Alt.Mustardland

In August the birds are almost completely absent, there are flies everywhere, and life just stops happening. Everyone assumes it's not worth trying to organise anything, nobody will come because everyone is on holiday. We used to be busy with harvest that month, then after leaving school, a September holiday was filled with possibilities. October is even better.

I've been watching fun programmes on Acorn, The Bletchley Circle where 4 of the code crackers buried alive in domesticity get together to solve crimes. Talents are great but complementary. They do a lot of number crunching. I'm also reading lots of books, mostly on Kindle.

Just checked the list to see if there is another new August thread.

Hi, Somewhat "under the weather" - not that there's much wrong with the weather.
When People could take Holidays - i.e.; when peoples wages were fairly firm, and travel was allowed... People was rather sparse to maintain events, which I guess included TV programes.. Harvesting .. Yes, Family Holidays out of London - e.g., Bungay near Lowestoft - had squadrons of Tipper Lorries taking the Harvests of Pea Vines going down to The Birds-Eye Factory which for obvious reasons was in Lowestoft Fish Docks.. All gone now. I wonder what those places are Like now ... The Three piers and Theatres at Gt Yarmouth will be "mothballed", The Horseracing at Yarmouth would be "Behind Closed Doors" and so on.

Milton Keynes (which included Bletchley Park) was an "Interesting" rather than entertaining sort of place - When I worked there, their were several people who were present in Bletchley Park, but in the pre 2000 year, their lips were sealed about what went on there in wartime, but one Lady coder remembered being accosted at her "digs" by a Landlady (after a few VERY long shift at D-Day) being told that she had missed all the fun of so much aviation going on....

... and talking of "aviation.. " There is a very busy Helicoptor Buzzing around here. I hope that My Ol' Grandad by the "Church-on-the-Hill" is not being disturbed in his grave. My Guess is that Helicoptoring is the cause of Minimal birds being around here.
What is Acorn - is at a TV programme or even a TV Station?

Yuo Mentioned Bletchley Number Crunching - I wonder how many of those Ladies could do a better job of projecting the Coronavirus./Corvid 2019, than we seem to be doing now... They "Authorities" seems to be getting their act togeter for the next tranche, but I wished they were on-watch earlier...

Still under-the-weather, so I'm aiming bedwards now. I assume that you are doing well...

it will all open up, and I think coastal towns will have a resurgence. Who wants a fortnight in isolation after a week of sun, sand and Sangria? The nice thing about living near the sea means that inland areas are just as nice.

My gardener is here weeding my front garden, and he has ready access to horse manure. The roses coming next week will be very happy.

Horse Manure .... I wonder if that is responsible how the Equestrian Rescue Group is getting an income when there are no "open days" alloweed?

I'm afraid some of the costal towns are already having a resurgence... MP wants to close the roads into his town, The air Ambulance has had two helicoptor landings on the beach on the same day - and the inshore rescue is asking help from the Port-of-London marine rescue from Tilbury... All things will pass...

Have you ever used PDF on your computer? Can you recognise a good one... I'm having trouble with "age concern" helpers during not-contact Covid19?

Gotta go - another petty but annoying problem - New Bankcard Security PIN is illegible, so I cant spend Money, and this particular bank (very small and customers queuing down the paving), and only opened for less time than than the bigger banks..Gotta go....... Best Wishes.

Are you rubbing the cover off your pin no with a coin? I sometimes find it's on the other side, but it's always legible if you've rubbed it off. Unless it was printed wrong and part of the printing is off the edge. Ask for another one if you can get it sent to you.

I've had a little difficulty with PDFs. Sometimes it won't open a document and the attempts hide so that you can't delete or repair the programme.

I think our little coastal town is less busy. I avoided my Brummy neighbours when they visited last week. I'm avoiding everyone most of the time. I'll have to go shopping in a little while and try out the new ramp for Cassie to climb into the car.

Hi!

Got the bank to read my plastic card..

It looks like the PDF that I had, reached an expiry date (I didn't know that they could expire). But the prominent one resulted in the B..... laid all sorts of other stuff that I didn't want - I spent some time deleting them all. However, I've needed all sorts of Documents to the Age Concern bloke who was out sorting all the bugger-ups when the Council, changed my address, Lack of face-to-face meeting in Lock-in (or Lock-out or whatever it's called) is causing many complications...

The local newspaper covers much of the nearest coastal Town of Southend (The first Costal Town Beyond the Estuary Towns). The Newspaper seems to try really hard to make some news ... During the night they reported 3 separate call outs for Helicopter to find Three "Swimmers" (actually mud-walkers)
stuck knee-deep offshore. Their story included getting the "Security" men holding back the hoards of visitors from the beach they were using ????? (Actually Shoeberry Common, betwixt the Old Army Barracks (Now a housing estate) and the still extant weapon test establishment), that shot shells across the sea? - I'd guess that "Security men" was actually the Army that would certainly have an interest in night vision Helicopter ambulance service was dallying over their airspace... This morning it was "adjusted "Several places across the whole Borough sea patrol.

Apropos of nothing at all.. the weapon test place was actually known as The Funfair at Southend for ex wartime conscripts. . I know of one man - probably one of many - spent his ex-wartime in a Mental Hospital in Wickford to be made to forget all that He had learned in Weapon electricals...

It's been wet today so my gardener called in for coffee instead. It was the second day of my diet and I had Florida cocktail instead of brown sugar toasties, no snacks and a bean stew. I've grown tired of it taking such a long time to squeeze into my clothes.

The Thames Estuary seems a very hazardous place. They did some of the Bouncing bomb tests at Reculver, but that's North Kent, Sheppey way. I've heard of ships crammed with high explosive sunk in the estuary, and one wrong move could be disastrous. A container ship captain I know said once that he loved the windmills off the coast because you could see where the sandbanks were.

We were going to do a miniature viking ship burial off the Blackwater where he sailed, for my late husband's ashes, but I guess my son in law didn't fancy explaining to the authorities why a senior civil servant was launching a burning ship so close to Bradwell power station.

Hi, I was wondering where you'd got to.
It has been relatively dry here, just the odd shower at night. ... But diets - You are reminding me to check/confirm that my Blood tests are due tomorrow.
Yup, there are still a few explosives out in the Estuary. The Christian Mongomery (Between Southend and Sheppy) - a US Navy Liberty ship ferrying munitions out to a Bigger ship in the Deep - until it broke in two along the "economy" welded seems. It seems like the "Largest in the world" Container ship passed by last month, cause its Wash to, stir up the seafloor when it passed the Explosives wreck when passing.

Have you ever Heard of Wat Tyler Park? Some Time after His Revolting Peasants had disappeared, The park was used as widely ...... spaced ....... Workshops for making dynamite - Safer than Gellignite to supply The Yanks to demolish a few Mountains to build their railroads. Nobel made dynamite before making peace-prizes? - timber (non spark) railway tracks between workshops - Explosives were important for (x2) world wars, but of interest is a Lightship moved from its mapped position - same principle of removing road direction signs to confuse the foe, but it is still in the park. the Shifting of dunes and wetlands has rendered it into a landlocked pool - but (in summer) covered in foliage. Photographers and painters love it. The Rails (steel now) still take one to the various burd hides.

Bradwell power station (aka RAF Bradwell) was using a retired Spitfire as "Gate Guardian". I hope it got recovered before That Nice Mrs. May demolished the old Nuclear one to allow the Japanese to build a new one.

I might need your Gardener! There has been a tree too near to my house. The tree was a remaining part of Somercotes Farm's woodlands before this estate (1970) was built, (Thinks: I wonder if My Old Grandad walked through where my house stands, on his way home from railway station) but a Neighbour was adamant that it should stand. He moved away and rented the House out. The Tennant was what us techie people call "Bonkers". and installed a Windmill in the Garden to generate electricity, thus on a Sunny day there was a constant flickering sunbeam into my Lounge. The Tree in full leaf provided some shade. The Landlord has found new tenants, who (Reasonably) sawed down the tree branches and my patio is now below a thickness of timber and leaves... I think the anti-pruning Bird nesting period is now over. I'm hoping that my other neighbour (A Furlowed Builder) is looking to find some Firewood to sell during the Winter.

Stay well....

Does anybody here long for a Voyage on a Paddle steamer? I believe that you Rwth tried it a few years ago..... Oh, it's just me then.
I try to get a trip on The Waverly each year but Her boiler Docket expired this year so She's been in drydock, extended during coronavirus. Seems like she just got her seaworthy Docket .. for just 2 weeks for the remainder of "Summer". So No UK Tour,,,
it was two years since I went through Tower Bridge.

So I'm Sulking.

I did the trip on the Waverley Clevedon -Penarth-Ilfracombe-Lundy and back. It was double loaded because they had to cancel the previous day's trip. It was an interesting experience, but with along delay at Penarth to fill up with water, I didn't feel like repeating the experience. I couldn't take my dog because they aren't allowed on Lundy. It was exciting to do it once though. I thought it would be a pity not to try it once though.

My cousin is an artist and painted a boat on the shore near Faversham and sent it to me to put on my wall here by the Bristol Channel. Maybe I should send him a picture of the "Russian Sub" at Blue Anchor. Although Blunders said that was what it was, on closer examination I reported that it obviously sunk because it was made of stone and had water running through it.

Still free from Coronavirus and the dog is well too.