In the last issue of Mechanalia the Chairman’s Notes are missing, this is because he missed the dead line!! Naughty Martin… So here is his report and photos…
Hello all.
It has been a busy few months for the LL club and me, here is just a few bits and pieces.
At work they always say I have too many bright ideas and never keep my mind on one thing at a time. When did bin men stop riding on the back of Lorries? They’re now called Refuse Operatives.
We had a boat trip in Chichester harbor – the weather was not too bad but could have been better. Many years ago I spent many a weekend sailing around the harbor, mainly in a Bowson boat. They were made for the Navy to train their personnel. They are built like battle ships and weigh almost as much. I was reminded that with my beard and long mustache that it was difficult to lip read me so sorry to anyone who tried. I have now trimmed both, which may help.
When did the The Grange get rid of its tennis court? Now it is more car park, they also used to play five aside football in the courts, now they have no outside sports facilities.
Dawn and I did Bognor Regis military day, we took the Land-rover and my ENSA bits, I was opposite the pier in the little park and it was a little difficult to maneuver the ambulance though the entrance. The paper work took some time with various Health and Safety adjustments.
We took mum and her spoons to Buriton fun day – quite a few LL members there. On the way back we were stopped at a junction and were hit by 4×4, as he turned in behind us he took it too tight and clipped our back bumper, Dawn jumped out to talk to him and all she got was “I wondered what that was?” Lucky no damage to the camper but did he not seem to care.
Mum and I did a 1940’s evening at Pendean – very good, we both enjoyed it and the singer was good.
I was nice to see so many of you at Dick’s funeral.
I was asked to do a Film show Pendean, we has the usual black and white film and some film from the RAF’s in-house news reels from the 1950’s, some of which seem dated these days. This was the same day I took Dawn back to Worcester, so six hours driving before the evening. Sometimes even I cringe on how some people do bad motor cycle over takes, can they see round bends or over blind brows, or do they hope no one is coming the other way and then they get five minutes up the road pull in to wait for their mates. Bar humbug!
We had a BBQ in the village and I was meant to do the P.A but there was a little mix up and did not need to do it so I managed to get to the Petworth park fete on one of the hottest days of the year but no shade in the middle of the field.
On my way to work I had a puncture on the Enfield and I thought that I hit a bit of oil on the road ,then a little later the front wheel was not right so I stopped it was a little flat at first so I tried to go on but chickened out 200 yard from garage. After calling the AA he turned up some 30 mins later he managed to over inflate it and I creeped to garage then repaired the tube making me only 1 hour late for work.
Two MOTs within a week, both the camper and Land-rover with the usual rust, brakes.
Thanks to the Brewers for the skittles night, it is always a good night out and a few laughs on the way.
Looking through an old car magazine I found an advert for a towing periscope not extension wing mirrors. It stuck on to your windscreen with suckers and had 2 mirrors to look backwards through the front and back windows of your caravan.
I had a trip to Scotland for my main holiday this year and it started with leaving at about 2 o’clock on Saturday after going to the bank in Chichester in the morning, as Midhurst bank has closed. My plan was to get half way for the night, stopping at a motor was service station just before the lake district. This time unlike the last I paid for the night not getting a bill for over staying the 2 hours free time. In the morning I went to the boat museum on Windermere (note there is only one lake in the lake district – all the others do not have lake in their name). I have not been there for many years and they have just re-built it and just after many years closed, I did not manage to get out on the water this time but maybe next time. On the way to Edinburgh I went through Bigger, it has a few museums in it. A local history one with recreation of local shops and another with Alubiun lorry in. I had the use of a drive way to park up for the week getting there at about 7 0’clock, next day a trip to the Falkirk wheel. Having blocked the canal between Edinburgh to Glasgow they planned a new and first new type of boat lift. It is somewhat like a cross between a see-saw and a big wheel. You have 2 gondoliers or tanks, one at the top pond and the other in the bottom pond, the top one opens at one end letting the higher boat in and another boat (or it can be empty) goes in the bottom tank. Then the gates close sealing the tanks ends they then in a big axle rotate like a big wheel. The top ends up at the bottom and vices verses. The end gates then open letting the boats out. As the amount of water displaced is the same weight as the boat in the tank it is always in perfect balance and not much power is needed to move it. On the way back I visited the Kelpies. There are two massive horse head statues on the same canal, after a small detour due to my sat nave.
The next day I wanted to go to Rosslyn chapel I decided to walk from the park below it, in the valley there use to be a gun powder factory, as well as a castle and coal mine.
Wednesday walked around and met Dawn in Edinburgh
Thursday walked down to the Parliament, I met Dawn and confused her university friends and lecturers. We went in to the into actors center and saw a very good play with them in one of the venues (The Pleasance).
Friday – Went to the Zoo. Like most of Edinburgh it is on a steep hill, I was surprised how many big animals it had from zebras, rhinos, and pandas, but were not seen the public. It also as one of the biggest penguin pools in Europe, they usually have a penguin parade in the afternoon but on one of the hottest days of the year the penguins were not wanting to take a walk and the sight of 200 people after waiting for 20 minutes for the event when it did not take place. On the way back the motorway was very slow, we found the problem was a 1960 jaguar car over heated in the slow lane. I stopped in front and gave the m my spare warning triangle and magnetic flashing light to give other driver a warning.
Saturday – Dawn have the morning off before handing out leaflets so we went to Dynamic earth. It is an interactive museum with rooms of various themes on volcanoes; another ice fields another with a piece of an ice burg in it. The last part was a film show in a dome yes you guest a dark room, warm, laying back in a comfy seat. I may have missed a few minutes of the show (I have history of dozing off in similar shows). In the afternoon we went up the Royal mile to hand out leaflets, every 2 steps forward you get offered a leaflet for one of the over 8000 shows in the fringe. At 4.10 we went to see the other Worcester students’ show.
Sunday – I met Dawn in the middle of the city and went to the Surgeon’s museum, 3rd time on this trip I got asked if I was a senior and they gave me a discount entry and Dawn got in as a student. Not to my taste, but very interesting. It was Dawn’s crew’s turn do their 1st play at at fringe. So I let her get ready and I went to the Scottish national museum. Lots to see and I could spent days in there but I had a show to go to . All student participants to the fringe can get ”a see all other student” ticket for a low price. But have to pay, paying public in first get in first so I went to the front of the queue. They all did well and not forgetting lines. After the show I went on to Ayr for the night to see my cousin and spent the night in Ayr.
Monday and I went to see the Boat museum Ivern they moved the main building from another port. At the entrance to the harbor there is a new bridge to nowhere. There was meant to be a sports center the other side of the river but it was never used. Having an overnight stop at a service station.
Tuesday and leaving early I wanted to go back to Bletchley park. Last time we went the camper dropped its clutch so we did not have long there. The original Enigma machine is housed there and was for communal use for translating secrets for the army.
Looking forward on the 10th to Yapton but to the high winds and not being able to put up their tents it was canceled. It was also the Heyshott flower show on the same day but luckily they managed to get it all into the village hall.
I went to the saddle and steam show at the Weald and Down with the Land -Rover and the ENSA display, I did not get there till Saturday morning just as well as everyone there said was there a lot of wind and rain on the Friday. Having both a military vehicle and display I ended up in with the green and black group.
At 10.30 the doors opened and it was not long before we were in the thick of the public. On the mill pond there had model boats with guns on them, the ducks did not find this fun when they started to fire. We had the magician opposite us and I managed to see him 5 times over the weekend, one on Saturday night just for the exhibitors, we also had a free sausage and beer.
Sunday morning at 6 o’clock was glorious sun shine but by 9 it was tipping down it lasted a little over an hour then it cleared up again for a sunny day.
In the way home I came up behind a threshing drum being towed by a tractor, luckily he pulled in and let the queue behind him pass. Around the next corner was a traction engine towing 2 trailers, even the Land-rover managed to pass it using its full revs.
Our LL evening for August was a walk around Petworth, our guide was expecting about 10, there was many more of us than that. Mum took her electric car but we did not know how narrow some of the pavements are. There was only one part we could not get to but the rest was ok and sometimes having to go on the road in places.
Well I am already late sending my newsletter article in . So I am singing off now. Looking forward to Graffham, Balls cross, and harvesting the old fashioned way being almost the last of the season.
Hope to see you soon.
Martin.
