Branwell

House names can be fun too. Back in my days as a domestic conveyancer, I dealt with the sale of a property called "Lower Bare Arse Cottage" and was most disappointed to find out that the purchasers changed the name almost as soon as as they'd completed.

When do the dancing horses come on?

Probably the Hood.

I once ended up head first in the rose bushes thanks to slug - trod on it whilst still half asleep whilst walking down the garden path.

There are some drawings on the Cumbrian Railways Association website that might help - one on there for the rebuilt E1s. http://www.cumbrianrailways.org.uk/drawanddoc.html

I wonder if the computer needing a new fan is somehow linked to the aforesaid picture of JA?

It's that extra hand in the mirror ...

Love the expression of intense concentration on the rabbit.

Good luck to you and your wife with the new arrival ... but hopefully it's au revior and not goodbye. Regards, David V.

Lionel Jeffries ... Railway Children ... trains ... Jenny Agutter ... sigh. Happy New Year!!

Must be a sign

I'll have to pay a visit next year - I used to go quite regularly when I lived in Cheltenham. Good to see them achieve it.

Some very nice modelling there. Can I ask what you use to stick the window frames and the glazing bars to the clear styrene - there doesn't seem to be any fogging of the glazing at all?

The 'box certainly appears to be set back into the wall on the The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway photograph.

There's a very similar view in The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway which is a bit sharper than the image you've posted and that appears to show a very small platform with a supporting bracket at either end, but there's nothing on it. If not a platform for a signal, could it be something to do with the nearby telegraph pole which it appears to be in line with? Regards, David V.

Really nice start with the buildings - I'm looking forward to seeing this one develop. Regards, David V.

Wise men in Castle Aching? Whatever next ... trains?? Merry Christmas one and all. David V.

Aren't we all?

Lovely job, Jim - it looks very much at home. Regards, David V.

I'd try going over the original colour with an appropriate pastel colour - I use Pan Pastels (http://www.panpastel.com/) but there are a lot of of other brands available. I tend to use a lighter shade of the original colour just lightly dusted on and sometimes go over that with an even paler shade ... and depending on the colour involved possibly with white as well.

Further progress on some of the buildings for the Pennine Area Group's model of Lightcliffe: Platform face of the goods warehouse (the timetable/poster boards are losely positioned at the moment) Rear of the goods warehouse Ends of the goods warehouse Front and left hand end wall for the gentlemens toilets on the Halifax bound platform (the holes on the front wall are for the guttering) Right hand end wall with guttering losely fixed in place (the rear wall is plain) And the beginnings of the weighbridge hut in the goods yard

I think you mean 'diluted'. Lovely work by the way.

Richard Thompson (ex Fairport Convention) has written a song about us. Personally, I think he's got it wrong - I live alone, have done for nigh on 30 years, and am quite happy that way thank you very much Mr Thompson. Sometimes I long for the solitary life Parents long gone, no kids, no wife Sister, somewhere in Australia Never did keep in touch Sex, no more than a, how do you do? With a copy of Penthouse in the loo Socially a bit of a failure Nice not to have to try too much A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the pewter skies over North West Eleven A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the governmental sky over North West Eleven A serious hobby in the garden shed Model trains or soldiers in lead Join the suburban boffins of Britain Experts on trivial things And holidays in the Yorkshire Dales Or cycling tours of the North of Wales Unenvious of those flea bitten On continental flings A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the pewter skies over North West Eleven Excitement comes by subtle means The satisfaction of routines Small revenges at the office Smug little victories You work on your pallor, complexion like paste Like the gray defeat on an inmates face A life spent adding losses and profits Resigning by degrees A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the pewter skies over North West Eleven A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the governmental sky over North West Eleven And come to the end, sad and alone A steady reliable tumor you've grown From selfish years, while all your peers Have stressfully jogged to health In life you always were quite numb And foggier now, you soon succumb In drab St. Barts on the new by-pass Death overcomes by stealth A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the pewter skies over North West Eleven A solitary life A life of small horizons Dull as the governmental sky over North West Eleven

Bringing back (limited) memories of a rather wild night out in Cheltenham ... ooh, must be twenty years ago. Scrummaged a Citreon 2CV ... almost had a taxi door taken off whilst opening it ... and ended up serving a meal to a friend that included his clothing. Now how am I reminded of this I hear you ask (don't I ... or am I hearing the voices again?). Well, after a few beers we ended up going for a curry. Except my friend wanted to go for a Thai meal and wouldn't shut up about it. So he got a Thai meal. Daft ###### made the mistake of leaving several items of clothing behind when he went to the loo ... and when he came back he was rather surprised to find that his tie had been stuffed full of curry and deposited on his plate. How were we meant to know that it was a limited edition rugby club tie? Think that may have been the same evening that his phone got dropped in a pint of beer because he'd left it on the table with his wife still on the other end but my memory's a bit hazy on that ...

You say 'poor', but there's a certain hand-held cine type feel to it - you may have sumbled across something!