New Haven Neil

2024-04-27T07:25:15Z

Morning, from a sunny and not quite as cold rock, 10c and still for once.

I was absolutely cream crackered after 80 miles on bumpy roads on the bike yesterday, so not a lot else got done.

Like Brian we have a lot of birds in the garden currently, nesting time obviously due to the amount of cargo they're carrying. New is a Goldfinch, very colourful little bird, and the woody woodpecker is going bonkers over the back somewhere in the old farm, must be making a new nest in a tree. Debs has just gone for one of her bird books as she has spotted something by the not-a-Koi-pond-anymore she is unfamiliar with - doesn't happen often as she's a keen ornithologist.

Edit - a Linnet, not seen one here before.

2024-04-26T19:45:27Z

Evening all. Dave mentioned Old Farts, we were six today, and circumnavigated the island - I knackered now.

No that's not me, I'm not that fat!

Rant Incoming:- When I got home Mrs NHN was toting a new battery for her car - it had been a bit lazy to turn over recently so we had planned to replace it this weekend. Soooo, I thought a ten minute job. Pah. I hadn't reckoned on Citroen's (it's a C3 Picasso diesel) decision to hide the battery securing bolt UNDER the ECU, and the battery cover under another cover with a sort of spider web of heavy cables that stops you from getting the under cover under the other cover off. Then getting the ECU out - yes, another cover, there's a theme developing, then three awkward plugs, and a tanged latch....UNDER the ECU - so basically you have to rive it out, to then undo the battery support plate. By then my good humour was sorely tested I can assure you! It would have been impossible to make it more awkward. The only saving grace was the ECU didn't forget its name, or most of the settings, radio, phone etc, just the clock was wrong. Pah does not cover it.

2024-04-26T07:22:48Z

Supermarkets - ah. Co-op and Shoprite (will soon be a small Tesco) in the Bright Lights of Royal Ramsey 5 miles away, then 24 miles to the Big City of Douglas for a Tesco, M&S and another smaller Tesco, or All the Way West to Peel for another small Was-a-Shoprite-now-a-Tesco, 24 miles again. That's your lot, one way mileages.

2024-04-26T07:18:25Z

Morning, from a chilly but bright rock, 4c early doors, 6 now. Old Farts bike club will occur.

There's rumblings from across the room about a job move, back to Railways - but exactly what is on offer isn't clear as yet. Sideways grade wise, but working directly for the head of motive power..... 😃 ....which would have certain advantages. #cough# May not happen, as I said it is not yet clear what the detail would be. Location is important to her.

ION, weight loss continues, despite not being particularly careful this week, I'm now 'lighter' #cough again - relative term# than I have been for 30 years.

Thursday at 14:43

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

My latest ex GWR model is in a rather attractive lined crimson lake livery.

I think Paneers do look fine in LT livery. I have a Caramac version, actually two now I think about it, 4mm and 7mm scale versions!

Thursday at 12:36

Just now, Compound2632 said:

Come now, like "59, five and nine, the Brighton line" it's a well-established bingo call, recognised even by Bingo-players who weren't playing before 1923 - and there are such.

Hmm, bingo is something that has never appealed to me - my God-mother was an aficionado, and seemed to win something every week she went. It's all too Mrs Brady old lady for my tastes. '59 though, was a good year....😉

Thursday at 12:33

Still lurking after lunch and shopping, I really should go and do something. No inspiration today to do so.

Happy Birthday to Midland Red Dave, may your singles never be compounded. Or anyone mention the Midland used to paint their locos green.....🤡

Thursday at 12:22

HB Dave, have a great day, although Sunset Strip is before my time, just being a yoof of 65 ish.

Keeps pleuting here so no biking, shopping was shopped and I should go and do something useful. Should.

Thursday at 06:55

Morning, from a damp, showery rock that is a mere 8c. Disappointing.

No great agenda today after yesterday's exertions, a trip to the post off ice (in the village shop) is about as exciting as it is going to get. I'll try to find something creative to do later.

Our Belgian friend doesn't live in Belgium for a good reason, he says!

Wednesday at 19:06

Motorcycle we did. Too far we went, I ache like nothing on earth now. Cause? Well we like to ride light little lanes, and look for ones we haven't previously been down. As you may imagine after 22 years on a small rock there's not many left, but we found one today. However, after a couple of miles of increasingly difficult riding, we came across a ford that was too deep and too slippery to risk - a hundred yards from the end. So we had to turn around and go back!"#sigh# The footbridge steps were too steep to get my cruiser up, although the Guzzi would have made it, and maybe the Hunter. Pah.

The Neb river doesn't look much from there, but it was certainly too deep for those bikes!

Wednesday at 08:40

Morning, from a rock that is almost spring-like. Almost. 11c is a bit under where we should be to say the least.

Best wishes to Beth and Dom's FiL, indeed age creeps up on us with all it's nefarious tricks to make us less well. My Tuesday morning pal, who is living with C anyway but has been OK for some time, isn't well currently, another

worry.

Today is one of our fasting periods s no brekky, but lunch will be enjoyed. A pal is coming for a ride, complex bloke, Belgian and of Polish descent, his surname is one only Andy SM42 would attempt - begins with a Z. Poor lad is always last to get anything! He's also Mrs NHN's Pilates teacher, smashing guy, despite riding a Harley. Well he has a Moto Guzzi of enormous dimensions too for days when it may rain. The Harley's very, very shiny indeed and takes some keeping that way. It's also very fast, it is quite special internally, surprises some other riders. I hate to think how much all that cost.

Tuesday at 21:09

13 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

They did two lifeboat drills in Genoa before that last trip and thrashed those engines and it had been pouring out black smoke for the last year or so. Evidence of that on one of Peter Knego's videos on MidShipCentury in September of 1994.

That will have been what caused the crankcase explosion, that started the big fire. Scary stuff......

Tuesday at 20:45

25 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

And look relatively clean much more so than did the poor old Achille Lauro with its original 1947 Sulzers.

That was my first ship in 197....err.....6 or so, and was fairly old by then - it was a Sulzer 9RND90 (IIRO 25,000hp), Japanese (Mitsubishi) built 120,000 ton bulk carrier, and a good ship with a good engine and was clean for an old ship. The Stirling Bridge, later sold to Shell as the Tagelus. The Lauro, ooerr, not my cup of tea!

Tuesday at 18:27

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

.......until one day someone painted the fence.

Someone I know here once moved a tool cupboard in a loco shed as the driver had severely p!xxed him off - the loco demolished the wall between the shed and the museum. No names, no pack drill.

Tuesday at 15:21

It's 'liar weather' here now, looks glorious, sunny, blue skies, just a breeze - but feels rather cool, to say the least. The thermy-o-meter indicates 13c, but for some reason it feels nothing like that. Pottering in the garage with the doors open is OK, in garden isn't, so I earned Brownie Points by making a shelf in Herself's shed (oh yes, we have several) with hangy-up knobs on the edge like wot she asked for only three days ago. This may be an all time record. The questions over dinner will no doubt surround what I have bought without telling her, but surprisingly it is nothing! There's time yet of course.

Tuesday at 09:19

21 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

A 7.09 is pretty quick

It's just gone 6.54 @ 226. Getting rather snappy!

Tuesday at 08:52

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

I have it too - but I'm not sure in my case it's related to electronics. My only long-term exposure was to the little fans in desktop and laptop computers - nothing 'loud'.

In my case the loss of high - but oddly not the highest frequencies - was indeed due to something very loud indeed.

Engines this big are Very. Noisy. Indeed. Especially those turbochargers, hence whistly-hissy tinnitus. Pah.

Monday at 19:30

I think either I have two broken shoulders, or the tree lopping yesterday with the mini chainsaw on a long pole thing has taken its toll on my 65 y/o muscles. *&^%$£ I'm sore! Hells bells. Not doing that again in a hurry!

Monday at 15:19

Cripes, I have achieved! ~~Tip~~ civic amenity site run, 2 loads of washing, dusting, polishing ...er...a bit..., cleaned bathroom basin shower and bog, vacuumed everywhere, and.....collapsed into a heap. That's 'enuf' for today I think.

Monday at 14:32

On 16/04/2024 at 09:50, MrWolf said:

an IOM plate, displaying a K registration when the last sold here were on a J.

Yes, our suffix or prefix letters have no age relation, they are issued until they run out! Currently on RMN xxx S IIRC, another six months and we'll be on to SMN. Cars here get grassed up for UK registrations as they're not paying road fund licence, which neighbours see as unfair! The police didn't used to care, but the top cop now is from the UK so will expect some tightening of things like that - low hanging fruit.

I don't think rank and file UK bobbies have a clue about IoM/Channels reg so turn a blind eye!

Monday at 14:15

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

A 7.09 is pretty quick but honourable mention to GMKILR, a street-legal Ford Falcon ute with the mighty 6 cylinder Barra motor that does high 7's, and it is road registered so he can legally drive it back home afterwards and take stuff to the tip on the way.

In comparison a Mclaren P1 takes 9.8 seconds.

Mullet has been in the 6's with 220 mph, goes OK for the weight of it! Edit - it was 'street legal' in Florida, he ran it in drag and drive weeks, but street legal for Florida doesn't count for much! It's on methanol now so isn't road driven.

The Barra is a good motor, but the Americans ain't interested unless it has 8 cylinders, the Viper V10 never was really loved, although Allen Millyard made a nice bike with one! Cleetus' mate Cooper Bogetti swapped a Nissan 2JZ 6 cyl into a Camaro, goes 7's, but the punters hate it - ain't American, ain't a V8. Coop likes to cock a snook at folk.

Monday at 12:01

50 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

All those scientists and engineers make something that corrects for special and general relatively and drivers still turn left into railway lines or onto beaches.

ahh, Ashland. Go to 12.20.

Monday at 11:52

7 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said:

Does this apply to @monkeysarefun I wonder .

Google/Utoob 'Cleetus McFarland' to see the 'real' Mullet - one of those, but rather faster.

Monday at 10:53

4 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Oh darn it, i thought that was a bit of snot on the screen!🙄

Well the hay fever season is starting! 🤧

Monday at 07:04

10 hours ago, Hroth said:

It was related to Gee/Oboe, which were hyperbolic navigation systems devised for "precision" bombing during WW2. Decca differed by using two signal phase comparison rather than the pulsed timing of the RAF systems and was first deployed by the RN for precision minesweeping during the D Day operations.

H2S was an aerial bombing radar system, mainly used for targets outside the range of Gee or Oboe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gee_(navigation)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oboe_(navigation)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decca_Navigator_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H2S_(radar)

D'oh, I knew that really, I was tired, honest! 🙄 Picked the wrong one...should have thought about it longer as it would have become obvious by the modus operandi. Thanks for the correction. I always thought that the Decca lines spoiled charts!

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