WTF-Beta

What's the purpose? You mention detoxification in passing?

As I understand things in the UK, you are legally obliged not to support terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hezbollah.
These have been investigated
by our government and judged to be and designated terrorist organisations because of their stated intention and their proven actions.
E.g. for Hamas: intention to kill all Israelis, action send 3000 men into Israel to kill 1200 infants children women men and take 300 hostage. Legally designated.
This does not mean you are not allowed to support the people of Gaza verbally or financially.

Wandering the streets of London yesterday I called in here:
https://www.knivesfromjapan.co.uk/

Super shop close to Oxford Circus tube, massive range of makers to try in hand, plus cutting boards, sharpening stones.
Kid in a candy store!

I came out with a tiny Global gsf-18 which has a lovely balance due I think to the forged handle

and a French made Laguiole pocket knife, bone handle, small 8cm blade

In London for a few days:


I think this front garden hedge will be bright yellow in a few days

And Germany posed no imminent threat to Britain, but we still declared war because it was the right thing to do. We could have sat on our hands rearming until our Pearl Harbour moment occurred.

Interesting that you are so confident knowing Trump's mind that he is so totally influenced by Israel. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

It is surely naive to believe the Iranian regime is a peaceful one with no nuclear weapon ambition. Look how many types of missiles they have already amassed, look how they have fired them at all their neighbours, even at their supposed friend Yemen.
Look how they located their nuclear research, not openly above ground, but in the deepest caverns out of sight and reach.

An Iranian regime which terrorises its own people, kills them openly in thousands on the street when they protest at the imposed fanatical religious laws; a regime which publicly hangs homosexuals, a regime which stones to death women prisoners under the pretext of them having committed illicit relationships.

I'll happily support anyone with the morals or means or will to help the people of Iran, who after all is said, wish for the democratic freedoms, human rights, education and opportunity we enjoy.
The right to speak and protest and elect as you or I may.

Actually... 20% is all that's needed for nuclear reactors

A dozen US soldiers are reported injured on a US base overnight, so the bases aren't all abandoned.

Yemen fired a missile at us last night so they are fair game.

You can't negotiate reasonably with fanatical terrorists who have been chipping away at our democracies since 1979 and before. They don't care about anyone else, have nothing to lose except power.
Trump needs to learn this, and also the true meaning of obliterate.

Perhaps the time has come to give these murdering fanatics of Iran a fair warning and then go 'Bomber Harris' on their butts: You sink any one ship and we'll obliterate any one of your 140 cities, plus of course the area from which the missile was fired.
Operation Meetinghouse#2

I was thinking go take back the Embassy

Twelve thousand US soldiers potentially going to the area. Wonder where they'll be sent when they arrive?

My neighbour has this kind of thing in plastic brick. Built his patio walls in half a day.

Don't worry Daniel, NATO have got your back

I understand, but you can get them in smaller lengths, never lift them other than maneuvering end on end, dig part in, and simply use stakes to support them two - three high.

TBH I've made raised beds out of scrap pallet wood, free.
A hammer and a saw to take usable pieces; an electric screwdriver and some screws to assemble.

Or buy scaffolding planks(seconds are half the price of tested) saw and stake them in with 2x1inch.

Maybe timber sleepers could work, inexpensive and you can DIY. (Even cheaper and lighter are 4x4inch posts but you have to fix them together with long screws).

Sleepers...

And just over our garden fence where we see it far easier than our neighbours, one of the most beautiful camellia bushes ever

Look at all the buds. Cut 5 flowers and they last 3 days indoors, but there's a months supply. I feel a cutting coming on.

Well you do have to look at/for them, MrsA often has her nose on her phone pokemonning.
Here are my birthday flowers

I love freesias

Your cactus may flower if conditions change. Neglect it then water it then neglect it and see?
Could also be structural plants or trees rather than colour. Bamboo, pampas grass, are attractive.
And there must be public gardens or planters?

Here there are currently masses of yellow daffodils everywhere, on verges and roundabouts where the council have planted; also on minor roadsides where house owners have planted a single line for a mile .

And in planters in towns there are fragrant hyacinth, one of my favourite flowers.

Prunus in beautiful flower

It was Easter 1985 (!how old!) when I stayed in a pension on the grand via for only three nights - not long enough.
I recall seeing some of the things you have photograped, in hot sunny weather.
My vivid memory of a then dusty Madrid was walking out in the cool of the first evening and happening on a fab Semana Santa firework display on the smallish road junction at Callao I think. Way too little space for a massive display. Standing less than ten yards from the men lighting things by hand, and the explosions had everyone reeling back against the buildings. What health & safety back then.
I made a daytrip to El Escorial and realised I could stay in Madrid for much longer; but stuck to my plan and moved on to Toledo, then staying a couple of nights in Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, then back north staying at Merida, Cacares and Salamanca.

Next time I'll do what you did and have a leisurely week exploring the capital.

Sounds like an intense hour of concentration. The hardest thing we sang at school was Handels Messiah. Everything else was short, or a comic opera by Gilbert&Sullivan.

@big_al, forgive my ignorance, is a handbell choir a group of handbell ringers like this:

Link to video
Wondering if you sing along?

Wonderful photo essay, thanks for sharing; I so want to go back to Spain right now. Next year maybe.
Wife and daughter are off to Barcelona soon for a long weekend.

Leave it on, you may yet be proved right that he is dead. He has been notably off stage. Especially compared to the theatre of Trump