Some progress with cafe lighting under the canopy.

I haven't finally fixed the canopy in position so in the picture below it looks a bit squint.

Still frustrated by my phone camera still being away for repair so the above dark image will have to suffice for now.

Here's the building and projected cafe in daylight.

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Currently listening to:

RINSE FM

Rinse FM broadcasts on 106.8 FM in the London area, but I listen to it in podcast form on Soundcloud.

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Last night's dinner:

Too difficult to photograph meal but it was a Thai duck curry from the frozen food specialist "Cook" in Morningside Road, Edinburgh.

Morningside branch of "Cook".

Their Thai Duck Curry

The meals are excellent and very reasonably priced.

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Currently reading:

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Miscellany:

Saw this film this afternoon - excellent. Based on a true story, I would like to know how accurate a portrayal of events it actually was.

Blackberry problems getting worse

Unbelievably, the replacement battery that Virgin Media sent me for my Blackberry is dead/caput/no more - it is an ex-battery.

Hours of negotiations with Virgin Media on the phone, but all they would do is suggest I yet again return the phone plus battery and they'll try to repair it.

So, still no camera to record progress on model railway.

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Currently listening to:

Luiz Bonfa

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Last night's dinner:

Sea bass and mussels

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Currently Reading:

In 1980, I bought this paperback of Woody Allen, short stories and radio scripts.

Utterly hilarious.

I was laughing out load while sitting in an Edinburgh cafe this morning.

'A man has been arrested for stealing a crust of bread. "I only like the crust," he explains ......'

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Miscellany:

Will I ever use mine again????

From Wikipedia

BlackBerry was widely referred to as "CrackBerry" in the United States, which alluded to its excessive use by its owners and is a reference to the addictiveness of crack cocaine. Use of the term "CrackBerry" became so widespread that in November 2006 Webster's New World College Dictionary named "crackberry" the "New Word of the Year."

Nothing to report:

Unfortunately, my phone camera is still not available and so all I can do is report that I have carried out a little bit of wiring for the lights that will illuminate the street cafe.

Reminder of cafe's location.

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Re-writing earlier episodes of this blog:

The task has begun of re-writing past episodes of this blog so that the sequence of events is clearer for those who come across the blog wondering how a novice has coped with learning to build a model railway layout.

I have gone right back to the first episodes in November 2011 and have re-hashed the first half dozen or so.

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Currently listening to:

https://soundcloud.com/twitch/rinse-fm-optimo-13-01-2014

JD Twitch on Rinse FM - brilliant! Visit the above link.

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Last night's dinner:

As I say, I still have no phone camera, but I do have this brilliant micro camera which takes great close-ups!

Pot roast beef plus veg.

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Currently reading:

Mixed.

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Miscellany:

St Cyprian's, Lenzie

The Rev Les Ireland who has only recently taken up his post here has been seriously ill recently. I pray for his recovery.

HO scale Preiser figures arrive

The Preiser HO scale figures that will populate my street cafe have arrived. I note that they are all sawn-of below the knee. Is that to save plastic or to make it easier to seat them with their feet presumably beneath the table?

The projected cafe.

The tables and chairs

Add caption

And here are the figures:

The detail is fantastic:

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Currently listening to:

Mixes by JD Twitch of Optimo on Soundcloud - basically, hours and hours of free music.

JD Twitch

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Last night's dinner:

No photograph again, but it was Baxter's Oxtail Soup and bread.

But, you can also get this luxury version - I wonder what the difference is?

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Currently reading:

Ken Dodd is quoted on p 167 in a footnote when Barry Cryer is talking about Vera Lynn's appearance on the Morecambe & Wise Show; and of course, the War connection is referred to.

The footnote:

"Ken Dodd said he knew the Falklands War was about to start because he walked past Vera Lynn's house and heard her gargling."

Ken Dodd

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Miscellany:

Enjoyed this film at the cinema today - despite the fact that it's almost 3 hours long.

Some close ups of my rolling stock.

While I'm waiting for my phone and its camera to be repaired, I'm trying to get to grips with a micro digital camera in its place.

It's great at taking close-ups - although quite a lot of illumination is required.

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Currently listening to:

Golden Teacher

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Last night's dinner:

Can't handle this camera for medium distance shots, I'm afraid.

Out of focus bread dipped in tinned tomato soup.

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Currently reading:

Not sure what to make of it - but it seems better than "Atomised" - see yesterday's blog.

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Miscellany:

Tuesday is drumming day: Bongo lesson at middday and Samba drumming workshop at night.