I attend local action group meetings in my role and the councillors are just a right pain to deal with. The police are also at the meetings and I just feel sorry for them, as the petty things councillors bring up. They are generally angry little men who love a moan and feel as though they hold some degree of power. Most of their ire is directed towards the yoof.

The Thug Kitchen cauliflower pasta sauce recipe is great. Really simple to do too.

Leeks are the easiest thing to grow. We have a whole veg patch full of them. I might pick a few and put them on the classifieds.

Managed a few last year inbetween lockdowns. They are memorable due to those who I cycled with. I had a trip on Exmoor, 80 gruelling miles but it was with my twin who I hadn’t seen for nearly 5 months. It was tough hut really good fun.
Second memorable one was the Purbeck Bimble with a mate who I hadn’t seen for 8 months. It was a slow and gentle trip with camping on one of the Purbeck quarries with a couple of beers while watching the sun set. Weather was ace.

My stuff is ready to go at a moments notice now. That’ll be a memorable one as it’ll be after a long wait and an awful lockdown.

Some finely chopped decent chorizo. One that is spicy but falls apart slightly as it cooks in the pan first, so plenty of fat. Then add the already mixed egg, dash of milk, salt and pepper.

I wouldn’t get two from the same litter. Litter mate syndrome can be awful for one of the dogs, the less dominant one.

If you cannot give them the time, don’t get one. End of.

Great watch. OH and I watched all of them this evening, just really relaxing and peaceful telly… Is that a thing?!

The Selina one made me chuckle, ‘what are you doing?’, she came across as lovely but slightly bonkers, especially sniffing that guys hand!

After seeing the Endurance recommendation, this suddenly popped in to my inbox from Adventurous Ink book club. He has sent Boris a copy with attached letter;

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1007/2710/files/Tims_letter_to_Boris.pdf?v=1610710250

I suspect my back has been caused by, poor posture, poor work office set up as just not used to office working. Changed my job in July, from years of quite active jobs (not sitting for periods at a desk).

I’ll try some yoga and stretches, as cannot think about getting on a bike at the moment. Hot water bottles on the back have felt really nice and seemed to have eased the pain a little.

Its the first time I have felt completely useless, as even minor jobs at the moment are really difficult.

Cheers for replies. I try to keep moving and stand at my desk for meetings now. I’ve also tried a few stretches but my word it hurts!

If it doesn’t improve over weekend I’ll get myself booked in at local physio.

I’d read a variety and do not just rely on one ‘bible’, you’ll pick and choose which bits suit you and your context best. I completed an MA in leadership and found the reading of journal articles really good as much of it was recent research etc. Your HR may have training materials for leadership in the organisation so you can see what their particular ‘culture’ is.

A book I found good was ‘Leaders Eat Last’.

Marmite as a drink is for winners. At the end of the jar I fill with hot water, swish round and drink.
Bovril, not so sure on.

Really unsure on the cauliflower and peas suggestions. Mac n Cheese is an indulgence and doesn’t need that in it!

I’ve been smoking lots of cheese through the winter, so a large grating of some smoked cheese makes it very tasty. Crispy bacon bits, then topped with a mix of cheese and small amount of breadcrumbs on top.

I used to lead mtb trips for the school as part of their GCSE sport, but they required from memory for leaders to be qualified with BC for insurance purposes and assessment.

One of the PE teachers led the lessons (I taught Humanities) and they did basic handling skills around the playground and on the field down slopes.

I am useless when it comes to stuff like this usually, but got a kit off TF Tuned and the right tools then followed a YouTube video step by step. Managed my forks and shock. Like others have said, stay tidy, organised and clean.

Really good! I was very intrigued about the project. Glad to see it came off. I may have sent a few too many of the cartridges!

I have some 16g ones left from my homebrew kegs. I can pop a couple in the post.

Cheese? Can’t say I have, I imagine it would brie a bit rubbish and turn your hands blue in the cold.

Anyway, I really like my Overland winter gloves. Warm and toasty.

Hugging loved ones.

Expecting our first child! Scared and excited at the moment.

I got Odyssey for Christmas… Always a year behind. But its great. Black Flag is also good.

But I’d also second Witcher 3. Really good!

I am so sorry to hear this, you really did the right thing and he’d thank you for it…probably with a big lick. It is the hardest thing ever and I still cry after losing my boy in September. It does get easier as time goes on, but there will still be times where you just sob. It just shows how much of an impact dogs have on our lives, that unconditional love, that sheer joy they bring and how special they make you feel. I am welling up just writing this.

Head out for a walk at one of his favourite places. You’ll feel sad to start with, but getting out in the fresh air helps and you’ll start laughing and remembering the silly things they did while on the walk…or that really stinky fox sh*t they rolled in :)

Sending big virtual hugs.

Massive congrats! I’ll be asking for your advice in 7 months… Kind of scared and excited at the same time.

What a Christmas present though! Have an amazing time and hope little stwer and OH are all good.

Christmas special is on tonight, BBC one by the looks of things.

I’ve just got my murphys water analysis back, so getting delivered some additions from Malt Miller tomorrow.

Going to go for a Rye beer from the Greg Hughes book and a tin miners ale.

How much difference to your brews have additions made if you’ve had your water analysed? I am going to stick to what murphys have recommended as some of the spreadsheets out there just confuse me!

I’ve been working with a great charity. They are solely on Facebook, but it is a support network where you can chat and talk about life.

Search #BroCheck on Facebook.

Great Tales from English History by Robert Lacey is a great one. It is broken in to lots of short stories, so very easy to engage with and easy to just pick up, read a couple and put down if short on time. Not in depth, but gives a great snap shot from lots of different periods and key people and events.

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Robert-Lacey/Great-Tales-From-English-History–Cheddar-Man-to-DNA/860186

I think it’s because you misjudged the mood of many OP. At least you are just staring at ski passes as opposed to a letter informing you you’ve lost your job, or are sat at the kitchen table realising a loved one that passed away this year due to Covid won’t be joining you, or you are just not going to see loved ones due to the pandemic.

I quite like a posh wee, especially when it’s quiet at work. I can pop in the cubicle and read the news plus comment on STW threads. I am a regular pooper so never need to go at work, so take full advantage of a wee break.

That’s the news I like to hear!

Any news on Wurzel Gummage at all? I thought the specials (was it last year?) were really well done and beautifully shot. I suppose covid put pay to many projects this year.

Just a reminder, this is on this evening at 20:10 on BBC two!

Stance socks. They come up on sportspursuit every now and then. Their everyday socks are thick and comfy.

Seen from a few posts from Angling Trust and Wild Trout Trust that they decimated the gravel bottom, which will take a long time to reverse. Those gravel beds are hugely important for spawning salmon and trout along with Invertebrates. No one makes any mention of who the landowner was? It just baffles me why someone would do this and cause such destruction.

I am with Brads. Some of the ones which they term ‘juicy’ like some of the NEIPAs are not very pleasant. If I want alcoholic fruit juice, I’ll have a cocktail.

I did have a lovely IPA from Kinnegar the other day, Scraggy Bay.

Post rude? Me and the OH usually cuddle and fall asleep. I don’t really fancy a hot chocolate after that.

Post ride I’d opt for a hot chocolate and rum.

I have not really experienced anything but pay freezes in my career. From teaching to now local government, the most I have had I think is 2% from memory. Obviously nothing like bonuses etc. The only sort of bonus I had in teaching was extra for marking exams for Edexcel. The only consolation of lower pay I have is that I make a real difference in the communities I serve through adult education.

Unfortunately freezing public sector pay is far easier than trying to winkle a fair amount of tax from big digital companies such as google and amazon or trying to ensure a fairer tax system. Plus it divides and more likely to get support, government pushes myths about public sector pay being good already, decent pensions secure jobs (now a thing of the past). If gov tried to get fairer amount of tax from Amazon and google, those companies will say, ah we will have to pass on those higher rates of tax in to higher prices for the consumer. Which one will be more popular?

Broken Riders offering a decent discount, plus 10% of profits go to the charity Mind.

My only bit of advice MrOvershoot, is to may be do a test run of peeing in a bottle prior to your travel if you don’t want to head in to the services.

Ensure the receptacle has a wide enough entrance. You don’t want a a soaked seat….this is speaking from experience in a rather long traffic jam on the M25. I now keep an old High5 bottle in the car for just such emergencies.

In all seriousness, it sounds like you thoroughly deserve some time with loved ones.

MrOvershoot. Really sorry to hear. I’d say yes certainly. Are you part of a support bubble? If not, then can you make your inlaws that support bubble?

We have just all rearranged our Christmases as a family. Instead of all meeting we have decided that we will do a secret santa food and drink box, then open on a family zoom meet up and open, drink, chat and then play bingo.
It’s for one year.
Hopefully we will all be able to meet up after Easter if we are allowed with each other then.

This is on my Christmas list!

They are bulky, but great bits of kit. We did a SUP tour last year and the lead packed one of the smaller ones with him, all in a dry bag. Boils water super fast.

I think there are 3 sizes now.

I wanted mine for fishing. Pop in the back of the car and brew up next to the bank. I can leave on the bank in a bag then come back to it so won’t be carrying it around far.

I just purchased these. Cheap but are really bright and do the job. I replaced two old bits of fluro’ strip lighting.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174497773799