Thursday, October 30, 2008
Back at Exeter
Blogging from Exeter Library again. A much bigger and better facility than that available at the Epsom Library, I suppose as befits the regional capital. Getting to like the cycle track from Exminster into town. Good flat surface all the way, with canoeists, birds, bees and dogs to admire. Only let down by steep hills and cobbles once one gets across the Exe at the quay. Forced to dismount.
No milk floats, as on my last run to Cheam. Tiresome things which go slower than me on the flat, but fast enough to be a bit of a puff to overtake. The run before that it was an ancient green car, sufficiently ancient to be built after the manner of a trap - if that is the right name for a small horse drawn passenger vehicle. Two proper seats in front with two jump seats at back, with rear access so as not to disturb the nobs in front. Interesting brass bottle down among the feet at the front. Noisy gear change. Foul smelling exhaust - perhaps because the thing was a two-stroke. Now I could pass this thing going uphill but it could easily pass me on the flat. At which point I observed that its number plate was in very small letters. I am sure this is in flagrant violation of the relevant directive from our European colleagues, that is to say article 16(1) of directive 89/391/EEC.
But I have to admonish myself on that front. When fiddling with a strange central heating device this morning I had occasion to read the instructions. Bearing in mind that the device in question was about the size of a large box of cigarettes, was fixed on the wall with no wires coming out of it and powered by two small batteries, I was forcefully reminded to make sure that I was wearing the right protective clothing before starting work: boots, gloves, apron, goggles and all the rest of it.
But the good news is that Epsom Council have so much money to spare that they are going to issue every resident with four new bins, two wheelie, irrespective of whether they make their own compost or not. I understand that we are to check their web site weekly to make sure that our instructions for their use are up to date. Maybe there is a training course for us older people who are a bit slow on the uptake.
No milk floats, as on my last run to Cheam. Tiresome things which go slower than me on the flat, but fast enough to be a bit of a puff to overtake. The run before that it was an ancient green car, sufficiently ancient to be built after the manner of a trap - if that is the right name for a small horse drawn passenger vehicle. Two proper seats in front with two jump seats at back, with rear access so as not to disturb the nobs in front. Interesting brass bottle down among the feet at the front. Noisy gear change. Foul smelling exhaust - perhaps because the thing was a two-stroke. Now I could pass this thing going uphill but it could easily pass me on the flat. At which point I observed that its number plate was in very small letters. I am sure this is in flagrant violation of the relevant directive from our European colleagues, that is to say article 16(1) of directive 89/391/EEC.
But I have to admonish myself on that front. When fiddling with a strange central heating device this morning I had occasion to read the instructions. Bearing in mind that the device in question was about the size of a large box of cigarettes, was fixed on the wall with no wires coming out of it and powered by two small batteries, I was forcefully reminded to make sure that I was wearing the right protective clothing before starting work: boots, gloves, apron, goggles and all the rest of it.
But the good news is that Epsom Council have so much money to spare that they are going to issue every resident with four new bins, two wheelie, irrespective of whether they make their own compost or not. I understand that we are to check their web site weekly to make sure that our instructions for their use are up to date. Maybe there is a training course for us older people who are a bit slow on the uptake.
# posted by Jim @ 5:57 AM 
