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Struggled at times. Other half seems to be coping much better than I - despite being able to work from home (when the technology plays ball, that is) I'm desperately bored of seeing these four walls. Luckily, we are taking it in turns to provide physical office cover for the stuff that can't be...

Looks like the bi-directional signalling installed when Stafford was re-signaled is coming in useful tonight...quite the queue building up there at the moment. I have family there and the flooding is really quite bad in the area at the moment from what they've told me. Quite a few roads...

Horrible incident. I feel for their families. I think though it is testament to how much safety has been improved over time that incidents like these are rare enough to provoke headline news and genuine shock - but there will always be more to do.

Still a non-argument. On that basis, we should ignore everything we think we know now because we might find something different in a century. I get your point, but I don't see how it is helpful in any way. If we don't act on what we know now and it proves to be right, the consequences are...

That's a non-argument. Leeches in medicine were never based on science. They didn't conduct decades of measurements and surveys, didn't have their work peer reviewed, etc.

I've lived in Birmingham for three years now, and I don't think it's particularly "unloved". I think it still has a reputation to some degree, which is mostly undeserved, though like many cities of its size it has its share of problems - council short of cash, rising crime in recent years. I've...

I honestly can't believe that in 2019 this is even a topic of debate, it really is absurd. The evidence is overwhelming. A handful of scientists suggesting otherwise is the climate equivalent of flat earthers. More than that, even if you are a climate sceptic, many of the solutions to climate...

Undeniably they are intensively used and XC faces challenges that most other TOCs don't have given the nature of their network, but that's all the more reason to give them a refresh. There aren't many TOCs with much spare stock floating around, so they're far from alone there, but I'm sure they...

To be fair, XC's Voyagers really do need it. They really have taken a battering internally over the years. The panels in the vestibules are almost universally battered and scuffed, and just plain dirty in many cases. Carpets threadbare and stained. Loose interior fittings rattling like mad when...

What about signal 9509 at Five Ways? Have never seen it at any aspect other than red and can't see it being "used" very often: http://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/bromsgrove

When did you last visit? The departure boards have shown "Boarding" when a train arrives for quite a while now. There's an alternative to the tunnel and going through the Bullring (or at least there was - not sure if the new Primark has blocked it off). There's a set of short steps to the left...

BBC is reporting that a Turkish Airlines flight on its way to Birmingham from Istanbul was turned around back to Istanbul following the announcement. No idea how far into its journey it was (presumably less than half?)

In theory, it seems like a reasonable solution to a potentially very expensive problem, if you would otherwise end up redesigning large chunks of the fuselage - the MCAS is only supposed to be required in a small number of situations and flight envelope protections are found in most modern...

I don't fully understand it, but apparently it's also related to the refined shape of the engines and their higher thrust output: https://theaircurrent.com/aviation-safety/what-is-the-boeing-737-max-maneuvering-characteristics-augmentation-system-mcas-jt610/

The amount of begging has definitely increased in Birmingham in recent years. Most days I'll pass two or three on my way to work, and there's a few that frequent the south steps of New Street station. I almost never carry any cash anyway (rarely find a need to these days), but I'm also reluctant...

The manual announcements on the unrefurbed units are often muffled or inaudible. Some of the speakers (or maybe the connections to them) seem to be not working as well as the others. If the only thing that has changed with the advent of automated announcements is the input source, and nothing on...

I've noticed something similar in the Gloucester-bound tunnels leaving New Street, which would fit in with the answer given above. There's a period of acceleration (I think the line speed is 20mph as you enter the tunnel), often (but not always) followed by a brief but fairly sharp brake prior...

What a ridiculous proposal. I realise obesity is a real problem but there are limits to just how much meddling we should accept in the pursuit of getting people to lose weight. If I, as a sensible adult with a healthy BMI, want to eat a ready meal with 600, 700 or even more calories once in a...

Whatever industry they're in, when it comes to social media, some people seem to lose all common sense and think it's okay to post confidential information or air their grievances in public instead of through the proper channels (I say this not in reaction to anything I've seen here, but from my...

Are you actually shocked that the EU has driven a hard bargain? Their objective in the negotiations was to secure the best deal for the remaining 27 members of the bloc. Ours was to get the best possible deal for us. That's how negotiations work.