Get Thee Behind Me Santa November 2, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Uncategorized.Tags: Christmas, Commercialisation of Christmas, Santa
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For heaven’s sake. It’s the second of November.
Why do we have to have Christmas adverts on the TV (for the past two or three weeks already)? Why are the decorations up in town and city centres? Why are shops full of cards and presents?
OK, I know why. It’s the commercialisation of the season which is already beyond redemption. Personally, the Christmas season starts for me sometime in the middle of next month when I will get stuck into mince pies with all the enthusiasm you would expect.
I hope that you will go along with me here, after all, I am Santa.
Chuffinghog IS Santa
Ride Safe
Dave
A new look for Chuffing Hog November 1, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Uncategorized.Tags: Blog, Blog Theme, New Look
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Relax, I’ve not shaved off the beard or had a haircut, I’ve changed the look of this blog. If you’re anything like a regular here, you might even have noticed this already.
After many months of a very lightly customised default WordPress theme, I’ve decided to have a change of look for Chuffinghog. I have also dropped the increasingly inaccurate Tagline about Motorbikes and Steam Trains as neither are featured very often.
Please let me know what (if anything) you think of the new look. You never know, the new look might also inspire me to write something here a bit more often.
Ride Safe
Dave
It must have been cold there in my shadow October 14, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Volunteer, Volunteering.Tags: Former work colleagues
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The title of this post is the first line of the song “Wind Beneath My Wings”, best known as Bette Midler’s big hit from the film “The Rose”. I am using this as a comment on an email that I received from a former work colleague.
However, I really want to think aloud for a few moments about what it means to move on from one job to another and the nature of relationships with the people left behind.
At the end of 2009 – more than nine months ago - I left a job that I loved with an organisation where I had worked for a VERY long time. I did not fall out with anyone there and have been in to their building on a number of occasions since. I have even been paid as a freelance trainer to provide support in a specialist area and will soon be providing some training to them as well.
I happened to have booked a day off from my present job (which I also love), and spotted that there was a meeting of the network of people who I used to work with a very interesting agenda that was relevent to what I do now. Out of politeness, I dropped an email to my former colleague saying that I would like to come. Although the reply was friendly enough, I was surprised and a little hurt to be told to stay away. I have edited it to remove references that could identify individuals.
I think it’s best if you don’t come to <the meeting> next week (in the nicest possible way)….we have been working very hard to give the <network> a new identity since you left, with firstly me and <colleague’s name> taking it on and now myself and <another colleague>, and I feel it would rock the boat a bit if you came - not only as some people may get confused as to why you are there (seeing as you’re not a Vol manager/Coordinator or working in <our area>) but also as we would feel that we were working in your shadow somewhat. <Colleague> hasn’t been in his role for long and this is the first <meeting> he has led on. I genuinely don’t think it would help his confidence to have you there Dave, sorry. I hope you understand.
I’m very sorry, I don’t understand.
I am very much a volunteer manager – and very proud of my team of staff and volunteers. I agree that I am no longer based in their area, but I work with organisations based there as part of a regional volunteer managers’ group.
I know that I am (and was then) very good at my job and that I am still fairly highly regarded by many members of the network that I left behind. However, I have no idea that I had intimidated the people I used to work with!
It also seems that I pose some kind of threat to someone who joined the organisation after I had left.
OK, I’ll stay away. But I wonder whether I was wrong to want to revisit, or are my former colleagues being a little paranoid?
Ride safe
Dave
A Birthday Treat August 30, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Volunteering.Tags: Beam Engine, Lancashire Boiler, Linby Colliery Winding Engine, Papplewick, Papplewick Pumping Station, Papplewick Reservoir, Steam Experience
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Anyway, this lengthy preamble is a build up to one of the best presents that an overgrown child could have dreamed about, the opportunity to go and play with some machinery – some very BIG machinery, for Sue’s present to me was a Steam Experience Day at Papplewick Pumping Station.
At some point, I will post something on this blog about the remarkable story of this building and its survival into preservation, but this present scribbling is about my day there. It was certainly not the first time that we had visited the place, for it is less than half an hour’s drive from home and over the years we have been there with my sons as well as as a couple for a day out.
Although the experience itself was all mine, Sue came along as my official photographer.
We arrived promptly at 9:00am to be greeted in the cafe with a cup of tea and where we met the other people who were on the day. There were six of us there for the experience and at least as many of Papplewick’s volunteer team. The “locals” were led by their knowledgeable, interesting and enthusiastic chief engineer, Tim Simons, who started the day with warm welcome and a safety briefing that simply emphasised that there is a lot of very heavy machinery that is perfectly capable of doing a great deal of harm. The two rules were to exercise common sense and not to touch anything unless we were told to. With this message firmly on board, Tim led us on a tour around the site.
After the tour we were divided into two groups for the first of our hands on sessions. I went with the group who were stoking the Lancashire boilers. After a brief introduction, I was allowed to shovel coal into the furnace.
Stoking a Lancashire Boiler at Papplewick Pumping Station
Several years ago, I started to train as a fireman at Peak Rail, and found it very difficult to get the coal spread evenly across the firebox. In contrast, I found it much easier to control where the coal ended up in the Lancashire boiler and enjoyed the firing experience much more than I had aboard a railway locomotive. I also raked the fire to even out the inevitable pile of coal that I, as a beginner, had stacked up a couple of feet inside the door. Those gloves are an essential part of the kit because that rake can get quite hot.
Raking The Furnace
I also went and fetched a couple of barrows of coal from the outside coal stack in one the wheelbarrows that they use.
The coal stack at Papplewick Pumping Station
Another difference between the boiler house at Papplewick and a railway locomotive is that everything was kept very clean and tidy. Although I was wearing a boiler suit, I didn’t end the day completely filthy like I did at the railway.
I really enjoyed firing this boiler and felt a little sad when it was time to move on.
After a coffee break, it was time for my group to move into the beautifully decorated engine house itself to drive one of two beam engines that have been restored and are lovingly maintained by the volunteers.
Chuffinghog Driving a beam engine at Papplewick Pumping Station
OK, this picture records my moment, but doesn’t start to do justice to the building or the machinery. In fact, nothing short of a visit to the place can do that.
The pillars that support the beams at Papplewick Pumping Station, showing the elaborate decoration
I would add that my starting and stopping the massive engine was described by the volunteers who were supervising us as “textbook”, but I am modest enough to recognise a certain degree of luck and a lot of help and support from the experts.
After an excellent lunch back at the cafe, with a jacket potato, salad, sandwiches and a delicious, home-made blackberry pie, it was time to go and see the other engine on show at Papplewick, one of the winding engines that used to be at Linby Colliery. Again, we were given expert instruction before being let loose to drive the engine for ourselves.
The lighting in the building that now houses this remarkable machine was not conducive to great photographs, so I have “borrowed” this picture from here
Linby Colliery Winding Engine, now housed at Papplewick
Finally, we boarded Papplewick’s own bus and set off, after some effort by the volunteers to get the things started, up the hill to the one part of Papplewick that Sue and I had not visited before, the Victorian reservoir that used to hold the water that the station used to pump from the ground. We descended a set of stone stairs into a huge chamber with a most amazing brick built fan vaulted roof. Again, our camera was not up to coping with the very low light here, so thanks to photographer Tony Bacon for posting this image.
Papplewick Reservoir © Copyright Tony Bacon and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence
After returning to the main site, we were presented with our certificates and a year’s membership of the Papplewick Association before ending a most enjoyable day. Sue also became a member while we were there and we are considering becoming volunteers there ourselves.
Ride safe
Dave
Our Bus Adventure August 18, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Ride Report.Tags: Derby, Trent Barton, Red Arrow, The Nines, Rainbow 3, Alfreton, Mansfield, Zig-Zag Ticket, Derby Museum, Joseph Pickford, Bus
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The Chuffing Hog family holiday for 2009 was a stay-at-home one, but it was very far from boring or routine. In addition to Sue getting me to do some gardening (an amazing achievement), I spent a lot of time eating and drinking beverages that included tea, I started an exercise programme (which will have to be the subject of further ramblings here soon). I even spent time sitting in the aforementioned garden reading. We also went out with my mum for a birthday meal. )No you haven’t missed it – it’s not for a another week or so.)
I have also been unable to drive for the whole of the fortnight, so Sue has been my personal chauffeur. So for both of us, one the highlights of our fortnight off was the simple pleasure of letting someone else do the driving.
We spent a day out travelling by bus.
Trent Barton have a great all-day ticket called a Zig-Zag. For just £4.60 each, they offer almost unlimited travel on their buses after 9:00 am. So we set out to the end of our street where we caught the 9:01 departure of the Rainbow 3, a bright orange bus, into Victoria Centre Bus Station in Nottingham.
Trent Barton Rainbow 3. Image from djp3000 on Flikr
There we boarded the Red Arrow, limited stop service to Derby. We luxuriated in the sumptuous leather seats, hopping on quickly as soon as the drive allowed us on board and grabbed the seats right at the front on the left.
A Red Arrrow bus. Image from Trent Barton’s September 2007 Newsletter
The trip to Derby was fast and we arrived in the centre of that city in some seasonal summer rain. We had planned to visit Pickford’s House museum in Derby, but while we were blundering about the city centre, we stumbled on the city’s main museum and went in. We spent a couple of hours there and I was particularly impressed with the Bronze Age log boatthat had been found in a quarry at Shardlow a few years ago.
Bronze Age Log Boat in Derby Museum
After thoroughly exploring this museum, we ventured outdoors to find that the rain had eased off and consumed our packed lunch on a bench close to some traffic lights. We also discovered that Pickford’s House was just a short walk down Friar Gate, under the old railway bridge. This Grade 1 listed building dates back to 1770, when it was built by architect Joseph Pickford as both family home and impressive business premises. We spent an enjoyable hour or so there before heading back to Corporation Street, which seems to have replaced Derby’s demolished (and much lamented) Art Deco bus station as the public transport hub of that city.
- Derby Bus Station during the final, unsuccessful campaign to save it from demolition
We boarded another bus, our third, again with leather seats and a smooth comfortable ride to travel northwards out of Derby to Alfreton. This bus was one of the “Nines” and delivered us to the main shopping street of Alfreton. We spend another hour or so there and visited (I think) every one of the large number of charity shops before returning t the same bus stop at which we had earlier dismbarked to board another one of the “Nines” to Mansfield. Once aboard this bus, we discovered that we had been a few yards away from Alfreton’s bus station at one point, with a block of shops firmly between us and it.
Dave
Gareth and Emma’s Wedding August 2, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Uncategorized.Tags: Disco, Family, Guests, Life, Wedding
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In fact he asked if we would be willing to do the disco for their wedding. Willing! I was absolutely delighted to have been asked. I really felt that it was an honour to have been asked.
This conversation must have been at least a year ago and the wedding was always a long way into the future. However, the date did have some impact on our plans. Before we became the victims of a successful campaign by a few members of the Sherwood Chapter of the Harley Owners group, we realised that we would not be able to attend the weekend of drunkenness that passes for their rally. Not that this would have mattered to us, but I am at risk of digression into old wounds and that’s a story that has already been told.
As July approached, we discussed music with the bride and groom and found out a little about their music tastes (Gareth is into Kings of Leon and also uptempo house, while Emma is a huge fan of Take That.) We also compiled a CD for the wedding ceremony itself which included the traditional Wagner Wedding March, better known as “Here Comes The Bride”, a superb mix from Take That’s “Rule The World” to Shania Twain’s “From This Moment” which was to be played while they were signing the register and posing for photographs at that point, and their unusual choice of exit music, “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles.
I was most relieved that this CD worked perfectly on the day, but was a little disappointed that the person operating the CD player in the venue stopped the music just as Take That had mixed seamlessly to Shania Twain. However, I was probably one of only two or three people who noticed.
But, as usual, I have jumped out of any kind of logical sequence for this story.
The big day really started on the Friday before when several of us went over to Long Eaton to deliver the disco equipment to Trent lock Golf Centre, the venue for both the wedding and reception. It was then that we hit a small snag. They were expecting a few people, including both bride-to-be and groom-to-be to bring in table decorations and place names, but because they weren’t expecting a large pile of disco equipment, we couldn’t set up until the following day, but they allowed us to stack it in a corridor close to the dance floor area, but warned us several times to be careful of the newly decorated paintwork on the corridor walls.
So ended the build-up. Dear reader, you should breathe a sigh of relief that I spared you the reminiscence of shopping for my shirt and tie as part of this build up, but I make no apologies for this post capturing the memories of a a very proud dad, as we finally get to the big day, which can best be describedwith a few (hundred) well-chosen pictures, almost all taken by Sue.
Sue and Dave arrive at the wedding - Visual proof that I can scrub up quite well when the occasion demands it.
The morning rather dragged for me as we didn’t have to be at Trent Lock until 2pm. We arrived at the appointed hour and got into conversation with some other early guests and a very nervous bridegroom along with his best man and one of the ushers, my other two sons, Daniel and Matthew respectively.
Best Man Daniel, Bridegroom Gareth and Usher Matthew at Trent Lock before the ceremony
The ceremony itself took place upstairs in the Nicklaus Suite. Emma, naturally, looked beautiful and once the formal part was over, Gareth’s grin seemed to be fixed in place for the rest of the day and evening.
Emma and Gareth had only been married a few minutes
After the official photographs outside, it was time for the best meal I have ever tasted at a wedding. Sue captured this picture of the menu, which doesn’t do justice to the food or to the very good service from the venue staff.
After the speeches, all of which were sincere, funny in parts and far more real that some of the over-rehearsed and stage-managed presentations that we have seen at some weddings, we were amazed that we were singled out to receive some flowers from the bride and groom for our help in doing the disco. (Remember that they hadn’t heard us play at this point!) My mum was also given flowers for her skill and hard work in making the wedding cake, which was a work of art in itself.
Gareth and Emma's Wedding Cake - Made by my Mum
With the afternoon part of the proceedings over, it was time to swing into action and get the disco set up. Sue and I were helped by Daniel and Matthew and one or two of their friends and the rig was quickly assembled and the entertainment started. I was really pleased that there the dance floor filled up straight after the first dance (Bryan Adams – “Everything I Do”, with the long intro edited out) and stayed full all evening.
I made sure that I played Kings of Leon and plenty of Take That and from all the singing along and joining in, I am sure that most of the guests enjoyed the evening as much as I did. We did have a minor problem in that the after I had turned the volume of the music up to “disco” level, rather than “background” the lights were overwhelmed by the sound and their sound-to light function simply shut down. This was solved by Sue keeping one finger on the microphone at the back of one of lights for the rest of the night.
It’s great to realise that more than 40 years after I started playing records for people to dance to, that I can still keep a dance floor full and happy. It’s even more amazing that many of those dancers would be the sons and daughters of people that I entertained all those years ago.
- Gareth and Emma on the Dance Floor doing Cha Cha Slide
Sue took a LOT more photos, and if you want to see them let me know and we’ll find a way, but for now, I’ll just say:
Ride Safe
Dave
T.I.A. 16th July 2009 July 31, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Uncategorized.Tags: Flowers, Hospital, Life, Mini-Stroke, TIA, Work
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I had a Transient Ischaemic Attack, known for short as a TIA. To those of us without a medical background, it was a mini-stroke.
I had seen the advertising and the TV commercial promoting FAST, and had done enough first aid to recognise the signs of a stroke, so, yes, I was scared.
I was at work and sitting in front of my computer when I felt a numbness down my right arm and pins and needles in my right hand. This soon affected the right side of my face and then the right side of my lips went numb. My Volunteer Centre colleagues called Donna, the first aider down to see me and they quickly decided to take me to hospital in Burton-on-Trent.
Of course, I phoned Sue and told her not to worry and that there was no need to come straight over because I was OK. Clearly I wasn’t, but I really didn’t want to cause her any problems (she hadn’t been in her new job for very long, and I knew that she’d be busy, as well.) This later proved to be my biggest mistake, because she was worried all afternoon until I finally asked her to come over from Nottingham to Burton, at which point I was on the receiving end of what can best be described as “grief”.
Anyway, I am jumping ahead. I was loaded into Donna’s car and shipped off to the Accident and Emergency department at the hospital. After a very short wait, I was whisked in to the treatment area where I was quickly seen by various doctors and nursing staff. I had an ECG and a blood test and was made to lie down for the next couple of hours under regular observation. The numbness in my arm had gone off before we even arrived at the hospital, although my brain continued to tell me that there was something that I could not define wrong. There probably wasn’t anything physical.
Throughout this time, Donna stayed with me and just as she absolutely had to leave, Sue arrived after a second phone call asking her to come and fetch me. By this time, I had also had the news broken to me that I would not be allowed to drive for a month.
When my blood test came back from the lab, the doctor told me that my platelet countwas very high. It seems that these little cells are what causes blood to clot, so a large number of them is not good for someone at risk of a stroke, which I now am. The doctor wanted me to be referred straight to Haematology and part of the delay in being allowed to go home was waiting for the specialist to return a phone call.
Since I was in hospital in Burton, it was decided, with some input from me, that I should be followed up in Nottingham. So when I was eventually released from the hospital there, the doctor extracted a solemn promise that I would go and see my own doctor the following day.
I did this and was promptly referred to the City Hopital in Nottingham the day after.
Here, I underwent the same battery of tests that I had been through two days before, with the addition of a CT scan on my brain. I am relieved that they found one, but that there was nothing untoward on the scan.
It was fairly quickly decided that I had probably had a TIA, that my blood platelet count was high and my blood pressure was too high, especially for someone with diabetes. So after a wait for tablets to be delivered from the hospital pharmacy, I was allowed to go home with a revised tablet regime.
A week later I went to see my own GP and I was delighted that my blood pressure had dropped well into the recommended safe zone.
OK, I am still at risk of a stroke, but I am now at much less risk than I was before this warning shot. And I feel 100% now.
Not being allowed to drive bit is a bit of a nuisance, especially as it is more than 30 miles from home to work. The boss immediately agreed that I could work fom home, but I wanted to go in to see the team, so a compromise was reached. I would go on the train once a week and work at home on the other days. My home computer was quickly set up to access my work computer remotely and I booked my train ticket online. Sue went with me to Nottingham station for a Cross Country train direct to Burton-on-Trent where Donna met me to take me to Swadlincote. This was so smooth and easy and only took a few minutes more than my normal journey by road.
The day after I had returned to work, I was at home when there was a knock on the door at 7:30pm. Sue opened the door and called me over when I was presented with a massive bunch of flowers from my colleagues at South South Derbyshire CVS. I think that this was the only time in life that I have ever had flowers for me, (although we have had flowers jointly for Sue and me).
A very surprised and delighted ChuffingHog with his flowers
I also suggested that I change my holiday to cover two of the non-driving weeks, so as of now, I am on a fortnight;s holiday. I have no real idea what we are going to do with the time, but I’ll try and let you know.
I’ll also catch up on the wedding.
Ride Safe
(Even if I can’t ride at all at the moment)
Dave
Heritage Softail Service and Tyre June 19, 2009
Posted by Chuffing Hog in Bikes, Harley.Tags: Harley, Harley-Davidson, Heritage Softail, Motorbike Tyres, Puncture, RAC
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The other day I came out of work after a late meeting to be greeted by the the Harley-Davidson sitting there with a flat back tyre. One of my colleagues tried to look on the bright side by reassuring me that it was only flat at the bottom, but I think this was just trying to make me feel better.
However, I wasn’t really worried, except for the fact that this would delay me getting home for my dinner. After a phone call to the lovely people at the RAC, I settled down for a wait. I didn’t have too long to wait before one their bright orange vans arrived, quickly located the problem, which was a hole in the tyre and proceeded to make a temporary repair.
I had been asked a couple of times whether this was a tubed or a tubeless tyre and I neither knew the answer nor realised that the question would prove to be significant.
It seems that temporary repairs are only for tubeless tyres.
After some searching, the RAC man announced his verdict. It had a tube.
This meant that I could not ride it home, even though the temporary repair was holding up. I would have to wait for a truck to come and take me home.
He also announced that I needed a new back tyre as the tread was on the very edge of being legal.
I settled back down in the office at work and eventually the truck arrived. We manoeuvred the bike onto the back of the hi-tech sliding tipping flat bed and the driver proceeded to strap the bike down. After this was done, we finally set off for home with me in the truck.
Apart from getting no dinner until about 11pm, things were OK. Our RAC membership had covered the costs of both of my rescuers and the bike was safely put away at home.
The next step was a phone call to Robin Hood.
No not that one; the Harley Davidson dealership in Nottingham.
They would come and collect the bike, fit a new tyre and carry out the service that was also due.
The ball park price that we were given during that phone call was a bit of shock. We are looking at about £700.
Oh well, nothing is cheap on a Harley.
The shop van turned up this morning and as I write this, the bike is in their tender care. At some point the phone will ring and my Visa card will go pale.
But the bike will be back on the road.
There is some debate going on in our household at the moment about whether we are going to keep the bike. With my job being almost an hour away from home, a car is a necessity, especially for next winter. My heart wants to keep the bike and walk to work if the weather is too bad to ride, but the well-hidden sensible bit of me realises that walking to Swadlincote from Nottingham is not an option.
Anyway, whether the bike stays or leaves, it needs to be roadworthy.
