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Great drive out on the Great Orme, Llandudno last night. Stopped on the top for a walk and took the QR steering wheel off for security. Put it back on and even joked I hope this does not come off on the blast down the Orme. Got to the bottom and thought I had a little play from a ball joint or something else, yanked the steering wheel backwards and it came off in my hands. Turned out it was not fully locked in, makes me shudder to think what might have happened on the tight bends going down the Orme. The learning is to triple check your QR wheel is fully locked in. 🤪

I describe my missus as “whacky-dexterous” as she is equally cack-handed with both hands. Like @Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO family, my missus does certain tasks with her off-hand too.

Do Somerset get the first post lockdown, COVID compliant, non-zoom Westie meet award? An hour of Westie driving in convoy followed by a pint in a beer garden. Top fun. Jim and the Somerset locals.

Well if we're pulling broadband wheelies, I should have 1Gb fibre to my place in July. Should be a lot of fun speed testing that 😄

As Craig mentions there does seem to be a lot of discrepancy with internet speed and location/cable length etc. The same reasoning would make a nonsense of any graph produced in support of a blanket set of parameters for speed over distance/cable length. It's an easy way to put customers off from pursuing the issue when an "official" document says otherwise. Yes, more cynicism... Fundamentally if these things are made from equal equipment then there should be a way to diagnose the link and see if an issue can be discovered. Given that Plusnet are "doing something" when Sturart rings them, I would press them to identify and fix the cause instead of treat the symptoms...

Have a great day @Si.Dalzieland @SteveJ🍺🍺

Yes please, Dave. PM inbound.

No timing.

If the connection comes down the phone line then the external infrastructure belongs to Openreach. Openreach was hived off from BT to appease the monopolies commission at the behest of OfCOM but in all practical senses (and IMNSHO) it's a distinction without a difference. If the connection is via co-ax in the premises then it's Virgin Media. The UK's cable TV network has a long and "interesting" history but the three main events were that the early 90's it was operated by Telewest, which then sold to Cable and Wireless which in turn sold to Virgin, although there is MUCH more to it than that. Virgin will offer "fibre" broadband to any home with a phone line or in CATV cabled ares. The only difference is speed. A co-ax connection is usually faster than "normal" fibre internet down the phone line and Virgin ramp up the speed every so often to keep their customers interested. Openreach are currently trying to ensure as many homes as possible (I think 85% is the target) in the UK has an actual fibre all the way to the premises (so called FTP connections) and the government have recently agreed to fund some of that work to the tune of 5 billion quid, although as ever discussion (arguments) rumble on... In some areas, new build roads and dwellings are being installed with fibre instead of copper at the outset and I am sure this will become the new norm. If (like me) you are in an area where Hyperoptic have laid infrastructure then fibre to the premises is already available. However there are not many areas and Hyperoptic, in pursuit of high volume for minimal cap-ex are generally only cabling to blocks of flats once a level of interest has been reached. Hyperoptic are I believe the only FTP competitor to Openreach in urban areas. There is a company called Gigaclear who offer to connect rural communities with fibre but that's all I know of them... Hyperoptic are currenty are the market leaders for domestic FTP connections. The Openreach roll-out will put paid to that in a few years and I predict that the Openreach monopoly will return. https://www.broadband.co.uk/guides/ultrafast-and-hyperfast-broadband/ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-in-governments-5-billion-gigabit-broadband-plan

I've no idea if BT are involved, the router from them is just some generic box, I don't think it even has their branding on it. I just switch the router WIFI off and connect the Google mesh straight onto it.

Does it have / need any bracing? Assume it's more than just the fibre glass join holding it in place?

It reads like VOSA perceived it as being for commercial purposes and so applied tacograph rules which is based on 3.5t train/combined weight. It shouldn't be a problem for personal use

With your wristwatch. It's worth going just to see Tony's (@damperman) cornering. ...the benefits of good suspension and a sprinkerling of driving on the limit lunacy. Just up your street

put it this way at the end of every 2 years with a supplier we usually switch, i will be sticking with Vodaphone at this renewal

If you're ok fitting s/hand try "minimail.co.uk"

I bought the scoop off ebay a subaru one I think then we had to cut the bonnet out and fibre glass it in. It was a bit of a task but happy with the result.

And something else with these escalations... try not to take no for an answer. I work in this field (internet/network engineer) and one of the things I learned VERY early on is that there are very few things that can't be done. Just 'cos I can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done... yes of course I made rookie errors early on in this career... The same will apply to whoever is spoken to at the ISP. Just because they say it can't be done, it doesn't mean it actually can't be done! Where there is an admission of an external issue on the BT/Openreach side ask them what they are prepared to do to compensate you until correct connectivity can be restored. This is where you can try to negotiate for a fair and reasonable reduction in cost. For example, if the speed is dropping by a similar amount (looks like 15Mb or so for Tableleg, that looks like a 30% fall in speed) so how about 30% off the cost of Broadband until it's fixed? That would be fair. If they say no, escalate again to a more senior manager. Try the same again. Loop in the ombudsman. Or if that goes nowhere maybe ask to cancel and get the retention team involved. They may have more power to make decisions and may listen to your complaint with a different goal in mind from the regular customer service team. Final key piece. In all these things you MUST be reasonable with requests/demands. If the issue should come before an independent adjudicator like a more senior manager or the Ombudsman one of the key parameters is a test of reasonable-ness. If you have been reasonable and patient and followed the complaints process then as the customer you are in a strong position and it is harder for the ISP to argue against that when they have an admission of a fault on their side. I had about 6 months of aggro with Vodafone a few years ago. I kept notes of phone calls and asked for the recording info so I could refer to it if needed (becuse our calls are recorded for training purposes...) I escalated all the way to the Vodafone "ombudsman" team and was granted 6 months free on my contract. Their offer was 1 month free which I suggested was unreasonable given the amount of time I had spent and level of incompetence (which they agreed) had been shown. They said "yeah but it's your time not work time". Yup, my free time. But as it is in such short supply and has high demand placed upon it, my free time "costs" more than my hourly work rate. Saying that personal free time is actually worth nothing in a negotiation is flawed thinking... So keep at it...

Peter May engineering?

Same as for Stuart. Escalate...

Yes, I had a message off him yesterday when I received my cage. I Let him know it arrived. I ordered it off him a few weeks ago and it turned up in record time. @Luke Algar

I tried AH Spares but no luck. Eventually I found 'Guessworks' which sells new adaptors (TCZ106) which has the 5/8" UNF thread on one end to screw into the original oil link pipe. They also sell a braded link pipe with a female 5/8" UNF fitting at one end and a banjo fitting at the other for those who want the original end fittings but with a modern braded pipe. Price is good too!

🤣 Andy, meet Mark ... Mark, this is Andy

Located in Australia I guess.......

I still have both types of boot lid so ext time the boot lid comes off the car I'll photograph them back to back to show how little difference in shape there is.