I’ll be voting Tory.

As it’s most likely we won’t get a party with a majority a Labour win will mean a Labour/SNP coalition – they’re saying no now as Labour know they’ll lose some of their support as many hate that idea.

Blow up your Video tour for me in ’88, I’d def go now but how much is worth paying?

I’d rather remove my own testicles with a rusty spoon than watch Withnail & I a second time

Are you a sponge or a stone?

I haven’t watched any of The Hobbit films yet but will no doubt give them a go when they’re on the telly. Failed when trying to watch LOTR films again even though I mostly enjoyed them the 1st time.

I’ve watched Withnail and I dozens of times though. 🙂

Go up some sky scrapers 🙂

There are some ok temples about but I went to better ones elsewhere.

This garden:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Garden

Guess this market is gone now:

On my line into Waterloo they’ve extended the platforms to get an extra two carriages on, the commuter lines do seem to be at capacity. Same with the tube, more should cycle!

What’s best for the country is what’s best for me.

It’s not so much the fare dodgers that push up the already exorbitant prices for everyone. It’s a combination of central government policy and private enterprise putting shareholders’ profits ahead of everything.

This was good last night:

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/dkfgtg/nick-and-margaret-the-trouble-with-our-trains

Didn’t have time to buy a ticket? Get out of bed earlier.

But some train providers have a process for taking payment after you’ve got on so that’s fine, it’s those that are intending to steal that are the problem not those who think they are following the rules.

My local station has a ticket office and machine but often big queues or even unmanned office/broken machine – we get 2 trains/hr each way. I sometimes got on the train without a ticket and could always buy one at Waterloo when I got there. Once a mate in the village was fined for doing this but eventually was told he shouldn’t have been. Now he takes photos of the queues before getting on just in case.

As a teen I lived in Chester and then Kelsall – would happily live there now I think though it’s a lot denser than it used to be – they built on the fields around the main road near the church in the early 90s.

I have several foxes visiting me daily, they’ve never got into my pen which has a mesh roof and timbers all the way around the bottom – mostly old roof joists. So a fox could dig underneath but never has, burying mesh down to 12″ would be good I think. I have lost chickens to foxes but only when let out of the compound.

We had six and they used to give us 4-5 eggs a day but now we’re (c)lucky to get 2 a day

How old are they? I get rid of my ISAs at 2 years as don’t lay enough.

Make a bucket rat trap – lots on youtube. I made one and caught some young rats but not adults – gonna need a bigger bucket for them.

I was thinking of somewhere near Aberystwyth, how’s that for beaches, countryside, cycling local attractions?

I got 3 new ISAs in March and they lay 3 eggs most days. One insists on sleeping outside despite me bringing it in each evening, now don’t bother.

Hora’s Horable.

Interactive Investor are cheap for the service if have a reasonable fund size – I moved from Hargreaves Lansdowne. Also, their ISA is free if you have their SIPP.

Different funds focus on different areas so worth having a few – I have too many as built over the years and always looking for new funds, will start consolidating slowly I think.

US and Japan performed best for me this last year.

Anyone use a nice online tracker? I have just loaded my details into this which seems a nice tool:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-1585809/Power-Portfolio-track-real-virtual-investments-play-stock-market-free.html

Right now the FTSE is at an all time high, it won’t last!

Who knows?! Currently mood is positive but if Greece leave Euro then that’ll cause trouble, if Labour get in too ;). Timing the market is a tough thing to do and could easily lose out.

Yeah put it’s a starting point – any other places have recommendations?

I prefer Interactive Investor to HL but for smaller investments HL is cheaper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/isas/10611058/Tables-cheapest-fund-supermarkets-for-Isa-investing.html

Funds? Well HL do have recommendations in their Wealth 150. I use that plus look at Close Brothers ratings.

In rural France you could get something really quite impressive, makes me think if you’ve got enough equity in a nice UK house just cash it in, buy a nice place in France and live off the difference.

http://www.green-acres.com/en/properties/1825a-30988.htm

Only options close to that near me in Surrey village:

Retirement only 2 bed terrace house – £274.5k

Two bed maisonnette – £263k

One bed flat – £210k

The Gov’t encourages us to use ISAs as want us to save for our futures so helps the country. Moving to a tax haven doesn’t help the country much so they don’t encourage that.

Also if we do want anymore, we will apply to adopt.

Might be easier and quicker to get a reversal.

I’ve used a friend of the family solicitor for 2 of my moves, relatively expensive, even with mates rates. I’d rather pay for quality service for something so important rather than risk dealing with a budget offering. Mostly things don’t go wrong but when they do you want a decent guy.

Having put in an extension years ago I think neighbours can use the Party Wall Act to cause trouble and expense but not to stop anything from being built. Right to light isn’t likely to be an issue unless the extension blocks a window pretty directly.

Watch it in 2 sittings?

Benny Hill sequence? I was thinking Spinal Tap….

It was a great hour, right up to the 3 women getting stuck in the end – are women really like that?! 😉

I think that good ole Great Britain has royally **** up Africa in times gone past so we should tke responsibility and look after the folk who now need our help.

Oh, so it’s all our fault?

So so we allow the ones with enough money to pay the traffickers to come over but not the poorer ones? Maybe build camps in Eastern Europe somewhere for them – funded by the EU rather than putting pressure on the countries where they arrive.

primary aged kids can’t concentrate for 8 or 9 hours a day, at 3:30pm (2:55pm?!?!) they’re knackered mentally.

But if after 3pm it’s all fun and games then that’s OK? Sounds like my son’s after school club really – he’s 4.

When I was at prep school we finished at 5pm though Wednesday afternoon was for clubs.

they took their bill out of her wages

That can’t be legal!

http://www.wottonhatch.co.uk/ – nice gastro pub

Which is the nastier/not as good one- Lidl or Aldi?

Is there a quality issue at either? I find the fruit and veg fine at my local Lidl and anything else I buy there too. Recently started working away from home with easiest place to get food nearby being an Aldi – seems much the same to me.

Lidl and Aldi pay grads very well:

https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/retail-buying-and-merchandising/324077-which-graduate-retail-employer-pays-the-most

If only buying a few items at Lidl I ask to jump in front of those doing a big shop. Mostly works.

Shame Terry Leahy left, he was the brains behind growing it then left before it all went wrong.

Of course buy to let is evil anyway… 😉

At 50 maybe be cautious? How much in pension pot now? If loads concentrate on ISA over pension otherwise maybe go for pension mostly – obv if a higher rate tax payer then pension is more advantageous than if not.

pay off mortgage
put in ISA money each year – £15k+
Rest in Pension