But I don’t think there realistically is
There’s half a dozen liars then?

Sorry – should have expanded – what I was meaning is that it’s such a specific phrase, and one that I’ve not heard until now, that I think the likelihood of someone innocently using it is highly unlikely. Therefore any current use of it is more likely than not to be associated with trying to downplay racism.

You are also potentially familiar with the language used by people you’re in close contact with such as colleagues. This likely wouldn’t be a common phrase they’d previously used to describe anything and would therefore stand out as being something new they’d picked up from somewhere.

There’s at least half a dozen folk on this thread that could have used that phrase without it being offensive.

But I don’t think there realistically is. Can anyone remember  hearing this phrase prior to the recent attempts to downplay the racially aggravated violence? I’d therefore assume that any current use of it is synonymous with the aforementioned attempt to downplay racism/xenophobia.

or is it an option to exchange through the app in bulk and if I do this is the balance visible via the app separately to use than the main account

Yes. Really easy to do, just click on the exchange icon and exchange money from your GBP account into whatever you need. To then view your balance in other currencies just click the ‘Accounts’ icon on the home page, that’ll bring up an overview, then from there you can just click on the currency you want to view your transactions for. As above, make sure you’ve transferred money for a weekend spending to avoid increased fees.

But it will also stop him applying any pressure on Israel over Gaza, it will likely lead to him pulling support from Ukraine and/or appeasing his idol Putin, while undermining and potentially stepping back from NATO.

I think whilst both of these are possible outcomes, I think the biggest problem is the fact that Trump is such a narcissist that he’ll relish the possibility that it could be him that determines these outcomes. He’s not wise enough, or enough of a statesman, (and certainly can’t be told what to do), that he really appreciates or gives a shit about the outcome. The primary thing for him is that he holds the cards. The second thing for him is how much he’ll use the position to further contribute to his own wealth, just look at how many events etc were held at his properties and how much money got channeled into them.

Newbarns Stout on draft in their taproom (Edinburgh) is delicious 

Thanks again all, some great suggestions and v much appreciate you taking the time to send a reply.

Liking the sound of Luz Saint Sauveur so will search for some accommodation there. We may hedge our bets and book some stuff a bit further east too. I love cities and would happily mooch round them all day so would be keen to explore Toulouse, my partner a bit less so but will see.

Colp – thanks for the links, that place looks great. Google maps’ suggested route from Luz to Toulon goes past both Toulouse and Carcassonne so could be an option. We stayed in a really nice BnB in Raissac just outside Narbonne last year and visited Carcassonne on the way up to Dieulivol where we stayed for another week, but it was absolutely roasting (mid July) and my wife had really bad morning sickness so we didn’t get to explore loads. Found a great ice cream place up by the castle with a really nice garden out the back, so holed up there for a bit which was pretty ace. So may stay in that BnB again, but a bit of time to explore Carcassonne could be good.

Thanks all, will take a look at those suggestions. Will be staying in apartments rather than camping, as you say sites will be closed/closing down and would like something a bit more solid for a base with the little one, especially if the weather is a bit crap.

I did West Linton to Kielder in a day a couple of years ago, nice route https://strava.app.link/GVGOK2cvFM

Southern Upland Way, Borders Abbey Way, then Great North Trail. Did it on my gravel bike and it was fine.

Stayed overnight at the Pheasant Inn which knocks up a nice meal and a few ales, then cycled back up to Edinburgh the next day (followed the roads for that day).

Secan +1, absolutely love mine in both road and gravel guise

Some areas of Milan are quite nice, but the best part about it is how well connected it is to loads of other amazing parts of Italy. Lecco is quite nice, there are some great walks in the hills just outside it. I didn’t rate Como particularly highly. Turin is lovely, and you’re only an hour on the train from Bologna too.

This is a good microbrewery in Milan if you’re around Lambrate: https://birrificiolambrate.com/brewpub/

I did it from Chateauneuf du Pape so had a few km of warm up, but from Bedouin you should be fine. As above it’s pretty gentle to start with, and gradients are fairly constant, so you can warm up rather than be straight in to massive ramps.

What’s also odd is they’re only suing for 50k. I wonder if avoiding a jury is also about avoiding punative damages

From the BBC article it says “He is suing Disney for a sum in excess of $50,000 plus legal costs.”, so don’t know exactly what he’s suing for and whether that $50k is some sort of threshold. Be interesting (read: worrying) to see if this actually holds up; wonder if they’ve just chucked absolutely everything into the T&Cs and then just test whether something sticks should these situations arise. Poor chap.

Dutch guy headbutts Ollie Wood off his bike in the Madison…  nothing seems to have been done about.  It looked totally deliberate…

Definitely looked deliberate, wonder if it was a bit of a dig after Carlin’s move yesterday

Beth Shriever absolutely flying in the BMX heats

This is genuinely scary news. You can now go to jail for peacefully protesting about the most important thing going on in the world right now?

Not even peacefully protesting about it, just a Zoom call planning on peacefully protesting it.

Hehir ruled that the jury should not take into account evidence about climate breakdown, which the defendants wanted to point to as the key motivation behind their actions, and which they said provided them with a reasonable excuse for them. It’s a loaded deck.

Love my Secan, and the new ones (and the Straels) have modular dropouts so you can change hanger type which should future-proof them.

That said, if I was looking for something truly special, I passed this place in Gent recently and the bikes look absolutely phenomenal https://www.jaegher.be/

She’s made a rare appearance here in Edinburgh

If you click reset your password, the email generated doesn’t seem to actually contain a hyperlink to reset your password.

Managed to catch it live on TV with 60km to go, was such a great finish, Astana played an absolute blinder with their positioning, then Cav drew on the all those years’ experience to pick the right wheels and the right gaps then still managed to pull away. One win from two flat stages, with six more to go. He and the team are looking decent so can really see him getting another

Are there any bean to cup machines with two bean hoppers

Not sure, but I’ve got a Sage barista pro and between me and my partner we drink a mix of caf and decaf coffee (and mostly half and half blends) so I just buy a kg bag of each and store in large kilner jars and just weigh out what I need each time, it takes seconds to do. The only thing I find is the grind needs to be one setting coarser for new bags compared to when the coffee has been opened a while, but tastes about the same

I use a local roaster here in Edinburgh (Artisan Roast) and it’s about £23/25 a kilo for their house blend and their decaf which is excellent.

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-chili-recipe

This is a helpful site, explains the different chilis. I go with a mix of a few different ones, New Mexico, Ancho, Chipotle, toast them lightly first, then blend, usually with a few sun-dried toms too. I also use Ox cheek in there as it’s nice any tasty when slow cooking

again, Calibre were great for me

“Anyone here hate throwing things away ‘just in case it might be useful’?” My inlaws are like this and it drives me insane. They’re wonderful people, but it feels like they haven’t cottoned on to the fact that all their adult children have left home and they don’t need to hold on to the amount of crockery and general stuff that they do ‘just in case’.

I’m going though a big clear out at home at the moment as with a recent newborn we’ve accumulated loads of stuff, much of which has been generously donated, but, they’ve grown out of loads of things and I’m keen to de-clutter and pass on for others to make use of rather than hold on to.

England somehow always seem to be less than the sum of their parts.

Yep, Briancon or just over the border in Bardonecchia. Stayed in the latter and watched the tour at the top of the Izoard, then spent a few days cycling round there. Got the train to Modane which was just a few mins then did a route that took in the Telegraphe, Galibier, Montgenevre. We also did Mont Cenis. Sestriere and Finestre are also nearby.

It’s really easy to get to by train from Milan or Turin.

Artisan roast, this stuff is great. I’ve got a subscription for 1kg of this per month and 1kg of their Janzoon blend. So have full caf, decaf, and I grind a half and hand which is excellent

I know he can be a bit Marmite, but pre-baby my partner found Joe Wicks great, really tasty meals that you definitely don’t feel like you’re calorie counting, it’s just properly focusing on the balance of protein, carbs and fats. I just ate them too as they were delicious. There are also loads that you can batch cook which is a massive bonus if you’re short on time and also stops you reaching for easy junk.

That meal plan (I don’t really like the term ‘diet’ as it always sounds like you’re punishing yourself), combined with the HIIT workouts were excellent and she was able to fit those in as and when. His aim was also definitely not around losing weight, but toning up and losing inches – you take ‘before’ pics then check-ins every so often and she was able to really see the difference which is key (even though she absolutely hated taking pics of herself), checking in on scales every while is depressing as it doesn’t reflect changes to body composition. She’s just getting back into things now we’ve had a little one but it’s something she found really worked for her.

What about this beaut of an 850? Looks immaculate https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405280142649

Paramo velez light here, great bit of kit even after 12 years or so. I also have a Mountain Equipment Rupal and still finding myself reaching for the Paramo on occasion. Soft, comfy and really waterproof

Yep, works fine, I’ve got RS685s and I upgraded my old post mount ultegra calipers to new 8170s. I did need to change the hose from BH59 to BH90 though.

Volvo P1800

A few years ago I stayed with some friends in Bardonecchia, just over the French/Italian border, then cycled up and over to watch the tour at the top of the Izoard. Then had a few days cycling around the area, some decent climbs – Finestre, Sestriere, Montgenevre, Mont Cenis, we also got the train to Modane (only takes a few mins) and then rode Telegraphe and Galibier. Really nice food and wine in that area too. And an easy train to Turin for a rest day pottering about. Highly recommend.

I just got a Maap Atmos jacket after being fed up of getting wet and it’s been excellent (as you’d hope for the price, though I definitely didn’t pay full RRP). Packs up v small which I know wasn’t a requirement. Probably more on the road end of the road gravel spectrum

Waitrose Essential Malted Wheats are a million times better than Shreddies.

INH – if you’re still over there I can highly recommend Philippe at Maison Valentine Piquereaux just near Dieulivol for a wine tasting. It’s not a big outfit at all, far from it, but he did a great tasting for a group of us, he’s a former teacher and started making wine with his old friend. Really knowledgeable, and some great wine, all from nearby vines.

Yep, genuinely surprised at how few cars there were on the road when I did it in 2022.

They can’t be that nice if they’re not sorting something out for you.

I’ve got a Secan and have 3 sets of wheels for it:

• Over winter – Mason X Hunt 4 Seasons with 32mm  Panaracer Gravelkings, 11-32 cassette,
• Nicer weather – Parcours Strade with tubeless 32mm Conti GP5000S TR (which to be honest I’ve mostly been using) use the same 11-32 cassette as above.
• Gravel – Hunt Gravel X Wide with 42mm 700c WTB Resolutes, got a 11-40t cassette which I use with a Wolftooth roadlink and a different (slightly longer) chain.

I’ve not tried with wider gravel tyres, mine’s the version before the current one so I think you can run wider tyres with the latest version. I fine the 42mm Resolutes fine for most gravel stuff though.