Sir Percy

Similarly water-based, but no murder mystery: Boogie Up the River, a radio comedy-drama series. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boogie-Up-River-Comedy-Travelogues/dp/B0BZ12KTXB

Just been using some of that (Weathershield) today; for exterior wood and metal, quick dry satin. It's a no-thin paint, quite thick. It does dry quickly, which is good for painting outdoors, but difficult to get brush marks out.

I've just spent a hundred quid on these bags of hardwood logs https://www.fireandflame.co.uk/product/fireflame-4x-hardwood-logs-copy/ which were being cleared out at £4 a bag (normally £8) from the local Sainsbury's. You may want to look around at your own; I've never seen this particular seasonal knockdown before. Note: not online. I don't know if you can really compare coal and wood on a therm/£ basis. The wood burns hotter and faster than coal. I'll hold off using the wood until the longer, colder winter nights. As for wood briquettes, I've still got the recycled cat litter idea in the back of my mind.

Presumably those illegally moored houseboats would have been removed now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68677681

Of course. Perfect, that also does away with turning them.

I'd have to use smaller spuds, but the ashpan sounds like a good idea. Couldn't agree with you more, there's something about a stove-baked potato which makes them more delicious.

I like wrapping a jacket potato in foil and putting it into the stove to bake. However, getting the skin crispy and not burnt is a hit-or-miss affair. Does anybody have a reliable method?

Talking heads, a voiceover and animated graphics are classic ingredients of a cheaply-made schedule filler. I think I recognised Mark Benton's voice; jocular style and accent most likely chosen for popular appeal. Interesting though, that 'Cunk' was Liz McIvor, who previously wrote and presented 'Canals: The Making Of A Nation', shown on BBC, which some of you may have enjoyed. She was blonde in this programme, which I would assume was simply a personal choice and not a ploy for popular appeal. As for making a programme cheaply, I don't imagine that it would have cost much (relatively) to make 'All ABoard! The Canal Trip', also shown on BBC as part of their 'slow TV' series. A drone camera follows a boat down the K&A for a couple of hours, accompanied by ambient sounds and the occasional informational note overlaid on screen.

It's almost as if the programme makers were trying to come up with easy-watching TV for watchers after undemanding entertainment requiring no familiarity with the subject.

I learned something, or at least heard something that I hadn't previously thought about; that the operators of boats and their families didn't initially live on board. Also, that they sometimes took on board a child from another family and sometimes had them separated up in the forecabin. I might take that last bit with a pinch of salt.

If he could do it over 5 consecutive days, that would be a holiday in Dublin sorted out.

Thanks @Tony Brooks, I was concerned about the franchise aspect of RYA course provision, hence the post. I think I'll be looking at an RCR course. ...which seem to have now been discontinued!

I don't expect that there's anyone who's done the same course with different providers; would all accredited trainers provide the same standard of training/equipment, do you think? I'm looking at one charged at £155 - is that standard?

The angle grinder that I have doesn't have a hose outlet, unfortunately. Unfortunately, I only have DIY-er power tools. I guess hire will have to be the way forward.

Do you have any tips and techniques for keeping dust down when abrading rust in a bilge/engine bay?

You can bake a loaf in an outdoor pizza oven - but these are rather pricey, may not be worth it unless you are going to use it regularly. https://uk.ooni.com/collections/ovens p.s. flatbreads don't have to turn out like a ship's biscuit...

Quoted an average of £1300 a year

I (or more accurately, the cat does) use clumping wood pellets in the cat litter tray. It's more practical than clay, but still needs disposing of. Reusing it as the raw material for a fire log sounds like a good idea. Not sure what to do about the turds, though. I guess if they've dried out sufficiently, they might be decent fuel.

Could be the ridges in the flexible hose.

No, no muddy bank on that side. But you have reminded me to go and scrub off any greasy glob that I might have expelled and is now sticking to the hull.

There's a u-bend fitted to the bathroom handbasin. I had to unblock that last year, and was thinking then about the u-bend; noted that it might have been tricky to fit hose from the sink back up to the level of the skin fitting.

No idea. Maybe it was put in by someone with a fear of spiders.

This Sunday's job: unblocking the kitchen sink. It had been put off for far too long, in the dread anticipation of the slimy grey mess that lay in wait. I couldn't have left it any longer; drainage had slowed down to the point where the water level was rising up towards the overflow after washing up just a few items. I cleared out all of the stuff that I'd crammed in undersink, laid down newspaper and a big old ready meal foil tray, and started by unscrewing the trap. Boak. Raked out all the smelly, slimey, gunk from the trap and the hose. Gave it a tickle with a drain snake, and reassembled. Tried running some water - minimal effect. Went at it with some caustic soda. Not good for the canal, I guess. Possibly not good for my pipes, either - they got a bit warm, but seem unscathed. A bit of improvement to drainage, not fantastic, though. Thought I'd better give the pipes a good flushing, so dumped a bucket of water into the sink and had a cup of tea and a sit-down. Came back to find...a sinkful of water. Absolutely no drainage at all now. I must have dislodged a load of sludge to a point further down where it had blocked the outlet completely. Out with the plunger. Not the old-school rubber cup on the end of a wooden handle, but a big plastic version with a large concertina. Gave a good old plunge and a gritty, watery sneeze came out of the overflow. Had to cover that with one hand while I tried plunging again with the other. Water running freely again. When the time comes to unblock the sink again, I think I'd probably go through the same steps again. Anyway, that's what's worked for me.