Another busy day with no lunch, as I had lots of emails to answer, then a meeting, followed by an afternoon of phone calls with students and forum communications. But I’ve managed to finally escape and consume some cheddar, and I am now sat on the sofa where I am being harassed by Mochi the Cat who sees me as her personal entertainment system.
I think lunch is chicken legs with some form of citrusy salad. Mr Heavenly might be out, he was unsure earlier. If so I will do some studying.
I haven't made Parkin for a long time, so I'm hoping I haven't lost my touch. We'll know soon enough, a piece each will be consumed with our after-tea coffee. It is easy pasta for tea because there's a lot happening today and I need something quick and, um, easy.
We ended up doing coffee and lunch out in Nearby Town, around the appointments we had for our flu jabs, as well as various errands, and this afternoon I've had a zoom meeting with another scheduled for this evening. I'm currently feeling A Tad Peculiar and needing to drink Lots of Water; don't know if it's a reaction to the jab or to what I ate for lunch.
Me and Mrs LB have been walking between railway stations on the Hope Valley line from Dore and Totley probably finishing at Hazel Grove. Not directly (be bloody dangerous if you kept to the exact route) given some of them are only a couple of miles apart but more circuitously. Mostly half day saunters although Edale to Chinley is going to be a bit of a hike as that's where the railway line runs through a tunnel for a very, very good geographical reason.
Today was Bamford to Hope via Bamford Mill and Win Hill, followed by a very acceptable Hophead (pint thereof) and brie and bacon ciabatta lunch in Hope. 1000' was climbed and around six miles covered.
Me and Mrs LB have been walking between railway stations on the Hope Valley line from Dore and Totley probably finishing at Hazel Grove.
Hazel Grove is not on the Hope Valley line. You would need to change stations at New Mills to get there from Hope. (I used to work in New Mills, and was for a time commuting by train from Levenshulme.)
And in fairness, there is one train a day direct from Sheffield to Hazel Grove (via Disley Tunnel I presume) via the Hope Valley Line, albeit an express with limited stops.
@KarlLB When I see “One train a day” I’m reminded of the old “Parliamentary Trains” that were a requirement of many railways in the mid-nineteenth century!
@KarlLB When I see “One train a day” I’m reminded of the old “Parliamentary Trains” that were a requirement of many railways in the mid-nineteenth century!
Stockport to Stalybridge operated on that basis for some years (1992 - 2018) - one train a week (on a Friday) in one direction only. Changed to Saturday with service in both direction in 2018, It now (since 2022) has apparently two trains per week in both directions, both running on Saturdays.
I spent the morning in small town the west leafleting for our candidate in the upcoming council by-election. She'll be a great asset to the County Council if she's elected but it isn't really fertile territory for our party. The people she spoke to seemed quite friendly which is good. Home for a quick lunch and then off to a pottery workshop in the afternoon. I thought I wouldn't get there as I live on the other side of a level crossing from town and some idiot had driven into the gate breaking it. The police wouldn't let pedestrians cross in case a train turned up. Fortunately after about five minutes someone from Network Rail appeared and we allowed through. The class was excellent and I will have a pottery robin in time for Christmas, the tutor having taken it away to fire and paint for us. The gates were still broken when I came back and the police were stopping cars from crossing but pedestrians were allowed through. It'll be interesting to see if its working when I go into town tomorrow.
I saw an "interesting" video recently from Chris Spargo who told us that to close a rail route is very complicated and if you subsequently decide to open it again it is even more tricky. Therefore they reduce the service to the minimum once a week. He was making this video on a bus because one once a week service had moved to the road as they were using a section of the particular line it went on for some experimental stuff.
I couldn't eat all my tea yesterday evening - though I'm pleased to report that the Parkin was Satisfactory - and after my last meeting of the day I headed straight to bed. Once I'd had breakfast this morning all Peculiar Feelings seemed to disappear, which I'm thankful about. We've been to Coffee at the Village Hall this morning.
Domestics and catching up on the phone with a friend this afternoon (who has finally exchanged contracts on her house sale and purchase after weeks of waiting - phew!), salmon and roast vegetables for tea and the Celebrity Traitors for our TV viewing pleasure later.
I saw an "interesting" video recently from Chris Spargo who told us that to close a rail route is very complicated and if you subsequently decide to open it again it is even more tricky. Therefore they reduce the service to the minimum once a week. He was making this video on a bus because one once a week service had moved to the road as they were using a section of the particular line it went on for some experimental stuff.
The Transport Act of 1981 introduced the "Speller Amendment", which allowed a line to be opened on an "experimental" basis and, if unsuccessful, closed without going through the usual procedures. After five years though any closure proposal must be treated in the normal way. There have been stations (eg Newhaven Marine, now "properly" closed) which have been served by trains ... which didn't actually carry any passengers because the platform was deemed to dangerous to use!
But we digress ..... I went shopping early, then did some church work and had a swim. I am now contemplating some washing-up while my wife listens to "The Archers".
A busy day in Arkland the Autumnal, where many of the Trees, with which the great, grey, greasy Arklando River is all set about, are displaying some splendid colours. There's a row of roadside trees near the Pilates studio which, in Spring, are of a dazzling green which looks as though God had only just invented it. In Autumn, they turn to a bright yellow which also looks as though God had only just invented it...IYSWIM...
Today's programme was (a) flu jab* at the village GP, (b) Shopp Ing at Tess Coe, (c) visit to Arkland HQ to collect box of acrylic paints for Railway Muddling porpoises, and (d) back to the Mechanical Man for MOT retest and repair of tyre pressure monitoring system - all successfully done. Lunch will probably be a BAKED SPUD and a STEAK PIE with MUSHY PEAS.
The Mechanical Man had previously warned me that a scan costing £50 might be needed to sort out the tyre pressure issue, but it wasn't, and the bill came to just £15.60 (on top of the £35 MOT fee paid on Tuesday - retest is free). This is why I go to this garage - they have never (in 20 years) charged me for anything they haven't done, and their prices in any case are quite reasonable by today's standards.
*No ill-effects at all - so far! - and I was also able to book my Covid booster for early November, to be done at the local surgery. This saves me having to search online for a place where disabled parking might be available - I know that I can always park at the village GP, as they have quietly given me leave to use the staff car park if necessary.
BTW, yesterday's outing with the Ladies who Lunch went well. The place we patronised offers some 'Chef's Specials' (though I guess many places also do now), so I had Pan-Fried Calf's Liver on a Potato Cake (filled with various Vegetables), with Bacon, Parsnip toasts, and a Cherry & Chive Sauce...
Lemon Meringue to follow, and two large glasses of a Portuguese red wine (Dao).
Good news about your car @Bishops Finger ; in fact, it sounds like a successful day all round and glad you've had no post-flu-jab ill-effects. I feel fine today but I do have an achey arm. Also glad to hear you enjoyed your outing with the Ladies Who Lunch. Having been a Lady Who Lunches in our previous place of inhabitance, I hope to become one again in the fullness of time as I get to know Local Ladies better.
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire autumn is behaving oddly, no doubt due to the extra-hot summer. A large tree just down the road has shed a lot of brown leaves but the leaves that remain on it are still green. Although it's nice to see the autumn sunshine, and good for those of us who are as solar-powered as possible, I'm very concerned about how dry everything is. We need rain, and lots of it - gentle and steady, overnight every night for several months.
This morning I went to quite a fun activity, when the kids from Captain P's (Catholic) school did a guided tour of their local church. It was really interesting, and I also learned that I had somehow managed never to notice a gigantic Tintoretto painting on the wall (to be fair, it's in a side chapel).
After that I came home to Clean Ing, and then Beethoven. Rehearsal is tonight, preceded by the AGM, which, unusually for French people, the committee attempt to expedite as quickly as they can possibly get away with.
Tomorrow is a teacher training day, so the school holidays have effectively started this evening.
Yesterday was a bit busy, with Scrabble group and choral society. A chunk of the rehearsal was taken up with photos, as those on our website are way out of date, so we had to wear concert attire - apart from one tenor, who obviously doesn’t read his email reminders.
Today I woke late as I had a big chunk of wakefulness in the night. After lunch my son came and mowed the back lawn and tidied a bit more of the front.
Church choir practice has been cancelled tonight as our MD is unwell. This means I can go to practice with the choir I agreed to help out at their Evensong next Thursday, though it will mean missing my own rearranged choir practice, so I am rather conflicted.
I was thinking on the way to work that the trees here are still looking nicely leafy: they are beginning to turn, but (touch wood) we haven't yet had a big enough blow for them to plummet en masse.
Supper was part 2 of the veggie curry. I think what's left will be boxed up and frozen: I'm going out with a few of the ladies from church tomorrow evening to a local Italian eaterie, so the curry will do for another time.
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Another busy day with no lunch, as I had lots of emails to answer, then a meeting, followed by an afternoon of phone calls with students and forum communications. But I’ve managed to finally escape and consume some cheddar, and I am now sat on the sofa where I am being harassed by Mochi the Cat who sees me as her personal entertainment system.
I think lunch is chicken legs with some form of citrusy salad. Mr Heavenly might be out, he was unsure earlier. If so I will do some studying.
We ended up doing coffee and lunch out in Nearby Town, around the appointments we had for our flu jabs, as well as various errands, and this afternoon I've had a zoom meeting with another scheduled for this evening. I'm currently feeling A Tad Peculiar and needing to drink Lots of Water; don't know if it's a reaction to the jab or to what I ate for lunch.
Today was Bamford to Hope via Bamford Mill and Win Hill, followed by a very acceptable Hophead (pint thereof) and brie and bacon ciabatta lunch in Hope. 1000' was climbed and around six miles covered.
Hazel Grove is not on the Hope Valley line. You would need to change stations at New Mills to get there from Hope. (I used to work in New Mills, and was for a time commuting by train from Levenshulme.)
Veggie curry for supper.
Stockport to Stalybridge operated on that basis for some years (1992 - 2018) - one train a week (on a Friday) in one direction only. Changed to Saturday with service in both direction in 2018, It now (since 2022) has apparently two trains per week in both directions, both running on Saturdays.
Domestics and catching up on the phone with a friend this afternoon (who has finally exchanged contracts on her house sale and purchase after weeks of waiting - phew!), salmon and roast vegetables for tea and the Celebrity Traitors for our TV viewing pleasure later.
The Transport Act of 1981 introduced the "Speller Amendment", which allowed a line to be opened on an "experimental" basis and, if unsuccessful, closed without going through the usual procedures. After five years though any closure proposal must be treated in the normal way. There have been stations (eg Newhaven Marine, now "properly" closed) which have been served by trains ... which didn't actually carry any passengers because the platform was deemed to dangerous to use!
But we digress ..... I went shopping early, then did some church work and had a swim. I am now contemplating some washing-up while my wife listens to "The Archers".
Today's programme was (a) flu jab* at the village GP, (b) Shopp Ing at Tess Coe, (c) visit to Arkland HQ to collect box of acrylic paints for Railway Muddling porpoises, and (d) back to the Mechanical Man for MOT retest and repair of tyre pressure monitoring system - all successfully done. Lunch will probably be a BAKED SPUD and a STEAK PIE with MUSHY PEAS.
The Mechanical Man had previously warned me that a scan costing £50 might be needed to sort out the tyre pressure issue, but it wasn't, and the bill came to just £15.60 (on top of the £35 MOT fee paid on Tuesday - retest is free). This is why I go to this garage - they have never (in 20 years) charged me for anything they haven't done, and their prices in any case are quite reasonable by today's standards.
*No ill-effects at all - so far! - and I was also able to book my Covid booster for early November, to be done at the local surgery. This saves me having to search online for a place where disabled parking might be available - I know that I can always park at the village GP, as they have quietly given me leave to use the staff car park if necessary.
BTW, yesterday's outing with the Ladies who Lunch went well. The place we patronised offers some 'Chef's Specials' (though I guess many places also do now), so I had Pan-Fried Calf's Liver on a Potato Cake (filled with various Vegetables), with Bacon, Parsnip toasts, and a Cherry & Chive Sauce...
Lemon Meringue to follow, and two large glasses of a Portuguese red wine (Dao).
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire autumn is behaving oddly, no doubt due to the extra-hot summer. A large tree just down the road has shed a lot of brown leaves but the leaves that remain on it are still green. Although it's nice to see the autumn sunshine, and good for those of us who are as solar-powered as possible, I'm very concerned about how dry everything is. We need rain, and lots of it - gentle and steady, overnight every night for several months.
It did...
After that I came home to Clean Ing, and then Beethoven. Rehearsal is tonight, preceded by the AGM, which, unusually for French people, the committee attempt to expedite as quickly as they can possibly get away with.
Tomorrow is a teacher training day, so the school holidays have effectively started this evening.
Today I woke late as I had a big chunk of wakefulness in the night. After lunch my son came and mowed the back lawn and tidied a bit more of the front.
Church choir practice has been cancelled tonight as our MD is unwell. This means I can go to practice with the choir I agreed to help out at their Evensong next Thursday, though it will mean missing my own rearranged choir practice, so I am rather conflicted.
Supper was part 2 of the veggie curry. I think what's left will be boxed up and frozen: I'm going out with a few of the ladies from church tomorrow evening to a local Italian eaterie, so the curry will do for another time.