# Do you realise



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We are going to have to add a lot more non motorhome subjects to the forum if this situation continues, which it is.

maybe we should start a book topic, we already have a Netflix or other film/series thread.

A cookery thread, easy cheap meals to make out of old socks or leather boots.

What leaves to gather to make soup, you know what I mean >

Seriously though, if we are not able to travel what else do we talk about? 
Maybe past travel, funny things that have happened while on the road, 
I bet there are some funny stories, so nows the chance for everyone to talk about anything they want as long as we keep the forum going.

Not all serious stuff though, thats depressing and with restricted movement we don´t want depressing, that will already be present.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Maybe I should start a learn the guitar thread! No. I'll go insane.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

barryd said:


> Maybe I should start a learn the guitar thread! No. I'll go insane.


YOU'LL go insane?!?!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

barryd said:


> Maybe I should start a learn the guitar thread! No. I'll go insane.


Oh, do you think you need one then ?

(I had to ask...... 😷 That SHOULD be a smilie with a mask on to avoid infecting anyone with my teacher sense of humour.... but MHF doesn't like such things...😢 )


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> Maybe I should start a learn the guitar thread! No. I'll go insane.


We have to have a guitar for you to learn teach us the guitar dopey.


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## bc109 (Sep 17, 2016)

*Hoisted...*

OK you want something to read while cooped up.
" Once upon a time..."
Just married and posted to Borneo. Howzat for a honeymoon !
My wife's family thought we were going to a straw hut in the jungle.
Actually our bungalow was about 300 metres from the jungle, and we had the odd snake and lizard wandering into the compound.
Actually, I was threeconded....that is, seconded to the Brunei army but working for the Brunei police so seconded again, if you see what I mean !
So as an Army foreman of Signals working for the police, I immediately became the " Forceman of Signals".
Are you bored, yet ? you have nothing to do, so I thought !
No one to work with except local police technicians, with no formal training, so I was tasked with teaching them.
It actually meant doing 90% of the work, but never mind.
Anything of any technical nature was immediately referred to the workshop so things like boat depth sounders and fingerprint machines were considered part of our remit. Civilian HiFi units belonging to Police officers would turn up occasionally,and amplifiers from the Police band frequently !
But I digress......I'm in virus jail also !

At that time, Brunei had just one radar speed control unit which was of Swiss design. It arrived brand new during my early days and was duly setup by a brand new local speed trap team.
Nothing stays working forever so eventually, this turned up at the door and was declared kaput by the speed trappers.

Now radar is/was not my forte and the maintenance manual was in German. Ho-Hum !
Fortunately, Dorli, my ever loving wife is German, so at lunchtime we extended the break and pored over the manual.
Dorli is not in the least technical.......unless it's a very complicated recipe for an
exotic dish, in which case....no problem.
Eventually, between the ever lengthening German technical words and much guesswork we managed to find out how this thing worked, and I went back to the workshop armed with new knowledge ( I hoped ).
The machine was duly fixed, and the speed trap team went away happy once more.
Three weeks later, I was caught speeding along the one good road that existed at that time in Brunei.
I laughed and paid the fine.
Well what would you do ?!
Bill


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

What you´d call being caught in your own trap.


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

I’ve just filled our 170 litre water tank (from a reading of 10%) up to a reading of 100% - using a 6 litre water bottle. We are about 20 metres from the water tap.

A hose was available, but using the bottle seemed like a good way to get some exercise whilst locked down. I used alternate arms for each carry.

I could post more info later when I’ve emptied the grey waste and toilet, if anyone is interested?


Regards from cloudy Spain,
John


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Ozzyjohn said:


> I've just filled our 170 litre water tank (from a reading of 10%) up to a reading of 100% - using a 6 litre water bottle. We are about 20 metres from the water tap.
> 
> A hose was available, but using the bottle seemed like a good way to get some exercise whilst locked down. I used alternate arms for each carry.
> 
> ...


OOH AAH lad, that deserves danger money.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

JanHank said:


> We have to have a guitar for you to learn teach us the guitar dopey.


Most people will have one in the attic surely! Anyway, as I said, bad idea! There are millions of teachers on youtube anyway. Could be a good time for people to learn an instrument. Even the mouth organ!


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> Most people will have one in the attic surely! Anyway, as I said, bad idea! There are millions of teachers on youtube anyway. Could be a good time for people to learn an instrument. Even the mouth organ!


I could have an organism here with all these harmonicas I´ve got.>


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

bc109 said:


> OK you want something to read while cooped up.
> " Once upon a time..."
> Just married and posted to Borneo. Howzat for a honeymoon !
> My wife's family thought we were going to a straw hut in the jungle.
> ...


Perhaps you could have questioned the workings of the equipment and offer to take a look?


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Nowadays the best thing to do is to swear that you were well within the speed limit and ask to see the calibration record for the instrument.

One of my drivers was once stopped and weighed in a lorry. The public weigh bridge said he was half a ton over on the rear axle. He was told he'd be reported with a view to prosecution and so would I along with him, as it turned out.

I took another lorry the next day and weighed it on the same weigh bridge and then went to the one we used regularly which is in a business where calibration is very frequent because weight is money to them. Magically it was quite bit lighter on the commercial weigh bridge, enough to have made the difference possibly.

I contacted the DOE Enforcement Branch who were the agency concerned at that time in NI and asked to see the calibration record for their weigh bridge. I was told I could see it in court. Effectively, bugger off.

But a month or so later my solicitor told me that he'd asked and both prosecutions had been dropped. 

We'd just been through QA assessment (and gained accreditation) and I'd been hearing the phrase show me your calibration records every five minutes for ages. It was the first thing that came to mind and I just though I'd give it a rattle.


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

Apology to any Spanish , just a joke !


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Gretchibald said:


> Apology to any Spanish , just a joke !


Thanks for sharing that - only last year we walked along that very track - it's a beautiful place, and watching the video brought back so many happy memories.

I believe that the border is actually about half a mile further on from the point at which the rockfall shown - but that wouldn't have been so funny.

Regards,
John


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

Ozzyjohn;
I believe that the border is actually about half a mile further on from the point at which the rockfall shown - but that wouldn't have been so funny.
Regards said:


> Thanks John, you're right . Here it is and me in better times acting the idiot as usual.


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

https://forums.motorhomefacts.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86521&stc=1&d=1584481567


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Oh bother - the gin has struck again . . .


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Great stuff. Col de Tentes above Gavarnie is a great ride up (and down on the scooter). I will have told this before but the first time we stayed on the Aire at Gavarnie in 2010 I took off early in the morning up the Col. It was early May I think and the Marmots were not long out of hibernation. I had never seen one before though and knew no more before this bloody great shaggy Dougle looking thing ran out in front of the bike, and then another. Had to look them up to find out what they were.

Probably posted this one before as well.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> Great stuff. Col de Tentes above Gavarnie is a great ride up (and down on the scooter). I will have told this before but the first time we stayed on the Aire at Gavarnie in 2010 I took off early in the morning up the Col. It was early May I think and the Marmots were not long out of hibernation. I had never seen one before though and knew no more before this bloody great shaggy Dougle looking thing ran out in front of the bike, and then another. Had to look them up to find out what they were.
> 
> Probably posted this one before as well.


As hard as I try to look at the scenery my eyes keep coming back to the road, force of habit I expect.

I must go there one day, unfortunately won´t be this year I suppose.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

What about a thread entitled "Things you did not know about me" ? I have just re connected with some old chums from the days when I used to work weekends at a riding school. They found me on facebook and it has been fascinating catching up with them.


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

barryd said:


> Great stuff. Col de Tentes above Gavarnie is a great ride up (and down on the scooter). I will have told this before but the first time we stayed on the Aire at Gavarnie in 2010 I took off early in the morning up the Col. It was early May I think and the Marmots were not long out of hibernation. I had never seen one before though and knew no more before this bloody great shaggy Dougle looking thing ran out in front of the bike, and then another. Had to look them up to find out what they were.
> 
> Probably posted this one before as well.


When we went up to Col de Tentes on the scooter the first time we were met by a herd of cows coming the other way on one of the sections where there is no escape from the road - we stopped, they stopped, and a brief stand off followed. Then a bloody great coach came steaming round the bend from behind the cows and he let rip with his air horns - we scrambled to the edge as the bell clanging cows galloped past us hotly pursued by the grinning coach driver. It wasn't just the cows that left a mess on the road 🙀

Happy days

John


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

patp said:


> What about a thread entitled "Things you did not know about me" ? I have just re connected with some old chums from the days when I used to work weekends at a riding school. They found me on facebook and it has been fascinating catching up with them.


Start one then Pat.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Ozzyjohn said:


> When we went up to Col de Tentes on the scooter the first time we were met by a herd of cows coming the other way on one of the sections where there is no escape from the road - we stopped, they stopped, and a brief stand off followed. Then a bloody great coach came steaming round the bend from behind the cows and he let rip with his air horns - we scrambled to the edge as the bell clanging cows galloped past us hotly pursued by the grinning coach driver. It wasn't just the cows that left a mess on the road 🙀
> 
> Happy days
> 
> John


Most of that road is a ski slope in winter until right into Mid Spring.

This is where we ran out of road on the col in 2010 in early May. Thats someone coming down on Skis in the background. It was stunning weather though. up to 25c on the Gavarnie Aire on occasion. We also went up to the ski resort at Cauterets on the cable car and their were people sunbathing in bikinis up there.










Close by.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Gretchibald said:


> Apology to any Spanish , just a joke !


We know that track and the boulders.

We first met Alan and Jayne up at Gavarnie by accident when our two Artos were parked together. I am not sure it was the same year as that video..

Seen them again since, by arrangeent, but out dates/places in France did not click last year.

We like them very much.

Geoff


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

nicholsong said:


> We know that track and the boulders.
> 
> We first met Alan and Jayne up at Gavarnie by accident when our two Artos were parked together. I am not sure it was the same year as that video..
> 
> ...


Of all the places in the whole of France and you parked next to each other, how wonderful. 
I was hoping I might bump into a few people this year :frown2:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

You are welcome to come and bump into us any time Jan, though it's a long way.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

erneboy said:


> You are welcome to come and bump into us any time Jan, though it's a long way.


Hopefully by the time we can start travelling again I won´t be too old to take you up on that Alan. :grin2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

JanHank said:


> Of all the places in the whole of France and you parked next to each other, how wonderful.
> I was hoping I might bump into a few people this year :frown2:


Yes it was a coincidence, but not such a wide one as we all four enjoy the mountains and Gavarnie is very popular with us wildcampers.

When we arrived they were 'out' but we knew it was them from 'Gretchibald' on the bow. Our machines were built only about 4 months apart in 2003.

It is a pity we live so far apart as I would love to go to some of their family gigs in Ireland.

Geoff


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

barryd said:


> Most of that road is a ski slope in winter until right into Mid Spring.
> 
> This is where we ran out of road on the col in 2010 in early May. Thats someone coming down on Skis in the background. It was stunning weather though. up to 25c on the Gavarnie Aire on occasion. We also went up to the ski resort at Cauterets on the cable car and their were people sunbathing in bikinis up there.
> 
> ...


I had fogotten

"Roger! ...Roger!...Roger!...."

How long since that was around?


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

barryd said:


> Most of that road is a ski slope in winter until right into Mid Spring.
> 
> This is where we ran out of road on the col in 2010 in early May. Thats someone coming down on Skis in the background. It was stunning weather though. up to 25c on the Gavarnie Aire on occasion. We also went up to the ski resort at Cauterets on the cable car and their were people sunbathing in bikinis up there.
> 
> ...


Barry, 
I think it was probably your posts that prompted us to go there - so, many thanks for the inspiration. I'll sling a few pictures up when we get home, if I remember.

Regards,
John


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

nicholsong said:


> I had fogotten
> 
> "Roger! ...Roger!...Roger!...."
> 
> How long since that was around?


I think it started as Alan


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Ozzyjohn said:


> Barry,
> I think it was probably your posts that prompted us to go there - so, many thanks for the inspiration. I'll sling a few pictures up when we get home, if I remember.
> 
> Regards,
> John


Well thats nice to know. I did bang on about that area a lot, even wrote a guide to the entire range in 2014. Here. Hank the Tank Downloads 

Would love to do all that again. We were back in 2017 but had van trouble and mainly did just Cauterets, Gavarnie and the Cirque de Troumouse but went all over from there on the bike including up the Col de Tourmalet which took forever to get up on the little bike. Came down fast enough though and I flimed it.

All the recent adventures are in a playlist but Im finding it hard to watch them now.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Xr4GPzzQq_CQtI9QsWn9KJrp9mMBS9G


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

barryd said:


> *Well thats nice to know. I did bang on about that area a lot, even wrote a guide to the entire range in 2014. Here. **Hank the Tank Download*s
> 
> Would love to do all that again. We were back in 2017 but had van trouble and mainly did just Cauterets, Gavarnie and the Cirque de Troumouse but went all over from there on the bike including up the Col de Tourmalet which took forever to get up on the little bike. Came down fast enough though and I flimed it.
> 
> ...


As you know it was that guide which took us to some great spots there incl. Gavarnie.

We too want to go back.

Geoff


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> Well thats nice to know. I did bang on about that area a lot, even wrote a guide to the entire range in 2014. Here. Hank the Tank Downloads
> 
> All the recent adventures are in a playlist but Im finding it* hard to watch them now. *
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Xr4GPzzQq_CQtI9QsWn9KJrp9mMBS9G


My advice there would be, have a* little *look every other day or three, you will then harden yourself to the fact they are wonderful memories, you may not see the places again, but think how lucky you are to have visited all those places. That is what I have done with our music, photos and videos, just a short look or listen every few days and then hopefully like me you will start to enjoy watching them and remember the good times.

Now I _could_ go to those places I can´t, you can´t and thousands of others can´t at the moment, but lets not get depressed about it eh!

I *did* say that, because you are talking as if you´re not going to see the places again, I thought, well I don´t know what I thought, stop being so negative.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

JanHank said:


> My advice there would be, have a* little *look every other day or three, you will then harden yourself to the fact they are wonderful memories, *you may not see the places again*, but think how lucky you are to have visited all those places. That is what I have done with our music, photos and videos, just a short look or listen every few days and then hopefully like me you will start to enjoy watching them and remember the good times.
> 
> Now I _could_ go to those places I can´t, you can´t and thousands of others can´t at the moment, but lets not get depressed about it eh!


WHAAAT!  Dont say that!!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> As you know it was that guide which took us to some great spots there incl. Gavarnie.
> 
> We too want to go back.
> 
> Geoff


Maybe when this is all over we can all plan a big gathering there although I suspect the French might have the same idea.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

barryd said:


> WHAAAT!  Dont say that!!


I *did* say that, because you are talking as if you´re not going to see the places again, I thought, well I don´t know what I thought, stop being so negative.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

we were up at Gavarnie last Friday hoping to ski - well, best laid plans and all that! we'd just done 2 days at Tourmalet in really hot conditions and it was pretty pants skiing 'cos it was so slushy so we thought - head to Gavarnie as it's mostly N facing. drove all the way up on Thursday afternoon and it looked good but overnight it absolutely chucked it down with rain and we woke up to thick cloud and a complete whiteout - bugger going skiing in that. so we went for a long walk up to the Cirque du Gavarnie instead (when we could see it in breaks in the cloud). 

headed back to Luz and stayed on the campsite in the middle (Camping Toy) and got the bus up to ski Luz Ardiden on Saturday - which was great. and as it turned out it was the last day of the season as France went into lockdown overnight so everything closed down.

hey ho - we decided to head home and took 3 nights to get back and hit the Channel Tunnel yesterday. never seen it so quiet!!! hardly any vehicles and I suspect many who'd scooted back from the Alps ahd already left and it was just others dribbling North although that will likley change with those in Spain being kicked out and heading home.

so - 2200km of driving for 3 days of (poor) skiing. the end of a sh1te season generally.


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

nicholsong said:


> We know that track and the boulders.
> 
> We first met Alan and Jayne up at Gavarnie by accident when our two Artos were parked together. I am not sure it was the same year as that video..
> 
> ...


..feeling is mutual Geoff ...oh look twins!


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