amateur

My Rickman-Weslake 850cc 8-valve The Rickman 125 Micrometisse roadster that I built a few years ago

Aah! My wife would have stretched it even further by boiling the carcass and stripping any remaining bits of flesh off it, then using the flesh and some of the stock to make a chicken and vegetable curry for another day and the rest of the stock to make Chinese chicken, vegetable and noodle soup.

Nowadays, we don't roast a whole chicken. Too much for the two of us, but my wife takes skin-on chicken thighs, bones them out and stuffs them with Boursin, wraps the lot with parma ham or streaky bacon and airfries it. Soft, juicy, flavourful chicken with crispy ham and skin. Deeleecious

If you use the Royal Mail app, you get the tracking number, which can be traced, and the parcel can be picked up from your house, with the option of the postman bringing a label for you.

Have you tried pottery?

1 off the bird table 1082

Or, as with Izal, a "musical" instrument if stretched across a pocket comb and blown

Thanks 👍🏻

I recall as a 4 year old, living in Yorkshire in 1954, staying with family friends in Bardney, Lincolnshire where the only water in the house was drawn from the well by hand pump, the earth privy was at the end of the garden and apparently dug out when full, the lighting was by tilley lamps and the only relief at night was the gazunder. Even at that young age, I realised that this wasn't quite usual. Although we had mains water, electricity and inside lavatories at home, my mother still did the washing in washtubs with a copper posher and we kept food cool in the cellar. Our fridge and washing machine arrived in 1957.

Well done, congratulations. My parents made it to 75 years.

So you have bigger toys and a larger area to play in, but aren't in agricultural production. I still don't see why you should dodge tax?

I thought that I offered a helpful suggestion. Recycled chip shop oil was very cost effective.

I don't understand why you think that you are being ripped off. You admit that you are only using the tractor for non-commercial grass cutting and maintenance. Surely the red diesel concession was to assist farmers, not folk who just happen to live in the country and have some land. Given the general abuse of the system, isn’t it the rest of us taxpayers who were being ripped off by folk not paying their whack? When I had a diesel (pre Khan), I used to save money by using recycled vegetable oil, which worked very well.

Did your nearest and dearest question the strange red rash?

As a total townie, when I cut my grass, I pay full fuel tax on the petrol in my mower. Similarly, when I use my wife's vehicle to get fertiliser for her veggie patch or building materials for maintenance, that too uses full tax fuel. Why should your situation be different if you are not actually farming?

Eric Idle.

I recall accompanying my older brother (who was 10), potato picking, at the age of 6. I lasted a day, and I think was paid 1d. My brother did the week and I believe got 2 shillings.

eBay 225524826834 in 2mm walled 14mm seamless stainless 316. 2mm walled stainless would be plenty strong enough for your application eBay 271905833714 10mm stainless bar. This could be easily brazed or silver soldered with a gas torch

eBay. There are so many sellers that I can usually find exactly what I need, and usually in manageable lengths.

... and don't forget the Betterware salesman with his suitcase containing miniature samples of furniture polish. I used to blag one to polish my prized pushbike with.

My wife and I did the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf experience from Jasper to Vancouver in 2019. High quality rail travel, superb food and unlimited booze! Thoroughly recommended. The scenery and wildife was outstanding. Saw plenty of elk, some moose, but, alas, no bears. I envy you your road trip. I couldn't do that nowadays, but used to enjoy long drives through Western Europe.

Aren't we getting them state by state?

.... and not every programme has subtitles. Should be mandatory.

I, too, enjoy a good crime read. My go to authors, both available on Kindle, are Peter James (Roy Grace stories, set mainly in Brighton) and KE Cullen, both very authentic police procedurals.

An excellent history. Thanks for the link, Chris