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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 06/01/2010 at 00:41
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I recently bought a slow cooker.
The problem with it, is that vegetables, especially root vegetables like potatoes take for ever to cook even if they have been on for six or eight hours.
What am I doing wrong?
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What does the book of words say? Maybe they need a bit longer, or cutting up smaller.
I can't believe I've tried to answer this question...
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I'm fairly sure you have to plug them in...I'll ask my wife.....
;-)
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>>>> I can't believe I've tried to answer this question...
Manatee - try not to worry. None of your friends know that you post on here , do they - do they?
If all else fails I am sure you can get counselling for it. That seems to be the answer for everything now adays.
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Assuming the slow cooker has 2 heat settings it really needs to go on to 'high' if you are cooking for 6 to 8 hours first day.
If we prepare a large potful likely to last us 2 most of the week we will either time it to cook for 6 or so hours on high or put it on in the morning and leave it on all day on low....maybe an hour or so on high before leaving the house. to get it going.
For subsequent days 3 hours on low suffices to give piping hot dinner as you arrive home...lovely.
our slow cooker has a third setting but thats only for keeping the contents hot, not for cooking, swmbo made that mistake at first but then she being a woman never reads instructions.;)
i'll never live this one down.
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Youre using the wrong thing for the job. Slow cookers are best for the not-so-tender cuts of meat - for vegetables, the best solution is the microwave. Slow cooking of meat breaks down connective tissue and makes for a delicious meal from cheap stuff. Slow cooking of vegetables destroys nutrients (vitamins) and structure, leading to - eurgh. The next best thing to a microwave for for cooking veg. is probably the pressure cooker, an important item of cookware - just be careful, with a pressure-cooker, a slight overcooking (easy to mis-time) leads to - eurgh.
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having purchased a slow cooker just 6 weeks ago and cooking everything from lamb to the latest ham in it (finished in the oven to give that authentic taste) i can tell you now FT you are wrong
We use our pressure cooker for stews and rice puddings but the slow cooker on full and then it turns to slow over the period of the day as we keep this country in taxes has to be used to be appreciated
its totally scrummy
the meat just crumbles
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Are you using enough liquid?
Roots will not cook in a slow cooker unless they are more or less covered.
Potatoes should do in eight hours, swede might need to be cut into smaller cubes, no bigger than an inch.
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Thank you for all those resposes.
Youre using the wrong thing for the job. >>
But the point of a slow cooker is, surely that you can put all the ingrediants in the cooker, put it on auto, go away for eight hours and the food is ready when you come back.
We are using cheaper cuts of meat and the meat is cooking fine. It is the potatoes in particular which still feel uncooked after several hours cooking and that is the essence of my question.
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You dont just "throw" stuff into a slow cooker and expect to get great food. Do that and you end up with a scum of yucky fat, starch, and stuff on the top. All the ingredients need to be prepared properly,
Par boil the spuds first, all cut to uniform sizes, Season and brown the meat.
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Our Russell Hobbs has low, med. and high settings.
If I was making a Chicken Cass, I would put the Chicken legs in 1st, then the spuds followed by the veg.
Then I would pour in *boiling* water and leave the critter for 6 or so hours on medium.
I know this goes against *The Rules* but - that has been the story of my life.
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oh look we used ours today
everything but the dumplings thrown in at 11.00am this morning and now we are ready to eat it but its been ready an hour
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/DSC02122...g
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Had you been starting things off from stone-cold, drbe? I'd agree with bringing veg to the boil on the hob first, and using hot water to make the liquid up. Ideally have the cooker pre-warmed too.
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TARTS.......The ruddy lot of you. This is a Motoring four um! What are you doin' pussying about with this kind of stuff??
Right. Now vegetables are best 'done' in a steamer. Many available and most things will be done to perfection in 15-25 mins. Exceptional piece of kit.
SWALWAYSMBO used a slow cooker for years when she worked full time (kick starting Jumbo's at Heathrow) I'll have you know. Another great bit of kit (both her and the cooker)
It is sometimes wise to prepare meat a little first i.e browning off etc. but most veg (if you are preparing a 'one pot meal' will be OK from raw.
The art of the slow cooker as with all cooking comes with time and experimentation. Great kit when you master it. Please persevere.
Best regards.........M
P.S. Sorry. They were VC10's
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>>P.S. Sorry. They were VC10's
>>
Thats better!
In the old days it was try a little VC10derness www.vc10.net/
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BB, how did you explain to the others around you that you were taking a photo of your slow cooker contents?????
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Golden rules:
Cut root veg quite small and put them into the cooker first, so meat holds them down for first part of cooking.
Always add boiling HOT liquid, never cold.
Veg will cook fine in 6-8 hours on low setting if you do this.
HTH
Terryb
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1. Do as AE says, and brown the meat first (fry the outside quickly in a frying pan before putting them in the cooker). The difference in flavour and colour will be well worth the extra washing up and effort.
2. Likewise the vegetables benefit from browning - not blackening.
3. In making a casserole, you include the vegetables for the sake of the flavour of the meat. An onion, a carrot or two and a couple of sticks of celery are the traditional ingredients. Just like when making stock - where you put in the vegetables and then throw them away afterwards.
As for why your veg aren't cooked, they need to cook for longer. Browning them first, and adding hot liquid to the casserole (pork/chicken stock/stock that matches the meat you are using/wine/beer/water if that's really all you can come up with) will lengthen the effective cooking time.
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Has anyone any recommendations for any of the hundreds of companies who give you some cash back for old mobiles?
According to a couple of sites we have two worth about £70, but if they simply receive it say it's not working and pay nowt I'm not interested!
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We have used envirofone a couple of times with no problems.
If you have a cex shop near you, you could try there.
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I have a Sony 36" CRT digital television that is about five to six years old. It has been used on "Freeview" since new without any problems whatsoever until today!
The picture has a green shadow/shading on certain images (bright green broken horizontal shimmering lines), i.e. if a person is on screen then the whole of their body may have this effect and the green image moves with the subject.
This effect goes away instantly if the signal is sourced via the connected DVD recorder and the kids Wii is also okay, (so it appears to be the TV tuner at fault). It is intermittent at the moment.
Can anyone shed any light on the problem (no pun intended)? It can't be a de-gaussing fault as standby mode is never used (and the DVD tuner/playback image is okay).
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Checked your co-axial cable - is it old ? Is it a cheapie ? Got a decently finished one from e-bay for 3.60 !
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PU it's not the cable as the DVD is 100% and the one from the DVD to the TV is the original Sony one! Also the co-ax only runs inside the house (aerial is in't loft).
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Has it got a built in freeview tuner, or are you using an external one?
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Has it got a built in freeview tuner or are you using an external one?
It HAS a built-in digital tuner (note - Sony digital TV), so no Scart leads to worry about.
Edited by nick62 on 03/01/2010 at 21:32
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If the picture is fine from the DVD and Wii then it sounds like the Freeview capability of the TV has problems. Any other Freeview sets in the house?
Where in the country are you? Has this happened during Digital Switchover? Some older Sony TVs with inbuilt Freeview cannot handle the switched over channels. Maybe you need an external box?
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rtj,
Not a switchover problem, and is an intermittent fault so I suspect something to do with the TV's tuner. just wonndering if anyone else has had a similar problem? I've tried Google, but no luck!
Are there any TV repair men on this site?
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If the image okay for DVDs it is unlikely to be the set. Could be the Freeview box or the SCART from the Freeview box to the TV.
First thing I'd try is swapping the SCART leads used for DVD and Freeview boxes. Test them the other way around.
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PU it's not the cable as the DVD is 100% and the one from the DVD to the TV is the original Sony one! >>
It could still most likely be that the Scart lead from the box needs taking out at one or both ends and reinserting; another possibility is that the Scart lead is possibly too close to mains or other leads.
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Sorry guys, but there is no Freeview box or Scart lead, it's a digital TV.
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Borrow a neighbour's Freeview box & cables.
If the picture/sound is OK it will be the internal Freeview module that has gone awol!
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IIRC Some of the early Sony Digital TVs were designed before the fiull Freeview spcifications were available. Whether this can affect the picture I do not know - however the early sets cannot be allowed to 'autotune' - it corrupts all the channel assignments. The only way to tune them is to follow the manual process detailed in the handbook I believe - quite long winded.
I think that I would borrow a Freeview box to test it with and then buy a a secondhand Freeview box. The picture of the old CRT TV will still be superior to most LCD TVs , paricularly if you watch sport!
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A Freeview external box is about £20 so best to opt for that. Or before you know it a new TV was cheaper.
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Thanks for all the replies. Please let me clarify the problem:
The tube is fine as the Wii is okay
The external signal source (Freeview signal) is okay, as the connected DVD recorder live picture is okay, (note not a pre-recorded program or DVD, but the live broadcast signal via the DVD recorder tuner).
The TV digital auto tune is okay as this has been re-done about three weeks ago and was fine until today.
The problem is intermittent, with no apparent pattern noticable at the moment.
The other digial TV's in the house are all okay.
Yes the CRT image is much superior to a LCD or plasma TV, which is why I brought it back in 2004 (and it was much cheaper back then than a flat one).
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What model Sony TV is it. It makes a difference to those helping.
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Obviously, the DVD tuner is boosting the signal, like it used to on the VCR's.
Have you got a signal strength meter in your TV's menu like my Panasonic LCD?
Maplin sell signal strength meters ~ www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=221768
Is the fault on all channels or just the weaker one's?
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Its caused by signal reflection. Its becuase the aerial is in the loft. Have you put something in the loft recently? Moved the aerial? The Aerial should be outside really, preferably pointing at a signal source.
Edited by Altea Ego on 03/01/2010 at 22:53
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AE, it's not like the "ghosting" on analogue signals (which as you rightly say is caused by signal reflections) and it's not affecting any other TV from the same aerial.
I'll get the TV type tomorrow and post it ASAP.
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It could be, and it could be that only the sony tuner is sensitive (or susceptible) enought to get it.
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ah can that, just read it, its digital.
No ghosting on digital its not possible.
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In that case Its the tube (or the gun drivers) or the tuner.
I suspect the gun drivers as the signal from the tuner may be overloading them. It could be DAC.
Either way I thnk you may have to accept that
a: its on its way out
and
b: probably beyond economic repair.
Assuming its a trinitron screen, bang the side of the set gently when you have the green shadow, see if it shimmers.
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I think we've established that it isn't : Aerial, co-ax feed, the tube, or the electronics that drive the tube (since anything fed via a SCART still gives a good picture).
So that leaves the Freeview-specific decoding/signal processing electronics.
If this function was on a separate circuit board it might be convenient / cost-effective to swap it out, but I haven't looked inside a modern TV so don't know whether it's all on one board these days.
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Is the TV on the list of problem Sony ones affected by digital switch over?
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I can't find the list of sets which don't work with latest format Freeview - mostly Sony sets - but the issues are usually losing channels or complete lockups not this weird intermittent problem reported. It'd be nice to verify if the OP's TV is on the naughty list anyway, will continue looking.
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update : OK the naughty list is linked from the first post in this thread:-
www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=898328
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The model is a Sony KD-32DX 150U Trinitron, (so much for me thinking it had a 36" screen).
Interestingly, the problem has not re-occurred since yesterday.
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Oh dear it looks like you'll almost certainly need an external Freeview box anyway when your TV region goes through full switchover anyway as that TV is on the list. The only reason I can think of for the current fault is either a component or solder joint fault in the TV tuner.
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When CRT + Freeview was mentioned I thought it would be on the list of problem sets. Maybe time to get a Freeview box.
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I currently get my signal from Winter Hill (via Storeton Relay). I thought we were fully digital now, (as the occasional picture break-up on some ITV channels has stopped) but I appear to be mistaken. Can anyone advise?
Seems like a con to me as the last thing I wanted when we brought the set back in 2004/5 was a STB and so more remote controls to find, but Sony seems to be good at this looking at the various forums?
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Yes,Winter Hill is post DSO, so I'm surprised the Sony hasn't been misbehaving in a more serious way.
IMHO Sony haven't been behaving in a way you'd expect from a premium priced brand when it comes to these iDTVs.
My neighbours have a Samsung CRT iDTV and the only way i could get it to behave after the 30th Sept. channel shuffle was to do a factory reset then do two manual scans of each channel; if I did a single manual scan it didn't find the signal!
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Argos sell a perfectly respectable Freeview box for around £15 iirc.
I bought a new but soiled one on ebay for £10 and it is great...
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I have just chucked out a Philips Freebox, it never worked properly because all the channels were mixed even after countless resets. Its a shame because it was a good quality set but it was so slow it had to go.
I have a surprisingly good quality and reliable Goodmans PVR now.
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I have a surprisingly good quality and reliable Goodmans PVR now.
Is it one of these Rattle? If so i'm tempted at this price:-
direct.asda.com/Goodmans-160GB-HDD-Personal-Video-...l
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Thats the one, my sister has one too. Both reliable boxes and never failed to miss a recording. Mine suffers from a slight annoyance that the sound will go off for a split second but you never miss anything. It may well be because its running of boosters too.
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Some early Philips STBs, along with some Daewoo and other brands' offerings, cannot cope with the Freeview technical changes brought in over recent times and are only good for scrap.
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Some early Philips STBs along with some Daewoo and other brands' offerings cannot cope with the Freeview technical changes brought in over recent times and are only good for scrap.
>>
In theory Rattle's dodgy digibox* should be on the list I linked above if it can't cope with split NIT or mixed 2k/8k transmissions, but the list does get longer each time it's published:-/
My philosophy for dodgy boxes is to do a factory reset and then manually tune to the known mux frequencies, this does at least sort out some basket cases.
Cheers for the feedback Rattle, I'm even more tempted now, could then demote my 80GB Vestel box to the bedroom.
* I know it's not strictly speaking a digibox unless it's Sky
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Quick review - Slight hiss at high volumes silent, e.g menus only audible on my expensive Grado headphones. This will not be an issue for most people.
Picture quality good, better than the cheap £20 boxes, has muich better contrast and on my 22" LG 1080p TV the picture quality is very good. It has recorded every single thing I have asked to without fail.
You cannot rewind live TV though, but you can pause it. The remote control is a bit naff too. I've owned about 10 PVRs, most of them returned and this is one of the best. My best was a Digifusion box but even after upgrading the PSU and replacing the hard drive after a few weeks it still kept crashing so gave up with it :(
I might replace the capacitors on it one day to see if it works.
Edited by Rattle on 04/01/2010 at 19:48
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>>this does at least sort out some basket cases.>>
The Winter Hill digital switchover meant that after retuning many people not only discovered they had all the norrnal channels, but also those covering the North Wales area.
The answer was to manually tune the TV after doing a retune without the aerial connected. You then did a manual tune but inserting the aerial lead only after channel 52 or 53 (Channel 54 is earmarked for HD transmissions but won't be recognised; it was originally Channel 302).
This ensures that the Welsh channels are not included in the channels lineup; however, it can sometimes being quite useful to include these channels as some programmes are repeated on them that may have already been screen nationally that may have been missed or clashed with ITV1 or other commercial channels.
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Yeah I bought mine in 2005 sis probably one of them. It was an STR1500 it was a shame as it outlassed lots of the cheap £20 Argos ones. No electronics goods list any more though, if they don't break they just become obsolete. I have an old DAB tuner which is now obsolete as I have replaced it with FM [I think you can detect that I am not a fan of DAB).
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Rattle,if your Philips box is similar to mine (DTR 1500),then it can be re-set. By returning the box to factory settings it will restore itself to cope with the new digital regime. This is quite an involved process and will need picture ratios etc.reset manualy,but well worth the effort.If you (or anyone else) requires the method I will post it on here
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From a previous IHAQ PU queried that I had written >>The end of Christmas is 2nd February.
Indeed it is. 2nd February is Candlemas, which is forty days after Christmas day and is the day that Mary took Jesus to the Temple. The Christmas period is forty days long. It is the last feast in the Christian year that derives its date from Christmas day; subsequent feasts relate to Easter.
My Christmas cards stay up until then.
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You live and learn.
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The Twelve Days of Christmas ......... tinyurl.com/y8l33oe
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Indeed it is. 2nd February
My Christmas cards stay up until then.
If you leave them up after Twelvth Night then you should leave them up for the rest of the year. Otherwise you'll bring bad luck on your home. tinyurl.com/y8n6dj4
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I shall be taking mine down this evening but, sadly, I'm the last one in my street!
Everybody else removed theirs in the week after Christmas, a large number were gone by New Year. When I queried some of them about why they had removed them so early most answered that they were 'bored' with them!
They did look at me a little strangely when I commented that perhaps they were bored with them because they put them up before Guy Fawkes was cold, probably because most seem to celebrate the American traditions of Hallow'een rather than Bonfire Night.
In my village, 'when I were a Lad', some put up their Christmas decs at beginning of December but most the Sunday in the week before Xmas but all came down on Twelfth Night, no earlier, and the place felt Chrismassy into the New Year. When the decs came down it heralded Plough Monday was close and time to get back to work............
Perhaps because my decs are only up for about three weeks is why myself and my children still regard Xmas almost as special as Easter and not just another point in the year.
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You are still early Cockle - ours go up on Christmas Eve, including the tree, just as they did when I was a child. They don't go up until anyone young has gone to bed and are done with the help of a couple of good bottles and lots of fingerfood type snacks, while listening to carols. The only exception are the cards which go up along the top of the picture rails as they arrive (anyone else got less this year?).
I still love the wonder on the childrens faces when they get up to a decorated tree complete with presents they knew nothing about. My 22 year old son recently asked where they were hidden each year as he has spent many hours trying to find them ahead of the day! No chance lad!
When we had the hotel We had to bow to the conventions of the Christmas Office Party - but not before the 1st December, ever. We had five trees, all over 20 feet high, plus the two in the outer porch - so a lot of decorating.
Edited by deepwith on 05/01/2010 at 11:58
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I still love the wonder on the childrens faces when they get up to a decorated tree complete with presents they knew nothing about. My 22 year old son recently asked where they were hidden each year as he has spent many hours trying to find them ahead of the day! No chance lad!
more to the point, where did you hide the tree!
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I notice the tree outside 10 Downing Street was removed a couple of days ago.
I'm not superstitious, but I could be if it's guaranteed to bring the present occupant bad luck around May 6th.
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The tree? Merges beautifully with a corner of the front garden between the hedge and a large shrub. Amazing how un-observant the young are - perhaps Father Christmas should put a supply of I-Spy books in their stockings?
If I get my act together, I buy a potted one several months beforehand, before the prices go up for Christmas. If it survives its sojourn in a heated house it gets added to the garden in January.
I do also have an artificial one, complete with lights, lurking in the loft - although this is a last resort tree, but earns its keep if there is a family crisis (usually involving hospitals and the like).
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We've got a short break in Finnish Lapland (Ivalo) at the end of January, where the temperatures are currently about -20C max. Regarding thermal underwear, or 'base layer' as it's now called, is there much pratical difference between something on ebay for £10:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3502...6
and something from Helly Hansen for about £100 (ie. £50 each for top and bottoms):
www.hellyhansen.com/products/filter/product_type=H...m
?
Not too bothered about 'wicking' as we're not going to be doing anything too physical.
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Wouldn't go nuts if I were you. I survived Russian winters 20-odd years ago with bog standard thermal long johns and vests from M&S. No special materials or anything. Used to commute across Moscow and back every day, walked a fair bit, and that was perfectly adequate and comfortable in temperatures below -30 C. More often than not didn't even bother wearing them.
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Wouldn't go nuts if I were you.
Thanks Alanovich - anything else you would recommend eg. footwear?
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Good solid pair of waterproof walking boots should do the trick. But again, no need to go nuts, unless you're going "off piste", so to speak.
Remember that in countries such as Finland, they're prepared for cold weather. Roads and pavements are cleared and treated, homes and buildings are very well insulated and heated. Over dress for the 10 minutes you're outside, and you'll suffer like mad once you're inside.
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Over dress for the 10 minutes you're outside and you'll suffer like mad once you're inside.
Good point - we'll be doing a couple of long (4 hour) outdoor excursions involving reindeer and huskies, but some sort of special clothing is being provided for that.
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You'll probably be surprised how pleasant it is at around -20. Likely to be clear skies and little wind. It's much more pleasant than Reading when it's hovering just above zero, blowing a gale and wet everywhere. Dry cold is wonderful.
Enjoy your trip, I'm a bit jealous! We're planning a winter sun break at the moment, but I'd rather go to Iceland!
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You'll probably be surprised how pleasant it is at around -20.
We had a very nice honeymoon in Prague many years ago when it got down to about that. It seemed ok when you first went out, but after half an hour or so things started going numb. We were grateful for the underground and MacDonalds coffee :-)
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The coldest I've seen it fall in Warsaw was -32 three years ago at a time when I was walking about a mile to work. I used to slip on a pair of the wife's thick tights on under my jeans, warm parka, 2 pairs of socks and a woolley hat of course.
Alanowich says -20 can be pleasant when it's dry and it really is. I spent an hour shovelling snow in that temp the other afternoon and within minutes the coat had to come off and I was down to a t-shirt.
Just dress sensibly, certainly if you're not going to be physically active. Walking across an open multistorey car park in -2c with a howling wind blowing through your clothes is far worse.
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or in the middle ground your local walking shop will have merino wool at about £40. Or you can get major brand polyester for £20. I know polyester sounds unlikely but it's all about trapping the air. This layering idea really works. You have warm trosuers too? My local walking shop is selling lined Craghoppers for about £35. It might be a good idea to go for something like that as well as the thermals (oops, - technical baselayer!).
Enjoy the hol.
JH
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>>and something from Helly Hansen for about £100 (ie. £50 each for top and bottoms):
>>www.hellyhansen.com/products/filter/product_type=H...m
For a good buy I visit
www.bicestervillage.com/en_GB/shopping/brand-direc...n
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For a good buy I visit www.bicestervillage.com/en_GB/shopping/brand-direc...n
Any idea what sort of discounts they do? Couldn't spot any prices on the website.
EDIT: don't know why I asked that - already ordered the £10 thermals on ebay, sorry
Edited by Focus {P} on 05/01/2010 at 14:44
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If you're going to be immobile in the cold for any length of time even with the special clothing they are going to give you your feet may get a bit parky. A pair of thermal insoles will keep them toasty the heat lasts about 6 hours or more and they are not v expensive. Any outdoors/skiwear shop stocks them.
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>> www.bicestervillage.com/en_GB/shopping/brand-direc...n Any idea what sort of discounts they do? Couldn't spot any prices on the website.
The stock is so varied I would not expect anything on the web site so it is a case of visit and look.
In the past some of the prices have been amazingly cheap.
The village has a very big carpark as it gets very busy.
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I just know posting this is a mistake but......I'm with BBD. Just bung a pair of your nearest and dearest's tights on under whatever you normally wear. An extra T-shirt on top and you'll be fine. Gloves, a hat and some stout footwear of couse Skiers have been doing it for years. Just don't get run over as they say.......
;-)
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This place has HH stuff at good prices, Ive been getting some skiing gear from here:
www.simplypiste.com/departments/BaseLayer/Mens.asp...2
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Silk base layer - Used them for years on the bike - beats anything that synthetic.
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>>Just bung a pair of your nearest and dearest's tights on under whatever you normally wear.
Motorcyclists have known this for years.
I'm admitting nothing.
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I'm sorry, I don't buy the tights idea. I think tights feel cold, and blame that on their squashing the hairs on your legs. Moreover, being synthetic, they get very sweaty = cold when you stop being hot.
Decent thermal underwear does neither of those. I've bought thermal underwear for skiing from Lidl/Aldi when they have their skiing special ranges in, and it's about as good as HH. (Though my HH merino-wool-rich thermals are SUPERB (Cheshire Oaks, £20ish).)
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"I'm sorry, I don't buy the tights idea. I think tights feel cold, and blame that on their squashing the hairs on your legs."
They need to be the woolly kind, I'm not talking about 10 denier American Tan that my mother wears.
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and the gap at the top where the suspenders are is very draughty
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crotchless and footless ones are best....
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crotchless and footless ones are best....
Please stop :-)
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I agree with Mapmaker that the Aldi/Lidl ones are fine - as are Tchibo (mail order only). All three also do really good snow boots, non-slip soles, furry lined with an aluminium layer to keep out the cold - mine are warming by the radiator ready for tomorrow. They also have really warm thermal socks.
Jockeys in winter wear tights under their silks - pre-tights arriving in the '60's they wore stockings and suspenders.
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I wear the Helly Hansen base layer most days in winter. I picked up four long sleeved tops for £40 last Christmas in a Helly Hansen factory outlet.
They are 100% polypropylene and do the job very well.
Decent socks are worth having - nothing worse than cold toes! Bridgedale or similar are about £10 or a pair.
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I have cream 40 oz wool carpets throughout the downstairs. Can anyone advise if this will be ok to clean them? Im bothered about them shrinking, I no its always best to use minimal water on them.
tinyurl.com/yb3k5e4 {Link to argos.co.uk significantly reduced to restore correct page width}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/01/2010 at 13:48
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My dad used to be a carpet cleaner and his basic machine costs over £1k. The problem with those cheap ones is they make the carpet look clean on the top but they don't clean them on the inside. You might be best to get a good local carpet cleaner in, they will know if it will shrink or not before they do the job and they will take precautions to stop it from shrinking.
The machine was so specialist when the motor burnt out it was quite difficult to get a replacement part but it was so easy to replace. Took me half an hour and I am not an electrical engineer. The motor alone is over £150 and looks like a milk float motor. The cheap machines don't have the power to extract all that water from the carpet.
Just avoid the buy one get one free cowboys. Depending on the size should only cost around £50.
The different chemicals alone they will use cost more than that thing from Argos although they will buy them in 5 litre quantities.
Edited by Rattle on 05/01/2010 at 13:34
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My brother was a carpet cleaner - it's impossible to extract all the water so he temporarily provided customers with a dehumidifier (more if needed) to complete the job.
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We have a Vax cleaner which cost £60, Used on an high quality 80:20 wool/nylon carpet three times and no shrinkage.
They are easy to use don't need much water - you'll be suprised how much dirt comes out.
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Rug Doctors are quite good - hired them a few times and had good results.
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are they based in barnet rtj70?
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Tend to find them hired out from places like dry cleaners, Morrisons, B&Q, Tesco, etc.
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If you go to Tesco they will be in the syrup aisle,bb.
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