Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Morning ..just...

 

Obviously someone has kicked the  RMWeb Server back into life!  Well done @AY Mod

 

Have a great day!

 

Baz

[chrisf]

Howdy folks and thanks to Andy for bringing us back.

 

Some things never change.  That which I was typing relatively merrily has just disappeared into cyberspace.  Grrrr.  I occupied this morning by viewing the first five episodes of the new Portaloo series and will shortly venture out to buy my donation to charity.  Last night I finished preparing my presentation so my producer, for want of a better expression, has nearly three weeks in which to pull it to pieces.

 

Must get on.  Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[Tony_S]

14 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Only £30,000, not far from here at Thorpe Bay they are more than twice that.

The £30000 ones are probably in Leicestershire though. 

[polybear]

We're up and running again

Bear has had a pretty successful morning sorting the H&C sink supply pipes, as well as the sink waste pipe; the latter had a solvent weld fitting on the end which needed to come off, ideally without damaging the pipe underneath.....

An X-Acto Razor Saw was used the cut the female fitting longitudinally at the 12 & 3 o'clock positions, almost (but not quite) all the way thru' so I didn't mark the pipe underneath; I then used a wood chisel in the 12 o'clock slot and twisted so that a quarter section of the pipe fitting broke away - it took several goes but worked eventually.  The remaining bits were then broken away bit by bit with the aid of the chisel.  Some sandpaper on the end of the pipe cleaned everything up and the whole task worked very well.  A right result.

Then it was the turn of the H&C water pipes - the soldered fittings on the ends of the pipes were de-soldered and the pipes cleaned up ready for compression fittings - these will be accessible from inside the sink base unit in the event of leaks and so will be easy to fix or adjust.  Don't fancy the idea of using a blowlamp inside the new unit somehow...

 

I saw buddy over the fence - he told me they were having 3 viewings of their house today, and one tomorrow; it's on the market for £25K more than a similar house of the same style (but better IMHO as it has a two-storey extension at the back - but a 3 bed, not the somewhat iffy description of 4 bed that buddy's house has) just a few doors away that sold just a few months ago.  Seems that when that house sold there was guzumping going on too.

 

Oh look - din dins time....

[BSW01]

Good afternoon everyone 

 

First I'll say thanks to Andy for getting the RMWeb back up and running. 

 

Absolutely persisting it down, so work is continuing in the cellar, new cables to pull through for the sockets etc. Oh and a bookcase to move so I can fit the last back box. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the rest of the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

[PhilJ W]

Good Morning/Afternoon from Estuary-Land. Great to see RMweb back up again and thanks Andy. It was getting a bit flaky late last night just before I went to bed. Actually the £30,000 beach huts are at Clacton not far from the one's that I was considering at Holland-on-Sea. Anywhere much further north of there on the east coast might be a bit iffy due to coastal erosion. The ones I did consider were a few rows back from the beach and therefore less desirable from some peoples point of view but at least the one's in front give some protection from the elements and if said erosion happens they are less likely to be floating off into the North Sea.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-53861758#:~:text=Beach huts along a stretch,dragged down to the sea.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/expensive-north-wales-beach-huts-18810152

 

[TheQ]

I tried much earlier,. But have been busy since. So haven't been back till now.

Mooring Awl inner Temple Hare,

A poor night several wake ups with a long time before the next sleep.

 

Ben the alarm clock Collie said it was Monday , time I got up at 05:00...

It's been cloudy all day so far with the great fried egg trying to break through. The wind has been increasing all day.

 

I've built the basics of a cupboard between the entrance door to the library, and the chimney breast. This in plan view is 18inches by 19 inches. It will at the bottom hold the coal, in a pull out drawer on wheels / coal scuttle,  logs next level. Then a drawer holding tin boxes in which will be  firelighters, matches,  then spare stove sealing rope etc. 

I have to make the drawers and coal scuttle yet.

 

Above this will be a three level book shelf giving 4 layers of books  including the cupboard top it's sat on. That book shelf is partly assembled in the workshop drying it's paint.

 

A muggacoffee is to be drunk, then I will retire to my pit to straighten my back..

 

 

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a sunny but cool Charente.  As there was no RMWeb this moaning I headed for The Danglies as Lidl were advertising an irigation pump for €54.  Pah, they hadn't any in stock.  I'll try a different  branch on Thursday.  Various minor tasks this afternoon. The first is to find where a stray cable goes under the verandah.  It's suddenly dropped down and is a 2 core power cable neatly sliced through at the end. My fist tak will ge to gently probe the two exposed cores with a meter to check if it's live.  

 

Not a lot else on the agenda for today.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land

...and thanks to AndyY for fixing RMweb - I thought it was my mobile at fault. 

 

ELF WARNING!

Caaaaaaaaake......

 

After my escapism on the Icelandic volcano eruption online videos in the past month, I, eventually, just could NOT resist making one of these - a Chocolate Lava Cake (CLC).  Two, actually. The online recipe was for one large ramekin. I used two small ones but the time required to cook was the same, despite  the original recipe advising less time!  Maybe, it is because my ramekins are quite thick china, needing more time for the heat to penetrate.

 

Mmmmmmmm...Just ooooooozzzzzzing  out...

 

 

Dark mint chocolate, Bournville cocoa powder, butter, flour, icing sugar, and milk. in equal quantities.

Rich.

Very rich.

Once in a lifetime rich...but absolutely

yummy, yummy, yummy.

And the remains of the uncooked mixture is just as yummy - like scraping out the mixing jug....Mmmmmm!

 

 

If you fancy one, there are plenty of recipes out there, with eggs, without eggs, with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate (reddened with colouring), and served with ice cream, or cream, or not, etc, etc, etc... You could be spoilt for choice but I am not suggesting you go and damage your health with the likes of these....Oh! No!    But they are nice! 

 

 

Fitt  and  Elfie are aghast...... 

 

Take care all and EAT safe. 

 

I am back to watching the real thing.... 

but lunch first.

_________

Best wishes

Rolly Polly

[Andrew P]

BIG Thanks to Andy for sorting the system. Its amazing what a 4lb Hammer can do.

 

Bright and breezy, that's the weather not me, although there was no wind when I went out for the walk earlier.

 

Have a good day one and all, stay safe and well.

[Sir TophamHatt]

Good afternoon!

 

Spent the morning catching up after a weekend of fiddling with solar lights, that I thought were broken but jumped in to life.  I also varnished a sandpit...  just in time for this turn in the weather.

 

However, today is a war with a TV merchant.

It's the time of year where all the older 2020 models are being replaced with new ones.  Some good deals at Easter but for some reason, I didn't check.  So now I'm stuck with potentially paying £200 more than I could have.  One particular merchant has asked me to call them to see if they can match the same 10% off they did at Easter.  I don't mind waiting but if I wait too long I may miss out all together.  Who blinks first - we'll see!

[jonny777]

Windy and now rather wet in North Somerset. 

 

I have busied myself with more rainwater logistics, as one of my butts will fill completely after 6-7mm of rain, and so I empty some of its water into containers and watering cans ahead of the next dollop of rain. 

 

I suspect the reason for this is a slightly uneven gutter which means the water from the house roof tends to run in that butt's direction more often than not. 

 

I could straighten it out, but I rather like the random setup, as that particular butt is the most convenient for watering everything in tubs. We have about 20 tubs full of plants which are impossible to grow in the garden directly, mainly due to slug and snail activity. 

 

Lupins, Delphiniums and all forms of Marigold are simply wasted if grown in the ground. They can all vanish over one wet night in the worst scenario. Strangely, the same is true of Cowslips, but not Primroses - which I can't understand as they are both from the same family of plants.  

[Gwiwer]

Afternoon All.  Welcome back RMweb.  

 

Thanks to Andy Y, a smouldering iron and large sledgehammer   

 

Ban Collar Day weather is in full flow here.  The sky is intermittently leaking and the trees are leaning at odd angles.  The G-word has been removed from the agenda account the conditions outside.  Instead the M-word is being progressed but should not be discussed in detail here.  I blame the wind on last night's vegetarian haggis good though it was. Tonight's offering will clear the remaining Indian from the "takeaway" (i.e. delivery) of the other night with plenty of vegetable curry, biryani and chicken madras left in the fridge.  More wind may be expected tomorrow  

 

In addition several C-words now require my attention; Cuppa.  Coffy.   Choccybiscuits.  

 

See you later.  Unless the chewing gum and string fail again!  

[TheQ]

The rain just arrived as I was bringing in the shelf unit.

Ben has gone and hidden in his cage as a squall is going through.

[New Haven Neil]

A'noon.  Thanks to Andy we're on again, although it did mean I got to go out for lunch!  Many have said I already....no forget that.

 

Horrendous weather here, 40mm rain and counting, winds approaching gale force, it really is not nice out.  7c 'feels like' 3c. Ugh. 

 

So the wood burner is lit, and I think I may be welded to the sofa for the afternoon.  Arthur Itis is having a field day, so no garage or modelling work.  

[J. S. Bach]

53 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

BIG Thanks to Andy for sorting the system. Its amazing what a 4lb Hammer can do. ...snip...

I prefer a spike maul.

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

I did try to get here earlier, but here wasn't here.

 

Thanks to fellow ERs for the birthday wishes that were posted on FB.  It has been a bit of a messy one for me as on today's agenda was "sorting out the bathroom".  There appears to have been a slight leak in the bath sealant, which meant getting some new sealant, and investigation of the whereabouts of the leak.  So having sorted that, 30747 wanted to go to the local junk car boot sale rejects antique centre - but then on our return suggested that the grouting in the bathroom needed "some attention" - so it was back up there to refresh the grout.

 

And now it's persisting down with rain, as promised - though it has to be said that we do need some, as the gardens are a bit dry, and the river levels also look quite low. 

 

Lily was signed off at the vet's, and she is nine tomorrow - where are these years going - she was one of my 60th presents.

 

Still, for my 69th, I was bought a very nice Glen Scotia, and a 12yo Glenkinchie, to supplement the other bottles in the household.

 

Not back tomorrow, as I am at Age UK, then provided she is back, picking up 30747 from work.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited May 3, 2021 by 45156

[Gwiwer]

2 minutes ago, 45156 said:

here wasn't here

It wanted double-time for working on a bank holiday 

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

upins, Delphiniums and all forms of Marigold are simply wasted if grown in the ground. They can all vanish over one wet night

We have the same problem with hostas. Essex slugs seem to love them. Aditi had tried all the usual suggestions. They even did for the ones in tubs with copper tape and gravel. We won’t use slug pellets so it was easier not to have hostas. I suspect everyone else with slug pellets has finished off the local hedgehogs too.

 

[Winslow Boy]

30 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We have the same problem with hostas. Essex slugs seem to love them. Aditi had tried all the usual suggestions. They even did for the ones in tubs with copper tape and gravel. We won’t use slug pellets so it was easier not to have hostas. I suspect everyone else with slug pellets has finished off the local hedgehogs too.

 

 

I recall some advice givern by a professional grower who specialised in growing hosta s about how he managed to keep them free of slug damage. He said it was a combination of good hygiene and garlic spray. The hygiene involved keeping the area around the hosta's free of any twigs or leaf litter ie not providing them a place to hide. Whilst the garlic spray had to be applied several times. Quite what would happen if the slugs were French and quite liked garlic he didn't say.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Winslow Boy

[simontaylor484]

38 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We have the same problem with hostas. Essex slugs seem to love them. Aditi had tried all the usual suggestions. They even did for the ones in tubs with copper tape and gravel. We won’t use slug pellets so it was easier not to have hostas. I suspect everyone else with slug pellets has finished off the local hedgehogs too.

 

Have you tried Nematodes they are organic and eco friendly 

[jonny777]

39 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

We have the same problem with hostas. Essex slugs seem to love them. Aditi had tried all the usual suggestions. They even did for the ones in tubs with copper tape and gravel. We won’t use slug pellets so it was easier not to have hostas. I suspect everyone else with slug pellets has finished off the local hedgehogs too.

 

 

Sadly yes, and it is not just gardeners who use the slug/hedgehog killer treatments. UK farmers seem to; by adding tens of thousands of tons of the stuff each year on arable fields. 

 

One of the worst offenders are people who grow oilseed rape which, if you research into details of pests and diseases, seems to be attacked by all and sundry creatures in the fields but especially flea beetles which cannot be eradicated without decimating other insect species as well. After reading biological articles I am surprised that the crop is allowed to be grown at all, especially just for its oil; when there are many other varieties of crops which can be used for cooking oil. 

 

Presumably, it is cheap to refine; and its high demand for nitrogen mean that global fertiliser companies are making a mint?

[Tony_S]

17 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Have you tried Nematodes they are organic and eco friendly 

We have used nematodes on other stuff. I don’t think we used them on the hostas though.