PeterBB

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

Getting ready to go to Crewe - as soon as I can get my ar5e off the sofa.

Delayed because you can - the advantage of 'me time'!

Condolences to Stewart and family - even when not close or expected it still comes as a shock.

Tomorrow off to a relatives funeral after a family day represented by a completed trip round the sun and three days after what would have been his similar anniversay day.

41 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Why is it that I now have a mental image of you foot to metal and your brother tapping on  Beth's window to say in broad Cumbrian/Yorkshire accent - 'ow do bro could you fetch it down a peg as 'm 'aving a bit of bother keeping up' 

By definition he would have caught up if tapping on the window!

Happy 44th Wedding Anniversary Beth and Jamie.

@Combe Martin adds to the point that MS move things around,

@Gwiwer well remember the problems listening to 208 Luxemberg. - required sitting right next to the radio.  Come to that some other reception was ot so good - what came to mind was the very last episode of  -Dick Barton Special Agent - the next week was something called 'The Archers' so must be a year or two ago,

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

But you can get peripherals that connect to the laptop via a USB port. I have a CD/Blueray player, 5¼-inch and 3½-inch floppy disk drives, an iomega zipdrive and a Sony MiniDisk player - most of which are dirt cheap and allow you access legacy media.

 

And whilst on the subject of legacy media, is anyone else of the opinion that WordPerfect was miles better than Microsoft Word?

What is a laptop?  From which you will conclude that I do not have one, have often thought about it since did have one when a peripatetic trainer.  Something that 'went missing' some time ago was the drive that enabled me to contunue using the 1.44 floppy discs on subsequent computers so on the move had to get rid of 100s of them.

Seem to remember Word Perfect and other software of the time that was easy to use and why does MS change the order and placing of 'menus and their contents' everytime it brings out so-called upgrades 'that make it easier to use'.

Still have a video player although the 'newer' television does not have a connection for it.

Of course the main agro is that companies seem to think that everyone has a smartphone - nothing could be further from the truth, especially when you consider the cost of them.

As I see it the real reason for all these changes, apart from the accepted security, is to make someone pots of money by making even relatively 'new things' obsolete.  By this time the above begins to sound like a rant -oops.

48 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

I still think that as the UK needs to fill the yawning gap between August Bank Holiday and Christmas, there should be an Autumn Bank Holiday.

 

A suitable date might be the 21st of October...

 

A date that is also my former school's commemoration day thst in those days included a church service - doubt that it is still the same now.

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Oh today is the Glorious First of June.  Yet another day when the Royal Navy beat the French.  I may remi d our dinner guests of that fact tonight. 

 

Jamie

After you have eaten of course.

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

What is a "CD player"? 😀

 

You should be able to copy all your tunes on to a micro-SD card in your phone then play them via Bluetooth on the car radio. Might also work from a thumb-drive plugged into the car's USB socket.

All this software etc - its frustrating because even the computer doesn't have cd/dvd player - essential as I still see it and in other aspects when the power fails because nothing is written down you bave no access to information ... even our telephones stop working when the power fails - not a common thing but the Salisbury train crash in 2021 cut off our power for a day or two until they powered up a generator.

11 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Getting the cane for pretty much anything , after school detention spent writing hundreds of lines , whole classes spending lunchtimes picking up litter for one persons transgression (The "Emu Parade"),  we had it so easy compared to the poor students these days, luckily now there is social media for the poor kiddies parents to turn to to right the wrongs.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/students-were-kept-back-at-lunch-parents-said-it-was-akin-to-a-prison-camp-20230529-p5dc69.html

 

 

The heading suggests but the item unaccessible - subscription only unfortunately.

@monkeysarefun Later explained  the article

Read the article and have to agree.  Fortunately (?) wisdom teeth remobved while NHS many years ago ... required 22 stiches and was carried out under GA.  Have alwyas cleaned my teeth but ... dentist says will lose all like my father.  My brother on the other hand has had relativel little problem with teeth ... like mother.  It also therefore seems to be the 'luck' of the draw.  As you can imaging 'hate' the idea of a dentist visit especially since moving as there are no NHS dentists locally.

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... marking, marking, marking. 121 submissions of spreadsheets, 15 worksheets each, therefor it’s marking over 1,800 separate calculation and chart sets ...

@Coombe Barton So thats your Whitsun brreak sorted.  

16 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... Today moving stuff round in home to make room ... not all that successfully ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/05/29/down-more-and-was-the-appointment-too-good/

Also suggests that a certain person reallly believed he was not doing anything wrong in looking at the judgres pedigree.

20 hours ago, BoD said:

 

Strangely enough I was looking for a possible fictitious back story and a reason for a branch line.  I hadn't considered Arrochar and Loch Long but thought about further up the line.  A station similar to Crianlarch just north of Rannoch station (perhaps even replacing it) with a branch along Blackwater Reservoir to Kinlochleven, which had its own aluminium smelter and small narrow gauge railway. 

 

 

 

 

Impossible terrain?  But wasn't Rannoch Moor itself unlikely.

 

Getting really silly now aren't I?

All those bridges to cross the streams ... 

@Hroth happy birthday - poet in your retirement.

Anyone seen tonight 'Railways the Making of a Nation?  The film was interesting but all the speech was way out of alignment with the every person providing comments including the presenter - pity.

Obviously avoiding the food blog information; cameras - apart from the Pentax SLR still have a small Pentax Optio 750Z - would be nice if I could readily transfer to the computer - miss the DVD and other bits that make compouters useful.

2 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

... Today has been marking and admin – the story of my life currently. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/05/24/fluctuating-still-and-are-they-catching-up-with-boris/

 ... and then some students want to sue because they did not get 'personal' tuition,  it beggars belief!

On 20/05/2023 at 18:44, Coombe Barton said:

Many years ago I heard a broadcast about a BBC announcer not wanting to cock up pronouncing Rimsky-Korsakov, so he practiced and practiced and eventually got it right. Come the broadcast he got the name right but announced the piece as “The Bum of the Flightle Bee”
 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/05/20/up-a-bit-the-progress-looks-unstable/

First time heard this piece on brass and it was great.

Other than that apologies - so far behind that it was a skim through.

@DaveF agree about voice recognition.

Cameras - have/had a Pentax for many years that was fantastic until a spring on the shutter went.  At the time could not fund the repair cost but when cost was not a problem it apparently could no longer be repaired ... too old!

7 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

 

My copy just arrived. My! Its a heavy tome!

 

I don't know why they advertised it as like new/new(other), its new, shrink-wrapped, never been read with no damage at all.

 

Now, I dare not open it!

 

Thanks to the guys who provided the information - my copy arrived earlier today - quite a heavy tome.

Others mentioned cutting grass - SWMBO said that it was sunny yestyerday and it needed to be cut before it rained.  The buttercup, daisy and dandelions  together with the uneven height of the grass had been getting to me as our lawnmower is old and small but on maximum height setting and frequent 'overheating' rests it took an hour or two, filed the green bin and also two building sacks filled to a weight I could manage to the local tip (oops recycling centre).  Brownie points gained.  Today a non-supporting wall was removed as part of SWMBOs need for a replacement kitchen and back door ... such is life but it will mean that we can see the garden rather than next doors fence.  Salosbury MRS Exchibition in Wilton this weekend.

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

There's a simple, three word, solution, Bear:

 

GET A GARAGE 😁

Come now, a garage is either for storage (seems the most common thing these days) or for a m***l 8a**w**! The other thing that used to be said was that a wet car garaged rusted more quivkly than one kept in the open.

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I am suffering from typing overload and struggling to motivate myself to write anything more. There are a couple of IMO meetings coming up at the end of June and beginning of July and I have to read every submission and produce a short summary of each along with my opinions. The opinion bit is easy enough as in most cases it's all b*ll*x, but wading through endless documents written in legalese and typing up a summary of each is hard work on the old typing fingers. I shouldn't complain given it's what I'm paid for.

 

I am trying to decide whether I am just becoming progressively more cynical and cantankerous, or whether the quality of submissions really is in freefall. 

Sounds like you could use one the 'speak and  it types things' whatever they are called.  Remember a solicitor using one years ago- he spoke a bit and read it back.

3 hours ago, polybear said:

In other news....

Just received a copy of the quote for fixin' Mickey the MG....a grand.  Plus VAT.....

Any hidden nasties discovered when the bumper comes off will be extra, or course.

BG

In current days that sounds quite reasonable.

16 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I went off for my appointment with an endocrinologist at Southend Hospital this morning. I like to get to such appointments early so I don’t arrive rushed with blood pressure causing concern. So I arrived at the hospital an hour early and joined a car park queue. I was still in the queue with no chance of escape an hour later, then a couple of cars left, the barrier lifted and I got in. I was 10 minutes late (the clinic was someway from the car park). The doctor was waiting for me to check in. She was very nice and very understanding about the parking. I think I will get Aditi to take me or I will go by bus next time. More tests booked, larger dose of vitamin D3 prescribed. Aim is to see whether there is a problem or results are abnormal but normal for me. 
Tony

Quite a common thing these days the wait in the queue and certainly does not help the blood pressure ... not fogetting the increasing doiffoiculties of the 'pay systems'.

7 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

Af

 

Outside, the birds continue to do their thing. We have seen more of the sparrows recently, while preparing lunch, I saw them having mixed baths in one of the larger birdbaths. They have also been nibbling the nuts which were formerly the exclusive province of the bluetits. The level in the feeder is visibly sinking faster than usual. The other day I cleaned out and refilled the largest bath and within a couple of minutes, the resident blackbird was splashing about in it. I fear another episode of 'Memoirs of a bath attendant' is looming... 

Our problem has become the crows.  Having almost managed to stop the squirrels so that the 'little' birds could feed one day came a crow who after appearing for a day or two found that by flying at the bird feeders he could dislodge food and then pick it up off the ground.  When around of course we lose the blue tits, wrens goldfinch and blackbirds - pigeons stay unless 5/6/7 crows appear and just about empty the bird feeders ... I think the word here is 'turdycurses' after @polybear.

23 hours ago, grandadbob said:

The thing about these 20mph zones  is that they are supposed, I believe,  to be traffic "calming" measures primarily to reduce accidents.  All well and good and I applaud anything (within reason) that helps to reduce accidents but I have found around here that the queue of drivers behind someone religiously 🤪 keeping to the limit is often anything but calm! 

Unfortunately so but there seems to be a state of over 20mph fines lately so perhaps it is best to stick to it, difficult though it may be.  The treality is that it is difficult and not necessarily environmental friendly as you normally need to be in a lower gear.

On 11/05/2023 at 07:44, TheQ said:

Certainly looks like the isle of Kerrera, with Hutcheson's monument on the hill.

Hutcheson (1799-1880)  must be spinning at the moment due to the mismanagement of his company..

It became... Caledonian Macbrayne .

I've seen the view many times,  but only once in the evening, waiting for a night ferry to the isles ( outer Hebrides)

Kerrera - not been since son was 13 (just realised that was a long time ago) but it was 'my island' in student days at Kingston and I really grew to love it even to the point of looking at one of the properties when it came up.  In those days there was still the paddle steamer and Sunday was the time to leisurely walk to Oban for the papers sit down with company on the station and read - it was generally spring/summer when I was on the island. There was one big senior school that also had boarders and all the islanders knew everybody over a fair distance, a great community.  

I had a van and one of the farmers asked me to take a ram for sale with him to Fort William - quite an experience.  Previous mention was of course the coincidence with the car that knocked blocks down onto the track and giving a hitch-hiker who turned out to be the stone mason a lift to repair it the following weak. Those were the days.

Then came the 'RORO' and everything changed so was not too impressed on the last visit.