General Natter Room

[Machupicchu14]

Thank you for your words Courtenay. I also don't want to get into a political discussion either on here so I think I will delete my previous post. I'm very sorry as well knowing my comment on the Ukrainian conflict caused such shock, and that it might have been upsetting for some.

Edit I just realized I cannot delete previously written posts so I promise I will refrain from posting any such political comments in the future

[Boatbuilder]

How can some people live with themselves after what they have done to this woman's kindness?

[Anita Bensoussane]

That's heartbreaking. I'm reminded of Enid Blyton's Teachers World letter for 25th March 1942, in which she writes of allotments being damaged by some children. Of course, we don't know whether it was children or adults who put salt all over the allotment in Harlow.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Yes - sickening - then and now

So many of EB short stories are about kind people receiving kindness back - and happily (rarely?) so with this story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-65260582

[Boatbuilder]

I just read the following headline on a BBC News Feed in my 'Outlook' and was puzzled as to why they were only reporting it half-way through April - until I read the article. (Linked)

March marks centenary of the birth of ibuprofen creator

[Boatbuilder]

I've just read this news article about a bus which crashed into a low bridge in Glasgow this morning, Hopefully the passengers that were injured aren't too seriously hurt.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-65665113

In the report are a number of images and one of them shows there are two bridges fairly close to each other. The first one the bus travelled under has a headroom of 15'-3" which is sufficient for a standard double decker bus, which are usually about 14'-6" high, to pass under. However the next one into which the bus crashed has a headroom of only 12'-6". Surely the first height sign should have taken into account the height of the lower of the two bridges. Having said that, there is also a width restriction of the lower of the two bridges of 7'-3" and most buses are 8'-6" wide. I wonder what the bus driver thought he was driving and was he off-route?

edited 22/05: It seems the bus was not on its normal route as it had been diverted because of a 10K running race in the city centre.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-65669589

[Boatbuilder]

I ordered a 25mm x 450mm long SDS masonry drill bit from Amazon which was delivered a short time ago - somewhat over-packaged in this box which measures 550 x 350 x 80mm.

[Jack400]

I see that the label says "oversize"- they're not kidding.

[Boatbuilder]

To be honest, I hadn't even noticed that word, Jack. Anyway, the bit did the job it was bought for.

[Jack400]

I've just found an old battery powered AM/FM clock radio. The LCD clock was still working, but not the radio itself. When I checked the batteries they 'expired' in 2009! I couldn't remember buying it though remembered it after seeing it. It seems to have been a free gift from Reader's Digest . Very lucky that the batteries have not leaked.

[Boatbuilder]

Very lucky indeed, Jack. I recently needed to use the original remote for the TV in the bedroom to check one of the settings and it wouldn't work. When I checked the batteries one of them had leaked so I had to clean up the terminals before inserting some new ones. The remote hadn't been used for a few years as I always use the Sky remote for the TV, but you can't check the TV settings with it. I don't remember how long ago the TV was bought, but it's certainly nowhere near as old as your clock/radio which is obviously pre-2009.

[Jack400]

The radio seems to be from the early 2000s. Online research shows one for sale complete with Readers Digest markings ( on the cardboard box). I tried to post a link ( and have succeeded in the past) but my phone battery went flat before I managed to.
Modern battery chemistry is far more dangerous than the old fashioned zink- carbon worth keeping off the skin and washing very thoroughly after contact.
Here's a link to view it.
https://images.app.goo.gl/RRSMY5MGon6Ta2UP6

[Jack400]

Just ordered a pizza "regular deep pan Hawaiian and garlic bread (unusual for me no cheese). "Amazing how, in 1989, so many places were open compared to now. Open xx:xx 'till late" I can remember buying a kebab at 02:10- in 1989- I thought times had "advanced "?
Prices certainly have.

[Katharine]

I'm feeling very frustrated/concerned.

About 7.00 last night I thought the water pressure in the taps downstairs seemed a bit 'feeble', and within a short space of time, there was nothing at all available upstairs. A neighbour knocked on the door to see if we had water, because theirs was also off, and a quick Google showed that there was indeed a problem in the area. Alarmingly, over the course of the next hour or so, the website showed a spread of the fault to cover half of Ipswich, and all the way to the village of Trimley which is about 10 miles away! As most of my family live within walking distance of my house, there was nowhere I could 'escape' to for the shower I'd planned to have.

The fault was given as a problem with the pump at the local pumping station, and it was hoped it would be fixed by 11.00pm - thankfully water was available by about 10.00, but I decided not to risk a shower in case I ended up covered in soap and nothing to rinse it off with!

This morning everything was back to normal, and although I made sure to have a shower first thing 'just in case', as the day went by I had pretty much forgotten the problems of yesterday evening.

However, tonight, about 7.30, when I went to prepare some veggies for my guinea pigs, once again there was a thin trickle which disappeared almost immediately. It took a while before the website showed there was a problem, but now it is showing once again that a vast area is without water, and this time they estimate it will be 2.30 am before it is fixed!

Once again it is a 'pump failure'. I can only assume that the elastic band they used for yesterday's repair has snapped.

[Boatbuilder]

Maybe too many people were trying to water their gardens at once after the hot weekend and put a strain on the pump, Katharine.