Warp

Er question 1: Shall I chalk that up on Strow's tally?

To be fair they don't grin at me but they do generally know what they are selling and will affably offer cheaper alternative options on occasion. For my part I count that as better service than your average grinbot can offer.

125cm? 1250mm? If the till doesn't accept those then ask for a metre of metre wide pipe and see what they claim the till says to that. If they claim they can order it in for you ask them what pipe wall thickness the till will let you have.

So what is a bust line then? I'm pretty sure I've heard some emphatic language on that subject before particularly in the context of broads.

I make that 213124 to 213125 gentlemen, shall we call it a tie?

I'm not sure you should post about your industrial relations with yourself in public MM?

I'm not sure what to say about how I'd react to anyone coming along and randomly sticking their pen knife in the side of our boat in case someone digs this post up and calls it pre-meditated. I would be inclined to find a new place for them to put it for sure. Getting on the boat is perhaps more situational where walking over the foredeck or sides can be normal in certain circumstances, perhaps more so among sailors. But as a general rule I thought everyone knew to ask permission before stepping onto a boat? Strangers found unexpectedly in the cabin or cockpit would be assumed to be thieves until proven innocent. As for privacy I only expect that when the curtains are closed otherwise privacy is as per camping in my mind.

You mean you are a saily?

We don't have guard wires on the side of our sailing boat. A health and safety risk assessment might advise that stanchions and guard rails be put on the perimeter of the boat to stop people falling off it. I on the other hand think that the lack of them encourages people to hold onto something which is ultimately safer than depending on a trip wire stopping you falling overboard. If it looks dangerous people treat it with respect. "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." - Douglas Adams

Other than the UV exposure that can blind you the other one is infra red which can give you cataracts so use the mask... Also when you clean the job prior to welding make sure it is clean and DRY and the area is well ventilated. The reason being that many chemicals one might use to clean can be turned into really nasty toxins at welding temperatures. Phosgene gas for instance can recreate that Great War experience...

I'm guessing anyone who wants to buy one either knows what they are doing or will quickly want to know what they are doing before trying it again.

Perhaps manned by staff without a VHF license?

I thought they liked the top secret code word 'CONTROL'? A nod's as good as a wink to a DPM pole dancer... Don't kill it unless you intend to eat it or vice versa.

I know this sounds daft but I honestly think that if they painted the walls white instead of the naked brick they would have got more passing trade?

New Inn Horning Good honest fare and friendly service from most of the staff. Some of the senior staff can come across a bit mistrustful of their customers which does put rather a downer on any bon-homie that might otherwise prevail (and does when they are not about). Should I say a matronly attitude is better suited to running a hospital than a pub? Mostly people in pubs don't tend to consider their life chances before discharging themselves in some cases perhaps they should... The flip side is that it is a well run outfit! Pleasure Boat Inn Good food, beer, company and staff, I personally suspect this is the landlord's fault as he is a star and will put himself out to provide good customer service. The only issue with this pub is that the boat you hire has a fair chance of not being able to take you there. But if you can thread the needle with your boat then this is fantastic part of the broads to visit. Kings Head Coltishall First class food, probably the best in the area. The prices reflect this but I would say that the food more than justifies it. Swan Hotel Probably the most picturesque pub/hotel on the broads. Very few things feel more 'broads' to me than having a lunch time beer in the sun here before sailing off for the afternoon. Nip across the green and grab some sausage rolls from the bakery to eat while mud weighted on the nearby broad... Maltsters Ranworth This is one of those rare places that manages to do it all. You can have a good time in this pub either eating the food or drinking the beer. The staff and management have real character and a friendly inclusive attitude. In the high season you may need to hire a dinghy and moor on the broad to be sure of getting ashore. It is either that or you have to play the silly 5am musical chairs game. If you visit Ranworth you have to take in the view from the top of the church. BBQ Salhouse This is generally better than a pub can hope to match even if you do have to do it yourself. It is a beautifully kept area and an example of conservation of the right kind (people are included).

The site is about the boats not the people and I have found it to be a useful reference. I have no expectations of privacy when above deck on the river. That goes double when actually sailing. I'm generally quite confident they are taking a picture of a pretty wooden sailing boat not me!

Bump

JA to follow in the footsteps of say spirit yachts who seem well represented you need to get yourself a part in a bond movie. I would warn you that as a motor boat you may have to do some things you might not feel comfortable doing to get into a bond movie. I'm not saying it's exploitation but many boats feel used and abused afterwards.

I write software for a living so I do not count myself a luddite or technophobe. I do think that the raw data feeds should be made freely available on things like water levels at various points (not just the bridges). This could then be used by various navigation apps etc. This would also allow the distributors of the data to benefit from community analysis otherwise unavailable to them. I do think that the 3/4G coverage could also be something the BA could assist with on planning especially in some of the NIMBY dead zones. That is as far as I would go with it though. I do not think the BA would prove competent at bespoke apps and would blow a lot of money to get not very far. They would do very well to provide the raw data and let others use it in creative ways that would not have occurred to them. Personally, I go to the broads to leave the technology behind and go back to a 'simpler' era where what counted was physical, present and to a larger degree self-evident or depended on correct knowledge. So I would not want to see interactive screens installed for example. They would inevitably not be replaced before they became obsolete or broken. I would like any such to be opt-in so those that want to use it can do so without it being directly imposed on the immediate environment. I would count Salhouse as an example of how things should be done. In the large part provide access to nature to allow people to be a part of it, discover it and value it. The physical layout of paths guides people to discover certain aspects where some discreet signage educates and informs. This is better than the old fashioned and largely discredited 'environmental' policy of excluding people from the environment (often the very people who know how to care for it correctly). To get people to care about the environment enough to adjust their behaviour you have to let them be a part of it. To get them to engage with it you need to get their heads up from the screens and onto their real surroundings by letting them discover it for themselves. An inviting boardwalk path leading off into the reads is far more enticing to people than an app describing exactly what they will find at the end of it. Along the way they may even have unguided thoughts of their own...

Congratulations to Anne Whelpton on finding a way to pass on a great legacy. I hope you have a joyful retirement. Congratulations and good luck to to the Hamiltons. Info

Are you talking about a wherry or something smaller?

Suggestion (I'm sure it's probably been suggested before): BA Toll on hire boats is applied as a percentage surcharge on the cost of the hire. There would be a cash flow issue for the BA initially I guess but perhaps terms to the effect of "to be paid at the time of the booking / at the same time as the deposit" could offset that as so many book well in advance. Or roll it out only to the smaller boatyards first. This would at least take some static overhead off struggling businesses and tie the BA's interests somewhat more with the hire yards and the rest of the local tourism industry. The tolls could be reduced on the BA favoured boats like electric/sail/low wash etc.

I know teachers can usually tell a lot by the parents but I really think suspending kids before they're even conceived is going too far.

I had a proud father (colleague) come over to me today clearly releived that his daughter had passed (by quite a comfortable margin). This was not a surprise to me as he went to Cambridge, has a doctorate and his wife is a senior teacher with a similar level of academic ability. So I just made light of it with him but he had been genuinely worried... When the questions are this sloppy I guess everyone should worry that their child's future options may be severely curtailed by inept exam writers.

Thinking about this reminds me how outrageously fortunate I have been in my part ownership. Without the friends we have made it simply wouldn't be possible. All the other owners I know are able to put a lot of time and graft in or are wealthy enough to pay for someone else's. If you are not paranoid and thorough when buying you will learn to be so shortly afterwards. When it comes to maintaining things a grand in time saves nine. So make certain you have reserves to pay for things before they get away from you.