Royal wedding garden party

To celebrate the wedding of William and Catherine we decide to have a  small "do" in the garden. What a superb day with gracious neighbours, many that I had not met before and all went well. A person with republican views even drank to the toast of the happy couple. We are now planning another event for June of next year as it will be the diamond jubilee on the throne for Queen Elizabeth and I hope to show more republicans the error of their ways.
jojo

Inter stellar overdrive works!

Dear Reader I would never suggest that I am an expert in anything, I would not want anyone to think that I applied myself diligently to any type of activity at all but the main reason I decided on the  6 cylinder engine was to get the overdrive unit. Unfortunately the o/d never worked. However after years of struggle and finding out that all of the wiring diagrams I came across were wrong I managed to make it work but in the course of this I had an interesting conversation with a transmission expert in Norwich. I know he was an expert because he wore blue overalls, a cloth cap, had a pipe sticking out from his beard and had a Whitworth spanner in his hand. During the conversation he asked what type of oil I had in the gearbox and as all of the manuals I have seen specified hypoy, with this he sucked through his teeth, whistled and told me that hypoy should not be used in a gearbox which has overdrive  and I should use 20/50 engine oil, mineral of course. Being worried by this I did some more research and spoke to the god of Laycock in Sheffield who was very animated by the subject and went on at length about the pros and cons of hypoy versus engine oil but ultimately he said that due to the mileage the car travels each year (about 50) I can use what I like.

So all is fine and dandy, except that after I put back the bell housing cover the indicators and lights don't work, so back under the dash I go.

Toodle pip,

jojo

pc and h&s at it again

I hear that the pc brigade is at it again and demands the titles of some of our best loved literature, music and films have to be renamed. These are some of the results:
One Walked Carefully Over the Cuckoos Nest
The Good, The Bad and the Slightly Facially Challenged
Anne of Green Gables - accessed only by a suitably approved and certificated access device.
Unpleasantness On The Orient Express
The Feather Dusters of Navarone
Headache in Venice
Night Of The Short Rubber Knives
The Slightly Nasty Sea
Not Overly Long Days Journey Into Night
Beigeboard Jungle

- What is the secret of your long life?
- Keep breathing.
Sophie Tucker

I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.
Hippolyte Taine

Trailer rollers and saggy tubes

Hm, well that looks about the right place now hand me my sewing kit.

With the sailing season fast approaching it's time to replace the rollers on the tender trailer (I remember a song about this by Elvis).

jojo

Both Strombergs working!

At last I have both carbs working on the Triumph, although it has taken me over 3 years to achieve. Having completely refurbished them both, twice, the front carb was hugely sensitive to adjustment, going from on song to over lean in 1/16th of a turn so I have taken it apart 6 times since Christmas but on no occasion finding any dirt, misalignment or damage so just to while away a few minutes on Sunday morning I stripped it again and hey presto it works! I have no idea why, answers on a postcard please.
It just leaves the timing to be retarded 3 more degrees and I think we are set for the summer. Huge sighs of relief were heard throughout the county.
jojo

Thinking of what??!

Well Davy lad I see you don't learn very fast, you cannot reduce defence spending and then want to enforce a no fly zone over Libya. In fact there is very little you can do as the military is fully committed in Afghanistan and indeed over committed, which means you have nothing left to begin a new foreign adventure.

Have no doubt that sending UK forces to the area would quickly:

• Require ever increasing numbers of forces
• Be opposed by the US unless lead by the US, remember Suez?
• Break the UK military and your government

Since the second German nastiness British governments have continually reduced defence spending until it is now less than 3% GDP, at this level you are only able to fund a homeland defence force.

If you want to take part in foreign excursions you will need to increase this to 6% and allow 3 years for the affects to take place.

If you want to know what to do you only have to ask me.

jojo

When it's dark enough you can see the stars.
Charles A. Beard

If you think nobody cares if you are alive or dead, try missing a couple of mortgage payments.
Ann Landers

Triumph run

I see that the Herts and Beds Sports Six club are having a run out on March 27th.
http://www.tssc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=137&year=2011&month=03&day=27&Itemid=74&catids=13
A lovely idea Trudi but are you teasing me, 40 miles? 40 MILES? That is the equivalent of 2 months motoring for my Triumph and around 6 breakdowns so will the AA be in attendance?
jojo

Meet the family

 This is my beautiful Duchess.

Sir Aubrey Gorgeous, though too busy to pose.

Me again Dave,

How is it that you can keep track of hundreds of thousands of cattle back through n generations but you can't keep tabs on illegals, don't know how many there are but pay them social benefits?
Get with it laddie, otherwise I will believe that you take taxes just for the frittering.
Little Miss Carefulpenny
P.s. when am I going to have the chance to vote on my membership of the eurogravytrain?

Pure pleasure

The excitement and satisfaction of this is (almost) beyond compare. Ok the engine isn't the real thing but is as good as could be expected from a hot-rod.

http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/Full%20Build.htm

Pour yourself a large strong one, attach your data projector and the biggest speakers you have, turn up the volume and enjoy!

Wet & wild

The picture of the rough trade in the top photo was taken after we finished the Fastnet, not long afterwards things got a bit messy, well who would expect it, with free beer and wine?
The one beneath it is just to prove that I do have an idea of what to do with the helm.
jojo

Ahoy there Davey!
I must have been on station when you called, so not to waste time you need to study this signal.
I was in the tap room of the Benbow and a bunch of the old gaffers were getting a bit worried on your behalf, you see it looks like you are losing your way so it's best that I tell you how to put it right.
You did the right thing by keeping the forests for the nation, so now to build on this you need a workmanlike plan.
I know times is hard and there's not much money about so here is the plan; we always need good ships for our gallant Jacks to take on Boney, so start by building small ships, sloops or brigantines which are the backbone of the navy, use one design and build a guaranteed number each year for the navy across several yards. In order to reduce costs build more than needed and then sell of the excess which will subsidize the cost of those for the navy, provide employment in ship yards and a reliable supply chain in terms of materials and skills.
O' cause we would not want our fine ships to get into the hands o' potential evil-doers so don't fit the boats for sale with the best hardware, just put mortars and them pretty brass 6 pounder canon on 'em  but put the iron canon and Long Tom's on the boats for our lads.
Do this for small ships and then do the same for frigates, we could call it a, er, production line. Who knows, we could even do the same for 74's and heavens, perhaps equipment for the army!
You need to start on this straight away as we don't know when the current truce will end and you ca't build a ship and train men in a week.
It's serious Davey boy and there are them as thinks that you being the ruler of the Queens navy and all and then taking away their ships could be seen as treason.
Get it squared away laddie.
C. Dogg

The edge of the Empire

I had a few days to spare on my way to Scotland so decided it was time for me to see the fabled Hadrian's Wall. Which was built by Emperor Hadrian, though not by the sweat of his own brow, to keep the lawless and fearsome Scots clans away from the peace-loving and reasonable English (and Romans). Unfortunately the wall is not always successful and the Scots sometimes come south.
I am not a dyed in the wool walker so you will understand that I was not inclined to patronize any of the camp sites, electing instead to opt for a dry bed, bath and hot meal in whatever bed and breakfast or small hotels I could locate. In order make life as convenient as possible I searched the www for accommodation but eventually came upon a package operated by a company which booked the rooms for me and used Sherpas, I suppose, to move the baggage from one residence to the next. The intention was to walk what I considered to be the most interesting section of the wall between Corbridge and Gilsland, as I was less interested in the parts of the wall close to either Newcastle of Carlisle. I had allowed three days for this.
Although it was August the weather was as you would expect; wet, windy, misty and at times cold but the views were superb, the history alive and all around and the walkers I met were of course lovely people.
I could go on but I won't so just do it, you will not be disappointed.
jojo

I keep fit. Every morning I do 100 laps of an Olympic-sized swimming pool - in a small motor launch.
Peter Cook

Woodentops

Good move boys and girls to give up the madness of selling off the nations forests, after all how would we make the 3 decker 74's we need to defend our shores if we have sold the oak to the enemy?
Whatever next, will you think of selling off the country's stock of gold? Whoops.
Squirrel Nutkin.

Pilotage

I really have tried hard to stay quiet but in the end someone has to speak the common sense. 100 RAF pilots under training to be made redundant, an a/c carrier scrapped and the Harriers disbanded. Let's look at history, what do the following have in common; Roman invasion, Saxons, Vikings, Normans? The answer is inadequate defence. Now consider Spanish armada, Napoleonic wars and the Nazis; what stopped them? Yes, the RN, Army and RAF. The first responsibility of any government is defence of the realm, not the last responsibility with whatever money is left at the bottom of the pot.
The RN has always had responsibility for protecting British shipping, countering pirates and protecting UK shores, the work is just as important today as in the past, so allocate them the resources to do it now.
We are an island trading nation so the RN must have a global capability and the RAF able to defend the UK. Beyond this if HMG wants to interfere in the affairs of other countries it must fund the Army sufficiently to do the job and the RAF to support them.
The numpties in Downing Street are obviously not aware that when a nation is seen not to be willing to defend itself it sends the message that it is an easy, indolent target.
I point out to you that when international turmoil occurs it does not give adequate warning for you to design and build aircraft and ships and train our forces. Our people are second to none but you could be accused of gross negligence if you send them away to do your bidding lacking equipment and training (again).
So come to life lads, you can't be short of money can you? If that were so you would not hand over billions to the unaccountable eurocrats from whom we have spent centuries defending ourselves.

Fuming of Wroxham.

Sailing to and through Holland

So we went to Holland and while we were sailing the canals we just had to dress and talk like pirates, doesn't everyone?

Triumph

Ok so this is it the famous Triumph with the legendary reliability - which is nil at the moment but when I have sorted out the carburation, timing, and brakes I may take it out of the village.

New blog

This blog is dedicated to the good things in life; boating, travel, motoring, family life and literature.
Please return soon.
Jojo.