Gwiwer

Yellow Rain already arrived and I don’t mean the stuff we make ourselves. G’morning all. It’s persisterating down. And is forecast to do so all day. Dinner out was cancelled last night as neither of us felt like venturing into the fog for the 45-minute drive. Instead it was fush & chups at home. Once I had managed to get them! I joined the queue - in cold rain and fog - around 20 people from the front. They are commendably speedy at taking orders and getting food out but it seemed that Lancashire had arrived en masse and all required feeding. Folk from Preston, Bamber Bridge and Pleasington among others, who all seemed to know each other, were all placing sizeable orders. By sizeable I mean several of them parted with north of £100. I noted that over £1000 was taken at the till ahead of my order once I was inside the shop. Having placed my modest order there was another 20-minute wait for it to be cooked. During which time I heard the staff discussing having to close early due to selling out of chips, sausages and pies. Cod & cod isn’t quite as appealing as cod & chips, I guess. And then another early night ahead of a big weekend on the road to (and from) a friend’s birthday celebration. I hope we can see where we are going! Stay safe and dry in this weather.

I know those cars have many luxurious benefits but the ability to cook toast whilst on the move was not one I had heard of 🤣

Asked and answered. And I never said a word! The watch station is on the seaward side of Cape Cornwall and cannot be seen other than from the sea until you are either immediately below or above it on the Coast Path. You come down the Cape passing the cottages and continue around the headland where it seems that the path might peter out. it does not. It does get quite interesting perched right on the edge not far above wave-reach on Spring tides and there are then over 100 rough rock-hewn steps to climb to the station. The Coast Path itself climbs further still to the well-known chimney atop the Cape before descending on the landward side past St. Helens Oratory (the ruined chapel) having brought you almost around in a full circle. The official South West Coast Path route used not to climb to the chimney. You approached from Kenidjack (seen in my image above) and crossed the lane leading to the Cape cottages before climbing the other side towards Carn Gloose and (eventually) Lands End. Only a few years ago a new Right of Way was agreed with the landowner to divert the path via the oratory, which is of some historical interest, up and over the top and past the watch station. In 2022 the South West Coast Path Association - of which I am a long-term member- introduced a "passport" scheme whereby walkers could have a card "passport" stamped by certain businesses and other places along the way. All those businesses involved make some sort of contribution to the Association either by way of donation and / or promoting the fact that they are walker-friendly, or similar. Since the start of 2024 all NCI Coastwatch stations have also become "stamping points" after a trial last year with just a couple of them was deemed successful. There is no expectation that a donation would be made in return for a stamp but there is a tin at the door should one wish to add to our coffers. NCI is entirely dependant upon volunteers and donations to maintain its "Eyes Along The Shore" ™ and its Declared Facility Status within the wider Search & Rescue network. "Declared Facility Status" means that each watch-keeper and the station as a whole has been examined and met certain minimum criteria, and those are re-examined every year, enabling HM Coastguard to trust our word and observations without needing further verification. Today's training included plotting to paper charts which as a user of OS maps for over 60 years I had no difficulty with at all. Apparently it completely stumps some folk. Range, distance and bearing are not at all hard to calculate even with nothing but human-eye observation. If one also has an aid such as radar or a ship-finder app then it becomes a piece of cake.

Afternoon all. Second training watch completed to the satisfaction of all concerned. The view from the office wasn’t too shabby either. That there was a view at all was a pleasant surprise. With warm moist air over cool land we could have had more dense fog.

Excellent news

A little bit sous-météo yesterday and today possibly a mild dose of the dreadful flu doing the rounds. I made it to MRC but probably should not have been driving in the atrocious wet and foggy conditions. I was in bed by 21 o’clock and didn’t surface until 10.30 this morning. The fatigue, faintly fuzzy head and slight aches everywhere have eased slightly. The Distant (Signal) West is clean and tidy and Dr. SWMBO aboard her train is almost on time thus far. I’m on A-watch in the morning so the alarm will sound at 06.00. Fully an hour later than used to be the case at the House of Fun but as Robin Williams taught us in Good Morning Vietnam the 0 stands for “Oh God it’s early”. And I volunteer for this. There’s also a busy weekend ahead. We are out for dinner tomorrow night for a delayed St Valentine’s Day and we are away staying with friends on Saturday and Sunday. There is a special pasty to collect (decorated for friend’s birthday) and a returned and hopefully rectified item which derailed when first run from Our Friends in Camborne. Here’s hoping I can maintain the recovery! Stay well, warm and dry.

Absolutely. The Little Red Driving Box is 14 years old and fully compliant. It’s the diesels which are not. And a lot of people bought diesels when that was cheaper than petrol. Some of those are now regretting that choice.

Unless you are one of the everybody else on the street and trying to sleep. Antics like that belong on the race-track not in suburbia.

Good morning all. At least I think it’s morning. Nothing to see outside except fog. Not much in the way of daylight. I suspect I didn’t sleep too well either. I’m certainly ready for another hour or two. And this cat is emitting sleepons purring gently on my lap.

I agree. I know they were 5-bay open vehicles. A type we have not had in RtR as mentioned above. But for those not overly bothered about total accuracy a passable representation could be made from a BCK unless your stock is subject to very close scrutiny.

That one was only sitting there long enough because I had to cook the other. One egg makes two. You can't use half an egg. I thought the pan-seared half-lemon was a nice touch. It tasted pretty good.

I tried. I fried. I enjoyed.

That would be Mrs Bucket then. Oh yes, so it is. I must get the trying-pan out and try to pancake.

I have heard those referred to as a "Say-coe" by people who should know better but might be wary of sensibilities among mixed company. Which by a curious turn of events returns me to school days when we had a "supply" music teacher for a term who went by the name of Mr. Peacock. Yes, you've guessed it. He was "Mr. Pay-coe". Along with the history teacher who was "Mr. Hoe-flay" - but it was spelled Horseflesh. And of the sea. Well it was fairly lumpy on watch this morning. Wind WSW 5 - 6, visibility 2 (nautical) miles, sea Moderate - Rough, swell Moderate. I made my first (supervised) entries in the log which included the Isles of Scilly freighter and a supertanker headed north. Sorry - heading 359. Next watch is Friday morning. Next muggercoffy is right now.

Good morning. Welcome to Cheeseday. Predictably the weather is wet and windy for my first watch. I’ll be well-soaked before I get anywhere near the radar and binoculars. I’ll try not to drip over the log book. Stay safe.

I was dropping Dr SWMBO at the station, following which I drove to the G****n C****e to collect some lawn dressing and grass seed Don’t you hate it when there’s a lane closed on the dual-carriageway (the only one we have) and the speed limit is 30mph not 70mph yet not a single worker was in sight nor was there any evidence of any work of any kind. Just a coned-off lane and a long queue of slow traffic. I had ordered “click & collect” from the GC. The staff there knew nothing about it. I showed them my confirmation emails and payment so they had a look “in the system”. Sure enough. There was my order. At the right location. And “due to be picked for collection on 27th April”. WHAT??? They were most put out that I expected it to be ready and waiting for collection. Instead of being helpful they pointed me in the direction of all the pallet-loads of sacks, various, and suggested if I wanted it today I should take it myself. So I did. After that grumpy little episode I drove home the scenic way along the north coast and into the setting sun. Which was nice.

Indeed. But my point was that this was a down train swapping to diesel. Even if it had lost time being looped through the station it failed to regain that time and lost a little more.

I am watching 1C76 which forms 1A90 later on that Dr. SWMBO requires. The slow-down at Newbury as it switched to diesel is typical and a dreadful indictment of these units' performance. And, by extension, of Hitachi's performance.

We remember that event. Being holders of UK Food Hygiene Certificates the risk is something we are always aware of when buying and serving fresh fruit. It's there with other fresh foods too but many of those would be served cooked which can in some cases lessen the risk. We were always taught never to refrigerate leftover rice and return to it another day. I don't mean "takeaway" rice but the stuff one normally buys dried and cooks at home. Eat it or bin it was the rule. Other high-risk items are tinned foods when part is used and the tin is then popped into the fridge for "later"; tomatoes are the worst offenders. Decant into an inert container such as a glass dish which has a well-fitting glass lid and keep for no more than 24 hours. To this day, having not been in a job where we serve food to customers for over 25 years, I am still assiduous with the "layering" of our fridge. Raw meat always and only on the bottom shelf. Dairy in the door. Veg in one crispa box (if it must be chilled at all), salads in the other. Opened jars etc at the top and short-life items such as cooked meal leftovers in the middle. Everything which we cook and freeze is labelled with its contents and "frozen on" date. All raw food is washed before use unless that would spoil it; I don't wash bread! Simple precautions. No-one is immune from food poisoning and sadly it can be lethal but we can all take good care of ourselves and of others we share with.

Is the chandelier about to fall? Or have the paratroopers arrived via the ceiling? Why is the woman in the dark red dress, and her male companion, gazing upwards so intently

This morning's post seems to have vanished into the dark matter of cyberspace. May I repeat my greetings for Moanday, Bin-day and what ever else it is for you and wish you all the best. It is make-data-readable day here with the book and there's a lot of other "paperwork" to be done for clubs, various and in pursuit of my pension funds. But first it's Muggercoffy.

The CFA has long stood accused of being a “boy’s club” In fairness the same accusation is levelled at the UK fire service where many brigades now include female firefighters. So while underhand and divisive it’s not a unique problem. What differs in Australia is the pride with which the (mostly male half of the) community join up to protect themselves and others. It is a way of life more than a career choice. CFA is a volunteer fire-fighting force with only a handful of busy stations employing full-time fireys on a watch system. I noted that our local CFAs in Frankston (a paid force), Langwarrin and Cranbourne never had women in uniform. The women’s job was to bake lamingtons and serve teas for the fund-raising events. But don’t go near nor serve the BBQ; that was a males-only area

In the very long term I have benefitted. Because all the force-feeding (of lunches, lessons, bullying and abuse) has probably shaped me into a patient, empathetic and calm person. It’s only taken half a century. If I had been able to test for Asperger’s in my school years I may well have qualified for some form of “special schooling”. Would that have changed anything? My three nephews all went through that system with the elder two able to join mainstream education at Sixth Form level. The youngest never did. None has much in the way of academic qualifications but all have benefitted greatly from the personal attention they got in very small classes and the vocational training their school excelled in. Instead I struggled to get the bare minimum of O and A levels required for university, achieved a BSc (Hons) - the only member of my family ever to graduate - but was at all times thought of as “a bit weird” and not befriended by anyone much. Uni was a bit better than school but the only friends I remain in contact with from those days are two lads I met in Sixth Form when they transferred in from other schools and two girls both of whom I got to know as friends of my sister and both of whom I dated early on. At different times! And there is one chap I met way back in Primary School with whom I am still good friends 60 years on.

Probably true for Australia which doesn’t have the Traveller population many European and British nations do. If you want to find a dodgy scrappie look no further than the nearest site. Not all Travellers are dodgy nor scrappies. Few enough will deal beyond their own communities and trusted friends. And not all dodgy scrappies are Travellers although it is known (including by police) that many are. The legit ones mostly now hold the required licences and won’t get far without them. I lived and worked closely with a local Traveller community for several years. I became friends with their leaders and was able, in their company, to enter their site unchallenged. We got as far as sharing meals together; they never came into my home which was a share-house but we would sit outside, eat takeaway and talk. They smoked; they always offered me and I always respectfully declined. Producing the asthma inhaler avoided any diplomatic incidents! I knew their trades. I knew to ask no questions. And they came to know that I would neither tell anyone beyond their community nor betray their trust. An awful lot of scrap metal came and went from that site.

Well yes. A cut-and-shut using BSK and TSO interiors would be close.