BG John

During foot and mouth, I was lucky to live close to what I think is one of the best year round dog friendly beaches in the world, as pretty much the whole of Exmoor and the Quantocks was closed. But there were no travel restrictions on dogs, only restrictions on places to go for walks. For many people, dogs are just as much a part of the family as their human relatives, and to some people they are their entire family. Quarantining dogs means that many humans would effectively be quarantined too, while those who ignore the rules would be out and about spreading the disease anyway. Going further than quarantine would probably result in the death of a good number of humans too. I don't how that could be resolved. Foot and mouth was a short term problem, but I suspect this one could be very long term if it develops.

5 minutes of snow!!!!!!! Here in the country of almost continuous appalling weather, I haven't seen a single snowflake yet!

Maybe the solution is that each manufacturer has a variety of formulations of each colour, and specifies that they are applied randomly to each model going through the factory. It would really show up the collectors and toy train enthusiasts, from the real modellers aiming to follow the prototype as accurately as possible .

I should hope it's nowhere near a yard. The rules say a maximum of 8 inches .

Another option is to be transportable, so you can move it if necessary. It may also be possible to exhibit it occasionally, but would be too much effort to do so very often.

He probably has Burning Feet from the Stony Road while Heading For the City, but would prefer to be an Easy Rider who Ain't Going Down This Way, but has Got To Be Moving On. Guess what my only Chris Rea album is!

My latest acquisition is a dial gauge, for measuring the accuracy of the 3D printer and CNC milling machine I'm building to assist with my modelling. I haven't taken a photo, but if you want one I'm happy to oblige .

I don't do "subtle irony". I do full blown in yer face silliness and idiocy Andy was comparing the livery of two coaches that are in different liveries, because they are different classes of coach. So how are we supposed to know if the red and yellow are the correct shades? To be vaguely serious, the red and yellow bands were the bit that hit me when I looked at the photo, and distracted me from any subtle difference there may be in the blues and greys. To me, they're so bright that they affect my perception of the other colours.

Are there instructions on how to place the crumbs in the right place?

Sorry, I couldn't help comparing these consecutive posts, even though I doubt there was any intention to make a connection by either poster. "Real modellers" think difficult things are dead easy, "Plebs" need jigs .

How could that be enforced? It can be with farm animals, but there's no registration system for dogs, and no way to restrict movement except for when trying to leave the country.

I can do "little used", although this might be a bit less used than was intended . Brixton Road on the Yealmpton Branch in Devon, June 1976. Next, a little used station, that still has an occasional train!

Once you've bought one, can't you put it on a scanner and print your own templates?

Sealed in a plastic bag, with a little packet of silica gel.

Is it Hornby or Bachmann who employ colour blind people to select colours? Most people can tell the different between yellow and red .

They don't look that colour to me, although they could be appearing in a film of that type.

I've bought a reel of this. No idea if it's any good yet, and they charge delivery on top for most of their colours. They also sent two free small coils of different colours, and a packet of sweets, with it. They seem to be a new British business, making an effort, and appear friendly and helpful too, as we had a brief chat on their Facebook page.

I think the Parus Major* is descended from dinosaurs. * Google it

Our walk is arranged so we can have a good wash in a stream after the worst of the mud, so Beauty gets back just wet, and I get back with fairly clean wellies. The stream doesn't flow all summer, but it's quite fast for most of the winter. All my land is on clay, the wood was formerly a clay pit, and is steadily getting worse, as it doesn't freeze in winter, and the rain doesn't stop for long enough in summer. Strangely, the last time I was able to walk round the wood without wellies was a week or two last spring. All "summer" I've needed wellies. I think I'd spot any lesions while I'm drying her, but perhaps I should start checking a bit more thoroughly.

I wonder if Faller produce suitable figures for that scene, along with their other "adult" products .

I hadn't seen any mention of using these only with unheated beds. Does that mean they don't work with heated beds, or is it yet another example of something that works for some people, but not for others? My (non Aldi) printer has a heated bed, or it will have when I've built it(!), and I was going to try hairspray or glue sticks.

I was expecting the punchline to be "It's OK holy father, you can have it. I can't face a long life in a world inhabited by those two".

The muddy water thing is a bit worrying, as I own a wood that's like a swamp over much of its area. We have to wade through mud on every walk. It's getting worse every year, as the ground doesn't freeze for much of the winter like it did the first couple years I was here. On the other hand, it's private land, so very few other dogs go in it, although wildlife does.

I might live in Wales, but have no intention to model Welsh railways. I think the weather may have some effect on that lack of desire .

Wow! My letterbox is only held onto the gate by cable ties .