Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

Phew! I've been on tenterhooks all afternoon.

So have I .

[Sue]

Through the tunnel London in 25 minutes

[Big Kev]

Hurrah!

[Stanley]

So glad to see that you made it Sue.... Now I need to know what you did, book into a hotel or forward towards the North!
(Please don't go on holiday with this lot again.... It's too stressful for us stay at homes!
I shall be in the shed as usual for my morning session of occupational therapy. After second sleep nothing seems to be on my social calendar. Perhaps some light laundry and other housework is indicated......

[Sue]

Morning

Stanley we crossed the road from the station and have stayed in St Pancras Premier Inn overnight. Another couple also stayed here so we had a pleasant meal and a chat in the restaurant. We have a train to Leeds at 10 ,30 this morning and then onwards to Rochdale sometime in the early afternoon.

As for the holiday the part run by the Great Rail Journeys Company was superb , and this was agreed by pir whole party . The boat, food and facilities was extremely good with well organised guided tours daily. We certainly got to see the countries we passed through in the boat experiencing the history, the culture and the beauty and wewould certainly do something similar with this company again . They also responded very quickly finding us a coach for our 6 hour journey with very little notice , but obviously they could only book what was available at such short notice

However we would chose our mode of transport carefully in future and avoid anything to do with German railways if we can. On reflection we should have flown but we wanted to see the countryside as we travelled . Their trains may be comfortable but what we experienced is apparently typical of the way they run. Its not just the railways . Whilst out and about we were not impressed with 1 euro for toilets when often the toilets were not working or had so few cubicles the system could not cope with coach parties. Turnstiles let us in one at a time which took nearly all the time we had for a break yesterday. On one occasion we stopped and the toilets in the service area were ALL not functioning . I thought the area should have been closed as I thought there are supposed to be hand washing facilities where food is sold and eaten The men relieved themselves in traditional male way but it meant we had to stop again at another one for the ladies when time was already precious. The coach we were in had a toilet that was not functioning either and the free wifi was non existant. Again none of these issues are the travel companies fault. My overall impression is that public services and transport in Germany is dirty, non functioning , in efficient and lacks investment. What a comparison to the UK and France that we know so well .

Even when buying sandwiches or using facilities some only wanted cash others only a card. We had limited coins between us and there was a lot of sharing of change going on. I felt as tourists we were not made to feel welcome with few bilingual notices. All in all we felt thankful to be British. As we parted yesterday evening we had become quite a close knit group of fellow travellers and in a typically British way were beginning to laugh considerably about our adventures.

One thing that upset me was the way our courier and company representative, that guided us across this rail system , was blamed by some of the party for the things that went wrong when none of it was his fault. Sadly some were temporarily inconvenienced by some of the decisions he made but those decisions were always in good faith for the well being of the group. Bob and I feel he looked after us well, and was constantly having to think on his feet to resolve the issues that arose. We will make sure the tour company know that. As with all groups like this there was a core of moaners who did not listen to what was going on and what had caused the issues, as I pointed out to them the Company did not double book tickets, it was the compter system of ICE that sold tickets that had actually already been sold to the tour company some months before .

Needless to say as we walked out of the staion last night we were glad to be home, despite the rain falling on our heads, but would we do the same holiday again, yes we would but knowing what we know now we would fly rather than battle with the infrastructure of Germany. Today should be a relaxed if damp journey home. Have a good day all. Oh yes you may have noticed the time, my bodythinks its an hour later as I have been awake since 5 a.m

[Stanley]

Morning Sue. What a positive report despite your experiences! I'm glad that you eventually got back to London and found a bed so easily. I hope you have a pleasant trip North on what promises to be a day of sunny intervals and showers.



An unexpected problem this morning, a first, never happened to me before. I was working on the clevis to get some shape in the end and the thinnest leg broke off. I had to search my scrap box for a piece of brass that I could get a 5/32" blank out of. That took a while and I had to cut it out of a larger casting. Then I set to to get it to size. That's where I stopped and went looking for breakfast, there is no rush!

[Big Kev]

Feeding the roses with Tomorite, I have no idea what I'm doing but they keep growing

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[Tripps]

Splendid. . . Well done.

I have long worked on the principle that gardens prosper - despite, not because of, what you do to them.

However you've deffo got it right this time

Yes, you can use Tomorite (a tomato fertilizer) on roses. Tomorite is high in potassium, which promotes healthy blooms and can improve a rose's disease resistance. It's recommended to apply it during the growing season, particularly after the first bloom, to encourage a second flush of flowers.

[Big Kev]

Thank you

[Stanley]

I shall be enjoying an hour of Occupational Therapy in the shed. I quite welcome the fact that because of the failure of my clevis yesterday I have been jolted out of my normal course. Making a new, better clevis out of scrap is so satisfying. We are promised a sunny dry day so a walk is on the cards. One thing I ought to be doing is enquiring at Well Pharmacy to see if the system has worked as it is time for a refill. The Diabetes Nurse says I have been a good boy and she will authorise 12 months of repeats but experience teaches that this is where the system falls down, Time for a nudge I think......

[Stanley]

Quietly ahead with cleaning up the cast scrap brass stock then turning the boss on the end, drilling it with a No 32 drill and tapping 4BA for the valve rod. I stopped there because I had done half an hour and the next stage involves fitting the slitting saw to the VM. I want my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

We were home by 2.30 yesterday, the train to Leeds was a bit early so we managed to catch a train to Rochdale straight away. Once home we unpacked quickly as our main case is being transported for us so we only had our carry on bags. I had done what washing there was by the evening though I had to dry it in the drier as it was raining. The rain after all the sun has certainly made the garden grow but we had home grown runner beans and carrots for tea.

Today is mixed showers and sun, I will do some ironing and dead heading and I have yoga at the studio this evening. Have a good day all

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[Stanley]

Morning Sue, it must be nice to be home! I hope your case gets delivered efficiently.....

[Big Kev]

I wouldn't know where to start with all those plants

[Sue]

I wouldn't know where to start with all those plants

Just dead heading makes all the difference Kev . Bob is out with the hedge trimmer as I write. Two or tbree hours now then just titivate. Next big garden session will be September. Better than having to keep cutting a mossy lawn .

[Big Kev]

I wouldn't know where to start with all those plants

Just dead heading makes all the difference Kev . Bob is out with the hedge trimmer as I write. Two or tbree hours now then just titivate. Next big garden session will be September. Better than having to keep cutting a mossy lawn .

I can do the dead heading thing

I need to sort the climbing roses, there's quite a few dead bits on them.

[Stanley]

I have this image in my mind of Kev in a wide brimmed straw hat with a trug over his arm wielding a pair of secateurs in the sunshine......
I shall be in the shed for an hour and then most likely watching it rain through the window if the forecast is correct.

[Stanley]

I continued with the clevis and as you can see managed to finish it without a disaster like the last attempt. Now I deserve my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

Dead heading done and a couple shrubs with a short back and sides and everything looks better. That will do for a bit .

I see today is supposed to be about 18 to 19 degrees cloudy and dry. I think Bob will be off to the park this afternoon, I will probably do a bit of sewing. I have a few bits around I want to finish before we go to France for the summer and before I do my big annual clean of my sewing room next week.

Yesterday we received an email from the tour company offering us a very small discount on another holiday as compensation for not having a guided tour of Frankfurt . I was not impressed but perhaps all our complaints have not filtered back yet through the usual questionnaire which we filled in online on our return. I am not holding my breath . Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual this morning and later there is more chance of a walk because I suspect it may be dry.....

[Stanley]

No Image needed this morning. I had a choice this morning, either start on another element of the current build or have a maintenance morning where I cleaned up, had a chip chase and cleaned and oiled Mrs Harrison and my Vertical mill. I chose the latter. Not spectacular progress but good work which will help as I go forward. Now for breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

It was a sewing day yesterday and I managed to complete one task. Our suitcase arrived back during the afternoon so that was unpacked and a degree of washing was done. In the evening after yoga I wrote a letter of response to the meagre offer that had been made to us by the travel company. Admittedly it was only in compensation for the loss of a tour round Frankfurt but they are now in receipt of all the facts and I suggested they seek compensation from the German and Austrian rail companies and pass that on to us.

This morning I shall continue with the washing but we will also do our weekly walk to the bank with the moneys from the park railway. It promises to be warm dry and cloudy, have a good day all

[Stanley]

We have the same forecast here Sue although at the moment we have full sun! A walk is on the cards.

[Sue]

We have the same forecast here Sue although at the moment we have full sun! A walk is on the cards.

No full sun here, very dreary, little wind. I dried some washing overnight in the conservatory, some in the drier but the others are just hanging on the line . I don’t hold out a lot of hope

[Stanley]

We had quite a pleasant day yesterday overall. I had my walk to the pharmacy and Co-op.
This morning I shall be in the shed deciding what to do next. A short walk could be on the cards because the forecast looks dry and sunny..... We shall see later when I have had my second sleep.