Rendelf Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 What a lovely morning I had. Mrs Rendelf went to work early, and I have a day off, but without much in the way of sleep. Back to bed I went. As I started to wake mid-morning, I was filled with a dreamy contentment. The dopplering thumping of joggers. The trill of birdsong. The quack-swoosh-splosh of ducks. Broken conversations of dog-walkers. Silence, perforated by Drum-rolls of fast cyclists / creaking-tinkerbells of slow cyclists. Light rain on the roof. The chirps of tits, either side of me. Distant diesel engines in the lock. The bed rises and falls as the lock is emptied, followed by more snippets of inane conversations. Crows. The wind rustles the trees, pigeons call. Helicopter. This is Hobbiton; we are lucky. The boat rocks gently, encasing me in comfort. Then the words, "Peter!" Peter, what are you doing!" from the towpath. A dog called Peter? I think lazily. "Peter!! In, no, in!" clear as a bell in my fuzzy mind - the lady is less than a meter from my bed. Then, a jarring bang, a shudder, and the entire waking-cocoon-in-the-shire thing lurches to starboard as Peter drives his hire boat the length of ours, shouting "it IS in, is IS!!" Still unsure what 'it' was, I got up and made coffee. Sitting on the deck, I was amused by the ducks who assume I am a duck feeder, and by Peter banging pegs in, next to the lock bollards and against the piling. Even though we are currently three or four empty boat lengths from the lock, on a wide, straight section, perhaps I'll start the engine and move a little further along - that way I can use the powertools. It's a good life! One of my favourites is listening to the sounds outside in different places. What sort of sounds can you hear where you are? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 The dopplering thumping of joggers. I know exactly what you mean, but had never seen it used as an adjective before. Have a greeno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junior Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 The police helicopter hovering over Burslem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 The police helicopter hovering over Burslem. ...and canalside walkers ignoring the ducks and throwing bread to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seti-Yeti Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 Ah, the growl of the Rozza-copter. We had the joy over the village last year as the yoootz decided to have a barn party. Hundreds turned up, hence the Police presence. They hovered over the departing throng for AN HOUR AND A HALF!And d'ya know what? We couldn't hear the barn party... at all, nowt.... but we COULD hear that bleedin' egg-whisk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 Ah, the growl of the Rozza-copter. We had the joy over the village last year as the yoootz decided to have a barn party. Hundreds turned up, hence the Police presence. They hovered over the departing throng for AN HOUR AND A HALF! And d'ya know what? We couldn't hear the barn party... at all, nowt.... but we COULD hear that bleedin' egg-whisk! Yeah, odd innit? I've worked with and flown in lots of helicopters and they're all noisy bu66ers, but none so noisy as the police round our way use to sneak up on naughty boys (and girls, M'Lud, obviously). There must be a line in their procurement brief that states in must meet, and preferably exceed, quite stringently high noise and nuisance levels so that the maximum number of council tax payers can hear it in order to prove it's being used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 A good theory, Mr. Dog; could it be that because they're loud, criminals hear them from afar and stop committing whatever crime they were committing to go and hide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Tee Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 Yeah, odd innit? I've worked with and flown in lots of helicopters and they're all noisy bu66ers, but none so noisy as the police round our way use to sneak up on naughty boys (and girls, M'Lud, obviously). There must be a line in their procurement brief that states in must meet, and preferably exceed, quite stringently high noise and nuisance levels so that the maximum number of council tax payers can hear it in order to prove it's being used. Could be the noise equivalent of an optical illusion (whatever that is called) - because the police ones are hovering or cruising at very low speed, they only seem louder because they are over your head longer than the usual flypasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 A good theory, Mr. Dog; could it be that because they're loud, criminals hear them from afar and stop committing whatever crime they were committing to go and hide? A good point indeed! Like on the telly when they sneak up on bad guys to catch them in the act with blues and twos a flashin' and a honkin'. Could be the noise equivalent of an optical illusion (whatever that is called) - because the police ones are hovering or cruising at very low speed, they only seem louder because they are over your head longer than the usual flypasts. Maybe an aural illusion? Nah, it's not that. They definitely pick the extra noisy ones. Well, they probably don't get to pick, they probably have them inflicted upon them if I know government procurement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty-ann Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 I wos on Sarf Bank London weekend before last and demo over river ensured 3-4 noisy copters overhead..couldnt hear myself think..and its also tad unnerving. Eldest son had this app thingy on his phone(not y tube) and kept showing me ever increasing crowds..couldnt wait to escape the big city. On boat atm, all silent cept hum of battery charger and scuffle of terrorist terrier making herself right at home on my bed....she's come to have holiday with me and err laying claim to sleeping arrangements. Now and again quacky ducks nibble along clearing green stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drayke Posted July 12, 2016 Report Share Posted July 12, 2016 Moored near Abingdon end of last week (nice moorings 5 days stay free) 3 cruisers on the other side of river had between them portable generators and or engines running 8am-8pm. When they started the same thing again the next day I pulled up pins and found a much quieter mooring at Sandford right next to pub great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rendelf Posted July 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) I like Abingdon. Mooring on the lock tail at Goring and Streatley provides some really nice splashy sounds too. On the Oxford canal, there is an individual who we have dubbed 'generator Jim'. Sometimes we see his boat coming, and cross our fingers he won't stop near ours! If he does, within minutes the rear-mounted genny starts up, and along with the chainsaw-song, comes the sickly sweet petrochemical pong, which lasts each day, all day long. We wonder what Jim is up to in there...what would require such power? Is he a mobile plant growing business? With solar being what it is, I can't imagine the cost of buying and running a noise machine makes any sense... The pavlovian helicopters don't tend to affect us in the cun'ry, but I did get to watch two Euro fighters practising engagements over Enslow last week...that was really noisy, and probably very expensive. I wondered if there was either something I didn't know about, or if they were having a good go in them before they had to be returned. Edited July 13, 2016 by Rendelf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbin Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 Bird song is a wonderful wake up call. I don't even mind being woken by ducks, unless they are running about on the roof, then they sound as if they are wearing cloggs. We were once woken in Manchester 7 years ago by a drunken young man demanding to be let in. We've not been back there since. And to top it all a CRT employee strimming the bank where we were moored at 6am!! and to add insult to injury the grass clippings stuck to the boat like glue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 We have a particularly noisy wake up call most summer mornings. On our home mooring our next door neighbour is always up early on a weekday and likes his morning cigarette whilst leaning on his hatch. This is usually accompanied by the loudest of farts that you have ever heard, easily loud enough to wake the neighbourhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayalld Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 A good point indeed! Like on the telly when they sneak up on bad guys to catch them in the act with blues and twos a flashin' and a honkin'. Ah yes. Reminds me of the good old days, watching "The Bill". For some reason, every copper at Sun Hill was trained to shout "Oy you" a good hundred yards from any suspect to give him maximum opportunity to be on his toes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 We have a particularly noisy wake up call most summer mornings. On our home mooring our next door neighbour is always up early on a weekday and likes his morning cigarette whilst leaning on his hatch. This is usually accompanied by the loudest of farts that you have ever heard, easily loud enough to wake the neighbourhood. That is no way to talk about Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 That is no way to talk about Grahamhas he started smoking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMax Posted August 7, 2016 Report Share Posted August 7, 2016 We have a particularly noisy wake up call most summer mornings. On our home mooring our next door neighbour is always up early on a weekday and likes his morning cigarette whilst leaning on his hatch. This is usually accompanied by the loudest of farts that you have ever heard, easily loud enough to wake the neighbourhood. It's just his bottom 'Yawning' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueStringPudding Posted August 7, 2016 Report Share Posted August 7, 2016 What lovely words, Rendelf. Incidentally, when we were kids, we had a dog called Peter. My 5 year old brother named him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmcgrath87 Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Most mornings here seem to be sirens as we're near some fairly main roads, and our heron, who makes the best but most awful squawk. I love him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssscrudddy Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 The wonderfully satisfying non stop thump thump thump from 7am to 7pm of 3 pile drivers on the building site next door, 5 days per week, throughout the whole of last year, & most of this year, measured at 76db by sticking my phone out of the side hatch according to an app, which only finally stopped about 2 months ago! Bastards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMax Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 The wonderfully satisfying non stop thump thump thump from 7am to 7pm of 3 pile drivers on the building site next door, 5 days per week, throughout the whole of last year, & most of this year, measured at 76db by sticking my phone out of the side hatch according to an app, which only finally stopped about 2 months ago! Bastards What are you complaing for? Could have remixed it to create a backtrack, add some random warballing post it on Youtube with some twerking NBers and become bigger than 'Gangnam Style' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Vectis Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Read on a blog yesterday someone moaning "That they were woken at 5:30 am by a passing boat and the clinking of the nearby lock paddle". He went on to whinge that travelling at that time is "most inconsiderate to others no matter what the excuse". Can't help thinking he ought to get a life. My reaction would have been 'someones away early' and I'd have rolled over and gone back to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerra Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Read on a blog yesterday someone moaning "That they were woken at 5:30 am by a passing boat and the clinking of the nearby lock paddle". He went on to whinge that travelling at that time is "most inconsiderate to others no matter what the excuse". Can't help thinking he ought to get a life. My reaction would have been 'someones away early' and I'd have rolled over and gone back to sleep. He could avoid the clinking by choosing to moor further away from a lock, and yes roll over and go back to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Vectis Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 I thought that too. I think he was moored between the bottom two locks at Stone. That tink, tink, tink noise of the paddle gear is one of the many many subtle, wonderful things about being on a boat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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