done octopush, played motoball (5 a side footie on converted motorbikes), currently play floorball/innebandy and represented my university at pinball and dirty scrabble

surely a chance for fantastic creativity and impracticality

– grain soaked in booze, get them pissed and **** them before they can take off

– grain, laid on top of large net, 4 corners tied to large weight at top of tree, explosive charge would help deployment speed

– play the long game, look old, wear purple, hand feed them for 3 months, till they’re confident with you then **** them when they come up to you

Either work via an umbrella (Parasol there are others) or get your own ltd company (plus all insurances, employee, indemnity etc e.g. Caunce O’hara there are others), probably best done with an accountant. (mail if you want a recom) – ie get yourself into a position where you can actually sign a contract (most now mandate indemnity 1million, can vary)

get an uptodate accurate cv in word format
linkedin has got me quite a few offers
Then try internet for appropriate opportunities – jobserve,reed,cwjobs
totaljobs etc etc etc etc and mail cv and phone etc to chase.

re abroad – take proper advice regarding each country legalities, there are some catches.

As an option you could try looking at Travelodge site, as me and gf have been using the £20 per night deals.
Lancaster – canal to Glasson (with Morecambe seafront planned for Sept)
Monmouth – FOD
Amesbury – Salisbury Plain
Bmouth – seafront prom and Swanage area
Newbury – Ridgeway
Taunton – levels and canal

Other suggestion – check out galloway forest/glentrool area, there are lots of forest trails (*and trail centres) that you could use

fantsatic area

pootling suggestions:
– chain ferry to Poole, and there is a Prom (see brown dots long seafront – http://www.bing.com/maps/#JnE9LnBvb2xlJTdlc3N0LjAlN2VwZy4xJmJiPTU0LjcwNTgzMzU1OTcxODklN2UxMC4wNTM0NjQ2MzY2MjUlN2U0OC4yMzIyODE3Mjc2MTA0JTdlLTEwLjI3MTI0MjM5NDYyNQ==) that goes from a bit into Poole all the way to Christchurch (and you can loop round Hengistbury head along beach – beware a nature rserve so you’re probably not meant to) **BEWARE – there are seasonal cycling restrictions on this and also after 10 am it’ll be so busy as to not be pleasant – but at 7am on a sunny morn it’s GLORIOUS little bimble (check cafe opening times some might open at 9)

area here (http://www.bing.com/maps/#JnE9LnBvb2xlJTdlc3N0LjAlN2VwZy4xJmJiPTU0LjcwNTgzMzU1OTcxODklN2UxMC4wNTM0NjQ2MzY2MjUlN2U0OC4yMzIyODE3Mjc2MTA0JTdlLTEwLjI3MTI0MjM5NDYyNQ==) sort of betwen ferry/Wareham/Corfe can be pootled (you might even see a large nodding donkey)around some hills at Corfe but worth it for fab views and a stemtrain to play with, alo try to do path that goes to Old Hary rocks, near Studland (*It’s a naturist beach…), also some rather plesny hiller stuff to E and N of Swange

yoga teacher last night was telling us how good certain yoga exercises are for knees, might be worth an investigation

also check house insurance, local authority regs and H&S issues round house becoming office, or a place of work ……………….

yes
fast response reqd
easy to find products I want (search facility or well[IMHO] structured index – and they have to work – page not found – goodbye)
a basket/totaliser running reckoner – v handy, esp if postage costs tiered
do NOT have to login/register to get postage costs/full order total
clever moving logos and bad colours/merging texts extensive graphics/movement piss me right off
I use a crappy phone line so I tend not to use really clever sites

If I don’t like the site/can’t use it quickly I do not buy from it

Possibly not what you want but I’m booked in at
http://www.caravanscotland.com/wigwams.htm for later in the year.

*Note I’ve not used it, merely found it on web, using in Sept.

altura attacks, ok for me, to be fair only used thrice but that was Scotland in May and it was like the bleedin monsoon season – dry every time. Mind do fall a bit but probably preferable to bum seam split….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A18188922

didn’t find much when I was there.

(Orkney has (Old Man of)Hoy, which is quite a decent offroader if you use both ferries), also possibly IMHO [after a week on each] nicer to bimble round (more sites etc and more varied scenery, even saw some trees….).

Do Muckle Flugga, as it is the end of the world (top island, top L track) – it was quiet….

Both would be ok on a roadie, but watch out for the wind ……….

Good option to set Coast to Coast time record at Mavis Grind
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=434500&y=1168500&z=120&sv=mavis+grind&st=3&tl=Map+of+Mavis+Grind,+Shetland+Islands+&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

what size are your mum/bro/sis – ie can you borrow stuff
work – leave clothes there day before

could you (*and I’m suggesting this might have some flaws):
– take mbike pillion pegs off
– add a decent mbike rear rack
– make (*get made by a pro) an upside down U shaped solid mount that bolts from pillion peg mount across seat behind rider (and possibly also bolts to rear rack)- that had QR clamps on the sides of the U to mount the bike wheels sort of in same plane a mbike rear wheel but higher (ie get U mount right shape to put things where you need)
– U has a qr mount in middle of U (ie on rear seat behind rider)
– add an upright pole etc to mbike rear rack with a qr at top
– bike goes behind rider from U to top of pole
*mabe a one piece upside down U with a reveresed L stuck to it so you could just bolt it on/off as a oner (using pllion peg mounts and rack etc)
stability and wind impact unknown,
other idea is, again using pillion pegs, wheel mount on each side as before but leave bike attached to rear wheel and again have a pole off a rear rack etc

got a thin long sleeved summer top off ebay for about £13

Overall, for the money I think it’s pretty good. Fit, function, comfort, washability – all fine IMHO, I did put some small tears on first journey – but to be fair that was barbed wire and some of the worst shrubbery I’ve ever been in. I’d buy another one.

I’ve tarpaulined, which was ok.
As an alternative I think the Travelodge £19 bivi has a lot going for it.

If you look on an OS Map just S of W end of Crinan Canal there is Ardhoe?? forest track that goes S on coast and can I think** be joined through woodland to Lochgilphead. (Crianan canal by the way is a lovely bimble), but I didn’t manage the trails.

Arran
– Lamlash to Clauchlands to Brodick on coast – nice/short.
– Lamlash over foresty (tracks)route to Whiting Bay (*waterfall/Giants grave), then along coast(off piste) to Kings Cross (*mainly rideable), up road at fish farm, to ‘main road’,on downhill to Lamlash drop R to Cordon, then lamlash
See Arran Mountain biking site

IMHO, you maybe should use the fact that bridleways are 21% (ish) of total trails, and ramblers are really doing better than 100% (ie all paths + open access plus TBD coastal path access) and that getting 21% raised a lot would seem fair based on a lot of the other arguments they used.I’d also suggest caution mainly as I think they are in it SOLELY to benefit horse riders………………..

Strange, he sort of owns Englefield Estate, where horses are welcome by permit, and bikes are not welcome atall. Why not try a letter to him like:

I would urge all esate owners to allow cycle riders to use horse trails, routes and any other ways where it is in their power to do so and to encourage that permission or dedication to happen where it is not in their power. Unless there are good and specific reasons not to allow cycle riders to use such routes, estate owner should take steps to accommodate them. Estate owners should be making the most of their off-road networks through integration of use. Multi user routes have been shown to be readily adopted and well appreciated by local people. Where they are done well they bolster community cohesion and create a better understanding between users.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/richard_benyon/newbury
“The majority of property in these estates is held in family trusts in the trusteeship of Englefield Estate Trust Corporation Limited , the trustee of various family trusts in all of which either I or members of my wider family have beneficial interests..”

I did it a while ago, doesn’t really hurt most at any time but when I spoke to a mate who’d collapsed an arch he said it required an insert and physio…..
Will have a look for a walk in though, didn’t know about that

Is there a ‘proper name’ for the inserts so I can google

Thanks to all

a parliament

no, but I see that as part of the deal (it’s a lot better than a cinder motorway), I have a pruning saw and you seem to develop a nettle tolerance after a while (agreed that it doesn’t appear so bad this year). The worst I’ve ever has was (IMHO very surprising) the Thames coughpath (which I thought would be a pretty well trodden path), one bit was stunningly unused – undergrowth so dense I really couldn’t see the path and it was a pure bike drag, trees down, bank eroded, at one point I had to carry with one hand, whilst using the other to hold onto a barb wire fence, which had a 6ft drop next to it – that’d keep the ramblers happy …………

worked in Paris for a few month, had a monthly room at an apartotel (cheaper to bulk book) and just took lots of cash (*you can use Visa at some?? holes in wall but don’t as it’s *** bad rate) and a credit and debit card as I came home once/twice a month (strikes permitting)

as an alternative TK Maxx (*admittedly Basinggrad) are selling oneill rash tops for about £11

here you go
try this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-SRX-400-/140569610649?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item20ba9a0999

if you have savings have a look at offset

yep fab day,

early start, saw local green woodpecker out of window, then about 22 miles of exploring (and footpaths) S of Reading, some cracking bits – dark forest, opens forest, some awesome meadows, some rather irritting nettles, then home, nearly burnt hand on garden wall it was like the heart of the sun, weeds pulled, lawn mowed, window sill rotten bit filled, ants dissuaded, now showered, couch visted, popcorn eaten, time for a nice cider, what a glorious day

checkout shorefield holidays, I stayed at New Milton, it was ok, cafe on sea front at Barton on Sea green,(*beach not really sandy), also a nice restyrant *(apparently) is walkable(dist), easy cycle. (*edit its chalets etc holiday camp)

Brockenhurst ye olde foreste scenarioe and for disused railway cycle (*can go off piste to Lyndhurst with a bit of cheeky but watch out as cheeky in NF is £500 fine I think and the verderers are like very offensive traffic wardens that have a wasp up their jackies with a depressinhly strong ownership of ‘common land’)

there could be a company who advertise on ebay BUT ready carefully as the ads could be worded as the price per per person but you must have x people….

as an alternative, buy some goretex socks and get your good lady to give each shoe a quick blow dry to get it nice and toasty before use

worked in Scotland in summer (*monsoon season as the end of May was also know as)

I got a talking to on something similar from da management.

The notice I put on the fridge was something like.

“Due to my milk being stolen on a regular basis I have carried out an experiment over the last few weeks where certain milk containers have been doctored. The question you need to ask yourself is am I taking the piss or have you been ?”

As I understand it, the great legal scheme of things is that bikes are at the bottom of the pile in terms of priority (ie must give way).

You be better getting a horse and training it, as, because I understand it it is never the horses fault, therefore if the horse was trained in unarmed combat and did him over you’d be fine. (I also think the same is true of cats, so maybe you could train up a posse…..)

take the engine out and tank off and pretend it’s a bicycle and have quite a big heavy suitcase ……………

(edit)*would it go in a bike bag and ditto as above

Hi I use MM to plan routes and upload to satmap as gpx (see satmap site satsync freeware), however you do need the relevant Satmap card (see ebay and check round) as they’re not cheap.

I’ve done a lot of motorbike trail riding around rural Greece and islands (and some mtb).

Tips.
– Smile, slow down for and try to speak to locals
– Make it clear you’re not German
– take plenty of water (and relevant spares)
– don’t go near military bases or try to photograph them
– take a compass and know your reference points (and the map will be crap) and there won’t be signposts
– watch out for water pipes and leccy cables strung through trees etc at head height
– beware the panic reaction of pulling to left on a road

I loved it.
Top momements – belting up a dirt track hill road and coming up against a 4wd coming other way, thought about doing a runner as I had no idea where I was etc, but just dragged bike off road so he could pass, peasant (and he was) stopped, could speak English, was really polite and told me to do the Pia(???) hill road – brilliant, windy twiser with a waterfall and some lush greenery.

Vassiliki – awesome mist covered trails and helpful locals

Well worth IMHO
Bad Bits
– yellow grass gets depressing after a while
– watch out for wild dogs (less of an issue on a motorbike)

worked at a place where X had a desk with 3 screens round it (sides and front) and didn’t really do the communication thing, anway one day X stood up, snapped their pencil in half, placed both halves neatly on the desk, walked out and was never seen or heard of again.

so I guess that doesn’t help much.

probably not, far too restricted.
Walkers get 100%+ (yes 100%+, all track types + open access in certain areas + coast path being added etc etc)
Bridleways are aboutish 21% of all ‘paths’ so you’re heavily limited, as you’ve only got about 4??% of BOAT/RUPP/Restricted Byway etc, so say maybe 25?ish% in total.

I ride ‘cheeky sensibly’ all the time now and have had very very few issues, vast majority of people were polite and even encouraging (Berks/Oxford/Wilts mainly).

putting your mum, who smokes, at the front of the tent, between two primuses with pans of boiling water works, but to be fair it’d be hard to carry and mum, at 83, might not be that mobile …….

Avon SSS (lots of) seemed to work for me.
(Edit, *I have seen a cooking pan that was black (and I mean truly black) with midges – pity as it was actually beans)

The point about distance is well made, we were so far out from the facilities we nearly needed a tent to camp out on the way back home (*after pub), I think there’s a land train (but it will probably have restricted hours),it might be worth checking where your chalet is as even your wife might think cycling is a better bet, deffo trailer kids.
I’d also check about any special activities you want to do, as a lot of stuff can be booked up before you get there (don’t know if you can phone book).
yes it is expensive so I’d suggest being as self contained as possible.
I’d also google for nearby stuff as it might be cheaper and less booked (*and you might be able to cycle there off road)

make sure you’re really up for it and have a few trusty lieutenants as every club I’ve ever seen has been run by a small minority for the majority of hangers on, without the driving ‘hub’ it don’t work

can you affiliate to CTC etc for insurance ?

yes
I was ‘dj’, ie had ghetto blaster with chosen music(by bride/groom) precut CD and my mate the groom gave me the cue to play each song
no probs