England

[Anonymous]

Well we went into London for our 4 th and last visit yesterday, saw nelsons column and Trafalgar square very inpressive, as well as Liecester square, piccadilly and quite a few other things and rene when you read this your beady little eyes will go green, we went to Harrods.

We are cleaning up andpacking up today and will be in Normandie tomorrow and we hope to visit the D day beaches asap.

that is all frpom Ian for about three weeks i think. all my best to Troy and Kim and every one else.

rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

Well this will be the last you hear from me for weeks, as we are off to France, Normandy to be exact, two days time via the Chunnel. Having ridden on the ICE train and now the Chunnel I have just about done my train thing; some of the worlds great trains. Some years ago I went on the longest train journey of them all, the brilliant Indian Pacific back home, the only train trip that comes across the worlds three greatest oceans, Indian, Pacific and Great Southern.

The Edinburgh Tattoo was one of the greatest things i have seen, Stonehenge was also mind blowing; not as big as i thought but overpowering and mysterious. The Cotswolds didn't do a thing for me.but Stratford on Avon, wow. Visited Mary Ardens cottage ( William Shkespears mum) and Ann Hathaways cottage ( Mrs Shakespear) and of course Bills birthplace, even stood next to the bed he was born in.

Went for a boat ride on the Avon River. I can tell you Bill was the most prolific playwrite the world has ever seen and I didn't know it but he added 1700 new words to the English language.

We are off to a300 year old farmhouse in Normandy and i am not sure if they have any modern stuff at all let alone a computer.


regsrds from Ian.

[Anonymous]

Full beer of our own! we went down to Kim and Gails local (2 minutes walk) and got pretty drunk, most unusual for us.

We had a terific time with Kim and Gail and we are most grateful.

We came oever here to track down our roots as a secondary thing. We got to Glasgow and hated it so much we didn't investigate anything. This is a dirty awful place full of ignorant rude people and i am ashamed to be of there. With Kims help we found the street where Doreen was born in Wolverhamptom, which was much nicer than we expected. However the house is gone and it is a street of factories now.

We are running out of time, off to France on the Chunnel a week today. In the emantime we have to have another day in London and even then after 4 days we will only scratch the surface. Piccadilly, trafalgar square, Harrods etc. We are also going to visit Stonehange, Bath, Stratford on Avon and maybe Carnarvon (Mt Snowdon Railway) in Wales.


rgds ian

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: generally split a few beers

Kim, Some host you are! You didn't even give Ian and Doreen a full beer of their own? Shame! [:p][:D]

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
Gail and myself have had the pleasure of Doreen and Ians company for Sunday and Monday and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. On Sunday the weather was beautiful and we did the mandatory Blackpool things, tram ride, prom walk etc. Monday dawned dull but it turned into another lovely sunny day and we did a trip to Fleetwood ( I know how to spoil guests[;)]) and a trip into the tower complex. They loved the bit where the Wurlitzer organ rises out of the floor whilst it's being played in the ballroom, we love it as well. We ran a few trains, loved Troys liitle loco and generally split a few beers and had a great time. I'll post a couple of pics when I get chance. They have now left us to enjoy their last few days in the UK before thay hit Normandy via the Eurostar. Bon voyage mates, we'll catch up with you again!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[vsmith]

Ian

MIND THE GAP

[Anonymous]

Yeah K im i know, what about drinking Scotch in Scotland. We are having a work day today and are off to Scotland tommorrow ro see the Edinburgh Tattoo and vist the Isle of Skye and to find my roots in Glasgow, though i have heard they have all migrated to Canada years ago.

Visited that bloodthirsty place The Tower of London yesterday and went on the Eye of London, what a blast 135 metres up looking right down on Westminster and tower of big Ben. We are really using the Tube well now, Liverpool st to Tower Hill to Westminster to Victoria St and back to Liverpool st. The shoppers special we go on from Woodham Ferrers into Liverpool st and back home is easy now and we have even got to know a few of the regulars.

This path of house swapping is open to all with the guts to do it, so think about it!

We are doing a trip to Wales including Stratford on Avon before going on to Normandy at the end of the month.

rgds Ian

[Capt Bob Johnson]

TJ
Probably dressed that way for the same reason the gundecks on the old warships were painted red, so people wouldn't see the blood & guts!

Did make it easy to tell friend from foe!

[Rene Schweitzer]

Ian,

I envy you and your travels! Sounds like you're having a blast. Take care,

Rene

[tangerine-jack]

Ian, I didn't mean to imply your comment was derogatory, sorry if you felt it was. I hope you are having a great time in England, I lived there for a few years and found it to be a great country. You will get no arguement from me that the English are crazy as loons! They went into combat dressed in bright red!



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[Anonymous]

Oh no it's not Ian, tram ride in Blackpool yet!!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Well we have seen a very big layout at Colchester they have admitted to working on it for 10 years but i heard it was more like 30 years. They run incredibly long trains and have a rack system as well with Ballenberg equipment.

I could only guess at its size say 5 times mine 160 X 5 X 3= 2400 feet., the township was extrordinary. and other track side stuff as well.

Thats it now for railway stuff on this trip, a lot of girlie stuff now, Stratford on avon, Bath, Isle of Skye,that sort of thing.

Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

We're not nuts, it's the rest of the world. I've got the beer in the oven Ian!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Troy mate i disagree with you i loved it, I could even see Frabce in the distance and the WW 2 installations and show wee wonderful. thanks for all the tips on what to see, but i'm running out of time as weare doing something every day and as well we have to do some girlie things as well.

Jack that bit about the Mary Rose wasn't a jibe at Americans or Australians for that matter; it was aimed at the poms, by their own admission you have to be slightly nuts and highly eccentric to even want to do what they have done.

But it is terrific and the process they are doing in spraying with a special chemical for about 12 years just as nutty, bery clever and brillaintly thought out but nuts all the same!

rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

Ian,
I hate to disappoint you but Dover is one of the worst places in England.It has a wonderful castle though.
We tend to go through it in the works van at warp factor nine.
Anyone not speaking engli***ends to learn the expression"get out of the way/country you ill**** ********* bast***" very fast.Even faster than "We claim asylum"
Funnily enough they are really fast.
And believe me,I really DO try.
If it's a clear day we like to look across the Channel at France.It brings into perspective how close Europe is and how brave and resisting my forebearers were.[^]

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen I am off to Dover even as we speak; and our third trip to London tomorrow.

Went to a train running in Essex yesterday and saw soem amazing equipment, a French Mikado and a European diesel electric from Switzerland that yodelled.

But best of all was train cam on two locos, what a great thing.

Going to a big Essex train meeting on Sunday.

rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

Do not forget to visit Dover if boats are your thing. Harbour is non stop and the channel from the cliffs looks like a motorway/freeway. In the town museum there is the oldest boat in the world and do not forget to pat the polar bear. It was there in the 1950s when I was a kid.

[tangerine-jack]

Gee, all I'm stuck with is the Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant............[B)]
(Not counting of course the active duty naval ships at the base in Norfolk.)

True, us North Americans can't raise a ship that's 500 years old, after all, we are only 400 ourselves. We do have the first sub, the Hunley; the oldest active duty ship in the world, the Constitution (The English know that ship all too well), plus a respectable collection of aircraft carriers, subs (German and US), the odd Viking ship or two, and other seacraft of historical or technological interest. Our sea heritage is not greater than any other countries, it simply evolved along different lines under different circumstances, but it is impressive in it's own right and constantly evolving.


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[vsmith]

Ian
If you can, check out the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, The Warrior's history is amazing, it was hull was laying around as a floating hulk for almost 100 years when someone realized what it was, then they patched it and moved it back to England for a huge restoration effort. Absolutely amazing what a people can do when they put their backs into it.

I hope to get back to England, never got to see the Mary Rose!

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Bout 10 years ago my son was on a school ship cruise and they docked close to the Victory. He said it was one of the most impressive things he saw. That meant a lot cause I still can't get him to read a lot. I think some of those old sea stories of the Hornblower, Bolitho, Ramage, Drinkwater genre should be required reading in any school; they would do a good job of teaching Duty, Honor, Responsibility, Leadership, and even civility.

We all have our history, but I agree, the Limeys do have a touch with it!

[Anonymous]

Bob mate, I cant its sunk in the mysteries of time, many stories have been put forward on the forum even, but the South African RonnieLowe or similar said it best. something to do with them turning red in the hot Aussie sun and looking like pomegranats come something else hence the word POM.
That whole Portsmouth Dockyard was terrific saw the "HMS Warrior", and "HMS Victory"
even stood a few feet from where Lord Nelson died after the battle of Trafalgar. We can crticise the poms all we like but they certainly have history and they know how to handle it as well.

The highlight of course was the "Mary Rose" what a wonderful thing and they way it has been done is outstanding; raising her after being on the bottom of the sea for nearly 500 years, was something all poms should be proud of. It is one of the top wonders of the many i have seen in my life, you North Americans and us Aussies can only dream about doing the same.

rgds Ian

ps this topic is getting bigger England might even equal Brians Rabbit or Vics miniscule railway.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Iandor,
I have often come across "Poms" in my reading, but have never seen or heard a definition or origin. Would you care to enlighten us?

[steveblackledge]

Hello Ian, greetings from sunny Lancashire, glad your enjoying England mate, if you go down to Devon, go to Babbacombe model village near Torquey, everythings set at about "G" scale,
have a look at my picturetrail site under "holiday in Devon"

Talking about Ships have a look at this link to HMS Victory http://www.torrington-cavaliers.co.uk/Progress%201.htm this is a replica of the old battle ship HMS Victory and this group has built it over two years just to burn for charity, it goes up in flames around the 25th August, you can bid on the right to light the bonfire on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=66638&item=7340145922&rd=1

[Anonymous]

John. No

Troy great, I cant wait.

The Muse was very interesting but the horses have all gone, retired to the country i think; the Queen let the london police horses hang out there, but even they have returned to thereusual stables.

The carriages were terrific and the Queens dark red Bentley, wow.

The gallery was incredible you couldnt put a price on the paintings there billions i would say.

The state rooms in Buckingham Paace were just that stately and brilliant.

Today we are driving down to Portsmouth to see Nelsons "Victory" and othe famous British Warships.

I'll report again soon


rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

Ian.
I sat down last night ,threw away the MTS switch decoder instructions and attacked it with some logic.
Result.Made it do all kinds of interesting things,flashing lights ect. as well as making it do what you wanted.
When you get home,e-mail me and I'll go through it step by step until you get it sorted.
Remember, your new diesel thing has no decoder so it's address will be zero on the handset.

[John Busby]

Hi Iandor/ Troy
More info on Ians new toy
Hey Ian how about large widget mining complex for it shuffle widget skips and pit props around[:D]
regards John

[Anonymous]

It is true the Poms like warm beer.

However i do not drink Fosters nor does anyone i know, its all hype as far as Aussies are concerned. I drink VB (Victoria Bitter) ands i think it is the most popular beer in Australia, irrespective of what you thought.

Rgds Ian

PS Well we are off to London again today we booked months ago for the Royal tour, The Muse , The gallery and Buckingham Palace including Changing of the Guard. Hey the muse is where the Royal Horses hang out.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Back in my drinking days anything cold & wet worked, name didn't matter!

Fridge??? What ever happened to CO2 fire extinguishers??? Weren't they invented to make single beer bone chattering cold?

[tangerine-jack]

Sorry, my mistake, Kim. Darn hard to keep tract of those fridge keys, isn't it?

Ian, I am so glad you had a good time in England. If you find yourself in the States, don't hesitate to look me up!




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