Recent content by GreyCat

The muppets with their builder's bonfire on the other side of the valley had a visit from Sam Tan* today. Takes a special kind of stupid to have a bonfire at the moment. They fired one bonfire at 01:15 or so this morning, then another those afternoon. Neighbour called Sam Tan out as they...

This is old news i'm afraid. The legislation has been there for a while. It popped up to the top of the news a couple or so years ago after a tight spot (grid wise) one winter, on that occasion it was coal power stations going full chat that saved the day...... an option we no longer have...

A book of country wine recipes. I intend to make use of the generous bounty of blackberries this year....... GC

Unfortunately, we seem to have a destructive steak in society. People who burn down old trees for the "fun" of it or even worse for social media clicks (I saw a news article about this but cannot remember where). The hillside fires in south Wales are typically started deliberately. Many people...

Ah, the Religion of Progress............... There's technological progress, economic progress and social progress. They move together............. - Social progress: it's not the level of tolerance that's changed, it's the taboos are different. I would argue that the peak of tolerance was...

I would like the F1 please, pm sent GC

Hoop and set of primary shaped ribs for a big cynell basket, plus some hoops for other sizes of cynell baskets.... (need to make some smaller rib formers to go with the smaller hoops). It's not really the rightnti e of year but if you use second season biomass willow and leave a week between...

Ah @Woody girl , it is so heartbreaking...... ....but look. You have the sense to understand the issue, salvage what you can and have a Plan B to get some tins in. Not ideal but WAY better than waiting until fresh stuff runs low in the shops. From what you describe I don't think it's just the...

I really feel for you @Woody girl Whilst runner beans don't like heat (a good year for runner beans is usually bad for French beans and vice versa), and peas don't like heat either, courgettes should be OK so long as they get enough water, feed, and some shade on hottest days. I have pattypan...

I found a petition today that is asking for legislation to require online retailers to disclose what courier service they are using up front, so that consumers can make an informed choice about whether to buy from the retailer if they use a courier which is known nationally or locally for poor...

Some would- probably a higher proportion in older generations who grew up without electronic everything and with practical classes in school. Tools: how many people can use hand tools (i.e. tools that do not need electricity to operate), even tradespeople? Can they sharpen their hand saws or...

Indeed- large chopper plus something small seems to cover a lot of bases. Perhaps the modern equivalent is a big skarma with either a small skrama or a small jaakaripuukko mounted on the sheath- https://varusteleka.com/en-gb/products/varusteleka-skrama-240-and-jaakaripuukko-85-with-double-sheath...

Over a few days.... I made a full size cyntell basket (under tuition)- that's a traditional south Welsh frame basket. This one is 24 inches across as that was the size of my hoop former (an old bicycle wheel). I started a few weeks ago learning to make the hoops and frames- finding/making...

I had a couple of 250L barrels from the centre aisle of Lidl in March.... £30 each. They are OK, not free of gremlins, but they are acceptable. Another 4 were 300L barrels from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DP4ZZMCQ again several months ago and before the other ones appeared in Lidl...

So, after a few weeks of dry weather, the usual hosepipe bans commence. Although the first hosepipe ban in the Dwr Cymru area doesn't impact us, it did remind me to get my emergency extra folding water butts out and fill them, and to use a transfer barrel to move my main water butts 30 metres...