I am not sure that age would not impeded both from rising to a trot (in the un-Vindaloo meaning of the word). As to geography and scripture I have to admit failing both said O levels.

Indeed BB, if I required a lamp changing or a plug wiring Lecky V would be my first port of call. I can vouch that Texaco Overseas Tankship were fine judges of latent talent and they soon copped on that V (PMG 2) had a brain uncluttered by scripture and was ripe for further Complex Numbers and Triangles.

No PMG - MPT General plus a bit of proper teach'd stuff from Saudi Shields rather later. I thought triangles were your metier: either fuel, oxygen and heat or suck, squeeze, bang.

Light bulbs can be interesting too. Why, for instance, did the breaking open circuit of the filament often lead to the operation of the short circuit protection? (I only think I know the answer and haven't seen it writ by the ancients of our order.

I don 't know that Overtuk was any better at finding something useful for us to do with those new 'tools' with which supersparkdome had endowed us. The essential one (not always a feature of other other mothers) was an appreciation of reactive power. Not so necessary, perhaps, for geeking with Ametek doppler logs or Hokushin loggers (the latter only if leckie permitted). It was more an education of what could be done with the few enthusiasts of the brethren when in a position to do the doing.

You could do electrickery by complex numbers or by triangles. I could never get the hang of the complex numbers (or matrices either) so down the graphical road I merrily trod. I passed all my exams without understanding one jot of electrical theory beyond Ohms Law but I relished all the practical work and flourished until Allen-Bradley buggered things up. Progress my arse.

I learned Algebra at skool, never understood why as I never had any intention of going there. :yawn:

In Harland and Bluff anything found black and charred hanging from the deckhead was an Alextrician (failed) :jester:

I have nothing to do with Eletrickery. Shocking stuff. Leave it to those who understand it.

skool....i only went mondays (rice pudding) and fridays (fish).

An illiterate Chinese Catholic from Ruby's Chop Suey.

But a good source of charcol during the bbq season (1 week in August).

A sigh. Although if one of relief or regret I cannot yet tell. SiL and a lady family friend over for 10 days. I will give the lamp a swing again in a day or two once I have found the tidied-up items that otherwise will sink into oblivion only to be discovered by the diligent of archeological bent.

Outside tab-nabs Sunday with croquet went well (as in my team won) but none of that Bbq stuff. Strictlt food cooked inside-outside. Problem with Bbq, in addition to the famous arctic sausage is that Fortnums no longer deliver here and so must rely on local twigs, leaves, ant droppings etc with which to season the botulismal sandwiches.

We have discovered new and amazing fun with the Waze lameduckware. Lady guest insisted on using this when visiting a friend in Ballasala. As soon as this told us to leave the new Castletown road at the B&Q roundabout (as was there are two more nearer to the shop now) and head for Foxdale I suspected fowl play (as in very not as crows fly play). I still cannot be sure of where we went but I think we finally got sight of Port StMary after circling Slieu Whallian when I called a halt to the experiment and altered course to Ballasala using Castletown as a a landmark then in sight. Great fun. An hour to take a 20 minute run.

So much did we enjoy the experience that when we set out for Castle Rushen the following day we let the machine have its head once more. Apart from a diversion to Union Mills it was not quite as bad the second time.

In case you think I am going to let those epithets float by I know that story as the wire dangling black and encrispenned unfortunate being a specifically Irish electrician (Karma would dictate that I use only ELCB stuffed stuff for a day or two).

Watched a prog on BBC last evening about the Seaside village of Laxey, much more to it than meets the eye. Shan't complain about the licence fee for at least a month.

We seem to have reserved our resources for celebrating only one industrial archeology, mining and the still working heritage transport (alas no longer with any of it's original power houses nor even its working mercury arc rectifiers. I am more interested in that around 'living' which we seem happy to let pass away uncelebrated.

For instance the Woodbourne had a gas lighting engine claiming it to be the first hotel to by lit by electrickery (I met an ancient in hospital who had lived there and remembered it running). While Joyce Cottier had the pub one was allowed into the cellars to view it - Intact saving the belt and what was probably its Barnetts ignition cock. Now a managed pub I went recently to find no trace of it.

We did, for the first time, 'do' the Gaiety Saturday tour last weekend. The second generation diesel generator was still there (although the original gas engine unfortunately not) as was a three leg mercury-arc rectifier.

There might still be the mechanical and battery plant at the Nunnery although I know that Bob Sangster had offered to give it to his pilot.

(Moan, moan, moan).

Keep a good eye on the Laxey Wheel, it has a fairly high scrap value.

Isay keep an eye on the Dubs they will try and give you a goldfish for it. Refuse the offer and they will upgrade it to a balloon.......Ionce knew a sheep farmer called Jef who moved to Dublin, we used to call him mutton Jef.

Don't even think of that. The greens here have their forks set on it being our part of hydro contribution.

(I couldn't hear that last bit of Rusty's, he'll have to speak-up).

I remember the good old days when His Lordship would entertain us all with an incoherent post in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

I am trying to loose weight and have given up the nightly bottle of port. Resultant lack of lubrication has tightened up both posting fingers and posting mouth.

(A quick google suggests that consequential surplus has prompted Rochas to try it as a perfume).

Eyup Varley you need to keep moving if you want to loose 4st, keep those fingers moving up and down it may help. As for perfume try old fart!

I am trying! (and old fart to you too!)

Mr Varley ...An aged flatulater!...never heard such a thing...shocking!
Mr Varley is a top man of the Electrickery department. and a gentleman to boot (no kicking please guys).

Hi Bill, you would not want to be in a telephone box with him!

QUOTE=rustytrawler;51960]Hi Bill, you would not want to be in a telephone box with him![/QUOTE]
:jester::jester::jester:

I don't think it would be shocking. Too damp to hold a static charge if passed through subligacula fabric, even at post vindaloolar speeds, and highest voltage on telephone is 50 so not likely to break it into a conducting plasma (fusion cookery meets Tokamak?).

(I suppose a bottom electrical man might get a tingle if using the receiver in place of a top electrical man).

Eyup Varley, did you get your information out of your local paper, the blatherkite times.

Eyup ES just had a great weekend in Dublin, GOLF, WHISKEY, HOTEL, CHARLIE.