jetmorgan

Sounds like a perfect reason to bring back Pullmans to get those lords & ladies of the proper trains and give us riff raff more space

I did think that that might be possible but all the birds look about the same size. Mind you I only see them from far away so they all look like dots in the sky

We've had the Buzzards back this weekend...all 4 of them, I assume 2 pairs although that might mean there are competing families but they seem reasonable friendly with each other. Apologies for the quality is they didn't get very close and when one did I took the picture through the a bush so I had to do a lot of faffing in photoshop.

Well we have had quite a few butterflies around today as the weather has been decent and I've finally had a visitor to one of my Buddliea Buzz's

Yes I was thinking about experimenting with some cheapo second hand stock....that may give me a bit of a reason to go to the Warley show, in two minds about that at the moment. The photos are scans of black & white prints. I did have access to the original negs but they are two & quarter square (6x6cm in modern language) and I don't have the ability to scan them at the moment. The prints are a bit faded and I ran them through photoshop to try and correct some of the contrast and levels. I did try to get rid of the yellow/red cast but whatever I tried it didn't seem to work. The light levels would have been fairly low as well anyway as they were taken in grey overcast conditions and London Bridge was quite enclosed with buildings even then...none of these tall glass buildings reflecting lots of light. And of course this was the very late 50's or early 60's when everything in Britain was like this....just look at all those old movies on Talking pictures TV

If anyone is wondering of the sort of effect I'm thinking about here are some pics my father took back in the very late 50's or early 60's at London Bridge

Isn't that worse as the rain runs downhill all the way from North Wales

Looking through all the pictures of layouts on here and in the model railway press from the 1960's to today one thing has struck me. All the layouts are modelled as if it's been a lovely warm and dry summer day. I've never seen a layout showing a rainy day...surely more prototypical for a British railway I have seen pictures of some layouts with a deep covering of snow but I never recall seeing anything with wet platforms and streets, passengers waiting with brollies up and wet roofs of the trains. Pouring rain is obviously not practicable but as anyone attempted a layout in a rain ???

I can't see that this has been posted anywhere else on here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40690621 Whilst I don't have a major problem with first class on the very long distance services, although I've never understood why there is so many first class coaches on the bearded twits Pendolino's...even with the 11 car sets. I've never understood the need for first on the short and medium distance services as many of the medium distance services...say Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, Sheffield and Doncaster to London can also now be considered commuter services being only about an hour & a bit away. And lawd knows why anything on Southern trains or Southeastern has a first class section. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the start of having a more common sense railway system.

It's very likely to be a youngster, they do sometimes have a couple of broods in the year. In my neck of the woods they often go for the peanuts. This is one that was in our garden the other year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-40596512/coventry-museum-set-to-open-for-final-time-in-october Hope they can find or can be found a new site

I can't see that this BBC news article has been posted yet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40458246

Sadly didn't get the chance to get there as my Saturday was taken up with my washing machine going bang so my Sunday was taken up with all the garden jobs I couldn't get done on the Saturday but will try again next year if there is one planned. Glad to see it was a good little show

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I'm in need of a new washing machine anyway so once I have that ordered (will have to wait until payday on the 25th) I will get behind it and replace the current plumbing with that waste pipe that you gave the link for. I have to assume it is that 40mm pipe...it may well be smaller unfortunately as the pipe is all behind kitchen cabinets it's almost impossible to gain access and I know one of the previous occupiers of the flat was a bit of a bodger. I also know that some brands 40mm are different from other brands 40mm as well. At work we used to supply Marley plumbing and they never fitted with anything bought from other suppliers.

A plumbing question. Washing machine went bang this morning, the plug fuse went pop shortly after the machine started up. On pulling the machine out to try to get the clothes out I discovered a leak from the water pipes, which I think I've stopped now, and also a mess (I think) with the drain plumbing. I've taken a pic and done a crude diagram to show what I have but my question is do I need an air vent on the end of the pipe above where the washing machine drain hose connects. The air vent is loos and has been filling with water so adding to the leak as well. Below the air vent and the washing machine drain hose connection is a U-bend which then goes into the main pipe from the sink and to the outside drain. Can I just put a cap over the end where the air vent is? I've had to tie the whole thing up with some string for the moment to make sure any water drains away. I thought I'd got the washing machine working again but it looks like the plug fuse going bang has fried some part of the electrics inside so itlooks like I'm after a new washing machine now!!!

A bit of an antidote to the long train in the large landscape. No trains and just the railway in the landscape. Some really interesting pictures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-40341771

Not sure about that one...no mention of a separate bag of cement on the bag and I don't really want to open it until I have to. If it's anything the brand is La Farge (I think) I might just keep it for use in the concrete for the hardcore...that way it gets used up anyway and it doesn't matter too much. Having another look at the area I might need to get another bag of ready mix concrete as I'm not sure 1 will be enough. Thanks for the info

Now I have nearly finished building the raised flower bed, I'm now looking at getting on with phase 2 of the back garden re-vamp. This will be extending a step to go all the way across the width of the garden, laying some paving slabs on top and using other paving slabs to make a new pathway. Now when I come to do the step I plan to install a large piece of timber as the face and back fill with hardcore and then pour in concrete to give me a relatively level surface. Once that is dry I'll make up a mortar to spread on the top and lay patio paving slabs on top. While searching and tidying up the shed I came across a back of ready to use cement mortar...unopened...and with a use by date of October 2014 on it. Can this bag be used as the mortar for laying the patio slabs or is it best to use this bag, mixed with some gravel to pour over the hardcore behind the step. I know many will think chuck it and buy new bags but money is tight so really don't want to chuck this bag away...besides I'm also a skinflint

Or a husband just back from the model railway shop!!!

Been having a tidy up weekend in the garden as it's too hot for any major work...and I don't have the money for it. But I have been watching some Bluetit youngsters having a paddle in the back garden bird bath. apologies but they were moving to quick to get in focus pics.

Noticing a small yellow paper leaflet, sticky taped to a telegraph pole on the road into work today there appears to be a model railway show in Oxted on July 9th. It doesn't seem to be very well advertised, It doesn't seem to be very well advertised and I can't find any mention on here about it but there is an advert on the local newspaper website about it and it's also mentioned on the UK Model shop directory website. So I thought I'd mention it so people know about it, I'm not involved with it in any way but I just thought that one paper advert stuck to a telegraph pole with traffic passing at 30mph probably isn't enough. http://www.oxted-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=114061&headline=Model%20railways%20on%20show%20in%20Oxted&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017 http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/15026-DDExhibitionsExhibition

Thankfully not Panama and when he does fly back to Britain for his once a year visit for our Xmas party in July he does travel with several very large suitcases!!!

If only we could but the boss who controls the wages is living in Mexico now and I can't see him flying back once a month to give two of us £125 in readies.

You'll find most small birds will be quite happy to have you in close proximity as long as there is food in front of them. My bird table is only 3 to 4ft away from my living room window and I often sit by the window with camera at the ready and they are quite happy to be on the table while I move about and take pics. The only flighty bird we have are the woodpeckers...those you have to be really still for and they are clever by always getting the peanut feeder between them and you. You can also get another feeder and put it closer to where you sit to get them even closer...they will get used to the idea of you being there.

We've had a Heron having a look about as well. decided to sit in a nearby tree for a few minutes until some of the Jackdaws took an exception