Mate looked at one when they came out – he reckoned the boot floor was too high to make the thing really useful.

We are all dooomed I tells you, doooooooommmmmmeeeeedddddd

Given that the Hairy Bikers shop in my local supermarket without hassle I suspect you won't really get any major fallout from adoring fans 😉 The soap star experience is very different (for what it's worth I was in: Braveheart, Chasing the Deer, Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and a few other odds and sods and have never been recognised… though prosthetics, false beards and wigs employed in said productions probably had something to do with it!)

Nearly ended up presenting an environmental show on the telly a couple of years back… it did cross my mind that I am so not that type of person, but the show itself and the projects that were being lined up were so interesting I thought… why not. Alas it got canned at the 11th hour 🙁

Considering an independant job at the moment too, more as a means to an end and doing something really fun than anything else 😉 So yes… go for it! Better to do that than always think "what if".

I'm sure the Cally used to have a bar… there was a night out at the Tech we used to go to back in the mid 90's, and we wouldn't have gone anywhere that there was no beer!

I think you just need to look a bit harder. The giveaway will be the beer taps 😉

Oh aye – the Imperial Stout is utterly magnificent!

They did a "special" Punk IPA for the Laid Inn Beer Festival in it's first year – man that stuff was magnificent! I can't remember how strong it was, but it packed more punch (and flavour) than the standard.

Not tried the 77 yet – I shall hunt some down at the next chance I get 🙂

Out of interest waihiboy… why does cutting out bread make a differenc when you still eat pasta? Still the basic same ingredients isn't it???

Skipping shop bought sarnies would be a good thing though, they tend to be loaded with mayo and the like.

I need to shift some lard myself, in the past I did so by going low fat in the diet (simply on the grounds that fat has more calories than carbs or protein), cut booze dramatically and did a LOT of exercise. Think I will try similar again, though the booze levels may remain a little higher! Just need the energy and motivation now!

Depends on what catagory the write off is. If it is a Cat C or D (I think) then you need to get it checked over after sorting it out. Can't remember the details at the moment but if you check out the bike forums they will give you all the information.

How big do you need???

Not really that expensive from this place, start at £3.87

Right – shall get onto the docs after next weekend (got a 3 day week this week, then off to Belfast on Thursday morning to do some dedicated iron consumption).

I don't *think* it's anything serious… but by the sounds of things it could be wise to get checked out!!!!

Wouldn't think it's depression – but it has been one hellish year and I don't know if it's just taken more out of me than I thought. The crappy weather has probably taken it's toll on my enthusiasm for stuff too.

Hmmm… perhaps should see the quack.

Nope, I very rarely bother with them after several bad experiences years ago (ie them not giving a damn about such little issues as high fevers after spending 4 months in the Amazon!)

Perhaps I should though.

Yep, that's what I was getting at Onzadog. Do the full training and test, have a restricted licence for 2 years and then get on whatever he so chooses.

Better than arsing about on a 125 for a couple of years on L plates IMO 😉 Unless the OP intends to only ride a bike for a bit until he can afford a car, though I would still say full training and test would be worthwhile!

At 17 I wouldn't do DAS, just do the restricted A licence as soon as you can. You aren't going to be able to get a big bike for a couple of years anyway and the insurance would kill you anyway! But it would mean no L plates, which is better than hiding them in random places like most the kiddies around here do (under the rear mudguard or wrapped and taped around the fork stanchion… why????

Just make sure you are wearing comfortable and stout gear and you will be fine. Listen and do as you are told. It's a doddle and quite a bit of fun 🙂 But do carry straight on and do your full licence – look at the youngsters around here on L plates and their riding is pretty shocking!

Ulverston

Good – Pubs… and the Lake District is just over –> there 😉

Bad – If you go just over –> there, the tourists really get on your nerves by driving everywhere at 20mph and slow for every corner and oncoming vehicle (or stop if it is larger than a Micra… on a normal single carriageway road ffs – if it was a singletrack lane I could understand it!)

Wotcha mate – long time no see and all that.

I kind of drifted away from the club due to working way off in the Lakes and just generally being too knackered to do anything when I was home. Then moving out to Doune didn't help… and then abandoning ship altogether and relocating to the Lake District. It's a great shame, the club always used to be such a welcoming group of people and a lot of fun – I of course include you in that!

Motivation has been in short supply with me of late too, so I know what you are on about (I think I have managed to get out two or three times in the last year!). No idea what to suggest, but if you are down this way ever then give me a shout as I am always more than happy to share some fine single malt with your good self 😉

I really need to fall in with a bunch of reprobates in the old SBC mould down here… miss that camaraderie you know! I keep thinking I need to get at least some fitness behind me again first though – took a ride up the local hill t'other day (erm… cheeky trails stylee) and minced my way down in a deeply embarrassing fashion! And this is no North Third we are talking about here… infact I suspect Dumyat or even the Wally Molly would look like a World Cup downhill course in comparison (well… maybe not – it was perhaps about the same level of complexity as the Monument… about the same hight too!)

Anyway – email is in profile (I think), keep in touch mate 🙂

Was going to say – I had been swithering about going for a Rancillio Silvia myself (I just couldn't justify the expense last time), kept looking… almost about to buy (which would have meant keeping the grinder, naturally)… and then accidentally ordered a Jura bean to cup job instead! Well, I came into some unexpected cash, and have always wanted a Jura 😉

(Even a cheap one like I ordered!)

If you want to spend less (plug time)…. I am trying to sell my:

Ascaso Arc (full metal construction with brass boiler – it's a step up from the small Gaggia in construction terms)
&
Rancillio Rocky grinder (very, very, very good indeed)
&
Reg Barber tamper (deeply posh coffee squishing!)

I was looking £280 for the lot, but am open to offers 😉

(it's in the Classifieds bit too, but several pages down now)

The trick is to avoid the bits that are popular with walkers 😉

Or not go on a bank holiday weekend! The tourists really can hack you off around these parts – we seem to attract more than our fair share of selfish and ignorant types. Whether they think no one actually lives and works in the region, and everyone is on holiday (hence no need to let you past on the road where there are no/few overtaking opportunities) or they just don't care I don't know. It's the same on the fells half the time too.

In general if you avoid the immediate areas around Ambleside, Keswick, Windermere things aren't so bad. Coniston isn't as bad, probably as it is a bit further from the M6 and they can't be arsed to drive that far. For riding I always loved the South West corner – did a ride out of Coniston and once we hit Torver I don't think we saw anyone until we came back down Walna Scar on a Summer bankholiday one year, magic!

Otherwise try the far western fells (Eskdale, Wasdale etc), the Northern fells avoiding Keswick/Skiddaw or the far eastern side (Ullswater right down through Troutbeck, Stavely, and the eastern side of Kendal).

Sometimes I wish there were less holiday makers in these parts… but then there would also be less work for me. Ah well – guess I have to live with it. Off to Coniston now to see what has been dropped down the bogs at the campsite and fecked a pump!

Had something similar here back in December/January. Wierd shimmery lights in the sky snaking about the place (not straight like beams – wavy sides and not necessarilly straigh). Also got some pulsing spinning effects going. It was ace, gutted I didn't have my camera!

Figured it was a very, very weak aurora.

Bit rich complaining that someone is calling you a liar Goan when you have been accusing everyone else of the same when talking about their or their wives driving.

Diesel – not always easy to spot. Not even on a motorbike when I am watching the road like a hawk. At least you get to smell it on the bike (though by then it is usually waaaay to late to do anything other than try to make no sudden movements, which can be tricky when you tense up!)

Climbers Shop for me 🙂

(Though I do like Needlesports too)

I quite like TNF trail myself – not something for all the time, but it's a good easy option for just getting out there every now and again! Especially if the weather is a bit pants (but then it is only 15 minutes from the house to get there!)

Not been riding much of late though, and not since moving to the Lakes… and haven't yet done the Parkamoor descent. Really need to get my arse in gear!

But no – I wouldn't drive over from Leeds to do it. If you had a plan of a ride, got here and it was pissing it down then it makes a reasonable back up option (not tried Whinlatter yet myself either!).

Favourite descent in the Lakes is Ironkeld still, but that was just a perfect days ride several years ago now. Good company, good beer, good weather… aaaaah, halcyon days I tells thee.

I used to use a CK Masonry hammer – did the job grand (it was a fairly big fecker!) I had an old lighter one too – not sure where either are now… I think the hickory handle one may have been a proper geology job. I liked the masonry one though 😉

Overheating can be mitigated by a few things – overhangs on the roof, shading from direct sunlight etc. Thermal mass actually works magnificently in practice, not just theory. Spent ages testing all these things for my thesis see… and then moved from a 10 year old rented house that turned into a boiler to a 350 year old house that is superbly cool on hot days (especially downstairs where it has a slate floor!)

I just worry that people get so worried about heat retention and ease to get heat into a house quickly that they ignore possible ramifications of overheating in summer (through solar gain), and then decide to whack air con in to mitigate this new problem, thus rendering the whole exercise utterly pointless! Given how many air conditioning units are sold these days in a country that really has no need for them at all it would seem to be a pretty damn common problem!

I wouldn't insulate internally myself – you are throwing away thermal mass doing that (anything the other side of insulation doesn't count). This effectively makes your building a light weight structure, which means yes… it heats up fast… but it also cools quickly. Due to heating up fast it also becomes very hot in summer. It's a problem that many modern builds have, and one that is going to become ever more apparent as climate change takes hold.

I would probably insulate the roof big time as a first step, as you say. When you put in a new boiler stick in a hot water tank system (the new ones are fantastic things) that has dual heating coils in it – one attaches to your boiler and the second can be used for solar at a later date (if you are doing it all at the same time you could use a wood burner/pellet stove/woodchip boiler to heat the water rather than a gas boiler, which could work out cheaper to run in the medium term with rising gas prices). The solar hot water systems that attach to the second coil and keeps your tank brimming. Solar can be enough to run all your hot water needs pretty much all year if it is done right, and you don't run too many baths!

Wall insulation – I would be tempted to take off all the render (assuming that is the finish, most 1920's houses tend to be) and whack on external insulation panels. It's a bit of a nightmare but provides you with the U values you are wanting, whilst also retaining thermal mass. The alternative is to pump the cavity full of goo, I think 20's houses tend to be built with a cavity (my one in Stirling certainly was as a neighbour had it done!)

You really want to sort out the airtightness first though, that will make a bigger difference! I wouldn't necessarily replace single glazing with double in this process though – speaking from both an eco-hippy point of view and in energy terms it aint worth it! If windows need replaced then go for it, but otherwise don't bother (you use, surprisingly, additional power with double glazing – it's down to light transmission losses forcing lights to be turned on sooner!)

Oh aye – not sure how worthwhile breathable insulation is on your house – unless it has a breathable construction! If the mortar is cement then chances are there is little point worrying about it! If you have a nice old building with lime mortar then you absolutely want to worry about wall breathability otherwise you wind up with a damp house!

I would avoid Crap & Decker and DeWalt myself – they are both utter pants and overpriced. Go Bosch… Makita are good too – I use a big battery SDS one of theirs which just works great (unless you drop it).

Think I have killed 3 or 4 DeWalts in the last couple of years.

Know the feeling Mike – just moved from let to bought, the let was through an estate agent… and was suprised to get all the deposit back 😉

I had a pretty free hand of where to go in Cumbria – though south lakes is more convinient. Kendal would have been ideal… if it were cheaper!

Sure you will find something. I do some work up that way so will keep an ear to the ground (builders/developers/random folk… never know what may be turned up, though won't be in that part of the county in the next few days unless there is a call out!)

Found it a bit pricey when I was looking, hence went for Ulverston instead. Guessing you have been on Rightmove to have a gander?

I am a fair weather rider myself – when it's grim out there the car seems a much better plan 😉 That said I am out all year around and love riding on those bright sunny cold days! I did a run out to Leeds at the back end of winter, setting off at 8am with the sun just coming through. It was ace… -3 deg and I arrived frozen to the bone, but there was pretty much nothing else on the A65 all the way through 🙂

Good luck with the DAS, I didn't find it hard as such – just absolutely knackering! The ER-5 I was riding was utterly woeful which didn't help mind! These days I am knocking about on a Triumph Speed Triple which is a whole lot more fun! Thinking of changing it for something a bit more tourable at some stage, though probably not next year!

Motorbikes. They are ace!

Vango Venom

It's a little more expensive, but really very very good for the money.

Hope whatever it turns out to be gets sorted. The only thing I can say is to keep positive at all times, my Mum had a whole load of treatments for the big C last year/year before and is back to her old self again now. I think keeping positive was a huge help to her – she just didn't seem to dwell on it.

Get well soon 🙂

Anything that restricts where I can go in the countryside – I hate keep out/off/away signs that seem to be everywhere and threaten prosecution. If we had the same access legislation here that I used to enjoy in Scotland life would be much enriched.

If we could gain this freedom I would gladly give up another… there should be a minimum speed limit too. I get utterly, utterly hacked off stuck behind people driving around the Lakes at 20mph, slowing for the corners and NOT pulling into passing places/laybys to allow the snake of traffic behind to get past.

http://www.peak-imaging.co.uk

It's who I use for just about everything

Some places do a 3 day course, or did with the old test. I did mine over 5, day 1 being CBT. It's not the riding that is the problem, it's the learning of all the crap you need to pass the test and practicing all the daft manouvers that you will never use in the real world 😉

Best bet would be to take the CBT (if you haven't already) and perhaps go out with the instructor for a 1/2 day lesson and see what they suggest for getting you through the test!

Sounds like NZcol has much more productive advise! I shall bear that in mind for next time myself!

Yes – had something very much like that (described as being "kind of post viral fatigue syndrome") though it came from parasitic infection rather than viral. It lays you out something chronic, my girlfriend -at-the-times Dad had ME and thought it was something similar to that.

Erm… advice wise – can't really help there. I was at Uni at the time, and between this and malaria (the source of it all) I was off for most of a year. It dogged me for a fair while after that too, but that is because the NHS weren't overly interested in chasing down and sorting the malaria. I would suggest you find the underlying cause and get that sorted, then hopefully the fatigue will start to take care of itself.

Sorry… can't be more helpful, other than understanding what you are going through!

Cameo was always my favourite when I lived in Edinburgh… mmmm… Fraoch on tap…. Last think I saw there was Touching the Void!

I don't know… 1995 had some fantastic things happen that I wouldn't change for the world. Then through to 2000 there was the band, perhaps go back to that time so I could do less of the narcotics and more of the pushing things forward, who knows what we could have been.

I would certainly take the last 2 years back though.