WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

The fact that the cord on my clothes airer in the kitchen is frayed and only a thread is connected. Today's task will be fitting a new cord!

[Stanley]

Tripps.... I am down to my last pint of Worcestershire Sauce so I've registered with Approved Foods and set up an alert. I'll let you know if anything turns up.....

[Bruff]

The unveiling of a memorial in Birkenhead to those lost on HMS Birkenhead in I think the 1850s off South Africa. It was 'women and children first' to the lifeboats as the vessel went down. The first time what became known as the 'Birkenhead Drill' was used apparently, which I didn't know.

Richard Broughton

[PanBiker]

After helping the women and children into the lifeboats the men were asked to "stand fast", they did to a man. A fitting but overdue (yet again) tribute for an incident that I was not aware of either.

[Thomo]

Birkenhead drill

The sinking of the Birkenhead is the earliest maritime disaster evacuation during which the concept of "women and children first" is known to have been applied. "Women and children first" subsequently became a standard meme in relation to the evacuation of sinking ships, both in fiction and in real life. The synonymous "Birkenhead drill" became an exemplar of courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances, and appeared in Rudyard Kipling's 1893 tribute to the Royal Marines, "Soldier an' Sailor Too".

To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about, Is nothing so bad when you've cover to 'and, an' leave an' likin' to shout;
But to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew,
An' they done it, the Jollies -- 'Er Majesty's Jollies -- soldier an' sailor too!
Their work was done when it 'adn't begun; they was younger nor me an' you;
Their choice it was plain between drownin' in 'eaps an' bein' mopped by the screw,
So they stood an' was still to the Birken'ead drill, soldier an' sailor too.

Thomo: Since long before this tragedy the Men who served at sea had for the greater part always tried to ensure that any passengers, Women, Children and Men were always the first to be given a chance of survival. That is how good seamen were and have been for many years. This mantra still applies, yet in a diluted form, the Costa Concordia being a recent example. Add to this the situation that may be popular, of Women serving on Warships, and now by doing so are subject to the Naval Discipline Act, whereas as Wrens they were not, they have no more rights than the Men should disaster occur. As an old Sailor, I would not wish to be in that situation.

[Tardis]

The number 72

To be honest I can't think of anything of major relevance that the number 72 would attract anybody's attention.
Possibly the sum of some consecutive primes. (5 + 7 + 11 + 13 + 17 + 19) or (13 + 17 + 19 + 23) or even the exterior angle of a regular pentagon.
It could be Tardis's birthday in which case "Congratulations". If not my apologies.
Tardis, please let us know!

Not my birthday, but thank you anyway.

Some information which came to light, after almost a year of silence, a request for 72 things to be done asap.

Some people appear to be unable to comprehend budgets

[Tardis]

Permanent reminders, that will have to be enforced, once a temporary problem has gone away. For the sake of "something has to be done". Hopefully they budget for it.

[Tardis]

According to the Fire Brigade, there was a fire in Hill Street yesterday. I had thought that it was Stanley's chimney

[Stanley]

That's not funny. I take exception to any suggestion I use anything but approved fuel in a proper manner. Very little smoke, if any, from my stove. Why suggest it?
How fortunate it was that when I needed some polypropylene cord many years ago I got a full spool. What's more I remembered where it was and we now have a new cord on the airer! Mind you, I'm getting too old to be balancing on stools and the worktops to get it up!

[David Whipp]

Yesterday evening's Pride of Barnoldswick Awards. Picture shows some of those presented with awards for their contribution to our town.

[David Whipp]

Some information which came to light, after almost a year of silence, a request for 72 things to be done asap.

Some people appear to be unable to comprehend budgets

A bit rich from someone who's questioning of public authorities costs a lot of time and takes people away from doing the job they are paid to do!

[Bruff]

This might just be me, but I'd welcome less cryptic postings. I have absolutely no idea what on earth any 72 things to be done this, and permanent reminders that have to be enforced that, are, were or will be. I would rather have more information and than at least we could see whether this is an appropriate forum for these and other matters that are attracting attention.

Richard Broughton

[hartley353]

The postman brought three pocket watch finds yesterday. My spirits sank when I opened up the first one and found play in the balance staff, but an old watchmenders trick came to mind. Raiding the kitchen drawer I took a small piece from the roll of foil, this was placed under one side of the balance arm foot and the arm screwed down, to my amazement the balance spun free and the watch began to run. This started me thinking of the myriad jobs a cigarette packet or its foil could be used for, and in this modern age of not smoking what are folk using for quick repairs on the run.

[Tardis]

That's not funny. I take exception to any suggestion I use anything but approved fuel in a proper manner. Very little smoke, if any, from my stove. Why suggest it?

Because there was lots of smoke, belching from your chimney. It's why I stood in the yard and stared until it calmed down and I know that you watched me. If I had thought that there was an issue I would have knocked on your door.

[Tardis]

Cryptic?

#Subtweet - It's the shortening of "subliminal tweet" which is directly referring to a particular person without mentioning their name or directly mentioning them and it basically indicates that the tweet in which the hashtag is used is a subliminal tweet.

Hit the target #bullseye

[David Whipp]

This might just be me, but I'd welcome less cryptic postings. I have absolutely no idea what on earth any 72 things to be done this, and permanent reminders that have to be enforced that, are, were or will be. I would rather have more information and than at least we could see whether this is an appropriate forum for these and other matters that are attracting attention.

From the cryptic response from Tardis, I suspect it's another dig at me; perhaps referring to the number of road repair requests I made last year?

Tardis makes lots of cryptic comments and asks cryptic questions at town and borough council meetings, which, for us lesser mortals, are sometimes difficult to understand.

Personally, I prefer people to be straightforward in what they are saying.

[David Whipp]

Work underway on surfacing Stoopes Hill at Earby. This is part of the Urban Ginnel programme started a few years ago. It's being funded by the West Craven Area Committee.

[Big Kev]

This might just be me, but I'd welcome less cryptic postings. I have absolutely no idea what on earth any 72 things to be done this, and permanent reminders that have to be enforced that, are, were or will be. I would rather have more information and than at least we could see whether this is an appropriate forum for these and other matters that are attracting attention.

From the cryptic response from Tardis, I suspect it's another dig at me; perhaps referring to the number of road repair requests I made last year?

Tardis makes lots of cryptic comments and asks cryptic questions at town and borough council meetings, which, for us lesser mortals, are sometimes difficult to understand.

Personally, I prefer people to be straightforward in what they are saying.

Cryptic and hidden behind a pseudonym so, from my point of view, ignored.

[Stanley]

"Belching smoke" eh? Next time it happens ring environmental health, it's their job not yours. For your information, all solid fuel fires are allowed smoke which happens most usually on a new firing or in one case with me this winter when a hot fire ignited the deposits in the stack, this is not an offence under the regulations if it's a brief episode. Keep your nose out of my business. You flatter yourself if you think I watch you, I have better things to do. (In case anyone is wondering, he lives opposite me on the back street.....)
I ignore posts that I do not understand.
Something really important happened this morning, my jumbo kitchen roll ran out, it's lasted over 4 months.....

[Marilyn]

[Pluggy]

Welcome back Chinatyke.

[Tizer]

Perhaps I haven't mentioned what happened to me last November - stop me if you've heard all this before. We returned one evening from a tiring visit to London, clearing Mrs Tiz's parents' house, to find an official-looking letter on the doormat. When I opened it I read `Notice of Intended Prosecution' and saw something referring to a `fine of £1000', not what you want to find when your feeling tired and hungry! Further reading showed it to be a speeding fine, which surprised me seeing as I gave up fast driving many years ago and now tootle around at modest speeds. It turns out that I was `clocked' doing 42mph just inside a 30 zone by one of those `cameras in a van'. It was at the boundary to a local small town where you come up a slope and onto the level as you pass the 30 sign and before the houses begin. I've driven there frequently and I suppose I've always kept my speed up a bit until I top the slope and then slow down. I hadn't seen the van and presume it must have been off the side of the road somewhere.

The £1000 fine is what they claim to be the maximum and the upshot is that I was fined £100. But it's a bit of a blow when I've been driving for about 50 years and never been fined for speeding before. I was reminded of the incident yesterday because I telephoned to renew my car insurance and learnt that the premium has been raised by £53 due to the fine and the excess is increased by £100. I'm told that it will affect my premium for the next 5 years. Fortunately I'm not on the breadline and can afford to pay the fine and the extra premiums but it did make me wonder about how it might affect other folk who have less money. Hundreds of pounds in costs seems a bit much for a first offence and could put some people in financial difficulty. When I mentioned it to two friends who are driving instructors they said I was unlucky because the fine has been increased recently and they are very concerned that it's too much for a first offence and will have unintended consequences, possibly making relatively safe drivers feel it's not worthwhile being so cautious because `you get done anyway'. I've got to admit that it's frustrating when you see so many other people charging about at much higher speed and driving unsafely but with apparent impunity!

[Bodger]

not sure where to post this, an interesting sculpture ? of Mandela
http://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/post ... pture-site

[Thomo]

This actually happened yesterday. I have often considered that where we live here, in Barlick, to be somewhat of a "no mans land" and not truly belonging to anywhere in particular. Yesterday I was attempting to contact someone in a specific office in Buckingham Place. I dialled the number that I had been given, their phone was ringing and was answered "Good afternoon, this is Nelson and Colne college of further education, how may I help you"!!!!!!!!!!! It would appear that the system, not recognising the location of my phone had added the international code 44 to the front of the number dialled. Fortunately a second attempt got me through to the person required. Modern technology is fine until it starts thinking for itself!!

[Stanley]

Commiserations Tiz! When I think of the number of times I could have been liable to a fine under those circumstances it makes me cringe! (Even in a heavy vehicle) I realised the need for speed limits and generally observed them but the advent of cameras took the human element out of the decision and if the screen says guilty they have to process it. In the old days we knew the stretches of road where the police gave us some latitude, no such thing now! Of course, this doesn't concern me these days!
See this LINK. Not looking good for the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 missing over Vietnam.