jonny777

Hello from a very frosty Somerset. -3C with a 7mph wind; not a frequent occurrence in these parts. I topped up the bird feeders and it felt decidedly chilly out there. Forecast is for rain? showers overnight, but unless it is freezing rain which coats everything in ice, I can't see where all the warm air is coming from. There were clear skies a few minutes ago, but the fog appears to be rolling in now. Oh well, stay at home day it is then.

Belated hello from a chilly Somerset. I have recovered from an afternoon of pasta making; and even though I say it myself the tagliatelle I produced was not bad at all. While preparing the dinner, and with the prospect of a loft conversion no closer, I had thoughts of a temporary modelling project on one wall of the smallest bedroom. I would have a space of 10ft x 2ft, and thought maybe a loco shed scenario would be an option - mainly because any hidden area would only need to be 18 inches long approx. Any thoughts from others on whether I am getting too ambitious are welcome. The shed would be ER late 50s, and to keep costs down card kits would be to the fore. I was encouraged to see a cenotaph coaler now available from Superquick.

This article might be of use to you - http://mac-how-to.gadgethacks.com/how-to/9-ways-get-by-without-photoshop-your-mac-0165313/

Looking at the history of the region, Avon Dam is a quite recent (opened 60 years ago) construction, and older maps show nothing there at all. I wonder if it is left over from a constructors' narrow gauge line?

Hello from a frosty Somerset. It was bright and clear at sunrise, but after 9am the fog rolled in from somewhere and has persisted ever since; although I can make out the sun through it at times. I may still hang out the washing and allow it to freeze on the line.

37107 and 37185 at Cardiff on 13th May 1992.

Here a uid 37 heads westbound oil train past Southall in May 1990, with another member of the class in the yard.

It is noticeable how much more realistic the oily weathering looks in 7mm. An excellent effort on those two locos.

My slide scanning is proceeding slowly but nostalgically. Here is 45130 at St Pancras in 1982 -

What a wonderful selection of parcels vans in that train. I do not recognise the identity of the first vehicle. Can anyone add any info (I would love to construct a model of that for myself).

A belated (I have been out sawing up old fence posts for the fire) hello from a cold but bright Somerset. No snow here, but the sky went very grey just to the east an hour ago, as a snow shower passed us by. Fri 13th means I have an excuse to stay inside and scan some slides of Peaks and Buckets. I am so fair of skin and hair, that although I started shaving about 45 years ago, it is rarely more than once a week; it just doesn't show up enough.

It is not just in Bristol then... where the slightest uphill gradient seems to be seen as an invitation to put the foot to the floor and display power seemingly unknown to the average pleb driver. Strange behaviour; but then I originate from The Fens where a 'hill' is defined as the one place which is just above sea level.

Yes, there always seemed to be far more 27s on Eastfield, Haymarket and in Glasgow Works than there were working in the 1970s. I often wondered about the percentage of active locos at any one time.

There ought to be no mystery to lightning and thunder in a snow shower. As I explained earlier, almost all rain in this country (summer and winter) begins its life as ice crystals in the cloud. These will merge to form snowflakes. In simplistic terms, the only determining factor in the snow/rain equation is temperature. Or more precisely, the height of the freezing level above the ground. In general terms this approximates to about 3C per 1000ft, or 1C per 100m. Therefore if your outside temperature is 3C, the freezing level will be 1000ft above you; and if you are at sea level and it is raining any nearby hills rising to 1000ft will have snow on the tops. Any snow falling below 1000ft will encounter a rising temperature and will melt slowly (to rain) as they fall. However, the melting process requires latent heat, and the only medium which can provide this is the surrounding air. Each snowflake which melts into a raindrop cools the air by a tiny amount. If there is a ready supply of external heat (wind off a less cold sea, or large urban area for instance) this cooling will be balanced by that; but if the area is well inland the melting snow as it falls will cause the air temperature to drop. The heavier the snowfall, the greater amount of latent heat required and faster the temperatures will fall, effectively lowering the freezing level towards sea level. As this happens the more snow reaches the ground un-melted, and rain appears to turn to snow.

Hello from a dull, damp and cold Somerset. Rain at present, but heavy rain due to turn to snow (a confusing description, as it all snow when it comes out of the clouds - but simply stops melting before it reaches the ground) this afternoon. We are going to miss the worst of it apparently. That event has been reserved for London & SE England during this evening's rush hour. Expect road travel chaos as 50% of drivers run into each other as they believe a 4x4 means they can still stop from 60mph in 30 feet on slush, and the other 50% just abandon their vehicles and walk home muttering expletives about lack of road gritters.

Well, things are looking a little more promising for a blocked weather pattern in about a weeks time. Although, nothing like 1947 or 1962/3; or even 1978/9 at the moment.

It was the same at our school, until the deputy head force fed me tapioca and kept clamping my mouth shut until I swallowed each spoonful. She seemed well satisfied with her efforts for a few seconds until I projectile vomited over her, and the girl sitting next to me. I escaped the cane, but the 'news' spread round the village like wildfire. My mother was not amused, marched to the school and gave the teachers within earshot both barrels (or so she told me). From that point on I was excused tapioca, and have never had it since.

Hello from a dull and cold Somerset. Thanks for the Lincs update RhBBob; it is always nice to hear from the county of my birth. My brother must be not too far away; he lives in Sibsey. I had never heard of Frankie and Bennie, so I googled it - more US imported 'food' I see. What is wrong with steak & kidney pie? I see they have a section devoted to food allergies/intolerances, but nothing about one of the most restrictive of them all - a cheese/dairy allergy. Oh well, it's not likely to be culinary destination for me: now, where did I put those slices of liver and rashers of bacon?

Hermes are not improving. I was expecting a small packet of various bits and pieces bought online, and the tracking site at midday said "out for delivery by courier". I have sat here almost all afternoon, not more than 10ft from the front door. No courier by 4:15 so I clicked on the tracking page again - and saw "delivered and signed for by customer". What? I haven't signed for anything today. After a few uneasy minutes wondering who might have my parcel by mistake, and what they might have done with it (no card through the letterbox to indicate it was with a neighbour), I decided to take a gander outside (cleverly disguised as bringing in the recycling boxes). What should I find propped up by the wall adjacent to my front door in the pouring rain - my parcel.

In which case I will prepare for 24 hours of cold wind, a few bits of sleet, a report of minus 10C on Ben Nevis, and giant headlines proclaiming that "some parts" of the UK are colder than Moscow; followed immediately by the mildest January weather for 50 years.

Hello from a cloudy but not too damp Somerset. Compared to some folks' nightmare travel day, my trip into town ought to be a doddle. And I can try out my new trainers bought in the sales, reduced from £45 to £15.

Hello from a foggy Somerset. I can barely see the church tower 150 yards away. Eldest son left his external HD here after leaving for Yorkshire, so that has to be parceled up in readiness for a bumpy 24 hours starting tomorrow, courtesy of Royal Mail 24. A few new tropical fish (Hawaiian Red-tail Platy) have been bought and added to the tank, and look to be coping with their new home. Gluten-free lager brew has started to ferment nicely, and so I can sit back and read the Sunday paper.

I use various thick and thin forms of Zap-A-Gap, but have never thought of storage conditions as an issue. I just keep mine in a cupboard at room temperature; although the bottles do tend to lie on their sides which may help prevent drying/clogging of the spouts.

Thanks. I really am going senile, not to have noticed the reply - sorry.

Sadly, the videos have gone already. Maybe only a few hours to see images such as 55238 leaving Oban on 18th May 1960 http://www.ipernity.com/doc/2257080/43822962