SteamyTea

Thought I would drag out the 31 year old elements from my old cylinder. They came out easier than expected. The one on the right is the lower 'night' element and lasted 30 years before it went, the one of the left is the top element and is still good. What is that jelly though, have I created a new life form.

Export is 5.03 and 3.93 for generation. so as near as damn it, 9p/kWh. Really not to be sniffed at as it is worth about 300 to 400 a year on a 4 kWp system.

High fences make for good neighbours. Simple as that.

The GCN is common in the UK, but not the rest of the EU. Now you can argue that this shows that the EU is a really bad thing, but you have to start somewhere and shows that we should have engaged with the process more rather than sulked in the corner. We don't argue about the Iberian Lynx holding up developments in the UK, but I bet it happens in Spain. One of the other problems with planning is that it is city-centric, it really does like to consider countryside as a museum that has to be protected. Next time you are out in the countryside, count up the number of separate farmers fields that you can see. Then imagine that each one had one house built in the corner. I also think that if we stopped building in floodplains we may also reduce the GCN problem. Build on dry land.

What do you think it is, there are two parts to it, and both tax free for domestic use.

Not asked her how she is getting on with it since she has got back. Seems like an excuse to go around

My bones feel as heavy as concrete and my tendons are more ridged than sintered titanium today. But I have a new water cylinder in and have managed to have a shower. Bet my cute neighbour is relieved.

It seems to me that it is only the dreamers that think that 3D printing is the way forwards for the mass market products. Generally it is very, very slow, limited in size, limited in material choice and expensive. If you take emergency housing, one thing that is not lacking is labour. An old mate of mine works for an NGO that deals with the second response to an emergency (Shelterbox). Part of his job is to show people how to make a working camp (not as simple as just putting up a tent). They looked at temporary housing that was manufactured off site but think they dropped the idea in the end. My personal view it that with sheets of ply, 6" by 3" timber, some rendering, windows and doors made off site, an adequate temporary house could be erected quickly and cheaply. One thing that is easy to forget is that other parts of the world have very different building standards (earthquakes and floods) and what we build in the UK is just not suitable.

Sometime I think we have forgotten the lessons of Heath Robinson. I am going to be blunt here, 12 sets of lights for one room is just bonkers. It reminds me of a Mods Scooter.

There are many different types of 3D printing. Metal laser sintering can give very impressive results and different characteristics than cast or forged parts.

What is the difference between remembering to turn everything off before you go to work or away, and rememberer to turn everything off via your smart phone, when you go to work or away. And what happens when you forget your smart phone, or change it and the app is not supported. I think this is the real problem with home automation, it is overly complicated and expensive for little return. And that is before you take into account all the security issues.

I read a report on that 3D printed 'charity' house. It is only the shell. The rest is manually fitted, including the roof. I was involved with emergency housing in the early 1980's. We made a dome mould and the 'house' got sprayed up with PU foam, so just like a hot water cylinder. Was a step up from a tent, but was just emergency shelter, not long term housing. Though I do think there is merit in the techniques used. There is no reason, apart from finance, not to have automated house building. They are not complicated really, though people like to think they are. Now where is @StructuralEngineer as he has been working on this sort of thing.

I am 'up country' at the moment in Bucks. Seems I was one of the last ones to make it out unscathed. I do wish that large lorries would leave a bit of space when it is snowy though, they really do not need to be 20 feet from your bumper at 60MPH. Not as if there was much traffic early on a Sunday afternoon.

Got 6 months before autumn starts, so should be OK

Two Nun's are bathing at the convent. Sister Theresa says "where's the soap" Mother Maria replies "It does, doesn't it"

Real men use Swarfega and sand, end of.

Some one was chatting to Robin Ince about science today. He said that you have to read science at a different pace. Good observation, it is not really like a story book.

Was the last time I went there about 10 years ago. I was walking the coast path. Thought I would go in there for supper. Went to campsite first, showered and at supper time walked back to the Wink. Did not do food. So got a taxi back into Penzance and had supper there. I looked at buying the house nearest the old harbour (say old, as in collapsing sea wall), it was the seaweed that was hanging from the roof that put me off, and that was after just a small storm. I do like it there.

For quaint it is parts of Penzance, all of St. Just, Marazion (which is nothing to do with religion), all of the Lizard, and oddly enough, on the outskirts of Redruth and Cambourne. @JSHarris Mother lives in an interesting part and only a few minutes drive from either coast. If they like running, then try Helston, largest lake in Cornwall, if not he SW is there. I walk around it and it takes 2 hours, other run around it and take 2 hours, same as the bicycleists.

Sounds to me like he does not know Cornwall too well and is sticking to the places nearest Devon. He should look at places like Perranporth (one of the best beaches in the world), Porthtowan (if he likes surfing), Portreath (if he likes cheap), Hayles (if he fancies odd, but near St. Ives). St. Just (if he wants isolated and where the ice aged ended and made a beach), Lamorna, if he fancies being washed away with the harbour wall), Mousehole (no parking, but nice lights), Newlyn (for history and cheapness), Penzance (for just about everything, and still cheap), Marazion (for cosiness and one of the best views in the world), Praa and Breage (still decent and underdeveloped, though I see that R&J Supplies are selling up), Porthleven (get in quick, it is the new Padstien), Cury, Mullion, or just about anywhere on the Lizard Peninsular (no mobile signal). Then you are around to Falmouth, which for some reason thinks it is a lot better than it is. Penryn if you like sailing and students. Then you can cross the estuary and join royalty at St. Mawes. Around St. Austell is still reasonably priced and close to Devon, but avoid the town, it is just dire. There are a few places inland, but generally it is very deprived, I know, I live in one of the most deprived areas of Europe, 50 quid makes you feel wealthy, but a few pills and a bit of blow takes the pain away for most around here then they rob my house, or set fire to a neighbours (4 house sin the last decade within 500 yards of me). I took the below picture earlier today, it is where they are developing some new flats where the price starts from £216,950, and if you want an extra bedroom (so that will be 2) add an extra £94,000. I hope the owners of the sleeping bags find somewhere warmer tonight, and with less dogshit around them. Oh, and not on the noisy main road either.

There are cheaper and better places than Port Isaac (or Portwenn as some know it). Some even have loads of unrestricted parking. Ask him how much he wants to spend and what sort of summer income he fancies.

A minute don't sound too bad, but then I live in Cornwall and everything is 20 years behind, except Norfolk.

Flow rate is how many litres per minute comes out the tap. Then you work out the volume of the pipe and that should give you the time. If you compare it to other other taps around the place, you should be able to see if it is that bathroom has a particular problem, or it is just a general lack of flow and pressure. All a bit of a faff I know. But I will get you measuring everything eventually.

Do you know how far away it it. If you can estimate it reasonably well, and you can easily measure the flow rate (jug and stopwatch), you can work out if it is a real problem or just something you have to live with. Are the pipes lagged?