Graham Walters

Conversation overheard at the Southampton show between a rather attractive woman and her husband while looking at one of the 'N' Gauge layouts, Wife : What about some thing like this, I'm sure we could do it, if we worked together ? Husband : Bit small though, we'd soon lose interest, and it looks really difficult to do Wife: it would good fun trying, and it's something we could do together Husband wanders off Wife looks at me, and says, sometimes I think I married the wrong man.... you like model railways... are you married ? I've had a girl/woman want me for money before, but never my trains !

Here are some pics that may clear up a few issues : In the first two pictures you can clearly see how the letters were sorted from the bench to the relative pigeon holes, which were all numbered, each section is the same. the mail would then be banded and placed into sacks held on the hooks in the last pic, these sacks would then be put into the leather bags to be dumped at the correct stations by the retrieval system. You can also see that the corridor is offset. This is an LMS TPO, currently undergoing restoration at Butterly.

Some tips : 1) If possible when taking pictures of trains arriving or static in stations, do it from the opposite platform, that way you wont get other people and platform clutter in the frame. 2) When framing a picture, look all around the viewfinder to avoid the finger, camera strap, lamp post coming out of someones head picture. 3) When taking pictures into a shaded area, or an engine shed, expose for the light in the shed, then take another couple one stop either side. 4) Learn to pan the camera when taking pictures of moving objects, this enables you to use a slower shutter speed giving better detail, but it will blur the background. 5) When ever possible use a tripod, or lean against a wall this will steady your pictures and aid the camera's focus. 6) Use the longest lens possible, it lets you get closer, without getting closer. 7) Use a hood or daisy to stop glare and reflections.

He says "weathered" I say "Ruined" ! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SET-OF-3-X-WEATHERED-Hornby-G-W-R-BRAKE-COACHES-5121-6135-5121-00-GAUGE-/251797348828?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3aa04aa1dc

Probably the best scene from all the Star Wars films

And the award for the most ridiculous explanation of a plot hole goes to .....

Paid a visit to this shop while on holiday in Bude, bit difficult to find as it's nestled in a bit of a backstreet, but it was well worth the visit. It's a small shop, but is a proverbial gold mine, the amount of stock carried will satisfy most people, he even had a decent amount of Walthers stock, and some other hard to find stuff.

It's a great layout, and a well deserved spotlight for it, congrats Nick.

Obviously not the season for suckers !

I'm a keen real ale drinker, I find that once a beer gets popular, the quality seems to go down, the green eyed profit monster takes control. Classic example was Old Speckled Hen, from the tap it was a good beer, but now from the bottle and dare I suggest a can, it tastes gross. I now brew my own, from cans of malt, I can do what I like to that, add the yeast I prefer, add more or less sugar, even more hops if needs be, I allow it to ferment for a good 7-days or at least until the gravity is where I want it. i also stop the fermentation more naturally by adding a teaspoonful of Vodka rather than the commercial types which are basically a chemical. Friends and relatives have commented on how good ( and strong) the stuff is.

You may laugh, but have you heard of the term "cool filtered" well that's another name for "filtering out the crap" before they add the industrial alcohol, which is why it gives you a hangover like no other beer!

Why is it that whenever I update my status, I get an error telling me the status couldn't be saved, yet it saves it

Carling Black Label 5 days, or so I've been told

This is not true, all PO's have a final collection time of 12:30pm on Saturdays. We have to scan a barcode to prove collection, if you scan before 12:30, or the final collection time, you will normally be taken off collections for several weeks, and face a conduct code warning if a repeat offender. If a PO is connected to a delivery office ALL the mail will be cleared from the PO by close of business on a Saturday. During the week PO's have a final collection time of 17:30, some are even as late as 18:00

I use plastruct rod to simulate downpipes

As a postman I can tell you this happens a lot, either the person has moved and not changed their address, or they moved shortly after buying the item. The answer is to put on the item, if undelivered "DO NOT RETURN TO SENDER", e-mail him to say it is being sent with these instructions.

It's listed as "00" in the item specifics, scroll down

On second glance, the driver and his mate must have shower facilities somewhere handy to every drop, the inside of the cab is pristine as well. The seller informs us : "You are looking at a hand weathered coal lorry with a coal load .A new wagon that has been weathered and coal load added by myself." No Sh*t Sherlock, I was nearly fooled into thinking it had been done by an over enthusiastic robot.