Hell is ......

[Mick F]

Here's the thread I had when it had happened.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=83691
Some good photos.

[old_windbag]

Given the state of the river he was very lucky indeed..... he'll not forget that in a hurry every time he crosses the bridge.

A river near me sits at typically 3-4 feet deep but is fed from vast areas of hills and moorland. In recent years of extreme flash flooding and intense persistent rainfall, it has risen to close to 20ft above normal levels. Frightening to see close up as the force of the flow took down large 100+ yr old trees from the banks...... then you'd get large branches wedged against bridge supports adding to more problems.

[horizon]

Hell is not having an internet connection that won't be fixed for days, and having a very poor mobile signal.

Hell is believing that something new will make life better or easier and then finding that one is dependent on that thing and, when it fails, life is worse than it was before.

Take for example the motor car, the Aston Expressway, mobile phones, air conditioning etc etc.

[al_yrpal]

...and organic vegetable boxes.


Al

[horizon]

...and organic vegetable boxes.


Al

There is simply no line (or simple line) that can be drawn between the various tools and aspects of technology that we enjoy or which frustrate us (including bicycles).

I suppose one thing might be to keep technology close to us (a paper map rather than GPS for example). It doesn't mean going back to the Stone Age (as many claim), it's just a matter of being wise about the real value of some technological advances and the need to rein in our expectations from time to time.

[pwa]

At last! The non-operational "Smartmeter" system for our gas and electricity has been replaced with a good, simple "dumb" system that works. Smartmeters don't work if your mobile phone signal is weak, as our is. Back to laughable "estimates" but at least I can correct those over the phone.

[nez]

Hell is - Other people.
Famous quote but by who ???

Can't see if anyone has told you peering at my iPhone. it's Sartre 'l'enfer c'est des autres' or maybe les autres, I can never remember which. It's from a play.

[Mick F]

Sort of update.

Had an email from PlusNet yesterday saying that they wanted to send a BT engineer round to the house to fix the problem.
I phoned Plusnet instead of replying.
I phoned on the land line, replying to an email.

I told them that we don't have a problem ............ as evidenced by the broadband signal and the telephone I was speaking on.
The lady at Plusnet tested the line and found that there is indeed a problem .......... but not at our house ......... on the wires.

I was at pains to tell her that I've been banging on at this for some years, and it's the damned trees pulling at the overhead wires. Sometimes, when it rains, we get cut off!
Hopefully, OpenReach will get their act together with a high-lift platform and a chainsaw, and cut the trees down.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.51985 ... 312!8i6656

I won't hold my breath.

The BT engineer came round this morning.
He's a local chap, and knows the issues with the trees.

It's all in hand now, and he said they'll have to come out with a high-lift platform and hopefully they'll sort it.

[landsurfer]

I'm sending round some tree huggers , we have a few spare here in Sheffield, to chain themselves to the trees your planning to "murder" .... in the name of technology.....

[Mick F]

Trees.
Murder.

Good idea for some of them.
Leylandii for one. It should be illegal to even have one on your property.

Ash?
Sycamore?
Birch?
They are weeds if left alone to seed willy-nilly.