The Chill Out Zone

[coolcat]

Leo by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

[Lancpudn]

Blimey! Looks like the Geneva motor show has bit the dust for good, such is the disruption in the auto industry at present. Citing "uncertainties linked to the automotive industry" Compared with the recent Beijing motor show which was ram jammed for the entire time with only a couple of Legacy auto-makers present. You even needed tickets to queue up to get up close to the latest offerings like the Xiaomi SU 7. https://europe.autonews.com/geneva-a...-canceled-2025

[WillyHeckaslike]

Looks like a decent day here today so a trip in to town could be on the cards to try to get something sorted. Like a few members I bought a pump a while back to do an oil change from above without having to get down and under to remove the sump plug. Have yet to use it for that purpose but gave the pump a try a while back with my TV's aerial lead to pump rainwater out of it - a common problem with aerials that are fitted by an idiot. Anyhow, following some repeat pixilation of my TV's picture I tried the pump again and ... Zilch! Pump no worky having been used only once before and for a few seconds only.

It is of the 12-Volt type that is often sold by the likes of Lidl and Aldi, I think mine came from Lidl, and there is nothing outwardly visible to go wrong with it. After faffing around with a couple of different batteries and a battery charger to no avail I was tempted to bin it as others might well do. But it is still new having been used only once to try it and for a few seconds only. Old Tightus would be horrified at the thought of scrapping it and, if I'm honest, I found it a little unpalatable too having paid ~ £14 for it having had little or no use out of it.

So I bit the bullet and opened the pump up and I could not believe my eyes. I cursed the */&"Beep!Beeps!???? who designed and signed off such stupidity. Some might not spot it but it did not escape my background that hidden under a sleeve of heat shrink (INSIDE THE PUMP???) is a ... fuse! And it is not hardwired as it might look to some, it is of the double-end capped type where the connecting wires look to be soldered to the ends of the fuse but they are not. They are soldered to end caps that pull off the ends of the fuse revealing in my case a slow-blow 10 amp 250 volt glass encapsulated 5x20 mm fuse - the filament of which had clearly ruptured.

So, if you have one of these pumps and it fails to proceed it might well be a simple fix - though not as obvious and as simple as it */&"Beep!Beeps!??? should be.

[roverbarmy]

Finally uploaded some pics from the hol:-











The best pics are in my personal memory, of the lovely people who welcomed us back like family! It was very hard to leave!

[roverbarmy]

Originally Posted by stevestrat

I'm knackered! Suddenly relining the wooden trough/planter I emptied had become number one priority yesterday, trouble was I needed staples for the new lining. I was up early to go to B&Q, Screwfix or where ever, trouble is I didn't sleep, worst night I've had for a long time. Got up early but took my time having breakfast etc before heading out, planter done now. Keeping myself going on caffeine.

I made a couple of planters last year, from wood left over from my conservatory repairs, with a lining of the bits of DPC materials. SWMBO filled them with compost and plants, watered and THEN asked me to move them to where she wanted them!!!! Trolley jack, rollers ,blood, sweat and swears were then used to achieve the objective!!! A month on and she then decided that they were the wrong colour! Doh!

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by roverbarmy

Finally uploaded some pics from the hol:-











The best pics are in my personal memory, of the lovely people who welcomed us back like family! It was very hard to leave!

It certainly looks a stunning location from your lovely pictures.

Such a shame that things have changed for the worse that you feel unable to go back again.

Hold on to those memories

[roverbarmy]

Originally Posted by coolcat

It certainly looks a stunning location from your lovely pictures.

Such a shame that things have changed for the worse that you feel unable to go back again.

Hold on to those memories

Not sleeping, due to knee, ankle and back pain, followed by hundreds of steps, then dodging trip and slip hazards made us realise that it was literally a "step" too far! There were folks older than us, with far worse disabilities but they were happy to just sit in the sun, drink and eat to excess! We like to get out and about.


Seeing what some folks on "all inclusive" were putting away made us think of the "obesity and NHS crisis" in the making!


There were even younger people on new crutches with fresh pots and bandaging after falling foul of the "hazards"! Several hire cars and bikes were scraped, clipped and dropped during our 2 weeks!