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In My World - Moody Blues

Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

In A Broken Dream - Python Lee Jackson Oops - great minds etc

Afternoon All Well there's a turn up - two days running - still a lot of use of the computer for other purposes, but 30747 is at her art group, and I have a chance to get some RMWeb time in. Not all posts read, but I'm getting the gist of the animal ailments. Flavio - hope Lucy continues to improve - she has been through it. Simon - with Rolo, I suspect he has been eating grass which dogs do when they are a bit sickly, and then they throw it up in a quite alarming way and then more or less continue as though nothing had happened. Lily once did that, and then she didn't throw up as expected, and a day or so later, she excreted something rather resembling a small haystack, Did you find any traces of grass in his vomit? Whatever caused it, I'm pleased to hear that he's on the mend - if he shows a relapse or doesn't continue to improve, then you know what to do - off to the vet's. Nothing much else to report, and I can only, as usual, offer my sincere generic greetngs to the ailing and the celebrating. Must go and get the dinner on in preparation for 30747's return - two home made individual cottage pies, with a veg pot. I've also got a few more threads to visit - I have been absent from Big Jim's thread since the last week of November, so must get caught up there, as it is a great insight into modern freight operation on the big railway. Also been missing on Waverley West for even longer - most remiss. Regards to All Stewart

Nothing other than tea and coffee for the foreseeable, as I am on tablets medium term, and the Dr said that I should not drink with them - the box had "avoid alcohol" on the label, the pharmacist said "no drinking with these" and it is in three places in the patient leaflet. I guess that this actually means what it says. And there's me stocked up with a bottle of Speyburn 20yo, and a bottle of Lidl's Abrachan laid down for Christmas - they'll keep.

Highway To Spain- Magna Carta

Moonlight Shadow - Maggie Riley and Mike Oldfield

Afternoon All WIth no mojo for RMWeb, or indeed many other websites apologies for absence. I am just getting so sick of having to use the laptop for checking emails four times a day, filling in forms to do with the move, and checking forms coming in to do with the move - AND a printer/scanner which won't really do either properly since a WIndows update - the second one to b*gger that side of things up. My tame computer guru is away doing something to do with computers, and isn't back until the weekend. So all that printing will have to wait - and I managed to get the papers to do with the mortgage scanned at the Building Society, so no great delay there. So anyway, many many pages skipped, and I've to idea what's going on with Simon or ID - though I did pick up in a recent post that Lucy is still ailing, and I do wish her better. Simon, I also hope that things are going a bit better for you. For everybody else, it can only be the most hearty of generic greetings. Rick - I wish I knew where you were getting these up the hooter only COVID tests - round here, we're still getting the bblue and white boxes - though I believe that 30747's workplace has them for any staff wishing to self test before work, but she is so p*ssed off with them due to a management change to an imbecile now the manager instead of a qulified Early Years teacher, she no longer has any interest in the place after 26 years there, and now can't wait for the move to go through so that there is enough fall in from the proceeds to fund her early retirement until her State pension comes through in just over a year's time. Now for a bit of festive cheer, which I got this morning - this is quite, quite incredible - Foxes and Fossils are just phenomenal. Edit This one from last week didn't upload for some reason - also a selection of the Foxes and Fossils Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All With apologies for absence due to a massive loss of mojo. Still no confirmed details on our move due to delays with our lender. Hopefully their "advisor" will ring today, as he promised to do. Yesterday our TV box went off, and wouldn't come on again - couldn't even get it to boot up to do a factory reset. Luckily we had another box in the house, and even more luckily I was able to find it. So spent a fun filled two hours setting it up, then trying to remeber what series recordings were on the old one. I missed the Hornby programme (probably among others) - we have lost loads of recordings now - about 150 hours worth - but that's just the way it goes. Then our bedside CD/casette player went wrong, so we couldn't listen to our talking CDs as we like to do at night - of course, we have already packed most of the casettes. Got the spare in from the garage to find that it had gone phut also. Ordered a new one off eBay. as Argos had none in stock. Then just for fun tried the old one to find that it was now reading CDs properly again - but will still let the new one be delivered, as it does appear that this sort of thing is rapidly dying out - very few available, and online prices starting to creep up - always a sign of potential rarity. Flavio - great to hear that there is an effective treatement for your pooch's ailment. Back sometime. Regards to All Stewart

You and Me - Moody Blues (from 7th Sojurn)

I've got nine guitars now, six accoustic, two electro accoustic, and the recently puchased Tanglewood copy SG. I've got a nice Marshall combo to play the electric and electro through. I also have a Fender C10 classical 3/4 sized instrument, which I got at a jumble sale, complete with case, and in unplayed condition for £7. I did have a Taylor 415ce, but that had to go due to various reasons - but the Barry Vernon which I picked up very cheaply more than makes up for that loss. The Hofner came into my posession when Malcolm Lockyer died, and his widow asked a friend called Bobby Kevin (drummer) who owned a music shop in Surrey to sell it "to a good home, and with the condition that it not be resold" - this was in 1977 according to the invoice. I got it for about £17, and it was a pig - high action, worn frets, pickup added, but not an original, and a hideous metal pickguard. I stripped it down, and spent ages sanding the bridge by taping sandpaper to the body of the guitar, and moving it up and down - so that it kept the shape of the body, which is arched. I didn't tackle the frets, but promptly removed the pickup and pickguard. In so doing, the guitar became playable again - and when we moved to Lancaster, I got a good luthier working locally to do a partial refret. It now plays as well as many of my other guitars, and is very good for the "chunk chunk" sound at the back of a trad jazz band. It will not be resold, and I have left it in my will to our nephew, who is a guitarist, and who had always admired it. My will also has a clause stating that it should not be resold. And Chrisf - that's my forte - buying books that I think I will enjoy, only to find that I've got a copy at the back of one of the cupboards which house my collection - on one occasion, I managed to buy the same book twice more - but as it was one by Colin T Gifford, there was actually method in my madness, as I sold them on on eBay for a decent profit. Afternoon All Went to an antique fair this morning, at the behest of 30747, who wanted to go to it as we have missed a few locally - we had the leaflet for this one sitting on the dressing table. Didn't check it this morning - drove 10 miles to find the venue locked and a vicar waiting in the car park. Then went into Kirkby Lonsdale and got caught behind the rememberance parade, When we got home, I checked the leaflet, to find that the fair was yesterday, and is always on a Saturday now!!!!! We could have gone yesterday, as we did attend a craft fair which was only a few miles away in another village - it was suprisingly good as well. I have also now packed all my locos and rolling stock back into the boxes - in over ten years of collecting these, I have only lost three boxes - and I know one of these was pressed into service to house my 3F tank as it was bought unboxed in a sale at The (much missed) Train Shop in Morecambe. Anyhows, the usual generic greetings to all ailing and celebrating ERs. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All I must commence with the usual apology for absence - this was due in part to my not having my laptop working - a windows update saw to that. and it stuck mid-download - my computer guru was able to sort it out for me this afternoon, and I now appear to be on the latest version of windows 10 - my laptop which is just one year old does not appear to be compatible with Windows 11 - but I really am just getting used to 10, so I'm not too fussed. Anyway, belated happy birthday Ian, and I can only offer greetings to the ailing and the celebrating, as I have had to skip so many pages. In other news, got a phone call from Guy the guitar repairer, who gave my the glad tidings that my Ibanez Artwood is fettled, and is now much more playable - and it is indeed. The fingerboard which was almost the colour of dirty pine is now a glowing rosewood again, the action has been lowered, and the frets polished, and the proud one dressed, the electrics checked and new batteries fitted - and strung with Elixirs. All for under £40. So here it is in all its glory, sitting with my Ovation on the left, and on the right my Hofner Congress (once owned by the late Malcolm Lockyer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Lockyer Regards to All Stewart

I have, about ten years ago - and 30747 had hers about two weeks ago. Mine was due to my diabetes, hers was because she achieves 65 next year. Afternoon All All posts have, for once, been read - though not all are rated. Early start as I wanted to get some mastic round a small leak at the back of the bath, which only does its thing VERY occasionally, but as we've got a couple of months more here probably, I decided to do it. Went to the garage around 08.30 and found that one tube of sealant was actually filler amd the other was black gutter sealant - so it was a trip to Screwfix as soon as they opened. Meantime, I decided to take the circular saw to some scrap wood which has to go to the tip, and found that it has been buried behind a load of boxes which await our attention to be filled with household goods as their turn comes up for packing. Not a good idea, as there was a boxalanche, and everything had to be restacked - still I got the wood cut down to fit the back of the car. And of course, as I was "just going down to Screwfix - could you just pop into Lidl and get those odds and ends that we forgot". Lidl at 10.00 on a Sunday morning is pretty horrendous, and is not to be repeated. Still I have now had a good while on here while 30747 has a chat with her best friend for about an hour. And my copy of the new Abba album arrived for the release date, and I was reminded of my age, as I can still remember their debut in the UK at Brighton in 1974. It has to be said that the album is not bad at all. I did see that it was recorded over four years, 2017 - 2021 though how this was kept a secret for three years is beyond me. Their musicianship and arrangement skills are actually extremely good. Regards to All Stewart Regards to All Stewart

Song For Guy - Reggie Dwight

Great pics as ever. Jim and I do love following your exploits. Hard to believe that these class 37s (albeit much rebuilt and refurbished) have been around for about eight years less than I have, and I'm four years past my State Pension Age.

Morning All TWO days running = will wonders never cease? And the warmest of generic greetings to all celebrating and of course ailing ERs. Flavio - the Womens Institute in this country would abhor the inclusion of buttercream in a Victoria Sponge - sponge and jam (raspberry or strawberry) only - this also applies to the lady bakers in the next village, who sell their wares at Gresgarth Hall gardens open days. And I have been naughty again, this time a second hand Ibanez elecro accoustic, but no piccies as yet, as the fingerboard was so dry, and there are a couple of frets need dressing, so it was straight to Guy's guitar repairs for a fret dress, fingerboard clean and lubricate, and a new set of strings oh and a test of the electrics as the bateries were flat when I bought it - when it comes back, it shpuld be shiny and clean, and I'll picture it then. Hopefully a good buy for £100 including a good gig bag plus the cost of the clean up. In the circumstances of a rather painful arm - more so than with the Oxford/AZ vaccine, I slept pretty well, as tiredness is also a side effect - but the arm is still painful this after - not made any easier by the injection site being hit by the car door when I was unloading the stuff from the back seat. I did post this yesterday as it really cheered me up, but for some reason it didn't take when I edited my post. Gabriella Quevedo and her father Sergio offer an incredible duo. She's talented, and very good looking as well. And that smile at the end just melts me. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All A lot has happened, though not encouraging vis a vis timing of the move, as our equity release provider is delaying matters, and it's looking like we won't move before the festive season. Covid jab this morning, what a palava - last two organised by GP were in and out in ten minutes - this one was organised by the NHS, and I had an appointment for 12.50. Arrived about ten minutes early, and got turned away until the appointed time. Went through checpoint charlie, and was gruffly told to "wait over there - a queue of about ten people in front - one two in front was already complaining. Then the ten of us were allowed to go in, and the man two in front was complaining that the person behind was "too close" (3m away) when we were being sanitised for the second time in five minutes. Then got inside to another queue, and guess what - complaining again. then got checked in, and had to join a third queue. Turned out only two booths were open out of four - guess what - he was complaining again, and "I've only put the car in for an hour, and if I get done, the NHS will pay the fine". Finally got vaccinated at 13.25. We were given a timer set for 15 minutes, and as the guy who was moaning came out of the booth, and before he got to the waiting area, he was changing his timer, and he left, much to the relief of all the staff and volunteers, left the building. Yes, it was slow, but as he was told "you ought to have put your car in for two hours". Regards to All Stewart

In My Life - that Liverpool band

At The Chime Of A City Clock - Nick Drake Curses - foiled

I've waited a long time to get this one in Blue Guitar - John Lodge and Justin Hayward (sometimes wrongly called Blue Jays - that was their album)

Afternoon All Generic greetings, as I skim read the posts since yesterday, but Simon, hope all is well soon. Chuckinitdarn this morning, and now doing so again - Lily refuses to walk in all this rain. I am doubtful that there will be many trick or treaters out in this lot, and it should deter the fireworks as well. In Ayrshire we used to do Hal'een by dressing up and "guising" (ie doing a party piece) - also we did turnip lanterns, with hollowed out innards, and a candle inside - the smell of the turnip roasting was memorable (ps in Scotland a turnip is what the English call a Swede) - and we went tound friends houses asking "are ye haudin' Haleen) if yes, come in and guise, and get sweets or other small presents - if no, go onto next house. And here's a Haloween offering from the amazing Alison Young All clocks and timpieces adjusted (I'll find the one which isn't about mid November). Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All Apologies for absence, and the warmest of supportive thoughts to Simon - I echo everything that has been said by my fellow ERs and hope for a speedy diagnosis and recovery. Sorry that I have skipped many pages as we have been away, and we no longer publicise this on social media. We had a day in Skipton and Ilkley, and I just happened to find a nice Ibanez electro-accounstic which I got at trade. We also decided after receiving the surveyor's report that we should have another look at the house which we have started the process of buying. In order to avoid the worst of the M6, we were up at 3.45 am, and on the road by 4.45. 30747 picked out that the chimney needs repointing, and has a spalled brick - and that was the main issue with the property according to the surveyor. Then we had some rather nice saveloys and chips in Leominster, and bedded down for the night We then had a day off from houses/surveyors/solicitors/estate agents, and visited Hungerford where we did all the antique centres and shops. And then we had some utterly delicious spam fritters fish cakes and chips from the chippy in Hungerford - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Just about the best chips I have ever eaten in my life and I kid you not - anybody visiting Hungerford should give it a look in - everything freshly fried, and piping hot. Then another good night's sleep. Then came the homeward journey nightmare. Left Newbury at 06.00 and stopped at Swindon for petrol (we follow a circuitous route to avoid the A34/M5/M6) and as we came out of the services it was starting to rain - and then it started - terrible heavy rain, then torrential rain, then even heavier - Noah was at the side of the road with some gopher wood. We reduced our speed - nobody else did. Spray everywhere. Got to Newent, and the road was only just passable - luckily by then it was light enough to see what was happening. When we got to Shrewsbury it stopped raining. We got to Tarporley and there was a set of temporary lights and a 1000 yard queue which was moving sporadically forward. Then things came to a stand, and the lights didn't change for ages - eventually people started to jump them - as did we - they were red at both ends. then we got onto the M56, and as we went round the slip to the M6, the flashing lights were doing their thing, and the traffic was stop start on both M6 and the M56 slip. We then progressed at about 5mph/stop/5mph until well after j22. By this time I was just about ready to pull off, but at last around j23 it finally started to clear. To cut a long story short, a journey from Newbury which normally takes about five hours took seven and a half. We had planned to go home and unpack, then go to Lidl, then pick up the dog from kennels. We had to go to Lidl, then go home, then wait until the kennels re-opened. To say the least, I'm knackered. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All Mucho apologies that due to working on the bathroom, as 30747 wants it to "look better" before we leave this house behind, so some grout whitener was purchased yesterday, and was deployed this morning, after the trip to GB junk - I bought the Tanglewood, and herself fell in live with a 1950s Tri-Ang tinplate doll's house which needs a fair degree of fettling - "A project for you for after we've moved" - a rewire of the electrics, two windows hanging off, and a lot of play wear. We did get our trade discount on both items, so though my Tanglewood was priced at £140, I got it for £125 and he threw in a soft case - a Roksak guitar case with shoulder straps (they rounded it down from the 10% as I know the dealer). The doll's house was full of furniture, which 30747 is raking through, and it will go on eBay. She seems to think that it is pretty good quality and there is a lot of it. On a more negative side, we bought a nice joint of stuffed pork shoulder from the reduced cabinet at Lidl ("reduced but still fresh smelling horrible) - dated for tomorrow, so going back, and we had tinned pie for dinner as there was nothing else defrosted. Generic greetings are all I can offer again today. Guitarists hold onto your hats for a superb rendition of Liebestraum - never heard anything quite like it, though it is credited to John Williams and Val Doonican - I never watched the latter's TV show - too cheesy by far Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All I've been a bad boy. It's a Tanglewood, but a bl**dy good one - lovely low action, and plays like a dream. Set me back just £140 at the local antique centre, and that from a guitar dealer. Regards to All Stewart

Afternoon All Move is going to take a bit longer than expected for various legal reasons. Hence the delay in posting here. Apologies and of course, the warmest of generic greetings are on offer from this quarter. I am still wearing a mask in shops, malls, and when the street is busy - but I have had to pay for every one - Lidl do two cloth masks for £1.99, and they wash up well - we've got about 20 now. Boxing up continues as we gather up all the bits - it was pretty gut wrenching to box every loco in my collection - and yes, I found every box except for the one for my Fowler 3F tank - then I realised that I bought it unboxed at half price because the box was damaged beyond saving, and I had to put it in another Bachmann box. Not a lot more to add today. Regards to All Stewart ps I just got my mail (at 5.05), and another letter from Barclays saying that yet another branch Ihat I use is closing - this time it's Kirkby Lonsdale, which will then be left with one open part time branch of Nat West (for how much longer is anybody's guess). That will be three out of the six branches that I use closed - Morecambe, Lancaster Uni, and Kirkby Lonsdale - how much longer Carnforth or Garstang stay open, who knows.