WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

I thought for one moment that you meant private roads. All is clear now.

[Tizer]

Sorry about that - definitely bad writing by me. I was in a rush to get my cup of tea and cake. I'm glad Whippy's post clarified it for you. He confirms that people are already using them illegally in London and some other cities and big towns.

Have a look at this if you want a life-affirming experience! (The title is another bit of poor sentence composition but by the BBC, not me, this time!)...
`The orphaned baby squirrel eating video that went viral' Squirrel

[Cathy]

Squirrels always look so happy , part of what endears us to them I guess, and they are so beautifully shaped. Love their young voices.

[Stanley]

When I was in Northfield I used to watch the squirrels at work collecting food for winter and storing it. Problem is that a lot was stored in the wheel wells of cars parked in the road. They'd have a job finding them! Love the video....
The last weekly coronavirus 'More or Less' on R4 this morning. An absolutely damning account of the management of the statistics and hence the actions against Covid19.

[Tizer]

The last weekly coronavirus 'More or Less' on R4 this morning. An absolutely damning account of the management of the statistics and hence the actions against Covid19.

I hope Tripps has been keeping up with them too!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These maps suggest the north is having even worse than the south...
`Exclusive: water firms discharged raw sewage into England's rivers 200,000 times in 2019' Guardian
`Water companies in England discharged raw sewage into rivers on more than 200,000 occasions last year, according to data obtained by the Guardian. The analysis reveals untreated human waste was released into streams and rivers for more than 1.5m hours in 2019. The figures, obtained via environmental information requests, trace releases of sewage from storm drains in rivers across England by all nine water companies and provide a comprehensive picture of the scale of pollution from what critics say is the routine dumping of untreated sewage...'.

[Tripps]

I hope Tripps has been keeping up with them too!

It's a bit early for my lifestyle, so I'm not really keeping up. Seems there are 244 episodes available on BBC iPlayer but for some unknown reason I'm reluctant to register in order to listen to them. I'm not best friends with the BBC.

[Tizer]

Well here's some welcome news in case you miss it...
`Hundreds arrested as crime chat network cracked' LINK
`A top-secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns has been "successfully penetrated", says the National Crime Agency. The NCA worked with forces across Europe on the UK's "biggest and most significant" law enforcement operation. Major crime figures were among over 800 Europe-wide arrests after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded. More than two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns and £54m in suspect cash have been seized, says the NCA...'.

[Tripps]

The NCA worked with forces across Europe

Won't be able to do that after Brexit. I wonder who cracked the code - I'd guess it was 'West Country Radio' ?

[Stanley]

I heard a report of that Tiz, sounds like a major success.
My beam engine running well, I must have got it right.

[Wendyf]

The sudden realisation that I am a month away from my 70th birthday and no notification has arrived from the DVLA about renewing my driving licence. I need to do something about that today!

[Stanley]

Call for a recount Wendy.... you can't possibly be that old!
The strong winds down here in the town made me think of you facing directly into it, hope it doesn't cause any problems. Slates blown off down here and small branches from the trees and we are sheltered. Good luck!

[Wendyf]

All battened down Stanley! Just wondering if I should put the ponies outside or keep them in.

[Stanley]

Good. I am taking a small bet that they are out getting the cobwebs blown off them. It's mild and they will let you know if they are fed up!

[Big Kev]

Tree down on Harrison Street

20200705_075158.jpg

[Stanley]

Not surprising really Kev, there are some strong gusts and isolated trees in full leaf in damp ground are in danger I fear. I was sent into a stagger a couple of times earlier.

[Tizer]

We've been having strong winds for many weeks now and it seems to be the `new normal'. They're forecast again for this afternoon. Say goodbye to the calm, mild English summers...

[Stanley]

The fact that thanks to the kind thought of a friend I don't have to twiddle my thumbs until the couriers deliver my castings, he sent me a beam engine cylinder he found and so I can start the new engine immediately!
David Starkey being found wanting. (LINK) I have never liked the man.
The fact that we are in for better weather today once we get past the early morning.
How good my Machu Pichu coffee tastes.

[PanBiker]

Cant remember where Kev posted it but the Freesat/Humax On Demand services are back on my box anyway. One thing I noticed when they were missing yesterday was that if I instigated a YouTube video on my phone I could still cast it to the TV, despite that being one of the missing On Demand services on the box. In addition I could browse all the YouTube channels once it had been started. Probably just the front end of the on demand services that was faulty.

[Stanley]

Ian, on the quite frequent occasions when catch up won't work on the Humax Freesat box I go to the access via the smart TV and it is always there. Same thing as the phone I suppose. Via TV is my favoured route for all alternative services, much more reliable than the box.

[Bodger]

A nice bit of model making https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9& ... e=youtu.be

[Stanley]

Very nice Bodge and congrats to the builder but that would give me nightmares. Far beyond my skills. I know my limitations....

[PanBiker]

Ian, on the quite frequent occasions when catch up won't work on the Humax Freesat box I go to the access via the smart TV and it is always there. Same thing as the phone I suppose. Via TV is my favoured route for all alternative services, much more reliable than the box.

First thing, I have never had a problem with the On Demand before and as Kev posted it was affecting every Humax box. On the latter point I don't have a smart TV it's just a big flat screen HDMI job, lot of inputs but nowt built in. Next one will almost certainly be smarter than me!

[Tizer]

Mrs Tiz is expecting a delivery by DPD courier today. On their web site it says, due to covid-19 operational changes, the courier will leave the parcel at the doorway and take a photo of it there. Couriers should take a `validation of delivery' photo like that every time they leave a parcel `unattended', regardless of covid virus. That would help prove when they have left it at the wrong address (which has happened to us and the courier wouldn't believe us at first).

[Stanley]

Nice one Tiz, I hadn't thought of that.
I got a delivery yesterday. Many years ago when I was at REW my mate Paul and I were doing a job at a factory where they made scotch-brite and in the boiler house there were large cartons of end of the run off-cuts which had failed inspection. They told us we could have some so we both filled our boots. Never bought any since but I was getting low and bought a pack at a local shop. Complete crap! Yesterday a bulk roll of the 3M industrial version of scotch-brite arrived and my problems are solved for the immediate future. Used it on the sink for the first time this morning (I've binned the crap!) and it is fine, you can feel it biting.
More exciting deliveries in the offing....

[Marilyn]

Our days are lengthening yet again. 5.20 pm as I type and not dark yet.
We are over the hump! ( long way to go but it is a noticeable start)