Had Nokiens fitted to my previous car by a main dealer. Not great in the dry and terrible in the wet and the Continental Sports Contacts I fitted afterwards made a huge improvement and lasted just as long. Toyo’s as previously mentioned are just as good as the more expensive brands but around 2/3 the price. I’d go the Toyo route if you want a good tyre for less money. Toyo T1R’s particularly impressive.

99% of the time fat people are lazy. Even the ones that blame genetically slow metabolisms etc.

Yes but if this is the case why are they lazy? Is this because no one’s shown them a more fun alternative?

Exercise purely as a weight loss tool does not work

I agree, but I don’t exercise as a tool to loose weight – I exercise because I enjoy sports that make me exersize, the side effect of that is loosing weight and the motivation to keep fit purely to be good at the sports I enjoy.

You can’t force someone to exercise but you could introduce them to a sport that’s more fun than sitting on the sofa, that way giving them the motivation to loose weight.

I’m concerned that today’s kids are not getting into the outdoors enough and prefer to sit using social media on their iPhone’s. Maybe they are not being introduced to a more fun alternative? Maybe they don’t even know that there’s an alternative?

If people are crap at sports they won’t partake in them. Being crap at sport is usually a hand / eye coordination / balance thing so if you are shit at football you’re likely to be shit at tennis/rugby/basketball. It’ snot much fun being picked last every time

That sounds exactly like me but I disagree. I dreaded sports lessons in school. I was the worst in the whole year at football by a long shot, the last to be picked and always ended up in goal. Zero foot to ball coordination at all. Yet these days I would say I’m a very competent mountain biker, climber/mountaineer and an expert snowboarder – go figure?

The trouble was mountain biking, climbing and snowboarding were never even an option in school (it was football, rugby, basketball, athletics or cricket – all of which I was pretty cr*p at) which goes to show that there’s probably a whole range of sports that would suit many people that they are probably not even aware of.

Looks lovely, what was the price, spec and mileage? Dealer or private sale?

Go for it I say. I drive an Audi RS4 Avant as a daily drive but frequently hire VW T5’s for the business. Love driving them and they are very comfortable long distance.

I’m a speed freak but due to traffic conditions then opportunities to use the Audi to anywhere near it’s full potential are very limited on UK roads. Sometimes this is super frustrating. A T5 can easily be used to it’s full potential on every trip, (and normally quite legally) so could perhaps be considered a more fun drive.

A lot of the fun comes from it’s larger size, the fun of trying to squeeze it through tight spaces and of maintaining momentum through the corners more than makes up for a van’s lack of speed. It’s a different kind of fun. A higher driving position also means you’ll see more.

Despite frequent applications of a heavy right foot I’ve yet to see average MPG on one of our hired T5’s of less than 30mpg.

Just set up by yourself then once your website and office is up and running leave your job and take all the work all the contacts and all the profit with you. Don’t tell your current employer whatever you do. Nothing unethical about that – it’s simple business.

You must remember this, even if there is currently a restrictive employment contract in place, any customers are free to give their business to whomever they choose. If you have no contract then things become even easier. Go for it :)

Been venturing up in the winter mountains for years with crampons, ice axe etc. Have done Crib Coch and Aonach Egach and several other ridge walks or scrambles with other self taught friends in full winter conditions (loads of snow and ice) without any specific training and it’s never been a problem.

However, did a winter skills course 3 years ago (private guide in Scotland) followed by some winter climbing and learnt an awful lot.

The fact that we already had self taught winter mountain experience certainly helped with the course as we already had experience of prior mountain situations relevant to the skills we were learning (rather than coming to winter mountains for the very first time as lots of people seem to do).

I’d recommend rather than waiting until a course is booked, just get yourself up in the mountains when it next snows and see how you get on. Choose an easy route that you’re familiar with and you’ll have a great time. Find a snow bank with good run out and practice some ice axe arrests with guidance from a winter skills book). Get used to walking in crampons on easy terrain (John Wayne style).

Treat it with common sense and respect, take a headtorch and emergency shelter, warm food and clothes, and make an early start (no lie in). Confidence will soon come, you’ll learn quickly from any small mistakes, and when you do sign up to a course (which is highly recommended) you’ll get all the more out of it because you have had a little bit of your own prior experience to relate things to.

They are great to drive and will potentially start to appreciate in the next couple of years.

Great car indeed but appreciation? You’ll have to wait a fair few years for that to happen once it’s depreciated sufficiently first. Even the first RS2 and Escort Cosworth, cars with similar or greater rarity but with much more of a reputation and cult following have only recently started appreciating, 15+ years after they were launched.

Or save yourself a bucketload of cash and get an E46 M3, plus T4 Combi and you should be fully depreciation proofed and still have change from £20k

Was in a similar situation about 3 months ago. Audi RS4 Avant or T5 Van. Went for the RS4 and not regretting it for a second. It’s all the car you could ever want, does everything well and remains a very fast car even on the rare occasion here in the UK when it’s lashing it down. In a couple of years, once the cost of fuel gets too much, once I’ve accumulated too many points on the licence I’ll do the sensible thing and swap it for a T5 plus hopefully, once they’ve depreciated loads, a little rear wheel drive GT86 for the day to day stuff.

Thanks all will check out BMC and Dogtag :-)

Confirmed a lot of my thoughts/fears and the recognition that my cocones are not big enough.

To be honest though you can see plenty of very interesting stuff just wandering around and exploring without getting into anything too technical. Deep respect to the original quarrymen.

Wow, that looks quite committing. The metalwork looks really dodgy on the video. How are you protecting that. Via Ferrata stuff presumably no use, if the ladders failed? Or are you putting runners into the rock? That first bendy ladder looked spooky. How did the leader protect that? And as for the train tracks…ballsy stuff. Isn’t the main danger there that the tracks fail in which case that runner (presumably?) half way along isn’t going to be much use. How big is the drop below that? Do you have/need prussak loops to help if you fall there?

You can’t effectively protect most of the metalwork – well actually you can of sorts, but you’ll probably spend all day rigging ropes rather than pressing on with the route which takes longer than you think particularly if you stop to explore the other areas and tunnels fully.

We did most ladders unprotected for ease of movement and speed. Via Feratta set up is useful to protect the ladder changeovers in mid air and to protect you if you loose footing on the more exposed ladders (e.g. the optional Great Ladder of Mordor) (although the strength of this protection depends of course on how solid the rungs you’re clipping in to as you move up the ladder actually are). No use whatsoever if ladders actually fail though.

Drop from the train track is onto a 45deg loose scree slope and the hole beyond this (Twll Mawr) is huge – lets just say you wouldn’t be coming back. Weight of the track falling would possibly destroy any anchors or protection you rig up and even if you were attached to a rope it’s likely you’d be smashed onto the scree slope below. Track and surrounding ground looks in worse condition now than when the video was shot. Ladders generally feel not too bad, although some do wobble alarmingly, but the train track will almost certainly fail at some point soon (either that or the ground on each side will soon collapse). We avoided crossing as although we’re happy to take a calculated risk where skill is the deciding factor, and although the actual crossing of the train track looks relatively easy, the train track’s imminent failure and the drop below makes it pure Russian Roulette stuff.

Also best to check out how the chain is anchored after you’ve climbed it, otherwise it could put you off if you’re of a nervous disposition ;) All in all a very, very fun days explore but you need to know what you’re doing.

Yes, done this – a proper good day out. Your abseil, rope work and belay set up skills will need to be top notch. Chain not technically difficult just very, very strenuous, take some slings for lasooing and a few pear crabs. Make sure you back up the bolt at the tunnel top properly with a second nut/cam. Navigation difficult in places and it helps to have good knowledge of the quarry beforehand – although navigation is half the fun. Via Ferrata set up would be useful throughout on the sometimes VERY dodgy ladders, although if a ladder fails it probably won’t help you. Would recommend to avoid the train track as the whole area is hugely unstable and liable to collapse any time soon. A risk to far in my book.

Don’t forget this is private land owned by CEGB. Please don’t bugger up hard won access for us climbers by taking on this route unless you’re truly experienced enough to finish it safely. The last thing anyone needs is an accident in an area you’re not supposed to be in resulting in bad press and loss of access for all. A word of warning, the whole quarry is pretty unstable and there are plenty of risks that are outside your control however skilled you are. Assume if you’re considering this then you have prior knowledge of the quarry?

We bought our house in the first quarter of 2009 for 139’000. We’ve just last Monday put it up for sale for £195,000 and have just yesterday received our third offer of £200,000. I’m very happy but I haven’t got a bloody clue what’s going on to be honest.

Meanwhile the house you are going to move into will have increased by the same amount?

Up there yesterday and generally not as bad as you’d think. Top section very boggy though – lots of fun, certainly a challenge and not all rideable.

They had an Infiniti FX30d in the garage too which was cheaper. Anyone know anything about these?

Yep, it looks like a cheap, bland, poor, Chinese interpretation of the typical Essextastic 4×4, but is actually made by Nissan and costs rather a lot of money. Possibly the ugliest car I have ever had the misfortune to see on the road and all of them (all 3) I’ve seen so far have been driven by fat, balding, past middle aged sales type people.

Sorry, you asked ;)

I don’t blame the OP to be honest.

I used to road bike loads as a teenager, and I was fast, confident and not bothered at all by traffic – until I started driving that is, and realised just how many sh*t, unaware and barely capable drivers there are out there.

An old guy in our road club got taken out from behind by the side of a large trailer which was considerably wider than the 4×4 towing the said trailer. It took him around 2 years to recover enough to be able to get back on his bike. I converted to MTB shortly afterwards (my road bike had been stolen anyway) and have never looked back.

At least with MTB the scenery is usually nicer, it’s quieter, the air is cleaner, the descents are more fun, and I get to determine my own level of risk. If I crash it’s entirely my own fault and I’m no longer waiting for the moment that I get wiped, without warning, from the face of the planet by some clueless numpty in a 4×4.

For some of us blokes, sex isn’t just about getting our end away. It is about closeness and intimacy and communication.

Yes couldn’t agree more, it’s also a fun activity to do together, but a lot of women (and guys) don’t seem to understand that and that’s probably where it goes wrong.

The difficulty is though when faced with a low sex drive partner is if there’s no sex or not much sex then that’s just fine for them, so they think it’s just normal to do it once in a blue moon, which it probably is for this type of person.

I’ve had this with a previous partner. She felt in the mood so rarely, whereas I’m a randy old dog, and as I was getting it so infrequently, it was a case of having to take any slight hint of an opportunity and try to exploit it. Normally I’d crash and burn and get the old ‘too tired’ or ‘lets just cuddle’ excuse, but maybe one time in 20 then things would work out good. Felt like rejection big time and got exhausting after a very short while (probably for her too) and despite us trying to talk about it she didn’t see it as a problem, thought we had a great relationship and just wouldn’t compromise. Needless to say we’re not together any more.

Not heard from the OP in ages – do you think he’s been scared off?

Not at all. Ever since we said “I do” it was like a switch was flicked; before that, we used to be at it like rabbits. It was two weeks before we even consumated our marriage.

Ahh, the classic ‘Bait and Switch’ :roll:

It seems that generally the following applies (as I think someone has already pointed out):

For a man, sex with their partner allows them to feel close and connected. For women, closeness and connection must happen to allow them to have sex.

That’s a massive catch 22 but it does imply that both sides have to work at it for things to be a success.

It’s no good the woman expecting connection, love and romance if she’s not prepared to work on the sex side. Similarly, if the sex isn’t there it’s no wonder even the most self disciplined of men will quickly doubt their relationship and start to look elsewhere.

Therefore I’d say that generally, women who have affairs are looking for love, romance and connection. Men are looking for sex.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule but I’d guess the above picture is fairly accurate for 90% of the population.

Yes come on then those of you still at it like rabbits – what’s the secret? Is it just all about picking the right other half?

Lots of my married mates say similar – whinging that the last time their misses was in the mood was months ago. All have been tempted to have have a quick affair just to get sex. Not one has done so yet but I guess it’s just a matter of time before one of them cracks to temptation. Shame, they all love their other halves deeply, it’s just that the physical closeness is missing.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to sustain a long term relationship and keep the physical side going too?

but the argument appears to be drivers don’t need to concentrate on driving as they have a big steel cage protecting them, which is lovely for them.

No the argument is that some drivers are s**t and don’t concentrate, can’t concentrate, never have, never will. This is not right, not how it should be – just how it is, and will continue to be, you can’t change that.

So the only option as a cyclist, with the present poor road infrastructure for cyclists, is to be aware of them, and you get much better awareness by NOT wearing headphones. Surely you don’t need a scientific study or statistics to prove this – it’s bl**dy obvious!

I’m with Boris here (and Molgrips to some extent). On my drive (and sometimes cycle) into the office I see bad examples of cycling all over the place. Jumping of red lights, riders wearing headphones who are seemingly oblivious to their surroundings, no helmets, undertaking of buses, vans and lorries, riding right alongside vehicles turning right or left etc.

That’s not to say that drivers are any better – there’s just as many god awful drivers on the road too, but the fact is, in a collision between a car and bike, then the cyclist is always going to come off worse.

Yes there should be segregated and better cycle lanes but at the moment there’s not – therefore at present it’s in the cyclists best interest for them to remain as alert and aware of their surroundings as possible and that includes not wearing earphones, which whether you like it of not are a distraction and make you less aware of what’s going on around you.

Talk of banning people from listening to radio’s in a car is irrelevant since car drivers rely almost entirely on visual information to drive rather than listening out for other traffic. Motorists also have mirrors to see whats going on behind them at all times.

Boris is merely stating that cyclists have an obligation to cycle well, and to look out for themselves (of which not wearing headphones is just a part of this).

Been to many weddings where unlimited cash seemed to have been thrown at the things (including a wedding where the wedding present to the bride and groom from the bride’s father was a brand new Aston Martin) – but all of them pretty bland really, not that memorable and blend into each other.

The wedding we went to which really stood out from the rest was the simplest and cheapest. Hire of boat on lake for ceremony, followed by marquee on the lake shore with good food, free beer, fine wine and a DJ. Very simple, the most personal and all that was needed for a good time.

franksinatra – Member

This may be a little controversial, but how about priority slots and quicker treatment for people who currently work?

What about older people who have worked all of their lives and are now drawing on the NHS that they have contributed to all of their lives?

Or genuinely ill people who would love to work but are unable to?

Kind of not getting my point. This is about current funding of the NHS and current contributions to make things better – not whatever has gone on in the past.

Pensioners no longer contribute anywhere near as much as people who currently work so by treating people who currently work (or of working age) faster to help them get back to work more quickly, then there would be more money in the NHS (and the UK) full stop since more hours worked = more tax paid. The resulting additional NHS funding would then benefit the said same pensioners and genuinely ill people who have previously contributed in the past or would like to contribute in the future.

This may be a little controversial, but how about priority slots and fast track treatment for people who currently work?

Working people pay for the health service through tax, and the quicker we can get them fixed and back to work then the more money there will be for the NHS full stop, improving things for every patient.

Thanks everyone, some sound advise here. I’ll phone the local planning office first thing on Monday to see what they would advise?

Quick question though – if I got planning in place before the sale wouldn’t this bump up the value of the land to the point where the seller might turn round and ask for more?

Friend did his ACL skiing four years ago in France. At the time he decided against the operation (which would have been done in France on the insurance), and despite intensive physio it’s never really been right for him since and has given way on quite a few occasions.

After many issues and 4 years he has finally had a reconstructive op 6 months ago through the NHS. Lots more physio after the op and he’s doing a lot better now. We walked up Scafell Pike with him the other weekend and it was all fine.

Judging by his experience, if it was me I’d get the op every time.

Pushkar on Broad Street do fantastic Curries and have great friendly service, nicer than the more famous Shimla Pinks in my opinion.

Nowadays, I tend to notice pilot leveling the plane (cut power) just after they gain altitude / take off and even my father (very experience aircraft engineer) noticed that. He thought that was bad practice.

Try to take note after the plane take off and you will see them leveling the plane rather quickly to safe fuel whatever. I notice BA does not do that which is good but other airlines have the tendency to do so. Watch out …

Nothing to do with safety – usually done around 1000 to 1500 feet above ground level to comply with noise abatement procedures of some particular airports located around populated city area.

So many myths that need busting! :)

Have a look here for some more useful info:

Ask The Captian[/url]

The resulting tubulence, missed runways, urgent “between storm” takeoff’s and sideways landings have left me quivering in-flight.

But these are all part of normal flying:

Missed Runways – probably the result of a go-around due to the pilots deciding not to progress with the landing for a whole variety of reasons. Standard operating procedure and practiced over and over again.

Turbulence – air movement, could be likened to how waves or current affect a boat? Feels strange but almost certainly nothing to worry about. The bigger the aircraft the less you will feel this. You should see the turbulence tests they conduct on aircraft before getting certified. Saw the wing of a 777 being bent in such a test so that the wingtip was almost vertical before it finally failed.

Urgent Takeoffs – Can’t comment on individual situations but commercial pilots are in constant contact with ATC regarding weather conditions, factor this into a pre-flight plan and no pilot would be taking off unless 100% happy things were safe.

Sideways Landings – Simply a correction for a crosswind, (or in smaller aircraft a sideslip can be induced to loose height quickly) – again completely normal procedure and nothing to worry about?

This is not meant to sound patronising in any way, just to help put things into perspective.

Might sound counter productive but why not tackle the problem head on, rather than just try to mask the symptoms? Maybe book an hours trial flight in a small twin seater at your local flying school where they let you handle the controls a little bit.

It worked completely for a work colleague (although she did take some convincing) and having spent an hour flying in a fabric winged microlight with an instructor, commercial flights in a big jet are now no longer a problem.

A little understanding and flight experience go a long way it would seem and in a small plane the sensations of flying are much greater. You feel every single little bit of turbulence and realise that air movement is just part of normal flying and rarely dangerous.

In the line of fire . . .

Breathes a sign of relief . . .

Oh bugger . . .

Or you could give Kitesurfing a go . . . ducks for cover!

The spectators are part of it just as much as the riders are – without the spectators there would be no race. Watching the tour for me then I love watching the crazy spectators just as much as I love watching the cycling. The big tour names know what to expect from the spectators on the big climbs – just adds to the challenge, fun and interest so far as I’m concerned.

Ed Balls reminds me so much of William Pitt the Younger from Blackadder.

thetallpaul – Member

agent007,

Won’t your revolving number plates render the litter obstruction pointless in your case?

Dum Dum Dee Dumm, Dee Dum Dumm

Agree would have worked well but alas my silver Aston Martin with the revolving plates was destroyed recently in Skyfall I’m afraid.

zilog6128 – Member

It doesn’t really make any business sense to them, unless they wish to make an example of you.

Except of course it’s not Tescos or whoever sending out the letters, it’s Parking Eye (and similar companies) who are contracted by the retailer. They make their money by enforcing the car parking, so yes it absolutely makes business sense to pursue these cases.

How does it make business sense for a parking company to pursue all unpaid cases to court when the costs Parking Eye would incur to do so far exceed any small award made in their favour by a court? That’s a big fat loss of money in my book. I doubt it would be sustainable for them to take many unpaid cases to court – just a few are enough to put the ‘fear of god’ into the majority of the public.

Only possible benefit to Parking Eye taking people to court would be the publicity it generates – to make those people who are currently ‘not yet scared enough’ by the letters think about coughing up ‘just in case’.

If I ever got a ticket from a Parking Eye carpark then I’d tell them to go and swivel.

I haven’t had a ticket yet by the way – as if I’m going to stay over the allotted time in one of their car parks, then somehow at the entrance/exit to their ANPR monitored car park I always seem to have collected some road detritus (crisp packet or similar) lodged into my front grill that obscures a couple of letters of my registration plate). They really ought to keep their car parks clean, tidy and free from litter.