88D

7 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

Tigers game cancelled at the weekend, Northampton players test positive this time, there will surely come a point soon when they will realise this is not a proper league and write this season off .

Worried about relegation? Smiley or glummy of your choice.

On 02/01/2021 at 09:03, Prometheus said:

I may be losing my marbles but I am sure that, some time back, someone advised that they were attempting the above conversion and posted a progress photo. I have already falsely accused both Penrhos and Coach Bogie of this foolhardiness but if the real suspect reads this, could you please, if possible,  provide a link to your post?

 

Many thanks

 

Tony

Lofty, Johnster: I think they’re keen on such things? Apologies to them both if they are not!

I see that Tigerbunny’s team won again. Thought I would post it before him. Apple correction again, but it does sound better? Can’t work out Bath, can they ever string a couple of results together?

12 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Ah yes!

 

Twas Golden Best I was thinking of.

Marvellous session beer. Do people have sessions any more?

12 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Is that true, I'm sure I recall them both being sold at the same time?

 

Also, don't forget The Fleece in Haworth, another Taylor's house.

Quite a few houses kept the bitter pump on for a time because they were bitter (ho,ho,ho) about the change of name. 

22 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

A delicious gift from Santa was a box of Mr T Taylor’s finest from Keighley and tonight was a run through the selection (all new brews for me)

 

1) Boltmaker. A tangy Yorkshire bitter as ale used to be growing up on the Pennines

 

2) Dark Landlord. Wonderous smooth bitter. Pick of the box.

 

3) Poulters Porter. Deep, dark & handsome with a caramel & chocolate wash

 

Bolt maker is the newish name for their standard bitter. It is named after the longest-serving Taylor’s pub in Keighley (near the station) , and that caused a lot of commotion in the other Taylor’s pubs! The Boltmaker pub is well worth a visit for any KWVR visitors, when possible that is!

5 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

 

Can you be certain it's not the same person?

 

Ok I'm off........

 

Can't catch me!

Just to avoid confusion, here’s mine after a few bottles.

Ring-necked Parakeets have now hit Hebden Bridge, and in winter! At this rate, they will usurp mankind as being the dominant species on the planet. 

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

It's on the English side of the River Ceiriog which is the Welsh border.

https://goo.gl/maps/48nV8SXAt6RNqzHK6

 

 

Well, you live and learn!

On 20/12/2020 at 13:15, melmerby said:

Dapol are in Shropshire, currently in Tier 2. (The Government website correctly identifies the 'Welsh' postcode as being in England, not Wales)

DCC Supplies are in Worcestershire, like me also Tier 2.

Dapol is in Chirk, isn’t it? If so, Wales.

On 12/12/2020 at 14:08, 88D said:

A first for me. I was driving in clear daylight from Oxenhope to Hebden Bridge, about 1200’ up on the moors. I saw a completely black pheasant sidle off the road in front of me into the heather, etc. I’ve never seen nor heard of a black pheasant so thought it might be my first sighting of a Black Grouse, though, admittedly, it did look too small. Quick chat with the local birdwatcher group, and yes, it is a black pheasant, bred to be a marker for shooting parties. Can’t be that good a marker as I should have seen a lot more of them! Anybody else heard of/seen any of these?

Not that I’m infatuated with black pheasants, but—- a few things have come up from the local birdwatchers which may interest you.

Black pheasants are very common in Sherwood Forest, probably been selected through Darwinian mechanisms to avoid the arrows of passers by.

If a black, or white, pheasant is shot in a shoot, the marksman has to pay a fine!

Black and white pheasants are used as markers for flocks. The keeper makes a note of where these markers are during their normal life, and uses that info to spread food over the grounds. 

If anybody is interested in willow tits, or suchlike, perhaps they can add titbits for our delectation.

7 hours ago, jbqfc said:

spotted something new today sparrows eating Niger seed 

anyone else seen this 

 

John

Well, I’ve spotted a surfeit of Niger seed in our garden, but never a sparrow ( or a starling)!

A first for me. I was driving in clear daylight from Oxenhope to Hebden Bridge, about 1200’ up on the moors. I saw a completely black pheasant sidle off the road in front of me into the heather, etc. I’ve never seen nor heard of a black pheasant so thought it might be my first sighting of a Black Grouse, though, admittedly, it did look too small. Quick chat with the local birdwatcher group, and yes, it is a black pheasant, bred to be a marker for shooting parties. Can’t be that good a marker as I should have seen a lot more of them! Anybody else heard of/seen any of these?

3 minutes ago, 88D said:

England are a bit stuck right now. They were very predictable in attack, and I think Farrell at centre makes sure that it can’t change. He’s very much like Biggar for Wales, utterly dependable, almost undroppable, but not able to give backs an attacking platform. This rigidity is ok against most teams, but not against the top teams. This was broadly England against the French u-20s from a year or so back. I would prefer to be a French supporter heading to the World Cup, they are coming along well.

Andrew Brace, the ref, seems to cause a fair amount of controversy in his matches: this one did not disappoint. I wouldn’t like to be reffed by him.

31 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

So, what happened there, then? Didn’t watch the game, other more pressing things to do, but a couple of comments...

 

England A- XV beats what amounts to France B+ XV by a sudden death penalty. I’ve never cared for “sudden death” because of the nature of the handling codes (it’s less important in the round-ball game, because the possession and advantage changes so quickly) and this didn’t convince me.

 

Eddie Jones’ player development programme is working better than anything England have done for quite some time. His latest project, Kyle Sinckler is turning from an undisciplined liability to a serious player. Jones managed this with Hartley and Farrell, so he clearly knows something about the subject. 

 

What worries me is that this is going to become a regular fixture, presenting a conflict to the 6N at the expense of the regular Autumn Internationals, so that Amazon and Sky can fight over the broadcasting revenues. 

England are a bit stuck right now. They were very predictable in attack, and I think Farrell at centre makes sure that it can’t change. He’s very much like Biggar for Wales, utterly dependable, almost undroppable, but not able to give backs an attacking platform. This rigidity is ok against most teams, but not against the top teams. This was broadly England against the French u-20s from a year or so back. I would prefer to be a French supporter heading to the World Cup, they are coming along well.

3 hours ago, rockershovel said:

 

Well, probably. One thing I learnt a long while ago in my travels, is that bandwidth is a finite resource that depends on where you are, and how many people are on the server at the time... but tv is tv, once it’s transmitted, it’s transmitted. 

Last week I watched replays, but not for long. When I wanted to move forward or back, there seemed to be no synchronisation between how many minutes you thought you had gone forward, and how many you actually did. I gave up trying to review individual events and patches.

12 hours ago, rockershovel said:

 

Interestingly enough, No 2 Son rang from Leamington during the early minutes of the game. We quickly realised that the picture he was watching was about 3 mins ahead of the one I could see... 

 

Haven’t they heard of standard railway time? Flabbergasted.

7 hours ago, rockershovel said:

I’ve abandoned the attempt to watch Fiji vs Georgia. The picture froze after 5 mins of the second half and I can’t recover it. That’s the third time of three something of the sort has happened ... I shan’t be troubling Amazon further, if that’s the standard they provide. 

Didn’t have any problems, and watched all three matches. Guess the problem was at your end.

Eight of these for a tenner at my local Sainsbury. Not bad, eh? Cheers.

4 hours ago, rockershovel said:

 

Rugby clubs have often led unpredictable careers, in changing times. Rosslyn Park were top tier in amateur days but dropped to the NL with the coming of professionalism, as did Cambridge. My old school rugby team, for which I played in the early 1970s, hasn’t played for thirty years (although it has played sporadic fixtures by invitation as an “invitation” side). Peterborough once hosted three rugby clubs, of which only one survives (Peterborough) while Westwood (formerly the Baker Perkins works team and social club) have become Lions, basically a semi-professional hobby for a group of local businessmen. Bretton, originally a Development Corporation venture, have not survived the demise of that body and both their (shared) changing facilities, and even the pub they once repaired to after games, are long since demolished. 

 

The professional game has little real reason to support the amateur game. Most of its players are recruited from a small number of rugby playing schools or colleges, having played at a handful of select schools - or just imported. It is no longer interested in its traditional membership base, who (on the evidence of ticket sales) aren’t much interested in the professional club game either. The whole business of “your team” that you “follow for life” being “serious business” doesn’t get much traction among a constituency who are members  of actual clubs, and may well have played there at some time. 

That last paragraph certainly hits the nail on the head. If we are not careful, we could end up like American NFL with a very limited participation beyond college level. At national level, I hope Ireland and Scotland, in particular, don’t carry on with their nurturing foreign talent to reside for three years before taking the place of home-grown talent — which will start drying up if they’re not careful. At club level, Sale now have ten Saffas on their books, I believe, and that could alienate former feeder clubs. In Wales, the national game has been funded and nurtured to the detriment of club sides, not quite as much by importing players, but by providing bu...er all funds and support to the rest.

21 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Well, I’d say the score flattered Wales. England handed them a soft try through a schoolboy error - kicking after the defender was in position to charge the kick down - and missed three straightforward kicks. That’s 15 points.

 

Youngs really needs to read the memo about kicking, he consistently over-kicks by 10-15 yards. Any kick from the hand, in which the catcher calls for the mark with no one near him, or which goes dead in goal with no attacking player near it, is much too long. 

 

Solid forward play from England, including a classic “forwards try” from sheer persistence and stealing at least one Welsh line-out. Proper rugby. 

A few points here:

England didn’t steal a line out, we now give them for free during most matches.

England should have won by more, but for some reason were  very conservative, almost defensive, in their approach.

Ben Youngs has normally kicked too long. I don’t know why he has won so many caps, as I think England have had better scrum halves than him. He does get an armchair ride from that pack, they are a real handful in all facets of play.

Having eulogised about your pack, there are some real knobheads in there. I don’t need to mention names. I wonder if there will be any citings?

Have a look again at your forwards try, I think you’ll find Launchbury in an offside position pulling Vunipola(?) over. Not sour grapes there!

A spirited effort from Wales against an England team that should/could have won by more.

Saw a lovely murmuration of starlings at RSPB Fairburn Ings  last night. Groups joining in for half an hour until there must have been 3000 or more, then the lava lamp effect and groups plummeting into the reeds in front of us. Within half an hour, all had ensconced in the Reed bed and couldn’t be seen - but could be heard - even though they were only about 30 yards away. The human crowd started to disperse and then a Schmauser barked at our Patterdale, he barked back and a few others joined in. The starlings erupted back out of the reeds and we were treated to another 10 minutes or so of this spectacle. fantastic!

There was only one predator bird hanging around, peregrine, and he/she was kept away by the mobbing crows.

Not the biggest murmuration I’ve seen, but still a fanbloodytastic sight. I’m only guessing at 3000 by the way, probably more, but don’t know how to gauge these numbers without counting on photos. Well, I’m not going to waste my time doing that, and I would have posted a photo here if any were good.

9 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

M'lady is clearly in a cheeky & cheerful mode.

She bought me home a couple of bottles of beer.

Then she said "They suit you".

I'm shocked, shocked!

 

 

 

 

 

Does your wife know mine? My wife bought me Derail for my birthday, and has bought me Old Peculier this week!

I’m not normally a fan of Porter and stouts (except Sam Smith) but I like this one. Just as wee as I have two bottles!

On 25/11/2020 at 18:44, Liam said:

Perhaps it wouldn’t have been awarded 2nd best beer if the judges weren’t wearing blindfolds! 
 

I remember seeing a map of the UK which listed the favourite beers by geographical region and for some unknown reason John Smiths was the favourite for Yorkshire and Humber. I’ve spent a lot of time in Yorkshire over the past few years and I’ve yet to hear anyone from the county say anything positive about John Smiths...

It used to be good when it was a proper hand-pulled beer, but they sold their soul to the devil.