Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

I love how all the old codgers come online first.

Users active in past 15 minutes:
RED-DOG, tikay, typhoon13, Woodsey, Pokerpops, the-jackal, Juperjiper, jakally.

I've also seen Dewi and Glen.

[RED-DOG]

I'm beginning to realise that I watch a lot of reality TV. Not celebrity stuff of course but real reality.

Cop shows, aircrash investigation, 24 hours in A&W, paramedics, forensics, court cases & trials, rescues of any kind....

In another life, I would have been involved with the emergency services. Perhaps a paramedic or search & rescue, maybe a dog handler.

It must be great to do something that helps people.

[tikay]

Do the dogs get up with you Tom?

I have a similar problem waking up early. Once I wake up - usually 5 or 6 am - I just lay there & start to worry. Only cure is to get up.

Then by midday I need to have a sleep. Ridiculous really.

The dogs live outdoors Tony but they are always aware when I'm up.

They have warm dry kennels but they also have access to the space beneath the chalet, it's all boxed in so it's quite cozy so they often spend the night under there.

Only Poppy and Kizzy live with me full time now, Amber and Evie are with my daughters so I still see them regularly.


This is a pic of me and Bridie doing the boxing in.

I was a bit plump back then wasn't I?

Click to see full-size image.

Well you had more hair, but were less plump slimmer then.

I recall visiting just after the new Mobile (or "Chalet" as you now call it, as you've gone all posh) & you were either fitting plywood to the underside of it, or fitting that latticed "boxing in" seen in the photo, but I can't quite recall which.  

[Pokerpops]

I travelled 1st Class on an EMR train last week, ordered a sausage roll & was shocked when the somewhat brusque attendant plonked it down in front of me & stated "that'll be £4."

Never ever paid for food when travelling 1st on Network Rail before. 

To add insult to injury, the roll was not buttered. I repeat, not buttered. So vulgar. Do I look common?

Click to see full-size image.

Your diet going as well as mine then

I can't work out if those sausages are side by side or on top of each other. It's like an optical illusion.

That’s not a sausage roll.
It’s a sausage bun/bap/batch/cob

[RED-DOG]

Mobile - Chalet
Potato - Potato

[Pokerpops]

Mobile - Chalet
Potato - Potato

The current trend is to describe them as Lodges. Usually with the descriptor Luxury attached.

[Doobs]

I travelled 1st Class on an EMR train last week, ordered a sausage roll & was shocked when the somewhat brusque attendant plonked it down in front of me & stated "that'll be £4."

Never ever paid for food when travelling 1st on Network Rail before. 

To add insult to injury, the roll was not buttered. I repeat, not buttered. So vulgar. Do I look common?

Click to see full-size image.

Your diet going as well as mine then

I can't work out if those sausages are side by side or on top of each other. It's like an optical illusion.

That’s not a sausage roll.
It’s a sausage bun/bap/batch/cob

There is a cafe where I frequently go cycling and they used to sell a "sausage sandwich in a roll" and a "sausage roll".  It used to give me real anxiety when ordering as I never wanted a "sausage roll" and there is a good chance of blank looks when ordering a sausage bap.   Thank goodness they now sell sausage baps and bacon baps instead.

[RED-DOG]

I travelled 1st Class on an EMR train last week, ordered a sausage roll & was shocked when the somewhat brusque attendant plonked it down in front of me & stated "that'll be £4."

Never ever paid for food when travelling 1st on Network Rail before. 

To add insult to injury, the roll was not buttered. I repeat, not buttered. So vulgar. Do I look common?

Click to see full-size image.

Your diet going as well as mine then

I can't work out if those sausages are side by side or on top of each other. It's like an optical illusion.

That’s not a sausage roll.
It’s a sausage bun/bap/batch/cob

There is a cafe where I frequently go cycling and they used to sell a "sausage sandwich in a roll" and a "sausage roll".  It used to give me real anxiety when ordering as I never wanted a "sausage roll" and there is a good chance of blank looks when ordering a sausage bap.   Thank goodness they now sell sausage baps and bacon baps instead.

I wish people would stop quoting pictures of this sausage cob now. Every time I see it I want one.

I would whip one up but we don't keep sausages on stock anymore because I keep eating them.

[tikay]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

Here's the EMR Menu they belatedly gave me.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

This would be my recommendation. £4, but delish.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

Here's the EMR Menu they belatedly gave me.

Click to see full-size image.

The porridge looks good value.

[RED-DOG]

Settle an argument.

Do you pronounce the L in almond?

[Pokerpops]

Settle an argument.

Do you pronounce the L in almond?

I do, but I didn’t poison anyone.

[tikay]

EMR don't do any food/drinks for free in first class at the weekend i think.   Was it the weekend?

No, Friday and Monday.

First time I've ever been charged for food in 1st class.

I was outraged, almost wrote to The Times and signed it "Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

Wow that's pretty insane.   Don't get the 'EMR' rebrand either what was wrong with East Midlands Mainline?   I have used the trains a lot in the last few months during my driving ban and couldn't see any difference at all from the rebrand.

That's a product of the quite ridiculous Franchising system in place, & a great example of why Government should never be allowed near businesses or commercial projects, as they genuinely have no idea. (The CAA is an honourable exception, they are excellent).

Here's the (recent) timeline of what is known as the East Midlands franchise.

1996 - 2007 - operated as Midland Mainline, owned by National Express.  

2007 - 2019 - operated as East Midlands Trains, owned by Stagecoach

2019 - 2027 - operated as East Midlands Railways, owned by Abellio.


Note the near identical names of the Train Operating Companies (TOC's).

And here's the kicker - they all used the same rolling stock & tractive power units, the same staff, same destinations, same journey times, same everything. They were all identical except for the branding & livery. And each time they changed franchise, they spent £x milly rebranding all the rolling stock, locomotives etc.

Daftest thing ever.

South West Trains - extremely efficient, operating primarily out of Waterloo - did exactly the same thing last year.

They HAD been "South West Trains", operated by Stagecoach.  They then awarded the franchise to First Group, who re-branded everything "South Western Railway".  Same rolling stock, same crews, same staff, same everything. Different branding.

[RED-DOG]

When I was a boy there was an advert on TV where a trendy couple were playing chess using chocolates as pieces.

"I see, you're threatening my almond Sunday" she used to say coyly.

"Yes, and he'll be threatening your leg on Monday" we used to reply hilariously.