Which actual decongestant can you not take? Within the Sudafed range there are a number of different active ingredients. Pseudoephedrine works best for me whereas phenylephredrine is basically useless.

Steam is also good. Boiling water in a bowl (with Olbas oil in it) with a towel over your head.

You may need planning depending on local policies – some LPAs have policies to prevent – for example – loss of average-size’family homes’ where there is limited stock locally.

Managed to start the same thread a few minutes later…why is there no delete tool?

Anyway, bikes!

Who’s going and what will you be looking out for?

Worth an ask – does anyone (trade folk) have a pair of tickets going spare/cheap? Will swap for coffee/beer/cake… If not will buy on the door, assuming it won’t sell out.

I’m curious.. Who are these disabled people who will be ‘allowed’ to benefit from an ebike?

People with, in no particular order:

heart conditions
breathing difficulties (asthma/reduced lung capacity/other)
debilitating muscle disorders
damaged/malformed/incomplete limbs
fatigue related conditions that limit output
other things!

Not to mention those recovering from injuries (internal and external) to rebuild strength and fitness but outside and not indoors!

The beauty of them is that they offer access to the terrains and distance/duration of ride that otherwise may be beyond normal ability, yes you still need to have a certain amount of physical ability but the benefits and extension capabilities are very real.
Yep, exactly. There are many scenarios where an e-bike can help.
(I have ridden a couple of different e-bikes, hybrids not mountain bikes, belonging to family members. I don’t need one myself and am not involved in selling/promotion/whatnot.)

For those who keep describing people who use e-bikes as lazy/fat/stupid/etc, please try to be less ignorant.
I’ve got close family members with severe chronic illnesses who used to be keen bikers, they got seriously ill, recovered a little but they’ll never be strong enough to ride a ‘real’ bike again, and the e-bikes they bought have been absolutely brilliant – they’re now able to go out on the bikes for an enjoyable all-day pootle and the effort you do still have to put in is gradually helping with their health and fitness all the time. They aren’t motorised vehicles, they’re pedal assist and fairly discreet in appearance so I don’t see the access argument as a major issue – it’s not like anyone’s going to be bombing along a trail in a cloud of two-stroke.

People who are going to get genuinely upset that their Strava KOM’s been ‘beaten’ need to get a grip.

Waiting for a new 19″ to arrive on Monday! Found it at ukbikesdepot.com, nobody else seems to have any left in stock. Unfortunately it isn’t technically mine and it’s a bit big but I’ll be quietly borrowing it when he’s not looking.

Any tips for initial set-up?

56 plate 1.4 manual ‘sport’ here, and it’s awesome. Up to 75k with no issues, bar one brake that got stuck on a couple of years ago – fixed under warranty in the end. The one complaint is that it’s not particularly powerful but the newer engines are better. Amazing load space, we generally have it in ‘van mode’ all the time unless we’ve got passengers. Two bikes with front wheels off easily fit in upright or lying down. I don’t think the sport version (at least the era we have) has anything different technically but it has nicer seats and a better finish inside, obviously depending on personal taste.
The other great thing is that they’re one of the slowest-depreciating cars in the UK.

I’m not old and I’ve got poles for proper mountains – dodgy knees too. Couldn’t care what I look like – poles are a better look than scooting down the mountain in tears on my arse.

As an alternative to Leki, consider Mountain King – made in the UK if that’s important to you. Good value and very highly rated. I wanted the most compact ones I could get so have a pair of the Super Trekker Compact. They’ve got a twist-lock but it’s never failed on me. http://www.mountainking.co.uk/menu/22/Trekking/

Marmite.

The Royal! Love that pub. Almost my local when I’m at “home” aka the parents’ place. Left for the bar, right for the lounge. Best enjoyed in summer when you can sit on the terraces overlooking the Tamar.

The Springer Spaniel in Treburley does very good food and has a few local ales.

I wouldn’t recommend either of the pubs in Princetown as being particularly atmospheric but they do sell Dartmoor Brewery ales. You could also try the Warren House Inn if you like the sound of a diesel generator.

If you get nice weather I’d recommend the pub by the quayside in Calstock, that’s a lovely spot for a pint (but I can’t remember what they stock).

The Elephants Nest at Horndon used to be really good but I’ve not been there in a while. If you head east over the moor the Carpenters at Ilsington is also a nice pub.

Great pictures, thanks for sharing! Would love to see some floor plans. The brick cladding looks great – are the slips by Edenhall or somebody else?

Cakes? Am tempted. Hadn’t heard of this event before.

and from what I’ve heard are bleeding money…

Ohhh I hope not. 🙁 They were really busy last weekend when we popped in.

Rockets and Rascals in Plymouth is a really nice, well-designed shop (I’m an architect, tend to notice boring things like surfaces/cladding/lighting!).

Just googled it to find some pictures and they’ve got google streetview IN the shop, somehow: http://goo.gl/maps/XUtmx

The layout is a bit different now but the principles are the same:
– lots of bike parking inside the front of the shop, for cafe and shop users
– staff workstations are right on the shopfloor so there’s no traditional Evans-style counter, makes it easier to chat to them.
– bikes are well displayed, mostly on the walls rather than floor. Enough space so you can walk around and look at them a bit like you’re in a gallery. Not just super-premium bikes but mid-range too.
– Clothing is also simply and clearly displayed, looks like they select particular products to display rather than throwing an entire manufacturer’s range on a tiny rack.

Overall the atmosphere is approachable and relaxed.

Great post, thanks for sharing. Definitely put the photo of the meteor up when you get it!

If the requirement for a permanent dwelling on site tied to a rural industry e.g. forestry or agriculture if anything like in England & Wales, it’ll be extremely difficult to prove you need to be living on site. Typically it works if you’ve got livestock that might need 24hr attendance but for anything else, the planners are reluctant to believe that it’s necessary.

I’ve just had a quick look at the new Scottish planning policy to see if there is any crossover with the NPPF for England & Wales. Under that there’s a mechanism known as ‘paragraph 55’ which can be a route to obtain planning for a new dwelling in the open countryside or greenbelt. The house has to be of exceptional innovation or sustainable and the planning process can be risky and expensive. Unfortunately I couldn’t find an equivalent. As others have said, consult a local planning consultant or an up-to-speed architect! In my experience some planning consultants can be very timid and conservative, so get references.

Here’s the NPPF paragraph for anyone who’s interested:

“55. To promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be
located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities.
For example, where there are groups of smaller settlements, development in
one village may support services in a village nearby. Local planning authorities
should avoid new isolated homes in the countryside unless there are special
circumstances such as:
? the essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their
place of work in the countryside; or
? where such development would represent the optimal viable use of a
heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure
the future of heritage assets; or
? where the development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and
lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting; or
? the exceptional quality or innovative nature of the design of the dwelling.
Such a design should:
– be truly outstanding or innovative, helping to raise standards of design
more generally in rural areas;
– reflect the highest standards in architecture;
– significantly enhance its immediate setting; and
– be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.”

I used to get so much abuse working in a supermarket.

I’m all for bringing back National Service – everyone should have to spend at least 6 months in a customer-facing service role between the ages of 18-25.

So what should one do when it’s near the end of a long walk and your dog is no longer shitting solids? Bag doesn’t work, stick doesn’t work…

Argentium silver could be an option – it doesn’t tarnish, is ‘purer’ than normal silver and looks awesome.

My aunt is a silversmith in Sheffield who has recently switched to using argentium over traditional silver. She does bespoke commissions and has worked with quite a few couples to design their own weddings rings, including personal features like rock textures for a couple who are into climbing. Something I’d like to do if I get married.

Mine got to London on Saturday afternoon. The post up here is far worse than in rural Cornwall – seems to be a few different companies delivering it (Whistl being one of the more prominent) and it can turn up any time between 10am-7pm, often seems to be days missing when there should be a delivery.

More importantly, the magazine smells amazing!

Nice to see all the really old bikes. My dad’s dad raced in various Grand Prix in the 1950s for AJS, British Continental, Norton and Vincent, and was one of the team on the Montlhery Shadow: http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21135/lot/291/

Just realised I wrote cross-country instead of XC, am I still allowed to post here?

Thanks for comments so far.

I’ve just started using FreshSites. Nothing’s gone wrong yet so can’t comment on their reaction but they’ve been extraordinarily helpful and patient during the whole set-up and transfer process. UK based and there’s always a real person available to help.

We both ride. He is quicker uphill and I’m quicker downhill – so when I get to the bottom first it’s apparently just because of “aerodynamics”.

Are you aware of Engineers Without Borders? http://www.ewb-uk.org/
Might be something of interest there.

Alternatively, if you enjoy working with young people/children have you considered becoming a STEM ambassador? http://www.stemnet.org.uk/ambassadors/
I’ve signed up although I haven’t actually been able to go into a school or attend any events yet. Typical engagement might be once or twice a term for half a day, or a more regular thing like running an after school STEM club.

I get motion sickness from watching them. So I much prefer a nicely shot film with lots of angles looking at the bike, not from it.

Can anyone recommend a fan to go through a masonry wall, rather than via loft space? Also, are dampers worth it or are gravity flaps enough?

No but my OH often converts the kitchen to a garage. Grrr.

Funny, I was about to write the same thing. Trying to cook a roast dinner whilst stepping over three filthy oily bikes (admittedly, one of these was mine) the other day was a challenge.

As eddie said above.

I teach architecture and the students who did art at GCSE/A-level generally have a far better idea of space, colour and how to present their work – skills which will be useful whatever field they end up in.

For a 14 year old, surely the priority should be with what she enjoys (as long as it’s not at the expense of a subject she wants to go on and study at A-level).

Assume I’ve missed the boat on this – that link takes you to a £135 option?

Yep, it says the ‘deal of the day’ has sold out – that is now directing to a different seller.

They won’t check the name on the tickets. Generally the only time that happens is if you’re collecting them from the box office.

Since the demise of ScarletMist, Gumtree is probably your best option for selling them on – that or Twitter. Just make sure you meet in person if possible or don’t post them out until you’ve got the money in your bank account.

Waitrose Canadian & Extra Strong bread flour is very good, if you’re buying ‘silly little supermarket bags’. I was using Dove Farm yeast in the orange bag but have swapped to Allinson Easy Bake yeast in a little green can and it’s working much better.
For all the bread recipes I would recommend adding quarter teaspoon Vit C powder – this seems to help it rise. I also skip the sugar in each recipe and tend to use rapeseed oil instead of butter.

I’ve got that exact model and it’s blimming awesome. That’s a very good price for it. The separate yeast dispenser and the separate fruit/nut dispenser are very useful and mean you can set a long delay, say if you want the bread to be ready in the morning or when you get home from work.

Not sure if it works out cheaper in the long run but the key difference is you know exactly what’s in the loaf. And fresh bread! I’ve got a loaf whirring away at the moment, looking forward to lunchtime.

Cardiff, for the coast! I couldn’t live as far inland as Leeds.

Maybe have a look at the Honda Jazz too. Arguably a bit more robust than the Wagon R and meets all your other criteria, especially the space.

The War on Drugs – but I see it’s been mentioned above…maybe try the KEXP session, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbzV2Y06G-E

The Hold Steady – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkvM224AsOc

Titus Andronicus – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fqHr_KGPY – the vocal style puts some people off but if you’re coming from metal you won’t be fazed. Recommend the album ‘The Monitor’.

If you like Springsteen/Young etc for the lyricism then you might also appreciate:

Frightened Rabbit – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx7dF89a3z4

The National – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgRsYkKb1eI

My £0.02: Use the bog standard concrete blocks for the outer leaf. If you’re worried about thermal properties then beef up the cavity insulation – polyurethane rather than mineral wool, or an extra 10mm, or so of polyurethane if you’re using it already.

This. Standard 100mm med-dense blockwork to both leaves, 50mm Celotex CG5000, 50mm clear cavity will get you 0.28 W/m2K for an extension. Celotex have a calculator here which might be useful: http://www.celotex.co.uk/technical-services/online-u-value-calculator

Your deposit should be in a protected scheme if you’re on an assured short hold tenancy, whether it’s with a landlord or letting agent.

If you search for ‘compression leg sleeves’ you should find a few e.g. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/2xu-pwx-compression-leg-sleeves/

No worries, buying womens saddles is incredibly annoying. Even the biggest bike shops – including a massive Specialized-only showroom/store – that I tried didn’t have any on bikes that could be sat on and ‘tested’. One width in one brand can still fit completely differently to the same width in another brand so it just becomes an expensive case of trial and error. Good luck with your search!