floydraser

So you can go premium and pay to not see ads. Radio stations do similar. So there's the providers actually admitting that we don't like adverts then saying "well you can either pay the advertisers or just pay us direct". Isn't that blackmail? I think a lot of these platforms started as free then sold out to the big guys. Unfortunately there isn't currently a decent alternative to Youtube.

Thread drift alert! Leicester Peregrines. http://leicesterperegrines.org.uk/streaming/

What shall we do today? Check weather - OK. Let's go and see Catherine of Arogan. She won't be good company but it'll be nice to see Peterborough Cathedral and it's excuse to go by train. Fail. The Stanstead train broke down so we gave up and walked back into Leicester for a coffee. We're not devoutly religious but we are interested in our own history. They've recently finished an expensive refurbishment of Leicester's own cathedral so we decided to nip along and see Richard lll, the well known rhyming slang. Very interesting. I never knew we had our very own Peregrines: http://leicesterperegrines.org.uk/streaming/ I'll repeat that on the Peregrines thread.

My caravan battery hides in the garage from October to April every year and didn't get used much last year. I charged it a few weeks ago but this weather brought us out to prepare the van for this summer. It showed 10.6 volts and I had to leave it overnight to fully charge (Aldi trickle charger). Used it to flush the water system 3 times and then tried to test the motor mover but it wouldn't connect to the remote control. I brought it home to charge again - 10.6 volts. I thought it was a bit slow pumping. Left it charging overnight and it was still a couple of bars short of a full charge - a bit like myself. The date on it is March 2011 so I reckon I've had my money's worth and now I've fitted the mover I need extra reliability.

MM it's hard to oppose the views of such a well respected member of the forum but.. There's always a but isn't there? Back in July you said you didn't know what all your options were, nor did Citizen's Advice. So maybe you had choices you didn't know about, like a residential caravan. But then you've loved the Broads since you were 11 so maybe it was always going to be that way. As Dom says it's up the DWP to sort out individual circumstances and advise on options. If anyone has actually been forced to live on a boat against their will I would love to hear about it. The resulting article in the News of the World would probably make enough cash to buy a house! I think we all agree that there are those who seek attention by rebelling against authority and conformity, and the invention of social media just adds fuel to their flame. Certain phrases trigger different reactions but for me it was "the simple answer is". I'm impressed with the references to navigation in another thread; I am now scared to venture out in case I get lost on Surlingham Broad. We also have the benefit of a fountain of knowledge on all boat mechanicals and systems. Flooding, the bure Hump etc.. yep, impressive. But when it comes to poverty and being on benefits let's try and keep it humble shall we? Or do I have to explain what it's like to be pregnant? MM. You also said in "Being nice" there isn't a member of this forum you wouldn't buy a drink for. I hope that's still the case? I would look forward to it.

Yep, we have an extra large desk bell which one of the offspring bought for us for a laugh. We never thought it would be any use but an earfull down the phone soon shuts them up!

Agreed. Try to keep them on the line to stop them bothering anyone else. See it as a challenge. Can be funny but can get nasty.

It was noticable that cities that had riots strangely had increased investment after the dust had settled....

When I was on benefits in 1982 "mental health issues" hadn't been invented! I was made redundant with a mortgage and two kids but it was all my fault, the benefits officer told me so from behind his glass screen. The screen was nothing to do with Covid, that hadn't been invented either, it was so that you could be taunted about your situation. I remember trying move the chair I was sat on but it was bolted down so that interviewees couldn't smash it through the glass. Of the many job interviews I went for I remember the boss of one firm saying, "All these unemployed! I know how long it takes to get another job, 5 minutes!" Yep, I guess it's all so easy from the other side isn't it. Where ever we live we should have a responsibility to look after our bit of the scenery on behalf of everyone else. I'm pleased to say that if you looked down our street you wouldn't be able to pick out our house for being any better or worse in appearance than any of the others, because we keep it that way. Not far away is a house that until a few weeks ago had an upstairs outer window sill hanging at an angle from one end. All the windows and doors were old and wood. Gardens all overgrown, a real tip. But there's often a car in the drive because someone lives there and it's been like it for 30+ years. But you don't normally walk round a housing estate as part of a holiday. Scruffy liveaboards tend to group together and get noticed more because they are where people take holidays. Living on a boat is always a choice. No one would ever be offered a liveaboard as the only choice against homelessness. There must be reason why housing associations who buy properties to rent to those on benefits, don't buy boats. For one thing, as a landlord, who is going to insure you against someone falling overboard? It would always be claimed to be your negligence; at this time, you get blamed for mold which people don't seem to able to clean off. I used to work with well paid HGV drivers who chose to live in residential caravans because it was cheap. They just had to move out for one month a year.

It looks like Argos are helping us keep things clean. I looked around for a new extending brush and thought £40 at The Range for a kit containing brushes I would never use was a bit much, but Argos had this on offer for £12: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3632671?clickSR=slp:term:extending brush:1:588:1 I have looked on Ebay and places and decided they all come from the same factory for around £15 delivered. Argos isn't out of my way much and I don't have to wait. Then on Griff's thread he mentioned a window vac just as we were going near Sainsbury's again so I've just been and picked up this: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3374788?clickSR=slp:term:window vac:3:119:1 It has a 3 year guarantee and I've just tested it. Fine, but I would use a bit more water next time. I would also use a solution of washing up liquid with a squirt of vinegar next time. I use a bit of paper kitchen roll to finish off.

Cor blimey, "since 1923". Yep, I can remember (early sixties not 1923!) the Kleenze man banging on the front door and standing there with his suitcase and usually something like a long handled brush in his hand, while my mum told him to clear off, poor bloke.

and good luck with the project. You have certainly come to the right place.

On behalf of all those in the future looking for this info, thank you!

The toilet inlet could be blocked, probably with seeds from the trees and dead spiders. But seriously, I had to clean out my weed filter quite regularly when I was there.

BBC announcer introduced a program about "Da Queen".

I can't lie........ ..... you had to be there.

Engineers trying to be trendy would replace "what do you think?" at the end of a sentence with "if that makes sense?" Your instead of you're. The Grand Master of all comedy, and punctuation: Bye Gracie, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, Laters!

I know what you're saying...

"So, have some Madeira M'dear!" You can't express in writing but going up at the end of a sentence as if asking a question? Annoying. Ever heard anyone finishing a phone call these days? Bye, bye, bye, bye,bye, bye, bye, bye.

A couple more from a year earlier. They had started to clear up the docks but were yet to develop them into the shopping mall they are today.

Hasting Direct - unbelievable! Last year £195, renewal £288, Esure £248. I thought I would give them a chance to match it. "Our response time is currently over 30 minutes". There is no way to cancel the auto renewal other than to ring so I took the Esure policy. Hastings were right, it took them 33 minutes to connect. When I told him I had already paid for the new policy he told me I had 14 days to cancel so that was his justification for trying to quote me again! He said, "It'll only take around 5 minutes". I told him I understand he is only doing his job but I don't want to be on the phone for ages and before he asks, I don't want my house insuring either. He got the message and it ended pleasantly. But it doesn't give me confidence in them to handle a claim. He was English and easy to understand though.

Found 'em, from October 2003:

In fairness to Multicell I have been using them for years for cars, caravans and the boat, with no problems at all. They were started in 1989 where I live and you can find the history on their website: https://www.multicell.co.uk/ They have expanded over the years and only recently opened a massive new depot. They've never been taken over and it still remains in the family.

Thank you.

From Dom: I'm curious what the sailing vessel in your channel header is though? I was in the Onedin Line as Cap'n Baines. I took that pic years ago on a visit the Gloucester Docks. I'll have to see if I can find the name if it isn't shown.