If you last used it in a very different location then it may need to be left stationary for a while so that it can work out where it is – if I recall correctly by default many GPS devices remember where they were last used so that they know which satellites in the network to interrogate first (which helps to give a quick initial fix) – give them a very different bit of sky to look at and they’ll draw a blank when they search for the last-used satellites from the previous location.

Heated screen is available as a relatively low cost (about £150 if my memory serves me correctly) option on recent Mini models.

By the way – what probably caused the brick faces to fail was water getting into the bricks and then freezing – cyclic freeze/thaw will gradually generate small cracks > failure. As you probably can’t avoid the freezing all you can do to stop it happening again is keep the masonry/repair as dry and well ventilated as possible.

The only value of trying to reattach the brick faces would be to maintain appearance, but as you say they’re going to be rendered and then painted there seems little point in attempting to do this, or trying to cut out whole failed bricks. If it were me I’d dig out the individual failed bricks with a hammer/chisel until you get to something solid, then patch the resulting holes with a small aggregate trowelable concrete mix (with a bit of SBR mixed in to improve the bond), then render/paint as you were intending.

Not wind up, but has a USB 5V input, so should be able to run it from a powerbank if needed – Tecsun PL310ET.

Thanks OP – 4 picked up today. Might prompt me to be a bit tidier.

Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 – they’ve been around for a few years now so can be had used for a reasonable price. They can be quite hard on their tyres and brakes, and some service tasks are expensive/tricky (eg getting to spark plugs to change them – access issues caused by having Toyota’s VVT cylinder heads on Subaru’s flat 4 engine makes changing the plugs an engine out task if you follow the “official” service procedure). Had a GT86 for 4 years from new and it made me smile every time I drove it.

separate fish and chips, both in boxes and reheat in oven.

This, but also use a bigger-than-it-needs-to-be box, and fill the void with shredded newspaper or similar, which will absorb some of the steam and reduce the soggyness of the bagged fish and chips.

I have been waiting patiently for the release of the new yam Ténéré 700 and it has apparently delivered on what I hoped it would
I want one so badly!

I’ve been having similar thoughts, but until I can try one out for size / fit / comfort I’m hanging on to my cash – if you jump to get the pre-order special price and then find that it doesn’t suit you then you won’t be making a saving, you’ll have made a mistake. My current plan: keep my eyes open for one of those “mistake” purchases.

Question: if the partial eclipse had happened 50 years ago what sort of view would Neil and Buzz (and Michael) have had of it from their rather unique viewpoints ?

Have had very good results using Stormsure Tuff Tape – repairs made several years ago are lasting well and still 100% waterproof.

If its something that has just started to happen then it could be that your local transmitter is undergoing maintenance and is working on reduced power; lots of work being done at the moment due to frequency spectrum changes – some details here

A bit of a hike from Yelverton but definitely worth it on a clear day – a dog walking stroll around Kit Hill Country Park (but be aware of mine workings – can be dog unfriendly), followed by a “Stack” all day breakfast in The Engine House cafe at Kelly Bray (nr Callington).

Bought this Krups machine from this supplier – link – if it stopped working I’d buy exactly the same again – the kettle has become virtually redundant since it arrived 18 months ago.

Some of the CBT places in Kyrgyzstan are more like a traditional B+B or small hotel – stayed in some very comfortable ones a couple of years ago as part of an organised tour. Worth doing a search for @CBTKyrgyzstan on Facebook or look here: http://www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg

Another vote here for Anker kit – this one claims to be recharged twice as quickly as normal.

Landfill tax is about £3/ton for “inert” waste, but over £90/ton for anything that is considered “contaminated”.

Don’t underestimate the cost of disposing of the old materials from the previous driveway – trade waste disposal licence and landfill tax all add to the cost.

Sharkbait – was the dual lever operation there as a safety feature (two hands on the controls means none in the way of the moving parts) ?.

These are working quite well for me – on an east-facing wall but seem to get enough sunlight to work OK.

Cave system at Padirac is worth a visit, but can get very busy with long queues in the main summer season.

Samsung 34″ UWQHD flat screen here – reckon it’s good value at the typical price of around £400 and absolutely stonking value if you get it for anything like the price I paid – a stupidly low Amazon “Black Friday” price @ £140 😀.

Haven’t worked out exactly what it’ll let me do, but have just plugged in a bog standard USB portable HDD to a Panasonic TV and it now lets me record Freeview channels using the TV’s programme guide to schedule the recording. Was refreshingly simple and straightforward to set up.

If you go to the Dell outlet site it’s worth looking in the “Business” section – usually has a selection of brand new unused laptops (as well as the normal selection of used/open box/marked ones). Also worth seeing if they have any extra discounts running (such as 10% off code for new customers). More than happy with deal I got a couple of months ago.

Colour converter here to go between Pantone and RAL.

I thought that a “fail” under the new system meant that the previous MOT was revoked immediately, so if you drove it away you’d be driving without a valid MOT, which would invalidate insurance.

If you’re looking to reduce maintenance then might be worth having a look at Accoya – uses some clever chemistry to provide significantly better durability and rot resistance.

Local shop to me is listing new stock Panasonic DC-GX800 in black with 12-32 lens for £200 – very tempted to get one myself to replace a recently defunct Canon Powershot G15.

Have purchased from here before – they offer a great selection at good prices, and delivery (although not free) is super-quick if they have the item in stock.

This pair from Halfords looks to be a particularly good deal at the moment.

One of these kits by Milwaukee should tick all the boxes. Have used one of their 3/8″ impact drivers at work for the last couple of years bolting steelwork together – have been very impressed by robustness.

Chiang Rai is nicer.

Proper wood screws will have a shank diameter under the screw head and a smaller core diameter for the threaded bit. Lots of “self drilling” screws have a constant core diameter without a larger diameter shank under the screw head. Use one of these in place of an old-style wood screws and it’ll rattle around a bit in the hole.

Philips and Pozi drive were both designed to suit production line tooling where the fact that the bit “cams out” as you tighten the fixing stops them from being over-tightened. Nowt wrong with a slotted screw – just need to use the correct size screwdriver to match the slot.

Comparatively easy to run a low voltage fan from a plug-top power supply to get some air circulation in/around/through the wardrobe – a low noise 12 volt computer fan that’ll get the air moving should only use a few watts of power (so will be cheap to run) and can be had for under £10.

Jizer Bio has an appetite for anodizing – did a very good job of turning a black Hope hub into a not-so-black one 🙁   – although it must be said that it was also a pretty good degreaser too.

Guy Cotten stuff is pretty good – used a lot by commercial fishermen. Very robust but not especially breathable.

Not Vietnam – traffic in video is driving on the left – I know that traffic in Vietnam doesn’t stick to many rules, but they generally drive on the right.

Some good information about OSB to be had here: https://mdfosb.com/assets/uploads/downloads/4344_SMARTPLY_OSB4_2018_v5_WEB.pdf

Tavistock and surrounding villages are worth a look – close enough to moors and beaches, and a nice place to be, all things considered.