fervoured – have you told your sister about the new girlfriend…

Pick a size that you want, look at a range of reviews of last year’s models and then buy.

Interested in these finance deals that allow you to pay it all back the next day with no interest charges. Things may have changed but last time I had a loan it allowed early repayment but you still had to settle the loan plus agreed interest.

That is to say a £5k loan may mean paying £6k back over 5 years. It allowed you to pay back the day after taking out the loan if you wished but it would still cost £6k. Is this the difference between unsecured (as mine was – from a bank) and secured against the motor that is being purchased?

Hammy, insulate with rockwool or a board type like cellutex?

Knowaste in the West Midlands are recycling disposables (and lady sponges) now or at least they were. Suspended operation whilst re-locating I think. Parts of Cheshire and Wales now offer kerbside collection of disposables and will ‘feed’ the plant.

They get shredded, sterilised and then filtered – plastics one way, cellulose another way. not exactly what the OP asked but anyway…

JGG – no, not necessary hence the request for alternative options. The weight however, is important for reasons mentioned above.

Cheers for all the replies! The weight thing is key for me as my kids are all skin and bone. Unlike Daddy…

I’d love to live in Loddrik’s perfect world (which I doubt exists beyond his grey matter). I agree with ‘some’ of his views but delivering them in such a sanctimonious fashion is laughable.

Parents have legal and moral responsibilities to do their best for their kids – trying to argue that one way to raise a child is better than another is pompous and arrogant. Common sense dictates what is right and wrong and will differ in each case. No one here is advocating ‘assault’!!

yunki – any suggestions for lighter bikes?

flatfish – that should be better actually.

When you all say legalise – are you suggesting some kind of system (perhaps Govn run) that sells it on the open market or just to de-criminalise it? I would be interested to know the impact on crime – obviously the organisations (illegal) that smuggle it will be reduced but if someone gets addicted to crack and can’t afford to buy it, surely they will still commit petty crimes to fund their habits? EDIT: Prescription of course, but that’s a different argument to legalisation across society.

Also, would we (as the UK), should we decide to legalise, be able to supply the drugs? Would we be allowed to grow / manufacture at home or would it be limited to authorised suppliers. Would we not need to retain regulation / law that relates to growing / manufacturing? If we didn’t, the UK would then become an exporter surely? We’d have cartels like Mexico / Columbia etc. Maybe an EU wide policy is needed?

I get the alcohol / tobacco argument and agree that health implications might not be any worse but I don’t think its as clear cut as most on here are suggesting.

Flatfish – I’ll measure her (the youngest) tomorrow to see if that’s viable. What would you be looking for for one of them? Email in profile if you can send me over a few details and perhaps a piccie? I’m Cheshire based. Would need to be great condition? Thanks

In an ideal world, I’d like to buy new. They deserve a treat! WIll look at 2nd hand Isla Bikes if no sensible options available. The Frogs look good but much closer to Isla Bike prices than Decathlon!

Agents will be history soon with all the online services coming through. Truly revolting people.

These things normally come with small print. There also seems to be about 5 million financial advisors in this country. Checking with either would have helped. If she was ‘mis-sold’ then get busy and get the cash back together with any interest that you would have accrued on that amount. No large organisation wants anybody kicking up a public fuss about mis-sold products at the moment…

How about compulsory dog training. No certificate, no dog & a fine. Won’t solve everything but might encourage a bit more thought before buying a dog. Bit beyond a licence type scheme and will at least ensure the “dangerous” dogs have had some training.

Personally I’d do it officially. Chances of getting caught if you go under the radar are slim – consequences if you were to get caught ‘could’ be severe. Mortgage company could get arsey, insurance might get cancelled / declined – all of which have potential future implications. Plus there’s the often over looked aspect of tax avoidance and fraud (potentially and dependent on circumstances). If it were a toff / celeb avoiding tax or an MP flipping homes, how would you react to that?

You could always agree a rent at the low end of market rate for your daughter if helping her out is a primary aim here. You can use any profits from the rental (should there be any) to upgrade your home for when you eventually return thereby negating any tax liabilities. Not sure about your daughter’s job security but if she were to lose a job and claimed housing benefit there are rules I think that prohibit her from renting from relatives. That may be different if she’s already in-situ when she loses the job.

That said I have friends that flout all mortgage clauses even to the extent of converting a single house into flats and renting part of the property out. Unless you default, the mortgage company are not going to come looking…

How odd, I was just about to post asking for routes from Sheringham as I’m staying there next week.

Kunstler – any suggestions? I’m staying on the sea front right next door to the golf course. I’ll be on my own for the rides and they will likely be at night if that makes any difference.

Name and shame them at the club. Or at least threaten to.

I agree with above – planning in this country has no consistency applied to it. Without more detail about the surrounding area it is hard to judge what impact the OP’s example has but we have bitter experience of crooked developers. We bought a flat in a converted mill having seen the plans for the development – all character materials, facilities, bridge over the canal, footpath into the village blah blah.

Developer ignored everything, built as cheaply as he could and failed to finish all the facilities. He’d already sold the flats by then so couldn’t give a toss. As the building was listed, the council then took the position that to change all the faults would be the responsibility of the council and residents! That’s one thing but then he applies for more consents in the same village and gets them! System is run by amateurs.

I ended up with Home Protect – came up cheapest on GoCompare. Shocked just how much bikes are worth when you add up all the RRPs of components!

Going through Quidco would help a little.

Lower official car park fees (or free) and hugely increase fines for illegal parking. Making more high streets pedestrian only is a better way of bringing people into shop.

Its not as if a car has 20 keys – why the hell don’t the parents just lock away the 1/2 keys and take some responsibility themselves?

One of the best things we have bought! Ours is a simple (Bush I think) set-up but two kids can watch different films if they want to. We got headphones but unsure as to the wisdom of subjecting kids to hours of that so have to bear the noise. They still nod off after an hour or so!

Its a rare example of Americans being able to laugh at themselves. Not for kids.

http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleAdvert/Hyundai/I40/410640
http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleAdvert/Mazda/3/419304
http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleSearch/Toyota/Urbancruiser
http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleAdvert/Volkswagen/Touran/415618
http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleAdvert/Ford/C-Max/413863

http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/VehicleAdvert/Ford/C-Max/414599

Any one of these will do. You’re welcome.

Whatever is half price in Tesco

Went to Southport once, the kids cried and there was a chav with a six-pack tattoo on his belly. About summed it up for me…

THanks – couple of good options there

I’ll take that as a ‘no’!

Re-gas it is!

2009, never been done as far as I know.

Getting all Samuel L Jackson on the staff will rarely get you anywhere but I have real sympathy for the OP. I’d be pissed off after that chain of events.

CFH – nice little anecdote but totally irrelevant. Its very easy to be relaxed travelling in Club and on the company expense account – this was the OP’s holiday FFS.

Having just been thorugh the GoCompare site the cheapest is Home Protect – never heard of them, anyone using them?

M&S came up at 1291 with all the bikes added above the new 2k limit. It was 529 before!!

OK – solutions…I have AS and need various meds on a monthly basis. I won’t get the meds unless I have a blood test every four weeks. I understand the principles behind this but when I get offered a blood test “next one is a week on Thursday at 9.15am…yes, that’s all there is”. OK – i’ll have to take time off work so can I book the following one at the same time and get a more convenient option? “No, you can only book 2 weeks in advance”!!

Various GPs at the surgery didn’t particularly care. However, I was due a review and a locum called (she was S.African and had no idea why she was calling). I explained the predicament and told her that I had asked for a pack of blood forms from the GPs on numerous occasions so that I could just rock up at the hospital and have the test done there – no taking up space at the surgery or having to call for appointments etc. She simply said good idea and couldn’t believe the resident GPs hadn’t agreed. Two weeks later I had a pack of forms and now its massively more convenient for me and the practice. Moral is – we need more South Africans in the health service.

gonefishin – try telling the ‘locals’ that about Sellafield, jobs trump NIMBYism in many parts of rural coastline. Abersoch maybe not…

The deep bit is a good point, preferably without too many sandbanks around.

What’s your receptionist like? Middle aged Rottweilers all of them. They demand to know exactly what’s wrong with you before using their self determined medical superiority to deny you an appointment. If you do get through the telephone interrogation and razor wire that they all place out front shortly after the docs arrive, then its a ritualistic torture period of having to stand and stare at their backs whilst they finish their chit chat with colleagues before pointing a flabby finger at the touch screen that you are supposed to use, without so much as a greeting. Of course you can’t use this as you’d have to wait behind the 90 year blind woman that’s feeling along the wall to find it as the receptionist has already shouted at her to do.

Btw if a doc put me on a timer, he’d be tick tocking all the way home that night…

I find it a bit odd that after many hundreds of years of taking, keeping and giving away bits of the planet that aren’t ours that this discussion arises now. Surely even the tories couldn’t be that stupid!

Who was the source of this story? Wouldn’t surprise me if it turns out to be an irritating little flab ball with a fishy name. Game playing on a huge scale – he moans of English arrogance and elitism and then happily puts his fat arse in a comfy chair of the Royal Box of whatever sporting event takes his fancy!

If the Scots go it alone, surely it’d be best to move the subs south? Jobs and investment into a rural coastal area doesn’t sound too bad to me.

I’m glad its not only me that sweats like a pig! “Nun in a cucumber patch is one for the future!!”

I’ve got the same dilemma only for an important meeting rather than an interview. White shirt is a given but I’ve resigned myself to the ‘carry jacket and put on at the door’ advice. The tube is revolting at this time of year.