PhilJ W

My friends young son has just purchased two of these locomotives. Both have the crank pins falling out after running only a short distance and have difficulties with curved track on inclines. Having read the above I think we can fix it.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis was busy last night and I took a couple of Nurofen early this morning and they're still working. Passing a kidney stone is definitely number 4 on the list. Its the nearest a man can experience to giving birth, and thats according to two ladies of my acquaintance who have had both experiences, I don't have to tell you how I know. Number 5 on the list reminded me of Spike Milligan and what he had written on his gravestone. Translated from the Gaelic it reads "I told you I was ill." (Below 1918-2002) As you get older you should take care of your eyes. With my dodgy legs its essential that I can keep on driving as otherwise I would be virtually housebound and I enjoy reading a lot. If you require new distance glasses go for reactor lights as they reduce the risk of cataracts (of which one of the causes is bright sunlight).

Goodnight all.

The police once stopped a driver doing 100MPH on the M11 in a Reliant Robin.

And people grumble about the Health & Safety at work act.

I discovered recently that King John had a hunting lodge in South Benfleet. https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/content/browse-articles/people-2/royalty/benfleet-a-royal-forest-1163-1552 I have seen a better map of the royal forest and it seems to suggest that Thundersly Park Road was the eastern boundary of the forest.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis was doing his dance earlier but the Nurofen is now taking effect. Mention of the news, it is reported that Poo-tin is running out of ammunition as well as soldiers, this is from GCHQ. Apparently they are using rockets at ten times the rate they can produce them.

Talking of adjustable chairs, many years ago a colleagues office chair had broken. Fortunately no cylinders or pistons were involved as the adjustment was a screw mechanism. The shaft on which the chair rotated was hollow and that had broken. The colleague who's chair it was had to stick a finger down the hollow tube for it to come out covered in grease and dirt. The rest of us managed to control our amusement with some difficulty.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just done a bit of shopping at lunchtime. Just the usual things such as meals, milk and bread but the first time the bill topped £30 ouch! Apparently the most hallucinogenic is the cane toad. They were introduced to Australia in the 30's to deal with an insect pest in sugar cane fields before becoming a pest species themselves. Their skin is both hallucinogenic and toxic.

Isn't that what they done with EMU's? In fact the Thumpers were developed from an EMU with its on board power supply. There might well have been more if the electrification hadn't gone ahead as it did.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. An item this morning on the breakfast show with regard to how orchards are disappearing reminded me of when I went out on Saturday I went via the A130 from the A127 to Wickford. Among the roadside vegetation I spotted a couple of apple trees and a pear tree all dripping with fruit. The pear tree in particular had so much fruit it was bending under the weight. The down side is that the A130 is very busy and it would be dangerous to stop and pick it.

Puppy training?

Goodnight all.

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I've done very little today but I still feel cream crackered but not as bad as yesterday. All down to the exertions of Saturday, I estimate that I walked about four or five miles in all at the toy fair, exhibition and Tess Coes.

If the registration is anything to go by this is two years before they were introduced.

Just short of fifty years ago there was a twinning arrangement between where I lived (Havering) and a German town, Ludwigshafen-am-Rhine. I went on three exchange visits in the early/mid 70's and on one occasion stayed with the local fire chief. He was 16 in 1945 and was called up into the Volksturm He was with several of his classmates given a gun and about three bullets each and then the regulars disappeared. They agreed that as soon as the allies appeared they would drop their guns and surrender.

Simple punishment would be if they went 5% over budget this year reduce next years budget by 5% with a strict and independent audit of their spending throughout the year.

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Found a box for my purchases at the toy fair and busy packing things away. Interrupted by Arthur Itis but a brace of Nurofen dealt with him.

I think you are talking of a certain lady MP who was the MP for Dagenham. I worked for the Borough and was a trade union rep. Our branch secretary was also her (the MP's) political agent. Surprising as she was an ardent woman's libber and he was rather misogynistic. One evening the MP was due to visit the branch meeting but due to the house sitting late she sent her apologies. Just as well as the branch secretary had upset a couple of young ladies in his office and they decided to take their revenge. We had just started the meeting when an attractive young woman walked in, I assumed she was a new member as she was introduced by the two other young ladies. The third young lady then whipped off her suit to reveal that she was wearing nothing but a skimpy G string underneath. She then sat herself down on the branch secretaries lap. This was before we got the news that the MP would be unable to attend. The two young ladies had booked a stripper gram as their revenge.

Reading my dads war record it appears that he was only in any real danger for about six weeks out of six years service. However as a Territorial he was 'called up' on the first of September 1939 and placed on the roof of the Odeon cinema in Romford with an Oerlikon gun, the biggest danger was an accident hauling the gun up a ladder to the roof. After he had transferred to a training camp in Yorkshire the railway alongside the cinema was strafed and the gun crew were injured, one seriously enough to be discharged. In 1942 he narrowly escaped being captured by the Japanese. The troopship he was on was heading for Singapore but was diverted just in time, the troopship in front sailed into Singapore and was captured by the Japanese. Later in the war he was at Imphal surrounded by Japanese forces but by then the Japanese had overstretched themselves and were starting to retreat with the XIVth army was in hot pursuit. It was at Imphal that my dad received shrapnel wound to his leg and was flown out to hospital in what was then Calcutta. He also had a couple of bouts of Malaria whilst out there.

One of the best meals I've ever had was in a 'greasy spoon'* cafe on the border between Barking and Dagenham**. Cottage pie, veg (I didn't have the extra mash potato) consisting of cabbage and runner beans followed by a steamed pudding and custard, I can't remember the price but it was cheap. **At the junction of Lodge Avenue and Longbridge Road going towards Dagenham. I don't know if the cafe still exists as it was over twenty years ago. *Despite the 'greasy spoon' description there was no evidence of grease on the spoons.

The eventual winner only put in a couple of bids towards the end.

The swastika is banned in many European countries and that has caused problems for some kit manufacturers. The box art shows aircraft for example with a black circle where the swastika should be or the aircraft posed so that the tail isn't visible. Understandably Germany is where the swastika is banned but is allowed under certain circumstances. The film about the last days of Hitler for example they were permitted on the grounds of historical accuracy as are old newsreels. However a few years ago (it may have changed since) you couldn't see 'Allo-Allo' on German TV because of Helga's swastika adorned corsets.

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Arthur Itis wasn't too bad this morning, not helped by it being a bit damp overnight. Time to get breakfast on the go, be back later.

Goodnight all.