grendel

as a long term beardie (and not because I am Lazy either - but you really don't need to see my chin, and I prefer insulation). I cant see the attraction of baubles (Bah Humbug I hear the cry) my beard first started at school, when in the 5th form I calmly pointed out the rule that sixth formers must shave, and grew my beard, it did disappear for 2 years in the 6th form (as per the school rules) and reappeared when I left school and has stayed ever since. It has varied from shortish to ZZ top, even long enough to put in two short plaits at one point - But baubles? (glitter is bad enough, one year my beard got infested with glitter at an enthusiastic party- it was still surfacing 9 months and repeated washings later). Grendel

11 inch - https://www.canine-kit.com/rosewood-deluxe-stainless-steel-dog-bowl.html?sim=19345&gclid=CjwKEAiAh7WkBRCQj-_zwZvk52ISJADj7z8CVGy43ZXu9VC39kIiTftYJWyfXD0c6OioDIe02QWq0RoC7UXw_wcB Grendel

or even a very large dog food bowl? Grendel

how about an industrial stainless steel mixing bowl (available from kitchen suppliers or catering supplier), cut a hole in the bottom for the drain and fit a standard sink waste fitting, neat re-purposing and a nice bowl shaped sink. Alternatively a caravan sink unit? Grendel

Traffic is usually good southbound as there are no obstructions that way, northbound you still go through the toll booths (at least until Christmas, though the barriers automatically open as you get to them, so its still a bun fight to get back into a lane, thus still a little slow.(but generally a lot better than it was) Grendel

Merry Christmas One and all. Grendel

lovely and sunny here at work, a tad chilly - especially with having the heating off all morning due to a leak being fixed, but sunny with blue skies here just off junction 29 of the M25. Grendel

log on and pay as above, you can pay by phone on 0300 300 0120, or at a payzone outlet. as long as it is paid by midnight on the day of crossing. remember it is free between 10pm and 6am Grendel

the tunnel has 6 cameras covering a pair of lanes, 3 facing each way. plus if you keep your dart tag in the usual place it will detect your passage (I think it needs to be linked to a dart charge account though) Grendel

perhaps its a file name issue if you are putting the picture in with a standard name, and then someone else loads a different image with the same name? I know it has been a problem with other forums in the past. Grendel

https://www.dartford-crossing-charge.service.gov.uk/Security/SignIn?target=_parent Try this link to the sign in page

police in car speed radar automatically deducts their cars road speed from the reading. Grendel

thinking further on the line I was earlier re the boat name, the Captain could be Dr Phew. Grendel

the boat could be called the Turdis. Grendel

I have just been informed that the Daughters parcel was Hermes. Grendel

I believe you can do the speed awareness course wherever is convenient for you, I had to do one a year or so back when I was being talked to by the wife and forgot about the speed camera at the bottom of the steep hill and didn't actively brake all the way down. went through the 50mph at 56mph, this time of year is not good as they have their eyes open for anything. when I was on the course the others ranged from just passed test to OAP's, and it does make you think twice about your speed after when they show you the difference 2mph can make to stopping distances. Grendel

travelling north they still have the barriers at the moment, you have to come to an almost stop before they rise, so there are still queues, but not as bad as they usually are, southbound, they route everyone round the barriers, so its 4 lanes with a wiggle in, maybe 40mph max, but moving, tonight there was a broken down lorry, right opposite where the barriers were, and we still sailed through at 40mph. its a shame I then got stuck for an hour at Brenley corner just outside faversham due to barrier repairs. hit the back of that queue at just after 6pm, got home 5 miles further 7.20pm. more details here - http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/dartford-crossing-remote-payment-scheme/ look at the journey impact pages to see the phased traffic plans and final road layout. Grendel

and there was me thinking it was a shortening of "I Pee Before You at Teatime" Grendel

a few of them are always flashing as a lot of people go too fast on that stretch. (well I have been near the limit and they are passing me at some speed) Grendel

my Uncle was a postie in the town of Deal in kent, he had through the years done every round in the town, including the seafront round - this involved on several occasions sailing out to the goodwin sands with a fibreglass postbox, to collect first day covers posted from the sands, he would hand frank them in the boat on the way back. later on he was solely responsible for the mis-addressed mail department, from his experience he knew most of the peoples surnames for the whole town, and very few letters did not get delivered, he also knew all the old people who might need a little help now and then, popping into the local shop to fetch some little thing they needed. now that is customer service. I'm not sure who the delivery company were, but the online shop was bon prix. Grendel

well southbound is certainly an improvement - 40 minutes less to get home this evening, absolutely no queue southbound - 50mph straight through, arriving home just 10 minutes after I would normally be getting through the tolls. Grendel

not sure who the carrier was, my daughter will be putting in a complaint, no note left to tell us it had been delivered (though she did get an email notification it had been delivered). fortunately the package remained sealed and her new jeans were ok. Grendel

This morning I went to my parents, when I got back I was doing some odd jobs round the house, I just happened to look into the garden, and spotted a bag on the path near the back gate, strange I thought, thinking it must be some rubbish. When I got there it was a parcel from a clothes company, and was addressed to my daughter. I was horrified, just the thought that a delivery companys standards were so low that they just chucked a parcel into someones back garden with no thought as to the consequences - or if it would be found, I dont even know how long it has been out there as I didnt even look out there yesterday, and all week it has been dark when I left for work, and dark when I got home. I will press my daughter to contact the company and put in a complaint, as I for one think that the delivery drivers behaviour is shocking. Grendel

jim, check your spam folders, thats where I found mine, I had to log in online to my BT email account and check the spam folders there to find it, I find the BT spam filters far too aggressive, and have now turned them off, I now get 2 maybe 3 spam emails a day now, but I was losing maybe 20 a day genuine emails too (out of about 40 a day regular emails) Grendel

our company is still sorting out the dart charge, when one of the girls in the office emailed the person dealing with it in our leicester office, she was told, oh we'll sort it out Monday, we have an engineers meeting monday, all the engineers in the south east will be coming into the office just north of the tunnel, well we warned head office that everything needs to be in place by about 7am on monday or they will be getting letters and fines, the charge system wont deduct crossings by vehicles from the account if they cross before its set up will it. Ah Sigh. Grendel