More webcams to keep an eye on that snow, Staffordshire webcams now live

At the moment its snowing in Derby and has been all night, Not seen this much snow in years.
People seem to like my Derbyshire webcams page during these times as it allows you to see for yourself if its actually snowing right now rather than trusting a weatherman to tell you!

So I  have started to create a section for Staffordshire Webcams as this is the next county to the south west of Derbyshire so you can see how bad the snow is effecting them.
One of the webcams I have added to this page is provided by www.leekonline.co.uk and is extreamly good as it allows many viewing options including almost live video streaming so you can actually see the snow coming down.

Here is a screen grab of how the snow was looking this morning in Leek:

The Snow in Leek on the 1st December 2010 :

If you know of any webcams in Staffordshire that I can add to my page then please contact me via my website or post a comment to this blog post and I will add it to the page so others can enjoy it.
I'm sure there must be lots of webcams in Staffordshire but quite often they are not easy to find.
In time I will probably be creating a few other webcam pages for the other surrounding counties of Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, Lancashire.



I wonder how long this snow is going to stop around for. Normally when it snows the temperature is much warmer than this time so it does not get chance to settle but this stuff has settled and there is so much of it.
If you want to make the most of the snow then check out my Derby Sledging Guide.

Thanks
Andy

Christmas Gift ideas, Not sure what to get?

Are you strugling to think of those last minute gifts for people?

At the moment Amazon have the 12 Days of Christmas Sale. on where you can save lots of money on some great gifts.

Also if you still have absolutely no idea at all on what to get them then how about Amazon Gift Vouchers

New local book out now – A Derby View by Anton Rippon.

The former owner of Breedon Books in Derby has a new book out - A Derby View by Anton Rippon

Derby Evening Telegraph columnist Anton Rippon was signing copies of his latest book at Waterstone's bookshop in St Peter's Street last weekend, perhaps you were one of the lucky ones to get a signed copy.

The book – A Derby View – features a selection of his weekly columns from the newspaper over the past eight years. It also has photographs of Derby dating back many years.
192 pages, published by Wharncliffe Books
ISBN-13: 978-1845631376

 A Derby View by Anton Rippon :



Anton Rippon has published a few other local books in the past too.
You can follow Antons blog on here.
thanks
Andy

Cash machine horror, ATM screen shows Windows is shutting down message while it has my debit card.

Last week I had a nightmare incident when using a cash machine in Derby. Has anyone else ever had this problem, its not very nice. It just shows you how its important not to trust your life with these machines.
Its kinda funny looking back on it now, I wish I had videoed the bloody thing doing what it did.


I have been using many cash machines (ATMs) for over 20 years all over the world (well USA, Jersey, Ireland and UK :)) and never had any problems with any of them until this.

The story:

Basically I put my debit card in, entered the PIN then pressed the button “Cash with advice slip”. After a few seconds it showed a message on screen “We are currently unable to print an advice slip, do you want to continue?”

So I pressed the YES button, then it asked how much money and I pressed the £50 button but it did not respond at all. I thought perhaps the button was faulty so pressed £50 a bit harder but still nothing.

Mmmm perhaps it can’t dispense £50 due to lack of certain back notes (even though it would normally tell you so). I pressed the £40 button but still nothing so then pressed the £10 button and still no response from it.

OK I thought this ATM is knackered so I pressed the Cancel button expecting it to eject my card so I could try another ATM, but to my horror the Cancel button was not doing anything either!
Pressed Cancel a few more times, then to my surprise the ATM screen suddenly had a mouse pointer on it and a DOS popup window appeared which said “McAfee automatic update in progress”. What on earth is happening here looks like a virus scanner is updating which has stopped the actual operation of the cash machine, surely not?

Once it had done some updating of files that window vanished off screen and it said “Windows is shutting down” My God I whats going on. Windows running the ATM!!!

Then after bit it showed PC BIOS initialising messages and then Windows NT is starting up messages.

Obviously while all of this was going on, in the back of your mind you are thinking what’s going to happen to my card, Will I ever see it again?

After it had finished booting Windows NT the screen changed to ”Sorry Temporarily out of service”. See my photo here:

So that’s the end of the card then, I went into the bank that the ATM was attached to and had to queue for ages only to be told that “we do not have access to the machine and any cards that are not ejected get automatically shredded by the machine. You will have to contact your own back to get a replacement card”.

After ringing up my bank and putting a block on the lost card (just in case) I had to ask for a replacement card to be sent. My bank also said that ATMs automatically shred cards that don’t get ejected out which sounds a bit odd.

So the moral of the story is make sure you have an emergency credit card just in case Windows throws a wobbler on your ATM and decides its going to eat your card for dinner!

Until this happened I did not realise that cash machines actually ran Windows operating system, scary isn’t it ! but I guess its cheaper to use an off the shelf operating system.
Surely it was not really McAfee anti-virus software updating that killed the cash Machine? Why would you have antivirus software running on a ATM anyway its not like its got any user-accessible USB ports that people can get to infect it via!

Anyone who works at NCR able to give feedback on this?

Hope you found this story funny
Andy

Derby Christmas Lights Switch on Saturday 20th November 2010

For 2011 switch on <--- Click me now !

This year in Derby there are two seperate Christmas light switch on ceremonies to go and see.
If you are into 80's music and want to see some pop stars from the era then pop down to Westfield Derby to see Toyah Willcox and Carol Decker perform.

Derby Westfield Christmas lights switch-on 2010
Join Santa and 80s pop legends Toyah Willcox and Carol Decker as they help to turn on our Christmas lights. The fun starts at 2pm on Saturday 20th November on Level 2 near Eat Central as we turn back the clock to give you a big 80s party hosted by Ram FM's Steffen Le Touche.
Dance along with Toyah and Carol as they sing hits from the decade and see performances from 2009's Christmas Choir Competition winners Alvaston Community Junior School choir, and a show-stopping performance from Duffield's Vision School of Dance.

Market Place Christmas lights switch-on
Derby’s annual Christmas lights switch-on will have both the X and Fame Factor as X Factor 2010 acts, The Reason and Hustle will take to the stage alongside finalists from Ram FM & Derby LIVE's Fame Factor.
Both groups made it through to the judges' houses stage of this year's X-Factor competition. Stars from Ram FM & Derby LIVE’s Fame Factor, including singing group The Nightingales, football freestyler, John Wetton and winner, Marcia Lynette Campbell will also perform.
The festive parade, from The Spot down to the Market Place, will commence at 4.15pm

Its dificult to find out exactly when the lights will be swiched on but it may be possible to see both the Westfield lights and Derby's lights being switched on.

If you want more information then see these websites:






Westfield Derby xmas lights switch on.

www.derbylive.co.uk

Cheers
Andy

Rare table from Elvaston Castle for sale at Christies this week, do you have some space cash?

On Thursday 18th November 2010 there is a sale at Christies in London and one of the items for sale is a highly decorative table made in 1835 that used to be at Elvaston Castle. (or rather Elvaston Hall as it was then.)

If you have a few spare quid down the back of the Sofa then get your bids in to own a bit of Derbyshire History.

The estimated selling price for the table is £40,000 - £60,000
Sale 7881

Lot 204
The table has a  rectangular top with re-entrant corners and a leaf and vine carved edge above a pierced Gothic base with tracery panels between foliate and spiral reeded uprights, the ends with pieced crocketted spires above a small architectural detail supporting a dog or talbot and flames, on castors.
31 in. (79 cm.) high; 75 in. (190 cm.) wide; 35½ in. (90 cm.) deep

See the item here:
Elvaston Castle Decorative Table for sale at Christies.

Hope you found this of interest.
Andy

Friar Gate Bridge scaffolding, No restoration plans

A few people have contacted me to say they are restoring Friar Gate Bridge but this is NOT the case.
The scaffolding that has recently been put up under Friar Gate bridge is in fact preperation work for some safety netting that is going to be put under the bridge.

I mentioned this work in my blag last month : Friar Gate Bridge to be wrapped up for xmas.

This is how Friar Gate Bridge looks at the moment:

 
On two consecutive Sundays in December Friar Gate will be closed so that the netting can be attached to the bridge.

Rare old cine film of Allenton and Osmaston in snow filmed in 1965.

I have just been given some absolutely amazing rare cine film footage of the Allenton and Osmaston areas of Derby during some snow in 1965. This was filmed by Dave Upton.
www.daveuptonphotography.co.uk
I would like to thank Dave for allowing me to share this footage with a greater audience.
I really enjoy watching old local video like this, I could watch it for hours. I find it really interesting trying to work out the locations and all the little details that have been captured.
If your not that old (like me) then you won't remember such things as Trolley buses and you probably think the "Spider bridge" at Allenton has always been there. Well here in this video you will see a different era to the one you may know.



The driving footage was filmed from an Austin 10 van
Information about the locations in this video:
0:12 Here we see a shot of Osmaston Road (I think)
0:25 The Mitre Island (Where the Spider bridge is located today)
0:35 Closer view of the Mitre Island
0:42 Nice shot of the Mitre Hotel (built in 1930). You can also see Allenton Market in the background to the left of the pub. Google Streetview relates to about 0:45 in the video.
0:47 Driving along Osmaston Road from the Mitre Island.
1:04 On the left is a post box and red phone box, The post box is still there today and the red phone box has been replaced with a modern glass one. Google Streetview of post box and Phone box.
On the right is the turning for Ascot Drive.
1:07 On the left is a Trolley Bus picking up passengers.
1:47 On the left is Abingdon Street.
1:56 On the left is Cotton Lane.
----------
The video footage is copyright www.daveuptonphotography.co.uk

I hope you enjoy this rare footage.

Thanks
Andy

2010 Markeaton Bonfire and Fireworks, Sunday 7th November from 5.45pm.

Its that time of year again when our annual free Bonfire and Fireworks event takes place at Markeaton Park, Derby.There will be a Funfair on Markeaton Park from 2pm to 9pm.
Ram FM’s Dino & Pete will be there from 5pm.
The Derby Live Fame Factor winner, singer Marcia Lynette Campbell, will entertain the crowds before the bonfire and fireworks display.

Markeaton Park Bonfire and Fireworks.
Sunday 7th November 2010
The Bonfire will be lit at 5.45pm

The Fireworks from 6pm.

Note that Markeaton Lane will be CLOSED from 3pm to 9pm, best not to come by car if possible!

If you own a smart Phone (iPhone, HTC etc) then here is a drop pin marker you can use to find the main pedestrian entrance : Smart phone drop pin click here.
This will open your mapping application which you can then use to plan your walking route into the park!

Map location for Markeaton Park Bonfire and Fireworks including parking location.


View 2010 Markeaton Park Bonfire and fireworks Display in a larger map.

I hope this years event goes well for all involved.
Andy