h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Firstly, I was expecting to have to work a few hours this afternoon. It turns out that I don't have to after all. That's number one

I had to do some shopping this morning. I needed some bread flour, bits and pieces to put in a chicken stew, a pair of knee pads for work, oven cleaner, mouthwash and water filters. The knee pads were on sale - almost half price - and the water filters were also on sale - down from $24 to $20. That's numbers two and three

On the way back I decided to call in at the thrift shop because I've been looking for a new teapot for a while. The one I use most often has a built-in strainer in the form of five holes where the spout meets the body. Whoever thought that was a good idea should consider a career move because all it does is clog up the tea leaves and reduce the flow of tea from the spout to a mere dribble. I found one at the thrift store, a nice-looking one, about the right size (for making one Gosho-sized mug of tea) and no built-in filter. That's number four

When I got home I found a text from a friend inviting me out for a drink tonight. That's number five

I have to announce a grey lining to this silver cloud though. When I got home I made breakfast and used the new teapot. I must say that the handle gets so hot that it's almost too painful to pick up. But it pours wonderfully

I often found the biggest disaster in deisgn, of half the teapots I've owned, was the angle/lip on the spout... they'd either make teh tea come out at odd angle, and miss the cup, or be angled so strangely you had to hold the handle odd, in order to tip it to get all the tea out
I may have found an antique teapot in my loft, which although in need of a good clean, is, for some reason in quite good conidtion...; well, when I say antique, I believe it dates circa 1980s and was the sort of thing at the time one got free if you saved up enough vouches from the supermarekt (coOp I think in this case) and now I'm suddenly reminded, our loverly coffee nad tea shop in town closed at Christmas and so I can't get my small leaf assan anymore

A 1980s teapot found in the loft? That can only mean one thing - if you rub it a new wave genie will emerge from the spout and grant any wish you desire, as long it involves lots of hair gel, outrageous fashion and plenty of synthpop

wearing, no doubt, a Knight rider style black leather jacket!
*swoons*Oh...

Hmmm... for motorcycle exhaust pipes, they make some glass cloth tape/wrap. That would probably insulate the handle well enough, but then you might get glass fibers in your skin.

But I wonder if there are other materials that may do the job?

If it gets to be a big problem I'll pick it up with a cloth or something similar. If the handle got wrapped in something too bulky I might not be able to get the tea cosy on it. The one my mum knitted for me about 40 years ago

You could get out your whittling knife and make a wooden handle for it.

NOthing like spending a few hours, alone, whittling

Not a bad idea actually, although how would we attach the wooden handle to the crockery teapot?

So that's what you kids are calling it these days

I'd make it in two sections, carve out space for the existing handle, then epoxy the two sides together around it.

Here's the very teapot http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6258597/il_340x270.272384775.jpg

Ah, I see what you mean. I'll keep my eyes out for a nice piece of wood

Hmm... I was assuming you had a metal teapot.

For that one, I think another alternative would be to tightly wrap some twine around the handle. A thick, colored twine would look nice and leave more room for your fingers than wood.

hmmm.... or just get a single, correctly handed, leather glove, and call it your teapot glove, which to wear each time the tea is poured....

As a matter of fact I do have some string in one of the kitchen drawers which might fit the bill. Perhaps coloured yellow with boiled onion skins

Lots and lots of gaffa tape? It fixes pretty much everything, afterall