GeoffandWendy

Did anyone watch the two back to back programmes shown on BBC2 on Tuesday & Wednesday, with James May & Kate Humble, showing how they build BMW Minis at the Oxford Motor Plant? It was absolutely fascinating to watch. A short section of it during the first programme, showed a bit about making Morgan Cars in their factory at Malvern. Incidentally, Wendy and I went on a factory tour of the Morgan car factory, just a few weeks ago and it is well worth a visit. The guided tour takes about two hours and you see every stage of building Morgan cars from start to finish. There is a small museum and cafeteria you can visit as well as a gift shop. It is £15 per person, but you have to book it on the Morgan Cars website. Anyway getting back to the topic. If you haven't seen these two programmes you can watch them on BBC i player. Building Cars Live Part One and Part Two. Well worth watching

Iain, I have to agree with you here. The Forth Rail Bridge is in my mind, the most magnificent bridge ever built in the world. Considering it was built in Victorian times, where technology was not any where near as advanced as it is today. This bridge was built by men who relied on shear skill alone, connecting each steel piece with hot rivets, working with no proper safety equipment, not even hard hats, in atrocious weather conditions. It cost the lives of many and is a tribute to British engineering. I spent quite a few years at Rosyth during 1961/2, when I was in the Royal Navy and witnessed the construction of the first road bridge. During that time, we had to cross the Forth by Dockyard Tenders to South Queensferry, or use the civilian car ferry. I have travelled across the rail bridge on many occasions and also the road bridge since it was completed. I am so pleased that the rail bridge has now been given World Heritage status, which is a tribute to the men who built it and for families today, whose great grandfathers worked on this mighty structure. Regarding the building of that Chinese bridge, that machine is one mighty vehicle and it makes you wonder how it stays in one piece as it overhangs the gap towards the next pillar. The French bridge of course has to be the icing on the cake as far as technology is concerned in bridge building, but this is now the case with many other colossal structures being constructed around the world. Many years from now we will be living above the clouds in vast complexes to accommodate the ever growing population of the world, if we don't destroy ourselves by starving the world of its natural resources, or pollute our atmosphere or even destroy the planet by nuclear means. With a rather dismal outlook to finish on, it does make you wonder where our future generations are heading. Possibly we will be colonising Mars, or some of the Moons of Jupiter & Saturn in a few hundred years from now, because Earth will be too over populated.

You can't go wrong with The Very Nice Man! in his yellow van. He will even turn up, if your ice cream van breaks down inside a nudist camp, as long as you are covered of course!

Welcome and have a great stag do. We are just about to set off for Llandudno for a four day break, our last holiday for this year. It's 5.am, need to miss the morning rush hour traffic, as it's a good 3 hour drive. We hope to be back on the Broads again next year.

Have a nice holiday Iain!

Yes we went to see the Hoveton Model Railway when we were there last April.

Whilst browsing the web, I came across this. It is the website for the largest model railway in the world. Just click on the link below and then click the Union Jack to bring it up in English, then click and watch the four minute video. You will be amazed with what you see. For a larger full size view click on the full screen at the bottom of the clip. http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/

Sorry to read about your problems with the engine. Hope everything goes right for you both and you will soon be back cruising again!

Good publicity for Pedros, that's all I can say. Mr Jarvis, next time I am in Norwich, I might just buy a Sombrero and walk into Pedros wearing my Tom & Jerry T shirt, or would you rather I wear a Hoodie! What a plonker!

What about the Tom & Jerry T shirt I have on. That could be discriminatory towards Cats & Mice.

A rather long video I found on youtube (three hours) that I thought you might like to watch, when there is nothing on the box. This was taken on a transatlantic cruising holiday, visiting Iceland, Greenland and Norway. There are some spectacular waterfalls and even hot geysers and mud pools to see in Iceland and the scenery in some of the fjords is beautiful. So sit back and enjoy this exciting cruise of a lifetime.

Was the subject about Rugby or one man and his dog. I am getting confused with all this ranting on, about sheep? Well done Wales.

What a load of cobblers! Oops, sorry, that is discriminatory towards shoe makers. What is the world coming to!

I read it to be that also Ian. That last image is about the clearest to read. London Midlands at the top and Eastern Motors across the rear.

Wendy and I are hoping to have a weeks cruise next year up the Norwegian Fjords with Fred Olsen Cruises and whilst browsing you tube for some videos on this, I came across this one. It is a video of Cunard White Star's 175th anniversary, which took place in Liverpool on 25th May 2015. Slightly larger than boats we are familiar with, but interesting to watch, if you have not seen this before. The programme ends with a Red Arrows fly past. I just thought most of you would like to see it and hope that you enjoy it.

Brilliant read Warren and Julie, so glad you had a nice holiday with your two fabulous dogs. Like Grace has said, I also take my hat off to you for helping out with Jeff, although he did have the misfortune to get a bit wet, later in the week. Notice you are from Bolton, I was born in Radcliffe many many moons ago,but now living in the Midlands, still have my Lancashire accent though.

As I said Ian, it could be a Humber, but could quite easily have been a Crossley or any other large car of that period. Most large cars of that period, had the spare wheel mounted on the front fender/running board. This was to allow a luggage rack to be added at the rear of the car. Boots on flat backed models of that period, didn't exist. Even a spare fuel can on some cars, were fitted on the front running board as well

I agree, it could well be a Humber. It's a large car, which all Humber's were, although it could well be something else, but it does look very much like the car, in the spotters guide, that Dave posted. Now then! Who made the hand carts? No doubt Grace could tell us what style of shoes the lady is wearing.

It looks more like a luggage rack than a sign to me.

You disappoint me Grace, I thought you might have at least opted for a full length lie down bath with jacuzzi?

Dream on Robin and keep doing the lottery. When you hit the jackpot, then you can give up the day job in London. Buy a lovely waterside residence with its own private mooring and 60 foot covered boat shed and have your dream boat built for you by experts, under your supervision. About £5 million should see you comfortable for the rest of your life. MY DREAM! Well I am a bit too old now, to do what you would like, but I think a nice waterside property somewhere on the broads would suit me, with its own mooring, boat shed and triple garage for my Ferrari Tetra Rossi, E Type Jag and maybe an Aston Martin DB5. Plus a nice modern boat, big enough for Wendy and I. Might need at least £20 million for that lot, but isn't it nice to dream.

Having had another good look at the photo, I am inclined to say that it is not an actual bus, but possibly a service van, belonging to a bus operator. The reason, being, it looks more like a large van than a bus. It has rounded corners to the windows, which would definitely date it to around the early to mid thirties, (too modern looking for a twenties vehicle) and the spare wheel can be seen under the rear of the vehicle, more typical with vans than buses. I may be wrong, but it is my guess that I could be right.

The car in the photo is definitely of 1920s vintage, but going of the shape of the rear of the bus, I would put it around the early to mid 30s. Older buses were more boxy looking at the rear, during the 20s, but this one seems more rounded at the top. You can't really date the photo from the car, because the car could be at least ten years old or more, when the photo was taken. The style of clothes the woman is wearing, is I would say late twenties/early thirties. As far as bus companies are concerned, there were hundreds in those days, operating all over the UK, so it is difficult to say who or what company it belonged to or what make of bus it was. Looking at the height of it, it looks more like the size of a mini bus, rather than a full size single decker.

I never go to Wales without a rain coat or a Brolley! But touch wood, I usually end up lucky with the weather when we go on holiday!

So glad that you found someone to crew for you Geoffrey. My late wife was blind and a guide dog user. He was called Paddy, he made such a difference to her life. Sadly, both of them are no longer here. But I have found a new love in my life with Wendy, and just have a cat to fuss now. Enjoy your Lads Week Holiday!