michael adams wrote:
How to siphon bath water out of an upstairs bath, and into
the garden or a water butt.

I definitely did this in the past - but I can't work out how
using my previously suggested method - first slowly filling the
hose from the bath tap it was possible to first get the water
in the hose to climb out of the window.
[...]

There was nothing wrong with the method you described: cork in the
bottom end, fill gently from top end. If one's alone, put a cork in the
top end (to be on the safe side), pop downstairs and remove bottom cork,
pop upstairs, remove top cork. If there are two of you, much exercise
will be avoided, and common sense will dictate the choreographing of
fingers in and out of the ends of the hose. Important to tie the hose to
one of the taps, or weigh it down with a brick, so that it doesn't
wriggle out of the bath just as you've gone out into the garden feeling
smug.

Note: to make a natural cork smaller, roll it back and forth under your
foot.

--
Mike.