Author Topic: You know you're middle aged when  (Read 186218 times)

ian

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #675 on: 25 April, 2018, 10:16:15 pm »
Bar Elba, on a rooftop opposite Waterloo. You pay for the roof terrace, I guess. That's a bit steep (for a can of Dead Pony anyway) even by London standards. It was sunny and warm though, which isn't necessarily standard for London.

A pint of boutique beer is usually upwards of a fiver in most places these days.

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #676 on: 25 April, 2018, 10:29:38 pm »
£4.80 was in "The Ring" opposite Southwark station.  Good beer as well.
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Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #677 on: 25 April, 2018, 11:07:09 pm »
They had internal door handles until unfortunate folk leant against them in moving trains, with predictably disastrous results.

I suppose this proves I am OLD...

There a significant number of bodies found trackside, people that had been on trains. I think the buffet cars were responsible for a good proportion of them.
It is simpler than it looks.

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #678 on: 26 April, 2018, 12:07:29 am »
I also remember when HST referred (in the UK) to only one type of train.  :D

I'm fairly sure it still does, at least in a train-spotter/cycle-space-nerd sense.  I'd expect 'HST' to mean "Class 43 with mark 3 coaches" (the ones with the silly door handles), as found on the Great Western and East Coast routes, and occasionally CrossCountry when you least expect it.

The Greater Angular electric loco hauled trains do a passable impression from a non-cyclist passenger perspective, but don't actually count.  If I had my way, that's what every inter-city service would use.

(I never used to be a train spotter.)

Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #679 on: 26 April, 2018, 07:13:33 am »
I think they were introduced as 225s, rather than HSTs

225s were suppposed to replace 125s as the amazing workhorse train. The ones I’ve been on in the last few years have been nothing of the sort, whilst the venerable 125 HSTs just keep on going.
It is simpler than it looks.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #680 on: 26 April, 2018, 08:09:03 am »
The HS125 was in service and regarded with much awe during my train spotting phase (1976/77 ish). It’s bonkers to think they are still going although I imagine they are much like Trigger’s Broom and have been rebuilt a few times.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #681 on: 26 April, 2018, 08:25:06 am »
Quote from: Jaded
... the venerable 125 HSTs ...
Stupidly I still think of these as "new" and stuff like the 33s and 47s as "old" when the classification should be "old" and "ancient" respectively or possibly even "ancient" and "antediluvian".

Anyway the reason I dropped by.  Another clue that you're middle-aged is that not only do you remember "old" money you still have half a ton of scrap metal and odd bits of scrap paper stuffed away in various boxes about the house.



Still at least I'm ready for Brexit and a return to all things "proper" where Britain resumes her rightful role in the world as a piratical free-booter looting the wealth of other countries whilst other countries are suitably grateful for our attentions and our unrivalled gifts of parliamentary democracy, free speech and knowing how to form a proper queue. And most importantly we return to a sensible and rational currency system which confuses the blazes out of Johnny Foreigner and lets us feel immeasurably superior (as is our right) once more.
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ian

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #682 on: 26 April, 2018, 08:53:55 am »
I know nothing of trains, other than the fact my American colleague failed to detrain at Didcot owing to a lack of internal door handle (he was quite reasonably puzzled by the omission and unhelped by the only other person trying to get off being an American tourist). A lucky escape you may think. Except in is second attempt to get back to Didcot from Paddington he got a train that didn't stop at Didcot. So he ended up going to Swindon.

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #683 on: 26 April, 2018, 09:00:12 am »
Quote from: Jaded
... the venerable 125 HSTs ...
Stupidly I still think of these as "new" and stuff like the 33s and 47s as "old" when the classification should be "old" and "ancient" respectively or possibly even "ancient" and "antediluvian".

Anyway the reason I dropped by.  Another clue that you're middle-aged is that not only do you remember "old" money you still have half a ton of scrap metal and odd bits of scrap paper stuffed away in various boxes about the house.



Still at least I'm ready for Brexit and a return to all things "proper" where Britain resumes her rightful role in the world as a piratical free-booter looting the wealth of other countries whilst other countries are suitably grateful for our attentions and our unrivalled gifts of parliamentary democracy, free speech and knowing how to form a proper queue. And most importantly we return to a sensible and rational currency system which confuses the blazes out of Johnny Foreigner and lets us feel immeasurably superior (as is our right) once more.

^  What he said.  And doesn't the Queen look young?

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #684 on: 26 April, 2018, 09:41:43 am »
You get thanked for letting someone out of an HST, by dint of knowing that there’s no internal door handle.
Bonus points for remembering when HSTs DID have internal door handles.

How about remembering the APT, and how it was cancelled because BR were too skint to build the special track it needed and passengers got seasick when it ran on existing rails?

And when they had to re-jig the timetable of the Edinburgh-Glasgow service so that trains in opposite directions didn't cross in tunnels and strike sparks off each other.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #685 on: 26 April, 2018, 10:11:40 am »
Some of the HST 125s have been rebuilt and sent to Scotland and Cornwall. They're withdrawing them from GWML, at least supposedly. What I was thinking of though was that it was the first train type in the UK at least to be officially classified as "high speed train". As for the door handles, despite having used those trains since the early 80s (certainly long before I was old enough to get drunk in the buffet car – in fact I don't think I've ever consumed alcohol on a train other than in the compartment with a big group travelling on a multiday sleeper train journey) I really don't remember them ever having internal door handles. I remember having to lower the window and use the external door handle before the falling out stuff, which led to the introduction of internal press buttons. And the problem, AFAIR, was (in addition to drunken passengers) that the doors had a two-stage lock; they would latch before being fully closed, which meant they appeared to be closed but could still be opened (either deliberately using the external handle or far more likely by leaning on them) from inside. So they introduced interlocks, meaning the train can't move until doors are locked.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

ian

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #686 on: 26 April, 2018, 10:45:29 am »
I confess I miss the death-defying nostalgia of the old carriage and multiple door trains that use to run to the south coast from London town. Proper day out those, lashings of beer, and the works. Always smelt a bit mouldy though. Unlike the new trains which just smell of stale sick and unemptied chemical toilets.

Mind you, it's unwise to trust the newfangled electrickery trains. I once, after a long evening, opened the door at the station and about to step out, my befuddled brain fortunately registered the lack of platform and any lighting before I stepped out. Long train had stopped at the 4-car sign...

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #687 on: 26 April, 2018, 10:48:17 am »
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #688 on: 26 April, 2018, 03:02:02 pm »
taught my daughter that early on.  I actually struggle with digital to a degree, particularly the multi segment type things and those that don't have curves, so can be confusing when upside down.

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

robgul

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Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #689 on: 26 April, 2018, 07:30:14 pm »
Quote from: Jaded
... the venerable 125 HSTs ...
Stupidly I still think of these as "new" and stuff like the 33s and 47s as "old" when the classification should be "old" and "ancient" respectively or possibly even "ancient" and "antediluvian".

Anyway the reason I dropped by.  Another clue that you're middle-aged is that not only do you remember "old" money you still have half a ton of scrap metal and odd bits of scrap paper stuffed away in various boxes about the house.



Still at least I'm ready for Brexit and a return to all things "proper" where Britain resumes her rightful role in the world as a piratical free-booter looting the wealth of other countries whilst other countries are suitably grateful for our attentions and our unrivalled gifts of parliamentary democracy, free speech and knowing how to form a proper queue. And most importantly we return to a sensible and rational currency system which confuses the blazes out of Johnny Foreigner and lets us feel immeasurably superior (as is our right) once more.

That 10 bob note is a bit tatty - for some unknown reason I kept a mint one, and pound note when they disappeared - and believe it or not I have an old white fiver ... and a few coins including a couple of silver threepenny pieces (round, like a current 5p - not the brass coloured with straight edges)

... and of course a Coronation Crown and a Churchill Crown   (that's 5 shillings, or 25p to you youngsters)


Rob

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #690 on: 27 April, 2018, 10:23:31 am »
Ah those were the days, ten bob note, gallon of fuel, out into the countryside, pie and a pint, come back with change. Sigh......
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #691 on: 27 April, 2018, 10:29:27 am »
Ah those were the days, ten bob note, gallon of fuel, out into the countryside, pie and a pint, come back with change. Sigh......

Nostalgia  :sick:   ;D

But how long did it take the average person to earn 10 bob?  You could probably do the same today with a 20 quid note and perhaps it would take the same amount of time to earn.  Obviously you'd need to make some careful choices as these days you could easily blow the best part of £20 on a pie and a pint.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #692 on: 27 April, 2018, 11:32:02 am »
https://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator_inflation2.html

I have seen articles which say if pay kept up with inflation min wage should be about £17 an hour.  Putting ten bob into the above calculator and selecting 1970 and 1960 suggests £5 and £8ish respectively...

£5 doesn't even do the fuel, or the pie or pint...

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #693 on: 27 April, 2018, 03:46:20 pm »
Ah those were the days, ten bob note, gallon of fuel, out into the countryside, pie and a pint, come back with change. Sigh......

Nostalgia  :sick:   ;D

But how long did it take the average person to earn 10 bob?  You could probably do the same today with a 20 quid note and perhaps it would take the same amount of time to earn.  Obviously you'd need to make some careful choices as these days you could easily blow the best part of £20 on a pie and a pint.

Just look it up in your pocket reckoner.
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20171223_133319 by David Martin, on Flickr
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #694 on: 27 April, 2018, 03:54:30 pm »
Bloody hell  ;D

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #695 on: 27 April, 2018, 03:58:21 pm »
It was my Father in Law's, not mine. I'm barely pre-decimal myself.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #696 on: 27 April, 2018, 04:16:48 pm »
In answer to the OP:

You can no longer see the hairs growing out of your ears

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #697 on: 27 April, 2018, 05:05:05 pm »
I'm still annoyed that my grandfather's slide rule (which he gave me when I didn't really know enough maths to use it properly) wasn't amongst the things I liberated from my parents' house.  He had one of those Sinclair calculators too, but I suspect that got binned after he died, because nobody had really cottoned onto the idea of Sir Clive's creations ever being collectable classics.

Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #698 on: 27 April, 2018, 05:09:09 pm »
I have my father's 5-figure logarithm book somewhere.
And I'm sufficiently old that, in the sixth form I was more accurate and faster than the calculators then available.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: You know you're middle aged when
« Reply #699 on: 27 April, 2018, 05:21:06 pm »
I'm still annoyed that my grandfather's slide rule (which he gave me when I didn't really know enough maths to use it properly) wasn't amongst the things I liberated from my parents' house.  He had one of those Sinclair calculators too, but I suspect that got binned after he died, because nobody had really cottoned onto the idea of Sir Clive's creations ever being collectable classics.
If you'd just like a slide rule, I might be able to bring one to Long Itch. If you want one with memories, then obviously I can't.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.