If it’s not too late try to book Fasttrack security. I travel a lot but mostly out of Manchester. I always use Fasttrack for security and passport control. It only costs £5 each way and it saves me hours waiting in the long queues.

Samaritans – 116123

Mind has a great page on their website with links and phone numbers for crisis help – Mind

It is that time of year for many people. This forum has always been a great place for support. If you are having a tough time then please reach out on here.

I was there a few weeks ago on a work trip. I didn’t do much of the tourist stuff. I went up the Burj Khalifa which was ok. From what I could see there wasn’t loads to do that wasn’t just an activity for the tourists. There is a road cycle circuit (80km?) which is outside the city and traffic free. Trek have a store there with bike hire, cafe and changing facilities. I’m planning to do that when I’m back there in a couple of months.

From my limited experience it does seem to be like Vegas without the good/naughty stuff.

I did my first 3 sessions in a hotel gym while away. Back at home today so going out on a bike for today.

I did the blue route a few weeks ago. It was a nice route with enough to keep me interested when I only had a short time to escape for a ride. I was on a rigid On One Whippet. The berms at the end were good fun.

If you’ve got beginners with you I would try the trails at Sutton Bank. It’s only approx 30 mins from Dalby.

I’ll be going out before Mrs Gastro wakes up. Back home for breakfast then out for a few gentle miles with the mrs. We’ll take some port and mince pies for a little snack.

I’m doing it again this year. It will all be outside again.

A small correction for the beach recommendation above that will make it easier to google, it’s Cheswick not Chiswick. The better parking for the beach is at Cocklawburn and is accessed through Scremerston. The pillbox and lookout towers are good to explore for a few minutes.

All the recommendations are spot on.

+1 for The Curfew and Bear Claw Brewery.

The Jim Clark museum at Dunns is worth a look if you like old motor racing.

Northern Edge Coffee on Silver Street is good.

Audela restaurant on Bridge Street is a bit posh but very good food and service.

You should start by asking WTF he thinks he is doing just walking in and sitting at your kitchen table

Which tyres for next weekend in the Lakes?

Has he got any advice for extending wifi coverage?

Room & Rumours for coffee and donuts. It’s near the Royal Mile and the station.

I’m in again this year.

Is there a Strava group?

All suggestions so far look good.

If you get as far as Berwick (which you should) then go for a few pints in The Curfew. It’s a micro pub tucked away down an alley. They are linked to Bear Claw Brewery in Spittal. They serve a good selection of local beer and other from good craft breweries.

Another Berwick recommendation is Audela. It’s a very good restaurant up the street from The Curfew. The food is beautiful and the staff are friendly but not over the top.

I would recommend a stay in Berwick and explore some of the beaches between there are Holy Island. Much quieter than further south.

Berwick is a lovely little town and is normally quieter than some of the towns and villages closer to Newcastle. The town walls are nice to walk around and if you’re lucky you might see dolphins in the mouth of the river. Loads of places to visit around the area.

I’m in Edinburgh for the festival this weekend. It’s very quiet and doesn’t have the buzz of the festival. You can walk down the Royal Mile without being flyered.

+1 for Topolabamba.

Sandermans New Europe Tours are good. It’s a “free” walking tour starting from outside Starbucks on The Royal Mile. The tours last 2-3 hours (with a break) and takes you around the old town telling stories of history and interesting buildings. At the end of the tour you tip the guide what you think it’s worth.

Hangout around George Square / Bristo Square. There should be food / beer and loads of seating. It’s a good place to speak to other people about which shows are good. There are normally loads of flyerers handing out flyers for shows that still have tickets.

Edinburgh has some truly terrible tourist trap restaurants. But it can be a great city to eat in. If you’re looking for something not too fussy but that still feels a bit special I would recommend Scran & Scallie. Is it Tom Kitchin’s pub in Stockbridge. It’s a short taxi ride or nice walk past George Street. The food is traditional Scottish / British food. They use high quality ingredients and prepare them very well. The staff are friendly and will make you feel relaxed and welcome. They have a good selection of beer and wine by the glass. It’s one of our regular lunch spots when we’re in Edinburgh for the festival. It never lets us down and I think it gets better every time. My favourite is the ham, egg and chips.

If you’re looking for a coffee and cake stop to refuel while your exploring the old town try Room & Rumours between the Royal Mile and the station. Amazing donuts and good coffee. Check out their Instagram page.

Like others have said, confirm the dates and nothing else. An employment lawyer once advised me that a work reference should contain information that can be backed up by a paper trail of evidence. If it’s negative then it’s good practice to have all the proof available if it is challenged. They also told me there was no such thing as an off the record conversation.

However, if you are concerned that a young man who is struggling to control his emotions might get a job that could put other people at risk then I would get further advice from HR / senior management / union on how to respond to the request.

He has a few more dates available to book from the website.

I’ve booked a few.

That sounds like a Volvo estate

When we bought our first house the agent said we needed to speak to a mortgage guy who happened to be in the office upstairs. We sat down with him and he told us quite clearly we didn’t have a hope in hell of getting a mortgage for the flat we liked. This seemed odd as we both had good jobs for our age and a nice deposit (this was in 2007). We went to see Nationwide who asked us the same questions and saw the same paperwork. They put it all in the computer and told us with our deposit we could borrow nearly twice the value of the flat! We have stayed with them for the house we live in now and the various remortgaging of the flat and the house.

I once won the half time draw at the football. It was only when my dad was moaning because his ticket was 1 number out that I realised I won. He was not happy he let me buy my ticket first. We collected a nice cheque for about £600 from the reception desk on the way back to the car.

No Such Thing As A Fish – it’s the QI Elves talking about facts.

The Political Party – Matt Forde interviewing politicians. Always interesting.

I got access to some online CBT a couple of years ago. It wasn’t as good as a real person but I found it helped. I can’t remember the name but I was registered with the site for 12 months from my local NHS mental health team. So it didn’t cost me anything. Because it’s an online service the wait between referral and starting was a few days not the weeks / months you could wait for NHS face-to-face CBT.

The Donut King on Sky Documentaries was good. An amazing story and legacy of an immigrant in the USA. It was on a few weeks ago but is probably still being repeated late at night or on demand.

WARNING: you will want a donut (or 5) after watching it.

OP – it’s great to read that you are ok. I don’t know you but I’m sure the world is a better place for you still being here. Like many others have said, I wish you a good recovery and a future of better mental health.

What about the Decathlon Rockrider XC bikes? They start at under £1k.

Did anyone else think this was going to be about the gentleman playing a solo game of hide the egg (15 times!)?

In a previous job I worked for a company that supplied house builders. Speaking to site managers and contracts managers they throw the houses up once they sell it. The quicker it’s “finished” the quicker the builder gets the money. That means loads of agency and sub-contract labour bashing away to get the job done quick. As others have said, they can be good quality but they can be terrible. When we bought our place a few years ago we avoided the new build estates for this reason. If they are keen on a new build, buy one of the last few on the estate when the builder is getting ready to pack up and close the show home and sales office. That way you can see what you have bought, not some pictures and a promise of a good job.

Also beware of show homes. We looked at one years ago. The master bedroom seemed really big until we questioned the size of the bed. Having been told it was a standard bed we had a better look and realised it was a 3/4 bed. They also had the show home and sales office in neighbouring houses. They removed the fence between the back gardens and set it up as if it was one garden. When we questioned this the sales lady swiftly guided us out of the house so other potential buyers couldn’t hear our questions.

I’ve used a screwdriver when I have needed to open one.

A more innovative approach to security from the manufacturers especially on the more expensive models would be welcomed from most parties. However do the bike manufacturers want to stop theft? If your bike gets stolen it means they can sell you another one.

It’s included with prime on my account.

Dropper post up, cranks level with the floor (drive side forward) and take the picture from the drive side.

If you are looking for the perfect picture then it should be across the trail without anything holding the bike upright.

Alternatively just take the photo, who cares?

As others have said, 8.6 shouldn’t be difficult if he has a reasonable level of fitness and the will to do it. To achieve that level don’t worry too much about fitness. Spend the time practicing the test. Get them used to the way the levels change, how to pace the running and timing the turns. Make sure you measure out the distance as accurately as possible. It will look a bit odd to when practicing it in the park but it will be worth it.

It’s years since I last did one but I remember it getting quite competitive when I was doing A-Level PE. At the time I was cycling everywhere and playing hockey almost every day so I was fit. Other members of my class had similar levels of fitness. We did the test a few times, each time a couple of PE teachers would take part and would try to show us kids how strong and fit they were. We beat them every time leaving them looking broken. Their lessons following the beep test must have been funny.

One thing I do know about detecting is that you should always check you hole.

+1 for snicket.

I had a Sunday paper round at the time Dianna died. I remember hearing the news on the radio before I went to bed then delivering papers the next morning that didn’t have any coverage of the biggest news story. It felt very odd asking the customers for the money when handing over a newspaper that was already old news.

Apparently the code for the Queen dying is “London Bridge has fallen”. The corresponding code for Philip is “Forth Bridge has fallen”. No idea if it’s true or a myth.

A royal funeral will still attract all sorts of crazy gammon to London even during a lockdown.

I have had my Whippet since October. It’s been brilliant. Like others have said it’s very light for the price and it fees like a quick bike.

Get one. It’s great fun.