four years later I got sent to Sandhurst at the grand old age of 25.

 

Before going I along with a number of other soldiers were sent to be 'educated'.  twelve weeks at Beaconsfield for maths, science and English lessons:  also on the curriculum was culture!  this was going on trips to the ballet, theatre, visiting museums and generally having a really good time.  Well aware of the tax payer contribution to our betterment, we were very supportive of the local brewing industry.

 

We had one guy from 22 SAS on the course who for some curious reason was only required to go to Sandhurst for a fortnight, in order to learn how to use a knife, fork and spoon.  The rest of us had to do the full 12 months.