Whereas you are free to mow down wildlife with impunity

Not that I want to ‘mow down wildlife with impunity’, but isn’t the distinction that someone owns a domesticated animal and has a financial interest in it the reason why it has to be reported? By definition, you can’t own wildlife.

Here’s one for you my friends

Are the prey of domestic cats classed as sentient beings??

Hmmm…a curve ball! The obvious answer is that yes, of course the prey of a domestic cat is a sentient being (unless the cat is thick as mince and likes chasing rocks). But before you do what I think you’re about to do and draw the comparison between a cat exhibiting its natural behaviour of hunting, and a dog exhibiting its natural behaviour by chasing a fox, remember that we don’t deliberately keep cats to watch them decimate the local song bird population.

Another genuine question here for you Crosshair (unlike Ninfan seems to suggest, this isn’t point scoring or anything like that, I’m genuinely interested): you mention the legal requirement to ensure an animal solely in a human’s car is dispatched if hit by a car, whilst this doesn’t apply to wild animals, and that this proves people care more about domesticated animals than wild. Firstly, I didn’t know there was a distinction (every day’s a school day and all that); but secondly, the law seems to suggest that it only applies to dogs, goats, horses, cattle, donkeys, sheep and pigs but no other domesticated animals i.e. no requirement to report hitting a cat. (And besides, the legal obligation is to report, not dispatch). Doesn’t that suggest that the distinction is there for animals that have some monetary value to the owner as opposed to emotional value?

(Incidentally, this is a real tangent away from the OP’s post so apologies!)

…after losing he argument on the facts (since not all animals are sentient anyway)…

Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall anyone being declared a winner or loser.

…switching back to good old class war…

No mention of class anywhere that I can see.

…trying to turn the debate around to fox hunting…

My mention of fox hunting was a genuine question as to how it would stack up against our apparent ability to create better legislation by removing the cultural/traditional/religious get out clause.

Ok, so the fox ‘hunted ethically’ dies quickly? But only after being chased in fear of its life and the point of desperation/exhaustion by a baying pack of hounds. Im afraid that sounds a lot like inflicting undue necessary suffering to me.

*editted to remove unhelpful sarcasm.

Just thinking out loud here, but setting aside the word ‘sentient’, the suggestion seems to be that we could do better than the EU legislation by, for example, getting rid of the bit about respecting religion or tradition – that’s the bit people are referring to when talking about stabbing bulls with swords and chasing them to death I presume?

So where would that leave the Government (the Tories specifically) with regards to men and women on horseback galloping through the countryside in pursuit of a fox to watch it get ripped to death in the name of sport? I presume ‘doing better’ would mean that any future debate about lifting the ban would be dead in the water?

As an aside, didn’t Boris describe the push to ban bull fighting in Spain as political correctness gone mad?

Nonsense? Ok, I’ll bite.

“Responding to the decision, British Veterinary Association Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said:

‘It is extremely concerning that a marginal majority of MPs have voted-down this seminal clause. Enshrining animal sentience in UK law would have acknowledged that we consider animals as being capable of feelings such as pain and contentment and, so, deserving of consideration and respect. It is a founding principle of animal welfare science, and for the way that we should treat all animals.’

That’s just the BVA (who I’m guessing are pretty well versed in animal welfare) saying that the MPs have decided not to consider animals as being capable of feelings such as pain and contentment.

So not nonsense then.

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/newsroom/news-releases/bva—rejection-of-animal-sentience-from-brexit-bill-risks-uk-shortfall-on-high-animal-welfare-standards/

Signed and shared.

What sort of ****tards do we have running this country that they decide that animals are not capable of feeling fear or pain? And why repeal it, if not to set a path to lower/easier animal welfare standards, increased animal testing or bring back fox hunting??

Utterly disgusting, the government should be ashamed of itself.

Without going into details….GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH! :x

How did I never spot that mistake in the Navy video?!?! Amazing :lol:

“Honest guv, I meant double not doable!”

Ha! :D

How is having 2 Victoria Coren’s a bad thing? Surely 3 is even betterer?

About £125 a week for two adults and a baby. However, that includes nappies and other household purchases. We don’t really drink much so expenditure in booze is neglible. We do however buy quite a lot of meat and fresh fruit/veg. No ready meals or takeaways, all meals are cooked from scratch. Oh, and I take lunch to work with me so there are no additional costs there. Still seems steep in my opinion but the missus insists she can’t/won’t go lower.

I’m quite sad in that I itemise our monthly expenditure against a monthly budget and forecast against big ticket items in the future…needs must when you’re on just the one salary. However, it’s staggering how much money gets frittered away when you look into it – I recommend doing so if you don’t already as the exercise saved us well over £150 per month at the start.

Like others here, I too am a soldier and I will attend a service tomorrow. Personally, I will reflect on my grandfathers and their brothers who fought in the First and Second world wars. I will remember my father who, as an 18 year old National Serviceman, found himself fighting in Egypt for reasons unknown to him and who, to this day, will not talk about what he saw. I will also remember my friends and their friends who have died or been terribly injured in conflict. I will remember the soldiers of the regiments in which I have served who have died or been injured.

As above, war is not something to celebrate, but courage, bravery and sacrifice are, and I see it in spades in the ordinary young men and women with whom I proudly serve. For what it is worth, I see these qualities in equal measure in the emergency services and it is right that their efforts and sacrifices should be remembered too.

The poppy I wear tomorrow will be red in support of the RBL, not as any political statement, but in support of a charity which does wonderful work for veterans and their families. Whilst I respect the decision of those who choose not to wear a poppy or take part in remembrance due to the perceived commercialisation or politicisation, I hope that their decision does not prevent them from acknowledging the sacrifice of others.

Certa Cito.

Dantsw13 – amazing looking kitchen! I would love to get all hands on and everything but I’ve simply not got the time or the skill.

Mintman – Member

Alpha1653 – Member
Guess I had better start ringing round everyone to get the ducks in a row…!

I’m in north Bristol and if you want I’ll pass you the details of the local guy who did my plastering, electrics, plumbing and fitting. He’s done my bathroom and kitchen now and I rate his work and I seem to recall he was a competitive price).[/quote]

That would be great, thanks! Could you drop the details to al_cave@hotmail.co.uk? Thanks a lot. :D

Once again, thanks everyone for your replies and advice. At the moment, DIY kitchens and Howdens appear to be at the top of the list, coupled with using local tradesmen for the fitting / plastering / flooring and electrics. Guess I had better start ringing round everyone to get the ducks in a row…!

FBD: small world, I’m from Chepstow / schooled in Monmouth. To be fair, Mon to Bristol’s probably a bit far but thanks for the advice!

Fatbikedog: serious question from my wife, why would you recommend against using the kitchen supplier that shall not be named?

Thanks everyone, some very useful tips there. Good to see that the names we were considering have been recommended and that I’m roughly in the right ball park on price. Think I’m going to heed the advice to find a decent local fitter and see what they recommend. Time wise, we’re not expecting anything to materialise within 6 months anyway.

Fatbikedog: don’t happen to work around Brizzle? Happy to do an STW discounted rate, yeah??! :wink:

This is all encouraging stuff! Howdens is on the list as well though we were put off by the need to go via an intermediary tradesman; interesting to hear you managed to set up a trade account.

Also, that’s the second recommendation for DIY kitchens…they look very good, if a little complicated!

Thanks both. The kitchen is approx 3.5m x 3.5m and we’re looking at a U shape layout. It also has a similar sized room attached to the side which would require plastering and some lighting but no cabinets. Ikea are on the list of potential suppliers though I’ve heard issues about their warranty not being worth the paper its written on….though the same can be found for just about any supplier it seems! Oh, and our new place is just outside Bristol.

Does it count if the action happened before you were colleagues? I survived, but 4 years later when I started my first grad job, the dawning realisation and ensuing embarrassment of how I knew my fellow grad from somewhere damn near killed me.

That is very very cool. I’d love to do that. My next door neighbour’s last job was lead engineer for the Red Arrows and his ‘desk’ was sat behind Red 1. He’s got some very cool stories!

I spent 4 months working for Andy Green a few years ago – a thoroughly nice chap even if he is RAF :wink:

I’m following Bloodhoud with interest, good luck Andy!

A really interesting topic – just done some coursework on this so if anyone fancies reading some academic papers then I might be able to dig something out.

FFS. Solicitors. GNNANNAAARAARRTRRRRRRARRS…

Ours was stupidly slow at compiling the solicitors pack and only got it to us last Friday despite us and the seller wanting to complete this Friday coming. According to both sets of solicitors, there is no electrical safety certificate…despite the fact my wife and the estate agent visited the property when it was taking place, corroborated by the occupants AND it being normal practice when the property is bought as part exchanged by the developer. So someone is either incompetent, lazy, lying, or all three.

Also, I’ve had to send the completion certificate back THREE TIMES in one day because they a) don’t know what I’ve paid them already and b) don’t know the difference between the value of the property and the value of the mortgage.

JUST DO YOUR F’ING JOB PROPERLY YOU MORONS.

After pension contributions and the mortgage I (30, living in the SE) was* left with about 50% at best. Once you factor in the cost of turning up to work (suit, dry cleaning, lunch, miles in the car etc) I probably didn’t actually have 25% as disposable income.

Bizarrely that’s a good thing isn’t it? If you’re seeking to maintain your current lifestyle which is funded by 25-50% of your salary but without having to budget for pension contributions, mortgage, travel and work expenses then like you say, having a pension that pays 50-66% of your income means you’re quids in. However, I wouldn’t start paying less into your pension pot though just on that basis though!

This site seems to suggest you need 1/2 to 2/3 of your full time salary to maintain your lifestyle.

http://www.which.co.uk/money/pensions-and-retirement/starting-to-plan-your-retirement/guides/how-much-will-you-need-to-retire

As for my retirement plan, I’m on the armed forces pension scheme and have been for about 10 years. If my calculations are correct, if I leave in a few years I should get about £13k pa from that, plus another £8k pa from state pension. I’ll then have approx 20 years of paying into another pension scheme with whatever employer I end up with to supplement that. Mortgage is payable from my current salary and should be paid off by retirement. My wife should also get a state pension though her focus is bringing up the kids so anything she earns is negligible. Kids will be earning their own living by the time retirement comes around so if push comes to shove we can sell the house and move to something smaller. No idea if that’s a good or bad state of affairs but I can’t afford to pay additional contributions into another pension at the moment.

Other than that, hope but keep the webley in the bottom drawer if it all goes tits up!

Why is it bad to speak well? Is it for the same reason that it’s bad to be intelligent, articulate or an expert on something?

Speaking well and speaking in a condescending fashion are not the same thing, it’s just that often they go hand in hand as for some people, education/privilege has endowed them with a good grasp of English and a condescending attitude! I am a bit a stickler for grammar and the correct use of language but (I hope) that does not mean I am viewed as being condescending. Conversely, it is entirely possible to speak very badly yet be hugely condescending at the same time.

OP, did you see Burchill’s post above? Wouldn’t want you to ask for help and miss the most useful reply!

I can kind of understand why some people think he comes across as a bit of a tit at times (no bird pun intended) but I can’t help but admire his dedication to wildlife and the passion with which he speaks. I went to see him speak to about 100 or so people in Bristol last year when his book was coming out, and he was very, very good. I got a signed copy of his book but stopped short of telling him how much of an influence he’s been.

Also, he does a huge amount of stuff away from TV. IMHO, probably the most compelling is the series of short daily documentaries he did about the shooting of songbird in places like Malta and Cyprus and put out on YouTube. Springwatch it is not.

Another vote for Traser watches. Mine’s been going strong since my 17th birthday and has been around the world, deployed on countless exercises and on operations. I’m 34 now and it’s still indestructible.

I’ve also got a Elliot Brown Canford which I wear daily – lovely watch too but it’s a fair bit chunkier. Horses for courses!

I happen to have 2 x kukhris in the house but not explicitly as self defence weapons. I’ve always thought a paintball gun would be a good deterrent – decent range, non lethal but hurts like hell especially in the face.

It’s not yet listed in the classifieds so this doesn’t qualify as a shameless plug (!) but I’ve got a large 2014 Blur TR going, invisiframe from new etc. I paired it with a 140mm fork and some big tires – more than capable of a week in the alps and the odd Enduro race. I’m only selling as it’s a touch small for me. Let me know if you’re interested.

I was in the exact same position, riding a Blur TR. For reference, I’ve just finished building an Aeris 1.5 temporarily with 26 inch wheels. With 140 forks the BB sits at about 320 which is mega low. With a 160 fork it should be about 326 which is still really low but a bit more tolerable. Corners should be awesome, rocks less so!

STOOOOOOPPPPPPP!!!! Colin, you’re comment about a hub spacer jogged my memory about CK hubs having a spacer which clips on the end of the axle on the non drive side. God knows when it fell off or how long I’ve been using the hub without it in my old frame but I’ve now replaced with a spare and it all looks much better! So blindingly obvious :oops:

Can someone now delete this thread so that I don’t look like a complete incompetent fool?!

No worries!

Gnusmas, I did have to check that myself just to be sure before posting on here!

I was all for just a daysack with stuff in but my missus had other ideas. I ended getting her this:

https://m.johnlewis.com/skip-hop-forma-changing-backpack-black/p/3316956

In fairness, it’s pretty decent and fits easily under the buggy.