SM42

If you thought that was scary, try using a shotgun in fading light. The cloud of sparks from the muzzle is quite impressive The bright flash at the breach end, between the stock and barrel, next to your cheek is more eye opening ( or eye closing if you've got any sense) Andy

Talking of water management, it's raining here. That's a relief really as I was expecting a hose pipe ban to be announced if the drought of the last 48 hours went on much longer Andy

AUUI great pains ate taken in The Netherlands to keep water levels down, but also keep them up. Letting the land dry out too much will allow the wooden piles that many buildings are constructed upon to rot. When we stayed near Sneek, there was a very nice little house for sale near the farm we stayed at. Unfortunately the underpinning piles had got too dry and it had a distinct gradient from the middle down to each end Andy

Job and knock. Can't beat it sometimes. I think you were somewhere round Smethwick when the first hint of speculation that I might finish work soon began to cross my mind. Andy

I might see you then. Might not. Depends if you go in the loop. Andy

Dual carriageway ( has a central reservation) is 70mph unless otherwise signed. On my route to work tonight I will turn off a 40mph dual carriageway onto a signed 30mph side road. I will then join another unsigned dual carriageway without passing another speed limit sign. The road has streetlights. The opposite carriageway is signed 40mph. What is the limit on my side? In theory 30mph, but as you approach a roundabout a 30mph terminal sign appears,indicating that maybe it was more than 30mph before this sign. In car cameras are no help. They give up if it doesn't see a sign after a minute or so. Confused? You will be. Most seem to think the limit is around 60 anyway. The big problem is the probability of not being caught nowadays. Technology cannot fully replace the mk1 eyeball of a police officer and there are far too few of those looking after traffic matters nowadays. I'm pretty sure the national debt and Birmigham City Council's financial problems could be helped by more enforcement of the rules of the road. Tomorrow, around 6am I will be in the Birmingham Grand Prix. No plod about that time. It's shift change. Andy

No. Its separate. I do object to paying extra for a built-in appliances especially as you don't even get the outer casing. Andy

Keep the noise down tomorrow please. I'm on nights. What time are you off Worcester? I'll keep an eye out for you, if they are open. Andy

In the interests of balance after the vacuum cleaner attachments faux pas the other day, I have just opened the fridge to put them away again. Perhaps they are like semi conductors; work better cold. Andy Slowly losing it it appears.

I have seriously considered buying a car now to replace the current one when it falls apart. (Sort of have one in stock for the future while you can still get em thing. ) A dealership I pass on my commute, occasionally has a large estate type car out front for sale. ( model now discontinued) They rarely are there for more than a week. Some of the SUVs have been there for a couple of months. Anyway I will need to brave Brum's rush hour traffic later ( fortunately I shall be going the opposite way to the peak traffic for most of the time) so deplorable driving will be witnessed no doubt. Andy

Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, Honda, Volvo, Toyota have all moved to an almost exclusive SUV, of various sizes, range. There are a few outliers as you mention, but what are their advertising budgets being spent on promoting? SUVs that only really match the V part of the acronym. Andy

But people are effectively forced to buy an SUV. Most ranges now have ditched the medium and large family hatchback / saloon/ estate, so if you want a new car it's SUV or small car. The manufacturers have been pushing SUVs because they cost about the same to build as a saloon but can charge many thousands more for them. If you want to carry 2 adults and 2/ 3 kids and a week's luggage you will struggle to fit it all in. We recently had a Kia Sportage as a hire car ( not by choice, our original choice of a C'eed was not available) Three adults got in. Their luggage ( cabin bag and small under seat bag each) went in the boot. It was a tight fit. The was not much room left. The coats wedged in around the bags. Lord knows what damage they would do should you be unfortunate enough to hit a pedestrian The second hand forecourts are awash with SUVs. Finding a second hand large estate / saloon or hatchback is harder. Everyone is holding on to them till they fall apart. It's one of the reasons I'm driving a 10 year old car as there is nothing practical to replace it. Andy

Well that's relief. I thought I was going mad Andy

OK, I think I'm trying too hard. I've just spent 20 seconds looking in the fridge and couldn't see what I was looking for Hardly surprising as I was looking for the vacuum cleaner attachments. I may need a lie down. Andy

Today has turned jntk one of those deal with financial stuff days. The practical stuff has taken a back seat so far. I've got to finish the hopefully successful repairs to the garden bench ( need to paint the repair too) and then prepare SM42 Towers for more weekend guests. The move into the West wing continues slowly. Garden tidying is also on the agenda. Andy