Very true Drac but still not much you are seriously sick,I think I need to look into sickness insurance to see if it would be cost effective or build a nest egg.

mmm food for thought as I get 10 days a year then ssp

I have exacaly the same stove as you and it was installed in dec last year you do not need a vent unless you house is a new super sealed one

Our chicks live in a shed we got free from freecycle and have their run defended by an electric fence. You need to fox proof their run and house as we have an electric fence we have never locked ours in as there is no need to.

Also try and rat proof the hen house (our shed is on bricks).

As for food find your local farm supplyers and buy a bag of layers pellets 20-25kg for about £8 also get some corn 20kg for about £6 and finaly some poultry grit and think about worming stuff.

If you are transporting chicks ensure they dont overheat as they will just die, we used a cardboard box with big holes they could sick their heads through.

Chicks as thick as but also bright so are quite funny

NHS pension fund is easily affordable and is pretty much self funding.

Is the NHS pension index linked ?

Thats good news shame the same cant be said about local government and the emergency service esp the Police

You know – I have spent my life in public service. Looking after the old the sick and the vulnerable. All I ask is a reasonable wage and a decent pension

Unfortuately the cost of a decent pension are way out of control and the previous gov didnt do much to sort it out if you look at what you have to pay into a private staveholder pension to get anything like the public sector pensions you would be horrified.

worked fine for me this morning

Mikeypies – the ranks can also move around every two years also at the drop of a hat, and obviously children from the ranks can therefore go to boarding school.

That is true but for the majority (airmen) in the RAF it dosnt apply many spend several years in post (5+) and if your children are in the last years you can defer posting. As for the Army and Navy ?

The reason the uptake for boarding schools is high for officers is that many are on 2 year postings while airman can serve at one location for many years.Also there are more oversea postings for officer, both of which are not good for education.

because its self perpetuating. Your dad is an officer so you go to the right schools which smooths your way to become an officer – so entry depoends on your background not your ability or potential.

Its a classic example of a self perpetuating elite

Totall cobblers

To gain entry first you have to undergo isometric tests then several interviews ,depending what academic qualifications you possess different careers are available. If you would like to gain a commission and pass all of the above then you have to go on a 2 day course where you are tested mentaly and physicaly.

Elf admitting he is wrong :D

My mums mince and chips one of my earliest memorys

Is that supposed to be a suitable metaphor for serving ( and dying ) in the ranks ?

no it wasnt a metaphor for anything

Just trying to say that if a parent invests 30K+ per year in their childs education they wouldnt let their child end up flipping burgers, they would get them into a nice little earner no matter how thick they were ( mind you eton has an entrance exam )

raf

both rose to the very top

Sir Michael Beetham joined as an airman was an LAC (private)
Sir Keith Williamson ex apprentice

how many did you read

Air Vice-Marshal B M North OBE MA RAF

Barry Mark North (Baz) was born on 13 September 1959 and educated at Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford and at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, where he gained a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies;

Elf

Have a look at this

http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/seniorcommanders.cfm

not many old etonians

Ernie

Do you think somebody who can spend 30K+ of taxed income would settle for their child fliping burgers in maccyDs.?

most Etonians parents whould have higher expectations for their children dont you think especialy after spending all that cash?

elf there have been numerous AVM in the RAF who have entered as boy entrants as apprentices and quite a sizeable number of offices of air are ex apprentices. Officer appraisals are very direct and quite blunt if somebody isnt upto it they are found out very quickly.

Similary if an airman wants to be commissioned and gets approval from their Boss and CO they apply and if good enough get commissioned.

I knew a guy from a big council estate in Birkenhead who followed the path above,if you are good enough you are in .

The same as being a Pilot they are from a variety of different backgrounds some working class and others very wealthy but one things for sure if you arnt up to the job you are out regardless of who you are.

As for cannonfodder in the Airforce the officers go off to War

Treefella

never met anybody whos had weils before, the hallucinations for me went on for 5 days very strange with occasional normal bits inbetween. I was only 17 at the time and I was fit after a couple of weeks my bone marrow,liver and kidney function had started to shut down but I bounced back. The only affect was that I got drunk very quick but after a short while all back to normal.

I was offered a CO position,

just curious whats a CO position?

working class and an army officer well depends on how you define working class but there are plenty of officers in all the services from council estates (if that is how you define working class ) maybe not in the blues and royals

Leptospirosis (also known as Weil’s disease)spent 9 days in an isolation unit as at the time they didnt know what was wrong with me,other than being sick at the start I was away with the fairies for most of it. Scared my parents no end.

Its the last time I’ve been ill for more than 2-3 till now and have been off work since the 4 jan with wierd gut problems

been lucky so far and hope the status stays the same

If there was a national boarding grammer school where only the brightest students from the state system could apply and was manned by the best teachers and was run by an inspirational head,with ties into industry, commerce and politics(at a high level).

Would the exstudents have a chance ?

Should be in with a chance getting to the top uni’s
but how would they fair from afterwards

getting back to the original question I want the brightest and most capable people to run the country,that they come from a wide section of society would be good.

The current situation needs to be changed

Not saying this isnt the case somewhere but what evidence do you have for this?

Simple having lived with 2 teachers for 6 years and thus been exposed to all the moans and the politics esp about shocking management and poor teachers who manage to stay on. Also I spend time every week in numerous schools, state schools from nursery to six form and public schools as well.

Obviously I’m not proffessionaly qualified just a layman but it was quite an eye opener going into schools after a 18 year gap and seeing what gos on.

Without doubt if I had children and the cash they would go to a public school or a Catholic school and I’m an atheist. I would rather they went to a state school but most are shockingly poor

Whats needed is not a dismantlement of public schools but a through shake up of state schools and the parents taking their responsibility for their children.

There are too many state schools who do not push their students and many teachers,heads,deputys etc who are just going through the motions they claim to be professionals but arnt instead they just do enough.

Some staff in schools are superb and are worth everything they get paid.

Parents need to be made aware that they also need to help educating their offspring and that the resposibility does not rest with the school alone.

Numpties to be honest there is only one reason you should block a trail and that is for a fallen rider.

As for trail litter there is no excuse ,I did the dragon sportif a couple of years ago and was shocked by the aount of litter dropped by riders again no excuse.

were you by rowberrow woods?

so all tall blokes are placid and mild mannered

and all short men have a complex about it

nice stereotyping

what are guys inbettween ? a crazy and dangerous mixture who could be in either camp ?

and where are the demarkations just for clarity

I’m just curious

well it was your statement now he’s shorter than me by about 5 inches

You need to chill and talk garbage to people who are as deranged as he was it totaly catchs them off guard.

Going to all guns blazing is hardly worth it and has unfortunately led to people ending up in prison for manslaughter.

You are both as deranged as a box of frogs, must have been the fuel fumes

The asumption of some tall people that as they are tall they must automaticaly the daddy and can beat up smaller people is tragicaly flawed and will get them into a whole world of pain.

Firstly what sort of coal have you got? if it house coal dont burn it in your MF stove unless you want to bugger your stove and liner.

If you have Smokeless fuell all good.

To light follow I do much the same as the rest but never firelighters ( I dont bother with paper eitherto be honest). Just chop up firewood light it and get a good blase going then add coal but you do need a good few embers first.

Coal/wood need different conditions to burn efficently coal needs air feed from the bottom and the coal on a grate clear or ashes etc.

any questions ?

It depends what you guys what to do?

North Devon (Ilfracombe down to westward Ho and Bude even though its in cornwall)can be good for surfing with lots of places to hire wetsuits and boards for learners,and if hes good and theres some good surf after you have all had a go take him to where the best surf is and watch him for an hour or so ( is new missus will do this a lot :-))

As for drinking it all depends what you are looking for and how many guys are going,if there are loads of you you will to get organised otherwise it could be a PITA if you can only get in scabby places.
Pembrokeshire is great too I’ve spent many nights out in Haverfordwest and the surfings great too.

Basicaly its a usb stick in which is a sim card is held.
I use an O2 one most days at work for looking for info or downloading files when out of the office ,its has a 3gig limit and I have never used more than 10%. It costs £10 per month on contract.
I can watch webcams but streaming vid whould prob be asking too much.
Before buying one check what reception is like in the block on various networks first and buy the strongest,if contract prices are the same

oh

My bro has 3 snappers of various ages and 2 dogs and MIL who all go on hols together and the got a time shave on a canal boat and without exception they all love it and go as ofter as they can. I call it a floating caravan but I digress.

Anyway it will be all irrelevent in a few years as the majority will be no longer able to afford to fly

children lovem but cant eat a whole one

I have flown a bit in my time not a huge amount though mainly short-medium but a few long haul as well.

Taking young kids <3 esp when more than one why? unless visiting family, when they get sick what a pain in the ass. My friend was in Egypt with his family (wife and 2 snappers) when his wife went down with food poisonning he had to stay an extra week (unpayed)and argue-arrange a new hotel and sort it out , the reps were okish as was the tour company but only because hes a determined bugger.

Mid-long

My mates wife has flown to HK with her boy since was about 9 months but she plans it

good airline
good flight times
takes food the boy likes
toys etc
takes his fav jimjams and blanket
emergency cowpol and other such stuff
check in early to get a window and middle seat

and strangely shes never had any probs

then others turn up with nothing an expect the airline to provide

And legaly you can get all your money back if the mag dont run till the end,in reality who knows

If you are putting a roofrack on your car get a good quality one and check its tight regulary and maybe even take it off and examine it.

OCD? not realy regulary on the M5 in the summer there are delays and crashes due to items falling off cars. I have seen roofracks at the beach that I wouldnt put a wind break on but yet they have a mountain of windsurfing kit on them. Many moons ago in Tarifa the roof rack of the car hire gave up the ghost when we came out of a cutting and hit the wind at full force the only thing that saved us was the fact the straps went throught the doors.

My experience yesterday was sum what different,although I had filled in the form and handed it in last year sometime after much nagging by the breadknife when I rang they had no record of me .So instead they set me up as an unregistered patient and got all my details of illness and had the triage Doctor ring me back. After a chat he wanted to see me and in 1/2 an hour he did.

The receptionist filled in the form for me as apparently she could tell I was ill as I was grey.

You can tell how well a place is run and what drives people when things go wrong and how they are corrected

he’s been processed to quickly?

seems fairly cut and dry there was evidence he confessed he got sentenced.

At least he can get on with doing his time and mentaly move on seems to be the best for him and is what I wanted .I think that he will probaly appeal his sentence and it will be reduced.

Plastic

Well we managed for a few years before so why not afterwards? big change though

He dont need ur calculater Hora as he asking about fitting a different width not profile.

Again if fitting tyres different to those specified by the car manufacturer you need to speak to your insurance company,even if they are the same size and are only winter tyres compared to summer.

In the company fleet we once had a car that specified that only 2 specific tyres could be fitted and no the car wasnt something esoteric.
The fleet company wernt so happy as the tyres were 2 twice the price and wore out quickly as they were soft.