Good News stories

[smittims]

One of my gramophones is fifty years old but still plays perfectly. The turntable and speakers are Acoustic Research ('AR') , an American make. I've repaired the speakers twice at least.

The turntable had a rubber (real rubber) anti-static mat and I noticed that the rubber had perished only when it had for some time been depositing microscopic bits of stickiness on the records whose silent surfaces, depite many attempts, proved impossible to restore.

The speakers also had rubber parts and these I have been able to replace with plastic. I'm hoping they will last out my remaining years, as they are visually pleasant too, walnut-covered, unlike many modern products.

[Dave2002]

Good news on this front - the repair guy says he has fixed the left hand motor on the double cassette unit and will be able to restore the sound to the right hand channel; all being well I should be able to pick it up on Friday, and the charge for all that work will total around .... £40!!! - which I think is extraordinary. Unfortunately he was unable to restore the right hand motor which has seized up: apparently it's not possible to obtain a replacement motor as they're not manufacturing that particular model any more. He could un-seize the existing motor but it wouldn't be expected to last any time.

So there is no doubt, one just has to be thankful for the fact that such dedicated people still exist, as unlikely as it may seem in our chuck away age - see The Repair Shop on BBC1 as another wonderful exemplar - and that this one is so generous in what he charges.

Why not unseize the other motor, and hope. I don't see that you would lose that way - unless it had a knock on effect on the other side. Doesn't WD 40 work?

I recently "dealt with" an Epson ink jet printer which had become clogged up - buying one of the kits with fluid, syringes and bits of tubing. Also bought some blotting paper to go with it. A very messy business - and needed a dedicated work space - a garden table brought in for the purpose and covered with a cheap "Handy" Tesco tarpaulin. First short attempt - no luck - though maybe the coloured inks were clearer. A later attempt - got the black going, but then the colours disappeared. Tried an overnight "soaking", but still no good results - really wondering whether I was going to have to throw away the printer, and also the kit. Finally - one more go another over nighter - and the black is restored and most of the colour has come back. I was thinking of just replacing the printer - which initially was cheap - but noticed the prices have gone up considerably. Now hopefully rescued for another year.

Unfortunately I still have a monochrome laser printer to deal with.

[Serial_Apologist]

Why not unseize the other motor, and hope. I don't see that you would lose that way - unless it had a knock on effect on the other side. Doesn't WD 40 work?

I didn't think to ask, but my guess would be that some of the vital components have become completely bonded together so as to be inseparable. The guy might have decided to have a go at releasing whatever's stuck - I'll have to wait and see the outcome on Friday - however there had been that familiar worrying smell of overheated electrics for some time before the problem occurred.

I recently "dealt with" an Epson ink jet printer which had become clogged up - buying one of the kits with fluid, syringes and bits of tubing. Also bought some blotting paper to go with it. A very messy business - and needed a dedicated work space - a garden table brought in for the purpose and covered with a cheap "Handy" Tesco tarpaulin. First short attempt - no luck - though maybe the coloured inks were clearer. A later attempt - got the black going, but then the colours disappeared. Tried an overnight "soaking", but still no good results - really wondering whether I was going to have to throw away the printer, and also the kit. Finally - one more go another over nighter - and the black is restored and most of the colour has come back. I was thinking of just replacing the printer - which initially was cheap - but noticed the prices have gone up considerably. Now hopefully rescued for another year.

Unfortunately I still have a monochrome laser printer to deal with.

It would seem that like me, you hate being defeated, and call on our old friend Percy Verance when he's wanted, Dave. Simple improvisations sometimes achieve the desired outcome, or something close enough - a rubber band replacing one worn out plastic watch strap, a paper clip re-fashioned into a replacement buckle for another watch after the original one fell off, a conveniently-sized hexagonal nut found lying in the road wedged in under my cycle saddle to keep it tipped at the angle desired; etc etc. I've followed my late father's advice in keeping a box full of odds and sods which - who knows? - might come in handy one day, and so often do!

[gradus]

The good news here is that I have at last planted all the dahlias and it has rained.

[Serial_Apologist]

The good news here is that I have at last planted all the dahlias and it has rained.

I discovered what I thought to be a couple of dahlia plants growing on the edge of our compost heap - until the gardener explained that they were in fact potato plants, probably resulting from food wastage dumped by one of the flats!

[Serial_Apologist]

In their latest samizdat, just received, Southwark Council are promoting a borrowing policy for certain household necessities to the borough's residents, such as hedge trimmers and industrial vacuum cleaners - see below:

http://participate.libraryofthings.co.uk/canadawater

However on looking closer these are not being offered for free - and you do have to get to Canada Water to pick items up. Also, it doesn't seem to mention in the preamble how long they can be "borrowed" for. That said the scheme is a good one in many ways, and the highest charges should not be beyond most people's means. I wonder if other councils are taking this idea up.

[vinteuil]

In their latest samizdat, just received, Southwark Council are promoting a borrowing policy for certain household necessities to the borough's residents, such as hedge trimmers and industrial vacuum cleaners / ... / I wonder if other councils are taking this idea up.

... o yes, Hammersmith has one -

https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/hammersmith

.

[gradus]

I discovered what I thought to be a couple of dahlia plants growing on the edge of our compost heap - until the gardener explained that they were in fact potato plants, probably resulting from food wastage dumped by one of the flats!

Oddly enough the roots of dahlias are also edible, albeit rather expensive to grow for that purpose.

[oddoneout]

I discovered what I thought to be a couple of dahlia plants growing on the edge of our compost heap - until the gardener explained that they were in fact potato plants, probably resulting from food wastage dumped by one of the flats!

Such volunteers can be a real bonus, benefiting from the extra nutrients round about. I had a semi-permanent spud plant in one of my bins years ago - the mother tuber had lodged in the structure so I couldn't get it out, but it used to send out new spuds each year which I excavated in autumn when I tidied the heap ready for winter. It eventually succumbed to a plague of rats.

[oddoneout]

Oddly enough the roots of dahlias are also edible, albeit rather expensive to grow for that purpose.

Depends on whether you buy named tubers or grow from seed - which is very easy. I believe that some are better eating than others so experimenting is worthwhile - as with fuchsia berries.

[oddoneout]

I have gooseberries! For some reason this year they have been left alone by the pigeons, even on the bush I didn't put any protection round, and the blackbirds haven't shown any interest either, although to be fair they're not that keen usually anyway. Last year they took a fair few but I think that was for the moisture as much as anything. They are all dark red dessert berries, 2 different varieties, and I have 750g in total. Now to decide how best to use them - a pleasant dilemma to have. I'm not a great one for freezing surplus garden produce, but I have some space and I think at least some will be filling it. They keep well in the fridge, unlike strawberries so there's no great rush.

[Serial_Apologist]

I have gooseberries! For some reason this year they have been left alone by the pigeons, even on the bush I didn't put any protection round, and the blackbirds haven't shown any interest either, although to be fair they're not that keen usually anyway. Last year they took a fair few but I think that was for the moisture as much as anything. They are all dark red dessert berries, 2 different varieties, and I have 750g in total. Now to decide how best to use them - a pleasant dilemma to have. I'm not a great one for freezing surplus garden produce, but I have some space and I think at least some will be filling it. They keep well in the fridge, unlike strawberries so there's no great rush.

Good to hear that about the gooseberries, Oddy.

My good news, if such it is, is that I'm still all in one piece, apparently, after yesterday reporting slight chest pains to the doctor on visit to get the form for my annual blood tests. She took what was intended as just an add-on to minor things including renewals for various dermatitis/psoriasis condition creams very seriously, taking several blood pressure readings before finding one acceptable, getting me to breathe deep, prodding and stethoscoping and so on, saying I might well have to go down to Kings for further tests right away (Oh NO!), then asking me to wait in the waiting area while she did some calls. She then called me back saying she had decided I was probably OK though it was all rather a mystery, and should these twinges extend for more than the few seconds I had described, I should get me down to A&E pronto. Well they still come and go, little spasms, sensations one could hardly call pains - I reckon they're just emanations from a shoulder rotor strain - and this afternoon I've cycled down to Penge for my weekly grocery bulk shop and back up the hill with no trouble.

Fingers crossed eh...

[Bryn]

Good to hear that about the gooseberries, Oddy.

My good news, if such it is, is that I'm still all in one piece, apparently, after yesterday reporting slight chest pains to the doctor on visit to get the form for my annual blood tests. She took what was intended as just an add-on to minor things including renewals for various dermatitis/psoriasis condition creams very seriously, taking several blood pressure readings before finding one acceptable, getting me to breathe deep, prodding and stethoscoping and so on, saying I might well have to go down to Kings for further tests right away (Oh NO!), then asking me to wait in the waiting area while she did some calls. She then called me back saying she had decided I was probably OK though it was all rather a mystery, and should these twinges extend for more than the few seconds I had described, I should get me down to A&E pronto. Well they still come and go, little spasms, sensations one could hardly call pains - I reckon they're just emanations from a shoulder rotor strain - and this afternoon I've cycled down to Penge for my weekly grocery bulk shop and back up the hill with no trouble.

Fingers crossed eh...

Knowing that hill from daily cycling to work from Penge High Street to by Battersea Bridge, though that was half a century ago, if you don't feel at least somewhat winded by the time you get to the Parade, I doubt you're I that bad condition.

[Serial_Apologist]

Knowing that hill from daily cycling to work from Penge High Street to by Battersea Bridge, though that was half a century ago, if you don't feel at least somewhat winded by the time you get to the Parade, I doubt you're I that bad condition.

I'm thinking that too!

[french frank]

Fingers crossed eh...

Definitely . I have to go for a scan next month and last week I walked to the hospital to see how long it took me so that I'd know what time to leave home for my appointment. Annoyingly, I've now forgotten how long it took. I think it was 40 minutes. Still it will probably be raining, in which case I shall take the bus