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Is it worth putting some holes in the floor a la soffit vents (one pair for each bearer gap) to ensure a decent airflow which would minimise damp problems anyway.

That taxation systems and rates will evolve to compensate for the loss of fuel and vehicle excise duty is to be expected. Tax influences behaviour and is part of a social and environmental strategy - (a) continue the incentive to transition to EV, (b) raise revenue, (c) influence the use of...

Personal ownership of cars may be overtaken by autonomous vehicles within the next decade. The model for many urban dwellers will be a smartphone app to summon a vehicle as and when they need to travel. This eliminates parking issues, insurance, maintenance etc etc. Some already adopt a...

The UK is clearly inadequate in its provision for natural disasters. We should of course plan for tsunamis the like of which hit Thailand in 2004, magnitude 9 earthquakes, tornados the equal of the US alley, wind gusts up to 150mph as recorded in the Cairngorms in 1986, rainfall of 300mm in...

I have lived in the namby pamby south and south west of the UK. In the last 25 years I can recall only being stuck at home (in town, not Dartmoor!) because of snow on 3 occasions for an aggregate of about 5 days. In urban areas a couple of inches on roads usually clears within a few hours...

I would have thought the enormous piles would only be good for the garden!

The average car does ~7500 miles pa - 150 miles per week. Recharging the battery - once a week for an hour on a 50kw charger - or a couple of "to-ups". The solution is not a fixed infrastructure for every property without the ability to off road charge. The solution is adequate charging...

Daughter bought a 1960s house a few years ago which had an unused boiler cupboard and hot air ducting. The survey highlighted the possibility of asbestos - they decided rather than the aggro of getting an analysis done and the potential cost of removal, they simply closed it off. It is not...

Even accepting (as I generally do) that climate change is happening and will impact on the weather, we are far too enthusiastic about finding "records". This is a link to a Met Office site which identifies UK climate extremes - many of which go back a century or more. Met Office Reflect on...

We recently had the kitchen completely replaced as part of a major renovation. I was happy to put in a mid price kitchen having previously installed in another house a Homebase standard which had lasted 15 years with zero problems. I whittled down the choice to Ikea based upon their reputation...

An EV covering an average mileage (150 miles per week) will need around 50kwh pumped in weekly - quite possibly just once per week. We no more need a recharging infrastructure for each property, than a separate fuel pump allocated to each ICE. I would expect supermarkets, retail parks, hotels...

Poverty drives exploitation - I little doubt the unacceptable conditions under which some cobalt miners work. Without trying to find some detailed analysis (any figures are unlikely to be reliable or easily accessible) I suspect that the exception is being used to prove the conclusion: the...

In 1938 the average wage was ~£4 per week for a 48 hour week - 8p = 1s 8d per hour. To own this piece of craftsmanship would have needed ~4 hours work - today equivalent to £60-80. I can now buy one of these Dekton for £10 - 30 minutes work. Not as pretty but functionally more useful. More...

AIUI there are a number of get out of jail clauses in the rules surrounding the % of EVs sold. In particular it is expected that companies will be able to trade quotas - thus Tesla (100% electric) will be able to sell quotas to other companies with inadequate EV sales. As the fine is £15k per...

Real craftsmen don't need a sharpening stone - a few swipes across the palm of a hand calloused by years of manual non-battery assisted woodworking endeavour is usually sufficient.

Trades now need a Transit sized van to move all essential kit needed to do a job including bits of Festool, Makita, Dewalt and a dozen 4AH batteries. Life was simple 60 years ago - all that was needed was a mahogany box with a few well chosen and sharpened tools. Any task was then within scope.

The internal combustion engine has had 120 years of refinement to get design and manufacturing processes optimised for longevity at low cost - it still leaves much to be desired with servicing required every 10-20k, and multiple points of potential failure - bearings, gaskets, rings etc. It...

Whilst I fully accept that a properly refurbished Fobco, Meddings etc is an excellent tool, as a first purchase with possibly limited experience you may be taking on a significant risk: are you able to judge the quality of a refurbished or renovated tool, or take a knowledgeable friend. It is...

It's a generational thing. Standard fare fondly remembered includes thing like Marx Brothers, Clint the gunslinger films, Bridge over the River Kwai, Carry on ........ , The Great Escape, the Morecombe and Wise Christmas show ......... - you get the idea. Thus far today we have been treated...

Good deed done today. At the Sainsbury’s checkout I was behind an old lady in the queue. Her bill came to £56.83 but when she counted out all of her change she only had just under £10. I thought she was probably someone’s Nan and I’d like to think someone would help my Nan just before Christmas...