Bankrupt Councils

Public services in the UK were generally better funded in the past, so what's happened?

Technically, UK councils don't go bankrupt. They issue a Section 114 notice, indicating they cannot meet their spending commitments for the year. 

This situation has arisen due to a combination of factors: 

• Reduced central government funding: Since 2010, funding for local authorities has seen significant cuts. This amounts to a decrease of around 30% in real terms. 
• Increasing demand for services: Costs like adult and children's social care have grown, putting further strain on budgets. 
• Investment risks: Some councils have attempted to generate revenue through risky investments, which haven't always paid off, further exacerbating financial difficulties. 

These combined factors have created a situation where some councils cannot balance their budgets, leading to the issuance of Section 114 notices. 

Meanwhile, the government considers tax reductions from which the wealthy will be the major beneficiaries.

Grade 1 Listed

If a building was erected in the 1700s, it would almost automatically be listed as Grade I or, at the very least, grade II.

However, when it comes to our canals no such listing is facilitated and many have been allowed to become silted up with locks having fallen into disrepair.

A section of a canal near Stroud, called the Missing Mile and part of the Stroudwater Canal, is being renovated; however, a totally new section is having to be created to go under the M5. This will be the first bit of new canal since 1905. 

Cat Names

Hay and I enjoy inventing names for cats we may own in the future, coming up with names like Quedgeley, Dursley and Stanton.

As I have mentioned many times, our house is a refuge for the local cats who seem to love our underfloor heating. You merely have to open a door and any one of 3 neighbours' cats will slip past your legs to gain entrance, staying long enough to determine whether there's any food in out cat's bowl before leaving. Sometimes, if undetected, one may occasionally stay the night, much to the consternation of our Kitty.

One cat who regularly gains entrance is Jimmy, a facsimile of our cat, but much more friendly and uber-confident. He's quite old, has a bit of a mangled tail and is missing a canine tooth. We call him Jumbsy, as he's huge, but we've decided to rename him Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Budget

The Conservatives has salted the earth for Labour through offering tax cuts when public services are decimated. It would also be a problem for the Conservatives if they won the next GE, but they know they're doomed and are focussing on the next but one election and trying to ensure there's only one Labour term.

It's not about what's best for the country, but what can get them into power down the line. Canny, but shows them for what they are. They say cost savings would reduce the pressure on public services, but Tory cost savings translate to complete closure of services that are much needed by those with the least.

However, the Labour Party seem reluctant to say it would borrow to get public services back on their feet, and I don't know why they're shying away from this.

The average person in the street doesn't give a fig about debt to GDP  ratio, or that it's pushing 100%. At the end of WWII the ratio was in excess of 250% (and we didn't finish paying for WWII till 2006), yet the government of the day didn't shy away from taxing or borrowing:

• The National Health Service (NHS): Launched in 1948, the NHS aimed to provide comprehensive healthcare, free at the point of delivery, to all UK residents. This represented a major shift towards a universal healthcare system, building upon earlier initiatives like the National Health Insurance Act of 1911. 
• The nationalization of key industries: Several industries, including coal, steel, railways, electricity, and gas, were nationalized between 1945 and 1951. This was motivated by a desire to rebuild the economy in the aftermath of the war and address social inequalities. 
• Expansion of social security: Existing social security programs like unemployment benefits were expanded, and new ones like family allowances were introduced. This aimed to create a safety net for citizens facing hardship.

Reducing NI does nothing for the vast cohort of pensioners who still work, as they don't pay NI; however, they're a prime cohort the Tories rely on for votes.

Recipe

I accidentally created a rather nice recipe while experimenting with the air-fryer. I loved what I made so much that I felt compelled to share it, especially with those, like me, who love fennel.

Ingredients:

• Slab of Lidl belly pork.
• Large onion.
• A half bulb of fennel.
• Lidl pure apple juice.
• Salt & pepper.

Get a deep tray with will fit the air-fryer or, in the case of those with a chip drawer, use the drawer without the insert that keeps items from touching the base.

Arrange layers of sliced onion and fennel, laying the pork belly on top. Fennel can be quite tough, so you can use a potato peeler to slice the fennel thinly so it cooks well. Half a bulb will suffice.

Fill to half way up the pork with the pure apple juice (from the chilled shelves in Lidl) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Do not, under any circumstances, submerge the pork skin.

Cook at 140 degrees for at least 3 hours - 4 hours if you have the time. Occasionally push the onion and fennel under the apple juice to stop it drying out. If the fennel dries out it will go very tough. Add more apple juice during cooking if it starts to disappear.

Brush the skin of the belly pork with oil (and add more salt, if you want). Turn up the temperature to 200 degrees for 20 minutes to half an hour - or as long as it takes to crisp the skin of the belly pork, again ensuring the onion and fennel doesn't catch.

You will end up with a delicious apple and fennel tasting gravy/soup at the bottom of the pan and moist pork belly with a crispy skin.

enjoy!

Got My Skates on

 The skates for the GT6 arrived yesterday.

Moving the car is simplicity itself now. If I move some of the junk at the sides, then there's plenty of room to work on the chassis and tub side-by-side, or I can trolley the chassis athwartships at the front, leaving me even more space at the rear for the tub on a rotrisserie.

Also finished stripping the top of the bonnet and gave it a coating of Jenolite to treat the tiny rust spots.

Just half of the underside left to strip - probably a couple of days work, then the dent removal work.

Rust in Peace

I think I may have hit on the problems I'm having with my spot welding not creating an electrical circuit in certain areas.

After wire brushing with a rotary wheel, any remaining areas of rust are coated in Jenolite, which is essentially phosphoric acid. This chemical reaction creates iron phosphate, which is inert and forms a protective layer that is less prone to rust - the reason I use it.

According to Google Bard, which is my go-to reference (except for political questions, where it becomes a bit reticent and ChatGPT is more forthcoming), iron phosphate exhibits a type of electrical conductivity called polaronic conduction. This means that while it does conduct electricity to some extent, it's not very efficient. 

Iron phosphate (FePO₄) is generally considered an insulator in its pure form. However, impurities and specific conditions can influence its conductivity. In particular, iron phosphate can exhibit polaronic conduction, where electrons move through the material by "hopping" between different iron ions that exist in different oxidation states (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺). This type of conduction is less efficient than the free flow of electrons in metals, making iron phosphate a poor conductor compared to metals. 

The conductivity of iron phosphate can vary depending on factors like:

• Crystal structure: Different forms (polymorphs) of iron phosphate can have different electrical properties. 
• Doping: Adding impurities (dopants) can modify the electronic structure and influence conductivity. 
• Temperature: Conductivity often increases with temperature in materials that exhibit polaronic conduction. 

Therefore, while iron phosphate isn't a great conductor in its pure form, it's not entirely non-conductive, and specific modifications can influence its electrical properties. Spot welding in the cold can't help.

Or, am I overthinking this?

Finally got the last bit of lower front wings off the bonnet on Friday, and what a faff that was. 

The issue was having to retain the rear stiffener bracket around which the rear of the new panel is crimped when fitted. The first side took me about an hour, whereas the other side was much quicker, as I'd learned from taking off the first side. The repair panel is now clear to be inserted.  

I received the Argon/CO2 gas and the Clico fasteners on Saturday but, as expected, I need all manner of connectors, which are on order. The Clico fasteners will be particularly invaluable, as the repair panel needs some force to be applied to it to get the correct curve from fore to aft. Ordinary welding clamps wouldn't really do a good job of lining up the panel, whereas Clicos will be perfect.

In the meantime I will continue to remove all the layers of paint, take the whole thing back to bare metal and fix any slight dents. It's a hideous job - the white layer of paint under the yellow has been trowelled on in a thick layer and the red primer sticks like nuclear glue.

I'm starting to suspect, from the thickness of the layer of white paint, that it's actually a thick layer pf primer that was applied to the original green paint before covering it in yellow top coat.

It's the single, largest panel and has to be stripped topside and underside. A mammoth task which will take 3 or 4 days to do properly. I also uncovered some quite large dents at the front edge of the bonnet from shunts, which will require hammering out before refilling and smoothing with filler.

Neolithic Espresso Cup

Simon, an unreconstructed Saxon and wannabe Beaker Person, is a keen recreator of neolithic pottery. He's also our friend. He devotes some of his spare time from managing things to a Stonehenge neolithic experience. 

After having seen some of his handy work, I asked him whether he could create me a neolithic espresso cup, and he obliged.

He made two, but admitted that the first one (on the right) was not very good, as the clay contained specks of calcium, which are apt to explode, split the cup and blind you with shards of baked clay.

The 2nd, however, was much more successful, It's just the right size and even has dimples for the fingers. It does, however, require a glaze to prevent the neolithic coffee (probably some hideous stuff made from roasted acorns) from seeping in. Neolithic coffee drinkers probably didn't have glaze, so I'm not being authentic when adding Italian Blend to it. I will get some glaze from Hay's sister and fire it in her kiln.

Tools, Tools, Tools

Before welding the bonnet together, I've invested in some additional tools.

Firstly some Clico fasteners, which are removable pop-rivets that will temporarily hold panels together that are to be welded (cost, £36). The pliers both insert the clamps and removes them. There are 9 pop-rivet types and a couple of G clamps.

Much better than the various welding clamps I have, as they don't get in the way of the spot welder as much and you can get them into small spaces.

Then I ordered a disposable bottle of Argon/CO2 gas for the MIG welder (cost, £49). Just relying on the flux core of the welding wire is a nightmare, what with all the splatter. Gas shielding should eliminate that and provide more control (and fewer burn marks on my clothing and welding mask).

My only problem is the connection to the MIG welder, which is 1/4 inch BSP (or the metric equivalent). Any gas tails you buy in the UK are 3/8ths BSP, requiring an adaptor. Connectors are the bane of my life. Why can't everyone use metric?

Lastly, although nothing to do with the bonnet, I bought a set of 4 dollies to enable me to move the GT6 chassis around the garage with ease, giving me the ability to push the chassis to one side after I remove the tub.

Each wheel goes on a castored trolly. Cost, £120 for 4.

I simply don't have enough drive space to wheel the chassis out of the garage and leave it there under a tarp while I work on the underside of the tub, as the chassis would block my father-in-law's garage - I need to be able to have the chassis and tub in the garage, side by side, with the tub on a rotisserie.

I did find a rotisserie on Facebook Market, but after the first exchange, where the seller said he was away for the weekend, I've not been able to raise him. So the search for a cheap rotisserie continues.

Mob Rule

Rishi Sunak maintains the UK is being run by Mob Rule.

Well, he's the one running the country and I've heard it said that the current government is somewhat akin to The Mob, but I think it's more Shower Rule.

I don't know where he gains this opinion from. There are more arrest, proportionally, at the Glastonbury Festival than at protest marches - should Galsto be banned? And there are arrests - there will always be a small minority who ruin it for everyone at a protest.

Some government apparatchik was opining that the Gaza protesters have had their say and enough is enough. How long did the Suffragettes keep protesting? Greenham Common? The argument can be safely made that the Netanyahu government, on the basis of 30,000 deaths, has had its say and enough is enough.

Having no solutions to the UK's parlous state, the Tories are setting up their stall with Culture Wars, the definition of a woman, the criminalisation of immigrants, authoritarian anti-protest legislation and Islamophobia - oh, and Jeremy Corbyn, who is no longer a member of the Labour Party anyway.

Dire, isn't it? Desperate!

Some minister was doing the radio news rounds the other day and would not say the word Islamophobia in respect of 30p Lee Anderthal's attack on Sadiq Khan and suspension from the Party, even when pressed 9 times on LBC. Thinking about it, he couldn't, else the next question would be; "So why hasn't Suella Braverman had the whip withdrawn?" 

It seems the Tories have calculated that keeping the GBN knuckle draggers on side, all of whom are far right, could bring in more votes than losing the Muslim vote, which is probably split between left of centre and right of centre. The Tories are fighting for the souls of racists, Islamophobes and those who demand unrestricted free speech while wanting to deny it to others, who are gradually drifting to Reform. They don't seem to realise that this drift is slowly cleansing the Party of its more toxic elements and, if facilitated by dropping the populism, while doing short term damage (although not as much damage as battling Reform), would render them more electable in another 5 years time. As it stands, they're anti-civilization.

Must be the Deep State...... I wonder what the Islamist extremists who control Mayor Khan think about the No.159 bus to Streatham High Street - should it be cut, or not? They're definitely behind ULEZ.

Johnson's majority was caused by a number of factors - Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn being the prime movers. Brexit is done and has been proven a disaster and Corbyn is no longer a factor. The Benny Hill of politics wouldn't stand another chance.

I don't know so much about impending assisted dying legislation in certain parts of the country for individuals, but there needs to be assisted dying for political parties that are in deep pain and distress on the way to oblivion. They need putting out of their misery.