Chrissie

We went on Monday and I was only a little disappointed. It made a change to be able to see the boats without having to queue for ages - and I was also impressed by the New Boat Company, it confounded my expectations! I thought the Severn Valley boat was a little uninspiring. Dull.

Mosaic tiles are less prone to cracking - smaller size so greater flexibility presumably. Not sure I like them though........

Lead mains water pipes are considered to be a risk, especially to children. My father would insist that we should run the cold water for several minutes before using the cold water in the morning and never drink from the hot water tap (try googling it for more info). Point is, you may not be aware of other low-level contamination in your potable water tank, so you should ensure that it is properly painted and maintained. Horrible job though.

Would fish farming be an option???

Thanks everyone. We're off back to the boat this weekend so I'll give the Sticky Stuff Remover a go. for info - it is on a varnished surface, with a consistency a bit like the clear glue that magazine inserts are stuck with. Tried working it off with a blunt scraper, but it would probably take weeks!

The previous owner of our boat had stuck his pictures to the cabin sides with sticky velcro and we are left with the sticky residue which is a bit like clear chewing gum. Any ideas about how to get rid of it? I had considered using WD40, but any suggestions will be gratefully received. Chrissie

Several years ago we watched as middle daughter, then 13 and with a notoriously volcanic temper, deal with an 'elderly gentleman' who re-set all the mooring lines that she had just tied neatly and safely. He even took one of her spring lines across a footpath and tied it at knee height! Fortunately he was rescued before it got physical.

and of course, we need to be sure that we always follow good safety rules - because they will be watching!

It's a shame when children are wrapped in cotton wool and not allowed to do anything which might involve some risk. They need to be supervised to prevent them harming themselves (or others), but they shouldn't feel they're being watched every second. If they are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, they will gain confidence and independence which is safer for them in the long run.

The off-cuts were a favour from a friend who runs a flooring business doing commercial premises - offices, factories etc. The stuff for the wet-room we got through a local 'interiors' shop, the sort that does curtains, laminate flooring, blinds etc. We paid for professional fitting, but only because we were too busy with other things to do a good job. I can't find the invoice, so can't confirm the name of the stuff or the price - blame OH's extreme filing system!

We built a wet-room in the house and used the commercial non-slip flooring that you see in hospitals, commercial kitchens etc. It is expensive, but definitely non-slip. We managed to get hold of some off-cuts at a bargain price which we used on the deck of the aft-cockpit - slightly more difficult to keep clean than the old vinyl, but worth it for the added safety.