They all looked as if they walked the Pennine Way for a megatick before breakfast.

Top-posting and spamming are considered poor netiquette on a newsgroup.

They should have been facing down bellowed challenges from black knights bearing the vergescu, or solving thorny theological dilemmas posed by holy hermits. Or at the very least resisting the diabolical temptations of ravishing succubi.

Hard work is required from men and machines as I was to experience later when footplating Lambton No 5 on five bogies battling its way up Newtondale.