Was out yesterday in West Bucks. Unbelieveably wet and cold, got caught out with strings of punctures (farmers cutting hedges) so a late, dark trudge home (no lights). Wished I’d gone today instead but we’re off out today…..

I can’t remember if it’s an electrical or mechanical fuel pump on the landy – if electrical, try giving it a whack with something hard. Sometimes they get stuck. If mechanical, would suggest fuel filter – my money’s on fuel delivery issue of some form.

Excellent. Train home won’t be cluttered up with football fans causing pointless mayhem, then.

Well I’ve had 2, TJ’s had one and slowjo’s had 1.

oooh oooh – thought of another. Blair reversed the policy (in connection with the troubles in Northern Ireland) of “Let’s just send even more troops in and refuse to listen to what the Republicans say – that’ll solve it!”.

Ernie – maybe one thing.

Brown (as Chancellor) reversed/ended the Tory habit of manipulating interest rates to create a nice little inflationary boom about 12 months before each election, by handing control of those rates to an independent body (although Merv seems to be at present just an extension of the Tory party publicity dept). Not exactly a reverse, but an end to a rather sleazy little habit.

In the boot for me.

All the best, Andy.

Magic cats
Remington fuzz-away
Mushrooms

I had “squirrels in the loft” too – I went up to see what was thundering around and the little blighter went for me. I threw the wallpaper stripper I was holding and legged it (nice girl). The pest control chappie said that was the right thing to do as they carry some particuarly vile diseases if they do bite, plus they can do no end of structural damage (squirrels, not strippers). Anyway, it ended up with him and gun and pretty soon afterwards a rather dead squirrel.

Midlandstrailquestgraham – impressive bike / living room interface. Well done.

McMoonter – it’s been said before but that is a seriously impressive woodstore. My nomination for the STW Woodstore of the Year, without a doubt – will vote accordingly in the STW poll.

Wanted to get a wood burner in our chilly kitchen, but was told it would cost £6,500 due to all the flue claptrap. Grrrr – jealous of you lot!

My votes:

Jeremy Paxman
Victoria Coren
Alice Roberts

I got to work yesterday morning despite TfL’s best efforts to stop me, I’m the first to arrive just sat down and *ping*! An email from my boss suggesting that I stay at home. Huh! The one chance in a year and I got in too early.

Got in OK from the Chilterns today. Just billions more people than usual.

Thanks jimmyjames. Ordered.

Get well soon, Paul – best wishes for a full recovery. Keep fighting it!

(You don’t know me, by the way!).

None in Central London – and plenty of Boris Bikes, too!

Thanks sv. My mouse was hovering dangerously closely over the “Buy” for some Superleggeras. Will switch to switches or superfasts.

Generally, reviews of the SS wheels seem good based on the above.

My 30th was one of my lowest points. I remember clearly thinking on the day how pish my life was and decided to change things. Worked hard to pick it up, seemed to go well for a few years then got knocked pretty much under the floor (my, this is cheery, isn’t it?!). Then started all over again, discovered biking, eventually found the woman of my dreams and was a lot happier by 40. Now a few years on I am frustrated that my body is now so knackered that I’m no longer getting the most out of life and I look about ten years older than I really am, but that’s a minor problem compared to what went before. In sum, for me it’s got betterer and betterer and hopefully it will for you, although it sounds like you’re in a decent place already. Just don’t expect your body to continue to function well…..!

I’m looking at pair of Superstar wheels too – possibly the Superlegerra Tech 2. Has anyone yet tried to replace bearings in a superstar hub? Does it require special tools?

To go back to the original statement, I believe that if the European structure as we know it really does blow apart, then we are all pretty thoroughly done for for a very long time. It’s not going to be pretty or nice and – one of the reasons that I am pro-Euro – relegates us all to non-entity status in the world. OK, that’s opinion but one I hold pretty strongly.

not jd a dkoway

Thanks Stevexc but I’ll stick to rockshox – I have bad experiences with Fox and stanchion wear and don’t want to be stripping them on a regualr basis.

Thanks chaps. Looked at SIDs but I think they’re a little off-budget! OK Rebas it may be.

LoCo – you have mail.

I wonder if magic cats are behind it all.

Superb thread, andrew.

I wondered if it was soemthing to do with the thickness of the magic carpet – in your picture it looks much, much thicker than your average Allied Carpets rug effort. Perhaps that is the secret? Also, where are the fuelling ports for re-fuelling with magic?

….and his vile fright-wig.

+1 for Nicholas van Hoogstraten.

Jeremy Clarkson also lives down the very dark, deep hole of vileness for me.

elliptic – isn’t that pic the Osbornes? Are they ruminants, then?

We should start some regional directories on here of skilled STW’ers so us numpties know who to contact when things go pear-shaped.

Asparagus makes your wee smell, so that’s a big tick, but for me the parsnip gets it. King of Vegetables and directly related to the carrot cake (King of Cakes).

Pronghorn.

We need pruning back, and hard.

………and that’s where nuclear power comes in!!! :wink:

+1 for First Direct. I am one of their original customers (joined when they opened in 1990) and have had one slight hiccup in that time. For which they apologised profusely and immediately put right. Would recommend them to anyone, and no, I don’t work for the HSBC group. Used to work for Santander mind…..

Agree with above – turn it off it’s rubbish. The shows you mention are cheap, require no opinion of knowledge and are formulaic. Stick to BBC2!

Sorry zokes, just to set the record straight on my earlier post, I accepted that I didn’t have an answer to the conundrum but I don’t think I was being hysterical. Your point with fossil fuels being dangerous is well made, but to say that my comment of “health problems (for those living) near nuclear power stations” is hysterical feels a little conveniently dismissive and somewhat patronising. Neither my language nor point was hysterical, I believe.

Ok just wanted to get that off my chest, let’s not you and I now get into an unhelpful calling contest but rather get on with the real debate (In any case I have work to do and won’t have time to post any more this afternoon).

Haven’t read all of the above, but here’s my thoughts, for what they’re worth

I understand the argument that says coal stations going off due to carbon restrictions and CCS not being proven, plus our original nuclear station coming to the end of their lives we potentially have an energy gap from 2016 onwards. I also understand that renewables as at present cannot be relied upon for base load. Gas has all the problems of energy security and being paid for in a foreign currency (as the GBP is rapidly becoming worthless, this is a real issue). So the argument goes that leaves us with nuclear.

However, in my opinion (and it’s just that), the side effects of nuclear are horrendous and have not been properly addressed. Mentioned above ad nauseam are the waste issues (agree, it seems to be just bury it out of sight and leave it for future generations to deal with) plus the health problems for those unfortunate to live near the sites.

That adds up to a pretty intractable equation which is why this thread is 8 pages long. Both sides can shout as much as they like but to me it’s a pretty miserable choice; solutions can only lie in reducing consumption (will happen anyway as prices go up / if power becomes unreliable) and trying to develop an alternative, although for the life of me I can’t think what that might be.

So no, like everyone else I don’t have an answer!

“helm a brontosaurus” – surely a metaphor?

None Gonorea

I once gate crashed a jazz concert and sat behind Phil Collins. In New York!

My brother claimed to have offered to buy Phil Lynott a beer. But I think he was unsuccessful.

Ian Hislop used to get my train into work.

(These are really desperate, aren’t they?).