Dave Hunt

I've now filled in the gap with the words 'make l0ve'. I find it mind blowingly, stupidly futile that the system regarded the original as offensive. Dave

Unlike the chap who emigrated to Northern Canada and went to a lumber camp asking for a job. The camp boss decided to have a joke with the chap and said that to prove himself he'd have to shoot a grizzly bear then make l0ve to the old witch who lived nearby. The chap walked into the woods and was gone for several days before returning with his clothes in tatters and his body covered in bloody wounds. He walked up to the camp boss and said, "Right, now where's this old witch I've got to shoot?" Dave

I believe that hippos suffer few maladies. I reckon that’s because nothing in its right mind would go anywhere near a hippo. Dave

It’s OK, my Klingon cloaking device is working. Dave

According to the blurb that came with the pre-op pack, the shampoo and nasal cream are to get rid of any MSSA (not MRSA) bacteria. Dave

Whist typing my previous post I received a phone call to say that my visa application had been unsuccessful and to hear further details press 1 for English and 2 for Chinese. Yeah, right. Dave

About 30 years ago my No. 2 son slipped whilst climbing over some spiky railings (taking a shortcut) and one of the railings went under his kneecap and up into his thigh, impaling him. The fire service released him (how I don't know but as I never got a bill for new railings I doubt that they did much damage to them) and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (IIRC). The first we knew about it was when we received a phone call at 11 pm from a sister at the hospital telling us that he was in the operating theatre, whereupon Jill announced that we were setting off there and then to see him. At the time we were living in Lincolnshire so I eventually persuaded her that there was little point in travelling through the night as there was nothing we could do except get in the way and after much arguing she agreed. A couple of hours later the sister rang again to say that the surgery had been successful and he would be released in a couple of days. Once he had recovered and been in the care of the physioterrorists our son was able to function normally and much to our collective surprise was even able to play rugby again. I still find it amazing that the aftermath wasn't much worse. Dave

Cloudy but dry in North Hipposhire. Today I begin preparations for my operation next Tuesday - showering with antibiotic shampoo and stuffing antibiotic cream up my nose to guard against opsite infections. The pamphlets describing what can happen if these measures are not taken are quite scary. What fun. Just off now to feed the birds, possibly for the last time this year as I’m led to believe that it isn’t a good idea to feed them when they are nesting. Then it’s thorough hand washing time - the things you can apparently pick up from birds are horrible. What happened to the carefree life I used to lead? Dave

To my shame I had completely forgotten about Johnson address and Midland Style and that Barlow rail had been used on the Midland. Must be old age I guess (hangs head in shame). Dave

Over the last few days I have been a bit worried that the stinking cold I have could be a show stopper for my spine operation a week today. However, I have now got a nose again rather than a tap and can cough without feeling as if my throat is on fire so I'm hoping it's on the way out. Hence when No. 1 son suggested that he and his two kids, who at the moment both have colds, would visit over Easter I was less than enthusiastic. We shall see what transpires. Dave

When we lived in the Netherlands, a Brit colleague who lived nearby was a bit taken aback when a Dutch friend said that, "During intercourse with your wife she told me that it is your birthday...." He was quite mortified when his gaffe was explained to him. Dave

Roger Bushell commanded 92 Squadron in 1939 and 1940 and was shot down and captured in May 1940. I was on 92 from 1977 to 1980 and Bushell was one of the more famous ex-members. At the Squadron's 60th anniversary celebrations the guest of honour was Bob Stanford-Tuck who had known Roger Bushell and on the 75th anniversary of the Great Escape the Squadron association sent representatives to the commemoration service in Poland. Dave

On the subject of house prices, in the early 1980s a colleague was posted to MoD in Whitehall so he and his wife bought a flat in London. He was a junior RAF officer and his wife was a solicitor who obtained a position with a London legal firm so they were earning a fairly reasonable amount but for a while the increase in value of their flat outstripped their income. Dave

When I was stationed at RAF Tengah in the late 1960s, the met forecast was the average of the reported conditions for the same day in the previous 20-odd years. It was remarkably accurate. Dave

I've always found natives of Reading a bit suspect. Er, remind me Stephen, where do you live? Dave

One of the things about the housing market that irritates me is the proliferation of idiotic advertisements for estate agents that suggest that since house prices have risen so much it is a good time to sell and make lots of cash. They ignore the fact that to buy another house will require a concomitant outlay of cash which, if moving up market, will mean a greater price differential than at previous levels but that won't bother the estate agents as they will benefit all round. I used to find it difficult to believe that people could be taken in by this rubbish but after hearing an interview on Radio 4 when a woman's view of the housing market was, "I think it's great; I'm much better off than before," I'm not so sure. Dave

If they live in Slough? Dave

I'm with Compound on this one. The only piece of MR track that I am aware of that ever had baulk timbering was the Lickey incline, which was originally laid thus as shown in the painting reproduced above. Even that, as far as I am aware, was relaid with standard MR track shortly after the takeover, although I can't give a date. Dave

I'm not sure about Norfolk but North Staffordshire is definitely traffic camera land. On one stretch of the A5 there are something like five of them in a couple of miles. Dave

Now you come to mention it I do seem to recall him wearing an Andy Capp piece of headwear but he was definitely in the vanguard of the furry dice hanging from the rear view mirror brigade. Dave

My maternal grandmother used to criticise my driving whenever I took her anywhere, particularly when I was (in her eyes) 'speeding'. A favourite comment was, "You should drive like your Uncle John, he always drives at 40 MPH." I managed to refrain from retorting, "So he's one of those ar$eholes is he?" Dave

And, of course, Crimson Tide. Dave

Having lived for many years off and on in Lincolnshire I got used to roads that were dead straight for many miles then suddenly did a 90 degree bend with the sort of radius usually associated with footpaths. The fact that many of the bends were associated with junctions in drainage canals only added to the fun. Dave

Many years ago there was a crazy situation when heading west out of Düsseldorf where the slip road joined the autobahn on the fast lane. I don’t know if the were accidents there or how many but with traffic doing in excess of 150 kph at times on the autobahn it was a nerve jangling situation. We used to avoid it like the plague, even though it meant a longer journey. Dave

I remember driving in Canada from Prince Rupert to Jasper and as we reached the edge of town the satnav said, “In 100 yards turn right then continue for 660 miles.” Dave