Any question answered...

White vinegar? Cheapest possible ketchup or brown sauce as has the highest vinegar content. Leave it over night.

For citric acid try sour salt or lemon salt from your local Turkish shop

Does anyone have a contact for a maker who can do a jewellery repair?
It’s a ring that’s snapped and needs a bit of soldering.
Thanks.

What material is it?

Ah, good question. I thought it was gold, but -now aged- it looks like it’s plated silver. I can’t find it on t’Internet to check.

Your local high street jeweller should be able to sort that out. They will have someone they use and do all the tedious bits like transport.

I'd previously understood it to refer the visual properties of a thing

While that is how it is most used, it can refer to any sensation. How something feels, sounds, tastes or smells are all aesthetic qualities.

I keep seeing people refer to things as aesthetic, e.g "that's aesthetic" or "how I became aesthetic"

Presumably people who don't speak English. I imagine they meant "that's aesthetically pleasing" or "how I became an aesthete". Lazy or ignorant people often misuse English in such ways and are rightly derided, right up until the point where we all do it and people who even draw attention to the change of use are derided as pompous and pedantic retrogrouches 🙂

Does anyone have a contact for a maker who can do a jewellery repair?
It’s a ring that’s snapped and needs a bit of soldering.
Thanks.

@magpie ?

are derided as pompous and pedantic retrogrouches

Are you still cross about that? 😂

I agree with your take on it. It's improper use of the word aesthetic, something should be done to stop it. Innit.

Cheers for all the various cleaning suggestions, plenty of things to try there. Will probably start off with the things that I've got handy and then build up.

Is there a forum approved sturdy pannier to attach a kids seat to?

Tortec do a heavy duty 40KG one, I think.

Edit: 35kg it seems. https://road.cc/content/review/69689-tortec-expedition-rear-rack

plenty of things to try

If you want to remove rust chemically, you'll end up at oxalic acid because none of the others actually works. It's readily available in small pack for a few quid, but be careful because it's not tame like citric and acetic acids.

For mechanical removal with minimum threat to the engraving, lap it on the flattest surface you have. You can use 3M™ Spraymount™ or similar to stick a sheet of abrasive paper to your flat surface if the surface proves a bit slippery. WD40® works as a cutting lubricant

Yeah, thanks, have thought about that! I wanted to avoid it being sent somewhere, maybe not being fixed properly, sending it back &c &c

Are you still cross about that?

I'm more cross about the loss of common understanding of the old uses than the gain of new ones, but then I sneakily exploit that general ignorance 🙂

In the examples of new ways of using "aesthetic", even without context, there is no material ambiguity. The alternative to accepting the ebb and flow of our language is to be French, and that's not something I would wish upon anybody.

Is there a recommended waterproof jacket that is nice and light, but not too racy cut. (Think touring position).

Will live in a bar bag when not in use, so not to pricey as it'll get bounced around etc.

Synthetic or cotton? Absolutely waterproof?

Ideally 'fully' waterproof. Not fussed on material, but would like it to be light and pack down reasonably neatly. Bonus points if it folds in on itself.

Does anyone do half couplers or snap clamps in 80-85mm diameter? I can only seem to find one American company that does large half couplers and they're wildly expensive: https://www.stagelightingstore.com/Stage-lighting-store/clamps-claws-couplers/couplers/half-couplers/extra-large-half-couplers

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Ah, ended up with a Tortec super tour - the kids seat is only rated to 22kg anyway. So 25kg rack is fine. Might get myself an expedition when I upgrade my rack (if such a thing ever happens).

Thanks.

Have you looked at Doughty Clamps? I happen to have one knocking around here. They're not cheap, but they're a fraction of those that you have linked to - I assumed at that price it'd be for a box of 10 or something.

You'd be wanting synthetic then, not really my purview, but probably whatever fits in the latest Goretex wonder plastic.

If I pay for something online in euros using a UK credit card (barclaycard) does it charge a fee on top of the exchange rate?

Depends entirely on the terms of the card. Some do and some don't.

Ta. Annoyingly can't find it in the FAQs. Barclays debit definitely do so likely they do too...

Well I thought I’d picked through their site but I just had a second look and found some trigger clamp things a bit like snap clamps, which open up to 80mm. They might do the job 👍

You are confusing aesthetic with a * e * s * t * h * e * t * i * c - it's confusing, as they are pronounced similarly.