Ok. We flew L’pool Belfast this Christmas with our 8 month old so not a very long flight but friends flew to California (11hrs).

If you take a car seat on board it has to fit in with their guidelines which are quite strict. We had our daughter in a lap belt during take off and landing which meant I could feed her and stop her ears exploding! Our friends were given the option of a bassinet which attaches to some part of the plane in front of them but I think this is for long haul only which I don’t think the Canaries are.

If you go for the lap belt option ask if the flight is full before boarding. If it isn’t place your child on a seat between you and missus while others are boarding. This means no-one will sit in the seat and you get extra room for baby during flight.

Also remember you can carry 2 items for free in the hold. This includes any 2 of pram, car seat, pushchair, travel cot. If your car seat clips onto your pram then it counts as 1 item. Don’t forget that baby does not have hand luggage allowance and that you may not be able to buy a seat for an under 2 year old on-line if you go the car seat route.

Hope some of this helps. Oh yeah, and if you fly from Liverpool allow at least 1.5hrs to get through security or be prepared to pay an extra £3 per person inc baby to fast track the queue.

How far you flying?

I broke my clavical 4 and a bit years ago, it rotated and split up a bit so I was recommended an operation. It was plated and screwed. I’m little so the plate was and still is very obvious. If I move my shoulder in a particular way you can make out the screw heads countersunk in the plate! I have issues wearing seat belts and some rucsacs and can’t wear a baby sling unless it’s well padded above the plate. When my daughter was very tiny with little head control I wouldn’t carry her on that side in case she nutted the plate!

As for nerve damage I am numb on the surface of the skin (a bit like when you go to the dentist) below the length of the scar and into my arm pit. I never notice it unless I’m looking to check if it’s still numb. I did get pins and needles a bit for a short while but that went. Feeling is gradually returning but to be honest it doesn’t matter.

I could have the plate removed but at the moment I still like the shock factor when people see, also the screw holes can take up to 9 months to heal which would result in a weak bone for a while.

Other than that my repaired side is better than the other. It does drop slightly when i’m tired but that’s cos I got lazy with the physio.

I’ve worked in a Church of England Voluntary Aided school in the South West and I have no religious interests what-so-ever. Intake is 50% CofE, 25% other religions inc other christian variations, 25% open intake. It does well in the league tables and is a generally nice place to work – and I have worked in the complete opposite school in the tables.

The pupils do have to attend a set number of religious services per week but I’ll be honest they aren’t that different from normal assemblies except they have a prayer at the end. What’s more the resident vicar is fully aware that whilst the pupils may come from a religious background they are still in the process of making up their own minds. This leads to an atmosphere where religion and belief can be openly discussed. I have even had a conversation with pupils about having to go to church to get into the school and then they stop once in!

What I’m trying to say is that IME religious schools are not about indoctrination that takes place in the home!

Aha – question answered. well not the question I posted that i want the answer to…but the answer to why I can’t read the answer…oh you know what I mean!

yay…good luck to you all.
BTW why can’t I access any old posts?

Sorry just gone from 8O to… no sorry can’t find a smiley that shows my jaw hitting the floor!

Oh 8O ick!

Please someone make a decision. I’m not sure I can wait ’til tomorrow! It’s nice to see someone being a responsible pet owner though.

Molgrips:
Can really recommend the Grobag sleeping bags (other brands are available just make sure they have zips all the way round the bottom and are long enough). They snapper over the shoulder and don’t have arms. Baby Kip has a 2.5tog one and when it’s nippy (as at the mo) she’s in a short sleeve vest, babygrow, fleecy babygrow and grobag. sounds like alot but her hands stay warmish and her legs/feet are also warm. Also means she can’t kick it off…genius.

Sorry to hear of your loss and I hope you come to terms with it all.

You sound as if you have a very understanding family who knew exactly what your father was like and perhaps tried to make up for it. Try to look at this as an opportunity to accept any reaching out they may instigate. You’ll never know how lovely they may be unless you accept their offers. More than anything they may be able to give you a sense of perspective about your past and possibly information you may only have guessed at. Family know alot and it’s often only when you ask, they tell.

Ey up, another lass here. Sometimes lurk, sometimes post, depends on the topic.

If it’s any consolation I had similar feelings once little ‘un actually arrived and I’m the mum! Felt great through the pregnancy and bonded with the bump etc but didn’t get that supposed massive rush of love when baba arrived. It wasn’t PND and it freaked me right out until I found out it’s quite normal. IME it all works itself out, usually around the time you realise that this little thing is yours and actually it’s great. Often the feeling sneaks up on you and then you realise you’ve felt like it for ages…it’s nice ;)

Just been shown this video by hubby as I was out last night. Sorry if other posts have said this but there seems to be alot of discussion on the topic.
As I see it he should have realised the other riders were less confident/competant than him as he caught them so quickly. Therefore he should have considered that anything could happen and ridden accordingly, leaving space, calling a warning etc.

However….she’s loon who has managed to put female mtbing back 20 years with her attitude. Blimey missus chill out, she got a tap on the bike because she slammed on the anchors a bit suddenly, fell off and ranted at the poor bloke. He said sorry, she made him feel rubbish. Not good for anyone really.

Ah well at least the body armour did it’s job (let everyone know she’s female cos it’s pink!).

Depends if you have a life other than baby. If you are the main carer who spends most of their time with baby and doesn’t do alot else then you don’t actually have much to talk about. This mainly happens for the first few months when said main carer probably doesn’t get much time/energy to read a paper, do sport, watch the news, go to work, socialise with non-baby people etc.

I don’t mean main carer in any negative way, just the person who stays at home to look after the baby. This person is usually the mum and believe me, sometimes it really is hard to find something else to talk about. Luckily bike people like to talk about bikes which makes things easier!

Babykip is 5 months old today and I asked a similar question about whether my life was over on this site before she was born. I thought I’d really miss riding my bike as much as I did but my priorities are different now. What’s more I didn’t think I’d feel like this but it kind of came naturally.
We found the right time to have a baby is when you both agree to it, I suspect any other time leads to animosity.
Clareymorris – yes I love getting out on my bike. I even bought a new one before Babykip was born but wasn’t given they ok to ride until she was 10wks old. By then my fitness and skills weren’t as good as they were so it’s taking time to get back into it. I’m lucky to have a supportive husband and we do what we can to get each other out on our bikes. We find tag team parenting at our local loop is best.
Nacho – didn’t realise this was you. Glad Spain was fun and I hear that no-one got broken, well Jacqui didn’t and as she’s my other riding buddy I’m glad!

Soulrider:
Cheers. That's excellent information, didn't know you could do that.

As for stopping with the online presence check out yourself on http://www.123people.co.uk
sorry don't know how to do clicky. If you've ever been mentioned online (race results, etc) you may well be here. Scared me how much was out there that I didn't know about.

Actually looks like I do know how to clicky…didn't know I did.

I don't publish my life online, just keep in touch with friends who do! From what i read on Facebook you can't use hyphens etc in your profile name but it wouldn't be enough of a deterrent anyway.
If I set my privacy levels high enough then the pupil can't see me in others profiles.

It's not bad enough for the fuzz, just a very, very needy ex-pupil with issues (yes school know all about them and the contact they've had with me).
All my mates would understand why the name change and as I said, the pupil has used other accounts to search for me so blocking them doesn't work.

I have the maximum security setting and the pupil can only send me messages. I have blocked them from contacting me but they then did so through a friend's account (theirs not mine), this was also blocked. What I'd like is for them not to find me when they search for me. If I am under a different name they won't know who to look for. I don't think you can set privacy settings so that people can't find you if they search for your name…can you?

I fully agree with Muddy@rseTony in waiting for a professional to check the problem out. Only do what I suggested if you can isolate the whole consumer unit and you are confident of your skills. Bear in mind that confident and able are two different things.

As the rewire I did on our house got tested and passed today I'll give it a go (was a sparks in my youth).
If you are confident and the consumer unit (c/u) allows it, disconnect the cables that go into the top of the circuit breaker for each of your socket circuits.
Do all circuits to start with.
Then see if the RCCD will reset.
If not also disconnect the neutrals from the neutral bar in the c/u. This should isolate the circuits from the whole system and the RCCD should go back on.
If it does then reconnect one circuit at a time to try to see where the fault is.
If the RCCD won't go back on chances are it's the RCCD that's knackered. Bummer. Don't open the freezer door (stays colder longer that way and food won't defrost) and get a sparks in, in the morning.
Hope that's clear…it's late and I'm not thinking too straight.

Yeah, was also thinking about Jedi as well but it's only me (so quite expensive) and not the most accessible in Hertfordshire (mileage is alot to travel to darkest Devon).
MountainMonkey – whereabouts are you? Looks like Bristol from your posts previously but not sure. I'm lucky (as it sounds like you are) that Mr Kip is very supportive of my riding and we do tag team parenting when doing laps of our local loop. The thing about the course for us is that we will work it around trips to my parents so accomodation isn't a problem, and that's why we'll probably go with Ed Oxley. However, if we do book something I'll let you know, if you want to join me. I think the Intermediate course has spaces in August, can't remember exact date though. (21st/22nd August)

Anyone used Forest Freeride? Seem to be good as well and adaptable. Stll liking the look of Ed though!

AQR sound great but not available during the summer as they are in France! Jammy gits, hey-ho maybe next year when Baby Kip is older.

Neninja
Would be really good hear some feedback on the course, especially whether or not Ed is able to focus on the areas you want to develop as opposed to having to compromise because others have different weak spots.

Must admit his site looks good and may well book anyway, especially as others recommend him.

Whyte fox
Who are the Exeter guys? I ride alot around there and know many riders so may know them or someone who does.

Sorry, didn't make it clear…I'm a spendthrift northern hick. Prefer to pay less than £80 for the night hence Travelodge. Is York Road, Battersea a bad spot or are Travelodges likely to be in ok places?

Before our daughter was born in April I went on Mumsnet looking for advice about some stuff related to my pregnancy. I was terrified and vowed never to go there again!!!
The views are generally to one extreme or the other and have no foundation other than personal opinion or experience. Not dissimilar to here but at least here people like bikes!
I also find that information and advice here is often more rounded and useful…hence my new post about accomodation in London!

Cheers, I thought so but wanted to check. Is it easy for complete technophobes to use? In-laws not the most technically minded!

Just wanted to finish this post off with some thanks and stuff.
Our first priority is and will always be our child and we are both looking forward to the adventures we will have as a family on and off bikes.
Thank you to everyone who has posted with their experiences and advice; we can take some really positive stuff from what has been said and we love the trailer pics of CYB(?).
Hopefully see some of you out and about on the trails, maybe with a trailer or in a few years with the not so little 'un ripping ahead of us.
5 1/2 weeks to go!

Flatfish: If it wasn't for the fact I know he can't be bothered to set up a profile I'd ask if you were my husband! He has said exactly what you just did. Cheers. Long may you ride dry trails in sunny weather!

Backhander: Mum, how many times have I told you to stop stalking me online!

Woody2000: What? You mean I won't be riding Mountain Mayhem solo 2 months after giving birth? P'shaw, I'll take my fancy glasses and believe whatever I want in the hope it will get me through the complete and total fear that my life is ending!! :lol:

Backhander: Bless your heart, thank you for your advice which I will take with the pinch of salt that it was so clearly given with! :wink:

Hmmm, potential business opportunity me thinks!!

Already looking at the share with friends option; grandfolks will be utilised on a regular basis during holidays; and as we both recognise the importance of riding for us we are sorting out individual riding opportunities when each of us can do our individual Mum and Dad roles (not babysitting as we are the parents).
Thing is we (hubby and I) quite like each other, and each others company on the trails, and part of the enjoyment of riding is the shared experience of a good day out.
We know that riding together will have to be about quality not quantity once little 'un arrives (and before we can get it on a bike) we were just looking for other options, that's all. Let's face it, my local leisure centee has a creche that you can drop said child at while you spend time in the gym or at a class or whatever, why not trail centres? Holiday companies and kinderhotels run kids clubs so you can spend time away from your child (sorry, they can meet other children and have great fun). Surely we aren't the only biking couple out there?
Fubar: you read my mind!

Yeah, it did occur to us that we probably won't want to drop little 'un off with strangers (albeit trained, vetted and ofsted approved strangers) but just wondered if it was an option, especially if we are going somewhere on a regular basis (Afan, Cwmcarn).
We are also looking at this as a holiday option (7stanes etc) so could check out places before deciding.

If this is Archers related…am I going to have to "listen again" to discover the sad loss?

Was it the old boy with Alzhemiers?

Yup, Haldon do something with them.

PS. Just re-read your post Mudpup, "Have to take jnr (aged 6 year 1 at primary school)"

Not year 6, so not last 2 weeks at school… ever. The rest applies still though.