Same things happening here, there’s folk in some areas that are being quoted over $20ks. People are choosing to take the risk and not insure. Feel this is a part of some major gouging by the big end of town.
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Also just this week renewed ours with a 20% increase. I suspect we are underinsured and I’m in the process of re-valuing everything. I’m sure that will increase the premium even more. Hey-ho, pay the price or take a risk.
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I popped along to the Chelsea Barracks where they have a Chihuly exhibition as part of London Craft Week, it’s on until Sunday. It has 4 major outdoor pieces in the garden and 5 wonderful pieces in the garrison church. If you’re in London today or over the weekend and love glass sculpture it’s well worth a look.
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Sitting in the worst traffic jam I‘ve ever seen - in the middle of the effing night.
Where?
Austria Tauern motorway. They are repairing several tunnels so single-file traffic. Took eight hours pure driving time from Munich to Ljubliana (400 km) in the Whit traffic. Normally takes under five hours. I left at 11 pm and checked into our hotel at 7:30.
50km an hour that’d be frustrating that’s legal speed in built up areas here. Bet you headed straight the bar. 
Out last night for our regular TFotM (Third Friday of the Month) social soiree. Drink was taken.
Normally my son collects me at a local train station afterwards but early evening the logistics fell apart.
Given the choice of getting off at Carrickfergus, in a likely vain attempt to get a taxi, and walking the last 4.3 miles from Ballycarry train station I opted for the latter. Nice evening for it, moonlight, still, not to cool, backdrop of foxes communicating. On the ascent up the Middle Road I had a chat with a cyclist, moving barely faster than me in a very low gear. Country life at its best.
Google had forecast the walk at 1hr 22 minutes. Completed it in 1hr 6minutes. I’m sure I could have done it faster had I not been carrying 4 pints of Guinness, well four initially, then three for a while and two towards the end.
Willy.
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Good thing you got home when you did otherwise you might’ve run out of fuel.
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So what you’re saying is that I should take more “fuel” on board in case of future logistical snafus?
Sounds logical to me.
Willy.
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Well you’re not an EV.
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I retired in 2020 (in my mid 50s).
About six months ago I went back to work as a part time motorcycle trainer.
The money is nice (since I can spend it on motorcycles with a good conscience…) but it’s not really about the money. Without work, my life felt a bit empty and lacking in purpose; I’d struggled with this for a few years. I came to the conclusion that my career had given me three things:
- Cash
- Social interaction
- Sense of purpose
It was the last two I needed to replace, and just nodding at people in the gym wasn’t enough. Maybe I should have volunteered somewhere, I looked at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau but couldn’t see anything that seemed ‘right’ for me. Anyway, I’m feeling generally happier since I returned to work.
There’s no way I’d consider a full time return to work, or a return to the sort of work I did ‘professionally’ prior to retirement though.
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Nice job. It’s not really work is it? 
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Got my headlamps on my Granada Mk1 working on my new relay system - based around modern Bosch style 5-pin relays. The original 47 year old relay had failed on one headlamp circuit, I’ve got spares but they are just as old and likely to fail soon.
Maybe they shoudl do these stickers for new pieces of hifi so that when your wife rushes out of the kitchen saying that sounds awful you simply point to the sticker. 
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I worked in the motor trade in the early seventies as an apprentice mechanic when we rebuilt or fitted an exchange engine we used to put a sticker in the back window RUNNING IN. I think they were supplied by Castrol.
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The engine has been rebuilt and has Miller’s running in oil in the sump. Not yet been started as I’m still sorting ancient electrics 
The rear screen is not original but the HRW elements are much better on this one so I swapped it last year, this one is tinted unlike the rest of the glass but it’s barely noticeable.
Sometimes it is…
Getting someone to learn how to use a clutch is a bit terrifying at first, just in case they ‘launch’ the bike
Then there is taking a first time road user on the road, following them and giving them instructions on where to ride, how to ride etc etc.
Can be very rewarding and any excuse to be around motorcycles is something I’ll happily take!
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ZX6R owner 
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Just been to the local supermarket to get some hay-fever tables for the summer and this flagged up the restricted items as you are apparently only allowed two boxes, and I wanted three.
I did ask if I could buy six bottles of Whisky and 400 cigarettes and was told, “Yes, that’s ok”.
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