Dave Hunt

I have recently joined the Warley club as an associate or ‘out of town’ member for several reasons even though it is a good hour’s drive from home. It has an S7 layout on which I can run my locos and stock, I have several friends and acquaintances who are active members, it has magnificent club rooms and runs what is probably the best advertisement for our hobby in the annual show at the NEC (whether you like the set up of the show or not I think that it attracts a lot of people who could well become the Railway modellers of the future) so I want to support it and be involved as best I can at somewhat long range. I also know several of the club’s officers and have faith in their approach to their jobs. Hence, although it can not really be classed for me as a local club I am looking forward to it providing at least some of the features I would hope to enjoy from one. Dave

We had a similar situation at our RC church when a priest we had for a short time established a parish committee. I was asked to be chairman but declined as I was up to my ears in other things at the time so a woman parishioner took the job with me as a simple committee member (committee membership being open to anyone who cared to attend). Sadly she was so dogmatic and dismissive of anyone else’s opinions that attendances fell to the point that the whole thing became pointless and the committee faded away. Dave

Sick joke I once heard coming up: Q. What was the last thing to pass through Churchward’s mind? A. A locomotive. I suppose that could be taken one of two ways. Dave

I once went along to a local model railway club to see what they got up to. Although I didn't expect that they would have any S7 track my idea was that I could get involved with making things for one of their layouts. Shortly after I arrived the chairman asked me which scale I modelled in and when I replied S7 he said very dismissively, "Well, I don't think you'll fine anything to interest you here. We don't go in for the elitist stuff." I never went back. Dave

Put it in York. Dave

I disagree; make sure the knife is very sharp and the tines on the fork lethally pointed and there may be fewer of them. Dave

No, I’ve never seen that before. Thanks for posting it. Dave

Back in 1970 when I was finishing my first squadron tour on Hunters in Singapore I was offered jobs in both the RAAF and the RNZAF flying either Mirages or Skyhawks. In those days you could transfer to a Commonwealth Air Force without the usual notice and retain rank and seniority so they were attractive offers but since travel and particularly communications were much more restricted than today (for instance, a phone call from Singapore to UK had to be booked several days in advance and was restricted to a few minutes) after much thought we decided against it. I often wonder what our lives would have been like had we decided to go. Dave

Jill’s eye seems to be doing really well. The primary evidence is that this morning she has more important things to concern her - “My hair’s a mess, I must get it seen to,” for instance along with deep thoughts on which pictures should go where in the kitchen. Pretty much back to normal really. Dave

Which I did get and nearly choked on my morning coffee 😂 Dave

Sorry, my mistake; you are quite correct Stephen- old age and carelessness strike again. Dave

Repetitive emails to me have been supposedly from BT saying that if I don't respond my broadband, mobile and everything else will be cancelled without further warning. Apart from the spelling mistakes they look almost genuine 🤣. Dave

The RAF magazine 'Air Clues' once had an article in the April 1st issue that the aviation industry, civil and military, was going to introduce the decimal compass with 100 degrees, each degree being subdivided into ten decagrees. They actually received some irate responses. Dave

The shed only accounts for 4ft 6in out of a layout length of 26ft so there's plenty of fresh air for things to be seen. Dave

Currently chief cook and bottle washer while her with a new eye gets over yesterday's procedure, although everything seems OK and the nurse who rang to ask how it was going was happy with what Jill told her. However, once I'd done the shopping and lunch it was declared that I had earned some muddling time so I was able to get the flooring in the loco shed finished and mainly painted. That leaves the floor painting to be finished, central roof support pillars made, painted and installed and track cleaned and tested before the roof goes on and a few details such as a bit of lead flashing are completed. Then it's on with the scenic work. Dave

Agreed. I too have all three and the Vallance one doesn't, in my opinion, match the quality of other two. Dave

That's the principle I went for when I sold my Dad's house earlier this year and I'm glad I did. OK, I admit that I didn't have to buy another house so it was probably easier for me to accept a lower price but looking at what is happening in this neck of the woods if I hadn't I could be looking at further price reductions and/or a long time to sell. Dave

When Jill went into OH with the South Lincolnshire Health Authority in the late 1980s an OH advisor had to have experience as at least a staff nurse for a few years (can't remember exactly how long) plus at least one post graduate nursing qualification and either have an OH diploma or do a year's day release course with final exam before being confirmed in post. doesn't sound as though your great empire had the same sort of criteria. Dave

That's the one. Mine also started to fall to bits but I treasured it to the extent that I had it rebound with hard covers, although the original front a back covers are now part of the whole. Dave

It seems that quite a few ERs have had visits from the black dog. I've suffered with it twice, once when I was in the RAF and the support I got from higher up was brilliant, and once since when the only help I got from the doctor was pills and yet more pills. Fortunately I could remember the advice and treatment the RAF medics gave and I was able to treat myself to a large extent. One thing is for sure, unless you've been there you have no idea what it's like so I sympathise greatly with WB. As others have said, the sort of support you can get here is worth its weight in gold. Dave

The Occy Health people you describe were not even remotely like the three OH departments Jill worked in - one an NHS Trust and two private companies. She and her colleagues were more often on the side of the employees than the management and frequently came into conflict with the HR departments over their treatment or attempted treatment of individuals. Jill has appeared on more than one occasion at employment tribunals and the like giving evidence in the employee's favour. She always saw her job as trying to ensure that employees were fit for the work they were asked to do, trying to get the best working conditions or at least acceptable working conditions for employees and providing health care and advice. Those principles were actually espoused by the staff of the course she did for qualified nurses working towards OH qualifications. It sounds as though the people in your workplace were not actually real OH but management puppets. Dave

I became quite fascinated with the whole history of railways in the West Highlands, especially the proposed Glasgow North Western and the potential of extending the Invergarry & Fort Augustus to Inverness. On a family holiday to Scotland in 1981 I spent a whole day exploring the route of the I&FA, finding such things as the piers of a viaduct, remains of bridges and parts of the trackbed while Jill entertained the kids. That cost me more than a few brownie points! Dave

There is (or at least there was some years ago) an HO layout in the museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, that runs round the basement. I don't know how long it is but suffice it to say that it is huge and features a series of scenes such as mountain, desert etc. and all of them are large scenic modules with the railway running through. It's very impressive. Dave

The running on that system is superb. Dave

Just so. I bought it back in about 1975 and it kindled an interest in the West Highland Railway exceeded only by that in the Midland. I recently decided that it was time I reread it and it is proving just as interesting and enjoyable as all those years ago. I'm flattered that you noticed ☺️ Dave