TV Non-Career Continues

'Our' railway got a good airing on BBC 1's Railways - The Making of a Nation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07x4dyz/railways-the-making-of-a-nation-capitalism-and-commerce

This is on the BBC I-Player, meaning that it will be removed after a month or so.

My bit starts at about 20 minutes.

There are some magnificent drone shots of the railway line - especially of the Ribblehead Viaduct.   The local farmer, canny chap, charged the BBC for the use of his airspace.   I wonder if all those jets flying from Heathrow to the United States also have to pay him?

A Little Grey Yanmar Now

When I bought the Yanmar YM14 mini tractor for the bargain price of £351 on E-Bay I knew it has two major faults.   Its brakes did not work and the steering wheel would do half a true before anything happened.

Googling and YouTubing both these items produced the solutions.   What a marvel the internet is.

I am getting to the rebuilding stage and very satisfying it is too:

click to enlarge

Here she is in a coat of primer, looking like a tiny version of a Grey Fergie.

For comparison this is how she was:

I have been able to match the lime green / yellow paint colour so she should look very smart indeed next year sometime.   More importantly she will go, stop and steer!

I had a visitor earlier in the week who knew a thing or two about these things.   Wow he said.   A Yanmar YM 14 two cylinder diesel!   He went on to tell me what superb machines these were back in their day.    Mine's day turns out to have been 1979 from various markings here and there.

For inspiration here is a smart looking example from Poland, Russia or somewhere like that

Lawn Mowing Milestone

Since my chemotherapy I have been struggling with the three lawns around this place.

I have always found lawn mowing quite therapeutic.    There is something about the smell of new mown grass and the neat results that is very satisfying.   It demands attention and any of the worlds worries are set aside.

I have three very different lawns here -
- the verge of the station drive
- the public verge along Station Road that the local council had abandoned
- the steep banking behind the water tower

Each has its challenges and during my chemotherapy they would take three or more days to mow.   I began to wonder if there would ever be a day when I could see off all three in the one day.

Well, today was the day!

Trial and error had found me the two mowers that would do the job:

This tiny Bosch machine is light and agile enough for the steep slope and the station drive

and this Einhell relative monster with its driven rear wheels is perfect for the Station Road verge .

I really do feel that I am on the mend.

An Unusual Angle - Super Picture

What a lovely late summer afternoon we had today.   By appointment we hosted visitors from The Holiday Fellowship at Settle station.   Whilst they were in the signal box pulling the levers and ringing the bells I wandered out onto the walkway and got this pretty picture of the water tower tank and roof room with the dramatic limestone scenery in the background:

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Not obvious in the picture is our sun-deck - two chairs and a table on a raised portion of deck which catches the sun from mid morning until sunset:

The views from there are amazing.   The raised portion of deck is set back a long way from the tank sides so it is quite safe.   The chairs and table are securely tied down so that they do not blow away.   Depending on wind direction it is actually very sheltered.

Black Clouds and a Rainbow

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It has been a beautiful day today with plenty of sunshine in Settle but not far up the valley the clouds looked very threatening indeed.   We got no rain here but somebody did, judging by the rainbow over Attermire Scar and Victoria Cave.

Amazing What Can be Done with Editing Tools

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This picture was posted on Twitter by Adrian Braddy, editor of The Dalesman.   It is credited to Flashpast Photography.   Clearly it has had the full treatment by somebody who knows how to use editing software.   The tower, the truck, the water crane and the shed have been made to look distinctly grubby as they would indeed have been in their day.

Altogether a very different image from the norm and really quite atmospheric and pleasing.

Wouldn't it make a splendidly do-able jigsaw?