jamie92208

Good moaning from a sunny Charente. It was sunny yesterday afternoon so I took advantage of it and mowed the weed patches near the house. If it stays like this the lawn tractor will be in action this afternoon. In the meantime there is the supermarket to visit and the petrol cans to be filled. Jamie

Waterloo has certainly been used in the relatively recent past. Belive that a bit of electrification up Acton bank is going to be done so that IET's can terminate at Ealing Broadway then reverse at Acton. It would also give a vital electrified. Ink to Euston. Jamie

My shed isn't posh though it does have water and leccy. It'just big, VERY big. Jamie

A bit more tunnelling news. Emily is getting g into her stride as she goes north from OOC. Now at 149 meters And up to 8.5 per day from 5 last week. Cecilia has now only got 39 metres to go to finish so expect a breakthrough soon. Sushila and Caroline are now both over half way through their drives towards the Greenford area. They need to be finished and lifted out before Emily and the other one get there as all four machines are going to be taken out via the same shaft. Jamie

Let alone one of my favourites, fly pie. Jamie

At least you live in a country where you can switch things off at the plug. The French don't do switched sockets. You have to pull the plug out. Jamie

No it all seems a bit strange. There has been almost continuous works for the last couple of years but no apparent reason. The sidings at Ruffec are alongside a huge distribution centre for Leclerc's but the chef du gare said the work was nothing to do with that. As to the Angouleme Limoges line I thi k that they are trying to get the Region to make a substantial contribution. Jamie

That's what we had last night as well. 800 g of mussels €4.60 at the market. Very nice they were as well. Jamie

Good moaning from a grey and overcast Charente. We went out to a Brocante, car boot, yesterday and spent a whole €7 on some eg plants and two vanilla pods. Then we went on to the market. Pascal had naturally enjoyed the rugby result from Saturday. Not a lot else got done during the day except the jigsaw that I'm working on. It's coming on at last after a slow start. French class restarts this morning g then some shed time I think. Ttfn. Jamie

I know there are quite a few guitar fans on here. This has just been released in aid of the Teenage cancer Trust. A fabulous extended version of Going Home that Mark Knopfler has put together. What can only be described as a galaxy of guitarists, the late Jeff Beck., Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Joan Amatrading to name but a few, with father and son Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey on the drums, turn the volume up and enjoy. Jamie

Another video just posted re the progress with the Burton Green, green tunnel. Some real progress. The old GCR(I think) bridge has been demolished and they are well on with the tunnel at both sides of the temporary bridge. Jamie

Yippee, Florence is back in death in Paradise. Jamie

I got out on Thursday last week, 14th March. I went over the Ruffec to see how Andy was getting on after his knee replacement but he wasn't allowed out to play by the boss. Before I called In I went to Ruffec station to see how the work in the yard was coming on. The three non electrified sidings have been completely renewed and all the old sleepers and rails are stacked up for disposal. This is the north end. The sleepers are in the background at the right. The new footbridge makes a good vantage point. This is the view looking south and for a Brucie bonus I needed one of the Europorte G1000's no 1025. 1029 was the other. This is the view looking north from the footbridge. The long running loop rejoins the main line just before the recently renewed crossovers. The remaining electrified siding joins the loop just out of shot. And here is one of the G1000#s As I drove down into his village to see Andy I missed seeing a class 186 on a northbound car train by a few seconds. I was about 200 yards too far away to get the number as it went across the road. Then after commiserating with the invalid I headed down to Luxe and spent a pleasant afternoon sitting in the afternoon sun reading an Inspector Morse book as there were virtually no trains till at 16.40 27086 came north with the regular tankers and steel train. Next the northbound local went past followed by 22287 running light engine. Not many trains but a pleasant afternoon. Jamie

Photo found, this is the view from the steerers position on a cruiser stern narrow boat. It's a long way down and your feet are well above the level of the side panels. And one would be tree surgeon with a head for heights. his elder brother wouldn't come out of the cabin. Jamie

Yes please for piccies. Jamie

We watched the rugby and enjoyed the match. We will no doubt get some stick from Pascal in the cafe this morning. I even spent an hour working on my layout yesterday afternoon. Inspired by Brian's article in the MERG journal, I decided to try and get my turntable working. 10 minutes after getting no response from the motor, and having found my meter, I discovered that the 36 way lead from the panel to the shed area, wasn't plugged in. After that was corrected I did eventually get the table rotating but not very reliably. It's a Metalsmith one witbelt drive rounds a large mdf disc. I suspect the the belt is a little slack. I wil have to cut it and rejoin it. Jamie

Good moaning from a damp and grey Charente. We started off with our usual hour of chat to the girls. Emily was on great form despite the broken bone. Apparently she has already worked out the limits of pain free movements in every direction and altered her behaviour accordingly. Oh that a certain moaning friend was as positive towards problems. Then an houeprbor so was spent tidying and sweeping out the woodshed. 5 bags for life of sawdust are now in the trailer to head for the tip. The shed looks very tidy,, to my eyes. The law of sod applies though we had to light the, og burner later. We do have enough cutblogs for at least a fortnight if we need them. Then in the evening g we watched the rugby and enjoyed the game. No doubt we will get some comments from Pascal in the cafe at the market later. @zarniwhoop As to meters, and sensors, Beth has had problems with both and yes there is vsriatiobut The graph is usually pretty accurate and Beth has an in built error check in Th e orm of physical symptoms that she experiences. The wild fluctuations that she has appear to be related to her particular straiof diabetes rather than the meter. The sensor did take some getting used to but she now prefers it to finger pricking. Jamie

As has been said, steering a boat with a cruiser stern is interesting. I think it was the thinness of the cast iron plates that got me thinking. I'll try and post a photo. They break Guitars as well. Jamie

Good moaning from the Charente. With food I will eat almost anything but there are a few things that I don't eat by choice. I've never been a fan of ham, to gue or bacon but love a good croque monsieur over here. Pineapple is another onethstvI can eat but again I don't choose it. My father was a great fan of pineapple. He worked in Nigeria in the 1930's and 40's and apparently would, with some friends, always buy a crate of fresh pineapples as they got the boat home from Lagos. They were only allowed to eat them leaning over the staff rail as they sailed so thst the juice didn't mark the decks. I saw the GP yesterday about an attack of gout, first for me, and some magic tablets are doing their stuff. In the evening we had a lovely meal at our favourite restaurant about 10 miles away. Emily was back at school yesterday all smiles and wearing her sling. We will be speaking to her and her mums shortly. Various tasks to do today. Hen enclosure to be cleaned out and some tidying up in the woodshed. Possibly some Rugby to watch this evening. Jamie

We will probably watch some Rugby tonight. I wonder what painkiller HH will be using, Penderyn perhaps. Do they make spoons from oak barrels. Jamie

Looking at it, I think that all the three doors have two roads leading into them. The shed is wide enough for 6 platforms for road vehicles. Each bay is fed from two interlaced points that split after leaving the main entrance road. I may have got some of the terminology wrong. Jamie

Thanks.. Emily is nearly 5 and hopefully will be allowed to stay at school. However a risk assessment has to be done by the school. Strangely enough my very earliest memory is of sitting in a tiled hospital corridor with brown tiles and light green paint above waiting to be seen by a doctor. I was three and my brother, 4 years older, had made one of several attempts to dispose of me by pushing me into a wall in a cart rather fast. That broke my collar bone. A very good friend who had been a juniorborthopod at the hospital at the time confirmed, many years later that the clinic waiting room was indeed a corridor like I described with a bench along it. Emily has been informed that she's copying grandpa. Anyway good moaning to one and all. It's going to be sunny again today. I'm off to the GP this morning to see her about what is probably gout in my left big toe. Then some work in the shed before a meal ot this evening at our favourite restaurant. Oon the subject of pie and mushy peas, I've never been a particular fan of either, but together with a liberal coating of mint sauce they go very well with a pint. Jamie

Congratulations Brian on becoming a published author. I read the newlt delivered MERG journal whilst trainspotting today. Very Interesting indeed. It was over 20 in the sun this afternoon. I visited Andy and he is progressing well after his knee replacement. Then Beth messaged me, poor little Emily has discovered that she can't F, Y. She's broken her collarbone falling off the settee. They hadn't got a sli g small enough for her modified one with tape. She's still smiling though. Jamie

That's just brought back horrible memories of an anthem warbled by the choir in our chapel. Not an experience I want to repeat. Yes, like getting a rather large carrot cake donatethat's too sweet for Beth to eat. I had to struggle manfully to stop it going off but succeeded in the end. Jamie

I had the experience of attending a public (aka private) school paid for by the ratepayers of the West Riding. In canny Yorkshire fashion they had done deals with several such establishments in the rural vastness of the North Western areas of the county. The deal they got with bulk buying saved them having to provide rural grammar schools. All victims had to do was pass their Eleven Plus. I was told that in 1963 the cost was £300 per year. As I've said before I have a love hate relationship with the place. Inhabited by bullies and snobs but several inspiring teachers who gave me an education that I'm grateful for. Anyway here in the sunny Charente, various jobs got done yesterday and in the afternoon I started clearing out Cluckingham Palace in readiness for new residents in June. Chardonnay and her three friends were killed last year by a stonemartin. Defences are being increased. Today though I'm off to Ruffec. Firstly to but a new strimmer, secondly to visit my trainspotting mate who has had a kneee replacement and most importantly to do some trainspotting. Ttfn Jamie