Plumbers/Electricians One House Nil
We’ve finally got somewhere today in my battle with the killer central heating system.
The team of expert electricians and plumbers have just left and they found the following.
The pump that controlled the hot water to my showers was jamming, which explained the occasional non-hot water problems.
The room thermostats have no effect on controlling the hot water to the underfloor central heating. So if the master switch for downstairs is set to warm that part of the house, you get full flow upstairs. Hence the top floor just gets hotter and hotter.
I’ve now switched the heating off upstairs permanently and it is still holding at 23.5°C, which is a bit hot.
But at least we’ve won the first battle against Jerry.
What I can’t understand is why he didn’t fit underfloor electric central heating. We had that in the flat in the Barbican in the 1970s and it was as reliable as the finest Swiss watch.
This Heath Robinson system of pipes should never have been installed. I must say I’m tempted to rip it all out and replace it with an electric one.
The only thing against this is the running costs. On the other hand the house is so well insulated, that fixing the current faults in the system will probably be enough to make the house comfortable.
Channel 4 Sacks John McCririck
Channel 4 has sacked John McCririck, one of their horse racing team. He blames ageism in this report on the BBC.
I’m not bothered one way or another if he appears on Channel 4 Racing, as he can be almost as irritating as the adverts that appear on the channel.
I’ve spoken to him a couple of times and although his views can be outspoken, I’ve never found him anything but charming and courteous. In fact a friend was interviewed by him, for their screen test for television and found he put them totally at ease.
I have a feeling that McCririck will appear elsewhere on television and/or radio, as his knowledge of horse racing is undoubtedly at the highest level.
Islington Gets Another Mobile Phone Shop!
My chiropodist has gone and Upper Street has another mobile phone shop.
Islington Gets Another Mobile Phone Shop!
They won’t get me to indulge in a smart phone. In fact sometimes, I think about giving up my mobile phone altogether to annoy those that insist on having the number.
Simon Jenkins In The Guardian On Jimmy Savile
I don’t seem to be the only person, who thinks that the reaction to Jimmy Savile and his undoubted crimes is a bit over the top. Read this by Simon Jenkins in that sensationalist tabloid, the Guardian. Here’s the last paragraph.
We now have a new form of accountability, to an “inquiriat”, a cackle of inquisitors and lawyers jumping to the bidding of public opinion, flapping round every executive’s head and piling accusation on every error. This can only lead to ever more defensive behaviour in every sphere of public life. It is the paranoia of the modern state. Every document is “open”, every conversation “on the record” and your friend today is tomorrow the witness against you.
Very soon, no-one will do anything because of fear!
In some ways the forces that protected Jimmy Savile are not unlike those that protected the abusers in some of the worst child and other abuse cases of recent years.
Whitehall Says Give Social Networks False Details
This article on the BBC, which says that a Whitehall official has said we should all give fake details and an MP disagrees, shows how little the supposedly great and good know about the Internet.
What I would recommend to others I do not know? But I do have a consistent philosophy across the various sites I access. One thing I do, is to use a special e-mail address for the Internet groups to which I belong. This means that I can trace any spam and know possibly where the leak is.
I also rarely give my mobile phone number to anyone.
A Building Firm With Foundations
I thought this was an article from the BBC’s web site, that needed reposting.
R Durtnell and Sons are now in the hands of the 13th generation of the family.
To contrast, the builder who supposedly built my house is unnamed and untraceable.
Thames Water And Wet Wipes
Thames Water has problems with sewer blockages and has produced a video and press release called Changing the world from the bottom up. It is reported here in the Standard. Here’s an extract.
No, it’s not April 1. But this stab at lavatory humour from Thames Water sounds like it’s spoof.
A press release, entitled “Changing the world from the bottom up”, begins as follows: “A trend among British adults towards using wet wipes as well as with loo roll is forcing a water company to take drastic action.
“Market research shows the wet wipe market is growing at faster than 15% a year — and for Thames Water that’s a problem.
“Wet wipes, which do not break down like loo roll does, block sewers, adding to Thames Water’s annual £12 million spend on clearing around 80,000 blockages a year in its 108,000 kilometre network across London and the Thames Valley.”
How awful. But, happily, there is some good news or, as Thames Water puts it, “a solution is at hand” — geddit?
I’ve always felt that there should be extra taxes on things like disposable nappies and other non-biodegradable products. Especially, as they just end up in landfill.
I have been down the London sewers and you’d be surprised what you see there.
The Anonymous Widower 