My middle daughter has been out there for a year Chilco, staying another year at least. She absolutely loves it. She was 2 years in Australia before that, and 6 months travelling around Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. I've already told her that if she gets a chance to stay permanently, to grab it as there's very little waiting for her back on these shores other than her family - will give me an excuse to visit.
Yay! Good man! Many congratulations to both of you (does she know what she’s letting herself in for? ) Very happy for you, mate!
Back into the swing of baking again now my kitchen has been redone. Who’s a happy boy? Latest sourdough off the production line ...... think I might have finally cracked it!
Just been for a job interview, one of the bosses asked me how well I perform under pressure. I told them I didn’t know the second verse, but I do know all of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Looks great. As you know, I occasionally dabbled with bread making, but about 6 months ago a friend pointed me in the direction of Lidl's Low GI bread. I already bought/buy their deluxe multiseeded bread, which they practically give away, and is a gorgeous sandwich bread or toast [or naughtily fried in olive oil - yum], but this loaf is just a step beyond. I did look at the ingredients once to make sure it was fine [contains walnuts], but when I got it home and spread a bit of light butter on it I was finished with baking. It is gorgeous, and they practically give it away too. I'll still do pizza dough though, cause shop ones contain milk, and that ain't real. Oh, last thing. Lidl were recently doing one of their "guest range" of products, and had some huge Italian flatbreads, like 12 for £1.99 for sale. There are/were the best flat breads I'd tasted for as long as I could remember. I wish they'd bring them back permanently.
I love to bake bread, very therapeutic and I don't care if it works out dearer than buying it. That really does look like a splendid loaf though Dave, sourdough is my absolute favourite and it looks like you've got the crust spot on. It gets my nails clean too, when I've been tinkering with my motorbike Just joking on the last bit
Labour wants to build lithium battery plants and infrastructure for £2.3bn at Swindon [Honda's by then closed factory site], Stoke and South Wales. The factories would supply cars. This is part of Labour's rollout of a Green New Deal - very similar to the one written by Senator Bernie Sanders in the USA. Conservatives want to spend £1bn on electrification of transport - no details as yet. Whilst this is all very welcome, a couple of issues. How are Labour's factories going to build car batteries to the exact specification required by all and sundry, whenn it is an ever evolving technology, subject to change on a daily basis, in some cases? Andrea Leadsom's £1bn is welcome, but until we see where it is going I'd reserve judgement. For example, they are using large expanses of solar panels to power [and I kid you not] hundreds of nodding donkeys pumping oil out of the ground in Texas, USA. So beware of the detail. I can suggest some immediate improvements to Labour's idea, which will let the batteries churn out with no problem. Make them stationary energy storage batteries for sources of renewable electricity generated in the UK. Nobody, but a total dullard could object to that vision, and it's one area we are light on. Yes, one would have to bring in many of the materials, but that's the same for almost every manufacturing facility. And the product would be local to the UK, and not requiring constant upgrade, because they would last for 30 years at least, saving billions of pounds in stored electricity, and helping to balance out the grid. This is the current single problem with renewables. When it's night time solar panels don't work [staggeringly the very newest, best developments can even generate electricity in moonlight], and when it's totally calm the wind turbines don't turn [this happens very rarely in reality]. But often there's too much sunlight and too much wind. And then they actually have to turn these things off because they are producing too much electricity. Hence battery storage. The massive ones already deployed, for example in Australia, are already saving millions of dollars. It's a total no-brainer. Posted in Politics Thread too.
Yeah - it’s extremely therapeutic and once you’ve done it (and sourdough is really easy once you get the technique, just time consuming) you’ll never go back to shop bought. I was having huge indigestion issues with bread until I started making my own, now I’m fine - though probably eating way too much though! And, yeah, it’s great for getting those fingernails clean Thanks for the kind comments!
Just got back from test driving the MG ZS EV in Southampton. Am extremely impressed - battery was on 109 miles left when we started from just opposite IKEA, drove through town, up the avenue, short stretch of the M3 (gave a Porsche a fright ), turned off at Eastleigh and went back down the Avenue. When we got back the range on the battery said 115 due to KERS. For driving around town and short (100 - 150 miles) journeys, I’d say it’s ideal. Good build, solid feel, lots of whistles and bells and an enormous sunroof which makes the back seats feel even more spacious. We’ve put down a deposit (well, the gf has) and I’m looking forward to having another drive when (if) she lets me! I’m seriously thinking of changing mine earlier than I expected and going for one of these. For £21.5k (including government grant and MGs discount) I can’t see how you could go wrong. I had a big smile on my face after driving it - it goes like a rocket if you so want it to and that’s in “eco” mode. God knows what it’s like in “sport” - as I say, the Porsche coming out of the Shell garage had a fright when he tried to pull away and I overtook him Hats off to the Chinese - I think they have a winner here ......
It was something a mate used to say. He was a club cyclist, so after putting a new chain on, or changing a sprocket, he'd look at his nails and say "better make some bread" I never knew if he was kidding, but I never ate his bread
