That aside, you do not typically reduce the term of a mortgage by overpaying. With most mortgages, overpayments count towards reducing the monthly payment (smaller capital, repaid at x% over your fixed xx year mortgage). The term will only be reduced when you re-mortgage / re-negotiate.

Sorry, thats just incorrect. You agree with the mortgage lender an amount you want to borrow, the rate and length to repay – that gives you a monthly figure. Regular overpayments don’t mean the monthly figuire is recalculated every month – you just stop paying the same fixed monthly fee earlier.

They would have to continually refer to Cabinet members links to business/banking/retirement jobs/donations/etc.

Don’t they have to be careful throwing stones in that particular glass house?

Interested in this as we’re going to have our patio doors replaced soon, wondering about pros and cons of sliding patio doors compared to bi-folds. Contemplating having a set made to measure and installing them myself, can’t be that hard shirley? I imagine there’s huge variance in quality, any recommendations?

Sliders are half the price of bi-folds when we looked around.

Bifolds also can’t be massively wide (approx 1000-1200mm if I remember), the frames are pretty chunky too and we looked into the blinds built into the glazing – by the time you add all that up there wasn’t a massive amount of glass really.

We had 8 metre span to cover so ended up with two fixed panels at the ends and two big sliders opening into them. I’m happy with them and though we were wanting the bi-folds to start with I think it was the best choice for us. For a smaller gap it might have been 50/50 on slider or bifold.

Get her to the docs – there is a form you fill in that they give you ranking things like sleep, stress, suicidal tendencies etc. – they can get some indication from the scoring system on the form, even without her having to do the full sob story to the GP if she doesn’t feel the need to do that just yet.

Are the Saudi’s flooding the oil market with cheap oil to try and destroy US Shale oil production?

This but replace US Shale with Iranian oil supplies.

Thought I heard they were legally obliged to report it?

I do like dbPoweramp, especially watching each core doing a separate conversion from FLAC to MP3 simultaneously!

I’ve just done what fisha described to my house but in cat 6 cable as it doesn’t cost much more than 5e and provides a bit more future proofing.

Sure I’ve read it somewhere, can’t remember the details but sure it was something like running cat6 cables into a cat5 sockets was actually worse performer than straight cat5 thoughout.

Having your mouth open at the wrong time when the projectile vomit came…

Interesting. I thought from the other stuff that’s come out that they had Coe firmly in their sights.

I suspect that wording was a warning shot across the bows.

Guy at my work called Euan Kerr.

Why would you, seriously?.

Pah, we actually had a Wayne Kerr at work.

Used to work with a guy called Richard Dipper, who used Dick for his first name.

The Citizens Income would be a fixed amount paid to everyone, equal to that which allows a person, without special circumstances, to live.

Special circumstances may include disabilities, care for dependencies (like children) etc. Those things will still need to be assessed and paid.

Surely that pretty much what we have now – everyone (admittedly unemployed only) gets JSA, and if you need additional disability benefit it gets assessed?

Its feels like a good idea, I just suspect the ‘special circumstances’ would just add up to the same complicated system we have now. Whilst I agree the current assessment system for disabilities is pretty ridiculous, if it wasn’t there whats to stop everyone just claiming it?

Always worth checking the fees for the two year deals, some where extortionate when we were looking – products with worst headline interest rate figures worked out better as they had lower fees.

Personally if you are reasonably comfortable that mortgage is do-able I’d go for a longer term fixed rate but that’s just me.

As someone says above – some you win, some you lose – it’s all a bit of a gamble.

What policies do people think would give Labour a chance in the next election? Or what policies would you like Labour to be putting forward.

Making the usual suspects pay their taxes is a winner for most I think.

I’d be interested to see if something like having a state owned and run bank (and I’m not talking about Lloyds, TSB etc..)/utility company/<insert particular business> could be run against current private industries. Probably a compromise against the full “nationalise everything” stance.

I think much of the problem is just getting away from the JC bashing and actual discussion about his current proposals. Labour are not helping themselves in that respect. To be fair, the media aren’t helping either but it’s a better story for them than a wishlist that isn’t (potentially) going to happen for another 4.5 years.

Are the more fancy Shimano Freeza rotors only Centrelock? Thats about as much of an advantage I can think of…

I know, Grum, thats my railway, you’re preaching to the converted here!

I was more trying to point out the aggressive labeling of people with a different opinion doesn’t win them over.

If you walked up to me, told me I was as thick as mince then you would be unlikely to get me to look at your facts to prove it.

Well you have to admire the Tories’ spin machine for making sensible things like state-owned railways seem like the beginning of a Stalinist tyranny, while you marvel at the stupidity of the British electorate who routinely vote for things which are directly opposed to their own interests, apparently stuck in a time warp of forelock-tugging and blindly doing the bidding of the gentry.

But some ‘stupid’ people still remember national strikes crippling state-owned industries so maybe they think (rightly or wrongly) putting them back into state-ownership would result in something similar again, so maybe they are thinking of their own interests (i.e. they need to go to work, have electricity etc.).

Its that kind of “I know better than you” attitude that did for the Labour at the last election.

What will happen is that large numbers of the PLP will be deselected, will form their own party (the SDP?)

No it won’t. I think this is the fundamental problem in Labour today – the two parties seem intent on splitting apart but both want to retain the Labour ‘name’ because most of their voters tick ‘Labour’ on the voting slip, rather than in-depth knowledge of the actual MP themselves. The ‘other Labour’ party will be political suicide.

The only MTB stag do I went on was a C2C, with an overnight stop in Alston. Bearing in mind it was only something like September they were having their annual Christmas party that night! Something about getting snowed in over Christmas itself. ‘Twas getting a bit rowdy when we retired from the pub, 100+ tanked-up local lads and just a couple of girls wasn’t a recipe for a quiet relaxing night sipping cocktails at a quiet al fresco table…

Did Carrie Fishers face ever move during the entire film? Words seemed to come out without any visible movement…

Deffo the second savings account linked to the current account.

a) you can pay any money directly into the savings acct so the kids will have to do the leg work to shift some out into the current account
b) means you can limit the amount in the current account too so thats your hard stop in terms of cash being taken out
c) gets them used to the concept of earning interest, even the miserly amounts these days, and they might get savvy with best accounts for interest.

Schwalbe are the usual top tip for commuting tyres, though I’m not sure their Marathon range is in 27.5″ format yet, though I’m sure I’m probably wrong.

Probbly a bit of an expensive option, but if you’re running narrower tyres you could probably sneak a set of 29er wheels in there, and then the world is your oyster for 700c commuting tyres…

Expensive/light shoes are a mistake for a heavy occasional runner. (BTW what do you mean by tall/heavy? I am 195cm and 80kg.)

I’m about 197cm / 89kg.

hammyuk – interesting read – the intention is to try and train myself back to more of a forefoot strike. Especially as I’m starting again from scratch. With long legs I’ve always had a lopping stride when running (but funnily enough a high cadence on a bike…).

So as long as I find a decent comfy pair I don’t have to worry about anything else. Couch to 10K here I come!

Just don’t expect
a) any neighbours to bother when the alarm goes off
b) get any meaningful discount off your insurance premiums

Surely thats a deposit for a couple of buy-to-let properties isn’t it?

Runs away and hides…

I don’t really care what we call it, but I’ve just taken delivery of a bright orange On-One Bish Bash Bosh and it looks fantastic! Shame mrsnickb is at work and I’m at home looking after the kids… might require a cheeky evening ride!

Oooh, tell me how you get on with the BBB – I’d just spotted it the other week and very tempted. Possibly a bit too spendy for me but ticks all the boxes for the N+1 bike…

If you can stick to the strip then it’s a bit of a ‘spectacle’ but you might get a bit of entertainment with the toddler – some nice fountains dancing to music, watching people on gondolas in one of the hotels etc.

I’d suggest an onver-nighter to the Grand Canyon but that’s probably not a toddler destination either.

The latest trend in road rims (i.e. wide) are the same with as some of my old 29er wheels!

As long as the brakes can handle the extra girth there is no reason a 29er rim shouldn’t work are a road bike rim. Bit heavy duty maybe.

Bluearsedfly – you haven’t used the word ‘appears’ enough. As in

It appear not to have any damp.
It appears not to have any structural cracks.
It appears to have working central heating.

Seen so many get out clauses in surveys it does make me wonder if they are worth the money getting the ‘better’ ones.

A certain bike company did something similar last Christmas (don’t they all?) – £50 voucher with any purchase of a groupset from 1st Jan. Funnily enough, come 1st of Jan the groupset costs went up remarkably by £50…

Don’t some of the cheap decent Sony* BDP-S4500 bluray players do what you’re after plus have the benefit of playing DVDs/bluray too? Think that Sony one is £65.

* other brands are available

You’re limited a bit with the maximum cassette size the typical roadie/cx rear mech would work with.

I can’t remember exactly but I’ve a feeling even 9 speed MTB rears mechs don’t play nicely with 9 speed road shifters/stis (assuming its Shimano setup).

Rebuild rear wheel (or a new shiney one) set up for tubeless might be first move if you’re keen on tubeless. But might be worth deciding of going for rear disks is what you want as could be worth building up with disk specific hub too, for later upgraditis.

LifeLine USB 40 lumen.

£11 and rechargeable with USB. Brighter than you’d expect for 40 lumens.

Not been too keen on mine. Works okay, but getting the back off to access the USB port is a right pain – it basically relies on the silicon strap to generate enough friction to turn the metal (which it doesn’t on mine).

Yeah, what somouk said – there to plug your iPod straight in rather than more permanent fittings, though I do agree probably missed a trick not having one around the back.

Kinesis do a decent cheapish one with an alloy steerer.

Can (vaguely) remember a couple of years ago carrying a spare cream gateaux cake around with me from the office do as nobody had cut into it and it’d ‘be a waste not to take it home’. From piecing together events I must have managed to get it out of the building, through town and onto the bus all the way home intact. though I was very confused the following morning when I found a large cream cake splattered over the front door step and had no idea why. I suspect I’d reached my limit of cake balancing whilst trying to do it one handed and getting keys out of pocket to open the door.

Paypal gift…

Binners probably nails it.

Though for those late night moments when the youngest declares she needs to do a project for school the following morning I’ve had no real issues with my Canon printer. And it even keeps printing once the warnings start appearing from low ink (Epson, I’m looking sternly at thee, yes I know my cyan cartidge is only 50% full, I just want to print a f**** black and white letter).

Do not believe the daft TV programmes or magazines that have you believe it is all profit. I watched a few that costed repairs only, not the purchase and sale costs, claiming profit. Mrs_oab bought a few magazines that show it and cost up – but no cost of plastering, or new windows or heating system (which were clearly done) – just carpet and kitchens and paint. Don’t believe you can get a hose cheap, just because it is a doer upper. I bought a few, knowing what it would cost to do up. No profit, it just means I get a house done the way we want it, with new boiler, kitchen etc.

Several ‘do-it-up’ houses around ours actually went for more money than an identical ‘aready done’ version. Go figure. Local estate agent I know well said the raft of Sarah Beeney type programmes were driving prices up.

Obviously hindsight is wonderful thing, but probably worth a backup light front and back for such occasions too.