Cut Off

Broadband On The Run
It is Government policy to bring fast broadband to the whole country but BT contractors working on this project managed to leave a large area of Weston, Bath, cut-off for 9 days without phone, fax or internet.

Catch 22
Several hundred households were isolated from a Saturday night after contractors installing new boxes for fast broadband broke the existing phone connection to the exchange. Attempts by residents to inform BT were stymied by the automated response system - which directed faults to be reported online via http://www.bt.co.uk/

Demarcation
By Tuesday BT Open Reach technicians were back at work. One team dug up the pavement again around the newly-installed boxes and then left an open hole. Another was working up phone masts. But neither team were working on the line break and both denied all knowledge of it.

Everything-Everywhere
At least mobile works. But, nice chap called James at BT complaints department says he must read all his check-list. This includes ceremony of unplugging and re-plugging our phones and committing to a £137 charge if engineer is called out and fault is in our home.

Is it me or James who is off line?

James - offline and not yet red

Poli Poli
Open Reach turn up again in street. Oh dear - unable to help as the cables are crushed within the pipes underneath where the trucks had been parked to take away the soil from the hole-diggers.

New Day
Contractors unload and stack pipes.

Another New Day
Long trench dug and pipes buried.

New Week
Phone engineers pull out and replace cables. Phone and internet connection jury rigged by 1-20pm.

Learning From Experience - Not
More contractors fill in holes. Truck parked on top of newly repaired pavement where pipe was crushed last week.

New Speeds
Massive 373 kpbs now available. Slightly less than before.

Compensation Offered
From day report “received” - Tuesday - to day “fixed” - about 58p per day for 7 days - less than cost of mobile essential calls made to landlines during 9 days cut off.

Open Breach of Health and Safety

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose - Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Extract from TTTE included without permission of the current holders of the right to the work of late Rev W Awdry, illustrator C Reginald Dalby, and publishers Edmund Ward.

Koble on Stew

Training
Without a race in prospect my training appears to be going sdrawkcab - backwards.

Before the Bristol Half Marathon my regular 6.5 mile runs were all under 1 hour.
Fastest was 57min 26secs.

The 10.4 mile long runs were 1 hour 42min.

The race produced a Personal Best time.

Or Straining?
Since then: rest, holidays, eating and drinking, have taken priority over running.

My 6.5 mile runs have all taken more than 1 hour,
and my 10 mile run was 10 minutes longer than before. But that was on a very hot October day when I should probably have been resting in the shade.

In order to improve a stronger Will is needed.

But preferably not a Wills Whiff

Mile Eater Meter
Today I did my monthly 1-mile time-trial for October.

Time of 7min 24 secs was only 1 sec slower than in early September - and against a stiff headwind.

Puffed a bit.

Statistics
For those who love numbers - here are my September and October runs.

Run   Miles  Elapsed Time  Comment
140   10.04  1:43:21
141   6.51  0:59:19
142   6.53  0:59:46
143   6.48   0:57:26
144   0.75   0:06:00   Commemorative Run (Previous year - 8min 9sec)
145  10.23   1:42:09
146   7.32   1:08:87
147   6.52   1:00:31
148   13.28   2:06:14   Race
149   6.50   1:05:14   Planned Slow Run
150   6.51   1:00:10
151   7.90   1:19:21
152   10.02   1:51:37   Hot weather
153   3.17   0:36:20   Hill Run
154   6.50   1:01:41
155   6.48   1:05:25
156   7.27   1:10:54
157   6.88   1:05:25

Ciggie Ads protected by Planning Law

"What I will not, that I cannot do." Measure for Measure



Pleased or Sorry?

Big Issue
I did not get a place in the ballot for the London Marathon (VLM).

Am I pleased or sorry? Relieved or disappointed?

Background
Last year when I told friends I had entered for the Bath Half a number of them said “London Marathon next year then?” A comment which I duly pooh-poohed at the time.

Reasons
But it is a logical progression. Another year - another challenge. Onward!

And if one is going to attempt just one - then London is the big draw.

Especially in 2012. Even without a direct link to the Olympics - 2012 is the year when the eyes of the world will be on London.

So when the ballot opened of course I had to enter. Who wouldn’t?

Looks like everyone else felt the same and went for a place.

Which in my case I have not got.

The VLM Commiserations Magazine
Last week I received a magazine - written for and directed at those who had been unsuccessful in the ballot for places.

There must be an awful lot of us if they print a special magazine.

Options
Now I have to make up my mind what I want to do. Choices are:-

1. Do nothing - accept philosophically that it is not for me next year
2. Enter another Marathon that may still have places
3. Talk to the charity I was to have supported - and see if they have any places
4. Buy a guaranteed charity place - but commit to raising mega money
5. There is no Option 5 - it is only there to make up the number.

So. What to do?

Pink Pig Found in Battersea Dogs' Home

NAMING OF PARTS
This is the lower sling swivel.
And this
Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,
When you are given your slings.
And this is the piling swivel,
Which in your case you have not got.
The branches
Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,
Which in our case we have not got.
Henry Reed.

The SMLE MkIII* was manufactured without a magazine cutoff or a piling swivel as these had proved to be tactically obsolete and had a significant cost in mass production. The training Corporal would have had a Mk III with these features but the recruits would have been issued with the newer Mk III*.

Just thought you would like to know that.