Any question answered...

Any experience

Hearsay rather than experience, but a few YouTube machinists I follow proselytise about cheap Chinesium digital camera microscopes for inspection on the same scale as you're working with.
Not necessarily this exact one, but this pattern and price range
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOMLOV-Microscope-Magnification-Ultra-Precise-Compatible/dp/B08G4Y6C65/

I read somewhere that those are great for inspection but there is too much latency for soldering. Tempted to get one anyway 'cause they look like fun...

Options seem to be an illuminated magnifying glass on an arm / head mounted lenses / some sort of microscope. Any experience one way or another?

I've got one of those third hand things with clamps and a magnifying glass which is OK for soldering wires together but not that good for real close up stuff. I've also got a handband magnifier which is much better for really detailed work. I'd go headband for surface mount stuff.

If I’m rerouting hydraulic cables through new bars presume I’m best to drain all the mineral oil out of the lines?

I’d just re route, connect and bleed as normal.

Yeah, you might get away without bleeding, although routing through bars is awful.

I’ve got some Grenson brogue boots with leather soles that I never wear because I don’t really get on with leather soles. Is it easy enough to get them re-soled with rubber soles of some sort? And if so, what kind of sole should I go for?

Yes.

Whatever your local cobblers recommends.

This non-news story about a RAF commander suspended for standing around in his garden naked... Why is that a problem? Is there a decency law that says you can't? I seem to recall if it's with intent to expose yourself to passersby that's a problem, but if not? I don't really get it.

Don't think there are any rules about being naked anywhere, just more specific ones about why you're doing it and who it might offend.

Probably 'Commando' type soles for boots

Yep, bit non news. It's legal to walk round naked in the UK, only becomes an issue if you do it to shock/offend, then it's upto the complainant to prove it was done offensively. Plenty of naked ramblers going for a bimble in the Peak District, don't think they've had any bother/complaints.

It's legal to walk round naked in the UK, only becomes an issue if you do it to shock/offend

Stephen Gough, The Naked Rambler, would disagree with you...https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Gough

He can disagree with me all he likes, but it's not illegal.

it's not illegal.

It's one of those things which is not in itself illegal, but impossible to do without breaking a law.

Do we have nude beaches in the UK actually?
I only seem to bump into them on the continent

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/nudist-beach/map.html

Knock yourself out.

there’s a mound of shingle as you head towards Black Rock in Brighton that marks the nudist beach there.

In theory any beach, as someone else says there is no law against nudity in the UK. You won't find Dunwich beach on the walkingclub list but I've seen naked people swimming early on a Sunday morning in July near a full moon and nobody seemed especially bothered.

Do we have nude beaches in the UK actually?

Yes, but before that we had private resorts

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Wait till you see what I’m routing through…

Have seen what looks like a really nice hack of using the end of a brake cable and a 5mm ferrule to pull it though…

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My local cobblers is a timpson, but there’s an independent near where my wife works - I’ll pop in and see what they say.

@chez_jay I think commando soles might be a bit chunky.

They might not be so bad, worst ones are drops with holes with rough carbon edges that are only just big enough, trying to squeeze brake hose and get outer round and through some of those things is shit.

They might not be so bad

Ask @umop3pisdn 🙂

I'd go with the independent, much as I would like to support Timpsons as a major employer of ex-cons, they tend to be less than expert.