It is very sad. Mrs BD is a vet and has been over to Spain, to a couple of different dog shelters, volunteering, spending two weeks at a time solidly neutering stray and rescue dogs, so that they don’t keep breeding and have even more homeless and mistreated animals. There’s a lot of people out there that run similar rescue centres, but they’re always full to overflowing. We’ve literally (10 days ago) just adopted a Spanish Podenco (another common Spanish dog bread, along with the Galgo) and would no doubt have at least one more, if we didn’t live in a little two bedroom flat.

This thread that I started a little while ago might help…
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/things-to-do-in-copenhagen

We stayed at this hotel: http://www.dgi-byen.dk/dgi-byenshotel/ but I wouldn’t recommend it. Our room was unbelievably hot. The restaurant, for breakfast, was in a seperate building and, frankly, pretty crap – although my review is slightly tainted by the fact that they didn’t have any normal tea and I don’t drink coffee!

We didn’t get as much time in Copenhagen as we expected, so didn’t actually get to do too much. We walked across the city to see the Little Mermaid statue, which was nice, if not especially exciting. We managed to accidently time walking past the royal palace with the changing of the guard, which was quite impressive and may appeal to your little ‘uns if they like men in uniform! Tivoli Gardens looked pretty impressive from the outside, but we didn’t get chance to go in.

All in all, we thought Copenhagen was nice enough, but not an amazing city. Can’t really say anything bad about it, but just wouldn’t rush back.

OP, I’m sure your dog is in good hands, at the vets. They know what they’re doing. Mrs BeardedDave is a vet, so I’m slightly biased! 😉

We sadly had to put our dog to sleep a couple of months ago, after she finally succumbed to cancer. 🙁 After taking a little time to decide whether we wanted another, we’re currently waiting on this big eared beauty, who should be with us in two and a half weeks!

I’m a bit surprised that you say that http://www.filmon.com has been blocked. Works fine here in the Netherlands.
Another way that works for me is using the Hola unblocker free add on for Firefox. This allows you to access UK websites. Works for me for BBCiplayer and UK (or even US) Netflix, amongst others.

Thanks very much. I will have me some of that. 🙂

We’re actually there at the beginning of next week. Renting bikes sounds like a decent idea, as the weather is looking pretty decent.
I quite fancy Tivoli Gardens, which looks like it’s around £10 to get into. Quite intrigued by Christainia, but it does sound a little dodgy!

I saw him last weekend, at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton, in a glorified village hall, straight after I’d finished an 8 hour journey to get there. He was very good. I’m not massively sold on his solo album, I much prefer his stuff with Doves, but I thought the new songs came over well live.
Blurry picture from the gig:

Broke the scaphoid in my right wrist playing football, when I was 15. 20 years later, my wrist still clicks very loudly when I rotate it. I don’t really have any lasting problems but it is noticeable that my grip isn’t quite as strong in my right hand, as it is in my left – which is surprising, as I’m right handed. Always put this down to the scaphoid break.
Think I was in plaster for 4 weeks and then had a kind of removable wrist brace for a couple of weeks after that.

I got diagnosed with gout at the age of 31, mostly brought on by excessive drinking in my younger days (ironically, I’d pretty much stopped by the time I got gout). Fortunately I’ve only really had the inital severe attack, on the main joint of my big toe on my right foot. It was absolute agony. I’ve broken bones, torn ligaments and had stitches in my mouth after nearly losing my bottom lip in a bike crash, but nothing has come close to the pain of gout. I genuinely sympathise with anyone that suffers from it.
I looked through all the information on line about does and don’ts and things that might cause it but there wasn’t really anything obivous that I was doing to set it off. I made a bit more of an effort to keep hydrated and that seemed to help, but I always had some lingering pain. As of the beginning of this year, I completely stopped drinking alcohol and, within a few weeks, all of the pain has gone. I doubt it’s a coincidence.
I think different people have different ways of dealing with it. A friend was diagnosed at a similar time to me and he swears by drinking cherry juice! I would definitely keep an eye on things like alcohol consumption, keeping hydrated and generally having a healthy diet with a decent amount of fruit and veg.

Orange you say? Not frame, but pretty much everything else…

I need to go away and think a bit more about what I want and how much I want to spend. Plenty of food for thought.

Jambalaya, currently using the free ‘Hola Unblocker’ add on for Firefox, to access UK websites and it seems to work perfectly. No issues with iPlayer or Netflix, so far.

Lots to think about! The Moto G, does seem like a decent option. As do the other suggestions.

Budget is kind of flexible. My iphone is currently paid for as part of my 2 year mobile contract, with my standard monthly bills being around £50 before any extras. So when that contract expires I’ll probably look to buy a smartphone outright and get a cheap sim card.

I have to admit to living in a cave somewhat, when it comes to technology, so just had to look up what a ‘phablet’ was. No. Defnitely not what I want! I want the portability of a smart phone, for everyday out and about use and then a tablet for when I’m travelling longer distances (I make fairly regular trips back to the UK). Something like a ‘phablet’ is going to be tricky, unless I start carrying a man-bag! Definitely no.

I quite fancy Gilbert to repeat his finish from the 2012 World Champs and win on the Cauberg again, for this weekend’s Amstel Gold Race.

I live about 20km from the Cauberg (I was actually at the finish of the 2012 World Champs – brilliant day!) and have ridden it a few times. How the hell Gilbert attack like that, I don’t know. I couldn’t attack a snail on that climb!

Another vote for how good these jackets are as a lightweight windproof jacket. I got one of the original batch, in orange, and like it so much that I’m seriously considering getting another so that I have a back up.

Size wise, I’m 5 foot 10 and a smidge over 70kg and a large fits perfectly. It’s a little bit more snug than I would wear for a casual jacket but perfect for cycling – room to move but not flappy. I have an old large Altura jacket of some kind and would say the Howies jacket is a little smaller, but not by a lot.

I’ll get three or four cups from a normal tea bag. But I like my tea weak and black – I live on the continent, don’t you know! 😉

B&B for 4 people, within easy riding distance of the trail head? Sounds like BrynTeg House[/url] is exactly what you’re looking for. I’ve stayed there a few times, run by a really nice, friendly couple and it’s in between the start of the Wall trail and the Whites Level trail – bother easily rideable off the road.

Skylon by Gruff Rhys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8xhmkAGOH8%5D

Well, me, but I guess I’ve already been mentioned! 🙂

I also know a ‘Fruitbowl Dave’!

@BeardedDave – you should set up a business importing it

OT – Your surname isn’t Mumford is it? I assume there’s more than one Bearded Dave in the world, but it’d be good to find my bearded Dave again!

I already supply a small time importing service, bringing back liquorice for my mum, every time I’m back in the uk, as she suffers from the addiction too!

It would appear that there is more than one ‘Bearded Dave’, as my surname’s not Mumford and, as far as I’m aware, I’m not your Bearded Dave! 🙂

(Liquorice Allsorts go by the name of “English Sweets” in NL)

Not strictly true. They’re ‘Engels drop’ which is simply ‘English liquorice’. (But that’s just an excuse to show off one of the few words I can translate from Dutch!) 😉

I moved to the Netherlands a couple of years ago and they love their liquorice here. You go into any supermarket here and there’s literally racks and racks of different types! I wasn’t a fan before I moved here, but I’m slowly coming round to it, after some subtle persuasion from my Dutch girlfriend

This might explain the high ticket prices! 😉
Robbed!

I’ve bought 5 tickets for me and friends for their Milton Keynes gig. It worked out at £73.40 each (Leeds list price is £10 cheaper), splitting the booking fees and postage equally. I’m not thrilled at the cost and I certainly wouldn’t pay that to see a lot of bands. But, having seen them a few times before, I know that they put on a seriously good live performance. I’m also hoping that at a venue like Milton Keynes Bowl, they may be putting on a few bands during the day. Ultimately, I guess bands charge what the know people are willing to pay. Pearl Jam are still quite a big live draw, with a very loyal fan base and I’m pretty certain that the tour will sell out.

Yup. Probably my favourite album of their’s, since Yield.
I’m waiting patiently for them to announce some European tour dates. Probably the best live band I’ve ever seen.

Very sad news. My sympathies.
Mrs BD is a vet and our dog has just been diagnosed with an aggerssive form of cancer. It’s heartbreaking. Silly really, how close we get to our furry friends.

I have an old On One frame that’s long been replaced by a Cove Hummer, but I’m not allowed to sell it, as it was what I was riding when I met my other half. She’s more attached to it than I am!

I’ve done a few of the major UK ones and a few of the major European ones. They’re all kind of similar, once you’re inside the arena, so just pick a festival in a place that you fancy visiting, maybe?

Sziget was my choice for next year, after we missed out on Glastonbury, but I was out voted, in favour of Benicassim. Was chatting to a Dutch guy at Pinkpop, this year, that said he’d been and reckoned it was the best festival he’d ever done and it was very popular with the Dutch. Hopefully 2015 (or maybe 2014 too!)!

I’m sure we will, I’ve done a few foreign festivals (BBK – Spain, Hurricane – Germany, Pinkpop – the Netherlands & Pukkelpop – Belgium) and they’re always a great laugh. 🙂

I was one of a group of 15, all trying to get tickets. Not one person managed to get through! But we’ve already made other plans and are now going to Benicassim, in Spain, instead. £85 for four days of music and more on the Spanish coast, in July. It can’t be all that bad!

Any excuse to post a picture of our lurcher! She’s rather attentively watching the Team Time Trial at last year’s cycling World Championships. 🙂

I can’t recommend greyhounds enough, especially for a first time dog owner. My girlfriend and I have a greyhound cross collie and she’s the sweetest thing you could ever meet. I went from being completely indifferent to dogs to being completely smitten in a very short space of time! My mum also got her first dog, a retired greyhound, after meeting ours.

Totally echo what vdubber says, loving, friendly and calm and sleep more than they’re awake! They love company but don’t really tend to play too much – although my mum’s greyhound does love a good wrestle from time to time! She’s absolutely brilliant with my 3 year old nephew too, who is not the gentlist of boys!

But be aware that even cat friendly greyhounds may well still struggle to control the urge to chase small fluffy creatures, if they start running!

Making indecent images of children? Can you guess what it is yet?

The fact that everyone agrees just rams home how awful the place must be! We’re back in the UK and in Kent this coming weekend, so we’ll be taking a look around. Thanks to everyone for their comments. It wasn’t necessarily what we were hoping to hear, but better to hear it now than to end up moving there and then finding out what a shit hole it is!

She’s a vet, so not social services, prison worker or steel worker (although, ironically, I work in the steel trade!)! 😀

So, maybe work there if we have to, but do not live there under any circumstances, seems to be the message I’m getting here!

Oh dear, not very encouraging! I have family in Kent, but a good 45 minutes from Sheppey. Seems nice enough where the family are, but sounds like Sheppey is a different story!

We don’t live in the UK at the minute and are desperate to get back to the south or east (Norfolk, Suffolk or Kent, due to family ties), but it’s totally dependant on Mrs BD getting a job somewhere, which is easier said than done. Not sure whether we’re desperate enough for Sheppey, after the picture that’s been painted, in this thread!

Little Roy did a whole album of Nirvana covers, called ‘Battle for Seattle’. Some songs work better than others but, on the whole, pretty good IMO.

I had both root canal and tooth extraction recently. Neither are very nice. The tooth extraction was because the root canal knackered my tooth completely. As above, they removed the original filling and filled full of disinfectant, then put in a temporary filling. Unfortunately, the temporary filling then broke a few days later, taking a good chunk of the tooth with it. So ended up having the tooth removed after all. Not a pleasant experience. Would definitely choose root canal over tooth extraction though.

Get it faced at your LBS. Not sure how far you’ve got with building up the frame yet, but it might be worth checking the threads for the bottom bracket and rear derailleur are clear of paint too. My missus bought a Cove Handjob frame a couple of years ago. The bottom bracket thread had paint slapped all over it, so took it in to get it reamed out. Got it home only to find that there was paint all in the mech hanger thread aswell! Not sure how Cove paint their frames, but they don’t seem to be too fussy about where it goes!