Years ago at the student nationals on the Isle of Wight i reversed my car with boot mounted bike rack on into a fence, bent it all in and out of shape (no damage to bikes thankfully). Did what KT said, went to local scrappy, found identical boot, same colour etc, part exchanged in the working parts of my boot – windscreen and wiper motor etc and it only cost me £40 in the end.

Just keep the weight of them, I see so many overweight labs its saddening

I know, i go trail running with my lab and i come across fellow lab owners who stop and say hello and they almost accuse me of keeping him too thin!! The fact that he doesn't have a belly dragging on the ground and can come trail running with me for 10km doesn't make him too thin!!!

Got an American breed Chockie lab and he is brilliant fun. Super friendly, loves life, and great with kids.

Again, depends on the vehicle.

Just had my Passat TDi done too my the local garage with all the ancillaries and water pump came to just shy of £300. VW dealer wanted £450. I know Renaults can be horrendously expensive, ~ £650.

I'd just do the normal thing and phone around a few places.

I forgot to tax my car for a month due to being away on business. Wasn't a problem.

+1

Lets not mention the continuous whinging about other people!

Whats hard?

Turn it over, check the ph level, add some organic, inorganic fertilizer, organic matter as required, check ph again. Add seasoning to taste. Done.

if people have a problem with their local council why not stand up to be a councilor

I don't have the right amount of anal retentiveness.

Does it matter whats involved? The fact that people do it on a regular basis means that you are able to do it.

If everyone gave up from day one because something was involved and might need some hard work then we would still be living in caves. 🙄

Or is that to obvious a solution?

Working for the council isn't about finding solutions, its about presenting problems! Do you not know how this works?

I can't see how it would take a lot of investment when the forestry commision, mining companies and councils have been doing it for years by the simple application of compost with proven results.

It seems that you're suggesting the strategic equivalent of buying for stock…. commercial suicide for any business.

No, its supply and demand. Demand far outstrips supply in the majority of areas. Its quite simple.

No you're right, what we should do is assume the worst and therefore do nothing. 🙄

What are tehy supposed to do?

No you're right, there is NOTHING they can do. Well apart from putting the kettle on and arguing over who's turn it is to buy the chocolate hobnobs.

LOL, they would fall over and die in the private sector. I'm glad they are trying to shake things up.

Work picking up, managed to keep everyone employed with no redundancies over the last 24 months, now looking to recruit.

I don't have kids, and if i did i would make sure they are under control at all times, this means that once called they return to me 100% of the time otherwise i think they should be on a lead and probably muzzled.

You and your precious kids should be more considerate of others, i keep hearing the same old boring, "oh they don't usually do that". Truth is if you can't control them 100% of the time then keep them on a lead.

😉

I'm all for kids on the beach so long as they're not trouncing through your picnic, dropping eggs for you to stand on barefoot or chasing my kites and peeing on them. Kids seem to love the beach.

I have a fear of kids running about and getting me all sticky and covered in spit!

Its ok as long as they don't get too close, then if they do a warning kick in the face is perfectly acceptable apparently.

And pigeons.

Same goes for cats really too.

Same goes for kids really.

Agreed.

but it's not just worry and apprehension

Agreed, some people have a complete irrational fear.

There was an interesting point on BBC news this morning talking about the compulsory insurance for dog owners being ruled out. The Vet on there agreed with this and said that more emphasis should be placed on teaching kids about pets at an early age, even just spending an hour bringing a dog into the classroom and teaching them the basics would be invaluable. From what I understand this is common in a lot of countries.

Worked with these for a while, v. impressive when they work, and pretty impressive when they don't!

I agree with TJ on the picnic thing, if i let my lad off leash in a picnic area then he would be a complete pain in the ass and piss lots of people off, so i don't. Simple.

However, that is different from running around wagging his tail with a stick in his mouth because he is happy to be outside in the hills.

you are still keeping an animal in an artificial environment against it's natural behavioral trait's. Just because mankind has fecked around with breeding programs and training doesn't mean that any dog doesn't have in built triggers that will lead to natural wild dog behavior or that it's right to keep an inbred monstrosity of a "Breed" in captivity.

That is where you are completly wrong.

Tazzy, you obviously have absolutly no grasp of the term domesicated so we should probably just leave it at that.

I know STW is full of plonkers

Of course you do! 😉

TJ,

You see things as very black and white in your eyes only. Any dog doing anything which pisses you off then the owner should be prosecuted. That is in your opinion only.

Lets be clear.

If a dog is off leash and runs up to someone and takes a massive chunk out of their leg then yes, you are right and i think everyone is in agreement. The owner is liable, should be prosecuted etc etc.

If a dog is off leash and runs up to another dog wagging its tail to say hello but because the owner of that dog (and lets be kind) is a complete ****wit and wants nothing more than to turn their pet rat into a quivering wreck of an anti-social dog by picking it up out of harms way then my friend i would fail to see how that is illegal?

Edit:

however you prefer to ignore the law to justify your inability or unwillingness to control your dog

– Again another TJ prejudiced assumption, my dog is under perfect control at all times.

I think that you think that you understand the law. But I think that you think that the law is equal to what you interpret it as. Which its not.

😉

You obviously understand the law and your responsibilities unlike some of the muppets on here

You must label yourself in that bracket then too?

Majority of the time its the owners of the precious pooches which are the problem, as already stated. Constantly picking them up and acting scared will instill the same issues in your dog. MTFU.

Troll Alert!! Troll Alert!! Troll Alert!! Troll Alert!! Troll Alert!!

And don't get me started on the cost of the tube!! 🙄

Rail fares are a nonsensical pisstake.

Always were always will be.

Nothing will change unfortunately so its reliance on the car once more.

But then that is their plan right!? 😉

What by asking them to runa at a loss ?

I think you will find that the train companies are making a nice tidy profit at the moment!

it required maturity, courage and a fair bit of experience

You'll get there some day. 😉

Surely there would just be individual entries because everyone else on STW is wrong! 😉

Just because you live in the countryside does not give you automatic moral superiority over anyone who doesn't,

Yes it does

+1 😀