Pete Robin

I shouted at the wife the other day "hey, what number do I wash this t-shirt on?". She shouts back, "What does it say on the t-shirt?". Me, "Errrmmmm Pink Floyd!". I know, i'll get me coat. Regards Pete

Just finished Rowland White's latest "Mosquito". It's a very entertaining, informative and easy to read account of some of the pin point raids carried out in Scandinavia etc. It also covers the work of SOE, the formation etc. of the Mosquito groups and their special missions, as well as the story of the Mossie. It has much to tell about the Danish Resistance (something I knew zero about) and it's role in the planning for D Day and beyond. It even tells briefly, how the Mustang came to be what it came to be. Thoroughly recommended, defo a 5 star rating. Regards Pete

I followed you with this one from afar and I am really impressed at your patience and talent at producing a rather stunning finished item. I think that's a novel and well engineered response to displaying all of the work involved. Fabulous. Regards Pete

I reckon I can follow where you're leading with this and Graham's contributions too. One thing niggles a tad tho. If we are developing/evolving a "hive" mentality and thus working together like ants or bees, does that then mean we have to deal with those in society that a) produce nothing, or b) do nothing that adds a "value" to the hive? If the answer to that is we remove them, do we then move on to the lazy, feckless eejits that think the world owes em a living and is it then a logical step to dispose of the damaged members of that hive? Is that then called natural selection or maybe survival of the fittest? Regards Pete

Bertie, I don't reckon my mum's knife was too sharp. The loaf got stuck under left arm, buttered(?) And the sliced off (using same knife). It usually resulted in a slice that was half a millimetre thick at one end and 2 foot 6 inches at the other🥴. I've also seen her use it to cut the damaged end of the chopping board off and quite possibly fought the whirling dervishes at Karthoum. The advanced mathematics needed to assemble a simple sandwich from her "slices" defied the best brains of the country. I do know you needed a jaw akin to a boa constrictor to tackle one. Ohhh, and bikkies are "good". Even better if someone gives them too you. Those ones have no calories. Regards Pete

I came across this in a side bar, contained in a crap newspaper. I really thought I had a handle on these numbers. I reckoned that I could work with them. Ummmm. Nope. when put like this they suddenly became so massive that the old brain went "parp" and stopped working for a bit. So here goes. A MILLION seconds is approximately 12 days. Yup, got that, mind still working. A BILLION seconds is approximately 31 years. WTF! A TRILLION seconds is somewhere around 31,688 years. "Wibble". Especially when the author stated that the USA owes somewhere in the region of $30 TRILLION. Good luck with paying that one back Mr. Biden. So, anyone else got any "everyday" things that ya thought you could handle, and then realised you weren't even close. Regards Pete

I personally can't complain about GMail. I do use it, but not as much as Google would like me to I suspect. I find it's an essential nuisance as no one lists either a physical address so that you can write, a physical telephone number so you can talk to them, or finally, offer you some information that MAY just make you problem a little easier to deal with. AI (or chatbots, or Non Human Interaction Interface or whatever) is fast becoming the bane of my life. I am getting old. I am stuck in centuries gone. I can't decipher half of what is requested. JUST ANSWER THE B**** PHONE!!!!! I guarantee it will save you, me, the planet, the dinosaurs, everything. Instead, you sit there as another box appears asking you to state your problem. It then answers I can't understand what you need! and promptly sends you back where you began. You then have the mangle your brain into a position that allows the same question, but worded differently. Nope. Back to the start. After an hour of this your brains begin to dribble slowly into your moustache. By then I've had it, punched the wall, shouted at the cat, sworn at the postman and generally given up. Better then, several hours later an email appears asking you to rate your experience. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Please, if you even think of employing a robot, think twice, go down the Job Centre and ask for a real person. One over the age of 30. They can usually chew gum and walk at the same time. They work pretty cheap, they can answer the phone, make coffee and occasionally make your work life easier. It'll also stop millions of pensioners from milling around outside your premises waving pitchforks, flaming torches and demanding your head on a pole. Thanks for listening to a technophobe's woes. Regards Pete

I'm in with all of the above! Yep, all of the above and a lot more to boot. My Therapist has fancy names and descriptions for most of it. Me, I just reckon we is all a bunch of big softies. So My Friends, if any of ya need a shoulder to cry on, give me a shout! Regards Pete

Man, that's impressive! Please don't make my mistake of putting one run on backwards.😥 I usually only found out after I'd finished all the weathering etc. Oh it hurts! Regards Pete

I did a really quick Google search and came up with this site. Looks to have a lot of the info you might be looking for. https://ra39-45.co.uk/ Also somewhere in the deep dark recesses of what passes for a mind, I seem to remember a very good site that not only lists stuff like what went where etc., but had some brilliant illustrations of what made up batteries, regiments, divisions etc. All with the relevant markings. Not sure what it was called, but if you go along with the broad search criteria (e.g. RA 1939-45 Markings etc.) you will likely stumble across it. Good luck with your search. Regards Pete

I had a similar reaction when visiting the American Cemetery close to Duxford (not sure of it's name). I walked along row after row of stones, all marked 6th June 1944. That's what got me in the tear ducts. I look at those names, ages and dates and all I can think is that they were just boys really. May whatever passes as "God" keep them from further suffering. Regards Pete

Some fine words and sentiments gents. I aren't a poet, I aren't clever or that knowledgeable. These words tho, they are wise and poetical I guess. If you know this piece, that's fine. If you don't, please give it a listen. Regards Pete

I just told my kids I'm older than Google. They think I'm joking. I hate Russian dolls. They're so full of themelves. Never trust an atom. They make up everything. I changed all my computer passwords to Kenny. Now I have all the Kenny Logins. Why am I the only naked person at this gender reveal party? Tupperware! More like Tupperwhere the hell is the lid? No matter how kind you are, German kids are kinder. Spilling a beer is the adult equivalent of losing a balloon. Anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant. Someone's therapist knows all about you. The research centre for unfinished surveys, says 6 out of 10......... Regards Pete

Beautiful! A testament to your perseverance and undoubted skill. Regards Pete

Brilliant work. I just glanced at the first pic, did a double take, and then looked properly as I was pretty much convinced that first one was a reference pic. Really captures that "hard worked"£ look. Regards Pete

Very nice. I particularly liked the bold splash of blue. It makes an interesting contrast. Regards Pete

Great work with a kit that seriously shows it's age now. Nicely displayed too. Regards Pete

Beautiful work, terrific photography. A testament to your undoubted skills. Regards Pete

If these two guys ain't top of the lists when they decide on a greatest guitar player, then I reckon something went wrong. Regards Pete

Sorry to hear you hit that particular wall. I can only agree with what everyone else has said about finding something simple, well fitting and no brain work. Try and find whatever it was that got ya in the first place. If its an aircraft, fly it round the workbench making the suitable noises, if a truck, drive it round the carpet with the vroom vroom! Sometimes I think we get bogged down in the details. Give the old brain a rest and let your hands find the rhythm again. Hope it sorts itself soon. Regards Pete

Nice work. Particularly like the stowage, most realistic. Regards Pete

I'm with you Bertie! The thing looks like it would tip over backwards when fired! However, very nice work Pete. Looks the part. Regards Pete

A fine and fitting tribute not only to your Dad, but to you as well for displaying the skills necessary for brush painting. Tis sadly a dying art I fear. Regards Pete

The trouble these days is "If the Computer Says No". No one knows how to correct it so it just gets ignored. The drivers know their way around but aren't allowed to used their own "better" judgements. I, at one time, drove for a Garage, picking up and delivering customers' cars. We dealt with a leasing company and usually got to collect stuff within a 15 mile radius of the garage. I got one call from them that said I had to go to Scunthorpe. I'm based in Hull. Errrrr, says I, that's a tad further than we go. No it's not she said, I've measured it on the map and its inside your area. Ummmm, what about the flipping great river in the way? says I., What river? There's no river on my computer. I think you'd best be getting a map sweetheart. the River Humber has been there a tad longer than your computer. She got upset with me and put the phone down. It's the same all over, a loud and clanging lack of common sense. Regards Pete

'Tis a fine looking tribute to the Whitley crews Heather. What's not often mentioned, whilst everyone else was chasing battleships, the Whitley crews were plodding about all over occupied Europe dropping leaflets. Brrave men indeed. Regards Pete