chrisf

No. Read them, admire what others have done and aspire to emulate or surpass their achievements. Then get some back numbers and repeat. Chris

Good morning one and all Yesterday at Warley was not totally uneventful. On the way I discovered that the selection of breakfasts at the northbound Corley services is poor - Subway and Starbucks - so a foray was made across the footbridge to the southbound for a Harry Ramsdens, expensive but essential ahead of the day's rigours. The car was parked at Birmingham International, now in the grasping empire of National Car Parks, and I was able to see the funny side of the slogan on my ticket - Get Rich Quick. The return journey began on the A45 and somehow became one on the northbound A46 due to a combination of poor new road layout and even poorer signing. Clearly I did make it home, eventually. At lunchtime I arrived in the 'Spoons queue spot on 1 pm and sat for just over an hour with three other RMwebbers and a just tolerable pint of Pedigree. That show is absolutely hopeless and frustrating for trying to see everything and meet everybody but I did complete my shopping list, modest as it was. Later I discovered from Faceache that my friends from Fleetwood were at the BBC Good Food show yesterday, also at the NEC. One ear is trained on the street outside for once again the car is parked across Mrs Electric Chair's gate, there being no other spaces available at 7pm when I got home. Once it is moved to a place of safety I will need to venture into town because the delivery brat has defaulted again and I have no local rag. Instead there is a letter from the MP, doubtless reporting smugly on what he has done for the constituency in the past year. I am surprised that it runs to more than one page. Other tasks await, including catching up on happenings elsewhere in the wide and wonderful world of RMweb. Best wishes, then, to all travellers, to the lonely and depressed, and to the ailing, supporting, recovering, grieving and missing. Chris

Good morning one and all I will be on my way to Warley shortly so can't stop and chat. See some of you there, I hope. Chris

If they were carrying cutlasses I might have said 'yes' but they are carrying firearms so no. Chris

Good morning one and all Here is a summary of yesterday's irritations. My digi box failed to record the programmes on BBC1 that I asked it to capture on Thursday afternoon and evening. Two minutes into a live programme it decided that the signal was bad or scrambled and went to a black screen, banished by retuning to Channel 4 and then to BBC1. Why does the signal not return of its own accord instead of just dying? My viewing of one of Thursday's lost programmes on i-player was punctuated by a ringing phone. "Hello? This is central technical support service, it's about your com -". "F--- off!" I roared and rang off. It sounded like the clown who rang me last week with the same spiel. "You must think I was born yesterday" I said and he rang off before I could complete the sentence, which would also have been "F--- off!". About half an hour after I had climbed into bed, admittedly not all that late by most standards, the phone rang again. This time it was a friend who wanted to pick my brains about layouts at Warley ahead of his visit today. I wonder if he is descended from King Ethelred the Unready? Now what layouts are at Warley is a subject about which I have little constructive to say. Despite this the call lasted almost 15 minutes. Now the good news from yesterday. I made pancakes for tea! They were very nice with runny honey and lemon juice, which is by nature also runny. I have more or less given up sugar since the advent of Type 2 diabetes but it struck me that honey is nature's way. Today I may venture into the throbbing metropolis that is Bedford to post the two seasonal greetings cards destined for far flung climes. I do not know how much it costs to post cards to Brussels and Canberra but none of the self-adhesive stamps in stock would come close. Taking the cards to the post office, now cunningly hidden in a newsagents, will make the most of the delay built in by the weekend. The last collection on Saturdays from my nearest pillar box is 7 am!!! That, Royal Snail, is taking the p!ss. Tomorrow I will be at Warley. Best wishes to those who stand to be trampled underfoot there today by hunters of alleged bargains. We remember in our thoughts also today all travellers, especially those using the M6 this evening. What's that, Skippy? Ah yes. Best wishes also to the ailing, recovering, supporting, lonely, depressed, grieving and missing. Was that what you were trying to say, Skippy? Phew. Thank goodness for that. Chris

Good job you mentioned that! I thought it was 1300. The lone Chrisf

Good morning one and all. As the first sentence that I typed has disappeared I will start again. Harrumph. I've just been outside to move the car, which as is so often the case was fouling Mrs Electric Chair's gate. Someone finally decided to go to work so a space became available. It's chilly out there. Yesterday was spent with Poorly Pal and while he was watching American morris dancers on YouTube [yes, really] I got on with a bit of m*d*ll*ng. This was fine until two small brass bits took a dive from the baseboard to the floor. They bounce and tend if and when found to be nowhere near where they fell. As I have mislaid my head torch and need to replace it the search will have to wait until the next visit. Grrr. Today I will do a fodder run. Move along there, nothing to see. Best wishes to all deserving of them. Chris

Good morning one and all Another early night last night may just have helped to send the wretched cold on its way, plus of course more chemicals. Today will be a long day for in addition to visiting Poorly Pal I need to nip into town beforehand. At least the cards are now done and all but two of those that will be entrusted to Royal Snail are stamped and ready to go. Other distractions may now be admitted. One that will not is spending too much time hunting for the black felt tip pen purchased last week and lost already. I will add one to the list for the fodder run tomorrow which on past form will lead to its rediscovery when least expected. Something else to be added will be some bread rolls and stuff to put in them to help me through the ordeal that is Warley on Sunday. Yum. Today's best wishes: for all travellers except the numpty who damaged Marlow bridge, to the lonely and depressed and to the ailing [snuffle], recovering, supporting, grieving and missing. Chris

Good morning one and all The cold is still very present, the ironing is up to date and good progress has been made on writing the cards. Sometime today there will be food preparation for lunch with/for Poorly Pal tomorrow. He does not know it yet but we are to feast royally on pork chow mein. I will be at Warley on Sunday. The Bachmann scrum interests me not one bit and I will not countenance attendance on Saturday through total distaste for being trampled underfoot. I am to meet my cousin 88C and his friend by the Grange and probably go for a cuppa with them. The 1 pm meet - hmm. Might we have it by Baz's demo stand, do you think? It will not be much of a meet if there are only two of us. With that thought I have a bit more to read and then answer the call of breakfast which becomes louder with every keystroke. Best wishes to all travellers, especially those faced with the inordinate expense of travelling to the NEC, to the lonely and depressed and to the ailing, supporting, recovering, grieving and missing. Chris

Good morning one and all An early night last night seems to have done a bit of good. The head is still congested and the cough lingers but if I can remember where I put my shopping list I will add some high octane cough jollop to it before I brave the elements on the fodder run. Most of what I planned to do yesterday remains undone because I felt so dozy all morning. On the good side I was able to help a couple of e-chums with information and once again realised the benefits of having a roomful of archive magazines. Will it ever stop raining? I thought St Swithun's Day was in July. I need to get out into the jungle to decommission the tomato plant and harvest any serviceable fruit, though the chances of finding any of the latter recede with every drop of rain and squall of wind. Huzzah, the shopping list has surfaced. It is short enough for the journey to the supermarket by bus to be feasible so the car can stay where it is, ready to be loaded on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately the bus shelter where I long for the bus home go appear, chronically unpunctual as always, is a shelter in name only and it is often better for staying dry to stand outside. OK, time to stop moaning and carry on. Best wishes to the ailing [did you spot the self-interest there?] as well as the recovering, supporting, lonely, depressed, grieving and missing. Today all travellers deserve a special thought because it's just not nice out there. Chris

Good morning one and all I apologise for my late arrival. It was caused by sleep interrupted by a coughing fit and consequent lateness in crawling out of bed, rescheduled bath and having to move the car [twice] to stop it fouling Mrs Electric Chair's gate. You were right, folks. I enjoyed Gervase Phinn immensely but was a tad surprised when he walked on and started telling jokes. Somehow I had imagined him reading from his books about life as a school inspector but he entertained without notes, switching effortlessly and instantly from uproarious humour to deadly serious as and when required. This last is a power given to few: the young singer-guitarist Ethan Thomas is particularly adept at it. I was stunned to see how many books Gervase had written but did not add to my collection of five which he signed for me. What does the week portend? Fodder runs tomorrow and Friday, watching the autumn statement on Wednesday, visit to Poorly Pal on Thursday and completion of the joyous task of writing the C*****mas cards prior to despatch early next week. One, I confess, has already been entrusted to its recipient as he and I happened to be in the same place at the same time. In addition I hope to be rid of my ruddy cold. Best wished to all beset with the lurgi, to all travellers, to the lonely and depressed and to the ailing not smitten with aforesaid lurgi, recovering, supporting, grieving and missing. Anyone not covered by this announcement should stand over there while we decide what to do with you. Chris

Good morning one and all I had a good trip to Portsmouth yesterday. The outward run took under three hours including a pit stop for breakfast but the homeward journey was impeded by congestion on the A3 all the way from Guildford to the M25. I had forgotten just how good the school dinners are so my sarnies had to wait until 8 pm. There were cuppas with a few chums including JohnDMJ. I thought the cold was better but not this morning it isn't. It will probably be a good idea to take things quietly today, saving myself for this evening when I will go to The Stables for "An Evening with Gervase Phinn". For those who can't quite place the name, he is a retired school inspector who tells a good tale and has written several books which I shall take with me in case he signs autographs. As usual, there are plenty of jobs that need doing but the 64 dollar question is whether I feel like doing them. Best wishes to the lonely and depressed, to all travellers [from the TV news that is on now it doesn't look too clever in the south of England today] and to the ailing, supporting, recovering, grieving and missing. Chris

Good morning one and all This is just a flying visit before I head for Portsmouth, which promises to be a good show as always. M1, M25, A3. Oh well ... Best wishes to all Chris

FWIW I think the reference to St Helier in the list should be to Morden South. While this correspondence has been going on I have found a reference in a CWP which I had half-recalled to the destinations of tanks conveyed by various milk trains. The following comes from the Exeter CWP for winter 1961-62. I am sorry that it does not specify dairies! Weekdays, 5.40 pm Wellington to West Ealing: Wood Lane, Vauxhall, Wandsworth Road, Stewarts Lane, Mottingham, Morden South, East Croydon, Mitre Bridge, Queens Park, Bollo Lane, Cricklewood, Bow, Ilford, Stratford, Kensington Olympia, West Ealing. The same destinations were served by the two up trains from Penzance to Kensington Olympia which were marshalled in a different order. Both originating points and destinations would have varied from day to day according to demand. HTH Chris

I think m'learned friend means Felin Fach rather than Felin Fran. The reference to Acton should, I think, be to South Acton [bollo Lane] and that to Ealing Broadway puzzles me unless London Co-op shared with UD at West Ealing. Did the list come from one of David Larkin's books by any chance? Chris

I concur. I have "Operation Torbay", which is great for the overall picture and much of the detail but has some curious errors. Apart from referring, perhaps nostalgically, to third class which was abolished in 1956, it suggests that the restaurant cars were the only BR standard coaches in the named trains apart from the Devonian. Not so: when chocolate and cream was reintroduced, also in 1956, the named trains were given new sets of Mk 1s in choc-cream livery. However, as the BR restaurant cars had yet to arrive, some GW design diners were also reliveried and were not finally displaced until 1962. Chris

I hope so ... Chris

Good morning one and all Strepsils have just been added to the list for the fodder run. I do hate being on less than full power and subjecting myself to chemical warfare but waking up with a sore throat was not what I had in mind for today. Once the shopping expedition has been completed I plan to spend the day quietly, probably working on the cards. Tonight I will watch as much of Children In Need as I can face before retiring early. Tomorrow I intend to be at Portsmouth show. I may or may not be the one with the face mask. JohnDMJ, I'm up for the Sunday 'Spoons meet at Warley but I fear gravely that it may be just thee and me. I know that many devout RMwebbers will be busy working on layouts, demo tables and the like and I know that Warley is too big to have a snowballs of seeing everything but it is sadly the case that, as a breed, they seem less and less inclined to meet one another and swap cordial greetings [blackcurrant for me, please]. The first time I met 'our' Flavio was at a Warley RMweb meet and we spent 45 minutes discussing the finer points of GW auto trailers! Going out of the show to the 'Spoons was my idea because the beer inside the show was not very good. Increasingly the same is true of the 'Spoons. Hmmm. Let me think about that. Best wishes to the lonely and depressed, to all travellers and to the ailing, recovering, supporting, grieving and missing. Snuffle. Chris

Be careful what you wish for ... Chris

Good morning one and all The Area Group meeting was good but the journey there and back was not. Junction 13 was snarled but for those coming from the Bedford direction there is a simple way round it that necessity made me discover. What should have been a 45 minute journey took just shy of an hour. Coming back was even worse. I wish I had known in advance of the plan to close the M1 north of Junction 11 and would have used the A6 instead. The 45 minute journey was accomplished in 80 minutes. Just for the hell of it I made chicken korma for lunch. So far there are no ill effects. Hitherto I have maintained that I don't like curry and it doesn't like me but the discovery that I can cope with a mild one has the potential to unlock all sorts of social opportunities. There will be more home-cooked korma, not last because the contents of the jar of sauce are supposed to serve 4 and I do do hate waste. The impulsive creature in me decided that I needed a haircut yesterday morning. My barnet had got to the stage where it was like trying to comb a brillo pad. Such major surgery is best accomplished first thing in the morning. The only downside is that the salon staff insist on having the radio tuned to Chris Evans but a shampoo and style does not take very long. After that experience I bought the stamps for the C******mas cards. Today I plan to print the address labels and finish the text of the round robin before trotting off to the copy bureau with it. All plans are subject to disruption! It is nearly time for breakfast and laundry, oh happy day. Best wishes to all. Chris

I will have a look on the RCTS database but I do not think so. Chris

The Collett [pictured] and Hawksworth ones, which were the last ones actually working as slips, were. Most of them worked out of Taunton on branch lines to Ilfracombe/Torrington and Chard. After those lines closed the slips were either sent elsewhere or withdrawn. At least one ended up on the Somerset and Dorset and one of the Hawksworths [7375] went to Bodmin circa 1963. The Colletts which had been chocolate and cream regained lined maroon but the Hawksworths retained chocolate and cream for a bit longer. Chris

Look closely at the train. The first coach is a former slip coach. Chris

Good morning one and all I have run out of tomato ketchup. I could have sworn that I bought one on a recent fodder run but there is no sign of it. How the memory plays tricks. Fortunately the last gasp in the squeezy bottle was just enough to provide the necessary garnish of the fish cakes I had for tea. Oh well, guess what is already top of the shopping list for Friday. Leaving aside such trivia, it's Area Group tonight. Once again the faithful will gather in the pub hoping to goodness that there is no football on TV and therefore no supporters clad in lurid garb and making tribal noises. Being able to hear oneself and the others speak is a salient part of group meetings after all. I did a bit more work on the C*****mas message yesterday after I had remembered something that needed to be included. With any luck it will be ready by this afternoon but this should not be taken as a binding contract! Both the friends who have moved have kindly supplied their new addresses. One is now just round the corner. Whoopee, I save a stamp. Amid all this I will be agonising over whether and how to inquire about the non-arrival of my new membership card for Friends of Pendon. The old one expired at the end of October. The absence of the new one will not be significant until Good Friday when I next plan to visit Pendon Museum but peace of mind can be so important, can't it? Best wishes to the lonely and depressed, to all travellers and to the ailing, recovering, supporting, grieving and missing. Chris

Would you rather have congratulations or condolences? Chris