Reaching Out; Yes, I feel Covid-19 enforced - Alone

I think Swan Hunter Shipbuilders hit the peak in the 70s with a huge supertanker of 260,000 tons.  There is a photo (well-known locally) of her stern towering over the houses near the yard, but I'm afraid I'm no good at posting links.  You could Google Tyne Pride Swan Hunter if you like?  There were meant to be a fleet of these ships, but the oil crisis put an end to that.

Most of the yards have gone now and, with them, most of the pubs that catered for those men of iron & steel.  But we can still make our visitors welcome - at least we will be able to when normal service can resume!

Good health to you, my friend, and very best wishes for 2021!

Hi;Hutch6390

     Yes! My ship was built there. And as always the sounds of the yard were heard after moving aboard as they finished up for sea trials. Beat the time for the measured mile and maneuvering. She was Big and Beautiful.

    There was a pub there by the Wharfside, I wonder if it's still there? They served the Best Beef dish I have ever locked a tooth on. Don't remember what it was called . Rich Brown Gravy, Chunks of Tender Beef and Fresh Garden Vegetables. and very Hot when served!

    Sadly the Pub's name eludes me. But heres to ya mate! By the Way that's a Fosters I am holding! I know, you can't see it, but that's my favorite Brew!

Tanker-Builder

Hey,Hutch;     Aren't you living in the land of great Ships, Great Pints and Great people?

Yes, I'm proud (and, oddly, humble) to say that's true, and that many of those ships were built within sight and sound of where I was born, on Tyneside.  I'd bet you'd know some of those ships.  Ships' and shipyard hooters were part of the background music to my youth - there was a whole forest of cranes, back then.   Sadly, we don't build whole ships here any more, only bits of them - including (admittedly, fairly large) parts of our new aircraft carriers - but a lot of tankers were born here, as well as ferries, colliers, liners, battleships, aircraft carriers, and the world's first steam-turbine powered vessel, Turbinia.  

And I know enough that BP liked 'em big!  If you should find yourself on this side of the pond again I'll buy you as many pints as you like - we still have great pubs!

Yeah, to everybody, I know how you all feel. Fortunately I'm only 64 (65 in March) so I'm still in comparably decent shape (comparably, now there's an interesting word!) So, between taking care of my wife, the ranch, life in general, and my several too many hobbies, I stay fairly busy. All that combined with living in a comparably (there's that word again) low Covid area, (smallest property 'round these parts is five acres) so we already have plenty of 'distancing'; thus, to me, the covid thing is almost a non-issue, outside of the masks and other imposed restrictions.

Still, I do miss the interaction with humans (there aren't many on the planet I come from)

Have a nice day.

Hey,Hutch;

    Aren't you living in the land of great Ships, Great Pints and Great people? That's what I liked about working for B.P. When we ported I would go to the local Pub and find like minded mates and natter about Models, Ladies and Ships.

    I always said mine was the Biggest Ship and never got any arguments about that. Any of  B.P.s ships of the " Star" naming group were monsters anywhere!

Tanker-Builder

I feel like I am on an island and get messages in Bottles.

I know exactly what you mean, TB.  The newsagents in my area sell modelling mags, and there are even a couple of model shops within 10 miles or so, but I haven't a clue who buys from them, other than me.  In my daily life I don't know a single other person who builds models.  True, Mrs 6390 has been known to build the odd kit - with appropriate assistance from Yours Truly - but I think that comes from loyalty (I encourage her, of course). 

This is not actually a problem as such, and I certainly don't hold it against anybody - I'd have to be daft to just expect people to share my interests.  I don't want to join a club, or anything formal like that, but it would be nice - just now and again - to meet up with three or four like-minded souls, and have a good natter about modelling, over a couple of pints.  

This site has provided me with a large measure of that sort of contact.  Yes, it's a bit disjointed by both its nature and the time differences, but I can communicate here with others who speak the same language and have at least one thing in common.  I enjoy the online company of my new-found friends here on this site, and I am genuinely pleased and flattered to be accepted amongst you, although I have not ever met you in person, nor am I likely to do so.  

So, from my island, I shall keep casting bottles into the water - please, TB and everyone else, keep doing the same.

    Stay safe,

                  Hutch.

Oh:HooYahDeepSea:

 You make me long for Oregon. Dad Gum, it! I will probably never walk her forests and trails again. It was the absolute peace I derived from walking among those trees that made me shift my thinking about life. There are grand things out there. All we have to do is take the time to see and smell them!

 What I also liked about Newport was we arrived in time for me to get a three day crabbing license. My wife and I ate crab till we thought we'd bust. Fresh from the sea. Can't beat it! And the fresh air, WOW! My health problems (Sinnusitis and Dust allergies ) never bothered me there. 

I'm enjoying my first week off since March, when the factory shut down to implement social distancing measures. Some of our building have been working weekends as well. Fortunately, I didn't have to.

I would have loved to experience some shut down fever instead of the 60+ hour work weeks (with commute).

TB, Don't worry, the pretty trees on the coast are safe. Where I'm at it's primarily junipers, but I still love the look and they lend themselves well with one of my other hobbies, photography. This shot was a sunrise just a few days ago accompanied by fog and frost.

I've been a member here for almost a year.  I've been building models for about 15 months.  I often wonder if you guys get together once a year at one of the bigger IPMS events.  Hopefully this doesn't come across as to awkward but I would travel anywhere in the US for such a meeting.  Clearly we have to get back to normal first.  It would be fun to geek out about models for a weekend with guys who speak the language.  I'm sure my wife is tired of my rants about PE parts, fiddly landing gear, and bad decals.

Paul

E-mail me at gjgeracci846@gmail.com 

Yeah Greg;

 It's got to be hard on Outgoing folks. I think I felt it most because all the things we normally do were cancelled. Wassailfest. Christmas Reading, of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". By, yours truly to all the Kids brought by for it. And Christmas "Kids Run the Train". So it made for a Blah Week. 

    Oh, can't forget the underpriviledged kids from the Fire Department for "RailRoad Santa"

Hi Bill;

 Yes, I do Face-Time.I think my Phone number is in my profile. If not text me at 1-830-214-3123

TB, I'm no where near you but if I were, I'd take you up on your offer in a heartbeat.

I'm sure we'd have plenty in common to talk about, even though you are a universe ahead of me in talent and experience.

Hang in there, this won't last forever.

I've been blessed becuase I'm a lazy bum by nature and though even I must admit there are times I get the cabin fever/stir crazy thing, for the most part I am content hiding in my cave. I feel badly for folks who need to be out and doing stuff, can't imagine how tough it must be.

I'll gladly PM you my phone number and let's set a time. Do you do FaceTime?

I love my wife and my dogs but yes it's good to get out. We are under really strict SIP here because the spread is crashing our local health system and so many folks in the farm worker side of our county are really sick.

Our Knights of Columbus council is my only male buddies contact anymore. We have a monthly meeting on zoom and there are usually about 15-20 brothers on.

And in between there's a monthly officers meeting with about a half dozen. I'm the recorder. Open consumption is allowed, along with surprise appearances by wives, cats and dogs.

Weve lost three brothers this year. All three were pretty senior and sadly in poor health.

So we pray together, laugh together, drink wine and get a little business done.

Take care all, TB you are forgiven for the "train of thought" pun, and Happy New Year.

Bill

Well;HooYahDeepsea!

   It does enforce the lone feeling doesn't it? As Far as the V.F.W.( I always go as a guest anyway.) Because so much of my out of country Duty is redacted, they won't let me join. So-I went to the American Legion  and yes, our hall is closed to so I know exactly what you mean.

     Even being able to share over a Beer is out of the question. Besides like you, all we have is a Micheals, Hobby-Lobby and Jo-Anns. The two real Hobby Shops, Hill Country Hobbies and Dibbles( Dibbles is mostly Train Centric.)are Forty-Five miles away in San Antonio Proper.

   Oh, I have to add a P.S. Here. Please don't chew on those Beautiful Oregon Trees, Please? My favorite place in your state is the R.V. Park in Newport run by the city. It's right near the Marina and surrounded by those beautiful Trees!

Alright everybody, don't say a thing; don't tell TB that the covid thing was done months ago .  .  .

Ah, just joking TB; and I'm feeling the same way. Here in central Oregon, though we have not been hit as bad as the metro areas, the Governor has us feeling pretty closed off. Central Oregon has no real 'model shops' to speak of, outside of an RC shop, a Hobby Lobby, and a Micheal's. So, apparently there is not a big market for such and I'm feeling a bit stranded. Thank God for this site, online sales, and the internet in general; otherwise I'd be chewing on the trees.

To add insult to injury, even the VFW is closed down so I can't even chat over a beer with my fellow warriors.