One little screw.

Decided to affix the wooden strips ie pavements which run along the front of the Gare du Nord with a few screws. I didn't want to use anything as irreversible as glue.

Unfortunately, I could  find only one suitably small screw in the whole house - unbelievable!

As a matter of fact, for the strip nearest the station facade, one screw will probably be sufficient - in fact, the fewer screws the better. But, the other strip will need a few more because of the wiring that runs beneath it and which destabilises the strip.

The little screw.

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Currently listening to:

William Croft "Burial Service"

And then:

"Level Green" by Hefner

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Last night's dinner:

John Dorey, courgettes in Apricot Tagine, plus rice.

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Currently thinking about reading:

I want to read this much vaunted book but should I download it or wait ages and get it from the library?????

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Drumming practice update:

After yesterday's enjoyable escapades, it was back to basic monotonous practice today.

Interesting conversation with my next door neighbour who is a professional orchestral musician.

I said that it must be very satisfying for her to give such pleasure to an audience.

She said that that pleasure was hugely diminished as you grew older and realised that you were losing your physical powers. Increasingly, she was becoming aware of how unsatisfying her performances were to her ears.

JEP

Sitting on a shelf, still unwrapped, is my forthcoming Christmas present. An antique model of the Nord Express 232R locomotive in HO scale by the now defunct French toy manufacturer, JEP. (I bought it on eBay from a chap in Canada.)


Today, browsing the net, (window shopping) I came across two versions of the entire train set of which my Christmas loco is a part.

Beautiful.

Beautiful

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Currently listening to:

Optimo at FabricLive

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Last night's dinner:

Forgot to take photograph, but it was a most acceptable fish and chips with some former work colleagues at the Drum and Monkey in Glasgow city centre.

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Currently reading:

In a bit of a dilemma. It's cheaper to download books to my Kindle than it is to buy hard copies. But it costs nothing to get books from the local library.

Unfortunately, the local libraries have, I think, an increasingly poor selection of decent books - plenty of junk on offer.

It's so easy to download to the Kindle but .........one ends up spending money like water.


Result: I have nothing to read.

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Drumming practice update:

My Samba band played twice in George Square this afternoon. The first one was poorish but the second one was excellent.

No photographs of the event but I did take a couple of snaps of a mural that was on display - all part of a Christmas theme that decorated the Square - including an ice rink.

I did find a photo of the band performing last week as part of a parade through Glasgow.

Success: HO scale street lights

Carried out the final soldering of the fine wires emanating from the 6 streetlights to the power cables.

A reminder of the wiring diagram.

The soldering was very difficult, very fiddly and I'm still not sure that all of the fine wires have secure connections to the power cables.

But, it worked.

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Currently listening to:

Michele Mininni

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Last night's dinner:

Rolled Shetland Lamb in a hotpot

Today's lunch:

Scotch pie plus 2 tomatoes.

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Finished reading:

Excellent.

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Drumming practice update:

Only 45 minutes of basic hand to hand drumming along with a metronome.

Too busy...........................

No time for railway today.

So here are 2 photos from February 2012.

 And then October 2014.

 Unfortunately, the layout today is too messy for an up to date photo!!

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Currently listening to:

From Buenos Aires - DJs Pareja

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Last night's dinner:

Forgot to take photograph - but it was Lasagne.

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Currently reading:

2% to go.

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Drumming practice update:

An enjoyable hour going LR LR LR at home.

Then, 2 hours practising with my Caixa partner in a spare room above a pub - very instructive.

Using a workbench - kind of................

Super-glued the 6 streetlights to the wooden plinth/pavement and then soldered the wires necessary for each of the three pairs to be connected in series.

This involved my using a workbench - as a support.

Waiting for super glue to set.

Ready to turn the row of lights on its head

So that the wires underneath can be soldered.

Connecting a pair of lights in series

In position - ready to be connected to the black and red power cables.

The view from under the baseboard.

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Currently listening to:

Mike Dehnert

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Last night's dinner:

Cold chicken leg plus tomatoes plus Kindle

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Currently reading:

Having taken a degree in Theology and converted to Roman Catholicism, Richard Coles'  tale has reached the point where he reverts to Anglicanism; a denomination more sympathetic to his being Gay.

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Drumming practice update:

Hopeless session at the Samba class last night - felt like giving up.

But today, back to basics (even more basic basics) and most enjoyably simply played hand to hand for an hour: LR LR LR LR etc. to music as opposed to a metronome. Surely one day it will all become second nature.

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Miscellany:

Reached the next stage in my online Logic course - deriving proofs.

Didn't understand a single word of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HO scale models of French buses.

For some time now I have had on the back burner the requisitioning of some buses to line up in front of the Gare du Nord.

The buses would have to be in the green and white livery of the Chausson.

There is an HO scale model available.

When I searched eBay etc the other night, I couldn't find any models ........ until I came across a pair of buses that were unboxed and in a bedraggled state. For 3 euros plus postage and packaging from France I decided to bid for them on eBay and got them for that price.

I'll have to paint them but for 3 euros they're a bargain.

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Currently listening to:

Haven't listened to this for ages!

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Last night's dinner:

Chicken curry at Glasgow's Shenaz Restaurant

Today's lunch:

Trio of Fish at Kirkintilloch's Caulder's Garden Centre

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Currently reading:

Fascinating insight into the UK's many Gay communities: the author seems to have mixed with them all.

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Drumming practice update:

Back to basics:

Using the drum pad I spent an hour this morning getting into the habit of lifting the left arm with the stick remaining in complete contact with the left hand until at say 45 degrees of arm lift, when it flies up and away from the hand.

Hitherto, and despite knowing better, I've allowed the stick to leave the left hand immediately the arm moves upwards.

Tried to capture the right sequence of events in these photos.

Stick firmly in contact with hand

The arm lifts but contact is maintained

Higher and still full contact

Still contact

Stick begins to leave hand

Then suddenly the stick is pointing upwards ready for its downward plummet towards the drum.