Bath Tec School

Hello Tony,

Caravans and Motor homes .. overnight accomodation .. etc, plus, we seem to have quite a few members who have "sheds on wheels".

I see it is to be another weekend session, then why go just for one day? If the weather, money,  and the beer hold out, I`ll be there for the whole weekend I suspect. (Carole will be well into retirement by then).

Hi all.

I am very flattered that you were impressed enough by our little show to want to come again.

Reckon its a cracking idea to make a week end of it with BBQ etc.

Regarding camping, you are quite correct of course there are several sites nearby, but if you are prepared to slum it a bit I could arrange for camping on the site, but I would need to know how many, roughly, would be likely to attend.

Of course there aint no such thing as a free meal ticket, so it would be very nice if you could all recipricate the favour by lending a hand for an hour or two on one of the days, this would then enable me to justrify free entry and free camping for the duration of the show. As you probably know there is a beer tent on the site, open till God knows what time, Friday night is generally disco (older stuff) and Saturday night is usually a live band. The fair also stays open late. As well as this BBQs pop up all over the place, usually people that are too idle, drunk or disinterested in the other entertainment. It is traditional for a few of the engines to trundle along to the Beer Tent and park up outside just to add to the atmosphere. 

Now then Anth, to try to clarify the situation. All the engines on site are coal fired wthout exception unless working a saw bench, sometimes then the owner will shove a few wood offcuts in the box to conserve their coal supply a bit. This does not apply to steam cars which mostly burn petrol or sometimes kerrosene, this year I'm told that there is likely to be a large contingent of steam cars.

Converted or convertable engines are of a type that were built as one thing and then converted to something else. Some rollers were actually built as convertables, that is, could be run as a roller or easily converted to a traction engine. Some traction engines were converted to road locomotives and even showman's locos. In the extreme some rollers were even converted to showman's tractors. Bit complicated I know, but I'm sure you are getting my drift.

As a complete side issue it is the club AGM in December and I have made it very clear that I intend to resign as Chair. but fully intend to continue as deputy rally manager and Newsletter editor. I don't have the time to carry out the duties of a Chairperson properly if I am still to carry out my other duties on the rally field. Trouble is the show and the duties have grown like Topsy.

Hey, I'm rambling on again, why didn't somebody stop me!

Have fun guys.

Sticky.

PS   Bet you wish you hadn't asked now!!!!!!!! 

 

 

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the new subject.  Assuming I am the Ken in question or is there another Ken?   Think you were a bit quick for Anth, took him two goes to link Ken and Barbie (BBQ).  Then again if you don't have daughters, Barbies are probably not on the agenda.   Don't own a Barbie myself but have a mate who has about 500 to sell on ebay. His mother was a collector and has recently passed on leaving him the Barbies and a thousand Jack Daniel collectables.

 

I would love to say that I could come to the 2010 Kemble Airfield Day, unfortunately if I come to England in 2010 it be from mid Sep and a bit late.  I remember being in WSM in Nov/Dec 1980 and the old steam tractors Christmas parade. Believe it goes all around Somerset at that time of the year.

 

Anyway whilst on the subject of 'steam'  and memories I suppose you all remember the model of 'Stephensons Rocket' that was on display at Green Park Station?  Wonder what happened to that??

 

Bibi

Hello ken and all,

Yes, I got the right Ken ( Ithink), well, with old age comes the dreaded "senoir moments" to us all. In my exitement and usual rush to post messages on here I do get it wrong quite often. The attention span is now down to lifting up my head to check I have spelt something right..and then .. a few seconds later .. thinking "what was I going to say?"

 

Damn .. it`s happened again .. Shame about the rally for you Ken, but we`ll put aside an "absent comrade" chair, and raise our glasses to you. "Stevensons` Rocket", not something I can remember at Green Park .. but I`m sure others will. Not too many "barbies" to get rid of then ?

 

John, I personally never anticipated that you would provide such a generous offer of a pitch on the site. I would be more than willing to (as you quaintly put it, slum), to lend a hand, and make a monetary contribution as well. I`d be delighted to see you (and the good lady & family) again. Let`s hope we can "order up" some of that mediterranian sun for a change.

 

Oh, have heard that Stu is working on a portable "shed on wheels", I won`t spoil any more of his thunder, I`ll let him add the details on here.

 

Oh, if anyone has cash ISA accounts, just check how (little) much Interest you are (not) receiving. I`ve just improved my interest rates by 400% ... from the same bank (online) .. it pays to keep one eye open, hope it`s useful info to someone.

Regards from windy Somersetshire.

 

Hello, Are we talking about the penny in the slot Rocket at Green Park? I'll bet someone had that away before Sainsbugs got in there !! How about the machine that, for a penny, you could stamp your name on a strip of metal? Was it aluminium or am I being thick again ? Too many questions, I'm off.

 

Rich.

Hi Ken

 

There was a model of Stephenson's Rocket and my money is on that it is now in Bill's garden!!!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Probably converted to run on solar power as well Steve, or a wind generator, as Bill would put it hahahah!!!

 

Stu

 

PS. Definately aluminium Rich, you could rarely get all your name on one strip and the letters were misaligned.

Hi all.

First of all, one for Ken, 'cos I wouldnt want him to think that he has escaped the steam rally bug.

John Keedwell and better half, Mandy visited Aus at the beginning of this year and stayed with relatives. Guess what? They took 'em to a steam rally! It was the twelvth NHMA National Rally held at the Sturt Reserve, Muray Bridge, SA. I have in my hot little hand the program which was purchased for the princely sum of three dollars. Now then, I've no idea where Murray Bridge is, it could be on your doorstep or thousands of miles away, I know not. The 2009 event took place on the 3, 4 and 5th of April. The only other facts I have are that it was sponsored by The Old Machinery Magazine and New Holland Agriculture. Finally it does refer to a website which I have not checked yet, it is www.murraybridge.sa.gov.au hope this is of some help.

Thanks for the encouraging reaction Bill, I will bear it in mind and nearer the time make all suitable arrangements. I'm looking forward to seeing you all in your campers. Anyone that does not have a camper should not feel excluded however, caravans or even tents are perfectly OK, we have a caravan!!!! Speaking of which really must get stuck in and organise solar panel for battery charging (Leisure battery). Have been looking at 10 watt unit that comes out about a foot square, best price I've seen so far being about seventy quid. I will admit that I'm tempted but hesitant because I know that if I buy it, the following day I shall see the same thing ten quid cheaper. Really must take the bull by the horns though!

Eh up, I'm rambling on again, what was that you said, Bill, about senior moments.

Finally, thank you Anth, I'm glad I didn't bore you too much!

Regards to all.

Sticky.

Hello all,

The Rocket is not in my pocket

Been in that steam museum in Adelaide, Ken. It's a good one, near Port Adelaide. Dunno why, but I was the only person inside the place (apart from staff) all the time I was there - and I spent quite some time browsing around. Also went up to the Cornish triangle at Moonta where they have a narrow guage railway round the old tin mine workings.

Well Bill sounds like a night of heroics!  I hope Mrs W was duely appreciative of your efforts.......they rarely are. It's strange how long it takes to build up marital brownie points and how quickly they can all be blown!

 

Hate to say it but its all blue skies & sun and mild here in Suffolk....alas I have the 2nd cold (or is it mild pigge phluu ) in 2 weeks so don't feel like enjoying the outdoors. Pathetic!!

 

Those metal labellers were certainly heavy weight things. I don't remember any censorship. I still ahve the label I made for my budgies cage "Josephine"....it was indeed aluminium. How many letters for how much? Must have been more tha 1d surely. Most of my work in thatr sphere was done whilst train spotting at Temple Meads.

 

Whilst on the subject of puffer trains, I know there are a few enthusiasts out there. I built a Farish layout for my ungrateful offspring 25 years ago. Still ahve it and the associated rolling stock & locos. Is there any market for thsi N guage stuff?

 

 

Wylltte & Parrotty

"The day that the trains came down  .. mother earth" ... and all that.. Try this link Chris .. have a big wallet handy though ..Ha Ha

 

 

Hi all.

Thanks for the information on Murray Bridge, Ken, helps to put it all in perspective a bit!

There is indeed a steam museum there and I have some photos somewhere, when I can find them I shall post them on here for the benefit of anyone that may be interested. I see what you mean about it being an agricultural area, just noticed that the tractor section of the show comprised some 180 odd exhibits, a good turn out for steam also with 26 exhibits. Incidentally, one of which I noticed was a George Waller stationary steam plant, interesting because it was made here in Stroud where I live at The Phoenix Iron Works. The site still exists, but sadly as a trading estate these days. Interestingly Listers had a satellite factory on the same site back in the seventies, their main works of course being at Dursley, now sadly closed as well.

Now then about the aluminium strip printing machines, they often appeared on stations and represented lots of fun for young boys. As far as I can remember you were alowed so many letters for a penny and you could spell out anything you wished there being no way of sensoring this purely mechanical device, you just set the pointer on the letter and pressed down the handle! Never could get it quite right though.

I don't remember ever seeing a model of the Rocket on Bath Green Park although I'm not surprised that there was one. I do remember seeing a rather splendid model in a glass case at Bristol Temple Meads, put a penny in the slot and the wheels went round for a bit. I guess the at least some of these models might have been donated by British Rail to the various museums, but I don't recall ever seeing one, as you say, I suspect that some of them went AWOL as well.

Weather here just about the same, violent wind last night and sheeting down with rain, not a lot better tonight, although today has not been too bad in Oxfordshire, working at Standlake (JSP Plastics.). Their works engineer made a decoy pigeon, 'cos he goes shooting a bit. On Friday we put it on the top of one of their outside lamp standards, about fifteen feet high, whilst he was off site, just for a laugh! During the night the thing blew off causing damage to the beak so its been having plastic surgery today.

I reckon that Bill has to be hero of the day, I would not fancy repairing fences in the middle of the night in weather like that. Our house is on the side of a hill facing South also, fortunately we didn't suffer any damage, even the chicken houses were still upright this morning!

By the way Chris, don't know much about N gauge but Graham Farish is a well known quality producer so should sell OK. I think the web site probably says it all.

Regards to all and Parrotty

Sticky.

PS. I rather liked Jane Morgan as well Bill!

David, nice to hear from you.  I recognise your name from somewhere. You are not the prefect who gave me a few Detentions?

Have not been to the Port Adelaide Steam M.   I have been up to Flinders Ranges and know of the narrow gauge railway called the Picchi Richi (I think I have spelt it correct) up that way.  It was that long ago, that my last visit in that area was when the Scot Andrew Cowan won the London to Sydney car race.  The roads around the Flinders Ranges were like carpet with all the dead bunnie on them.  When I was joined the navy, when travelling between Sydney and Melbourne (yeah by train on leave), one had to change trains at Albury/Wodonga on the NSW/Victoria State borders because the different State railways had different guages.  I think we are all the same now (Roman Chariot width between wheels, what is it 4 foot 8 inches?) with the exception of Queensland.

Bibi 4 Now - Ken

Standard gauge 4 foot eight and a half inches Ken, adopted by George Stephenson as that was the standard gauges for colliery wagons in the North East pits, apart from a few others it was used all over the world, probably due to the large number of british engineers used to build railways around the world and the large number of locos built in this country for export, Irish railways used 5 foot 3 inches for some strange reason.

Locos in cases at stations, Paddington had a beautiful model of a GWR King on platform 1 of which the motion operated on the insertion of money in the slot, ("Don't waste your money on that"), being the usual accompaniment to any attemped insertion of same.

And who's Jane Morgan?

 

Stu

Not guilty of handing out detentions, Ken. I left Bath Tech in 1961 after the fifth form, when my dad was moved to Scotland. But your name also rings bells. Were you of that generation?

Ah the magic of Graham Farish N guage. Once built a whole N guage layout round the manager's office at a Scottish airfield. Pilots used to come up to the control tower to play with it. Farish kit was built in a factory near Wareham, not far from here. All gone now, sadly.

Yeh...who is Jane Morgan?

Aha..  ...  now we know; ... thanks Tony for the JANE MORGAN enlightenment .. was is something that I said?  .. yes it was !! .. I just didn`t know it of course! .. I mean, unless you`ve heard of the srtiste`and her work .. all is a mystery!

 

Good old "Wiki", been on there tonight as it happens .. got bored, started another article on Somerset. Hey -ho .. someone`s got to do it.

 

How is the world and all who sail / sink / swim / in her? ... Stu, you can always drop in here after leaving Shirl in Bristol, I can always tell her you have been abducted by aliens .. or are in the company of aliens .. amounts to the same thing really. Hey, come to think of it we may be away for the day (if weather holds up) with Janice and Paul, Caroles` sister and her husband ... take your chance on us being in.

 

Well, the Bacardi calls me .. third large glass just going down.. cheers.

Hi all.

I didn't realise that my comment about Jane Morgan would cause such consternation! But it was fun whilst it lasted.

Anyhow, you all seem to have sorted out who she was, and the opening lines of the song were:-

'The day the rains came,

Mother earth swelled with pride'..............

See the link?

Finished work in Oxfordshire today, office tomorrow and may have to go to Cockermouth next week.

Our customer's factory there has been under two feet of water!!!!!

one of our engineers went up yesterday on a reccy mission, I called him at lunch time for a progress report.

When asked how he was getting on he said 'Swimmingly'.

Apparently they had a JCB inside the factory demolishing offices and scooping up office and contents to dump it in skips outside.

When I say contents I mean everything, computers, phones, desks, filing cabinets and contents, everything!

So heavily contaminated not economical to try to recover any of it.

Bi for now.

Sticky.   

Hi Anth.

Thanks for the music.

I remember when the song first came out, listening to it on radio LUxembourg. the old valve radio used to fade and drift like nothing else, but it was all we had in those days.

I guess that all Luxembourg listeners from thos long off days will also remember Horace Batchelor with his 'Famous infradraw method', of course he came from Keynsham, spelt K-E-Y-N-S-H...................

Happy days!

Sticky.  

Horace Bachelor by name "bachelor" by nature in his later life (single again) .. He lived in a bungalow on the A4 between Saltford and Keynsham with his house keeper for company. His son took over the "infra-draw method" forecast business in the late 60s` early 70s`.

 

I met Horace, and got to know him quite well as his T.V. repair man. I worked for Granada in Bristol for a while, he was on my patch. He had two T.V.s` from us, a 25" Colour G.E.C., and a 24" Mono G.E.C. (one on top the other). he had the B/W set just in case the colour one broke down ( common in those days with valve T.V.s`). He used to live in one small room with his chaise lounge up against one wall, eating and sleeping opposite his beloved T.V.s`. He had a penchant for water colour and oil painting. His old bow windowed entertainment room was steel shuttered all the time. This was his haven of peace and art studio. His ability as a painter seemed quite good ( My limited experience at the time), I was one of the few priveliged to be let into this fortress. It took about 6 months of visits if I remember for him to start talking. Previous to this, all communication was through his housekeeper.

 

The bar, and all the optics were still there, a few chairs, pictures all over the floor, his easel and paint stuff and a table full of part finished work. .. nothing else. The Football business took it out of him, he became a recluse. When he died the housekeeper got the old house ( I think Son was wealthy enough not to contest this). The house is much extended now, a massive conservatory too built on the side. It operates as a nursing home. Have no idea who runs it.

 

Every time I drive past I think of him, my old "Sobell" transistor radio and the girl I used to sit with listening to "208 on the medium wave dial" Luxembourg night after night.  All this long before the days of "pirate Radio" .. good time for broadcasting and music. The fading, down to the variation of the "E" layer at night on  medium radio frequencies.  

Hi Bill.

Nice to know someone who actually met Horace Batchelor, and that he was a real person!

Sounds like he led a sad sort of life towards the end, although I wonder about the 'Housekeeper'.

Great fun in the radio Luxembourg days, although I never had transistors or a girlfriend to listen with, just an old five valve superhet, and one of them was the rectifier! Still, we managed to get a half decent signal most of the time, mind you I think that the numerous yards of aeriel probably helped.

Been a bit of a day really, fetched a lathe and mill back from Gloucester on a ropey old trailer, but we made it OK.

Sheeted down for the night, unload tomorrow.

Have to go, newsletter to finish publishing.

Bi for now.

Sticky. 

Bill, many thanks for the inside view if Horace Bachelor. As a Keynsham lad I came in for a lot of stick when I went away. I thought if I heard K E Y N etc quoted at me once more I would go mad. ( it STILL happens!)

 

One point of fact. It wasn't a bungalow but a 2 storey house with green tiled roof and green shutters. He had a chauffer driven Vauxhall Cresta, which even at the time seemed a bit naff. I used to wonder why, if his system was so great he didn't live somewhere better.

 

The house became a nursing home before being demolished and replaced by a feeble block of flats.

 

My Aunt who was in Keynsham hospital for years used to get £2 at Xmas from him. He gave all the residents a present of £2.

Hello Guys,

Just updated Horaces page on Wikipedia. Thanks for the update Chris, I probably got confused about the building (long time ago!). The entertainment room gave the impression of a single sory extension, probably where "bungalow" comes into the equation. I `m glad I didn`t dream about the shutters, always struck me as odd, detached house with a view, and all that.

 

I can only remember him as quite an articulate man, even though many felt his radio voice didn`t amount to much. Once he opened up, he gave the impression of a "bit of a lad". I bet a lot of us will carry his memoery to our graves. Tea on the table...catch you later all.

Hi all.

Nice to hear all about Horace, but like you said Chris, K-E-Y-N-S............. wears a bit thin after a while. Must have been a fair b****er for anyone that actually lived there, about the only thing that it was famous for!!!

At about the same time that I was a Lux listener, that is about fourth / fifth form age, the school organised several trips, I guess associated with carers possibilities, around local industrial / commercial sites. Some of these were out of school hours, but not all.

I remember going around Fry's with Ray Jones, most of us went on that one because of the prospect of free sweets, bit disappointing from what I remember! We also did Portishead radio station and power station, much more interesting, that's where I discovered that radio transmission in those days was not really electronics, more yer heavy engineering. Another trip I remember was to the C.A.D. at Corsham (Central Ammunition Depot) about 95% of which was under ground in the old Bath stone mine workings, an amazing place. Besides the miles of ammo storage there was also all the facilities required to maintain a full work force, about 50% of which were military, mostly Piuoneer Corps (They were the only ones daft enough to work down there!).

The facilities included a working railway terminus, freight and passenger, canteen, shops including a hairdresser, power station etc.

Funny thing was it was not until we arrived that we found out that my old mate, Tommy Ralph's dad was conducting the tour, he worked for the ministry at the time. During the latter years most of the 'Goods' for the site was transported by road from railheads at Thingley Junction and Laycock Halt (So extensive they were part of the same rail complex), the mainstay of the transport being Scammell Scarabs with dropside open trailers. However the railhead underground was still maintained for 'Other consignments'.

Rambling on again.

Gotta go now.

Have fun.

Sticky.

PS Nearly forgot, Bi Bi to Parrotty.

PPS. Hi Ken, you must have posted your two penn'orth whilst I was writing the above!

Didn't know about the Roman chariots, but the four foot eight and a half gauge was adopted by the Stevensons and their compatriots as the standard guage used mostly on the early industrial systems and then evolved, the gauge was probably inherited from the early tramways, but if this is traceable back to the chariot I know not. Old I.K.B. upset the apple cart with his adoption of seven foot and quarter inch gauge, his arguement being that the greater gauge would offer a better ride more befitting the upper class of passenger he envisaged travelling on his new railway, remember he was also building steam ships to link West Country ports with America. He also envisaged that his gauge would offer more efficient load carrying capacity and less track maintenance cost. Thus the gauge wars began!

Incidentally I believe that earlier Stu? stated that the Irish gauge is five foot three, I've always thought it is five six, but stand to be corrected as I may be getting muddled with India which has five foot six, four foot eight and a half and two foot, there are probably others as well!

Can't understand the Chinese ice cream as they don't have a dairy industry, or they didn't in the late eighties when I was there last. If you wanted butter it was tinned and imported from Aus.

Funny old world aint it!

Sticky.

Chinese ice cream eh! can't honestly say I saw a lot of it in China, well none actually, come to that didn't see many cows either, there were some in western China along with a much larger number of yaks, yak ice cream anyone? Having smelt yak butter candles burning in buddhist monasteries I think I'll pass.

On the Radio Luxembourg front didn't anyone listen to AFN, reception was patchy even with miles of aerial, but the sounds were worth it.

 

Stu

 

PS. returned from the shopping expedition intact, even if fat wallet is now considerably thinner, at least it didn't rain until we were well on our way home, all I wanted was a new pair of chinos and a good look round the cheap record shop for a few CD's needless to say came home with nothing.

Harping back to the four feet eight and a half inch discussion ... you've probably read this before, but it bears repeating.

 

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet eight and a half inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates. Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did they use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing. Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts. So who built those old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe (including England) were built by Imperial Rome for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads? The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels, were first formed by Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. So the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Specifications and bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.

Now we come to a twist to the story…

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are Solid Rocket Boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Morton-Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory had to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs, therefore, had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horses's asses. So, a major design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of two horse's asses.

 

I say David, he last sentence .. should it not have read "Two whores` asses? " .. or are my eyes playing me up again .. Ha Ha

Brilliant David, loved it, the obvious next item for discussion could be "rulr of thumb", or the "golden mean". Come on guys that should fuel your collective imaginations. Me? I've more important things to do revising tax discs, parking violation codes and car badge recognition, life's really hard. Oh! as an aside Bill the exam was multiple choice questions as well, we were given 90 mins. to do it and all finished in about 15.

 

Stu

 

PS. You know your trouble Williams, sex on the brain, that's wot! whore's asses! I ask you!!!!!!

Hi all.

Thank you for your contribution to the gauge thing, David, certainly raised a smile, and an eyebrow!

I still like Bill's interpretation though. Somebody in those far off days two thousand years ago must have done some measuring, how does four foot eight and a half convert to cubitts (Not sure about the spelling). Bet he would have enjoyed the job a lot more if Bill's version had been adopted.

Still trying to get my head around Chinese ice cream. They must import the ingredients, make the stuff and then ship it on. Don't see how the economics of that works! Wonder how the Aus government manages to police the standard of hygene maintained during manufacture and if not policed how do they get an import lisence?

Ah well, life's full of little mysteries.

Have fun.

Sticky.

Hi All, very interesting discussion. David is just too well read, probably because he has known me since 1948.  The Chinese will make anything if there is money to be made.  The ice-creams sold in Aust are made for a local company called 'Peters' not that will mean much to you people  On Anth's latest reply don't like the look of that word 'Erection' standing out on the second line and ripe for picking by Bill. 

Aha.. Ken, you`re getting to know my wierd sense of humour ! .. I wouldn`t dream of of touching Tony`s erection .. scaffolding or otherwise ..Ha Ha. I know we went to school together, but there are limits you know! ..ha ha.

 

Not much exitement going on in my litle village, I`ve been pre-occupied over the last few days with talking to a young, (now 60 years young), girl I used to have a relationship with in my long haired youth. Makes you realise that life is a slow process, and that shocks are always round the corner for us (when we least expect them).

 

Anyone remember Gordon Williams (1955 intake)?. He emailed me about the book I was intending to write about the Old School and its` part in shaping my life. I ahev sent an invitation and a few web links, so he may be joing us on here. 

 

I`m going to have a quick look at Steves new message, see what he`s been up to lately .. back soon.

 

 

Hi Anth.

My advice is to ignore the schoolboy quips about your erection, I was with you all the way until their interjection. OOps! do you think they might misinterpret this word also? Anyhow, did the training end with portable scaffolding or did it include 'flying carpets' and cherry pickers also? Sounds like it was fun, but if not at least there were some benefits in the choccy dept.

Have fun.

Sticky.