Gwiwer

Good morning all. A bright day has arrived at the Distant (Signal) West and stuff in the garden is growing. I’m not sure what it is yet but I am told they are plants. Dr. SWMBO arrived in London almost on time last night for a change only to be delayed 40 minutes awaiting an Uber. C’est la Vie. There is almost always one nearby but not at Paddington last night. There is more than enough kitchen equipment here and some of it is very seldom used. But I would need to build an extension to house even half of what is on iD’s list. I suppose I could compromise by popping the lamb chops into a polythene bag and taking them into the shower with me for a sous-vide. There is a Junior Mixmaster which emits a satisfying hum and smells of warm oil and brass cogs when used. That is a piece of Australian heritage and is probably as old as us. It’s cord is not - that was professionally replaced a few years ago as the plaited fabric had frayed; it now has a regulation black plastic version. In the absence of a “proper” bbq there is an “outdoor cooker” which has been used a few times and is a handy reserve if the electricity supply is lost; it uses a solid fuel of smokeless (apart from at first ignition) pulverised coal waste and stays cool on the outside meaning it could be used on the kitchen bench in emergency. I’m looking forward to the first outdoor bbq of the year. Not just yet but hopefully not many weeks away.

And I thought a salamander was a lizard-like amphibian Are they particularly good at cooking? Because some folk have them in their kitchens.

Excellent news. '01 is fine here and now carries my weathering which improves its look somewhat. '02 will go back to Camborne on Wednesday for Muz to have a look at. Beyond then its future remains undetermined. I did see a WA modeller mulling over what to do with his "derailer" 20002 given the cost to return it. I hope that gets sorted.

Pretentious w****r books as they are known here Especially those from a certain Mr Oliver. Just how did the Two Fat Ladies get away with mixing food with nail-varnished bare fingers for so long? A generation of body-shamed otherwise perfectly good domestic goddesses (another “celebrity chef” reference) think it’s ok to prepare food into which your personal “touch” might chip or flake off. Not forgetting the hygiene issues associated with decorative rings.

Sounds like a good Celt Down here we do such things dreckly. G’moaning all. It seems to be grey, windy and damp beyond the windows. Internal illumination is still required even at 8.30. Today will be spent tackling the book while Dr SWMBO tackles her Working-from-Home. Hopefully the good folk of ASLEF will allow her unhindered passage to the Marmalade Bear later. Last night was to have included a roasted cluckbird. Upon removing it from the packing it looked a bad greenish colour and produced a tell-tale strong odour. There was nothing to suggest the packaging had been damaged and there were still three days until its “use by” date. Pork chops were substituted. A visit to Sainsburys will be made after taking Dr. SWMBO to the train. Because it’s harder to argue with a customer in person. And I have photos. It is time to awaken Das Komputenmaschine. I’ll be back at Muggercoffee time.

Exactly what I have done. 1. The system allows it without needing a reason these days 2. It allows us to exercise our hard-won democratic right without faffing about looking for an “acceptable form of ID” 3. We don’t have to go out (or even get out of bed!) to vote which might mean a larger “turnout” For those who might miss their “democracy sausage” such things are not permitted in the UK. Nanny State might consider applying red sauce or yellow mustard to be an influence on the way we vote. I

The Driving Motor Brake Third (later Second) had compartments with no side corridor therefore both sides had doors at each compartment with small windows either side. The Driving Trailer Composite had side doors to each compartment on one side but as it had a side corridor connecting all compartments the other side featured large “picture” windows between the doors. These rose to the cantrail and - as with all 2-HAL fixed glazing - had large curved corners. As you looked at the front of a unit approaching you with the DMBT leading the corridor side would be on your left on the trailing vehicle. The corridor was instead on the right if we are discussing the “tin” units 2693-2699 or any of the “tin” post-war replacement coaches placed into other units. 2-BIL units also had the corridor on the opposite side to those on a 2-HAL.

When I arrived with my Resident's Visa (as opposed to the earlier short trips on a Tourist Visa) I was asked by Immigration whether I had a criminal record. I was forewarned that they did not consider it amusing to be told "I didn't realise one was still needed" I was also asked "Who do you barrack for then?" Trick question? Or one to test my authenticity as a resident? The answer was a very swift and decisive "The Seagulls". Because (a) It's a VFL team in the lower echelons of the Aussie Rules game - a "sport" which I have never warmed to nor followed, and (b) because it happens to also be the nickname of the kickballing team in the south of England whose fortunes I do vaguely follow. Largely only to have a point of discussion with BiL and a long-time friend who are both ardent fans but hey. Nice coincidence.

I remember flagging the solid partitions as an issue when SK was showing the test shots. His response was a shrug of his shoulders. Possibly a bad day for an otherwise generally respected individual?

Not being a regular user of sound-fitted items I was surprised by a 00-9 steam locomotive. It was, I thought, reluctant to run compared with what should have been an identical class-mate. Until I applied full power at which point it literally chuffed off! Start-up and chuffing sounds emerged as it moved slowly and then gained speed much to my amazement. Upon checking the box label it did indeed include the letters -SF indicating sound fitted yet this was cheaper than the standard version. It may not be true for all sound-fitted items but it might be for the SRM that when DC control is used a few basic sounds are produced but uncontrolled. More power than normal is also required in order to “wake up” the DCC chip.

I queried the application of a stencil headcode panel but photographic records show CC1 ran thus equipped for a very brief period when new before it was plated (or ? painted) over and a lamp stuck onto it. Therefore not a mistake. We await a response on the roof colour question which may or may not be resolved with reference images.

And a good opportunity to compare real and model front ends. Of the Vep.

Exactly what Dr SWMBO suggested but she was unable to recall the name of the process. Hers might be so treated. The hand-painted design lends itself to that option. Mine would look distinctly odd. Its future is not yet decided only because there is significant sentimental attachment to it.

I would also be supporting the business that brought them to market rather than an unknown after-market source who might (or might not) be attempting to make a fast buck.

Aft-a-noon all. Well quite a busy last-24-hours has been had. Friends arrived for dinner last night but only five instead of the six expected. The other is apparently having relationship issues with her wife (who was here as planned) and politely went elsewhere. New portable proximity lamps were hastily obtained to allow our disabled guest ease of illuminated access to the bathroom at night in an unfamiliar location. Four of us were out for breakfast at the local café which, as usual, was fully booked and provided superb service and food. After a leisurely chat around the table we re-entered the chilly wind-tunnel of the town square before calling into the “Bric-a-brac” sale. It smelt of old clothes in the way charity shops often do and in a way which I find unpleasant. I wandered out and took a few photos instead. After another coffee at another café we said our farewells and came home. To find that His Furship had ventured up onto the kitchen bench and objected to two mugs on the draining rack. Which he somehow managed to relocate to the floor. So we bid sad farewells to our two favourite mugs each of which had some degree of personal connection to us beyond just being a thing to contain liquids. Neither can be replaced like for like. So now with guests gone and floors swept it only remains for me to wrap the sharp edges before disposal and to crack on with a shed-load of laundry. All the extra bedding / towels etc won’t clean themselves and the fairy doesn’t work weekends.

I am on record elsewhere as considering that the new-generation of boxes from Hornby and others are ridiculously wasteful of finite resources. From card to foam to space. Having received upwards of 1000 deliveries by mail and courier in the past 20 years, most of which were in transit from China to the Uk and on to Australia, I have never had an issue with the more sensible size of packaging being a cause for transit-related damage. The Hornby "Mk2" Veps have had the motor sensibly relocated to the other end of the motor coach where they are less visible than they were in the open passenger saloon. Hornby released images of this change very late in the day meaning it is easy to find versions still showing motors in the saloon. The motors are still of the "can" type which should have gone out with the ark. I await with interest some owner's reviews of their performance but at least on pinpoint bearings the units should roll much more freely. The "face" is still not quite right though is an improvement. It should be nominally identical to the Bachmann/ Kernow MRC 4-TC units but isn't. The headcode panel seems to be the wrong size and the cab windows / pillars, whilst an improvement, are still not right. Stick-on headcodes should be the stuff of toy train-sets not mid-range railway models. Dave Jones was widely criticised for these on the class 22 and 52 models some years ago now. I had thought they were a thing of the past. The only exception I will make is for the correctly-represented stencil-plate headcodes on the Hornby Bil, Hal and Bel models, plus the recent EFE / Kernow "Booster" loco all of which had the stencils fitted externally to the prototype. Roller blinds should be modelled inside the glazing. It's not hard.

Plenty of space inside but an unproven track record as yet

Kia Sportage or Dacia Duster? Both would be in the running were I in that position

That has indeed done the trick. The clip also proves just how little talent is required to top the music charts. It peaked at number 2 thereby performing better than many (arguably) better songs by - among many others - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue and U2. I have clearly followed an incorrect career path. If performing a very basic choreographic routine to a very basic instrumental track gets you to almost top the hit parade then what might a (formerly long-haired) wannabe patella-percussionist and no sense of pitch but a half-decent baritone / bass range have been able to achieve?

That's just a cunning disguise. In real life he's a railway modeller but doesn't want everyone to know 🤣

Hornby has updated their stock images very recently. Some retailers have followed suit. It would seem that common sense has at last prevailed and that the (still a can) motor has been swapped to the less intrusive end of the coach. Now if they had a decent modern power unit instead .......

We were threatened with that. Until several of the local town councils got together and protested. The unitary Konsel Kernow / Cornwall Council then relented and will continue its use of weighted (so they stay put in the wind) bags. For each home to have four bins would result in many of our tiny streets being literally lined with them. Some cottages have no land outside at all. Some have very little and it can sometimes be shared with neighbours. There just isn’t space for everywhere to have four bins. Neither is there a need. The bag system works well enough, provides more than enough capacity and they can be kept anywhere handy until required. Unlike wheelie bins.

I try to use a knife and fork when dealing with steak. Or tongs if it still requires warming. I never hold it.

Earworm 🥵

I get that some areas are better-equipped than others to sort and manage recyclables. Upon the Hill of Strawberries we had two bins - one for waste and one for plastic and glass. Only petro-chemical engineers know for sure which plastics recycle and which don’t so we adopted the widely-held belief that crunchy plastic does not recycle - all the rest does. The “facility” can then sort what they want from what they don’t. Paper, card, garden waste etc all had to be taken to neighbourhood skip sites - ours was on the corner of the road - which were widely abused and fly-tipped because the council charged £70 to collect electricals and all other hard waste. £70! No wonder folk just dumped it. Currently we are blessed with two bins again. Green for household waste, brown from garden waste. Glass goes in the black box, card in the orange bag, paper in tge blue bag, plastics and tins in the red bag and anything else (including tetrapaks which we use a lot of for Dr SWMBO’s almond milk and cranberry juice) has to be taken 15 miles to the recycling depot. That’s not such an easy system although fundamentally all that differs is the degree of pre-sorting. But when we go to fortnightly waste collections later in the year our green bin will be replaced with a black bin. Why? They are the same size. Why? Because someone somewhere decided that rubbish bins should be black. Cue a cash-strapped unitary council having to pay out for tens of thousands of new bins to replace an equal number of perfectly serviceable green bins. And where will the green bins go? To recycling, of course. If you care to pop it in the back of your car and drive 15 miles ….. In Australia household waste went in the green-lid bin and all recycling went in the yellow-lid bin. Garden waste was composted or fed to the chookens. Make it easy. Keep it easy. Oh - and where is the 50% reduction in that part of our Council Tax to match the 50% reduction in collection services? No. It’s all going up by 5% which must surely be some sort of “shrinkflation”