Simon Lee

That has really come into focus here the past few months, there is a slow appitite for change to the Federal system, but I dont honestly think it will be anytime soon. They really do love paperwork and rubber stamps !!

Of note is that Germany took the UK off the restricted list several weeks ago, long before the traffic light system was introduced once the Kent variant was under control here. On a personal level I am more interested as to when Germany will come on the green list, so we are able to visit family without spending time self isolating. I suspect it won't be in the 7th June announcement and the 28th is also looking dodgy in that respect.

Indeed but given the vaccination campaign only started in full force after Easter, and the regular vaccination of 1m per day the figures are now trending in the same way as the UK was at a similar stage of the game.

Not quite sure of the importance of the frequency that my name appears in this thread ? I have noted you posts on various subjects over the years, and can recognise from your name badge the emblem of the former GDR. And if you read my posts, you will see l actually live in Germany, immediate family live in 4 different cities, extended family encompass another 7/8 locations and my partners work connections encompass another 5 / 6 locations and we are struggling to identify, the origin of the item you describe, given the hard line taken by authority on anti vaxxers, especially as my brother in laws wife is a nurse at the main hospital in Konigswinter, it seems strange that more is not in the public domain. Clearly with the spread of family such an individual as you have introduced I your post is of interest given the spread and age demographic of family members. If you read my posts you will see that l also support the lack of sympathy to the individual cited. I am not really bothered about family connections, more about a verifiable truth to a potentially interesting turn of events to those of resident in Germany. It really is that simple.

Yes I follow your lead. The original post was about a previously known situation that has been addressed nationally and allegedly a nurse identified in that group being affected by Corona and the OPs understandable lack of sympathy. Having trawled the German news sites I could find nothing on the story so asked the OP for a link. Given the lack of tolerance of the authorities here towards anti vaxxers l was curious as to why information was hard to find. Hardly selective l would have thought mainly asking for clarification, might be more productive if we wait for the OP to respond.

why am I reminded of this

That's from January, not relating to a nurse in Germany with Covid last week. Maybe why it took only 2 seconds of searching ?

On what basis are you claiming Germany is not covid compliant ? 38 million have had at least one dose of vaccine, 12 million including myself and my partner are fully vaccinated. Yes they were problems with the vaccine distribution and administration, more due to Federal nature of the government and local government than the population being "non compliant" Everyone we know has either had at least one jab or is booked in for one, the only delay being a step daughter who is pregnant and had to wait until a guaranteed slot for Biontec was available. Today authority was given for children over 13 years to receive Biontec, hardly the actions of a non compliant country.

Do you have a link to this story please ? I've spent an hour trawling German news sites but nothing is coming up.

You seem to only post with a somewhat gleeful tone about rising figures in Germany. As last Monday was a public holiday in Germany the figures are skewed as the results of tests are delayed. Today's incidence rate is 39.8 yesterdays was 41, not really fitting with your claim of a very large increase. Reuters is reporting an 11000 plus decrease over the past 14 days, I'm not quite sure if this fits your viewpoint but statistics and facts seem to be easily disproving your vague and general assertions.

The use of tugs in normal circumstances is, as you say, not usual however with the advent of the more "block of flats" type ferries, anything other than a moderate SW wind at Dover East will often require a tug. Seems to have become more prevalent with the generation after the Pride of Dover / Calais. Though the assorted rag bag of ships such as Fiesta and Fantasia that Stena took on around the 1990s and after were regular customers of the DHB tug fleet. A work colleage and l had permission to remove "the Control Panel worthy of a spacecraft" when the original ferry dock installation was demolished, unfortunately neither the NRM or the Dover Transport Museum were interested or able to take it, and we were unable to secure affordable safe storage locally and had to watch as it was destroyed by 2 men with sledge hammers. Unsurprisingly there was no shortage of offers for the ships telegraph that was a feature of the control room.

The answer to both is possibly, particularly at the latter end of your date range. Best bet, especially with regard to the Sunday train is to have a trawl through this site of you have any diaries with the dates you travelled. Deltics: Chronicles of Napier (napier-chronicles.co.uk)

A slight tangent if I may, not being in the UK means I dont always pick up the vibes. How does this affect the relationship with other brands Airfx, Scalextrix, Corgi etc within the Hornby empire ? I still get Hattons weekly update, and yesterday's included new products from Corgi and Airfix. Does the fall out/war of words/willy waving just apply to supply of Hornby products or the broader Hornby portfolio. To me a traditional model shop was always stocked a range of brands, could the situation arise whereby a shop could stock Airfix, Corgi, and Scalextrix but not Hornby railways if they did not meet the tier requirements. Does the tier system apply to all shops who sell Hornby group products such that pure kit retailers eg Hannants or Kingkit now have to sell model railways ? Appreciate that our retailer members might not be able to answer this, if not maybe Mr York or Mr Parker could throw some light on the matter ?

Quite honestly it's pretty poor, more like an Argos or Screwfix few items on display lots of floorspace to wander around after you have looked at the 3 or 4 display cases, and re examined the low value scenics they actually had on display. If they assessed the staff member we dealt with then Hattons deserve the low rate, he constantly refused to make eye contact or acknowledge my partner who was paying for my Christmas presents, when she asked him a question or passed comment he either ignored her or answered me. The whole experience was like a bizarre twist of the Fawlty Towers Hotel Inspector episode involving Bernard Cribbins. By contrast at Chester Model Centre we were both made welcome and treated well, despite not purchasing anything as they had no stock of what I was looking for. If we are on that area again then certainly WMC will be our first port of call.

Possibly the Priory goods shed was the store, it's one of those flows that you stumble across in the process of mess room chats. Certainly the max speed restriction on the Palvans would not have been an issue

Or you could try www.modelbahnunion.com Not far from the border and the have comprehensive stocks of Hornby, Bachmann and now Heljan

What was the Debenhams store on Sandgate Road in Folkestone was also part of Martin Walters empire. We holidayed in Folkestone in 1967, and I bought my very first brand new Hornby Dublo, a TPO set, from there

Family friend who is a Triathlete here in Germany caught Covid last year, and is still no where near fit enough to complete any of the three sections of a triathlon let alone a full race, 3000 meters is about her limit at the moment. When you see some one who is really fit and healthy struggling 12 months on it emphasises how nasty it can be

The Palvans in the photo were in the very local flow of imported foam rubber from Belgium. Large sheets of the stuff would arrive via the Ostend steamer as ordinary cargo, and be off loaded by crane and loaded to the Palvans, usually 3 or 4 per day. The vans were tripped as the last job of the Calais end pilot via Dover town to the Priory goods shed for offloading to road vehicles. IIRC, the ultimate destination was Martin Walter's at Folkestone who, at the time built the Dormobile camper van bodies. The locals who I spoke to remembered about generally 8 / 9 vans for the flow, it been quite renumrative as all the moves were encompassed in existing booked moves.

Yes, I remember King Charles Models, early 70s we started going to Leeds from Hull for shopping a few times a year. My mum would head off to the department stores , whilst dad and l would visit Turntable books and relics just off the Headrow, Beatties and then King Charles Models. Iirc they had big wood framed glass cabinets crammed full of second hand stuff as well as the boxes on the floor. My first purchase there was a Hornby Dublo Deltic. Happy days.

It won't spread far we don't give owt away for free ...

You forgot to put "I pay your wages" which seems to be the favourite on various FB pages ATM. But to be quite honest anyone either on here or other Social Media who would be happy for a company to go to the wall with innocent people being put out of work needs to take a long look at themselves in the mirror. That says more about you as a human being than than any hissy fit Email about toy trains.

Its not just about holidays though is it ? I live in Germany, by next Saturday I will be fully vaccinated, as will my family in England but I am still not able to visit without spending 10 days self isolating before making contact. Maybe I am one of your "small number of people who should not be appeased" and show some patience, but not having seen any of my family for 9 months I see no reason why there could not be a control system for British Citizens who are fully vaccinated and take the appropriate tests before and after travel could not be allowed into the UK.

Hello Rob, You have discovered some great photos in the past few days. Just a few comments from what I remember from my mis spent youth. I worked T66 the "Brid Goods" on a few occasions as a guard, if I remeber rightly we were 0620 off Hull New Yard, first stop Beverley, usually most of the days work was here, shunting Whiting traffic, domestic coal and sometimes vans of fertiliser. At that time Beverley had a Goods Senior Railman responsible for the yard, and he would also assist with shunting. On a good day and no traffic for Driffield or Bridlington, it would be a leisurely breakfast then back to Hull not too early but still a good "flyer" could be had. If we had to complete the full duty and go to Bridlington, it would be all hands to the pump at Brid to get the shunting done and get away normally just after 1100, other wise we had the horror of running in our booked path home at around 1150 - 1200 !! It is rather sad now to stand in Tescos carpark or in the shop its self and remember what used to be. The photo of the WD with an SR Parcels van attached that must have been used for Christmas Parcels traffic, by the time I was working on the railway, the van would arrive as tail load traffic on a DMU from Paragon, if T66 was on hand our loco would shunt the van off, release the DMU, then place the van back in the bay platform, for unloading, and then return to Hull by DMU. Again this practice was mainly around Christmas time, for Mail Order traffic, and a few weeks in the high summer season, mainly with PLA (Passengers Luggage in Advance) The B1 photo of 61087, is, I think the returning Doncaster - Bridlington train, there was a summer hoilday daily service Doncaster - Bridlington and return, mainly during school holidays, which also coincided with the Pit holidays. This was vitually a solid B1 turn, and 61087 was a Doncaster loco at the time of the photo. Regards Simon