Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.

Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in 1888,
its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at all!

If you haven't been there, it works like this;
http://www.cliffrailwaylynton.co.uk/how-it-works/

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first & then cream - no question.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman - full of cream teas & Tribute bitter.
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

Aaah Porlock Hill :-)

Remember it from a long long time ago. Lots of cars abandoned cos they
couldn't make it up the hill.

No problems on my motorbike :-)

With me bird on the back :-)

Memories ..........
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa -
998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

Aaah Porlock Hill :-)

Remember it from a long long time ago. Lots of cars abandoned cos
they
couldn't make it up the hill.

No problems on my motorbike :-)

With me bird on the back :-)

Memories ..........
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

Yes, it's the hairpin bend half way up that does it. Wife's parents
used to live a few miles from Porlock (Dulverton) so been up in a
whole variety of vehicles !

AWEM

"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

Aaah Porlock Hill :-)

Remember it from a long long time ago. Lots of cars abandoned cos they
couldn't make it up the hill.

I have driven up it in a mk1 corsa 1.2 towing a full camping trailer and had
no trouble at all.
The engine temp was a little higher than normal but it had plenty of time to
cool down while I waited for the rest of the group who had to stop halfway
in their Cortina.

I was more worried about going down it and having some **** burnout his
brakes behind.


No problems on my motorbike :-)

With me bird on the back :-)

Memories ..........
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

In message , "dennis@home"
writes


"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

Aaah Porlock Hill :-)

Remember it from a long long time ago. Lots of cars abandoned cos they
couldn't make it up the hill.

I have driven up it in a mk1 corsa 1.2 towing a full camping trailer
and had no trouble at all.
The engine temp was a little higher than normal but it had plenty of
time to cool down while I waited for the rest of the group who had to
stop halfway in their Cortina.

No dennis you were in a moggy 1000

This has to be you

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x55...-of-5_shortfil
ms

I was more worried about going down it and having some **** burnout his
brakes behind.


The one shouting "who's that retard blocking the road" ?

--
geoff

On 8/12/2010 5:38 PM, The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset& Devon.

Highlight for me was the Lynton& Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in 1888,
its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at all!

If you haven't been there, it works like this;
http://www.cliffrailwaylynton.co.uk/how-it-works/

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first& then cream - no question.


Of course! The only sensible way.

S Viemeister wrote:
On 8/12/2010 5:38 PM, The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset& Devon.


BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first& then cream - no question.


Of course! The only sensible way.

It is nice to see that some people are prepared to spoil their holiday by
doing research for the uk.d-i-y newsgroup. Now thats what I call
dedication:-)

--
Adam

The Medway Handyman wrote:
'''
Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!...

I recall some cars not making it at all, before such high power vehicles
were common.

Colin Bignell

"Nightjar \"cpb\"@" "insertmysurnamehere wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:
'''
Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!...

I recall some cars not making it at all, before such high power vehicles
were common.

I recall my dad's 1956 Mk 1 Ford Consul having difficulty on a 1
in 4 bend somewhere in the Pennines. 3 gears was a bit of a
drawback. When we got the caravan, it became even more
interesting.

What about vacuum-operated windscreen wipers. If you slowed down
because you couldn't see, so did the wipers!

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

Chris J Dixon wrote:

I recall my dad's 1956 Mk 1 Ford Consul having difficulty on a 1
in 4 bend somewhere in the Pennines. 3 gears was a bit of a
drawback. When we got the caravan, it became even more
interesting.

That brings back memories, 3 gears and NO synchromesh on bottom. Many
drivers just couldn't get into bottom gear without stopping first - not
what you want to do going up a 1 in 4. With practice you could get the revs
right to drop into bottom at about 25mph which made it a much more fun car
to drive.

What about vacuum-operated windscreen wipers. If you slowed down
because you couldn't see, so did the wipers!

Yes, if you had your foot down going slowly up a steepish hill they'd
stagger half way across the screen and grind to a halt, then you'd have to
switch them off so they shot back down, then on to start crawling slowly up
the screen again.

--
Mike Clarke

On 13/08/2010 08:35, Nightjar "cpb"@ insertmysurnamehere wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
'''
Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!...

I recall some cars not making it at all, before such high power vehicles
were common.

Colin Bignell

Reminds me of the old (local) joke

Visitor (at the top of Porlock, to local 'old boy' leaning on a gate)
"Is this hill dangerous ?"

Local "No zur - 'tis down the bottom they all kills 'emselves!"

Adrian

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Nightjar \"cpb\"@"
"insertmysurnamehere saying something like:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!...

I recall some cars not making it at all, before such high power vehicles
were common.

I recall being in an Austin A30 which couldn't make it. A couple of
years later the A35 sailed up - same load. Many many years later I went
up the same hill when the memories of those trips came flooding back and
I realised where I was.

In article ,
Nightjar \cpb\@ insertmysurnamehere wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
'''
Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!...

I recall some cars not making it at all, before such high power vehicles
were common.

I can just remember as a toddler going over the Devil's Elbow in a pre-war
Morris 8. It wouldn't make it in 1st, so my father reversed up it. The
road layout was changed not long afterwards so the worst part was not so
steep. The old one got very close to 1 in 1.

--
*I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article zRZ8o.152884$hz1.26557@hurricane,
The Medway Handyman wrote:

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first & then cream - no question.

Doh ... that's the cornish way. Here in Devon, where clotted cream was
invented, and is typically thicker than the inferior runny cornish stuff,
we do it the other way round. You can ladle more cream on top of the
scone then make a well in the cream to stop the jam running out.

Gordon

Gordon Henderson wrote:

Doh ... that's the cornish way. Here in Devon, where clotted cream was
invented, and is typically thicker than the inferior runny cornish stuff,
we do it the other way round. You can ladle more cream on top of the
scone then make a well in the cream to stop the jam running out.

But if you can manage to get two cuts across the scone, then you
have 50% more area to work with.

BTDTGTTS

Not that I eat them myself, but I know someone who does ;-)

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "The Medway Handyman"
saying something like:

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first & then cream - no question.

Butter first, then jam, then cream.

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "The Medway Handyman"
saying something like:

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first & then cream - no question.

Butter first, then jam, then cream.

I stand corrected.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "The Medway Handyman"
saying something like:

Butter first, then jam, then cream.

I stand corrected.

It's those shoes, isn't it?

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.



Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


That's not as steep as the Darford Crossing:-) 2 ****ing quid to cross a
bridge that has been payed for.

--
Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.


Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


That's not as steep as the Darford Crossing:-) 2 ****ing quid to cross a
bridge that has been payed for.

yebbut YOU didnt pay for it.


Its a private road. Or was.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
ARWadsworth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.


Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa -
998cc, 3 cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


That's not as steep as the Darford Crossing:-) 2 ****ing quid to
cross a bridge that has been payed for.

yebbut YOU didnt pay for it.

Not all of it. Just part of it.

Its a private road. Or was.

And would the M6 toll would be a success if it caused such congestion?
--
Adam

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
news:zRZ8o.152884$hz1.26557@hurricane...
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.

Did you take your bicycle with you? ;-)

Mr. Benn wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
message news:zRZ8o.152884$hz1.26557@hurricane...
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.

Did you take your bicycle with you? ;-)

Must have forgotten it....

:-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in 1888,
its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at all!

You didn't have to travel that far:-
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/hast.htm

--
Geo

Geo wrote:
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in
1888, its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power
at all!

You didn't have to travel that far:-
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/hast.htm

Bit different. That used a pump to return the water to the top, Lynton
doesn't.

Its now electric AFAIK


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"Geo" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in 1888,
its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at all!

You didn't have to travel that far:-
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/hast.htm

--
Geo
Or a bit closer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10758519


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:25:39 +0100, Mark Spice wrote:

"Geo" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:38:10 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in
1888, its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at
all!

You didn't have to travel that far:-
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/hast.htm

--
Geo
Or a bit closer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10758519

It isn't the same - the one TMH mentions is the only one that is
literally 'no external power'.

The Folkestone one has to (had to - I think it's closed) have the water
pumped back up to the top for re-use.

The L & L one has a licence to abstract water, and chucks it away after
it gets to the bottom.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 15/08/2010 20:06, Bob Eager wrote:

It isn't the same - the one TMH mentions is the only one that is
literally 'no external power'.

What about the one at Machynlleth? Or is there lectrickery operating valves?

Bob Eager wrote:

Mark Spice wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10758519

It isn't the same - the one TMH mentions is the only one that is
literally 'no external power'.

Other than that obtained by reducing the gravitational potential energy
of thousands of gallons of water ..

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:09:06 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

Bob Eager wrote:

Mark Spice wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10758519

It isn't the same - the one TMH mentions is the only one that is
literally 'no external power'.

Other than that obtained by reducing the gravitational potential energy
of thousands of gallons of water ..

OK, but it'd be going down there anyway...and there is no monetary cost
at all.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


Go and try Hardknott Pass, in the lakes. I remember going over it in an
old-style Mini many years ago. 40BHP!

Andy

Andy Champ wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


Go and try Hardknott Pass, in the lakes. I remember going over it in an
old-style Mini many years ago. 40BHP!

Andy
I learnt the art of the rapid changedown when driving up Coombe Bottom
(a bit north of Shere, Surrey)in the family 1100..5 up.. there is a left
hand hairpin up about 1 in 4 slope at the top. If you missed the gear
change it was an almost impossible wheel spinning hill start, or roll
back a few yards and try again.

I got stuck last week at the end of a rough farm drive trying to pull a
camper up a ridiculously small slope. Wheelspin and burnt rubber.

On 13/08/2010 20:25, Andy Champ wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


Go and try Hardknott Pass, in the lakes. I remember going over it in an
old-style Mini many years ago. 40BHP!

Yes, that pass *is* exciting. You drive up a steep hill and see that the
road bends left, but when you get near the bend, all you can see through
the screen is sky and you are not sure when to turn the wheel. I have
done it about half a dozen times and I have taken the vow never to do it
again. :-)

Dave

Dave wrote:

Yes, that pass *is* exciting. You drive up a steep hill and see that the
road bends left, but when you get near the bend, all you can see through
the screen is sky and you are not sure when to turn the wheel. I have
done it about half a dozen times and I have taken the vow never to do it
again. :-)


Me being 6ft, and the Mini bonnet not terribly long, at least I didn't
have _that_ problem!

Andy

On Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:25:24 +0100, Andy Champ wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


Go and try Hardknott Pass, in the lakes. I remember going over it in an
old-style Mini many years ago. 40BHP!

Andy

Did that in the '70s in a 1400 Hillman utility thing that had 3 people in
it and 3 damaged exhaust valves. Luckily there was no other traffic and the
road was wet, so just slid it round every bend and somehow it got to the
top. Couldn't get back from the Eskdale side though and had to go round.
My Super Rocket, 2-up, just stood on its rear wheel and blasted up the
steepest bits - great fun in the late '60s when most cars got stuck on the
hairpins on the W side.
Only way up on a bicycle was to sprint the steepest bits, otherwise it was
tip up or lose traction.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:25:24 +0100, Andy Champ wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!


Go and try Hardknott Pass, in the lakes. I remember going over it in an
old-style Mini many years ago. 40BHP!

Sometimes I used to go to the Lakes purely for the roads. I remember
nuking the brakes in the Rover with two heavy *******s in the back :-)
(can't remember which downhill that was now, although it wasn't Hardknott
or Wrynose).

Doesn't one of them have a sign along the lines of it being strongly
recommended that cyclists get off and walk?

cheers

Jules

Jules Richardson wrote:

Sometimes I used to go to the Lakes purely for the roads. I remember
nuking the brakes in the Rover with two heavy *******s in the back :-)
(can't remember which downhill that was now, although it wasn't Hardknott
or Wrynose).

It was the Struggle from Kirkstone to Ambleside that caught me out, had the
brakes smoking on a new Avenger and they just gave up any retardation.

AJH

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.


Snipped

Only drawback was negotiating Porlock Hill in SWMBO's Corsa - 998cc, 3
cylinder - 65 bhp! 1st gear at one stage!

BTW - Cream Teas - its jam first & then cream - no question.

Always bloody moaning about something!

Have a look at this link and stop bitchin' about an under-powered car.

http://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/history/lynboat.htm

If you lived then (1899), you'd still be a drama queen writing to the local
paper with a quill and asking for advice on how to straighten a floor brad.

BTW, your wish about me FOAD[ing] almost came true back in the 80's when the
brake fluid in my car boiled, causing air locks and total brake failure
around a hundred yards from the bottom - but I survived to haunt you (and
learned the hard way about changing brake fluid in cars every two years).
;-)

BTW, did you manage to get onto Exmoor and up around the coast in the
Mortehoe area? If you did, then if you'd played your cards right, you could
have dropped in for a nice cuppa and a chat with me and the rest of my tribe
on the patio and looking out towards Lundy Island.

On second thoughts though......... :-)

Oh, and nice to see you enjoyed yourself down here.

Unbeliever wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.


If you lived then (1899),

I'd be as old as you...


BTW, did you manage to get onto Exmoor and up around the coast in the
Mortehoe area? If you did, then if you'd played your cards right,
you could have dropped in for a nice cuppa and a chat with me and the
rest of my tribe on the patio and looking out towards Lundy Island.

I happen to know Morthoe very well. Which caravan are you in?



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
news:zRZ8o.152884$hz1.26557@hurricane...
Just back from a very refreshing 5 day break in Somerset & Devon.

Highlight for me was the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Built in 1888,
its a simply incredible piece of engineering - using no power at all!

Someone has to ask, so I'll do it. How does 700 gallons get into both tanks
using no power at all?

I'll get me coat.