502 NAIVE OCCASIONAL PAPER 13/06/20

[Stanley]

502 NAIVE OCCASIONAL PAPER 13/06/20

I have, on occasion, been known to agree with the Greek philosopher who said that the unexamined life isn’t worth living. It’s no good simply agreeing, you have to put it into practice. It seemed like a good time to make some decisions yesterday and so for the entertainment of any Stanley watchers out there I thought I’d share what I decided.
First the question of the Covid pandemic. Being in my 85th year and under treatment for cancer and Type 2 diabetes I am regarded as someone who must be ‘shielded’, in other words complete lockdown to avoid infection because if I get the infection I am in greater danger of hospitalisation and probably death. Not a cheerful prospect but I have to take note and consequently have been practising social distancing and isolation ever since the start of the pandemic. In may cases this is seen as dangerous in itself because of the mental effects but in my case this hasn’t been a problem and I gave a lot of thought to why?
I haven’t got my head in the sand, life is a terminal disease and a natural end could be close. This doesn’t bother me in the least as when that time comes it will almost certainly be a happy release and Lord knows I have had an active and interesting life. But that’s selfish in a way, I have to think about the effect on other people, particularly my family who all love me to bits (they have told me so) and regard me as an anchor in the background of their lives. My daughters tell me that this is correct. So, the responsible thing is to try to live as long as possible. This has to be balanced against the fact that as the medical profession agrees that, on balance, the risk of Covid infection in attending hospital or the surgery is greater than any damage that could be caused by stopping cancer treatment and the Diabetes Clinic at the surgery. I had already come to that conclusion myself and put it into effect.
Assuming that this isn’t a clear and present danger I am left with my question, why am I in such good shape, free of pain and symptoms and as active as ever physically and mentally? My version is good genes, lots of physical work in my life, good routines and exercise, good nutrition, cooking and looking after myself, writing, researching and making steam engines in the shed. Never a dull moment and never ever bored. So what triggered yesterday’s self examination?
I’ve always loved doing things with my hands and machining metal in particular. Over the years I have built up an excellent workshop and used it to make and repair things. Apart from occasional calls for help from my friends when faced with something that they are told can’t be repaired (Always an excuse for simply selling you something!) my main activity is making working miniature steam engines. Most of the family already have an example and when I die the ones that have been left out will have the choice of several which clutter my house. When Great grandson Alex was born I made him a small engine and he is continually pestering his parents to hook it up to an air compressor so he can see it running. When Kahara was born last November I decided he had to have an engine as well so I got a set of very expensive castings and set to to make one. Six months later it is almost finished and this is what triggered me off into the examination.
I can only manage about two hours of concentration and machining these days but it counts as light exercise and is mentally challenging as well, you hit problems and have to invent a way round them. For the last six months I have had no problem as I have been fully engaged. However, this engine is almost finished and I can see the day when it runs and leaves home. I did my thinking and decided there was only one thing to do, buy another set of castings and make another beam engine for myself as I don’t have an example. I ran all this past Susan yesterday and she agrees totally with my thinking and in effect has given me permission to do it.
So why share this with all my friends? Simply because (and this applies particularly to the younger end) I’m confident I am on the right track and thoughts like these are worth sharing. Who knows, seeds might be planted!
There is a danger, thinking like this is arrogant in a way, I am talking to intelligent people who are perfectly capable of working all this out for themselves. On the other hand opening up like this to them might conceivably be useful and it’s doubtful if it will do damage. So there you are, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.
One last thing, I have given the workshop to Muthomi, Kahara’s father with all the associated books and he is over the moon. That will cushion the blow when I die as far as he is concerned because that’s when he gets it and all the family are in favour of this, it solves the problem of what to do when they are tidying up after me!
SCG/ 13/06/20



Kahara’s engine almost ready for running, it only needs the parallel motion and the valve gear.

[chinatyke]

..."it only needs the parallel motion and the valve gear."

Not much if you say it quickly!

I like your view, we should be ready for our inevitable demise, but to quote Muhammad Ali "enjoy every day as though it was your last - one day you'll be right!"

I'm 10 years behind you but still living on borrowed time for the same reasons as you. I don't let it worry me, as the chemist said "Urea today, Argon tomorrow"

[Tizer]

I'm burrowing further into my hobbies and interests, and so is Mrs Tiz with hers. We've just had to cancel a September Cornwall holiday, the third we've lost this year. But we're lucky, besides the indoor hobbies we can go for local walks and we've got an interesting garden with a lot of plants to care for. There's something new to see in the garden each day. We need all this because the outlook for the world is not good. I think it's going to become a case of `Events, dear boy, events' and we'll have to ride out the storms. I feel most for young people who are going to be more affected and for a longer time than I will. We've lived through a golden age but it's changing now. Times like this provide opportunities for great and far-reaching beneficial changes but that's no good unless you have the right people in power with the will and the sense to grasp those opportunities. Let's hope a new cadre of politicians will emerge worldwide.

[Whyperion]

I met someone in Barnoldswick ( or was it Otley ), he said - I have only been to Leeds once, and that was probably once too often. It may be we will have to lose our propensity to travel, will that be easier for rural areas? in the suburbs there are just too many people and too few facilities - shops, hospitals, schools are all concentrated a distance away. my families have moved from the old rural of say, Surrey and Kent to the growing cities (from areas that are now valued commuter places but might become bastions of home-working ). Locking down wont be fun for me If I dont have the thrill (?) of re-visitng London for the sake of it, or exploring new places. I have mentally given up re-visiting places I used to go in my young days, a pre-decimal, nearly colored in memory, black and white in photos, of day trips and holidays now have locations where people and shops I knew have gone, the continuity broke, and for the odd local places I probably cannot even explore the places I did with my son that we could (or cannot do) with my grandchildren.

[Stanley]

Nice replies, thanks. The kids like my view as well China and it's a nice way of reminding them that even their time is finite so they have to make the best of it and not end up loaded down by regrets.

[plaques]

I have mentally given up re-visiting places I used to go in my young days, a pre-decimal, nearly colored in memory, black and white in photos, of day trips and holidays now have locations where people and shops I knew have gone, the continuity broke, and for the odd local places I probably cannot even explore the places I did with my son that we could (or cannot do) with my grandchildren.

Before I got caught up with the obsession of photographing lumps of stone (plaques etc) I started a review of all the roads and streets in Burnley that had disappeared. Its amazing how many there are, or should that be are not? The Lancashire Mario maps have a transparency feature that lets you look at both maps through each other. Unfortunately its a fixed older map with few names on it. I became quite an expert on the subject so much so that if the family history people down in the basement of Burnley library saw me the would ask 'where was such and such street'. I may go back to the subject if I can come to grips with some transparency programmes.

[chinatyke]

Where was Apple Street Burnley?

[plaques]

Apple St. Being honest I can't remember. Its 20 years since I did my study. Knowing how Burnley liked to group its names I would guess at near Pear st. off Oxford road. I will look at my files and report back.

[Wendyf]

Plaques, have you explored the NLS maps website? The georeferenced viewer gives you layers of maps or there is the "spy" viewer which this link should show.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/spy/#zo ... 8&b=3&r=30

[plaques]

Wendy thanks for the link. Its very good but uses the same 1914 map for reference. Burnley did some of their own survey maps (held in the central library) which predates these but from memory doesn't go up Oxford Rd. I got a lot of info' from the old Barretts directories. I like your site and will have a good look at it.

[Tripps]

W - thanks for that link. Remarkable. I've quickly found the street (now demolished and a Morrisons supermarket I think) where my mother was born which I've been seeking for years.

[chinatyke]

Apple St. Being honest I can't remember. Its 20 years since I did my study. Knowing how Burnley liked to group its names I would guess at near Pear st. off Oxford road. I will look at my files and report back.

I'll tell you the story. Years ago I was a part-time private-hire taxi driver in Burnley and we operated from Oxford Road. It would be about 1967 - 1972. One night I was sent to pick up a passenger on Apple Street and I thought it was located below the level crossings on Hufling Lane, but I couldn't find it. I know Pear Street which was nearby the shop. When I got back to the shop we searched for the location of Apple Street and none of us could find it. Perhaps it was someone telephoning as a hoax, we didn't receive another call "when is my taxing coming?"

[plaques]

Perhaps it was someone telephoning as a hoax, we didn't receive another call "when is my taxing coming?"

Thank God for that. Looked at all my data base records no Apple st. One or two entries starting with Appletree. I thought it could have been the bit of Pear St on the other side of water gully. They are pulling Burnley down faster than ever. My records of 'missing' streets is now well out of date. Wendy's map idea is just what I was hoping to do but at a loss on how to do it. That's life.

[Whyperion]

Would it be Hepple Street or similar, a bit more easier with postcodes now.

[chinatyke]

Would it be Hepple Street or similar, a bit more easier with postcodes now.

Yes, it could have been just the controller mishearing the address but the strange thing is we didn't receive another call.

[Whyperion]

I once called a Cab firm to pick me up from a Pub - I called one in the next town as that was my destination and I figured they might have a taxi looking for a return job. I didnt know the other town had a Pub of the same name in a different part of it, and the cab went to the wrong one, I did call back, 2pm in the afternoon midwinter and snowing.

[Stanley]

Had quite a bit of feedback from my friends and on the whole they agree I am on the right track. Reassuring!

[Stanley]

Bumped.... Two years later I am down to one hour at a time in the shed....