SM42

On Monday, Mrs SM42 reminded me that it had been 18 years since our first date and her first exhibition at Ally Pally, 1st April 2006. Andy

It's the start of the migration season when they move up from Africa for the summer and for mating. Saw a few pairs last week in Poland. It's considered lucky to have them nesting on your property in Poland Andy

Some very familiar scenes there. The third from last tram picture in front of the Bosch is at the Most Teatralny stop, by the theatre. The last tram is heading towards the same stop in the opposite direction along Ulica Fredry. The depot may have been the now closed one on Zeylander. Can help looking to see if I appear in the background of one of your pictures, but I tended to frequent routes 2, 17 and 18 to / from Ogrody. Good stuff. Andy

I couldn't resist the latest bit if click bait madness about how you risk a £200 fine for not changing the clock in your car. How so? You wonder Apparently if the clock is wrong people will look at their phone instead. 🤔 The ability to add one to a number is beyond most drivers it seems. Andy

Always wondered why some weren't in green. There was also a 'cucumber' bus that did trips on Sundays as well as heritage trams that sometimes ran. * The building behind the tram in your photo is Poznan's equivalent of the NEC. The main difference is that entry to one show gets you in the others that might be on I did the Hobby show and the Retro Motor show for the £5 entry fee to the Hobby show a couple of years back. Andy *Mrs SM42 tells me these run in the summer months

Wow. I didnt realise how old those Combinos were. Still some Konstals running about but haven't noticed any of the ex German fleet of late, except the Kit Kat special that ran over Christmas. The tram network has seen a lot of work over last few years. The depot on Zeylander has closed and a new fast route through what used to be the carriage sidings at Poznan Glowny has opened. You can now buy and load a prepaid card rather than use paper tickets, although these are still available Works like an oyster card, touch in, touch out, but unlike Oyster several people (IIRC up to 99) can travel on one card. One of our favourite activities if we had an afternoon to kill was to buy 24 hour ticket and get on and off random trams and watch the city go by. Andy

Now you're starting to sound like ground crew. Andy

Well we are back home. 932 miles, 16.5 hours. The standard of driving on the M25 hasn't improved in the last week. That and the endless miles of Operation Brock or whatever they are calling it these days didn't do much for my blood pressure. Why is driving in the UK so fluppin frustrating compared to mainland Europe? Whilst cooling our heels at the Channel Tunnel terminal, the obligatory tour of the duty free shop was undertaken. Mrs SM42 came out covered in various sampled perfumes. They claim our beer allowance has gone up to 42 litres ( it was unlimited 5 years ago) and I also found a bottle of wine with a Hippo on it. Can't post a photo as it was called Fat Ba ( well you get the idea). I have restored the inner man with a sandwich and some alcohol free beer ( work tomorrow, early start) and to top it off there is some homemade cakes left for us by a friend who kept an eye on the house. Result. Andy

Lots, but then I'm not fun size. Chunky is the word Mrs SM42 uses. Andy

Everything is fun size these days. Even trains Andy

Its official I'm full Just enough room for a couple of vodkas to aid digestion. Andy

Drunk More later after dinner Andy

Cake arrived, cake eaten 🤪 Andy

Vodka and cake is imminent 🤪 Andy

Maybe they land in barely populated places as they reckon that if it gets nasty they only have have few locals to take on and if they want to be discreet, a few hillbillies drinking the local brew wouldn't be believed. More intelligent than you give them credit for. Andy

Can you imagine arriving in Zagan on such a unit. A small train in a station the size of football pitch. It sort of got lost in there Andy PS. Zagan, the station closest to Stalag Luft III

Pretty much wipes out anything post 1950 and a lot of opera. Unless you mean those who deliberately make the words unintelligible or those that just don't have talent. Andy

Why visit Earth? Well we have been looking for them for years. ( SETI?) Why? Natural curiosity I suppose. We have also been advertising our presence for more the best part of 130 years. Those TV and radio signals get everywhere. You could argue that in a potentially hostile universe this is unwise. But at 25,000 light years to the nearest galaxy would it be possible to to visit? The 4.25 light years to the nearest star maybe, but does it have a habitable planet? Therein lies the next thing that gets me going about looking for life elsewhere in the universe. Why do we assume that life anywhere else out there requires the same basic resources as life on earth. Why would it need water. It might do quite well on another chemical compound. The fact that we exist is pretty remarkable, the fact that we have gone beyond the life basics of eating and multiplying is pretty remarkable. Why would any other life form have to follow the same path? The police were there, I'm told, to control the traffic as they processed through streets singing. No point calling them it seems. Anyway, in about an hour the in laws will arrive and Easter breakfast will start with zurek, ( sour soup) My stomach will conclude that I have finally taken leave of my senses. Andy

Hope not. No room in the car for them, unless they are on a CD Andy

She won't be long now. The church bells are ringing. Andy

I'm not getting up specially to do it. She'll just think she's been out longer than she thought. Andy

Right That's the clocks done ready for the morning. Probably confusd the hell out of Mrs SM42 when she gets home from church Andy

That did occur to me after I posted. Thank you for confirming. An older aeroplane has just departed Lawice airport. Second one I've heard all day Andy

Found that coming home from work one night. All it said was road closed ahead. No access to my home town Found the closure after around 10 miles. No diversion signs to give you a clue as to the point of closure. Fortunately I know my way round the back lanes, but had I known where it was closed it would have been a lot easier. Another classic was heading to Luton Airport to collect the in laws. Their flight was already 3 hours late due to weather and the signs announced the M1 was closed between two non consecutive junctions. No problem, go as far as can and follow diversion signs. We have plenty of time A fine plan till you get to the junction with "M1 South diverted traffic " pointing left and right. Got there 20 minutes after they got off the bus in the car park. They were still in the air when we left the M1. Andy

Oh this is really loud and then it's as if they turned the engine off. Maybe they have just turned the wick down a couple of notches Andy