Tuesday 26th November 2024

I have spent most of the day sleeping,  last night was eventful. If I can get to work an hour before my shift starts then I would expect other members of the day crew to do the same but no I was still there manning the reception well past 7am,the first person turned up at 7:45am even though there was two events taking place one on the second floor for delegates from the Las Vegas branch of Coca-Cola and on the fourth floor Costa Coffee Winter Wonderland. Needles to say thirty years of experience of front of house/reception duties kept my cool and with a big smile they were processed with passes, even the facilities staff were wondering why the day crew hadn't been early knowing what was happening throughout the day. 
 I know that I haven't worked for nearly three years but people have mobile phones and there's WiFi on the London Underground so a text message, phone call or WhatsApp message can be sent, even morse code although I am a bit rusty as I haven't used it since 1997.
 I know that it's nearly Christmas as the regional presents where kept in the reception, across the pond thanks giving is a big thing.
 Tomorrow is a fun filled day phone calls and food shopping, I will find the time to collect my new glasses before returning to work. A possible treat in
a form of a new model kit
A new pair of heavy duty shoes and black socks, calendar for next year and a new note book. Yes the return of the 'idiots guide to security '.The Parsley Box or Wiltshire Farm Foods as they have a Christmas Meal Menu Pack. So that's me sorted until I get December's roster. 🙂

Saturday 30th November 2024

Everything that I ordered from eBay has arrived, the Unicraft looks as though it should fit one of the 1/144 airliners giving the AWACS conversion.
My shifts have changed to four nights on and four off which means that I will be working over Christmas and returning on the 1st January 2025. So that's the 30th November, 1,2 and third of December. 8,9,10,11,16,17,18,19,24,25,26,and 27 of December.
I have taken a screenshot of the roster in the control room. I'm having to man the reception as the cameras up in the control room aren't working, the nightclub across the road is keeping me fully entertained.
Now that the roadworks have finished, I have returned to taking two buses, the first one to Deptford Bridge DLR Station where I catch the Boris Bus to Oxford Circus Underground Station and its a short walk.
Still packed with tourists mainly from other parts of the UK, I can tell by their bags

The area around Oxford Circus can be a fascinating place to "people watch". You can tend to spot which countries ecconomies are fairing better simply from the nationalities you see wandering up and down Oxford and Regent streets 

Quote from: NARSES2 on December 01, 2024, 12:46:10 AMThe area around Oxford Circus can be a fascinating place to "people watch". You can tend to spot which countries ecconomies are fairing better simply from the nationalities you see wandering up and down Oxford and Regent streets 

Our American friends have a bit of adjusting to do when it comes to buses, one ring of the bell is sufficient and if they don't ring the bell to let the driver know that they want to get off at the next bus stop, the bus will only stop if the person waiting sticks their arm out.

Tuesday 3rd December 2024

Nightmare on Wimpole Street!
In the afternoon there was a fire alarm activation, one of the servers burnt out causing smoke which triggered the smoke head. The fire brigade was called out and they said it was safe to return to the building. Phew but no, I arrived at 6pm and yes the second server also burnt out, more alarms this time the fire brigade wasn't called out. Just a case of disabling the zone and requesting extra cover for Fire Watch meantime no WiFi and no CCTV Monitoring. To add insult to injury the facilities manager had to be guided in the procedure to take and ask her boss in the USA to authorise the direct use of hooking up to the mains to get the WiFi connection back. Poor lass she was there until 1am,still no decision made but a compromise of a technician to check the power supply and find the reason why two servers failed.
Luckily the technician arrived at 5am.
My supervisor wasn't very happy this morning, but as I said to him 'why didn't you return my phone calls to come in and take over?'
Nothing in response,  don't do as I do just do as I say was what I was thinking.

All good fun 

Thursday 5th December 2024

It appears that I took a tumble when I was working nights, my right knee has a lovely bruise at the side whilst my left knee is in a terrible state. I'm using the I.C.E. impact, compression and elevation method, walking is okay as yesterday was the stiffness luckily I was asleep all day. Back to work on Sunday, The security officer who usually has the same day shifts as me is very good and has the same dark sense of humour plus he is very early when it comes to handover in the morning. We have an understanding of covering each others backs. The third security officer, I used to work with on another site was trained by me. He's doing his best to help me with the I.T. stuff. Apparently security has gone digital ( WiFi, apps and qr codes), good job I know what to do when there's no WiFi. Should have kept the video link to the CCTV cameras, the Metropolitan Police still use it.
 Today is laundry day mixed with a bit of whiffery starting with the 1/72 Lockheed Blackbird. The fuselage comes in two sections which is staggered. Cockpit, well you're not going to be able to see the interior detail through the windows, engine assembly and the new rear wings. I might be able to use a bit more of the Su-47 fuselage, besides I will add the wings from the SR-71 or Drone onto it. Mini-Me.

Sunday 8th December 2024

I'm back at work working Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on the night shift. The I.T. problem at the London Headquarters of the Coca-Cola Group have been sent sorted out. I'm using the day officer's account so that I can modify this the CCTV cameras in the main reception.
Seems that the wine bar is doing a roaring trade, next door in the Royal Society of Medicine which is now a hotel and members club, the members still don't know where the main entrance is. The clue is look for the serperts on the doorway.

On the workbench the 1/72 BAC Sledge FRA-1 is slowly being painted mat/soot black ⚫. I will be using the decals from the Su-47 kit and the white 00 gauge British Rail logo. As they would have sponsored the aircraft at one point.

I have managed to use the Hastee App to get a small advance on my wages, just enough to cover my travel expenses. Seems as there's a few demonstrations planned for this week so the buses will be on diversion and not stopping at Bond Street or Oxford Circus Underground Stations.
I've also worked out why the promotion for Kitkat chocolate bunnies it's because of the use by date it ran out in November 2024.
Kingdom Services Group has modules that their staff need to complete, 12 in total for the basic level. These get converted into points which can be used for discounts with selected products. I have completed the Suicide Awareness,  ACT and H&S.

Monday 9th December 2024

I made a sausage, garden peas and carrots stew with some beef stockcubes this morning, turned out rather well. May need to thicken the gravey. Tasted good for lunch. I caught two buses to work, being a Monday the traffic was moderately light up by Oxford Circus Underground Station, packed with people. I never knew that there was a cinema near Margaret Street. I can feel the cold, yes it says 7°C but it's still chilly even though no amount of hot chocolate from the machine at work will warm me up. I've got three weekends free after the 11th so I should be able to finish off the BAC Sledge FRA-1.
Payday on Friday, so don't spend all of it. I'll need some for Christmas Day transportation, Uber or minicab
For me I'll probably have a Christmas dinner the week before and have another one the weekend after.

Tuesday 10th December 2024

I fell asleep on the number 12 bus and ended up in Dulwich by the library, miles from anywhere nearby. I made the decision to head towards Camberwell Green, bottom end of Denmark Hill  ( that's the hospital that I was admitted to). Two buses later and I was home. Rustled up garden peas and a knob of butter, tea without milk, bed at 9am. Got woken up in the afternoon by my Universal Credit Work Coach , she knows that I'm working nights but hasn't read my journal. Asked me if I'm looking for work , no why should I was my reply, I started working on the 13th November and don't get paid until the 13th December.
The sooner that I sign off and close the account, the better. Just have to wait for the Council Tax next year.
One more night shift, then bed for the day.
I  can remember when drinks used to hot when dispensed from a machine but it seems as if H&S has stepped in and its lukewarm or tepid. Think that I will take a flask into work.

I used to use the No 12 to get to and from school in another Millennium  , didn't realise it was still running as far as Dulwich, as you say "rather a long way from where you live". The joys of falling asleep on the way home from work...did it a few times.

Quote from: NARSES2 on December 11, 2024, 05:35:55 AMThe joys of falling asleep on the way home from work...did it a few times.

I did that once and ended up in Newcastle................

I should have got off at Derby! 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on December 11, 2024, 06:04:42 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on December 11, 2024, 05:35:55 AMThe joys of falling asleep on the way home from work...did it a few times.

I did that once and ended up in Newcastle................

I should have got off at Derby! 

I did that this morning on the 453 bus luckily it terminates at Deptford Bridge DLR Station so I crossed over the road and caught the 177 towards Thamesmead. Stayed awake until my stop. Parts of Greenwich are lit up with loads of Christmas decorations whilst other bits look a bit bare.

I'll be taking the tube as there's a march on today up by Parliament Square, good place to do tractor spotting!

Quote from: McColm on December 11, 2024, 06:17:30 AMI'll be taking the tube as there's a march on today up by Parliament Square, good place to do tractor spotting!

Saw a few of them going through the Palace on their way to the demo.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on December 11, 2024, 06:04:42 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on December 11, 2024, 05:35:55 AMThe joys of falling asleep on the way home from work...did it a few times.

I did that once and ended up in Newcastle................

I should have got off at Derby! 

That's a long kip Kit