When copper prices were sky high 10 yrs ago the mint used to pull out old copper coins (as opposed to the copper coated nickel coins of later years/ now) and recycle them. The intrinsic value of the material was more than the ‘face’ value.

I doubt they bother these days

I think they the flat earth society is a piss-take.

https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40315/the-flat-earth-society-has-members-all-around-the-globe

Every now and then they break cover

The word on the street is that JLR will shut Castle Bromwich, and move the lines East in the not too distant future. Very grim if that become fact.

The Fenix 5 hasn’t crashed/ lost its setting so far (unlike my old Edge bike computer).

If you’ve had an Edge bike computer it’s easy to find your way around the Fenix. similar OS, if still a bit ‘unintuitive’.

I bought a Fenix 5 plus in the Autumn, and have been pleasantly surprised at how motivating it can be to try to match the daily/ weekly targets.

I bought the Fenix as a grid ref GPS back up when hill walking with a map & compass + replacement for a knackered Edge bike computer, but I’ve found myself using it for activity tracking – something I hoped for but did not really expect. Lost 9kg so far.

Some compliant USA sellers will mark up the carnet with ‘Sample goods, Value $5’ or similar I’ve heard. Royal Mail/ HMRC will not bother to charge duty then

Over-tightening the preload cap shags the bearings in no time

Ion Shelter pants are good

£35k is too much money to not be in control. A contract will set out what you’re getting, when you’ll get it, and how much and when you’ll pay. (+ a whole host of things like insurance, defect liability, damages for late completion etc etc)

A simple standard form  ‘Minor Works’ contract would be fine, but it’s not something you can do yourself. If you don’t know the builder personally (& perhaps especially if you do!) you should consider appointing someone to project manage, or at the very least administer the contract for you – building surveyors can do this. Alternatively, if the designs were by an architect then they could do the contract admin too.

£500 – £1000 well spent.

Slater Gordon would be worth speaking with (I found them very good when I got T Boned by a bus), this would be outside of their normal type of work I’d expect

Do you have CTC/ Cycling UK membership? (PI legal cover is part of the package)

I’ve got a Rocket max (not longshot) Great bike, fast and stable and more capable than I’m brave enough to attempt. I was certainly ‘over-biked’.

Recently got a Stanton and have been really impressed at how playful it is, twitchy compared with the Cotic, but ‘poppy’ and engaging.

I’d suggest you test ride the Cotic

I did the same 4 or 5 months ago. Took two or three sessions to get it bled properly. I recently changed the fluid in a post-summer service and it works better than ever now – must have still had some bubbles in there somewhere

Three ski trips a year, while I still can

Colleagues at work in Glasgow are pretty worried about over-doing it the night before & still being above the (Scottish) limit. I must admit I bought myself an alco-tester gizmo, for when I drive in Scotland ‘the morning after’. It’s calibrated so I rely on it. I’m surprised after several pints the night before how low the alcohol levels are, well below the Scottish limits. It’s a non-issue I suspect, unless the boat is pushed well out beyond the surf-line and into deep water

On another tack. I often stop off for two or three pints near home after a regular evening ride (20 mile MTB or so) I do with friends. Out of curiosity I’ve tested myself once I’ve cycled home & been surprised that I’m still under the English limit – must be the exercise I suppose?

My youngest is learning to drive; it’s reassuring to hear him say that it’s strictly taboo for his mates to drink & drive – I think I even believe him.

Fenix has maps – very spendy though

Ridiculously expensive but works really well. Folds small to go in a boot, or shed.

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/thule_easyfold_xt_folding_2_bike_carrier_no_933/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40Rb%7B~cC4urewQYk8

The effect on nearby buildings, on the same site has to be considered too. (I.e. fire load)

Zurich municipal for one recommends that timber cladding is not used at ground floor level, and if it is, then it is fixed only to a solid substrate like blockwork (See their school buildings design guide)

Once they start spalling, they’re pretty much at the end of their life. Is there a DPC?

Chop out & replace if it’s the odd brick/ course, or replace wall or build a new skin of brickwork in front I’d suggest

Source of cheap rim tape:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tesa-Tape-4289-no-tubes-rim-tape-complete-roll-25mm-wide-x-66-metres-long/162354590164?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Courage mon brave; keep on keeping on – try to imagine how much better things will be in a couple of months

Getting into an air conditioned car after a day at work in portacabins

As above, Safeguarding will be a big issue for the school. The policy will be on their website.

There would be no harm in saying something like ‘I understand the principles of safe-guarding, but will there be any training offered?’

In my experience as a school governor, the questions will be formulaic – a quick look at the interview section on businessballs or similar, and a mock interview with a friend will help

Good luck to her

Not sue if it’s accurate, but the BBC seem to be suggesting that divers are having to take off their bottles to pass a squeeze in one of the sumps. I guess they will try to enlarge the squeeze before attempting any sort of under-water rescue.

(If accurate, this means the squeeze must be very tight; the divers will be wearing side mounted rig)

It’s one of the (few) disadvantages of keeping active into middle age. Sound effects from the joints!

Keep cool and be very polite: always works

TF Tuned – always reliable I’ve found

Schools in Ashbourne are the best in the area these days. Nice small villages in the catchment are pricey though. Children from Henry Prince in Mayfield (in Staffs, but we wouldn’t hold it against you) get a guaranteed place at the Grammar school – actually a comprehensive but a very good one. House costs in Mayfield are much lower than Ashbourne. Local riding is distinctly average but the good stufff is close by.

I’ve got one of their solar divers watches. It runs out of charge mid-winter, which is a pain in the neck to be honest.

I’d get a kinetic one next time, if the one I’ve got ever breaks – which I doubt; they’re very solid!

Yes, I’d pay, but only on the basis that control of the NHS is taken away from Whitehall and into the responsibility of a commission.

It was Mountain Spirit that jacked it in once they’d heard Tisos were coming to town. Shame, it was a good shop – top quality range of gear (also top dollar though.)

Tisos are good too, in my experience (of their Rose St shop anyway).

I’d be pissed off if Cairngorm Mountain sports was put out of business.

I’d take Amey over our local County Council road mending team any day.

As said above, in the UK we allow our roads to be dug up for services – it’s always going to be a problem.

We’ve also not really invested that much in the non-Motorway network for at least a generation (historically we spent around 6% of GDP on infrastructure; this has been 2 – 3% for the last 15 years for example – not enough)

Move road freight to rail – the rail network is at capacity at key points. Network rail does bits and pieces where it can, to join the dots but there is dire under-investment. HS2 (which is initially about capacity, not journey-times) should help eventually, despite the nimbys.

We need a higher level of spending, rebuild more roads rather than just patch them up.

I got done over by Maggiore a few year’s ago. The hire was via an agent as you have and I got them to fight my corner. It took months and I didn’t get it all back.

(I know it doesn’t help now but after a few bad experiences I joined Europcar’s loyalty programme, and now just rent from them – hassle free for 4-5 years so far)

Gozo is good for mountain biking, loads of trails – no one seems to mind were you cycle

Take the chain off and put it in a tobacco tin with some paraffin. Give it  good soak then shake.

A roadie would then tell you to make sure the chain goes back on the same way, so it’s revolving in the same direction, but I’ve always thought that’s a step too far.

I’ve had a few climbing in the Alps, the worst was caving though:

Abseiled into a big engine shaft with loads of tackle attached. (The shaft had broken into a cave system when it was sunk – presumably early C.20). For some reason I re-belayed the line to a tree beyond the wall surrounding the shaft (Line was tied off to some scaffold poles we had dropped across the shaft).

I abbed-in and about 100′ down hit bad air, probably CO2 (I could by then see bin bags and carcasses another 50′ or so below in the bottom of the shaft, that the local guardian of the countryside, Farmer Palmer had been dumping).

I changed over to rope walking gear to start ascending, but slipped into unconsciousness due to exertion and lack of O2. As I drifted off I remember thinking ‘Well, that’s all been rather nice, what a shame it has to end’. I was well f*cked – no possibility of rescue I reckoned. It was very peaceful (and gives me great hope that the end of life experience will generally be good – assuming one is not being ripped apart by lions or something)

Fortunately the two lads at the surface were quick thinkers. They drove my trannie van into the field, untied the rope from the tree, and tied it to the back door step of the van, put a jammer on the scaffold tubes to act as a pulley and to hold the rope, then drove backwards and forwards across the field, pulling me up in stages out of the shaft.

I was a bit bashed up as my face had scraped up the side of the shaft as I was being pulled out (I thought I’d gone blind, my eye sockets were full of congealed blood), but no ill effects/ brain damage (none discernible over and above all the skunk we used to smoke in those days anyway).

It affected me quite a lot for the first few years, less so now.

When the Peak park boundary was being agreed, someone put the point of a pair of compasses on the map centred on the town hall in Buxton, and drew an arc that took all the quarries local to Buxton out of the national park – apparently

Assos are the gold standard for bib shorts. I’ve got some that are over ten years old and are still going strong

I think if you’re doing a reasonable mileage, with plenty of long runs then diesel is always going to be hard to beat. The only risk as I see it is relatively higher increases in fuel duty on Diesel in the future.

Milky1980 – I sympathise, penalties like that are a bastard. Out of interest, do you ‘winterise’ you fleet? Are winter tyres available for lorries & do they work?

I’ve seen chains on lorries in the alps, but never in the UK (apart from DCC super-griters)

‘Nothing will be done’ because the majority don’t want it to be done. Completely bonkers to most of us but that’s the way democracy works.

The right to bear arms is ingrained in US society, a hold-over from the 1700s and was originally meant to make the country ‘un-invadable’ by the Brits.