Always good to hear lovely feedback, if we can help in any way at all again please don’t hesitate to get in touch . We have probably got more options of kit to try now if it has been a while since she last visited. Particularly with electric assist options in both the cycle and off road wheelchair equipment.

Probably a better way to explain the work that EC do is to share this video :)

https://youtu.be/ua9nMECNtK8

Just to give this a bump, the closing date has been moved to the 18th

Please share with anyone who is keen to have a job in cycling and promoting access to the outdoors. Based at Leeds urban bike park at Middleton, with participation in events in various other locations on occasions – find out more below

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=experience%20community

https://www.experiencecommunity.co.uk/

Thank you! i was trying and failing to add the picture of the job advert :)

I thought fridges were quite good at drying things out, forever telling teenagers off for not wrapping things up.

One of the most annoying things about this idea is that it seems it might end up be easier to remove someone’s driving license after taking drugs than it does following a road death.

Thank you Northwind you are a star, bullets ordered! I had tried to search for nerf and just found load of F1 posts bizarrely

It’s been a rough year but I’m actually looking forward to the chaos of the Christmas nerf battle.

Thank you, and yes it’s on the 2nd of August.

Both families are working with key people from several of the main bike clubs they were members of to organise the escort and liaising with the police etc

The world they lived in was one of motorcycle rallying from the 1960’s until the very end, their friends are such a lovely group of people who have been equally devastated by this loss. As families their live and support through all of this has been a tremendous comfort. They are overseeing the escort as they have far more experience than I.

Glad you met her Dickyboy she was an incredible woman, I need to pull my finger out if I’m going to become half the woman she was she achieved so much and inspired so many.

I shall send some PM’s shortly

If anyone knows of any other forums to share details on such as photography or drone enthusiasts please do let me know

Oooh that’s brilliant thank you all- we get married on the 7th sept, so it would be great to have them by the middle ish of August if possible.

I am in shef so happy to round up any here, and I work in central manchester too, so if anyone is there they could drop them off at our office.

Will send a PM to you all after work :)

Out of interest to how accurate predictions were I’d like to see a revisit to ‘honey, we’re killing the kids’

I’d love to see how the kids had fared longterm after the ‘intervention’ of diet and exercise advice

I’ve never had a women’s bike, I used to have quite a long reach and had various bikes that weren’t women specific (inbred, scandal, croix de fer, brompton, stooge)

Now I’ve got a neck issue so can’t ride as I did so have adapted the stooge and scandal to fit my new position and also have a titanium fargo to add to my collection. Fits a treat :) I did love my croix de fer but this has been inherited by one of my teenage sons as I can’t make it fit now my neck isn’t so bendy

Whatever bike you have whatever gender tweaking it to fit is the most important thing surely.

As for saddles I have brooks on all.my bikes mainly cambium wider fit (can’t remember the number)

For clothes I like merino and natural fibers where possible- some great stuff lately from morvelo And isadore. I am a fairly curvy female too and it fits brilliantly

I became a Mother-in-law on friday – ridiculously proud mum :D

I probably fall at the slightly scary end of the tales of neck woes but I would say get your neck looked at if there is a chance it could be that.

I suffered for years with horrendous Headaches (some discomfort in my neck but a crushing pain that would shoot over my head into the left side of my face – which did make me question sinus stuff and migraines at times)

When I finally got a neck MRI, it turned out I had a disc that had prolapse into my Spinal cord. By the time it got sorted I had developed a few other issues with loss of sensation and some other bizarre neurology.

If there’s a chance it’s your neck I’d get it looked at

Experience Community CIC Facebook page
And here’s another link showing the work they do – easier to navigate

Replied :)

I know they are working on projects in Wales and also looking at Scotland. Craig is always up to discuss options too so if there’s enough interest in an area they’d look into organising something.

The Spanish trips sound promising too, they’d transport equipment down by road allowing people to fly down without the worry of logistics.

We have also recently tried a couple from Waitrose which were nice.

Natureo a Spanish Syrah – which we both thought was one of the best so far

And Fre a Californian red blend – very fruity

Interesting read, we have been pretty much alcohol free since June. Unlike other times when I’ve just avoided booze we have actually been drinking alcohol free versions of many drinks which has been interesting.

Things I’ve learned

I actually like alcohol free beer – but was never really a fan of the real stuff. Bavaria and erdinger are our favourites.

Alcohol free fruit ciders are just like pop

Red wine is the hardest to replace – Rawsons retreat is bearable, but not as good as their white of fizzy options.

Alcohol free gin is a surprising find. Seedlip spice and ceder are my favourites – Mr Wench prefers seedlip garden

Tescos seem to be at the head of the game for alcohol free options, the superstore near us has an amazing range.

I don’t think you have to be an alcoholic to want to avoid alcohol, it’s been a real eye opener to Mr Wench as he’s never really gone alcohol free in his entire life and is now a convert.

We have a few big celebrations next year so I imagine we will push the boat out – but if a recent celebratory trip to London was anything to go by, our ‘lets go mad and drink’ consisted of two glasses of champagne at st pancs and a bottle of red wine

Can’t say I miss it at all this time. Although the kids have said they don’t want us sober at Christmas as it won’t feel like a proper Christmas. 😮

I’m a girl and I mountain bike – I also own a helmet pod, but can’t say I’ve ever used it.

I do think you won’t go far wrong with a merino buff (or similar). May be tricky to find one for a tenner but they are really handy. Great for containing hair under helmets.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Buff-Lightweight-Wool-Headwear-Multi/dp/B071FFR6TS/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1544471835&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=buff%2Bmerino&dpPl=1&dpID=41QJd50niJL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Almost cheap enough

Thanks for the jingles recommendation- I shall point him in their direction.

And thanks Ton, I thought gingerbread was for single parents. They are married but split their working weeks to each spend time with her, I’ll have a look on the gingerbread site but I’m not sure if he’d be ‘allowed’ so to speak.

Yes I seem to remember it’s something like hydrogen fluoride in the tablets that dissolves glass (a dim memory from my chemistry degree)

Finish do a glass safe version.

As for cheap glasses – they are the only ones I’d put in a dishwasher. I have a scar on my neck from an exploding crystal champagne glass that I was trying after someone had mistakenly put it in the dishwasher

You do! ;)

You also have the BB200 to work towards Tiger6791

I managed to fall off the radar for this somehow – but I was chuffed to get on the scales and see I’m down to 141lb

Which means side is started trying to do something about my weight in Jan I have lost over 2st

All down to low carb high fat as I’ve not been this weight for a very long time. Quite please with myself- but it’s so hard to avoid the mince pies :)

I am not sure I could rate myself, I seem to get a positive response from people in that way. Weirdly despite being 45 and having been through a bit of a traumatic time medically over the last year – i seem to have come out of it ‘looking’ better. A change to LCHF diet has helped my health and also seen me at my lowest weight for some years.

Unfortunately because of all the fun neurological issues i still suffer with I feel probably my least attractive – perception of self is a very odd thing

Doh double post

Did some bits of that – funny looking at how far off the GPS signal goes on the Strava line around Liverpool st. I’ve got lost walking around there a few times trying to use my phone to find places I can now see why.

I popped onto a shop (brompton junction – for a free seat post insert tube!) On the way to the Wellington. Funny looking at detailed records of urban trips :)

After a trip to Japan my rather meticulous boss couldn’t praise it enough. His favourite points were the punctuality, the behaviour of pedestrians (they walk on the left side of the road so everyone is walking in the same direction) and the fact schools didn’t need cleaners in the same way ours did as.the children tidied and cleaned at the end of each day . . . I think he dreamt of bringing that to our office bit it wouldn’t have gone down too well!

No I didn’t, I shall have a look on Google. Unfortunately my knowledge of London isn’t that great (probably because I live in Sheffield;) ) so I rely heavily on Google maps and have one earphone in telling me where in need to be. Some journeys I do know so don’t use it all the time.

Google is rubbish for interesting routes though and a few times I ended up on roads I would have preferred to avoid.

But as they say everyday is a school day and I enjoy building up my mental map of the city :)

Had a great day working yesterday, managed to do two client visits and a drinks reception in London and Essex. In total 4 train journeys 8 brompton trips – got various other emails and calls done whilst travelling too.
A very productive day and chuffed that I managed to squeeze 25 miles of riding in. The longest single trip was from Liverpool Street to the Wellington hospital via another office to collect something. That was 6.5 miles but still way quicker to do on the bike than any other option.

I must admit I’m rather smitten with my lovely pink brompton :)

Can’t you replace them with webbing straps? Plenty of suppliers and fixings available so it may be easier

Price bands actually made me laugh

Not proud to say it but the last time I punched anyone was my ex in front of the kids…

It was a long time ago and he’d left a few days before Christmas. To top it all I’d handed my notice in at work as I was going back to do a post graduate course at uni.

This screwed up my finances completely and for many weeks we were living on about £30 a week. It was then our youngest son birthday – I’d baked him a cake and his dad popped in to give him a present.

The present id managed to afford was about £2 from tesco. Just after the candles were blown out my ex turned to me and said ‘I need to take the cooker and fridge freezer – what day can I come round’

Needless to say I lost it, so in front of my 4 children punched him in the face – I don’t really remember the details. But years later my eldest son said I did punch him repeatedly until he was out of the house.

I felt quite ashamed by this for years, turns out I actually gained a lot respect from my older children by doing it – luckily the little ones have no memory of that whole time.

From my days of working on the coal health compensation scheme I remember that it was a real man’s job back until thatcher came along . . . Well, women (and children)had been banned from working in mines in victorian times. The thatcher government then overturned this on the basis gender equality – shortly before she did all the other pit related ‘malarkey’.

So you could say it really was a man’s job.

I went to school with Gaye Kidd – I think she is now known as Gayle

I thought fears were learned – so if all mothers are terrified why aren’t all children – therefore all boys and girls?

I’m not bothered by them and neither are most of my children – number 3 is a bit more apprehensive since number 4 got to the point where liked them so much he’d pick them up and bring them over to his brother – he wasn’t that keen

Ha as a woman i can happily say they don’t bother me – but I was referred to today as ‘being such a bloke’ . . . I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult

It’s amazing how quickly a name can change in popularity – I used to think Stella was quite a classy girls name – now it’s a much less classy beer it’s lost its appeal :)

Eloise is a great name – I still have my copy of this
lovely blue vinyl

Yes that was me :) I think it’s actually easier to be adjustablewench – that can raise eyebrows but people seem to remember it