jamie92208

Good moaning g from the Charente. We are meant to be having dryer weather this week. I will find out in due course. Shopping then some trimming got done. The new hen hut has been ordered to replace the ramshackle one that was falling apart. It is due for delivery tomorrow so today's task is to clean out Cluckingham palace, we plan to get some new birds in June. Apart from that the day is unspecified. Regards to all and of course Sundry. Jamie

Yes I remember those roller maps, As to stencils, my father, who taught chemistry, ended up having to cut stencils himself for his exam papers each year. A new school secretary had very kindly corrected his spelling of chemical names when cutting stencils for him, so Alkenes and alkynes all became Alkanes. The hobby certainly helped me through a very bad patch in my last two years at work. Jamie

Good moaning from the Charente. Ears to be lowered later then shopping. This afternoon some G work. Here it is definitely getting warmer and spring has sprung. The grass is growing very fast and we don't need the heating much. One thing is that some red and black insects have come out of their hiding places. At this time of the year they are often attached in pairs. This they are known locally as Gendarmes. However I don't know how this collection would be categorised. Jamie

I know that we took a day cruise from near Koblez up the Rhine and there seemed to be a lot of such Rundfartenschiff _IIRC. If they cover other areas it might be possible to do and extended journey with stops in hotels along the way. And people smuggling. Jamie

Has anyone else watched the Changing of the Guard with the French Guarde Republican and the Grenadier Guards in London and Paris, I was once told that the Guards bearskins were initially looted from the field at Waterloo after large numbers of the Imperial Guard no longer had a need for theirs, I wonder if this was mentioned today in the spirit of the Entente Cordial. Jamie

Obviously you don't need to warn Hippo's Jamie

I believe that there's an uninhabited island in the Hebrides that was used in WW2 To test Anthrax. It was declaredcsafeca few years ago. Jamie

I have had to use my modelling tools on a few occasions to reattach teeth dentures and recently to make new hinges for spectacles. The attempts have all worked. Jamie

Good moaning from a sunny Charente. The pool got uncovered and the filter commissioned. I even managed to correctly connect the pipes to the filter and pump. Then we went to some friends for a sort of buffet with other friends. A good time was had. French class this morning then so e pottering in the shed. Jamie

Do you want to rephrase that or do you have something to tell us..... Jamie

The issue with doors was very real. A research project was commissioned into the safety of Mk 1 door catches which had two positions. This was conducted by a late friend of mine who worked for the lock manufacturers at Pickersgill Kaye in Leeds. John designed a test rig that opened and slammed a door 24/7 for several months. The neighbours weren't happy. IIRC many of the deaths were people, were falling from doors that suddenly opened when on the first latch. I can't remember the full results that John talked about but a fault was found that had to be sorted. It also lead to the fitting of the central door locking on HST''s. I think that it was a combination of the, lock design and a deterioration in the structure of the coach. Pickersgill Kayes still make train and loco door locks. Jamie

I had the same experience leaving KX on ECML services with all the tunnels. It was quite amusing to listen to. i was being a bit tounge in cheek. The first thing my kids ask for when they come and visit is the wifi password. Jamie

Horbury is quite an old town. It certainly predated the railway. Horbury Junction is about half a mile away and down in the valley. Horbury is famous for having had a vicar who wrote the Hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers. It even proclaims that fact on the town name boards. Jamie

Swanage have done it with their DMU running to Wareham. I rode it last summer and it works. I know that there are cost problemswith continuing the service but from what I was told that was for costs unrelated to cdl. They use WCRC for their network access and WC drivers take over from Norden to Wareham. Jamie

And another showing the southern end of the viaduct. I think they have about 16 arches to go. It also shows the north end of Copthall tunnel so e of which appears to ha e been covered over. Just one of the wall thought. With all those long tunnels between Euston and Wendover I hope they have installed wifi cables in the tunnels or many of the passengers are going to need therapy after being deprived of wifi etc. Jamie

Goo afternoon from adcloudy but getting warm Charente. The market has been visited and lunch is being prepared. However today is pool u covering day so a friend and neighbour is comi g up to help later. The water temperature has risen to about 18 so I better get a move on and get the filter runni g so we don't get algae. Ttfn. Jamie

Settle Junction station was only open for about a year. The station building was demolished over a century after it closed. Clapham Junction had quite a lot of sidings for a small country station over a mile from it's village that had a population of about 200. Think that quite a lot of colliery and quarry products were exchanged there for dispatch towards the West Coast. Hellifield had a lot of facilities, 2 loco sheds, one carriage shed and two large goods yards. I don't think that L and Y Locos ever worked northwards but there was a lot of interchange traffic. Jamie

Someone read through the old minute books of our Baptist Church which was founded in 1707. At some point in the later 18th century,two lady members were expelled for having railing tongues. I have a vague memory of having read that the food in Alcatraz was very good for that reason. Jamie

Is it possible to fit such controls to wives, asking for a friend. Jamie

Simon has just posted a new video showing progress on the Colne Valley viaduct. It is now over the canal and the center of the first of the Flying arches has been formed. It looks as if the first two of the arch sections have been placed. Real progress. Jamie

Managing volunteers is recognised as a distinct skill. The Ozu have a module in the MBA course called 'Managi g in the voluntary Sector.' However I saw one museum go pear shaped as the number of paid staff grew and the volunteers were sidelined. Jamie

Over here where @Oldddudders and I live,Persil is a very nice garnish that we grow in tubs. Jamie

Good moaning from a breezy but warm Charente. I will be finishing off mowing the grass this morning . We went to a soirée at the village hallast night. About 30 people there and we watched a video put together by a new inhabitant. He built himself a very nice yacht in Marseille then spent 7 years sailing round the world going via both Cape Horn and The Cape of Good Hope. A very interesting sgow. Then out came the food, all home made, and drink. We staggered home about midnight. An excellent evening and after one conversation we have sourced some eau de vie for making sloe gin and cherry brandy. Ttfn. Jamie

Yes I remember those but for the life of my now alcohol befuddled brain I can't remember what they were called. Jamie

On a totally unscientific set of observations those machines do very well from certain lower demographics. There were always families crowdedcroundvthevonebin Asda at Morley. I use my small change to pay for things. I've never met a shopkeeper or market trader who doesn't like change. Suisvout, 3 hours of grass cutting done whilst Beth trimmed with the new lighter strimmer. Jamie