45156

Any idea where "North" is - is it due to come through Lancaster?

Help - I'm still at work while all the world and his wife goes (a)to the pub or (b)home. I can't get away before 6 tonight as my late shift is on Thursdays, and I normally finish at 8 but the shift end was brought forward a couple of hours - just as well I brought the car, as the last bus is going at 6.15 and it's a ten minute walk to the bus station - would have been a bit too close for comfort methinks. Still the big advantage here is that the stove will be well alight when I get home

Happy Birthday - Altered Images

At least you don't smell of bird dung.

All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle - Dora Brian (1960s novelty Christmas song which I can regrettably still remember the words - but in the interests of not boring everybody, I'll keep to meself!)

with the washing

Not quite now, but tomorrow morning, the delightful New Years Day concert from Vienna on Radio 3, BBC2, and then BBC4 in the evening - a wonderful concert of mainly Strauss and other Vienese composers.

I hope also not to have a repeat of last year's January 1st, when Mrs 45156 started to pull the furniture away from the walls, laid dust sheets, and produced several tins of emulsion paint, and we were painting the living room walls to the tune of "The Blue Danube" on the TV - still, it got the job done, and the Farrow and Ball yellows that we used are still almost as good as new.

Dare I...Why not... White Horses - Jackie

particularly when squeezed

Dave - sorry - maybe I didn't make it clear - the concert is at 11.15 am on New Years Day, and makes a gentle way to ease into the morning, and for all I know, make a hangover more bearable (I don't know as I no longer drink heavily, and haven't suffered a hangover for about 20 years!!) Have a nice celebration whatever you get up to - if you like classical music, why not record the concert.

Morning all Another cold one here, but oddly no ice on the car, even though when I used the screenwash, it froze to the windscreen! Stuck in the office now til 6 tonight, and both Mrs 45156 and I are thinking about a nice early night as we've both got "the bug" and the only way to fight it seems to be to rest up. For me, the highlight of the New Year is not getting bloutered, or letting off about 50 quids worth of fireworks, but having a nice lie in then a slow breakfast, a decent cup of coffee, then lighting the stove, and sitting down to watch the New Year's Day concert from the Musikverein in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. (10.00 - 11.00 on Radio 3 then 11.15 to 12.45 BBC2 or 7.00 pm to 9.00 BBC4 for an extended show). Music lovers will find this to be a lovely show - I've been watching it now for years. In case I don't get another chance, I wish all my fellow RMWebbers a very happy 2010. Stewart

in the bilges

Into the hole

Rhythm Of The Rain - Many versions exist, but I know of The Cascades, Johnny Tillotson, Jason Donovan (written, I believe by Dan Fogelberg?)

Yss BoD what is the version you heard??? (if it's printable and won't incur the fury of the mods)

Eat here - fifty thousand flies can't be wrong Also DD - liked the church diorama - most churchy

Here Comes The Sun - Beatles (ISTR that we've been round this particular loop before!)

Morning greetings from Lancaster. Today's lunacy comes courtesy of the local council - due to "adverse weather conditions" our bin and recycling collections were missed last week - we were assured that they would be round today to collect - but we now find out that they only will accept the grey (landfill) bins today, and will not be collecting any recycling until 6th January -which will be a four week wait to get that stuff cleared up. Hopefully they will not be too strict in enforcing the no side bags rule now, as four weeks worth of paper, cardboard, glass (particularly at Christmas!), tins, and plastic bottles makes up quite a lot of stuff to accumulate. Snow's almost gone here now - sorry for those in Wales and the Midlands who appear to have got a caning yesterday. I won't even start on whether the authorities have coped in any way with this long predicted spell of bad weather.

Firstly - Don, so sorry that you had such a bummer of a message - not a lot I can say there at all. Second, Christmas was (thankfully) quiet with only me and Mrs 45156 at home, plus the dog. The boxes contained suitably train shaped items, but unforutnately, Mrs 45156 was not able to get a copy of Ian's book locally in time, so got me something else which luckily was a steam book that I didn't have. I'll get Ian's book on order soon. Spent most of Boxing Day doing the council's wortk for them. I live on a corner plot, on the junction of two untreated roads, and spent a couple of hours clearing the compressed snow/ice off the junction, which was treacherous. Just as well I did, as we have had two days of refreeze so the roads are still bad - the bit we did is actually passable now. It did make us feel better that it was done, as two neighbours needed the attentions of the emergency Dr just after we cleared, and he was better able to get access - also one of them needed to be taken to hospital, and what we did helped the ambulance to get into the road. I now feel that I should bill the council for services rendered! I wouldn't get anywhere. Back at work today, unfortunately, so will try to visit from time to time in my breaks - still can't get on at home due to naff PC. As to the debate about stoves, we've got a Hunter Hawk 4Kw and when it's running well, it pumps out enough heat to enable us to switch the central heating off for a couple of hours. I run it on a combination of small coal and logs - mainly logs - coal just to boost and get it going, and it only needs clearing out every few days, the ash is just a fine tilth - mainly due to the fact that we only use well seasoned dry wood, and decent quality coal which is not prone to making clinker. I recommend it to anybody as a nice cosy addition to your domestic heating arrangements. Happy week between Christmas and New Year.. Stewart

Some of the photos here bring back memories - they were certainly interesting vehicles, and broke up the monotony of rakes and rakes of blue and grey MK1 and Mk2 vehicles which were, by then, just about the norm! I see that 9124 survived - and must revisit it some day on the GCR to renew my student acquaintance with it. Shame that the wags that crewed it are unlikely to have been preserved with it - probably long retired by now, and could't care about buffet cars at all now! Stewart

Indeed - it makes me wonder what the ??135 a month I give the council actually goes on - still, they're pretty good on social related issues and have just masses of workers covering that area of things - one wonders who sets the priorities??? Oh yes, and I pay ??810 a year to them for the honour of parking the car on one of their car parks which currently resemble a skating rink. A colleague parked in the street nearby the other day, her car slipped sideways with the road camber, and she then collected a ticket because she was not parked within the indicated bays and the ticket showed the reason as "car inconsiderately parked",

I'll bet!

Blowing In The Wind - Bob Dylan (and numerous others over the years) Now given the season, are we going to see some more "appropriate" titles for the festive period???