WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tripps]

Maybe Dave can expand on this?

Sorry - I don't know anything more than is available on the web.

[Stanley]

Charing Cross could have been to keep the airwaves clear for the officers using Whatsapp at the police station....
How calm and mild it is first thing.

[PanBiker]

The Charing Cross exclusion zone is 100km radius which effectively takes out all of the SE of England. There are plenty of 70cm repeaters within the zone though. They are fixed duplex frequency of course and just outside the disallowed portion of the band. 100km exclusion is quite radical at that frequency,

Charing Cross 70cm Exclusion Zone

I want to know what there is that causes that hole down there.

Five minutes later and I have it! MOD are primary users of that portion of the spectrum even though they don't use it but that still renders it a secret.

[Tizer]

It's not called the Home Counties for nothing!

[plaques]

Not too familiar with the London layout but isn't Charing Cross near to Whitehall and the Ministry of defence plus Downing St. Perhaps Charing Cross is the frontman for the Buffoons Partygate exploits.

[Stanley]

I have a gallon tin of Cuprinol clear wood preserver if you kow anyone who could use it. Free to a good home.

[PanBiker]

I have a question, why do the TV news channels insist on having their reporters deliver the news from outside in a hurricane or any other extreme weather event, blizzards, floods and the like? It makes no sense, apart from making them take unnecessary risks it probably breaks quite a few of the bog standard H&S rules which are designed to protect employees. In addition it is counter productive as quite often you cant hear a word they are saying! Or do they put them there as picture tells a thousand words. I think we all know what bad weather and floods look like.

[plaques]

I have a gallon tin of Cuprinol clear wood preserver if you kow anyone who could use it. Free to a good home.

Stanley, As it so happens these high winds have ripped the felting off my summerhouse. Obviously I won't be doing anything in the short term. Unless someone is in need of it for a more urgent job I could pick it up this coming Tuesday.

[Whyperion]

The Charing Cross exclusion zone is 100km radius which effectively takes out all of the SE of England. There are plenty of 70cm repeaters within the zone though. They are fixed duplex frequency of course and just outside the disallowed portion of the band. 100km exclusion is quite radical at that frequency,

Charing Cross 70cm Exclusion Zone

I want to know what there is that causes that hole down there.

Five minutes later and I have it! MOD are primary users of that portion of the spectrum even though they don't use it but that still renders it a secret.

Looking at the map, I think there is RAF something or other at or near Northolt and Northwood Hills , plus the coastal defences of East Anglia-Essex, then Kent, Sussex and Hampshire to Portsmouth. Area seems to cover Harwell, one of the Chemical / Virus Labs (Pirbright?) Aldershot and the Army Training at Camberley. underground in London of course is the MOD, and a dedicated wired comms basically somewhere under Kingsway/Chancery Lane area. I dont think Charing Cross itself is special (waits for next Doctor Who Series), but it is where distances to London are traditionally measured from (I think it used to be the Mansion House at one time but was changed in Victorian Times - though the Charing Cross has moved a few yards since then. Charing Cross Met Police Station replaced the nearby Bow Street (runners) one, moving into the former Charing Cross Hospital Building in the 1980s (Charing Cross Hospital confusingly moved in the 1970s to Hammersmith, six miles to the west in London)

[Stanley]

The fact I had a damaged keyboard delivered yesterday and have got into all sorts of grief with the seller and Ebay. (I called in to the shop in Barlick and they don't have one.....) I am very close to forgetting all about it and taking the hit. It just isn't worth the hassle. (Made worse by the fact that my new registration on Ebay is being blocked by some sort of password police which I don't understand. If I vanish off the site come looking for me, it may have banned this log in as well!
Later, I have done some furtling, Mr Singh has only just registered this company (Possible Vision) after liquidating his previous company doing the same business from the same address. I know a dead end when I see it. I shall cut my losses and stop trying to get sense out of a dead end.
Half an hour later I have a 'new' keyboard. I have taken the face off the new board and installed it on the old one so I have what I was after, new keys! That's enough keyboard management for one morning....

[PanBiker]

Looking at the map, I think there is RAF something or other at or near Northolt and Northwood Hills , plus the coastal defences of East Anglia-Essex, then Kent, Sussex and Hampshire to Portsmouth. Area seems to cover Harwell, one of the Chemical / Virus Labs (Pirbright?) Aldershot and the Army Training at Camberley. underground in London of course is the MOD, and a dedicated wired comms basically somewhere under Kingsway/Chancery Lane area. I dont think Charing Cross itself is special (waits for next Doctor Who Series), but it is where distances to London are traditionally measured from (I think it used to be the Mansion House at one time but was changed in Victorian Times - though the Charing Cross has moved a few yards since then. Charing Cross Met Police Station replaced the nearby Bow Street (runners) one, moving into the former Charing Cross Hospital Building in the 1980s (Charing Cross Hospital confusingly moved in the 1970s to Hammersmith, six miles to the west in London)

Thanks for that, I knew someone would have local knowledge. What it actually boils down to is that the services that demand the exclusion of all others must be using pretty substandard equipment. If they are still using it of course. MOD are primary users but there is evidence that they don't use that section of spectrum at all any more. They wont relinquish it though as it a secret.

Total waste of resource just like the thousands of unoccupied service quarter houses they own up and down the country, each serving soldiers family could have five houses each or something equally as stupid. No one should have to sleep on the street especially ex service personnel.

[Tizer]

Talking about service houses...the MOD sold them off to a private company to get rid of the expense and thinking they wouldn't increase in value. While in the hands of the company their value has rocketed (as have house prices in general) and - would you believe it - the MOD agreed the contract which stated that it remained responsible for maintenance of the houses. That's an illustration of the level of competence of our ministers and mandarins in the 21st Century!
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Oh dear, someone's going to be in trouble for this...
`Luxury cars up in smoke after ship catches fire' LINK
`Thousands of Porsche and Volkswagen cars have been abandoned on a cargo ship after it caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean en route to the US. The ship, named Felicity Ace, was travelling from Emden in Germany before it caught ablaze off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands. German newspaper Handelsblatt reported the vessel was carrying 3,965 vehicles, which also included Audis, Lamborghinis and a small number of Bentleys. The ship's crew have been rescued.

[Stanley]

And they are thinking of buying much of the estate back as their agreement is costing so much.

[Tizer]

Here in Somerset we didn't realise Storm Eunice had ended and now they tell us we're in Storm Franklin! Since last night we've had continuous strong winds, averaging up to about 50mph, and continuous heavy rain. No chance of going for a walk. It's atrocious weather and for us it's forecast to carry on until after midday tomorrow. We had average wind speeds in the 70mph range during Eunice and now we've got conifers in our garden leaning at 45 degrees.
`Storm Franklin: More wind warnings after Storm Eunice' LINK

[Wendyf]

Same here Tizer apart from a short break and 4 inches of snow yesterday afternoon. There is a scary amount of water about never mind the wind!

[Wendyf]

Some remarkable drone footage of Scar House Reservoir in Nidderdale this afternoon.

Screenshot_20220220-165111_Opera.jpg

[Stanley]

Yesterday was wet and 'orrible. Today is starting even worse with heavy rain and very strong wind. I hope Wendy is OK. It's been a rough night and that extra 500 feet makes a lot of difference.

[Wendyf]

We are fine so far thanks Stanley, just stressed and weary of the battering! The power has been going off and on since just after six when we had an 85mph gust. I can't see any damage looking at the cctv cameras and I'm not going out to look till it calms down a bit! At least it's not waterworld like it was yesterday!

[Stanley]

Wendy, the forecast tells us we have passed the peak...... Glad you're OK.

[Tizer]

We've got a least one tree that will have to be taken out - it's now at an angle of 45 degrees. A metal patio table was blown about the garden last night.

Tripps will know about this local news; 'Newton's apple tree' succumbs to wind - and gravity!
`Cambridge University Botanic Garden's 'Newton's apple tree' falls in storm' LINK

[Stanley]

It is in the nature of trees to weaken and be blown over. Sorry you have lost one Peter.
As for 'Newton's Tree' or rather the clone of Newton's tree that will be replaced by another clone.... I'm reminded of the sweeping brush that was in constant use for over seventy years. It had only had two stails and three heads during that time.
I have my own topiary project. The lilac bush in the front garden has got to the stage where it has taken over and apart from killing all the mint it is blocking the light out of the front room. I will have a word with my friend Ian Capstick.... it has to go!

[Tizer]

It is in the nature of trees to weaken and be blown over. Sorry you have lost one Peter.

It's out now. The trunk will be sawn up to make a small log pile in the corner of the garden to encourage wildlife. At least our tree was not the size of the one that's fallen on Plaques and his neighbour's garden!

[Stanley]

Lots of people bemoaning the number of trees that are down but as a forestry experts said yesterday on R4. that's what trees do, it's perfectly natural and given a chance the tree cover will naturally renew.
Indeed, if anything, as old pics of Barlick Illustrate, left alone the trees take over!

[Stanley]

Later... DON'T PANIC! But I feel very strange and light headed so I have rung the ambulance before I end up unconscious on the floor. The lady at the ambulance service tells me I have done the right thing. There will be an Hour's wait at least.
More later I hope!

[Wendyf]

Fingers crossed that all is well Stanley.