JohnfromUK

Looks a very nice plateful, but the gravy would be a little thinner for my version. I also use veg water. I never salt the veg when cooking if I'm to use the water for gravy. It can give the gravy more flavour (depends on the veg), but I believe you might get a bit of 'goodness' that way. Vitamins? That's pretty much what I do (I know it's a cheat), but use a few less granules, and a bit more veg water. Sometimes add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a bit of horseradish or a pinch of mustard powder with beef, or a few herbs (sage and thyme) with chicken, or a few bits of rosemary and a bit of redcurrant jelly with lamb and game. Adds variety.

Canon certainly did some image stabilised ones. I tried a pair (this was some years ago and I suspect they are much better now) and found that they worked reasonably in stabilising the image .......... but for the price you got a heavy and optically rather limited binocular ........ which was understandable as i suppose much of the cost was in the stabilisation. In my view, the key thing to understand with modern binoculars is that in good light conditions even quite modest binoculars can work very well. The expensive 'famous names' are a bit better at the limits of performance as the light fails and against challenging backgrounds, and are beautifully made and smooth to use - but the average mid priced products work very well under the vast majority of conditions.

My guess: In the lower picture, the lower (light coloured) box is probably a receiver. Reason: - there is a single wire from it's left hand side that looks like it goes nowhere - and this will probably be it's antenna. Note it is only a 'guess' but with a reason.

All you can do is make food easily available for her so she can feed her chicks

The real problem will be what happens after any so called 'win'. Just like Afghanistan there will be continual 'resistance' activity against the 'occupying forces' that will go on effectively forever. Neither Russia or 'the West' could actually 'win' Afghanistan. Ukraine (though different) will have a similar issue for the Russians.

Yes, Crittall window frames (and similar under other brand names). I still have them in the laundry room, larder and one bathroom. My parents house has them fully galvanised - and they are still there, as good as new, 70 years on.

I used to deal with Pyser SGI for lenses wearing my 'business hat' around 30+ years ago. The guy who ran it (name now escapes me, Simon ??) was very knowledgeable on all matters optical. I think at one time they imported Swift binoculars from Japan which were considered very good and not crazy prices.

I have several - which is really rather wasteful, but bought over quite a long period. Binos; Leica Trinovid 10 x 50BA. Very good (indeed) in poor light, but very heavy. Around 30 years old. Leica Trinovid 8 x 32BN. Very good all rounder - and virtually as good in my view as the much more expensive Ultravid. Around 25 years old. Leitz (Leica) 10 x 40BA (old type). Very good optically, but poor eye relief makes them difficult with glasses. Bought second hand in the 1970s. Leica Ultravid 8 x 20BL. Really good compacts. better eye relief than Trinovids. 10 years old? Zeiss (West) 8 x 20. Compacts - but poor eye relief makes them difficult with glasses and focus fiddly. Not as good handling as Leica. 30 years old. Monoculars; Leica Monovid 8 x 20. Very convenient and 'modified' with flip lens caps each end. Eye relief only just OK with glasses (half an 8 x 20 Trinovid bino). Zeiss (West) MiniQuick 5 x 10. Good in bright light and very light and convenient. Telescope; Gray and Co. stalking telescope. The original highland stalking telescope. Lovely thing. I don't think they are made any more? I ordered and bought this around 15 years ago, collecting from Grahams in Inverness who I think then owned the name. Beautifully made and lovely handmade leather case.

The way to keep peace is to be prepared for war. It's called a 'deterrent'.

In fact the pie did have chillies, onion and tomatoes in it, but was a portion of leftover from a much bigger pie made when friends were staying that had been in the freezer. The carrots were leftovers from yesterday, the swede a 'vac packed cube' from the freezer, the peas Birds Eye frozen. Broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus were fresh. But I do prefer my veggies quite lightly cooked (almost crisp) and it's easier to get them how I like them that way. If I cook them in the pie - I tend to end up with them softer that my preference. There is another 'box' in the freezer with another portion of leftover pie and some leftover veggies included, but from memory, when I froze the leftovers, there was only enough veggies left to accompany one of the (two) pie portions I froze.

You can eat a very good 'filling' of simple boiled/steamed vegetables for relatively few calories.

Not in my time, but my parents, when they first came to the house in which I grew up had a plumbed in bath, but only cold running water. Hot water was carried upstairs in large enamelled steel jugs from a copper in the laundry where a coal (probably coke actually) fire heated an open top tank of water. We had hot and cold running (and even heated towel rails) by the time I arrived on the scene.

You want some veggies with it; Tonight's cottage pie - before the addition of onion gravy.

Congratulations. That's a long time. You were married 2 years before I was born.

About 5 years ago a major accident occurred only a few vehicles in front of me when travelling on the "Smart" section of the M5 in Worcestershire. We all came to a rapid halt and it was clear that one vehicle (a small hatchback) was very badly damaged. Because the whole motorway in that direction had stopped the emergency services were unable to get through for quite some time and had to come down the (closed) carriageway against the normal direction of traffic as the whole 'behind' the accident was solid with no hard shoulder and no way for fire engines to get through. Sadly there was a fatality. Whether the emergency services getting there sooner would have helped I don't know, but it can't have helped that assistance took quite a while to get there. I can't really say how long as I was (perhaps fortunately) just screened from sight by other vehicles in front of me. I was sat in the car stationary for several hours whilst the 'investigation team' did their stuff. Not a nice day - and it highlighted to me how when there is an accident, emergency services can't get proper access if all lanes are blocked.

I would think it's an unfortunate handicap for a politician, having principles. It could easily ruin a promising career and generous expenses package.

They have principles?

See here https://www.nationwidefuels.co.uk/faq/red-diesel-faq/

They are good with chips - and some mayo with a little curry powder stirred in ........

I did these to a (internal measured) temperature of 75 - 80 C, which did take around 10-15 mins at 200C ........ but done on a tray with parchment underneath. There was plenty of steam! They had been 48 hours in the spiced yoghurt marinade, and 4 hoursv before that in lemon juice/ginger/garlic mix.

All (except two lumps to try) gone in the freezer, vac packed in 100g bundles. In fact, it's nice with a 'wet' type curry like a vegetable curry, which I make when I have leftover veggies and add the frozen chicken tikka pieces and a (often from a jar) curry sauce. Makes a nice 'two pots meal' with some rice.

The coal man was a small lorry (Bedford?), the pop man Corona, The van that sold everything (hardware, paraffin etc.) was Giles of Winchcombe, the milkman was a "Morrison Electric" float and was Granger's dairies. We also had a fruit and veg van - (name forgotten), Taylor's Fish and Chips, Davenports Beer at Home, John Walker - Mobile Butcher, Draper's Bakery - and no doubt others I have forgotten. We also had both ******** (Clean Easy) and Bettaware reps who called and took orders, and delivered a few weeks later.

Not tried yet, just out of the oven, but I make them for shoot days in season and they are always popular.

Well - it would have been the tandoor if I had one, but the oven did a very passable imitation. Chicken tikka pieces;

Looks nice. Late in the season for sprouts.