...and she said...

[EtchedPixels]

My grandfather on my dad's side played the drums in pubs and clubs, ran a lathe in his shed, repaired vacuum cleaners, watches, washing machines and anything else, had a OO scale model railway and scratch built a pair of O gauge locomotives.

My Dad builds radio equipment and 30ft or higher amateur radio aerials in the garden

I think my wife thinks she's lucky I just do N  8-)

Alan

Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly

[Jack]

Strangely enough, I do know other people who watch washing machines
Guess it beats the rubbish on the telly

I really hate the Laundry Channel. Boring!

I hate that channel too - too many soap operas! 

[D1042 Western Princess]

SWMBO

  Sorry to be thick but what, in this context, is a "SWMBO"??

[talisman56]

SWMBO = 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' = Wife/Spouse/Partner...

Alternatively, could be referred to as the 'Domestic Authorities', because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...

[lionwing]

BTW: Because of circumstances (which I won't go into here), I'm in the interesting position of having to be PERSUADED  / PUSHED by my wife into buying N-scale railway-type things.  A most unusual situation I think you'll agree...

As you may have gathered already, she is very supportive

I used to be in the same position as she always said 'at least I know where you are when you're in the railway room'
Then she realised that railway modelling carried some costs with it
It didn't help when I pointed out I did a full time job whereas she worked 16 hours a week so therefore I had to bear all those costs

Brave words!

[Komata]

FWIW:

SWMBO is shorthand  for 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' (aka 'Her Indoors') and is a phrase that is  probably best known from the books and TV series 'Rumpole of the Bailey' , (staring Leo McKern) which you may have seen at some time.  The books were written by John Mortimer.

Curiously, the phrase  is actually older than the Books / TV series' and originally appeared in the book 'She' by H. Rider Haggard that started as a weekly series in a magazine in 1886; She'(actually named Ayesha)  being a very long-lived fearsome female who is a sorceress and queen in charge of a dying city.

Rumpole views his 'nearest and  dearest (who is named Hilda, BTW) in the same light...

Hope this helps.

[Sprintex]

... because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...

I've said it before and I'll say it again . . .


Not if you pick the right 'female'


Paul

[lil chris]

My mr's (swmbo) likes her TV  corry and eastenders etc, but it could be worse what would I do if she liked model railways. And even worse if she was better at it than me too................

[Komata]

Chris

Re: 'And even worse if she was better at it than me too............'

I am sure that your good lady would be MUCH to polite to even mention such a thing , at least within your hearing.

She'd just think a lot, that's all....(and probably discuss it with her girlfriends; as they do)

Thought you should know.

[D1042 Western Princess]

SWMBO = 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' = Wife/Spouse/Partner...

Alternatively, could be referred to as the 'Domestic Authorities', because as every male knows, the female has the last word on what happens in the house (if you want peace and harmony, that is)...

, yes, I knew of the term "domestic authorities" but not being a fan of Rumpole I was unaware of the other. In my house my railway room is mine and what goes on in there a mystery to her. She is welcome to enter of course, and  has even been known to drive trains on occasion    but as to having a say - 
But then she knows she will always come a close second to a Western. Lots of bribery (jewellery, Chanel 5 etc keeps the peace) and plenty of corruption (as this is a family site I'll say no more!

[Sprintex]

Just to add some 'balance' here, my misses loves the railway and has come up with many good ideas for it. She also put a LOT of work into it in the run up to the 2009 NGS AGM so we could take it along for the layout competition, otherwise we simply wouldn't have made it 

When she went up to Scotland for a week last year to visit her parents I had the layout assembled right across the lounge (literally wall-to-wall) to fully test my new control panel and wiring. Here's the pic:-



Clare was due to travel back down on Friday so she rang me on the Thursday night, and when I mentioned getting the railway put away so we could actually sit down and watch TV her exact words were "Don't put it away yet, I want to have a go at playing with the trains!"

And she did . . . most of Friday and again Saturday morning. The layout eventually got put away around saturday lunchtime


Paul

[D1042 Western Princess]

 

It's nice when a plan comes together.

True story.

A couple I know (once very well known in the field of model railways and exhibition layouts) would not mention their interest in the subject to each other, she because "trains was not a thing women did "and he because she might laugh at "a grown man playing with toys".
It was only when they had children old enough to be interested that she suggested taking them to "the local train show" and both finally realised that the other was interested.
Combining their talents they went on to become two of the finest builders of model railways in their time.
As I was told the story in confidence I'll not mention their names, but it shows that mentioning a hobby to a loved one can be a thing for good.

In my case Marion knows that she is welcome to develop an interest and would be encouraged but has shown no signs of anything beyond a casual "fiddle" a couple of times. A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.

[scotsoft]

A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.

Have you ever though of asking her to paint a backdrop for you?

cheers John.

[D1042 Western Princess]

A pity as she is a very talented artist (in her own way) and could probably help wonderfully with scenic work, at which I have no flair, but there we are.

Have you ever though of asking her to paint a backdrop for you?

cheers John.

Yes, but she won't do it. I gave up asking about 20 years ago.