WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[PanBiker]

For what attracted, I have two. First, noticed by my mate Neil yesterday, the back bracket on the exhaust of my car is broken. Cat converter is wobbling about. Booked in tomorrow with Tim for sorting and my pending MOT booked.

Second, my letter from LCC received this morning regarding my employment at West Craven High School. The letter is informing me that my employment has been transferred to Pendle Trust as the school has elected to convert to an Academy, the new status came into effect on the 1st September. I am told that all terms and conditions remain the same. I assume I will receive some form of communication from my new employers in due course.

[Pluggy]

The pain of a twisted ankle, following an ill conceived bit of DIY yesterday. Note to self : must listen to Mrs Pluggy's advice more often........

[PanBiker]

I feel you pain Stephen. I twisted mine coming down off the moor a couple of weeks ago. It's basically mended up but still gives a twinge if I walk any distance.

[Tizer]

My attention was caught by reading that at the beginning of WW1 there was a total among all the combatants of about 500 aeroplanes. By the end of the war the RAF alone (just formed from the RFC) had 26,000.

Also, we hear about the exploits of women aviators between the wars but how often do you hear about Harriet Quimby? She was the first woman to gain a pilot's license in the USA and in 1912 she became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Yes, 1912. There's a bit of girl power! Unfortunately she died shortly after the channel crossing while on another flight. Harriet Quimby

[David Whipp]

Ouch P!

Good luck with the academy Ian... I've studiously avoided jam-making this year; part of a half-hearted attempt to cut down consumption!

Update on Bankfield: contractors are spreading a waterproofing material on the concrete base of the former northlight area. This is to reduce the risk of flooding within the retained buildings at the site.

Chatted to a couple of the contractors about the demolition. They told me that the meticulous hand demolition of the boiler house was because of the gas pipe that went through the building to the new boiler house. The props against the new walls beneath the part of northlight roof which have been kept are there as a 'belt and braces' because the whole structure was found to have a lean on it when they began the demolition.

[Stanley]

David, one thing I have learned from dealing with demolition is that it is skilful surgery when it's done properly. Just like a post mortem, you learn all sorts about the building you are dissecting!
Wendy delivered Stephanie's new book. Col had given her time off from building duties.....

[Tizer]

I don't fancy eating the `pre-made spaghetti bolognese' that gets transported by trucks like these. Vehicles used for food and drink haulage are not normally used for any non-food purpose but this one looks more like a gravel or grain wagon!
`Road closed after pasta spillage on A5 in Shropshire' LINK
"A major road in Shropshire was closed after a lorry shed its load of pre-made spaghetti bolognese. Twenty tonnes of pasta covered the A5 near Shotatton, forcing police to close the road between the A483 at Oswestry and the A458 at Shrewsbury....."

I think I'll swap my VW Golf for one of these. I imagine Pluggy might like one too! Solar tuk-tuk

[PanBiker]

Belting storm for the last half hour and still going, more or less constant lightning.

[Pluggy]

Yep nice storm here, but no, I don't think I'd want a tuk tuk whatever its motive power.

[Stanley]

Biggest storm we have had for years and very appropriate because it came just as I got bad news.... To quote the Immortal Memory.... "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley". Don't ask, I'm keeping stum at the moment.

[Tizer]

And there was I, thinking that the solar-powered tuk-tuk was the answer to Pluggy's dreams...he could have fixed all sorts of measuring devices to it and recorded his use of energy etc. Never mind, one day he might have a car powered by one of those microwave propulsion engines that I mentioned on the Science thread and which seem to defy the laws of thermodynamics.

[David Whipp]

Certainly was a spectacular storm - with some spectacular rainfall too...



This is the chart of the depth gauge above the Youth Hostel on Earby (or Wentcliffe) Beck. At a maximum of 1.31m this is now the highest reading recorded at this location, the previous being 1.1m on 3rd July 2007.

Although the times are wrong (not sure what's going on there), it shows how quickly the depth of water increased - giving no warning of the wave of water heading towards people's homes on Red Lion Street, Water Street, Cemetery Road and Victoria Road. (At least it does if the EA gauge wasn't stuck... which I've asked them to check.)

Have spent the day in Earby (after brief visits to Barlick flooding issues near Colne Road and Manchester Road...).

Have identified a couple of relatively inexpensive schemes that would help to reduce the likelihood of some of the flooding we saw yesterday, but the key issue is getting EA to agree a major scheme to reduce risk of flooding in Earby overall.

[Tizer]

A van seen in Somerset. A steam cleaning company but just for a moment we did wonder... LINK

[Big Kev]

I removed the signage from The Cellar Bar on Rainfall Rd this morning revealing the Wellock and Sagar Grocers sign. I didn't have the means to take a pic but it'll be a little while before the new sign goes up.

[Stanley]

I rang Susan yesterday afternoon, she lives in Water Street (!) and was not flooded in the house but busy clearing silt from the back yard and the front. She said it was as bad as the Boxing Day flood but not as prolonged.
Later.... Funny the things that pop into your head. In Berlin we listened to AFN and one of the programmes was Stickbuddy Jamboree, country and western songs. The one that comes to mind is the bloke pinned to the tree by several arrows and singing 'It hurts inside where it don't show'.

[chinatyke]

It's been a funny day. It's mid-Autumn moon festival tonight, a time of great celebration and fun for the children. Does it coincide with the harvest festival in the west? As usual the Chinese have special food for the occasion, moon cakes. Sweet cakes made of peanuts, almonds and walnuts if you're lucky, Chinese plums, lots of other things, with a hard boiled egg yolk in the middle to represent the full moon. Not too bad in small portions if you're not counting calories.

Then I've had difficulty passing water all day. Just discovered I've put my boxers on the wrong way round.

And when I went on to our roof terrace to view the moon and the red lanterns floating in the sky there were a couple of cicadas in the garden. Very noisy as they chirped away but I quite enjoy listening to them.

Life in the Tropics. A long way from Barlick and my roots in Earby...

[Tizer]

Admit it, you miss the black puddings and potato pie!

[Stanley]

And the rickets....
No point in trying to explain what grabbed me yesterday.... So much happening from wonderful evidence of the strength of my kids to new technology. Is this lot good for a bloke my age I ask?

[David Whipp]

Feeling for you Stanley.

Apart from being overwhelmed by flooding, the other big issue in Earby this week was the announcement by the Youth Hostel Association that they were closing the town's youth hostel.

The latest on this is that, at a Pendle Council committee last night, I got agreement that the borough council will transfer the hostel to a local trust or the town council to keep it open.

Several years ago when YHA wanted to close the building I got Pendle to buy it as part of a rescue package and then lease it back to them on favourable terms. Hope the hostel has many more years of life in it yet!

[Stanley]

What's grabbed me this morning is the fact my miracle phone has gone dead. I think it's the charger. I am attacking it. I am so bloody frustrated because Whatsapp is a miracle.... Must get back on it!

[Big Kev]

What's grabbed me this morning is the fact my miracle phone has gone dead. I think it's the charger. I am attacking it. I am so bloody frustrated because Whatsapp is a miracle.... Must get back on it!

I've commented on the 'Computers' thread...

[PanBiker]

My daughter Carla's 38th birthday today, I remember it like it was yesterday and have to apologise to to all the good folk in Eastburn that I must have woken up with my celebrations at 5am when leaving Airedale Hospital. We go over for "Tea and Buns" later.

[Stanley]

People are so kind! Apart from the fact that Sam at Garlick's wouldn't take any money for the brand new cable I called in at Elaine's to make sure she knew. Heather was there, they knew and before you could blink they were both hugging me and they made me cry..... People are amazing......

[Wendyf]

Red mites. I hate them!! Been attacking them with my new hand held steam cleaner.

[Stanley]

I was thinking about you and the red mite not long ago. You're right and aren't they persistent little buggers! The steamer sounds like a good idea....
Why are all my daughters morphing into Jewish Mothers?