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  On nice thing about about #storm #boelo, there's a lot less raking of leaves to be done. 😃

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  I've been a bit quiet again recently. That's partly because I've been rediscovering #RailwayRivals, a #cult #boardgame from the 1970s. I've a new #ambition, to try to draw together all the privately produced materials for this game. There's some 300 maps on which to play the game out there somewhere, produced by fans, and the materials the inventor, Welsh school teacher David Watts, produced to find and document. https://gregchapman.uk/games/board/railwa...

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  It's been another quiet period from me. My excuse this time is that I've been doing more work on upgrading my #WonderCMS #theme and trying to improve its documentation at https://gregchapman.uk/wondercms/themes/gregcustom/introduction

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  I don't often find time for #games, but we're away on an unusual #granddaughter visit at a canal side cottage at the moment and I've had a chance to play #Tantrix again. The last time I did that was in January 2024 when we were onboard our boat. I've just realised that the solution I posted then was wrong. I was supposed to be creating a red ring, but the solution I came up with then was a yellow one. I had assumed that only a red ring was possible with the tiles...

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  There's been another gap since I tooted, so I browsed through the photos I've taken in recent months and came across these. There were all taken on the day before my birthday, 1 August. The one of the table was sent to our family WhatsApp groups. Luthier and brother-in-Law, Andy, responded, so he was sent the other two. #coaster #fender #guitar #stratocaster #strings #ernieball #musical

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  I know a lot of folk add "Not for AI training" to their #toots. I've just has my first crack at using #AI in developing my theme for an open source software package. I don't feel embarrassed about using it. Didn't scribes worry about the #printing press, #weavers about steam powered #looms, #artists when #photography was invented, #musicians when the phonograph came along, #record #companies when tape #recorders became available, #film #studios when #t...

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  The wonders of #weather and a changing #climate! The "brown" image shows a #path near our home taken on 15 August. The "green" image was taken on the 18 September.

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  The thermostats in our main room with door open, report 23.5° but it feels a lot hotter than that in direct sun and certainly more than the 21° the local weather forecast is telling me to expect at the moment.

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  We had a very light #lunch after our usual #Saturday #breakfast at the local #postoffice in #Winterton-on-Sea. Spent the rest of the #morning at a #repair #café in #Stalham, the only one in #Norfolk to appear on the https://endto10.org web site. We took something to mend but I was mainly there to see if I had what it took to #volunteer on the #computer table. Met a great guy called Brendan. Promised next time to bring my #Chromebook as he hadn't realised you could switch them to #Linux...

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  The #BVR is a 15" gauge line and we started out from #Wroxham, within the #Broads #NationalPark headed for #Aylsham.

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  Don't you just love the #Norfolk sense of #humour? They advise you to seek an #alternative #route to #destination on a #road with no other #access.

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  While, no doubt, my US followers were avidly soaking up your President's uplifting words at his promised speech today (I read that Americans may not get British sarcasm and humour) Diana and I were walking home from a breakfast at the local village post office - a regular Saturday treat for us! (I added some public domain music to replace the wind noise caught by my phone's poor microphone. It's "Brother" by Monplaisir, downloaded from https://freemusic...

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  @PKYo I'm a confused man, but perhaps I misunderstand your position. You want the law changed to give you benefits that you knew you'd have to give up when you chose your lifestyle. I'd say that's the same as someone who took on a property knowing the situation and wants to make sure they also get benefits from new legislation that's been talked about by the last few governments Then separately you are concerned that the government is withdrawing suppo...

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  Interesting that Germany sees fit to honour our queen's birth, a century ago, when we don't. Whether you object to the principle of our monarchy, the cost of maintaining it, or just feel the family needs to pay more tax, it's hard to argue against her lifelong service to the country, or perhaps I should say to our government, regardless of controlling party

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  I'm looking forward to this evening. We're attending a #wedding #reception. #TenYearsAgo I left the Muddy Broad #Blues #Band, it disbanded a couple of years later. Our leader has suggested we #reform to play a final #gig at his wedding, which happens to be his #birthday. There's been no #rehearsal. The bass play in my day has since died. We have a stand-in, the groom's brother, who I've never met. What makes it interesting for me is that we played at ou...

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  We #escape not just the #Red #Heat #weather #warning, we're outside the #Amber Warning zone too. There's a very pleasant #seabreeze to keep us #cool in #Winterton-on-Sea. #heatwave #norfolk

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  We're back at our #cottage on the #Bridgewater #Canal. This morning, for the first time, we took a #walk over the #Preston #Brook #Tunnel to see the southern portal and #Dutton #drydock. There's a little further information about the images in the ALT text. #cheshire @ukwaterways #boats #boating

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  @ukwaterways We turned round and began our walk back to the cottage, noticing the #shed alongside the #drydock that operated as the #office, the #waterlevel above through and below the #stoplock which seems exceptionally high and a well restored old #workboat in #Brit[sh #Waterways livery. #canal #boats #tunnel

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  Image of the Day at https://rustonhouse.org.uk is a blurry one taken of a #Stoat seen from our bedroom window back in October 2013. However, today's announcement can be seen on the What's New page https://rustonhouse.org.uk/whatsnew.php where it reports I've just uploaded 13 new pages containing the stories behind some 70 images captured between January and May 2016. They show our #treehouse, #daffodils, #Canada #geese fighting for possession of our #lake, a newly plant...

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  I read that using groups is more effective than hashtags for wider circulation in the fediverse. A new FediGroup is now live. It's for any toots concerning the UK's navigable waterways, whether #canals or #rivers managed by the #Canal and #River #Trust, the #Environment #Agency, the #Broads #Authority or other body. If anyone mentions the address: @ukwaterways in a post, it will be boosted to everyone who follows the Group. You can follow the group at: https://fedigroups.socia...

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  @ukwaterways I have just discovered that "Today's Image" on my site https://gregafloat.org.uk failed to show a link to the #report of the #trip my ex and I took aboard nb Stolen Time in 2002 that I uploaded only last month. I've now corrected that, so there is now a "Read More" link. I should warn you the report stretches to two pages and includes some 10,000 words and almost 70 images. A lot has changed in the 24 years since we made that tr...

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  @ukwaterways We often visit our granddaughter who lives with her Mum in Sale and stay for a few days in a cottage that was probably built in the 1770s and sits on the towpath of the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook. The building of the Bridgewater Canal kick-started the Industrial Revolution and the cottage was built at what was to become its junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal. There's a whole lot of history there which I'm beginning uncover in this article. https://gre...

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  @Scullridge@mas.to One I didn't know about too! What's more, the web site tells me there's free rides this weekend! https://www.cromerminiaturerailway.co.uk

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  @cobalt123@beige.party You're right! The large clock is unusable as a time piece for most of the 24 hours as the hands get hidden by the framework and you can't distinguish the hour from minute hand most of the time. I did briefly consider painting the hands white, but rapidly realised that white hands against a white wall wouldn't be an improvement. It was an option as a "free" gift when you spent enough buying furniture a few years ago. It just happened to be just the...

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  We bought the #game "Hive" yesterday and had a #play with it this morning. Each type of piece moves in a different way. The object is to surround your opponent's bee. Black was about to #win this game. I must find time to look up #advice on #strategy and #tactics When I joined Mastodon I used to follow the hashtag #boardgames but I got swamped with toots. This must be the first time in 18months I've used it.

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  We're in Zizzi's in #Bournemouth. It seems they're trying to switch from the #vegetarian to the #boating #market! 😊

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  I have been thinking about creating #Fediverse #Groups for some time as I read that groups are federated far more effectively than hashtags. I have finally applied for one to be created at FediGroups.social. Initially, I was thinking of creating one for the #norfolkbroads as that's where our boat is, but there's little use of that hashtag or of the #ukcanals, so with memories of the late 1990s when news:uk.rec.waterways was extremely active I have opted to create one for #ukwaterways I...

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  @Scullridge@mas.to Wasn't there last night, but love the #shows #StGeorge's #GreatYarmouth put on. Saw #VoodooRoom, could so easily have been called White Chile, a few weeks back. As the advertising said: ‘NOT a dress up, wig wearing, look-alike tribute band – JUST GREAT MUSICIANS PLAYING GREAT MUSIC – STUNNING!’ Time Out. I concur! Definitely not #notefornote record #copyists either, but guys who played the material their way. Wonderfully approachable people too, who mixed with th...

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  @ansiblegames@mastodon.social I'm beginning to learn that there's a good range of material on #Hive which contain #hints on #strategy and #tactics. And just reading the tip headings is enough to tell me I'm a pretty #useless #player. #boardgames

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  @mlanger@mastodon.world To a non-boater a microwave is a low power device and wonderfully efficient when compared with conventional ovens and cookers. It's hardly a surprise they they leave disconnected the question of exactly how much power they need and whether an 12volt battery can deliver what it needs.