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I think that's what he said. The problem with this is that it leads to ghastly inconsistencies. Cancer is an emotive disease, but many other illnesses are also life threatening. I get free prescriptions because I have a thyroid malfunction. My wife has multiple sclerosis and has to pay for...

That's a good idea. It might be necessary to build a mechanism to make sure that the flight recorder is automatically ejected from the aircraft on impact, otherwise it will simply sink to the bottom along with all the other wreckage, no matter what flotation devices are incorporated.

Many recycling depots have draconian rules about taking anything away with you. I recently got shouted at for trying to retrieve one of my own gloves which I dropped in a skip by accident. I simply wasn't allowed to get it back again.

Although your instinct may be to blame Mrs Thatcher for everything, I'm afraid your memory is at fault. Prescription charges were proposed by the first post-war Labour government in 1951, famously leading to a number of ministerial resignations. They were introduced in 1952, rather a long...

It's possible that if the glazing wasn't installed correctly the door could be out of square. However, if it's been all right up till now, it may be that the hinges need adjusting. Find the adjusters, which may be hidden under removable plastic plugs, and check how the door moves when you...

Synchromesh problems don't necessarily get worse, and don't spread from one gear to another; although if there's the same design or manufacturing weakness it's more likely to develop in all gears. It's quite satisfying to acquire the skill of driving a vehicle with weak or poor synchromesh...

Screw diggers, in my own experience, work very well (I have the ones Trend supply). However, I've only had cause to use them in cases where I've driven the screw part way in myself, and managed to damage the head. I've no experience of using them to remove old screws.

At the risk of teaching grandmothers how to suck eggs, are the screws Philips or Pozidrive? It's important to use the right type and size of driver for each type of screw, especially if any significant torque is being applied. If I can make another suggestion, it might be possible to saw a...

On the mower problem, I suggest looking for a manual to help with this, perhaps on line. In my view, a compressor is one of the most useful pieces of equipment you can have. You need to start by deciding on the tool(s) you are most likely to want to use, and note the typical air consumption...

He was ridiculed for his self-serving venality and for his incompetence. Previous speakers from humble backgrounds (Betty Boothroyd, George Thomas) gained enormous respect for the way they did the job, and the way they conducted themselves.

Having both a cordless drill and a separate cordless driver is much more useful than buying a single tool. Personally I wouldn't get 18v tools as I find the weight gets a bit tiring. A separate (corded) SDS drill is much better for drilling masonry, as cordless impact drills are only of limited...

I take it the screws have slotted heads. Sometimes a hammer blow on the end of the screwdriver helps to break the grip of the rusted thread. A screwdriver with a striking cap is best for this. I prefer to use the old Perfect pattern drivers, which are ideal for a task like this. Make sure the...

Yes, indeed. Pliers will only work if the plug hasn't been used (for example if the hole drilled for it is slightly too shallow), or if it's come loose because the substrate has crumbled.

Rather than a 'lump of wood', why not fix a timber of the same height as the gate to the wall, and fix the padbolt hardware to that? You could incorporate a timber stop for the gate to close against. Or you could fix a length of square steel tube, if you can find some the right size, and...

I find needle nosed pliers work best for removing plugs. Just grasp one part of the rim and wiggle the plug out.

Sanding it could just result in a lot of clogged abrasive paper and little progress. Scraping it could take off more material than you want, and be quite hard work. However, an electric scraper could help. However, you could try both these methods on a sample area. A third approach...

I wonder if others would share their views on the subject of paleoglaciation.

You might do better to kerf the timber in order to bend it for a job such as this.

Perhaps you mean flap stays.

Fair question. Namrick give excellent service, are knowledgeable and helpful. (I used to live within walking distance and could drop in whenever I needed something.) Their range isn't comprehensive, but they do cover many different thread forms and are especially good for car and bike...