No one really famous, but we did open for Dr Feelgood at the Heineken Festival in Brighton. Just before Lee Brilleaux died. I have been playing since the age of ten, then when I first heard Elvis ( I was at school) I decided that guitar was the way to go. After 14 years in the Royal Navy, where I played all over the world, I came out and did it full time for many years, with several bands, the Tex Roberg Band, Gutter Brothers, Bone Idle etc, then I did some studio work for various musicians. I used to do the winter après-ski ( madness!) seasons in the Grindelwald ski resort in Switzerland. Just at the foot of the Eiger mountain. Also, summer seasons in Lanzarote. I have made a good living at it over the years. I have been playing solo for a few years now, so I do not have to worry about late bass players or temperamental drummers! Lol! Just play, then get the loot and scoot! You don’t have to be famous to be ,let’s say “comfortably off” in later life! A lot of my musician friends are now deceased due to the infamous rock and roll lifestyle we all led at one time. I guess I have good genes, as I am still here! I am 82 now and still at it. Tonight, it is the Fète de la Musique night all over France. I have two gigs to do, so I will be knackered tomorrow! Waiting for the temperature to lower. No parole for rock and roll!
Rock on regardless!
I’ve posted on this before but, having just discovered GIFs (still experimenting), I thought it worth repeating.
It’s an egg donker. It allows you to open a soft boiled egg without getting bits of fractured eggshell in your breakfast. It’s available on all the cheap Chinese sites
You’ve brought back happy childhood memories…
English grandma used to tap-tap around the top and carefully remove it (often in one piece) leaving a bald-headed egg ready to be attacked… 
My Dad used to hold the egg firmly in its cup, give a single tap to the side, with the knife, then a single, swift decapitating motion. Presumably his English Dad had taught him and he taught us kids…
never saw my French grandma at the table, trying to deal with a boiled egg still in its shell
Thus I have had 2 different teachers. I was never successful with the “cut off its head” swipe and much preferred the “tap and fidget” method.
Thinking about it.. we’ve not had boiled eggs served in their shells for years and years. No dippy, dippy into the runny yolk with a piece of toast or crusty bread. That delight is saved for when we have a fried egg with ham and sauté potatoes… yummy 
But, we sometimes enjoy a hardboiled egg with whichever sauce or accessories are on offer.
We have boiled eggs, twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday. I call it ‘chucky egg day’. Stuarts method of getting into his egg is with a knife he slices through the top of the egg in one fowl (!!) swoop. Me - I tap, tap, tap like @Stella’s grandma. Either way, we really enjoy our runny yolk eggs, Stuart with bread and butter soldiers, me with toast soldiers.
And Stella’s fried egg, ham and saute potatoes is what Stuart calls his ‘Grimsby Special’. In the olden days we used to go to a pub in Grimsby and he would enjoy his ham egg and chips (not saute spuds) and I would have some form of pasta dish. Ever since then we’ve always given it that name.
I was reminded of “we always have chips on Friday”
I’ve just bought a Horl knife sharpener for a big birthday for one of my sons in law. It looks and feels nice, is very pleasing to use and scarily effective. It was also hideously expensive so it jolly well ought to have all of those aforementioned qualities!
I got a cheaper version, but it’s still good (and quite relaxing to use).
I suppose if the recipient has spent hundreds of pounds on knives then it’s an obvious and practical investment.
Anybody got an Aarke soda maker? “Hideously” expensive, but good reviews.
I have been using a Sodastream for over 10 years without a problem. I am not sure what extra benefit you would get from a Aarke soda maker which seems to cost roughly twice as much.
Ditto. Our Sodastream is basic but works well.
And I’d advise the cheapest sodastream. Early summer you’ll pick up the Terra for around 47-50 euros. Same functionality as other sodastreams costing much more, one of which I have, but it’s the Terra next time eg on a SuperU or Carrefour offer.
The machine is a bit like a printer - it really exists just to sell cartridges. btw the bottles are much cheaper and better offers on amazon.de and amazon.it. Sometimes so cheap as to outweigh the postage and better choice than amazon.fr
Air coolers, use it instead of my mobile ac unit, No more hot pipe to pass out the window through an insulation board.
Bought 3 at reduced price less than half price and now I see the prices of the same have gone way up!
It looks too good to be true. Why would you buy an a/c unit? Is it really that effective?
I bought a Mobile AC unit because of renovation works, €499 about 8 years ago always a pain to set up .
I saw the air coolers on Leroy Merlin weeks ago at very reduced price and thought would be good and I was right, pleasantly suprised.
Not like a fan that just moves air around . Put water into them and the evaporation causes the cooling, can even add freezer blocks to make cooler. Really does cool room down .
Renovation is not finished that’s why permanent AC not fitted.
When you see a saving of €347 and only pay €104.99 it’s a worth having so ordered one once received order more .
Unfortunately saw price went up and now out of stock.
They do cool well, but the problem they have is increasing the levels of humidity indoors. This can give issues with mould and respiration. They shouldn’t be used if anyone in the house has asthma or COPD etc.
They’re fine until they raise the humidity to saturation point and then they don’t cool anymore leaving you with a hot and damp room.
Haven’t had that problem yet and only intend to use them in the extreme heat . Normally the thick stone walls keep the large rooms cool but this is unusually hot and don‘t have shutters fitted yet which will help in future. So good for now.
Started to look at air coolers then one review gave it 1 out of 10 saying it is no better than a fan as it just moves the hot air round the room. That was enough for me to say ‘don’t bother’ just keep with the fans you already have and save your money!