New Haven Neil

Hi Tony I did mean the two thousand raised was for the widow, not me! My time was free, given as a fellow member of the NMRA on the island, which is how the request to help reached me. There were three of us, now only two.

Additional to the ships, I can add St Nicholas' Hospital, Newcastle General Hospital, Sanderson Orthopaedic Hospital, Foxdale Post Office, Victory House, Murray House, and last but not least, Trackshack!

My experience exactly with this sort of thing, Tony - don't! 2 years work cataloguing, all for two grand at the end of the day.

Buildings I have worked in, sort of....all razor blades and Nissans now.

Still dry sur le rock of Fraggles, very close and humid though. Lot of tourists here now, groups of visiting bikers, lot of 'furrin' registered cars around, people wandering up the middle of roads on quaysides...which seems to be a feature of visitors. Maybe it isn't obvious by the amount of traffic it is a road in a working port? A sprinkling of masks, not many. Also a lot of what I was going to describe as crumblies, but of course I'm now of those now too. New tyre fitted to the BMW rear wheel, there went 90 quid, hopefully it will cure the slightly wayward feel it has had recently, following grooves in the road etc. Old tyre was only half worn, if that even, but fingers all pointed that way.

Poulson? Ruined the centre of Newcastle. Morning! Ish. Late call, huge honey-do list completed, but only just got in from leaving early doors. Poly, the D20 was in one of the early 'group' photos, around the time your acquisition was shown! A couple eked out their last years rumbling around Newcastle Central as pilots and on little trundles up to Alnmouth. Out of my pocket money range I'm afraid by a long way. Off to start dinner, back later.

I'd say the red and silver warbonnet Santa Fe livery is possibly the most iconic livery ever.

Yes, usually when referring to the 'porridge machine' - septic tank - together with 'a metric bucket-full', which was noted in an engineroom log on one ship I sailed on. The Chief was not impressed. Which I think was the intention....there being something of a disagreement between the two.

I saw that! I'd love that D20 but this little brown bear doesn't earn the money that TW thinks its worth any more. I won't get into a scrap with him by offering what its really worth on the used market. I did much the same for a widow with a huge US layout a few years ago, and it was a waste of time - she got little more than two grand for all the locos and stock.

Both the current NHN household cars are....black. This isn't really by choice, we usually buy 3 year old cars, ex-motability, and we go for the right car in the right condition, colour being less of a priority. My i30 was ex-motability with 8k miles only - the only alternative on offer ( I need an auto - that foot) was white but had 23k miles, and the same price. No contest. Mrs NHN's Picasso C3 was much the same, she's picky about colours, an aubergine, blue and white ones were rejected before this one came along, and it had to be a particular model to get the gadgets she wanted, so black again. Sigh. My previous car was metallic brown (A B-Max - good practical car, crepe weak engine, had to go as needed an auto, (see; foot) which indeed did not show the dirt - but it looked like metallic dog....stuff.

Not hard to guess for me, is it!

Click#

We had a car on which the sunroof leaked whenever it was parked leaning a particular way - took ages to find out the drain in one corner was blocked, but the far end of it could not be found to rod it out, having tried and failed from the top. Eventually discovered by the rear wheel arch! The gunge that came out was best described as toxic, eeuuww.

You can see our house from there (you may need binoculars, it's to the left of the pale patch near the end of the island!), but.....visibility wasn't the best. It is in the shot though, technically!

Saved me correcting you, Phil! Actually been there (Laxey) today, as we went for a head cleansing trip oop t'mountain, where it was.....fresh....

Morning, dull start to the day, 17c which isn't bad. Not sure what orders of the day are, as my opinion has gone for a walk with one of her pals. No doubt I will be informed later. There's not much litter here, what there is is certainly outcast from the younger elements of society, by observation. There is occasional mess caused by Manx Eagles (seagulls) raiding litter bins, I put some stuff back in a bin yesterday when walking that had clearly been pulled out by them looking for the golden chip. Some bins are 'gull proof' but not all, they should be on the prom. Litter is one of the first things we notice when we go to the UK, Heysham not being the tidiest of places. And yes Andy, its all about parenting.

Oh, I'm really not sure about saying this....but the three buildings on the right in your proposal being all parallel just don't look right to me. Sorry. Two, yes - either side of the entry track is a good look, but the three for some reason, don't gel with me. Does one need turning sideways or something? Like that Welsh colliery?

Evening all, as Jamie used to say. A nice visit to Harry's today, way over west in Kirk Michael. A pleasant day, overcast but warm, good company, good grub and of course, these. No it isn't bl**dy Thomas....

MMmmmmm back into it!

Indeed. My HO layout went into the doldrums for 6 years, and the garden railway little used. It has run more this year than the last three or so combined, and I'm off to run on another railway tomorrow! It took a change of scale, prototype and region to get the juices flowing again. Next week will see the start of a brass kit too, it has taken a loooong time to get the, er, urge to get beck into actually making something.

'Consultant' - double the money.

Gerroff. You're not having it!

Yup - took me a while to get back into it as a hobby.

Oh, Andrea DeCrasheris! For those old enough.....

Evening. Manx boy done good in the bicycling, eh! In other news, the old farts had a good ride out (several stops for old bones to unwind) and a great brunch down...all the way down.....in Port Erin. Sunny and warm, lots of kids on the beach, which gave thought - our kids are at school still, so are this lot all visitors? Still, nowhere near us and the view is good. Mansell used to live in a house just behind that grass bank top left - he built the bank so folk couldn't see him....which meant he couldn't see the view. Clever lad eh?