If I answer it as though I am part of a couple with someone in the same financial situation as me I then become elite – and apparently am likely to have been to uni

Why not just have the questions – are you single and have you been to uni?

It would give a more reliable result and a better reflection of the population

Dont worry footflaps my intelligence does go further than that – it was a source of amusement for me just as for everyone else 😀

Coming from a very definite middle class back ground – from which I distance myself considerably im amused to see I come out as an emergent service worker

It makes me feel like I have really managed to escape my roots

But aside from that the test is rubbish as it doesnt acvount for single peoples incomes just taking a household – does that mean I will go up a class if I decide to settle down?

I prefer to think of myself in a class of my own – its not a brilliant one but its all mine 🙂

Tragic loss for so many around her im sure, its always heartbreaking to contemplate such a loss.

18 months ago I lost my best friend, we had some warning unlike your friend as she had cancer. But nothing truly prepares you for the total loss of somone so close.

Her husband had lots of practical help but resisted bereavement counselling. We did encourage him to take the children though and I’m so glad he did. They were brilliant and really helped not only the children – but the process they went through as a family did help him as it was very much for the whole family.

It will probably be some time before they are ready for something like that but there are good services out there. The hospital should be able to tell you what is available locally.

For all of us just being together immediately afterwards and knowing you werent the only one to be feeling the pain and shock of it all meant so much. only time takes the edge off that pain

Although I would love to give that a go – I wouldnt get many takers out of our group if I suggested that.

I have to say we aren’t total p!ssheads – just like to make the most of our girly weekends away 🙂

We’ll take it steady 😉

As long has Itford hill doesn’t conceal any freezing cold Welsh bogs I think I’ll be fine 🙂

However I would love to arrange an impromptu visit for wine tasting just to take the edge of the climb slightly – I wonder what kind of reception we’d get!

cyclescheme have a search function on their website – it will show you which local shops you can use

Evans here didn’t sell the bike i wanted but they ordered one in for me – could have gone elsewhere but they were doing 10% off as an opening offer.

oooh if we did 25ish miles on a friday afternoon, followed by 50 on a saturday we could have saturday night in brighton and then crawl the remainder to eastbourne on the sunday

As you said DrP

deviate for fun stuff!!

Cool, thanks 🙂

Can anyone recommend B&B’s preferably near the middle of the route. Singletrackminds suggestion sounds good but any other recommendations of places gladly accepted.

That would be one of my policies if I were in power, and in a similar vein (even though it would be very unpopular) raise the cost of petrol in inner cities (to subsidise buses and trains) and reduce it in rural communities where public transport or bicycles arent feasible.

Will keep you posted but judging by the diary clashed so far it may end up being the end of august or September. If you get there first please report on how you get on

DrP – Member
In fact – I’ll cycle out to Winch, meet you there, and carry your bags back to, ooh, erm, Itford Hill. But no further.

googled it and found this

it doesn’t look that bad – you’ll never make sherpa tensing status if you can’t get a few bags up there DrP 🙂

sorbothane flooring? – i doubt it exists, it would be massively expensive but it would probably work 🙂

thank you all, sorry reading the thread quickly whilst on my phone i missed some replies – but all helpful will give me something to start with later

Thank you ff 🙂

Did you bivi? Presuming you’ve done the route of course. I would likento but the chances of getting all the girls to agree to that is pretty slim (non existent) but its always good to have details of good spots.

I dont suppose anyone has a gps file of the south downs way?

I dont suppose anyone has a gps file of the south downs way?

Common mistake 🙂

dantsw13 And he said “girls” too!!!

Who’s he!?

Loving the sound of all of it – but we will probably be fitting it in a long weekend.

will grab some maps on my way home – i can see a lot of eating and drinking establishments being plotted 🙂

Alastair humphries took four years and did it on 4k he’d saved from his student loan – that was in 2001 though and he dud a ridiculously long route (wrote 2 good books about it )

I have lost a brand new hoover to the dustmen that way, seemed ironic when there was such a faff taking the old one to the right place to be recycled and the new one just got taken and sent to landfill

I will keep an eye out for the sunshine though – ive heard of it shining out of some strange places – but thatd be a new one 🙂

Year without summer 1816

Resulted in major food shortages, quite a lot on wikipedia about it – it sounds horrid as it was a global event

I am staying at work until the heatwave arrives * – as im fed up of the cold and dont want to waste any more holidays on cold days

*I have ordered one so it better arrive!

Seems like everyone wants to take the girls out down under
😆

Monksie are you Hora-fied? It seems to happen often round here

We went one easter many years ago – wasnt officially open. The breeze block houses used for training were there. Would love to go back but dont go back to the west country much these days (used to live in melksham)

Thats cool, the drink Britain one shows distilleries and breweries too on a map. Although im sure local knowledge is best for proximity etc

Had quick look at that website I linked to above and there are some near the malverns – but maybe not on an actual trail

May be worth a look

Cool, I have been there before. Such an intriguing place – no displays or open buildings when I was there

Hoe often will it be open?

That does sound good – but how far up the country can you have a vineyard? Something tells me it will be a southern thing.

Maybe a scottish version – trail centre with distillery and shortbread. There must be some breweries convieniently placed too

I like mine cant say they have ever been a problem

Seat clamp bolt, I was gutted – had got a few hours to ride on a glorious day, managed about half a mile and the bolt broke within 20m of me entering some woods

Did you get lots of offers too? Or are they just reserved for the damsels in distress on here?

I think we have found an area where it is so much easier being a girl 🙂

it’s not exclusive to the wife connections out there either, i use a dial up connection or if i’m really stuck a mobile device as a personal hotspot.
i have considered getting a new contract on a cable – but not sure whether i have the need for something with such commitment. I mean it may seem all great initially but then may become unreliable and i’m stuck with it in my house

lycra here as i can’t bear things flapping about. and it seems to take the wear and tear better than most fabrics. As for fashion it’s a classic. black tights will always just be black tights

Having looked at all the pics i have now definitely put oz on my list of places to ride – and your pics are amazing zokes. i’m really pining for the sun now.

You forget how nice the colour blue is when you haven’t seen it for a while, all grey in Sheffield atm with snow on the hills still