Dave Hunt

I have a friend who is a great believer in UFOs being visitations from other worlds and that they are subjected to governmental cover-ups. He is sure that in my previous employment I must have seen, or at least know or have met someone who has seen, a UFO and nothing I can say will persuade him otherwise. His answer when I say that I have never even heard of anyone that has seen one, apart from in the press or media, is that is because I am sworn to secrecy and am therefore part of the conspiracy. He is not a nutter, nor is he fanatical about any other subject (apart from being interested in railways and having worked at the NRM) but his UFO conspiracy beliefs are unshakable. Dave

One of my great heroes was Sir John Barbirolli. On one occasion he is reputed to have responded to a question as to whether he had conducted much Stockhausen with the retort, “No, but I trod in some on the way here.” Dave

No, nor would John Cage’s variations of a theme by Mozart as interpreted by Snoop Doggy Dog. Dave

One of my squadron bosses had done some operatic training and as a consequence had learned some Italian but it was of the heavily archaic type. We were once a passing through Brindisi when there was a bit of a problem with one of the fuel bowser drivers and the boss went to try to sort it out with his ancient Italian. The driver’s face was a picture as the boss tried what I later learned was the equivalent of something like, “Haste varlet, hast thou some problem that convivial discourse could perhaps solve?” In the end I slipped the guy a few thousand lire and the problem went away but he still looked at the boss and shook his head as he left. Dave

When it comes to music, like art, I am in the,”I may not know much about it but I know what I like,” brigade. About the only music genres that I don’t have any time for are rap/hiphop and the so-called modern classical such as John Cage, Harrison Birtwhistle etc. that I really don’t regard as music. In my music collection I have all sorts of pop, rock, folk, c& w, big bands, crooners, light classical, heavier classical, opera etc. I don’t have much pop post about 1995 or so and of the classical I’m not keen on much Mozart or Baroque and very heavy/thrash metal leaves me cold. Since the closest I have ever come to being a musician is learning half a dozen chords on a guitar I can’t really criticise the playing of others but again I know what I do appreciate. Dave

I seem to recall that when I had Paper round you were supposed to be at least twelve to do it - that was in 1959. Dave

I realised as soon as I posted and did change it immediately but not quickly enough it seems ☹️ Dave

It is now time for the aforementioned prolonged eyelid inspection to begin so good night/day/morning/evening to you depending on your longitude. Dave

When we were in Port Douglas north of Cairns we were chatting with a chap who ran a bar there and during the conversation asked him if he'd ever been to UK. "No chance," he said, "I once went to Sydney and it was bl**dy cold there so I don't think I'd like it very much anywhere colder." I asked him what time of the year he'd been to Sydney and he said November. Dave

Today has been one of dodging hither and thither. With Jill being icky I've been chief cook, shopper and bottle washer and in between times I've tried to get some tidying up done in the shed followed by photographing the layout for an article in MRJ. Sadly my photography skills are right up there with cycling goldfish so for every twenty shots taken, maybe one is usable. I did manage to do a bit of work in the shed as well, finishing off some fire buckets and wall mounting brackets and a horse dray. In amongst all of this a friend phoned to ask me if I could go over and witness some legal signatures and in so doing I was offered a beer and a cheese scone - well, it would have been rude to refuse wouldn't it? Hence I am somewhat knackered so after a session on RMW a bit of overnight eyelid inspection will probably be on the cards. It's a rich, full life providing you don't weaken. Dave

As the old rhyme goes: Hooray, hooray the first of May Outdoor nookie starts today Dave

I have had three orthopaedic operations using spinal anaesthesia and would go for it every time instead of generals but since my upcoming operation is a spinal decompression on three discs and vertebrae it has to be a general - I did ask the surgeon if it could be done with local anaesthesia but he said that since I would be flat on my front for several hours and if I moved a millimetre during the procedure it could leave me paralysed the answer was no, it has to be general. Ho hum.... Dave

One of the euphemisms I hate is when a needle wielding nurse says, “You might feel a slight scratch,” to which I usually reply, “Oh, it felt like someone sticking a needle in my arm to me.” (Other parts of the body are available) Dave

Well, who’d’ve guessed it? Just as my streaming cold is receding, Jill’s is starting so all thoughts of offspring and their offspring spending Easter here have been cancelled. At least I should be OK for my operation on Tuesday so there is a silver lining of sorts. Dave

I think that anyone who would find Afternoon Delight offensive would probably be a direct descendant of Mary Whitehouse and/or make sure that their piano and table legs were hidden from view. The thought of sha**ing in daylight would send them skyrocketing, never mind Saturn launches. Dave

The term ‘duck’ or ‘me duck’ stretches further than so far suggested. I have heard it used freely and commonly in Lincolnshire, Rutland and in Shropshire both north and south. Dave

Love the little padlock Mike - any chance of a masterclass on it? Dave

Carefully. Dave PS I have the same trouble with Humbrol’s matt white and black. I’ve found Revell’s versions better.

The cynic in me also can’t help thinking that the council would have to pay more for night work. Dave

Horace the cat is literate! Not only that but he knows who I am! He has just walked across the keyboard and spelled dad on the screen. I wonder if I can get an Arts Council grant for him. Dave

There’s no need to be rude about it. Dave (funny that the auto censor doesn’t pick that one up considering some of its dislikes)

Spelt f i l t h Dave

How did you guess? Dave

It’s interesting that many so-called swear words, including the f word, are in the Oxford and Chambers dictionaries. I wonder if the self appointed guardians of decency would campaign to have them removed? Dave

I’ve just had one of those queries. Someone sent me a photograph of a Stanier Pacific saying that his grandfather used to drive it and could I tell him all about it. Sigh……. Dave