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I Have a Question - Volume 292 [Read Only] - Pugugly

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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/05/2009 at 13:39

Phone line issues - bathtub tom
>>if it were my pups, I wouldn't expect them to stop until it was in pieces

They'd stop pretty quickly with fifty volts through their mouths and probably wouldn't go back.
Phone line issues (from Volume 292) - Stuartli
>>Did you know that the main socket in a house has a second telephone socket hidden behind the faceplate? >>

I thought most people knew that, especially those with broadband...:-)

It's a test socket and eliminates other factors when testing a phone line.

See, for instance: www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/view-master.html
Phone line issues (from Volume 292) - BazzaBear {P}
I thought most people knew that especially those with broadband...:-)


Surely only those with broadband who have had a problem in fact?
I myself have never had a problem - until this one, which is when I found out about it.
Phone line issues (from Volume 292) - L'escargot
>> I thought most people knew that especially those with broadband...:-)
Surely only those with broadband who have had a problem in fact?
I myself have never had a problem - until this one which is when I
found out about it.


Well, I found out about it when I investigated the possibility of having an ADSL master faceplate splitter added to BT's NTE5 box, instead of a microfilter dangling out of every telephone socket. I didn't have a problem with broadband ~ I just wanted to tidy up the telephone wiring. www.solwise.co.uk/adsl_splitters.htm
Phone line issues (from Volume 292) - Stuartli
Solwise is an excellent and very helpful outlet. It has some good help guides on its website for those who may be interested.
Phone line issues - BazzaBear {P}
Is there that high a voltage through the phone line then?
Maybe I shouldn't have been blotting it with a paper towel before wrapping in electricians tape then!

To bring the major question to the notice of people who won't see the old IHAQ:

The damage is on the cable between the main house socket and some sort of BT junction box on the front wall of my house. Is this cable my responsibility or BT's?

Is my best bet to continue with Tiscali ordering in a BT engineer, or to cancel it and organise something myself?
Phone line issues - Stuartli
>>The damage is on the cable between the main house socket and some sort of BT junction box on the front wall of my house. Is this cable my responsibility or BT's?>>

The box on the front of your property will be the house box. The line from this box to your Master Socket is owned and maintained by BT (just as from the exchange itself) and the company should be responsible for any repairs.

However, Tiscali will have to arrange for any BT or OpenReach engineer to call and undertake any work necessary.

It's telephone wiring from the Master Socket around your property for which you are responsible, such as that for extension phones etc.
Phone line issues - cockle {P}
Standing voltage on BT line is 50v DC, ringing is 75V AC @ 25 Hz. The 50v DC will give a nice 'tingle' if you put your tongue across it, ringing will make your eyes water a bit and make you jump, certainly wouldn't kill you!

As to your little problem you, and others, are correct in that the line up to, and including, the first socket is Openreach's, the external network bit of BT, responsibility and is normally repairable free of charge.
HOWEVER, there's always a however, this DOES NOT apply when there is evidence of mechanical damage or unfair wear and tear to the cabling or socket, this can even apply to damage to the overhead wire caused by a tree which belongs to you on your land and I would suggest that a dog chewing the cable is not exactly fair wear and tear either; in this case the repair becomes chargeable to whoever is responsible.

You may be lucky and get it repaired for nowt but be warned BT/Openreach is now very much a business rather than the cuddly utility it used to be and like all other businesses in the current climate is looking for every penny. Even if the engineer visiting is kind and doesn't put in a charge all his 'clears' are scrutinised by others elsewhere who will be looking to raise a charge wherever possible. As your call out is via Tiscali then I believe that the charges will initially be raised to them and it will be up to them if they pass them on to you.

Hope you get it sorted to your advantage.
Phone line issues - Mapmaker
Honest, it's a doddle. Go and buy some wire and do it yourself. There are only two cables. So take, say, the orange, and the orange/white and attach them up at both ends.

You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain (£150 call out?)

You cannot get electrocuted.

If you are really lucky, then of the three (two if very old) pairs of wires in the old cable, two wires will be undamaged (visual inspection of the cable may well tell you this), so all you have to do is to is choose a working pair.


How are you going to stop the dogs from doing it again? Sort that before the telephone wire...
Phone line issues - Pugugly
I'll move this across to the original thread shortly.
Phone line issues - BazzaBear {P}
I did think of trying it myself, but there are more than 2 wires in there!
I'm more convinced that it wasn't my dogs now - the damage is a split, no gnawing marks at all. The very old looking clips which attached the wire to the wall originally are broken (and look like they've been that way for a while) so the wire was hanging loose, I think the damage has been caused because of that. The wire is on a side of the property where I seldom tread.
If the damage was caused by either hanging loose, or by dogs, being properly and securely attached back to the wall should prohibit a future repeat.
Phone line issues - cockle {P}
If it's that old BB then you should be able to argue the toss that it's time expired, also if the wire has a white sheath then you can argue that the ultra-violet has broken down the plastic, only black should really be used outside although there are now some coloured cables with UV protection built in. But if white was used then it wasn't installed to correct standards in the first place and you are entitled to have it brought up to standard.
If the cable is that old and starting to break down then really it needs replacing as a maintenance liability, any temporary fix will be exactly that, temporary, and it will just cause more problems in time. Trust me, I've been there!
Phone line issues - BazzaBear {P}
Thanks all. The BT engineer came yesterday and fixed the problem. He did say that it is 'chargeable', so whether I'll end up paying for it myself I don't yet know.
He reckoned the chances were that the dogs did do it, but wasn't 100% sure, so he's not going to mention it in his report. As he put it "don't compromise yourself - wait for them to come to you.", seems fair enough!

The old cable was hanging loose from the wall where the split was, he's done a good job of securing this one right into a mortar strip between bricks, so I don't think the pups will be able to repeat the trick!
CRB checked! - Martin Devon
Hi, guys, I guess that this means Criminal Records Bureau, is that right. So when a firm has CRB checked staff in their employ it means, or should mean that they are OK. So, how does one go about getting oneself and operatives CRB checked. Is it a simple procedure and does it cost a limb or two?

In anticipation...............MD
CRB checked! - L'escargot
I'm sure the information you need must be in here somewhere. www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=282

Edited by L'escargot on 23/05/2009 at 10:08

CRB checked! - Martin Devon
I'm sure the information you need must be in here somewhere.


Just as I thought, never straightforward. Thanks anyway L'escargot.

Reg's...Martin
CRB checked! - deepwith
We pay about £20 per person for Enhanced CRB (dealing with vulnerable people/children) via another charity. Seems to take several months and then is only valid on the day it is done! Previously we paid £36 p.p. plus an £18 admin fee.

It is also a requirement that a CRB check is only valid for one particular use. If you have a teacher (CRB checked) that is not considered enough for any other activity. One of our Committee members now has FIVE valid CRB checks - for us, for her job, for when she helps out in her child's primary school, for voluntary work with childrens sailing. Madness. I get the feeling that someone, somewhere, is making a lot of money out of these checks.

I am Trustee of a charity, where we pride ourselves on not spending anything over and above the charitable aims of the organisation - in fact, we seldom make any claims for our own out-of-pocket expenses. With 8 people on the Committee and four part time members of staff = the cost of an outing for 10 families!
We found it irked that we were required to Enhanced CRB our Treasurer, a retired businessman who has absolutely no contact with the families we help.

CRB checked! - Martin Devon
We found it irked that we were required to Enhanced CRB our Treasurer a retired
businessman who has absolutely no contact with the families we help.

We can't win playing the game DW. What's the point.

Thank you for your input though.

Best regards...........MD
CRB checked! - drbe
Slightly tongue in cheek, but all a CRB check - enhanced or otherwise - proves, is that, on the day in question, that person hadn't yet been caught!
dodgy currency calling "smokie" - bell boy
i always buy my currency in this country prior to departure, im now not so sure,should i use the cash machines in the service staion abroad or go in the banks and try to speak their lingo which i always have problems with

a link would help i suppose
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/8065098.stm

Edited by bell boy on 23/05/2009 at 15:20

dodgy currency calling "smokie" - Armitage Shanks {p}
I usually get mine at 'T-x' at the airport on departure who guarantee the best rate or they refund the difference. Abroad I use my commission and charge free cards from Nationwide and I was in Italy last week and had a credit card transaction billed at £1 = 1.12 euros which was VERY generous! I had grief in March in Germany/Holland where local banks had been scammed with fake cash cards and mine was rejected for getting money from most ATMs. Don't rely on just one source of foreign exchange!
dodgy currency calling "smokie" - jbif
commission and charge free cards from Nationwide >>


I thought they were withdrawing that free service.

dodgy currency calling "smokie" - Armitage Shanks {p}
Nationwide Building Society has scrapped the promise of fee-free foreign transactions on its debit and credit cards.

From the beginning of May, more than a million customers using Nationwide credit or debt cards outside the UK and Europe will be hit with a 0.84 per cent charge per transaction, equivalent to 84p for every £100 spent on the cards. The fee will rise to 1 per cent in July.


dodgy currency calling "smokie" - b308
>>should i use the cash machines in the service staion abroad or go in
the banks and try to speak their lingo which i always have problems with


I always take a lump sum and then get money whilst over there using their cash machines which all seem to have the "English" option on the menu - if you withdraw reasonably large amounts (£300+) then the cost is near as damit the same as buying it over here before you go, but a lot more convenient...
dodgy currency calling "smokie" - GroovyMucker
I haven't bought over here for years. Always use the ATMs abroad. Never had a problem.

dodgy currency calling "smokie" - Mapmaker
>>guarantee the best rate or they refund the difference

Anybody guaranteeing that is inevitably charging well over the odds. Do you ever check that you got a good rate and go back for a refund? (Which I have no doubt they would gladly give you.)
dodgy currency calling "smokie" - Happy Blue!
Correct. I never use T-ex, they are crazy expensive. I get a couple of hundred pounds from Amex or Post Office or M&S and then get moiney out of the hole in the wall. I have two bank accounts so hopefully will never be caught short.
dodgy currency calling "smokie" - smokie
Oops missed this earlier.

I heard this story last week, and didn't even relate it to my own situation. I use crowncurrencyexchange.com and have obviously never had a problem. Their rates have always worked in my favour, and they offer quite a few points more than high st UK providers.

I suppose there is scope for problems with anyone supplying cash - banks have been known to issue fake UK currency. I'm just buying some of my funds for the US road trip from them -but not too much of it as the dollar appears to be on the slide.

$ today with above web site is 1.5588 - with NatWest is $1.4925. That's a significant difference.

Edited by smokie on 26/05/2009 at 13:58

Phone calls - Dwight Van Driver
Many moons ago I heard that from you domestic phone of you prefix the number you are calling with 141 then the receipient of the call cannot trace your number by using the 1471 'who called' facility. The reponse will be similar to an XD or double glazing cold call: i.e Caller withheld the number.

Is this true? Does it still stand?

dvd
Phone calls - jbif
Is this true? Does it still stand?


Yes, and you can ask your telephone company to make it permanent [most if not all do it for free].
Then to identify yourself to those people who do not accept withheld numbers, you have to prefix your call with 1470.



Energy company attempts a con - oilrag
I`ve been on a fixed price for gas and electricity since last year - but the contract is that I can opt out and go back on the standard rate.
Naturally there is a certain awareness of when to do this.

1) Rang company "You`re still better of on your fixed rate" me = (started to discuss it)

Them = "I`ll put you through to retentions"

A conversation then ensued which went along the lines of me being better off on the fixed rate "because it`s like a tracker - you are always 8% below the standard rate"

(that`s the core statement in this post by the way)

Anyway, I pushed it further and the figures didn`t match - asked for him to put the specific details of `The Tracker` prices in a letter.
It arrived today - doesn`t mention anything at all about that (tracker) and (as expected) the rate stated was fixed as in the original contract.

Later...rang them again and straight away asked for the standard price up front.

Yep, I`m actually (or was) paying more - as they had a price cut a while back.


Those are the facts - but now assumptions.

1) `Retention` bonuses?
2) perceived vulnerability (you should hear the current viral croak) but it could be mistaken for what it`s not.

I have no axe to grind, it`s sorted.

Amazing though, to experience it first hand. Have you any experience of similar.

( I`ve written this hoping to avoid even a hint of the name - obviously)
Energy company attempts a con - gordonbennet
For years i just carried on with one of the biggest, until i joined moneysavingexpert and realised i could look the prices up.
Well i used a comparison site to work things out and lo and behold my own company came out some 20% cheaper....strangely enough they hadn't let me know that they were overcharging me for the previous umpteen years.

Anyway i did change companies (i would have anyway after that), but i didn't go with the very cheapest as i discovered a Christian charity that supplies gas and electric through one of the big names...their policy is one price for all regardless of the customer's ability to pay (with most companies the wealthy can get supplies cheapest and those on pre pay or meters get stung).
I'm still saving a great deal but i liked the cut of their cloth, and their pricing policy is transparent enough for a numpty like me to understand.
I'll name the Christain charity supplier if requested.
Energy company attempts a con - oilrag
thanks for the offer GB - but I`m OK with the current company. It seemed like a lad in retentions on some sort of bonus system. Either that or absolutely astounding ignorance. Gut feeling is he knew.

All the best
Energy company attempts a con - drbe
with most companies the wealthy can get supplies cheapest >>>>


How do they know who are the wealthiest?
Energy company attempts a con - gordonbennet
What i meant by that comment was that you and i and most here who are comparatively comfortably off can take advantage of direct debits and such like thereby getting the best possible price, whereas the poor sometimes end up on pre pay meters or coin operated electric and pay a premium for their lack of funds.

A situation i've always thought unjust, the company i refer to have one price for all regardless of the method of payment.

As usual i explained myself badly.

Must try harder...now where did i see that written frequently in red pen..;)
Energy company attempts a con - Martin Devon
What i meant by that comment was that you and i and most here who
are comparatively comfortably off can take advantage of direct debits and such like thereby getting
the best possible price whereas the poor sometimes end up on pre pay meters or
coin operated electric and pay a premium for their lack of funds.

Details aside, I have a shop on a key meter and phoned up to have a moan as you do. Best stay stchum says the young man. Far better rate than most people are paying. Done my homework and it seems he was/is right!!

MD
Energy company attempts a con - Armitage Shanks {p}
I have foregone the 1% discount for paying by monthly direct debit and now pay the full billed amount quarterly. The amounts by which they want to try and increase monthly D/Ds is a scandal. A neighbour of mine finished at the end of 6 months owing his water company £5, while paying £13 a month, and they tried to up his monthly payment to £20!

Edited by rtj70 on 24/05/2009 at 18:59

Energy company attempts a con - loonykev
Hello gordonbennet, I'd like to know the name of the Christian charity supplier.
Thank you.
Energy company attempts a con - gordonbennet
Hope the mods don't mind a direct link, but its longer on tinyurl..here ya go LK

www.ebico.co.uk/
Energy company attempts a con - loonykev
Thanks for that gb, I'll see if we can organise a supply from them. lk.

whisky drinkers - bell boy
I found this glass from a friends job as a house clearance specialist and cant put any history it to it.
Its nothing special but certainly a nice easy glass to quaff from, but does anybody know about the history of the company?
Thanks
i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb3/yingtinktong/DSC01...g
whisky drinkers - henry k
This might help to start with
www.whiskymerchants.co.uk/#/convalmore/4521325287
whisky drinkers - bell boy
thanks henry k i was on that page and missed the relevant bit so the glass dates from 1970 70 1987 ish

Edited by bell boy on 25/05/2009 at 13:24

whisky drinkers - ifithelps
Anyone still go any petrol station glasses?

Think mine all broke one way or the other.
Fitting internal door handles with 50mm rose - Dude - {P}

Having never fitted door handles of this type before, could someone please explain how the handle is attached to the door, as there appears to be no screw holes pictured in the actual 50mm rose.?

Would I be correct in thinking that the handle is connected in some concealed way via the 75mm mortice latch?

Any help would be much appreciated, as we have 15 doors to fit shortly, and for financial reasons, cannot afford to employ a professional.
Fitting internal door handles with 50mm rose - RichardW
The part of the rose you can see is a cover plate. This will pull off or unscrew to reveal a drilled plate below, which can be screwed to the door. It will probably come with some through bolts, but I tried to fit those and gave up - almost impossible to line them up. The handles will probably have grub screws in them too, and the square bar may well be split, and have a recess ground into it - fit the bar so that the grub screws tighten into the recess of the bar and make it grip in the handle - this way you are relying not only on the screws to hold the handle on, but get the added security of the bar being gripped also.
Fitting internal door handles with 50mm rose - Dude - {P}

RichardW - thanks for your reply and helpful advice, - i think I might now go for the more traditional handle, which is mounted on a square back plate and fixed with 4 screws.
Virgin Media bundle - legacylad
My fiance has recently taken out a Virgin Media bundle...previously her BB, phone and line were all supplied by different people and due to an unknown/unsolveable problem had no BB/email for a month which was a nightmare when it was necessary for work.
Her new bundle was installed but she can only get programmes on one TV. Daughter 1 now has no TV in her room and mum likes her TV in the kitchen! Virgin tell her that she now needs to take out an extra bundle for the 2 TV's, costing £30 installation and £10 per month. It seems she has taken out the wrong package....can anything be done to rectify the situation...a friend tells her that a gizmo for £50 will supply a signal to all her TVs? Sorry to ramble.
Virgin Media bundle - smokie
Depends what she wants really. If she wants different channels in each room then that will require different set-top boxes - as a STB can only deliver one channel (for viewing). That will involve spending more with Virgin and them coming out to lay more cables etc (it would be the same with Sky - a separate Sky box would be required for each TV). Virgin charge £5 per month for each extra box.

If they are happy watching the same channel in all rooms then you can get devices to send the signal around (or hardwire it).

Alternatively she could keep the Virgin set up in the lounge and use regular aerials and cable to provide terrestrial channels only (or look at getting Freeview).
Virgin Media bundle - Stuartli
Probably thinking of a video sender, such as this one from Argos:

tinyurl.com/r8reg8

There are a number of models on the market - keying TV Video Senders into Google will reveal a large number of outlets.


Virgin Media bundle - jbif
she can only get programmes on one TV. Daughter 1 now has no TV in her room and mum likes her TV in the kitchen >>


How were those additional TVs getting their signal before? [i.e. why has the Virgin cable to the main TV stopped the other two TVs getting the signal they were before?]

As you may know, each TV monitor needs a signal feed and a tuner to be able to independently display a digital channel of your choice. The means of getting digital signals and tuning them are explained here [most need a SetTopBox unless a digital receiver is built in such as in the case of Freeview TVs]:

www.frequencycast.co.uk/digitalbasics.html

www.frequencycast.co.uk/digitaltv.html#recording

Edited by jbif on 27/05/2009 at 12:49

Alarm! Alarm!! - Adam {P}
Hi,

Right, before I blow the house up, I need some advice. A while ago, Dad broke our burglar alarm. He did this by ripping an unknown box off the living room wall when he was decorating. At the same time, we lost all but one phone socket. Ever since, the PIR's haven't lit up and the keypad is permanently lit up with the TA light on but it does nothing at all.

With me spending far too much time in the house recently, this has fallen on me to "fix". So, I whipped the panel off and saw one of the 1 amp glass fuses had blown. I have never seen a glass fuse in my life so I did what any bloke would do and use the next best thing; a 1 amp normal looking fuse. When I put this in, all the sensors came back to life, the alarm beeped once but the keypad still remained inactive (albeit illuminated as always).

Not trusting my abilities; especially given I hadn't really fixed anything, I thought I'd best remove the fuse just in case and when I did, it felt quite warm. I removed another glass fuse for comparison which felt cold.

So, I shall put my questions to you;

1. Why glass fuses and not "normal" ones?

2. One of the PIRS has been removed and the wires taped up; could this be causing a short or something somewhere?

3. Over where the box used to be that Dad ripped off, (cunningly hidden behind the TV) there are wires that look like an explosion in a telephone exchange and what looks like alarm cable with a red, blue and yellow wire coming out of it. I can only assume in a previous life, the alarm was hooked up to the phone line to alert some monitoring station in the event of an activation. Could the fact these wires aren't connected up to something be causing a short? And if so, what can I do to them to avoid this?

All the other fuses look ok and removing one of them sets the outside alarm (but not the internal sirens) ringing.

Can anyone help me out here?

Many thanks!

Adam


Alarm! Alarm!! - oldnotbold
Those glass little 1 amp fuses are found in all sorts of home electronics:

www.thefusecompany.com/index.php?cPath=36
Alarm! Alarm!! - Altea Ego
A glass fuse is a normal one. But how normal is a fuse?

Normally used in "internal" applications. You need to know if the old one was fast or slow blow. A warm fuse is not normal in low current applications


>I have never seen a glass fuse in my life

Clearly you have not had a normal "boy" life of taking stuff to bits.
Alarm! Alarm!! - Adam {P}
Thanks gents...I'll go and pull one of the fuses to take a look at the type. Just goes to show that a fuse isn't a fuse!

Oh, and RF, yes I was a normal boy. I remember taking apart a brand new fax machine to "see what it looked like" but couldn't put it back together. That got me grounded for a whole month. I'm sure I've come across countless glass fuses...trouble is, I just don't pay attention!


Alarm! Alarm!! - L'escargot
1. Why glass fuses and not "normal" ones?


When you say "glass" do you mean transparent, and by "normal" do you mean opaque?
Washing machine - eco wash - Mapmaker
I have just acquired a new Bosch washing machine. I have always been suspicious of eco wash cycles; associating them with false-economy energy-saving dirt-encouraging brevity.

To my surprise, the standard wash is 90 minutes ish; the eco wash is 150 minutes ish. Yet the instructions claim it saves considerable energy.

Has the world changed? Does the eco wash actually give a better wash through painstaking effectiveness?
Washing machine - eco wash - jbif
eco wash cycles >>


Isn't the Bosch eco cycle specifically for cottons at a lower temperature?

Are you possibly confusing "eco" for cottons with "quick" or "fast" or "express" cycles for mixed fabrics?
Washing machine - eco wash - Falkirk Bairn
Low temp washes and longer wash cycle times saves money - However every so often run the towels through at high temperatures to kill off algae/smells etc
Washing machine - eco wash - Mapmaker
Nope. This "eco" wash is definitely a 60 cotton wash. Hence my bemused question.

(No point washing anything on a lower temperature unless you like dirty clothes.)
Washing machine - eco wash - deepwith
40 is fine for most things, but if you are asthmatic then bed linen should be washed at 60 to kill off dust mites. Modern biological detergents do a pretty good job at 40, and many modern fabrics will not survive long if you use higher temperature. 60 is the temp. you have to wash everything in when having a bone marrow transplant, so will kill off most bugs.

For the sake of the machine, you do need to do at least one run through a month on the highest temperature available.

Eco washes do also take into account the amount of water used.

Edited by deepwith on 28/05/2009 at 15:23

Washing machine - eco wash - ifithelps
...the eco wash is 150 minutes ish...

How long? When I'm at the caravan in leafy North Yorkshire I can wash and rinse a shirt in the sink in about 10 minutes.

And it's just as clean as if it came out of the machine at Ifithelps Towers.

I wonder how previous generations managed?

My grandmother had a tub with a hand driven agitator, so I don't imagine the electric white boxes we have today were common until the 1970s.

I reckon 90 per cent of all the modern washing programmes are no more than marketing hype.

Washing clothes is a simple operation made complicated by manufacturers wanting people to spend hundreds of pounds.

Washing machine - eco wash - Stuartli
You've never used a Miele washing machine then?
Washing machine - eco wash - ifithelps
Stu,

Only to stand on to reach the top shelf. :)

The Candy left by the previous owner of Ifithelps Towers about six years ago has just finished my smalls.

I reckon its modern equivalent would be about £250 - or £12 for a kettle plus £2.50 for a large bucket.


Edited by ifithelps on 28/05/2009 at 21:18

Washing machine - eco wash - deepwith
How previous generations managed? My mother sent the sheets out to Sunlight Laundry, and washed everything else by hand. As the eldest daughter, I spent a fair amount of time washing too. We used Tide in a jamjar with holes punched in the lid, so extra could be sprinkled on the collars and cuffs. It was then fed through the mangle before being hung outside - usually in the evening, as my mother always had a part time job. Joys in the late 60's when she got a spin-drier, which was still in use until five years ago for washing woollens.

Everything then had to be ironed - the joys of the rather nasty drip-dry nylon shirts cannot be under-estimated.

Only a man could ask how previous generations managed - it was time consuming, wrecked your hands and, quite frankly, one of the worst jobs in housekeeping. When I left school, my father retired from the Army and he, my mother and youngest sister went to live on an island off Mull for a year, leaving me with my eldest brother at home. At the end of the first week, my brother announced he had no clean shirts, assuming I would carry on doing his washing .... he soon worked out where the nearest laundrette was!! I never worked out how he had managed for the three previous years while at University.

My mother got her first machine in 1978 when they moved into a house which already had one in place - when she only had one child still at home.
Washing machine - eco wash - ifithelps
..Only a man could ask how previous generations managed...

deepwith,

I was kinda making your point, actually.

Having said that, one of my favourite things to do with my grandmother was to wind the agitator back and forth and then turn the mangle handle.

I was fascinated by some blue stuff she put in with the soap flakes - direct application of a Sunlight bar for the collars and cuffs.

She used heavy cast irons which were heated on the Rayburn range. There were two irons and one detachable handle, so you had one iron heating and one in use.

I have a front loader now and wouldn't be without it, it's just the endless programmes and general over complication of the job that I cannot buy into.
Washing machine - eco wash - rtj70
then fed through the mangle


My eldest brother once put his hand through the mangle. He was lucky it did little damage.

My mother swears her old twin tub washed cleaner than the automatic. But the automatic was and is a lot less effort isn't it.
Washing machine - eco wash - Mapmaker
So nobody in the back room has managed to work out why the "eco" programme takes longer than the non-eco programme running at the same temperature.

Am most disappointed.
Washing machine - eco wash - Stuartli
Perhaps this might be the reason (presumably applies to most Bosch washing machines):

"The other features of this Bosch WAS24466GB Automatic Washing Machine are variable temperature, cold fill ? an option that saves energy, variable spin speed, safeguard monitoring system, low noise level, LED display, extra large porthole and a perfect-rinse detergent drawer.

Mind you, our Miele and, I suspect, most modern washing machines are cold fill.

Bosch machines' running costs:

www.sust-it.net/energy_saving.php?id=1&company=20&...8

Edited by Stuartli on 29/05/2009 at 12:00

Washing machine - eco wash - daveyjp
Whilst the temperature you set is the same, the eco wash may only do a small part of it's wash with water raised to this temperature. The rest of it may be done with cold water for a longer period.

TBH if the only options are 1.5 or 2.5 hours for a wash I'd send it back.

The only wash we have ever used on our 11 year old AEG is a quick wash at 40 degrees. It takes about 50 minutes.

Waiting 2.5 hours for one wash to finish just to save a few pence seems mad.
Asparagus tip? - nick
I planted an asparagus bed a couple of years ago and it is now cropping well. My question is how many, if any, spears should I leave on each crown to grow on to maturity? Or can I eat the lot?
Asparagus tip? - Mapmaker
I've never grown asparagus, but the general recommendation is to harvest the lot, until approx mid-June when you should stop harvesting and let them grow.
Asparagus tip? - nick
That makes sense. Many thanks.
Asparagus tip? - deepwith
I seem to remember my Ma always harvested up until the magic date of June 21. We had to weed very carefully until then as when the feathery growth got going you could not see the weeds!
Asparagus tip? - bell boy
does anybody else get the after effect like i do? once theyve been eaten
Asparagus tip? - Armitage Shanks {p}
Yes, everybody with a sense of smell if you follow my drift!
Asparagus tip? - deepwith
I know, but what other food are you allowed to drench in butter nowadays and it is absolutely correct to eat with your fingers? Hmmm, apart from maybe globe artichoke, but that isn't quite so nice.
Asparagus tip? - BazzaBear {P}
I know but what other food are you allowed to drench in butter nowadays and
it is absolutely correct to eat with your fingers?


Chip butty. Mmmmmmmm [drool]

Edited by BazzaBear {P} on 28/05/2009 at 18:12

Asparagus tip? - Altea Ego
>> I know but what other food are you allowed to drench in butter nowadays
and
>> it is absolutely correct to eat with your fingers?
Chip butty. Mmmmmmmm [drool]


Bacon sarnie with cheap white bread, butter and tomato sauce

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm {drool drool}
Asparagus tip? - BazzaBear {P}
Bacon sarnie with cheap white bread butter and tomato sauce
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm {drool drool}


Bacon sarnie with melted cheddar. [argleargleargle]
Asparagus tip? - henry k
does anybody else get the after effect like i do? once theyve been eaten

>>
IIRC about 20% of the population do not have any after effect.

Unless of course you are refering to
www.british-asparagus.co.uk/comeonguys.php
"Our resident chef shows you how to impress in 10 minutes or less thanks to British asparagus, nature's viagra! Want that dream scenario date... you know the one where you impress the pants off the girl of your dreams with"
Asparagus tip? - nick
>>does anybody else get the after effect like i do? once theyve been eaten

Within about 10-15 mins but unfortunately not the nature's viagra effect!
Asparagus tip? - Stuartli
Much of the UK's asparagus output is grown in an area about seven miles from where I live, so it's always deliciously fresh...:-)
Asparagus tip? - Armitage Shanks {p}
I heard a similar story some years ago about the 'manly' effect of oysters! Complete rubbish - I had six and four of them didn't work!
Asparagus tip? - bathtub tom
>>does anybody else get the after effect like i do? once theyve been eaten

Try vitamin B complex - it's supposed to be an insect repellant. It makes your whole body smell and works on SWMBO.
'Come Dine With Me' trumpet piece - maz64
Anyone know what the trumpet-led big band-like piece is that they're using fairly regularly as background music in the currently showing series of 'Come Dine With Me'? It's fairly up tempo in straight 4/4 and a minor key. (It goes ba ba ba ba baaa ba ba ba bap ...)
'Come Dine With Me' trumpet piece - Dynamic Dave
A google suggests the composer is Modest Mussorgsky.

www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Media-and-TV/Question44530...l

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 28/05/2009 at 11:29

'Come Dine With Me' trumpet piece - maz64
A google suggests the composer is Modest Mussorgsky.


Thanks, but nope - that's an orchestral work. And I think I know the tunes. The CDWM music sounds like a big band piece.
'Come Dine With Me' trumpet piece - Stuartli
Can't find the answer but, if you really need to know and have a mobile phone, key in and call 2580 whilst the music is playing.

See:

www.shazam.com/music/web/home.html
'Come Dine With Me' trumpet piece - maz64
Can't find the answer but if you really need to know and have a mobile
phone key in and call 2580 whilst the music is playing.


Thanks, might try that (costs 12p + 50p if matched).
talktalk free calls in daytime - claybar
Ive been with talktalk for about a year now. They have just announced that local calls made in the daytime are now free.
Does this apply to new customers as anything i can find on the web indicated just new customers and i dont want to call india as they will probably know less than me.


thanks
talktalk free calls in daytime - deepwith
You need to look at the many talktalk options available and choose the best plan for you. We get all calls free (including International) at any time, for up to one hour. We use this one as our daughter is often abroad and we have lots of overseas friends.
We do pay for any calls to mobile phones, but pay an extra 45p a month to reduce the cost per minute.

Edited by deepwith on 28/05/2009 at 18:15

talktalk free calls in daytime - claybar
Im already with them on the £16 a month option for weekend and evening calls but wondered if the local calls are now included?
thanks
talktalk free calls in daytime - Stuartli
I've been with TalkTalk since April 2006 when the "free" broadband offer began - it costs me £20.49 a month on the AnyTime International3 package (now AnyTime Global).

Both UK and international free calls (free to 36 different countries) originally were up to 70 minutes before having to redial - now it's been cut to 60 minutes in line with BT.

However, about two or three months ago, TalkTalk changed the packages that were available and, for those at work, can work out even cheaper as there is a lower price for the Evening and Weekend free calls.

It has introduced Boosts (can be continued or cancelled after each month's use) for even higher broadband speeds and free AnyTime phone calls. I think free international calls cost half the price of other Boosts at £2.

It means that you can tailor a package to suit your own particular requirements according to your lifestyle.

The free daytime calls you may be thinking of are to your local areas. Full details at:

www.talktalk.co.uk/pricing/uk (this is for those on the Evening and Weekends package).

Full information on current TT packages at:

tinyurl.com/m4gths

Best thing I ever did, joining TT from Tiscali...:-)
talktalk free calls in daytime - Armitage Shanks {p}
I have been with One Tel for 7 years but they were bought up by TalkTalk SAFAIK. Whenever I go into a CarphoneWarehouse shop (Owners of TalkTalk?) and ask about the deals I am told that there aren't any for me. Am I asking the wrong people or are they telling me the truth? I could do with a package and moving my ISP from AOL.
talktalk free calls in daytime - Stuartli
Carphone Warehouse, owner of TalkTalk, as you are probably aware, bought out AOL about two years ago, promising it autonomy despite the takeover.

However, it seems that many people still want to leave AOL as they are not happy...:-)

Ironic really, as TalkTalk basically uses the AOL home page and general contents for its own service.

I'm surprised that CPW staff didn't offer to switch you to TalkTalk - it's far better all round value to my mind.


talktalk free calls in daytime - Rattle
I am with AOL, at first it was a nightmare as they were in the middle of the Opel telecommunications switch over but since then its been very very reliable. Call centres are useless though.
talktalk free calls in daytime - Stuartli
>>but they were bought up by TalkTalk SAFAIK>>

I used to be with OneTel for phone calls when I had Tiscali as my ISP until just over three years ago (I'd been with WorldOnline since 1998 which Tiscali took over) and CPW owned OneTel even then.