Rainwater Harvesting - Again

 We've been without (expensively harvested) rainwater for some weeks now.   The cost of mains water is one  helluva sight cheaper in the long run by far - see umpteen previous posts on the Blog.

The only good thing about Kingspan Envireau's rainwater harvesting 'system' is that, when working, it is good for the planet.  Cost-wise, it has been a disaster.

This time it is the high pressure hose that connects the submerged water pump in the underground tank to the tank mains outflow that has burst - again:

As you can see it is a flexible plastic pipe with reinforcement mesh moulded into it.

The reinforcing has in fact held firm but the plastic surrounding it has burst.  It is ten years or so old so probably it's simply past it.  I have sent the photograph to Kingspan Envireau as feed-back for them.  I have asked for their advice about suitable replacement hose specification.  I bet they'll offer to send round an 'engineer' with a couple of metres of the same stuff but newer and a couple of jubilee clips for £-three figures.   Watch this space.  

Update -  they didn't offer to send man round.  They have ignored my attempt to help them improve their product.  

The Duchess of Sutherland and a New Book

Big day on the S&C today.  A special Pullman train going both ways between the Midlands (Tyseley) and Carlisle hauled by one of the most powerful passenger steam engines ever - the Duchess of Sutherland.  She is a rare visitor to the line and should be able to make light work of it.  There was a good crowd to see her blast through Settle station northbound at noon.  This is how she would have once looked in her heyday with streamlining:

These astonishing locomotives were built by the Midland to compete on speed up the west coast route against the LNER's streamlined A4 Pacifics, seen here alongside one another:

And the book?   Pat had found this in the station bookstall and, Bless Her, thought of me straight away:

Mr Pheasant

 Three hen pheasants have been frequenting our garden of late - see recent post.  Today, for the first time, we were honoured by a much more colourful cock pheasant.  Picture taken from our bedroom window: