jetmorgan

Morning everybody I've been spending the morning having a tidy up in the front garden and I was pulling up some of the Jack by the hedge as it was looking like going to seed and I noticed some caterpillars on the plant. I know the plant is a favourite with orange tip butterflies but are these caterpillars orange tips. Anyone know their caterpillars as well as their onions? Apologies for the dire pictures but I was hand holding the camera with a pair of extension tubes on the lens and the camera had trouble focusing.

You rotten swine...I was hoping no one else had noticed my dirty little secret!!! Thinking back on it the Maunsell full third low windows I bought one of them had a missing part...one of the body sides but I did have 2 interior corridor panels so I bought a replacement from Phoenix. Also a bit annoying that Hattons hadn't checked that as well. I'm keeping my eye on the Hatton's site for the last Bulleid's they have and also the push pull set but that will have to wait for now

The baby Sparrows are out in force in the garden...this one has taken to sitting on top of it's sibling in order to get fed

Just a short note of my recent experiences with buying from Hatton's via the website. I've started buying more rolling stock and some railway items from their pre-owned section, I'm on a very tight budget so have to buy much older stuff from the likes of Mainline, Airfix GMR and Hornby stuff from the 80's & 90's. A few months back I bought several Ian Kirk Maunsell and Bulleid coach kits, there were several more to get but they all disappeared so I presume someone else discovered them as well....DAMN & BLAST!!! But I was really impressed by the quick delivery and the easy to use website for ordering and they were also far less money than people on Ebay were offereing, so decided to order more when funds became available. So just purchased a Replica Pannier tank in GWR shirt button livery without couplings and in a replacement box for £25, Perfectly reasonable I thought, I haven;t been able to test it though to find out how it runs so I could be eating my words!!! But it arrived very quickly and as described on the website. I also ordered a Ratio Midland 1st class suburban coach kit described as like new...now the box was a little worn but that isn't a bother and I would expect it but what I didn't expect were parts to be missing from the kit. Both coach body sides were missing as were the wheels so an email sent off to Hatton's who replied within the day with details for returning the item or exchanging. I chose to return the item for a refund, I had an email on Saturday saying that they had organised that so impressed by how quickly they sorted out the problem. A bit disappointed though that no one did the simple task of opening the box and checking the contents before listing the item on the website, I appreciate that when they are given a large collection to dispose of not everything can be gone into detail but a simple opening of the box doesn't take long...took me about 15 seconds to notice the problem. But still satisfied to buy from Hatton's again and again.

Personally I wouldn't bother....Although it does look a bit like the tree is growing out the top of the loco the plume of diesel smoke does seperate the tree from the train somewhat. You'll also find it will be a long job trying to photoshop the tree out and keep that smoke in.

the other 2 loads of magazines arrived today. Just a matter of sorting through which ones I need and which ones are duplicates. Will put the dupes on free to a good home at some point as I have loads of both Railway Modellers along with Model Railway constructors from the 1960's onwards

I don't have a problem with photoshopping out certain bits of background or foreground. But only things that stick out like a sore thumb. Like you I have deleted lamp posts or lineside photographers wearing high vis jackets. Also I have some marks on my cameras sensor which leaves a dark circle on every picture, especially in the sky, so the photo has to be digitally altered.

A box of top shelf, plain brown wrapper magazines just turned up at work today. 45 of them for £15 including postage..........and there are more on the way.

I hope they scare away the Jackdaws we have...every bin day they are out there ripping the bags apart and chucking the mess all over the pavements.

Definately have a Red Kite in the Crockham Hill area. Saw it floating by this morning before heading off to work. Only a single one so I'll keep my fingers crossed that a pair might turn up next. Not sure what the family of Buzzards are going to make of Red Kite's moving in.

Just found another article with some info on some of the coaching stock on a couple of Colonel Stephens railways, in particular the K&ESR. Colonel Stephens Society - A royal pair MRC sept 86.PDF

I get the same with the Pulmonaria in my garden, not sure what variety it is but when the sun is out and I'm out in the garden you can hear this constant hum of honey, solitary and bumble bees. I do need to dig some of it up though as it's starting to take over the garden.

I forgot to mention that I saw my first Swift last Saturday while waiting at Tonbridge station.

Sorry.....that might have been me getting up to go to the loo in the middle of the night. I'll try to keep the noise down next time Dave

The sparrows often demolish my primrose flowers in my garden, I think birds eating flowers is quite common.

Combining railways, gardening and wildlife all in one go...must be worth a visit. I was going to go to Gardeners World live this year but the dicky ticker has put paid to that idea https://www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com/whats-on/show-gardens/made-in-birmingham

Well seen my first butterflies of the year on my morning constitutional, a couple of what I think are Orange Tips...moving to fast and wouldn't settle for me to get any pics.

These six books for less than a tenner including postage

If you can find them there were a series of articles by the Colonel Stephens Society in Model Railway Contsructor, starting I think in December 1986, that is the only one I have at the moment scanned onto the computer. Colnel Stephens society - Wrong side of the tracks - prototype study MRC dec 86.PDF

If you have it there is a short documentry film called Motorsport tries Motorail on the BFI British Transport films collection vol 7. Granted it's all done for the benefit of the cameras so the train formations may not be what regularly happened but there is some interesting images on there.

While on convalesence and watching the birds I had the Buzzards come back, this time at least 5 of them and a possible 6. Got some crappy pics of one of them that looks like it's been in a fight at sometime with one of its wing feathers missing, not sure if it's a primary or secondary

I couldn't tell what sort of bumble bees they were while in the hospital but I was a bit surprised to see them as I was several floors up at Tunbridge Wells hospital and there were no flowers I could see anywhere near by for them to be feeding off. I did have a gentle walk about the garden yesterday and I do have some bees feeding of my Pulmonaria. Good to see there could be a nest under the shed....I've been trying to get them to nest in the garden and I was building a dry stone wall out of old bricks & paving slabs....I was hoping to get it finished this year but that will have to be put on hold for the moment.

While sitting about in the hospital last week waiting for my angiogram and angioplasty I did see the first bumble bees of the year

Hope it is all being a great show. I was hoping to come but have had to cancel any outings now after suffering a heart attack and being in hospital for the past week waiting for some surgery. Just got back home today

Just seen my very first Goldcrest in the garden and the kitchen window bird table...but he/she was in and out before I have chance to get the camera. That is the first one I've seen in the garden in the 10 years I've been here.