Afternoon Troops.
I come with love. Hope you know that.
Got another phone call from someone claiming to be British Gas, that my contract was up for renewal and they were sending me the documents.
Yet to hear back from British Gas re my complaint but I've reported today's call to them. I also mentioned to them that as my old residential tariffs ended on 31 August so I renewed them in mid August, that today's caller was clearly making a false claim.
Evening all.
I havenât read back yet
The minding went well and the tiddlers were on good form.
Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ros and Velvet 
Hug for the night owls 
night yogi and velvet summer and velvet if you pop in
Good morning everyone it's a dry day today with the temperature slightly on the rise.
Enjoy your day everyone
The earlier Proms concert on BBC Four tonight at 7.30 pm is a performance of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique with added elements of theatre, spectacular lighting and choreography as well as Berliozâs own words about his music.
5 movements rather than the usual 4 for a symphony. The 4th (March to the Scaffold) is the best known and the 5th (Dream of a Night of the Sabbath) is almost as well known.
Composed in 1830 and so the most imaginative piece of classicial music written up to then. It's episodes from a poet's life who has poisoned himself with opium in the depths of depair from unrequited love.
Berlioz wrote a sort of sequel called LÃĐlio which is rarely played nowadays - the poet awakens from his dreams and eventually is able to recover by becoming a composer and a conductor of his own music. Although the music was popular at the time it became dated, hence has all but vanished.
BBC news report today about many first generation smart meters being fitted particularly in northern England and Scotland 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49680943
Problem with the first generation meters is that it's much messier to switch to a different provider.
Watched a British 1939 film called "Sons of the Sea"
Set at Dartmouth Training College it's a mix of solving who murdered the head, attempted naval sabotage and a lot of miliary marching by the students in practice to military music. It's very very stiff upper lip with much of the acting being equally stiff. Cecil Parker is the nearest to giving a more natural performance. Most of the cast are not sufficiently well known to mention them but Kay Walsh is the notional love interest but throughout the film has a fixed smile regardless of the circumstances.
The only thing of note about this film is that it was the first British film entirely in colour. It was made in a process called Dufaycolor. Some of the scenes in the film look quite good though others seem a bit washed out.
Afternoon troops
Hope all are sticking to the plan.
I duno what the plan is,
Outer space'll do me.
And I hope my friend in Gloucster is okay.
Forget the spelling.
The film "Unchained" made in 1955 was an American crime drama, mainly set in a men's prison. It's quite brutal and tough in places. You won't find it on a DVD in this country and I don't think it was ever released here. The main character in the film has a wife who sometimes visits him - she's the only person who may be familiar to you - Barbara Hale who played Della Street in the Perry Mason series.
I've discovered the film on the vimeo site:
https://vimeo.com/240769961
The famous song "Unchained Melody" is from this film, hence the title. Composed by Alex North. The theme occurs from time to time during the film but the song itself is at 1 hour 2 minutes 30 seconds. It's sung by Todd Duncan.
Unless you don't mind brutal beatings up, I wouldn't watch the film as such, just from the time I mention. The song lasts just over 60 seconds but it's worth watching just for that gem.
Grappenhall Cricket Club in Cheshire, back in 2007, signed up a 17 year old as their new overseas recruit who at the time was a promising leg-spin bowler. But when his new team mates took him to the local club to greet him he became very upset, and left the club 5 days later never playing a match for them.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-...-manchester-49688278
Steve Smith switched to batting and became rather successful
Evening all
We managed to get the lawns cut (MrY did the mowing and I swept up)
Velvet, Iâve given up planning and go with the flow nowadays
El, I really like the song, Unchained Melody. 
As far as Iâm aware, our smart meters are 2nd generation. Thus far, everything seems to be fine after their installation - fingers crossed it stays that way
Hope youâve all had a good day
Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ros
Hug for any night owls
El Loro posted:Watched a British 1939 film called "Sons of the Sea"
Set at Dartmouth Training College it's a mix of solving who murdered the head, attempted naval sabotage and a lot of miliary marching by the students in practice to military music. It's very very stiff upper lip with much of the acting being equally stiff. Cecil Parker is the nearest to giving a more natural performance. Most of the cast are not sufficiently well known to mention them but Kay Walsh is the notional love interest but throughout the film has a fixed smile regardless of the circumstances.
The only thing of note about this film is that it was the first British film entirely in colour. It was made in a process called Dufaycolor. Some of the scenes in the film look quite good though others seem a bit washed out.
been to Dartmouth loved it and saw the naval college - very impressive - sounds a good film EL
night yogi velvet summer moons if you pop in
Good morning everyone it's a sunny morning and I hope it's a good day weather wise for everyone.
Enjoy your day everyone
Good mornng everyone
Another sunny day here 
Ros, Talking Pictures have a tendency to repeat films so they may show "Sons of the Sea" again some time - it's not in their schedules for the next 4 weeks though.
Yogi, I hope you are right in that your meters are second generation. As far as first generation meters are concerned, I think the main problem is if you wanted to change providers in that it can't be done automatically, wheareas with second generation ones it can.
I hope everyone has a good day
Good morning everyone.
Itâs dry atm but wind and rain are forecast.
El, I think itâs bad that some suppliers are still installing 1st generation meters when they were supposed to install 2nd generation ones from March 2019.
Have a good day, all.
Yogi, I agree with you about what you say above about still installing first generation meters That BBC news article mentioned that they may get looked at by Ofgem, the energy regulator.
I hope that forecast for you turns out to be not too bad
Some people out need to be a little bit more aware than they are. A day or so ago a woman got out of her car unaware that my car was approaching. I was sufficiently far away to be able to move to the other side of the road to pass her (nothing was coming the other way). She carried on totally unaware that she could have been hit. Then another person (a pedestrian) crossed the road without looking - I was far enough away to be able to slow down, but again, that person carried on totally unaware that another driver mightn't have slowed down.
Morning all.
Hope it's a good one.
Can't say that here El.
I'm moving to Portofino.
Yogi knows what I'm talking about. Scottish weather ain't good.
Just had a phone call from British Gas customer services (genuine caller, not a scammer). My original complaint was being looked into by their residential department. He confirmed that the calls I'd been getting were nothing to do with British Gas. He wasn't able to say what their intent was.
Having received a similar scam call the other day, I reported that one which is currently being looked into by British Gas Business. I asked the person who rang me just now to pass my comments on to them.
These calls seem to be targeting small businesses. The callers are reading from a script, they either ask for the manager or use your business name. They say that your contract (seems more likely to be electricity rather than gas) is up for renewal. They will claim to be British Gas or another supplier (which may or may not be yours). What they are wanting you to do is to make some sort of confirmation with the intent on sending you paperwork.
I think if you get such a call challenge them to tell you some of the digits in your account number as they won't be able to answer as they don't know.
If you want to see which English cities and towns are getting some government money to try to help regenerate historic High Streets, these are them:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49692091
A tiny FabergÃĐ sedan chair, bought for ÂĢ75 back in the 1920s, has been sold at auction for ÂĢ380,000. Thought likely to have been part of the Russian Imperial collections sold off after the 1917 revolution.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-...cestershire-49673554
It's really tiny, just over 3 inches high.
Good result for Cheltenham Town this afternoon. Their home form this season has been good so far winning 3 and drawing 1 of their games. However their away form had been bad losing 3 and drawing 1 of their games.
Today they were away to Salford who had drawn their last 5 games in the league.
Salford 0 Cheltenham 2 is therefore a good result
El Loro posted:Yogi, I agree with you about what you say above about still installing first generation meters
I hope that forecast for you turns out to be not too bad
Some people out need to be a little bit more aware than they are. A day or so ago a woman got out of her car unaware that my car was approaching. I was sufficiently far away to be able to move to the other side of the road to pass her (nothing was coming the other way). She carried on totally unaware that she could have been hit. Then another person (a pedestrian) crossed the road without looking - I was far enough away to be able to slow down, but again, that person carried on totally unaware that another driver mightn't have slowed down.
I had a very similar experience on Thursday, El. Good job you and I take care on the roads.
velvet donkey posted:Morning all.
Hope it's a good one.
It has been a good one, Velvet. Hope your day has been good too
El Loro posted:A tiny FabergÃĐ sedan chair, bought for ÂĢ75 back in the 1920s, has been sold at auction for ÂĢ380,000. Thought likely to have been part of the Russian Imperial collections sold off after the 1917 revolution.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-...cestershire-49673554It's really tiny, just over 3 inches high.
Love the sedan chair but it is so tiny
Goodnight and sweet dreams, Ros
Hug for any night owls
El Loro posted:If you want to see which English cities and towns are getting some government money to try to help regenerate historic High Streets, these are them:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49692091
Chester is there - lovely place -go often
night yogi velvet summer moons if you pop in
Good morning everyone it's a bright and sunny morning here and looks to be a fine day.
Sad to have come to the end of the Downton repeats on ITV 3. I've enjoyed them just as much watching them again especially without season breaks.
Enjoy your day everyone
Good morning everyone
Sunny here at present though forecast to become cloudy by the end of the day.
Squiggle, ITV 3 would have been repeating the Downton series as the film version opened in cinemas a couple of days ago. By the way some of the film was filmed at Beamish Open Air Museum.
I hope everyone has a good day
Morning all
Let's see what adventures today brings.
Good morning all
Light rain and moderate breeze is the forecast
Iâm looking forward to the Downton movie. Letâs hope it lives up to the series.ðĪðŧ
Have a good day, everyone