To make crumble, stick to half fat (butter?) to flour (plain) – as in ingredients to make pastry (change butter for decent lard) – then add in same amount of sugar (castor?) as fat.

Mix in exactly the same way as pastry.

Some peeps add a quarter of the weight of flour, with oats.

Stew your fruit, then transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle crumble mix on top, bang in the oven and cook until golden brown.

Add fresh cream / custard and bob’s yer uncle.

Other stuff: (warning, long post)

Still missing something, still don’t know what it is, nor do I know where to look for it.

Wanted to do some camera work, but haven’t got anywhere near it so far this weekend, same old same old.

Piano (read: surface that doubles as a table to dump stuff) is sorted and cleaned off.
Other household surfaces that double as a place to dump things;
Speaker tops, log burner, window sill, back of settee, piano stool, dining table and various kitchen worktops.

Strange that my keyboard packed in last night, no matter the shaking/cleaning, it just gave up letting me type.
The computer crate came to the rescue (you know, the one that I was told to throw out as, “You never use the things in it!”) two minutes later, second hand keyboard plugged in and working again.

New tunes in the focus, via the 15 year old JVC head unit (radio/mp3 player to you).
Every brand of dvd discs fail to load in it – JVC top brass, rather than brag about their quality of equipment, instead claim that it’s a laser problem, which it is not.
JVC recommend buying a new unit (cost over £100).
Shocking advice, considering that their equipment has only stopped accepting dvds with mp3 files on it, due to intellectual property licenses via microsoft’s monopoly position in the market.

Each windows operating system update, since windows xp, has installed various DRM (digital rights management) software on your computer. This is also true of Linux (I’ve tried burning mp3s using that system also, which failed)
This results in your files on disc not working with newer tech (head units, etc.)
As a result, you need to purchase new equipment to run discs burned after newer microsoft system updates.
Manufacturer is in on this with microsoft.

The customer (ie. us) have to buy new equipment
The manufacturer increases sales
Microsoft increases their profits, selling IP licenses to manufacturers.
It’s a complete con trick, in my view.

JVC top brass claim they do not buy IP licenses. They lie!
As the below link to an article from 2008, reporting on an IP licensing deal between JVC and microsoft, shows, JVC have an “associate director and general manager of intellectual property at JVC”

“Microsoft and JVC in IP licensing deal”

However, when I fire up the old laptop, running windows xp and NOT connected to the net, I can burn as many mp3 files to a dvd as I choose (burn as a data disc) – regardless of standard of disc, 50p disc or a £3 disc – the head unit reads the disc and plays the mp3 files.
One can only assume from this result, that microsoft’s operating systems from windows 7 upwards, are in some way installing DRM without users consent, into mp3 media files.
(We already know that microsoft updates to windows xp/windows 7, took away the folder “burn to disc” option.

I was reminded of this when a twotter friend, Ken, posted he is firing up linux on an old computer.

Marketing is often a legal way of lying.

I don’t like liars. Most of the time, there’s no purpose for them to do it. They could usually get their way without resorting to lying and I would trust them more for it.
By lying, (be it a person or business) they reveal their true colours.
I’m inclined not to trust them again.

On the other hand, I like humans that underestimate me.

Had a absolute classic the other day.
A cheeky chappy informed an adult that it was I, whom caused an issue. (anyone with any perception would have picked up that it was wind up)
The adult addressed the issue, by talking down to me, in front of the cheeky chappy, giving me an order and being condescending.

Normally I would have responded with interest, but at that moment, I just couldn’t be chewed with it at all.

Delusions of grandeur. Qualifications will never out-weigh good manners!

So far, being the village idiot that I am…

• I’ve set up a technical handbook for the North West division of a national company, that’s now used in every branch nationally, of the company today.
• I’ve set up a company online feedback service, which continues to be used by all staff at all levels, from boardroom to shop floor, on a national scale.
• I was the first shop-floor worker, to make a presentation to the same national company’s manager’s meeting
• I was drafted in, to run a team to revamp London stores when the national company was floated on the London Stock Exchange. So much so, I was requested by the company’s deputy CEO for a second stint in London, to continue my work there and was put in charge of teams from Hull and Birmingham, revamping stores across the capital.
  I was thanked in writing, personally, by the then deputy CEO for my work, which resulted in a successful flotation on the LSE.
• While working in London, I was offered three, superstore manager positions
• I was selected as one of only three employees in the entire North West division of the company, (and the only employee working in a non managerial position at that time) to revamp stores across the North West, introducing an entirely new store design and corporate imaging for the national business.
  Chances are, the same person whom under estimates me now, has used and been into the very same business premises that I worked on revamping.
• I have won numerous county court cases for people struggling with debt, for free. Having thousands of pounds of debt for them wiped off in the process.
• I give my time for free to help children access a wide range of sports and openly call for sports to be free for all children.
• I have used my skills as a qualified copper pipe fitter, for free, to help numerous people repair water leaks and fit appliances in their homes.
• I have set up and continue to run another website, at my own expense, which is completely free to use, to help people whom use it, to save money. (Currently has over 800 website hits per day).
• I regularly use my skills to try to improve my and others knowledge in a whole host of subjects, from gardening to debt, from sport skills to computing, from weekly money saving to cooking. Always for free.
  

You get the gist.
There’s no law that says you cannot go about your daily work with a smile on your face and make it fun!

People shouldn’t be pigeon-holed by narrow minded others. You don’t know where others have come from, where others are going or what they are about.

The gallery has been added to with more pics.

Smell, Mum, LeeLee, Ernie, Tammy, Pops and Hoover make appearances.