Further googling shows London bin men to be on the higher rates but it includes 'contractual overtime payments' – no mention of how many hours overtime that is for though.

From the Local Govt Careers website:-

Entry Requirements

No academic qualifications are usually required for loaders and drivers. Loaders must usually be over 18 and drivers over 21. Drivers require the appropriate HGV driving licence. Supervisors often work their way up through the ranks, but it may be possible to start as a supervisor with four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) or equivalent.

Training is usually on-the-job and includes safety awareness, manual handling, health and safety, protective equipment, handling needles and customer service for loaders and drivers. Supervisors may work towards an HNC or NVQ/SVQ level 3 in waste management.

Estimated salary range

Salaries for full-time refuse loaders are likely to be between £11,000 and £17,000; for refuse drivers £15,000 to £20,000 and for supervisors £17,000 to £25,000.

Benefits would probably be nearly as much as those on the low end of the scale, perhaps we should be applauding them for turning up at all.

Yeah,

privatise the service like my local in Calderdale – (sarcasm mode on) it's improved vastly since that happened (sarcasm mode off).

EDIT

BSc Applied Nutrition

No retraction just CBA

CBA

I'm thankful to the smokers out there – they provide the funds for my medical treatment (way in excess of their cost to the NHS), then drop dead at 60 so don't leach off the pensions fund.

The people we really need to sort out are teatotal, non-smokers who walk and cycle everywhere, don't own a car and stay fit.

Those feckers pay next to sod all in taxes throughout their life, use the NHS for their self inflicted exercise related injuries, remain a burden on the NHS by requiring loads of age related care and live to be 100 y/o needing 30 plus years of pension.

I'm thankful to the smokers out there – they provide the funds for my medical treatment (way in excess of their cost to the NHS), then drop dead at 60 so don't leach off the pensions fund.

The people we really need to sort out are teatotal, non-smokers who walk and cycle everywhere, don't own a car and stay fit.

Those feckers pay next to sod all in taxes throughout their life, use the NHS for their self inflicted exercise related injuries, remain a burden on the NHS by requiring loads of age related care and live to be 100 y/o needing 30 plus years of pension.

Schwalbe have said you can only use their sealant as have Hutchinson, I believe.

Maxxis tyres have been reported to fail a lot in this way on MTBR and people have not had warranty claims honoured if they used sealant.

To my mind the benefits of UST tyres would not be great enough without using sealant.

Personally I think that FC have got what they wanted – car park packed full to bursting the few times I've been.

I think the trail is OK for youngsters – my youngest loved it (8 years old) but has moved on to slightly harder stuff now.

My favoutite 2 bits are those snaking through the trees (christened 'Narnia' and 'Back of the Wardrobe' by my kids). Mind you, we rode them in an extended dry period, I could imagine they're a claggy nightmare now it's wet.

May visit again when it's dry again but it's 60 miles for us so we'd have to really be doing something else as well such as GoApe.

However much you can get them to pay her to ride it.

Actually you can't go wrong for 10-30 quid – if it gets nicked after a month it's cheaper than a bus pass.

Did either of you get served by that new OAP they have working for them?

That bloke who rides road bikes a lot?

So when the lasses and ladies in my unit perve over celebs, the fireman at the station round the corner, the bloke who comes to test the fire alarms or any goodlooking lad when we go out together do the same rules apply?

Are they disgusting letches too?

Nowt more crude than a group of nurses on the town.

They are good, aren't they

I feel proper left out, my renewal quote was the lowest I could find – 43 y/o, Mondeo petrol, never claimed and still a touch over £300 fully comp, legal assistance, protected bonus etc.

thought I'd be able to ring round and get it near £200 but no chance.

So because of all the good things they've done in the past, that gives them the right to do whatever they like now? Any contempt most of us have (I'm speaking for myself here) isn't towards the ordinary workers, but the unions and their support of uneconomic practices.

Not at all, but without some form of representation I reckon workers rights will be constantly eroded in the future, just look at private sector pensions – and for some reason many peoples solution is not to try to improve their pension rights but erode other peoples who are still protected.

I think corporate robbing of company pensions and cutting of schemes is the thin end of the wedge and there will continue to be lobbying to reduce sick pay, holiday entitlements etc. as they are uneconomic.

For a business the best thing is for their workforce to have no rights so they can hire and fire at will – you go sick you don't get paid, off for more than a week (example) then you're fired.

Recently saw this with a guy who's wife has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and they have a severely disabled daughter – his boss said 'I employ you not your family, work as usual or you're sacked'.

Personally that's not a world I particularly want to live in.

And in the past sick pay, holidays and those other benefits were considered 'uneconomic', and in reality they are but I think we're better for them.

Thing that worries me is if Ton dies on a ride what the hell would his partners do – bugger to bury him due to the size of the hole, but probably easier than trying to carry him off.

Couldn't leave him to rot cos he'd attract vultures from Africa.

Find the anti-union stuff really funny – most all the protection and benefits all of us have are because of unions – sick pay, holidays, safe working conditions.

Sure they are a bit anachronistic at times but I believe that merely allowing market forces to dictate employer/employee relations could end up in a bad deal for all of us in the long term (though I could be wrong).

Also find it interesting that theres loads of sympathy on here for bankers, marketers, IT bods when they get sacked or shat on yet just contempt for less skilled and public service workers.

Pretty normal dog behaviour.

Obviously she was not happy about something (and don't blame yourself – it could just have been because she was freaked over having pups) and this is something dogs (and most other mammals) sometimes do.

Don't try to put human values on the dog, she will always behave like the wolf she actually is under the thin veneer of domestication.

Would have to be red, both models have come in Red though I think the standard Inbred in red has track end type dropouts.

IIRC the downtube and toptube are the same thickness on a 456, thinner toptube on an Inbred.

HTH

It may still be a 456

456 only have Inbred decals on, nothing on them to say it's a 456

What colour is it?

IdleJon,

Don’t be such a ****, I was merely giving an extreme example, I have managed to break my sternum and collarbone and walked out, had concussion, whiplash, broke both my thumbs and various other injuries. Also hit my pedals on my shin last year at SITS (extreme riding or what) and actually got cellulitis necessitating antibiotics at 4mg per day for 2 weeks (can you say shit through the eye of a needle), and nearly missed a weeks riding in Scotland.

Have been to proper remote mountainous regions and met loads of mountaineers and experienced mountain folk.

Suprisingly, none of them say ‘just take a mobile phone and let someone else sort it out if it goes wrong’

Lack of personal responsibility really pisses me off.

Dickheads in the hills with **** all kit always wanting someone else to sort it out get on my nerves.

Sick of posting on here with all the tossers, cept for the classifieds I think I’ll be giving it a miss from now on.

And the tramadol really helped for the walk outs too.

I carry a small first aid kit to make little injuries more comfortable for the rest of the ride.

And some F – off strong pain killers for if I break something big and may be waiting a while for help.

Also, remember Alan Hinkes (mountaineer) – few years ago he grazed his arm scrambling in the Peak, didn’t bother to clean the wound and nearly lost his arm due to cellulitis and septicemia.

Quick wash and dressing may have prevented it – according to him and the docs, not me.

I love my straightlines cos the platform cannot come off the axle.

Pedals using sealed bearings seem to all use the integrity of the bearing to hold the pedal on the axle so if the inner and outer races seperate the bloody thing slides straight off.

Had this on last pedals, it hurt a lot and left me riding 12 miles on the axle.

Straightlines have 2 retaining systems so even if one goes the other will keep the pedal on.

You do get play, but in and out not up and down, as the spacers wear – just put some fibre/plastic washers in and all is good again.

Similar situation to what happened at our kids previous school, school simply opened gates at 8.30 as usual but did not open classrooms until 08.55, the official start time, and requested that parents did not leave their children unattended until this time.

As others have said, lighten up, it’s hardly the crime of the century.

If, for example, you’re car breaks down one evening and you’re an hour late picking your kid up will you expect them to be sat on the pavement outside, in the dark and alone cos ‘official responsibility was over’.

TTS is a big pussycat really.

Mind I wouldn’t want him to get mad with me :-)

See from Duckmans profile he does some boxing as well.

*wanders off humming ‘eye of the tiger’*

And as to the Rugby the Southern hemisphere sides do seem to have a novel interpretation of rules, it’s not like we weren’t aware of it before we went.

bomberman,

Felt I had to comment over your self rightous anger at the others.

Firstly, I think the others were making a general comment that watching this footage was voyeuristic by many who viewed it – I do not think they were telling us that it was voyeuristic to them.

Secondly,voyeurism is the act of watching something for some sort of gratification.

NOT sexual gratification or for pleasure in all cases.

For example, you could watch it for the gratification you get from improving your understanding of the harsh political and military regime which exists in Iran.

The main problem seems to be that a word has numerous meanings, you choose one of those meanings and believe that when others use the word they are using it in the context you use it in.

Happens a lot on here.

As for the actual incident, people die horribly all over the world every day, often to ensure we continue to get access to cheap goods and resources.

It is a shame for that person and their family but not unusual.

To read and hear the comments you’d think no-one ever died unjustly and that this young woman was the first.

Get the proper DT5.1 rimstrip kits and you also have the option of using UST tyres.

Of course the conversion kit costs more than the bloody rim (and is a complete rip-off) but it does work well.

As I said they’re talking about if you don’t have a signal from your network there may be one available from another network, only may be NOT definately, for emergency calls.

As jonb said, I believe, for instance you may have no reception for your network eg vodaphone but someone with Orange would have.

Dialling 112 or 999 on a Vodaphone handset can access the Orange network.

Unless this is an urban myth thats common around the uk.

MI5 will be visiting you in the small hours.

Alternatively it doesn’t work at the other extreme either – running tyres at 60 psi rather than 30.

Mind you I’ve always been confused as tyre manufacturers seem to reccommend running tyres at much higher pressures than people do in the real world.

As an example Conti advise running Mountain Kings at 50 psi – don’t know anyone who does.

Here

http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20mountainking.shtml

See above hh45 running 25psi, bet manufacturer recommends much higher.

I heard that too, bigsi.

Maxxis seem to see what tyre is really popular (eg, 2.35 Swampthing SP) then discontinue it.

cynic-al wrote-

mtber with something to prove eh?

My peak works fine on the road but Lycra is way better than baggies.

Not with my figure

In order,

I love the industrial fells of Calderdale and Kirklees

I love the beauty of the rest of Yorkshire

The many facets of English countryside are stunning as are numerous urban environments

I love Scotland and Wales for their wildness

Never been to Ireland but piccies show another beautiful country

I cannot say I’m particularly proud to be a Yorkshireman, Englishman or Brit, not because of the places but rather because of the people

We are an affluent nation compared to most yet seem to continually winge about our lot

If more of our combined wealth was used to make our nation better to live in rather than buy the latest plastic/electronic/mechanical marvel made in China, then I am sure I could be more proud of my nation as well

*gets off soapbox and heads outdoors*

I carry a a small kit with a couple of bandages, plasters, paracetamol, anti-sting pen.

Purpose?

Not to save someones life, need knowledge for that – I do have some experience.

So why do I carry it?

To make myself (or wife and kids) comfortable if we have a little mishap.

Cut my finger, would rather have a plaster on than have my gloves rub the bugger for the whole ride.

Bee sting – ease the discomfort a little.

Chunk out of shin on son – bandage to keep cleaner, provide reassurance that we can continue cos he’s been patched up.

Headache – paracetamol

So, no, it’s not really for emergenies – just to keep things going smoother if a minor mishap occurs.

Also carry some personal protection stuff, plastic for CPR, gloves, wipes – in case I have to do real first aid on someone.

Had to do CPR on someone last year and was liberally covered in various body fluids – she didn’t make it unfortunately.

SFB

IIRC its an IQ of 50 – 70, so the mildest category of LD – probably a mental age of 9-12 years old – so it would probably be understood, if not the exact meaning then the connotation.

Most folk of this level I know will have heard it as a derogatory term many times in their school life.

And it’s dumass, there’s no ‘b’

Was a good day for an old bloke like me – 3hr 21 mins.

Well done, RolfHarris off here 2 hr 16 mins and 6th – and he was disappointmed with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife is 5′ 4″ and has a 15 inch one of these

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/AMS-WLS-PRO_id_31115_.htm#anker

She has the seatpost at full extension, my son (4′ 10″) fits it with some standover when both feet on floor.

They call it a 15 inch but that is centre to top, centre to centre is a little over 13 inch.

Like this one

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Park-Park-Tools-FR8C-BMX-Screw-On-Freewheel-Remover-12958.htm