Grumpy old man mode! Yet another IT systems c**k up this time with a swap of service providers (BBand and phone). Dead easy, swapping is the way forward, OFCOM have made it simple etc., etc., say the ads. B******s to that. Not the first post here on this blog about poor IT systems and it… Read More »
A somewhat hectic start to 2024 finally seems to be settling down after family trips back up north and the usual Easter events. One highlight was seeing my granddaughter in the Market Weighton school production of Fame JR. This update is mostly about model making and model railways. As usual my wife and I did… Read More »
The blog may well drift into being mostly model railway posts. This post will be expanded but here is a holding link to a description I posted elsewhere. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/141337-phoenix-yard-including-related-builds-and-stock-mods-etc/?do=findComment&comment=4800753 The real castle The Castle is on the west side of the Island of Portland in Dorset. It overlooks Church Ope Cove. Although often attributed to… Read More »
I don’t want the blog to cease but life has been somewhat hectic since the last post; has this blog really seen nothing new posted since Christmas: where has the year gone? Those who know me will be aware that my replacement as SLS Journal editor suffered a disastrous house fire just into the new… Read More »
Down by the old colliery buildings there were no street-lights and, with tonight’s bright moonlight, eerie shadows were crossing the broken concrete slabs of the old access road. The hard frost made Ernie’s steps crackle. As he hit the frozen remains of a small puddle, an even sharper crack as it split and shattered under… Read More »
Dyno-Rod Another automated phone system (Dyno-Rod’s) that asks for dates but does not say it needs to be in US format. We are in the UK you should make your systems UK compatible OR make it clear you need the month first before your customers have failed several times by giving it the right way… Read More »
British Gas – hopeless We have been trying to book a service for ages, but every time doing it on line the system crashes. Finally gave in and rang the given number. Repeatedly during the call centre wait it tells you it is quicker to go on line! Duh, on line is bust! The system… Read More »
Escape It is an obvious thing to point out, but, in order to engage in some form of escape, there is a requirement to first be trapped, perhaps physically, but these days more often than not it is in the less obvious mental and financial arenas. Overcoming the latter is becoming harder and harder, it… Read More »
In the year after I was born the first recorded round trip to the summit of Mt Everest occurred. In May 1953 Sherpa Tensing got Edmund Hillary to the top. It might not have been the first successful ascent, as George Mallory may well have got there first; however, he died on the mountain. As he… Read More »
Having one of those annoying and frustrating days when a simple task (using the scanner) takes three hours and counting because a software update has taken place since you used it last. The result of that needing you to find out the problem (first hour and a half wasted – the support message on Epson’s… Read More »