Lock Down

[Richard]

Ah the luxury of having so much time on our hands

Trying to visit elderly parents whilst staying at a safe distance. My mum doesn't really understand all the fuss and keeps going out shopping on the bus when there is one. We're more at risk from her than she from us so we keep our distance, shout across the yard, and decline the tea.

We've been doing the family tree on Ancestry since 2000 and it's something to spend a bit of time on when the weather's poor. Completely unremarkable except for the wife getting stuck with her Jones in Wales, my mum being adopted, and my dad not knowing who his dad was which all makes it a bit like pin the tail on the donkey.

When it's nice sort the garden and garage out. Tidy the car and fix that engine light

Get the bike out, fall off, put it away again for 2 weeks whilst my knee scabs over

Yesterday was good. Finally (until next time) fixed the DVD Recorder which kept losing the channels and EPG. Took for ever and I needed to be in a good mood with nothing else to do. Recorded a couple of Bangers for Cash episodes

[Richard]

If in trouble phone a mate, this is what he sent me,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMJhOSdxQVg

[pre65]

Bangers and cash is good.

Jean does ancestry, and she traced me back to one of King Johns illegitimate daughters.

Big families and recurring christian names have been one of her problems.

EDIT

I use the word illegitimate because the forum software does not allow the word bas**rd.

[bikerhifinut]

I seem to be doing pretty much what I was doing before with the exception of not getting out except to one particular supermarket in the nearest town (penrith). got that down to once a fortnight as our greengrocer delivers.
But I have been very busy with my very venerable mother in law, 93 who is bemused that I keep very well distanced as she maintains at her age if its coming to get her so be it, but my argument is she has various carers and medical types visiting and I have a vulnerable partner (her daughter) and also have been having some very worrying issues with my own 89 year old parents, both of them more or less blind and mother has a few very challenging health issues which is compounded by the medics trying to keep her out of hospital, we've had the crews out a couple of times to get the old girl up after falls. And they won't come and lock down with us here where at least we can look after them, but that's their generation. Fiercely independent.

A.

[Baggy Trousers]

Originally Posted by bob orbell

Well said Greg, I started the thread because of not much activity, and being a member of the VMCC forum, someone started a similar thread that now has about six pages, mostly about ****, so come on all of you regulars and new comers post something even if it is completely bollocks . Bob

I have never been on facebook or similar sites, but to me it seemed that the VMCC forum had become something like it and I have not bothered with it for quite some time. When the club puts the sub up to £40 as threatened in the latest magazine, I shall quit altogether. Sad after so many years of membership, Section Chairman and other posts, but I don't care for the direction things are going. Anyway, enough of that.

Did I tell you about the time I accompanied Peter Walker (who was an accomplished flautist) at a small HiFi gathering in Cambridge at least a hundred years ago? No? Perhaps another time.

But just to demonstrate that I am a team player and since Bob raised the subject of motorbikes, here's something I wrote for a magazine years ago.

For weeks I had been coveting this exquisite artefact through the grimy window of the seedy bike shop. Against the background of the oil-soaked wooden floor and cobweb-festooned rafters, the externally flywheeled wonder shone like a diamond of incomparable magnificence; well, I imagined it did. Never before had I wanted something so much. Eventually, I was able to find the £4 deposit on the purchase price of £12/17/6 - an absolute fortune for me and much more than I thought the machine was worth but I was determined to have it. And the curmudgeonly proprietor knew this so, despite the length of time which the machine had been on his books (and that should have told me something), he wouldn't budge. After a couple of weeks hedging and ditching for the local council and with some cash provided by a kindly uncle, I raised the balance and became the deliriously proud owner of a 1936 GTP Velo.

Of course, it was not long before the euphoria of first love began to evaporate in the light of reality. The machine puttered along satisfactorily enough for a few weeks and I enjoyed my ownership of what, in truth, was a pretty horrid contraption although it was evident that it once had been a much better bike. Our progressions were attended by an increasingly dense plume which would not have disgraced a vessel of Her Majesty's Grey Funnel Line; the little Velocette "made smoke", the volume of which, even in the days before we discovered we had an environment, was embarrassingly excessive. Trips did not necessarily end at the chosen destination but more usually when the spark plug cried "enough!" and all went deathly quiet. The machine had form in this regard because an erstwhile owner had fitted a plug adapter so that those lovely old 18mm plugs which could be dismantled for cleaning might be used. It didn’t seem to help much.

A friend who was an apprentice diesel mechanic and therefore infinitely more knowledgeable than me, suggested the bike needed a "decoke". I had no idea what this process might be nor how to perform it but armed with what I could remember of his instructions given in a dimly-lit corner of the pub (I was under 21 at the time) and some borrowed tools, one Saturday morning I set about undoing every nut and bolt in sight until, spannered into submission, the engine surrendered its head.
Judge then, if you will, of my astonishment when I discovered that there was but one cylinder. I was mortified. Clearly, the man in the bike shop had seen me coming and had palmed me off with something different from what I was expecting - I had been tricked. However, I was upset about having been duped so easily and determined to tackle this duplicitous fellow. Thus, early Monday morning found me back at the bike shop as the proprietor was opening up. He saw me coming - again!

"I told you that there was no guarantee."
"I know that, but I do think you should have sold me a machine with its full complement of cylinders."
"Oh? How many cylinders does it have?"
"Only one."
"And how many cylinders do you think it should have?"
"Two."
"Why two?"
"Because it has two exhaust pipes."
"And two exhaust pipes means two cylinders?"
"Yes."
"Well, Sonny Jim . . . . . . "

Actually, he was quite decent about it in the end and offered to adjust the over-enthusiastic oil pump free of charge. But he did give me a stern lecture about coming the old soldier in matters of which I had no understanding.
By such means do we acquire wisdom. Possibly.
©

I made sure I didn't make the same mistake when I bought my XBR500SJ last October.

[pre65]

I always enjoy reading your reminiscences Baggo.

How's the XBR performing ? At least you now know the charging system is OK.

[Stanton]

Hi All

Well as one who regularly lurks but rarely posts I thought I'd better join in.

I think we are very fortunate to have a softish lockdown compared to some other countries and have found my exercise freedom a great boost to my mental wellbeing.

I bought a new Ebike in January and have really enjoyed being able to cycle for exercise. It’s good being able cycle along formerly busy roads without traffic continuously whizzing past.

The last time I rode to town had been over eight years ago to buy wire strippers when I was building my KT88. I had to stop twice on the hill into town to get my breath back. With the Ebike I could climb the hill at 9mph at first and have improved each time since. Some cyclists may say its cheating but it gets me out of the house and enjoying the ride.

Greg the last time I planted potatoes I was a boy. Do they still grow King Edwards?

Stay safe

Frank

[Richard]

They do! I'm bereft if we can't find King Edwards for roasting!

[bob orbell]

Some very nice posts, please them coming, oh, and I too cycle, but with pure pedal power, both on and off road, I try to do about 100 miles a week and do find the roads are much nicer at this time and the lack of obnoxious gases is very good, the day I cant ride the bikes I have I will get an E bike, also I am thinking of buying a new Ordinary bicycle, that's a penny farthing, I rode one about 15 years ago and found it amazing. Bob

[Greg.]

Originally Posted by Stanton

Hi All

Greg the last time I planted potatoes I was a boy. Do they still grow King Edwards?

Stay safe

Frank

Until last year, I had not planted potatoes since, as a boy, I helped my Dad in the vegetable patch. I believe King Edwards can still be home grown. To be honest, I don’t have a clue what we have planted other than there were two varieties. The good lady does all the planning and I’m certainly no horticulturalist. Last years crop was a real eye opener. The flavour was fantastic and a real reminder of how potatoes tasted ‘when I were a boy’.