Today's News

[Daisy]

Single, Double or Triple? No, not Gin and Tonics or shots, but double glazing.

There was a time when we all lived in houses with wooden frames (or even worse, Crittal metal ones) and knew all about the draughts when the wind was in the 'wrong' direction. Then we got uPVC double glazing, and oh, how much warmer our houses were, especially when cavity wall insulation and loft insulation became the 'norm'.

Now, though, it's all change again, as we start installing triple glazing! What do you think - would the cost be worth the gain in warmth and comfort in the winter, and the cooling effect triple glazing offers in the summer?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67161076

[Lizzie48]

Daisy, that is what we would be getting, if, enough people vote for it!! I have my doubts.

[Daisy]

Lizzie, it's got to be worth having, I would think. In addition to the heating/cooling properties, it also gives great sound insulation. In our noise-filled world that is very precious. Fingers crossed you get enough votes. x

[Daisy]

Italy - the land of leaning towers.

The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa's problems have been well-documented and I believe after remedial work it is now considered more stable than it was. However, it seems it's not alone. Bologna has its own leaning tower which tilts at a 4 degree angle and is believed to be 'critical'.

In fact, there are two leaning towers in Bologna - the Asinelli, which is the tallest, leans slightly but is considered safe enough for tourists to visit. The Garisenda Tower is the one causing concerns at the moment.

The powers that be are constructing a 16ft high barrier to protect the public from falling debris in case the tower falls. Given these towers were built between 1109 and 1119 I think they've done rather well to be still standing at all, but I'm glad I don't live near either of them!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67599067

[Gemini]

I wouldn't want to venture too close either Daisy!!

[Daisy]

I know several of you have enjoyed holidays on the Isle of Wight over the years, so I thought you might be interested to see these frightening photos of a recent huge landslide. Just imagine your house disappearing like that, or having to leave your home because it is so close to the edge. I feel so sorry for the residents of these homes. There was also a significant landslide on the Jurassic Coast (West Bay) in Dorset recently.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-67689522

[Oma]

Scary isn’t it , heartbreaking seeing your home sliding over the edge like that , I watched on TV recently where they were moving one gentleman’s home built of wood on footings back from the edge and it was the second time in the last few years ,

I was amazed when we visited the leaning tower of Pisa how much it actually does lean and how big it is and how white .
Its much more beautiful in real life

[Gemini]

I have never been to the Isle of Wight ( Isle of Man much closer!)
Our cat-sitter friend goes regularly as she has family there.
It must be a scary and sad situation.

[Daisy]

Have you ever dreamed of leaving 'life' behind and setting off on the adventure of a lifetime? If so you might be interested to read about Shannon Coggins, Theo Simon and their 19 year old daughter, Rosa, who decided they wanted to go to Shannon's sister's wedding on 28th December - in New South Wales. Nothing odd about that, except that they take environmental matters very seriously and have decided not to fly to Australia.

Their land and sea journey has taken them through Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Thailand and Indonesia. They are now in the East Timor capital of Dili, hoping to find a boat to take them to Darwin. From there they will take a bus to Sydney, and hope to arrive in time for the wedding.

Their journey will have taken about 4 months and cost a lot more than their air tickets would have done. They haven't said how they will return to the UK, but probably retracing their overland journey since they expect to be back in the UK in June.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67747272

[Daisy]

We've all been suffering from the recent cold spell, shivering, turning the heating up and putting on another layer. But the Eleven Cities Tour takes endurance into a whole new world - a very cold one!

Lizzie probably knows all about this event as it is held in The Netherlands. The most famous race was in January 1963 - which was one of the worst winters we've ever experienced in the UK, and it was certainly no better in the province of Friesland.

The event rests on the weather being really cold and consists of 125 miles of skating on natural ice (not at all like indoor skating rinks) and the winner in 1963, Reinier Paping, became a national hero after skating through temperatures as low as -18C in icy winds.

There have been only 3 subsequent races, despite detailed organisation every year. The race needs 2 weeks of temperatures below -10C, day and night. But with warmer wetter winters being forecast the race's future is uncertain.

A few years ago there was a film made about the race of 63 - "The Hell of '63". Of about 500 racers (the elite) and 10,000 tour skaters (just aiming to get round - rather like amateur marathon runners) only 120 completed the course.

I thought this was a fascinating read, and if you've got a few minutes sit down with a cuppa in your warm cosy home and imagine what it must be like!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/67926417

[Lizzie48]

Oh yes Daisy, the Dutch mans dream!! We were married on January 6th and the last race was on the 4th, we went to Sneek for a few nights, that is on the route of the race, the ice was unbelievable! The IJsselmeer was frozen over, fantastic to see at the time.

[Daisy]

Lizzie, I can't imagine how that must have looked - more like the Antarctic than mainland Europe, I should think. But what a sight it must have been.

[Gemini]

Oh my goodness!!

I have no words really. I wouldn't ever choose to holiday in a cold country let alone an endurance test like this.
What a sense of achievement for those who do complete it, as it's so rare.

[Lizzie48]

image.png image.png image.png image.pngThis is an idea of what it looked like at the time.

[Daisy]

Lizzie, wow! It's beyond cold when the sea freezes over - those waves look like icebergs. It's impossible to imagine how people could actually skate on ice like that. Thank you so much for sharing the pictures.

Gem, I agree about holidaying in cold countries - not for me either. Our neighbours are currently in the Alps for 5 weeks and they invited us to go as well, but apart from anything else, I know I would have spent the time huddled by whatever heat source there is in the chalet! .