Have always been a charge spoon user but new bike came with a WTB volt and its the first bike where I didn’t instantly want to swap it out. Been using it for a year now and when I switch to one of my other bikes with a spoon on, it doesnt feel as comfy (but still fine). Now considering moving the other bikes over to the volt over time.

Saw it today and absolutely loved it. Great homage to the original. Glad it didnt take itself too seriously. Great flight scenes. Could’t care less about how true it was to real life. As noted its a film not a documentary. Just a great couple of hours of escapism and nostalgia. I was annoying my wife on the way home flicking the windscreen wipers on whilst claiming to be ‘switching to guns’ 😂

As well as the Joux plane ride then Col de la Ramaz, Col de L’Encranez and back via Morzine is a good ride.

It was acknowledged as received today so tying in closely with Ashat’s timeline. At least its not lost.

Ok thanks. Sounds fairly standard then. Fingers crossed.

My daughter’s passport has expired and so processed the renewal online on the 11th May. Posted her old one back on the 12th first class signed for. However the royal mail tracking hasn’t updated since the day it was collected at the post office and the passport office tracking still says ‘send us your documents’. I was worried it might be lost but wondering if they have it and they just don’t sign for it and then sit on it for a while? Anyone got any insight or should I start trying to chase it? We don’t travel until last weekend in July

Le Touquet would be my choice although the aquarium is a good shout too.

Huub have brought out some SUP gear including long and short sleeved tops and matching bottoms.

SUP

They’re on sport persuit just now around half price so cheaper than in the link above. Worth a look.

137 miles. 125 mile charity ride with a 6 mile ride from home to the start and back.

Ballater would fit the bill, fantastic riding, quite a few pubs/restaurants/cafes (for a wee village). There’s a swimming pool at the local Hilton but as with the MacDonald in Aviemore I think it’s residents and members only still. No idea what staying there would be like for being ‘bike friendly’.

Wife and I stayed for a night last year but before booking I rang them and asked about bike storage. They don’t have anything specific but they agreed to let us put them in the office behind reception.

To be fair, from the look on the guys face when we arrived with a couple of big MTB’s, they perhaps hadnt quite realised what they’d agreed to, but they didn’t quibble. They were probably cursing us though having to shuffle past them to get in and out!

Ballater would be a good shout overall though.

The Detectorists completely passed me by until just a few months ago when a mate put me on to it. Binged the lot and was gutted when I got to the end and realised there wasn’t another series so this is great news! It is an absolute work of genius and just such a lovely escape from the world.

Decathlon chain whip has got to be up there

Also Velohinge bike hooks for storing the bikes.

We moved into a rural stone cottage 6 months ago. As above BT only guaranteed <1mbs via ADSL and no fibre. So we are now on 4g. Just ordered this router below and stuck an unlimited vodafone SIM in after checking which network gave best coverage (verified by wifes mobile as shes on vodafone). We put it at the end of the house with the best reception and use 4 google mesh wifi’s to bounce the signal through the house (not a massive area but thick stone walls hence needing 4). Got a black friday deal on the google mesh’s so overall cost about £200 ish. The data SIM is about £20pm on some offer they had. We get 8-10mbs so not great but we can stream TV, music and I can do Teams calls if WFH. It’s gone down once when the mast had a problem but was back on a few hours later. Overall it does us. Our neighbour is just getting starlink but I baulked at the £90pm!

Captain obvious says Morzine

We’ve also got a couple of days to kill en route to Morzine and were thinking of somewhere like an airbnb near Paris where you can get a train in from? Not sure where yet. Kids have never been and we’ve not been for ages.

We’ve ended up with 4 of these for us and our two girls.

https://www.blacks.co.uk/15904974/oex-traverse-imx-inflatable-sleeping-mat-15904974/?istCompanyId=d92b362f-ac8a-4a8a-87ca-c56eafad7955&istFeedId=2f99410f-1124-43d5-8232-86c184f09479&istItemId=illqxrqlm&istBid=tzpr

£44 with 20%

They pack down very small so have been good for bikepacking / wildcamping. They’re comfy and seem to be holding up well.

Similar to above, I hired a specialized hardtail from Easy Riders and rode the coast road to el Cotillo. My wife drove there with the kids and met them at the beach for a few hours. Then I came back on an inland route that went via Lajares and over the top of the calderon hondo volcano before descending back into Corralejo. Really nice route of about 30 miles.

Edit: same as that route above but I went anticlockwise

Air bnb for accommodation

The portes du soleil app is good and has all the mtb maps on it so a good place to start.

Can’t help on transfers as we drive

Very impressed with the Rab Vital. Just over £20 from sportshoes.

We were on 2 bars of a 1200L tank 2 weeks ago and got 1000L for £750 ish from Johnson oils. This is in fife on a 10 working day turnaround and has just been delivered today. However, very luckily, this was ordered literally just before the war started.

+1 on lenses being life changing. I rank moving to them from glasses as probably one of the top 5 best decisions i’ve made in my life.

I’ve been with Vision Express on monthly direct debit for years. I started with monthly disposables but as I got on so well with them and ended up wearing them for most of the time they moved me over to extended wear ones which are superb. I do still take them out at night. It was a habit anyway and good to give my eyes a break. As above i’d give up most things before the lenses went if I had to.

I ordered a batch of Velo hinge bike storage hooks for a little project from them a couple of weeks ago. Took 8 days to arrive all in which was inside their advertised expected schedule for shipping to UK and i wasnt in a rush. I kept it under £135 so no VAT issues. Was pleased as not in stock elsewhere that I could see and they were a good price.

Nice dump in Fife. Pitmedden forest just now

Crazy cheap Montane Prism at sportshoes.

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/mon2626/montane-prism-jacket/#sku-mon2626

Get an extra 15% off here too:

https://xd.wayin.com/display/container/dc/8685855f-ea2f-49e8-9b3d-05b17f3ae9f5/details

£42.50 all in

@docrobster It’s decent. I think the volume really helps. Its like a mini fat bike if you run it at lowish pressures. It’s defo more a dry trails combo but can cope with a bit of mud unless its steep.

Another vote for Mezcals. Took a punt on the 29 x 2.6 in that PSA mentioned above and have been so impressed with them for a quick summer tyre. Running them front and rear on my big dog. Fast, supportive, grippy in the dry (not great in the wet).

I distinctly remember last spring when I fitted them in place of a pair of minions and it feeling like I had pedal assist!

You can do a nice loop including chatel. Super morzine / Zore, play about there, then a short XC ride to Avoriaz. XC red trail to Lindarets. Lift up to chatel. Play about in chatel (which is superb as noted) and then you can XC trail and a bit of road to Montriond and then along the river back to Morzine.

I’ve always worn Chanel Platinum, ironically after getting a whiff in a copy of FHM back in the day. I only wear it now and then eg a nice meal out, so a bottle lasts years. But because I only wear it on special occasions it instantly makes me think of nice times and positive memories and so I like as much for that as anything.

Just had one a few hours ago. Blocked and deleted so can’t check exactly what it said now but the grammar was hilarious. We’ve literally just come out of covid isolation too so it could’ve seemed more genuine with that timing if not for the obviousness of the wording.

Literally what its worth to you and if that fits with him.

We bought some garden land from a neighbour in our old house. We wanted a bigger garden and they were getting on and struggling to manage their large garden. We paid £4k plus their solicitors fees and the new fencing. Total about £8k. That felt about right to us for the benefits. Much more and we wouldn’t have bothered.

It would be one from Dave’s diner that was on Lewes Road in Brighton when I was a student. Epic greasy spoon with variations of full english breakfasts all numbered. A No.1 was the go to after a big night out as I remember.

Cheers. Ordered a pair for my daughter

commiserations. (as a north east fifer i can say that).

I meant north west fife. Basically Pitmedden. I like it here! 😂

In north east fife here and it was really bad at 6-8am. We only lost a couple of glass panes from the greenhouse in Arwen but this morning we’ve lost a couple of roof slates and loads more garden paraphernalia blown around than we had in Arwen. I think Pitmedden will have loads more trees down sadly

There’s no way I’d take an Ardent over a dissector

Suspicious cat is suspicious.

Council knows of big repairs coming and wants as many tennents in the block off their books as possible to minimise their exposure ?

Did cross my mind

Thanks for the responses, i’ll try and cover some of the questions below.

@the-muffin-man No offence taken, your overall points were valid and have been echoed by others.

It would be leasehold with a 125 year lease at £10pa

Below is the statement in the offer letter about expected costs from maintenance and repairs etc

I’ve no idea why the offer has come forward to be honest. I’ll try and find out a bit more on that.

The whole issue of the benefits of remaining a tenant are very valid and it definitely has made me reconsider if its the right thing, but ultimately its my Dads decision and just trying to help him with the money side of things. I’ll have a discussion though and put those points to him.

Again, appreciate the replies.

Sorry @Jekkyl. Crossed over with your post. Sounds promising will dig deeper and thanks for offer of help. 👍

@the-muffin-man I’m not in any way interested in this as something I may benefit from. My dad has never had a pot to piss in and I have gone through life never expecting for one minute I may ever get an inheritance and have built my life accordingly. This has come out of the blue is about whats best for him. However I take your other points about care costs etc. it does need thinking through, but on the face of it, it seems silly not to take the offer at such a discount.

In regards to the value. Its in a good area of south liverpool (allerton) and so even though the estate itself isnt the best, I would think £96k could well be right.

I’ll look into a joint mortgage maybe but wasnt sure on that with already having a mortgage myself.

Lovely bike and the badge is a class touch