M5

 We risked going down the motorway today - the M5 has had so many accidents/incidents recently. Mainly on a Friday with holiday traffic.

A recipe for success

 Many years ago Delia Smith gave a recipe for potato based pizza, which apart from potato contained flour (gluten free in my case), margarine or oil and a bit of baking powder.

Over the years we have gradually changed the recipe proportions to adapt to various uses and it is a successful and tasty way to use leftover mash or freshly cooked and cooled potatoes.

Public transport

 Public transport is great if it is conveniently located and reliable.

It is here and coupled with very friendly drivers means it is a first choice for getting into the city. No parking worries and the actual journey time is very similar - often even quicker if you factor in the time taken to park.

Hot August night

 What a great hot and dry Summer it has been.

Not complaints here.

M5

 Using a motorway is a fantastic way to travel quickly. But not so good when there has been an accident.

Whilst obviously much worse for those directly involved it can affect many people, for hours.

The M5 does seem particularly prone to incidents especially at this time of the year when people unused to motorway driving or those towing are using a motorway.

But what complete bonehead decided that removing the hard shoulder from the M4 and giving it over to a lane - with laybys only intermittent, was a good idea? They should be in prison every time someone gets killed after breaking down.

A question of balance

When did you learn to ride a bicycle?

I can't actually remember the time but I do remember starting on a tricycle.

But nowadays a lot of children learn on a balance bike. What a great idea and a great introduction to learning the skills of balancing. Coupled with the independence that the child has I wish that I had one to start with - children can go so fast on them too.

M is for...

A trip on a UK motorway is not something to look forward out of choice but this journey on the M5 and M4 was nice and easy. 

Not too much traffic and not frantic.

Until the M25.

What a dreadful motorway. Whatever bonehead decided that a concrete surface was a good idea should be made to drive it 12 hours a day at different times in the morning, afternoon, evening and night, every day of the year for the rest of their working life.

There is an old saying - If you want to work get a job, if you don't want to work get a job with the council.

I would change that to If you don't want to work and you are completely useless in everything, get a job in a highways engineering.