It’s The Latte Latte Delta Tea Break 2018

[grantp]

Happy New Year to all.

In the UK the Old Year seemed to go out in some blazes of glory. When was the last time an entire multi-storey car park was engulfed? More flats too.

Let's hope this is not a trend that continues into 2018. I could foresee our Iain's plans being disrupted by conscription to the fire service owing to his past experience. As I understand things the wise people in control have decided fires are things of the past these days and cut staffing levels. They may need help!

Some of the local firework displays last night looked like they too had the potential to result in unplanned incendiary activity. Hopefully they were all incident free.

Have fun everyone. Especially Max and anyone else blessed with a Jan 1 birthday.

[midgetman]

I was talking to a utility on the phone the other day and got the usual "for data protection please confirm your date of birth," (as if a fraudster wouldn't have found out my DOB!).

"First January"

"Wow! That's your real birthday? Normally we see that just because people don't bother to use the drop downs!"

Such is the march of technology. I used to be considered unusual, now I'm just the default option

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[Mike Harte]

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

Some of the local firework displays last night looked like they too had the potential to result in unplanned incendiary activity. Hopefully they were all incident free.

The Beeb is reporting that a public display in Australia had an malfunction last night, and the lot went up at once.

Brings back memories of the 70s and 80s. A friend and I went through training to put on public displays which we held on Fireworks Night to raise money for charity. The training was given by the Kimbolton School Chaplain, the Rev Ron Lancaster, a pyrotechnical wizard who used to actually make and supply fireworks from bunkers in the school grounds. His enterprise used to supply many of the public displays such as the ones held on NYE on the Thames in London and for the Royal celebrations.

Most big displays are fired electronically, and are set up hours in advance often on scaffolding erected for the purpose. Those like Ron are so enthralled by fireworks that they hold competitions amongst themselves to produce the best displays. On one occasion, one competitor used an outside contractor to set up the display on the scaffolding as they were unable to be there in person. The problem was that the contractor used nails that were too long for the wood backing that was then attached to the scaffolding.

I'm sure that the reader is already knows what happened. Suffice to say that a 15 minute display went up in about 10 seconds when the first firework was fired.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

In the UK the Old Year seemed to go out in some blazes of glory. When was the last time an entire multi-storey car park was engulfed.

My first thought when the beeb suggested all the parked cars would be beyond repair was whether there were any valuable classics in it at the time. As it’s the middle of winter, hopefully not......

[bauble]

It's still New Year's Day, and the 'Tea Break' is off the ground with the usual eclectic mix of posts. 2018 promises much.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

The Beeb is reporting that a public display in Australia had an malfunction last night, and the lot went up at once.

Brings back memories of the 70s and 80s. A friend and I went through training to put on public displays which we held on Fireworks Night to raise money for charity. The training was given by the Kimbolton School Chaplain, the Rev Ron Lancaster, a pyrotechnical wizard who used to actually make and supply fireworks from bunkers in the school grounds. His enterprise used to supply many of the public displays such as the ones held on NYE on the Thames in London and for the Royal celebrations.

Most big displays are fired electronically, and are set up hours in advance often on scaffolding erected for the purpose. Those like Ron are so enthralled by fireworks that they hold competitions amongst themselves to produce the best displays. On one occasion, one competitor used an outside contractor to set up the display on the scaffolding as they were unable to be there in person. The problem was that the contractor used nails that were too long for the wood backing that was then attached to the scaffolding.

I'm sure that the reader is already knows what happened. Suffice to say that a 15 minute display went up in about 10 seconds when the first firework was fired.

Ah, so you met Rev. Ron.

Chaplain and Chemistry teacher.

His son is an MP. You probably knew that already.

Fun things, firework displays.

[Mike Bell]

I was reminded when paying an RFL on the w/end that credit card surcharges haven’t been kicked into touch yet. £2.50 charge on an £18 payment is criminal! But fear not, the new law comes in during this month, so hopefully anything needing to be taxed from then will not incurr the fee....

I will be checking

[gary396]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I was reminded when paying an RFL on the w/end that credit card surcharges haven’t been kicked into touch yet. £2.50 charge on an £18 payment is criminal! But fear not, the new law comes in during this month, so hopefully anything needing to be taxed from then will not incurr the fee....

I will be checking

Apart from anything else it's the inconsistency across Government departments that's puzzling - they don't add a fee when paying certain things by credit card e.g TV licence but they do as above.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by gary396

Apart from anything else it's the inconsistency across Government departments that's puzzling - they don't add a fee when paying certain things by credit card e.g TV licence but they do as above.

TV Licence is administered by Capita so presumably they just pass on the charges.

The real disconnect seems to be that a system of government that, supposedly, wishes to see such charges cancelled out makes use of the charge themselves.

I can see this being very much like the mobile phone roaming charges whereby a service used once in a while becomes, with some limitations, cheaper for those who might use it yet things that people use everyday, including people who might never use the new beneficial terms, become a lot more expensive.

On has to wonder whether government really are too collectively stupid to realise what effect they will have with most of their decisions OR are in fact in collusion with the organisations they are apparently trying to "control for the public good" for the good of government and their vassals.

[John Elwin]

Mike, I saw Attleborough Railway Station on TV last night but didn't spot you there waiting to greet Michael Portillo!

[midgetman]

≥>>>>>>>>>>>>On has to wonder whether government really are too collectively stupid to realise what effect they will have with most of their decisions OR are in fact in collusion with the organisations they are apparently trying to "control for the public good" for the good of government and their vassals.


I may be naive but I hold to the "cock up not conspiracy" school of thought. I genuinely think out political class doesn't have any experience or understanding of the real world and just are incapable of thinking through.

I have to believe that, I don't have any tin foil left after cooking the turkey.

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[grantp]

Originally Posted by midgetman

≥>>>>>>>>>>>>On has to wonder whether government really are too collectively stupid to realise what effect they will have with most of their decisions OR are in fact in collusion with the organisations they are apparently trying to "control for the public good" for the good of government and their vassals.


I may be naive but I hold to the "cock up not conspiracy" school of thought. I genuinely think out political class doesn't have any experience or understanding of the real world and just are incapable of thinking through.

I have to believe that, I don't have any tin foil left after cooking the turkey.

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I feel the same way Max but that in turn would mean that the educated Élite, mostly from Oxbridge, educational establishments that, we are told, are rated as amongst the very best universities in the world, are educated to a point of incompetence.

I think I would prefer the concept of conspiracy to apply. You can work out where you are with a conspiracy.

I would recommend the extra strong tin foil in a generous width so it can be doubled over.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Mike, I saw Attleborough Railway Station on TV last night but didn't spot you there waiting to greet Michael Portillo!

That was an interesting prog for anyone living in Norfolk. Good PR for Cromer as well!

Motorsport tv showed some archive LM24 film last night (which no doubt will be repeated ad nauseum if you missed it). Started with ‘30s footage, and covered until first Jag victory in ‘51 or whenever. Delta would have enjoyed it as the Cadillac Saloon (a replica of which he raced at LMC in 2016) was shown, along with the ‘Le Monstre’ version. Think next episode will cover the tragic 1955 race, but most of us have already seen other coverage of that.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

That was an interesting prog for anyone living in Norfolk. Good PR for Cromer as well!

Motorsport tv showed some archive LM24 film last night (which no doubt will be repeated ad nauseum if you missed it). Started with ‘30s footage, and covered until first Jag victory in ‘51 or whenever. Delta would have enjoyed it as the Cadillac Saloon (a replica of which he raced at LMC in 2016) was shown, along with the ‘Le Monstre’ version. Think next episode will cover the tragic 1955 race, but most of us have already seen other coverage of that.

Yes, it was good PR for Cromer, a coincidence since it was the arrival of railways that put Cromer on the map as a holiday resort. A pity we only saw the museum curator & not the museum itself as a friend of mine originally created it some years ago.