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Just as I thought I could take it easy (apart from fixing a minor leak under younger son's sink) and confine myself to further armchair pontification on Freddy's current 'buggers muddle', my good friend with some buy-to-lets has asked for my hands-on input to install (with his help) a complete gas CH system at one of his flats. Probably 5 days' work starting around 2 Nov. I am happy enough to oblige - I owe him about 10 days after all he did to help me with my seaside flat refurb - but a rest would have been nice! (As he owns 'flats', I won't be working there in 'heels'.) As to bicycles, I well remember apologising to my elder son (then aged about 10 and a keen footballer) that I had no interest or ability whatsoever in sport, so could not help him thus. He smiled at me and said, touchingly, 'No - but you can mend my bike, Dad!' Our respective roles have remained much the same, some 25 years on.

That's a nice story about the bicycle and your son.

I am hugely impressed at your DIY skills. I am a good bicycle mechanic but that's as far as my handy man skills go. I would not even begin to contemplate tackling such a job as you describe, and if I was reckless and foolish enough to try I would end up with a first-rate calamity on my hands.