If that's a direct translation, Welsh seems even more longwinded than German!

I am moving home tommorow.

Hope all goes well tomorrow Violin Hero I really enjoyed moving, very exciting

It's almost Friday and finally the week has stopped being odd - ill, then cat got ill (cue cat sick everywhere), then eye went funny, then had to stuff very cross cat (who doesn't like being picked up even under normal circumstances) in box to go to vet.

All better now! Chez corenfa has stopped being a plague ward, and that really does make me happy.

I won the Classic FM magazine crossword competition! I'd quite forgotten that I'd entered so it was a lovely surprise. The prize is a bottle of champagne and some glasses.

Felt a bit undeserving really, as it's the first time I've ever bought the magazine - I was seduced by the 2 CDs taped to the front of it.

I won one of their DAB wireless sets a few years ago, and I appreciate it every day in the office.

SB

I'm happy I'm at home in one piece! (see the weather thread....)

Paddington

That's the railway station, not the bear. With my car having no rear lights, I had to venture to Stockley Park via the mainline route in to London, rather than going from Epping. Far far more expensive, but it means you get to go via Paddington, which almost makes up for it.

(If your soul isn't moved by Paddington or King's Cross, then I can only suppose that you have no soul )

Not sure my soul is moved by King's Cross! St. Pancras though, different matter!

Anywhere you can hear diesels, really. Liverpool Street does not warm my heart

I have to say, the sight of Kings Cross station slipping away from the carriage window is one of my favourites.

Its even better when I see York station slipping away as I am nearly home then.

SB

I agree!

There is something rather exiting about the sound of a big diesel engine, waiting and ready to haul a rake of carriages across the country. Sadly the new 10 cylinder MTU engines fitted into the HST sets don't sound anything like the 12 cylinder Paxmans that they replace.

I must say I find electric traction rather boring; but there again, I am old enough to remember being hauled out of Kinks Cross and Waterloo stations behind real steam locos.

SB

I don't like seeing King's Cross slipping away, makes me feel sad

I was an LMS trainspotter in my youth, but it was always a delight to go to the old Leeds Central station (as opposed to Leeds City) which was LNER, hoping to see an A4 class. All we got through Keighley was Jubilees, Royal Scot Class and Blackfives.
But I cant say the sound of a big diesel engine makes me happy !

My first experience of King's Cross - I was going to visit a friend for a weekend, and she lived in Newcastle. The weekend before, my husband and I had a visit to London, in part so he could accompany me to King's Cross, so I could see where I would come out of the underground, where the platforms were, etc, and generally be able to approach this new strange place where I was on a time limit without too much stress.
We were walking up from the underground (Victoria line, I suspect), and he just stopped in his tracks.
"There's a Deltic in here", he said.
This was to me at the time utter gibberish, but he explained to me that it was a special type of train that made a very distinctive noise

Where I work in West London, from where I sit on the other side of the canal is the main line (Paddington to Reading, Oxford, etc...) Last week there was a distinctive noise and I said "ooooh, actual steam train", and promptly lots and lots of grown-up office workers were nose-against-the-window admiring the chuff-chuff-chuff of the passing train

Further to earlier post I have to say I am happy when I visit my original home town of Keighley, if I am so lucky to see a steam engine on the Keighley and Worth Valley Line (famous for its use in The Railway Children and other films). I was brought up near that line, but only a few of the trains run as steam now, mainly in summer. I still dont know why that service was then known as 'The Bocker'.

Aw

Ah yes, the Deltic. They had two three cylinder engines, each with three crakshafts and six pistons in opposed formation - rather like the old Doxford marine engines. I seem to remember the Deltic engine design was taken from the Germans, who had used it to power fighter aircraft during the war, albeit using petrol rather than diesel fuel.

I also remember that Harold Wilson's Labour government spent wasted millions on infrastructure to fuel the Deltics with Groundnut Oil, but like so many such schemes it never got off of the ground.

On the subject of steam; it was early on a winter's Saturday morning, and we were driving firstly to Hexham, and then on to Carlisle for an NDSO 'Organ Day'. As we were driving along the A1M we spotted a plume of [what looked like] smoke rising in the cold, crisp air, from the middle of a field where we didn't expect to see smoke rising! A moment later we realised it was the new A4 Peppercorn loco heading south out of Durham on the East Coast Main Line.

So, two reasons to be happy that day!

SB

I have just had grandaughter Anna (8months) on my knee for nearly half an hour.. She is a delight to play with, pity I had to come back upstairs and do some work !

Hmm - I wonder how long the glasses will survive? The champagne will be lucky to make it to New year's Eve!

I think I can safely say that the wireless set will have lasted much longer than any bottle of plonk in this household.

On which subject, my happy for today is the Priory Records Internet Radio Station which is well worth a listen if, like me, you enjoy organ and choral music.

SB

Memorising my new celllphone number after only 2 days. Its 07, erm, erm, oh bells I've forgotten it already

I played my clarinet for an hour yesterday!!!


Second time this year it's been out of its box. Fourth time in 20 years so statistically I can't quite call it 'practice' but it's one step away from 'ignore' in the direction of 'remembering it exists'.

I can't find the "like" button!!! But I LOVE this post!! Is this so you can duet with Barry in May?!

lottie!!!!!!!!

I don't like to see York slipping away, for the same reason Louise

I did a lot of work for the company who built the high speed rail line and were responsible for the regeneration of St Pancras. I was invited to the royal opening of St Pancras, it was an incredible experience and I had a real lump in my throat when the first Eurostar train pulled into the station. It was without doubt the highlight of my career to date and I can't imagine how it could ever be surpassed.

There's a story about one of the heads of the construction team who was walking through the station one day when someone stopped him and said "Isn't this amazing, it's so beautiful", "I'm so glad you like it" he replied "I built it"!

thanks Floss

Finding a school photograph of my mother, aged 7 online. I would love to know who correctly identified her. Although I had never seen that photo before it is definitely her.

What a strange but wonderful thing to find

I'm listening to my son playing Christmas carols on the ukelele

I've always been of the opinion that the best thing about London is getting back on the train at Kings Cross. To me, Doncaster is where we finally wave goodbye to the South , and then Darlo is the North East .

a message from a lovely forumite

still no snow

Nandos.

I have finally moved home. Although I am forever walking into boxes that need unpacking! This will start in ernest tommorow.

At least I have arranaged for an engineer to come and fit a phone line and sorted out broadband to start that same day.

Finding ?180 in one of my old purses!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Treat yourself!!!

Ok, if you insist!

a day doing whatever I want whenever I want haven't had one of those for a while

Not for me though. It is unpack all the boxes day.

Happy new Home

Yesterday's rather than today's happy, but anyway....

A lovely card from a young recorder player to whom I had lent an instrument.

"That recorder...was very useful and has been playing well... It has made my cat go dreamy and happy."

My recorders must be faulty then, given what they do to my cat...

Mine prefers to leave the house when I'm playing anything though if it's raining she may just hide under the bed if it's a recorder. She's started going out as soon as she sees me putting up a music stand.

Successfully played at a friend's wedding with no major screwups, had to provide 30 minutes of pre-wedding music which stretched to 45 minutes because bride was late, and an interlude and recessional. Made it all through with no big hitches. Tired but very pleased that it all went well and really glad to have been involved in friend's big day.

Now lazing around on bed with cat who is pleased to see me.

Well done! It will be fun to be in a new home for Christmas.


Excellent news. And I'm sure your friend will love to remember your part in her wedding for many years to come.

Playing string quartets.

W

Personal thanks and kind words from the Bishop after this morning's Confirmation service. And all forr a responsorial psalm and a Margaret Rizza anthem

P4

I volunteered to play the same music at their 25th anniversary I was really touched when the groom said that he welled up a bit hearing the entrance music because it was an arrangement of a song that was special to them. It's lovely to feel that I had a part in that, I think it's nice to be the conduit of such things.