Joseph_Pestell

So right, Andy.

Yes, while feeling sorry for those who lose their jobs at Hatton's, it also represents perhaps an opportunity for more local retailers.

Likewise Warley. It's demise may result in better-supported regional shows.

In our French village, the11 November ceremony took place late afternoon. I think that the timing is based round the aperitif at the Mairie afterwards.

Attendance was always good. This is mainly because of a large number of veterans of the war in Algeria (ended 1962) who have a very well- organised  association (FNACA). But they must be declining in numbers now.

On 23/09/2022 at 20:18, New Haven Neil said:

Ian is able to inject character into his layouts, seeming at will - not all of us are so able!

 

The circular layout really did something for me, and I only recall seeing one more elsewhere, a SR 3rd rail electric job.  Oh, Robin Hood's Bay too I suppose, but that was/is huge!

I have only just come across this interesting thread.

MidEssex MRC had a lovely circular layout (Blackwell Brewery). I can't quite date it - failing memory - but it may have predated Glen Douglas.

16 hours ago, Asterix2012 said:

Tandem 3 way points were not uncommon, I believe the symmetrical ones were very unusual.

 

Of course practice would vary between companies particularly pre grouping.

Symmetrical 3-way points limited to slow-speed locations (eg goods yards) as both wheels on an axle will tend to drop into the crossing - causing rough running.

15 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

I have yet to see a wind turbine modelled on a layout. There's a first for someone.

But probably in a high ceilinged room.

On the other hand Peter Denny modelled a gas works. And they need mineral wagons.

Though not actually on HS2 of course, but using the capacity freed up? Perhaps not.

Howzat! Back on topic.

Jonathan

Maybe here in the UK (although I doubt it). Faller do (or did) a kit and I have certainly seen some of those on layouts.

20 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Looking at the state of it, perhaps it was 7259's dernier train rather than a driver's. Can't see any reason to turn it as a driver would only have worked one part of one journey, traincrew rostering in France being what it is...

The ritual around a driver's retirement is a dearly held tradition on SNCF. Huge effort is made to change rosters around so that the driver's day will conclude at  the right time and place for a suitable celebration with colleagues. Most depots seem to have a semi-official restaurant. Look those out if you can - usually very good and cheap.

Y class locotracteurs have indeed been known as Yoyo for many decades. The Y8400 at Narbonne used to go up and down at great speed. Hit the buffers more than once at speed, enough to move the buffers.

21 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Do tell!

I played about 95% of my rugby in front row positions, mostly at 2. So my main gripe is the way that the set scrum has been devalued. I used to get a lot of ball "against the head".

I quite like a rolling maul. But we see too many of them, ever since the rule change that gave the throw-in to the team that kicks the ball out from a penalty.

And now we have this 50/22 kick as well.

I support any rule changes that improve player safety but, otherwise, I really wish they would stop fiddling with the rules. All the rule changes and "interpretations"  that I can think of over the last fifty years have made the game less good.

But I may be biased as the game has abandoned just about all the aspects that I was competent at.

Whole place looks rather "abandoned".

Amazing to think that it is nearly 50 years since I last visited it (1974).

42 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

I miss the days when you had to dig up the pitch to make a little stand for the ball. 

 

There was more skill involved in those days. 

 

A potter and a rugby player.

 

 

And who can forget the days when it was so muddy you couldn't tell who was on  which team and the kit had to be thrown away after. 

 

No chance of getting it clean

 

 

Andy

And only fifteen players per team. 

21 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Not here it isn't. Your area must be having issues. Sheffield and Donny areas are not.

Phil

That's interesting. Perhaps Royal Mail needs to get the managers from that area to take a look at others.

Plenty of reports in the press about people not receiving appointment letters from the NHS.

11 hours ago, StuAllen said:

Thanks for the advice everyone, looking at the Royal Mail website - I was trying to see if they have a service that automatically returns mail if it’s not a known name, there isn’t - they deliver to the address not names, their advice is to mark as return to sender.

Royal Mail is a total sh!tfest at the moment. Do not rely on them for anything.

I have had one important document from my solicitor returned straight to her without any attempt to deliver.

My replacement bus pass, sent from Manchester on 6 October, has still not reached me.

31 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

So in fact, professional club rugby cannot sustain itself anywhere in the world? I hadn't realised that. 

 

Does rather beg the question of why the RFU are so afraid of the clubs, considering that three out of eight have recently gone bust and Wasps only really exist as an echo from the past. Saracens' affairs need fumigation and Wasps' "supporters debentures" were plain fraud. 

 

If the RFU offered the remaining four or five top tier clubs plus the top four from the next tier places in a new league with less fixtures, centrally contracted players for the National Squad and guaranteed revenue at the price of removing their current owners, the RFU could write its own ticket and the money would stay in the game. 

Rugby has always had its head up its ar*e when it comes to the realities of the finances. I certainly never believed that the professional game could work.

There was, of course, equal lack of realism in the amateur era when a blind eye was turned to players being paid.

France has probably come closest. Partly, I think because it is seen as a sport that is not elitist and, therefore, it gets quite a lot of public subsidy.

On 11/10/2023 at 20:46, JZ said:

Maybe it's time we had relegation and promotion to and from the 6 Nations? I can't see it happening because the big 5 could stand a chance of dropping out. So maybe 8 Nations, with the bottom two relegated at the seasons end?

Eight nations would just give too many one-sided matches during the tournament.90+ point thrashings do nobody any good.

My preference would be for an autumn tournament between the"second-tier" European nations with the winner taking on the sixth-placed Six Nations, home and away to decide which plays in the following year's 6N.

12 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

The talk of catering brings me to warn of what happens in France - or at least at the few exhibitions I have visited.  (Exhibitions are infrequent and even many big shows are only held once every 2 or 3 years.) 

 

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

Very true.

I would not leave my stand with the hall totally unattended. But my father went for lunch with the other exhibitors. He had to rest for the afternoon after being given rather too much wine. But his French was, unusually, quite fluent.

12 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I once went to the Peterborough exhibition and I was quite impressed by the carvery adjacent to the hall. After all it is in an agricultural showground. Agricultural shows usually can knock spots off other types of shows catering.

Bacon sandwiches at Peterborough were excellent and reasonably priced.

15 hours ago, TheQ said:

Concrete motor boats  were for a while commercially produced, glassfibre gradually replaced that.

There are still designs available for home construction in concrete of both motor and sailing boats in concrete..

 

Afternoon Awl again, 

SWMBO fetched from the Trosh, the weavers had a good day, but several traders didn't and packed up early..

 

The fourth side of board 3 didn't get fitted, the previous sides hadn't set enough.

 

A friend of mine built a beautiful 42' yacht with a concrete hull.

Only slight snag was that the large steel cage had an adverse effect on TV reception in the neighbouring houses.

NZ-Italy last night a real disappointment. All over after 15 minutes.

Studio team talking up the chance of Italy still qualifying by beating France. Get real, guys.

Mountainous can be done in a small space with a tilted baseboard. Barrow MRC did it years ago with a SBB layout in HO,

But your Art Deco theme would match well with the CFD du Calvados, one of the few 60cm lines in France.

47 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Australia.

 

Yes.

What is the reaction of your Aussie neighbours? Or have they just ignored the rugby union in favour of league and Rules?

I am still struggling to understand the weakness of those Australian forwards. With another performance like that, they will struggle against Portugal.

21 hours ago, andrewshimmin said:

 

Yes I wondered about this. I suppose I could allow for a certain amount of expansion.

I was thinking of laying the track with isolating rail joiners across the board joints, and then remove them and leave just the gaps.

I doubt there will be huge expansion as the runs of track are not very long.

 

The alternative is having to have lots of electrical connections across the boards, which I was trying to avoid.

No, you don't need electrical connections between the boards on a layout of this size. You put in a dropper for each part of the same section and take that back to the switch on the control panel.

I suspect that much of this conversation is redundant. The Tory press and other media have been briefed about the possible abandonment of HS2 so that Rishi Sunak can make some news next week at the Tory conference next week with a "good news" announcement. Total coincidence, of course, that the conference takes place at Manchester Central station.