Confession time.

The failure of my hard disk meant I had to visit a very dangerous shop. It's a UK electronics company called Maplin.

Their gadget collection is second to none, and they always have some kind of sale on.

I was somewhat restrained. I left the radio-controlled tugboat on the shelf. It preys on my mind though. I'll try not to go back until they're sold out.

However, I can never resist anything solar powered because once bought, it's free to run. My garden has so many solar-powered lights I have to be careful in case a plane lands there. I have some solar-powered house lighting too. It's hardly powerful enough to read without straining your eyes, so it's not yet a replacement for mains lighting. It's also limited in the UK winter because we don't get much sunlight then. For low lighting, say for watching a film or making a cup of tea, it's ideal. And free.

Maplin always has solar panels in a variety of sizes. In the attic, I have a very old battery-powered train set. If it still works, I want to see if I can set that up to run around the garden on solar power. No reason, apart from the sheer lunacy of it and to find a use for the small solar panels I bought.

One thing I regret buying is the blood pressure monitor. I've tried it a dozen times and there's nothing wrong with me. What a waste of money. I've smoked and drunk alcohol - no good. I can't get myself into the high blood pressure range. It's infuriating. It's like all that medical insurance I've paid out and never been ill.

It does have a clock built into it though, so maybe I'll wear it as a watch. The self-inflating wristband should raise an eyebrow or two.

I even found a couple of useful items, but I'll get to those after I've finished with the trivia.