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Had to say very sad farewell to our wee grey rescue cat after 21 years earlier this year. Undernourished, riddled with ear mites and with bad teeth when we got her. She never had any special facilities, and refused to use cat litter - it had to be fresh garden soil. And as for a special...

Well, the Vulcan obviously finds it interesting!

Thanks, mate. That does sound very much our situation; the more research, the less this seems like a good idea.

Hmm. Suspect many would disagree! Back in the '60s, I was following a colleague in his Robin along the A6 just south of the Galgate roundabout, on a very gentle curve, and it just rolled in front of me. Fortunately, one of our more beefy technicians happened to be following too, and the three...

Interesting; when we lived near Bedford, G&D were just expanding from their smallish shop in the middle of town to their yard on the way to Cambridge. Didn't realise they'd expanded as far as Hereford.

Had an old aunt many years ago who had a nose like a bloodhound. I'd recently installed central heating in our old house, taking the pipe under the floor in the hall, which had some elderly rubber backed carpet. Aunt came to visit, and asked immediately "what's that smell of burning rubber". I...

I'd seen the "two-front/one back" machine (a tadpole, apparently) and was puzzled that they refer to it as "mid-drive", when the motor is actually in the rear wheel, not between the pedals which is what is usually called mid drive. That one at least does have gears; there is a similar one...

These do exist, and the general opinion seems to be that they are more stable than the "standard" specification. There's an almost unused one this side of Edinburgh, but it's single speed, with variable electric assistance. I suspect it would be useless on most of the roads round here which...

Just noticed that the Bowdleriser didn't like to***r of the caber in the original post! Changes the sense rather!

Following up some of those links, there was an interesting looking assisted tandem selling for a very reasonable price, so for an instant, thought "that's it". Then noticed it was in Liskeard, which is not exactly handy for Aberdeen! There is also an assisted tandem trike for sale; anyone know...

Thanks, guys. Think I now follow the instability/tipping argument; it had always seemed counter-intuitive. That tandem thingy looks a beast. Suspect wife would feel she was being put out on the front as a sort of airbag! A friend up here is part of a big cycling coop, and has suggested a couple...

At the risk of setting off diatribes about the sins of cyclists, can I pop my head above the parapet and ask a question. Wife and I have been fairly keen cyclists for years, though latterly we decided the years indicated electric assistance for Aberdeenshire hills. Unfortunately, one of the...

There is a burn which goes through a narrow V-shaped valley in our neighbour's garden; her father is a retired civil engineer and keeps prodding them to think about a turbine there. I did some very crude calculations which suggested possibly 500W most of the year (not this one!). Can't imagine...

Brought to mind the 30", pretty much unguarded, circular sawbench that lived uncovered outside our then farm. Driven by a long flat belt by a 1938 John Deere. Interestingly, it didn't ever seem to rust. Wonder if it was so coated in resin etc. as to be protected. Probably fortunate I was too...

The guy I mentioned elsewhere with regard to roof integrated turbines also designed and tested a vertical-axis variable-geometry turbine some time in the 1980s. The test site was some 200m from my office, so watched its trials with interest. It was a single blade design, and pivoted about the...

Yes, wondered about something like that, but decided my chosen design was "better". or more accurately, was easier to make with welder and power hacksaw! Think the plan is to let ex-mountaineering son-in-law do the climbing, in exchange for a tithe of the apples! Been getting very ferocious...

Not the same use, but when we had our last house underpinned (look VERY carefully before purchasing property on shrinkable clay!) they drilled holes into the non-sunk part of the floor slab and inserted what was in effect stainless steel re-bar before pouring the replacement part of the slab...

Both excellent ideas. The first, when I get "a round tuit", MAY not be needed, though it'll probably be easier to put a long chock in front of the two non-swivelling front wheel, not the castor. The second is basically what I've got for my Universal and router table, and work well. So getting...

Definitely. I've been mentally designing something which shouldn't be too difficult to make (once I'm mobile again!) but not sure how it will "feel" in action, as at some point in the raising process, the thrust on the castor may want to move the whole thing forwards, rather than a clean lift...

Thanks for the compliment! In the wee small hours, it occurred to me that a heavy strap hinge or something similar could be welded to the side of the pillar furthest from the frame, and used as a handle to lift it. Could then be folded away under the frame. Maybe in a month or two.......