Dave Hunt

3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The RSDG were a fine regiment, although their rather natty no 1 dress hat made them look a bit like  traffic wardens.

Regiment of Suspicious and Dodgy Guards?

An overcast morning in the northern reaches of Salopshire. A less than exciting day in prospect starting with a visit to the dentist, progressing through trawling round the market, then dealing with yet more niff naff and trivia followed by an afternoon's writing, cooking dinner and possibly watching something on the haunted fish tank (if there is anything worthwhile, which these days is doubtful).

There's nothing like having your life planned well ahead - I've just been booked to give a talk at the Bedford LCGB about the Royal Scots in June 2020! At my age that could be a bit dodgy....

Have a good day one and all.

Dave

7 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

 

I managed to hobble out to the shed in the afternoon and am gradually

 

..... falling asleep again?

1 minute ago, bbishop said:

 

One of whom is a hippopotamus amphibious and is trundling in your direction as I type.

 

Bill

I think I can hear Land of my Fathers being sung so I'll just get my coat.....

35 minutes ago, AndrewC said:

There are a number of good craft beer bars and tap rooms in Paris now. They seem to speak better English there than in Telford as well. 

There are too many expatriate Welsh around Telford....

Oops, sorry - forgot to wish everyone goodnight.

Muggocoffee consumed, morning ablutions competed, mail opened (nothing worthwhile) and now about to spend most of the day writing. Dad's mobility scooter was delivered yesterday and he seems pleased with it but the insurance will take another couple of days to come through so he's just toddling about locally with it until then. SWMBO is off to the pictures this evening with a friend so I may indulge in some  mode**ing then. Apart from that not much to report.

Wishes to all for a successful day.

Dave

PS. - it's raining.

Muggocoffee consumed, various bits of niff naff and trivia done and now about to go and sort out delivery of Dad's mobility scooter. Later on there is a lot of writing to do so not a particularly exciting day ahead.

Have a good one everybody and commiserations for those who don't. 

Dave

I've soldered steel to nickel silver quite successfully many times using ordinary Bakers fluid flux. 

Dave

Tony,

Thanks for posting those superb photographs of Little Bytham. Along with other masterpieces such as Copenhagen Fields your layout has to be one of the most inspirational things in railway modelling. Much power to your elbow!

Dave 

Plan for today:

Finish muggocoffee

Do some preparation for tonight's dinner

Go to model shop in Whitchurch for some plywood

Possibly spend some time in workshop

Go to Telford station to pick up friend from Aberystwyth who is staying the weekend

Have a few drops of malted Scottish water

Go to bed

A simple but hopefully satisfying plan.

Tomorrow we are going to the GOG show at Doncaster where I expect a few (or more) modelling tokens will be exchanged for essential supplies. My Dad is coming with us so progress may be a little slow but since such events consist largely of chatting it probably won't be too restricting. 

Have a good day folks. Envious thoughts of Chris's Welsh cakes - as Baz says, yum yum.

Dave

Goodnight everyone. Sweet dreams.

Dave

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Dave, might I award you with the "finding the bright side" award for the day?

 

You deserve it with that anecdote. It's right up there with "Other than that Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?"

Cheers Michael, it's always a good start to a day to collect an award. By the way, how did Mrs Lincoln enjoy the play- did anyone ever find out?

Off to the market then taking Dad to look at some mobility scooters this morning. Thanks to all who helped with advice re the personal alarm query.

SWMBO is hosting a bridge session here this afternoon so I'm banished to the workshop for three hours - result!!

Have a good day everyone with commiserations to Ian and Mrs. Ian.

Dave

38 minutes ago, lightengine said:

Dave, we got Mum a pendant alarm last year.  Well worth the effort.  The system works well, luckily only used in anger once so far. The company are very efficient.

LE

Thanks LE. Which company is it?

Bit of an unexpected turn to the day when I spotted sewage coming up through the grid just outside our kitchen window mid- morning, which effectively put all other plans on hold for a while. To cut a long (and smelly) story short, we ended up with two very nice and efficient chaps from Severn Trent water sorting it all out. Although the event was somewhat unpleasant, there was a bonus as because the drains from the two adjacent properties run under our garden and join our main drain  it is classed as a shared system, meaning that S-T pick up the bill and it costs us zilch. 

Even with this interruption I managed to get all my chores done and actually partook in some workshop activities so the day wasn't lost.

Here's wishing everyone a peaceful night with thoughts and prayers for those suffering in any way.

Dave

If I may add my two pennorth to the discussion on the present and future state of railway modelling, I think that Tony is largely right in what he states whilst others also make valid points. As well as personally being in the pre-grouping camp (although that in no way diminishes my admiration for layouts and models of other eras) I am or have been involved with other modelling disciplines and I think that there are parallels to this hobby in aeromodelling, model boats, military modelling etc. Whilst many modellers wish to portray what they see before them today, a good number of the older generation are more taken with what they remember from their youth. Then there are those who depict scenes from bygone days that they have never seen but which hold a fascination for them. I suspect that the second category are in the majority, although I have to admit that I have no direct evidence of that other than what I see and hear at exhibitions, on RMW, in conversation with friends etc. but that the other types are also well represented. What has and most obviously is changing, though, is what Tony often discusses and that is the decline in the number of those who actually make things rather than depending mainly or wholly on RTR, which again has parallels in other modelling disciplines. I suppose that the bottom line to these ramblings of mine is that yes, the hobby is changing, and in the eyes of those of us who derive most pleasure from the 'modelling' aspect not necessarily for the better, but as an activity is reasonably healthy in the number of participants. Even old dinosaurs like me who like to scratchbuild models of more than a century ago can still enjoy the hobby and I think (hope?) that we will continue to do so in the company of those who also enjoy it, albeit with different emphases. 

I hope that that some of the above makes sense. If not, please put it down to the ramblings of the aged.

Dave

A covering of light cloud meets the North Salopian eye this morning after a somewhat wet previous day and evening - good for the garden of course and no sign yet of last year's scorched earth that is still evident in a few small patches of scrappy lawn. SWMBO recently spent some time re-seeding said bits and is pleased that so far there has been no need for watering.

A slow start for me with the second mugocoffee being consumed before taking Mum's clothes to the charity shop. There are still more to be sorted out but we're leaving that job for a while; I have to confess that it was a bit of a traumatic exercise and I'm not looking forward to doing it again but it will have to be faced in the near future, just not today.

Do any ERs have experience of getting personal monitors/alarms for anyone? I want to get my Dad one of those devices that alerts others, the emergency services etc. in the event of a fall, illness etc. and wondered if any of you could offer advice?

I'll also be making some catering preparations for a friend coming to stay for the weekend. We'll be going to the GOG show at Doncaster on Saturday along with another pal where I'm hoping to see Jamie and maybe some other RMWebbers. 

Apart from a few odd jobs that SWMBO says she has lined up, that's my day, although I have fond hopes that somewhere in there I can sneak in some workshop time.

Cheers everyone. Have the best day you can.

Dave

I just knew I'd blown it and dragged us off topic again.

I've just realised that I've possibly caused us now to wander off onto eye tests or the legibility of Network Rail signage or something...

Well, it was only my reading glasses so I'm fairly sure it was Wem, or was it Wembley .......

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I used a heavier than normal right boot:  No doubt leaving Bertie to half swallow his pipe, turn to Mavis and complain about young tearaways in BMWs.

????????

Stephen,

I'm loving this thread; it takes me right back to when I was a kid in Liverpool in the '50s. I remember travelling on the LOR with my Dad as well as seeing the MD&HB locomotives on a daily basis. I'm really looking forward to seeing it reappear in your model.

Dave  

Just to get back on topic, I went over the level crossing at Wem again today and remembered that last time I had forgotten my reading glasses!

Dave

I'm pretty sure that Jamie is correct in thinking that his workshop houses a miniature black hole into which pinged items disappear; in fact, I reckon that it is a feature of most, if not all, modellers' habitations - certainly of mine anyway. Somewhere out there is most of a locomotive of mine. You never know, they may all be linked via wormholes in the space/time continuum and if anyone ever comes up with a way of accessing the central chasm they could open a model shop with the contents.

A rather dull and damp North Salopland today, which matches my mood as I contemplate venturing into the dark recesses of Dad's garage and trying to make a start on sorting out the mess. Once I finish the mugocoffee SWMBO has provided I'll have run out of excuses. As Captain Oates would have had it, "I may be some time."

Dave