Trooper74

6 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Not being inflammatory, just curious, did everyone do enough training for this trip? 
 

Also are you 60 summink with a load of young kiddywinks?

Well you did ask ....

We where walking through Rotherham one evening, in a door way was an obviously drunk woman, equally obviously very pregnant... we took her home, cleaned her up, contacted SS the next day, made a home for her in her last trimester. 

She had a mad history of alcohol and drug abuse, including 1 previous child in care and a cot death.  So we cared for her, she had her baby, and at 11 days old Jules and I brought home Riley.... Mum had supervised contact, at a contact centre, for an hour every day. I packed in work and we raised a baby ... Social Services refused to class us as foster parents so we carried the financial side ..

Then on a Friday in July, the Police knocked at our door and handed our 3 grandchildren to us. Our daughter is a 20 year + heroin and cocaine user .... 

The children are in our care via a court order .... Riley is with his forever family but his mummy has stage 4 cancer so he comes to us every Friday morning to Sunday evening ...

And i'm back at work full time ... This was not how we planned our later life ...... 

BUT .... we have lots of regrets but love all 4 of OUR children and love, cuddle and care for them...

There ends War and Peace .... sorry ....

17 minutes ago, Six30 said:

here's one for you , if you could only do one what one would it be , motorcycling or push biking ,

think very carefully before you answer 

I live for my family and my motorcycle .... My cycling will keep me alive longer to enjoy both .... good answer, well prepared.

3 minutes ago, Six30 said:

hope John and Ken are ok

There fine... we did the Coast to Coast, Whitehaven to Tynemouth over 3 days earlier this year in between lockdowns ...

Just now, Six30 said:

which ones you ?

I'm stood behind Julie and Riley in his pram ...

35 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

3 vans for 8 riders?!?! Were they carrying fresh bikes for you? 

3 of the riders didn't finish, Ken (72) and with prostrate cancer crashed out in Bridgewater, John (68) collapsed in the toilets near Lancaster, Chris ... had a family issue and had to leave us ....

Van 1 ... Hattie a 32 year old crappy camper van was home to me, Julie and Riley.

Van 2 ..Cally and Steve had fitted out an old van to sleep in ....

Linda  and Kev had a small van with an awning they had made to sleep in .... the rest slept in tents  ....

Day 11 was my 60th birthday .... I spent it with my wife, Riley, and my cycling brothers and sisters .... after a 67 mile day ... it was amazing, such a memory.

1 hour ago, Six30 said:

On STRAVA via Garmin 200 ...... not my best day ...... It was the last day of our 2019 LEJOG ..... 14 days, 940 miles ( we got lost a lot ) .... 

Julie, Cally and Linda drove the 3 vans that carried all the kit, note our youngest in the pram, Riley, 7 months old ..... he got a finishers medal ......

I've done 52 mph on my bicycle down Helmsdale, just south of Wick.... adrenaline is brown .... STRAVA ... 

My companion Paul hit 57 mph .......... 

Been watching a couple of short videos on youtube by "8Bikers"  3-5 minute "Motivational" content based around the North West 200 and the TT ....

Worth the watch .... if you've not already seen them of course ......

Morning all ....

AAHH Saturday morning ..... youngest boy, 3, had me a Julie up at 0730, lie in for me .. both girls, 11 and 9,  appeared at the bottom of our bed, 0830, the big lad, 16, is hiding waiting for the girls to disappear to friends / Uncle Johns ..... 

Coffee !! ..... Nescafe Instant of course ..... bickies and Pepper Pig on the tele ( or maybe Duggee) ..... Saturday morning ...

5 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

When steam powered ULCC's were still a thing you could consume +200 tonnes per day of HFO. We also used to carry over 20,000 tonnes of fuel at capacity. Unlike modern high speed ships which burn a lot but don't carry that much so are constantly  having to bunker.

Also you are comparing apples with pears. A DP oil field support vessel has damned near the horsepower  I have, possibly more. The difference is that I can carry 150,000 tonnes of cargo for 14000 miles without refueling but only at 12 knots.

You burning "Bunker Fuel" ??

For winter i wear;

Planet X Clubmans cycling bib tights, without the bum pad.

Decathlon Lycra briefs.

2 t-shirts one under the bib tights, one over.

Cheap fibre pile jacket.

Lined and armoured cordura jacket and overtrousers.

Ski socks. High boots, £1 "magic gloves" inside big padded winter gloves ... 

Toasty ......

When the sh1t at work piles up this forum makes me smile ...............

Thats the final straw ... if i don't get the award you can stuff your forum and you can all go back to hiding under the stairs  ....!!!

Bed time .... up early ... do stuff .. come home ... do stuff ... bed ..... I've had enough of this .......... .

Morning all .... fun filled face to face meeting with Unipart Rail this morning  .... they want to buy our company and want to come and "touch the metal" (their corporate speak, not mine ) of our traction control machines / systems ..... Most of them have not left the house on business since March .... They're in for a shock at our place where the staff mingle like they where at a rock concert .... 

I've still got a couple of the flying helmet liners from my RAF days .... you look a complete tube standing in the car park with one on but it keeps the helmet clean ... I shower every day, early doors, but still wear one ... also very useful if your helmets not as snug as you'd like ... thin but enough ....

Too wet, foggy and generally miserable to take the Himma out today ...... so i went cycling !!! 

2 minutes ago, dynax said:

Only their given names Colt, Schofield, Remington, Winchester

Mines called Parker Hale ............

I started spannering about 10 years of age, building go-carts ( Guiders ) and inventing the skateboard.

First motorbike at 14. Fettled that and got it running with the help of a neighbour, Mr Dickson. Dad died when I was 5 so i did everything myself.

Washing up bottle rockets, riding to school across the fields on half a Norton, model aircraft with their diesel 2 stroke engines ....

And suddenly at 17 i'm in the RAF and at 18 i'm fettling Nimrods ...

So .... the point of the diatribe .... I fix things myself.

Such a joy ................

Who's Emily .....?

11 hours ago, Marino said:

that sound genius, just curiosity, have you test it ?

Very successfully ... we where fighting them off with shitty sticks but now they are no more ... not proud of killing ,, but needed a rat poo free garden for my children ...

I was away doing stuff in Norway.

She who must be obeyed said she wanted the back garden paved in Indian sandstone.

No more mowing, fine says I. 

She picks me up from the airport 2 weeks later " I've got a surprise for you " ... she says...

I'm thinking lycra and lace, blindfold .....

No! the back garden has been paved in Indian sandstone ... Its not flat! IT RUNS OFF IN 2 DIFFERENT PLANES .... AAAGGGHHH

"2 nice Irish men did it and they charged £50 per meter "

I call our local paving company, he's a mate of mine ...

He takes one look at and says .....

"Good job, can't have it flat , death trap when it gets wet and freezes , ..see how they have made sure the water runs off towards your soak away drains"

"But £50 a meter " says I. 

"I charge £100 a meter " says my mate. 

......

Drill 20mm hole in decking ... purchase a quantity of wheat or oats,  farm supplies shop or horse supplies ... soak in neat anti freeze for 4 days ... with a funnel pour mixture under decking ... dogs will be fine .... no more rats ... or dead rats under the decking ... they will seek out water ... and die ... 

I'm doing diesel gen set installations .... those huge shipping container sized diesel generators that are hidden in trading estates, waste land and behind trees that roar into life every time the wind drops and the windmills stop generating power ... yes .. your green power ...

This one is in Mansfield .... there's one down Carr Lane near MSI / Montracon Dynax ...

Don't give up on it ... i did one of my flounce moments when it changed .... but it works well ... stick with it ..