Haha mcgrim, dogs in baths, love it.

Here’s our Sprocket not loving the bath

And in a happier moment

Been a long day

Good luck Ko9, every dog needs a buddy, please post pics

Just saw on the interweb last night they were touring and had a new album out so I’m thinking I’ll be going to see them. That was just after listening to a CD on way to a crap work thing yesterday – some of the older stuff is awesome – Kingdom of Madness, Invasion, Back to Earth, Great Adventure, In the Beginning and the Storyteller night album.

Had all )I think) albums up to Wings of Heaven, (including various picture discs and the blue vinyl gate fold of Mirador and some of the CD compilations afterwards. Thought Goodnight LA wasn’t that great then the album or two after (Rock Art and others) that was a bit rubbish so stopped looking for new stuff.

Got a couple of Bob Catley’s solo albums a couple of years ago and they were great, especially The Tower.

Need to have a listen to the newer Magnum stuff, but definitely reckon I’ll go see them in Weegieland in November, as I never went to see them before when I was really into them at school (after nicking my brother’s copy of On a Storyteller’s Night). I reckon I was the only one at school into them mind, everyone else was all Iron Maiden and Guns n Roses.

I’ve made Joe’s Ancient Orange Mead a couple of times, and worked out really nice. Make it now and it would be ready to give away by christmas. Google the recipe or search for it on the Other Brews section of Jims Beer Kit forum.

I used rowse honey and allinsons fast acting bread yeast but the recipe specifies American products that likely aren’t available here. This version is simple to make, recipe said not to rack, though I did both times.

On the sloes, how did that go? My local bushes here despite lots of blossom earlier on in the year just don’t seem to have many sloes on them.

Jota, Jim’s Beer Kit is a great place to start, has instructions and separate sections for the different methods of brewing

Our No.2 loves Josie Smith and The Worst Witch books, she’s 5. Also likes Roald Dahl. I look forward to reading The Dark is Rising books to her, especially the first one, might try that soon.

She’s seen all the Harry Potter films (cried when Voldemort died) but those books might be beyond her just now.

Coopers is ace! Just picked up their stout kit yesterday, one of the best kits out there. And got myself a plasterers stirrer for the drill from Screwfix to try for the first time to mix it all up.

If I find temperature getting too cool in winter in our hall where I brew, I just stick a sleeping bag round it, does the trick.

Gixer.john – I’m back in the office on Thursday so will email it then – to the email in your profile? I’ll also send the mileage claim form and sign up sheet.

From our Council’s policy:

“While cycling is beneficial for both the environment and personal health, the Council considers the safety of its employees to be of prime importance. For this reason all employees while cycling in terms of this policy are strongly advised to consider their personal safety. The safety conditions specified in the Council’s Bicycle Mileage Allowance Scheme are mandatory for all employees who are authorised to use their bicycle on Council business and who wish to claim the allowance.”

Bicycle Mileage Allowance Scheme states:

“SAFETY

The Council considers the safety of its employees to be of prime importance. For this reason it is a mandatory condition of the Scheme that all employees, while cycling in terms of this Scheme, must:-

(a) observe the Highway Code;

(b) provide and use front and back lights during hours of darkness or poor visibility, and a back reflector, all of which conform to recognised safety standards;

(c) ensure that their bicycle and associated equipment are in a safe and roadworthy condition; and

(d) provide and wear high visibility clothing – a fluorescent and/or reflective bib or cross-belt as a minimum.

All employees who use their bicycle on Council business are strongly advised to wear a cycling helmet which conforms to recognised safety standards.”

EDIT: Just seen there’s also a pool bike scheme now with accompanying text that states “The Council offers helmets and safety vests and advises that you wear these when riding at all times, however ultimately it is your choice as to whether or not you use this equipment.”

To OP, I can email you the full policy if you want?

Bleak grim Fauldhouse crossed with London and Fleetwood by way of Fife with a dash of Western Isles a wee bit further back flinging me out in Clackmannanshire.

I had the nails on both my big toes removed quite a few years back.

The procedure is quite entertaining, outpatient visit. Apart from the anaesthetic jags which involve quite a big needle a few times around the base of your toe. I could feel myself lifting off the hospital bed thingy. Just lie back someone said, not bloomin likely, I’ll be watching thanks.

Then wait five minutes and the doctor says “can you feel this” as he squeezed the toenail against the toe. He must have used quite a bit of pressure as this resulted in a fair amount of blood oozing out of the bit where it’s all ingrown. I’m pretty sure I’d have felt that if the jags hadn’t worked, and he would’ve known about it.

Then it’s scalpel time, slicing the nail and pair of pliers to pull the nail bits out. Bandaged up, and sent home with instructions to change dressings every day (or might have been twice a day). Lots of blood and fluid for first week and feels dead weird with the soft skin where the nail covers.

They grow back eventually, mine did and promptly went ingrown again, so had to be removed again along with the nail bed. So it’s back in, same as before except they yank out the nail bed and then there’s the scrubbing stick thingy they have a good scrape about with to make sure it’s all out. That’s supposed to kill the nail off, not having a nail bed. However, bits of mine grew back so I have bits of nails on each of my big toes. Bit gross, eh?

Thing is, when I was 8, war films were on telly all the time during daytime and weekends. This ranged from the propaganda ones made during WW2 to the post war ones starting to touch on the horrors of war to the boys own merry adventure type fluff, and probably none were aimed at kids. Gave a range of interpretation of war and while not documentary or fact they certainly put some awareness and understanding of it all into me before watching the documentary stuff when older. Kids just don’t really have that now, those films aren’t really shown, and if they are there’s full colour other channels of choice, computer games, and so on.

Where ya goin now?

I remember The Machine Gunners from when it was on at teatime as a kid.

Or there’s always Where Eagles Dare

I applaud our Council recycling efforts – every Friday I put out the red box for cardboard and a bag of plastic stuff, all correctly sorted as per requested. The bin lorry comes along and they all chuck the correctly sorted stuff in the back of it together.

We’ve also got the food waste recyling – everyone puts their little biodegradeable bags in the little bins all nice and tidy. The collection truck speeds down the street with a guy running ahead of it snatching all the bags out the little bins so he ends up carrying loads with some invariably tearing and spilling contents so it’s dodge the orange peels and teabags down the street.

As per TJ states, keep it as simple as possible.

It’s a resignation letter, all you need in it is written intention to resign. Make sure the letter is dated and the date of your last day of work stated (if you can work it out).

Send a copy to your line manager and HR person (if there is one) or whoever deals with HR and keep a copy yourself.

There’s no need to thank people, or raise issues in it, all that’s needed is to say you are resigning so there’s proper formal written evidence of that fact.

I get dry hands that end up in big cracks and hacks. Norwegian hand formula stuff is working best for me at the moment, it’s finding the cream that works for your skin. And gloves for working on bikes and gloves for washing up the dishes that’s the one that does my skin no end of grief if I don’t glove up for doing the dishes.

Skin hydration and skincare, because you’re worth it.

Thanks for that wrightyson, gives me starting point.

The ukulele is a versatile instrument in it’s own right – if it’s just a bit of strumming and singing or somesuch it’s ace.

This song is great as is some of his other videos

Alternatively, if you fancy some clawhammer or fingerstyle ukulele lessons have a look at ackeim channel on youtube

There’s also Kalei Gamiao for inspiration

or a bit Enter Sandman?

Ukes are ace

Loads of stuff at ukulele underground

It’s just another bike, isn’t it? It’s my bike of choice at the moment over the others in the shed, find it fun, simpler and certainly makes me think more about different aspects of cycling – e.g. braking, choosing lines, speed and cadence. It’s no better or worse than other bikes. If you can borrow one to have a few shots on then fab, or build one up from bits lying around, before opting to buying something you might not get on with. I’m on my second (first one stolen from garden) and both have been self-builds, current one is some old chrome frame that originally took 27″ wheels.

The first try I had a squirrel tried to run between the wheels, I crapped myself and stopped pedalling, that was interesting and terrifying and didn’t try it again for a while after that. I found you only really forget not to freewheel a couple of times. I also found when I started really getting back into it that drifting off to sleep at night I used to get a spinning sensation in my legs, and find it strange freewheeling on geared bikes now so in a way I think it’s stopped some lazy cycling techniques.

My grandad rode one from Fauldhouse to the opening of the Kincardine Bridge, then back again, cos that was his bike, nowt to do with being trendy.

Smash the bulb, turn the screw bit with a pair of pliers, that’s worked for me. You’ll obviously want to switch the circuit off

you dont see too many gold bikes

I think there might be a reason for that!

Gold bikes, makes me think of when my uncle had one of these

I think you could get away with a gold bike if you kitted yourself out with this

and styled your hair like this

Now that would ooze class!

(Disclaimer: I would ride a bike whatever the colour, and used to have a mullet when at school, though not the tache and still probably couldn’t grow a decent one now either).

I’m with John_Drummer, make your own!

Currently under the stairs I’ve got 70 bottles of various beers including:

San Francisco Steam Beer
Yorkshire Bitter
Scottish 80 shilling
Stout
Imperial Stout
Old London Porter

as well as a batch or two of Joe’s Ancient Orange Mead which is ace.

All made easily for much cheapness and taste better than most offerings from the shops (though I’ll admit a weakness for Biere Speciale from Tesco, 8 little bottles for 2.99 and really aren’t anything speciale at all)

However, if lots more turned to homebrew I’m pretty sure the sods in charge would find a way to try and tax it.

Will this apply to mp’s too?

It’s a bloomin little chaffinch that does our head in, they’re loud. At least thrushes sing a song

I always put them in those special big red poo bins, though they could make the slot a bit bigger

Had a kid at work take a full swing on a clubgolf club and wallop me on the forehead. Managed not to pass out but felt sick and saw bright lights but was ok after the astro pitch we were on stopped spinning and stabilised to flat again.

I’ll be bottling 2gallons of brupaks beers of the world Old London Porter later, then it’ll be the mighty Coopers Imperial Stout going on, a truly volcanic brew. Good times!

I’ve been thinking of this for out the back too – not much light gets to the most of the grass, a big bloomin trampoline doesn’t help either, and it’s mostly moss and bare patches anyway.

It’s preparing the ground underneath that I wasn’t too sure about so thanks for the info above. Any chance of some pics of the DIY stuff? Most of the supplier site pics always look a bit perfect, would be interested to see how it’s turned out for folks.

I know of a Leyland Atlantean that may be for sale – it’s painted purple though, and already stripped/converted inside as a playbus. No idea what the price would be. I drove it’s predecessor (with no power steering and no passengers) on my normal licence down Princes Street, that was grand!

Showertime

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They’re simple to keep, no expert or special care needed. What little we know is what’s been found from a quick google on Giant African Land Snails.

Sally lives in a plastic tank thingy that cost around £15 and measures around 18 inches by 8 inches and 12 inches high, though you could just as easy use a big tub. Good layer of compost or coconut substrate stuff kept moist. Her shell’s about 4 inches now (though when we got her last June for No.2’s birthday she was only about 1cm) and they can live up to 10 years. Sally likes cucumber, lettuce and watermelon though isn’t fussed with strawberries. Cuttlefish bone for calcium for the shell

As long as they’re warm, they’re fine. Happy being handled and Sally likes dunking her head under warm water from a tap.

We wouldn’t eat her though

Aha, that’ll be the crieff bit off criefftony, sorry i’ve had wine. Fair enough bout not causing a stooshie, but it’s a nonsense, i’ve never turned anyone away from cycle training for no reflectors. Lights are in the cycle check too but it would be daft telling a kid they must have them for next week

Oh, hope he enjoys it

Out of interest whereabouts is this? Great having reflectors, but in reality cycle training is carried out in daylight hours and through experience i’d rather have children learn how to cycle safely than making enforcing the reflector thing a make or break rule.

I bought my wife the Gransfors wildlife hatchet for a Christmas present the other year – we all had an awkward pause then a laugh when I went into the shop and said I needed an axe for my wife.

They did say they had a woman in a few weeks previously, dressed like she’d never actually been away in the outdoors, and asking about axes and what they would cut through, would it go through meat, etc. They declined the sale.

Not town centre, but a 5 minute bus ride will get you to causewayhead and Corrieri’s beneath the wallace monument and there’s a good play park next to it. Great food and atmosphere and loads of ice cream. Might get full of cyclists on a saturday lunchtime.

It’s Shaggy from Scooby Doo, must be the MJ. I don’t mind it.

“Like Scoooob, old buddy old pal. I’m like totally in need of some scooby snacks.”

The upward inflection thing on the other hand. Have you held a conversation with a high school pupil these days? Our No. 1 does it as do all her friends “This one time, at band camp” with the upward inflection on ‘time’ and ‘camp’. I’m getting ranty just thinking of it. We took her and her pals out for her 14th birthday meal on Sunday and they all came back for a karaoke party afterwards. Man, we could hear them, it was tough. AAaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

Salvaged our trampoline from the hedge to see it get lifted into it again. Wedged a railway sleeper under it. Saw the lamp off a streetlight fly by and smash into the roundabout at the bottom of the street. House across the street has a hole in the roof. Worse than bawbag I reckon

My wife is a member of The Chocolate Tasting Club so gets a box of chocs delivered every couple of months (they’re fab by the way, especially the boozy ones). Anyway, I got home one day to find a wrapper in the hallway; further down the hall found the outside cardboard box; into the living room found the main box with one side chewed off. There’s two of each kind in the box, and Sprocket started from one corner and had 3 pairs. He then reached the espresso choc which couldn’t have been to his taste as he only had one and stopped at that and had boaked it all up on the floor in a nice puddle of chocolate sauce. He looked suitably embarrassed and rolled over onto his back when I asked him “was that you?”. He was completely fine, though he’s never tried opening any subsequent deliveries.