Author: Alan Cole

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Maximising Solar and Off-Peak Tariffs: More Storage, More Savings

Having had our solar panels and home battery storage system for four years now, we’ve grown used to its capabilities and the money it saves us. It’s also given us time to evaluate it and decide where best to upgrade next. The obvious choice was to add more battery capacity — so that’s exactly what...

The Lake 0

Bands, Fayres, and Festive Cheer

I think we’re beginning to slip properly into the Christmas spirit now. Anna probably has been for a while thanks to the various Christmas concerts and carolling she’s been doing with the band, but I joined her for the festive fun at the weekend too. After a gentle run around Borth on Sunday morning, we...

Xmas inflatables 1

An Early Start to Christmas

It’s December, just, but we kicked off the Christmas events slightly early this year with a pre-Christmas trip to family in Bristol. Logistics meant going a week or so earlier than usual, so we weren’t quite in full festive flow yet, but it turned out to be a good way to get things started. It...

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Old Men Windsurfing

With a decent forecast for wind, Steve and I planned a windsurf session on Sunday once again. I therefore didn’t go for my usual Sunday morning run — I didn’t think my joints were quite up to that before a windsurf session. I had at least managed a nice mountain bike ride on Saturday afternoon,...

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Robot Rest and Recuperation

With the temperatures dropping and the days shortening, I’m hoping the grass has finally stopped growing. Time, therefore, to give the robot mowers some well-deserved rest and recuperation and let them hibernate for the winter. That was my chore for Saturday morning. It was a grey, slightly damp, chilly day — but not too bad...

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Morgan’s Next Adventure: A Winter in Japan

I’m sure I must have mentioned it here at some point, but Morgan is currently in Japan. After spending the best part of a year in Canada — working in the kitchens at a ski resort in Banff and then heading out to Vancouver Island — he came home for a year, and has now...

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New Car Day

It’s been a week of new things — hot on the heels of a new bike comes a new car! Our previous car, a Hyundai Kona, was the first brand-new car we’d ever leased, and our first electric car too. To say we loved it would be an understatement. Obviously, the fact that it was...

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New Bike Day – Is it Better?

It’s been years since I had a new bike, but having started doing some night rides lately, I thought it was time to rectify that situation. I’d been joining the night riders on my Whyte 901, which was fine. As a trail-oriented hardtail it was probably the perfect machine for the sort of rides we...

Into a Tunnel 0

Isle of Man Coast Path – Peel to Glen Mooar

It might not be a huge distance, but I did at least manage to run along some of the coast path while on the Isle of Man. Last time I was there, I ran the short section from Niarbyl to Peel, so this time I started in Peel — at the exact spot I’d finished....