Mike Bellamy

Thanks Dave - much appreciated. Perhaps it's appropriate at this time to go back to Richard's first posting in this topic in July 2020 - and with hindsight it could be said that "Wheeltappers" might have been a more appropriate place rather than in "Modelling" although there is always the "Ignore" button for those who find the content is not quite what they expected. The Night Mail is the antidote for Early Risers and for those who don't have to get up so early! This page of letters, continuing themes. Tell us your nightmares, and your dreams. If you are a girl without a blog, Or a boy who wants a dog You're welcome to relay your news What you tell us you can choose. We're here to listen and to chat. It really is about all that. We'll talk boats, and cars and planes Unlike ERs, we welcome trains. Show your pictures, good and bad. Tell of the things that make you mad. So come in here and show your face All are welcome in this place. .

My work about 20 years ago took me to Israel at the time of the celebration of Purim when there is a tradition of wearing fancy dress. I asked a member of staff in the office why she had dressed up and got the reply " I have no idea - I may be Jewish but I'm not religious " . . . . . . . .

With our clock, we removed the batteries, left it for a while to forget the previous settings and then switched it on again. After a while it reset itself to the correct time - after all, isn't that the usual way to fix anything electrical - "Switch it off and on again" !! .

At the University, the most senior had Business Class and everyone else went Economy. On a very long trip to Botswana via Johannesburg, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (second in command of the whole organisation) was leading a team of seven to approve a new partnership with a college in Botswana. He didn't want to travel that distance on his own and suggested Premium Economy for everyone. As the most junior on the trip (bag carrier and note taker) I had the job of sorting this out. Finance refused to process the order as it was outside guidelines, but not that much more expensive for 7 PE v 1BC +6E. When he found out he was rather cross and basically told them that if they wanted to remain in employment, they should process the order PDQ. Problem was that by then all the PE seats had gone and so the boss travelled at the back with rest of us ! On another trip to Malaysia, there was some sort of mix up with bookings and although we all went Economy, the return had two seats in Business and so we took it in turns to use those seats and the hospitality swapping over when we stopped off in Dubai and also during the journey - the on-board staff from Emirates were very helpful and didn't mind as long as the named passengers were in the right seats for take-off and landing (and guess who had one of the Business tickets !!) .

I thought the Fraggles were in the same time zone as UK, not a month behind . . . . 😀 .

It's probably 7 or 8 years ago that I was helping on a stand at the Stafford Show which at that time was held in early February and sometimes it snowed . . . Several times I heard the tannoy "CRT CRT" and had no idea what it meant - until I went to the exhibitors room for a tea and found two guys there in full hi-vis wet weather gear covered from head to toe in thick mud. They were the "Car Recovery Team" dragging visitors out of the mud. The exhibition is now held in September . . . . . . .

I guess that's an extract from the Grantham Journal so I must have read it but it didn't mean anything to me at the time - at the age of 19 I was just completing my first year of riding the Black Horse with Lloyds and had other things on my mind . . . . .

Congratulations John - I managed 20 years at Derby before retirement and got a similar certificate but no pin badge. Unlike you, I was in the Quality office with no student contact (thank goodness). I guess the idea for the awards was something Philip brought with him when he moved to you from our place. .

Thanks for letting me know - saves me going into the loft to find the book so I could copy it for you . . . 🙂 .

7mm Narrow Gauge Association book of drawings number 10 features four IoM loco drawings - locos 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-13 and I wonder if these give sufficient detail for you - of course being a resident there I'm sure @New Haven Neil can provide more photos and drawings. https://7mmnga.org.uk/7mmNarrowGaugeSalesLtd/publications/publication_details.php?ref=NLE10 .

50 years ago when I started work at Lloyds, we received hundreds of cheques every morning and had to check them for payee, amount in words and figures agreed, date and signature - but even then we never actually checked the signature against the card index except for high value transactions. Due to the volume, in a branch in a small provincial town, it took four staff all day to perform this task and the banks soon realised that the number of cheques returned for a technicality was very small and so they introduced limits below which no examination took place. If a customer complained that a post dated or unsigned cheque had been paid in error, it was quicker and cheaper to accept the bank had made a mistake and refund the customer - so just one member of staff was looking at the higher value cheques. I have no idea how the process works these days as you can pay in a photograph of a cheque so the bank never see the actual cheque. .

I know exactly where I was that night - we live about 15 miles from the airport and I had gone for a beer with a friend to a pub on the A38 between Derby and Burton quite close to Burnaston airfield. Some members of the flying club based there came in and had just heard about the accident on the air traffic control radio so we knew something serious was going on. Burnaston is now the site of Toyota UK. At a local marina, there is a cafe on a narrow boat and the staff have to make sure the customers are evenly distributed to stop the boat listing to port or starboard otherwise you might be sharing your lunch with the people opposite ! .

And your signature !! .

That is true for private / occupational pensions but not for any state benefits - to enable a funeral to take place you need a death certificate - to get that you need to register the death - that then automatically advises the various government departments dealing with pensions, benefits, tax etc. Depending on the date of death and the benefit dates, you then get either a letter sending a payment to bring the benefit up to date or asking for an overpayment to be returned if the benefit was paid in advance. Having been an executor for five family members, that's what's happened on each occasion - and they are fairly efficient with those letters sent out within a month or so - even HMRC waiving a small amount of tax dad was due to pay as it was an insignificant amount. .

Stairs can be dangerous - many years ago a friend is believed to have fallen backwards down stairs which in some circumstances might not have caused too much damage but he hit his head on the hall table which had been made from an old cast iron sewing machine stand - killed him. .

Thanks Andy - but what is "PAK" ? What is the "other stuff" in it ? There are various quotes above that what Slaters supply is actually MEK/Butanone yet others say MEKPAK is different and I'm sure I have seen claims that over the years Slaters have changed the formula. .

Interesting report on the BBC about "Woeful Diversity in Plumbing". Your lady is one of 3,500 but only 2.4% of the plumbing workforce. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65808712 .

Of course I realise that - but why haven't there been any comments in the Bachmann topic - you all have your opinions in this topic about what is right or wrong with Hornby but in the equivalent topic about Bachmann, only Mike SM responded. Seemed rather odd so I asked the question why nobody has an opinion about what is right or wrong at Bachmann. .

Many years ago, a layout with a strange name appeared on the exhibition manager's draft plan for the Derby exhibition - "Corned Beef". What's that we asked? He couldn't remember the name of the layout but as it was 7mm narrow gauge (O-16.5) and there were few kits available and nothing ready to run, he said he'd chosen that name to remind him which layout it was because he said that all the models must be made out of corned beef tins. The name stuck and 30 years later, some of us still refer to corned beef when we are discussing narrow gauge layouts. .

Just to add a bit of controversy to the numerous comments in this topic - now on page 8, why haven't any of you (except Mike SM) said anything about the Bachmann results ? Just two comments in 24 hours . . . . . . . . https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/180035-Bachmann-europe-2022-results/#comment-5211866 .

How odd - just one comment in almost 24 hours (thanks Mike SM) - yet on the equivalent Hornby topic, we were half way down page 3 within the same time period, and now on page 8. Why ?? Is it because everyone likes to have their say knocking Hornby but they don't like doing the same for Bachmann . . . . . . just curious and asking for a friend🤣 .

Not only do the photos show it is clearly a jet, but they also show it belongs to the US Air Force - from a base in Belgium. Interesting they had "problems" loading - is that because they knew it was far too late to do anything. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-65982967 .

Much closer to home - are they following the idea of Bachmann's "Model, Collect, Create" shop at Hinckley ?? https://mccstore.co.uk/ .

Thanks Terry - and a thank you to your colleagues from Stafford who were there helping out. As for Mr Parker, I can confirm that @Phil Parker was seen eating cake (as usual) . . . . . .

In the article they do say that's when they get the most calls for help - to me as a casual observer and with no experience of policing or mental health issues it seems to be better than nothing. .