SM42

But this is not as thorough as a camera up there annually (sounds grim) to check for early signs from your mid 40s is it?, although it is comforting to know that there is something being done. Andy

Why is the dirtiest fuel the cheapest? Huge CO2 impact not to mention the oxides of nitrogen. Andy

I had need to visit a hospital in Mrs SM42's homeland of Poland earlier this year, as I was suffering from a rather nasty gastric complaint, (4 hours on a drip, don't ask) the question was asked as to when did I last have a colonoscopy? It seems that this is quite a common and routine thing there for people of my age. I don't recall preacutionary screening being offered here until one has reason to visit the doctor with suspicious symptoms. And on the subject of the sit down wee, I can only describe it as bliss as you don't have to worry about other toilet related mishaps that may occur in the process Andy

Unfortunately the police car was more likely a co-incidence and I don't see the list of poor driving here as being anything that would illicit a blue light response. As for offences, It could stretch to dangerous driving, careless perhaps more likely. Ignoring a traffic signal, (twice,) definitely, but that's unlikely to get the blues on unless they witness it themselves or a more serious concern has been reported like being under the influence and then maybe, but it would be a long shot to be able to catch up especially if there are multiple routes to take. Andy

The official guidance posted shows it is the Highways Manager's responsibility to sort out the bridge signage with the owners of the structures. Andy

But it is a legitmate question that needs to be answered. If you consider a wholesale switch from petrol/ diesel to electric for private vehicle use, it is a pretty obvious from current traffic patterns that a significant number would be on the road at the same time and therefore be either at work or home charging at the same time. (Petrol and diesel can be made from sources other than fossil fuels (of which there are still significant reserves) and can be easily stored, unlike electricity. Reservoirs take up a lot of space) Certainly electricity demand could be significantly higher than now. This has to be met from somewhere and therefore there needs to be some thought given to a significant expansion of generating capacity. There are around 32 million cars in the UK at present. If only a third were charging at any one time, that's quite of lot of extra demand compared to now.. Of course some of this could be offset by investment in public transport or other technologies to reduce car mileage, but I think it would take a lot to prize people out of their cars en mass. Andy

Tagging and recording people has been common practice for centuries, just the technology has moved on from quill and parchment. I understand your dislike, It does seem an odd thing to do when taken at face value I find it very odd that my name, date and place of birth and even address are a matter of public record and yet this is supposedly private, regulated by law, information when it comes to it being used at places like banks and businesses etc One of life's necessary evils I suppose. Andy

This is, unfortunatley, becoming the norm and I can only see it getting worse. Mum doesn't have a current passport or driving licence. Bills are on the internet and print outs are not accepted. Accessing any financial service is a nightmare. She could use her disabled badge, but that's in the car and the bus pass doesn't count as ID. With the current political direction the country is taking, photo ID will become more and more important to access the services we take for granted, as well as buying age restricted products. Andy

My bold: It didn't. Debate is what it is all about, I just happen to believe that an ID card that contains basic information about a person, that is already recorded elsewhere, in one handy place is nothing to fear. However I also understand those who see it as more sinister and I can't help thinking that someone, somewhere will be trying to make it more complicated than it needs to be (which is why it was thrown out last time) Andy

I have never been able to see the sense in government subsidising the production of children. It's expensive and encourages the production of offspring as a source of income rather than lifestyle choice and that can't be right Having said that, we will all need the future generations to help us as we get older. You just have to draw a line somewhere. In terms of the climate, it has always fluctuated. There once was an ice age, now the great ice sheets are gone leaving their marks across the globe. Desserts were once lush forests and all before man had an impact. This is not to deny that human activity isn't a player, just that if we all left the planet tomorrow, I suspect that the climate would keep on fluctuating. The earth itself is pumping out enough greenhouse gases without any help from us. The question must be, what can we do to mitigate our impact? We certainly can't do without coal yet; all those windmills aren't made from chocolate and steel needs coal. Can we reduce the amount we use? Yes. Are there vast sources of cleaner energy all around us untapped? Yes. So many old water mills not being used for instance. Is there a political will to exploit these opportunities? Not yet The most depressing aspect of all of this is that those who are, for want of a better phrase, trying to force the pace don't seem to be able to think through the consequences of what they propose as a solutions. A good example is that we should all stop eating meat. Fine, but how much rain forest do we cut down to grow crops? (the price of which will rocket leading to an economic incentive to destroy what we want to protect) What do you do with all the, now, unwanted animals? Who supports those whose livelihoods depend on non arable farming? (You can't grow much on a Welsh or Cumbrian hillside other than sheep and cattle) Minimising our impact on the planet will not be an overnight job. There is too much self interest going on, sensible and above all sustainable solutions are thin on the ground and there is not the political will across enough of the planet Andy

The toilet gets my vote too.# Off the hallway doesn't seem an attractive place for a washing machine and given the recent pechant for white goods to burst into flames, I would be dubious about placing one anywhere near a primary escape route or under stairs. Andy

The reason I think it was thrown out was because it was a catch all card rather than purely a way to identify yourself when required. Mrs SM42's card has very little personal information on it beyond the obvious, but does include her country's equivalent of the NI number. The beauty is that when abroad you don't have to carry your passport everywhere and an ID card is waterproof. Then other beauty is it fits in easily a wallet / purse and as there is so much of normal life that depends on ID in the UK nowadays (and I suspect soon to become even more widespread) I find it hard to argue against the idea. After all, can you prove you are a British citizen at all times? As for proving age, many moons ago when a fresh faced 19 year old, I and some friends were challenged one new year's eve at the door our local pub, by the landlord, about our ages. "Over 18?" was our reply, "We've been drinking here since we were 15" A rather confused look spread across his face followed by "Ok lads in you go" Andy

Anyone in Scotland thinking the ability to transfer liability to the registered keeper for private parking, doesn't apply, should be made aware that this will soon change. However I do not believe the law will apply retrospectively Andy

Unfortunately for my neighbour, 2 doors down on the opposite side, at the end of the cul-de -sac, the street outside their house is now in total darkness. In fact, at night, I can only see their house if they have their lights on. The rest of the lights round here are due to be done soon, so SM42 towers will drop into the gloom soon too. I'll need to get myself an outside light so I can find my way to the car. Makes neighbourhood watch harder. Still I suppose a burglar can't see either. Andy

I find it strange too that if they do have lights then they have to be the smallest possible (especially at the back) I much prefer a big red lamp to a single 0.5 mm LED. And talking of LEDs, the street lamp opposite SM42 towers has been converted to LED. Now I have to stand to one side of the front door when I get home at night so that I can get some light to see the key hole from the sodium lamp that's about 20yds further away. The LED lamp has a nice pool of light under it about 20ft across but then almost total darkness if not for that sodium job nearby. Congratulations. The gas lamp has been re-invented. Game of Kick-can nurky anyone Andy

Yes, many times, it's my local, which is probably why I have never been in the SVR shop. Footplate is also a few hundred yards nearer to me Have been in the Bridgnorth SVR shop though, who sell models, which is why I presumed they did at Kidder Andy

Ahhh! The railway salute. Andy

Birmingham airport is next to the railway and there is hardstanding near the fence line You may not need a terminal building, just the taxiway and stands. You could use smaller aircraft, rather than large airliners. Maybe even a smaller maintanance hanger to suggest a larger airport beyond Also remember where the jet wash will go. Across the railway is probably not a good idea. Andy

The banana van in the background is quite interesting too. Pure gold Andy

I presume the Severn Valley Shop at Kidderminster sells model railways, although not strictly a model shop. Never been in to find out. About 10 minutes from here. Next would be those on the outskirts of Birmingham.. Andy

I told a chemistry joke at work yesterday It didn't get a reaction Andy

No probs. Hopefully some pictures will follow. Sounds an interesting and unusual project. Looking forward to see how this goes. I may steal the idea now, if you don't mind, it has planted a seed for a distracting diorama (no trains) and got me thinking about some of the interesting scenic challenges it could present and how to overcome them , but whether that seed germinates is another thing entirely Andy

Well that's different Depends on what discipline (s) you want to portray. Some like Skeet or DTL / ABT would have the traps(s) hidden in a nice little shelter. No need for a detailed trap. In fact these would be ideal for a layout as they are not that space hungry to be convincing but would need around 25 - 30 cm to fully fit it in, unless of course you just have one Sporting stand. see: http://fptac.pt/Regulamentos/Standards for Skeet Ranges.pdf Also remember that the traps in the sporting disciplines are not necessarily next to the shooters and there is by necessity some space beyond the targets, or banking, for safety reasons. If I had a mind to do the same, Skeet would be my choice as it would have a better visual impact IMO and wouldn't necessarily need any figures to see what it was. And the most important of all is the clubhouse. These vary from old farmhouses, purpose built single storey buildings and Portakabins to grounded van bodies or a combination of these. Whatever you decide to do, remember that safety is taken very seriously at shooting grounds and you need to consider the shooting lines on your model (no buildings, car parks trains, roads or people in the firing line) and that only the person shooting will be holding a closed gun and pointing it towards the targets Andy

Indeed that is a good summing up. It should also be noted that the keeper liability clause does not apply on land governed by statutory powers. E.g public highways (which they shouldn't be ticketing on anyway) and places where bye laws apply, such as ports, airports and railway land. Airports also have an interesting wrinkle that the publicly accessible roads, altthough private, are goverened by the Road Traffic Act in many cases Andy

Actually the MRLP have been quite successful in getting their policies into action 24 hour licensing and the abolition of the dog licence being two examples No too sure about how harnessing the power of joggers to heat homes for the elderly is going but maybe with the concerns over the climate, it might gain some legs. BOOM BOOM! Andy