Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,  inner Temple Hare,  still hare,  not blown away yet. 

5 hours sleep so far. 

Woke about 0:400 no power,  it came back on about 04:40.

 

Having been a moving target all my life,  I don't really have a home town,  my parents and sisters have lived in Bo'ness  west Lothian, since 1975, but I only lived there 6 months,  and know no one there but them and not very well my sisters families .

SWMBOs family are also scattered around, although she was from rotherham area,  she'd moved several times there and had no ties to any place. 

 

So coming out of the RAF,  we ended up in MK,  Just because of work,  we knew I'd be looking for a job when the mortgage finished,  and we wanted to move to the countryside, for the dogs,  somewhere I could sail in the version of sailing I like, so that reduced it to the Lake District or Norfolk . We started house hunting 2years before I came back from Saudi ( working for the MK company) which would be when the mortgage cleared. 

 

I knew Norfolk  already,  it was on the drier???? Side of the country,  and importantly, housing was easier to get, not being a national park .  We didn't choose as such to live near the coast,  our target area,  was in Norfolk,  with in 10 miles of the A47, A11, plus the North East quarter circle from Norwich to the coast.  Much searching simple came down to this house having the biggest garden for the dogs, few near neighbours as possible, suitable accommodation,  within the target area, and  in our budget. 

 

We also planned for this to be our last move,  so our retirement home effectively was chosen when in our 40s. We have slowly built up friends around the area,  sailing club,  MRC,  weaving group,  art group.  Plus the nearest neighbours. We won't be moving from here except in a box. 

 

The wind is still howling around,  but reduced from earlier,   occasional showers have been hammering the windows. 

 

Plans for the day,  

Get the remaining stuff round the boat into the garage,  if I can get the boat cover on the boat. 

Clear as much of the fallen small  branches that collected round the car down to the bonfire. 

Clear what I can of the branches that have fallen on the neighbours mains cable, if required then call the electricity men. But I suspect one houses supply will be well down the list of priorities this morning. 

Light the fire,  it's definitely cooler in here,  the central heating has been coming on. 

 

But first..  I need a Muggacoffee,  and some pink pills.. 

Time to move. 

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

Who would be a student at this time?  I say this because of what has been said to students in Glasgow as a result of that ruddy virus.  Given that we had been encouraged by those who rule us to go out and socialise it strikes me as mightily unfair that those who want to do what students are well-known for doing are being asked – told, even – not to do it.  Having been part of the machinery of government for much of my working life – now, thank goodness, far behind me – I have come to expect a measure of double-think: say one thing, do another.  This latest outbreak really takes the biscuit.

 

Today sees Virtual Scaleforum, which will keep me busy for much of the day.  Not actually being at Stoke Mandible will seem strange but I won’t miss the catering.  I will miss the social side of the show but I can dream, can’t I?

 

There are two reasons for my living in Bedford.  The first is that it is where the first job I was offered after a year on the dole was based.  Crumbs, or something stronger, that was 50 years ago!  The second is inertia.  I’m used to the town and it is used to me.

 

My reasons for wanting to be in Switzerland over the festive season are similar in many ways to those advanced by BokStein.  I will be very pleasantly surprised if I get there this year though, thanks to that ruddy virus.  I should know one way or the other in a few days.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[BokStein]

Morning,

 

Too dark outside to see what the weather's doing but looking at the railway map, it seems that we are the terminal for engineering works.

 

18 minutes ago, chrisf said:

Greetings one and all

 

Who would be a student at this time?  I say this because of what has been said to students in Glasgow as a result of that ruddy virus.  Given that we had been encouraged by those who rule us to go out and socialise it strikes me as mightily unfair that those who want to do what students are well-known for doing are being asked – told, even – not to do it.  Having been part of the machinery of government for much of my working life – now, thank goodness, far behind me – I have come to expect a measure of double-think: say one thing, do another.  This latest outbreak really takes the biscuit.

 

On the other hand, ChrisF, consider why these restrictions have been applied. If I have understood correctly, during Freshers' Week, said viral infections increased amongst the student population. Thus, IMHO, it makes perfect sense to tell them not to socialise.

Edited September 26, 2020 by BokStein

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a still gloomy Charente.  We ended up having quite a nice day yesterday with plenty of sun but some showers.   2 stears of barrel wood were collected in the morning and then stacked. Sadly there will be no more from that source. In the afternoon we had a little adventure. Beth came back from the physioterrorist with a small dog in the car. She'd found it wandering on the road. It was very sociable so was given water, an old tie if mine became a lead and off again we set geading for the feys 10 miles away to see if it was chipped. We discovered that the local mayor is responsible for found animals so en route stopped in Néré and called in at the Mairie.  The receptionist had obviously been to a finishing school run by retired medical receptionists and wanted to send us to another Mairie that has kennels. However by chance Madame Le Mayor emerged and immediately  recognised the dof as belonging to her neighbour in the hamlet of Le Paradis. The other near neighbours are good friends if ours. Off we set, called in to collect Jill and Grace, who then introduced us to their neighbour. The dog was reunited with it's owner. It had wandered about 2km.  Good deed for the day done.  

 

In the evening we went to a socially distanced quiz which included a meal.  It was held in the outdoor stand of the football club. No problem with distancing, good food, and a roof above us.  It got better. One of the rounds was to work out 30 anagrams of American presidents and British PM's. We managed to get all of them and got a bonus prize of a bottle of gin. Much appreciated  by Beth.

 

In just over an hour we will be video calling the girls. They will no doubt tell us about the Leeds local lockdown. As Rachel works at the University there are worries. I hope to spend some time in the shed and may even get my new gate assembled. I should have done it yesterday but the dog intervened.  

 

Regsrds to all.

 

Jamie

 

[polybear]

5 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I've told her on various occasions what some people regard as a truism but which those who have done it report as real - you can't go back to the place you left because it isn't there any more.  There might well be a place there with the same name and bits of it will still look more or less the same but unless you have regularly (and frequently)  visited your own family and friends there it will have little connection with the nature of the place you left all those years ago.  

 

For a number of reasons - but principally financial - 13 years ago I returned to the town where I was born and which we had moved out of over 30 years ago (and which in any case I had not lived in full time for nearly 40 years) although as my parents still lived here I visited regularly.  The town has changed and a lot of the people have changed and very few of my school friends or acquaintances still live here although we do have some good friends and we have some smashing neighbours although only a tiny  handful of them have lived in the road for over 40 years.  But the town and its character have changed very much - as happens everywhere - and that s why you can't go back to the place you left, it has changed as well as you.  Not a real problem for me because I've spent years moving around anyway and I didn't expect to come back to a place like the one I left, even tho' it has the same name, and the same streets and so on.

 

And while I love the sea I'd not consider moving to the coast for the same reason as the one mentioned above by John (CB).

 

I often watch "A Place in the Country" and marvel at some of the house prices and what I could get for what my place is worth.  However, this Little Bear knows few enough people even in the village (well, it was once - though planners and developers have been screwing that up for many years now ) I have lived in for over 50 years - there's four families/friends in the street I could count on if I were in trouble, though no doubt several more would help if needed.  When I was a very young cub I could name pretty much everyone in the street (40 houses) - though there were several referred to simply as "that old cow"; now I can name 13 (and some of those at a push) in the street, and zero in the rest of the village.  If I did move I'd know zero;  the older I get the more I am aware that sorting things out when I'm a rug on some b'stards floor will be a real issue.  In fact I'm actively reducing what I have from days gone by that I know I'll never use - records are on the hit list at present - though there isn't much of a collection; some I can't contemplate parting with though.  China and ornaments are an on-going task too; My Grandad's Radiogram, now over 60 years old and still working (though a new cord for the radio tuning mechanism is required) is currently under consideration and a museum have shown interest, which would be a great result if it happens.  I never use it (I can't remember the last time it was even turned on, apart from testing it a few days ago) and it has pretty much zero financial value; the thought of it going in a skip doesn't bear thinking about, so I'll do my best to find a (hopefully) caring new home now.

 

So, much as some of the locations and houses seen on telly look really nice, no doubt they always show the good points rather than focus on the druggies round the back of the supermarket, the hoardes of holidaymakers in the summer clogging the roads, the bleak winters, B&Q being 30 miles away and the nearest Hospital geared up for serious work being even further.  So the chances of this little Bear shifting are pretty remote now - if it ain't broken, don't fix it.  It might not be a Palace, but now I'm retired I'm working on that (insofar as an ex-council 3 bed terrace can be....) but it's home, and the only one I've ever known.

 

43 minutes ago, TheQ said:

So coming out of the RAF,  we ended up in MK,  Just because of work,  we knew I'd be looking for a job when the mortgage finished,  and we wanted to move to the countryside, for the dogs,  somewhere I could sail in the version of sailing I like, so that reduced it to the Lake District or Norfolk . We started house hunting 2years before I came back from Saudi ( working for the MK company) which would be when the mortgage cleared. 

 

MK + Saudi?  Does the name Harry Fleming mean anything to you by any chance?

 

In other news.....

 

I've no idea if Sister "Down yer Gob and Up yer 'Ooter is coming today - I was expecting a call yesterday to arrange a time but none came.  So I'll assume it's between 8 and 9am as per the previous two appointments; after that she'll take her chances and if I answer the door covered in cement dust she'll have to lump it.

And I've just taken a look at the link to Haines Marine and the prices of boats - HOW MUCH??  One of them was not a lot short of 400K.  I could get a bl00dy good house for that.....

 

Many thanks for the links to the Bear youtube videos - the Kodiak Bear one was particularly cute......

[pH]

It’s amazing how much you can learn about dinosaurs from your 3 year old grandson!

[jamie92208]

Whilst finishing my breakfast  I've been reading the latest Classic Trains. One of the articles is about railroading in the Canadian Rockies. There are several bear references. One tells how a long train of suphur was having 6 extra locos cut in to act as pushers up Rogers Pass. There was a delay in recoupling the train and the front end asked what the delay was. The pushers replied that whilst there was a gap in the train, Mama black bear had decided to cross the line with her two cubs. One cub turned back. The reassembly of the train had to wait whilst Mama bear rounded up and cuffed her offspring and got them safely across the tracks. Not something that happens in Radyr yard or Healey Mills that I know of.

 

Jamie

Edited September 26, 2020 by jamie92208

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Moving back home? No chance! Living by the sea? Similarly no chance!

Why? My village has changed out of all recognition. Most of my schoolmates have left...and school was on the Headland in Hartlepool..the winds are fierce and cold coming straight in off the sea..

 

We could move to other "family" places..but where we live in the North West Leeds Highlands has convenient transport links, easy access to provisions and..although we haven't been to a pub for a while..easy access to a wide range of pubs and restaurants.  

 

Local lockdown here is baffling to say the least. We can't have visitors at home but we could "happen by" people we know in a pub, bar or restaurant. We can't "mix" with them..

 

Bit like Uni students..Manchester have a problem..well that is a surprise! NOT!

 

Seems like intelligence unleashed is in charge now ..or is it Pinky and the Brain ?

Have as good a day as you can..I shall be freezing umpiring an "organised" team game..cricket.

 

Baz

[TheQ]

46 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

MK + Saudi?  Does the name Harry Fleming mean anything to you by any chance?

 

In other news.....

 

 

And I've just taken a look at the link to Haines Marine and the prices of boats - HOW MUCH??  One of them was not a lot short of 400K.  I could get a bl00dy good house for that.....

 

The name rings a quiet bell in the back of my brain  but I can't quite place why. 

I can remember Haines when they made little boats for fishermen.  They've gradually move up market,  but they are a long way from the top. 

Motorboats are expensive,  they are all hand made, people wonder why broads holidays are so expensive but a 300,000 boat on hire for a normal 30year life , needs to earn £10,000 a year before anything else.  Also when the hire season is less than six months a year if the are lucky, that's £ 400 a week... 

Then add interest,  cleaning, maintenance , broads tax,  insurance, the boat yard  and of course the tax man. You see why a week is over £1000 to hire.. 

 

[Andrew P]

9 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Although I love Cornwall, and grew up in Plymouth just over the border, I would not move back there. Climate change with the potential disruption of storms causing havoc has put me off considering it, or moving to any coastal area.. Sandy and I did talk of it, but realised its impracticality.

 

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I've told her on various occasions what some people regard as a truism but which those who have done it report as real - you can't go back to the place you left because it isn't there any more.  There might well be a place there with the same name and bits of it will still look more or less the same but unless you have regularly (and frequently)  visited your own family and friends there it will have little connection with the nature of the place you left all those years ago.  

 

For a number of reasons - but principally financial - 13 years ago I returned to the town where I was born and which we had moved out of over 30 years ago (and which in any case I had not lived in full time for nearly 40 years) although as my parents still lived here I visited regularly.  The town has changed and a lot of the people have changed and very few of my school friends or acquaintances still live here although we do have some good friends and we have some smashing neighbours although only a tiny  handful of them have lived in the road for over 40 years.  But the town and its character have changed very much - as happens everywhere - and that s why you can't go back to the place you left, it has changed as well as you.  Not a real problem for me because I've spent years moving around anyway and I didn't expect to come back to a place like the one I left, even tho' it has the same name, and the same streets and so on.

 

And while I love the sea I'd not consider moving to the coast for the same reason as the one mentioned above by John (CB).

I too was born in Plymouth, St Budeaux to be exact, then moved to Peveril when I was about 2. From there we moved to the Isle of Grain in Kent, Addlestone in Surrey and down to Hampshire. As a Child I was always fostered to my Cousins in Cornwall for the summer school holidays, right out in the Country side, and it was fantastic. We were sent out by my Aunty to get Mushrooms from the field up the lane, and the eggs from the Chickens before we could have breakfast. then it was playing in the Stream that went past the field that my Cousin now owns, or playing around the Bee Hives in Uncles Orchard. I have many happy memories of both Devon and Cornwall, but even though being born in Devon, I feel more of a affinity with Cornwall. Maybe its because of the wonderful School Holidays, maybe its because its where my Parents met, I'm not sure.

Yes I would have loved to retire down there, but a few years living in Buckfastleigh and Buckfast will be as near as I can get. Prices are now out of reach, unless you live in the Towns / City, even then they are top end. 

I'm told St Budeaux and Peveril are not as nice an area as they were in the 50's but then no where is in this Country now, by the news of happenings all around us.

Maybe I'm almost  glad to be at this end of my life span and not just starting out on the adventure, as I dread to think what the World will see in the next 70 years.

Ending on that morbid note, it's nearly time to retire to The Pit of Doom for a couple of hours before coffee time.

 

Have a good day one and all, and stay safe, especially those in the new Lock Down areas.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Andrew P

[Debs.]

...............

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright sun here first thing but still blowing strong, enough to bring in a bit of cloud. The forecast is cold, wet and windy for this afternoon so I will probably stay indoors today. When I say indoors I include the garden as I will have to fix the holes that the foxes have dug, weather permitting. I have lived in my present house now for 32 years and will probably stay here until they carry me out in a box. If at any time I can no longer cope with the house there's some warden controlled housing down the road only about half a mile from the MRC. https://www.anchorhanover.org.uk/  When choosing a place to live/retire there's almost always a drawback that is not at all obvious. An aunt and uncle had retired to a bungalow near Thetford. They found one drawback due to the sandy soil. Dry sandy soil does not retain much heat and it cost a fortune to heat their bungalow (no mains gas either so oil fired). Now time to run a bath, be back later.

[PhilJ W]

Oops, nearly forgot, great to see Debs about.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Sunny but fresh here and rain is forecast later.

About 20 years ago we visited Brampton where I grew up and the village was just not the same.  Loads of new houses even then and more have been/now being built on the site of the old RAF Camp.  I'd waxed lyrical about the place to The Boss but we both came away disappointed.

On a couple of occasions we've thought about moving away ( a long way)  from the London area. However because all our family and most of our friends live within 20 miles we decided to stay.  Other factors like The Boss not being able to drive came into consideration because if anything happened to me she'd be stranded with the lack of public transport in the sticks. 

Also we've always seen our grandchildren regularly and even though they're now teenagers/young adults will continue to do so.  A lot of our close friends are also near neighbours and we have an excellent doctor's surgery and dentist within walking distance.  Like others we won't be going anywhere until we're carried out.

Watched the European Rugby Challenge Cup Semi Final  last night between Bristol & Bordeaux. I missed the first half but the rest of the match was a cracker,  20-20 at fulltime and Bristol winning 37-20 after extra time.

Three more European games today featuring, Exeter,  Saracens and Leicester so I may be unavailable for a while. 

We had to go to Sainsbury's first thing for vegetables and glad to report that there were no wombles (cock or hen) and plenty of stock.  We didn't need toilet rolls but could have filled a van or two.  I even managed to get Paracetamol as we'd run out.

Now off to the garden to pack up and cover the garden furniture as I don't think we'll be needing it anymore this year.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited September 26, 2020 by grandadbob

[Coombe Barton]

Lived in Peverell from 1952-1955. Grandparents and aunts lived there =from 1912-2003, when the last one died. Cousins live in Hartley. Mum went to Devonport High School for Girls and young second cousin twice removed has just started there.

[AndyB]

Morning all. 

Brought up not so many miles east of Tony's abode. He'll be relieved that I can't see myself moving back. 

That said my best childhood friend went back for a nostalgia trip a week or so ago and took exactly the same photos as I did when I showed my own brood around. Unfortunately, as they say, the past is a foreign country you can't ever visit.

Of course if the option to build a secret den and pelt passing golfers with acorns was on offer I'd maybe change my mind. 

 

As an alternative quite a lot of my adolescence was spent in a northern Parisian suburb. Now that place most definitely has changed since the 70s...but then some 30 years before I became acquainted with the place it was a very sorrowful place for many.

 

So for now I think I'll stay put.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

A sunny, but decidedly chilly day here in England's northwest. A late night last night resulted in a late breakfast this morning. Currently sat in the workshop about to start working on the turntable bridge modifications. If it doesn't warm up soon, I may have to put the heater on! 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

[jamie92208]

The shed has been visted and a gate has been assembled. Some Some glue needs to dry so tomorrow it will be stained. Hopefully it will be hung on Monday. I also scanned the last known strips of negatives and managed to reunite two orphan strips with the rest of their parent films. Not a bad morning.

 

I was born in Carlisle but was moved to Chesterfield as a babe in arms. At the age of 5 we moved to the Dales and i spent the rest of my yoof in Giggleswick.  I do like going back there but only to visit.  The next 40 odd years were in West Yorkshire then we decided to move over here before we got too old to enjoy it. So far it's working out well and Beth's health and mobility has certainly  improved. There is the minor matter of a reasonably  sized man cave that helps.  We are certainly planning for the future and if we had to move the preferred  option would be a new build in the local market town. We are making sure though that anything we do to the house is as future proof as we can reasonably  make it.

 

Jamie

Edited September 26, 2020 by jamie92208

[Simon G]

Greetings all,

I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks, and for the last week or so have actually managed to escape West Cumbria for the first time since lockdown started in March.  We managed a week in a cottage in North Wales, and fantastic it was too.  The weather was generally fine, so we were out walking every day, sometimes in shorts and tee shirt, as it was warm enough on occasions.  On our few ventures into towns etc, it was clear why the CV-19 rates are climbing.  Llandudno was rammed with people and social distancing just wasn’t possible, so we avoided it and went for a long walk up and around the Great Orme.  While queuing at a bakery in Conwy, I was trying to maintain social distancing, but the woman behind me kept right up behind me until I just turned round and silently glared at her.  Even then it didn’t make any difference until her husband explained to her why I was giving her the evil eye.

 

On the positive side, we did manage to see a train, albeit a yellow Network Rail DMU, on the Conwy valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog.  It was clearly some sort of test train, having come from Crewe and it also went to a Bangor and Llandudno.  During one of our walks, we had a good view of the newly reinforced track bed just south of LLanrwst, where the line was washed away last winter.  Apparently, passenger services will resume on Monday.

 

we returned home yesterday, via Kendal where I had a dental appointment to change the crown on my implant from being secured with adhesive to one secured by a screw.  The current one keeps coming off, and I am thoroughly fed up with it, so hopefully this will fix it for good.  I still need to go back to Kendal in a couple of weeks for the job to be finished.

 

Today is nice and bright, but cold outside, and we have already suffered a power cut this morning, but only for an hour or so.  It came back on while I was out getting a flu jab from the GP surgery.  I was surprised that they were doing them on a Saturday, but they had quite a ‘production line’ going, so I was only inside the surgery for 1 to 2 minutes.

 

Todays plan is now to do some grass cutting and then hopefully watch some European Cup rugby this afternoon.

[TheQ]

UK powerNetworks was phoned,  they asked for pictures. Many questions and repeatedly gave safety warnings.

BT phoned, but won't come till the till networks have cleared the wreckage. 

I've cleared some lower wreckage,  but quickly realised the rest was too much for me. 

 

Also,  lowered the rest of the marquee just half a dozen bungies SWMBO couldn't reach.  cleared anything of value got the plastic over the boat,  with wood, breeze blocks and ropes to hold it down. 

The photos of tree,  and boat.. 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2020 by TheQ

[TheQ]

[Coombe Barton]

Just discovered that the village from which my name is probably taken, north of Norwich, has a rather interesting medieval church. When we are free to roam again it'll ne on my list of places to visit.

[PhilJ W]

Hello again from Estuary-Land.

39 minutes ago, TheQ said:

UK powerNetworks was phoned,  they asked for pictures. Many questions and repeatedly gave safety warnings.

BT phoned, but won't come till the till networks have cleared the wreckage. 

I've cleared some lower wreckage,  but quickly realised the rest was too much for me. 

 

Also,  lowered the rest of the marquee just half a dozen bungies SWMBO couldn't reach.  cleared anything of value got the plastic over the boat,  with wood, breeze blocks and ropes to hold it down. 

The photos of tree,  and boat.. 

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 

Hopefully you can get a few logs out of that for the wood burner. No sign of any damage on my property but at the top of the stairs its a bit cold due to it being on an exposed (NE) corner. Thats even with the heating cranked up.

[The Stationmaster]

G'day all,

 

I've not had a look round st Budeaux for quite a while (a great aunt and some cousins lived there and we stayed with them a couple of times in the late 1950s) but it didn't look as nice as it once was even some years back..  And a nice sunny day here but still a fair bit of breeze out there but I am going tp spend some time investigating 'the other side' of one of the water ingested walls with ideas of clearing stuff out of the dumping gropund under the stairs which it forms one side of - I may be some time.

 

Having read Jamie's post about black bears taking over railway lines I wondered if CPR follow the NSB. (Norwegian Railways) model of equipping loco cabs with a rifle and ammunition on some of the more remote routes to deal with any similar large fauna that turn a bit nasty or awkward?  And I must admit to be slightly confused about the habitat of our own (Poly)bear because I understood from his S/N details that he lived in The North Pole and was obviously too shy to mention that it had been turned into some sort of Tesco 'local' retail establishment.  Used to be a very nice pub,  goodness only knows what it's like as a branch of Tesco? 

 

Have a good day everybody and try to stay safe

 

[Coombe Barton]

I recall that, more than 50 years ago when I was still at school in Plymouth, the radio presenter on a local programme pronounced Higher St Budeaux (a place) as "Higher Street, Buddow"