What have you been doing today?

[conny]

Well, the Dyson V10 Cyclone trigger was playing up. Online Googling suggested a cracked trigger. The part is not available from Dyson, you have to buy a whole body, but there are plenty of non OE triggers on Amazon so I ordered one along with the tiny screwdrivers needed in a kit for £7. I have zero patience but there were are some 'how to's' on Youtube. It looked easy so I ordered a kit and thought I’d have a go myself. It came today. I stripped it down, found that it was the trigger, successfully replaced it and it was all going great guns until the very last tiny, tiny, ****ing tiny connector that snaps in place on the circuit board. I ****ed it up and ended up slamming the whole thing onto the kitchen floor! When I calmed down, I put it back together leaving the tiny connector unconnected. Put the battery on, pressed the trigger and something went 'pop' inside. Oh well, I tried! Going to order a complete body tomorrow.

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I take it you couldn't find your superglue for the original trigger?

With all repairs, the answer is, slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.

 

[Mottie]

I take it you couldn't find your superglue for the original trigger?

No, but at least I have a spare (uprated and heavy duty) trigger for when the next one breaks! Should've cut my losses - a new body complete with new trigger assembly and motor was only £60 delivered direct from Dyson.

With all repairs, the answer is, slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.

With me it’s quicky, quicky, fekky Mottie!

 

[conny]

No, but at least I have a spare (uprated and heavy duty) trigger for when the next one breaks! Should've cut my losses - a new body complete with new trigger assembly and motor was only £60 delivered direct from Dyson.


With me it’s quicky, quicky, fekky Mottie!

Yes, Mrs M did mention something about that the other night .

 

[crystal ball]

Watching my local Osprey cam, the male has returned on the same day as last year, albeit with a new lady, flown in from west Africa, incredible

 

[Brigadier]

Watching my local Osprey cam, the male has returned on the same day as last year, albeit with a new lady, flown in from west Africa, incredible

On R5L this morning, was a feature about an osprey that has left Scotland, and (presumably blown off course by strong winds) had missed West Africa completely. Ending up in.......... Barbados!

Longest known osprey migration.

 

[Stivino]

I went into town to get a pneunomacoccal vaccination today. After that, I bought a meal deal in Sainsbury's local and ate it sitting on a bench in Princes Street Gardens at the foot of The Scott monument.

 

[Mottie]

Well, the Dyson V10 Cyclone trigger was playing up. Online Googling suggested a cracked trigger. The part is not available from Dyson, you have to buy a whole body, but there are plenty of non OE triggers on Amazon so I ordered one along with the tiny screwdrivers needed in a kit for £7. I have zero patience but there were are some 'how to's' on Youtube. It looked easy so I ordered a kit and thought I’d have a go myself. It came today. I stripped it down, found that it was the trigger, successfully replaced it and it was all going great guns until the very last tiny, tiny, ****ing tiny connector that snaps in place on the circuit board. I ****ed it up and ended up slamming the whole thing onto the kitchen floor! When I calmed down, I put it back together leaving the tiny connector unconnected. Put the battery on, pressed the trigger and something went 'pop' inside. Oh well, I tried! Going to order a complete body tomorrow.

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New body arrived today. Just a matter of swapping the battery and the cylinder onto the new one. Three screws hold the battery on and they supply new screws and a tool to replace them. Not a bad price too - £60 delivered and that includes a new motor. I chose a red one for £60 as a body in the same colour as mine was £79. Crazy. I asked why and they said it was because it was more popular! Should have been cheaper then, surely? Anyway, all done now so a new filter (£32), new body (£60) and the wasted trigger (£7) means I've blown a cool £99 and effectively ended up with what I started with - a working vacuum! Still, the filter is flowing nicely, the trigger action feels good and it’s in a nice shade of red. See, I can justify it…….
Edit: Mrs Mottie used it tonight and reckons it’s a lot better at picking up than the old one was - perhaps the motor was showing signs of wear?

I'm going to get rid of the old one - it was just collecting dust anyway.

 

[Mottie]

Engineer arrived at 10.50. Had a chat with me and then said he's just waiting for the camera crew to turn up so he sat in his van. Camera crew turned up ay 12.05. He then chatted with them in their lorry until 1.20. - I think they were examining all previous camera footage. They then got all the stuff out and started the inspection and they finished that at 2.30. There are faults at 2, 6 and 10 metres that need sorting. Upshot is, he's got to first serve notice to myself and the two neighbours that the drain runs through before commencement of work or earlier if all served by hand and agree to an early start. If my neighbour hadn’t had been on holiday he could have started the process today provided she had been personally served. As it is, he's got to post hers to her as he’s not allowed to just put it through the door. They may core and reline it but he is going to suggest that they renew it but it will all come down to cost. His manager will be making the decision. One thing he tells me they are going to do is that a new manhole will be created and sited in my drive which will make things easier for them, more so in the future if ever there’s any blockages. That will be good for me too because if my macerator ever packs up again, I’ll be able to have a 'normal' soil pipe connection to the drain, straight down my driveway. That’s the only thing that turned me off doing that in the first place - the thought of breaking into the sewer and fitting a manhole.

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It’s taken time but after constant nagging by me to the CEO of Thames Water, things are starting to happen. Had their contractors round today taking photo's and measurements. Showed me the plan of works and they are installing a manhole/inspection chamber in my drive, digging up gardens and drives and replacing the drain from my house right to the existing manhole three doors down, fitting them a new manhole and from there, replacing the drain right out to the main sewer in the street. Hurrah!

 

[crystal ball]

Made my debut at Pickleball, sort of tennis for old fogeys, quite enjoyed it, back next week if the knee holds out

 

[Mottie]

Made my debut at Pickleball, sort of tennis for old fogeys, quite enjoyed it, back next week if the knee holds out

We played it at Center Parcs when we went away last year. It was sort of a cross between lawn and table tennis. We really enjoyed it.

 

[Mottie]

Been over the allotment today. Had Mrs Mottie on seedling transplant and weeding duties while I started making up the new bed edgings using the decking 6”x2”s that I snagged last year. It’s all starting to happen now - the daffs are out, the buds are starting on the apple tree and I noticed one asparagus has popped his head up well early.

 

[crystal ball]

Watching a sparrow showing some interest in my camera bird box, a few visits, looking out of the hole, fired up the cam and nothing, not even a feather, maybe he needs a lady to approve the residence

 

[Stivino]

Watching a sparrow showing some interest in my camera bird box, a few visits, looking out of the hole, fired up the cam and nothing, not even a feather, maybe he needs a lady to approve the residence

My wee Great Tit is still using the camera box I put up. He's been like clockwork every for that last six months, apart from his week's break around firework time.
I'm hoping he's going to pair up soon.

 

[Mottie]

My wee Great Tit is still using the camera box I put up. He's been like clockwork every for that last six months, apart from his week's break around firework time.
I'm hoping he's going to pair up soon.

Checked on mine today. Can't seem to connect to it. It is at the limit of my Wifi - just about get one bar. Might have to get some kind of Wifi range extender sorted. My son gave me his old BT whole home Wifi thingy a while ago so must have a read up on how it works.

 

[Stivino]

I bought one of these to help improve my WiFi upstairs and, it does help. I don't need it for the bird box as it's just outside the back bedroom window where the router is.