@bullstuff2
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Same thing happens here occasionally, usually when I am in the bathroom early morning. Sun travels almost East to West, slight southern bias. It hits them between the eyes and they think the window is an open space, then THUMP and I call upon SWMBO to check out a casualty. 9/10 times they are up and flying before she gets there.
Crows are one of the most intelligent birds. I have set them all kinds of puzzles to get food, they always manage to solve them. Sometimes two will work together. In Escape & Evasion during Army service, I was taught by an old sweat to use crows as a warning device: feed them on the ground and they take it to the trees or other high point, where they roost and hang around for more. If other humans not in your party approach, they alert their fellow crows and you, by loud caws. I have actually had them on my shoulders, feeding from my hand.
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I'm out.Corbyn’s lot will be worse. Nationalise everything, the compensation to utilities and others will be horrific, make EU/Brexit payments look like chicken feed. There is no single political party in this country that has any realistic answers to the mess we are in. Polls are unreliable: huge sections of the British electorate can suddenly change their minds and their votes.
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I'm out.Had my entire bungalow repainted in 2015, whilst on a Rhine/Danube cruise, by a local guy whose company mainly carries out commercial work. He lives in a big beautiful house about 500 yards up the road, complete with a microlight aircraft and landing strip, in the middle of an estimated 25 acres of land: horses, sheep and a couple of retired donkeys. A very wealthy man, but pleasant and easy to talk to. First met him when I was taking my daily stroll of about 2 miles with SWMBO, a good conversation which got better when he mentioned being ex-RAF and I mentioned being ex-AAC. I said that I was looking for a decorator and did not expect him to offer, thought he was just commercial. He generously offered and did a cracking job: walls are something like a bright colour between Magnolia and café au lait, with chimney breast a light coffee shade. All doors and woodwork are white: he recommended Silk Matt and that has withstood 3 years of sun, which streams in through our south-facing windows all day. For the whole bungalow, it was not expensive, especially as we had just had GCH fitted and the huge, ancient electric heaters removed. This left areas which required plastering, matching areas of missing wall paper and repaint with more coats than the unmarked walls. There is no visible sign of the old marks. I think some of the paint is Johnstone’s Trade.
I don’t know what the paint is, will have to visit the shed tomorrow as he left us a generous amount of all 3 paints. Earlier this year I fitted a long Ikea shelf to the chimney breast, removing the Currys-installed TV wall mount. I had to get the paint out, fill and smooth holes, repaint. It covered very well and there is no trace of the refill and repaint. Made sure the tin was scraped clean of paint around the closing ridges, sealed the lid down tight. that may be why your emulsion decided to evolve into some other life form, Richard: easy to miss the tin not being airtight sealed.
Bonus: takes me or SWMBO up in his microlight occasionally. Rings me: “Hey Bob, want to drop stuff on a neighbour’s garden?” A super guy with a lovely family.
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I'm out.As I said, the early MR2’s were the best. All car manufacturers make the same mistake, take a model that is successful or becomes a Cult Classic, then ‘improve’ it. That usually means making it bigger, heavier and shoving more gadgets into it. That’s why the MX-5 is a credit to Mazda, they haven’t messed around with it too much. Incidentally, this is what Wiki has to say about the first model for the UK market in 1991:
” This first generation of Miata (often referred to as the NA) included a special Limited Edition of 250 examples in 1991, produced in British racing green with the first use of tan interior, to celebrate the highly successful launch of the MX-5 in the UK. These have a numbered brass plaque on the dash above the glove box and on the front of the Owners Book,[17] and are fitted with alloy wheels from MSW (Mazda Sports Workshop) which are often mistaken for BBS’s, but which are entirely unique to this model.”
I never saw one of those, although as I was still in the trade then, I heard about them. I wonder how many are left today, out of 250? Be nice to find one, even nicer to own one.
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I'm out.Don’t visit Porn sites, unless you count gorgeous Classic Cars and lovely old vintage aircraft.??
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I'm out.Steve, if I was younger and in the market for a small, fun sports car, I would choose the Toyota MR2.
This is the one I would buy: http://tinyurl.com/ydy45qcm
I drove a ’93 model belonging to a customer in my last year of work (’95) and was so impressed that I had to have several “test drives” after carrying out a lot of work: the bodyshop lads had sorted it through insurance after a heavy impact with a VW Camper van. I had all the mechanical bits to sort out. (I made sure of that! ??) Despite never having worked on one before, it was pretty basic except for access. They are mid-engined, which gives the car such great steering and ability to chuck it round corners at daft speeds: the MR2 stuck to the road like glue. Toyota are bringing out a new model based upon the Lexus in 2020, according to the first link above. As happens with most cars like this, because it’s a ‘legend’ to enthusiasts, the new improved model looks like it will be larger, heavier and not as maneuverable as the nimble little older car. I certainly enjoyed those (cough!) Test Drives over a period of three days. Well, I had to make sure the RAC and insurance company would give it a clean bill of health, didn’t I? I even put some fuel in myself. That never happened before. Or since.
I loved that car and would have bought one if I had stayed in work, but collapsed with spinal paralysis about two months later.
The older ones are the best models, great fun to drive. And fun is what driving should be, right? Unless you are a parent of a huge 4×4 Chelsea Tractor, taking the kids half a mile to school and back…
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I'm out.Not optimism Dan: realism. Name another member of her party of divided, contentious, argumentative MP’s who could negotiate the Brexit tightrope as well. Yes, she has made mistakes, but what you see as dithering and trying to please everyone, is her hard work trying to get the result. Remember that her predecessor caused all this mess, then left. TM is staying and seeing it out.
If you say Boris I will lose some respect for you.
If you propose another GE and say Corbyn, that would be all respect.
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I'm out.Further to my Post #23380 above about speeds dropping:
I have had nothing more from Plusnet except a ‘Ticket Number’ and this:
Broadband Troubleshooter started
” Now you’ve confirmed your contact details and telephone number your broadband is supplied on, we need to ask you some questions about your problem.
We’ll save your answers for 14 days, so you can come back if you don’t have time to answer everything now. ”
They have until tomorrow, then I ask what they have done/are doing. Speeds have crept slowly up to 4.3Mbps Down, staying around 50Mbps Up.
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I'm out.JB please let me know how you get on with those ‘phones. I have saved the page to pocket and will buy if they are OK.
Cheers, Bob.
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I'm out.PM TM has now taken charge of Brexit. http://tinyurl.com/y9dtdwf4
Disregarding what you think of her, the PM has given this everything she has. For two years she has fought off attacks from people in her own Party, with different agenda and different power aims. That includes some of the misogynistic Oldpharts who still regret the fact that women won the right to vote, never mind become MP’s. She has been accused of continually changing course, demonstrating indecisiveness and trying to please everyone, when in fact she is just beating her head against all the Westminster walls, trying to get agreement. She has a thankless task and will receive only grudging acceptance if she manages to pull off a reasonable agreement with the Bonkers Brussels Bureaucrats.
I suspect there is steel behind that smile, and more sharp intelligence than Maggie ever possessed. Or that any other Tory MP has shown in this Parliament. Kick on, TM.
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I'm out.Steve do you recall me talking on here about a childhood mate in Aussie who used to come over to us every year and then passed away 3 Christmases ago?
2 years before that, he moved to another location on the Gold Coast, after recovering from stomach cancer, and bought this in Oz to get around:
Vic was very happy tooling around the Coast in his Miata, which is what the MX-5 is called outside Europe and the UK. Within 2 years we hosted him for the last time. He was looking ill by September and I wanted to take him to the airport to go home, but he preferred to go back to see his sister, then take a taxi to the plane and fly home. His cancer had returned and by Christmas Day his daughter sent me a pic of the family gathered around him, playing Elvis’ Christmas album and singing along, although it was pretty clear that he was not really with them. By Christmas Day evening he was gone.
But after buying the Miata, he was always emailing his enthusiasm for the car, loved driving around the Gold Coast in it. I know it had a good second home with the daughter he loved: she still has it and says it is lovely car to drive and feels like dad is there with her.
Vic was my best mate from 2 years of age, school, teenage years, bikes and gf’s. He left for Oz when we were both 22, made good money from a business he founded and sold.
A gentleman, RIP Victor Brindley. So glad you got joy from that car.
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I'm out.Good news for you Richard, time you had some. A better outlook when you are having an alternative scenario from your wife’s plight: I wish you both better news there. In another thread I report that my bloods show that one of my white cell types is very low and they have cancelled this week’s chemo until better results show up. Apparently everything else is fine, improving and I have gained a Kilo! I am a bit fed up with friends telling me how good I look, though: I just lost weight, had a great holiday and came back looking brown. Waiting for a mate I will see soon, not seen for some years. He will probably say something like “You look well, have you been ill?” That’s his style.
Thanks Stevie P, know you are going through similar and appreciate that. I just keep on keeping on.
Steve: Motability is insured with RSA and you can have at least 2 Named Drivers. I know from a mate that RSA considered his long history with Motability, after he came into a pot of money and decided to just keep the payments. They made him a fair offer to insure outside of Motability, dependent upon his claims history. As he had never made a claim, it was apparently a good offer, although the tight lipped bugga won’t tell me what it was.
Alternatively, you really, really want an MX5.??
Nolan, that is bargaining of the highest order.?
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I'm out.Currently sat cooking with a glass of iced Spring water in desktop room/gd’s occasional bedroom, having returned from a day that included a visit to Grimsby Pathology for bloods at 11 am (because I was told to get there before 12 noon) then clinic at 14:20, to see clinical Macmillan nurse for results.** This meant a wait from 11:30-ish to 14:20, so we went into Freshney Mall in Grimsby for lunch, then returned.
Blood results discover that one of my white cell types is very low, next week’s chemo cancelled until another blood session next Monday and another clinic visit at 14:20. ** Now informed that I don’t have to go for bloods on Mondays until just before the clinic visit, as chemo is not until Wednesday, giving plenty of time for results to reach them. Was confused, but the the efficiency with which they organised and then reorganised it all, was inspiring.
At the hospital, outside temp was 35°C! Apparently lots of elderly heatstroke patients being brought to A&E. Got home to a cooler (!) 30°C, had a cold drink, went to pick up No.2 gson from work. This big lad was absolutely covered in sweat, having worked outside on top of a huge generator all day. We stopped at our village shop and he ate 2 ice creams straight off. Blue skies outside this window, sun pouring in around a half-closed curtain, now 29°C.
Yesterday after our Sutton on Sea visit, we had flying ants in the house, on the South-facing lounge window. Seems that I killed the big nest outside last year when I incinerated millions of the buggas and sterilised the ground a Metre down, but remnants have got into my soffits and fascias. I hoovered them all up into our (EU says illegally overpowered) Chinese Vax vacuum. Estimated around 40 altogether, which is about 10x less than last year. No more spotted since, I must be winning.
See if they like that.
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I'm out.Probably reported in the “Evening Stannit”!
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I'm out.Steve said:
” I just prefer the way Google maps sets out its lane info better than any of the others. It’s clear at a glance. The others seem to to an extra second to get the info across. Not good when coming off/on to motorways. ”
I agree with that, Google gave me a clear map and no gaps, for every journey I made in Suffolk.
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I'm out.Today we went to Sutton on Sea, our usual Beach haunt and so much nicer than nearby Mablethorpe. It was Beach Hut Day: stalls of all kinds, a very good Country Rock band called Music Box. Then this appeared, initially in our ears, then in the sky:
Made 5 passes, aerobatics, several Victory Rolls and disappeared inland, either for another venue or home to RAF Coningsby and the BBMF. My fillings rattled, so I know it was a type with a Griffon engine. Looking at the wing shape, probably a PR XIX.
Stalls and band:
S on S has some very good days and is a lovely, old fashioned resort.
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I'm out.I am reminded of a 2 week school trip to Innsbruck, Austria, in 1959, when Austria was a neutral country and terrified of Russian invasion. Every day at around 12 noon, one or more USAF transports would fly across Austrian airspace. Maybe 20 minutes later, the Austrian Air force launched a flight of ex-RAF Spitfires in response. I asked a local shopkeeper about this. He laughed and said that, as the Spitfires were only slightly faster than the USAF aircraft, they stood no chance of catching it before it exited Austrian airspace. And they did not want to shoot it down anyway, but had to go through the motions for the UN’s sake. He also said that the Spitfires should stay on the ground, saving fuel, until Red Stars appeared on the wings over Austria.
Leo Varadkar is conscious of his racial origin and attempting to be more Irish than the Irish. This will rebound upon him in years to come, I think, as he makes more and more dumb utterances. Should have changed his name to O’Trump?
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I'm out.For some reason, my first attempt at posting has died.
Nolan: generous offer, I have PM’d you, thank you.
tadka: that looks good and I will send the link to my son, who bought the same defective item I did.
Dan: I do not allow the phone to distract me. If I am in busy traffic and get a call, I say that I will call them back. Otherwise, on a quiet road, I will answer. Family know that, if SWMBO and I are out driving somewhere, they call mum’s phone. I see the ability to use the phone hands free as a bonus. Following Google directions is also a breeze, compared to the Satnav.
Steve: I currently have 2.5 to 3.5 Mbps Download at home, on my FTTC service. Plusnet supply has fallen over and they are trying to fix it. Openreach are always messing with our cabinet, we are all sick of the poor service here.
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I'm out.Beautiful Dogs, Richard. I take it the carpenter survived?
I hope that your wife’s new chemo routine helps to put things on a better plateau. My own has not varied: I have 3 weeks of one cycle, with bloods each Monday morning and chemo each Wednesday, length and type of treatment dependent upon blood results. After the 3rd week, 7 days freedom, which is how we had the holiday opportunity from the 12th to the 19th. And yes, it has done us both a power of good. I am still losing weight, but it has changed in that what I am losing is not meat and muscle, but remaining fat. My arms and legs are becoming bony and I have become aware that I no longer have “padding” to protect my rear, when sitting on a harder chair. The result is another 2″ gone from my waist and my latest new trousers need to be worn with a belt. All complicated by the left sided protuberance of my Parastomal Hernia. “Getting by” is the real summation.
Next Monday, back to the routine for another 3 weeks, with a visit to the senior Macmillan Nurse after bloods, for more tests, weighing and BMI and a decision about the type of further treatment, based upon my condition and test results. During my last chemo session, one of our long-standing members rang the bell on his way out, to signify that he was now in remission. An event greeted by applause and cheers, from those of us with the energy to do that.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls… Sorry, couldn’t resist it.
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I'm out.I think this issue should be looked at from the environment in which the user lives: urban, extra-urban (large cities) or rural.
I live 2 miles from Louth, Lincolnshire, a market town and rapidly becoming a tourist attraction, with 3 weekly markets in existence for centuries. There is a mix of shops including the market stalls, from small specialist shops, cheaper local clothing shops, very expensive clothing shops and outlets such as Argos, Heron, EWM and Peacocks. Some of the smaller shops do not take card or cheque payments and say so in their windows. The market stalls of course take only cash, but they have a wide selection of specialist food stalls: fresh seafood (Grimsby just 22 miles away) Bakery, Mediterranean, Asian, cheeses and dairy, local farm meat and veg, many different restaurants and cafes. Accompanied by the usual plant, music, book and clothing stalls and the guy who has been here forever selling any battery you can think of, along with a range of quartz watches from £1.
Louth and Horncastle are epicentres for most of the East Lindsey villages and market days are usually a cue for loads of villagers to arrive by the busload, accompanied by tourists. Wednesday is the largest market and can be hell on a sunny day if more than 2 or 3 coach trips arrive. All locals understand that cash is king on the market and the smaller shops, who do brisk business. Unfortunately, tourists who have not visited before neglect to read the ‘Cash Only’ signs and complain if they cannot use their plastic. These are the same people who are bamboozled by our narrow Georgian streets and prehistoric one way system, going round in circles trying to find parking spaces and ignoring the “P” signs. They also take up pavement space by standing 4 abreast and yakking to each other. On the whole, I would prefer to see them spend as much as possible and then be escorted down to the fast-running River Lud, wearing a large boulder around their necks…?
But seriously, ? back to the cashless debate: I love my cashless card, using it gives me cashback from my bank, and if I visit an urban environment, I know I will need no cash. In Grimsby, Skegness and Lincoln, it’s all I usually need. But in Louth there are places which sell fresh food, amongst other items and I know that I may have to pay cash, so I am forearmed by a visit to the ATM on the outskirts, before continuing into town. No ATM in Louth has been closed to my recollection, and several new ones actually installed. In our village we have only a mobile P.O. twice weekly and can draw cash there, from any bank account.
So it’s horses for courses. Cashless payments are fine, but in places like Louth, cash is still necessary.
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