Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

mystic_trev

Generali wrote: »

I've got a good mate from the UK coming over at the end of the week. He's here on business (topping up reinsurance for Queensland insurers that have run out is my guess) but stays the weekend to hang out so I'll have a couple of nights out on his expenses. I've lined up Sunday lunch:

If he's a Reinsurance Broker you'll have trouble emptying his expenses. At least that place will put a large dent in them! £100 for the seafood platter :shocked: With prices like that, and a tumbling pound, bang goes my chances of an Ashes Tour later this year:mad:

lostinrates

It's amazing the power we allow things like swatikas to hold. I don't like it, yet to try and rebel against this by using it feeds the power negatively back I fear! The original positive symbolism is attractive and it's awful we let it retain the negative strength symbolism.

vivatifosi

lostinrates wrote: »

What sort of things do the records say? Is it very factual like births, deaths and marriages or is there more meat to work through?

Generally very factual. I can translate the odd words like filia, but I've not found a list for abbreviations. The other problem I'm having is with the script. A capital T looks like a J looks like other letters too, so working out names is a bit of a nightmare, particularly when old and damaged paper. My guess is that this is why so little has been digitised. Having said that, this whole project would not have been possible 10, possibly even 5 years ago. The amount of archive digitising that is going on all over Britain is amazing.

Through the books of visitations, I've put together a full family tree of the main line and through local listory books I've managed to find a lot of sub-lines. Most of this has been done without leaving my house using out of copyright books that have been digitised, though I have put in an inter-library loan request for something outside of the county. It's so exciting riding the crest of a wave of new information possibilities yet involving data that is ancient. I love the implied paradox in that.

ETA: the genealogical puzzle I'm trying to help solved has been known about and being worked on for at least 30 years, though not by masses of people. Most of those doing the looking are in the USA (we're talking about a family that came over one one of the ships following the Mayflower). It's amazing what I've been able to find through library resources and makes me almost evangelical about promoting that aspect of my job. Hopefully this won't scare people off, I will come down off that cloud at some point! They will almost certainly have to appoint a genealogist at some point, but if I can do the grunt work that will really help.

Generali

mystic_trev wrote: »

If he's a Reinsurance Broker you'll have trouble emptying his expenses. At least that place will put a large dent in them! £100 for the seafood platter :shocked: With prices like that, and a tumbling pound, bang goes my chances of an Ashes Tour later this year:mad:

He's on the other side of the trade: a reinsurance underwriter.

Regarding the Ashes I have a double bagger planned. Late June/July in the UK when I'll hopefully be in attendance for the Taunton warm-up and the Trent Bridge and Lords Tests. Then Xmas in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test and home to Sydney for the Test in the New Year. I might see if I can squeeze in a day of the Brisbane Test match (Mrs Generali has family up there) or even a day in Adelaide or Perth on the basis that I've never been to either city.

Who can forget the 98 all out on Boxing Day at the MCG last time? My old boss certainly can't because I wrote him a macro (a sort of computer program for the uninitiated) which had a picture of the scoreboard that afternoon as a button to start the process every month.:rotfl:

I think a whitewash in England is potentially on the cards. This Aussie side is really poor. Nathan Lyon is dreadful and by far the best spinner they have. Mitch Johnson looks like he's going to go to England too and he probably has a five fer in him but he'll spend the Trent Bridge Test being unable to control the ball and bowling 7 ball overs as a result. Pat Cummins is a great bowler but you'd realistically only want him bowling as part of a 5 man attack given his history of breaking down. Siddle is great but then you're stuck with Bollinger (doesn't move the ball so hopeless in England) and a bunch of bits'n'pieces bowlers (Bird, Pattinson etc). Harris might do a job I suppose.

As for the batsmen you've got a couple of handy openers who may struggle against the swinging new ball in England as that's alien to them (Cowan and Warner). The middle order looks hopeless down to Wade the batsman/wicketkeeper who has had a mostly great summer. He'd presumably be followed in by DJ Hussey if they're not playing Pat Cummins and Mitch if they are.

This is not a terrifying side. Don't buy tickets for the 4th day as it might not happen!

BertieUK

Generali wrote: »

It's a lovely spot, right by the harbour.


.

Generali... You will be dining beneath a bit of Old England under the beautiful Coathanger Bridge that was shipped from Newcastle built by Dorman Long & Co Ltd and opened in 1932 or thereabouts.

Maybe you may have pancakes on the Menu, enjoy.;)

lostinrates

[, and a tumbling pound,:[/QUOTE]

you know, I have had money ear marked for two European purchases since this whole business started. (depreciating assets for leisure purpose) and the wretched prices are not moving significantly for these things. In fact, ropier and ropier examples keep being advertised.

Generali

BertieUK wrote: »

Genrali... You will be dining beneath a bit of Old England under the beautiful Coathanger Bridge that was shipped from Newcastle built by Dorman Long & Co Ltd and opened in 1932 or thereabouts.

Maybe you may have pancakes on the Menu, enjoy.;)

It's a lovely spot down there if a little sunbaked on occasion. Domain, the Botanical Gardens, is right next door and is possibly my favourite part of Sydney. I overlook it from my desk.

I also enjoy going to Cockatoo Island, an old shipbuilders on an island in the harbour, a little to the west of the bridge (about 20 mins in a kayak depending on the tides). That's full of massive bits of machinery made in NE England, Glasgow and Dundee. It's a great place to go.

When I retire, hopefully quite young, I'd like to study Aussie economic and industrial history. It's an untapped area and I think I could make enough money from it to keep me in bread and jam until my pension starts paying. (This is one in a long series of pipe dreams I have and not to be taken seriously).

vivatifosi

Oh, it appears we have some spam. I wonder if that's made of horse too.

Generali

johnydeep196 wrote: »

Hey buddy...

Hey fella. Welcome to the forums as long as you're not a spa....oh.

johnydeep196 wrote: »

blah

Why did you have to spoil it. We thought you were a friendly sort but apparently you just want our money.

johnydeep196 wrote: »

<Smoking is injurious to health>

Really? I'll have to stop the kids from smoking. TBH I thought 6 was a little young.

BertieUK

Generali wrote: »

It's a lovely spot down there if a little sunbaked on occasion. Domain, the Botanical Gardens, is right next door and is possibly my favourite part of Sydney. I overlook it from my desk.

I also enjoy going to Cockatoo Island, an old shipbuilders on an island in the harbour, a little to the west of the bridge (about 20 mins in a kayak depending on the tides). That's full of massive bits of machinery made in NE England, Glasgow and Dundee. It's a great place to go.

When I retire, hopefully quite young, I'd like to study Aussie economic and industrial history. It's an untapped area and I think I could make enough money from it to keep me in bread and jam until my pension starts paying. (This is one in a long series of pipe dreams I have and not to be taken seriously).

Generali You have the best of all worlds where you are - beautiful scenery from your desk it will put you in a good mood before you even step into the office -Memories of England on your doorstep to visit and enjoy.

Everyone must have a dream in life to work for otherwise life would be boring, as long as you learn from making mistakes and do not repeat them has always been my motto in life, if something I did I went 'ouch' then I had learnt not to repeat it.

You watch these kayaks and tides they can me more tempermental than any human being can and we all want to hear about your very interesting stories.

My OH and I are dealing with one of your favourite buisnessmen, namely an EA who is coming to photograph our Bungalow on Friday noon to put it onto the market next week, once it is sold we are both going to treat ourselves to a 'slap up meal' because we both have worked hard to get the property to look its very best.

Enjoyed your story...and dreams:)