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In other news, a bit of detective work reveals the Strat I was sold as an early 80s USA by a scheister who took advantage of a naive 20-year-old is, in fact, an early 1983 JV '57 Squier Stratocaster. So I'm going to remove the now-obviously-dodgy headstock decals that pulled the wool over my eyes all those years ago and replace them with the right ones (as in the picture below).

The irony is, it's probably just as good as the ones Fender were putting out from the US at the time if not better. US-made alnico pickups, cloth covered pickup wires, 250k pots, green 0.1uF ceramic capcitor, Gotoh Kluson-style tuners, etc. The more I read about them, the less disappointed I am.

Nope, you steep the grain in the mash tun at between 62 and 68 degrees depending on what you're making and whether you're going to do a step mash or not (that's for later on in your journey). Basically, the cool box with a towel over it keeps everything at around the right temperature for an hour. The one I've got (which I don't use anymore as I have an all-in-one system) never let me down - only ever lost around one degree over an hour, which is good going.

You boil the wort (steeped grain water) that you get from the mash process in the kettle (big pot with tap) before cooling it and sticking it in the fermenter with the yeast.

You can do a kit beer without any more equipment than that (assuming you've still got the stuff you made the wine with), but if you want to make better beer, you'd need some additional stuff.

You can do extract or brew in a bag, which means you only need to get a kettle (a 30 litre stainless pot with a tap on it will do the trick), or you can go all grain, which means you need more stuff like a mash tun (converted coolbox is a good way to go if you're just starting out).

Belle Saison yeast also loves the warmer temperatures.

But if you can find room for a fridge/temp control unit, I'd recommend it. Streets ahead of the aquarium heater in a trug method and works throughout the summer too. I've got a Belgian bretted bitter in the fermentation fridge at the moment, sitting at a constant 25 degrees thanks to the fridge/greenhouse heater/Inkbird. Great for making lagers/lagering too.

Ah cool. Nice one. I'll have a look now. Cheers.

That might look a bit too modern given the chunkiness of the outer chainring/cranks. Though the flecks of red would go nicely with the frame.

It's taken me nearly three weeks to lose the weight I put on during a five-day tour of northern France/Belgium.

I'm thinking about going down the MGOOF route with my old Ciocc frame and am torn between Campagnolo (I've an old square taper Veloce chainset in very good nick and a couple of not bad cassettes) and Shimano (on an Italian frame? Is that sacrilege?) because it's already sporting some nice 105 brake calipers.

Campag will cost me a stack more, won't it? Whereas I should be able to pick up 10-year-old 105 or even Ultegra stuff for not that much, right?

What would you do?

You could be right. It's been a while.

I understand perfectly. I'm not sure you get what I was saying, but hey ho.

Closet leftie he is; my bad. God help him when the newspapers catch on.

You're meant to get out of the car/minibus and loiter, aren't you? Can't remember now, it's ages since I took the Eurotunnel.

Only 35 minutes to endure, though, so no biggie.

I mean, why have a thread on it if you're just going to lament that there are differing opinions on the matter?

Mods, we're done here. No dissent allowed. Stans only.

The thread is for opinions on Starmer, otherwise what's the point of it? I didn't realise it was 'Post how much you like Keir Starmer or sod off', but clearly I've misread it.

If it'd been 50s decals, I'd have bitten your hand off.

He is in this thread.

Dude, the thread's about Starmer.

Plenty of MPs voted against it. Some who can genuinely lay claim to being left wing, some actual real surprises too, fwiw.

I don't think I intimated TORY STARMER LOVES CUTS, but I would suggest if you want to use his record of voting as a clue to how much of a closet leftie he is, I probably wouldn't go for the welfare angle as a good example.

Even the Lib Dems voted against it. So, you know, if you're trying to prove your left wing credentials, I'd suggest abstaining on the Bill would not be the way to go about it.

Seen a couple of classifieds on this thread, so if anyone needs a nice/clean entry-level turntable for not much, I've got one going here.

Appreciate most on this thread will already have a far better deck, but you never know.

I mean, I don't think he's right wing in the sense Nigel Farage is, but to say he's left wing is a huge stretch or - possibly more likely - an interpretation of left wing that is somewhat different to mine.

While DPP he also:

1. Supported a government “superdatabase” that would collect all phone and internet communications.
   
2. Altered CPS guidelines to facilitate the prosecution of peaceful protesters and punish alleged ‘rioters’ with harsher jail sentences.
   
3. Whitewashed the spycops scandal, protecting undercover police officers who had stitched-up leftwing activists.
   
4. Failed to prosecute the lead MI5 officer in the case of Binyam Mohamed.
   
5. Obstructed an application by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers (of which he was previously a member) for the private prosecution of former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for alleged war crimes.
   
6. Proposed more lengthy prison sentences for benefit cheats.
   
   

Which rather suggests his appetite for upholding human rights and the rule of is selective at best.

The 'TheyWorkForYou' cut and paste is, as hugo7 says, placing him firmly in centrist dad territory (especially since he abstained on the Tory Welfare Bill along with an awful lot of Labour MPs to their eternal shame). He'd have no business being in the Labour party if he didn't have such a voting record (but that's another debate entirely). Less Rosa Luxemburg, more Waitrosa Luxemburg.

If you look at his direction of travel, it probably gives you a better indication of his actual politics. For me, he looks like someone who doesn't really like change, certainly not of the radical kind. And given his more recent moves, he seems like the living embodiment of the Groucho Marx quote: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

But YMMV. I doubt either of us are going to convince the other of his merits or otherwise.

The problem for Starmer is, if you think he's a closet lefty, you can bet your sweet life the editors/proprietors of some of our more popular newspapers think so too. And we all know how little 'evidence' they need to launch orchestrated hatchet jobs, as demonstrated nicely by the lovely selection of front pages posted earlier.

E2a: I note the TheyWorkForYou list says he's pro nationalising railways. Wonder if he'd actually come out and say that now.

Bought this off a mate a couple of years ago thinking I'd start getting into hifi and all that and, frankly, I have not. Much prefer the no-nonsense direct drive deck I bought, so this is now surplus to requirements.

I replaced the stylus on it and have barely used it since, so that'll see you right for many a year. Comes with the little tone arm anti-skate counterweight (which it annoyingly didn't come with from my mate) and a separate pre-amp, which you may or may not need depending on your set-up. It wasn't necessary for me, but YMMV, etc.

Will post pictures later, but it's in pristine condition. It's essentially (ha!) this, but in matt black.

Looking for £100. Collection only from Nunhead. I can't really post this as I haven't got the boxes/padding/will to deal with courier companies or Royal Mail.

Dibs the Charge Spoon Saddle.

For example?

He ruled that two months after Theresa May blocked the extradition, which he was trying to expedite. But by all means link to the 'post-horse bolting' 'decision'.

That could be an option. Limited to square taper cranks, though. Which may not be an issue as the plan is to build it up with 'modern' components that are on the older/cheaper end of things.