[Bob Williams]

+2 for Google photos, can’t remember what I did without it. Probably something tediously boring, which is why I immediately forgot it after using Google photos.??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Wileyfox manuals all available online.

I have to update SWMBO’s CM Spark tomorrow, or at least before the 28th, when CM is ending. It is not covered by automatic updates to Nougat, as my Swift was. I have all the information to do it, but looks like a long process. I had my summer haircut today, first for about 3 months. I look like losing more tomorrow… ???

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

TYPICAL! if statistical systems invented by a government are not producing results favourable to the government’s purpose, change or modify the system in order for it to suit.

“Statistical sytems” can also be replaced by “legislation”.

This government is no longer fit for purpose.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

JayCeeDee wrote:

Steve, get one of THESE filtered face-plates, that way it won’t happen again. See YT video HERE. I actually got a speed increase the first time I used one, due to the cr*ppy electronics in those cheap give-away filters.

That’s the one I have. During the time I was with Plusnet, the BT OR engineer fitted the incorrect one, when I had Sky their engineer shook his head, removed it and fitted the one JCD shows. Then later another Sky engineer said that was wrong and refitted the old one. I waited until he went and refitted the correct one again.

Sometimes you wonder how they can be called “engineers”, there is so much variance in experience and knowledge from one to another. I can usually tell which ones are putting on a front. It starts with a realisation that they are talking to elderly people: a cocksure attitude develops, followed by some “engineer talk” which is mostly BS. I love watching them crash and burn when I point out the inaccuracies in their statements. A little knowledge is….

” A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again. ”

Alexander Pope, 1704.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I have the Sky Q box and router. I live in a rural area which has very poor broadband: ADSL is never better than 1.5Mbps download. Plusnet FTTC was never better than 6.5 and absolute garbage, dropouts every week, several engineer visits which gave ‘sticking plaster’ solutions. I had initial problems with Sky, beginning with them not providing FTTC, but ADSL. You may imagine what that did for TV and bband. Eventually Sky lost patience with local engineers and sent a smart young guy from up Newcastle way. He replaced the line (as I had asked PN to do, they said unnecessary) and the BT boxes internal and external. I then received 13 to 14 Mbps and, more importantly, a stable service. Recently my Downloads have dropped to 11 Mbps (still stable) and I am recording speeds daily in order to present Sky with evidence. I have speedtests from the start of the service.

Incidentally, my phone has a Link speed of 72Mbps — the Lenovo Tab 3 8″ tablet has 65 Mbps. The phone does not drop any speed at distance, but the tablet does.

I will not take Sky again when my contract is up in October. I have a great TP Link 9980, which I bought when on Plusnet, rather a waste at the time, but using that or another will depend upon the ISP I choose. If the TTalk router is as good as Dave says and their service is better than Sky (not difficult) I will probably go with them. I know Steve sings TT’s praises.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

IMO, some other influence is needed for either of the main parties before they could form a good government. A braking mechanism, to stop the craziness from both main parties. If we get a Labour majority government at the next election (which may come sooner than we think) then we will have voted for mass nationalisation. 1947 all over again, massive public spending financed by those Corbyn considers to be rich. Followed by a drain of businesses and brains. Realise that much of British business is in the hands of multinationals and foreign enterprises. How long will those remain here? Mass unemployment will not be far behind. Soon we will be knocking on the IMF door again: will anyone answer?

If we had a Tory majority at the recent election, there would now be an increase in austerity measures. We would have continued along the path set by the PM who had no idea what to do from one day to the next. Now she is subject to so many voices in her ear, there will be even more confusion in her leadership.

And now the Brexit negotiations have to be carried out by that same weak leader and her team, of whom only David Davis has any skills to offer. We are screwed: the EU holds all the cards and we can only accept what they are prepared to offer. Which is very little, apart from a huge bill.

Misguided patriotism, supported and reinforced by lies, brought us to this point.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Latest thinking about Hillforts is that the first ones in the Neolithic period were not originally built as a defence, but as enclosed places for keeping and protecting livestock. In those days, wolves and bears still roamed the land, although the Neolithic people were gradually exterminating them. The communities which lived in the enclosures, may have been the first villages. More new hillforts were built in places all over Britain. they weren’t always built on hills, either. Plenty such enclosed spaces have been found in the low lying areas of East Anglia and South Lincolnshire.

As the Bronze Age arrived, the old hillforts were expanded and used for defence. The Iron Age saw increasing warfare between expanding populations, then the Romans invaded. In some hillforts, thousands of slingshot stones were kept: many can still turn up at various forts. Brythonic tribes were deadly accurate with these, being trained from childhood, killing small animals for food. The Romans found that a slingshot stone could put a sizeable dent in their helmets, often enough to crack a skull.

None of those small prey animals were rabbits until the Romans brought them in. I have a problem with one of these furry immigrants atm, as the little bugga comes into my garden. He is eating just dandelion and other weeds for now, but if he develops a taste for SWMBO’s Peonies, and other flowering plants, he is a dead bunny. My big bro and I used to go out hunting rabbits with our dogs late at night in various parts of Sherwood Forest, clean, cook and eat them. (The rabbits, not the dogs. We are not Koreans)?My visitor should bear that in mind….

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

The Duke wrote:

They should of built some British pryimids bob. If only the Poles came earlier we may of

????  Nice one, Steve!

Anyone who wants to read about the history of our country from the earliest beginnings, but hates the kind of dry stuff that most historians write, is advised to read two very good books by Francis Pryor: “Home” and “Britain AD”. This is the man from so many TV programmes which brought history and archaeology to the ordinary people of Britain – “Time Team” being the one everyone remembers.

“Home” is about the arrival and gradual evolution of people in these islands, but what makes it interesting is that Dr. Pryor tells it as the everyday, ordinary folk of the times, how they lived, how they found food and brought up their families. The amusing way that he came to use ‘Home’ as a title, is based upon hearing Sir Michael Caine on the BBC World Service saying “I’m a family man….I regard the family as the greatest organisation ever created by human beings.”

Dr. Pryor had been considering writing the books for some time. Now he had a framework from an unexpected source, to base them upon: write about history from the point of view of families, and family life, which became larger and then morphed into tribes. It’s easy to relate to that. The books are not just lists of dates and types of pottery, they are about people not much different to ourselves. It’s about where we come from, how we got here and what we did next. It also clearly shows the differences and the similarities between the people who gradually became British, from their near neighbours. For example: why did the original inhabitants of Britain build roundhouses, all to the same pattern all across the land, north to south and east to west? The eastern lands their ancestors came from, built rectangular houses, and continued to build them like that. But the boats  and tools built and used by Brits and Europeans of the same times, were very similar.

Everyone knows that the North Sea has an area which was once land: Doggerland, connecting Britain to Europe. Apparently, before the creation of the North Sea and separation from the European mainland, there was a low lying area of Doggerland which was used by the peoples from both sides of the divide. Britain had the best and hardest flint for weapons, tools and scrapers. These were used as currency to obtain goods from the ‘Europeans’ and it is easy to imagine some great parties taking place out there, with consequent liaisons between young people and the introduction of new genetic material * in both directions! I had read about this some years ago, so when I came here to live and began visiting Lincolnshire beaches, it fascinated me to find flints scattered upon the beaches, brought up by tides. Some of these still had sharp edges after an expanse of time that boggles the mind. Nowadays there is an annual beach “Renourishment” along the Lincolnshire coast, by Dutch engineers. This involves dredging the seabed a couple of miles offshore, and pumping up the sand onto the shoreline. This is creating a better coastal defence than a seawall, and is also creating new, higher sand dunes upon which great fields of seagrass grow. It is also throwing up thousands and thousands of flint objects, more for me to wonder over and bore my grandbrats with!

*   So who ARE the Europeans? Who can tell? We Brits have a mix of genetic markers from all over the place!

More hysterical history from BS Bob…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
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[Bob Williams]

When a tiny group of MP’s from a Party which has had only occasional, minor influence upon mainland political affairs for decades, is able to put a hand upon Westminster’s tiller, we are in trouble. Add to that, pointless and ineffective, thrashing around by the Tories, whose leader apologises like a contrite schoolgirl, to an organisation with far too much influence (1922 Commitee) upon the party of (almost) government.

The purchase of waders may be advisable: we are about to be hip deep in the brown and smelly for some time.

The only hope I can see for this country, is another election and another referendum regarding membership of the EU. Perhaps a majority will recover their senses. maybe a Lab-Lib coalition? Anything but the DUP, what drives those anachronistic fanatics is a version of democracy unrecognisable on this side of the Irish Sea.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Your sister has a great talent both for history and as an author, John. I had not heard of her before, but have bookmarked her site and will take a look at her work. From the short pieces I have read, she is historically correct and entertaining: I like authors who make history entertaining as well as accurate. Long, dry stretches of factual text just bore me to tears and are best left to those who are studying the subject academically.

I apologise for what may have seemed like a lecture, but I have always loved history, especially of my country. It annoys me that people soak up Egyptology, yet fail to look at the ancient history in these islands. Our first civilisations came before the pyramids.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Dan, we gave away and closed down the Empire because we no longer had the financial means to afford the military means that would have held onto it. Thanks to two World Wars, the ramifications of which are still not completely concluded, we ended in 1945 as a nation completely dependent upon the USA. Then 1947 and nationalisation happened and we went into a spiral from which we never really recovered.

“The power to determine our own destiny” is exactly what we do not have. We are going to be dependent again upon others to replace all the Trade and Trade Agreements which we have (for the moment) with the EU. No other nation or trading bloc, owes us anything. Not the USA, not the Commonwealth, whose nations are now independent sovereign states with their own trading partners. What does anyone seriously believe that we can offer them? You may point to actual deals made with countries such as India, but they will take what they want at terms advantageous  to themselves. And every one of those fast-developing nations such as India, is already receiving Overseas Aid from us. Why is that?

The first point about this whole Brexit happening, is that we were lied to by politicians with both eyes on the main chance – furthering their own careers. The second point, is that the 27 states of the EU are now thoroughly pissed off with the UK and will do their utmost to take from our leaving the biggest pay off they can get. They will also hold our politicians to a deadline for leaving. Sterling is in free fall and the economy is not far behind. Where do you imagine all that leaves us? Why do you think most young Brits blame the older generation for Brexit? What do you think will happen, if and when the generation of New Voters who almost put Labour in power, get a Second Referendum on Europe?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

My dear wife does not have a temper, she conveyed that information to me very loudly one day last week. Says that it’s me driving her insane. I pointed out that I have a document which states that I am definitely sane. (actually says “…. no psychological or psychiatric concerns regarding this patient” That conclusion was written after a severe head injury and several operations caused me to be investigated by two eminent specialists.

SWMBO says that is an old document and past its Use By date. Much like the patient. I love her dearly, whoever she is today…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I am NOT going to use that one, John!

I know who is the best cook in this house!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

JCD –

the UK locals did not “scarper”. Tribes in what became SE England had been trading with the Romans for at least a couple of centuries: Cantiaci, (origin of ‘Kent’ ) Regenses, Trinovantes and Belgae had all been practically inviting the Romans in. Rome was after 4 things it always wanted – grain to make bread for the sprawling city of Rome and its riotous inhabitants: more land to expand the Empire: men to train as Legionnariess or auxiliaries and fight their wars in other lands: and slaves, which were the biggest money-spinners of all. Slaves were practically a currency in those days and the inhabitants of Prydain, as Britain was then, were big lads and lasses, much more attractive in face and body than most others the Romans met and conquered.

The rest of Prydain’s tribes to the SW, East, North and West, were hostile to Rome but fought each other as well. The Romans were the first to use “divide & conquer”, by using some native tribes against others. Something that the British themselves used against other peoples in much later centuries, when building the largest – ever world empire.

They never conquered Caledonia (Scotland) and they never fully conquered North Wales.

The people called “The Celts” were actually a mishmash of tribes across Europe, who once invaded and sacked Rome, something the Romans never forgot. The ‘Celts’ were never one people, but a grouping of different tribes with some being tall, blonde and fair, some short, dark and others red-haired. All were warlike, due to all the tribes having fought and raided each other for centuries. They could at first understand each other’s speech, but that changed over centuries as tribes moved West.

Ed is right about the migration routes: the areas of Western Europe and Eastern North Africa, are known as “The Celtic Fringe” by historians. It is no coincidence that the two oldest-known European languages are Brythonic (Welsh, Gaelic, Gallic, Cornish) and Basque. The southern peoples of the Fringe traded with the western Brythonic peoples for centuries before Rome was founded. So did the Greeks and Phoenicians, which is how the Greeks got much of their Tin and Copper to make the bronze weapons which gave them such an early advantage.

Another BS history lesson. No charge, folks…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
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[Bob Williams]

Thanks for all the advice guys. After some discussion this morning with my lad, getting more specifics from him, I went online, then drove up to Grimsby and bought this:     https://tinyurl.com/y7vh4mgu

As usual, I have been asking for specific needs from him for weeks until I energised his mum and he asked me to the phone. No thin cases, easy to read dial, not a chronometer or anything with more than just the date. Plain white face with ‘proper numbers’ on it. Solar powered if possible. I reckon this ticks his boxes.

He does not go out much and is currently without a GF, as the last two wanted marriage eventually and he is a single parent of a son & daughter now 18 and almost 21. His marriage to the kid’s mum was a disaster, put him off for life. We almost lost the kids at 2 & 4 years old, but we had them declared by the Court under our care until he had a house and job over here. To demonstrate how bad their mother was: the Court decided she could have access only once a month for two hours, supervised by us. She was also forced to make her own way getting here and has never been. All that has not made him anti-women, just worried about getting it wrong for the kids’ sakes.

He is 49, btw, not 50 – my bad! ? HE said he was 50, confused me, (not difficult) was put right by his daughter. I took off my socks and counted up from June ’68 on toes and fingers, ran out and used the calculator. What d’yer know, he is 49! So next year is the half-century. “You should have asked me, I should know,” sez SWMBO, “I was there, you know!” Don’t you just wish they weren’t so damned smartassed, sometimes???

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

The Gerbil tries too hard at times, having been under the shadow of the two larger muppets for so long. Us little blokes usually wind up as overachievers. Or dead.

Same reason that I became an Aircraft Tech, then did a Para course. I suffer vertigo at heights.

I was born with Ricketts, the runt of 3 lads, learned to run and eventually ran 3,000 and 5,000 metres as a distance runner. Because a PTI said I was the ‘wrong build’ for it. I beat him at 1.500 metres, 3,000 metres and cross country eventually. I also knocked out one brother and on another occasion, carried the eldest and biggest * home, drunk, on my shoulders. We little ‘uns have to try harder!

*   RIP our Ecker, still miss you.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I saw the bar and closed it OK.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
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[Bob Williams]

I think the U-20’s did really well, but now every manager and his dog will be after them. They will be offered ridiculous money and some will suffer from the exposure at too young an age.

The main England side first disappointed, then impressed me last night against Scotland. Disappointed because they had possession and wasted it, stayed behind a 1-0 lead for too long and paid the price. Joe Hart should never be allowed to keep goal for England again. He was out of position for both free kicks, although TBH I do not think he could have got to the first. Griffiths is by far the best player Scotland have, and he has a Welsh name! His granddad must have had a good bike… Scotland were better than England for most of the game, they are a better team than given credit for. You could see they were playing for the shirt, when too many England players were not.

Impressed by Harry Kane and sub Chamberlain, who would not give up. The whole team have to pick up their game now.

A bit of good news for us poor Forest supporters: our 19 yo defender Joe Worrall is a FIFA-rated player, at No. 65 in the world. Probably will not be able to hang onto him, then. He is a really good player, stands out and looks more mature than 19 when playing.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I don’t do Driver Training with family, does not work for me. (I mean ‘us’) ALL my family argue a point, even the youngest, although they say ‘not arguing, just discussing.’ Rubbish: I tell you how to do something that you have never done, you disagree with my way. That’s argument. So I would rather pay for lessons and give advice when asked. Partly my fault, as I taught them to think for themselves and speak up if they see something they do not agree with. The times I could have said “I told you so!”…..

My problem is that I was taught to drive in the Army. 3 solid weeks of nothing but driver training all over the South of England: Andover-Salisbury-Southampton-Winchester and all points in between. Using a Bedford RL truck or a Land Rover, never knew when I turned up which it was going to be. All my driving tuition was taught ‘correctly’ and I cannot stand to hear some of the advice given today by D.I’s.

Never has a Carlton Steve, but my son had one (briefly, before a muppet in a van T-boned it) He moped about that so much at the time that I bought a Sierra and gave him my lovely black 1.6 Cortina Ghia. He was T-boned in that, by another idiot coming out of a side turning. Then he bought an old Skoda, I think hoping for another crash to collect on insurance. Had loads of cars since then, no more accidents. Now he drives a Transit 100 Diesel – safer for him, not necessarily everyone else on the road. Daughter has a little Mazda and is a better driver, although the only thing she has picked up from me, is criticising (shouting at) other motorists.???

Your experiences with UK Customs are much better than mine. In 1969 I had a temporary Strat Reserve posting to UK and N.I. and was trying to take an alomost new expensive stereo back home. The Dover Ferry had been full of Dutch Druggies heading for Hyde Park and the Stones concert. (as was I) You could get high on the Ferry just breathing in, but when we rolled off they let them all go and pulled us over. They charged me £170 excess Duty on the stereo (in ’69, told you it was expensive!) and strip- searched the car and my gobby mate, who just would not shut up. Fortunately I had a bit of money back home, but that was a miserable leave.

The mountains I spoke about are the Rockies and the hairiest part was the twisty roads above the Fraser River Valley in B.C. I think my mate just about cured his constipation on those roads, in some parts I was looking down at a drop of thousands of feet whilst he was up against solid rock. The Bluebird over there was the US export model, a hatchback, not like the saloon we got in UK. It was OK in Canada, out on their freeways they had no max. limit then, but in the USA it was 55, which has changed now I believe. I did see a beautiful, shiny black Chevy Pickup with Texas plates, huge dent in the back and a big handwritten sign saying “THANKS CANADA!” I also listened to a telephone convesation at a Vancouver motel, between a Canuck receptionist and a Californian at the Motel HQ. He put down the phone, shook his head and said “Why can’t Californians speak English?”

 

 

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[Bob Williams]

Driving around any of the mountainous areas in North America is a complete PITA with a manual, Steve. I had a fortnight in British Columbia in the early 80’s and hired a DATSUN (that’s how long ago!) Bluebird Auto 1.8, along with Motel vouchers. I was mostly in the Rockies or land around the Rockies and it would have been hellish with a manual. Also followed the rockies down below the US border. Yank tanks with manual boxes would be OK in most of the midwest, but some of those mountains go on forever.

I remember some of the older autos I worked on and road tested when I was a workshop foreman. We did a lot of Classic car work and some of the classics had horrible boxes. Best were the Astons, although we did not get many. Never had a diesel auto in those days, thankfully. But I do remember the struggles we had with some diesel engines when the diesel emission tests came in. Leyland diesels were the worst, Peugeot diesels the best. I ran a lovely gold Peugeot 505 diesel off the forecourt for a time and was impressed with it. Then I had a dark blue 505 GTi and that blew me away. Remember I am talking about the 80’s, there was not much to touch that 505 GTi at the price. In those days, before the miners’ Strike killed our Car Sales, I would ‘borrow’ a car from the pitch, run it and find problems, fix them and sell with a full MOT and service, knowing that I lived amongst the customers and not wanting them knocking on my door! ?? I have driven so many different cars, can’t remember them all but some stick in my memory.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
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[Author]

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