floydraser

If you want to make friends in Coventry just strike up a conversation about the 1987 FA cup final. I used to work with lads from Coventry and they had a few tales to tell about working in the car factories. One of them said his dad used to work at "the Triumph" and their garden pond had a fountain powered by a TR8 electric fuel pump. Another told how he knew someone who could get tyres out past the security guards.

Brew XI.. was that a Midlands thing or nationwide? Reminds me of: Mackeson - "Looks good, tastes good and by golly it does you good!" "A Double Diamond works wonders works wonders works wonders a Double Diamond works wonders so drink some today!"

Too wet to do much outside but it was a nice day on Tuesday so we nipped over to Coventry to have a look at the cathedral. The bombed remains of St Michael's church next door are quite moving, especially given the time of year. Not only is the 11th November significant but also 14th, the anniversary of the bombing in 1940. Easy for us to get there as we only live about 25 minutes away, we went to the only Park and Ride in Coventry which is to the south of the city off the Kenilworth Road and within the War Memorial Park. Next best way to get there would be by train as the newish station is quite close to the city centre. Driving and parking in Coventry is horrendous! Parking and buses are charged separately: parking is free for 3 hours then £4 for 4 hours etc. but get a discount ticket from the bus driver and it's £1 all day. We parked up and politely joined the short queue behind two other couples. A bus came in, rounded the oval, pulled up and the doors opened. Nobody moved so the doors closed and the bus drove off! We asked the others why they didn't get on the bus. It turns out the p&r is part of a regular route and the other couples were waiting to go in the opposite direction, to Warwick! Ah. One of them said it was a nice walk to the centre and it was, a lot of it being through the park where we also came across a coffee shop. It was a couple of miles but for now, that's ok for us. We enjoyed the cathedral; what a contrast to Westminster Abbey a couple of weeks ago! No photos because they would just look like the ones you see online, it was worth the personal experience though. I wouldn't think the cathedral on it's own makes Coventry worth a visit. Combine it with the Motor Museum for a better day out. There are plenty of eating/drinking places supported by university students but I'm afraid the buildings are looking a bit tired and disjointed. There's a Wetherspoons where the locals would enjoy staring at you, or a Zizzis just round the corner. You pays your money.....

May be worth asking at a decent size marina around St Ives or Wayford Bridge for recommendations?

Good info but in addition to costs: Some companies specialise in certain geographic areas and can offer better rates. I rang one company and they told me they don't really go there (where I wanted to go at the time) but recommended a company that did. You may also get a better rate if you are prepared to wait while the operator finds a boat to move in the opposite direction as a "return load".

Absolutely! Which is why I wonder, do people keep making and promoting Youtube videos showing nothing but boat crashes on the Broads?

The girl said she has never been to Norfolk. It would be interesting to see them do a similar thing on the Broads. So long as they gave their honest opinions.

Just reading that Ian has been busy yet again for Hemsby lifeboat. I had no luck with the museum so the telescope has been wrapped up and stored in my attic. I'm thinking that uncovering it's history would add interest and value to it. Then it could go back to auction and the proceeds could go to the lifeboat, as it came from Norfolk. It would perfect to find it listed on an inventory of a ship but I doubt that'll happen. I'm waiting for the BBC to update their Antiques Roadshow website with next year's venues.

Where is this Lathams? I need to get Mrs Raser something for Christmas....

Wow. Reminded me of my first time solo sailing my 22ft Seal Sinbad on Rutland Water. Chris called it right; frightening and exilerating at the same time!

Potentail? Who wrote that?

From June: From last Monday 30.10.23: I would now like to declare this deck waterproof! The caulking will be tidied up next time when it'll be nice and hard. Trying to use the best materials, the Sikaflex 290 cost me £28 and after small usage did it's job - turning into hard rubber - in the nozzle and the end of the tube. Being a dedicated cheapskate, I punched a hole in the side of the tube to use the fresh stuff and applied it with a couple of spatulas, hence the mess. I'm happy now that if the cover gets destroyed in one of these storms the water can't in too much. It'll always find a way in I suppose, but not too much. No major surgery left to do! Just need to plug the hole from the gas water heater stack, apply resin to soft bits and paint the three roofs, but that can all wait. Just going to order the seals for the Houdini hatches, thanks to Karizma. The potentail buyer hasn't actually pulled out, just done the modern thing and stopped communicating which I take to mean the same thing. They were yet another in the string of people who hope I'm a kindly old romantic gent who'll succumb to their sob story. Nope, this is the real world not the chuffing Repair Shop!

I reckon you're about spot on there LR; I've just the latest email from the money saving expert. Their survey shows the best time to renew is between 20 and 26 days before renewal.

Why should our insurance go up to cover the risks of EV's? It shouldn't!

That happens with mine most years. I just ring them and they'll ask for the quote number and check it, then match it. When they don't, I move to the next best well known name. I'm almost looking forward to the renewal of the Corsa insurance next Feb. If it goes by much I'll flog the Corsa.

I just wonder if they've let the figure of 10% escape so that they can settle on 9% and claim they're being generous.

We enjoyed Holt a few years ago and it's on our list of must visit agains. But beware, it's a very popular place and the last time we tried to get there we gave up because of lack of parking. That was a busy weekend though, not a problem now we've retired so it's back on the cards.

What is it with dogs and sand? You just have to disturb the surface and in they go with the front paws, 19 to the dozen, then the snout goes in and comes out, sand all over place. Can't be comfortable. Great to watch though.

You can use Tesco points to purchase the railcard. The actual two for ones are through the railcard website. Just check the Tesco thing first as it may be a time limited thing. I don't have a Tesco card myself.

And on a lighter note...................... First, get a railcard. Any railcard. It's 30 quid, or nothing if you have Tesco points. Apart from 1/3 off rail travel you also get discounted days out. We did the Cutty Sark with a two for one deal at the end of August and yesterday we did Westminster Abbey, two for £27 instead of £54, so there's your railcard paid for again! It was great to be able to relate to what we have been seeing on tv lately but I was amazed by the amount of stuff inside the abbey which is never shown. There are innumerable monuments to the great and the good and with a bit of research, maybe the not so good. So many that some are hidden behind others. An incredible amount of work must have gone into the carving and stone mason work and parts are showing the results of the millions of people brushing past over the years. It was very busy and we were always in a bit of a crowd so not the kind of place to be enjoyed in a group I wouldn't think. I accidentally trod on Charles Darwin and I think David Livingstone. At least, I presume it was him. Cream tea in the cafe was very reasonable. Well worth the trip and like the Tower of London, makes you proud to be British. Then to London Bridge and a walk along the south bank of the Thames to Hornimans, level with the pointy bit of HMS Belfast. They do Timothy Taylors Landlord and Adnams gin along with the best fish and chips we've had in ages at a very reasonable price – for London. It got very noisy though, once we moved inside to eat and the city workers piled in for apres work drinkypoos. St Paul's for the next trip but that two for one runs out mid December.

I rest my case!

Yes, and it probably started with a caveman wanting more paintings of buffalo on his walls than Ug Jones next rock! I saw grown ups doing it in the early sixties and don't tell me you haven't noticed the race to get the modern house to show several shades of grey, along with a flat grey coloured car? It's in our DNA.

I have got back to them and they feel it's still too much to risk their kids being bored, compared to the alternatives. I think it significant that although Dad has a boat on the Broads they still never considered it as a holiday in the first place. We have hired a day boat on the canal a couple of times so it's not that they are against boats. But within their social circle everyone goes abroad. One parent has expressed the view that when a teacher asks young pupils where they went on holiday, most of them answer abroad and they didn't want their kids to feel second class. Not a view I share! But whenever I think about holiday ads on tv they all seem to be overseas apart from the odd Park Dean ad. Maybe the Broads needs a TV campaign.

I don't know what they paid for Ibiza but I'll ask the question what WOULD you pay to try a week on the Broads.

Well I did collect them and I did ask them. Who are they? A couple in their early 40s, two good incomes, three kids. They went all inclusive to Ibiza Sat to Sat, half term week. Have you ever considered a boating holiday on the Broads? No. Why not? Just hadn't thought about it, but wouldn't rule it out. Three grand a week? Never! Wouldn't spend three grand to stay in Norfolk unless it was in a house with a pool and decent weather. Alternatives abroad are more appealing at that price. I should point out that they also have a large tent and enjoy the self catering aspect of camping so it's not even the boat handling that puts them off.