bbishop

Yup; over here, too. B

Back home after cycling up to London (and catching the train home). Trouble at a junction when I waited behind all the cars indicating left, beside a car not indicating. Lights changed, toddled along behind the left turners, then was almost taken out by the idiot assuming I was turning left as well. No, it wasn't a filter lane. Much hooting from the idiot as I accelerated out of the way. In retrospect I should have let him touch me, then insisted we go to the police station 100 yards away. But it was pissing down and I had a meeting to go to. Bill

Yes! Bill

Guys, please be careful in choosing containers for mixing scenic material . I've just spread hummus on my layout, and made a Hydrofibre sandwich. Bill

Including the LSWR 5 plank wagon in a cardboard tube. I built three of them, my first whitemetal kits, originally using epoxy. When they fell apart, rebuilt with low melt solder. Bill

Bit of a positive today. But going back to yesterday. Did any of you listen to the Mahler on Radio 3? I was there, right above the tuba. The Mahler was wonderful, less sure about the racket in the first half. But I got soaked cycling home afterwards. So a new pair of jeans today, and I'm now wearing 34" waist (albeit Marks & Sparks with their "comfortable" fitting). Two years ago I was struggling to fit into a 38" waist. Result! I agree with Barry O on the subject of BMI. Fifteen years in the front row of a rugby scrum has left me with a build conducive with an "obese" outcome. The fact is that much of it is thighs, arse, chest and neck. Have a good one, Bill

Jaz, The most likely alternative to 3 is: "... until it has been fumigated, the tea cups have been washed up, milk with 2012 sell by date thrown out and 50% of the club members taught how to use deodorant." Bill

No modelling knives in the vicinity, then. B

He could always be the Trevor Nunn impersonator! Bill

One does live in a hice; otherwise known as Buckingham Palace. HMQ

Howzat - small = 1, 4, 3, 2, 6, OWZTHAT large = L.B.W., BOWLED, NO BALL, CAUGHT, STUMPED, NOT OUT Yes, sadly I've kept my set for 50 years or so, and they live in my desk drawer. Bill

Vectras are usually pretty well behaved vehicles, well mine is anyway. They are well liked by the police, both real and Lewis on the TV, although probably a bit souped up. A funny thing happened to be in Sainsbury this morning. I keep my plastic shopping bags in a cotton washing bag hung on the trolley. I'm the sort of shopper who parks the trolley, collects an armful of shopping then tries to remember where I left the trolley. After my second collection, I found my bags had disappeared (except for one with a hole in it). Bah, humbug! Thanks, sh1t head!! Completed, paid, took shopping to car, then realised I'd forgotten Christmas wrapping paper. And outside the front door was my cotton bag, lying on the ground, devoid of plastic bags. Do I not understand humanity!! Off to work, maybe my penultimate shift ever as I'm very tempted not to do Christmas post next year. Bill

Many years ago, I was operating my stock on a 7mm layout. A double track though station was being operated as a single line terminus and the redundant track was pretending to be a carriage siding, so nothing in the way of trap points. My Greyhound was leaving the station hauling my Bulleid 57' set when I just happened to look to my left. To my horror, an old dear had launched my Maunsell open second the length of the siding, saying to her grandson "look it does move". With a collision speed of a scale 100mph between a DJB locomotive and Westdale coaches, there was going to be a lot of damage. I reacted my putting my hand on the Maunsell roof. I lost most of the skin off my forefinger, the Maunsell lost a lavatory filler tank, the old dear hightailed it. Luckily the resulting collision resulted in no more damage. Bill

iL Dottore, So there wouldn't be a problem taking the HM to Scalefourum. Bill

iL Dottore, Does the HM have a passport? Bill

The expert on Czech railways within RMWeb is Roundhouse. Might I suggest you follow his threads on his TT exhibition layout (Smrzovka) and his new HO layout (Dobris). Bill

But one can get to morocco by road. Bill

Martin, What a load of Sklodowskas Bill

Handwriting! My school taught all the boys to develop an italic script with the relevant fountain pen nib. Neither worked for me. My handwriting is unique as the pen never leaves the paper throughout a word, so there are constant changes of direction and as many upstrokes as downstrokes. Not conducive to a fountain pen as I sprayed Watermans blue black over the page. With the connivance of my form master, I converted to a Stabilo felt tip, but had to keep my Osmiroid for inspections. My handwriting looks very neat but is actually pretty well illegible! Bill

Tony, The interpretation of my GTT test is that I have a pre Diabetic condition. The advise was to cut out sugar and reduce biscuits etc to a minimum (2 a day), but no formal diet plan. Playing front row has left me with a solid frame (and theoretically borderline obese) so my target is to return to a 34" waist. Just 1" to go! The other advise is exercise. You've got a dog, how about a bike? Bill

Tony, Take plenty to read. Bill

Paul, You need to add the Adams O2 to your list. Bill

Went up town for Christmas shopping. My sister doesn't know it yet but she getting me Private Owners vol 12 (the Ian Allen staff sealed the plastic bag) and my step grand nephew (or is that grand step nephew (see later)) is getting a Lego train set. Had a superb pint of mild in The Old Coffee House in Beak Street (a new venue, I'll be back). Ended up in the Christmas Market on the Southbank. Basically disappointing, the overpriced Glühwein was drinkable, the Currywurst was dire, the big problem was that the goods on sale were actually too good and therefore too expensive. Really a Christmas market should be selling stocking filler tat. So stopped off at Lidl and purchased a large bottle of Glühwein for about the same price as the Southbank thimble. Seem to have drunk most of it so must head to bed. Blame the alcohol if this post makes less sense than usual. Bill

I looked into using Ryanair for my trip to the Spur Null day near Gießen last year. Frankfurt-Hahn appears to be nearer Strasbourg than Frankfurt! Bill

And don't forget the three wise men arrived on the Epiphany. Bill