Malanka

Forgive me however having consumed stuff all over the planet makes me an experienced consumer. Undoubtedly working in the industry has one insight, however it's not the only one. Professional interest aside good food tastes great and is served with style and panache. I have been all over the world and the best food anywhere ever was street food on an Indian train. No stars there , just good cooks cooking. M

Ok some viruses have jelly round them. Kill jelly no virus. Some are hard like crystal have to break crystal to inactivate virus. Hows that ? M

Bacterial lung infection or viral? Former plenty latter nothing. M

The spraying the hands thing doesn't really work as alcoholic hand sanitizers are not effective at rendering the Noro virus inactive. Makes people feel good though. The reason it doesn't work is the virus is not what is called an enveloped virus which is an outer layer of mamalian tissue which forms around some viruses when they bud off from the host cell, when this happens enough the cell dies and we all feel like horrible when this happens a lot. (feeling like you have the flu) This envelope is usually linked to the infectivity of the virus and so disrupting the envelope renders the virus inactive. Non enveloped viruses are MUCH harder to render inactive as they have a hard outer shell (there are technical words available but wouldn't mean anything) so their infectivity is not easily disrupted as they do not have this soft outer layer. Alcoholic hand sanitizers disrupt the envelope of enveloped viruses which is why they work for flu. Which is an enveloped virus. If you want to look into this stuff which I loved which is why I became a microbe in the first place there are lots of good things on the interweb and it's one area where wikki is more reliable than others. (too many of us nerds correcting mistakes) The duration of hand washing isn't the issue its how one does it. If you hold your palm out facing down most people fail to wash the triangular shape formed from the wrist (narrow bit) to the thumb knuckle and first finger knuckle (wide bit of the triangle). Any surfactant will strip the virus of an envelope if it has one, so soap works ...Granny was right.. See I gave the secret away now... M

Hi My friend, Just to be pedantic unless of course you read out my post aloud. You mean poetry to your eyes... Funny old language isnt it. Just a bit o fun....

Here's a link to the NHS site on Noroviruses too for those interested. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Norovirus/Pages/Introduction.aspx#prevention M

Hi John When I was a student I lived in a house with five other budding microbiologists, the place was a tip....We figured we would allow autogenic succession (or basic lazyness) to clean everywhere including the sink and the loo (we had learned about it so of course had to try it). What that entails is no washing or cleaning products down the loo allow it to come to whats called a steady state population needless to say it was stinky for two weeks but after that sweet as a rose. Landlord wasn't too happy nor the female guests who stopped by from time to time. After a while it does work. I once produced a 40,000+ word thesis on disinfectant testing and use. Before the days of home computers I had to pay for it to be professionally typed. The last line in it says a lot I thought at the time. From memory it was decades ago. What better way to make money than to persuade someone to buy your product because you tell them they "need it" then tell them to flush it down the loo and go buy some more. Putting it down the loo creates the circumstances where nasty niffs can be detected when one stops using it. Hey presto go get some of that nice "lemony fresh" loo stuff. Made my supervisor smile and annoyed the hell out of the provider of the disinfectants I used but hey was good for a laugh. M

LOL oops it should read failure to cook foods correctly that have been stored incorrectly. Fat fingers ...

Best ways to avoid masses of condensation in winter: 1. Don't breathe. (not recommended) 2. Get a wooden boat and leave the windows open (recommended) We still get some condensation of course but it doesn't drip on us, it runs down the sides of the inside of the boat as it is designed to do and then into the bilges from behind the mahoganny panels. The ledges are all tilted towards the sides for this very reason. And we don't get damp bedding either. What we end up with is dry insides but wet behind the panels just the job. We also employ the same below as above philosophy for bedding which as Timbo described it works a treat. Hot water bottles are a must too as is a warm partner preferably not one of the dogs to cuddle up to. The latter is highly recommended for staying cosey warm. M

From a non professional perspective. Maybe some investigation of the difference between a 5* and a 1* rating would be good. Remember fail is closure of the establishment not a 1* rating. Failure to properly cook food that has been stored correctly is by far the biggest cause of recognised food poisoning cases (Nominally Salmonella from meat products or Bacillus poisoning from rice). But not the most prevalent cause of tummy bugs. From the professional perspective I'm also not really shocked by how much faith you all seem to place in hand washing and disinfectant spraying. Having conducted courses in how to wash hands correctly to prevent cross contamination almost 99% of the folks I have trained almost always fail first pass. Yes that's right most people don't know how to wash their hands correctly. And whilst I'm on the topic what's the last thing you touch after washing your hands... Oh yes the same taps you turned on before washing your hands...OOPs. Elbow taps should be mandatory and the wearing of gloves standard, which I really hope it is. ( I know it's not) The most contaminated place in a toilet or bathroom is surprisingly not the toilet that accepts bodily fluids and waste, but the cold tap of the associated hand washing sink. If anyone wants to know how much (many layers) toilet tissue one would have to use to prevent DIRECT transfer to the hands PM me and I'll tell you. Remember immediately after doing the business you pull up the pants contaminating them and flush the loo (getting everyone elses bugs as well as your own on your hands) and open the stall door, then hopefully proceed to the sink and do what's right. Unfortunately routine (normal without training) hand washing removes virtually non of the organisms that grow on you naturally and only up to roughly 80% of the ones you just picked up. This is because non medically or otherwise trained folks actually miss a huge area of both hands when using their customary washing technique taught for generations. Its easy to show using UV visible dye actually. Luckily all this contamination that inevitably makes its way via food and other ports of entry into our bodies doesn't actually do much, as it's not it's presence that's the issue it's when it's allowed to grow unchecked for a while it becomes an issue. Hygiene standards are designed to reduce all the subsequent risks steps aknowledging they are actually present. Disnfectants help, sanitizers (Ugh hate that word) much less so. The problem is most establishments don't actually know how to use them effectively which is not usually how it says on the tin (unfortunately). Anyone imagine establishments waiting the pre-requisite twenty to thirty minutes for these things to work to their potential? Me neither. The rapid and uncontolled spread of Noro viruses (Winter Vomiting disease) which is one of the most prominent causes of tummy bugs (not food poisoning) on ships and in hotels and restaurants just tells us how good 5* ratings actually are at preventing such things...Chocolate fireguard anyone! To be fair they weren't designed to but you get the idea. Remember in some EU countries pork Tarare is a delicacy. Wouldn't touch it with someone elses barge pole personally but each to their own. In reality unless there has been prolonged and major breaches of food hygiene standards and common sense in terms of storage or incomplete cooking, ones chances (probability not possibility) of a food poisoning episode from eating out are surprisingly low even from establishments with a 1* rating. So rest easy and don't panic about food standards and ratings , we are hard to poison and our digestive tracts and our immune systems are great things. Fiona and I are both professional microbes and we employ in our house the well known contamination detector prominently displayed on our faces. We sniff it. An art long since banned in micro labs but one which I learned many moons ago. For lighter amusement. The Milk Marketting Board standards agency arm (remember them?) used to employ a test of the freshness of milk which involved making a cup of tea with it. Needless to say it was called the T test. Little globules of fat floating on the surface of the tea indicates bad or old (contaminated milk) Would still taste ok but defo contaminated. These days its a hugely expensive machine (50K+) which takes a lot longer than making a cup of tea to do much the same job... Ho hum...Welcome to the 21st century where everything is much better, I know this to be true my millenial son tells me so. I hope you found this post informative and mildly amusing. Time to go back to work now... If you've read this far you deserve the answer and its at least 12 layers of soft and gentle.. Or one of IZAL if you remember that stuff.

Yes it's not a good idea although with a truly bonkers dog ( like the Akita that attacked our Barney) your dog submitting is not enough they just keep going. Picking it up usually results in what happened, scratches on her leg hhhmm. I wonder why that happened?? ( not) sad situation in a lovely spot. M

We do that too. M

Fairline vs Princess is an old tale. The move on more modern craft from Princess to a stern galley has really made a difference to the cost entertainment feel of the saloon. All I need is a couple of million pounds. The new Volvo drive system is great too. Fairline I think need to buck their ideas up a bit to get my lottery money. Could always get the new small Bavarian with built in coffee machine lol Do we we know who bought Fairline after their difficulties? M

Yes please to forms and yes she is still in the shed. Next door to that famous one.. lol M

Excellent lol cheered me up royally that did .

You did. And chocolates, you advised when Tim assembled his new gas barbecue. It was a hot afternoon on Womak staithe. i wasn't advising I was laughing and playing with the beagle that Boris took a fancy to ( something to do with a hormonal spray Tim was using)

+10 Me too.

Not laughing Timbo. We need to stick together against the Tupperware tonnage. Must confess still fancy a princess 60... 55 at a pinch....just need that lottery win. one can acquire a Branston 40 for a snippet under 900,000 squids. A snip no luxury toys though just basic. I even have a brochure just in case I win ...

Personally I don't mind it I find that a lot less offensive than the true word with substitute letters in it. If it's the decision not to use it that's fine with me but it is a little pc as it sums up the feeling at the time without recourse to disgusting hurtful foul language which was all going at huge volume in my direction including the C word. As for nets he left them deliberately and I had no choice the wind was pushing me in which is what I told him. He spent more time collecting His huge stash of empty beer cans which took an inordinate amount of time swearing at me the whole time, in the full hearing of my daughter and my wife and my sixteen yr old son. After that my feeling is that particular epithet fits the bill. apologies if you don't agree M

Thanks for the invitation which under normal circumstances we would have accepted Joshie mate, Alas Malanka is only due to leave the tender mercies of Brooms this Friday morning. We paid the invoice via IBAN ( funny stories galore another time) and Boat is being picked up and driven back to Stalham. we are out on her 14-21st October. Hopefully Boris the teddy bear and monty the pup with us too. Not sure where we are going yet but pls keep some forms and if you see us flag us down or if you pass the shed pls drop them into the stern well. the good news is she is fixed unfortunately Hugely busy at work with foreign governments inspections x2 speaking at conference in Vienna and travelling to west coast US before then though...to top that Boris got taken to the veterinary hospital this morning with pneumonia possibly an aspiration one we hope. never rains but it pours. M

Hello my friend no need to take mod hat off just for me. They could call them and say they have had reports of antisocial behaviour, they could take them off their boat (s) plural there we're two. They could do many things if they wanted to. The two boats left the mooring with not a single sober person aboard, they could barely stand let alone drive a boat. All communicated to broads control and Richos. Video was available if they wanted if this was a house rental and an all night party was going on would the same question arise. Still a hire company surely they have a duty of care to other users of the rivers that the service they provide isn't to the detriment of others surely? maybe I'm just a little naive my father gave me Victorian values and a strict upbringing I'm not ready for the 21st century and can't wait to retire and become a cantankerous old man. I have personal experience of the rudeness and complete lack of customer service awareness of the front of house folks at certain hire firms so it didn't surprise me really if I'm absolutely honest, which is why I rang broads control. I think I have to retire to Norfolk and get in the slower pace of life to really appreciate the place. Now it's a retreat soon it will be my home. call me Martin tt.

What a load of fuss about nothing. If you call the waterside at Brammerton they will ask if you're eating at the pub and what time you will arrive and how big is the boat. Any passing trade is perfectly entitled to moor there until the reserved time then politely leave as was the implied contract by mooring when the blackboard states when you may not moor there after a certain time . Why is this difficult to comprehend. As for lady on bank in Horning. No I would have moored anyway. If folk want to talk about mooring etiquette why not discuss fishermooring, you know moor ten feet from the end and populate the bank with fishing gear and seats, then refuse to move up. Or moor ten feet from next boat and do the same with the space in between. Had the latter at womak dyke, we moored anyway in quite a breeze with the oxygen thief boozed up twonk leaving his keep nets ( plural) in the water until the very last second. He only moved it when I told him if he didn't I would crush it. We filmed the whole incident as did the oxygen thiefs friend. I offered to give him the number for broads control but he didn't seem keen. Profligate use of extreme swearing from the fishermen and threat and insults galore we moored up and immediately called Richos who were as much use as a chocolate teapot, claiming they couldn't do anything which is of course rubbish. So no joy with the unofficial we called broads control who were very helpful and took boat details down and said they would catch up with them later as this wasn't the first complaint about them. M

Sorry but we regularly took our eldest two out of school for a week at a time as two different schools different holidays grrr both now doing very well at University so obviously we ruined their lives. IMO the legislation should be linked to performance not just absence. Nail hammer anyone

I brought some to all the CinCs when you brought your sausages my friend. M

+100 M