Should We Build Floating Houses?
The BBC web site muses about floating houses in this article. After all our floods, it could be one of the answers to building in areas likely to flood.
But myself, I’d prefer to live well away from water. I can’t swim and after what I’ve been through, to drown would be complete failure.
An Amazing Tale
The remarkable story of the wartime exploits of Ken Gatward was flagged up in The Times today. This is his Wikipedia entry.
His raid on Paris was the classic idea to wind up the Nazis.
I am reminded of the Mosquitos that after bombing Germany used to go through the streets of Dutch cities at tree-top heights, whilst the Dutch threw their hats in the air and cheered. Whilst visiting Ballast Needham in Amstelveen, I got talking about it with one of their engineers. He said his father had told him about the amazing sight and noise as they echoed through the houses.
So,etimes these days, we seem to have lost sight of the maxim told me by an old Colonel – In case of war, burn all rule books.
I Need A Left-Handed Connector
I have a small IKEA shelf, that is the ideal place to put my small wireless printer.
The Mains Cable On My Printer
But as you can see the mains cable pushes the printer forwards. What is needed is a right-angled mains connector like this.
A Right-Angled Connector
This one from Maplin, though is right-handed. They don’t do a left-handed one. So where can I get one? If you look at the item on Maplin, I’m not the only one who wants one, given the comments.
The Telegraph Has A Go At A UKIP Candidate
Winston McKenzie, a UKIP candidate in the Croydon North by-election is reported to have said, that adoption by same sex couples is child abuse. The report is not in a gay publication, but here in Her Majesty’s Daily Telegraph.
Why Does It Always Rain On Mondays?
As it’s Monday, the cafe opposite; Eggs Milk Butter, was closed today.
Why Does It Always Rain On Mondays?
So there was no popping across to get a coffee. I just had to take a walk in the rain.
I Have A Real Wet Room
The picture shows the floor of my en-suite shower.
I Have A Real Wet Room
It is Jerry at his best and it shows how the water flows from the shower area to the rest of the room. It also shows why I must put shoes on to go to the toilet.
The North East Passage Is Open
This story about a gas tanker going from Norway to Japan on first glance looks to be a good news story. At least for Norway, who were probably paid a lot for all that gas!
But am I right in thinking, that the trip is only possible because the world is warming and the ice has melted?
Has anybody asked the polar bears for their opinion?
BBC Sports Personality Of The Year
I like sport, but I don’t care who is the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.
After all, the program is just one big selection of repeats to fill an evening of television.
My Father’s Advice
My father always said that you never buy a house where it can flood. He never did and I haven’t. I suspect my son is fine on the high hills of Walthamstow. So he’s following the family tradition.
The only house of the seven or so, C and I lived in, that was on low-lying land, was our holiday home at Antibes. That was close to the sea, but you don’t get very high tides in the Mediterranean.
More And More Floods
They just keep coming as the BBC reports here.
There have been times in my life, when I can remember lots of floods, including the massive and tragic North Sea Flood of 1953.
But they do seem to be getting more common, even if not as bad as those of 1953. And then we had superstorm Sandy in New York.
i can’t prove it, but I do think that two man-induced factors don’t help.
I was taught at school, that in rain forests there was constant circulation of the water by evaporation and rain and it was a stable system, that calmed our weather. So what are we doing, destroying rain forests!
And then there’s the burning of fossil fuels, which certainly increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Local flooding in some places of the UK, could well be caused by the passion for concreting everything, without giving the water anywhere to run.
If we looked after the planet better, we might get a few less problems.
We could also take a lead from the Dutch and build proper defences, often paired with large much-needed infrastructure.
As an example to increase the size of Heathrow is complete folly. If we do build a new airport in the South East, it should probably be built in the Thames Estuary and paired with a very large tidal barrier for London.
