alastairq

The facial expression says it all?

On the contrary. With older engine designs, there's a phenomenon known as cyclic variability which hampers 'good' running on modern petrol [all modern petrol differs greatly from the stuff sold up until the 70's or 80's] The tests conducted by Manchester University as I've linked below, showed that old designs of engine run better on fuel which minimises the [adverse] effects of cyclic variability...The fuels concerned are the likes of the premium grades of petrol, and, surprisingly, E10 fuel. We have had E5 for a decade or more, so many of the storage issues, and adverse effects on old style gasket & rubber materials ought to have been sorted by now, by owners. https://www.veloce.co.uk/store/Classic-Engines-Modern-Fuel-The-Problems-the-Solutions-p151478624 The above is the full chapter & verse on all the findings as per Manchester Uni.....essential to understand what the linked website talks about. https://classicenginesmodernfuel.org.uk/Clubs/ModernFuel/Book.aspx?DYN_MENU_MainMenu=1000001 Anyway, in the above, all is explained as to why on certain fuels, older engine designs run 'better' under normal traffic conditions....than they do on more commonly sold, basic fuels. Especially when compared to how they ran when they were 'new'... Nought to do with ethanol, more to do with the fact today's fuel has little in common with fuel of the past, in terms of ingredients.

Many seem to work on the presumption that if one joins the Army, one will get shot at? Whereas, in fact, of every 10 soldiers, one will get shot at, & the other 9 will help & support that soldier when being shot at. Watched some of a PBS docuthing where old WW1 soldiers were interviewed about their 'experiences'. One admitted to being under age [17? Or 18?] when his unit were put on notice for going to France. He told of how he was asked by his superiors [who had guessed he was under age] if he wished to claim his real age, and stay in the UK? Or would he retain the status quo, and go to France?

That'll be, the low melting point child solders, then?

I think the E5 & E10 labels actually mean, ''up to'' E-whatever.

If one doesn't wish to entertain the expense of DCC, then the link below gives a more basic speed-taming solution http://gn15.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9941&hilit=Hornby+0+4+0+re+gear

To keep on the theme further up as well? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352772850208?epid=3028090182&hash=item5222e68220:g:ksMAAOSwvlVgRt2r

I'd take that as evidence they have the sense to avoid biting the hand that might feed them? Dogs, on the other hand lack the nous to know which side their bread's buttered..

Really??? As usual, you miss my point!

Aren't we the bright one's? Indulging in the modernistic blame culture?? The fact is, covid is here, like it or not. It has thrived, and spread, purely because of the way we all live our lives. It is , really, a consequence, of our affluence. The question now, is, what are we going to do about it? Who started it, is irrelevant to ordinary mortals. Re, cats & dogs, & covid? I understood the links to be, that covid can survive on their coats, rather than, the animals contracting it internally...? Anyway, no-one seems to be asking the question, what do we do when the next nasty disease breaks loose upon our interconnected [rightly or wrongly] world?

I'm now quite dizzy..............

As such, no replacement available from either /any political spectrum...that could do a better job. However, there must be dozens on RM web that could fulfill the post to everybody's satisfaction?

In our local towns [not big towns] Traffic Wardens conduct patrols for the obvious parking offences. But they also have access to DVLA [website] with their ANPR little hand-helds..so can tell immediately if the vehicle is taxed, insured &/or MoT'd. Hand as there's a lot of on-street parking. In fact, I can do that as well, with my not-so-smart phone, if I could be bothered, as for me it would take a lot longer. All they do is point their handheld gizmo at the reg plate/ vehicle, and the read-out is more or less instant. If insurance tax or whatever is not listed, then they simply call up the local clamp contractor. If uninsured, it'll get lifted. Then the RK gets the usual snottograms through their letterbox. Seen a fair few clamped round the town centre residential streets. It's why I think it important that when insuring, I look the reg number up on MiD , to see if the insurance clerk computer thingy has done their job right.

Trips to the seaside? Train journey part of the enjoyment? Whatever happened to piling into grandad's car as a family, for a trip to [choose preferred destination]? For a single person, one-off journey, PT is just, but only just, about comparable to the annual cost of private transport. Add two people, r a family into the equation, and PT soon becomes a nightmare, in every sense of the word. Up here in sticks, PT is really a token gesture. Only last week, Dearest Daughter rang me up, could she beg a lift? Not having use of her car for the day, she intended going to work by train [just possible, given where she lives, and where she works] On rockin' up at the station, she was greeted with the information that her particular train [there was no other anyway] was cancelled, due to the Guard getting covid-pinged. So Dad [me] drove the 5 miles into town, picked her up, took her to work [arriving before the train would have got there anyway]....and picked her up again that evening. A total mileage of around 80 miles. There & back, and there & back again. A return train fare for the journey is a tenner. Not including the mile walk to & from the local station. DD gave me her train fare for my trouble! [I would have done it for nowt, but she knows I'm a pensioniert}...but at least she was taken almost door-to-door [aside from the initial one mile walk to her station, to only find the train was cancelled! } She could have caught to local bus service at that point, but that would have meant not only an hour's journey [more, since the bus times weren't coincidental]...at slightly less cost for a return ticket. Normally she would drive [and eliminate my two return journeys]...on what is really but a half hour cross country journey. No traffic jams, and the route I showed her, really, no eedjits on the roads either. Her car isn't anywhere near new [newer by a long chalk than mine, however]...and probably gives around 45-50 mpgs, little in the way of tax, so, servicing & insurance costs... Plus, she gets to choose who she gets sat next to, or how smelly they are. Not forgetting being able to come & go as she pleases, rather than being 'told' when she can travel. I appreciate the above in no way compares to the urban situation elsewhere...but if folk will live cheek-by-jowl, and clog up the environment, what do they expect? However, it does compare to my last real long distance train journey 16 years ago...here to Portsmouth, via the Buncefield disaster...90 quid one way, and many hours stood up in a rammed carriage...plus the change over in that gawdawful place they call Lundun...I drove back in the missus's 'new' car...a lot less than 90 quid in petrol, and at least I had a seat to myself. A lot quicker, too.

Not to mention, for most , road travel is cheaper [by far for me!!]

In itself perhaps now an anomaly? Given C of E bleatings around falling attendances, etc in church....I get the feeling we live in a new world of hypocrisy. Surely our churches should be full to bursting every Sunday, given the sheer number of people posting on social media, whereby the first thing they utter is OMG? ** It follows then that if so many people feel the need to invoke God [their God]...either hypocrisy reigns supreme amongst social media-ites [like the medonites, but less hairy?]....or the church isn't doing enough to capitalise on this outpouring of religious belief..? ** No, I don't believe the exclamation refers to ''Oh My Giddy-Aunt''....

I caught what turned out to be Mexican or swine, flu at that time. I remember having to telephone an NHS number, and a box of Tamiflu was posted through my letterbox. This, the day before Xmas Eve, too. Not surprising I caught it, given that where-I-worked, a lot of unhealthy individuals were crammed in together in close proximity. These unhealthy individuals refused point blank to report 'sick' as they wanted to be out of the establishment toot sweet. Anyway, I reacted adversely to tamiflu. Managed to speak to my own GP on Boxing day.who told me not to bother with them. It lasted about 2 weeks...living on one's own meant I could not simply 'retire' to bed. Since I was on leave at the time, that had to be cancelled , to go on the 'sick'....but with it being deffo the mexican bug, I stayed [legitimately] away from work [on full pay]until the end of February. The establishment learnt to 'do without me'....A struggle really, as so many of my co-workers[colleagues, etc] were off sick with it at the same time....and since it was a recognised bug, and the establishment was unable to do anything about limiting its transmission, the 'sick' didn't count towards my normal quota for the year. Since then, despite the best efforts off various types of flu, I haven't caught a damned thing....not really even a cold,either. So I declined an offers of a flu jab. {Since the flu jab is likely to give one a mild dose of whatever the variety-of-the-year happens to be, I don't see the point in poking the wasps nest!} PS..I wonder if the Taliban have all had their two jabs? If not, nature may d the job for us?

This is what is wrong with our Government! It's all in the wrong hands!...[I just knew there was something untrustworthy with Tony Blair, et al!]

Rubic cubic inches, praaaphs?

But....exactly who do we talk to, or deal with? I think we, as a ''western'' nation, are to blame, not just for the situation in Afghan, but for even financing the Taliban as well. It is known the Taliban financed their operations using the drugs trade [nothing new there then?] But, if it wasn't for countries like the UK, with the financially-comfortable young things who like to indulge themselves in 'recreational' drug taking [not forgetting recreational alcohol abuse?]...creating a huge market for drugs in the first place, then folk like the Taliban would be in a struggling situation. The big mistake we made [as a western influence] {IMVHO} is to make more affluent a 'ruling' elite in Kabul, leading to inevitable corruption [the place couldn't run without corruption]...So maybe throwing money at the plot isn't such a good idea in the long term? I think the world will end up with another Iran, the way things are going? Without the missiles? The Mullahs have taken power yet again...

Shades of Burt Munro??

Lemmings, and a can of Red Bull springs to mind..................

Really? Nothing? ''Prevention'' is impossible. Imposing fines on the RKs whose vehicles are spotted/reported to be on the road is easy. Imposing fines on uninsured vehicles is easy too [with ANPR], and round here, when an uninsured vehicle is stopped, it is also impounded....end of journey in that particular vehicle. On major routes round here, there are ANPR cameras linked to DVLA, simply recording the reg number of every vehicle that passes. Of course, like any offence, regardless of nature....bringing an offender to Court, then getting anything out of them, is another story altogether. Therefore, if any citizen is concerned about a vehicle being used unlawfully [or otherwise, ] then it is easy enough to check, and report as necessary.

The insurance policy will state [words to the effect] that the policyholder may drive any vehicle, not owned by the policyholder, or hired to the policyholder[and the cover is for 3rd party only, to cover basic Road Traffic Acts insurance requirements] Be aware, being the Registered Keeper, does not mean one is the vehicle owner. That is stated on the front to the V5c.