DaveF

Thinking of sheds I don't have one... but I do have a greenhouse which is very full of plants, under the staging are more plants and useful garden things.

The garage is full of important things and treasures, none of which can be thrown away even though they don't get used.

The house has just enough space for model things, computers, far too many books - and me.  The loft is less full than it was, when I can get up there again I know there are some things which must go - or be put in the garage.

David

During the rest of the morning I looked at the recently scanned photos on the TV screen and sorted out where a lot were taken, fortunately many were of seaside places which have not changed much over the years with one exception - Sandilands in Lincolnshire which was devastaed by the 1953 floods so the beach huts all went.

I had a quick walk along local roads, the council seem to be adopting no mow May, there are some nice dandelions and daisies along with a lot of blossom on the trees most of which are flowering cherries plus a couple of crab apples.  Then it was time for lunch followed by a read and an accidental nap.

Later on I had a look in the garden and found a few more plants are starting to grow which I thought had died in the wet weather.  Even the sad looking lavenders are showing signs of life.  The plants in the greenhouse are settling well and enjoying the bright sunlight today.

It doesn't sound much but it has been a very pleasant day.  Shortly there will be cheese sandwiches to eat, then a bit of TV and more reading.  At the moment I tend to prefer reading, the list of things I do not watch gets ever longer.

David

Five places beginning with "S" this time, though one is not a real railway.

Sandilands Lincs pull along train Aug 52 J1679  I think this was my first train, aged 3 (just)!  The photo was taken on my birthday

Sandy Class 31 down freight Apr 74 J3646

Sandy Class 46 10.15 Kings X to Leeds Apr 74 J3645

Saxby Class 105 etc Norwich to Birmingham going away Sept 70 J2381

Scarrington Lane crossing Aslockton Class 114 Nottingham to Grantham Sept 75 J4930

Scremerston Class 254 up Aug 81 C5482

David

I had a much better sleep so I feel more with it today.

The photos I sent to one of my cousins, Karen, were well received, she has forwarded them to the rest of her siblings and there have been a lot of comments.  Karen and her sisters are going to visit some of their Irish relatives next week so they are taking copies with them, they are a huge family so they hope to identify everyone.  Some of the photos I sent were taken at their parents wedding in Dublin with all the relatives attending.  I have been asked to send more photos as I scan them.  I have also been sent a copy of part of a family tree one of them, Tim, has been working on.  I think his is the same as my handwritten one.  I shall have a look on Ancestry in a few days, I will have to find some more hours in a day I think.

This morning so far has been spent sending them some more photos and answering questions from them about the friend who died and his sister who they also knew a long time ago - who I think I only met once.  

In a few minutes I am going to have a good look at the photos I scanned mainly to see if I can work out where they were taken.

I'm not sure after that, I may just have a walk and then relax.

David

Germany this morning.  Most of the photos are at Assmannshausen on the Rhine taken in 1990 and 1991. Assmannshausen is on the right (east) bank of the Rhine.

There is also one photo in the Harz of the Harzquerbahn near Allerbach in July 1991.

Assmannshausen 140 005 northbound freight 2nd Aug 90 C14668

Assmannshausen140 582 northbound freight 2nd Aug 90 C14676

Assmannshausen 140 130 Wiesbaden to Koblenz  2nd Aug 90 C14672

Assmannshausen view north 19th Aug 91 C16518

Assmannshausen Class 140 20th Aug 91 C16529

Assmannshausen 141 145 Koblenz to Wiesbaden 20th Aug 91 C16531

Allerbach 99 7222 Wernigerode to Nordhausen  27th July 91 C15993 (1)

David

When I got home this afternoon I had a look in the garden and found a small patch of pigeon feathers so I think the sparrowhawk has been back to try again.  There is no dead pigeon in the garden so it has either escaped or been removed by the hawk.  I wonder which?

Earlier I forgot to mention that I saw a lot of house martins and a few swallows at Rocky Island all busy catching insects.

David

Today has continued not going to plan.  I had a quick reply from Karen, one of my cousins about Allan, the friend in Canada who died reminding me that of course she knew him, they lived next door to each other when she was young and their fathers were doctors in the same practice.  She had lost touch with Allan so will be contacting his daughters to offer condolences and will also contact all seven of her siblings to let them know as she thinks most of them will remember him.  She says she knew his sister better - I don't know what happened to her, Allan never mentioned her.

I asked if she would like copies of the family photos, she has said yes and will pass them on to the rest of the family, so I have sent some of her Mum and Dad which I have already scanned.  It turns out she didn't have copies.  She then sent me some information about my Great Uncle Ernest who was killed in WW1 at Passchendaele  in 1917.  I have found I have some extra information which I will scan and send to her.  One of my other cousins, Tim is doing some research and is constructing a family tree on Ancestry so I willl join and have a good look and see if I have any other information.  I also want to investigate my mother's family more as there seems to be a Dutch connection.

After all that I just went for a short ride to Seaton Sluice and had a walk on Rocky Island before going to do a little bit of non food shopping.

This evening I don't intend to do much.

2 photos at Rocky Island today:

Looking north

Looking slightly west of north, the dark bit on the left is the wall of the harbour entrance.

David

Some trains at Hathern on the Midland north of Loughborough.

Hathern rear view of down ex pass Aug 72 C1042

Hathern Class 120 Nottingham to Birmingham Aug 72 J3013

HathernClass 20s 8013 & 8196 up limestone Aug 72 J3014

Hathern Class 45 84 up Sheffield to St Pancras Aug 72 J3015

Hathern Class 47 1810 down mgr Aug 72 J3016

Hathern Class 45 81 up Aug 72 J3017

David

Today is not going as planned but it can't be helped.  I was awake for 2 hours in the night so didn't hurry this morning.  One of my fingers seems to have seized up, just arthritis, it usually does it whe the weather is going to change.  It has been geiven a coating of pain relieveing gel which is helping.

After breakfast I looked at my e mails and realised I had one from a name which was not very familiar.  It turned out to be from a friend's daughter who lives in Austria to let me know that her father who lived in Canada died suddenly a few days ago.  He was about 10 years older than me and seems to have had a heart attack.  Our families have known each other for at least three generations though when Allan went to Canada to settle and marry there we only kept in touch by mail and later e mail and I've never met his daughters.  I've sent a note to one of my cousins as I think she knew him as both his and her fathers were GPs in the same practice.  If she does remember him I think she will contact her siblings, if not I will in due course.

I expect to scan more photos today, the next batch appear to be things powered by steam and travelling long distances, sometimes at high speed.  I think I already have scans of some of them but will do them all just in case.

David

Another look at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway at Embsay with photos from 1972, 1975 and 1984.

They are a bit late today as I have just heard that a friend in Canada has died unexpectedly.

Embsay Barclay Aug 72 C1059

Embsay Hudswell Clarke Nellie Aug 72 J3028

Embsay Sentinel British Tar Co and Peckett Aug 72 J3030

Embsay Peckett Foleshill and Sentinel Ann and Hudswell Clarke Slugh Estates 5 Mar 75 J4205

Embsay 6th Aug 84 C6596

David

This morning I went to church as usual and ended up being asked to do another couple of small jobs - just making sure some things are in the right place for services.  Of course that assumes I both know where they should be and that I can actually find them when they are put away in the wrong place.  I had a cup of coffee and remembered to pay for my afternoon tea outing which is one day next week.  On the way home afterwards I stopped at the beach and had a walk.  The sun was shining brightly but the wind was bitterly cold.

Back home I had a look at the remains of the heather and took out a few nearby weeds and a plant which was in the wrong place - a self seeded honesty, then while I cooked lunch I arranged for someone to come and measure the kitchen and living room windows as I am thinking of having new curtains.  

After lunch I just tidied the greenhouse plants and then cleared bits of heather that had fallen in the pond along with some blanket weed.  I spent the rest of the afternoon scanning the old photos.  The next two albums will be some of Dad's railway photos, I have digital copies of some but not all of them so will probably do them all to make sure none are missed.

There's nothing else today, this evening should be a bit of reading or similar as I feel a bit sore from the gardening.

A couple of photos of the usual beach this morning.  It could be summer apart from the wind.  Just snapshots using my phone.

David

Some black and white photos taken around Trent on the Midland for this afternoon.

Trent 2P 40458 up pass c1950 JVol7309

Trent 4F 43850 down coal photo taken from train c1951 JVol2262

South ofTrent crossing bridge over River Trent LMS Garratt c1949 JVol1028

Trent Fairburn 4MTT 42184 up pass c1950 JVol7311

Trent Lane Junction East Midlands Gas Board shunter c1950 JVol7335

David

A couple more from the family albums as scanning continues.

The steam locos may be at Cambridge, it would have been taken 1948/9.  Mum is in the cab of the loco on the left. Jimg355Apr

People waiting at a bus stop on Derby Road Nottingham, about 1952.  It may be useful for the clothing, also you don't often see people reading newspapers on model railways. Jimg378Apr

David

I am now very careful in coffee shops and now almost always just have black coffee in case they have anything almond in the place - having found out that one place I go to sometimes uses almond milk.

I have a (so far) fairly mild allergy to nuts, but over the years it has gradually become worse so now I avoid them.

David

Church Lane crossing on the Great Eastern just to the north east of Ingatestone on the way to Chelmsford.  The first 4 photos are Dad's, he and Mum must have been spending a weekend with me.

In the 70s when I ived in Essex it was a very pleasant spot to spend part of a Saturday taking photos.

Church Lane Crossing 309608 Clacton to Liverpool St Apr 75 J4262

Church Lane Crossing 306019 down Apr 75 J4264

Church Lane Crossing Class 37 down Apr 75 J4265

Church Lane Crossing Class 47 Norwich to Liverpol St Apr 75 J4266

Church Lane crosing Class 309 Clacton to Liverpool St 5th May 80 C5053

I've just looked at an e mail from a bank I use.  They are going to change my credit card from a Visa Gold to a Visa card as they no longer issue Gold cards.  That means they will change the account number so anything that keeps my details will have to have them reentered.  At least the direct debit I use to pay it each month will be redone by the bank to take account of the new number.  However I will check that actually happens.  Also the credit limit, interest rate, PIN number etc is unchanged.  So why change it?  I can't see any savings for them.

Apparently it is to give an "even better customer experience".

David