Marmora Man

I'd have thiought ED elderflowers are now past their best. Interestingly I'm in North Tees today - and locally the elderflowers are just right - about a month later than ED. Proves the old wives tale that "spring" travels at about 8 miles a day!

SJ - ours is an iPad 1 - but I'll check and see what the case is. Thanks for the advice.

I have installed the "weprint" app on our iPad to print to a wireless HP printer. However, it seems pretty intermitent and unreliable as I've had to reboot it almost every other day to make it work. Can anyone recommend a better iPad print application? Thanks MM

the-e-dealer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No the Blolke out of Ashes to Ashes sorry not good > with Names /Celebs Phillip Glenister = Ashes to Ashes. Robert Glenister = Hustle. The latter has, occasionally, been spotted buying his Sunday joint in W Rose

We moved to ED because of the greater VFM equation. The houses in Marmora and going south to Honor Oak are good value with equally good transport links. Honour Oak to London Bridge - 12 mins, the 63 / 363 to Elephant roughly 20 - 30 mins. Look further than ED Station and you'll do better

Noah's Ark on the real Mt Ararat - I claim my Indiana Jones hat & whip

A big whiff of pure oxygen - standard cure wherever fighter planes are based. (I learnt it on an aircraft carrier)

The one closer to Goose GReen was supposed to become a dentists - but that was over 15 months ago and the redevelopment has been incredibly slow. Maybe the dentist has changed their mind? Also what is opening next to the old THreshers - where the chemist used to be?

I agree with the oft stated position ? judge the criminal not the victim. I agree entirely that rape is a horrible crime that hurts the victim in so many and complicated ways. It is also usually unwitnessed and thus more difficult to prove. Entering into a discussion about it leaves any message / input open to misinterpretation or re-interpretation. I wondered whether to post at all but wanted to put, what I see, as a little common sense back into the discussion. The risk of being a victim of crime, of all sorts, is reduced by taking sensible measures. I have teenage / early 20 year old sons ? my advice to them as they started to become young men and venture into bars, pubs and some of London?s seedier areas was and is: ➢ Walk with friends, stay in well lit areas, do not flash your iPhone, upmarket watch or laptop bag ? this will reduce the likelihood of mugging. ➢ In London crowds ? keep your wallet in an inside pocket to avoid pick-pockets. ➢ Leave pubs and bars relatively sober and well before the vertical drinking, testosterone and alcohol fuel, almost, inevitable violence. If I had a daughter ? I would probably add to that list something about not dressing / behaving too provocatively in the wrong place and to avoid getting into risky areas on their own. Is that me being misogynist, over protective, mistaking personal freedom of choice in dress for invitation, being unnecessarily restrictive of my, hypothetical. daughter's right's or is it natural parental concern - and thus, by extension, a natural concern of anyone with the best interests of women in mind? Edited for spelling

Talisker whisky and I met when I was a fluffy beared 18 year old climbing on Skye - still a close and loving relationship.

trizza - SNAP!

Chippy Minton Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- I'm not defending their action, but I do believe that generally we have industrial relation laws that are too tough in this country and that we should repeal some of Margaret Thatcher's legislation so we can compete better with Europe, especially given the current state of the economy and the fact that strike action in the UK is currently at an 80-year low. Toyota and BMW have both today confirmed that they are investing in their UK factories to develop and increase production of the Qasquai & Mini - do you really think this would be happening if they felt Britain would return to an industrial climate of the late 70s? Perhaps, given you choose not to defend the RMT action you could justify the underlined statement above? Relaxing restrictions on union power is unlikely to make UK more competitive if Bob Crow & the RMT are to be the model.

But, unfortunately, they don't seem to be drafted to prevent Bob Crow and his accolytes calling pointless strikes while a due process of independent assessment is underway. What case can you make to defend the RMT action?

RMT members will walk out on 19, 27 and 29 June and 1 July. The union said the action was over a failure to agree to reinstate driver Arwyn Thomas. TFL allege that Arwyn Thomas (an RMT official) abused, threatened and harrassed strike breakers during a recent tube strike - they took disciplinary action and dismissed him. The case has been referred to an Industrial Tribunal; Arwyn Thomas & TFL are awaiting the results of the tribunal. Bob Crow has said: "RMT has made every possible effort to get Arwyn Thomas back to work and it is the intransigence of LU management who have dragged their heels and failed to reach agreement over the past month that has left us with no choice [but] to put this strike action on. Why does he have to go back to work? At this stage he will be suspended on full pay awaiting the outcome of the Industrial Tribunal TFL has said: "It is completely mystifying that, having agreed with London Underground that the tribunal process should take its course, the RMT leadership is now threatening strike action again. This seems a reasonable position for TFL to take - await the outcome of an independent body This appears to me to be a totally unnecessary strike. An attempt to browbeat TFL into making a decision prior to the outcome of the Industrial Tribunal. If the IT finds TFL acted incorrectly - then the driver will be re-instated. If the IT finds TFL acted correctly - the dismissal stands. Either way it is not a matter that justifies b*****ing up the lives of 100's of thousands of commuters for four days.

When Marmora Son No.2 was younger we used to enjoy fly fishing at Meon Springs. Would fish one evening, camp overnight, early breakfast and fish early morning. It has become a bit "corporate" these days as the farmer has branched out - but used to be good value.

Assuming the default option of waiting until the central coordination centre retires power / resolves the signalling problem is not possible then: 1. Initiate emergency lighting and communications 2. Ensure live rail is switched off - if not contact central coordination to have it switched off. 3. Reassure passengers - let them know you are in charge, that something is underway and that they will be safely looked after. 4. Using equipment provided in cab light the way to the nearest place of safety 5. Lead a crocodile of passengers to safety - use your position of authority to appoint sensible passengers to assist the old, frail and vulnerable. I may have missed some nuances and, until I've completed my 5 day induction, I can't be too sure about theblocation of power controls, the emergency equipment in the cab but I think my plan will work. Insisting that a tube driver requires 6 month training is simply creating a barrier to entry and denying job opportunities, inflating the workforce and costing unnecessary money. During recent tube strikes management did drive some trains - tho' admittedly much of t/l / tuba managers are probably ex drivers.

Chippy Minton Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That is exactly what he said: "I do believe that > with a 5 day induction I could handle a tube > driver's job." > > I trust TfL to make the judgement on what's > "*really* necesary" rather than you. Chippy - as some already know I was trained to drive a nuclear poweered submarine in less than 6 months. I cannot conceive that a tube train is more complicated than a ?1bn, 6,000 ton warship crewed by 150 men, armed with torpedoes and missiles and operating in a hostile (I mean underwater - not under attack) environment for periods of up to 4 months. As Loz pointed out stop / go / close doors / open doors aren't tough tests of intellect or physical dexterity.

David - shitty jobs are many - tube driver level salaries for such work are few. And yes - I do believe that with a 5 day induction I could handle a tube driver's job. Transport is a vital service - one reason why it should not be subject to strikes. It is not a reason, of itself, to pay inflated salaries. Yes - when I was in the NHS I was paid more than some nurses - but less than others (modern matrons etc). When I was in the NHS I successfully downsized my department and reduced admin / managwement costs by over 20% - losing in the process many useless pen pushers and bureaucrats. Some managers are worth their salt, others not so much.

This seems to me to be the fundamental problem - it is not "the union's job" to defend and retain redundant positions. A rational union would: a. Ensure that the redundant workers received everything they are entitled to - including consideration for other relevant vacancies within the company b. Encourage the company to seek wider business opportunties to further the success of the comapny and thus support the employees c. Encourage the company to invest appropriately in staff traing & education d. Encourage employees to give of their best and present the best impression of the company in order to support the company's growth strategy. An irrational union would: a. Seek to protect jobs - no matter what the circumstances b. Create unnecessary and wasteful strikes c. Oppose all change The RMT may, possibly, be doing sterling work - but the impression I have of them from Bob Crow interviews and onbservation of other union members and their frequent strikes is far closer to the irrational model.

Nowadays in UK there is sufficient and appropriate legislation in place to protect employees on these issues - as a result of many years effective trades union and other activity. This success has, largely, made the need for trades unions redundant. One man's "protecting jobs" is another man's "overmanning". The RMT is a prime example of this - where on the Tube, on railways and on ferries the union has agitated and gone on strike to delay, circumvent and avoid necessary and appropriate changes to staffing. EG - currently in Scotland the RMT is proposing to strike to protect the jobs of 18 members that used to operate a now closed ferry. If the work has gone it is illogical to retain the workers. Also - tube drivers - as a result of Bob Crow's hard line tactics and Ken Livingstone's craven indulgence of them - now earn very much more than a London nurse (somewhere between 50% - 100% more) for a job that requires little in the way of unique skills, ability or knowledge.

emc - so where did you end up? And was it good?

We usually receive post at around 2.00pm

As has been said by StraferJack - depends what you mean. However, I've always found TAS restaurants reliably well priced with good food - suitable for family outings, pre / post theatre or cinema suppers etc. There's one on Borough High St down from London Bridge.

Pedant warning: The correct terms are "High Water" and "Low Water". Tide tables will use these terms. A tide is a directional flow of water - so it can be coming in (as in running up the Thames Estuary) leading to a high water poin at a certian time, when it turns and start to go out (running down the Thames Estuary) or it can be an east / west / south / north flow at sea that changes direction at the turn of the tide. Such effects are usually only observable in coastal waters. Some ports, by virtue of the local topography can have two high waters (Southampton for instance where the tide flows around the Isle of Wight - with one flow going to Southampton past The Needles and the other flow going east about the Isle and entering the Hamble from the Portsmouth side of the estuary) Currents, on the other hand do not change direction but do vary a little with wind, weather and tide. Complicated stuff - the sea.

Helena - not if it involves drinking gin with friends. Or drinking gin alone, because you've chosen to be so, with a good book in hand, a DVD on TV or in a chair in the garden sunshine.