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Minor Strangeness (IHTM)

I had a slightly weird one the other day. I was walking back from work and I saw a balloon floating over the rooftops, I thought I bet some kid is disappointed. I contemplated filming it as ‘no a ufo’ comparison but decided against it and carried on. A couple of minutes later I see its string next to me, it had come down to me. I possibly could have grabbed if it hadn’t caught me off guard. Then it was off again high up in the sky. It was just a bit odd.
 
I had a slightly weird one the other day. I was walking back from work and I saw a balloon floating over the rooftops, I thought I bet some kid is disappointed. I contemplated filming it as ‘no a ufo’ comparison but decided against it and carried on. A couple of minutes later I see its string next to me, it had come down to me. I possibly could have grabbed if it hadn’t caught me off guard. Then it was off again high up in the sky. It was just a bit odd.

If it was a red balloon, probably better left alone, unless you wanted to float too.
 
We have a old wall clock, we have had it about 40 years and it was likely
made when Queen Vic was in charge, I wind it weekly on a Sat morning
just like another in the same room, thing is with the wall clock some Saturdays
it only takes about half a turn of the key to fully wind other times quite a few
full turns, it also does not like to hang vertically it moves slowly over a number
of days to the left, I expect this is to do with vibrations from traffic or the clock
it's self but it takes a bit of force to move it back. I am certain no one else is
touching it, the winding is more puzzling.
 
We have a old wall clock, we have had it about 40 years and it was likely
made when Queen Vic was in charge, I wind it weekly on a Sat morning
just like another in the same room, thing is with the wall clock some Saturdays
it only takes about half a turn of the key to fully wind other times quite a few
full turns, it also does not like to hang vertically it moves slowly over a number
of days to the left, I expect this is to do with vibrations from traffic or the clock
it's self but it takes a bit of force to move it back. I am certain no one else is
touching it, the winding is more puzzling.
Depends on the mechanism. Is it one of those long clocks with the hanging weights?
 
Spring wound with a pendulum maybe a ft long quite a heavy lump.
very similar to this

1651995190857.png
 
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Dead level but slowly moves over a few days till I have to level it again
resorted to marking the wall I wind it the same every time some weeks
I takes a bit of winding as you would expect of a 8 day movement,
other weeks maybe half a turn as though it as only run half a day.
This as been going on and off for a good wile now one of life's little
mystery's.
 
My granddad used to boil clocks this cleared the muck out then the smallest drop of oil on the moving bits and good to go for a few years
Seen others suspend them over a container of petrol but would not recommend that with modern petrol
 
I thought you were referencing The Red Balloon, the classic French short film from the 1950s!
That was what I thought, but didn't want to mention it as I hated the movie. For some unknown reason, in elementary school I saw this movie ad nauseum. Probably because that was when we had reels and probably had little selection. I thought the whole concept was stupid and boooooring. I would never willingly reference the movie.
 
My granddad used to boil clocks this cleared the muck out then the smallest drop of oil on the moving bits and good to go for a few years
Seen others suspend them over a container of petrol but would not recommend that with modern petrol
Meths may be better. That'll clean anything.
 
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Did it stop, short, never to go again when the old man died by any chance? :thought:

Not sure you know, but Min is referencing song lyrics. You may not be as old as she :evillaugh: lol (I'm sure you can tell that I may be same age as Min as I know the song she's referencing)
True story:

I used to know a chap who ran a clock repair/restoration and sales business. We have lost touch now, but we were very good friends for a while and I often visited him, and even bought a couple of clocks from him. One day, I set up a fake AOL email address with a convincing name of a fake customer and sent him a message. 20 or more years after the event, I can't recall the original wording but it was more or less as follows:


Dear Sir, I wonder if you might be able to give me advice about repairs to a clock, and perhaps some idea of the resale value. Unfortunately, I do not know an awful lot about clocks, but I have just inherited this one from my late grandfather, who died recently at the ge of 90.

All I can tell you is that it is very tall — far too tall for the shelf — and for the last 90 years it has stood in the hall. It was taller by far than my grandfather. I remember he had to reach up to wind it. However, I remember that he once remarked that allthough it was taller than him, it weighed "not a pennyweight more."

I believe it was exactly the same age as my grandfather, being bought by his own father on the very morning of my grandfather's birth. It stood in the same spot for 90 years, working perfectly, but stopped at exactly the time of my grandfather's death and we have been unable to get it started since. I don't know if it will ever go again.

My friend, despite being a Morris man who had attended many music song sessions in many pubs, did not make the connection with the song and he sent quite a formal reply, expressing his condolences for my recent loss, but saying he felt unable to advise without more details of the clock.

For those who don't know the song:
My grandfather's clock was too tall for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more

It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
And was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped, short never to go again
When the old man died

Ninety years without slumbering
His life seconds numbering
It stopped, short never to go again
When the old man died

My grandfather said that of those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he found
For it wasted no time and had but one desire
At the close of each week to be wound

And it kept in its place, not a frown upon its face
And its hands never hung by its side
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

It rang and alarmed in the dead of the night
An alarm that for years had been dumb
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight
That his hour for departure had come

Still the clock kept the time with a soft and muffled chime
As we silently stood by his side
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

Ninety years without slumbering
His life seconds numbering
It stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died
 
Lol, I am not sure how old you need to be. :chuckle: Apparently it was written in 1876 and I am not that old. :p

We have a thread on the subject called Clocks Stopping at the Time of Death.

https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...t-the-time-of-death.67597/page-2#post-1993554
We were taught it in elementary school music class. Did not know it was that old, but I knew our music books were old at the time. We also learned "I'se the B'y" which I think is an Eastern Coast Canadian folk song.
 
That was what I thought, but didn't want to mention it as I hated the movie. For some unknown reason, in elementary school I saw this movie ad nauseum. Probably because that was when we had reels and probably had little selection. I thought the whole concept was stupid and boooooring. I would never willingly reference the movie.

Surely the National Film Board of Canada could have stepped in to provide more variety in your entertainment? The Big Snit? The Cat Came Back? Cosmic Zoom?
 
Surely the National Film Board of Canada could have stepped in to provide more variety in your entertainment? The Big Snit? The Cat Came Back? Cosmic Zoom?
I love "The Cat Came Back". It's was on tv many times when I was a kid. I don't recall seeing it at school on a reel.
 
Saw this in the 'humour and jokes' thread, and about 30 seconds later there was a question on the Radio 2 'popmaster' quiz...
"The Village People had a UK number one with YMCA in 1978 - what was their only other top ten single in the UK?"
Maybe if I had bothered to look up their discography off the back of seeing this joke I would've been able to give the correct answer (answer below).
(The answer was 'In the Navy')
 
We buried my mother yesterday after nearly seven weeks since she passed, first possible opportunity.
I will happily admit I have not quite been tea total since she died and I don’t know what happened to the water jug that has disappeared from next to the sink. But I have been plagued over the last few days by things moving very very quickly at the periphery of my vision. I spin expecting to see a fly or similar but there is nothing there.
I’m sure it is down to over indulgence and a complete lack of sleep in the run up to the funeral but I have never experienced this constant movement at the side of my vision.
Hopefully a couple of dry nights and some half decent sleeps will sort it out.
 
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