Flying metal

I've watched some superb storms out to sea off the coast of Sitges.
Wonderful sheet lightning: and a whole bunch of people trying to capture
decent photos. Saw a great storm at 38,000 feet on the way back from Hong
Kong, too. Close enough to be a show, far enough for comfort.

Ali

 

Oh yus. Something very elemental. We walked along the under cliff at
Newhaven one mad stormy day in November once. Four of us, with an old
blanket held against the wind. Ended up soaked, with wild hair, sitting in a
warm pub slurping coffee laced with large brandies. Wonderful.

Ali

 

Ah, A Reggie Perrin moment. "Tree on the line at Chorleywood".

Ali

 

message

Wot, no kite?

Ali

 

You're the only person I've met that I would believe that from.

 

See the north? That's shut that is.

All trains to/from manchester cancelled, busses cancelled, trams
cancelled. The M60 ring road was shut in four places, two of the main
roads out of the city were shut.

I did the only sane thing - went to the pub and then a restaurant while
everone else sat in the gridlock. Even on the way home I had to take
two diversions as roads further out were shut.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Dr Ivan D. Reid

*Huge* fun if you were on the AA136 from Los Angeles.

Like I was.

Arrived at Heathrow nice and early after a honking great tail-wind all
the way (speed over the ground up around the 760MPH mark at one point.
Nice). Then we held in pretty nasty turbulence for a while, then we went
for an approach.

As we turned onto final I was looking at the ground and we'd got an
outrageous drift on. The approach was a looooooong one because our speed
over the ground was now very, very slow indeed.

Only snag was that about 500 feet we went around. That was the bit where
the woman next to me started to puke. A lot.

*Very* bumpy go around led to another approach, which the pilot then
threw away. Oh bugger, thinks I. I wonder where the divert will be?

Glasgow airport looked quite nice in the snow. Nice landing followed by
a refuelling and we were off again back to Heathrow. Touched down four
hours late to find that the trains were a disaster area.

It's £180 (including tip) from Heathrow to my place in a black cab.

**** this for a game of soldiers.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

They just showed the Pheasant near Newbury. No electricity, but all very
happy as the pumps are gas powered.

Ali

 

News, you mean?

I thought pumps were, err, pumps? Human powered?

What I saw on TV certainly wasn't pressure keg stuff being served.

 

The Older Gentleman wibbled:

Anybody else notice the grumpy face top right handish corner, or should
I stop taking the medication?

 

You haven't lived!

 

I did wonder. They looked like the old fashioned proper jobs, but the news
droid I saw said they were gas pumps.

Ali

 

It was a little breezy out my way too. Neighbours fence panel went past the
window, my poltunnel sheet partially blew off but I've rigged it to give
without tearing so it's ok. A big tree came down on the A65 at Rawdon.

A mate posted on another forum that a guy with the same name as him had been
killed by a falling tree...

 

Only the middle north. Proper north is business as usual.

 

Now you mention it, I don't think I've really noticed the phenomenon[1]
so much up here; I seem to remember it happening regularly when I were a
youngster and lived Darn Sarf.


[1] Ba-baaaa-ba-da-da

 

2/3, must try harder

 

That's a reflection in the windscreen

 

Krusty coughed up:

Surf's up, big kahuna.

--
Dan L

http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

"Kick off drift."

 

The Older Gentleman wrote

Next time listen when I shout back or it'll be the Holy Thunderbolt of
Retribution for you me lad.