Pre-emptive Engineering and de-digitisation

I finally got down to Alvechurch at the weekend for the RCR Engine Maintanance course.

My initial thoughts were that this would be "change the oil", but the course covers not only the engine, but the gearbox, drive shaft, cooling, water systems, electrics and a whole host of other subjects.
My fears of information overload vanished due to the relaxed informality of the course, and the frequent visits to the workshop for practical sessions.  However, the engines in the workshop are on frames at working height (no doubt for some H&S reason), and, in a nb, this is the view of the you will never get.  I now know far more about diesel engines from this course, but I will see how this knowledge works when I am dangling upside down over my engine, fighting gravity for my tools!
I stopped in the Holiday Inn Express in Redditch Saturday night, where the snotty receptionist looked down his nose at me, and demanded a deposit for a room that was already booked and paid for. Anyone who works on a reception is an advert for your business,  In this case Holiday Inn Express look at you like a piece of dirt coming in off the street, and how dare you want to stay in a hotel room you have already booked and paid for.
Avoid Redditch HIExpress, dodgy bastards.
I went for a wander around Redditch to cool off a bit, and see the sights.  The place was deserted withthe exception of two Wetherspoons.  the first one had no staff apparent behind the bar, so I left.  the second one had a very friendly staff, who served me with a warm, stale and flat Phoenix Navvy.  Typical Wetherspoons.
On the Sunday morning, while waiting at the marina I saw a classic example of luck winning out over stupidity. I am not sure whether it was a hire boat or a share boat, approaching the marina with teenager at the well deck, and a bloke shouting from the tiller "Pay attention, you'll have to be quick!"
There was a gap in the moored boats that he was bearing down on.  Just as the boat got close to the bank, the teenager jumped from the bow with rope in hand, threw the rope around a bollard, and tried to pull the boat to a stop.  Now it doesn't take A-level maths to work out, 20 tonnes of boat at 3 mph, pulling against a rope wrapped around a 7 stone teenager's hand.
"Luckily" the young lad dropped the rope, retained his hand and all the digits,  and the boat was brought to a halt by smashing into the boat in front.
The training course finished with the last couple of hours for hands on practice.  I left to make the journey up the M5 and M6.

I spent Sunday evening at a beer tent in Littleborough, with a couple of bands in the large marquee, and our bar next door in the smaller one.

Good Music and good beer, but none for me, as I had to get back to Rammy, then drive over to Chorley to stop on the boat again.