Author Topic: A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own (Read 3006903 times)

andrewc · « **Reply #24475 on:** 30 September, 2019, 09:03:12 pm »

Just got a train from Preston to Liverpool. A brand new shiny train, I think from googling a Class 195. A very noisy & uncomfortable ride, lots of side to side swaying & lots of vibration coming through the chassis. I had a bottle of beer on the fold down table & it was shaking all over the place. No bins for rubbish either. I forget to check if it had any bike accommodation.

yorkie · « **Reply #24476 on:** 30 September, 2019, 10:25:27 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 30 September, 2019, 09:03:12 pm

Just got a train from Preston to Liverpool. A brand new shiny train, I think from googling a Class 195.

Electric train or diesel? I ask as the class 195 diesels are only supposed to be on Manchester Airport to Cumbria and Airport to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington services. Liverpool to Preston (and on to Blackpool North) services are supposed to be class 331 electrics. The fact that they are absolutely identical apart from the power source doesn't help with identification, of course!

ETA: I think the cycle carriage area is just the standard Northern "chuck it against the tip-up seats (if you can get near them) and hope it doesn't fall over" variety.

andrewc · « **Reply #24477 on:** 30 September, 2019, 10:35:51 pm »

No idea, not really a train spotter

. I just saw that it was brand new & googled for Northerns new toys. I did see that the 195 & 331 were identical apart from their power though. I couldn't see any labels on the internal seat diagrams saying what it was.

yorkie · « **Reply #24478 on:** 30 September, 2019, 10:45:07 pm »

No worries, just being nosey!!

Apparently, they are so similar that the only difference between the driver's cabs is that the diesel has engine start & stop buttons and the electric has pantograph up & down buttons!

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24479 on:** 01 October, 2019, 09:21:23 am »

Quote from: yorkie on 30 September, 2019, 10:25:27 pm

ETA: I think the cycle carriage area is just the standard Northern "chuck it against the tip-up seats (if you can get near them) and hope it doesn't fall over" variety.

The best sort in some ways.

andytheflyer · « **Reply #24480 on:** 01 October, 2019, 12:56:21 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 24 September, 2019, 02:54:55 pm

I have just booked a week on a narrowboat for Jan and me. 7 nights from Middlewich along the Shropshire Union Canal. That's something we haven't done before but have quite often talked about...

If you are into craft beer and heading W towards Llangollen, the Willeymoor Lock pub near Whitchurch is good. Food's not bad either. Similarly the Horse and Jockey a couple of miles further on at Grindley Brook - but the food is a bit better IMHO.

The Dusty Miller and the Cotton Arms at Wrenbury are OK too. Horse and Jockey is the best though. All are on the canal.

Canal side pubs a bit thinner on the ground after that going W.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24481 on:** 01 October, 2019, 01:44:26 pm »

As it's now October, I am wearing long trousers instead of shorts. Not sure if this was sensible, but fashion dictates, obviously. (Oh?)

Beardy · « **Reply #24482 on:** 01 October, 2019, 03:03:29 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 01 October, 2019, 01:44:26 pm

As it's now October, I am wearing long trousers instead of shorts. Not sure if this was sensible, but fashion dictates, obviously. (Oh?)

Still in shorts here, though a pair of jeans have been worn once or twice.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24483 on:** 01 October, 2019, 06:04:08 pm »

Euphemism of the day: the local CTC email newsletter says that someone "has a number of cycling jerseys and jackets to dispose of after deciding that he has been buying too small."

Andrij · « **Reply #24484 on:** 01 October, 2019, 09:31:09 pm »

Quote from: Beardy on 01 October, 2019, 03:03:29 pm

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 01 October, 2019, 01:44:26 pm
As it's now October, I am wearing long trousers instead of shorts. Not sure if this was sensible, but fashion dictates, obviously. (Oh?)
Still in shorts here, though a pair of jeans have been worn once or twice.

In shorts as well, but the local temperature hit an unseasonable 30℃ today.

T42 · « **Reply #24485 on:** 04 October, 2019, 08:57:33 am »

MrsT needs closed captions these days:

Me: The back of my neck is cold
She: Been sitting with your legs crossed?

Beardy · « **Reply #24486 on:** 04 October, 2019, 10:42:58 am »

After boasting about continued short wearing earlier in the week, this unit now needs to report that trousers have been worn for two consecutive days. I now suspect that none trouser wearing will become a minority activity for the remainder of this year.

T42 · « **Reply #24487 on:** 04 October, 2019, 01:04:42 pm »

Yeah. Leggings for me yesterday - ave 13°C on ride yesterday. Thought that cold in comparison with October last year, and so it was. Then I looked at 2017 and 2016: it turns out that Oct 2018 was unusually warm, so what we have now is normal.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #24488 on:** 04 October, 2019, 08:34:48 pm »

We've just been dicussing how Pingu's been wearing leggings and I've been wearing shorts

, despite leaving an hour earlier than Pingu in the mornings.
I was very unhappy to be wearing fingerless mitts on Tuesday morning though.

ian · « **Reply #24489 on:** 04 October, 2019, 08:51:47 pm »

Fuck it, the heating is now officially ON.

Sixteen bloody degrees in the kitchen and I'm trying to bloody prove some pizza dough.

hellymedic · « **Reply #24490 on:** 04 October, 2019, 09:01:48 pm »

The neighbourhood detonations started tonight. Suspect they'll continue for 5 weeks now. At least Diwali is early...

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #24491 on:** 04 October, 2019, 11:10:45 pm »

Ahhhh. That explains the fireworks earlier.

Kim · « **Reply #24492 on:** 04 October, 2019, 11:27:35 pm »

Quote from: ian on 04 October, 2019, 08:51:47 pm

Fuck it, the heating is now officially ON.

Sixteen bloody degrees in the kitchen and I'm trying to bloody prove some pizza dough.

Ours decided to come on properly a few days ago (red is daily minutes of heating, blue is daily average indoor temperature, green is daily average outdoor temperature):

(Let's disregard that pixel of heating in August. Stupid BRITISH weather.)

ElyDave · « **Reply #24493 on:** 05 October, 2019, 05:39:05 am »

Belgian weather would definitely have warranted trousers last week even if I'd not been there for work. With 14deg predicted today, audaxing will definitely be in shorts though. Annoyed I can't find my long fingered gloves though.

T42 · « **Reply #24494 on:** 05 October, 2019, 08:05:46 am »

Apart from Monday it looks as if we'll be having BFO rain for the next week. We're getting everything we should have had in July & August at one go.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24495 on:** 05 October, 2019, 05:53:23 pm »

Sounds like you're having our weather delayed by a week.

MacB · « **Reply #24496 on:** 05 October, 2019, 06:01:37 pm »

I just read Glasgow in Winter is like The Walking Dead with added seagulls

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #24497 on:** 08 October, 2019, 01:58:46 pm »

Just had a letter through the post about a "census rehearsal" at the weekend. I wasn't aware the census needed to be rehearsed. Is this a thing now?

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24498 on:** 08 October, 2019, 03:03:06 pm »

Apparently so.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/2019rehearsal

Quote

Why we’re holding a rehearsal
The rehearsal is an important opportunity for us to test the processes, systems and services we’ll need to use for Census 2021.

hellymedic · « **Reply #24499 on:** 08 October, 2019, 03:40:24 pm »

Whereas an interviewer from ONS is scheduled to visit our 'random household' this time next week.

They've sent me a £5 gift card from love2shop, which might not be worth redeeming.