allshookup

Most recent activity

• The middle aged thread

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 1 week

  

  For something to keep me interested, learn new skills etc I’ve been making funny little instagram vids at the gym. Lots of the members seem to like them, someone, about 40ish, commented “love these, you’re my gym dad’….

• Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 5 months

  

  Bit of a long post sorry, I’m after any advice or suggestions on what to do to solve this. I have a 2002 VW T4 2.5tdi auto, converted from a multi van to a camper. It’s super good condition in terms of rust (none) and low mileage at 60k , and has good spec for old vehicle with air con, electric windows and cruise control. The

  problem is the gearbox, apparently a known weakness in this vehicle. A few weeks ago while driving it lost all power on motorway, and I got recovery home. It seems that It split a hose to an oil cooler radiator. I replaced the hose and re-filled the gearbox with atf as per manual. After this it goes forward (a few meters on the driveway) but not reverse, (it seems to want to pull forward whil in reverse). I am at or beyond my skill, knowledge and ability with it now, thinking that it could be something I did wrong with the level, or the gearbox completely knackered after loosing oil. I can’t get anyone professional to look at it, even the recommended local auto specialist local to me says he won’t touch it as you can’t get oem parts and wont use “cheap Chinese parts”. I’ve tried a bit on a couple of VW forums but no success.

  My prefernce would be to get it repaired, but if not possible as I can’t find anyone, I guess I need to try and sell it as a non runner for much less money. Would anyone happen to know anyone who might be prepared to tackle this? I’m in Essex / Suffolk area if that makes any difference -

• Food

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 10 months

  

  I seem to remember in this thread, or possibly somewhere else, talk of forum recommended cookware. Can’t find the thread or comments.

  Our 3 non-stick saucepans finally looking knackered after heavy use over ten-ish years - any suggestions for moderate budget repakcements? Thanks

• Food

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 1 year, 2 months

  

  Have you had Morrisons pitta bread? Their own brand, called “stone-ground” or something like that is far superior to any other supermarket offering. Everyone I’ve told of this has quickly converted.

  I know I’m at risk of overstating this, but we often go there just to pick up some pitta when we need some

• The middle aged thread

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 1 year, 2 months

  

  I had my ear hairs done with the flaming torch thing a few years ago at a Turkish barbers,don’t recall being asked if I wanted it. Anyway, after a month or so I started getting insanely itchy ear holes, like wake-up in the night have to scratch. Turns out this was otitis, or swimmers ear. I don’t really swim much, and to my mind this started shortly after the ear hair removal- those little hairs have a purpose to disperse water (to my distinctly non medical mind). Now I just trim off the longer poking out ones

• Does anyone know anything about gardening?

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 1 year, 6 months

  

  Anyone know what this brain-resembling fungus is in my new raised bed? Plants are courgettes (and a pea plant) grown from seed, and bed soil is mix of top soil, compost and rotted muck…is it something from the horseshit? Maybe not rotted enough?

  Will the fungus kill the plants -and us ?

• The middle aged thread

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 2 years, 2 months

  

  I do this, It’s so shit.(ridiculous early AM)

  Instead of laying around in bed I actually joined a gym recently as I thought it a good use of the time and would help with other middle aged issues like being overweight and unfit.

  Now I get up about 5.30 and go to CrossFit and feel like Private Pyle for an hour every day, then spend the evening feeling stiff as fuck and trying to believe that it’s good for me.

• Food

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 2 years, 3 months

  

  Confit tandoori chickpeas, out of Ottolenghi’s Shelf Love book. One of those dishes that is really easy to make and tastes far better than you expect given the minimal prepping and few ingredients.

• Sort-of memes that are cracking you up at the moment

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 2 years, 7 months

  

  Mine must have not been cooked right, gave me the trots hur hur hur

• Home DIY

  in Miscellaneous and Meaningless • 2 years, 7 months

  

  Re your previous post on the damp proofing issue in garage, have you considered a cement slurry tanking material? Super easy to apply (I did it in about an hour) and worked marvellously. Something crystalline is mixed in with the mortar which the expands when moist. Slap it on, wait for a week or so then you can cover / paint.