Its about self determination. a slightly different thing. Its about having the ability to do what we want – to be a modern social democracy. Its a positive thing of wanting to movge towards something not away from something

Genuine question. You stated in an earlier post that you also want to be in the EU. Surely then this would compromise your ideal? Self determination you would not be in total control of, we couldn’t do what we wanted due to having to adhere to prescribed EU law? Social democracy, yes the SNP lean this way, but in an independent Scotland they may not be in governance, so the leanings of that government would be the political landscape in which we would live/work. You are moving away from Westminster and heading into the unknown, not a ready made utopian country. Just my observations.

So it seems you pay tax in England/Wales but live in Scotland – correct?

Incorrect and I apologize that you felt ignored. I’ve had a busy day and only chimed in occasionally and briefly read the latest posts, I missed your question on Scottish tax code. I’ll try and be more observant in future.

Regards tax codes, it is not something I am comfortable discussing on a public forum. Be best assured I have nothing to hide, I just don’t feel it an appropriate place for discussing.

The question was do you pay income tax in Scotland – yes or no

– simple question – do you pay tax in Scotland apart from council tax?

what other taxes do you pay in scotland apart from council tax?

No I don’t know what you mean. I only answered what you asked.

If I may, why does where my taxes are paid interest you?  It is acceptable practice to be in a situation every year where you cannot identify anywhere as your home and taxation is based on these circumstances.

The question was do you pay income tax in Scotland – yes or no

No, your question was

– simple question – do you pay tax in Scotland apart from council tax?

Perhaps if this UK Government spent less time working out ways of how to stuff our taxes into the hands of their mates and donors and more time investing in stuff like critical national infrastructure and the NHS.

I hear anecdotal observations like this, but the government as a whole, to my knowledge have never been caught red handed at this sort of behaviour. Nicola Sturgeon on the other hand looks like heading towards a breach of ministerial code.

@squirrelking  Apologies for ‘declining to show my workings’ earlier. It is the weekend and I enjoy riding my bike, great weather for it today. Low level was nice hardpack  and the hills above covered in snow.

It is hard to argue against the point that for everyone in the UK the generosity of the British Treasury has been unbounding recently. With the furlough scheme for employees, business help for the owners, support has been in the top percentile in Europe, if not one of the most supportive schemes in the world. If the Union ceased, no one country could offer this level of support. The UK has demonstrated it has deep pockets in times of crisis and is willing to do the right thing to protect her inhabitants,  other events in history highlight this too. You may not agree with the way in which this help has been dispensed, but not everyone can be pleased and it easy to snipe from the sidelines. Everything being done recently is fair and with the best of intentions.

What exactly do you mean and where is your evidence.

The main rhetoric I hear from the SNP is that a vote for them is a vote for a mandate for another referendum. Hence a large part of the reported news is about how the will of the Scottish people is being denied.  It might be my news sources, but the drum beat for another referendum is beaten pretty loudly from where I stand.

@tjagain. Simple answer. Yes, other taxes are paid.

So you don’t actually live here, pay taxes or are eligible to vote?

Massive assumption, entirely inaccurate.

do you live in Scotland? Not snarky but looking for info

We have houses in three parts of the UK, divide time as required for work reasons.

It was a reasonable decision to start in the care homes first as patients were moved from Scottish hospitals into care homes without tests or with their positive tests ignored when it had been stopped elsewhere – resulting in the proportion of deaths with Covid-19 in Scottish care homes being 47% to England’s 30%.

I feel the handling of the pandemic by Westminster highlights how Scotland could be better off within the UK.  I just don’t relate to breaking  free from a colonial yoke that impoverishes people when the generosity of the British Treasury has been unbounding?

Definitely sick of the ‘neverendum’ now and feel the government should just get on with the day job.

Scotland seems badly divided now more than ever, one group against another. It distorts and embitters politics and prevents good governance.

Figures are reporting a slight delay in Scotland unfortunately.

The number of 80-year-olds vaccinated in Scotland by Friday stood at 13% – in Wales it was 24%, in Northern Ireland it was 45% and in England it was 56% – some four times the Scottish figure.

Nicola Sturgeon originally ignored the offer of help from the British armed forces but is only now allowing them to step in, so hopefully things will get moving now.

TRP Spyke outperforms BB7 and bottom end hydraulics IME. Probably due to dual piston actuation. Ridiculously easy to adjust for pad wear also. 3mm hex key is all that is required. So easy to set up for the required feedback of your preference.

Similar question from a few days ago.

Canyon Lux for XC and fun.

I’ve read his book and can recommend it as a worthwhile read. A very accomplished climber and ex UK Special Forces soldier.

Can’t recommend Aigles. Soles must have air in them and easily puncture. Both mine hiss as I walk and it does my head in. Must have been climbing a barbed wire fence/stood on something sharp. Nothing obvious to puncture them which is annoying.

Does anyone know if they do a Scottish Summer weight one too?

They sure do.

For the hooded version look at the Tectlite shirt. (Jacket also available)

Unhooded look at the Active light shirt.

The Fell jacket would also be suitable for Scottish summer conditions.

The biggest difference between the Special 6 and Active shirt is the outer material. Pertex quantum v PForm shell fabric. They latter is more suited to milder weather where less insulation is required but more breathing/wicking. So your selection would be dependent on season usage and main activity.

@CountZero

Better fitting hood. Mouth cover is attached. (Buffalo Antarctica style) Better position of hand pockets for use in harness. If you are in the harness then there is a detachable crotch strap. (turns into  Buffalo Big 6 instantly) Wider wrist gussets. Lets you bring down over the gloves easily or snare above the elbow without issue. The velcro tabs around waist pull towards the front of the body, rather than the rear, much more intuitive on the go. (You’ve just pulled your hipbelt the same way, muscle memory takes you to the same tabs on the smock even in pitch black. It is far bulkier though.  Sadly not made in Sheffield so stick with the Special6. The nuances aren’t enough to convert to the young pretender in my humble opinion.

Bang goes my local #beerienteering group!

😂 that’s like my riding group. We’re a drinking group with a cycling problem!

Thoughts on a wee local overnight bivvy jaunt?

Currently the law states that people can only leave home for an essential purpose.

The amendment will make it clear that people “must not leave or remain outside” the home unless it is for an essential purpose.

Guess this amendment could give the police good reason to fine you? They’d have to be made aware your car was parked up overnight at a remote location though. Current mood with landowners though is they don’t want you there. Handling gates etc that they too have to use in the daily execution of their job, I wouldn’t trust a farmer, gamekeeper to not shop me. Leaving from the house you are relying on a busy body not doing the same.

You may have a wee bit of seasonal Google flu.

https://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/B/Buffalo(930).aspx

https://www.needlesports.com/catalogue/results.aspx?search=Buffalo

First two places I tried, which garment and size specifically are you after?

I must confess to being a Buffalo fan boi. Amazing kit.

If by ‘all round’ you also mean all year round. I just leave a Magic Mary on up front all the time now. The rear I’m undecided on and currently have a Spesh slaughter grid at the rear, maybe something else come summer, but the MM just works for me all year round in all conditions.

Oh bugger. I like Viewranger. Is operation to cease soon then?

Yeah I moved from Pirelli M+S to General Grabber on the Landcruiser. Different gravy. GG so much better.

Danny Tenaglia

Sasha and Digweed.

My Cream favourites Leftfield.

I would class the cars they are using as indoors. Loads of people were clearly car sharing last weekend to go sledging/skiing. Car in front of mine had 4 males around mid twenties with their skis on roof. They all got out for a smoke we were stuck for so long.

 cops are also having words / stopping / fining folk in Scotland.

Not in my experience. Was stuck for ages last week on the A82 near Kings House as the police tried to keep the road open due to wreckless parking. I didn’t see them talk to anybody in all the time I was stuck there.

England are actively discouraging driving for exercise with police prescence at beauty spots etc. Scotland don’t seem to bother. Driving to work today and cars everywhere abandoned for kids to go sledging. Same story at beaches, they are packed with people. Hardly surprising Scotland now has record high Covid patients in hospital. This period is worse than March/April time and the restrictions are less/softer.

Can’t understand why with the cases escalating and deaths rising Scotland is in a softer lockdown than England.

Lots of positive measures are being taken by politicians and the general public which should help at least to control the spread somewhat.

Ultimately though I feel sad for the world we have created. Looking at kids walking around in masks. It is just not right. We have utterly screwed up this planet if we are having to wear face masks to survive.

I can’t see the generation at school now easily forgetting this experience, hopefully it will drive them to seek positive lasting change when it is their time to come to power. The current generation are abject failures globally in preserving the planet, myself included, I should ride more, drive less.

Some days I can’t help but think it really is time for the asteroid to reset things. Sad sad times indeed.

I had a 2015 Lux. Used it for everything. Natural MTB trails, trail centres, West Highland Way over two days,  Keilder 100/cross border loop and with the lockout I used it for the Fred Whitton. Really no complaints about it at all. Only moved it on as I wanted a new toy and would definitely consider a newer model. I found it really comfortable over distance. I’m conservative in my riding style, could I keep up with a mate on an Enduro sled?probably not, but the bike probably could. It would cope but perhaps not the best tool for the job, but if the majority of the riding is like you say then it would be a fantastic choice, out with your mates it’ll cope.

Why were the likes of Australians and New Zealanders able to accept the lockdown restrictions they had, yet the British (and others) cant? Can you imagine the toy throwing

I hope this is because they trust their elected governors. I hope we one day get to this point and it may be that Brexit drives it. For too long now our politicians have had an easy out of blaming the EU for our troubles. (likewise Holyrood blaming Westminster for all of Scotlands woes)

Our politicians are now under more scrutiny and their will be an expectation of positive delivery on services and there will be nobody to blame in the event of failure. Hopefully we can have a new breed of politicians that are happy to be accountable and accept personal failure, then maybe one day the population may believe what they are being told and adhere to it. By current observation we as nation(s) have a deep mistrust of our leaders, sadly the effect is that we are killing one another.

@fasthaggis

I agree. Sad to witness the lack of  moral compass with people. Even sadder is the sheer number of these people. Selfishness is on a whole new level now. Staying in your house and going out only for essential reasons is pretty clear advice.

What do you do with people who flaunt it? Remove their furlough pay if that is what they are on, if they believe Covid is conspiracy get them up to the Covid ward to remove the dead bodies, no PPE required as it is not real eh? Whole situation is getting worse I feel.

Definitely get the feeling now they are simply firefighting. Surely they foreseen this spike/acceleration with the last relaxation? The government can make all the rules/give out the advice they want, they then need to then do a reality check in the real world. I think they would observe a large portion of society are ambivalent to the risks and for these people it is business as normal.(A82 outside the Kings House at the weekend for example) No coherent long term plan or strategy is ever talked about, the vaccine is being rolled out and even that seems without strategy as the timescales between vaccination is now extended to 12 weeks, I understand the rationale, but also think this should have been foreseen from the start, it wasn’t so you wonder what actual planning is occurring? I would have thought NHS/carers/teachers would be getting it as they are quite exposed due to nature of job, but it appears nursing homes etc is the focus, couldn’t those people be kept safe through other measures initially and focus on getting ‘essential’ workers safe first. It is a hard situation to manage but I now feel the government have lost their way by not having a long term strategy that is visabily being delivered, a few bumps along the way is to be expected. The game has changed now, with a vaccination available every death is preventable, people dying currently could have been saved, the government really have to get this right now or have more needless deaths. Today’s announcements weren’t near strong enough to take us in that direction. I work with some young people and they really couldn’t care less about the effect of their actions. I can’t imagine their parents are proud.

@finbar

Which method did you decide on to buy in with?

@nostrils

DC Rainmaker reporting on the issue now too who is a bit of a Garmin expert. Sounds like the issue will resolve with the next couple of syncs.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/01/gps-accuracy-impacting-devices.html

@nostrils

Maybe explain your Garmin playing up?

5k runner Garmin issues.

@lunge. I use a Buffalo windshirt which is just basically a pertex  shell. I use it for the conditions you describe. It looks/feels like a rag, packs up ridiculously small, but by golly it works. Other pertex shells are available if the Buffalo cut does not suit.

On a side note I done a snowy 12km this morning in the hills. One of them days where everything just worked and the run felt good. Good start to the year.

I’m trying Maffetone style running. Not sure on the long term effects but I’m enjoying not going out and feeling wrecked afterwards. My mileage is the same, but runs take longer, not an issue in the current climate shop happy to continue with his methods.

I’m struggling to believe there can be any truth to this. Apparently Britain is changing the guidelines on the use of the vaccines and it will be permissible to exchange the second dose manufacturer? I would have thought there would have been clinical trials required for this? Have the government abandoned all scientific advice and just making their own rules up now to help hit vaccination targets? Early days and maybe the science will follow?

Mix and match vaccine

Is there any truth in this from the New York Times that Britain is adopting a mix and match approach? I can’t believe they would? Surely some sort of clinical trial is required? Scary that they are saying ‘if the first vaccine is unknown’ This should never be the case surely?

Mix and match vaccine