N19

A couple from over Hampstead way. These two don't move often.

Arguably the best places will be city suburbs - where people don't use their car daily (they get the train/tube/bus etc) but still need one for supermarket trips etc, but as it gets used sporadically it lasts longer... whereas in provincial towns where *everything* assumes you have a car, people commute some distance daily etc, they're more likely to be replaced regularly.

Isolation from covid finished yesterday - still a bit tired, but able to go out and about and do things so long as I give myself plenty of extra rest. Currently, therefore, doing a relaxing* and light duty* reorganising of my lockup to try and fit two extra sofas in there and a bed. As well as two dexion racks, a shelving unit, a cupboard and a car... WCPGW?

In an old job we had a particular 6-monthly service up a ladder in a dark corner. Sometime after doing this I realised my torch was missing and, not finding it, ordered a new one. The next six months roll around and I go up the ladder to do said service in a dark corner, decide to lay my torch down at the top to give a good view of the area, only to find the ledge at the top occupied by said missing torch.

The slide-on ones? 2 per side.

And yesterday was that day - had three bolts on an exhaust manifold heat shield that were corroded on. These got 2 of them out like a dream, chucked some plusgas on them, bit of heat, then they came out beautifully. (Only issue was that I'd forgotten about them until after having sheared off bolt number 1... drill and tap time...)

Only two that I'd call bodges... Capri bonnet catch made a break for freedom on the M1 at 70mph, so the bonnet was on the safety catch. Limped off at the next junction and found a garage who gave me some brake line to strap it down with, rang one of the capri parts specialists and made an impromptu trip across the country to pick up a replacement part. One of the cups on the bluebird wiper linkage sheared off, on a rainy day, when I was out in the countryside, and was cracked so wouldn't re-seat. Attempts to cable tie it temporarily failed. In the end, I drilled into the pivot, then screwed a small bar to the end of the linkage, drilled a hole in that, and fixed it on with a self tapper and some* threadlock, then blobbed it with grease. Worked perfectly.

As a newcomer - is the donation window only open 'as and when' to prevent large sums building up? Appreciate there may be history or something I'm not aware of. Saw this thread and thought I should contribute, is it a case of waiting until there's next a need for funds?

Something tells me that this heat duct on the Bluebird is a little* past its prime... New one has been painted and ready to go on, stubborn 9mm bolts holding the current one on though. I've soaked them in WD, will use the engine for a little heat application, and ordered up a 9mm six point socket.

At my workplace we have a 6:10 desk ratio - based on the fact that enough staff work from home, or work out and about on the road, or are operational and don't need a desk all the time. With a 6'6" gap, this goes down to a 3:10 desk ratio. There will certainly need to be some creative thinking about how this is all managed.

Of course! I don't know how I managed to miss that, given that a friend lives around the corner on Lonsdale. Yeah, there always seem to be a few hippy transit/camper types knocking around Marchmont area, the odd thing of interest in the outer suburbs.

Is that Marchmont, by any chance? Down here in the big smoke, there are still a fair number of them kicking about.

Before I say goodbye to my local area, here's a few of the local sights...

Decisions decisions. Today's commute is less Bluebird but more blue.

I may or may not be slightly crazy, but I (virtually) signed to move to a new flat in 2 months' time. Only a smidgeon more expensive rent, and much quieter and bigger. I have booked a hire van from the hire firm for the move - an X-reg banana engine transit - is that in keeping with this site enough?