Duck

Ah, so Mr Pin was into Amateur Dramatics and has met Steve the Sparkie who swears he can squeeze 5000 watts out of a 16 amp circuit with his trusty nail "fuse".

If you have any interest in how Theatre is made, seeing behind the scenes at a big theatre can be a fascinating mixture of different crafts, engineering, electronics and teamwork. Many smaller and older theatres - Bristol Old Vic for one - organise backstage tours where it’s possible to see Victorian and Edwardian stage machinery such as traps, lifts, revolves, fly rails, thunder sheets etc. At the other extreme are large, modern producing houses where you have set, props and costume making, scenic artists, wigs and makeup departments, sound, lighting and stage crews and so on. The National Theatre and RSC in Stratford both have regular events but if you want more than “this is a dressing room” and to stand on the stage then look out for the tours that bring you in touch with specialist staff and an insight into their areas of expertise. Further afield, Deutsche Oper in Berlin is interesting (and inexpensive) but more generalised than the NT in London..........and full of Germans

I enjoy your posts but am puzzled why you’re determined to rubbish @SNACR's airbnbing . If you don’t believe what he’s written or don’t agree with the underlying premise so be it but repeatedly suggesting he’s embellishing, exaggerating, turning a blind eye to tax evasion and digging himself into a hole seems odd. Neither of us know whether what he reports is factually correct in every detail, just as we don’t know whether the awful experience reported by @Shaneyson is the plain unvarnished truth so why does the former attract your suspicion and the latter goes unremarked?

Completely agree. Good for you and I would have done exactly the same but I definitely think we're in a minority. I’ve had dogs for over 30 years. Most of them have been so-called giant breeds (Newfoundland, Pyrenean) that were bought not as fashion accessories but simply because I like them and enjoy the exercise they provide. At 55 kilos (8.5 stone?), the current female weighs more than many adults and running loose in a park would almost certainly intimidate people, particularly children not used to dogs. Yes, she’s actually very gentle and affectionate, regularly meets and is well behaved with toddlers and has good recall but the possibility of her meeting an aggressive or very excitable dog somewhere where children are playing means I avoid exercising her in busy areas and always use the lead if we spot anyone on country walks. Also, while bagging and properly disposing of her faeces might seem OK in a public park, I wouldn’t want my children running around and rolling on grass previously used as a dog toilet. As to the selfishness or selective blindness of dog owners, I agree it’s a problem. I met someone exercising a labrador on this morning’s walk. Off-lead, the dogs played happily but the lab continually jumped up at and slobbered over me until I forcibly pushed it away, insisted it sit down and repeated this until the dog was calm. No apology from the owner, lots of embarrassed laughter and comments about the dog’s “friendliness” and a rueful …… I don’t know how you do it, I wish I could stop him doing that. You can: train the dog and have some respect for people who don't want dogs near them, no matter how well behaved.

Another vote for John Ryan. We had a very expensive Tempur for many years: good but hot and ludicrously expensive to replace. John Ryan asked what we were using then advised a cheaper alternative to the mattress on their website we were leaning toward. It was good advice, the mattress has been as supportive as the Tempur but without the heat, much cheaper and IMO more comfortable than the Premier Inn Hypnos.

Something completely different! It was a great fun weekend car or for the occasional long distance trip using hotels but if we wanted to go away for any length of time a camping vehicle was more useful, which has been the case as we've used it throughout Europe. If money and space were no object another 350Z would be great but as it is ..............

I had a 2007/08 350Z for a couple of years and although it was a magnet for traffic light dragsters and people anxious to tell you how their Fiesta ST, Corsa or whatever was faster, I thought it was a really good car. Cons: plastic trim around interior door handles and parking brake scratches easily, instrument "glass" can crack for no apparent reason, bonnet is very susceptible to stone chips, clutch replacement is pretty much guaranteed at 50/60k and although I never had the problem I believe the heater matrix can be a problem. Pros: the engine is smooth and powerful, very good brakes, handling tight and predictable, inexpensive to service and while the cabin fittings and finish are not to supercar standards, comfort is excellent for long distance cruising. I found it was a genuinely good long distance cruiser, able to cover big mileage quickly and in comfort but with surprisingly good fuel consumption (up to 30 mpg). In the end I decided to move to a different type of vehicle but enjoyed the 350Z and I'm sure you'll have fun with it! Enjoy.

Is that the Nelson/Britannia monument in Great Yarmouth?

Apart from non-stick aluminium foil (maybe as a result of a deprived adulthood but I've only seen it in the US, not UK) shiny and dull sides are simply a result of the manufacturing process. The shiny side will reflect a tiny amount more radiated heat than the dull side, no difference with convected heat and no effect on whether something will stick or not. Greaseproof/parchment paper can stop sticking but cooking time may need to be increased a little. Non-stick pans work as does a small amount of cooking oil in a standard pan but then pre-heated in the oven for a few minutes.

Much closer to home than the US is http://www.shootinginprague.com, who will indulge you in shooting a wide range of common and exotic rifles and handguns. The problem is that unless you opt for something more than a taster AND you return at regular intervals then all you'll learn are the very basics with little opportunity to develop safe handling procedure or marksmanship. AR 15 "lookalikes" chambered in .22 are common and with the best ones mimicking virtually all aspects of a real AR15, learning to handle, shoot, strip and clean one is perfectly UK legal for a FAC holder. Going this route means you can also learn how to shoot a semi-automatic as .22's are still legal (and very common) in semi-auto configuration at any gun club.

If you own land not bordering a busy road, housing estate etc and want a shotgun for vermin control then getting a certificate should be simple. If you intend shooting on someone else’s property you’ll need to prove you have permission. Broadly the same for FAC’s and vermin control, deer-hunting etc but you’ll also need to justify the calibre of firearm requested. The usual route to a FAC is by joining a Home Office approved club, going through their training programme then apply for the FAC with “good reason” being target shooting with one or more of the calibre for which the club is approved. Clubs and Police forces vary but the whole process will typically take 7-12 months and in most cases will now entail obtaining information from your GP about any presenting problems or medication involving depression, anxiety etc. FAC renewal is at 5 year intervals but will be refused if your club cannot confirm you are an active member and using the firearms itemised on the FAC. It’s easy to find clubs with 25 or maybe 50 metre ranges but they’ll likely be restricted to .22 or perhaps “pistol calibre” (.357, .38. .44) so if you want to shoot larger calibre firearms over longer distances look for 100 metre ranges and/or clubs using MOD ranges, although you’ll then be into serious money for rifles, scopes and ammunition! Small or large calibre firearms or shotguns will all need a police-approved gun cabinet and ideally a separate ammunition safe but you can delay installing these until you have a date for a firearms officer visit as part of your FAC application. Home/Self-defence? Using this as a “good reason” for a FAC or shotgun licence will guarantee you’re turned down and as others have said, hearing a burglar then unlocking your cabinet, fitting the bolt, loading a magazine etc just isn’t realistic. Add to that you would not be considered to have defended yourself “proportionately” and threatening let alone wounding or killing an intruder would see you in deep, deep trouble.

Shakespeare, J.B. Priestley or any other play text was written to be watched and listened to as a piece of theatre rather than something that needs “translating” before it will make sense. Yes, there will be words or phrases that are used differently today or need explanation but it’s usually the density of language and amount of meaning contained in a few words that throws modern students. Audiences brought up with TV, Video and Film are used to visual rather than aural communication, hence the Hollywood-productions that will cut text and replace it with visual fireworks. Although these can still be worthwhile, the productions to be avoided are those adaptations where the original text is ditched in favour of 21st Century colloquial language. A good quality live production is definitely worth a visit but with MACBETH and AN INSPECTOR CALLS available on DVD/Youtube then starting there and with repeated viewings will get the basic story and character relationships sorted out. And that’s the key: more is needed at A level but fully understanding the story, who the characters are and how they relate to one another will provide a solid basis for answering GCSE questions. Study guides are useful when checking expressions no longer in common use (Steady The Buffs) or summarising events but just confuse and actually infantilize the people they are aiming to help by treating texts as huge lists of problems to be solved. A small example: students will often interpret study guide summaries of Macbeth as a weak, indecisive man who is dominated by a powerful wife whereas reading and understanding the description of his actions at the beginning of the play - Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chops - portrays a violent, bloodthirsty warrior.

Oh great....yet another cause with which to bash the boomers, although I guess it saves even further comment and analysis of the snowflakes. Seriously though, I've reached my three score-years-and-ten but probably eating the least amount of best prepared and most varied food ever. I can and do make interesting and tasty vegetarian food, probably 2 to 3 times per week, fish at the same interval plus more and more varied vegetables and salad than in the past. Red meat features maybe once a week, chicken more often while olive and rapeseed has largely replaced sunflower oil, butter and cream feature more regularly than they did ten years ago and much of the vegetables and salad we eat is grown in a small garden bed. And all this largely ignoring the never-ending, often conflicting dietary advice but based instead on solid, personal, empirical evidence of what works for us in terms of waistlines and general well-being.

Wasy for you to say