We’ve got a freedom and it’s a doddle to tow, though of course it is a tad slower due to caravan towing speed limits.

There’s a Freedom Caravan Friends facebook geoup. Might be worth a look on there as some folk are selling older models for decent prices so at least lets you see options for the lightweight caravan.

Whilst on sites we’ve seen the roof tents on top of land rovers and they do look awesome. I’d still rather have our Freedom when it’s Baltic or wazzing it down outside though. Very easy to move about, and light enough when unhitched to move by hand. We’ve got the prima sunseeker and I imagine the microlite is even easier to move around

In Reno town for a few dollars down, you can buy yourself … a separation
– Tony Christie

Bit more Where Eagles Dare than Heroes of Telemark but German mountain troops gebirgsjager, grey reversible to white

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/german-mountain-anorak-by-fab-product,9837

We’re down in The Bay for a fortnight from the 11th July. This will be the 9th year we’ve spent the summer hols there and we go again and again as we think it’s fab for relaxing and exploring.

It can be busy but we’re usually there before the English schools break up so it’s not been that busy. There’s loads to do in the area so all depends what you want out of the holiday. There’s all the attractions around and further away as already mentioned above but for us and the kids and dogs just exploring around the area just comes out tops.

When the tide is out there’s rockpools to be explored and trying to find the elusive Velvet Swimming Crab – completely mentalist crab that’s well up for a fight! There’s fossils aplenty as mentioned, just lying about, just need to tune into looking for them. Walk along beach or cliff to Boggle Hole (and beyond, nice bit of sandy beach just past Boggle Hole and more fossils and rockpools beyond that, most folks just go as far as Boggle Hole but there’s more to explore beyond there. Boggle Hole youth hostel now serves a decent range of food (and beer) so worth a stop.

In the other direction from Robin Hoods Bay there’s the shipwreck of the SARB-J around the headland, though it’s getting a bit busted up now but excellent to see. Can do the cliff walk from Robin Hoods Bay to Whitby for fish and chips (we prefer Hadleys, there’s other chippies too which other folks prefer).

Not far away is Falling Foss tea garden, perfect for bacon baps and cream scones and other snacks. Nice litle walks from there too.

Smugglers and Bramblewick do good meals in Robin Hoods Bay, and the Mariondale chippy is ace. Ye Dolphin does good food (recommend the mutton curry or steak and ale pie) and it has a folk night on Friday nights for some good songs and banter.

We always pay Scarborough a visit for the amusements in the South Bay and a wander about, and the North Bay has Peasholm Park and the attractions near the open air theatre which include a sky trail climbing thing which the kids love, and a shed that sells beer that I love.

Whitby is good too for an explore, crabbing in the harbour near the bridge, fish and chips, trip on the steam train, walk up the steps to the abbey.

Our hols usually consist of explore the rockpools/beach/fossil hunting, ice cream, fish and chips, beer with the odd foray out to Scarborough/Whitby/Falling Foss – I’ve no desire to go driving any big distances to anywhere and there’s plenty to keep us occupied right there. Each to their own though.

Reckon targeted advertising plays a big part – offer on a pack requires a likely online sign-up with a parents email address and then they can send ‘further exciting offers’, etc. Wouldn’t be possible by giving a toy in the pack

Pedal on Parliament tomorrow, a fair few cyclists about the Royal Mile

BC MTB leadership L2 and L3 are leadership too, not coaching

@ mtbguiding – did you have to do the BC L2 before doing going on the L3? Or could you go straight to it from having done MBL?

We had similar problems with our number 2, tried reward charts and everything. Live in a flat with poor soundproofing which didn’t help.

On approach to her 6th birthday we told her it was the law that when children turn 6 they had to sleep in her own bed and if she didn’t the police would come and pay a visit. It worked, yay, she’s seven and a bit now and we sleep great.

At least yours look quite happy about it in their photo Crispin. Edinburgh schools went back last Wednesday and the Moo hasn’t stopped grumbling about it since – like P1 and P2, the start of every P3 day looks set to follow the same old argument “do I have to go to school, I don’t want to go to school”. Sheesh.

Still, only 128 sleep to Christmas

I thought it was a reasonable decision for the flat pack shed to win. The category was ‘cabins & summerhouses’. We reckoned the average voter would look at the others and think that’s not a cabin or a summerhouse and relate more to what they view as a cabin or summerhouse which is a fancy shed in a garden done up nice (though she lost us when she started the psychic chat, we imagined Derek Acorah coming along and talking to Sam).

Update on one of the ‘unique’ category finalists here

Wonder how many of these ‘sheds’ will have the neighbours and planners spotlight put on them.

Now if you’d gone to the Cramond Inn you could have had a pint of dark mild for £1.50 and their other beers for not much more

Winter

Lepra route

There’s the route that the Lepra ride follows.

South Queensferry high street? It’s cobbled

Dalmeny estate, though not cobbled, has a good rough element to the bits marked “metalled tracks” on it’s map.

Thought this was gonna be Falconhoof

Might just be my telly but Boardman + beard + bags under eyes has him looking like David Blunkett

I’ve got flipped and chopped drop bars with lo-pro brake levers which mean the reach isn’t too far and I’ve got a real short stem (old quill type). However if putting the more bulky sti brake/gear leavers on it may take up more room and I always found it a bit more awkward with those levers round that way.

I think the correct answer is you need a new bike

would it be wrong to make a concerted effort to send atleast 5 complaints about every new car ad?

I’d see it more as our civic duty

If they’re trying to dodge it by saying it just applies to the advertisers I wonder how many car adverts show the car not using their indicators when making a turn? That must surely be condoning irresponsible driving – something must be done to make these adverts equally socially responsible! May keep an eye out for car adverts this evening

Cycling Scotland statement

“We are disappointed with the adjudication of the ASA Council and the statement that future ads should always feature cyclists wearing helmets. Our guidance on the issue of helmets and safety attire for adults on bicycles mirrors the legal requirements set out for cyclists in the Highway Code. There is a broad spectrum of research and opinion across the road safety and health communities when it comes to issues relating to helmet use and the ad reflected this diversity by showing cyclists both with and without helmets.

The advert was produced in close consultation with an experienced cycle training instructor who carefully considered the use of road positioning and safety attire required for cycling in the daytime. The road positioning in the advert complies with the National Standard for cycle training, which is referenced within the Highway Code. The driver of the car in the advert also follows the Highway Code, which states that vulnerable road users, such as those on a bicycle, should be given at least as much space as you would give a car when overtaking.

Cycling Scotland fully intends to pursue the ASA Council’s Independent Review process open to us.”

We also used to also call them ‘liability races’ where some riders try to get in an earlier leaving group so they can ‘win’ it because they are so awesome, and often don’t actually enter any other races the rest of the season. Witnessed loads of mental riding, as well as plenty of folks avoiding starting at the start to avoid paying their pound.

Avoided them for a few years now so things might have taken a turn for the worse

Yeah I’m UK

And whilst typing this had the force open on the App Store for Lovoo dating by K2G media, and then the pop up to open App Store too. Lovoo ad appears on the right, though not at top this time, second from bottom

2 in the last 30 minutes

1st was the pop up to open App Store, top ad on the right was Goodgame Empire or something
2nd was the force open of the App Store for Mecca Bingo, and it was Mecca bingo at the top ad position in the ads on the right

Me again too, just had App Store open at Papa Pear, which at the time was the big ad at the top on the right of the thread.

Not just on here then Linky

iPhone 4 and iOS7 and had the redirect to the app store earlier for the first time, dunno what game it was going to offer as I closed it.

For the safari browser crashing I get that now and again – it seems to be when I’m scrolling down a thread and an embedded youtube vid comes into view. I just assumed it was a hidden filter on the phone saving me from particular threads.

A bargain at £350!

“As far as I’m concerned this is up there with the discovery of fire and the creation of the internet in its value to the people of earth”

Think of the taste of the road going in that cup without a mudguard.

Enchanted is fab

Sadly not just the cheap shops or supermarkets though, my unofficial count has a big shop in the lead

Some kids do unknowingly when they get them new from shops like that – alarmingly usually get 2 or 3 a year with the groups I do cycle training with; the first time I saw it I could see something looked wrong but couldn’t put my finger on it then it dawns on you. Now it’s obvious, bike just looks so wrong with higher front end, front wheel tucked in closer to the downtube, handling can’t be fun.

Parents going with has not and never will be guising

If only you’d been there all those years to tell us we were doing it wrong! We weren’t guising after all!

Round about the time their parents couldn’t be bothered doing it with them?

We’ve just taken a horde round the local houses singing songs, and folk at out door have been singing and telling jokes

Won’t someone think of the baby bats! Filling wall cavities is a major contribution to their decline

Went to see them on tour, one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, it was hilarious and entertaining.

No idea what your role/job/sector is but it may not have anything to do with trying to get you out. Maybe they’ve just realised the long term cost of putting you up in hotels and paying your travel to and from work. Don’t think i know anyone who has their work pay for their travel to and from work let alone ongoing payment to have them stay closer half the time. What’s the norm for everyone else you work with? Is anyone in similar situation or contract?

Has anything been mentioned or implied about performance, or have there been any other issues with boss or colleagues? If not it simply may be cost. It’s crap for you, and they may be messing up on specifics, but are they being unreasonable? Would you be willing to give up part of your salary/benefits to enable the current situation to continue as a possible line of negotiation?

How far do you live from work? How long is the commute? Do you need to get there at short notice and very fast hence the original ‘you must live within 35 miles’ bit in your contract (which I find bizarre unless there’s a time critical aspect of getting to work).

eskay – Member
Anyone else used to shrink the empty bags down in the oven ( like shrinky dinks)?

Yeah that was a laugh, not as easy now as most crisp packets are foil backed for freshness so that bit doesn’t shrink and it all goes wrong. Used to use them as keyring fobs

CountZero – that could be Children of the Dog Star? Edit – maybe not if 1967ish, just noticed that bit