I reckon the car park’s open pretty early – last time I was there I arrived, did a couple of laps, packed up and left before the car park ticket machines were even switched on.

Plenty of parking in the residential areas close by if not.

From another middle-aged fart…. I really liked Driver San Francisco.
Can’t be that complicated if I managed it!

transporter – I might start by selling her Stumpjumper… she never **** rides it anyway!

Saw this few years ago at the Natural History Museum in Tring – stunning, a great way to spend a couple of hours. Hope it will be touring again.

Got a few of the books too.

Edit: coming to Tring from 1st Dec!

One of those jump bikes

I’ll have to stop you right there…… a certain member of our household is of the opinion we already have too many bikes (more bikes than people = too many bikes, apparently!)

He’d probably say stunt scooters are a bit 2012.

OK, what would he say was 2014 then?

Cheers iainc

Thanks for sharing your stories and pics.
STW comes up trumps again!

I’d say they’re a bit young for the heaviness of it all, but only you know your kids. Trenches and ramparts etc, fine, but cemeteries no.

TuckerUK – that’s a valid point which we do need to consider – they’re both quite sensitive kids. They’ve both learnt about WW2 at school, which is fine but I feel quite strongly that they should understand how much was given for their future – difficult to appreciate that from a text book. Are you speaking from experience?

Thanks all – a few to look into there and the CWGC links look useful.

wwaswas – I can’t get my head around the scale of that place, brings a lump to my throat just looking at it. A quick google, looks like it’s a US war cemetary but not on our route unfortunately.

Has anyone tried that google image search thing on the picture (I can’t remember how to do it)?

HOLD ON RIGHT THERE…… DOGS EAT THEIR OWN TURDS??? REALLY?

Any some of you keep these things inside your houses? For fun??

What the hell are you thinking??

Forgot to mention the quidco – cheers Drac

Might go back for another 4 bottles – guess what everyone’s* getting for Christmas!

*not the kids, obviously!

Thanks Joe. Glad you are sat on that pedestal so high looking over us paupers.
This is my point entirely and Im hoping you have the same sense of humour as me and posted as a joke.
If not shame on you

Chill. Out. Dude.
It’s just the interwebz, not real life. Go ride your bike.

Cheers

Looks like a sticker to me

The difference between chickens and hens.
Alive = it’s called a hen
On the shelf in Tesco = it’s called a chicken

WHICH IS IT???!!!

cbm – did you just phone that number then, and ask for a half price package?
Presumably it’s only for new customers.

If he’s genuinely using it to commute to work then maybe some decent lights?

And some Spokey Dokeys natch.

I am getting BT Infinity installed tomorrow

I hope your experience with BT broadband is better than ours….. contenders for worst customer service ever (and there’s some stiff competition!)

Nice one, thanks.

Happy memories of the Chatsworth stage.
Spectators could actually walk down the stage in between cars, you just moved to the side of the road when you heard the marshall’s whistles.

Also remember lots of sideways action in the car park when leaving the event one year in my Opel Manta full of mates, thinking I was Jimmy McRae. Predictably it did end in tears!

LR Discovery 3 biggest heap of shite ever!

That’s a pretty good summary of my experience too. Ours had so many unscheduled garage visits we got shot after 18 months.

The electronic handbrake is simply not fit for purpose. It WILL go wrong every 6 months.

The highlight of my ownership experience was when the electronic boot release failed (a £19 part). Obviously you only know it’s failed when you can’t open the boot, but with the boot closed you can’t remove any of the interior trim to access the part. Oh how we laughed when the dealer told us they would need to ‘break off the interior trim’. Not.

Unlikely I will ever buy a JL product again.

Top tip from our stove installer – burn a couple of newspaper balls before you start with the kindling. Warms the stove and flue slightly to get the airflow started.

Site is down for me

Me too….

Shame you weren’t there today, I was on my tod & would have been good to have some company.
Enjoy yourself – the red’s a bit boggy in one or two places!

Cheers, been meaning to watch this for ages & I’m home alone tonight!

Probably £100 a week here for 2 adult and 2 children (9 & 11).
Excludes booze and kids school meals but we don’t eat much meat.

We had a good look at this a while ago as it seemed to be spiralling – the 2 biggest savings were through online shopping (Tesco delivery saver works out about £2.50 a delivery and you just don’t pick up anything on impulse) and buying supermarket own label instead of brands. I work for a company that produces a lot of own label – the standards are very high these days & most (not all) is a match for the brand

Not quite as dark & malty as I’d like, but it’s all I’ve got in & it’s local-ish

[/URL]]Beer!

Google maps directs me round the west of London/M25 – is this right?

That’s the way I’d go. If you go east you’ll have to use the Dartford crossing – always a bottleneck.
Also if you’re travelling today M25 is closed J23-25 (23 is the A1 junction) & likely to stay shut all day. I’d come off the A1 at St Albans and cut across to J21a on the A414

You’ve got to travel 180 degrees round the M25, so it doesn’t really matter whether you go clockwise or anti-clockwise, so as Tommyhine said I’d go for Swinley.
It’s close to the motorway and easy to navigate so you won’t waste any time looking for trails.

Couple of early laps of Swinley for me tomorrow morning.
First time out for weeks, so expecting it to be hard going!

That’s pretty low, hope she gets it back.
What make was it?

Wow…. that is all.

Near St Albans in Herts.

the energy stored in those springs is huge

that’s very true. In fact I’m not sure how I’d stretch the thing far enought to re-join the 2 sections even if I can get a part

Have you spoken to Henderson

no, the local door repair place told me they no longer make garage doors. A bit of googling suggests they still do spares although I can’t find the bit I need. Will give them a call anyway.

Have had a look on ebay, but no joy. Might look for a complete 2nd hand arm though – that’s a thought.

I ‘think’ the profile of a bolt head would foul on the side of the door. The original has a flattened end, almonst like a big rivet.

I think the irk is that CE pay for the trails and BFC opperate the car park (no idea if they pay into the CE with the procedes).

OK, I assumed (wrongly) it was all run by CE.
Either way I’d pay a bit more for some better security whilst enjoying my post-ride cake.

I also didn’t realise bike theft was particualrly an issue at Swinley – in light of the OPs experience I’ll certainly be a bit more vigilant in the future.

With crown estate now charging for parking we should expect that CCTV and adequate security measures are taken to protect our property.

and you are happy for the parking charges to increase to cover the costs…..

I’d happily pay more for what’s already there. I mean it’s what…. £2 for 4 hours parking? Plus they throw in 15 miles of well planned and maintained singletrack. Bargain already.

(OP sorry for going off topic!)

What an utter bell-end.

Just bought a Felt Q24 for my daughter from here Felt

Pretty good for less than £215 I thought.