Just think, if you'd taken out insurance 3 years ago, you'd have 50% ncd.

So it would only be £750.

And given that kids usually have friends in the car when they crash, showing off, and every streetwise urchin knows they sustained "personal injury", a low speed parking knock, into another vehicle can easilly top £20k now with 3 passengers and a bit of third party damage.

Blame solicitors for appleaing to peoples greed to line their pockets, and the short sighted medical experts who choose not to write honest medical reports, before you blame insurers.

Accident solicitors, generally, are scum of the lowest order. And for the inevitable pipsqueak who tells you about his client who would never walk again, who got £500k, theres thousands of "whiplash" victims, who don't have anything wrong with them except greed, to whom these solcitors "pander".

Sorry Drac, you lost me. Kevster telling us that he's BT, or Orange, isn't suddenly going to "blow the gaff" when he's already received a letter and that it's clear his isp has shared his d/l info.

Or is "Kevster" on a forum, saying say he is using BT for his broadband suddenly going to immediately entrap him?

You clearly don't want to know which isp's are giving out your private data, but I do.

Well they used to say that "Home taping was killing music".

So these days I guess the replacement for home taping is Simon Cowell.

Drac, unless I am missing something obvious, why wouldn't op tell us who his isp is?

It's not like you can do anything with it, but perhaps if ISP's freely complying with the likes of ACS realise that they are losing business, then they might just do something. It's not as it it's confidential?

So what was the problem with the request?

Can I ask who your isp is, so that if it's mine as well, I can cite their behaviour as a reason to change isp.

One of the most miserable and lonely moments of my life.

Its huge, you get "forced" all the way round the huge stores unless you find the shortcuts. Theres so much tat among the halfway decent stuff, and it can be real "chav city" if you'r going to the Croydon one.

It's hell. Frankly.

Have you tried ibuprofenor some other anti inflamatory to reduce swelling, as well as the lube/cold action?

I thought it was Jarvis Cocker on the left..

I thought Goldie ate 3 bears porridge or something.

I am not a lawyer – caveat –

Yep, I think the general idea is "invitation to treat", ie they can put a price on something, you decide to buy, and then the contract is only then fulfilled. So if a mistaken price is put, ie a car for £10, and you then decide to buy, they can still refuse to sell to you, as it is only an invitation, which they may withdraw from you, when it becomes apparent the car is not £10.

Once you have made the bargain with the retailer, ie they have invited you, you have agreed and a contract is created, at which point it is then up to them to perform to their contract with you.

If they fail to perform the contract, you may sue them for a specific breech of contract, to provide goods to you, for the sum agreed, for which payment has been taken.

HOWEVER

The appropriate measure of damages you are entitled to for their failure is likely to be limited to "put you in the position you were in, prior to the breech of contract". Ie, they refund your money in full, and you are as it were, back in funds, and without a shed. Unless you had a speific need for the shed, delivered on that day, and its non arrival has caused you further quantifiable loss, then thats that.

So, I'd say – "bring the shed, its the one I wanted, but I want free delivery to make up for my inconvenience", which is a valid head of claim in law. Mattocks Vs Mann recognised the time taken in phone calls or letters to sort out a litigious matter.

Of course, there might be other consumer legislation I am not aware of to ammend this view.

I don't understand the "overbiked" arguments myself.

I can't ride very well, never have, but as a kid, I saved hard and had money for xmas/birthday for a spanky Diamond Back Silver Streak. Best bike in the village, worst rider on it. But I loved it, not for being "the best" but it was such a lovely bike to ride, light, good kit that didn't break, beautifully made (fab welding from the Koizumi factory). I did't care that kids on burners were better than me, thats just the way life turns out, that I was lucky, and appreciated it.

Ditto with my first mtb, a clockwork orange, back in ooh, mid to late 90's when spending £600 on a mtb still seemed an extravagance. I was low paid, but bought this out my annual bonus, as my "treat" to myself, as it was patently a better ride than the £400 specialised rockhoppers/marins. I still couldn't ride it very well, but hey, it's my money and how I spend it, and the assumptions you make are yours.

To be honest, to get to the point where you go on a cycling holiday, and filmyourself, means these guys have "enthusiasm" – remeber that? Their skills may not be the very best, but they are "enthusiastically" following cycling to a level much higher than most outside a forum like this.

They're having more fun than I am this bank holiday weekend – I salute their endeavour. More to the point, the op seems so sour, that I'd certainly avoid having a "chippy" guide like that, if I had the time and money now for a skills course.

You should through the method, be able to learn to change gear without using the clutch, on up and down. It's quite easy really.

The easiest way, as I did on an old Alfa GTV I owned, was to literally, give the gear leaver say, in 4th, a gentle push, and feel how it would seem to almost "slip" out of gear with the gentlist of pushes and a bit of throttle pedal manipulation. Same with then trying to get it into third, you push the gear to the gate, it push it to the point where theres resistance on the stick, and then rev agan. you will just feel a sweet spot when it just wants to slip straight into gear.

Indeed, with a dead clutch, I managed to drive around for a couple of days without a clutch once. Stops were difficult, as to stop you needed to knock it out of gear totally to prevent stalling. Also moving off required turning the engine over on the starter motor until you had enought forward thrust to knock it into 1st or ideally 2nd without stalling.

You craZy kids.

I thought fast cars were ok in my yoof.

Thenb I did a direct access course for a motorbike. It changes your conceptino of cars completely. I couldn't get excited over any large lump of car, no matter how expensive, if "sporting performance" was in any way important. In a traffic queue, you end up going exactly the same speed as Mrs Miggins in her metro ahead of you.

The connection with the road, and the diminished likelyhood of taking out a bus queue on a bike, meansa £1000 second hand bike allied to £500 for the course to ride, > £20k on a box with 3 empty seats taking up half the road.

Although if I had to stoop down to a box again, it would have to be an Alfa of some decription.

I felt sorry for Hitler in "Downfall". Thats how good a well written directed and acted war film can be.

Ditto with the crew of Das Boot. Not even sure the film needed the final scenes.

Does it "need" to be concrete?

How about a resin bonded floor?

Coffeeking, your premise is incorrect. The cyclist was going straight over, and as such, would have been misleading to give either a right hand indiction, or to signal left until passing the first (left hand) junction from which the car emerged. He was also in the centre of his lane, and so did nothing wrong.

The idea you should slow down, whether in a car bike or motorbike at every priority you have just in case you have not been seen is unworkable in practice, or london will slow to an even slwoer crawl that it is already.

And as for the idea he should have been going slower and would have avoided the accident, is a step beyond "defensive driving". Indeed last week, in the clear right hand lane, a car pulled out from staitonary, in the left hand lane, over 30 yards from red traffic lights. I was on a motorbike, and he did so so quickly, I didn't have time to react. I am a poor motorcycle rider, ie I can't "ride well" (ie cornering speeds, ect) but am very safety consious, as I work in a personal injury cliams dept for directline. I have absolute safety in mind, and am more cautious and observant than frankly 90% of other bikers I see. I do ride "assertively" though ie to be seen, but don't undertake, or ride agressively, nor generally break speed limits. But I could not have avoided the accident I had. The early warning signs of say seeing the front wheels turn- well it happened too quickly.

Thats a pretty low wage for the suggestion they put to you.

It's only about the average wage in the UK. If they're so keen for you to go self emplyed, and not accrue any of the benefits of employment, such as ssp, redundancy, and the usual guards against short notice or dismissal at 2 years, they must be a pretty lo-rent outfit. Are you sure that they'll even exist in 2 years? How well do you know them? What's the usual basis of them employing new staff?

It's really not saving them much, in the scheme of things. If you are self employed, the basic rule of thumb 20 years ago was that you take the industry wage offered by the employed, and add 50% to it to cover for your increased costs of being self emplyed.

Ring Directline. When I joined them 8 years ago, the assistant motor underwriter took me to the pub one day to ask my views on bike licences, as I had one. After advising of the additional training required, the lower likelyhood of a nil accident history, ect, it was decided to look on motorcyclists more favourably. Certainly, they were the first to allow motorcycle no claims to transfer over to car policies, so they may well be inclined to look on your bike licence favourably, but do ring and speak to a human rather than online.

All the bmx boys over at Radbmx.com recommend "Oven Pride" as the annodising remover of choice.

I thought the original one opened up in Soho was called Kettners. Then as they expanded, they changed the name. something like that.

I went there once. It was awful, and expensive.

Check very carefully for fresh paint transfer, and that if the paint is broken, that there's no runt, to show the damage is very recent. If there is paint transfer, even a tiny amount, then photos, and try to find the other vehicle at the garage asap. If theres paint on that one from yuor car, then you have a reasonable amount of evidence to show it's their misfortune.

If Scotland becomes independent, will Scots in the UK become "illegal immigrants"?

If so, will our streets be free of aggressive Big Issue sellers in 6 months, and a remarkable lack of dogs on string henceforth?

I can't get over the poster who doesn't think cables ect make a big difference. Its the longest piece of electrical wiring in the whole set up.

My mates Linn lp12 with ekos and a decent cart, through naims deffo sounded better simply after spending a session cleaning all of the pins in the plug sockets. Even on my lower spec lp12, I can detect a subtle difference between speaker cables, having swapped 6m of qed c38 for some linn lk20.

I suspect the biggest difference is in the ways people use their hifi these days. 30 years ago it was records, or one of 3 channels on telly to entertain, often in colour!

Now, I suspect with the explosion of associated media alongside sound alone, most people don't "listen" to music, they simply hear it, alongside the distractions of videos or whatever.

I mean, the bird opposite me at work thought Cheryl Cole was "amazing" on the brits becasue she mimed badly to a backing track, but apparently her clothes were stunning. If she had any taste whatsoever, any idea of the craft of musicianship, she'd have understood my hoots of derision, and pointing out it was just a load of old shite….

The idea that bland synth over produced formula pop enhanced digitally can be "good" amuses me. Theres no emotion to the words, no energy to the performance, no craft to the musicianship. But its what passes for "entertainment".

I think theres less snake oil that some suppose, its just possibly they're "hearing" music, not "Listening" to it.

When in a mood for listening, ny audiolab 8000 is never off for days on end, or the lp12 that feeds it.

Sounds a little thinner, more brittle when cold.

Geoffrey Butlers in Croydon were happy for me to try cycling shorts on (over pants,for hygiene sake)and a cycling top.

Anyone for a STW "Downfall" parody?

Or has it been done already?

Yeah, I hate it when my mum comes to collect me from the station..

Lol @ Talkemada – I have a bmx wheel with a tyre that took me three goes over a fornight to do. And when I did, the axle won't go into the dropout, (No flat spot on the axle) and I can't even swap the axle with one that does as it's sealed bearings and I've not worked out how to remove axle from wheel yet..

I fond a couple of beers goes get the rage flowing nicely – bloodshot eyes, sweat, dirt and oil everywhere – especially on something cream left lying about like a jumper or towel…

Yep, you drive home with Wayne Rooney, Christian Ronaldo and a couple of Spicegirls as girlfriends. It leaves the road giving the two males broken legs and the girls with cuts and facial scarring.

The injury claims are trivial. The future loss of earnings claim/pensions will bankrupt a small insurer!

The essential point is the cat has watched you, probably how you treat your own cat, how you've treated the interloper and and has come to a conclusion you are a better home.

Fact is, the cat is, if cats can be, "happier" with you. Its clearly a social cat. If it's miserable where it is, what can you do? It's not a "rescue" proposition, it will always run away when something better is on offer. Is your own cat happier with company? If so, then what's the issue?

How about a Yamaha TRX? Or a bit old for you? ITs an interesting take on a twin?

First bike after passing test? Looking for a bit of a jack of all trades bike?

I second the SV650. Give yourself a year on it to get hte comedy "dropping in a car park" routine over with, and something thats fun to ride, and not "too" daunting. The SV is a fairly friendly bike, you can apply the heavy handed learner touch to it without it reacting badly, yet as a twin, still fun to ride, and easier – so much torque you dont have to "pedal" the gears like a 4 cylinder. Its also lowish, so even me at 5'6 with a 30 inch inside leg can hapilly get feet down, and it's 25% lighter than say a bandit or fazer.

The Tiger is going to be heavy, tall and a bit of a "mans" bike, and does a newbie need a 1l + bike?

I like pizza with white sauce bases.

I make up a white garlic sauce (plain flour, butter, milk, garlic, a pinch of black pepper (use white pepper if you dont like the speckled effect)and like to add thinly sliced leeks, black olives and peas to it. I also use a blue cheese like dolcelatta or gorgonzola rather than mozzarella on these.

Making up a red sauce with just tomatoes, onion fried in olive oil, basil from my basil plant,chopped fresh chilli, I like simplicity with say sun dried tomatos black olives and say, mushroom if I'm feeling frivolous, and using proper mozzarella does me.

So to precé the situation, you have got a narcoleptic parrot in a cage with a sindy doll? You've been told "it sleeps a lot" by the person selling it – which could have been taken directly from one of the finest comedy sketches of all time, (hence Norwegian blue/nailed to perch jokes) and you/she still haven't consulted a vet?

You can keep putting food out for a (nearly) dead parrot, it's still not going to eat, no matter what kinky plastic sex toys you pop in its cage!

Do you really think parrot ownership is for you? How about trying a slug, and working up via say a cockroach, to a budgie, one day in the really really distant future?

Get some proper, qualified advice, immediately – your pet may be dying, and having 8 inches of suspensiuon travel or having once owned a burglar with bombers really isnt a viable basis for giving advice!

Am I the only one who sees the irony of a Brit being stung by the police, for a trivial crime in a country WHERE THEY ARE ALL DECENDED FROM BRITISH CRIMINALS who got sent there for as little as theft of a loaf of bread.

I did my work placement at DEC in 1989 in Reading.

Fantastic place DEC Park I and II.

PRemium is on the highest rated driver.

As a learner, and therefore logically accompanies by the policyholder, the premium will be quite low, you will not be the main user of the vehicle.

As soon as you pass the test, you revert to being an inexperienced driver with a full licence, who will no longer be accompanied by an experienced motorist. The premium will rocket, and as its a material change to the policy, the insurers need to be told immediately.

I got caught out 25 years ago crashing a car just after I passed my test. It was even my car, but having informed the insurers, the car was crashed before the insurers were aware. They ammended the policy from comp to tpf&t arduing they'd not have covered the risk of a new driver and declined to pay out.

I've found recently that as I pay off my balance, so my credit limit is plummetting down to just above whatever the rpesent balance it is.

Ie 3 years ago, I had a 10k limit, with a balance of about 8k, as I paid of at say 1-2k a time in lumps, it drops so I presently owe about £2.5k and mt limit is £2.7k.

Arguably I am paying much less in inrterest than I was, although the rates also have crept up.

I am also still able to spend using it, but cannot use cashpoints with it.

Who are your providers? Mine are MBNA.

To be honest, the BD postcode is a very highly rated one at the moment for fraud. Indeed, PR, BL, BB, HA, UB, LU, and IL. Parts of B and L are catching up. Anywhere that has a large ethnic population tends to be fraud hotspots, and you'll find BD fits in nicely to the profile.

Your vehicle is much more likely to be stolen, meaning more likely to have to make a claim.

And if that happens, we will be asking you (we as in claims investigation department) why our clims inspector is having to visit you at a BD postcode to take a statement, and why the accident happened in BD, when your premiums are rated in York.

And when you get insurance declined, and your insurers try to recover the cost of four personal injury claims, hire car claims, storage and recovery claims, and solicitors costs from you as theres no cover (thats tpyical of claims in BD) thats 20k minimum, possibly 30k if you hit a £500 old Toyota Carina diesel plated vehicle. (All taxi drivers have the phone numbers of dodgy accident management co/s in their mobiles!).

Don't do it.

Its the £100 price tag that intrigued me fot a bike used 5 times!

I got an RBS c2w bike a couple of years ago, and they ordered me in a Bianchi alu Nirone7 with 10sp Campag xenon.

Delivered to the Dorking Bikehut Branch, who just did bikes, nothing else, and some rpetty top notch ones too, De Rosa, Fondreist ect.

Bike was well built, by helpful staff, counldn't fault the Halfords c2w team either, each email promptly answered, and despite my voucher runnng out of time ect, happy to renew it at no cost.

Halfords many not be as bad as you think. I know the Dorking shop is now just a regular Halfords, but mainly the same staff there, and they look really gutted selling you 5l of oil…

Indeed, the shop despite me only spending £600, were happy to let me out on a £1500 bike with just some id, just so I could get an idea of the correct sizing to order.

Its not all about apollos built by 12 year olds.