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The Night Mail


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You've just reminded me of something I used to regularly see on my daily commute down.

 

This was in the years 2011-2014, when I was going South on the A3, I would be somewhere around Liss at about 0800 and a LR Discovery with police bike escort would be heading North.  I didn't know of any senior cabinet ministers at the time that lived down that way, there are no royal residences and neither Will nor Harry were based in that part of the country while serving the RAF/AAC.

 

So who might have got a police escort, at least once a week? 

 

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29 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Too far out to pick that up. I have a sneaky plan with a Freesat box though.

 

We are currently watching a Disco Polo concert from Warszawa  in 2018. 

 

Ice cream ( black cherry ripple) has been served and is mixing well with the beer 🤔

 

We are in that happy but sad time at the end of our stay where we are happy to finish the contents of the fridge / freezer but sad that it means we must leave soon and go back to working for the living.  

 

The only bright spot is the prospect of an iced Berliner for breakfast at Buckautal services

 

Andy

I do believe it is an old episode it may be available on You Tube certainly on All 4

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We don't get to use sights in our branch of archery, as it is 'barebow'.  The 'point on' distance for your bow (using the 'point' or tip of the arrow), once the bow is set up, has to be learned, then over or under shot from that estimation - no distance measuring being allowed.  It is an intuitive sport.  About £400 will set you up with a reasonable bow etc - you can easily put a zero on the end, but as Richard said, it won't make you a better shot.  The guy that cheats is like that, all the gear, no idea.

 

 

1872841144_20220504_1105561.jpg.0aeae37c2c94b314755630e0f32f93b9.jpg

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3 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

We don't get to use sights in our branch of archery, as it is 'barebow'.  The 'point on' distance for your bow (using the 'point' or tip of the arrow), once the bow is set up, has to be learned, then over or under shot from that estimation - no distance measuring being allowed.  It is an intuitive sport.  About £400 will set you up with a reasonable bow etc - you can easily put a zero on the end, but as Richard said, it won't make you a better shot.  The guy that cheats is like that, all the gear, no idea.

 

 

1872841144_20220504_1105561.jpg.0aeae37c2c94b314755630e0f32f93b9.jpg

 

As with most target based sports, the operator is the key to any equipment's success rate. 

 

You might find something more confortable or a better fit for you  but point it in the wrong directions and it's as good as useless.

 

Many don't realise that and are easily parted from their cash.

 

I remember one person who bought a new gun to improve his clay scores. 

Watching was painful as he tracked the clay for longer and longer making the shot harder and harder 

 

Almost felt like shouting bang at him

 

Andy

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10 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

 

I'm sure there are many other examples such as golf or skiing, and don't even attempt to start on the donkey walloping brigade.

 

 

More is probably spent on golf at actually playing at different places, rather than the gear itself. There are some places that charge a large amount of money to hack around, simply because they can do so.

 

Biking (like golf)  in various forms is another pastime that can be expensive or not depending upon how "keeping up with the Joneses" you want to be.

If you want the latest must have/quickest/fastest/lightest machine it will be expensive.

But my favourite bike cost me £1800, 10 years ago and is still a great ride (oooh-err Missus).

Running costs have been about £300 in the interim - bearings/tyres/brakepads etc.

I do not plan to replace it in my lifetime.

 

 

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6 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Very sad but there is a portion of those hardest-up who live like that, you really pity their children both "going without" and being taught those priorities.

For expensive hobbies, cycling, once a utility transport and leisure activity has now replaced golf as the hobby of middle-class men with money to burn.  Like golf, they can always excuse their inability to match a top level professional's performance on not having the latest expensive gadget.  It's a combination of collecting/having the latest thing and a gambler's mindest; "This time, it really will make a difference". 

 

"All the gear and no idea"

The best money I spent on cycling was a mountain bike leaders course. (SMBLA at the time)

It wasn't just skills, but technical stuff about bike maintenance.

It made me a more confident rider allround, as well as enabling me to help others when we went out as group. 

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Meanwhile:

"Make me feel pain like I've never felt before," she pleaded, blindfolded and naked.

 

"Alright," I said, placing Lego bricks on the shed floor...................

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13 hours ago, br2975 said:

.

Quite the reverse Young Hippo.

.

More like "if you don't submit this claim PC Rolley, I'm inclined to overlook the 38 Smith & Wesson left on the kitchen table of the lodgings, under a copy of the Western Mail !"

And we don't mention the prinipals wife who brought the officers looking after them a cup of tea one morning to find them fast asleep in the car..  not me thank goodness

12 hours ago, simontaylor484 said:

I do believe it is an old episode it may be available on You Tube certainly on All 4

It will be the water tower that a former colleague of mine, Mark Rand bought and turned into a house.  The view across the valley from inside the former tank is spectacular. In the foreground is @newbryford's office.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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I am quite envious of those with good shooting skills. My one and only attempt at target shooting (and thank goodness this was only with a low powered BB gun) had my companion in arms exclaim “quite frankly iD the safest place for anyone to be when you are shooting would be in front of the target“.

 

And on a different topic, something for HH: a photograph of a very rare, very shy, House Hippo emerging from its hiding place in search of cake…

63327A71-DAE4-4BA6-92F0-5755E853D168.jpeg.e8789260d309e3ad335d3d599dc25c44.jpeg

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1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

I am quite envious of those with good shooting skills. My one and only attempt at target shooting (and thank goodness this was only with a low powered BB gun) had my companion in arms exclaim “quite frankly iD the safest place for anyone to be when you are shooting would be in front of the target“.

 

And on a different topic, something for HH: a photograph of a very rare, very shy, House Hippo emerging from its hiding place in search of cake…

63327A71-DAE4-4BA6-92F0-5755E853D168.jpeg.e8789260d309e3ad335d3d599dc25c44.jpeg

If you are feeling really brave, get a muddy Polybear as well

 

image.png.fecd91d5a423f5f81d2b6fc59feb144a.png

Edited by Happy Hippo
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2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 

It will becthe water tower that a former colleaguecof mine, Mark Rand bought and turned into a house.  The view across the valley from i side the former tank is spectacular. In the foreground is @newbryford's office.

 

Jamie

 

My first visit to the top deck, taken about 4 weeks ago!

My office is the upper left window (with the blind down).

Normally, it's up and I can just see the trains pass between the station building and the station master's house.

20220729_152723.jpg.068cd7d89b21cf1fa9267772a8ca9400.jpg

 

20220729_152727.jpg.650d3b993bf5dfa6799f5409e13fbc8d.jpg

 

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On 18/07/2022 at 10:04, Dave Hunt said:

I'm currently trying to deal with various utility companies about Dad's house being empty. I say trying because none of them appears to employ enough people to answer phone calls - "We are experiencing higher than usual........." A rough translation I suppose would be, "We can't be ar*ed to employ enough people as we are a bunch of money grabbing, tight fisted barstewards so you'll have to wait ages while we play this cr*p music.

 

Is this a rant?

 

Yes

 

Dave 

It's not quite that simple. What they are really saying is "our level of call centre resources is fixed, regardless of demand" 

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16 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Very sad but there is a portion of those hardest-up who live like that, you really pity their children both "going without" and being taught those priorities.

For expensive hobbies, cycling, once a utility transport and leisure activity has now replaced golf as the hobby of middle-class men with money to burn.  Like golf, they can always excuse their inability to match a top level professional's performance on not having the latest expensive gadget.  It's a combination of collecting/having the latest thing and a gambler's mindest; "This time, it really will make a difference". 

See the Simpsons episode in which Homer plays the State Lottery, for the most complete deconstruction of the whole subject anywhere (not forgetting the whole sub-set of delusions revolving around roll-overs) 

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On 19/08/2022 at 10:19, Oldddudders said:

I grew up in a household where the principal topic of mealtime conversation was football, at least among my father and my younger twin brothers. I was very much on the fringes, although dad had taken me to a number of First Division matches, all London clubs when Newcastle were visiting, and I admit to visiting Old Trafford at age 18. Since then the only match was at Loftus Road, under a 3-line whip from Deb's sister, about 1978. 

 

As I may have recounted before, almost 40 years ago Deb and I met dad and the twins at the NFT bar, celebrating my 34th. We then went to dads's favourite café for a meal. Deb and I sat and looked at each other while the other three discussed football. Then the twins headed off, and Deb and I saw dad off on the platform at Waterloo. He went home, and while watching England vs Greece on tv, suffered his second and fatal heart attack. Football can leave a funny taste in my mouth...

I have to say that spending six months working in a Birmingham office in 2017, against the background of a steady drone of Brummie voices discussing Champions League football (or whatever the wasteland that Man Utd and Arsenal don't play in, is called) and virtually nothing else was one of the less interesting periods of my life...

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On 18/08/2022 at 23:03, Dave Hunt said:

When I worked in California, one of my colleagues was a member of a vintage gun club. I went along with him once and got to fire a genuine Colt .45 Peacemaker, which had a kick like a mule, and I think I managed to hit a one foot diameter target at fifteen yards or so once. Even that was accurate compared with a .44 Navy Colt with black powder charges, which roared rather than going bang and nearly blinded you with smoke. The guy who owned them reckoned that most of the classic western gunfights were at a range of ten yards or even less and even then the idea of the fast draw firing virtually as soon as the gun cleared the holster usually portrayed by Hollywood is ridiculous as the only way to have a chance of hitting your opponent was to take careful aim. I mentioned having seen a western movie where one of the bad guys shot a telegraph cable while sitting on his horse and the guy nearly wet himself laughing.

 

Dave 

One of my American uncles was actually trained in the use of cavalry pistols in his service days. By his account, the cavalry pistol was primarily useful for making dramatic gestures in the saddle.

 

Its main use as a weapon was as a melee weapon, hence the use of huge calibres suitable for knocking your opponent out of his saddle before he can connect with his sabre. 

 

I don't doubt it. Firing a .45 calibre pistol single handed while mounted  isn't an experience for those of a nervous disposition. 

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On 17/08/2022 at 22:19, SM42 said:

Today's lesson from Wacky Races, sorry, Poland's highways is

 

If you are in a hurry, follow a 44t truck and keep up with them. 

 

They will find the speed cameras and traps for you and you will make up 14 minutes on the sat nav ETA over the 60 miles home. 

 

Anyone who has driven in Poland will know that there are speed limit reductions for anything, corners, junctions, crossings, trees, cafes and any other excuse you can think of

 

The limit can change from 90kph to 70 to 50 and back to 90 in less than 200yds.

 

There is one  location  near here were it goes from 50 to 70 to 50 so quickly, unless you are driving a formula 1 car there is no point changing the limit from 50. 

 

You may get up to 54 if you are lucky. 

 

The best today was the 40kph limit on a slip road for a 120kph semi motorway. ( droga sprzetkowa. An S road)

 

Add to that the 44 tonner overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic  with a broken down truck at the side of the road in the mix to make it interesting. 

 

Yay! Fun!

 

 

Of course I don't condone any sort of law breaking but,

 

Kiedy w Polsce, Robie jak polacy. 

 

When in Poland, do as the Poles do.

 

And it's no fun when you stick to the limit and all you  can see in your mirror is ERF or Scania etc writ large 

 

 

Andy

With a few more grey hairs than two weeks ago.

I found driving habits in the Former Soviet Union countries to be devoid of all sense of self-preservation, like India but without the chronic congestion which acts as a de-facto speed limit. 

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On 17/08/2022 at 11:04, jjb1970 said:

One of the big bonuses of air conditioning is many systems have a de-humidifier mode which uses less power and delivers a lot of the benefit of running it in chiller mode. 

It's surprising the number of people who don't understand the different settings on the AC. 

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54 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

What they are really saying is "our level of call centre resources is fixed, regardless of demand" 

Or "We don't want to pay enough and cannot attract sufficient staff"

 

A good many call centres operate as agencies for multiple and sometimes unrelated businesses.  The call-handler receives an audible "whisper" or an on-screen prompt identifying the source of the call in order to offer an appropriate greeting and initiate the on-screen systems accordingly.  

 

So while your particular call might be the only one being made right now if there are 500 "agents" and 1000 calls waiting from all over then you are at the back of the queue.  It is also a normal practice for call-centres to prioritise some calls over others meaning you are still at the back of the queue while others are answered.

 

That might be for commercial reasons (some customers pay more or have a higher volume of calls arriving) or in response to demand (where, for example, an insurer will prioritise calls from a specific area after a major event).  

 

The largest international businesses which may have offshore call-centres in low-cost nations can also prioritise calls from certain countries over others.  

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On 05/08/2022 at 17:28, Dave Hunt said:

I've just got back from Dad's house after Jill and I have spent the day there having what I hope will be our final sorting out session. This afternoon a very nice lady came at my invitation from the British Heart Foundation to look at all the stuff that is left, which is still a lot, and assess what they could and couldn't take for refurbishment and/or resale but also to look at what else there was that we wanted to get rid of as they will also do what is effectively a house clearance of everything except dangerous liquids. Much to my surprise they will take all the electrical stuff for resale. There will be a charge for the clearance side of the job but quite honestly I couldn't care less about that as it means that within ten days or so we should have an empty shell to have cleaned and then put it on the market. When she had gone, though, I looked around at what was left of what my Mum and Dad had worked so hard during their lives for and for the first time since Dad died I confess that I sat down and wept.

 

Jill is now making us G&Ts to have on the patio, which is probably the best idea anyone has had all day.

 

Dave

By the time my late mother went into full-time nursing care, the house was severely neglected and the furnishings, worthless. The place then spent almost three years as a sort of transit camp from which my sister, BiL and two small boys conducted a protracted and chaotically mismanaged forced sale of their house and subsequent move to Oxfordshire. It was then swept up in the transition of that whole area into HMO and the last time I looked, nothing remained of it; it had been totally cleared along with several other plots and "redeveloped". 

 

Oddly enough, our former family home in Dalston (North London) remains externally much as when we left in the early 1960s, although the area is unrecognisable. I can't bear to visit the area. 

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1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

It is also a normal practice for call-centres to prioritise some calls over others meaning you are still at the back of the queue while others are answered.

 

That might be for commercial reasons (some customers pay more or have a higher volume of calls arriving) or in response to demand (where, for example, an insurer will prioritise calls from a specific area after a major event).

 

Let's see now.....

The Guy waiting on Line 1 pressed Option 3 (= I wanna tell Sky to go wedge their contract where the sun doesn't shine) whilst the one on Line 4 pressed Option 3 (= I wanna join Sky and pay oodles and be ripped off).

 

So Line 1 is number 504 in the queue (listening to The Birdy Song) whilst Line 4 is next up.

Cynical Bear?  Moi?

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2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

It's surprising the number of people who don't understand the different settings on the AC. 

 

Unfortunately A/C is an example of a fundamentally simple technology that manufacturers like to make very complicated. The remote controls for the A/C units in this apartment are intimidating and crazily over the top in my view. Today we went shopping for a new rice cooker (for anyone who eats a lot of rice dishes and doesn't yet have a rice cooker my advice is to go out and buy one), we just want something that cooks good rice but some of the functionality is insane. 

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When you get that "we are extremely busy" message I always think " yeah outside having a ciggie and as I'm the only one here you'll have to wait"

 

Especially in the early hours and a call centre I know is dedicated only to the people I'm calling. 

 

One call centre was very honest once when they answered 

 

" sorry for the delay, we are working for comic relief as well tonight"

 

 

Today's quote of the day whilst out shopping with the in laws at the local hypermarket

 

Mrs SM42 asks the FiL, " Where's mum?"

"In the shop" he replied.

 

 

Andy

Carrying out the quart into a pint pot exercise known as packing the car

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