The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

[jimtherev]

We are fortunate to have a '4-candles' shop in Belper, just down the hill from here. An esteemed resident of this board has said how helpful the owners were when she lived in the town. Don't use it as much as I should, but remember to get in there for supplies most of the time. I'm always amused, tho, that he keeps to the old tradition of brown paper and string when presenting the bits and pieces one has bought.

[Ex-Ascot]

We have a similar shop on Amorgos. The owner married into the business and is now our new mayor. He read economics at Durham University. His FiL, at the age of about 80, used to climb up the very high shelves using them like a ladder with his daughter standing below shouting Papa Papa be careful.

Overcast and cold but 6 mm of rain last night. Moving around of CCTV cameras today. The remote connections can't cope with the thick stone walls. They did work when fitted so not sure why they don't now. Any bright ideas?

[handsfree]

We had a similar shop until about 6 years ago.
A wondrous place; where else could you ask if they have gas mantels and get the reply "what size".
The vast majority of stock was still marked in £sd. It's now a very girlie dress shop.

There is light on the horizon. Finally the days are noticeably drawing out.
+2C and clear. Forecast is for wintry showers and gusts of 35kts.

[OFSO]

Sun and wind up here by the Pyranees. Only a week to go before back to London for a couple of months and serious house-hunting.

[ExSp33db1rd]

We had a similar shop until about 6 years ago.

Sign of the times I'm afraid, all those shops are closing, and now one has to buy 50 screws, instead of 2, and packed in a large plastic box that only a passing 5 year old can open, from the local Mega Store.

[Ex-Ascot]

We had a similar shop until about 6 years ago.

Sign of the times I'm afraid, all those shops are closing, and now one has to buy 50 screws, instead of 2, and packed in a large plastic box that only a passing 5 year old can open, from the local Mega Store.

And, how often do they chuck things in for free or round the total down?

[larsssnowpharter]

Sunny, brisk day here. Probably a good day for a hike across the fields with the Black Bitch.

We have a general store near us where, it seems, you can buy anything: birthday cards, nails, screws, garden tools, wool etc. Change battery in watch, no problem. Strangest thing seen in there was replacement pockets for trousers. Try to give them as much business as possible.

[Wodrick]

Morning all,
Mild at 16c high scattered cloud.
Up at 0700, dogs, they have been out for hour and a half, exploring.

Not quite 4 candles but on the old coast road I have three small, family run, ferreterías which are broadly the same thing.
I recently wanted a solid tyred wheel for my wheelbarrow,off to the ferretería where I bought the barrow years ago.
Nothing on display, ask, son of owner raises a finger in the way of I know, enters the bowels of the emporium and returns with a solid tyred wheel.
OK it's bright orange but is perfect. 10€

Today is office chair building day, with the first challenge being extraction from the box.

[Pontius Navigator]

Moving around of CCTV cameras today. The remote connections can't cope with the thick stone walls. They did work when fitted so not sure why they don't now. Any bright ideas?

Happens. Do you have Just a router or boosters too? If boosters, move them not the cameras. If no boosters get one or two.

You might try moving the router, say higher or lower, or turn it through 90 degrees or so. Basically suck it and see.

[Groundgripper]

We've lost two useful shops round here as well. Firstly, I went into St Annes to get a new battery from Radio Shack only to find that it had closed in the new year (presumably the lease had run out and the lessee couldn't afford the new one), now our local hardware shop, also in St Annes, which was already a shadow of its former self when the original owner had retired, has also closed and has been replaced, very rapidly, by a girlie dress shop or something of that ilk - I didn't stop to take a close look.
Luckily, there is still a shop in Lytham that stocks all sorts of hardware including individual nuts and bolts, genuine turpentine and the like. They seem to be doing a good trade, presumably because they are the only ones left in the area and the staff are young, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

GG

[Capetonian]

When you say 'remote connections' I assume that is wifi? Wifi is notoriously fickle and can be affected by humidity levels amongst other things.
I can sit outside, same place, same computer, one day and the wifi indicator on the laptop will show a full signal, next day, it will show one or none.
One thing that may help (I'm told) is to mount the wifi router as high as possible and put silver foil above to reflect the waves downwards so that no power is wasted by going upwards. I can see the logic in this but it might be an urban legend.

[om15]

GG, I remember that shop in Lytham, I bought a Moore and Wright metric micrometer in there in 1979, my micrometer was imperial and I needed a metric one as I had just got a job on Tornado final assembly. It is still in my toolbox, as is the Eclipse scriber and dividers from the same place.
Didn't there used to be a DIY shop opposite the Vic as well?

[Woody]

And, how often do they chuck things in for free or round the total down?

Or give advice about what you actually need for a job, instead of the completely inappropriate device that you were going to buy

[Groundgripper]

Didn't there used to be a DIY shop opposite the Vic as well?

Yes - St Albans DIY - that's the one that has closed down

GG

[Ex-Ascot]

OK, electricians have not turned up yet. Thank you PN I will ask them about boosters. Cape this is all well beyond my pay grade but as far as I understand it we have a signal from the cameras to the main control box remotely nothing to do with WIFI. We have a screen connected to the control box which gives us the views, three do not work. Then we have various options to see records from the memory using a mouse to access programs . In addition to that it is connected to our satellite system by which we can access this all by WIFI all around the world with the same control and information.

Just been invited to Sunday Lunch up at the safari camp.

[Ibbie]

G'day folks.

Warm and sunny day here. One has short sleeved polo shirt on.

Have delivered Mrs IB's car to the bodyshop. It should be ready by the weekend. They are working Andalucia Day holiday on Friday.

The unfortunate closing down of small iron mongers and the lke is also an occurence here. Three small traders where you could buy the odd nut and bolt for a specific job, have closed in recent years and one now just sells BBQ's. Instead we are left with branches of the West Indian Magicians (Leroy Merlin) who don't have the choice and sell items by the large box. They are also a fFrench company which is most disappointing to note.

For those on the fFylde Coast, I seem to recall from years ago, a Radio Shack in a street near Abingdon Street Market in Blackpool.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ex-A, that is a pure CCTV system if it is a stand alone monitor display. It is still using some WiFi link but possibly different from the broadband.

[Ex-Ascot]

Ex-A, that is a pure CCTV system if it is a stand alone monitor display. It is still using some WiFi link but possibly different from the broadband.

PN I know nothing about these things. Do not know what the difference is between broadband (fixed line?) and WIFI. We have no connection to civilisation apart from satellite and mobile phone. For around the estate we have a WIFI connection for computers and smart phones to monitor our solar system and CCTV cameras, internet, e-mails etc. We can access this information from anywhere in the world via our satellite system here at home. I just switched off our internet and the CCTV cameras were still working on our internal system but obviously were not transmitting to the WWW. Golly it is complicated.

[OFSO]

Medevac chopper just landed at lower end of our community. Police arrived, blue lights. Damn. Someone heard the OFSOs uncontrollable coughing...

[TheGreenGoblin]

This medevac ship has just landed in the cow pasture opposite me!