Is there any of this software that can deal with those who stammer? My mate gets very frustrated when calling numbers that ask you to navigate a menu with your voice; why can't they just let you use a number pad – maybe like the one on the phone?!

Must be similar to my Puma – can get 2 bikes and luggage in there with seats down.

How to salaries compare at different types of teaching establishment? I wondered if I might more into teaching one day but going back to studying for a teaching qualification does put me off.

So is Germany such a successful nation because of or despite of their educational system?

It's an external wall…BTW, my reason for doing this is that I want to move the TV to the other end of the room but there's a fireplace in the way so want to route the cable outside using two holes that conveniently already exist – that's OK right?

Oh OK thanks – was thinking I could reuse one of these plugs.

Some OE forks have steel steerers but it says these are alloy so hopefully that's right.

I've been to more gyms that I can remember since the late 80s from such places as Esporta and Virgin to local hardcore basement gyms. I don't go these days as am more bothered about getting lean and cycling fit than upper body strength however my local leisure centre looks pretty good for about £40/month (Surrey) plus they have a decent pool unlike many private gyms.

Check this out:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals-dev/cheap-gym-membership#trials

Just got back from a road ride in the Surrey Hills, ended up being scared to descend to quickly as the roads are so bad; was particularly fortunate as got an instant flat when puncturing on a long descent that I usually get close to 40mph on. I think I'll try my 32c Spesh Armadillo jobs next time.

It should always be OK to ask; many of us would comply just to be helpful.

I used to live next door to a chap that worked nights and opposite us was a chap with a motorbike. The motorbike man liked to work on his bike in the drive sometimes revving it up as motorbike men tend to do. My neighbour would open the window and yell abuse at him. Not sure which one deserves sympathy really.

His Dad should have put something on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i02_zElAZpE

Well I've done it! I borrowed a little spanner from my model steam engine building neighbour and turned it off. Thanks for the support!

Well it's quite fiddly to turn, as the space is limited and I'm using a money wrench, but as soon as I start it leaks; maybe if I can turn it all the way it would stop leaking. Is anticlockwise the right way to try then as I was turning clockwise.

OK I got the tap off; when I try to turn the bit you can now see water starts to come out so that's not good!

Ah well that's another problem – not sure I've found the mains tap yet! Well I have found what I think is the mains tap but it doesn't stop the water to the kitchen so wonder if it's fed from the tank in the loft.

Taking the tap off sounds a good idea though it's a bit hard to get at.

I was keen to put the Ikea or Habitat free standing units, in my last house but decided in the end fitted units make far better use of space. I still went with Ikea though and was happy with the units I used and wasn't too much of a battle to fit myself.

I've ridden with a few of the groups mentioned here and suggest Sierra Cycling is your best option as mentioned – the only potential downside is if the riding is too XC for you. Also, it's by the beach which is nice….

A Very Peculiar Practice – I did like that but not sure it should be at no.5.

We just took over a small hotel, as had a small number of guests, and only paid for food/drink – no obvious padding other than perhaps charging a bit more for food than they would usually.

On a slight tangent I watched this last night which I thought rather good:

Comrades[/url]

with regards to breed I want something that will be happy to left at home during the day

Poor thing would get very lonely – they are sociable animals right?

the friendliest breed around
Golden Retriever

Plus the real cost of processing a 1st or 2nd class letter is more than the cost of a postage stamp anyway.

Evidence please. I suspect it depends greatly on the location of the sender and recipient. If both in the same city the cost must be very low but if one is in some remote part of Scotland then the cost is far higher.

but you can't claw it back once they've spent it on champers and coke.

Reminds me of a house mate who got given £20/week by his Dad on top of his PhD funding – he used it for special substances which I'd have felt quite bad about.

Yesterday we rode down White Down to Abinger Hammer then up Rad Lane to Peaslake. Then up Holmbury on the road to the reservoir and up to the top, then down Yoghurt Pots and Telegraph Road and back to Abinger Roughs. Telegraph was fine except for the 1st section but Yoghurt Pots a bit tricky.

The country does not need 'fewer' grads. There has never been a shortage of binmen, plumbers or the un-employed, and if there is, it's redressed by a migrant workforce. But we're regularly told theres a shortage of doctors and engineers?

Now it's not those becoming doctors and engineers that's the problem is it?

That's a good point and shame others don't look at it the same way; we need fewer grads.

I do know someone who sent all their kids to fancy private schools till the age of 18, with the proviso that when they wanted to go to university, they had to fund it themselves.

I had a mate who went through something similar – no agreement but his parents didn't support him at all in Uni and he figured that having to work in term-time wasn't ideal and they could have helped a bit more. Given that he's doing well now maybe they could have loaned him the money.

I worked in my holidays but never in term-time and had no support from my parents – that was in the last of the good times as we moved into the 90s.

Is that funny? I've had pigeons fly into a window – being chased I imagine – they leave a ghostly imprint of themselves.

I'd get her to work out out, breaking down the costs and justifying. Then she needs to budget appropriately and work out the best way to get as much money as possible elsewhere – cheap loans and then see how much is left.

When driving my choice is between radio 2 and Absolute radio. Christian O'Connell was usually preferable to Wogan and Chris Evans preferable to Geoff Lloyd. Now that Chris has moved to the morning I think I'll listen to him over Christian – who seems a bit too smug really – and that'll leave Geoff in the evening who's fine.

I ordered 29 of 170mm thick stuff when npower were doing £1 per roll; I think they might be a bit overwhelmed as it's been 4 weeks now. BTW, I estimated how many I needed and suspect I'll have a bit left over!

It leaves a small hole.

i wonder how many bread makers are sat forgotten, collecting dust on peoples kitchen shelves after hey realise that it is cheaper, easier and less of a faff to simply buy bread at the bakers.

Is it cheaper to buy bread? Maybe the Tesco value one but not something as good as our maker makes though taking the cost of the machine into account depends on it's life span so don't know. We make 5 or 6 a week at the moment; it's not much faff – measure out the ingredients and dump them in the machine then set the timer. Don't have to take the stirrer out on ours.

My wife has a Panasonic as does my Mum – both wished they'd gone for a version with a nut dispenser. We only got ours a month ago and think it's great.

So the wife asked if I would open it up to the STW masses to see if there is any advice/opinions that would help us in reaching a decision.

Fantastic!

I've had her.

Sticking a coke can there is a kinky idea

Carmina Burana?!

http://www.last.fm/music/Michel+Plasson+-+Malcolm+Stewart+-+Orchestre+Du+Capitole+De+Toulouse+-+Jose+Antonio+Sainz+-+Orfeon+Donostiarra+-+Choeur+D'Enfants+Midi+Pyrenees/_/Carmina+Burana+-+Fortuna+Imperatrix+Mundi+:+O+Fortuna?autostart

Hey that's what I need to keep me going in Surrey

A load of road maintenance types rented a house on my small road in London parking all their vans there taking up all the spaces – must have been 8 in one house sometimes. So we formed a committee…and got them to car share when coming to the road.

If politicians REALLY wanted to get us to significantly reduce our CO2 emissions, they would ban wasteful activities, not just tax them more!

But banning isn't compatible with our free world….