What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[Paddynabs]

I grew up in Bridlington where the Lada's were imported. They came off the ferry in Hull and were transported up to Brid'. They then went onto a production line where the lights, interiors were swapped out, radios added and the suspension lowered to give them a "sporty" look because the UK roads were less potholed that those in the Soviet Union. How times change!

When we were at school the boys were always told work hard or you'll end up at Lada!

Obviously Lada's were very popular in Bridlington. When the Samara came out it was a big deal! I remember thinking they were good compared to the Riva. Loads of leg room in the back for a gangly teenager.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Aye, now you’ve nudged by brain into memory mode, there were Lada taxis up here, only a few mind.

Sometimes local councils have rules on how old a taxi is allowed to be, so therefore if someone is looking to get into taxi driving an didn’t have much money a Lada may have been the only option to get started. Also do you want to buy a nice car for drunks to vomit on.

One of my brothers did taxi driving in Norwich for a bit and had to buy a less than 3 year old car, but once it was registered with the council as being a taxi it could be sold so it made his octavia with 200,000 miles on the clock (when he came to sell it) hugely more valuable than any other similar octavia with normal miles, because the choice to people trying to get started would be to buy something very old that was a taxi already with high miles or have to stump up the cash for a new car

 

[StevenRB45]

Actually the only car that I’ve considered to be the worst car I drove was a Lada. Back in the day a next door neighbour purchased a brand new one. This was his first brand new car. He insisted I had a drive in it. Couldn’t believe how tinny it felt, the steering was so vague you really were struggling to keep it on a straight line. On full lock the trackrod ends were rubbing on the wings. I had a look underneath and it quite rusty, you would swear it was much older.

Ironically Fiat was involved with Lada for their technical support.

I’ve driven some bangers, but these were old cars that were neglected, the Lada was brand spanking new.

Sounds similar to a Mitsubishi Mirage I had a few years ago. It probably wasn't Lada bad but in context of it was brand new 14 plate it was just terrible. Eg. It had body coloured mirrors..they were normal textured ones sprayed, Over rough roads the exhaust hit the under side over bumps. Road and tyre noise were just ridiculous and you could hear every component in the drive train clearly.

What absolutely blew my mind was we were running an 11 year old Micra at the time and this wasn't even in the same orbit as that. Every part was flimsy and awful, Clearly built for developing markets and put on sale in the hope they'll sell a few to people that don't know any better that refuse to buy a used car.

On of my brothers had an old peugeot 206cc that was in my parents front garden for about a year a 2001 model. He gave that to my other brother’s son,who has recently turned 18 and been taking driving lessons, now that car to me is not an “old car” like something from the 80s or even the 90s would be. However I realised that while my first car which was an utter heap was first registered the year after I was born, this 206cc was actually older than my 18 year old nephew.

The first car I remember my dad having was 6 years old when I was born, so the same age as my golf is now..... and that to me is an “Old” car!! So maybe to your son your wife Citroen and your Mazda will be “old bangers” when he grows up and he’ll think of them in the same way you might remember your dads Nova....

Also why in the 80s did everyone have a saloon, all my dads cars where saloons yet the nova saloon was hugely impractical compared to the hatch back version. My dad had a Saab 900 saloon at one point which there was a hatch back version it was only in the 90s he owned a car (a later gm Saab) that wasn’t a saloon. And I’m one of 4 so every where we went as kids there were 4 of us (no seat belts) sat squashed in across the back seat of a normal saloon car.

I've thought about this in the past and your sense of time is an odd thing. Oldest car in my family when I growing up was a thinking back maximum 70s spec Vauxhall Chevette saloon owned by my uncle. It was Brown, with a brown velour interior. It also had a single britax 4 point harness in the center of the rear bench as it pre-dated rear seat belt fitting being mandatory. I'd dread to think of how much actual crash protection that belt would have offered given there's no way it ran to the rear turrets etc. Anyway back on point, this car was a suffix V plate and to me it was ancient, my Dad had a B reg nova and then D plate Escort in the time he had this. But actually..the 1st time I encountered this "ancient" vehicle it would have been about as old as the Mazda is now.

But 80s cars aged horrifically so you'd be forgiven for thinking they were old. Trying to find an un-gararged car in the 80s without was needle in a hay stack stuff.

No idea with saloons, my Dad had always had Escorts and Cortinas so I'd imagine the Nova Saloon was just what he knew. Though the mk3 escort facelift that followed it was a hatch and he never went back.

 

[StevenRB45]

So is the tubby car (pictured) self driving and the wheels and horns are for decoration? Or is it actually like a fiendish team building exercise...and each one of them is steering a wheel?



Then we have question of why the hell the world is scaled in the way it is in Bing?



Neither adult nor child can reach the worktops nevermind the cupboards..

 

[Cheest]

Turned 65 yesterday. I rode the Ural to go fishing in the morning and nary a nibble. Still better than a good day at work. Back on the Ural for my long way 'round ride to the little coffee shop in town for a cuppa. Got stuck at a rail crossing for a Union Pacific coal train. Long thing, so kill the engine and kick back.
Get to the coffee shop and no one is parked in front, perfect. No line inside, either. Get my coffee and a cinnamon scone, then wander outside to a chair in the sunshine. Deal with the usual UDF(Ural Delay Factor[How old is it? You did a great restoration! It's Russian?]) Happens a lot.
Go home and get in the Jeep because Mom wants to come along for a run to get some stuff to clean the water softener. We live in the sticks, so nothing is nearby. Normally, that's a walk up a shelf and grab a bottle. Not today. I need to go to three stores before I find some.
While the water softener is doing it's thing, I decide that I want to cook dinner over an open flame, but I have no firewood. Back on the Ural to get some wood from the gas station on the other side of town. There are at least a dozen bikes parked at the station when I pull up. As this old fart is struggling to fit a 90lb Sak O'Wood into the sidecar, you'd think someone would offer up some help to that same old fart. Nope.
Heading home into a strong headwind now. 43, 44, 45, 46mph. That's all she wrote. Oh, I could have made 55 within another mile or so, but I needed to turn into my neighborhood. Made everyone behind me happy when I got off the highway.
There was no way I was going to carry that Sak O' Wood to the fire pit, so I just rode through the yard to the pit and unloaded the bag right there.

So, not a great day, but not a bad day, either. Steaks came out perfect, though.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

So is the tubby car (pictured) self driving and the wheels and horns are for decoration? Or is it actually like a fiendish team building exercise...and each one of them is steering a wheel?

View attachment 216401

Then we have question of why the hell the world is scaled in the way it is in Bing?
View attachment 216402


Neither adult nor child can reach the worktops nevermind the cupboards..

Our 18 month old grandson is really "into" The Night Garden and There's some really disturbing and variable scaling in that.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Our 18 month old grandson is really "into" The Night Garden and There's some really disturbing and variable scaling in that.

There is a lot more that’s Disturbing about In The Night Garden than the scaling lol

Then again what children’s program doesn’t have things in it that would make an adult raise an eyebrow

 

[DaveMcT]

Eric Robinson's version of Magic Roundabout

Captain Pugwash and Master Mate

Sir Prancelot and Lady Histeria complete with serfs Bert & Harry.

The Herbs

Roobarb

None of these would get past today's assassination of comedy and all things with double meanings.

 

[StevenRB45]

Our 18 month old grandson is really "into" The Night Garden and There's some really disturbing and variable scaling in that.

Agree with Andy the least disturbing part of in the Night Garden is scaling.

 

[StevenRB45]

One of the twin fluro tubes in the kitchen went off. No problem, I know I've got a spare, infact it turns up whenever I go looking for something else.

So off I go into the boxes of spare crap. Now due to every light fitting in the house having a different bulb requirement, this is quite a large box as I like to have a spare. So if you either need a small, or large edison screw light bulb in either ball or candle...or a bayonet fitting..or a bulb for a halogen security light..or interior halogen spot light this is the box for you..and that's before we get to the selection of batteries or random assorted hardware.

The starter though clean gone off the face of the planet..

40 minutes later making a coffee..damn thing is in with the spoons. Of course it is..

Well at least the light is fixed.

 

[portland_bill]

One of the twin fluro tubes in the kitchen went off. No problem, I know I've got a spare, infact it turns up whenever I go looking for something else.

So off I go into the boxes of spare crap. Now due to every light fitting in the house having a different bulb requirement, this is quite a large box as I like to have a spare. So if you either need a small, or large edison screw light bulb in either ball or candle...or a bayonet fitting..or a bulb for a halogen security light..or interior halogen spot light this is the box for you..and that's before we get to the selection of batteries or random assorted hardware.

The starter though clean gone off the face of the planet..

40 minutes later making a coffee..damn thing is in with the spoons. Of course it is..

Well at least the light is fixed.

Now you'll anguish for two days as to how it got there.

 

[StevenRB45]

Now you'll anguish for two days as to how it got there.

I have a toddler, I could sit down on my chair and find I'd just sat on the bones of Amelia Earhardt and not be surprised.

I'd not actually do anything if I did obviously as soon as I put them somewhere to one side and called the press they would disappear back to wherever they were found...or possibly into a shoe..or maybe I'd find one in the armrest of the car in a Fortnight.

 

[varesecrazy]

Went to post a POLL on the forum

It involves putting my phone into PC Mode

Simple enough.. there is a handy icon for that



Posted the poll.. went to go back to mob. Version

I'd had the bright idea of having 2 windows open..
One PC and one mob

Did it 'just work'..?

Nope.. but it was far easier than losing all connectivity on the one page

For me.. that was a small victory..!!

 

[portland_bill]

Had to take my partner to the doctor earlier.
So while she was in the consulting room, I'm sitting in the empty waiting room, on one of only two chairs, directly in line with a corridor to the doctors' rooms.
There are 11 domed lights along the corridor. Seems a lot, all close together.
Nos 7 & 11 are offset a little to the right, and No 9 a little to the left.
With a narrow corridor, a shame the electrician was unable to get them all in the middle.

 

[DaveMcT]

Its what rubber tape measures are made for.

 

[StevenRB45]

What special sense do delivery people have that enables them to know the precise moment I've just stepped into the shower? Or sat on the toilet? or my son is just drifting off? Or I've just removed his nappy after a massive poo? Or I've just put him in the bath and there's no one to stop him drowning in? etc.

Literally 90% of the time it's a bad time it must be like spider sense.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

What special sense do delivery people have that enables them to know the precise moment I've just stepped into the shower? Or sat on the toilet? or my son is just drifting off? Or I've just removed his nappy after a massive poo? Or I've just put him in the bath and there's no one to stop him drowning in? etc.

Literally 90% of the time it's a bad time it must be like spider sense.

No2 son managed it perfectly just after lunch today. I'd just "installed" my self on the upstairs loo and Mrs J was in the conservatory doing a zoom with her ex airline pals down south when the phone went. I heard Mrs J answer it so thought "that's Ok then" when, just moments later the bathroom door burst open (being just the two of us in the house these days we're bad for not snibbing the doors) with my dear Mrs saying, "I can't do this and speak to the girls at the same time, so here" and lobbed the phone at me before going back down stairs. It's surprisingly difficult to have a meaningful and engaged conversation, even with your blood relative, under these circumstances!

 

[StevenRB45]

With "Stay at home" ending but "stay local" still in force thought we'd go a little further yesterday, so off we went to Hexham which is about 30 minute drive.

Saw a courtesy car for Ford's of Winford parked up, caught my eye as that's not a local garage. Google maps informs me that's East of Liverpool 170 miles from where I saw it. Where I saw it was a country park..so pretty unlikely to be there for any of the permitted reasons.

Think at this point no one cares..

 

[portland_bill]

I just rechecked the gov website.
"Only socialise indoors with people you live with, or are in your support bubble."
"Up to 6 people or 2 households can meet outside."

Since Monday, when the rules relaxed a little, our street has been busier than a seaside car park. So many visitors, that I lost count after 20, only one of which stood outside, all others disappeared into houses. When giving rules to the public, words of no more than two syllables must be used, and sentences of no more than 15 words. Otherwise failure.

 

[portland_bill]

There was lots of noise outside yesterday, sawing, hammering, etc. Didn't really look out to see what or why.
This morning, looking out, I see a neighbour has partially built a new shed. This appears to be a 8'x6' shed, in a garden about 15' wide and 30' long, so quite a lot of garden lost to a shed. Not a summer house, just a shed.
More puzzling is the height mismatch between the sides and and ends. The tops of the sides are about an inch above the tops of the ends. Surely, they need to be the same, or when the roof panels are placed on top, there'll be a triangular gap from apex to side.
It looks like a prefabricated shed. If mine, I think I'd be asking serious questions of the supplier.