tetsudofan

Yesterday I received two emails from Kernow, one saying that my IZAs were being sent to me by DPD  and the other saying that my Model Rail Busby 16xx was being sent to me by Royal Mail.

.... and a couple of hours ago DPD delivered a box from Kernow containing both the IZAa and the Busby.

As these were two separate transactions (one for Kernow, one for Model Rail) I was expecting two separate parcels but somehow, in what must have been a very, very busy mail room, someone must have noticed that there were two shipments due for one address and they decided to combine the shipments.

Many thanks Sam!

Decision now is which boxes to open first, the IZAs or the Busby.........

Keith

3 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

Mrs NHN was given a little card recording what, where and when, showing batch umbers etc. for both jabs.

..... and I also got a "I've had my Covid vaccination" sticker which has been stuck on the back of the little card mentioned above by NHN.

Keith

I've been lurking here for sometime so suppose it's about time I made an appearnce. As regards layouts I suppose I would be classified as somewhat of a peasant when it comes to themes, basically if I like that's what I do.

What's out in the garden takes up most of my time, one day I might go for German narrow gauge around Dresden:

or another day might fancy going to Switzerland:

or for something completely different maybe a trip to the US:

Indoors I'm just as bad:

Also lurking around is some German 0-gauge which I accumulated whilst helping out on a certain German layout normally spending most of the time in the fiddle yard using the cassettes shown on here a couple of days ago.

Keith

Last Saturday (23/1) received an email from one of my friends saying that as I was (just) over 75 I could book an online vaccination appointment without having received a communication from the NHS.

Went online to the (real) NHS website and within a few minutes I had booked an appointment for Tuesday (26/1) at 10:10am with a follow-up appointment for April 14th.

Turned up at the venue (which had only just opened in what was once a branch of Debenhams) at 10:10am, had my jab (the AZ one) and was on my way home at 10:35am. Organisation was just fantastic - many thanks NHS!!

Later that afternoon (26/1) I received a phonecall from local GP surgery asking if I would like to have a jab the following day (27/1) at the GP run vaccination venue which I declined telling them that I had already received a jab that morning.

Yesterday (27/1) I received the letter from the NHS regarding the booking of an appointment for the jab.

So, I received all the necessary documentation etc. but not in the order that I expected. The system is working which is the important thing when you bear in mind how much work is involved in getting the system going. To be honest I did not expect to get my first jab until mid-February but I've got it now thanks to all the work being done by the people in the NHS.

Keith

On 26/01/2021 at 13:27, tetsudofan said:

Well, everything went well this morning, I got my first AstraZeneca jab. Turned up outside the venue at 10.10am and was on my way home at 10.35am. Just missed being filmed by the BBC.

 

The venue is in what was the Debenhams store in the middle of town taking up what was most of the ground floor. To gain access one needs to produce details of the booking, I used my booking form printed off when I did the online booking. There were also a group of rather burly guys standing outside to ensure that only those who had bookings could enter. 

 

Once inside you followed the arrows to the "consent area" where your details on the system were located and checked and your medical history was discussed. Think there were around 10 desks so 10 people could be processed at the same time.

 

When that was done you followed some more arrows and ended up at the "jabbing area" with a similar number of jabbers. Personal details were checked again, you got jabbed (did not feel a thing), was given a credit card-size jab record card and a "I've had my covid vaccination" sticker as well as a common side effects leaflet.

 

After that I headed for the exit where they checked that I was ok mentioning that I should not be driving a car for at least 15 minutes - no problem there as I walked to and from the venue.

 

All in all, I was amazed at how smoothly things went, all the staff and the voluntary helpers could not have been more helpful and they all seemed proud of what they are doing.

 

Personally I just can't believe that a few days ago I was wondering when I would be getting the jab as I had not received any written invitation or contact from my local GP surgery. It was only on Saturday that one of my friends sent me the link to make the booking which I followed through even then thinking that maybe I was not entitled to make the booking so much so that (after feedback on here) I even phoned 119 to ensure that I could make the booking.

 

Keith

 

 

Further to yesterday's posting, during the afternoon received a telephone call from my GP surgery, would you like a Covid-19 jab whilst this morning received a letter from the NHS (dated January 22nd) telling me that I'm able to book my free NHS coronavirus vaccine now.

It doesn't rain, it pours......

Feels a bit sore where they did the jab yesterday, other than that all's ok.

Keith

Managed to visit two shows last year, the Canterbury show on January 18 followed by the Tonbridge Show on February 15.

February 15 was also the last day that I rode on a train - to get to and from Tonbridge.

Keith

Yesterday I walked along part of the Pilgrim's Way overlooking the Eurotunnel Terminal, plenty of trucks loading or waiting to load onto a shuttle heading on the way to France otherwise completely deserted.

Dropping away from the Pilgrim's Way I passed through Peene with remnants of the Elham Valley line from Folkestone to Canterbury clearly visible around what is now the Elham Valley Line Trust Railway Museum which also has one of the cars from the Leas Lift at Folkestone clearly visible from the road.

Will take my camera when I next wander over that way.

Keith

20 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

My nephew who is a GP and who is also giving Covid vaccines at a local hospital clinic received an email from someone else with a link. It too went to the application page and later they received a text cancelling the appointment. Be interesting to see what happens for you. 

It will be interesting to see what happens, my own gut feeling is that it seems to be too good to be true.

Keith

Evening from the far south east corner, cold but no sign of the white stuff.

The sun was shining yesterday so decided that the time had come to to do my planned 3-hour walk which would involve a circumnavigation of the Eurotunnel Terminal. Started of by heading up to J13 of the M20, locating the subway under it and then heading back to the start of the climb up Castle Hill to meet part of the Pilgrim's Way. After puffing and panting a bit made it to the top and started walking parallel to the terminal down below. Plenty of large trucks seen waiting to get aboard a shuttle.

After about 30 minutes started the descent to the village of Peene but was rather surprised at the lack of pathway signs - what signs there were seemed to lead into the bushes but I finally found the road leading into Peene and once past the Elham Valley Line Trust Railway Museum and the remains of the railway bridge for the line leading to Canterbury. Once back on the main road had to go under the bridges leading into the terminal and then up over the M20 on a bridalway close to J12. Once over the bridge it was a 40 minute walk back home looking back across to the hills that I had just been walking on. Got home in just under three hours.

Today is was a short walk to and from the out-of-town Sainsbury's to collect a purchase from Argos and to get some bits and pieces from Sainsbury's. All this walking means the car has not been on the road since before Christmas. One weekly visit to Sainsbury's to do a big shop using the car has been replaced two or three walking trips to either the town or out-of-town stores.

Once home found an email from a friend including a link to a NHS website where, as an over 75, you could book Covid jabs online. Followed the link, answered all the questions and was offered the jab at what was the Debenham store in the centre of town and booked an appointment for Tuesday morning and a follow-up appointment on April14.

Was rather surprised at being able to do this as I was under the impression that you had to wait for a letter from the NHS and then wait for the local GP or someone else to contact you to organise the jab.  Be interesting to see what happens on Tuesday morning. If it does happen one good thing is that the centre is indoors and not the out-doors Civic Centre carpark that my neighbours were to visit today.

Keith

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Apparently they've done the over 75's and had a few jabs left over so they were ringing around the over 70's to offer the jab. For various reasons I will not be able to attend tomorrow so someone else will get the jab but I should be able to get it as soon as more vaccinations arrive.

You're lucky where you are. I'm just 75 and a bit and have not received any communication about a jab.

Spoke to one of my neighbours last week, he's 95 and his wife is 87 and neither of them has received a communication let alone the offer of a jab.

Was looking at the death rate statistics for the local area a couple of days ago, at one stage we had the highest death rate per 100,000 in the country beating Barnsley  according to what they said. Our MP puts it down to number of care homes and OAPs.

Keith

On 17/01/2021 at 09:05, No Decorum said:

Some years ago, the London Transport Museum commissioned a model of new stock from Bachmann. Part of the inducement was a free trip on the real train to the outer limit of the system and back. David Haarhaus, the top man, turned up, along with many Bachmann people. They didn’t have to give up their weekends. There are many other examples and there is no doubting the enthusiasm they have.

Yes, I was on that trip and it was something special. The unit we used was one of the District/Circle line trains (comprised of seven cars) which were not normally seen on the Metropolitan Line from Baker Street (where trains had eight cars).

Our journey took us out to Amersham and instead of returning directly to London we took the curve into Chesham where, waiting on the adjacent platform, was the actual unit modelled by Bachmann waiting for a photo session.

Whilst we were on the Circle line we were moving quite slowly as we were timetabled in between service trains stopping at all stations. Although platform announcements were made that our train would not be stopping the look on the faces of many waiting on the platform when they realised that there were passengers on the train was just amazing.

All in all a great trip. Bachmann organised a excellent day helped of course by the staff of the London Underground.

Keith

8 hours ago, Dunsignalling said:

 

 

Mine had a personal plate from new, and was subsequently given a new age-related number. I'd always assumed new cars were allocated local numbers from new, to which they would revert once the personal plate was transferred on, but apparently not. Apparently, all re-registrations get London plates these days.

 

John 

 

 

Things have changed now John.

If buying a new car now and you want to have your personal plate on the new car the first thing you have to do is put the current car "on retention". This can be done online at which time the DVLA will issue you with a new local age-related number. You then have to get a new number plate made and put that on the car.

DVLA will then send a new V5C Registration Certificate showing the new number as well as the V778 Retention Document for the personal plate.

In my case I then went off to the local M-B dealership with the above documents and they made the new plate and put in on the current car and arranged to have the new car registered and delivered with the personal plate. Soon after that DVLA sends a new V5C for the new car.

Compared to what is was when I first got the personal plate the current transfer procedures are a doddle most of which can be done online.

Keith

11 minutes ago, mervyn said:

Can I ask what make of track you are using Thanks 

mervyn,

The track is Peco Streamline Code 100 wooden sleeper type track.

Keith

Having had my #54 for a few days I suddenly remembered I had some coaches  in S&DJR livery (special commission by Dapol) which I located in the depths of one of my storage boxes:

No problems taking two coaches up the incline but not sure if it could take three coaches. Maybe give it a try tomorrow.

Keith

My sound-fitted Collector's Club S&DJR loco arrived a couple of days ago and was setup on my Z21 yesterday, sounds are quite good.

After poodling round the layout for an hour-or-so it was soon time for the no.54 to head for home.... but seems as though it took the wrong turn somewhere an came up against something from another era - both in blue though:

A few days earlier 58072 arrived and after running-in was pleased to see that it had no problems hauling a couple of Hornby ex-LMS surburban coaches up my gradients so no need to fit the traction-tyred set of wheels at the moment.

Last to arrive will be my MR red version which, ironically, was the only model that was pre-ordered at my localish model shop. Was hoping to collect it yesterday when I visited the shop but had not arrived by the time I left the shop - had to compromise with a 2-HAP and a GBRf Cl.50.

Keith

20 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said:

So correct me if I am wrong but doesn't that supplier have to send his bank details to the odd gob so that said odd gob can make the payment?

We are talking about a supplier sending his details to his customer.... not to some unknown odd gob.

Keith