johnarcher

Does anyone out there have expert knowledge to contribute on this matter? My Canon MG2450 printer has started telling me the ink absorber is nearly full, and I have to over-ride this with the start button in order to print. Will it soon refuse to print at all. Canon just tell me to send it to the service centre, but carriage both ways would probably cost more than replacing the printer. I had a Canon before that didn't do this, if I get another (which would mean I can use ink I have in stock) would the latest equivalent be likely to do the same again?

We need an AAAAAAH button.

We were looking at a house to buy, the agent pointed out the kitchen had a stable door. That was good I thought, you wouldn't want an unstable one.

Many years ago we got from the Cat Rescue place three siblings, Ginger (female, guess what colour), Lucky (male, black of course and Freddie (female but named after Fred Astaire, as she was black and white and danced around a lot). Ginger was a sweetie but distinctly dim, never got the hang of a cat flap. Lucky was a nice, normal, affectionate cat, well not so affectionate to the local wildlife, he got an adult rabbit in through the cat flap once, I came down feeling a little fragile in the morning and found him eating it behind the sofa. Freddie on the other hand was a very clever cat, she could open the fridge, stole a wedge of Edam, unwrapped it too. When one of the others knocked the ping-pong ball so that it rolled under some newspaper on the floor, two of them looked baffled, Freddie walked over, picked up the paper with one paw and hoicked the ball out with the other. When the field over the lane became part of a golf course she worked out that if she hid in the bushes and waited she could dash out and intercept the little white ball just before it went down the hole and play football with it. She also worked out that there often seemed to be angry people around for some reason, so as golfers approached she vanished rapidly.

I think the word 'glorified' makes a good point. A statue is a bit different to being in a history book, or even in the National Portrait Gallery, statues are generally set up to people considered (at the time) admirable, so it does suggest that this person is to be looked up to (literally in the case of most statues!). I have read that there has been a long campaign against this one, the authorities have blocked not only removing the statue but even adding a plaque explaining that, as well as building hospitals etc, this person made the money that enabled that by enslaving and killing many people. Mind you it could go a bit far. I saw in the paper that someone has their eye on Nelson's Column because Nelson once said something critical of Wilberforce for his anti-slavery movement. Actual slave traders are one thing, but the expression of an opinion? After all more than 100 years ago almost everyone was racist by modern standards, even campaigners against slavery often did it from a superior, paternalistic position that many today would find objectionable.

Thanks for the thoughts, I have enquired a bit about such things but there's not much around here, little shops don't seem keen to spend a lot of time assembling one's shopping. I would probably seem not so desperate as I'm not alone, my wife's in better health, but we only have a small house (can't exactly live in separate wings) so if she goes out a lot and catches it I probably will too. I did wonder about going to some 24hr supermarket in the middlle of the night when it's more unpopulated , but they don't seem to be staying open like that at the moment as people have said above.

Agreed. I should be as isolated as possible (69, with emphysema), we have a Tesco delivery tomorrow (half of which is unavailable), after that they have no delivery slots for three weeks ahead (as far as you can book). Sainsburys is the only other that will deliver here, they have no slots either. There aren't even any click and collect slots anywhere for a fortnight (which would at least avoid going around the store). Look like I'll have to forget about isolating, and accept there's a good chance I'll get it, with the very serious consequences for someone in my state of health.

I absolutely agree about the street on Pempoul. Which shows, I suppose, that a great piece of scenic setting need not be of Chiltern Green size. I think I recall the Ashburton you mean (was it the one with a sort of ingenious semi-scenic fiddle yard?), and agree about that too. Personally I'd set Petherick quite high, was it one of the first to show the Pendon-style railway in setting on an individual scale?

I agree about S, a nice size, not too big but easier to get motors into small prototypes than 4mm, easier 3 link couplings etc., though I'd like to see a few more etched locomotive (and coach) kits, just to give a start.

I remember too (I was 13), I recall the ice inside the bedroom window (no central heating either), and also the best bit - the school bus froze and couldn't be moved at all.

I wholly agree about Ruyton Road, a favourite since I saw it in MRJ in 1994. Marvellously rural feel in a tiny space. I'm glad it is still around.

My nom de forum reflects my main lifelong interest. So people get tired, when we see period archery in a film, of remarks like "he'd never hit anything with a release like that", "rear elbow's far too low", "the bracing height on that bow is much too high".

So you mean the batter is much closer to the crowd behind him than in other directions, or than a cricket batsman? I see, thank you.

I don't know what a foul ball is (but it sounds unpleasant), but can't someone in the crowd catch it, as is often done with cricket balls?

That may be so in some (many?) cases, but I have had experience sometimes of 'non-engaged' (ie non-railway-keen) people at shows, and they are often much more engaged by model landscape or buildings than anything moving. I remember the first such time, I talked my new wife into going to a show in London c1980, I wanted to see Tregarrick, but it was Axford she liked, where the railway was hardly obvious and while, it being Dave Rowe, some things did move they weren't the attraction. (She was non-engaged, we had been engaged but were married by then!).

Thanks again. That is a crucial point for me, as the sort of prototypes I would be thinking of would mostly need drivers smaller than the 4' 7" that seems to be the smalles in the S7 list kindly provided above. If I do muster the decisiveness to make this big change obviously my very first act will be to join the helpful S7 group.

Thank you. A post above mentioned a re-profiling service, useful perhaps if one needs a wheel that is not made properly for S7 (like the Manning Wardle ones I mentioned), is that done via the S7 group or a member thereof? I am asking as I am tempted by 7mm (partly for the usual reasons af ageing eyes etc), and having done P4 would prefer the finer standard, but I have no facilities to turn my own wheels.

Thanks for the reply. You don't say they're OK so do I assume that the normal Slaters FS drivers are not compatible with S7 track, even on the S7 axles? At the moment I was wondering about wheels for the Slaters class K Mannng Wardle kit (or maybe the S&D one), which I don't think are available in true S7 form?

A quick question that I have wondered about if I may. Slaters sell S7 length axles for their 7mm drivers, are the wheels of a fine enough profile to work properly with true S7 track when so set?

16mm is spot on 5ft 4in in 3mm scale. (5X3 = 15 plus 1mm, 4" in 3mm scale)?

Even with the 00 ones the size is as for 3mm scale, and looking just at a couple the packet in the picture is marked as Romford and 3SMR (3mm scale model railways). Odd that the are labelled as Romford, if they are not the same profile as old Romfords or RP25 Markits?

That's a good 2 of them, I take the other 3 as apples, actually apple juice, actually cider.

Thank you, fortunately I do like building things, I'm just a bit hesitant about the combination of a smaller scale and ageing eyes. Oh, you didn't say, what are the couplings? Re the gwr.org list, isn't there a society etched Metro kit? (And is there the Brynkits 64xx?)

You're tempting me about the 3mm scale alternative (considering the bery limited space I have available). Have you a picture of the 3mm 45xx you colud post, I'd like to see it? Do you mean the Brynkits ones (including 74xx) are available through the society stores now? They weren't in the catalogue last time I looked at the website (I've had vague thoughts of 3mm scale for some time). One last question if I may, what couplings are you using, I can't see too clearly on these photos? Many types seem over-prominent on 3mm models, but yours seem quite discreet).

I see what you mean, but I have thought that subtle weathering can be harder to get right. in some ways I reckon it's easier if the effects (rust, dirt etc) are obvious, in my case it was with the last years of the Cavan and Leitrim rather than BR. On the other hand I'd suspect that effects enough to tone down toy-like brightness to look used without over-doing it might be harder (though I've not done such a prototype myuself yet.)