Bell's Banter 2021

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by delta

Who is next from here , Gordon ?

I am hopeful that it will be me. I have to spend some time in hospital very shortly, and I think that it would be prudent under the circumstances that I "jump" the queue by a fairly short period. The hospital will be in touch with me tomorrow, and this will be a matter that is up for discussion.

Failing an early jab, the government assures us that my vaccination will be before 15th February. If one can believe anything that comes out of the mouth of any of these politicians, that is!

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by bauble

Happy to report that I am now back to my normal self (sorry about that), the symptoms lasted a little over 24 hours, and never kept me from day-today activities.

Good to hear that, Bob.


Thinking longer term on this hastily approved vaccine please keep monitoring and advise when you start growing a second head or things start dropping off.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Good to hear that, Bob.


Thinking longer term on this hastily approved vaccine please keep monitoring and advise when you start growing a second head or things start dropping off.

There is not a lot left to drop off.

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by delta

Who is next from here , Gordon ?

Milady who is 85 has got her appointment for Saturday - she was a bit reluctant as she wanted to wait (for no logical reason I could determine) for the Oxford vaccine, but they said it will be Pfizer and I nudged her to accept...... so I'm really hoping she doesn't get any side-effects or I'll be in trouble She has always been one to say "I had a flu injection years ago and was really ill so I'm not having one", despite my pointing out that I've had several flu jabs with no ill-effects at all


As I've only recently become "vulnerable" at 70, I expect I'll be towards the back of the "by mid February" promise cohort.

[Gerard C]

Picked form another thread: Apparently Brits are by far the worst offenders in France, and France stand to lose about 60m Euro as a result of losing this income stream. Of course if anything other than an automatic camera gets you, you can still be liable to an on-the-spot cash fine I hope they will make you pay tons of €! Prepare yourself to see a massive increase in the price of Beaujolais Nouveau, always an opportunity for some Brits to play another version of Fast and… Curious.*Non mais des fois sans blague!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

You can safely assume it won't be me or Gerard!

Sure! Just had my injection, vaccin contre la grippe. I do this knowing that it will protect me against last year flu!

John I dont know if you have sometimes a look to yahoo news, an electronic tabloïd. I learn that Patrick Dempsey went to "Skip Harbor, a famous racing school". Ha yes? Should I understand that the article is signed by another ******** wearing a Barbour? Ha lÃ*, lÃ*, ces journalistes, toujours le mot pour rire!

[Gerard C]

@ Colin: before you invest too much money:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJTHVyRO1Q
La-men-ta-ble !

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Sure! Just had my injection, vaccin contre la grippe. I do this knowing that it will protect me against last year flu!

John I dont know if you have sometimes a look to yahoo news, an electronic tabloïd. I learn that Patrick Dempsey went to "Skip Harbor, a famous racing school". Ha yes? Should I understand that the article is signed by another ******** wearing a Barbour? Ha lÃ*, lÃ*, ces journalistes, toujours le mot pour rire!

You will soon be coughing & sneezing then!! Michele bought one of those last week & promptly started. It's not for me!

No, never seen Yahoo news. Did anyone notice that Hubert Auriol died last week? A remarkable man.

[Gerard C]

Sorry to hear that, I met him more than once and even had diners at his restaurant. He was a refined connoisseur in foie gras, goose liver. RIP le chevalier blanc.

Secondary effect to the anti flu vaccine? Being a gentleman I won't say more but my half seems quite happy with!
Do you have the equivalent of "calembour" in your wonderful language? The poorest jokes we have such like "calembour en Bresse" or "how do you do yau de poêle"!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Sorry to hear that, I met him more than once and even had diners at his restaurant. He was a refined connoisseur in foie gras, goose liver. RIP le chevalier blanc.

Secondary effect to the anti flu vaccine? Being a gentleman I won't say more but my half seems quite happy with!
Do you have the equivalent of "calembour" in your wonderful language? The poorest jokes we have such like "calembour en Bresse" or "how do you do yau de poêle"!

Calembour? We most certainly do - or at least I do!

[Colin McKay]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

@ Colin: before you invest too much money:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJTHVyRO1Q
La-men-ta-ble !

Yeah......pretty grim, probably better set against the moving pictures when you can concentrate on the image rather than the sound. But putting my anorak on for a moment (or rather my Afghan) it's got some very early synth and AFAIK the first laid down recording of Daevid Allen's glissando guitar, a sound I rather like (although I might be the only one who does)
Like I said, it's of its time.

[terence]

Anyone thinking of leaving their race car in Europe?Especially Germany?I have a new storage facility available.New individual 8x3.5 meters.PM if any interest.

[Gerard C]

Makes me dream, Terence. The storage facility, not so much the location…

[Gerard C]

Colin I think you'll have a lot of pleasure knowing you'll listen to it using a Line Magnetic A class, an Ortofon cartridge with a Van den Hul diamond, Tannoy loudspeakers or Everest or Klipsch la Scala, cables big like that while savoring a glass of cognac Fine Champagne.
But given the "sound" you can use a Grundig kit, pump up the volume like a hooligan and drink beers!
Drum battle could be the name, it relates the music to the brakes!

[Mike Harte]

It's getting a bit monotonous now, this "No more snow in the UK", because looking out of the window and everything is covered in the stuff, and it's coming down in torrents. And the last lot which started on Friday only disappeared 36 hours ago!

[midgetman]

Is anyone here "going" to the virtual networking event - Motorsport Days - today?

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

It's getting a bit monotonous now, this "No more snow in the UK", because looking out of the window and everything is covered in the stuff, and it's coming down in torrents. And the last lot which started on Friday only disappeared 36 hours ago!

The fact that it disappeared so quickly shows it was quite warm. It hangs around here for weeks on the odd days it does snow in the sunlit uplands of Wiltshire. The sky looked leaden and full of snow here last night - but it was 10 degrees so unlikely to be a problem, and that's the nearest we've got!

[zefarelly]

we had a proper frost last weekend, lasted 3 days, thats the forst time for some years.

Vines, Grapes and olive trees grow well here now. No Olives, yet. last year I swam in the sea from mid May to the end of September. I don't think I'm getting harder in middle age so the sea must be getting warmer too.

Given the amount of rain we get, with a little moire sun we could probably have a crack at bananas soon.

[Mike Harte]

Last year we indulged in a conversation about the Boeing 737 Max crashes, etc. Well, the USA's DOJ have just fined the company $2.5 billion in a settlement to include restitution to the families and heirs to those that lost their lives.

However, there is no mention of any sanction of the FAA, the American aviation regulator that was supposed to be monitoring and supervising the company, but which decided, consciously, to devolve said monitoring and supervision to the company. And the company has been punished because and I quote: “Boeing’s employees chose the path of profit over candour by concealing material information from the FAA concerning the operation of its 737 Max airplane and engaging in an effort to cover up their deception."

I must admit that at this time, as a previously commercial fully qualified pilot, that I would be sceptical about flying in the 737 Max until they have proved that the aircraft systems have been perfected and pilots are adequately trained in how the aircraft behaves because it differs so much from the rest of the 737 family of aircraft.

[Gerard C]

And they should check that the sim, in other words the link, is the perfect replica of the cockpit. Which is not always the case or has not been. Now, being the average pax, how do you check that the pilot and copilot are adequately trained? Ask to see their licence prior to boarding?

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

And they should check that the sim, in other words the link, is the perfect replica of the cockpit. Which is not always the case or has not been. Now, being the average pax, how do you check that the pilot and copilot are adequately trained? Ask to see their licence prior to boarding?

One of the problems, Gerard, was that pilots transitioning to the Max were not given any thorough training because Boeing mandated that it wasn't required. But they lied about that; it was, most definitely, required as the aircraft behaves in a completely different way to the rest of the family because the centre of gravity is completely different due to the engines being bigger, heavier and mounted differently.

Now, because Boeing have been found out, it has been mandated that all pilots will have adequate training before they are permitted to transition, and, in theory, that will be your "check".

Me, I will wait until they have been in the air for some time before I step on one. I do trust that the authorities do eventually ensure that our aircraft are safe, and so I have flown on a Comet even after they had crashed many years before.

[Peter Mallett]

Good to see Delta at the medical today. Apparently we are healthy. Also always good to see Dr Mark.

[Colin McKay]

Gerard, now I know your link to Ortofon, are you still on a percentage?

About 20 years ago I chucked out my turntable as it had been gathering dust in the attic for years. On it was an expensive Ortofon cartridge but the value was irrelevant as no-one wanted them then. A few years ago I bought a new (much better) turntable and had to shell out for a new cartridge as well - the same one I had thrown away cost me another £120

[delta]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Good to see Delta at the medical today. Apparently we are healthy. Also always good to see Dr Mark.

Just back to work. I had to do 14 minuets on tread mill. "knackerd".Mark looked back through my records and one year I went for 17 minuets. Happy days. I was younger then.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

Gerard, now I know your link to Ortofon, are you still on a percentage?

About 20 years ago I chucked out my turntable as it had been gathering dust in the attic for years. On it was an expensive Ortofon cartridge but the value was irrelevant as no-one wanted them then. A few years ago I bought a new (much better) turntable and had to shell out for a new cartridge as well - the same one I had thrown away cost me another £120

I bought my Rega turntable in 1993, from memory its was £250 and £75 for Regas own cartride/stylus. Its changed a few times over the years, currently using a Goldring . . . its not difficult to spend as much as the turntable on them now.

Gerard . . . . PMC (twenty5 series) speakers, not the most relaxing sound, but mightily impressive.