JRT,

O.K...fair enough. I will square up your bill. As the choirboy said to the Bishop, 'You've got me over a barrel'. But only because I couldn't find that equally compromising photograph of you and Nurse Ophelia Hardrod testing Olga's bunk-bed while she was away at the 11th Vodka Promotions Festival in Murmansk.

Lucky you.

Folks,

Dux:

What Miss Hardrod and I may or may not have done as two consenting adults in or out of Olga's reeking bunk has no bearing on the consummate whuppin' Olga will give you if she sees that aforementioned snap of you having your wicked way with that poor, innocent girl.

OK, C51 just told me the lady in question was far from innocent so your reputation and apparently hers remain about the same. I'll hold that photo until my bill has been expunged from the records. As for that Vodka festival...I'm told that Olga never even made it onto the train to London. A passing troop train headed in the opposite direction happened by at a slow pace. Slow enough in fact for Olga to fling her Comrade Stalin brand horsehide duffel (hand stitched under water by Cossack virgins) on board and follow it there herself.

Apparently no one noticed her until the train entered the Studley Grange tunnel and then it was much too late. The troop train finally arrived at its destination 3 days late with Olga at the controls tooting the horn and ringing the bell like mad. The rest of the train, when examined by the military police, was found to be completely empty save for discarded rucksacks, kits and tattered uniforms.

Gents,

Two more pics from the YRM trip showing Mallard and the record breaking commemorative plaque. This record has not been officially equalled to this day.
After the successful run it was found that she had suffered damage to her big end - something which never troubled Olga.

Folks,

Dux:

Lovely she is to look at, even with a damaged 'big' end. These grand old locomotives of the 20th century with their sleek lines and beautiful livery were indeed thoroughbreds. Though incredibly fast and also sleek the 'bullet' trains of today fail somehow to capture so well the feeling of raw power and speed when just sitting still.

I dunno Dux, about that steam-power record, I mean. I seem to recall that time when Olga acquired the first prototype Mark I Russian-made pressure-cooker. It came in plain brown wrapper fresh from the Comrade Molotov Cast Iron, Boilerplate and Precision Rivet Works near Kursk. This we were told was Moscow's first attempt at mass production of metal cookware for the...er... masses.

Unfortunately the release valves on the initial Mark Is all were faulty. Because the rest of the contraptions were so incredibly strong they built up an equally incredible amount of pressure when those valves failed to release correctly.

At some point, it was never certain precisely when, even the pride of Soviet cast iron, boiler making and rivet works had to fail as well. When that finally happened it was the unlucky cook who was still standing or perhaps kneeling in fervent prayer nearby.

As I have written, I seem to remember that Olga's cooker finally blew at about 30 tons PSI and the blast propelled both her, and the man she was presently sitting on at the time, clean out an open window and a full 3 blocks away. They were clocked by the Studley Grange Early Warning Weather RADAR at a cool 290 MPH as they ascended to their apogee. Olga survived with only singed eyebrows and a few scratches but, to her disgust, the poor man was a total write off.

For some reason even though she had official recognition of her speed record from the Studley Grange RADAR site, she never did receive a commemorative plaque from Britain. This was mostly due to red tape and the fact that it was also at the very beginnings of the cold war.

Called back to Mother Russia by Stalin and the Central Committee to head the newly organized CMCIBPRW testing facility, Olga soon had a shiny plaque on her office wall and the factory pumping out safe pressure cookers that were the envy of all soviet cooks who, it must be admitted, certainly could not afford one. At a maximum production level of 3,000 units per day attained on May 1st 1948, there was soon a huge surplus stacked in the warehouses. In desperation some of the mounting surplus was eventually exported to Poland and the balance was welded to the thinnest armor of the newest T-34 tanks. Olga was never more popular with Stalin and so rather than to the Gulag, she was instead returned to England with 'special' duties.

JRT,

Thanks for that enthralling story and the technical information contained therein. I never heard about that. Clearly, there are still many facets of Olga's life that remain to be discovered. Unfortunately, many who witnessed them just didn't survive.

Another file for the archives eh?

I am just preparing for tonight's gig at the local mutants and brain-donors pub. If I don't survive, you can have my mess bill and Fender Jazz Bass. C51 can have my bins and 'scope. Jens can have SNAFU'S Bentley which I have always considered to be mine in lieu of the fifty quid he owed me before going AWOL. The last band that appeared there are still on traction in Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Good Day Lads,

Old Dux, very wise to leave JRT the mess bill along with the Fender Jazz. That way he won't show up in disgise and contribute to your demise, seeing that the former outweighs the later by a good bit. Hmm...I could use a good pair of bins and a better scope, I am getting ambitious notions after using my friend's Swarovskis. Despite that, if you see a suspicious character in the throng tonight wearing sun glasses and a long wig and carrying a violin case, it couldn't possibly be anyone you know. BTW, those photos are excellent, I am old enough to remember the overwhelming sense of power of the steam trains which my father took me to watch passing through my local station. Nothing to compare with the ones in your pics.

JRT, speaking of an overwhelming sense of power, you are an encyclopeadia of fascinating detailed information, most of which seems to involve you-know-who. I dare not speak the name lest it should conjure up her presence. I am not normally superstitious, but one can't be too careful in these matters. Especially after reading your incredible account.

Folks,

Gentlemen...and you too C51:

Dux, I never played much professionally however I have always considered it very poor luck indeed to find that the entertainment venue had a steel cage set up in advance for the band to play in. Good luck to you. And rest assured that I will take every care with your Fender Jazz as I carry it tenderly all the way down to Hymie's Pawn Shop. As for your mess bill, I must sadly decline for only a Rothschild would be able to accept such an honor.

While it seems to be true that I have a large repertoire of stories that are mostly second-hand in nature and in one way or another feature Dux's anti-heroine, it is he and only he who truly knows that woman. And I do mean that in the Biblical sense as well as the literal.

Gents,

A few items on my agenda which I would like to cover tonight. Time is short and I must get drunk quickly.

Yes, I will certainly stand, sit or lie down while offering you to help yourselves to the contents of the bar on the occasion that I actually get my 2kPost in. Let us see how much is left by that time.

Shame about Mallard developing a malady with her big end - whatever such an end might be.

Any Bentley will do thank you, even SNAFU's. Should he ever return I shall certainly offer him a ride in his abandoned motorcar.

Seeing that guitars have featured in the conversation on a number of occasions I simply cannot restist the temptation to mention a chap called Jack Dent who makes guitars. Does the name ring a bell?

Folks,

MG:

Drink on and drink well my friend.

Jack Dent, is a native of North Carolina. He is an artist and craftsman whose signature work is handcrafted guitars that are claimed by his spokespeople to rival any other custom guitar in the marketplace. They say their instruments are designed with the true musician or collector in mind and that they offer technical attributes that are unique only to his instruments.

They are located in Winston Salem, NC which is but a few hundred miles west of here. As I do not play the guitar I cannot personally attest to these claims. How did you become acquainted with Jack? Perhaps Dux can shed some light. I know he is quite familiar with several Jacks. Jack Daniels and the Jack of hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds to name but a few.

Your HWH 2K commemorative decoration made from choicest presentation grade highly polished pig iron has been commissioned from the Derbyshire iron and steel works and I'm told that it is ready for shipping in time for the awards celebration. Let us know when the great moment finally arrives.

Gents,

My presence here today is proof of survival. I got off to a bad start with my 'Knock on Wood' riff in E while the rest of the band simultaneously and enthusiastically competed with 'In the Midnight Hour' in E flat. The playing standard was mediocre but the crowd unaccountably enjoyed the evening - and early morning bash. The landlord has threatened to book us again. I staggered to bed at 1:30am and surfaced at 7:20am wishing I had not partaken of that final nightcap - two cans of 9% lager.

All for very little though. The day's sea-watch only produced Common and Sandwich Terns, Ringed Plovers, a distant Atlantic Grey Seal, and a Great Black-backed Gull plus a few odds and ends.

Gents, JRT,

I'm not exactly aquainted with Jack Dent, though like you Roger, I am very fond of greeting Jack Daniels from time to time.

I hadn't heard of Jack Dent until very recently.

It turns out that J. Dent is making a signature guitar for Steve Rothery, and Rothery of course is the guitarist of my favourite band - next to Old Dux' band of course!

Folks,

MG:

Thanks for the clip. I'll bet our guitarist pals C51 and Dux will have illuminating technical comments. It seems that Steve Rothery (of Marillion fame) is the first to own a custom Dent guitar bearing his own signature. It sounds good to moi and such international endorsement cannot but help this NC firm.

We have a guitarist in the family however if I were to claim that I am a drummer that would be a stretch. And speaking of stretching, I haven't touched a set of skins in 40 years.

May I wish a happy and safe Labor Day to all our American and Canadian readers. So far it is a very wet one down here today. All the weather wizards that I received scientific info from all predicted a warm and dry day all day today with showers only coming very late. It looks like they kinda missed it.

OK, to be fair I did not check their report this morning. I've found they are extremely accurate in predicting what is already happening. Fortunately we had not planned a picnic having just survived celebrating my birthday. Oh, well, every day is a good day...some days are just much better than are others. We actually need some rain.

I'd guess C51's Toronto weather will be drier than ours so he may be able to take in another day of the Air Show. I hope I'm right about the weather and that he gets some photos to share.

Dux certainly seems to be getting in a lot of successful birding of late. While ticking off those hard to spot birdies with his thirsty pals will greatly enhance his standing in certain circles, it may adversly affect his even being able to stand in others.....

Gents,

Jens,

Thanks for that interesting video. Guitarists dream of finding that perfect guitar which they can finally settle on and further develope a personal sound. Top quality craftsmanship has to be searched for and comes accompanied by a high price tag. You get what you pay for with such an instrument as that shown in the clip. A joy to own and play - no doubt.

JRT,

Our weather seems to be settling with mild though cloudy forecast. That will be OK by me for next week as we trawl the airfields of Lincolnshire again with trusty Nikon.

Folks,

Dux:

Enjoy your visit to historic Lincolnshire. At least two thousand years of history and the beautiful Lincoln cathedral await in addition to all the WW2 interests. I seem to recall that, more recently, when Westminster refused him, Ron Howard used Lincoln Cathedral to film the ‘Da Vinci Code’.

We look forward to your photos. Too bad you don't have a laptop so you could keep in touch even while tramping about over all that ancient history. Most hotels now offer fast Internet connections.

I have not heard from C51 for a bit. Unless he fell or jumped from that high-rise yesterday he will probably pop in today with loads of information on the Toronto Air Show.

Gentlemen,

the Canadian National Exhibition Airshow was 4 hours of fascination for me. I don't get to many airshows really, which makes it that much more of a thrill. Hard to pick out a favourite really, but the Spitfire MkIX brought goosebumps, as did the three Mustangs, one being a P51C. Another high spot for me was the F86 Sabre - I would watch the Golden Hawks practice their routine over my house when I was young(er). The Blue Angels and the Snowbirds certainly gave us our money's worth. The F/A 22 boggled my mind with its sheer power. Nothing in the entire show was anything but facscinating to me. Sadly I do not have a decent camera, (in fact it has been known to be quite indecent) and even if I did I would not have the skills to take shots of objects moving at near light speed, or at 30,000 feet. Sorry lads.

McG, thank you for posting that excellent clip. I dare say that is a fine instrument and probably plays like an extension of one's body, I would love to hear Steve take it for an extended solo performance.

Old Dux, I picked up a few warblers and odds and ends this morning, and spent a few hours at the Hawk Watch this afternoon. It is good to be playing while everyone else is working. Good luck in Lincolnshire.

JRT, I looked everywhere for your lie-low with a Jolly Roger penant but without success. However I did give up the search after I discovered several young ladies floating across the lake on a pair of beer barrels strapped together. They were nearly submerged due to the fact that they had neglected to drain sufficient contents form the barrels to remain bouyant. Lucky for them I was there.

Gents,

C51's airshow comment reminded me to ask if you saw yesterday's video of the 'grounded' Handley Page Victor that accidentally took off yesterday albeit briefly? Apparently, the ground crew 'co-pilot' pushed the throttles too far and off she went. The experienced 70 year old ex-Victor pilot settled her down again though after opting against a circuit. The CAA are not amused.

Here's a change. Something loosely linked to the Battle of Britain.

The plaque shows Churchill's family motto. The first Sir Winston Churchill was rewarded with a Knighthood and crest for his Royalist support by CharlesII. Unfortunately, such honour did not come accompanied with the usual time-honoured advantages like castles, lands and wenches. Hence the pithy motto; Fiel Pero Desdichado - Faithful Though Disinherited.

The loco is a Southern Railway Battle of Britain class which were known as Spam-cans.

Hang on a minute! Someone has replaced a rivet and not painted over it. Take that man's name and tell him to report to Olga in the Exhibit Maintenance Workshops.

Folks,

C51:

I think there should be at least one air show every month. Of course it might be a bit redundant as I've already seen most of the air over Lizard Lick. On the other hand, I'm told by semi-reliable sources that our air is changed on a regular basis. And to be precise it has different things in it from time to time. Right now it is filled with cloud.

Dux:


The first Duke of Marlborough's father - Winston Churchill, was a royalist and in the civil war a staunch supporter of the King. As a consequence he lost his home and lands. When Charles II came to the throne he created many of those loyal to him to Knights with the right to bear Arms (Coats of Arms). What he did not do was to recompense them for their losses. Thus the newly created Sir Winston Churchill chose that pithy motto.

Churchill's mom was American as I'm sure that you know. I suppose it would be a stretch that the American cigarettes that bear his ancestor's name were therefore named for him..... This past year I read a very interesting book written in the late fifties by Churchill's valet. It was definitely not like one of those "tell all" books that have come on the market in recent times regarding various members of the British royal family. Nevertheless it did give a more down-to-earth view of this great man.

Gents,

JRT, C51, McG, and all,

Signing off now for a week. Weather is holding up well - so far. Should be checking in again on the 19th. Cheers!

Folks,

It would certainly seem that Dux's plan to check in on the 19th (with us that is) was overly ambitious. I sincerely hope that nothing untoward has occurred. Perhaps there were more pubs in Linclonshire than expected?

I watched the NY Giants defeat the Cowboys by a field goal last night and that brought wistful thoughts of our missing Fearless Founder, SNAFU, to my cluttered mind. He was a staunch and loyal NY fan all his life. I hope that he also saw the game from whatever vantage point he my now have.

I imagine birdwatching can be very distracting, eh?

Yes, it would be delightful if SNAFU would check in to collect those half-eaten scones of his I say.