Chatterbox LXXXVIII Ygraine

[PatsyMFagan]

[miss mouse]

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, the road outside is very quiet, I wonder if the bin men will do their usual round? There is the sound of a lot of metal banging nearby, what is going on there?

Moira

[suffolk]

Good morning all

Moira... are they pulling up the drawbridge?

We have a very slight frost this morning ... the sky is overcast.

[earthmaiden]

Morning all! . The sun's shining, it certainly lifts the spirits. The forecast says it might stay like it!!! I think we had a bit of frost earlier too.

It's probably time to work out a programme of activities and exercise for the coming months as normal activities have been cancelled. It will be all too easy to do too little and eat the wrong things. I see they are predicting it is likely to be a year before a degree of normality returns so keeping sane as well as healthy is probably important .

[icelesley]

Good Morning wild ones. The Sun is out and the sky is blue It looks like it will last all day (wisperingsmiley) the washing machine will be red hot today I hope everyone is ok and not showing any sign of coronavirus

[cyprusmoira]

The bin men have visited, they are following their usual routine. Our Wednesday craft group is cancelled until further notice, we meet at a taverna. Friday's Mah Jong group usually meets at café, so that will be cancelled too.
The coffee shops are closed, where will the older men sit all day? Will they get under their wife's feet.?

On a different note, a local social media site is full information from the Cypriot government and notices from local tavernas about take away services, in the middle of all this serious stuff is an equally serious message about the theft of a herd of goats.

Moira

[scullion]

[StokeySue]

Just heard that Roy Hudd died yesterday afternoon (not of CV-19)

RIP

[suffolk]

Sad to hear Roy Hudd has gone ... he lived down near my old home ... his interest in antiques meant that my son came across him quite a bit ... he said he was good company in a saleroom and told a good tale.

[StokeySue]

Hudd was associated with the cemetery park opposite, there’s a section that’s the graves of the old music hall including Champagne Charlie. Hudd was an authority on music hall and raised some funds to restore graves.

[earthmaiden]

Oh, that's sad. He was popular for so long.

[uschi]

[cyprusmoira]

[StokeySue]

I was a bit surprised to hear the GP who has recovered from CV-19 on the news. She was talking about what it was like, very useful and rather reassuring.

But then she mentioned that her temperature had hit 101 degrees (Fahrenheit) . Does the NHS still work in deg F? I haven’t seen a Fahrenheit clinal thermometer in years, and the last few times I’ve had my temperature measured as part of a physical examination definitely in Celsius

What do you do?

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
We are certainly living in uncertain times. My nephew's college has suspended teaching (as have most others) although technically the campus is still open. While he's not best pleased my sister is relieved as between the classes, the trains and the socialising it's potentially a bit of a germ hotbed. They managed a couple of nights at home but are now back here for another few nights.
My younger son has landed back in the UK, he's had great experience but is now battling jet lag to face the shops for supplies as he'd run everything down before he went. I think he'll be shocked at how empty some of the shelves and I wish he was bit nearer so I could help out.
I've only been to Ireland once in 2010 and had a trip to Cork while there which seemed to be a bit of building site at that point so we didn't stay long in the centre and headed to the gardens/wildlife reserves on Fota Island which were stunning . We were staying between Tipperary and Limerick and there was plenty of gammon, cabbage and spuds on the menus of the various pubs. I'd love to go back at some point if I could.
We've more wild weather due to come this afternoon, I've a batch of lentil and bacon rib soup in the slow cooker - just the thing for when the wind is howling .

[earthmaiden]

Hope your young all settle without any problems ltc! Those without college will be at a loose end I expect.

Sue, I haven't seen Farenheit used in medical places for a long time. It certainly wasn't when GD was in hospital recently. Of course, it is used in the USA so maybe she's used to speaking to American audiences (or to older people for whom it often makes more sense even nowadays - I have to admit that if I heard 101 I would immediately jump to attention but if I heard 39 it would take a few seconds to register).

[Seatallan]

I must admit I'm so glad we moved when we did. We're surrounded by fells and open country so getting out and about without being in significant contact with other people is easy. Even if all the pubs and non-essential shops close it really won't make much difference to us especially with the better weather coming. In fact, it's like being on a permanent holiday.

I was glad to read today that the over 70's advice is likely to be a little less draconian than it sounded yesterday (more about avoiding public spaces, etc, rather than not leaving the house at all).

[Suelle]

[StokeySue]

earthmaiden I’m glad you agree with me on the Celsius, I thought it was possibly just me having worked with it for so long I might have exaggerated how normal it is

The first of the government briefings is at 16.45 so then we should have some clarity then, depending on the level of Boris waffle, that time is according to BBC London

[uschi]

Suelle, here in Germany at least two well-known virologists have said it is safe to go out. The disease is not airborne (OK, if someone sneezes in your face ...).
So, a safe distance from others and not touching things (washing hands after the walk) seems to be OK.
We were warned to interact with others, but walking on one's own (or with one's partner) was not vetoed.
I am shackled to the desk, but it is warm and springlike outside, I would love to go.

[suffolk]

[cyprusmoira]

We worked in Celsius all the time I was nursing, I always have to translate from Fahrenheit when watching American TV/ reading American books. When will the USA go metric? I will not mention cup measurements

Meanwhile Deb has been down the hill to the Pharmacy, she tells me that the pharmacy staff are gowned and hatted. All the other businesses seem to open, that is the builders merchant and all the automotive businesses in Episcopi, only the coffee shops were closed. Local ex pat dog walkers say that the bank, I don't know which one, was only letting in one customer at a time, so the queue was outside not indoors

I bought some Lidl Wild Boar steaks before Christmas, I have the last one in the slow cooker, together with some vac packed chestnuts, also left over from Christmas. There was an amazing umami smell when I opened the mushroom packet.

Moira

[icelesley]

Good Afternoon Wild ones. The sun is slowly disappearing behind clouds now and it looks like rain is on the way despite the forecast saying it would be dry. Washing machine has been working all day and now I have a stack of ironing as a consequence Oh well at least its all washed.

[miss mouse]

[Seatallan]

[dennispc]

Our good news is daughter and partner have Easy Jet seats tomorrow out of Fuerteventura arrive Gatwick about 6pm, so won’t be able to take advantage of Waitrose’s 25% off six bottles of wine!

They won’t be coming here on Thursday, we won’t be going to Yorkshire end of April, Fathers Day weekend in July also off the agenda, and not planning anything at all.

In Fuerteventura the beach is empty

and so are the streets, patrolled by the police,

In the UK,

life seems pretty much normal.

[uschi]

Can anyone with knowledge of duct-laying help me with something, please?
This is about trenches for fiber cables. The ducts are embedded with sieved soil or another suitable material ... the thing is, they are making a distinction between "embedment" material and "bedding".

What, please, is the difference????

[Suelle]

Maybe it's a language distinction. To me 'bedding' suggests the material that the ducting is laid on, whereas 'embedding' suggests the material used to cover the ducting.

You might need different materials to either make a firm bed or a lighter covering to avoid crushing.

[uschi]

That makes sense!!! Thank you!!!

[aero280]

I spent my career laying pipes and ducts!!

(well, actually I watched others do the hard work!)

There's a big problem compacting under and up the sides of a pipe. So in the UK "self-compacting" material is expected to be used for that. Self-compacting is usually a single size "pea gravel" which is put in the bottom, the pipe put on it and then the pea gravel poured to fill the sides. Since most pipes are plastic, sharp stuff is avoided immediately over the pipe, so we used to continue the pea gravel to 100mm over the pipe. For shallow cable ducts, the rest of trench would be determined by the surface load - grass, footpath or road. But a graded crushed stone, known in the UK as "Type 1" would be used to fill the trench in road or footpath, up until you finished it with tarmac or concrete. If it's in grass, then it could all be filled up with excavated material.

Deep tranches in roads can use excavated material up until you get to around 600mm from the surface when Type 1, and tarmac would follow.

[uschi]

Why, thank you Sir gentle knight!!! You've come to the aid of a damsel in distress! That is most comprehensive and helpful!!!
So Suelle is right? Bedding goes under it and embedment around?

Thank you both!!!!

[aero280]

The pipe sort of "nestles" in the bedding, so it comes up the side beyond the middle.

[uschi]

Thank you! I had a mental image of bedding as in stables. I knew better, of course, but these things bubble up. The important thing for me is to have a good distinction.

[aero280]

It's quite complicated, but the biggest problem is getting the men on the ground to compact it correctly while protecting the pipe. If it's not compacted, the surface sinks.

Try this...

http://www.draindomain.com/pipe%20beddi ... ation.html

[uschi]

Thanks for that!!! I'll check it out in a minute ...
(You would not know what "flying harsh" is? It's part of an aggregate. "sand, loose chipping, flying harsh, cement or foaming additive." Another word for it would be wonderful!

[aero280]

I don't know the term "flying harsh". We have "fly ash" which is probably what is meant. It's coal fired power station waste that is very light and reacts with cement and water and it foams up and makes lightweight concrete. It's often used to make the lightweight concrete blocks for building. You can saw it up into pieces. But in liquid form it's often poured into trenches. It sets solid, it's strong in compression and is fairly easy to break up if you ever need to dig it up.

Here's a trench I did that's filled with lightweight concrete. It just needs tarmac. It won't sink.

Here's the pea gravel around and over the pipe...

This is one of my bigger jobs. The pipes end up on the other side of the River Thames...

[uschi]

WOW!!! Amazing pictures!!! I
think the Ash will be it. Flugasche.
I don't think the English text is from a native speaker. I have to guess around typos and things like "Grands confettis". The latter I have flagged up as outside my ken. I really don't think it is an English term.

But hey, someone here might prove me wrong.
Thanks again. It has saved me a lot of hunting around.
Here's a chocolate cigar!

[aero280]

I can't think what "flying confettis" are

[uschi]

Warning tape was one of the next terms ... maybe the French have an expression like "Grande decoration" for all the stuff around a building site?

[cyprusmoira]

Good Morning Wild Ones, I now know much more about pipe laying , I shall add it to my knowledge of how to build a Cypriot house.
We are in the middle of a small thunderstorm, it came as a suprise as only showers were forecast.

Moira

[suffolk]

Good morning all
It’s a dry morning and the sun keeps trying to peek through.
This forum really is the fount of all knowledge ...

[icelesley]

Good Morning wild ones. It's overcast here this morning but it's not raining and not cold. I need to go to the post office this morning we have two schools closed in town with suspected corona virus cases, but not confirmed. OH has a doctor's appointment next week to do a script review, I am thinking put the repeat request in as usual better to have the usual dose than non at all, then ring and check if he is ok to attend next week, he is 72 so is in the group told to stay at home. You just don't know what to do for the best.

[miss mouse]

[uschi]

The confetti is just an example of the nonsense bits. I need not concern myself with those, but flying ash and distinguishing bedding and embedment were really important to me, especially as it was late and I was not thinking all that straight anymore. I cannot thank Suelle and Aero enough for their kind input.

[aero280]

The warning tape is laid about 6 inches above the pipe. It's low density polythene so it stretches, if pulled, so it will get dragged into view if caught by the teeth on an excavator bucket. Most tapes these days have a zig-zag wire down the middle so that standard metal pipe detectors can be used to trace a plastic pipe. The wire should be continuous and connected to each valve. Then you can open a valve cover and add an electrical signal to the wire via the valve. This should enable you to follow the pipe in congested areas. It's not reliable because contractors bury things and don't connect them to the valves, and electrical signals can jump to other metal, like road reinforcement.

Water tape is blue. Gas is yellow. Electricity varies. High voltage has a row of marked bricks over the cable, but otherwise a red tape, or yellow/black hazard tape. BT is often in green ducts. Data cabling for road management, mostly motorways, is purple. They all should have the name written on as well.

[cyprusmoira]

Back from Lidl, just the average number of shoppers there. We were issued with disposable plastic gloves as we entered the store, a great idea, well done Lidl They had obviously recently received a container shipment, there were stacks of goods in all the aisles. They had bundles of local asparagus, the supper menu has changed, it is now Asparagus and Poached Eggs for supper.
The rain fell as snow on the mountains, the defects in the ski slope have been covered.

Moira

[suffolk]

Son said he was in a Lidl in Ipswich centre yesterday (in quite an impoverished area) and had to step in to prevent a fight as a couple of women were emptying the shelves of eggs ... a couple of staff were protesting but the women were authoritative well-heeled Landrover driving country-dwelling types who were insisting on taking the eggs and they were intimidating the staff who were both Polish or Lithuanian he thinks ... other customers were getting angry ... son stepped in (he’s a big bloke with a beard and a big voice) and told them not to be greedy ... the women protested that they ran B&Bs and needed to feed their guests.

Son pointed out that the other customers needed to feed their families ....

A silence ensued .... and then most of the eggs were returned to the shelves and the women left.

[liketocook]

Good morning everyone,
Goodness I never knew pipe laying was so complex, I'll be filling this as you never know when it might be handy .
Life for the next few months is going to look quite different for lots of folk, I'm in one of the groups that will be ask to undertake extended social distancing measures. I'm not out and about that much anyway but at least it's the start of the gardening season!
My younger son was appalled at how empty the shelves were mid afternoon in a big Morrisons in Newcastle. The only meat and fish available was liver or frozen squid. He's not a huge liver fan so bought the squid. He's day off today so going to see if he can find a butcher and fishmonger, there are none in his area and pop to Asian supermarket for some pulses etc. He's beginning to wish he hadn't emptied his fridge and small freezer before he went away! He did manage to get a four pack of loo roll though .
My sister is off to a big planning meeting this morning and then her organisation is closing all it's central & area offices from lunchtime and asking non-frontline folk to work from home. They deliver 24/7 care to severely disabled people so there is real concern about what will happen over coming months.
Cottage pie for dinner tonight so I best get my finger out and start the prep instead of noodling online with a

[Pepper Pig]

There are quite a few things on Twitter at the moment urging you to contact local meat farmers directly. Many of them regularly supply restaurants directly and many restuarants are either closing or facing a lack of customers so there is a knock-on effect. Might be worth having a google. This local one has been recommended to me by a fellow dog walker:

http://www.chilternfarmfood.co.uk/