Alt.Mustardland

Hope you are well and within Contact of all "The Services".

I Recent weeks I needed advice and contacted "Age -(something)" - It seems that what was called "Age Concern" seemed to have sub-contacted Their work to another Outfit in South Essex (Was it "Age Matters?") founded by a Basildon MP, but since then seems to have a variety of names, so The call-back was from "Age UK" back in the original "Age Concern" who's Offices is an Old Manor now surrounded by Industry in Widford, (once a town, but absorbed into Chelmsford - Now as "City of Chelmsford"). .. Not easy from here via two buses to fit their short opening hours.
He was Useful, but for a Partiular problem aimed me to "Peabody". I may have mentioned that I have avoided this outfit. When I was a Child, My Mother was a "Foster Mother" to a London Council Borough - I remember of all sorts of the odd parentless children coming from all sorts of places, many of whom were from Peabody's Multi-Homes enourmous blocks of tmy flats (When Mum died, I found a press cutting in Her Purse after her death, of the drowning of a recently ex-Fostered child who had fell into The Thameside Docks). No doubt things were different in "them days" of rationing and so on. But I was very reluctant to get involved with Peabody.... It seems that "Peabody" had absorbed the "Family Mosaic" that My Local Hospital Had sent to assist me after my stroke of three years ago. Thus I had TWO outfits to lean on.
Peabody took some time to find me a regular Appointment, and I had another problem re My Pension had suffered from the change of my address re Council Tax, so to get immediate advice, I went to the C.A.B. Without going into the complexities of trying to gain their interest when I was already dealing elsewhere????? they did help, but I now have three outfits - each one telling me to apply to a fourth or fifth helper. I seem to keep more balls in the air at once that I had in the first place..

In the middle of all this, mail started to be sent to me at the "New Address" - but I had by now had a Polling Card last Nov for the New Address, so I have written cause told my Insurers to change my address Now that I had Documentary Notice. They sent a new a/c starting from April Fools day. The result was van Extra £5 per month.

My Insurers were Not an outfit I Liked - or even knew much of them, but a renewal came up during my "Stroke" and I was in Hospital- three years ago", and thus not able/competent to see ny renewal of my, then Insurers (Woolwich taken over by Barclay) so renewel with (yes another "Helper"), from a Hospital Visitor from "The Stroke Society", via an insurer Known as Saga. At the next renewal I still was not firing on "all six cylinders".

But back to Recent times. The "Age whatever-its-called" was alarmed at my monthly Premium without much cover, but that was without the Change of address increment, so I was Shopping around. The Cheapest was less than a third of the SAGA Cost. At that point I got a letter from SAGA that their Underwriters would NOT cover my new address, and aimed me to contact their underwriters credit status. That,s when it got complicated......

I tried phoning the Credit outfit - But they are on "Limited Hours and suggested that I apply "online"
I put in e-mail address, and invented a password, and secondarry "easy to remember" name - Then it all went wrong...
My pooter sent totally diffent characters to what I'd typed in - Thought it was a pooter failure so re-started - I couldn't get access to re-open - No response from Keyboard or Mouse. Just to confuse: there is an additional "lock" on this pooter necessitating the Mouse and Keyboard to get through the start up programme.
Decided it needed a new Keyboard - Waited till Wilkco Hardware shop was opened and bought a Keyboard (their last). Modern keyboards have Radio (rather than Cable) conn to pooter. Didn't work because the Old keyboard had put some software that wouldn't allow connection to enter the password to get access to "Lock".
Had to go to a more distant shop (Tesco) the next day to buy a conventional (BUT EXPENSIVE) Keyboard, again their last - Not a Priority in their delivery rosters - and another day lost up to the Insurance expiration.
This Time I got through to SAGA insurance by phone - Very difficult to make contact and to get through to their man Working at home, and for Him to get my records from his Office (Four attempts on his part).
He understood the Address problem, had scrubbed the Underwriters, and wrote a clean sweep to the 14 underwriters that He had access to "at home".
After a couple of more phone enquiries, he had provisional arrangements with an outfit that needed more details - hence the necessity to know what sort of trees that I had in my garden, and hence the necessity for me trying to find the breed of tree that was near my house.
The Bloke I was talking to says(?) that He was a Diector of SAGA, and would (after several attempts) get the Underwriters Director to agree that as I'd lived here since 1980, and the trees had not yet uprooted my house, would He accept that my house was safe...

Next Call: Two things. 1) He had got such an agreement but SAGA's office phones and e-mails were under heavy overload so would not get the policy immediately printed, signed and despatched, but 2) He could record my verblal agreement, He could authorize immediate (From midnight on 31st March 24.00/ 00.00 1st April) for continuation .
In the circumstances this seemed the best that I could acheive.

Since then.... One of the manny "Help Groups", - Laura from Peabody - phoned to ask Potential problems (Could I get Food, How much Pills do I have, Do I have my GP's postal and telephone address and does GP have my e-mail contact ... and so on...). But she also tells me that an insurance needs 14 days for me to accept/deny. (from its implementation date, (All Fools Day) So I would like to pursue the other Insurers that I had tried, but "in normal working hours" it might be expedient re my Credit record to approach my Bankers (not the cheapest, but still a third of Saga) re insuance within the 14 days IF I can get access to my Banks insurance dept (Dublin - don't ask why? - and The Local Branch is opened on VERY limited hours - as are the bus routes).

No My Board name dates from another Job - The Other person of my name was in Canada - but I can't remember if that was with Joe Lucas Diesel Pumps (A war in Afghanistan had The Army Losing either their Vehicles, or their Helicopters, depending on which of their Fuel-tanker deliveries had been blown up, so they wanted The same fuel for both Lorries, and Helecopters - Hence the hurried change of Deisel Pumps) OR ... It may have been with York Trailers here in Sunny Basildon - You may have met one of their own Staff at a Mustard Meet.

On another subject (No, we weren't discussing it, but we are now)
Your Historical Knowledgeis better than mine. See what you make of this.
Whilst sorting out 60 years of work, I just found some paperwork on a Railway job, back in the 1990's.

This may amuse: There was some talk of giving the Motrice (Locomotives) Names, of heroes from their relevant Countries. There was a Mortrice at each end (top and tail) of each trains. So Imagine Napolean, leading Wellington, into Waterloo, for the Brussels train????

International comradery seems to have cone to a stop. For some reason the Loco's were never named.........................??????

I wonder if I wasted my Working Days.

Of course you didn't waste your time. They paid you, didn't they?

You do seem to be making progress wit your correct address. The Poll Card was a coup de foudre. If of a different style.

If I remember I'll ask my Railway friend if he recalls the Motrice.
I was struggling to collect my prescription today. 3 or 4 years ago I thought it wasn't working so requested a brand I knew was effective. Maybe because I was ill with something else, my request had gone to the bottom of the Brand specific pile. Once the pharmacy had agreed what the customer actually needed, they turned us out to wait in the car park in studiously distanced 2 metre poses. Eventually the called me back in to receive half of the prescription and an 'owing' ticket to be delivered to my home sometime next week, as I was on the delivery list. Everyone was surprisingly polite. The supermarket was similarly polite.

The odd things about those trains was that UK had 16 Trains (32 Loco/Mortrice) to serve Paris and Brussels, Paris had twice as many? -32 (to serve only UK) and Belgim had .... 3. The "Mortrice" was the Drivers Cab, plus loads of signalling gear (UK, Tunnel, SNCF and SNCB, and Dolland Moor for the Freight exchange that the Line went through.) and even more Current Collection varietis (25,000 Volts UK and High-Speed SNCF, High reach (For the Chanel Tunnel Lorry/bus transporter route) DC for Belgium, and the "Third Rail DC for South London) Incredibly Complicated Mortrice, especially for the Driver Who was In phone conversation with the Next section - not just the Line He was running on, and Taking signals several Miles before He/She actually change electrics or signals or phone.
.. and to bore you even more .. there were six axles with motors, and the last two were actually in T1 (The first Passenger of 9 cars).. and then of course to the Mortrice at the Other End (Mortrice and Nine articulated Cars, back to back with the Trailing 9 cars and Mortrice. 20 vehicles in train.
Strewth, why have I remembered all that - probably because I am "De-cluttering".

My Doc altered the "Rules" to issue 56-day prescriptions, to apply before my "home stock" was depleted to 28 days - So I have enough in stock.

I've had another thought about my "Board Name", it was actually before those jobs - but it was for more mercinary reasons... Someone got Invoices mixed up, and the Paycheque posted to me carried a different name - Same Inital but different name, and same Surname - Thus I got a cheque that "Mr Barclay" would not Process- That was a long Time ago: I was setting up a Pork Pie Factory - Walls were reducing their production and had condensed their products into a smaller site.

During the early part of the war, Smarts of Small Heath Birmingham were bombed out and rented out my grandfather's 2 oasthouses in Shropshire to store their equipment. Then presumably because food was needed, they set it all up and started making sausages and pork pies of appalling quality. My mother who had a hairdressing salon in the nearby market town had to drive a van 40 miles each way to Birmingham every night in the blackout to their warehouse filled with the things as her war work. She and my father carried on courting then got married and had my sister. The manager was a small and very aggressive man like a bantam, and bullied Mother unmercifully. He couldn't bear it that she spoke nicely. I worked with his Yorkshire twin in the sixties who called me Jezebel until I took advantage of the fact I was dusting shelves and merchandise for the Leeds equivalent of Grace Brothers on a plinth above his head. I looked down my nose at him and said "You know my name. Please use it." So he did, as sarcastically as possible until he saw I was impervious.

Oast houses are hop drying barns, but Grandfather soon rooted out the hopyard and planted fruit trees on the land. That was just after he got possession of the land that he bought with a tenant in it. He had to pay tithes to the Church Commissioners, but because they had sold out the rights to speculators, he joined in with the rebels who embarked on the tithe war, and withheld his tithes, The bailiffs came to rifle the place for stuff to sell while he was in London appealing before the Law Lords. He was incensed that they bullied his wife and took away a refectory table that was actually fixed to the wall so being fixtures and fittings was not appropriate goods. They couldn't take her personal property, (or had to return it ) but the table was put in a leaky barn and was rotten by the time he got it back. It was spite because he tried to break the tenancy and the tenant was more popular than an outspoken stranger.

It's good that you can remember this arcane information. Otherwise it would be lost to memory. Paste this into your memoirs, It isn't at all boring.

Is there some Law-of-Nature that says that: When we can't go to work, we will all gather to the Houses adjacent to "Glo's" abode and work on anything that needs Hammering, Wall drilling, Practising motorbike revving up, Black and Dekkering, Contriving Bashing any concrete or Metal-bashing, Practising Steel-drum-Tuning or Shouting** at any available (or imaginary) Kid that needs a good shouting at.. Then this is the day and place to do it - all without being seen outside of the house.

I wonder if I can dare to venture out to somewhare more peaceful - I believe that there is some urgent Building work being allowed at The Hospital that might be more peaceful - Just Gentle Cement mixing and clanging of Scaffolding, among the overloud radio.

**Whoops - I inadvertantly typed Shooting, instead of Shouting.. A fruede-ing slip.

It happened here in the early days of lockdown, but it's gone quieter. I'm waiting for a delivery. If I go and have a shower, they will come while I'm in there. But if I don't, I'll be waiting all day.

Yesterday after my gardener had been to dig out the wild garlic and have coffee in the sun, I went to do a bit of shopping. I missed being stopped by the police who were checking on everyone's excuses for being out. After filling a couple of baskets in Morrisons, I took Cassie on to the hill behind the headland than started back for home. I heard a funny noise so doubled back to Tescos to check my tyres. One was very flat and quite hot. I called in at Tescos to call the RAC My mobile was at home 6 miles away. "90 minutes" they said at 8.30 pm. At 11.15 pm. with the engine failing to fire, I was able to have another go to find out where they were coming from. A man in a van arrived said that my Cam sensor had gone. He would arrange a recovery vehicle - and a taxi to get me, Cassie and the shopping home. No taxi. Eventually at 2.00 am one of the Tescos shelf stacking team gave us a lift home. The RAC arrived about 7.30 am to get the story and discuss the main options. They found a handy garage which will do the crank sensor and some more jobs, by Monday sometime. Quite a little catalogue of jobs, but all necessary, and I can have a restful weekend.

We are having some much needed rain now. so I'll have to wait to see the Lyrid Meteor Shower.

There is Sun.
There is Quiet (i.e., no sound of neighbour's Power Drill)
No Pigeons Coo-ing at me from the trees,
....................I wonder if I'm in the right House?


Wow, that was a Shopping trip to remember.. Assume the car and tyre put back together now! In fact by now you have probably had another Shopping trek. I must ponder on what a Cam Sensor does - they never had them on my 1953 car?

You spoke of Oast Houses. I remember lots of Oast Houses on The Other Side of the Thames. One of the earliest jobs I had as a freelance, was an outfit called "Home Grown Fruits" was a Farming Co-oP erative and was based in Offices at Canterbury and nearest farm was a "Sub Co-oP" of several Farmers - all related. There seemed to be Oast Houses at every farm, village, any unoccupied patch of ground and sadly a ruin or two - especially near Battle of Britain wreckage. In addition to Fruit, all of those Farms were Hop producers - what a wierd product - Whole fields of Scaffolds to grow the Hop Vines, all to be removed and scrapped each year - a bit like the Birdseye Pea vines in Suffolk but bigger and sturdier. Interesting job though but much driving to their various members: There were Still olde-world villages about, especially in Gloucestershire.

Seem to have pooter working as it should, although some aspects are now obsolete, and the replacement Keyboard is still confusing me with stuff I dont Understand (I wonder why this new unexpected/intermittent Green light does?)

I'd better raid the Supermarket fot Hunting/Gathering - although as it's Monday, but first must check Mr Barclay to see if My pension got paid.

Best Wishes.

I assumed you'd know what a cam sensor is. The RAC man said it was the tiny cheap bit of kit that receive the signals from the driver and tells the engine what to do. Once the engine was stone cold it started again, so after putting it on the Bosch diagnostic they decided it was the crank sensor, which I suppose does the same thing when the engine is hot. The other passenger side tyre was in poor condition so they changed that too and put both the new ones on the front axle. The brake hose and brake fluid needed changing, It all added up.

I have been out for a drive, to get more food, and to take Cassie for a walk. I took my mobile this time, so if course nothing went wrong. I thought I'd take a road that led to a place called Stoke Pero. I knew that on my way back I would pass another road signed for the same place, but half way there came to a gated farmhouse, so chickened out and came back the way had come. Next time I'll try the other way and see what happens. I did see a small herd of deer that crossed the road ahead of me but was going quite slowly and they had all gone by the time I reached the crossing place. I also allowed a few pheasants to leave the road. There's no need to mow down wildlife. They have just as much right to use the roads as I do. On the North Hill behind Minehead I see anything from Banded Galloway or Hereford cattle to Exmoor ponies,Roe and Muntjac deer, hares and Rabbits that gently move over to allow you to pass by. I've seen crossbills, skylarks and ravens there too.

I'm sure I've seen windmills for grinding corn in Essex and Norfolk, but on the West of the country they use water much more to power mills. There's a water mill at Dunster, 4 miles off that has been grinding flour, but has had to stop to cool down. There is one at Washford nearer to me than that, but I don't think it is used.

You have a wealth of Wildlife in Your Neck of the woods?

I was just thinking about Windmills in Essex.. A few I know (Upminster - Dismantled for restoration work - The Local History Group ground flour for Home Baking: Rayleigh - on the top of The Mount "made safe" for school visits: and Baker Street - of Historical Interest, One of Wat Tylers Revolting Peasants) but after a few minutes thoughts I remembererd others (Terling Mill was Famous as one of Will Hays Films in the early "Talkies" Films), so I looked up the remnants in the Library List - There HUNDREDS of them, Some as some remnants, others as Mounds and others Flatened as RAF airfields. There is a Watermill in The Essex (former) Marshes.

Nope, I know little or nothing about Cam Sensors. The Tractor Factory is merely an assembly shop. Engines Bought in as an assembly from China or Italy or latterly, as a Multi-international factory in The Midlands. The LandRover Factory also bought in things ready assembled. Sounds like somesort of Interupted Lightbeam.

Stay Well . I'm off to Practice my Beautysleeps.

Yes, it's just a drive uphill to Exmoor, Dunkery Beacon etc. I used to live near the Clee Hills in Shropshire and on the way up there, there was a hairpin bend on a 1 in 7, so going up Porlock Hill, I thought I was in familiar territory until on the bend, the road towered away to 1 in 4, and another bend of hairpin. It's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and one of the National Parks. My shack is on the coastal strip beneath the hills and I see lots of interesting stuff from my window. Lots of woodpeckers, a nuthatch, buzzards, a Great White Egret, brown hares, rabbits, 3 kinds of deer, rare breeds, among the sheep they keep alpacas to defend the sheep from predators.

The Volvo, although old 1995/6, it is quite sophisticated. I hadn't heard of this item going faulty until it did. Most of my mechanical knowledge came from things that went wrong. RAC engineers and garages fear the interrogations they get from me. Volvo was an aero engine company so maybe cam and crank sensors are for aero engines. One on the top, the other on the bottom I expect.

You remind me of sundry Holiday Visits... Not in the same places, but in the same sort of countryside.
... Weekend Riding in Dartmoor, and My "Famous" Group Visits to Edale. I had taken a Holiday to "Adult Adventure Holidays" to the Peak Districrt - One days walking, one days riding, one days sailing, one days climbing etc - Run by a retired Naval Officer and his wife (formerly his Secretary) and so well organised - guides, instructors all arrived on time with military precision - and A1 food via His Wife and M-i-L. I enjoyed it so much that I got My Club (Spare ime Club) on several subsequent occasions to come with me. .... Hares (white in winter, brown in he Spring), Buzzards and so on. (I also sank a "Mirror" class boat).

Yup, My secondary car is also a Volvo, but too old to have Cam Sensors - both my cars are of Aero origins .. It is said that Before the end of the war, Armstrong Siddeley was the first maker to recommence car production, and The Assembly Shop had cars (Armstrong Siddeley Hurricanes) and Aircraft (also Hurricanes) in the same factory floor.

I have a Photo somewhere taken in The New Forest. I was driving down to Beaulieu Abbey to seek Car spares but I'd stopped by the roadside to take photo's. When I returned to the car, a Foal had left his Mum to make friends with my car...!! I must Find that Photo.

Gotta go - This damn complicated Keyboard (The only one I could find during the Lock-in) seems to have some of its colour lights on at once - No idea what they all do.