Agree you should check it’s really coming from the insurance company – but I have had a few weird ones

A few years ago I was away for work – out drinking too much with a mate – and got a call from my wife saying the polis were at the door, asking if I had been driving my beamer through Manchester city centre at 60+ mph. I hadn’t – but someone had cloned the plates.

Same car got a parking ticket when in possession of a car dealer who was selling it for me – with no evidence whatsoever it was actually parked illegally. The car dealer, who I trust, swore blind that he hadn’t parked it where it was alleged, but the authorities ruled it had to be paid, despite the fact it was purely a traffic warden’s word against his, and he had to pay up!

Also, I got rammed into from behind on Edinburgh city bypass (slowing for Sherifhall for those that know it) by some dozy ****t in an Audi, he avoided the person behind me, bounced off central reservation and hit me rear offside. Police attended, think they charged the guy and insurance all got sorted as many witnesses saw what hapenned. However a few months later I got contacted by Crown Properties asserting I was responsible for damage to the central reservation, it got sorted after a few letters but I was well hacked off at that one!

So weird things like this do happen!

the point by P-Jay on doing some simple assessment of risk/cost of rising rates is a good one and relates to my point about capacity to absorb. if you’d be stuffed financially if rates went to 3% in 5 years, then there is a lot of value for you in the fix.

I sort of work in this area and my conclusion is…. it’s complex and heavily dependent on personal situation – as well as (uncertain!) views on future rates. At the end of the day there is a meaningful benefit over the first 5 years of the lower rate – and the ‘cost’ of that is the risk beyond a 5-year period that rates go up meaningfully and you then have to roll over at a higher rate. That’s obvious, but leads to a few useful considerations

What is your capacity to absorb risk of rates rising over 5 years – if you strongly expect you could pay down mortgage significantly, at that point, or over the 5-year period, then the ‘cost’ of taking the lower rate is far less important and the answer could become obvious.

If on the other hand, you will have a significant balance left on the mortgage after 5 years and are likely to have increased financial commitments (for whatever reason – kids!?) / lower income, then the added security is valuable.

To help you make the call one thing i would do is work out the actual cost difference over 5 years, rather than focus on the actual monthly repayments (albeit they need to be afforable!)

So work out the difference in net position after 5 years – if you were to overpay on the one with lower monthly payments to equalise the amount you are putting in, how much lower is the outstanding mortgage with the lower rate?

the only other point is psychological – if you choose the 10 year option and after 5 years rates are lower, it’s not helpful to think you made a ‘bad’ decision. Whilst it’s reasonable to expect rates to increase, these expectations (as well as other things) will be baked into the rates on offer, and these things are not certain. So if you choose to take the certainty of a 10 year deal, try not to worry if you feel you are losing money if rates don’t go up!

PS this stuff is not boring to me but I’m a geek

on Vitus sizing – 5′ 10” just got the Full Suss Mythique size Large, seems to work well.

Yeah I get the points made but not sure it’s all negative, I quite liked it and just accept that marketing won’t be super realistic!

I find the adapters just about OK – though one diedby getting twisted compared to the correct orientation. replaced it with a cheap no-brand one and it seems to work fine, might get a spare in case same thung happens again and they are like £5 i think

They all spoke Finnish ;-)

i’ve been to Finland.

A few years ago I smashed my car into a concrete bollard at the airport, not so clever. It was fixed by L&I Eaton who the insurer wanted to use – I was sceptical at first but they did a first rate job.

I have a lot of sympathy for people invaded by folk randomly overnighting in inappropriate places – whilst each van may spend just a single night, it must get pretty wearing if there is a different van outside your house every night. Even more so when there is anti-social behaviour.

Selfishly, I am interested in how this situation develops as I picked up a camper in March, with the purpose of enabling me and the family to enjoy doing stuff across Scotland, eg see there’s decent weather forecast in eg West Highlands, head over there at short notice without needing too much planning. As opposed to always booking accommodation weeks ahead, therefore condemning weather to be mince…

I was generally assuming it would generally be easy enough to either get a campsite at short notice or find somewhere out of the way to park up for the night, without too much hassle. So far I have struggled to find camp sites with space in places we want to go – so the only way we have been able to use the van has been finding out of the way spots. But we haven’t tried in the popular areas because of the congestion and lack of site availability – I don’t want to be part of the problem.

So from both a selfish point of view and for the local communities, I do think there needs to be a solution where this is managed. Assuming we are experiencing a peak this year/last year, due to limited foreign travel, then it might be expected to ease a bit? – so with some sensible policies protecting the communities – and simple facilities (Aires) – there should be a workable solution that encourages and manages the tourism more effectively.

The points about use case are spot on – I would say PHEV is either best of both worlds or worst of both depending on how you will use it. We got used GTE, would have gone full electric but weren’t any available at price point – has been a success as use it for regular trips typically ~15 miles each way and charge at home so most usage hardly touches. If it were ~50 miles each way would be worst of both worlds

We got a SUP about two years ago – was a bit of an experiment and has worked out well. Good fun for mucking about with the kids at beach, also good for a bit of adventure/exercise, good challenge if there is a bit of chop about.

Not screamed at the TV like that fir a while. Fookin’ brilliant.

I’m in North Berwick – went to school in Haddington, so I know the area well. lots of valid points above. Only thing I’d add is that whilst it’s correct to say that it’s a PITA driving into Edinburgh, the train is fast and convenient. Before COVID it was getting rammed – who know how much that will be the case again in a year..?

Yeah it’s going to be interesting tactically to see how Ineos, with that array of talent, take on teams with the strongest individual riders. I’d imagine that naturally leads them to want multiple leaders capable of winning, ie if they have 2/3 riders with strong GC positions then Pog and Rog have to try and mark multiple attacks. So the combination of team tactics and politics will hopefully make it fun for those of us not trying to keep pace!

I thought much the same as AlexSimon, thought it seemed like a parody!

think I’ll go along that way just to see if anyone says something!

And PS – yes that’s on the West Links, which basically comes all the way into town.

Cheers – I know the bit. Very surprised someone would ask you to not use that path. Generally my feeling has been the the golf course and walkers / cycles co-exist pretty reasonably, but I do sense there is a bit more tension since the first lockdown.

TJ are you able to describe the particular path it was? I cannot place it based on the above – was it across the fairway or alongside it..?

I live in NB and often walk – don’t cycle so much – on the paths across and alongside the golf course. Don’t think I have ever had someone suggest I go elsewhere – as you say seems unusual.

I read that CN article and think it’s pure negotiation from Lefevre – if Bennet is not fit it would seem like a massive own goal for both DQS and Cav if they cannot work out a way to get him there.

Maybe I’m naive, but he’s such a comnpetitive guy I just cannot imagine he would pass up one final(?) chance to win at TDF – and maybe at Merckx’s record

Yeah that was what I thought but only seems to do 40mpg or so even in normal hybrid mode. Could be the reading is off, never bothered checking it.

Another Golf GTE here – we got it used a few years ago now. I like it as others have said, for our use pattern it makes sense. Lots of local stuff all on electric, occasional longer stuff which uses the ICE.

I don’t know what our effective MPG is on it – most of the time we barely touch the ICE, when we do the mpg is not great which I suppose is the trade off as you have a heavy battery as ballast.

it doesn’t smell too good but that’s because I spilled a tub of double cream in the boot and never cleaned it properly….

If the dogs are not an absolute must have I would try test driving a Cayman, the 911 suggestion someone made also worth looking at.

Agree with the comments that fast doesn’t mean interesting – I would say the Porsche is so much more involving that many cars I’ve tried – enjoyable at 45 mph. If you looked at a Cayman the Gen2, 6 cylinder Cayman / CaymanS would be miles under your budget too so could get a nice bike too!

Just read the bit about needing to fit dogs….Ah.

If it only needs to be slightly practical – at that budget Cayman offers very different driving experience to GolfR. The R felt to me like it would be too easy to go silly speeds in when I tried one.

Or a Beamer M140 or suchlike

It’s obviously a very challenging question to answer well as there are so many factors at play. Also, for each of these factors there may be expert opinion – which is valuable (indeed critical) – but equally there is generally uncertainty. For example

What is the long-term impact of home-schooling and home-working?
What is the cost of economic loss in terms of poverty, ill-health and death?
To what extent do vaccines prevent spread?
What is the risk to different groups (lots of anecdote, not much in the way of useful stats)?

What dismays me is the lack of clarity on these critical assumptions in the debate. What I would like to see from our political ‘leaders’ (ha ha) is a reasoned articulation of the strategy that at least attempts to explain the plan in the context of these assumptions.

For example, as a parent whose kids are pretty upset with home schooling, I am desperate to get them back. I could accept the situation more easily if the relevant Govys (UK, Scot) would explain their rationale for closing Primary schools with come commentary that recognises the uncertainty in terms of evidence for young children spreading the virus. If they said, for example, ‘we think they are probably not spreaders but don’t have enough confidence in that yet, so have to keep schools shut as precaution’ then I can understand that argument.

I am OK with judgements being made that balance the various issues, I just see a real vacuum for this sort of reasoned, transparent reason-based argument that balances these.

Porsche Cayman S. Got it used for a great price, most fun I ever had in a car without silly speed, just so nicely balanced and flattered an average driver.

Unfortunately not much choice about getting rid after I got rear ended by a ‘gentleman’ in an Audi

I have a 17 plate petrol XC90 – for us it’s been a cracking car so far (I did see the Which thing slating reliability). Carries *loads* of stuff, comfortable to drive on long journeys, pulls well – though not an interesting drive at all – nice interior.

Downsides? Expensive, petrol consumption rotten, unwieldy on small roads.

I’d recommend it if it suits your usage pattern.

PS we went SUV as my wife has an issue with legs and finds the more upright more comfy. If we hadn’t needed that I would look at the big Volvo estate S90 I think it is.

Grum – yeah I just cannot imagine the cost of breaking apart and duplicating the beaurocracy .

As someone who is no fan of Boris et al it also seems a bit harsh on most of rUM as it sort of abandons them to be governed by the Tory goons

anyway I shouldn’t hijack the thread!

As a Scot based up here, my additional fear is I dependence following Brexit. Again, the argument is based on emotion over rationality with a load of unidentifiable ‘benefits’. I look at the pain, uncertainty and cost of the EU break up and fear the possibility of breaking apart something far more tightly integrated…

Hmmm so one of the specific benefits of Brexit is the state paying people to do jobs that wouldn’t have been necessary had we stayed in the EU. Makes no sense to me.

Thanks somafunk and piesoup will check that out

<Thread hijack>

Piesoup you sound like you know what you are talking about, my 12 year old gaggia classic seems to have stopped pushing water through the espresso bit, any advice gratefully received!

http://JUst read all this whilst sitting waiting on a flight – good on you for the persistence, sounds like it’s a done deal now.

In my recent experience not great but if they were well priced and good flight times I would use them. As others have said you could end up with the, anyway if you book BA

I’m just back today and have been a few times. My main advice would be to make sure the place you rent from is actually on site and not miles away, we made that mistake once and it’s a pain – especially since you arriving late. I think places with a counter in the terminal and car hire in the onsite multi story car park normally state that.

We used RecordGo for the week just been – was very reasonable I thought about 100 quid for the week for a Ford Focus level car – we actually got a Nissan Note which was a bit of a heap but was fine for us as knew we’d hardly use it. Service mediocre but that’s generally my experience of car hire, I would use them again.

Old bridge inn a good option – also the ‘druie’ cafe at Inverdruie does nice lunches

Think I understand it all now, getting set up and gonna start with zwift.

Found this quite useful

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HoPfe3uragw

Thanks for the help

Thanks a lot!