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I have home educated for the last (almost) 30 years. My youngest is 17 so I feel as if I'm nearly retiring at last! Mine had pen pals when they were small and it was a great source of encouragement -- they used to collect stamps too so there was extra fun in getting the post! I found the best thing ...

I've cooked on a Solid fuel Rayburn for nearly 30 years and its neither art of science its just difficult! It takes a lot of practice and I'm just trying to work out ways of making it simpler. The manufacturers don't provide much guidance.

All ovens whether gas, electric, fan assisited, oil, wood or solid fuel fired operate at a range of temperatures. When your recipe says "290 degrees C for 30 minutes" it does not mean exactly 290 for all that time. On gas and electric cookers there must be a range between which the tempera...

That is a shame. Both options are potentially safer than seats on the bike. I wonder what the rationale is? I assume purpose built tandems are still okay.

When our children were little we had no car and lived where public transport was very thin. We started with a home made trailer pulled behind our tandem and that was great -- you couldn't buy them ready made easily in the 1990s! We went up enormous hills and on holidays miles away from home. When th...

I'd love that soda bread recipe too. I have one but it sounds very different to what you describe. The texture of a Grant loaf is very solid. My children grew up on them - they just thought it was normal and white sliced was something you had for a very very special treat! By a wood oven I meant the...

I've recently thought about doing Grant loaves again. I used to do them in a batch of six at a time in my former house where the Rayburn was a big "Supreme". Now I'm wondering about trying it out again in my smaller "Royal". Has anyone tried bread making in a traditional wood-fir...

Thank you all for the interesting replies. I just wondered how come it used to work and now it doesn't. I cook using a solid fuel Rayburn so there is a gentle warmth available overnight and I am always on the look out for ways to make use of it besides drying the washing in wet weather! Drying apple...

I just use the cheapest small supermarket yoghurt carton I can get. It always used to work!

I have made home made yoghurt from milk for years. Recently though I've had a problem getting it to work. Has anyone else noticed a change?