igm – Member
Ski Famille we’re using them for the fifth time this year. Excellent childcare, and good local slopes for your elder child. 360 ski school have been good for our eldest for the last two years.

Either Ski Famille or VIP Ski are both excellent. VIP is a bit pricier from memory but the quality of the chalet’s, the childcare etc make it a very easy holiday.

Les Gets is pretty good for families although a bit of a trek into town from a couple of Ski Famille’s chalets. Val d’Isere is another good option, but the transfer is long.

If you’re using iTunes then from memory, you may need to convert the video to an iPad friendly version – think it’s under File > Create New Version or something similar. You’ll get an error message when you sync the iPad from the computer.
I seem to remember that it last did that for me with Local Hero when the file size was particularly large.

I thought the ‘weight gain’ stories were more around differentiating the R5 Team from the VWD from the base model? From memory, there was enough variation in production and the stated weights were close enough that it was possible to get a Team that weighed more than a VWD (or whatever way round it was).

As for the R3 Dark, that’s just a complete bargain of a bike, intended to shift a load of old stock.

A few of mine…

simple fact – you cant insure something you dont own…

As mentioned a few posts above… you don’t have to actually own something to be able to insure it, you only need to have insurable interest i.e. if damage were to occur you’d be in a worse position. That assumes you can find someone to carry the risk, but the principle is sound. If I was to lend a museum my Rembrant to display, then I’d expect them to insure it as they’d be liable were it nicked.

As for dual insurance, it happens all the time in property and commercial insurance and it would generally be the ‘more specific’ policy that would pay out.

I always had success with the Euro Spam thread on the guitar forum at Harmony Central. Haven’t used it for years but bought and sold quite a bit of stuff there a while ago.

Some of Masterbond’s friends have had it (he’s nearly 2) and whilst he hasn’t shown any signs both the missus and I had ulcers and sore throats for a couple of weeks.

The joy of having kids.

My doc will only give me 30 at a time for my asthma / allergies, which for £7 was getting extortionate. Found that Sainsburys sold the exact same thing for £1 for 14 (I think, may even have been 28). Will have a look at the site above though if it’s even cheaper.

Go to a decent tailor, buy a jacket that fits on the shoulders and then pay them to nip the sides in so it looks properly fitted.

Personally, I’ve been using Copperfields in the City for years – suits are about £300 depending on how many you buy / the discount you can negotiate plus allow £50 a suit for alterations.

Awesome. This thread does exactly what it said it would.

Well done!

Porsche 911 – we’d had about half an inch of snow overnight so I thought I’d put the car in the garage, got about 10 foot down the driveway before the rear wheels started spinning. God knows what it would be like to actually drive on the road – it never got that far.

Great thread!

Many of mine have been mentioned – it wasn’t until I read this that I realised what a wuss I was. I blame it on having kids.

I’d add:

Cannonball – Damien Rice
If I can’t change you mind – Sugar (although I think I’m over this one now)
Wonderful – Everclear

null

If you’re near the City, then Copperfields on the corner of Moorgate and London Wall is about as good as you’ll get for that sort of money.
I’d try and go somewhere that’ll tailor it slightly, a little tuck in the jacket around the waist or slimming in the trousers transforms it from an off the peg number to something that looks ten times better.

I bought my son a Rothan for Christmas, he would have been 18 months and whilst he’s pretty big for his age, I doubt he’ll be ready to use it as intended until the summer at the earliest.
The saddle is at the very lowest it’ll go and even then, still probably half an inch too high for him to comfortably sit on it.

He’s a solid walker but definitely doesn’t have the coordination to scoot on it yet. Has more fun on his Scuttlebug.

matt_outandabout – Member
http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/27aug92-uk-danbury-group-goes-into-receivership-owing-around-7m/1070280.article

:(

Anyone want to buy a safe?

Do I need to change my name by deed poll to DFW Golding in order to claim my winnings?

No zombies thankfully… but there was this:

I’m assuming that it makes me wealthy beyond my wildest dreams.

The bag, alas, was empty…

But there were documents underneath…

Well… it wasn’t empty.

But there wasn’t any gold…. something better.

Actually not better at all. But more intriguing. Slightly.

They didn’t work.

So I tried with both molegrips and wiggling the key… and that did work.

Ok, so tried some more WD40 (didn’t have time to get penetrating stuff, nor the confidence to order it without smirking)… Nothing.

So gave the mole grips a go…

Looking forward to you finding f00k all inside it/or a massive pot of gold.

I guess that as we don’t know what’s in there, technically there is both a massive pot of gold and nothing whatsoever in there…

It’s Schrodinger’s safe.

Molegrips on the handle… check.

I’ll set the video camera up so I can record the moment I become rich beyond my widest dreams (or ever so slightly disappointed, whichever’s applicable).

get proper penetrating fluid, not wd40 or 3 in 1.

Like what?

A colleague thinks that liquid nitrogen is the way forward, but I don’t think Robert Dyas stocks it.

It’s about 2 1/2 foot high, 2 foot wide and I can’t even move it, let alone lift it up three flights of stairs before using it to destroy the patio, so I’m ruling that one out.

Thermite / dynamite etc, a little risky give the above and the fact it’s sitting in the foundations of my house.

Freezer is too small.

Lemon juice?

Don’t have a stethoscope, nor access to a friendly doctor.

Might squirt some 3in1 into the lock tonight and see if that frees anything up. The thing to the left of the key looks like it could have been a handle at some point but has broken off. I haven’t been able to get it to turn, but will attack that again this evening.

The Bridge is what connects to the computer / NAS to effective send the music out into the ether for one of the other units to pick up and play… It doesn’t have an amp or speakers built in.

As mentioned, for it to work properly, you do need the storage system (whether that be a laptop or NAS) to be on the whole time (or at least whenever you want to use it).

Great kit though… we’ve had a Sonos system for 6 or 7 years and keep adding to it. Using a tablet as a controller works really well to – better than the dedicated one to be fair.

My set up…

Muscial Fidelity A3.5 Amp and CD
Gyrodec with Technoarm and (currently) a Denon 110 after the Sumiko cart got broken
Graham Slee Era Gold V Phono stage
Sonos ZP90
Naim Ovator s-400 speakers
Merlin cables, Tellurium Q Black speaker cable

Question for any vinyl junkies out there… I need to replace the cartridge and was going to go for the same Sumiko Blue Point Special Evo III… is there anything else in the same sort of price range I should be considering? Ideally a high-output MC or at least something that’ll match the phono stage (2-10 mV)

I’ve got 11 or 12 I think… 5 nice ones (JLC, IWC, Panerai, Parmigiani and an Omega), a few sports ones and another 2 or 3 I don’t think I ever wear.

Haven’t bought a new one for at least 18 months though and I wouldn’t sell any of my current ones so that’ll be if for the foreseeable future.

The Meelec ones Countzero listed above are excellent – arrived very quickly too.

I bought them for snowboarding mainly as they sit really flat to your ear, so you can wear a hat / helmet over the top. Sound pretty good too, plus to date they’ve been completely reliable.

I was told by my dealer (tongue in cheek, I think) when demoing one particular amp, that the designer / builder etc felt that the output was right, so it didn’t need them.

Probably more to do with having ‘unnecessary’ components in the way of a clean circuit.

We went to Les Gets last year with Master Bond, aged 9 months, with Ski Famille. We went with two other couples and had the chalet to ourselves. Two nannies for the 3 kids (although I think that was a bit of an anomoly because they were quiet) and the chalet had dedicated play areas, toys, cots, buggies and all the other paraphernalia you’d expect. Highly recommend them, although not cheap – we got a healthy discount as we booked the whole chalet and I think they were struggling to fill places last season.

This year we’re going to St Anton with VIP Ski, a hotel rather than chalet, but still set up with kids in mind. Have heard good things about them so fingers crossed.

To be honest, we don’t do a lot of Apres Ski and Ski Famille were happy to arrange for babysitters if we were. I doubt we’ll leave the hotel in the evenings once junior’s in bed…

GrahamS – Member

maybe when kids are old enough to board I’ll join their lessons and learn to ride properly

Read/watch this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1405315741

It is a really good book and DVD that talks you through the basics of turning, shifting your weight etc.

I’m self-taught and I found it quite useful because it made me think a lot more about what I had already blindly stumbled my way towards. A mate of mine, who has also ridden for years without lessons, had an epiphany and realised why his technique left his legs burning.

Probably no substitute for real lessons, but it has the advantage that you can do it at home before a holiday.

Or better still, sign up for a week of getting beasted by the man himself… McNab

I’ve done 3 or 4 weeks with him and Keith (the guy who appears in the DVD) and step one is to get your stance right. Nice and wide to give you balance and biomechanically correct so you can move the pressure round the board and turn it easily and accurately.
His approach is that you stand naturally with your feet apart. There should be 20-30 degree angle between front and back foot. You then turn your head to look over your front shoulder. That’ll bring your feet round very slightly. Those should be your angles – natural from a biomechanical view but slightly biased towards going forward.
Personally, mine are about +18 -9.

Falke.
I’ve tried others (particularly Burton) and they’re agony in comparison.

Theoretically it’s possible to get caught out. Say there’s an incident on day 12, you cancel day 13 and the claim comes to light day 14 you could be held liable and you wouldn’t be covered as there’s was never a policy (again assuming that it’s cancelled ab initio and not short term)

Ensuring that there’s no break in cover is just safer although the risk is pretty low.

A better way would be to extend the existing policy by a fortnight or so rather than taking out a new one. That way, you’re covered for the whole period, were a claim to come to light after the insurable interest transfers.

If you cancel a new policy during the cooling off period, then it may be cancelled ab initio and be considered never to have been in force.

You’re better off talking to your insurer / broker.

My old S2 Elise… Loved that car

My current car…

Rebrand himself with an abbreviated version of his name?

Very good… :lol:

I had one for a month or so and the screen started lifting on the side. I could have probably sent it back to Google (I think it was the early ones bought from the Play store which seemed to be affected) but it was a two minute job to flip the back off with a plectrum and tighten the screws up – there are more permanent solutions detailed on the web, but that seemed to work ok.
No issues with anything else though… very nice bit of kit, but I sold it for an iPad mini as it plays better with the rest of my gadgets.

I’m just hoping that the away end is completely empty.

PBK are my current favourite retailer of online bike-related goodies… much quicker to deliver than CRC, generally cheaper than Wiggle, better selection than Merlin.

Haven’t let me down so far!